Category Archives: Psychology

The Corporate Enemy of Truth

Posted on Monday 30 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Just finished Jonathan Rauch’s 2021 book The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth, which argues that the government and science have evolved analogous mechanisms to steadily close in on objective truth, with self-correcting mechanisms, and that modern political forces … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology, Science | Comments Off on The Corporate Enemy of Truth

Misapprehensions of Reality

Posted on Wednesday 25 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

The new House Speaker is an election denier who would criminalize homosexuality; How Christian conservatives are flatly wrong about homosexuality being “unnatural” or that “creed” is part of “what you are”; and the evolutionary reason why they resist homosexuality, cross-dressing, … Continue reading →

Posted in Evolution, Politics, Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on Misapprehensions of Reality

The Twilight Zone of Religion and Conservative Politics

Posted on Tuesday 24 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Adam Lee counters Christian claims that “new atheism” has collapsed; it hasn’t Greta Christina patiently explains the vacuousness of “Pascal’s Wager” Religious presumption and “our religion” Republicans look to Jesus Republicans can break promises if God tells them to Short … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on The Twilight Zone of Religion and Conservative Politics

Sapolsky’s New Book and the Idea of Free Will

Posted on Friday 20 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Five items about Robert M. Sapolsky and his new book, Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will. Which I haven’t read yet. ——   Robert M. Sapolsky, who published a big meaty book six years ago called Behave: The … Continue reading →

Posted in Physics, Psychology | Comments Off on Sapolsky’s New Book and the Idea of Free Will

Numerous Items From Recent Weeks

Posted on Monday 9 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

How the worldwide migration crisis is about civil wars and climate change, but also about the internet and smartphones; How the Luddites were not what we think, and why it might be appropriate to be one now; About the new … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Culture, Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on Numerous Items From Recent Weeks

The Shifting Sands of Religious Dogma

Posted on Sunday 8 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Ross Douthat on the swings of dogma within the Catholic Church; Politicians who “textjack” the Bible; Valerie Tarico on 10 thought processes that trip up Christians. The pieces today echo other recent items: the Veritasium piece (posted on the 5th) … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on The Shifting Sands of Religious Dogma

Evens and Beginnings

Posted on Thursday 5 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Veritasium on cognitive ease; How the world views the US’s disarray (due invariably to Republicans); How a century ago in France, smelling bad was a good thing; how standards about hygiene have changed; Two WaPo pieces about the decline of … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Politics, Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on Evens and Beginnings

Psychology and Ostranenie

Posted on Monday 2 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

What psychology is good for, and its recent accomplishments; The idea of Ostranenie, a kind of defamiliarization, which of course is one of those things science fiction does at its best. Big Think, Elizabeth Gilbert and Nick Hobson, 1 Oct … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology, Science | Comments Off on Psychology and Ostranenie

How Politics and Religion Are All About Human Psychology, Chapter 5,271,009

Posted on Sunday 1 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

How dumb fascists can be dangerous, re: the Biden impeachment hearing; About The Shepherd of Hermas, an obscure Christian text, once popular, now forgotten; Why Trump wants Gen. Milley to be killed, and Trump’s belief in his superior genes; David … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on How Politics and Religion Are All About Human Psychology, Chapter 5,271,009

False Equivalencies, and Books That Cannot Exist

Posted on Thursday 28 September 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Items today: Biden is old, but sane, while Trump is nuts; Headlines about faith, book banning, and the Biden impeachment; On the street push back from Fox News’ claims that big cities are hellholes; What Trump means by “his people”; … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Music, Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on False Equivalencies, and Books That Cannot Exist