Anonymous Authority

The fallacy of appeal to anonymous authority occurs if an unspecified source is used as evidence of the claim, and it is impossible to verify the source & the argument’s credibility.

Many flat-Earthers claim to know someone who knows someone who knows a pilot, surveyor, scientist, professor, etc., who has proven Earth is flat. But it is impossible to verify these supposed “experts” & their views directly. Inventing an “expert” to support their position is the fallacy of anonymous authority.

Continue reading “Anonymous Authority”

Cherry Picking Experts and Appeal to Authority

Out of millions of people with an advanced degree, we can find someone, somewhere, who believes a crackpot proposition, including flat-Earth. Citing these very few experts to “prove” the crackpot proposition and ignoring the much larger body of experts who disagree is the fallacy of cherry-picking and appeal to authority.

The scientific consensus is determined by the collective position of the community of scientists in a specific field of study, not just by a few individuals.

Continue reading “Cherry Picking Experts and Appeal to Authority”

“Stuff is Flat”: Incorrect Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Claim About the Observation of Earth’s Curvature

Neil deGrasse Tyson once incorrectly stated that it is still too close to the surface to see Earth’s curvature from the height of Felix Baumgartner’s jump. In reality, we should be able to see it using our eyes.

Flat-Earthers believe people take Neil’s remarks as gospel and use Neil’s incorrect statement to dismiss any observation of Earth’s curvature. However, we have no problem saying that Neil was wrong. It is OK to be wrong as long as we are willing to revise our views when faced with new facts, and we are certain Neil will.

Continue reading ““Stuff is Flat”: Incorrect Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Claim About the Observation of Earth’s Curvature”