Author Archives: Mark R. Kelly

Last Questions and Possible Answers, 1

Posted on Friday 24 March 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

When I was browsing through several John Brockman books a few weeks ago, I decided to buy the last one he published in that series, from 2019. It’s called The Last Unknowns, and instead of gathering answers from many contributors … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Philosophy, Science | Comments Off on Last Questions and Possible Answers, 1

Negative News, Conspiracy-Minded Customers, Conservative Traditions

Posted on Thursday 23 March 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Three items for today. How the negativity bias in news reporting is partly a matter of demand and supply; How “the customer is always right” thinking leads Fox News and Republican congressmen to pursue outlandish conspiracy theories, because that what … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on Negative News, Conspiracy-Minded Customers, Conservative Traditions

The Latest from Steven Pinker

Posted on Wednesday 22 March 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Today, a long interview with Steven Pinker about ‘progress’ despite human nature; about the value of rationality; about looking at data and not headlines to understand the state of the world; about cancel culture; about the perils and inevitability of … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Progress, Psychology, Science, Steven Pinker | Comments Off on The Latest from Steven Pinker

How Much News Is Too Much News?

Posted on Tuesday 21 March 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Today: that debate, my own news consuming habits, and the negativity bias. Then: more about wokeness, and the relationship between conservatism, liberalism, wokeness, and equality; and between teaching values and indoctrination. The Atlantic, Shadi Hamid, 13 Mar 2023: You’re Better … Continue reading →

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Progress, Happiness, Economics, and Morality

Posted on Monday 20 March 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Items about the reality of progress and hope that humanity overcomes the effects of climate change; the latest world happiness index in which the US ranks 15th; Robert Reich busting myths about how the wealthy right justify their wealth; and … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Morality, Psychology, Science | Comments Off on Progress, Happiness, Economics, and Morality

Liberty and Freedom vs. Conservatives

Posted on Sunday 19 March 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

About the notion of liberalism; the panic among White Christian nationalists; a book about the John Birch society, which anticipated the modern MAGA movement; and examples of conservatives’ opposition to liberty and freedom. Let’s start with this short video by … Continue reading →

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Saturday Updates, and Progress

Posted on Saturday 18 March 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

(These are photos from a late 1980s trip to Vandenberg to see a rocket launch.) First of all, I spent another hour polishing and expanding yesterday’s post, about 6 short literary novels I read in 5 days last week while … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal history | Comments Off on Saturday Updates, and Progress

A Literary Break

Posted on Friday 17 March 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Read last week: six short literary novels in five days. Three by Steinbeck; one each by Henry James and James Joyce and Leo Tolstoy. A break from my routine of reading science fiction and current nonfiction.

Posted in Book Notes, Culture | Comments Off on A Literary Break

To Conservatives, Woke Seems to Mean Whatever They Don’t Like

Posted on Thursday 16 March 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

So my take on wokeness, a couple weeks ago, as a “perhaps exaggerated respect for the sensitivities of others,” is not what most others mean by “woke.” To some conservatives, it means anything they don’t like or want to acknowledge, … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Politics, Psychology, Social Progress | Comments Off on To Conservatives, Woke Seems to Mean Whatever They Don’t Like

Narratives, Vanity, and Empathy

Posted on Wednesday 15 March 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

A writer named Alissa Quart has a new book out, Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream, that challenges the American myth that one can “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” to succeed all on your own. It’s a fantasy … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on Narratives, Vanity, and Empathy