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Made by Jake Ballennie, working individually.

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Post #2 Red flag: Ancient wisdom (website)

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Post #2 Red flag: Ancient wisdom (website)

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Definition:
'Science' that has been used since the ancient times, usually associated with alternative science. Age is not more important than results.

Connection:
This website demonstrates Ancient Wisdom because despite modern day medical practices, people are still using bloodletting as a form of treatment. They believe this will help even though it has been discredited .

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Read the latest stories from National Geographic's Great Energy Challenge

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Post #3 Red flag: Confirmation Bias (website)

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Post #3 Red flag: Confirmation Bias (website)

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Definition:
Remembering events that appeal to you and your thoughts/beliefs while forgetting or disregarding events that go against it.

Connection:
This site demonstrates Confirmation Bias by explaining how psychics use this red flag to scam and lie to clients. Psychics know what their clients want to hear, and heavily play on that factor to get the client to believe what they're saying.

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There are many times when one wishes for the ability to look beyond the here and now, whether into the future or delve into the distant past. Since this is an unlikely feat for most humans, psychics who claim to be able to do this are in great demand. And more often not the fraudulent ones among them use a series of devices of psychological manipulation to impress clients. One such method employed by psychics is confirmation bias and here is how they use it to defraud clients.

What is confirmation bias in the first place?

On January 5, 1860 Henry David Thoreau wrote in his Journals, "Man receives only what he is ready to receive, whether physically, or intellectually or morally... We hear and apprehend only what we already half know". The tendency to accept evidence that confirms our beliefs and to reject evidence that contradicts them is known as confirmation bias. This phenomenon is a consequence of the way perception works. Beliefs entrenched in human beings shape their expectations, which in turn shape perceptions. These perceptions for their part influence conclusions. Thus people see what they expect to see and conclude what they expect to conclude.

In modern times of logical reasoning and rational thinking, it may seem incredible that human beings are susceptible to confirmation bias. But the potent effect of expectations on perception was demonstrated in an experiment recounted in a book Evidence-Based Technical Analysis written by David R. Aronson ¹. According to the experiment, when subjects were given a drink that they thought contained alcohol, but in fact did not, they experienced reduced social anxiety. However, other subjects who were told they were being given nonalcoholic beverages when they were, in fact, alcoholic did not experience reduced anxiety in social situations.

Evidence of large-scale confirmation bias is quite frequent in popular culture. The common notion that Women are bad drivers or that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction because are all examples of confirmation bias. In these cases, people see and recall only evidence that supports your beliefs, thus they can recount examples of women driving 40mph in the fast lane but ignore those women drivers who are sticking to the appropriate speed limit. In the second instance, American invasion of Iraq is justified by the latter supposedly stocking up WMD though no such evidence is forthcoming even after seven years of U.S. forces crawling all over Iraq. Instances of confirmation bias thus exist in all parts of society and the phenomenon colors all aspects of human life, public, personal and social.

How do psychics use confirmation bias?

Psychics are one of the groups to have taken the human tendency for confirmation bias and make it part of their professional arsenal. Before a reading, the psychic already knows that driven by this bias, his/her subjects will fit the psychic's statements to their own lives. Thus during the reading the psychic proceeds to make a large number of ambiguous statements with the help of which he/she gives the clients more opportunities to find a match to their own experience or personality. In other words the clients will selectively though unconsciously remember those statements made by the psychic that apply to their lives rather than those which don't apply. In an experiment Canadian-American magician and skeptic James Randi set out to prove this working of confirmation bias during psychic readings - he thus compared the transcript of a reading to the client's report of what the psychic had said, and found that the client showed a strong selective recall of the "hits" rather than the misses. For instance during a reading a psychic who claims to know about the client's deceased relative will give very general descriptions about the relative and their relationship with the client. He/she may say something like "why do I sense this distance" and the client may willingly respond by admitting that her father was the kind of man who didn't like to show love for the family. The client thus not only mistakenly believes that the psychic actually has "psychic" powers but has in fact volunteered valuable information to the psychic who will later use this very piece of family history to come up with other 'revelations'. Thus Confirmation bias is one reason why a so-called psychic may only average one accurate hit for every fourteen guesses, yet will be described as "totally accurate" by the client after the reading: it is due to the fact that people place a lot more importance on confirmatory evidence than on contradictory evidence. In this sense confirmation bias is one of the many cold reading techniques used by psychics to glean information about their clients, rephrase this information and feed it back to them as a proof of the authenticity of their psychic abilities.

Psychics also know that people interpret information about themselves in two main ways - first is self-verification and the second is self-enhancement. The former is the drive to reinforce the existing self-image while the latter is the drive to seek positive feedback but in the end both are served by confirmation biases. Thus experiments have found that where people are given feedback that conflicts with their self-image, they are less likely to believe it or remember it than when given self-verifying feedback. One way to lessen the impact of such information is to label it as unreliable. Likewise researchers studying processes of self-enhancement have found a similar preference for positive feedback, and the people who give it, over negative feedback. Psychics are well aware of such workings of confirmation bias which is why they are careful to tell their clients mostly what the latter wish to hear. During a reading, a psychic may throw in a few cautionary sentences or warnings to stay away from such and such people but on the whole they will make sure to pander to the client's real desires and expectations as then he/she will make a more positive impression on the client.

Reference:

1. David R. Aronson, Evidence-Based Technical Analysis, Wiley, 2007

2. Randi, James (1991), James Randi: psychic investigator, Boxtree

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How Fraudulent Psychics Use 'Confirmation Bias' to Defraud Clients

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There are many times when one wishes for the ability to look beyond the here and now, whether into the future or delve into the distant past. Since this is an unlikely feat for most humans, psychics who claim to be able to do this are in great demand.

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Post #4 Red flag: Appeal to authority (website)

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Post #4 Red flag: Appeal to authority (website)

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Definition:
When celebrities or famous people use their platform promote something (usually fake or unproven), and people believe them, no matter their scientific background.

Connection:
Everyone's favourite giant thumb and right-wing, angry conspiracy theorist Alex Jones sells growth supplements, constantly promoting them during his "Infowars" show. He claims that they help you build muscle, but not only do they not work, they are extremely expensive.

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Alex Jones and fans of homeopathy may have something in common.

Jones' wildly popular supplements, sold on his Infowars.com site, are nothing more than humdrum vitamin blends that have little-to-no data supporting touted health benefits-basically the same as the vitamins found in any pharmacy or health store, according to independent lab testing. But there are two key differences: the far-right talk show hosts' supplements are far more expensive, and they tend to be weaker than garden-variety supplements. Reminiscent of the extensively watered-down treatments used by homeopaths, Jones' supplements were often diluted such that even if those vitamin and herbal blends did offer some health benefits, the doses would likely be too small to be effective.

That's all according to an independent lab analysis performed on several of the supplements by Labdoor, a San Francisco-based lab that tests dietary supplements. The analysis was done at the behest of BuzzFeed News, which reported the results late Wednesday.

Brian Brandley, Labdoor's laboratory director, told BuzzFeed News:

We tested samples in triplicate, and wherever possible, cross-checked those results with at least two independent analytical laboratories, so we have complete trust in our conclusions.

The good news is that the testing did not turn up any surprises or unseemly ingredients. The Infowars supplements largely contained the ingredients listed on their containers and did not include unnamed or prohibited ingredients, such as stimulants like Viagra.

But the supplements overall tended to contain smaller doses than similar, much cheaper supplements sold in convenience stores, according to Labdoor. For instance, Infowars' Anthroplex, which is labeled as containing zinc and a proprietary blend of herbal ingredients, contained 31 percent less zinc orotate than the 1mg per serving that's listed on the label, according to Labdoor. And the amount listed is already far lower than other zinc-based supplements on the market. For instance, the zinc orotate supplements sold on Amazon had servings listed at 9.5mg to 51mg, and they were considerably less expensive. A 200-capsule bottle of 9.5mg zinc orotate capsules sold for $14 on Amazon, while a 60-capsule bottle of Anthroplex is currently on sale at $29.95, down from $39.95.

Likewise, the nascent iodine drops supplement that Infowars sells as "Survival Shield X-2" is labeled as containing 1,950 mcg of nascent iodine and has a list price of $39.95 (though it's currently on sale for $17.76). Labdoor found that it contained slightly below the amount listed. A similar product on Amazon contains 2,694 mcg, though, and sells for about $19.

In addition to the weak products, Jones also sells products that Labdoor described as "far-fetched," including the $149.95 bottle of "DNA Force," a proprietary blend to improve "DNA health."

Despite the hefty price tags and the weak ingredients, Jones has been successful at selling the products. A former Infowars employee told BuzzFeed that "[Jones] can sell 500 supplements in an hour." And New York magazine roughly estimated that Jones could haul in $15 million in a two-year period from the products. During a recent episode of Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver even devoted an entire segment to outlining how Jones profits off these products and his associated hyperbolic health claims.

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Alex Jones' Infowars supplements are overpriced, mundane vitamins-watered down

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Alex Jones and fans of homeopathy may have something in common. Jones' wildly popular supplements, sold on his Infowars.com site, are nothing more than humdrum vitamin blends that have little-to-no data supporting touted health benefits-basically the same as the vitamins found in any pharmacy or health store, according to independent lab testing.

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Post # 5 Red flag: All natural (website)

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Post # 5 Red flag: All natural (website)

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Definition:
The belief that because something says "All  natural" , that means its healthy and its going to work. Not everything that is all natural is good for you or is an instant cure for all your problems.

Connection:
Alex Jones is mentioned again in this article, but I'm focusing on this "Moon Juice" that is recommended by Gwyneth Paltrow. This juice is 38 dollars and makes you better at sex? what? None of the descriptions of any of these 'juices' actually tell you how this is going to happen.

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There are two Americas, we've been told.

There's Duck Dynasty America and Modern Family America. There's "gosh" America and "dope" America. Sometimes, though, Americans unite around a common idea. Like the healing powers of eleuthero root, cordyceps mushrooms, and "nascent iodine."

Near the end of a profile of Amanda Chantal Bacon, founder of the "wellness" brand Moon Juice, the New York Times Magazine noted that many of the alternative-medicine ingredients in her products are sold-with very different branding-on the Infowars store. That's the site run by Alex Jones, the radio show host and conspiracy theorist who has said that both the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School and the Boston Marathon bombing were staged. Moon Juice is frequently recommended by Gwyneth Paltrow's wellness blog, Goop; it's a favorite of Hollywood celebrities and others who can afford things like $25 " activated cashews." Infowars, on the other hand, is a dark corner of the American right, heavy on guns, light on government intervention, and still very mad at Obama.

We at Quartz have created a compendium, from Ashwagandha to zizyphus, of the magical healing ingredients both sides of the political spectrum are buying, and how they are presented to each. We looked at the ingredients used in products sold on the Infowars store, and compared them to products on the wellness shops Moon Juice and Goop. All make similar claims about the health benefits of these ingredients, but what gets called "Super Male Vitality" by Infowars is branded as "Sex Dust" by Moon Juice.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is an herb commonly used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine. In the wellness world it is purported to have all kinds of benefits- everything from reducing stress to preventing cancer. According to Goop, it "tonifies the immune system," whatever that means. (The Oxford Dictionary says that means "increase the available energy of (a bodily part or system).") Infowars says it is "rejuvenative." Animal studies in the lab suggest Ashwagandha may be effective for treating cancer, diabetes, and somehow, both reducing fatigue and as a sedative, but these effects have not been thoroughly tested on humans.
Goop: Recommended in Magic Potions for Clarity, Beauty, and Energy

Tonifies the immune system; inspires vigor and strength; relieves mental, emotional, and physical stress; and harmonizes mind, body, and spirit.

Infowars: Heirloom Organics Professional Medicine Pack

Ashwagandha is regarded as one of the great rejuvenative [sic] herbs of India. According to Ayurveda, the traditional healing system of India, the root of this low-growing shrub is said to be effective for a host of debilitated [sic] conditions, including general weakness, impotence, infertility, and others. Ashwaganda is sometimes described as Indian Ginseng for the significance of this botanical in Indian pharmacopoeia.

Bacopa

Also an Ayurvedic herb, said to reduce stress, improve memory, and treat epilepsy, among other purported benefits. Goop uses bacopa in a supplement pack called "Why am I so Effing Tired;" Infowars sticks it in its "Brain Force Plus." The science, based on animal studies, shows some preliminary-but contradictory-evidence of improvements to memory and brain function. There is minimal support for the claims about epilepsy and anxiety.
Goop: Why am I so effing tired

Formulated with a variety of vitamins (including a high dose of the B's) and supplements-many sourced from ancient Ayurveda-this helps re-balance an overtaxed system. Replenishing the nutrients you may be lacking may improve energy levels and diminish stress.

Infowars: Brain Force Plus

Top scientists and researchers agree: we are being hit by toxic weapons in the food and water supply that are making us fat, sick, and stupid. It's time to fight back with Brain Force Plus, the next generation of advanced neural activation.

Chaga mushroom

Most of these wellness sites provide a long list of potential benefits from ingredients like the chaga mushroom. One site promises that Inonotus obliquus offers immune system support, "soothing properties," blood pressure normalization, "DNA damage protection," and a few more unbelievable health benefits. Moon Juice calls the mushroom a "joy promoter." Studies on animals have shown that chaga can "inhibit cancer progression" and "activate some types of immune cells," but the consensus is that studies in humans are needed.
Moon Juice: Chaga

Our Chaga mushrooms contain bio-active beta glucans [these have been shown to live up to some of their promises]to support the body's innate defense systems.

Infowars: Caveman True Paleo Formula

The Ultimate In True Paleo Nutrition with Bone Broth, Turmeric Root, Chaga Mushroom, Bee Pollen, and other Ancient Supernutrients [sic, entire sentence].

Colloidal Silver

Apparently colloidal silver is "a suspension of tiny silver particles in a liquid." On Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow writes, "They say that active silver keeps germs at bay so I spray this in the air around me when I sit down." The US National Institutes of Health, on the other hand, says directly that "claims made about the health benefits of taking colloidal silver aren't backed up by studies," adding, "colloidal silver can cause serious side effects."
Higher Nature: Colloidal Silver Infowars: Silver Bullet (recommended by Goop)

Our Colloidal silver contains pure, medical grade silver, which has been used for many centuries. It is produced using electro-controlled technology and pure water from a 9-stage water purification process, to achieve a very small particle size (0.0006 to 0.005 microns). This small particle size is important because it provides a much greater surface area and therefore more of an effective liquid.

The Infowars Life Silver Bullet Colloidal Silver is finally here following Alex's extensive search for a powerful colloidal silver product that is both free of artificial additives and utilizes high quality processes to ensure for [sic] a truly unique product that has applications for both preparedness and regular use.

Cordyceps mushroom
Infowars: Wake Up America Immune Support Blend 100% Organic Coffee
Another obscure fungus, this one used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is purported to "increase immune function," act as a natural aphrodisiac, and improve stamina. According to Goop, it's "an important Yang tonic," which means it provides "masculine energy." There is some preliminary evidence for the immune system thing, but other claims are unproven. Goop sells cordyceps as a dietary supplement; Infowars infuses them into its "Wake Up America" coffee.

Organic, USA-grown cordyceps mushroom and is [sic] an important Yang tonic. May support the oxygenation of the whole body, mental power, muscle tone, sexual energy, and immune function. Mix 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) in warm water or tea 1-2 times daily. Great added to soups, smoothies, raw chocolate, and anytime you are looking to activate fortitude, sensuality, and endurance.

Certain strands of mushroom such as Cordyceps and Reishi have a history of medicinal use spanning millennia in countries such as China, Tibet, and Japan. Throughout history these are [sic] some of the most expensive herbal raw materials in the world. Only recently has western medicine begun to research all the potential medical benefits of medicinal mushrooms. The cutting-edge Wake Up America! Immune Support Blend brings ancient Asian wisdom together with modern technology.

Moon Juice: Power Dust
Eleuthero root
Infowars: Relax & De-Stress Herbal Extract
There is some preliminary evidence that eleuthero, another ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine, has various benefits, such as reducing fatigue and stress, and improving immune functions. Both Moon Juice and Infowars sell it blended with a bunch of other herbal medicines, though, so it would be difficult to isolate eleuthero's possible positive effects. Moon Juice says it can help "fuel your physical and entrepreneurial feats." Also, this is the one case Quartz found where the Moon Juice product sounds more hardcore than the Infowars version.

Power Dust® is an elite blend of adaptogenic superherbs and supermushrooms that help combat [sic] the effects of stress to fuel your physical and entrepreneurial feats.

Relax & De-Stress Herbal Extract is a [sic] herbal tincture great for relaxing and supporting the nervous system while aiding in maintaining [sic] a healthy heart and adrenals [sic] gland function.

Goop: Vapour Beauty's Mesmerize Eye Shimmer
Eyebright herb

The two sides of our herbal medicine spectrum seem to have come to different conclusions about what "eyebright" does for the eyes. Infowars sells it in a supplement called "Occu Power," which makes your eyes "healthy." Goop sells it as an ingredient in eye makeup. There is no scientific evidence for its purported eye health benefits.

This is a sheer, modern wash of gleamy color that's as brilliant all over the lid as it is when used as a translucent, smoky touch of liner. Made with organic chrysanthemum, eyebright, and horsetail herb-the blend is Vapour's famous Herbal Eyebright complex-the creamy stick is hydrating and packed with antioxidants to treats [sic] the delicate eye area, soothing inflammation and stimulating circulation.

Occu-Power by Infowars Life is a new formulation specifically designed to nutritionally assist the natural function of healthy eyes. Arguably the most important sense, sight is the primary input to the brain. Combining key ingredients like astaxanthin, lutein, and Eyebright herb extract, Occu-Power is a long awaited 'super formula' now available exclusively through the Infowars Life line.

Infowars: Super Male Vitality
Maca

Maca is supposed to increase sex drive and male fertility. The Sloan Kettering Cancer Center says "the evidence to support the use of maca in improving sexual function is limited," and that "more studies are warranted." Both Moon Juice and Infowars sell it as an ingredient in products targeting an increased libido. (Although, at Moon Juice, it is an ingredient in both "Sex Dust" and "Brain Dust.")

Sex Dust™ is a lusty edible formula alchemized to ignite and excite sexy energy in and out of the bedroom.

As men age, they may often experience a slow-down in vitality, energy, and overall wellness. Super Male Vitality is specifically designed to assist the body in regulating proper balance to create superior vitality in males, and has been used by Alex Jones in order to maximize vitality when working up to 12 hours a day or more in the fight for freedom.

Goop: No particular product, but recommends nascent iodine in a Q&A published on the site Infowars: Survival Shield X-2
Nascent iodine

We couldn't find any reliable scientific information on "nascent iodine." Normal, run-of-the-mill iodine is an important thing to have in your body, but most people get enough from foods that are rich in the mineral. The "nascent" stuff is supposed to have an "electromagnetic charge" that makes it easier to digest.

Putting the question of the veracity of those claims to the side, ConsumerLab, an independent group that tests and vets dietary supplements, says that iodine in this "charged" form cannot even exist in liquid form, which is how Alex Jones and company distribute it. What's more, the amount of nascent iodine wellness websites suggest you take-in order to supposedly maintain a healthy thyroid, usually-is way beyond normal levels for the normal iodine we usually get from foods. The US National Institutes of Health says that "adults should avoid prolonged use of doses higher than 1,100 micrograms per day." Infowars and the " Global Healing Center " both recommend 1,950 micrograms a day.
Moon Juice: Spirit Dust

Experience the benefits of next level proprietary nascent iodine, developed using our Thermodynamic Pressure Sensitive High Energy Sound Pulse Nano-Emulsion Technology [sic] that allows for a highly unique nascent iodine that is both concentrated and free of unwanted additives and genetically modified ingredients.

Infowars: Wake Up America Immune Support Blend 100% Organic Coffee
Reishi mushrooms

More fungi with a load of supposed health benefits. Current research shows there's no scientific evidence to support the claims that reishi mushrooms can treat fatigue or increase stamina. There is a small amount of inconclusive scientific support for claims that the fungi improve immune system function, reduce inflammation, and lower cholesterol. Reishi mushrooms are another ingredient in Infowars' Wake Up America coffee.

Spirit Dust® is an uplifting blend of adaptogenic superherbs and supermushrooms that help [sic] combat the effects of stress to expand peaceful awareness and align you with bliss.

Goop: Balls in the Air

Prized for thousands of years for their culinary and medicinal properties, mushrooms are more than just a low kilojoule, low sodium and high-fiber ingredient for pasta and pizzas. One of the many conditions that certain species of mushrooms have been found to heal is human papilloma virus infections, which are feared due to their association with certain cancers.

Infowars: Bio-True Selenium
Selenium

Selenium is an element found in trace amounts in all animals, including humans, and is required for cellular function. Infowars says the element "supports a healthy thyroid gland, supports the immune system, is essential for metabolic pathways, and much more." Some of these claims are backed by evidence, though many are not. The claim that selenium defends against cancer is also dangerously inconclusive. "Clinical trials show that selenium may not help prevent cancer; it may actually increase the risk of aggressive and secondary cancers," writes Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

This antioxidant-rich (beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E) regimen plays defense so you can play offense, helping to unburden inflammation in the body, ensuring that all systems operate at full capacity. Formulated with a blend of building blocks that boosts the body's production of glutathione-the master detoxifier-this regimen is designed for women who function at an intense pace, and want to keep it that way.

Moon Juice: Brain Dust

Selenium is an essential trace mineral that supports a healthy thyroid gland, supports the immune system, is essential for metabolic pathways, and much more. Selenium even plays a role in the natural function of reproductive health, DNA production, and eyesight. As a powerful antioxidant, selenium helps fight free radicals and may even be considered a super antioxidant' [sic] because of the way in which it may support other antioxidants.

Infowars: Z-Shield
Shilajit

The science on this tar-like substance found in the Himalayas is scant. One study found it increased testosterone levels. Another said it might have some benefit in helping control Alzheimer's, but adds that "more investigations at the basic biological level as well as clinical trials are necessary." Alex Jones sells it in his Z-Shield drops, with "proprietary science" behind them, saying it defends us from the "toxic substances" that "bombard" us. Over at Moon Juice, it is yet another ingredient in Brain Dust.

Brain Dust® is an enlightening blend of adaptogenic superherbs and supermushrooms that help combat [sic] the effects of stress to align you with the cosmic flow for great achievement.

Moon Juice: Dream Dust

More than four years ago, our team of doctors, chemists, master herbalists and nutraceutical experts set out to develop a toxic metal and chemical defense support formula that didn't cut any corners. Now, after years of deep research and the development of new proprietary processing technology, our team is proud to announce the launch of Z-Shield: The next big game-changer in the Infowars Life line of super high-quality formulations. Z-Shield is designed to help you fight back with natural ingredients that don't hold back.

Zizyphus (sometimes referred to as "ziziphus")

Infowars calls this a "nourishing tonifier" and recommends using it to calm your kids down. Both Infowars and Moon Juice market it as a sedative, though there are "no human studies on the sedative or anxiety-reducing effects of Jujube" (though some studies on rats have shown promise), according to Examine.com, an online encyclopedia that analyzes evidence on supplements. Getting a good night's sleep may remain a zizyphean task.

Dream Dust® is a tranquil blend of adaptogenic superherbs that help combat the effects of stress to soothe your tension for deep, nocturnal rest.

Read next: Women are flocking to wellness because modern medicine still doesn't take them seriously

Children today live in a stressful world. Over-stimulation can affect their behavior and concentration. Child Ease™ by Infowars Life™ is a special blend of herbs that has been specifically designed to soothe the mind and bodies of children. Our new formula uses soothing botanicals like chamomile, lemon balm, and catnip, with the nourishing tonifiers hawthorn, zizyphus, gotu kola extract, and amla. We have even added additional herbs and key nutrients that have been traditionally used by cultures around the world.

____________________________________________________________________________

Read next: Not all "wellness" is bullshit

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All the "wellness" products Americans love to buy are sold on both Infowars and Goop

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There are two Americas, we've been told. There's Duck Dynasty America and Modern Family America. There's "gosh" America and "dope" America. Sometimes, though, Americans unite around a common idea. Like the healing powers of eleuthero root, cordyceps mushrooms, and "nascent iodine." Near the end of a profile of Amanda Chantal Bacon, founder of the "wellness"...

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Post #6 Red flag: Ideological support (website)

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Post #6 Red flag: Ideological support (website)

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Definition:
When a cause uses marches, campaigns, pickets, legal systems and so on to promote something that usually doesnt have any scientific backup.

Connection:
This article describes the damage that the anti-vaccine movement has caused. Despite all the evidence that vaccines cause no harm, this movement uses their campaigns and marches to say otherwise, and as a result, 164,000 people die a year.

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Vaccinations are one of the of most incredible aspects of modern medicine. They can make previously lethal diseases disappear from society and save countless lives. There is, however, a chance that the vaccines work a little too well and our collective memory is too short to remember the devastating effects some of these diseases caused just a few short decades ago. Recently, for reasons that are not based on science or logic, many parents have outspokenly rejected vaccinating their children. Unfortunately, this has caused a reemergence of easily managed diseases. The Council on Foreign Relations has released an interactive map detailing the catastrophic outcome of these poor choices.

The interactive map gives a gut-wrenching tour of global outbreaks of measles, mumps, rubella, polio, and whooping cough from 2008-2014. These diseases -- all of which are easily prevented by vaccines -- can have dire consequences. The CDC estimates that 164,000 people around the world will die from measles each year, and it is experiencing quite a resurgence in the UK. The United States has recently seen a drastic increase in whooping cough, which causes around 195,000 deaths per year. The majority of these deaths occur in impoverished regions with very little access to vaccines. In the case of developed areas like the US or UK, they shouldn't be happening at all.

Update (10/24/2014): CFR's map has now been updated to document attacks on health care workers, which have been increasing in recent years. These attacks are indicated on the map with red triangles. Additionally, these attacks correlate with increased instance of disease, including a polio outbreak in Afghanistan. Socio-economic trends can also be seen, as incedence of measles and whooping cough are increasing in wealthier areas like the US and UK, while poorer areas indicate lacking adequate supplies and give health officials a clear idea of where efforts need to be increased.

But how did it all begin?

In 1998, Andrew Wakefield released a paper claiming to have linked the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to the onset of autism. No other scientist was ever able to match Wakefield's findings, and in the coming years, it became known that Wakefield had a financial conflict of interest. In 2010, an ethics review board found that he had falsified the data in his report, causing an immediate retraction of his original paper and revocation of his medical license. Despite the fact most scientists opposed Wakefield's "findings" from the start, some were all too eager to jump on the anti-MMR bandwagon.

Among those leading the charge against vaccines is Jenny McCarthy, the Playboy Bunny-turned-pseudoscience advocate. McCarthy began speaking out against vaccines in 2007, as she believed they caused her son's autism. Based on her son's symptoms, some believe the boy actually has Landau-Kleffner syndrome. She has written a few books (including one with a foreword by Wakefield himself) continually claiming that vaccines cause autism and that she cured her son's disorder with alternative treatment, without a shred of credible medical evidence. In the face of a possible misdiagnosis and absolutely no scientific evidence to support the claim that vaccines cause autism, she remains unchanged in her opinion. Unfortunately, her celebrity status has given her a platform to use anecdotal (not scientific) evidence to urge parents against vaccines.

Of course, absolutely nothing is without risk and there can be side effects from vaccines, but those are incredibly rare. Some people are unable to be vaccinated due to allergies or other medical conditions. This makes it altogether more important for those who can get vaccinated to do so, creating a herd immunity for our most vulnerable members of society.

The full version of the map is available on CFR's website.

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One Map Sums Up The Damage Caused By The Anti-Vaccination Movement

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Vaccinations are one of the of most incredible aspects of modern medicine. They can make previously lethal diseases disappear from society and save countless lives. There is, however, a chance that the vaccines work a little too well and our collective memory is too short to remember the devastating effects some of these diseases caused just a few short decades ago.

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Definition:
Belief in "invisible agents", and believing in events caused by said agents. (ghosts, god, demons, etc.)

Connection:
This website shows off some of the scariest haunted houses in America. People are afraid to go near or enter places that are deemed haunted because they think spirits will haunt or attack them.

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Americans love to be scared and the haunted house is a Halloween season staple. But these real-life haunted houses in the U.S. aren't just fleeting autumn pop-ups. These haunted homes, located in towns across the U.S., are the crime scenes for true tales of ax murders and massacres, lost children, and angry demons and ghosts-they're guaranteed to give you more shivers than even the best Halloween movies, especially if you're brave enough to stay the night at one of these frightening abodes. (We also know about some haunted Airbnbs, if you're into that sort of thing.) Staying in this Halloween? Embark on a virtual ghost tour of the most haunted places in the U.S. from the safety of your home.
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Haunted houses in the U.S.

Legend has it that the cause of all the mayhem at one of the most disturbing haunted houses in America stems from a little girl who was the victim of a botched appendectomy during a house call at the turn of the century. A family who lived in the Sallie House in the 1990s documented their experience on the TV show Sightings, which talked of flying objects, frequent apparitions and scratching, and gouging and shoving, mainly directed at the male owner. The home is now vacant but is a popular pick for paranormal researchers, and anyone can book the house to stay the night ... if you dare.

3. New Orleans, LA: LaLaurie House

American Horror Story: Coven reignited interest in this famous French Quarter haunt. In the series, Kathy Bates plays real-life socialite and serial killer Madame Delphine LaLaurie, who orchestrated a torture chamber for slaves at the Royal Street mansion from 1831 until 1834, when responders to a fire uncovered her dark secret. LaLaurie's victims are said to haunt the property to this day-passersby say they can hear shouts, moans and weeping, and some say they have seen ghostly faces from the upstairs windows. Yet, the house's ghastly history hasn't stopped wealthy buyers. Before losing the home to foreclosure in 2009, actor Nicolas Cage owned the house and today a wealthy oil tycoon is said to hold the deed.

Note: This venue is temporarily closed
A total of 11 reported spirits have been known to haunt the grounds of this Southern plantation, including passengers of a ship wrecked ferry, a former slave and Grace Sherwood, a woman who was accused of being a witch and was tried by ducking in the 1700s. These days, when you visit the historic house-museum to admire the Federal-style architecture, listen carefully and you might hear Grace yelling at her dead dog, Tobias.

10. New York, NY: House of Death

The city that never sleeps is probably just too afraid of the House of Death to close its eyes-the famous brownstone off of Fifth Avenue is reportedly terrorized by a whopping 22 ghosts. The most famous is writer Mark Twain, who lived here from 1900-1901; the most heartbreaking is the six-year-old girl beaten to death by her father, criminal prosecutor Joel Steinberg, in 1987. In addition to sightings of Twain and the young girl, residents say they have seen visions of a lady in white and a gray cat.

12. Southington, CT: Snedeker House

The drama the Snedeker family experienced in the 1980s living in this haunted house (and former funeral home) was crazy enough to be turned into a popular horror flick in 2009 called The Haunting in Connecticut. During a two-year span, both of the Snedeker parents claimed to have been physically assaulted and sodomized by demonic spirits, and said their son Philip was often visited by a creepy man with long black hair.

13. Los Angeles, CA: Los Feliz Murder Mansion

In 1959, Dr. Harold Perelson beat his wife to death with a hammer in this L.A. mansion, severely wounded his daughter and then drank a glass of acid to off himself. The Enriquez family bought the dilapidated structure at auction years ago and used it only for storage purposes. In the spring of 2016, the house was finally cleared of the clutter-much of it dating back to the mid-20th century-and put up for auction. It was sold later that year, and in 2019 was put back on the market for the cool price of $3.5 million. As for paranormal activity, occasional trespassers found items-including wrapped Christmas presents-that appeared to have been left behind by onetime residents.

On Cleveland's Franklin Boulevard, locals still whisper rumors about the original owner of the 20-plus-room 19th century dwelling. In just a few short years in the 1890s, the mansion became the place of death for four of Hannes Tiedemann's adolescent children and his wife. Though Tiedemann was never found guilty of any wrongdoing, today some people claim he hung his 13-year-old illegitimate daughter and made it appear like a suicide and that he killed his mistress in a secret passage. Known as "the most haunted house in Ohio," the castle is rumored to be visited by ghosts.

See more ghosts in these U.S. cities

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Legend has it that the cause of all the mayhem at one of the most disturbing haunted houses in America stems from a little girl who was the victim of a botched appendectomy during a house call at the turn of the century. A family who lived in the Sallie House in the 1990s documented their experience on the TV show Sightings, which talked of flying objects, frequent apparitions and scratching, and gouging and shoving, mainly directed at the male owner. The home is now vacant but is a popular pick for paranormal researchers, and anyone can book the house to stay the night ... if you dare.

3. New Orleans, LA: LaLaurie House

American Horror Story: Coven reignited interest in this famous French Quarter haunt. In the series, Kathy Bates plays real-life socialite and serial killer Madame Delphine LaLaurie, who orchestrated a torture chamber for slaves at the Royal Street mansion from 1831 until 1834, when responders to a fire uncovered her dark secret. LaLaurie's victims are said to haunt the property to this day-passersby say they can hear shouts, moans and weeping, and some say they have seen ghostly faces from the upstairs windows. Yet, the house's ghastly history hasn't stopped wealthy buyers. Before losing the home to foreclosure in 2009, actor Nicolas Cage owned the house and today a wealthy oil tycoon is said to hold the deed.

Note: This venue is temporarily closed
A total of 11 reported spirits have been known to haunt the grounds of this Southern plantation, including passengers of a ship wrecked ferry, a former slave and Grace Sherwood, a woman who was accused of being a witch and was tried by ducking in the 1700s. These days, when you visit the historic house-museum to admire the Federal-style architecture, listen carefully and you might hear Grace yelling at her dead dog, Tobias.

10. New York, NY: House of Death

The city that never sleeps is probably just too afraid of the House of Death to close its eyes-the famous brownstone off of Fifth Avenue is reportedly terrorized by a whopping 22 ghosts. The most famous is writer Mark Twain, who lived here from 1900-1901; the most heartbreaking is the six-year-old girl beaten to death by her father, criminal prosecutor Joel Steinberg, in 1987. In addition to sightings of Twain and the young girl, residents say they have seen visions of a lady in white and a gray cat.

12. Southington, CT: Snedeker House

The drama the Snedeker family experienced in the 1980s living in this haunted house (and former funeral home) was crazy enough to be turned into a popular horror flick in 2009 called The Haunting in Connecticut. During a two-year span, both of the Snedeker parents claimed to have been physically assaulted and sodomized by demonic spirits, and said their son Philip was often visited by a creepy man with long black hair.

13. Los Angeles, CA: Los Feliz Murder Mansion

In 1959, Dr. Harold Perelson beat his wife to death with a hammer in this L.A. mansion, severely wounded his daughter and then drank a glass of acid to off himself. The Enriquez family bought the dilapidated structure at auction years ago and used it only for storage purposes. In the spring of 2016, the house was finally cleared of the clutter-much of it dating back to the mid-20th century-and put up for auction. It was sold later that year, and in 2019 was put back on the market for the cool price of $3.5 million. As for paranormal activity, occasional trespassers found items-including wrapped Christmas presents-that appeared to have been left behind by onetime residents.

On Cleveland's Franklin Boulevard, locals still whisper rumors about the original owner of the 20-plus-room 19th century dwelling. In just a few short years in the 1890s, the mansion became the place of death for four of Hannes Tiedemann's adolescent children and his wife. Though Tiedemann was never found guilty of any wrongdoing, today some people claim he hung his 13-year-old illegitimate daughter and made it appear like a suicide and that he killed his mistress in a secret passage. Known as "the most haunted house in Ohio," the castle is rumored to be visited by ghosts.

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The scariest real-life haunted houses in the U.S.

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Americans love to be scared and the haunted house is a Halloween season staple. But these real-life haunted houses in the U.S. aren't just fleeting autumn pop-ups.

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Post #8 Reason for belief: Ideology (image) 

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Post #8 Reason for belief: Ideology (image) 

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Definition:
Actions, thoughts, goals, expectations, based on someones belief or ideas, often seen in religion.

Connection:
This image shows picketers from the Westboro Baptist Church, claiming that gays are evil, among many other things. Many people, especially from the LGBTQ community, are harassed and often killed because some people have overzealous beliefs. Some of these beliefs include that gay people are from hell, and that they should be killed.

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Definition:
Seeing patterns in pictures.
Ex: There is a church in halifax where you can see the shape of someone's head, and people believe it is a ghost.

Connection:
This website explains why we constantly see patterns and see images that might not be there. Why some people see jesus on toast, or some people claim to hear the dead.

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Why do people see faces in nature, interpret window stains as human figures, hear voices in random sounds generated by electronic devices or find conspiracies in the daily news? A proximate cause is the priming effect, in which our brain and senses are prepared to interpret stimuli according to an expected model. UFOlogists see a face on Mars. Religionists see the Virgin Mary on the side of a building. Paranormalists hear dead people speaking to them through a radio receiver. Conspiracy theorists think 9/11 was an inside job by the Bush administration. Is there a deeper ultimate cause for why people believe such weird things? There is. I call it "patternicity," or the tendency to find meaningful patterns in meaningless noise.

Traditionally, scientists have treated patternicity as an error in cognition. A type I error, or a false positive, is believing something is real when it is not (finding a nonexistent pattern). A type II error, or a false negative, is not believing something is real when it is (not recognizing a real pattern-call it "apatternicity"). In my 2000 book How We Believe (Times Books), I argue that our brains are belief engines: evolved pattern-recognition machines that connect the dots and create meaning out of the patterns that we think we see in nature. Sometimes A really is connected to B; sometimes it is not. When it is, we have learned something valuable about the environment from which we can make predictions that aid in survival and reproduction. We are the ancestors of those most successful at finding patterns. This process is called association learning, and it is fundamental to all animal behavior, from the humble worm C. elegans to H. sapiens.

Unfortunately, we did not evolve a Baloney Detection Network in the brain to distinguish between true and false patterns. We have no error-detection governor to modulate the pattern-recognition engine. (Thus the need for science with its self-correcting mechanisms of replication and peer review.) But such erroneous cognition is not likely to remove us from the gene pool and would therefore not have been selected against by evolution.

In a September paper in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, "The Evolution of Superstitious and Superstition-like Behaviour," Harvard University biologist Kevin R. Foster and University of Helsinki biologist Hanna Kokko test my theory through evolutionary modeling and demonstrate that whenever the cost of believing a false pattern is real is less than the cost of not believing a real pattern, natural selection will favor patternicity. They begin with the formula pb > c, where a belief may be held when the cost (c) of doing so is less than the probability (p) of the benefit (b). For example, believing that the rustle in the grass is a dangerous predator when it is only the wind does not cost much, but believing that a dangerous predator is the wind may cost an animal its life.

The problem is that we are very poor at estimating such probabilities, so the cost of believing that the rustle in the grass is a dangerous predator when it is just the wind is relatively low compared with the opposite. Thus, there would have been a beneficial selection for believing that most patterns are real.

Through a series of complex formulas that include additional stimuli (wind in the trees) and prior events (past experience with predators and wind), the authors conclude that "the inability of individuals-human or otherwise-to assign causal probabilities to all sets of events that occur around them will often force them to lump causal associations with non-causal ones. From here, the evolutionary rationale for superstition is clear: natural selection will favour strategies that make many incorrect causal associations in order to establish those that are essential for survival and reproduction."

In support of a genetic selection model, Foster and Kokko note that "predators only avoid nonpoisonous snakes that mimic a poisonous species in areas where the poisonous species is common" and that even such simple organisms as " Escherichia coli cells will swim towards physiologically inert methylated aspartate presumably owing to an adaptation to favour true aspartate."

Such patternicities, then, mean that people believe weird things because of our evolved need to believe nonweird things.
Note: This article was originally published with the title, "Patternicity".

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Patternicity: Finding Meaningful Patterns in Meaningless Noise

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Why the brain believes something is real when it is not

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Post #10 Critical thinking process question responses

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Post #10 Critical thinking process question responses