Category Archives: Psychology

Murdoch, Azarian, Reich, and Scientists

Posted on Friday 22 September 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Items today: The retirement of Rupert Murdoch, who became wealthy by degrading American politics and appealing to many Americans’ worst instincts; Republican hypocrisy example: John Fetterman vs. Lauren Boebert; with a classic definition: “Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Politics, Psychology, Science, Social Progress | Comments Off on Murdoch, Azarian, Reich, and Scientists

This Week’s Sciency Bits

Posted on Wednesday 20 September 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

False Memories and the Narrative Bias; Another piece with Lee McIntyre about misinformation vs. disinformation; And how the world’s population will likely peak by the end of this century, and then drop; And my thoughts on what the consequences would … Continue reading →

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Planning, and Semesters

Posted on Saturday 16 September 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

When you’re retired, not working or going to school or driven by any particular schedule, as I’ve been more or less for a decade now, you tend to mark the passage of time by the holidays or vacations or family … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal history, Psychology | Comments Off on Planning, and Semesters

Why Some Religions Seek Atheist Approval

Posted on Friday 15 September 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Greta Christina on how some religious believers, oddly, seek an atheist seal of approval. It makes a weird sort of sense. Greta Christina, AlterNet, 14 Sep 2023: Opinion | Why religious believers are so desperate for the atheist seal of … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on Why Some Religions Seek Atheist Approval

Conspiracy Theories from Apollo 11 to Today

Posted on Thursday 14 September 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Looking at today’s Phil Plait column at Scientific American, about his responses to a 2001 Fox TV program that claimed the Apollo 11 Moon landing was a hoax; The history since then about so many other conspiracy theories; And how … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology, Science | Comments Off on Conspiracy Theories from Apollo 11 to Today

Another Day of Examples of Beliefs vs. Reality

Posted on Wednesday 13 September 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Another example of conservatives retelling history, from PragerU; How those with beliefs in subjective truths are more prone to conspiracy theories; How China is now using AI to sow disinformation to gullible Americans, and wondering how long it will be … Continue reading →

Posted in conservatives, History, Psychology | Comments Off on Another Day of Examples of Beliefs vs. Reality

Odds and Ends from Recent Weeks

Posted on Monday 11 September 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Today I’m catching up on numerous items from recent weeks that I want to note even though I haven’t had time to thoroughly read or comment about them. A couple of them, at least, I will revisit, because I need … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Culture, Meaning, Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on Odds and Ends from Recent Weeks

More About Misinformation, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Theories

Posted on Tuesday 5 September 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

These subjects aren’t going away, because so many people are as gullible as ever — understood as inevitable human nature. This may imply a cap on the potential of the human race, in terms of its ability to engage with … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on More About Misinformation, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Theories

The Outsized Perception of the Danger of Minority Cults

Posted on Saturday 26 August 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Two pieces for today. A Salon essay that suggests that the “mainstream media” has a far wider effect on the US population than the fringe, Trump/Fox-supporting media, than most of us realize (and how that’s a good thing); and how … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Culture, Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on The Outsized Perception of the Danger of Minority Cults

Explaining Trump and his Followers; Conservatives’ Lies about Heartstopper

Posted on Tuesday 22 August 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Two kinds of boomers, and the naivete of older people about how social media works; Why Republican voters believe Trump — it’s all about their feelings of victimhood; An example of how pearl-clutching conservatives lie about Heartstopper. Not one but … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Psychology, The Gays | Comments Off on Explaining Trump and his Followers; Conservatives’ Lies about Heartstopper