Calling Bullshit: 8 key ideas
The core ideas of Calling Bullshit, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.
- IDEA 1 OF 8
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.
- IDEA 2 OF 8
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.
- IDEA 3 OF 8
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.
- IDEA 4 OF 8
Samples can be biased
The authors describe selection bias, when the data studied is not representative.
Conclusions drawn from biased samples can be badly wrong. For example, a survey of only online users says little about people who are not online.
- IDEA 5 OF 8
Charts can deceive
The authors show how graphs can mislead through tricks like cutting axes or using strange scales.
Careful reading of charts is essential. So it helps to check the numbers on the axes before trusting the shape of a graph.
- IDEA 6 OF 8
Big data has traps
The authors warn that large datasets and machine learning can produce misleading results if the data or methods are flawed.
Complexity can hide errors. A computer finding a pattern does not prove the pattern is real or useful.
- IDEA 7 OF 8
Ask simple questions
The authors encourage asking who is making a claim, how they know and what they might gain.
Simple questions often reveal problems. This helps us judge whether a claim deserves trust before we pass it on.
- IDEA 8 OF 8
Refute with care
The authors offer tips for challenging misleading claims, such as using clear examples and being respectful.
Good refutation persuades rather than humiliates. People are more likely to listen when they do not feel attacked.
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