Connection: This commercial represents “Appeal to Authority” because they use Robin Williams to sell the game legends of Zelda. In the commercial, it is shown that Robin Williams is a fan of the game. The fans watching this commercial then think that if Robin Willams likes it they will too. The problem with this claim is the lack of critical thinking. Viewers need to ask themselves, “what makes this a good game to play? Are there other sources that say otherwise?”  There is no evidence provided in this commercial that proves this claim. Truthfully, everyone has different preferences for what they enjoy. There is no evidence that says everyone who plays the legends of Zelda will enjoy the game.

Connection: A good example of Suppression by authority is the infamous Area 51,  it’s a military base located in Nevada. As shown in the picture below many people believe that the government hides proof of extraterrestrial existence within the base. Believers of this theory fail to apply critical thinking and acknowledge the other evidence. That would suggest why the government is hiding “classified” information on a “classified military base”. 

Connection: This video below shows a form of ancient wisdom still practiced today, human sacrifice. Though vastly proclaimed illegal, countries in western Africa still practice the human sacrifice of albinos. Innocent people are kidnapped and murdered as their bodies are sold to create potions for good fortune. There are many flaws with this idea as there is no proof these potions work. The question that needs to be asked here is, “why does this practice work?” Based on this question one can see the scientific method is not applied to this practice.  

Connection: A common example of confirmation bias is psychic readings. As shown in this video, physics will use many tricks to make people believe what they're telling them. One of the most common ones is “cold readings.” Physics will ask very basic questions however, the client must put together the information on their own. Physics will take a “shot in the dark”, asking these questions and may only get a few questions right when guessing. Their Clients don’t notice it because they are so in awe over their accurate guesses. People who attend psychics need to evaluate all the evidence being presented to them. In conducting this practice, they will conclude that physic readings are based on coincidence and not fact.

Connection: An example of confusing causation with correlation is the christening a ship. This Practice was commonly done to wish the ship, and its crew good luck on their first voyage. This website below interestingly states that the bottle which christened the Titanic didn’t break! Some people believe that because the bottle didn’t break the ship was cursed, and that is why it really sank. This theory has been debunked as it is proven by many researchers, and eyewitnesses that the Titanic crashed. There was no evidence found proving that it was cursed. The matter that the bottle didn’t break is just a coincidence.   

Connection: The “Nun-Bun” is an example of Patternicity, this webpage talks about its discovery in a Tennessee bakery in 1996. The Nun Bun became a viral sensation because of its resemblance to Mother Teresa. Some people believe that the nun bun is Holy however, Believers must think logically. To Properly understand something one must look for facts and evidence, and ask questions to gain knowledge. After learning more about the Nun-bun people will realize it’s just a coincidence. Humans are pattern-seeking animals and we place faces on objects unknowingly.   

Connection: Police lineups use Perception and Observation in its practice. They are where a group of possible suspects in a crime are grouped together and a witness identifies the Perpetrator out them. As mentioned in this video there are many issues with this method. Witness accounts are not always correct because they do not always have the have the memory or knowledge of what they witnessed. In the Video, Uriah was wrongfully identified with two other possible suspects. The victim, in this crime, did not get a good look at her attacker. It is also likely that the victim had an emotional bias; she had been attacked and violated, watching a room full of possible suspects could be emotional trigger. Perception and Observation need to be fully evaluated when doing a police line up. Everyone working on the case has a different idea of what happened and therefore, has a bias that unknowingly reflects their decision making. Critical thinking needs to be applied and all the evidence needs to be evaluated.  

Connection: Ideology often produces an ethical dilemma in the medical field. This clip was taken from the popular show Grey’s Anatomy. As shown in this clip a young man needs a blood transfusion, and doctors ask his family for consent. The patient’s family declines, because of their religious beliefs that if it is God’s will he will live. The boy loses his life when he could have been saved.  Unfortunately, many cases like this happen all the time. People tragically lose their lives because of the use of emotional and religious biases. What this boy’s family should have done is put aside their own beliefs and thought of what was in the best interest of their loved one.

Define the Problem: Should police lineups be used to catch perpetrators? 

Gather information: This video was created by the BBC network to investigate wrongful incarcerations due to police lines ups. The video uses the testaments of two men. Both men were wrongfully convicted because of police lineups.

Evaluate Evidence: The first police line up mentioned was Uriah’s. The witness didn’t get a clear look at her attacker and, He was identified by the witness along with two other possible suspects. The second line up was Rafael’s. The witness Identified him through several photos of suspects, however the photo that was used was several years old. 

Recognize assumptions: There are multiple biases that can be identified in this video. There is an emotional bias from both the victim and the Police officer because their experiences and connection to the crime. Racial profiling is also an issue in lineups. Another problem is the evidence compiled it’s not always accurate and can be misleading if it’s not evaluated properly.

Synthesize evidence, Identify alternatives:

·        The first alternative is conduct police lines and be careful is the evidence collected.

·        The Second alternative not conduct police lines up use alternative methods to conduct investigations

Select the best alternatives:

The Second alternative not conduct police lines up use alternative methods to conduct investigations