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74.
For the following issue, discuss which source you’d trust more, and give at least one
reason why. You may want to add to or otherwise modify our list of sources. And do keep
in mind that we are glad our livelihoods do not depend on a general consensus on
our
rankings.
Issue: What levels of mercury and other metals in fish are high enough to make
consumption of them hazardous to humans?
a. an article in a journal called
Diet and Health
, published for vegetarians
b. a commercial fisherman
c. a family medical doctor
d. a spokeswoman for the National Institutes of Health
e. a toxicologist who works for the Los Angeles coroner’s office
Our ranking: (d), then a substantial gap, then (e) and (c), another gap, then (a), (b).
75.
Based only on the information given in this biography, discuss the credibility and authority
of the person described on each of the topics in the list that follows:
James A. Van Allen received a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Iowa in 1939. During
World War II, he was a gunnery officer with the Pacific Fleet. After the war, he returned to
the University of Iowa, where he became professor of physics and chairman of the
Department of Physics and Astronomy. In 1958, during the mission of Explorer 1, the first
successful U.S. Earth satellite, he discovered the radiation belts surrounding the Earth,
that are named for him. He was the principal investigator for the space probe of Jupiter’s
radiation belts and one of the discoverers of the radiation belts of Saturn. He was
chairman of the group that developed the Voyager and Galileo space missions and is
currently principal investigator for the Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 projects.
a. the number of women employed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
b. the uses of satellites for national security purposes
c. the biological effects of ultraviolet radiation
d. the structure of comet tails
e. recent geological activity along faults in southern California
f. the impact of a manned space station on science and technology
We assume Van Allen’s opinions on (f) would be very informed. He would also have great
credibility on (d) and only slightly less on (c). His remarks on (b) would carry more weight
than those of a layperson, but we would need further information about him before
regarding him as an authority on (a) or (e).
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76.
Based only on the information given in this biography, discuss the credibility and authority
of the person described on each of the topics in the list that follows:
Mike O’Neill is a scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service’s
Northeastern Forest Experimental Station in Durham, New Hampshire. He graduated from
Humboldt State University in California with a degree in biology (1988) and earned a Ph.D.
in plant pathology from the University of West Virginia (1995). After serving for seven
years as a consultant to the Pennsylvania state park system, he was employed by the U.S.
Forest Service as a specialist in tree diseases. His major area of research has been in the
resistance mechanisms of trees to injury and infection.
a. the effects of improper pruning techniques on fruit trees
b. the kind of fertilizer to use on ornamental shrubs
c. resistance mechanisms of mammals to disease and infection
d. the characteristics of various types of softwoods relative to their use in the building
industry
e. how to transplant a small tree
f. use rates of campground facilities in Pennsylvania state parks
g. methods of controlling garden pests
O’Neill would have more credibility on each of these subjects than a layperson, though we
would regard him as most qualified on (a) and (e) and least qualified on (b), (c), and (g).
77.
Based only on the information given in this biography, discuss the credibility and authority
of the person described on each of the topics in the list that follows:
Robert Kuttner is the economics correspondent of
The New Republic
, a columnist for
Business Week
and the
Boston Globe
, and a contributor to the
Atlantic
. After graduating
from Oberlin College in 1965, he studied at the London School of Economics and took a
master’s degree in political science at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to
his writing, Kuttner served in Washington from 1975 to 1978 as the chief investigator for
the Senate Banking Committee. In 1979 he was a fellow at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy
School of Government. He subsequently edited the journal
Working Papers
. Kuttner is the
author of
Revolt of the Haves
(1980) and, most recently,
The Economic Illusion
(1984),
which was nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award.
a. the effects of inflation on the stock market
b. the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which insures deposits at banks and
savings and loan institutions
c. restaurants in London
d. politics and upper-income groups in America
e. poverty among Native Americans
We would expect substantial expertise from Mr. Kuttner on topics (b) and (d)—the latter
because of his 1980 book—and more than lay knowledge about (a). We’d sooner trust him
than someone who hasn’t lived there on (c), and we would expect no more expertise about
(e) than we’d expect from other well-informed non-specialists.
78.
Keeping in mind the sources cited, discuss the credibility of the claim(s) made in the
following passage:
“Based on a survey of more than 100,000 people, Toshitaka Nomi and Alexander Besher
have drawn up some startling conclusions about blood type and personality. If you are
type O, you are probably aggressive and realistic. Type A? You are naturally industrious,
detail-oriented, and peace-loving. Type Bs are creative and individualistic. ABs tend to be
rational, but moody. YOU ARE YOUR BLOOD TYPE presents detailed analysis of the
different blood types and explores the compatibility between the different types.”
—From a news release from Pocket Books about the first Western account “of the
Japanese pop-phenomenon of blood-type analysis”
According to the release, the principal author, T. Nomi, is carrying on his father’s work in
blood-typing theory; Nomi’s qualifications are that he has written many articles on the
theory, has made many TV appearances, and has sold five million copies of twenty-two
different books. Besher publishes translations of modern Japanese literature and
contributes to the personal computer newsweekly InfoWorld. Given these qualifications of
the authors and the nature of the reported results, we remain skeptical.
79.
Based only on the information given in this biography, discuss the credibility and authority
of the person described on each of the topics in the list that follows:
David A. Kilbourne taught himself to program in three different computer languages by the
time he was sixteen. At seventeen, he was a member of a loose-knit southern California
group of computer “hackers” that specialized in tapping the databases of large
corporations, including the telephone company and several banks. In 1994, Kilbourne was
charged with using his home computer and a telephone communications device to
manipulate data in the Pacific Bell Telephone database to avoid telephone bills for his
household and those of several friends for almost two years. It was also discovered that
he had savings accounts at two Bank of America branches, with balances totaling over
seventy thousand dollars, despite never having made a deposit or even “officially” opening
the accounts. Kilbourne was found guilty on several counts of defrauding the two
companies and was put on three years’ probation. During his probation, Bank of America
hired him as a consultant to assess the security of its computer files, a job at which he
worked for nearly a year. He now works for a legitimate software house in the Silicon
Valley. (Asked which side of the law he preferred working on, Kilbourne replied,
“Everything considered, being an outlaw was more fun.”)
a. the morality of software piracy
b. corporate data banks
c. telecommunications
d. purchasing a computer for a small business
e. electronic games
f. computer programming
We’d listen to Kilbourne with attention on topics (b), (c), and (f), and we’d give his
opinions more weight than our own on (d) and (e). We think we could get better authority
on (a).
80.
Keeping in mind the sources cited, discuss the credibility of the claim(s) made in the
following passage:
“‘You hear in the folklore about miracles happening, but I have never seen one thing yet
that could be called an actual medical cure,’ says Douglas Sharon, a University of
California, Los Angeles, anthropologist who has studied curandrismo [Peruvian folk
medicine] on the north coast of Peru for 18 years.”
—From a National Geographic Magazine news feature
This seems a clear-cut case of good credibility; yet the feature goes on to point out that
several other anthropologists, conducting a study for the National Institute of Mental
Health, have found that in thirty-eight cases of nervousness, faintness or dizziness, poor
appetite, nausea, and the like, the curanderos (the folk healers) were effective in thirty-
five of the cases in alleviating all symptoms. Researchers tentatively suggest the
curanderos use psychotherapeutic methods to eliminate psychosomatic symptoms in their
patients. So part of the credibility rests on what one calls “an actual medical cure.”
81.
Keeping in mind the sources cited, discuss the credibility of the claim(s) made in the
following passage:
“The UFOnauts are usually clothed in shiny, tight fitting, one piece suits, and in most
reports seem able to breathe our air without difficulty. Telepathy seems involved in most
contacts…. If you are tired of the same old pseudoexplanations, official debunkings, and
lame duck logic from quacks suffering megalomania, then you are invited to join the
concerted efforts of the UFO Contact Center….”
—From a pamphlet, undated, issued in the 1980s by Aileen E. Edwards, director of UFO
Contact Center International in Seattle, Washington
The “center” is a clearinghouse for those who have had contact with extraterrestrials to
share their fears and insights without condemnation. Edwards herself has had such an
experience, says the pamphlet, and now is reaching out to help people with similar stories.
The language has a typical “us vs. them” flavor, with those who would offer a more
coherent explanation labeled as “quacks”; the assumption is that those who have certain
experiences are best able to determine “what really happened.” We admit to being quacks:
We think Ms. Edwards may be a bit delusional.
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82.
Keeping in mind the sources cited, discuss the credibility of the claim(s) made in the
following passage:
“The mail order company Hammacher Schlemmer & Co. says in its consumer catalogs that
it sells nothing but the best. The company supports its claims by what it calls independent
testing. But Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo, in a book called
The Mis-Fortune 500
(New York:
Pocket Books, 1988), say that while a 1986 letter to potential customers claimed that a
‘completely separate’ ‘consumer’ organization tested and compared the products offered
by Hammacher Schlemmer, in reality:
“the testing organization is called the Hammacher Schlemmer Institute.”
“the institute is funded by Hammacher Schlemmer & Co.”
“the institute’s board of directors is composed of Hammacher Schlemmer officials.”
“the institute is located at Hammacher Schlemmer company headquarters in Chicago.”
The company maintains that the Institute is separate from its other divisions; yet it strains
credibility when the implied comparison is between the Institute and say, Consumers
Union. Presumably the authors of
The Mis-Fortune 500
have presented the whole story in
their book, but their claim to fame is to have been the coauthors of several baseball “hall
of shame” books and to have appeared on “Late Night with David Letterman.” The point is
that the examples culled from press reports are intended to show business at its worst—
without including mitigating circumstances. We tend to swallow negative claims more
easily, especially if they are embarrassing to Big Business or Big Government.
83.
Whom would you trust as most reliable? Discuss the credibility and authority of each
individual or group listed with regard to the following issue:
You are thinking of insulating your attic and need advice relative to how much insulation
you should install.
a. a company that sells insulation but does not install it
b. a company that sells and installs insulation
c. an energy consultant from your local gas and electric company
d.
Consumer Reports
e. a friend who has recently had his attic insulated
We think you are most likely to get the best information from (d), with (c) a close second;
(a) and (b) are about equal in credibility, and (e)’s ranking depends on where he got his
information.
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84.
Whom would you trust as most reliable? Discuss the credibility and authority of each
individual or group listed with regard to the following issue:
Spring has come, and it’s about time to plant some tomatoes. Or is there still a danger of
frost?
a. the owner of your local nursery
b. Aunt Maude, whose garden has kept her friends and family in tomatoes for years
c. a friend who grows tomatoes commercially
d. a friend who gives the weather report on Channel 8 News each evening
e. “Outdoor Planting Table” in
The Old Farmer’s Almanac
Notice that this question is about weather, not tomatoes. We’d trust (c), though (a), (b),
and (d) are also credible sources on this subject. As amazing as (e) sometimes is in the
accuracy of its predictions, it may not be sufficiently fine-tuned to your locality.
85.
Whom would you trust as most reliable? Discuss the credibility and authority of each
individual or group listed with regard to the following issue:
You have saved up for a vacation and are considering taking a cruise on a cruise ship. You
are unsure whether this would be the right kind of vacation for you and, if it is, what kind
of cruise would be best for you and your budget.
a. a travel agent
b. a cruise line representative
c. a friend who has been on a cruise
d. a newspaper travel writer
Notice that there are two issues at stake, not just one: whether to take a cruise and which
cruise. We’d trust (d) first on both issues if you are fortunate enough to talk with him or
her personally (and not just by letter to the paper). After that, we’d trust (c) and (a) more
or less equally on the first question (one knows you, and one knows cruises) and (a) on
the second question; (b) could be expected to be biased in favor of a particular line, we’d
think.
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86.
Whom would you trust as most reliable? Discuss the credibility and authority of each
individual or group listed with regard to the following issue:
A number of your friends have taken up jogging, and you wonder whether your taking it up
might have genuine health benefits for you.
a. your family physician
b. a magazine for runners
c. a friend who teaches physical education in high school
d. the author of a best-selling book on sports medicine
e. a friend who is president of a local runners club
(b), (c), and (e) might tend to be promoters of jogging, so we’d be mildly skeptical of any
pro-jogging claims they might make (but less skeptical of any liabilities of jogging that
they might mention). We’d find (a) a more credible source, although many general
practitioners may not have the time to keep up on such specialized areas. The best
potential source is probably (d), although we’d be cautious unless we knew something
about the author; he or she might also tend to exaggerate either the benefits or the risks
of jogging.
87.
Whom would you trust as most reliable? Discuss the credibility and authority of each
individual or group listed with regard to the following issue:
You are looking at a sailboat that you’re considering buying, but you’ve never owned one
before and don’t know whether you should buy this one.
a. the boat salesman at the marina that owns the boat
b. a boat salesman from another marina
c. a friend who has owned several similar boats
d. a buyer’s guide published by a sailing magazine
e. your own appraisal
Of course you must consider (e), since if you have doubts from the beginning you’re likely
to be unhappy with the purchase. We think (c) can be either the best source on the list or
the worst, depending on his or her judgment and experience. (What do you know about the
friend’s sailing experience?) Source (d) can be good with regard to the boat, but remember
that the writers of the guide don’t know you or your situation; (a) can be depended on to
be more upbeat about the boat than a neutral party; (b) may want to sell you one of his
boats.
88.
Whom would you trust as most reliable? Discuss the credibility and authority of each
individual or group listed with regard to the following issue:
It’s quite important that you travel to another town about four hours away by car, but you
are concerned about whether you should drive because of adverse weather conditions.
a. the local television news
b. the local newspaper
c. a friend who has made the trip in all kinds of weather
d. the state police telephone service
e. the local police department
In descending order, we’d trust (d), (a), (e), (b), and (c). The local police probably know
more about local conditions but less about conditions some distance away; the local
newspaper’s information may be too old to be useful; and we don’t trust a friend who will
drive in just about any weather conditions.