Author Archives: Mark R. Kelly

Items about Science, Math, and Philosophy

Posted on Thursday 8 February 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

There are always looking glass items, as I described topics in yesterday’s post, but for today let’s look at more substantial items. It’s been 100 years since Hubble discovered that our own galaxy wasn’t the entirety of the universe; Steven … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Mathematics, Philosophy, Science | Comments Off on Items about Science, Math, and Philosophy

Another Visit Through the Looking Glass to MAGALand

Posted on Wednesday 7 February 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

The US is leading the world economically, but not according to MAGALand; MAGAfolks say they venerate the Constitution, yet support Trump as dictator; How prophets assert that Trump is president, and the GOP asserts that Trump did not commit insurrection; … Continue reading →

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Bertrand Russell, THE PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY

Posted on Tuesday 6 February 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

This is the third of three short books about philosophy that I read in January. It’s as unlike the other two as those two were unlike each other. (Oxford University Press, 167pp, first published 1912, paperback edition 1959, edition shown … Continue reading →

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Stalwarts? Traditionalists? Tribalists? Cultists? Some Evidence

Posted on Monday 5 February 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

First, I’d thought to post a summary review of the third short philosophy book I’ve read recently — Bertrand Russell’s THE PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY — but as the day turned out, I had time only to do another round-up of … Continue reading →

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Stalwarts and Progressives: Notes from the (Fringe)

Posted on Sunday 4 February 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Reconsidering how to characterize what I’ve been calling the “fringe”; Taylor Swift and MAGA; Bobby Azarian on why Trump’s supporters don’t believe evidence; Applying the Jack Smith rule to statements from the National Prayer Breakfast. Here’s the thing: I shouldn’t … Continue reading →

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Three brief (non-political) items today.

Posted on Saturday 3 February 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

On entertaining new ideas; Reality and quantum mechanics; Nature as the great recycler. Here’s the first post in a new column that sounds interesting. Washington Post, Daniel Pink, 29 Jan 2024: Opinion | American imagination needs an adrenaline shot. Here’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmology, Science, Thinking | Comments Off on Three brief (non-political) items today.

The US Civil War, the Terrible Economy, and the Rule of Christians

Posted on Friday 2 February 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Chinese propaganda says the US is in a civil war; How conservative propaganda ignores or blocks the good news about the economy; How MAGA is right about Trump changing American politics; The current facts about the economy, from WaPo and … Continue reading →

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Will Durant, THE GREATEST MINDS AND IDEAS OF ALL TIME

Posted on Thursday 1 February 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

I’ve read three short books about philosophy recently; this is the second. Each is quite different from the others. If the first book (review here) was an overview focusing on the big questions that philosophy asks – What should we … Continue reading →

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Another Orion Photo

Posted on Wednesday 31 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Plus: The wackadoodle conspiracy theory about Taylor Swift and the Super Bowl; Items about why Trump is blocking the border deal; how Trump would destroy the American-led world order; why Republicans are killing the border deal; and a handy guide … Continue reading →

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Those Who Believe Things that Are Not True, and Those Who Try Not To

Posted on Tuesday 30 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

There’s a spectrum of people from those who settle into narratives, believing things that are not true, and those who try to escape those narratives and try to perceive the real world; Paul Krugman on how MAGA is not grounded … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Philosophy, Physics, Politics, reality | Comments Off on Those Who Believe Things that Are Not True, and Those Who Try Not To