+
upworthy
More

Gun Expert Decides To Make Stuff Up. Reporter Decides To Shut Him Down.

John Lott is a scholar at the University of Maryland. He has a history of dishonesty (see below video) despite his impressive resume. He uses logical fallacies and arbitrary data points to justify eliminating most gun laws.  His theory is that all the killers from Oregon, to Columbine, to Aurora, to Newtown specifically chose their targets based on what local gun laws are so that no one else would have a gun to shoot back. Ergo, eliminate all carry laws and bans, thereby making sociopathic murderers think twice, knowing everyone could be armed.Thankfully, Soledad wasn't having it. And the result is very satisfying.

At 1:20, Soledad has already had enough and challenges him.  At 2:23, Soledad says no again. At 3:36, she's so baffled, she just ignores his really invalid points and goes back to actually trying to make him do basic math. At 4:58, she continues to pummel him with reason. And at 7:15, Soledad shuts that whole thing down. FYI: When John Lott says at 5:45 that an AR-15 is basically just a prettied up hunting rifle, he's doing what we call in the biz "not being honest at all." Before I wrote this piece, I called my redneck, backwoods-Kentucky, gun-loving, hunting fan of a brother-in-law (his words, not mine) to make sure I had the facts right. According to him, an AR-15 is the civilian M-16, a weapon for killing, whereas most hunting rifles hold three or four bullets in a clip and are slower to fire. Because deer hunting requires a little more nuance and skill. We may try some target practice when I go there for Christmas.

Additionally, he argues in more than one interview that the Columbine killers chose the school as a target because it was a gun free zone, thereby allowing them to kill without getting shot at. However, one of the killers, Eric Harris said during the attack, "Let's go kill some cops" which invalidates his entire thesis, what with police being armed and whatnot.


You should also know that John Lott used to create fake internet commenters to defend himself back in the day. So that's fun. And should be reason enough for you to share this.

Lastly, you should also go to Soledad's Facebook page and let her know you appreciate her doing her job so well.

A pitbull stares at the window, looking for the mailman.


Dogs are naturally driven by a sense of purpose and a need for belonging, which are all part of their instinctual pack behavior. When a dog has a job to do, it taps into its needs for structure, purpose, and the feeling of contributing to its pack, which in a domestic setting translates to its human family.

But let’s be honest: In a traditional domestic setting, dogs have fewer chores they can do as they would on a farm or as part of a rescue unit. A doggy mom in Vancouver Island, Canada had fun with her dog’s purposeful uselessness by sharing the 5 “chores” her pitbull-Lab mix does around the house.

Keep ReadingShow less

An English doctor named Edward Jenner took incredible risks to try to rid his world of smallpox. Because of his efforts and the efforts of scientists like him, the only thing between deadly diseases like the ones below and extinction are people who refuse to vaccinate their kids. Don't be that parent.

Unfortunately, because of the misinformation from the anti-vaccination movement, some of these diseases have trended up in a really bad way over the past several years.

Keep ReadingShow less

A woman looking at her phone while sitting on the toilet.


One of the most popular health trends over the last few years has been staying as hydrated as possible, evidenced by the massive popularity of 40-oz Stanely Quencher cups. The theory among those who obsess over hydration is that, when you pee clear, you’ve removed all the waste in your body and are enjoying the incredible benefits of being 100% hydrated. Congratulations.

However, according to Dr. Sermed Mezher, an NHS doctor in the UK, peeing clear isn’t always a sign of being healthy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Innovation

A student accidentally created a rechargeable battery that could last 400 years

"This thing has been cycling 10,000 cycles and it’s still going." ⚡️⚡️

There's an old saying that luck happens when preparation meets opportunity.

There's no better example of that than a 2016 discovery at the University of California, Irvine, by doctoral student Mya Le Thai. After playing around in the lab, she made a discovery that could lead to a rechargeable battery that could last up to 400 years. That means longer-lasting laptops and smartphones and fewer lithium ion batteries piling up in landfills.

Keep ReadingShow less
via PamTina_/Twitter

Pam's little brother is so sweet.

Pam has a little brother, who recently learned that he is actually her half-brother.

Of course, half-siblings are still very much siblings, but Pam's brother doesn't quite grasp the concept yet and seems upset about having to part with 50% of his sister.

Keep ReadingShow less

Jennifer Garner's Ziploc care package.

Homelessness has been on the increase in America since 2016 and the numbers exploded in 2020. On a single night in January 2020, there were more than 580,000 individuals who were without a home.

There are many reasons for the increase in homelessness and one of the leading causes is a lack of affordable housing across the country. Housing prices have been on a steady increase and, according to PBS, we are about 7 million units short of affordable housing in the country.

So what can the average person do about this human tragedy taking place in America’s streets? Some people who would like to help don’t feel comfortable giving money to homeless people, although experts in the field say that most of the time it is OK.

Keep ReadingShow less