Ben Sima

Tag: logic

  • The Fireplace Delusion by Sam Harris

    Sam Harris posted an article on his blog that I feel the need to share. He rightly begins: “It seems to me that many nonbelievers have forgotten—or never knew—what it is like to suffer an unhappy collision with scientific rationality. We are open to good evidence and sound argument as a matter of principle, and […]

  • Occupy Wall Street: Fallacies and Misconceptions

    You’d have to be living in a cave if you still haven’t heard of the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement. After numerous conversations with friends about the protests, I’ve decided to write this article. I’ll cover the origin of the protests, what the protesters stand for and want (as hard as that is to discern), […]

  • I think Russell Brand is my new celebrity hero.

    I think Russell Brand is my new celebrity hero. Definitely watch this full interview. The ideas Brand talks about are strikingly similar to what I’ve been thinking or reading lately. It’s exceedingly rare to find a celebrity that can talk like this. Via twitter

  • Entrepreneurship Risk

    From Summation by Auren Hoffman: Entrepreneurs tend to be street-smarter than strategy consultants. Entrepreneurs are more practical, more focused on the bottom line, and more attuned to real-world contingencies. A typical strategy consultant job interview might go something like this: “I toss a coin. Heads you win $10,000. Tails you lose $6,000. Do you play […]

  • Arguments in Evaluative Language—Essentially Contestable

    Is it cruel to kill cattle in slaughterhouses where live cattle can smell the blood of the dead? Or to spank children in order to teach them how to behave? The point is not that we couldn’t argue our way to one position or the other on these questions; it’s only to say that when […]

  • Facebook & Video Games: An Introduction to the Narrative Fallacy

    “I am a god. Level ten all alone!” My brother’s face glowed blue from the television as he completed another level in the Call of Duty minigame. The fact that most people sleep at 3 a.m. didn’t phase his concentration as he simultaneously killed zombies and trashed talked his friends. His confidence rose as he […]