Use Carl Sagan's Baloney Detection Kit

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Is there independent confirmation of the "facts"?
2. Is debate on the evidence encouraged?
3. Is it an argument from authority?
4. Does the method of examination allow for "multiple working hypotheses"?
5. Are the proponents of a particular hypothesis overly attached to it (eg. ego issues).
6. Is the explanation quantified?
7. Does every link in the chain of the argument make sense?
8. Does it conform to Occam's Razor?
9. Can the hypothesis be falsified?
10. Does it rely on carefully designed and controlled experimentation?
11. Does it rely on an ad hominem argument?
12. Does it rely on argument from adverse consequences?
13. Does it appeal to ignorance, i.e. whatever has not been proved false must be true or visa versa?
14. Does it rely on special pleading?
15. Does it beg the question (i.e. assume the answer).
16. Does it rely on observational selection?
17. Does it rely on statistics of small numbers?
18. Does it distort statistics?
19. Is it a non seqitor?
20. Is a case of post hox, ergo propter hoc?
21. Does it confuse correlation with causation?

From Carl Sagan's Demon Haunted World.

For additional information about CARL SAGAN'S BALONEY DETECTION KIT adapted from his book, "The Demon Haunted World", check out this website.
http://www1.tpgi.com.au/users/tps-seti/baloney.html