A red herring is a distraction. In logic, it's a piece of information that's irrelevant to an argument.

How many red herrings can you spot below? (Watch out - not every argument has one!)

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* 1. "The culprit must have been a very small person. Look how small those footprints are. Since foot size correlates to height, only a very short person could leave those footprints. It could have been a child. If it was a child, then poverty might have motivated the crime. We should call up Senator Smith, since he's sponsoring the No More Child-Poverty Act."

The red herring in this line of reasoning is:

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* 2. "Anyone who writes someone's name on the wall after a crime must be giving a clue about the crime. Now gentlemen, the victim in this crime wrote the letters 'Rache' on the wall. 'Rache' is clearly the name 'Rachel.' Therefore, 'Rachel' is a crucial clue regarding this crime."

The red herring in this line of reasoning is:

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* 3. "Whoever maimed this horse must have had a very small knife. He also needed precise anatomical knowledge, and he must have been very familiar with the countryside in the dark. The horse's trainer has precise anatomical knowledge, and he also has a very small knife. He's familiar with the countryside in the dark. I also happen to know that he's heavily in debt. Therefore, I conclude that he maimed this horse."

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