Logical fallacies EXPOSED! #6 The appeal to (false) authority fallacy

Many people use logical fallacies in arguments. This is particularly common on social media. In this video, Dr Susan Oliver and Cindy the dog will be discussing the appeal to authority fallacy, and, in particular, the appeal to false authority fallacy. The appeal to authority fallacy occurs when people insist that a claim is true simply because an authority or expert on the issue said it was true, without offering any other supporting evidence. False authorities covered in this video include Tess Lawrie, Peter McCullough, Robert Malone, and Poornima Wagh. If you see anyone using this fallacy, please share this video with them.

Links to other videos mentioned:

Logical fallacies EXPOSED! #3 The fallacy fallacy

@DebunktheFunkwithDrWilson
Robert Malone goes full anti-science on Joe Rogan's podcast

Logical fallacies playlist:

Chapters

0:00 Introduction
2:03 Appeal to false authority
3:19 Authorities with irrelevant expertise
4:10 Tess Lawrie
6:16 Peter McCullough
6:58 Fake experts
7:15 Robert Malone
8:52 Poornima Wagh
10:11 Mavericks against consensus

Links to data:

The tangled history of mRNA vaccines

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2005 (Barry J. Marshall and J. Robin Warren)

Expression of Concern for Bryant a, Lawrie TA, Dowswell T, Fordham EJ, Mitchell S, Hill SR, Tham TC. Ivermectin for Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 Infection: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Trial Sequential Analysis to Inform Clinical Guidelines. Am J Ther. 2021;28(4): e434-e460

Evidence on the efficacy of ivermectin for COVID-19: another story of apples and oranges

[Backtothescience]

Hope you enjoyed the videos. If you are interested in seeing other videos in the logical fallacies series, please see the following playlist:

[Marco-itmr]

Thx, Susan. Just what I needed...minutes after I responded to someone who told me there was an extensive list of "prominent, reputable, and unbiased scientists".

[jonlively]

Your subject, clearly presented is sooo necessary in this digital world ... and your examples helped as well. I had recently followed the false authority situation involving Poornima Wagh. Most fell for her story (fake) but when she was exposed as a fraud, it was a clear lesson on vetting your subject/expert before heralding someone as the "greatest since sliced bread".
Thank you for your friendly and approachable style in educating us.

[dinapawlow]

Thank you. Love your postings, they always comfort me. You stick to the science. Love your methodology and your candour. Thank you again.

[ucfknight]

Fantastic video. I can’t tell you how many people I come across who cite Malone, McCullough, Kory, Mercola, Yeadon, Craig, Tenpenny, Gold, and a few others. These grifters need to lose their medical licenses (those of them that have legitimate ones)

[DrMarkHShapiro]

Thanks for another excellent video Dr. Oliver. You have much more patience with hostile commenters than I do.

[joefrancis]

even had I got nothing out of this video, it was well worth the time just to discover the credible expert signatories LOL!

[NonAbsoluteAbsolutisim]

Love your presentations.
After watching at 2x speed I am wondering 🤔 have you ever achieved levitation with those wing gestures?
Keep up the good work we need both the info and the levity.

[cedcol]

the list of signatories to the letter gave me a huge laugh. thanks

[ramsaymeldrum]

Some of us still trying to figure out how a retired nursing educator who is fully vax'd and boosted, became an authority figure to an anti-vax community...

[Lily-Bravo]

I'm so sad I went through the Doctors list to check none of the doctors at my surgery had signed it. There were loads of signings from Mexico and other Spanish speaking countries. I wonder why that was?

[iainmalcolm]

Another great video. So many people regard Facebook & twitter memes as the ultimate authority. How can anyone tell them they are wrong as they have all done their 'research'.

[buckw]

Another fantastic fact finding video. Great job ! Really appreciate what you're doing. I wish there were hundreds more scientists doing this

[samanthagrave]

Wonderful. Your brother analogy was spot on, as was everything else. Informative and fun and like someone else said, comforting.

[pmm]

Dr Oliver, thank you again. I still try to engage with people who have got enmeshed in the antivaxxer web, but it takes a lot of stamina. Thank you for taking the time to make your videos. They genuinely top up my batteries, and help me keep as even a keel as I can.

Yours,

Euphemism du Bluentender 😉

[LOLCoolJ]

Love this series. Looking forward to the next one.

[dicentra]

Another brilliant video! Thank you! Take a look at John Campbell latest hints to anti vaccine, comparing it to the Manhattan project in WW2 and even got the history wrong when the war was over!

[simonguitarperson]

Very informative. And very funny at end too.

[vtbn]

Fantastic presentation, thanks once again.

[dharmacharinipasadanandi]

Another brilliant and engaging video. Five stars. :)