A running list of some fallacies for those interested: 1) Natural selection is the description of a process that happens spontaneously. Natural selection does

A running list of some fallacies for those interested: 1) Natural selection is the description of a process that happens spontaneously. Natural selection does not actively “form” us. Life forms itself via natural selection and the entire point is adaptability in the face of environmental constraints (i.e. earth’s carrying capacity for livestock) 2) Chimpanzees may be our closest relatives, but so what? They’re hirsute and have complex grooming rituals to remove parasites; we do not, among many other differences. Using chimps as a “natural model” of human behavior is not grounded in scientific thought. (EDIT: there’s also the “closest extant relative” fallacy. There were plenty of great apes closer to us than modern chimps, they just died out. If in 100 years we cause the extinction of chimps and bonobos [highly likely on current trajectory], then is the natural model for humans the Gorilla, who mostly eats plants and very rarely will also eat invertebrates?) 3) The author states that increasing meat consumption has led to no negative health effects (by only focusing on heart disease), but the countries with the two largest increases (US and China) have myriad health problems mostly related to rising obesity rates. Heart disease is a poor measure of meat-related health because a) it’s highly correlated with smoking b) we’ve gotten way better at treating it. Overall, it’s the classic “trap” for HN. A solid (usually) publication, a highly charged topic, and loose data interpretation.