Homework 2
1. Consider the following argument (taken from http://www.stopabductions.com):
THIS WEBSITE TELLS YOU HOW TO MAKE A THOUGHT SCREEN HELMET, THE MATERIALS AND TOOLS YOU NEED TO MAKE ONE, AND WHERE YOU CAN OBTAIN THE MATERIALS
The thought screen helmet blocks telepathic communication between aliens and humans. Aliens cannot immobilize people wearing thought screens nor can they control their minds or communicate with them.
Results of the thought screen helmet are preliminary. As of June, 2000, aliens have not taken any abductees while they were wearing thought screen helmets using Velostat shielding.
The thought screen helmet was invented by Michael Menkin in 1998 and named after the thought screens that were described by science fiction writer Edward Everett Smith Ph.D. in the Gray Lensman novels.
This argument as it is stated here has problems. (As always, this is not to say that there might not be better versions of the argument that would vindicate its conclusion.) Explain the problems in turn by:
(1) Making explicit any presuppositions you see as relevant to the argument.
(2) Citing presuppositions among those that one might reasonably challenge (and explain how one might do so).
(3) Naming the most significant fallacy(ies) that the argument falls into.
2. Find a recent editorial or letter to the editor from the news source of your choice and make explicit its central arguments explicit in a manner similar to the first two parts of the previous question. If it has serious errors in it, make those clear as well. (Obviously, a better written and reasoned piece will make this a boring assignment. I would advise you to look for a crank who wrote to the editor, but I leave it up to you.)
3. Consider the following description of some inductive reasoning:
A recent Internet poll of 217 people who visited our website found that 76.5% of people who identified themselves as "blue collar" rather than "middle class" or "wealthy" reported "some problems sleeping at night." A similar poll conducted on another website asked a similar question, though it did not ask for self-identification among socioeconomic categories as the other survey did. However, in that survey, a similar number - 77.2% - reported "some problems sleeping at night" as well. Given the similarity of the results, we can conclude that over 70% of people in the lower income brackets of this country experience some sleeplessness, probably as a result of financial stresses.
This study has an interesting objective, but it also has several deficiencies in its methodology. Suggest what the problems might be and suggest at least four significant ways in which the study could be improved.
4. In a famous episode of The Simpsons, several major league baseball players made guest appearances as themselves (or at least their own voices). All but one (Ken Griffey, Jr.) either had their careers end within a couple years or saw injuries and other problems so severe that they were never regular players again. Many athletes and sports commentators referred to this as the "Simpsons’ Curse." How might you explain this, knowing what you do from this class?