A Logical Take

Examining UFO sightings, pseudo cures, Facebook memes and the like.

David Kyle Johnson Ph.D.

The Logic of the COVID “Lab Leak" Hypothesis

For some, the "origin" of COVID (near the Wuhan lab) and the three hospitalized Wuhan lab workers are the smoking guns that prove COVID leaked out of a lab. They're not.

False Equivalence: Election Unrest in 2020 vs. 2016

There is a huge difference between “Not My President” and “Not The President.”

No, Mail-In Voter Fraud Is Not Rampant. It's Rare.

Unsuccessful attempts at voter fraud cannot be evidence of successful attempts at voter fraud. To think otherwise commits what is called the fallacy of “missing the point.” 

Equivocating on "The Peaceful Transition of Power"

Equivocation is often used to make weak arguments look strong, but it can also be used as a distraction, a red herring, to deflect criticism.

Analogy, Insulting Hypocrisy, and Supreme Court Nominations

The arguments for nominating a Supreme Court Justice in 2020, despite what happened in 2016, are an insult to our collective intelligence.

Herman Cain's Death, RCTs, and the Mask Debate

Herman Cain's death after attending a rally where no one wore masks might not teach us much; but it might teach us more than most randomized controlled trials on masks do.

Public Medical Advice: Why Intellectual Character Matters

When it comes to medical advice, intellectual character matters.

Masks (Still) Work: Debunking (More) Pseudoscience

How (inappropriate) appeals to authority fuel pseudoscience

Yes, Masks Work: Debunking the Pseudoscience

How does expectation bias fuel Denis Rancourt's pseudoscience on the effectiveness of masks? By making people see what they want.

Firework Bans and Wearing Masks

“But my freedom” doesn’t work as a reason to ignore a ban on lighting fireworks during a drought nor to not wear a mask during a pandemic.

"Hate Has No Home Here" and the Paradox of Tolerance

Is intolerance of intolerance, well, intolerant? Is hating hate hateful?

Masks, COVID, and the Ethics of Belief

We no longer need thought experiments to prove Clifford right. COVID has shown that epistemic laziness is detrimental to society.

Opinions, Rights, and Transgender Persons

Transgender persons have a moral and epistemic right to claim their gender differs from their biological sex.

The Galileo Gambit and Appealing to Ignorance

A one-in-a-million chance that you are right, doesn’t mean that you are.

Confirmation Bias and Police Brutality

The human tendency to only look for evidence that confirms what we want to believe is strong--and could be standing in the way of acknowledging the truth about police brutality. 

Do You Have a Right to Your Opinion?

Invoking one’s right to their opinion is usually just a way to continue to believe what should not be believed.

Is the Cure Really Worse Than the Problem?

Could social distancing and an economic downturn be worse the deaths caused by COVID-19? No, and here's why.

The Dangers of Pseudoscience

College professors can't let moving their classes online dampen the education their students receive—especially when it comes to educating them about pseudoscience.

A Lethal Lack of Logic

The fallacy of false equivalence lies at the heart of the U.S. lack of preparedness for the coming Covid-19 pandemic.

Australia’s Wildfires and Climate Change Denial

Arson is not responsible for the Australia wildfires. Climate change has created conditions that encourage fires to rage out of control.

About That Open Letter to *Christianity Today*

The reaction to that Christianity Today article is really heating up.

The Logic of Reacting to Christianity Today

Can the opinion of religious leaders determine the morality of a person's behavoir or character?

When Is a Joke Not a Joke? When It’s Told by a Politician

Mike Huckabee implied he was only joking when he said that he had been appointed to head's Trump's 2024 campaign because his first one doesn't count. Was he?

Can God's Existence Be Disproven?

Working on my article "Does God Exist" for Think has got me thinking about whether God's existance can be disproven.

"I Live in the Real World"

You might not want to ruin Thanksgiving, but an argument could be made that you should. Here's a quick refutation of a logical fallacy you will likely encounter.

Lying About Santa is Not a Christian Tradition

A logical analysis of my appearance on Sean Hannity's Fox News show.

Sorry Sean Hannity, the Truth About Santa Isn’t “Fake News”

A New Jersey substitute teacher let her first graders in on the "Santa secret," and Sean Hannity is in an uproar. I argue that that parents are just as much to blame.

Can Mind/Brain Supervenience be Demonstrated?

Other people have minds. The mind is dependent upon the brain. The mind supervenes on the brain. Can any of this be proven scientifically?

Roseanne’s Cancellation vs. The NFL Kneeling Ban

There is a significant difference between ABC firing Roseanne and the NFL ban on kneeling during the anthem that makes one protected, and the other not.

My Defense of Michelle Wolf: Responding to Criticism

They may try to distract us from Wolf's criticism by complaining about her "potty mouth," but I will not for one second give that criticism a single ounce of credibility.

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