Mark R. Kelly
» Founder in 1997 and site-runner for 20 years of Locus Online (Hugo Award winner in 2002). Founder in 2012 and still site-runner of sfadb.com (Science Fiction Awards Database). Retired in 2012 after 30 years as a software engineer for a certain rocket engine factory.
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Meta
Search Results for: michael shermer
Last Questions and Possible Answers, 4
This is my fourth and likely last post, following this one in March and this one in June, and this one eight days ago, in which I consider the John Brockman book The Last Unknowns, in which he gathers deep … Continue reading
Posted in Book Notes, Culture, Human Progress, Philosophy, Religion, Science, science fiction
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A Rainy, Foggy Day in the Bay Area
We got our walk in today during a break in the rain; when it started again, it turned to fog. (Meanwhile, making significant progress on the next expansion of sfadb.com today. Real soon now.) Various items for today; catching up … Continue reading
Posted in Atheism, Conservative Resistance, Narrative, Politics, Religion, The Gays
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The Twilight Zone of Religion and Conservative Politics
Adam Lee counters Christian claims that “new atheism” has collapsed; it hasn’t Greta Christina patiently explains the vacuousness of “Pascal’s Wager” Religious presumption and “our religion” Republicans look to Jesus Republicans can break promises if God tells them to Short … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Psychology, Religion
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Deep Questions and Tribal Answers
Science fiction and philosophy; The next frontier of book bans; Ken Ham rues the difficulty of indoctrinating children; Paul Krugman on voters, and why conservatives still think the economy is bad. Big Think, Jonny Thomson, 3 Oct 2023: Apocalypse philosophy: … Continue reading
Posted in Philosophy, Politics, Religion, science fiction
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Debate Is Not the Way to Do Science
Because debate is all about winning an argument toward a preconceived conclusion, not trying to identify truth. Vox, 22 Jun 2023: Joe Rogan wants a “debate” on vaccine science. Don’t give it to him., subtitled “How to have better conversations … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, Science
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The Understanding of Human Nature, and Its Relationship to Science Fiction
Here’s a draft of another essay trying to summarize my take on science fiction and my provisional conclusions on the topics I’ve been reading about over the past couple decades.
Posted in Personal history, Psychology, science fiction, The Book
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Skepticism, Beliefs, and Cognitive Biases
Familiar topics, but worth another look, especially since if they were broadly understood it would make so many of America’s partisan controversies go away. (But conservatives will never allow concepts like skeptical thinking to be taught in schools, for precisely … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Culture, Psychology
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Biblical Ignorance and Climate Change
One of my emerging themes on this blog is my gradual, belated, realization of how many people believe so many things that simply aren’t true. Here’s an example in a religious vein: Bible believers who misunderstand their Bible, with potentially … Continue reading
Rules of Law, and Gods, and Politicians
Topics in this post: How MAGAites think their god (Trump) is above the law, with wise insights from John Scalzi; how Republicans want the dumbest parents to control school curricula; the link between white supremacy and anti-abortion politics; how owners … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Psychology, Religion
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There are “Theories” and then there are “Theories”
I have an idea I haven’t heard or read anyone express before: that some of the confusion about science on the one hand, and the legitimacy of crazy, sometimes deliberately fabricated, nonsensical ideas about what’s going on in the world … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Psychology, Science
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