Scott Alexander presents counterarguments to YIMBY housing policies, questioning their effectiveness and considering NIMBY perspectives. Longer summary

Scott Alexander steelmans the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) position against YIMBYism (Yes In My Back Yard) in housing policy debates, particularly focused on San Francisco. He argues that: 1) San Francisco's housing growth rate is not uniquely low, 2) Building more housing may not significantly lower rents, 3) Increased housing supply could potentially increase rents due to agglomeration effects, 4) NIMBYs have valid reasons to oppose development, and 5) Increasing housing supply might trap more people in an undesirable equilibrium. He concludes by acknowledging the lack of clear alternatives but expressing skepticism that simply building more housing will solve the problem. Shorter summary

The post uses a fabricated narrative about cardiologists to illustrate the Chinese Robber Fallacy and its role in media bias, emphasizing the importance of context in interpreting negative stories about any group. Longer summary

This post discusses the Chinese Robber Fallacy and its implications for media bias. The author begins with a satirical section presenting numerous examples of cardiologists committing various crimes and unethical acts, creating the impression of widespread issues in the profession. The second part reveals this as a demonstration of how easy it is to create a false narrative about any group using selective examples. The author then explores how this fallacy applies to media coverage of issues like police brutality and sexism in tech, emphasizing the importance of understanding base rates and population sizes when interpreting such stories. The post concludes by revealing that the initial section about cardiologists was entirely fabricated to illustrate the point. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links covering technology, science, economics and society, with Scott's commentary and analysis on each topic. Longer summary

This is a links post collecting various interesting news and studies. Topics range from artificial lighting technology that mimics sunlight, to FDA's role in covering up clinical trial fraud, to immigration studies about assimilation. Scott also discusses economic issues like Greece's basic income proposal and inequality trends, scientific findings about processed food and attraction, and technological developments like head transplants and color blindness treatments. The post maintains a light tone while providing critical analysis of various claims and studies. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of interesting links with brief commentaries, covering topics from education and politics to science and technology. Longer summary

This post is a collection of interesting links and brief commentaries on various topics. Scott Alexander covers a wide range of subjects, including education, politics, technology, history, and science. He discusses SAT coaching effectiveness, college admissions critiques, a new Civilization game, unusual government policies, teacher observations on student behavior changes, and scientific studies on schizophrenia and lithium. The post also includes humorous anecdotes and thought-provoking historical what-ifs. Scott's commentary often adds an insightful or ironic perspective to the linked content. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links from September 2014 covering scientific research, social issues, and curiosities, with commentary from Scott Alexander. Longer summary

This is a links post collecting various interesting articles and news from September 2014. It covers a wide range of topics including academic research, social issues, scientific discoveries, and current events. Notable items include a study about feminist activists and digit ratios, progress on male contraception (Vasalgel), Steven Pinker's critique of Ivy League admissions, research on gut flora and antibiotics, and various interesting historical and scientific curiosities. The post maintains a light tone while discussing both serious topics and amusing finds. Shorter summary