Category Archives: Psychology

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 →

Posted in Astronomy, Conservative Resistance, Politics, Psychology, Website Issues | Comments Off on Another Orion Photo

How Humans Select Particular Stories Over Reality

Posted on Monday 29 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

As I mentioned in Thursday’s post, I keep finding books in my library that could be considered straight-out philosophy (e.g. on ethics and morality) or at least philosophy-adjacent (some of the more abstruse physics and evolutionary texts, in the way … Continue reading →

Posted in Narrative, Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on How Humans Select Particular Stories Over Reality

Late Afternoon and the House is Warm

Posted on Monday 22 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Another storm blowing through the Bay Area today. Jets are flying into SFO from the north, a rare circumstance. (I can see them from our balcony.) Our three kitties lie near me in my living room office, to be near … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Politics, Psychology, Science | Comments Off on Late Afternoon and the House is Warm

Tribal Psychology and Racism

Posted on Sunday 21 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

What evolutionary psychology reveals about American politics — nothing new here, except to note that these ideas have reached the mainstream press; A former Republican speechwriter summarizes Trump’s vile racist remarks; Short items about Trump’s confusion of Nikki Haley with … Continue reading →

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Killers and EvoPsych

Posted on Saturday 20 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Quick post. We spent all afternoon watching Killers of the Flower Moon — a very good film, worth the 3 1/2 hours — so I only have a moment to post something before dinner. \ Washington Post, Joel Achenbach, 20 … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies, Psychology | Comments Off on Killers and EvoPsych

Readings: Carl Sagan; Maggie Jackson

Posted on Sunday 14 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

A 1987 Carl Sagan lecture, just published in 2022, about the protocols of science and government and the need to acknowledge uncertainty; A NYT opinion piece by Maggie Jackson about uncertainty and how to manage it; R.E.M.’s “Leave” Quillette, Steven … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Politics, Psychology, Science, Technology | Comments Off on Readings: Carl Sagan; Maggie Jackson

Watching Movies in Theaters; UBI; Reality; Why Everyone Thinks They’re Losing; and Epistemology

Posted on Thursday 4 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Items today: How watching movies in certain theaters (AMC) is a bloated experience; Why UBI studies are not making traction into political policy; A New Yorker graphic essay about how reality might exist only because we’re observing it; E.J. Dionne … Continue reading →

Posted in Epistemology, Movies, Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on Watching Movies in Theaters; UBI; Reality; Why Everyone Thinks They’re Losing; and Epistemology

The Defiance of Conspiracy Theorists

Posted on Tuesday 26 December 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Quick item from Facebook today. From Adam-Troy Castro, a science fiction writer seemingly better known for his Facebook posts than for his fiction. This is about Flat-Earthers, conspiracy theorists, psychology, and the argument from personal incredulity. I’ll quote the whole … Continue reading →

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Whether Economics is a Science, and other topics

Posted on Tuesday 19 December 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Paul Krugman on economists who won’t admit they are wrong; How science journalism is theatened, not to mention basic scientific literacy; Disinformation and journalists challenging interviewees on air; How Uganda’s anti-gay laws, inspired by American Christians, is hurting its economy; … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Economics, Lunacy, Psychology, Science | Comments Off on Whether Economics is a Science, and other topics

A Way to Talk Around the Problem

Posted on Monday 18 December 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

The “same color” illusion — an example of how we cannot trust our senses; How Rudy Giuliani descended into MAGA, and whether we’re all equally susceptible; How right-wingers are triggered by tap-dancing in the White House to The Nutcracker; Brief … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Personal history, Psychology, Science | Comments Off on A Way to Talk Around the Problem