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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 1d

My latest article for @psychologytoday.com provides a brief, simple introduction to formal logic and deductive arguments:

www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/crit...

How Arguments Go Wrong—and How Bad Arguments Can Go Right

An introduction to the structure of deductive arguments, how to evaluate them, and why a bad argument doesn’t necessarily mean the conclusion is false.

www.psychologytoday.com

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 13d

Pseudoscience seller: I treat the root cause, unlike doctors who just treat symptoms.

Science: Your treatment doesn't work beyond placebo.

Pseudoscience seller: But placebo makes people *feel* better.

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 14d

These quotes were from the latest episode of Thinking Clearly: thinkingclearly.libsyn.com/110-the-role...

Thinking Clearly: #110-The Role of Emotions in Thinking and Learning-with guest Mary Helen Immordino-Yang

Emotions are often viewed as interfering with clear, objective, evidence-based reasoning; in fact, “appeal to emotion” is considered to be a logical fallacy. However, our guest, Mary Helen Immordino-Y...

thinkingclearly.libsyn.com

Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 14d

What do you think of these quotes by professor of neuroscience, psychology, and education, Mary Helen Immordino-Yang?

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 14d

Yes, exactly this!

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 14d

Clips of street or campus debates often frame an opponent’s stunned silence as evidence that a brilliant point was made. But in my experience, it's the most deeply flawed arguments that leave me speechless, wondering, "Where do I even begin?"

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 18d

We’re taught to avoid assumptions. Yet some assumptions are reasonable/necessary. I think it's fair to assume the puzzle is written in English. Is it also fair to assume that all three characters are people, or that it’s the same George? Where is the line between a fair assumption and an unfair one?

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 18d

But someone determined to sabotage the puzzle could counter that this very sentence might not be in English either. At some point, creating a truly bullet-proof puzzle that requires *no* assumptions seems impossible.

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 18d

Yet even then, someone could object: "You’re assuming this is written in English, not in some code that only looks like English."

We could add, "The following puzzle is written in English."

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 18d

To guard against these two objections, we might rewrite the puzzle as: "Jack, a married person, is looking at Anne, a person, who is looking at George, a person who is not married. Is a married person looking at an unmarried person?"

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 18d

For example, they note that the puzzle never specifies Anne is a person. She could be a cat. One could also argue that the two mentions of "George" might not refer to the same individual.

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 18d

The classic (but surprising) answer is "Yes." If Anne is married, then a married person (Anne) is looking at an unmarried person (George). If Anne is unmarried, then a married person (Jack) is looking at an unmarried person (Anne).

But some readers push back.

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 18d

An interesting conversation that follows a puzzle I recently shared is: What counts as a fair assumption?

The puzzle was this: "Jack is looking at Anne, but Anne is looking at George. Jack is married, but George is not. Is a married person looking at an unmarried person?"

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 19d

Sorry to hear that. Are you monetizing your work in the field of skepticism?

It is frustrating how easily grifters make money by speaking with certainty and offering miracles.

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 24d

This is why I'm writing: critikid.com/a-modern-gui...

A Modern Guide to Thinking, Fast and Slow - Critikid

A chapter-by-chapter analysis of Kahneman's text with a focus on the replication crisis, clarifying which findings remain solid and which have not held up to scrutiny.

critikid.com

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 24d

Don't get me wrong - I like "Thinking, Fast and Slow." Many of the concepts are supported by decades of research and replications. But this kind of stuff is in there, too.

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 25d

Sadly, sometimes the people who need a lesson the most are the most resistant to it.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading this!

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 25d

Ironically, this is a review of "The Intelligence Trap", a book about protecting ourselves from error. The author, writes:

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 25d

On being confidently wrong:

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 26d

The best part is that I can add new posts over time. If you've seen any trending manipulative tactics, misleading claims, scams, etc. that aren’t included yet, let me know. That feedback helps me keep it relevant. 5/5
critikid.com/courses/soci...

Lessons - Social Media Simulator - Critikid.com - Critikid

critikid.com

Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 26d

Thinking about this shaped how I built Critikid's Social Media Simulator. I created a mock feed of misleading and manipulative (but child-safe) content based on what I was seeing on social media, and I also crowdsourced ideas by asking others. 4/

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 26d

As someone who teaches media literacy, I have to admit that I struggle with this ever-changing digital landscape. Even if I release something that’s completely up-to-date, I know it won’t stay that way for long. 3/

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 26d

They're outdated before they're published. Too often, they look and feel like the media literacy courses we had years ago. But the digital landscape has changed drastically. 2/

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 26d

Today I saw a post explaining "popular texting codes" to parents. The examples included things like BRB, GR8, and GTG.

The irony is obvious: Parents today are the ones who invented those codes.

But it reflected a bigger problem with many media/digital literacy resources 👇

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Stephanie Simoes @critikid.bsky.social · 27d

I avoid the term "critical thinker."
It suggests you either are one or you’re not, that it's something you can achieve and be done with.

I prefer "critical thinking."
It's something we all do, sometimes better than others. Even with practice, we all slip into lazy thinking at times.

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