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Can you outsmart the apples and oranges fallacy? - Elizabeth Cox

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It’s 1997. The United States Senate has called a hearing about global warming. Some expert witnesses point out that past periods in Earth’s history were warmer than the 20th century. Because such variations existed long before humans, they claim the current trend is also the result of natural variation. Can you spot the problem with this argument? Elizabeth Cox explores the false analogy fallacy.

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Additional Resources for you to Explore

The false analogy fallacy assumes that because two things have some characteristics in common, they will be similar in other respects too. It is one of many logical fallacies, and can be observed in everyday arguments, political debates, and even academic studies. Visit this interactive site to learn more about different types of fallacies. Other resources that can help you to understand logical fallacies are this illustrated book and this article. As the demon of reason showed in this lesson, the false analogy fallacy often comes up in debates about climate change. Read this article to learn how to combat climate misinformation. Watch episodes from TED-Ed’s Logical Fallacies series here to see if you can outsmart these common fallacies!

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Elizabeth Cox
  • Director Hector Herrera, Pazit Cahlon
  • Narrator Jack Cutmore-Scott
  • Storyboard Artist Pazit Cahlon
  • Animator Hector Herrera
  • Art Director Hector Herrera
  • Music Massassauga
  • Sound Designer Nick Sewell
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox

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