2.  Crows were purposefully dropping walnuts in front of moving cars so the cars would crack the walnuts  There was actually a lot of initial support within the scientific community.

3.  After the initial article (“Crows Use Automobiles as Nutcrackers”) was published, people decided they wanted to prove this anecdote with hard evidence.  Scientists did 400 studies… › crows actually dropped fewer walnuts on roads when a car was passing than when the roads were clear.

4.  Anecdotes prove nothing; they can be an exception to the norm.  No anecdote can be true evidence because random observation cannot be proven through systematic testing.

5.  James Vicary in 1957  flashed messages for Coca-Cola and popcorn on a movie screen for 1/3000 of a second every five seconds  increased Coke sales by 18.1% and popcorn sales by 57.8%

6.  Results could not be repeated because people couldn’t actually see the messages  Vicary later confessed to making up all the results  Subliminal messages do not exist

7.  Did George Washington really cut down a cherry tree?  Did Columbus really discover America?  Does bad luck really follow a broken mirror?

9.  In 1984, Winston’s sole purpose was to spin the facts  He rewrote history until even he wasn’t sure of the truth  No one bothered to check the facts because if Big Brother approved it, it had to be the truth

10.  “journalists know that they will almost never get in trouble for reporting something that is wrong when everyone else is also saying it; but they do take a risk when they report something different, even if it is true.” – Mark Weisbrot

11.  Euphemisms avoid the need for solid facts  Doublespeak and Weasel Words slip into anecdotes › The less sure people are of their story, the more they try to cover it up

12.  In the times of Exploration, Christian missionaries were viewed as monsters by the natives and martyrs by fellow Christians. › Both views were true, depending on the perspective of each party  Biases still happen today and need to be recognized to sort through the lies

13. You have two options: 1. Trust in hearsay and anecdotes. Hope for the best. OR 2. Research, keep an open mind, and don’t jump to conclusions. The Choice is yours.