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TOPIC: ARGUMENT 59 - The following appeared in an article in the health section of a newspaper.
"According to the available medical records, the six worst worldwide flu epidemics during the past 300 years occurred in 1729, 1830, 1918, 1957, 1968, and 1977. These were all years with heavy sunspot activity-that is, years when the Earth received significantly more solar energy than in normal years. People at particular risk for the flu should therefore avoid prolonged exposure to the Sun."
WORDS: 428 TIME: 0:30:00 DATE: 2006-2-6
The author recommends that , in the consideration of preventing those who at particular risk for the flu falling ill, people should avoid prolonged exposure to the Sun. After careful scrutiny of the evidence cited by the author, we may find several logical flaws in the recommendation.
To begin with, the author cited a medical records show that the six worst worldwide flu epidemics during the past 300 years were coordinated with heavy sunspot activity, which the Earth received significantly more solar energy than other years. However, because the conclusion is based on the available records and the unclear evidence of the "worst worldwide flu epidemics", we cannot evaluate the relationshiop between the flu epidemics and the heavy sunspot activity. It is likely that other medical records recorded more worst worldwide flue epidemics which show that there are no coordinate with the heavy sunspot activity. And it is also possible that a little alter of the definition of the "worst" would lead to a totally opposite answer. Therefore, lacking of the overall medical records concerning the happens of worst flu epidemics, we cannot accept the causal relation between epidemics and heavy sunspot activity.
Secondly, even assuming that there exist a causal relation between the epidemics and sunspot activities, the author does not provide solid evidence that it is the exposure to the Sun that would cause flu to spread and suffer people's health. As we know, there exist many factors which would help flu to spread. For example, the function of spread of the multiplied population of the insects which taking the virus, such as flys and so on. Consequently, without ruling out other possibilities, the author recommendation is unwarranted.
Thirdly, even assuming that the prolonged exposure to the Sun is the root reason that makes people suffer from the flu. There may other methods to reduce the risk for the flu for those people who have to work in the Sun. For example, taking medicine and nitrience which may improve the body's resistance. As a consequence, without evaluate other methods, we cannot accept the author's recommendation.
To sum up, the author's recommendation is not persuasive, because it is lack of logical supports. To strengthen the recommendation, the author need to provide the overall medical records and make a clear definition of the "worst worldwide flu epidemics", we cannot evaluation the relationship between the worldwide flue epidemics and the heavy sunsport activity. Moreover, without ruling out other possibilities which caused the flu to spread and other methods to reduce the risk for flue, we cannot accept the recommendation. |
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