Monthly Archives: November 2025

Jonathan Haidt, THE HAPPINESS HYPOTHESIS, post 3

Subtitled “Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom” With second subtitle “Why the Meaningful Life is Closer than You Think” (Basic Books, 2006, xiii + 297pp, including 54pp acknowledgements, notes, references, and index. Hardcover with no dust jacket.) (Post 1, Post … Continue reading

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Bill Gates and Climate Change

There has been much consternation over a piece published by Bill Gates last week, about climate change. NY Times, David Gelles, 28 Oct 2025: Bill Gates Says Climate Change ‘Will Not Lead to Humanity’s Demise’, subtitled “In a memo, the … Continue reading

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Jonathan Haidt, THE HAPPINESS HYPOTHESIS, post 2

Subtitled “Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom” With second subtitle “Why the Meaningful Life is Closer than You Think” (Basic Books, 2006, xiii + 297pp, including 54pp acknowledgements, notes, references, and index. Hardcover with no dust jacket.) (Post 1) Once … Continue reading

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Survival, Revelations, Falling Standards

Samuel McKee on how our brains are wired to survive, not to find truth; Adam Gopnik from 2012 about an Elaine Pagels book on Revelations; Jonathan Chait on how falling standards of behavior in Washington; Brief items about tariffs on … Continue reading

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Jonathan Haidt, THE HAPPINESS HYPOTHESIS, post 1

Subtitled “Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom” With second subtitle “Why the Meaningful Life is Closer than You Think” (Basic Books, 2006, xiii + 297pp, including 54pp acknowledgements, notes, references, and index. Hardcover with no dust jacket.) Here is a … Continue reading

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Troubled Children, Cognitive Collapse, Cave Man Morality

Paul Krugman about how Trump has ceded the future to China; Tom Nichols on how the Trump administration resembles a bunch of toddlers, and what Americans who care about democracy should do. Salon’s Sophia A. McClennen on how the Trump … Continue reading

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Politics is more about tribal human nature than about solving problems

David French on why Trump gets away with everything; Ezra Klein on how to beat Trumpism: something about Democrats not being so judgmental; Short items about Norman Rockwell, Nigeria and Christians, the welfare queen stereotype, how faith-base bigotry is just … Continue reading

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Narrative Closure in A House of Dynamite

And David Brin on the persistent idiocies of the UFO cultists – – – We watched the new film about a potential nuclear war, A House of Dynamite, last Sunday on Netflix, and then I watched it again on Netflix … Continue reading

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