Archive for November 5, 2010
Silly-Gisms
A syllogism is a logical argument in which the conclusion is inferred from two premises. As an example:
All men are animals.
All animals are mortal.
Therefore, all men are mortal.
My favorite syllogism comes from comedian Richard Geni who delivered the following in one of his stand-up routines:
Love is blind.
God is love.
Therefore, Ray Charles is God.
Here are a few other syllogisms that are a little more mathematical, though equally silly.
Ten percent of all car thieves are left-handed.
All polar bears are left-handed.
If your car is stolen, there’s a 10% chance it was taken by a polar bear.Thirty-nine percent of unemployed men wear glasses.
Eighty percent of employed men wear spectacles.
Therefore, work causes bad vision.Every second, 4,000 cans are opened around the world.
Every second, ten babies are conceived around the world.
Therefore, each time you open a can, you have a 1 in 400 chance of becoming pregnant. (Be careful!)