Category Archives: Mathematics

Last Questions and Possible Answers, 3

Posted on 20 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

This is my third post, following this one in March and this one in June, in which I consider the John Brockman book The Last Unknowns, in which he gathers deep unanswered questions about “the universe, the mind, the future … Continue reading →

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Things that are True about the World, despite Human Intuitions

Posted on 12 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

After three posts about that Jonathan Rauch book, let’s post some items about conclusions made by the reality-based community. Veritasium on Euclid’s Fifth Postulate, and how there is more to reality than human intuitive thinking; Neil de Grasse Tyson on … Continue reading →

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Science and Political Items

Posted on 29 September 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

First, a couple science bits. Let’s start with an intriguing episode of Veritasium. Veritasium: Math Has A Fatal Flaw. Maybe not a “flaw” but an aspect beyond human intuitive understanding: how in any system of mathematics, there exist true statements … Continue reading →

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Three from SciAm

Posted on 24 May 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Scientific American is a magazine I’ve read intermittently for 50 years. A new take on the difference between liberals and conservatives; How most Americans think they are better than most people, but people in Asian countries do not; How there … Continue reading →

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Fox News Admits They Were Wrong; Reviews by Michael Dirda

Posted on 23 May 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

First, a follow up to my Media Literacy post three days ago. Stop the Presses! Something amazing has happened! Salon, Amanda Marcotte, 23 May 2023: Fox News falls for another hoax, as the Dominion defamation settlement pays off, subtitled “The … Continue reading →

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Jerry Coyne on Deepak Chopra, Alex Ross on Max Richter, and others

Posted on 12 April 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Jerry Coyne on Deepak Chopra And on the latest argument for the compatibility of science and faith A misleading article on the recent “paradigm” shift in the understanding of human evolution Reviews of new books by Sarah Bakewell and Sarah … Continue reading →

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Math, Literature, and Maps

Posted on 7 April 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Today’s topics: A curious new geometric shape; The connections between math and literature; A new perhaps better map projection of the world NY Times, Siobhan Roberts, 28 Mar 2023: Elusive ‘Einstein’ Solves a Longstanding Math Problem, subtitled “And it all … Continue reading →

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Optimism about Science and Tech, Alternative Math, and Political Topics

Posted on 19 January 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Another optimistic take on part of current affairs (not politics). Plus: alternative math, and political items.

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Significance, and Links

Posted on 4 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

More on yesterday’s post about intuitive morality; the idea of “significance”, and Alastair Reynolds’ new novel; and links and comments.

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G.H. Hardy, A MATHEMATICIAN’S APOLOGY (1940)

Posted on 2 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

In perusing some of the earliest popular books I read about mathematics, including the ones I’ve blogged about here by George Gamow and Krasner & Newman, and then searching around for any other popular mathematical texts from the early 20th … Continue reading →

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