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Links For April 2026

53 min • 8,070 words • 588 comments • 272 likes • podcast (47 min)

Scott Alexander's April 2026 links roundup covers diverse topics including Venn diagram complexity, flag desecration laws, AI developments, political analysis, scientific studies, and various cultural curiosities. Longer summary

This monthly links post compiles interesting articles, studies, and observations from across the internet in April 2026. Major themes include AI progress and policy (including discussions of AI alignment, capabilities, and regulation), political developments (Trump administration actions, election analysis), scientific findings (from evolutionary psychology to medical treatments), and various cultural oddities. Scott provides brief commentary on each link while noting that he hasn't independently verified all claims and that commenters typically find errors in a few links per post. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: prediction markets (85), media criticism (76), links (62), medical research (52), link roundup (35), internet culture (34), AI alignment (32), evolutionary psychology (30), AI progress (15), education policy (12), AI policy (11), political analysis (10), scientific studies (7), cultural commentary (3), religious phenomena (2)

Oct 30, 2025

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Links For October 2025

42 min • 6,423 words • 803 comments • 211 likes • podcast (38 min)

Scott Alexander presents 51 links covering AI progress and safety, political developments, scientific research, cultural oddities, and ongoing philosophical debates about miracles and education reform. Longer summary

Scott Alexander shares 51 links covering diverse topics including AI developments (agents, safety, consciousness research), political news (Ukraine policy, UK politics, Trump administration), science updates (climate predictions, genetics, bacteriophages), cultural curiosities (Shakespeare superfan plastic surgery, Soviet naming conventions, flag cones), health research (Alzheimer's prevention, shingles vaccine reducing dementia, kidney donation), and philosophical debates (Hume's argument against miracles, the Fatima miracle discussion). The post maintains Scott's characteristic blend of serious analysis and quirky observations, touching on everything from Bach's descendants in Oklahoma to the mystery of why AI still struggles with laundry folding despite mastering protein folding. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: book review (212), AI safety (69), links (62), genetics (58), climate change (33), Eliezer Yudkowsky (30), links roundup (28), OpenAI (27), AI progress (15), Anthropic (12), education reform (7), Freddie deBoer (5), Richard Hanania (5), kidney donation (3), political news (2), cultural history (2), NVIDIA (2), Kelsey Piper (2), Curtis Yarvin (2), David Hume (2), dementia prevention (2)

Apr 22, 2025

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Links For April 2025

26 min • 3,899 words • 1,017 comments • 220 likes • podcast (26 min)

A collection of 41 interesting links and news items from April 2025, covering AI, politics, culture, and science, with Scott's commentary on each. Longer summary

This is a links roundup post featuring various interesting news, studies, and curiosities from April 2025. The post covers a wide range of topics including AI developments (particularly around OpenAI and truth-seeking AI), political updates (about Trump, immigration policy, and minimum wage effects), cultural items (like etymology of cowboy terms and medieval perception), and scientific findings. Scott maintains a light, sometimes humorous tone while sharing these diverse pieces of information, occasionally adding his own analysis or perspective on controversial topics. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: politics (89), links (62), medieval history (11), minimum wage (10), study analysis (9), immigration policy (5), cultural history (2)

Nov 01, 2024

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Links For November 2024

42 min • 6,373 words • 932 comments • 216 likes • podcast (41 min)

A diverse collection of news items, studies, and interesting facts from November 2024, covering topics from scientific discoveries to cultural phenomena. Longer summary

This post is a compilation of various news items, studies, and interesting facts from November 2024. It covers a wide range of topics including scientific discoveries, political events, technological advancements, cultural phenomena, and historical anecdotes. The post is structured as a numbered list, with each item briefly summarizing a piece of news or information. Some notable items include a new schizophrenia drug approval, YouGov polling results on various historical figures, findings on genetic IQ changes over time, and updates on AI technology and its implications. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: AI (110), economics (103), politics (89), science (85), technology (63), genetics (58), healthcare (56), culture (45), social media (42), history (25)

Apr 16, 2024

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Updates on Lumina Probiotic

12 min • 1,707 words • 160 comments • 156 likes • podcast (11 min)

Scott Alexander updates on Lumina probiotic, discussing FDA trials, effectiveness, potential risks, and his nuanced stance on the product. Longer summary

Scott Alexander provides updates on Lumina, a genetically modified anti-tooth-decay bacterium. He clarifies information about FDA testing, discusses rat trial results, reports on recent colonization studies, addresses potential side effects, and shares some anecdotal results. Scott also explains his stance on Lumina, emphasizing that while he sees potential benefits, he doesn't fully endorse it and acknowledges the uncertainties and risks involved. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: medical research (52), FDA (36), innovation (9), biotechnology (4), scientific uncertainty (3), dental health (2), probiotics (2)

Oct 04, 2023

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How Are The Gay Younger Brothers Doing?

22 min • 3,400 words • 401 comments • 107 likes • podcast (22 min)

Scott Alexander examines recent studies on the Fraternal Birth Order Effect, finding evidence for a broader sibling birth order effect on homosexuality, though its exact nature and mechanism remain debated. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews recent studies on the Fraternal Birth Order Effect (FBOE), which suggests that men with more older brothers are more likely to be gay. He discusses three key studies: Frisch and Hviid's large-scale Danish study that found no clear FBOE, Vilsmeier et al.'s meta-analysis that questioned the statistical validity of previous FBOE claims, and Ablaza et al.'s extensive Dutch study that found a significant effect of older siblings (both brothers and sisters) on homosexuality. Scott concludes that while the FBOE hypothesis has been forced to evolve, the core idea that more older siblings increases the likelihood of homosexuality seems to stand, though the biological mechanism remains uncertain. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: study critique (268), statistics (54), evolutionary psychology (30), scientific debate (7), birth order (6), homosexuality (6)

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