Category Archives: Science

30%-Earth, Perhaps, With a Catch

Posted on Thursday 22 December 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

New York Times, Catrin Einhorn, 19 Dec 2022: Nearly Every Country Signs On to a Sweeping Deal to Protect Nature, subtitled “Roughly 190 nations, aiming to halt a dangerous decline in biodiversity, agreed to preserve 30 percent of the planet’s … Continue reading →

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Progress, Its Implementation, and Trust

Posted on Saturday 17 December 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

A long piece today, from the Jan/Feb 2023 issue of The Atlantic. The Atlantic, Derek Thompson, 12 Dec 2022: Why the Age of American Progress Ended, subtitled “Invention alone can’t change the world; what matters is what happens next.”

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Human Progress, Science | Comments Off on Progress, Its Implementation, and Trust

Fauci

Posted on Saturday 10 December 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

NY Times, Anthony Fauci opinion guest essay, 10 Dec 2022: A Message to the Next Generation of Scientists

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Permafrost Viruses; Blue Blobs; the Ridiculous; the Sublime

Posted on Monday 5 December 2022 by Mark R. Kelly
Posted in Lunacy, Science | Comments Off on Permafrost Viruses; Blue Blobs; the Ridiculous; the Sublime

Ancient Apocalypse, Odds and Ends

Posted on Wednesday 30 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

The “Ancient Apocalypse” nonsense; Movie trailers; Political headlines.

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Change and Survival: A Refined Conception of Science Fiction

Posted on Tuesday 29 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

A couple items today have perhaps led me to a new formulation of the idea of “science fiction.”

Posted in Culture, Religion, Science, science fiction | Comments Off on Change and Survival: A Refined Conception of Science Fiction

Maps of the Universe

Posted on Sunday 27 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

More things in heaven and earth. As a palette cleanser from my 26th, 23rd, and 16th November posts (and many previous), here’s a status check on the latest of what human beings have discovered, through systematic investigation (i.e. science), of … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Cosmology, Science | Comments Off on Maps of the Universe

Readings: The 8 Billion and Climate Change

Posted on Tuesday 22 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

More on the 8 Billion, from Vox. And Elizabeth Kolbert’s “Climate change from A to Z.”

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Links and Comments: 20 Nov 2022

Posted on Sunday 20 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Martin Rees on science v. catastrophe; the fine-tuning argument; why the expanding world population is a good thing; the latest mass shooting and Republicans. (I try to think of more interesting blog titles, but given time constraints just give up … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Culture, Science, The Gays | Comments Off on Links and Comments: 20 Nov 2022

Climate Change, 8 Billion, and Religion

Posted on Thursday 17 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Today’s items are inspired by a new Pew Survey on how religion influences Americans’ views on the environment, and by the UN announcement that Earth’s human population has reached eight billion.

Posted in Religion, Science | Comments Off on Climate Change, 8 Billion, and Religion