Smartphone apps help you spot lies, fallacies
DO you know a logical fallacy from a statistical improbability? Do you know correlations from causations?
This year’s presidential election is full of facts, figures and arguments spouted by the candidates, pundits and many others. To sort through all the noise, there are apps to help you understand logic and basic math, which may well be worth brushing up on before casting your vote.
The Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments is an excellent starting point. The app mimics the interactive book of the same name that contains a glossary of the false arguments or logical fallacies that are sometimes made by politicians.
Take, for example, the appeal to fear: A speaker plays on emotions and fears by suggesting that a terrible future may happen if situation X or Y occurs or does not occur. The app gives examples of this technique, so you can spot it in use on TV, online or in print. The illustrations that go along with each argument are amusing and informative.
The Bad Arguments app is free and available only on iOS. It has not been updated in a while, so its performance may vary depending on your mobile device. But it is the kind of app you could use with older children to help them understand political arguments.
Another iOS app explains these sorts of issues in an even simpler format. Fallacies of Logic lists over 100 different fallacious arguments, describing each in a paragraph or two. It includes examples (like ignoring the question, false analogy and personal attack) and a search feature. Though not as pretty or as interesting as Bad Arguments, it gets the job done.
Android users have a useful alternative in Rhetological Fallacies. This free app explains logical fallacies in short sentences and with very brief examples. It is easy to read, and useful for arming yourself against the next piece of political spin.
If I said that two in three statistics have a 10 percent chance of being made up, would you believe me? As this nonsensical statement shows, statistics can be tricky and easy to manipulate. To make sure you’re not taken in by statistical trickery in a political speech, you could spend an hour or two checking out Learn Statistics by GoLearningBus, which is free on iOS and Android.
It’s designed like a traditional lesson, beginning with the fundamentals and then moving on to more complex ideas. It has quizzes to help check your understanding.
But it’s dry in terms of design and language, and it assumes you have at least a basic understanding of math. Still, it’s useful for those serious about improving their understanding of statistics.
As its name suggests, Settle It! from PolitiFact is meant to help settle the political arguments you may find yourself embroiled in these days. Using logic, genuinely sourced facts and clear explanations, the app tries to unravel whether a political position taken up by a candidate (or by a friend or family member) makes sense. So if Donald Trump makes an outrageous statement, or Hillary Clinton is carefree with a fact, you should be able to find out what’s what by using this app.
You can search for keywords, such as climate change, and the app will show a list of recent political arguments made by public figures on the topic. Tapping on a list entry reveals more, such as which public figures have spoken on the subject and how their arguments compared to the hard facts.
There is a trending topics section so you can get up to speed on current issues, and a weekly quiz that tests critical thinking and understanding of the current political debate (note that you have to be very much on top of the news). Settle It! isn’t the prettiest in design, but its interface is easy to navigate. It’s free for iOS and Android devices.
None of these apps can tell you which way to vote, of course — that is up to you. But do yourself and democracy a favor and apply some of the lessons they teach the next time a presidential candidate makes a point you find questionable.