Category Archives: Science

Interesting items from Sunday’s New York Times

Posted on Monday 27 April 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

Frank Bruni: The G.O.P.’s Gay Pretzels Bruni imagines a letter from the RNC to the Republican presidential candidates on their handling of the question, would you attend a gay wedding? From Bobby Jindal We do not recommend the tint picked … Continue reading →

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Links and Comments: the vastness of the universe; Hubble photos; the physics of everyday life; science books; creationists and the possibility of alien life

Posted on Thursday 23 April 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

Vox: 11 images that capture the incredible vastness of space. Related: Phil Plait celebrates 25 Years of Cosmic Treasures: Hubble’s 12½ Greatest Hits \\ Physicist Sean Carroll this week references an earlier post that spells out an important point: The … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Physics, Religion, Science, Space | Comments Off on Links and Comments: the vastness of the universe; Hubble photos; the physics of everyday life; science books; creationists and the possibility of alien life

Links and Comments: Pale Blue Dot; 10 Commandments; Evolution; Tribalistic thinking; Answers for Creationists

Posted on Friday 13 March 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

I have a batch of links with notes from almost a month ago that I never got around to posting. Let me catch up. On the theme in recent posts of awe-inspiring graphics or videos, here’s a piece by Phil … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Evolution, Psychology, Religion, Science, Ten Commandments | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Pale Blue Dot; 10 Commandments; Evolution; Tribalistic thinking; Answers for Creationists

Links and Comments: Quotes; GOP and Evolution; Skeptics; Oklahoma history

Posted on Wednesday 18 February 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

During a busy week, this is a quick post to capture various quotes and links I’ve found in the past few days. Resources. Quote: Charles Bukowski: “The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Religion, Science | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Quotes; GOP and Evolution; Skeptics; Oklahoma history

Jordan Ellenberg, How Not to Be Wrong, Post 2

Posted on Wednesday 11 February 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

Subtitled: The Power of Mathematical Thinking. Second post (first post here) about this fascinating book, an examination of several basic principles (linearity, inference, expectation, regression, and existence) and how they apply to every-day, real world situations, situations that are often … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Culture, Economics, Mathematics, Science, Thinking | Comments Off on Jordan Ellenberg, How Not to Be Wrong, Post 2

Links and Comments: Anti-Vaxxers and Anti-Brakers

Posted on Wednesday 11 February 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

First, the serious, a commentary this morning on the local NPR station in the Bay Area, KQED, by Paul Staley: Fear and Vaccines. First, I like his characterization of the internet; for those who are not scientists, science can be … Continue reading →

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Links and Comments: The Size of the Universe; The Size of the Planets

Posted on Saturday 7 February 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

» NPR’s blog Cosmos & Culture: Lessons From The Beginning Of Time. One report, among many in the past few days, that the apparent detection of ‘gravitational waves’ from the Big Bang, a year ago, was a false alarm: the … Continue reading →

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Links and Quotes: Science and Humanities; Babies; American Exceptionalism

Posted on Wednesday 4 February 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

Science and the Humanities For decades, ever since C.P. Snow characterized the Two Cultures of science and humanities, debates have raged about the divisions between the two. Recently writer Leon Wieseltier posted a screed in the New York Times Book … Continue reading →

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Links and Comments: About Vaccine Denial

Posted on Wednesday 4 February 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

» New York Times [and elsewhere, it’s syndicated], Frank Bruni, The Vaccine Lunacy: We’re a curious species, and sometimes a sad one, chasing knowledge only to deny it, making progress only to turn away from its benefits. And We rightly … Continue reading →

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10 Provisional Conclusions about Life, the Universe, and Everything, subject, of course, to revision based on evidence

Posted on Sunday 25 January 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

Inspired by my post last night about A Secular Ten Non-Commandments, and the book’s invitation to generate one’s own set of beliefs, I sat down today to write out my own response… not of *commandments* (who am I, or anyone, … Continue reading →

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