Semafor84%
Eli Lilly makes $3.8 billion bet on psychedelic drugs 100%
By Tom Chivers91%
7/17/2026, 12:54:10 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 17 faulty reasoning types, including Availability Heuristic, Framing Effect, and Ambiguity (Equivocation), with Biased Writer Voice as the most egregious example at 73.6% saturation with 89 hits. Analysis detected 676 faulty-reasoning hits from 121 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 100% and a BS Rank of 100% (6 of 17,192 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 100.00% of the article peer group.
Eli Lilly will buy a psychedelic drug developer for up to $3.8 billion, a sign of rising interest in using the chemicals as psychiatric treatments.
AtaiBeckley’s BPL-003 psychedelic nasal spray is in late-stage trials to test its effectiveness against treatment-resistant depression; analysts estimate that if it succeeds, it could generate annual sales of up to $1-$2 billion.
The theory is that psychedelic drugs relax strongly held but inappropriate negative beliefs and, in combination with therapy, allow patients to form truer ones.
But testing that theory is difficult — placebo-blinded trials are tricky to do when the real drug makes patients hallucinate — and the industry has faced scandals where therapists abused subjects.
Confirmation Bias
40.5%Confirmation Bias
OverallThis article
40.5%AuthorTom Chivers
9.7%PublicationSemafor
3.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anchoring Bias
0%Anchoring Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
5.6%PublicationSemafor
1.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Availability Heuristic
52.1%Availability Heuristic
OverallThis article
52.1%AuthorTom Chivers
6.2%PublicationSemafor
4.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Representativeness Heuristic
0%Representativeness Heuristic
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
1.7%PublicationSemafor
1.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hindsight Bias
0%Hindsight Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
3.1%PublicationSemafor
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Overconfidence Bias
0%Overconfidence Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
3%PublicationSemafor
1.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Framing Effect
47.9%Framing Effect
OverallThis article
47.9%AuthorTom Chivers
14.3%PublicationSemafor
15.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Loss Aversion
0%Loss Aversion
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0.9%PublicationSemafor
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Status Quo Bias
0%Status Quo Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Sunk Cost Effect
0%Sunk Cost Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Optimism Bias
33.9%Optimism Bias
OverallThis article
33.9%AuthorTom Chivers
13.5%PublicationSemafor
5.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Pessimism Bias
0%Pessimism Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
4.3%PublicationSemafor
3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Negativity Bias
25.6%Negativity Bias
OverallThis article
25.6%AuthorTom Chivers
14.6%PublicationSemafor
10%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Self-Serving Bias
0%Self-Serving Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Fundamental Attribution Error
0%Fundamental Attribution Error
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
1.6%PublicationSemafor
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Actor-Observer Bias
0%Actor-Observer Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
In-Group Bias
0%In-Group Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
1.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
0%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Halo Effect
0%Halo Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
2.7%PublicationSemafor
2.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Horn Effect
0%Horn Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Dunning-Kruger Effect
0%Dunning-Kruger Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Recency Bias
0%Recency Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
3.1%PublicationSemafor
3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Primacy Effect
0%Primacy Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Blind-Spot Bias
0%Blind-Spot Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ad Hominem
0%Ad Hominem
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Straw Man
0%Straw Man
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Authority
0%Appeal to Authority
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
9.5%PublicationSemafor
5.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
False Dilemma
0%False Dilemma
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
1.3%PublicationSemafor
2.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Slippery Slope
25.6%Slippery Slope
OverallThis article
25.6%AuthorTom Chivers
1.1%PublicationSemafor
1.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Circular Reasoning
19.8%Circular Reasoning
OverallThis article
19.8%AuthorTom Chivers
0.8%PublicationSemafor
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hasty Generalization
26.4%Hasty Generalization
OverallThis article
26.4%AuthorTom Chivers
17.5%PublicationSemafor
6.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Red Herring
0%Red Herring
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
2.1%PublicationSemafor
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Bandwagon
0%Bandwagon
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
3.6%PublicationSemafor
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Emotion
0%Appeal to Emotion
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
4.1%PublicationSemafor
5.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Begging the Question
19.8%Begging the Question
OverallThis article
19.8%AuthorTom Chivers
4%PublicationSemafor
0.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Post Hoc (False Cause)
20.7%Post Hoc (False Cause)
OverallThis article
20.7%AuthorTom Chivers
10.4%PublicationSemafor
4.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Tu Quoque
0%Tu Quoque
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Burden of Proof
26.4%Burden of Proof
OverallThis article
26.4%AuthorTom Chivers
1.1%PublicationSemafor
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Nature
0%Appeal to Nature
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Composition/Division
0%Composition/Division
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0.9%PublicationSemafor
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anecdotal
25.6%Anecdotal
OverallThis article
25.6%AuthorTom Chivers
1.7%PublicationSemafor
1.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
No True Scotsman
0%No True Scotsman
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ambiguity (Equivocation)
47.9%Ambiguity (Equivocation)
OverallThis article
47.9%AuthorTom Chivers
3.5%PublicationSemafor
2.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Gambler’s Fallacy
0%Gambler’s Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Middle Ground
0%Middle Ground
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Personal Incredulity
0%Personal Incredulity
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Special Pleading
0%Special Pleading
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
2.9%PublicationSemafor
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Genetic Fallacy
0%Genetic Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Unattributed Quote
26.4%Unattributed Quote
OverallThis article
26.4%AuthorTom Chivers
4.3%PublicationSemafor
4.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Quote-first Misdirection
0%Quote-first Misdirection
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
5.9%PublicationSemafor
3.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Biased Writer Voice
73.6%Biased Writer Voice
OverallThis article
73.6%AuthorTom Chivers
15.6%PublicationSemafor
9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Indoctrination
19.8%Indoctrination
OverallThis article
19.8%AuthorTom Chivers
0.9%PublicationSemafor
1.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Left Leaning Bias
0%Politically Left Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
1.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Right Leaning Bias
0%Politically Right Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
26.4%Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
OverallThis article
26.4%AuthorTom Chivers
2.3%PublicationSemafor
0.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
121 words analyzed.
Analysis
Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.