Monthly Archives: June 2023

Law vs. Science, Climate Change vs. Insurance

Posted on Friday 9 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Two items about the Supreme Court’s redefinition of “wetlands,” despite the science of hydrology; Two items about the effects of climate change, including how some insurance companies are refusing new homeowner policies.

Posted in Politics, Science | Comments Off on Law vs. Science, Climate Change vs. Insurance

George Winston

Posted on Thursday 8 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Died today. NY Times: George Winston, Pianist With a Popular Soothing Sound, Dies at 74, subtitled “He won a Grammy in the new age category, and his top-selling records helped define the genre. But his interests also included Hawaiian guitar … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Personal history | Comments Off on George Winston

Household and Hospital Matters

Posted on Thursday 8 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

About Donald A. Norman and a mysterious error message on our stove the other evening; About a mysterious message on our TV, another problem solved by Google; About a hospital visit that didn’t go well.

Posted in Personal history, Technology | Comments Off on Household and Hospital Matters

Einstein, Vigilante Justice, the Gin and Tonic Workout

Posted on Wednesday 7 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Albert Einstein and what he didn’t say; More on Republican support for vigilante justice; How a drink or two enables an intense workout. NY Times, Benyamin Cohen (a specialist on Einstein), 4 Jun 2023: Einstein and a Theory of Disinformation … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Science | Comments Off on Einstein, Vigilante Justice, the Gin and Tonic Workout

Transition

Posted on Tuesday 6 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

I think I am going to switch from posting here from the evenings, to the mornings. I’ll still spend the late afternoon compiling a post, but will wait until the morning, to refine and edit, before posting. Tomorrow’s post will … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal history | Comments Off on Transition

Ted Chiang, Carl Sagan, Peter Singer

Posted on Monday 5 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Ten Chiang characterizes the current examples of “artificial intelligence” as “applied statistics”; How Carl Sagan was wrong about the “reptilian brain”, in The Dragons of Eden; And an interview with Peter Singer, the controversial philosopher, author of The Expanding Circle … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Philosophy, Science | Comments Off on Ted Chiang, Carl Sagan, Peter Singer

The Holocene and Other Calendars

Posted on Sunday 4 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Here’s a concept I’ve heard of, fascinating and beneficial in ways, problematic in others. Wikipedia: Holocene Calendar

Posted in Culture, Science | Comments Off on The Holocene and Other Calendars

Climate Change, Founding Fathers, UFOs and Scientific Literacy

Posted on Saturday 3 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Topics today: Insurance companies, whose business depends on understanding risks, are taking steps to acknowledge climate change and its threats, even if many ordinary people still don’t “believe” in climate change; How the “founding fathers” were woke, compared to the … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Music, Science | Comments Off on Climate Change, Founding Fathers, UFOs and Scientific Literacy

Last Questions and Possible Answers, 2

Posted on Friday 2 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

This is a sequel to a post I did back in March, Last Questions and Possible Answers, 1, in which I considered the John Brockman book The Last Unknowns, in which he gathers deep unanswered questions about “the universe, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Philosophy, Science | Comments Off on Last Questions and Possible Answers, 2

Tribalism and Cooperation

Posted on Thursday 1 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Today’s topics: How tribalism, evolutionary evolved, solved some problems and created others, especially in the modern world; The counter idea of “coöperism”; Current events about Chick-fil-A and Republican condemnation of anti-racism. I talk of politics as manifesting ‘tribalism’ a lot; … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Evolution, Morality | Comments Off on Tribalism and Cooperation