Category Archives: Narrative

Links & Comments: Narrative Shortcuts, Fantasy Worlds, Arabic Numerals

Posted on 30 December 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

Sunny but chilly today; we’ve had rain for much of the past two weeks, and now we’re in for a week or so of sun. We did a 34-minute walk, though Robinson Drive and around on  Skyline and back to … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Economics, Movies, Narrative | Leave a comment

Ls&Cs: War on Christmas; Book Hoarders

Posted on 13 December 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

The earliest people who objected to Christmas were… the Puritans. And a piece about famous people who own lots of books.

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Ls&Cs: Irony; Banning Books

Posted on 1 December 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

The most significant item I have today, which I saw a couple days ago, was via a Facebook post by Moshe Feder, who helpfully copied it in its entirety: an article on New Scientist, by Annalee Newitz, which is not … Continue reading →

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Ls&Cs: Hillary; Money; Rural America; the Economy; Populism

Posted on 8 November 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

Today I had a dentist appointment; I compiled Weekly Bestsellers for Locus Online; I updated sfadb.com with the World Fantasy Award winners. After lunch: my thrice-weekly cardiac therapy. Then: read another chapter of Pinker; and now compiling links collected this … Continue reading →

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Ls&Cs: Science, Detection, and Narrative

Posted on 2 November 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

Aspirin: Why do scientists keep changing their minds? How science is like detective work. How conspiracy theorists exploit the provisional nature of science. Can history be overturned, or just refined? And KSR, aliens, the new telescope, and existential crises.

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Thinking About SF: Classic Erosion

Posted on 6 October 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

What do Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Star Trek TOS, and Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series have in common?

Posted in Narrative, science fiction | Leave a comment

L&Cs: Rhythm the Key to Everything?

Posted on 28 September 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

What to make of this? (Link via Fb) Timber’s Newsletter: Rhythm is the single most important avenue to greatness in everything humans do Subtitled: “The best musicians, athletes, cooks, writers, and storytellers all have incredible rhythm”

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Links and Comments: Why People Believe

Posted on 9 July 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

Links from recent weeks, on political themes. The point, as always, isn’t to rag on Republicans or conservatives, it’s to collect case studies on epistemology: how and why people believe what they do. More and more, Republicans and conservatives have … Continue reading →

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Four More Provisional Conclusions

Posted on 9 July 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

Here’s a first draft of four more provisional conclusions I’ve drawn in recent years; they summarize themes I’ve invoked many times in these posts. I’ll revisit this post and refine, before I add them to a standing page on this … Continue reading →

Posted in Changing One's Mind, Narrative, Provisional Conclusions | Leave a comment

Links and Comments: Science, Reality Bubbles, and Stories

Posted on 24 November 2020 by Mark R. Kelly

The most interesting one is at the bottom. \\ Scientific American: To Understand How Science Denial Works, Look to History, subtitled, “The same tactics used to cast doubt on the dangers of smoking and climate change are now being used … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Narrative, Science | Leave a comment