Carl Bergstrom

Calling Bullshit

1. IDEA 1

   Misleading claims are everywhere

   Bergstrom and West, two university scientists, argue that the modern world is flooded with misleading claims dressed up in numbers, charts and scientific language. They want to help readers spot and challenge such claims.

2. IDEA 2

   Bullshit is cheaper than refutation

   The authors describe Brandolini's principle: it takes much more effort to refute a false claim than to create it. This is why misleading information spreads easily. This is why a lie can travel far before anyone has time to check it.

3. IDEA 3

   Correlation is not causation

   The authors explain that two things happening together does not mean one causes the other. Many false claims confuse correlation with causation. For example, two things may both rise because of a third cause, or just by chance.

All 8 ideas from Calling Bullshit →