There is no statutory requirement that formal logic be adhered to during examination of patent claims. Examiners and patent practitioners are free to use a wide variety of discussion and argument ...

To persuade you, people often try to use logical fallacies (Credit: Javier Hirschfeld) When people are trying to persuade you, they sometimes reach for underhand tricks like the 'appeal to ignorance' ...

Yuri Arcurs peopleimages.com / Getty Images/iStockphoto When I was in college, I remember naively signing up for a course called “Introduction to Logic.” It turned out to be one of the greatest ...

Schools and colleges no longer teach formal logic, as evidenced by the huge number of people who espouse conspiracy theories (all of which fall apart when subjected to formal logic). So, unless you ...

We’re always pleased when our readers write to us with questions or comments that really make us think. Here, for example, is reader K.S., who writes: Perhaps it was intended facetiously, if so I ...

If you’ve been looking for a crash course in basic logic — or just want to explain to a friend exactly what a logical fallacy is — turn your attention to these simple, easy-to-understand videos, which ...

We collaborate with the world's leading lawyers to deliver news tailored for you. Sign Up for any (or all) of our 25+ Newsletters. Some states have laws and ethical rules regarding solicitation and ...

When considering your argument or the arguments of others, writers and readers need to be aware of logical fallacies. Logical fallacies are found in many places—ads, politics, movies. Logical ...