Video Analysis The video has fruitful contexts for observing fallacious reasoning, biases that impact how evidence is being collected or interpreted, and attempts at persuasive maneuvers. Based on you

S tu den t S am ple 2

P ro of T hat T im e T ra vel E xis ts … O r N ot

I n a n e ffo rt t o p ro ve t h e e x is te n ce o f A ncie n t t im e t r a vel, t h e c a st f r o m A ncie n t A li e n s

c o n du cte d r e se a rc h a b ou t m yth olo gic a l t o p ic s t o g ain i n sig h ts i n to t h e l e g it im acy o f s u ch a

c la im . H ow ev er, t h at p ro ce ss o f r e a so n in g i t s e lf i s c o m ple te ly c ir c u la r a n d a vo id s t h e i n clu sio n o f

e v id en ce t h at d en ie s t h e a lr e a d y a sse rte d c o n clu sio n . I n a n e ffo rt t o f u rth er t h eir a rg u m en ts ,

t h ey p re se n te d m ult ip le a cco u n ts o f h is to ric a l r e se a rc h . T he l a ck o f v a li d it y o f t h is e v id en ce a n d

t h e c la im s t h at w ere m ad e t h ro u gh t h e u se o f s u ch e v id en ce e x em pli f y t h e f a lla cio u s w ays i n

w hic h a rg u m en ts c a n b e a d vo ca te d .

C orre ct r e a so n in g i n vo lv es t h e a ccu m ula tio n o f e v id en ce t o s u pport a c o n clu sio n . M ost

i m porta n tly , t h is e v id en ce m ust i n clu de t h at w hic h d is p ro ves t h e c o n clu sio n i n a n e ffo rt t o f in d

t h e t r u th . A c o m mon ali t y b etw een c o n sp ir a cy a rg u m en ts i s t h at a c o n clu sio n i s m ad e p rio r t o

c o n du ctin g r e se a rc h . A ft e rw ard , e v id en ce i s f o u n d t o s u pport t h at c o n clu sio n . T his i n co rre ct

r e a so n in g i s t h e b asis o f t h e e n tir e a rg u m en t m ad e b y t h e c a st o f A ncie n t A li e n s i n t h eir

a tte m pts t o p ro ve t h e e x is te n ce o f A ncie n t t im e t r a vel.

W it h in t h e f ir s t t h ir ty s e co n ds o f t h e v id eo , t h ere i s a r e fe re n ce t o a r e li g io u s t e x t,

m yth olo gy, a n d a n a u th orit y t h at c a n v erif y t h e l e g it im acy o f t h e c la im s m ad e i n t h e t e x ts . T he

r e fe re n ce d s to ry d esc rib es a n I n dia n k in g t r a veli n g t o t h e h ea ven s a n d m eetin g w it h t h e g o d s.

A ft e r h is s u ppose d m eetin g, h e r e tu rn s t o t h e e a rth o n ly t o f in d t h at h un dre d s o f y ea rs h ad

p asse d . T his i s s im ply a r e fe re n ce t o a s to ry w it h in a r e li g io u s t e x t, a n d t h e i n fo rm atio n p ro vid ed

h ere h ad n o r e a l s ig n if ic a n ce a t f ir s t. I f a n y a u die n ce m em ber w ere t o i d en tif y t h e t e x ts a s

l e g it im ate e v id en ce , i t w ou ld l i k ely b e d u e t o a n i n here n t b ia s p re se n t w it h in t h em t h at

r e co n fir m s t h eir t r u st i n r e li g io u s t e x ts . I t i s o n ly w hen t h e n arr a to r a sse rts t h at “ s o m e

r e se a rc h ers b eli e v e t h at t h e H in du t a le m ay b e o n e o f t h e o ld est r e co rd s o f s u cce ssfu l t im e

t r a vel,” t h at f a lla cio u s r e a so n in g b eg in s t o a p pea r. T o b eg in , t h e n arr a to r i m pli c it ly s ta te s t h at

t im e t r a vel e x is ts d u e t o t h e h is to ric a l r e co rd s f o u n d i n r e li g io u s m yth olo gic a l t e x ts . T his

a rg u m en t a p pea ls t o i g n ora n ce s in ce t h e e v id en ce n eed ed t o p ro ve t h at t im e t r a vel i s e v en

p ossib le i s l e ft f o r t h e a u die n ce t o d is c o ver. W it h s u ch a n a rg u m en t, t h ere i s n o w ay t o p ro ve n or

d is p ro ve t h e c la im s in ce t h ere i s n o c o n clu siv e e v id en ce t o s u pport t h e a rg u m en ts . T he n arra to r

a d dit io n ally u se s l o ad ed l a n gu ag e t h ro u gh t h e u se o f t h e w ord s “ a n cie n t” a n d “ re co rd s”. T his i s

d on e w it h t h e i n te n tio n o f c o n vey in g t h e k n ow le d gea b ili t y o f t h e s p ea k er i n t h eir e ffo rt t o c o n vey

f a ctu al h is to ric a l t r u th . B y p ro vid in g t h e a u die n ce w it h a n e a sy -to -u n ders ta n d s to ry , t h e

a u die n ce i s b ette r a b le t o d ig est t h e c la im s b ein g t h ro w n a t t h em . T hou gh t h e v a li d it y o f s u ch

c la im s r e m ain ed u n pro ven . T he v a li d it y o f t h e s p ea k er i s a d vo ca te d t h ro u gh t h e r e fe re n cin g o f

“ s o m e r e se a rc h ers ” w ho b eli e v e t h at t h is t e x t m ay b e o n e o f t h e o ld est r e co rd s o f s u cce ssfu l t im e

t r a vel. R efe re n cin g c re d ib le a u th orit y a llo w s f o r t h e s tr e n gth en in g o f a n a rg u m en t, b u t i n t h is

s c e n ario , t h e r e fe re n ce i s e x tr e m ely v a g u e a n d d oes n ot d esc rib e t h e s o u rc e i n a n y d eta il

w hats o ev er. T he q u estio n s o f w ho t h e s o u rc e i s , w hat r e se a rc h t h ey c o n du cte d , a n d w hy t h ey

c a m e t o t h e c o n clu sio n t h at t h e s to ry w as a n e x am ple o f a n e a rly r e co rd o f t im e t r a vel w ere n ot

d is c u sse d .

F ollo w in g t h e d is c u ssio n o f I n dia n m yth olo gy, t h e f ir s t s p ea k er, D avid C hild re ss,

d is c u sse d t h e i m pli c a tio n s o f a ctu al t im e t r a vel. H im se lf b ein g a n a u th or m ay q u ali f y h im i n t h e

a b ili t y t o a n aly ze t e x tu al d ocu m en ts , b u t i t s tr u gg le s t o m erit h is a b ili t y t o d is c u ss p h ysic s a n d

t im e t r a vel. Q uali f ic a tio n i s i m porta n t, a n d t o c o n vin ce t h e a u die n ce o f h is q u ali f ic a tio n s t o

s p ea k a b ou t t h e s u bje ct a t h an d, h e i s w ea rin g a s h ir t t h at s a ys “ T he E xp lo re rs C lu b” w hic h

s u btly c o n vey s h is c o m mit m en t t o f in din g t h e t r u th . T he i n clu sio n o f s m all b u t i n te n tio n al

s tim uli a n d r h eto ric a l s tr a te g ie s c a n i n flu en ce a n a u die n ce ’s t r u st i n t h e s p ea k er. C hild re ss s a ys

t h at t h e s to ry r e fe re n ce s, “ th e k in d o f t h in g t h at w ou ld h ap pen t o s p ace t r a vele rs .” C hild re ss, i n

t h is s c e n ario , i s t h oro u gh ly u n qu ali f ie d t o b e m ak in g s u ch a sse rtio n s. D esp it e h is q u ali f ic a tio n s,

h e c o n tin ued t o a ls o s ta te t h at, “ in t im e t r a vel y o u t h in k y o u ’r e g o n e f o r o n ly a f e w d ays b u t

w hen y o u r e tu rn t o e a rth y o u f in d o u t t h at y o u ’v e b een g o n e f o r h un dre d s o f y ea rs .” A ro u n d t h e

o n e-m in ute m ark o f t h e v id eo , t h e s p ea k er’s t o n e a n d t h e b ack gro u n d m usic o f t h e v id eo w ork

t o geth er t o c re a te a s e n se o f m yste ry . T o t h is e ffe ct, f e eli n gs o f w on der c a n b e f o ste re d w it h in t h e

a u die n ce , c a u sin g t h em t o o verlo ok t h e a p pare n t i n co n sis te n cie s w it h in t h e a rg u m en t. A ft e r a ll,

t h e e n tir e a rg u m en t i s b ase d o n u n sp oken a ssu m ptio n s a b ou t t h e r e li a b ili t y o f r e li g io u s t e x ts a s

c re d ib le e v id en ce t o s u pport a n y a rg u m en t, l e t a lo n e t im e t r a vel.

T he f o llo w in g s e g m en t o f t h e v id eo r e fe re n ce s t h e i d ea t h at “ li k e t h e l e g en d o f C haco

c a n yo n , s im ila r t a le s o f t im e t r a vel c a n b e f o u n d a ll a cro ss t h e a n cie n t w orld .” O ne m ig h t e x p ect

m ore i n fo rm atio n a b ou t t h e l e g en d o f C haco c a n yo n t o b e d is c u sse d , b u t t h at o n e s e n te n ce w as

t h e e n tir e s e co n d s e g m en t o f t h e v id eo . T his c la im d oes a p pea r t o b e s ta tis tic a lly s ig n if ic a n t i n

p ro vin g m ore “ re co rd ed e x am ple s” o f t im e t r a vel, b u t w it h ou t a n e x p la n atio n o f t h e a ctu al e v en t,

t h e m ain a rg u m en t g ain s n o r e a l s tr e n gth .

R eg ard le ss o f v a li d it y , b y c it in g m ore e x am ple s o f t im e t r a vel, t h e s p ea k ers a re u sin g

r e p etit io n a s t h e m ea n s t o a d va n ce t h eir i d ea o f t r u th a s b ein g w ell- s u pporte d . T hro u gh t h is

m ed iu m , t h e s p ea k ers w ere a b le t o m ak e t h eir a rg u m en t a p pea r m ore c o h ere n t t h an i t r e a lly

w as. T he J ap an ese l e g en d o f U ra sh im a T aro i s r e fe re n ce d a s a n oth er e x am ple o f t im e t r a vel, a n d

C hild re ss o n ce a g ain s e t a s e rio u s t o n e t o c o n vey t h e i d ea t h at t h is l e g en d w as t h e a ctu al t r u th .

S h ortly a ft e r, t h e s to ry o f t h e p ro p h et J ere m ia h i n t h e H eb re w b ib le i s d esc rib ed a s b ein g “ e erily

s im ila r” t o t h e o th er s u ppose d a cco u n ts o f t im e t r a vel. T he l a n gu ag e u se d a t t h is p oin t c re a te s a

m eta p h or t o c o m pare t h e s im ila rit ie s b etw een t h e m en tio n ed s to rie s o f t im e t r a vel. T hou gh t h e

o n ly s im ila rit y t h at h ad b een m en tio n ed w as t h at t h ey w ere b oth s to rie s o f t im e t r a vel. I t w as

a ft e r t h is m om en t t h at a n ew s p ea k er, t h e a u th or E ric h V on D an ik en , b eg an t o e x p la in t h e s to ry .

T he s to ry d esc rib es a c h ild , A bim ele ch , w ho i s s e n t t o t h e f o re st t o p ic k f ig s w hen h e s u dden ly

b la ck s o u t a n d e x p erie n ce s t h e e ffe cts o f t im e t r a vel w hen h e r e tu rn ed t o h is h om e a n d l e a rn ed

t h at s ix ty -tw o y ea rs h ad p asse d . M uch e m ph asis w as p la ce d o n t h e n um ber “ s ix ty -tw o” b y

D an ik en i n a n a tte m pt t o e x tr a p ola te t h is e v id en ce a s a n e x am ple o f t im e t r a vel. U p t o t h is p oin t,

e a ch p re m is e , o th erw is e k n ow n a s r e li g io u s s to rie s, h ad n ot b een a n aly ze d f o r c o rre ctn ess b u t

w as i n ste a d u se d t o r e p ea t t h e a lr e a d y a sse rte d c o n clu sio n o f t im e t r a vel h avin g o ccu rre d i n

a n cie n t t im es.

T hro u gh ou t t h e v id eo , t h e c a st o f A ncie n t A li e n s a tt e m pte d t o c o n vin ce t h e a u die n ce t h at

t im e t r a vel w as q u it e r e a l a n d t h at t h e d ocu m en te d e v id en ce o f i t w as i n dis p u ta b le e v id en ce .

D esp it e t h ese c la im s, i t c a n b e s e en t h at t h e a rg u m en ts p re se n te d a re e x tr e m ely i n co m ple te a n d

o ft e n p ro vid e n o s tr e n gth t o t h e c o n clu sio n b ein g m ad e a sid e f r o m b ein g r e p etit iv e. T he

a rg u m en ts w ere b ase d o n i n co m ple te a n d u n verif ia b le s o u rc e s a n d w ere e x am in ed b y s p ea k ers

w ho h ad l i t tle t o n o c re d ib ili t y t o s p ea k a b ou t t h e s u bje cts i n vo lv ed . R heto ric a l s tr a te g ie s w ere

u se d t o s u btly c o n vin ce t h e a u die n ce o f t h e i n fo rm atio n ’s c re d ib ili t y , b u t i t w as c le a r t h at t h e

s p ea k ers h ad a n i n veste d i n te re st i n t h e c re a tio n o f t h is v id eo . T he e v id en ce , b y n o m ea n s,

s u pports t h e c o n clu sio n t h at t h ere i s p ro of o f A ncie n t t im e t r a vel.