This Will Be My Last Entry On This Blog

For over a decade, I have promoted the pinnacle of brain function (critical/science-based thinking) on this blog. I have had great support from mainly foreign sources (especially Singapore). However, a putrid response from my native USA has been very disappointing. Because of this, as well as increasing mental and emotional struggles with the escalating political troubles in the USA, I no longer wish to continue adding content to this blog. 

It is VERY clear where I stand on all aspects of reality. Those of you who have what I don't have, continue the battle. I have adequately presented enough information in my targeted areas to help anyone interested in learning more about them.

To anyone still interested in this blog in the future, please continue to explore it. I will leave it active indefinitely for that purpose.

Peace to you all. 

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Below, I conclude with links that are extremely pertinent to the current state of democracy in the USA.

One is an ideologue if one rejects objective evidence

MAGA is just another anti-science, cruel, and dishonest attempt by USA conservatives during the last 100 years or so to gain power and wealth at the expense of 

"We, the People."

The History of the US's War on Government by Conservatives

Republicans Are On The Wrong Side Of History - And Everything Else!

Did America Really Choose Trump? (Yes, and how sad) 

They Don't Want Smaller Government, They Want Social Darwinism

Dystopia is here

The Monty Hall Problem And Critical Thinking

"To draw conclusions and make decisions, humans often rely on heuristics—mental shortcuts that let us form judgments quickly by focusing on the most accessible information instead of analyzing every detail. Heuristics save time and effort, but they can steer us toward errors.

"According to Daniel Kahneman and Shane Fredrick, attribute substitution underlies many of our heuristics. It happens when we inadvertently swap a tough question for a simpler one and then answer that stand-in question instead."

Click on the link below for the details of how a small change in this classical psychological problem exposes lazy thinking:

Why a Twist to the Monty Hall Problem Stumped So Many

The 3-Door Problem

Why NO Education Entity Should Be Religious

The US Supreme Court is considering whether tax funds should go to a RELIGIOUS Charter (PUBLIC) school (link). It would be the FIRST breach of the historical 1st Amendment clause, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, - - - ". Below is my argument that NO religious body should ever be involved with education:

• The mission of education is to impart knowledge/information and how to evaluate it.
• This means that knowledge/information should be presented in the context of critical/science-based thinking, as science is simply from the Greek for knowledge.
• No religion is supported by the above. All claims for anything supernatural have either been falsified or are unfalsifiable. Thus, it should not be accepted as truth under the above.
• To poison any educational process with any unsupported indoctrination is like adding poop to a stew, thus, is diametrically opposed to everything true education is about.

Is This The Reason We Are Losing Civil Rights And A Growing Economy Under Trump/MAGA?

In recent decades, there has been a steady decrease in the number of US residents who are religious, while civil rights and the economy have been expanding during the same time:

https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/09/13/how-u-s-religious-composition-has-changed-in-recent-decades/

However, since the advent of the Presidency of Donald Trump and his MAGA, the trend appears to have stopped:

"The number of Americans who identify as Christian has declined steadily for years, but that drop shows signs of slowing, according to a new survey Wednesday from the Pew Research Center.

"The Religious Landscape Study finds 62% of U.S. adults call themselves Christians. While a significant dip from 2007, when 78% of Americans identified as Christian, Pew found the Christian share of the population has remained relatively stable since 2019." (link)

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I BELIEVE THIS IS MORE THAN A CORRELATION.

I BELIEVE THERE IS SOME CAUSATION HERE BECAUSE RELIGION DAMPENS CRITICAL THINKING.

Fact-Checking Tips

Below is from my email feed:  

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In Critikid's latest media literacy interview, I asked Peter Adams from the News Literacy Project:

How can we judge the reliability of a website or news outlet?

He answered:

Well, first I think everyone needs to really reflect on the concept of “credibility” and think through what really makes a piece of information or a source of information credible. Is it perfection? Sources that have never made an error of fact? No, of course not – that’s such a high standard that you’d wind up being unable to trust every single information source on the planet. Is it sources that only publish things that feel good and confirm your biases? Sources that cater to and confirm your existing ideas and beliefs about the world? No, of course not.

Okay so what does credibility look like, then? What are its characteristics? Well, two of those characteristics are certainly accuracy and fairness.

Credible sources don’t:

• make things up.
• take people’s words out of context.
• misrepresent photos.
• use loaded language.
• exclude important voices and perspectives.

Credible sources are:

• transparent. Sources you trust should explain exactly how they verified what they’re reporting.
• committed to independence, honesty and the public’s interest. Credible sources strive to ensure that the information they provide is not influenced by the interests of third parties like advertisers or political parties.
• accountable. Accountability demonstrates their commitment to the truth. They acknowledge lapses in standards and ethics, and seek to address them: they correct errors when they happen; they update headlines that miss the mark; they take steps to explain their decisions to the public.

The more of these kinds of things you see from a source, the more credible you should consider it.

In the interview, Peter also walked through how to verify a claim, shared fact-checking websites, and discussed the role of AI in countering misinformation. You can read the full interview here.

Our Brains EASILY Can Deceive Us

 

The Norm In The USA

 

It doesn't have to be this way.
The cure is universal critical/science-based thinking
education.

Civil Servants: The Under-Appreciated Heros Of Government

"Michael Lewis, acclaimed author of The Big Short, Moneyball, and The Fifth Risk joins Lovett to discuss his most recent book, Who is Government? Lewis and his coauthors profile the civil servants whose thankless and unglamorous work prevents mines from collapsing, castaways from drowning, and rare diseases from killing people. He and Jon talk about why it’s so important to break down the 'bureaucrat' stereotype right now, why Lewis is convinced Elon Musk has no idea how to run DOGE, and what leads the people he writes about to stand up to Trump or succumb to their personal ambition."

Click on the link below for an enlightening podcast regarding the truth about the role of government in society:

Bravery in Politics 

Rockefeller: The Source Of The USA's Education Problems?

"The American educational system, a cornerstone of societal development, has undergone numerous transformations over the years. One influential figure in shaping the landscape of education was John D. Rockefeller, a name often associated with wealth and industrial prowess. However, as I delve into the annals of history, a disconcerting truth emerges — one that raises questions about the true motives behind Rockefeller’s educational endeavors."

Click here, and on the link below, for an enlightening view of a basic problem with USA education.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1412003936836149

If you think that there is no problem with US education after partaking of the above, the link below will help you to understand how sheepish humans are without critical thinking skills:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?mibextid=wwXIfr&v=630867306389189&rdid=ERcLkK6IRiEJmNYq

How To Know Your Media Is Trustworthy

"How can we determine which news sources are trustworthy?

"There's a general rubric I like to follow. Basically, it's a five-step system that the folks at the News Literacy Project came up with.

"First, you have to figure out what other (credible) sources say about the outlet or news source — you need to get off-platform to do this and check out sources like fact-checking websites.

"If the source seems to check out, second, you find out what their editorial standards are. Any credible media organization will have these and they should be easily discoverable somewhere on their website. If they don't have them, that's a red flag.

"Third, find out who funds and creates the content — again, at any legit outlet, this should be transparently stated somewhere on the website. There also shouldn't just be transparency around who funds the whole organization, but around which articles are sponsored and which aren't. If this isn't obvious, that's a problem.

"Fourth, look at how they handle errors. Seeing a "correction" appended to an article, for example, isn't a bad thing — everyone makes mistakes, and it's way more of a red flag when these aren't transparently corrected.

"Fifth, ask yourself about the quality of the coverage in general. For example, is the language inflammatory? Are headlines click-baity? Is the journalism original, or just parroting content from other sources? Is it clear when something is opinion, vs fact-based? And how does the coverage of a particular topic compare to that on other, legitimate sites?

"None of this is a guarantee of trustworthiness, but if a source fails to meet these standards, it's for sure a sign you SHOULDN'T trust that source."

Click on the link below for the rest of the interview:

Examining the Media: an interview with Amanda Ruggeri

The Underlying Problem With MAGA: Childish/Magical Thinking

One major trait of Trumpers/MAGA is childish/magical thinking. Everything is black and white. There is no room for understanding that reality can be much more than good or bad/right or wrong in many serious topics/circumstances. Unsupported certainty can be the enemy of nuance, humility, and understanding

There is a reason why fear works so well on them: they are easily blocked from considering that they may be incorrect in their opinions. The majority probably were raised within a religion and that religion poisoned their brains from challenging the dogma to which they were exposed.

Below is an emblematic of this problem: 

• "I am afraid of the 'other' that I was taught to hate. Those immigrants will harm me and take my job. I must support deporting them as fast as we can, to Hell with due process/the Rule of Law."

Attacking Misinformation With Exposure To It

"Misinformation and logical fallacies lurk in almost every corner of social media, so it can be tempting to shield kids entirely. But new research from UC Berkeley suggests that exposure to misinformation in a supervised environment can help kids become more diligent fact-checkers. Banning social media and other digital platforms might not be the best way to equip children with long-term media literacy.

"I will begin an overview of this study and then offer some suggestions of how educators can use controlled online exposure to strengthen students’ critical thinking and digital literacy skills while minimizing the risk of harm."

Click on the link below for the details of this study:

Turning Misinformation Into Education

Have YOU Taken The "Red Pill?"

 

       (AI Overview)

"Stupid": The Need For Critical Thinking

"Stupidity isn’t just a lack of intelligence—it’s the refusal to think critically, and it’s everywhere. In this video, we dive into The Stupidity Epidemic, exploring why people ignore facts, how social media fuels misinformation, and why Dietrich Bonhoeffer believed stupidity is more dangerous than evil. From blind groupthink to misplaced confidence, we break down how ignorance spreads, why it thrives in positions of power, and what we can do about it. If you've ever wondered why smart people make bad decisions—or why the loudest voices are often the least informed—this video is for you. Let’s talk about it. And if you find this conversation valuable, hit subscribe—it really helps the channel!"

The Stupidity Epidemic: Why Critical Thinking is Dying

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Emotional Intellence Education For Children

If you have children, there is NO better time to introduce them to critical thinking than NOW. Below is one example of developing Emotional Intelligence within the context of critical thinking. For more information, here is her web site: https://critikid.com/

https://www.facebook.com/reel/988722160020706

Helping Children Navigate Misinformation

Click here for an article from a great internet source specializing in teaching critical thinking to children.

The New World Order

The USA responded late to non-democratic nations' imperialism in the early 20th century. It made World War I worse. (link)

The USA responded late to non-democratic nations' imperialism in the 1930s. It made World War II worse.

Presently, the USA under President Donald J. Trump is following the same isolationism as above. What can go wrong? Oh, and I am not even addressing the fascist dictatorship that is taking over OUR constitutional representative secular democracy.

The USA And Education: It's Not Great

Click here for a brief video that should embarrass the USA (but won't unless or until anti-science thinking is marginalized.

The Dragon In My Garage

"This is an excerpt from Chapter 10, "The Dragon in My Garage," from Carl Sagan's book, "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark." This excerpt is one of my favorites and a fantastic way to challenge beliefs that seem resistant to being questioned.

Carl Sagan - The Dragon in my garage

Barriers To Public Schools Teaching Critical Thinking

" - - - While teachers do encourage critical thinking, there has never been a way of formally integrating teaching this skill into existing curricula. Apart from a few teachers who do train their students in this art, most teachers do not for one simple reason — there is no time."

There it is. The most important skill that needs to be taught is pushed aside because of time constraints. Click on the link below for the details:

Three Reasons Why Public Schools Don't Teach Critical Thinking