{"id":1235,"date":"2013-04-03T15:56:11","date_gmt":"2013-04-03T19:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alisonblogs.com\/wordpress\/?p=1235"},"modified":"2013-04-03T15:56:12","modified_gmt":"2013-04-03T19:56:12","slug":"wednesday-links-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alisonblogs.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/2013\/04\/03\/wednesday-links-10\/","title":{"rendered":"Wednesday Links"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here are some references to help you win at logic: The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe<\/a> explains how logic works and doesn’t work before delving into its top 20 logical fallacies – how to spot them and how to counter them. The Nizkor Project<\/a> breaks them down by type, and you can search them by name. Logical Fallacies<\/a> is an encyclopedic reference, a little more detailed than Nizkor, and an easier font and background than Skeptic’s Guide. Thou Shalt Not Commit Logical Fallacies<\/a> is great if you’re a visual learner, with little icons for each individual fallacy. The Master List of Logical Fallacies<\/a> is written for writers, has a few different names for some fallacies that you might not recognize, but is maybe a little easier to understand because there’s less Latin. <\/p>\n

Speaking of fallacies, one of the big ones is the “teach both sides,” or “teach the controversy,” usually found regarding evolution. Dave Hone, in The Guardian blogs<\/a>, shows how misleading this is with a specific case of a TV show that showed “both sides of the debate” regarding the evolution of birds. One side is represented by the majority of experts, the other by people who have an opinion.<\/p>\n

Genetic research unearths a possible marker for prostate cancer<\/a>, which may help us develop targeted treatments<\/a> to cure it.<\/p>\n

More on genes and cancer. . .apparently the genetic condition called Laron’s syndrome<\/a> makes people’s bodies short, but their lives long. Somewhere in their genes, they’re resistant to growth hormones and<\/i> resistant to cancer. Fascinating.<\/p>\n

Phineas Gage<\/a> is probably the best-known case of the effects of traumatic brain injury on behavior. New technology attempts to recreate the damage that was done by the railroad spike in his head in an effort to understand it better. Mindhacks<\/a> isn’t sure he wants to know more, but shares it anyway.<\/p>\n

Sometimes you need an outside perspective to see that an idea looks stupid. People in the UK think the NRA’s idea to put armed guards in schools<\/a> is nuts. I think they’re right.<\/p>\n

The Keystone pipeline could make this<\/a> a scene anywhere along its entire length. Maybe that’s better than an ocean spill, but wouldn’t we rather avoid it in the first place if we can?<\/p>\n

Rhinos are dangerous animals. Really dangerous. But how can you be scared of one that looks this cute?<\/p>\n