Author Archives: Mark R. Kelly

Ls&Cs: Steven Weinberg

Posted on 29 July 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

The physicist Steven Weinberg died last week. He wasn’t as famous as Stephen Hawking, but he was arguably nearly as significant, succeeding several decades ago in unifying two of the four fundamental forces into one theoretical framework (the weak nuclear … Continue reading →

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L&C: The Cosmic Ruler

Posted on 21 July 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

Here’s a nice graphic summary of one of the great advances of science (in particular, astronomy) in the past century.

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Ls&Qs: Denying Reality, Rewriting History

Posted on 16 July 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

It gets worse and worse.

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2021: My Heart & Kidney Transplants

Posted on 14 July 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

(Initial draft; I’ll be touching it up over the next few days.) Last November I wrote a longish post here about the heart attack and subsequent bypass surgery I had in late October, 2020. Here’s a similar (but shorter!) post … Continue reading →

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Ls&Cs: Changing Minds; Religions and Cults; Abortion; Wishful Thinking

Posted on 14 July 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

Catching up on some links from a few weeks ago.

Posted in Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on Ls&Cs: Changing Minds; Religions and Cults; Abortion; Wishful Thinking

Ls&Cs: Other Ways of Knowing…What?

Posted on 12 July 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

There have been debates for decades among scientists on the one hand and those with no interest in, or who are even hostile to, science, on the other. The latter insist that “other ways of knowing” are as valid as … Continue reading →

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L&C: The New Yorker on Cults and Narratives

Posted on 10 July 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

As if I had cued it with yesterday’s post about Why People Believe, particularly the final item by David Brooks, as well as the last of my four new provisional conclusions, the new issue of The New Yorker has a … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Changing One's Mind, Psychology | Comments Off on L&C: The New Yorker on Cults and Narratives

Blue Marvel Relaxation

Posted on 10 July 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

The hospital rooms where I stayed for several weeks in May and June, had TVs, of course, mounted on the walls with remotes operated from the beds.

Posted in Films, Personal history | Comments Off on Blue Marvel Relaxation

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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L&C: Bamboozled, hoodwinked, led astray

Posted on 9 July 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

From a long Facebook post by one Thomas Clay Jr. (a journalist and author of at least one book): here.

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