Sophistry on the Well-lit Desk

Straw, Sand, and Sophistry

Persuasion Technology Through Mechanical Sophistry

We introduce an approach to digital persuasive technology. In this approach, computing machines are given the power to persuade by generating what we call illusory arguments. These arguments derive their power in significant part by exploiting the empirical fact that humans succumb to cognitive illusions. The persuasion technology we present can be used for weal or woe, but at least for now, we...

Computed tomography on the desk

The sophistry of the term "Legionnaires' Disease".

In January 1977, the C enter for Dis­ ease Control (CDC) of the federal gov­ ernm ent announced1,2 that its scientists had isolated a bacteria-like organism that a p p e a re d to cause th e o u tb reak o f Legionnaires’ D isease. The published scientific evidence that formed the basis of this announcem ent was limited. In ad­ dition, a preliminary report has recently been transm itted by CDC (...

On for S Cal Lit

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