How To Judge Facts

[Music] [Music] boy boy what a dark here Bob this ought to be good for a banner headline let's see football fund to be used for projector sports fans of Central High School will be shocked to hear Francis you'd better sit in on this what is it they're using money from the football fund to buy a movie projector this is a honey of story but we've got to be careful Jim are you sure you have all the facts on this story you bet I'm sure it isn't fair to take the money we save for football uniforms to buy a projector remember it's only a rumor that the football money is going back did you check up on that oh it's the football fund all right other student funds have any money in them does that sound right to you Francis I guess so anyway I know the football fun has a lot more in it than any other school fond well I guess we have a story all right how did you get the facts Jim how did I get the facts well I went straight to the people who know I ought to know whether we need new uniforms look what I have to wear look at the junk and they talk about a projector with our money how much does it cost to run a projector well I'll tell you the facts it cost me around $700 a month to operate each one of them so it's going to take a lot more money to run the projector wait a minute Jim are you sure it costs that much well that's what Mr Lawrence said you ought to have the facts still sounds like too much go on oh next I got some opinions on the matter they living up the story even more a new projector my you children have so many things dances parties games if you ask my opinion the school doesn't need anything more for entertainment what do I think I don't know anyway we've gotten along without a projector so far if we didn't need one before why do we need one now well if they were going to use a track team's money I'd sure raise a fuss besides how can they afford a new projector they say they can't afford a new gymnasium and we need that and that's how it is it's a hot story I don't know about those quotes of opinion Jim how does Mrs Richardson know the projector is for entertainment is it Mary says we don't need a projector folks used to say we didn't need a home economics Kitchen yes and Jack's remarks about not being able to afford a projector would it cost as much as a gymnasium well I was only getting representative opinions but this isn't the place for a opinions we need to check our facts there are so many things in the story that don't seem right say uh why don't you see Mr Wells good idea if anybody knows the facts the principal ought to well all right I guess I'd better check the story with him I'm glad you came to see me about this Jim and I agree that you have an important story well that's what we think Mr Wells and I'm also glad that you're interested in being sure of the fact yes sir but there's one very important fact you've missed what's that here this memorandum will interest you from Mrs key PTA proposal to buy classroom projectors so that's where this got started yes but not in the way you think look down here Jim source of funds PTA dues do you mean that they are going to buy another projector then we'll have two projectors and still no football uniforms no Jim we'll have one projector and a new set of uniforms later we hope to buy more projectors but there's really no connection at all between the projectors and the football uniform but Mr Wells I heard the football fund was going to be spent for the projector well I suppose that story started Jim when when people learned that we were investigating the cost of projectors somebody put two and two together and got the wrong answer you know how rumors like that become more positive as they pass along and they don't stop until somebody investigates and judges the fact now that the PTA plan is officially approved we can announce it well thanks Mr Wells thanks a lot I guess I better examine all the rest of my story yes Jim can profit by closely reexamining his story and all of us can profit by helping him judge his facts now let's see although the football team is desperately in need of new uniforms that may be true but does it have anything to do with projectors that's right Jim irrelevant facts are of little use to us we can collect all kinds of facts but they have no meaning for us until we are sure they fit our particular problem let's watch out for irrelevant facts now as to the cost of running a projector in a theater where the owner has to hire professional projectionists and all it may cost $700 a month to operate a projector but does that apply to a classroom projector since teachers and students can run them the operating cost of a classroom projector should be negligible that's what we call a false analogy two things which appear similar on the surface may be vitally different in many details watch for false analogies well let's go on to reexamine those opinions what was it Mrs Richardson said a new projector my you children children have so many things dances parties games you want my opinion the school doesn't need anything more for entertainment uhoh there's an assumption would you go over that last again Mrs Richardson I said the school doesn't need anything more for entertainment entertainment Mrs Richardson modern schools use projectors and classroom films for instruction well we hear assumptions like this all the time of course our assumptions may be correct but we must always examine them carefully to be sure well what about Mary's opinion what do I think I don't know anyway we've gotten along without a projector so far if we didn't need one before why do we need one now sounds like a platitude let's have that last sentence again Mary if we didn't need one before what was good enough for Grandma is good enough for you eh horse and buggy kerosene lamps or high button shoes that's right let's watch out for platitudes they don't always have meaning a new broom sweeps clean sometimes A Woman's Place is in the home well perhaps it's best to forget our platitudes and do some real thinking some thinking about Jack's remarks for example let's watch for the flaw in Jack reasoning how can they afford a new projector they say they can't afford a new gymnasium and we need that uh-oh double meanings Jack will you repeat that how can they afford a new projector they say they can't afford a new gymnasium that's enough Jack you're using the word aord to mean two different things in the same thought you see you might be able to afford a new bicycle but would that mean you could afford a new house let's all think carefully about what our words mean for confused meanings can give us faulty facts yes to get at the facts we must examine assumptions analogies platitudes and [Music] meanings [Music] we must judge the facts for the facts are worth [Music] knowing