Author Archives: Mark R. Kelly

Two Kinds of Wokeism

Posted on Saturday 4 March 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

There seems to be two kinds of wokeism (just, as we saw yesterday, there seems to be two Overton Windows), which might be described as wokeism on the right and wokeism on the left. If wokeism might be described as … Continue reading →

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Assorted Links, early March

Posted on Friday 3 March 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Politics, The Crazies, Science and Culture, Religion Jeff VanderMeer (and a coauthor) on DeSantis and students in Florida; David French on cancel culture and the now two Overton Windows; Amanda Marcotte on Republican hypocrisy; MTG’s confused timeline; bills to outlaw … Continue reading →

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Mehdi Hasan on Arguing

Posted on Thursday 2 March 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Two interviews with and a book by Mehdi Hasan, about how to argue, and win arguments, using emotional connections over facts and figures, critical thinking skills, with the difficulty in conducting “good-faith” arguments with the right. How some victims of … Continue reading →

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Leftover February Links, 2

Posted on Thursday 2 March 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Science, Culture, Politics A 3-D map of near space, and errors in film and TV science fiction, and a novel; 11 recent scientific breakthroughs; a Lunar time zone. When reading went silent. Ron DeSantis’ freedom crackdown, and a question about … Continue reading →

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Leftover February Links, 1

Posted on Wednesday 1 March 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Politics, Science, Culture, Religion GOP, NYT and Biden; Evolution, Aliens and Balloons; Movie Credits, Awards; He Gets Us, Indoctrination Camps, Education

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There are “Theories” and then there are “Theories”

Posted on Tuesday 28 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

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 →

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Zodiacal Light, and The Well

Posted on Monday 27 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Two more items for today, which I decided not to squeeze into the previous post.

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Items from Big Think about Science and Philosophy

Posted on Monday 27 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

How fast is the Earth moving, and in what direction? How the ancient Greek philosophers were mostly wrong but blazed conceptual trails. And thought experiments that challenge conventional thinking.

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More about the Crazy Fringes

Posted on Sunday 26 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

The crazy fringes being Fox News, Fox & Friends, Arizona Republicans, and conservatives who believe in witches and demons. With a palette cleansing quote from Carl Sagan.

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I do not think this study means what this writer thinks it means

Posted on Saturday 25 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

(Added Sunday: another take on the same study from a writer at Vox.) NYT, Bret Stephens, 21 Feb 2023: The Mask Mandates Did Nothing. Will Any Lessons Be Learned? A conservative columnist for the NY Times claims a meta-study on … Continue reading →

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