Category Archives: Science

Links and Comments: Tyson v. Douthat

Posted on 24 May 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

I started writing up a few notes about the new (small) Neil deGrasse Tyson book, ASTROPHYSICS FOR PEOPLE IN A HURRY, and got sidetracked by a passage that reminded me of a Ross Douthat column from a few weeks ago. … Continue reading →

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How science can explain why you don’t believe in science

Posted on 8 May 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

Here’s another recent commentary from the San Francisco Chronicle, this by Caille Millner: Free speech is a joke when laughing is a crime It’s nominally about the 61-year-old woman who was just *convicted* of “disorderly and disruptive conduct” for laughing … Continue reading →

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Neil deGrasse Tyson on Science

Posted on 24 April 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

Dear Facebook Universe, I offer this four-minute video on “Science in America” containing what may be the most important words I have ever spoken. As always, but especially these days, keep looking up. — Neil deGrasse Tyson Science In America … Continue reading →

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That Dress, and How to Do Science

Posted on 17 April 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

Slate: Two Years Later, We Finally Know Why People Saw “The Dress” Differently Two points here. First, the controversy over the color of the dress — blue and black or white and gold — is certainly the most widely-known example … Continue reading →

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Stuart Brand Quote: The Only News

Posted on 11 March 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

A thought against the daily onslaught of political news (never mind the weather, local crime, and traffic accidents that comprise the everyday local TV news) — in the big picture of human history (and progress), almost none of that matters; … Continue reading →

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Science News

Posted on 10 March 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

Jerry Coyne comments on an article about where to find the best science reporting, with a nice graphic aligning evidence-based vs. ideologically driven, and compelling reads vs not so much. Where do you find the best science reporting? I’m a … Continue reading →

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Links and Comments: Distrust of Science; Trump’s conviction; Global society; a Two State solution

Posted on 8 March 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

This subject is everywhere — the rejection of reality by the current administration — and I don’t collect very many of these links, but here are a few more. Tom Nichols at Scientific American, via Salon: Don’t go with your … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Psychology, Science | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Distrust of Science; Trump’s conviction; Global society; a Two State solution

Links and Comments: Radiohead; Originalism; Principia; Trump brain rot; Homeschooling; Art v Religion

Posted on 7 March 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

Catching up on links saved over the past week or so. Vox: Radiohead and sadness: a data analysis. Fascinating. \\\ Vox: Judicial originalism as myth It’s always struck me that Judicial originalism — the idea that nothing can be inferred … Continue reading →

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More on the Enlightenment and Its Critics

Posted on 4 March 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

An essay by Damon Linker at The Week. (I’ve seen Linker’s work on various website for years; he’s an interesting commentator, though one perhaps without any consistent philosophy; he seems to enjoy playing the contrarian role.) The Enlightenment’s legacy is … Continue reading →

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Two Big Science Stories

Posted on 23 February 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

Two big science stories this week. Highlighted in New York Times weekly Science section on Tuesday, this piece by Dennis Overbye: Cosmos Controversy: The Universe Is Expanding, but How Fast?. It’s about some discrepancies in data that should align and … Continue reading →

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