February 2015 Skeptical Crossword

Theme: Logical Fallacies (4)

by Roy Arnott & Ken Greatorex

(click on the above grid to enlarge and print off)

Both Standard and cryptic clues are provided

STANDARD CLUES

ACROSS:

2. & 5 across & 7 across: a LOGICAL FALLACY in which the premises include the conclusion or assume that the conclusion is true; also called a Circular Argument. Example: I know that God exists because the Bible tells me so. (three words, [7], [3], [8])
3. See 2 across
4. See 2 across
5. Luminous discharge between two electrodes [3]
6. & 15 across: a LOGICAL FALLACY where a certain conclusion is reached on the basis of the alternative being undesirable. Example: In the famous Birmingham Six case the judge said that if the accused were innocent, the police must have fabricated evidence, which was unthinkable. (two words, [5], [12])
7. See 14 across
8. Ecclesiastical court [5]
9. Element number 50 [3]
10. & 20 across: a LOGICAL FALLACY where the person committing the fallacy dismisses a proposition that he or she cannot comprehend (two words, [8], [11])
11. See 18 across
12. Captain of The Nautilus [4]
13. Reasoning process conducted according to strict principles of validity [5]
14. Russian river and mountain range [4]
15. & 29 across & 31 across: a LOGICAL FALLACY: Confusion of ____ _____ _____ . Assuming that an intermediate position between two extremes is correct; Example: People who are severely ill are very often depressed and angry. Thus, the cause of severe illness actually is depression and anger. So, a cheerful attitude is key to staying healthy. (Three words, [5], [3], [6])
16. See 28 across
17. See 28 across
18. Without [4]
19. Stringed instrument [4]
20. Strange [3]
21. & 39 across: a LOGICAL FALLACY which assumes that there are only totally opposed sides to an argument. Example: Either I keep smoking, or I’ll get fat. I don’t want to get fat, so I better keep smoking (two words, [5], [9])
22. See 38 across
23. Use or take advantage of [5]
24. Repeated sound [4]
25. Meeting for passing information or instructions [8]
26. Major artery [5]
27. Achieved [3]
28. & 54 across: a LOGICAL FALLACY that says if an argument contains a logical fallacy, the entire proposition is wrong. Example: A says “Spot is an animal. All dogs are animals. Spot must be a dog.” B replies “That’s illogical! Therefore Spot can’t be a dog.” (two words, [7], [7])
29. See 53 across
30. Look comprehensively in order to detect some feature [4]
31. Without ceremony [8]
32. Spoke [7]
33. Sudden sharp pain or painful emotion [4]
34. Not correct or provable [7]
35. Appeal to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _; a LOGICAL FALLACY which involves supporting your argument with the views of a prominent person when it is inappropriate to do so; Example: Nicole Kidman endorses Swisse Wellness so it must be good. [9]
36. Possess [3]
37. Mistake [5]
38. Intermediate between black and white [4]
39. Continent [4]
40. Placed “in hock” [6]
41. Firearm [3]
42. & 79 across & 80 across: a LOGICAL FALLACY in which one of the protagonists unilaterally attempts to alter the premises with which the debate commenced, in such a way as to make it increasingly difficult to comply; Example: A Creationist demands evidence for a transitional species to fill a gap in the fossil record. When such evidence is discovered, it merely gives rise to demands for evidence to fill the two newly perceived gaps. (Three Words, [6], [3], [9])
43. See 76 across
44. See 76 across
45. Shoot with accuracy at long range from concealment [5]
46. Distinct historical period [3]
47. & 84 across: A LOGICAL FALLACY which depends on misrepresentation of an opponent’s argument. To be successful, this approach requires that the audience be ignorant or uninformed of the original argument. Example: “If global warming is going to increase the temperature by two degrees, that’s not such a big deal. Between consecutive days of 20 degrees and 22 degrees you hardly notice the difference.” (two words, [5], [3])
48. See 83 across
49. Wayfarer [7]
50. The quality of being worthy of praise or reward [5]
51. Obligatory payments; subscriptions [4]
52. Dome-shaped Buddhist shrine [5]

DOWN:

1. Appalling [7]
2. The available body of facts or information upon which a valid argument can be based [8]
3. Ice house [5]
4. A musical sound with reference to its pitch, quality and strength [4]
5. Gazing at intently [6]
6. Badly matched or unfair; e.g. _ _ _ _ _ _ debate [6]
7. Fused vertebra between pelvic bones [6]
8. Japanese immigrants to North America [5]
9. Distasteful [5]
10. Disgrace, defamatory gossip [7]
11. A man who is overly concerned with fashion [3]
12. Gelled [9]
13. & 50 down: A LOGICAL FALLACY whose proponent rationalises an argument to support a cherished belief. Example: “Water Divining normally works, but not in tests because dowsers are put off by the presence of Skeptics” (two words, [7], [8])
14. Hard of Hearing [4]
15. Attractive, beautiful [6]
16. Sherlock Holmes said that this remains when all impossibilities have been discounted [5]
17. List of things-to-do [6]
18. Mother-of-pearl [5]
19. One of the Baltic States [7]
20. Pacifying bribe [3]
21. & 44 down: A LOGICAL FALLACY: Attacking the person, not the argument (two words, [2], [7])
22. Worship [5]
23. Great depth of insight or knowledge; (Often confused with incomprehensibility) [10]
24. Fish limb [3]
25. Tub, barrel [3]
26. Judgement or decision reached by reasoning based on evidence [10]
27. See 33 down
28. & 63 down: A LOGICAL FALLACY that draws comparisons between two situations based on similarities which don’t really apply. Example: “If evolution is random, then it’s like having an explosion in a rubbish tip which causes a working space shuttle to self-assemble.” (two words, [5], [7])
29. & 56 down: A LOGICAL FALLACY (aka “appeal to ignorance”) that a proposition is true simply because it has not been proved false; or that it is false because it has not been proved true. Example: “Atheists have never been able to demonstrate that God does not exist, therefore He must.” (two words, [2], [11])
30. A long way off [4]
31. See 19 down
32. Precision [8]
33. Ruling family [7]
34. Diabolic [8]
35. See 47 down
36. A phrase or expression in which the same thing is said twice in different words. (often in place of fresh data or evidence); Example: “Censorship is desireable because it limits the ability for anyone to say just whatever he or she likes” [9]
37. Always [7]
38. See 46 down
39. Puzzled, confused, bewildered [7]
40. A proposition from which another is inferred or follows as a conclusion [7]
41. Improvise, contrive [3]
42. Liquid produced in infected tissue [3]
43. Formalised argument [6]
44. Country [5]
45. Large fruit which may be hollowed and used as a container [5]
46. Makes a selection [4]
47. Tidings [4]
48. Snare [4]
49. Flightless bird [3]

CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS:

2. & 5 across & 7 across: The answer is provided by this clue because that is the   way it is compiled. (three words, [7], [3], [8])
3. See 2 across
4. See 2 across
5. Part of circumference lights up [3]
6. & 15 across: Death? (two words, [5], [12])
7. See 14 across
8. The extremes of synthetic blood are a set up for church body [5]
9. Can Element [3]
10. & 20 across: If you cannot comprehend this clue, you can obviously disregard it (two words, [8], [11])
11. See 18 across
12. Submariner found in marine monster [4]
13. Record in charge. It stands to reason [5]
14. Make mountains out of pissoir’s lack of being fashionable [4]
15. & 29 across & 31 across: Unaffected case can be a logical fallacy (Three words, [5], [3], [6])
16. See 28 across
17. See 28 across
18. Lacking French [4]
19. Go on tediously for instrument [4]
20. 1,3,5,7,9,11 [3]
21. & 39 across: Modify modify cholates to take extreme positions (two words, [5], [9])
22. See 38 across
23. Take advantage of face covering, we hear [5]
24. Glee chorus provides reverberation [4]
25. Putting on underwear to provide information [8]
26. It is straight from the heart [5]
27. One between large cups performed [3]
28. & 54 across: Two wrongs do not invalidate proposition (two words, [7], [7])
29. See 53 across
30. Look closely at tin containing calcium [4]
31. Albert playing well, but casual [8]
32. Spoke unintelligibly. Yet initially lacking, still spoke [7]
33. God takes note – painful [4]
34. Patient is not correct [7]
35. Writer takes most of the town to have control [9]
36. Extract chlorine from comic to possess [3]
37. 54 – 7 = 39 [5]
38. Ogre yields yields achromaticity [4]
39. Land mass formed from battery incorporating silicon [4]
40. Attacked by chess piece at Uncle’s? [6]
41. Weapon for distorted antelope [3]
42. & 79 across & 80 across: Catch 22 response? (three words, [6], [3], [9])
43. See 76 across
44. See 76 across
45. Set up pines for bird [5]
46. Time to be back [3]
47. & 84 across: Ant swarm is an easy target (two words, [5], [3])
48. See 83 across
49. Over gay traveller? [7]
50. Uranium placed in mine tunnel – check the accounts [5]
51. Precipitations sound about time [4]
52. Sheep in a state creates a dome [5]

DOWN:

1. Lamb, say is appalling [7]
2. Even dice can provide the facts [8]
3. Normal gravity dunny creates frozen accommodation [5]
4. Thought to be a desirable quality provided by Eton education [4]
5. Woe ye ingrate! The warning has a message that you are being watched [6]
6. 5,7,9,11 [6]
7. Vertebral spirit bag [6]
8. Qualified for internment by the US government [5]
9. Sodium pen is not nice [5]
10. Foreign Office softly overdoes fashion [3]
11. Colas cede and congealed [9]
12. & 50 down: I know I am the cruciverbalist but I should not have to do this clue because the answer contains 15 letters (two words, [7], [8])
13. Musical notes create possession of anacusis [4]
14. Adjust tennis stroke- beautiful! [6]
15. Verily, after time, after biblical lady [5]
16. Finish in the stove, make a list [6]
17. Element applied to given area provides lustre [5]
18. Fix noise at European country [7]
19. Standard procedures soak up [3]
20. & 44 down: Do him mean, he is a false target (two words, [2], [7])
21. Worship commercial mineral [5]
22. Possible characteristic of foundry pit [10]
23. Piscine manoeuvre unit is the end in France [3]
24. Pope’s telex address? [3]
25. Finding cool nun (sic). [10]
26. See 33 down
27. & 63 down: The universe is like an intricate watch. 
A watch must have been designed by a watchmaker. 
Therefore, the universe must have been designed by some kind of creator (two words, [5], [7])
28. & 56 down: No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public (two words, [2], [11])
29. Armed service becomes distant [4]
30. See 19 down
31. 1:10,000 [8]
32. Change in y unpleasant for ruling family [7]
33. If his end is diabolical? [8]
34. See 47 down
35. This clue is an expression to suggest an answer [9]
36. Amber? [7]
37. See 46 down
38. Confused by archaic Imperial honour employed [7]
39. Basis of collapse of empires [7]
40. Costume of George, King, Emperor [3]
41. Work lacks nothing, produces infectious outflow [3]
42. Young woman took food? A moot point [6]
43. Country finds itself in rough anarchy [5]
44. Deity surrounded old city and provided fruit [5]
45. Makes a choice – change spot [4]
46. Tidings from all directions [4]
47. It is a trick! Take back component [4]
48. Support for coat of arms found in some mud [3]

SOLUTION