https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk Adeshpal Singh en-us 2019-02-10 16:51:43 UTC 2026-02-23 10:38:14 UTC hello@padlet.com adeshpal1997 https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk/wish/329617209 Definition: The appeal to authority red flag is a marketing gimmick used to develop a sense of credibility in a product. People usually fall for this, though in reality, the claim is not in any way supported by any evidence.

Connection: In the 1950's, the tobacco industry would depict a doctor or a physician in their advertisements to make it look credible. It was unlike celebrity or athlete endorsement, as a doctor, with all his/her expertise could chose to smoke a particular brand, then it has to be safe. However, in reality, no real doctor was cast in the ads, as they would risk losing their license. Moreover, it was against the medical ethics of the time for doctors to advertise.]]> 2019-02-10 16:51:43 UTC https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk/wish/329617209 adeshpal1997 https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk/wish/329618796 - Adeshpal Singh
Working individually]]> 2019-02-10 17:01:19 UTC https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk/wish/329618796 adeshpal1997 https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk/wish/329621887 Definition: This red flag is employed when people lack the evidence to support their argument, but their belief in traditional ideas is far stronger than rational thinking.

Connection: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has a history of thousands of years. It predates the scientific era and roots from a superstition-based culture. It is largely based on "previous experience" and short term observation. So, it is highly flawed as anything with uncontrolled observation would be. For example, practitioners used to think pus is a good thing, it means the wound is healing. But this contradicts modern understanding, which is accurate due to sheer evidence.]]> 2019-02-10 17:21:37 UTC https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk/wish/329621887 adeshpal1997 https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk/wish/329624115 Definition: When two variables show a consistent behaviour, it does not necessarily mean that they are related. It could be purely coincidental and the events could be completely independent of each other. Correlation does not mean causation.

Connection: This map comparison analyses the Brexit votes and the mad cow disease outbreak. Now, these are very strikingly accurate, but it would be a mistake to jump to conclusions. When the underlying principles are hidden from plain sight, we are forced to confuse correlation with causation.]]> 2019-02-10 17:37:37 UTC https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk/wish/329624115 adeshpal1997 https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk/wish/329624130 Definition: This is another marketing scheme that is used to trick consumers into thinking that the product is better than their processed counterparts. While, in reality it is actually not accurate and all natural doesn't necessarily mean good. Example, all natural types of mushrooms can be poisonous, some form of modification is necessary to deem it safe for consumption.

Connection: Some supermarket products are labelled as "All Natural", though it could still mean that it contains GMOs, gluten and other things that consumers should know of. FDA does not have a concrete definition of "natural", which is exploited by companies. ]]> 2019-02-10 17:37:42 UTC https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk/wish/329624130 adeshpal1997 https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk/wish/329624140 Definition: This red flag accompanies the usage of scientific sounding words to trick the consumer into thinking that it is credible. Just because it contains a scientific word does not imply so. It tends to imply that energy is a glowing cloud that hovers and heals as it moves.

Connection: The link takes you to a book "Quantum Healing", written by a guy Dr. Deepak Chopra. Now, the prefix doctor might immediately trigger appeal to authority red flag in some people and make them believe in this. However, the word quantum has no bearing with any healing whatsoever. It actually is a physics term used to denote the discrete energy possessed by a particle which is directly proportional to its radiation frequency. No connection with healing.]]> 2019-02-10 17:37:46 UTC https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk/wish/329624140 adeshpal1997 https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk/wish/329634049 Definition: Patternicity, also known as "Apophenia" is the ability of human brain to see patterns and faces in places where there are none. Carl Sagan wrote in his 1995 book: The Demon Haunted World, that this is a survival instinct as a result of evolution, as the ability to see shapes, faces in the wild would lead to less erroneous judgement of predators by the early humans.

Connection: This is a painting, "The Librarian", by Giuseppe Arcimboldo in Sweden, which resembles a human, though actually is a collection of books stacked in such a way to cause this illusion.]]> 2019-02-10 18:47:43 UTC https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk/wish/329634049 adeshpal1997 https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk/wish/329635764 Definition: This reason for belief is the most common one, as the curiosity of the human brain does not allow us to leave anything unanswered. So, when there seems to be no rational understanding of something, people come up with the absurdest theories and explanations.

Connection: The "Bermuda Triangle" has to be one of the most popular modern culture mysteries. There are several explanations put forward but none of them answer all the questions. This link explores many possible explanations, as humans resort to anything to get to the roots of a mystery. ]]> 2019-02-10 19:01:13 UTC https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk/wish/329635764 adeshpal1997 https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk/wish/329636727 Definition- People tend to be very emotionally biased. This leads to them favouring emotionally satisfying choices rather than rational and well-thought ones. People tend to think what they want to, and not what is the reality. Emotions blur and distort the sense of reality.

Connection: A very similar thing happened in this case. Amanda Berry, a kidnapping survivor, despairs at the death of her mother who was convinced by the "psychic", Sylvia Browne that her daughter is dead. She was not. This might have led to her early demise. The mother was forced to give in to her emotions and listen to that psychic as she had not other option. Being a mother, her emotions wanted some sort of connection with her daughter, and the psychic provided that, though she claimed to do so but didn't, in reality. In such circumstances, a person ought to put emotions to one side and think rationally. ]]> 2019-02-10 19:08:38 UTC https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk/wish/329636727 adeshpal1997 https://padlet.com/adeshpal1997/qlg4zdzvy1jk/wish/329638842 Problem:  As stated in post 2, advertisers claimed that physicians recommend smoking as they do it themselves.

Information:  The first link is to a study that was conducted for cigarette sales till 1953. It gives very organized numbers in a chronological order. Cigarette campaigns in 1950s were indeed all over the place. Physicians and doctors holding cigarettes, on hoardings were a common sight.
https://www.industrydocumentslibrary.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/#id=qymm0104
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3894634/

Evidence:  The truth about the tobacco industry has been revealed in the first article which shows malpractices and unethical marketing. The second link correlates cancer to smoking and shows that no matter what the advertisements say, the "actual" doctors do not recommend smoking.
https://www.who.int/tobacco/media/en/TobaccoExplained.pdf
http://www.env.go.jp/air/asbestos/commi_hhmd/03/ext01.pdf

Assumptions: Appeal to authority red flag is misused in this campaign as the doctor/physician's appearances enhances the credibility of the claim. And moreover, the number 20,679 (number of physicians who apparently recommend smoking), sounds more believable than a round number.

Alternatives:  There are two possible scenarios;
1.) Doctors recommended smoking and it is healthy for a person to smoke.
2.) The tobacco industry made false claims to enhance business.

Best alternative: After evaluating the evidence, I would say the tobacco industry's marketing practices are self-centred and unethical at the very least. They claimed a fake number of physicians to be supporting their brand, although there is no such testimony or evidence to be found. Moreover, it was highly unethical in the medical community at the time, for doctors to endorse a brand. The number 20,679 roots from the company's marketing department and the posters of doctors and physicians are a work of fiction or merely actors pretending to be doctors. Smoking increases the chances of lung cancer, no matter what any private company claims. There is tons of scientific studies linking the two together. Conflict of interest should always be analyzed carefully as the tobacco industry's number one motive is to increase sales. Hence, it is the consumer's own duty to be skeptical and verify the company's claims to make an informed decision for their lifestyle.

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