Sample This: Making Sense of Surveys
There are a lot of shoddy polls out there. Some are frank about their shortcomings and some aren't. Here are some ideas for getting an accurate picture of what a poll can tell you.
Moral Panics and Rumors
When the world turns its mean side to the public, rumors amplified in the Internet/cable news age often slip past our critical thinking skills.
Pyramid Power, or Pennies for a Pony
Whether chain letters or Bernie Madoff, scams that rely on ever-greater numbers of gullible people eventually founder.
Logically Absurd and Contradictory
In honing your home logic skills, try reducing any argument to its basic premise at the extremes of its subject.
Questioning Questions in Evaluating Polls
How you ask, what you ask and when you ask can all affect what you get in conducting polls.
Nelson Mandela’s Penalty Kick
As the globe catches World Cup fever, our Peter Nardi sees a little hidden scamming among the confetti.
Storks, Vaccines and Causation
The apparent connection between vaccines and autism didn't reveal much about medical safety but did reveal lots about thinking.
Why Have Women Magicians Vanished?
Working magicians conjure up rationales — both beneficial and baneful — for why so few women perform magic.