Search Results for: how the mind works

Robert A. Heinlein: THE DOOR INTO SUMMER

(First published 1957. Edition here: Orion/Gollancz/SF Masterworks 2003, 178pp, with an introduction by Stephen Baxter) I’m no expert on Robert A. Heinlein — I still haven’t read Farah Mendlesohn’s book about him — but I have read *almost* all his … Continue reading

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Octavia E. Butler, PARABLE OF THE SOWER

(Four Walls Eight Windows, October 1993, 299pp) In June I focused on reading classic science fiction novels, partly to see how many I could get through in one month, considering other obligations (answer: 6 and a bit), and partly to … Continue reading

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Progress, and the Forces Against It

We have been here before: comparing 1940 to 2025; Steven Novella assesses whether skepticism has made any progress in recent decades; The irony of MAGA being outraged by a Muslim candidate for New York City’s mayor; Conservative presumption and arrogance … Continue reading

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Paleolithic Emotions, Medieval Institutions, and Godlike Technology

EO Wilson on the real problem of humanity; Conservatives think you can command thing into existence, despite the evidence of the real world; re: Trump’s tariffs on aluminum; With my comments about modern technology and globalism; How the Minnesota killer … Continue reading

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Trump and MAGA’s War on California

News today: Trump’s parade, No Kings demonstrations, and a dress-up cop shoots Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota; Charlie Warzel on the surfeit of information and how the right can invent via AI narratives to its advantage; Similar gaslighting about Alex Padilla; … Continue reading

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Feudalism, Suicide, Ignorance, Disease, Conservative DEI

Quite a round of doom and gloom essays today. This is where we are. The drive toward privatization will lead to feudalism; Max Boot on the suicide of a superpower; Paul Krugman on how we’re no longer a serious country, … Continue reading

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Fareed Zakaria, Peter Wehner, Brian Tyler Cohen, and Anton Bruckner

Fareed Zakaria on Trump vs. Harvard; Peter Wehner on how Republican principles gave way to Trump; And so now there is justice for Trump supporters, and justice for others; “Happy Memorial Day” Brian Tyler Cohen about Trump’s confusion about “asylum”; … Continue reading

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MAGA and human nature; How Trump thinks everything is about loyalty to him

Reconsidering the definition of MAGA, and how it relates to base human nature; Recalling the David Brooks essay from yesterday; Trump thinks an honest economic forecast is “unpatriotic”; A Christian boy band preaches to public school students, and denies it; … Continue reading

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Taker States and Desi Arnaz

Thomas Edsall on the destructiveness of the Trump presidency; As the US discounts investments in the future, China is taking the lead; How Trump World clings to conspiracy theories; And how Trump folks simply stop enforcing rules they don’t like, … Continue reading

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The Daily News

The range of politics reflects the range of human nature; Posts without much comments about military tribunals, hacking the economy, Jeanine Pirro’s black and white worldview, how the Qatar jet deal is Biden’s fault, Paul Krugman on sadistic zombies, and … Continue reading

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