Category Archives: Social Progress

Steven Pinker, THE BETTER ANGELS OF OUR NATURE, post 4

Posted on Tuesday 2 December 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Subtitled “Why Violence Has Declined” (Viking, Oct. 2011, xxvii + 802pp, including 106pp of notes, references, and index.) Here, a full eight years after I began, I’ll finish posting my outline and notes on Steven Pinker’s 2011 book. This is … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Social Progress, Steven Pinker | Comments Off on Steven Pinker, THE BETTER ANGELS OF OUR NATURE, post 4

Conservative Principles vs. Reality

Posted on Friday 14 November 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Paul Krugman on the decline and fall of the conservative Heritage Foundation, and how it’s always been a fraud; Heather Cox Richardson on how the ideology of MAGA is smashing against reality; Short items about Republicans destroying the safety net, … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, Social Progress | Comments Off on Conservative Principles vs. Reality

Drizzly

Posted on Sunday 26 October 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Intro; Are religions by their nature fascist? Latest on the Republican war on science; Peanut allergies go away when infants are exposed early on; Takes on what socialism is. – – – It was drizzly all weekend. Yesterday we attended … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Religion, Science, Social Progress | Comments Off on Drizzly

Paths Away From and To Reality

Posted on Wednesday 25 June 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

“Doing your own research” mostly leads to false conclusions, unless you’ve done your “homework” — i.e. have an education in the subject matter; Example of a claim about Sodom and Gomorrah and an asteroid or comet airburst; How simpletons think … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Psychology, Religion, Social Progress | Comments Off on Paths Away From and To Reality

Academic Freedom, Good Citizens, and Moving Forward

Posted on Tuesday 6 May 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Alan Lightman on academic freedom; Alan Lightman and Martin Rees on how scientists can be good citizens; Rewatching Conclave, and recalling two key quotes, about certainty, and moving forward. – – – The very idea of academic freedom, of freedom … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies, progress, Religion, Science, Social Progress | Comments Off on Academic Freedom, Good Citizens, and Moving Forward

OK For Me But Not For Thee

Posted on Tuesday 25 March 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Reactions to yesterday’s story; A comment about how perhaps Americans are actually not very good people; Robert Reich recalls the four pillars of civil society: universities, science, the media, and the law; all the ones the current administration is trying … Continue reading →

Posted in Morality, Politics, Social Progress | Comments Off on OK For Me But Not For Thee

End of Year Summaries

Posted on Sunday 29 December 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

David Brooks’ favorite essays include one about how Trump’s people have no clue about how to fix complex problems, and one about why people believe *true* things; Two pieces from The Atlantic about 77 facts from 2024, and important breakthroughs … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Politics, Science, Social Progress, Technology | Comments Off on End of Year Summaries

Muddling Through Somehow

Posted on Tuesday 24 December 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Since today is Christmas Eve, yesterday must have been Christmas Adam, right? (First I’ve heard about this.) NY Times, 22 Dec 2024: Behold! ‘Christmas Adam’ Is Born., subtitled “First there was Christmas Eve … and then a new celebration was … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Nature, Religion, Social Progress | Comments Off on Muddling Through Somehow

Tim Urban, Out of Left Field

Posted on Wednesday 18 December 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

About a writer I’d never heard of, Tim Urban, and his book, and their connection to Luigi Mangione; The psychological motivations of the drone alarmists. – – – NY Times, David Wallace-Wells, 18 Dec 2024: Can Anyone Make Sense of … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Psychology, Social Progress | Comments Off on Tim Urban, Out of Left Field

What If We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know?

Posted on Tuesday 10 December 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Plato’s cave and what we don’t know, or don’t know that we don’t know; David Gerrold on “woke” and why I think citing “woke” (or religion) dismisses one from any serious conversation; Short items about how a third of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Politics, Social Progress | Comments Off on What If We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know?