Scott shares humorous anecdotes about the daily chaos of raising toddler twins, from emergency police visits triggered by screaming over the wrong version of a song, to elaborate bedtime battles and the children's obsession with identifying vehicles and animals. Longer summary

Scott Alexander shares entertaining stories about parenting his toddler twins, Kai and Lyra, describing life with them as a 'permanent emergency'. The post opens with police arriving after a 911 call likely triggered by screaming over the wrong version of 'Mister Golden Sun'. Scott describes how the children have developed their own names for songs, their obsession with identifying animals and vehicles (which he theorizes relates to hunter-gatherer instincts), and their different personalities - Kai being chaotic and disruptive while Lyra is calm and cooperative. He details the elaborate bedtime ritual with Kai, including various stalling tactics like demanding food and fake-drinking milk. The post includes several photos of the twins and maintains a humorous, self-deprecating tone throughout while exploring how toddler behavior might reflect evolutionary programming. Shorter summary

This review examines the importance of Silver Age Marvel Comics (1961-1965) as modern mythology, discussing their innovations and impact on comic book history. Longer summary

This review explores the significance of Silver Age Marvel Comics (1961-1965), discussing their role as modern mythology, their innovations in storytelling and character creation, and their impact on comic book history. The author analyzes Stan Lee's contributions, the Marvel Method of comic creation, and the establishment of the interconnected Marvel Universe, while also acknowledging the era's limitations in terms of gender representation and storytelling complexity. Shorter summary

A review of 'The Alexander Romance', comparing its fantastical tales of Alexander the Great to modern superhero comics. Longer summary

This post reviews 'The Alexander Romance', a collection of legendary tales about Alexander the Great that were popular for over a thousand years. The review describes the fantastical and often contradictory stories in the Romance, including Alexander's magical birth, his encounters with mythical creatures, and his journey to the edges of the world. The author compares the Romance to modern superhero comics, noting similarities in structure, inconsistencies, and cultural adaptations. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares reader comments on his California ballot recommendations, updating some of his views and providing additional context on various races and propositions. Longer summary

This post highlights comments on Scott Alexander's California ballot recommendations. It covers various topics including Prop 31's impact on vaping, the Service Employees International Union's tactics regarding dialysis regulations, Newsom's campaign spending, Oakland mayoral race, and other ballot measures. Scott also updates some of his recommendations based on reader input, particularly for the Attorney General race. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines the Buddhist concept of jhana, a blissful meditative state, through Nick Cammarata's experiences, exploring its implications for understanding pleasure and reinforcement. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the concept of jhana, a state of extreme bliss achieved through meditation in Buddhism. He focuses on Nick Cammarata's experiences with jhana, describing it as incredibly pleasurable yet non-addictive. The post explores the paradox of jhana being more pleasurable than sex but less reinforcing, challenging conventional models of reward and pleasure. Scott also mentions the Qualia Research Institute's approach to understanding these phenomena and poses discussion questions about the nature of pleasure, reinforcement, and decision-making in relation to jhana. Shorter summary

The post updates on charter cities, covering the repeal of Honduras' ZEDE law, Disney's Reedy Creek dissolution, and new projects like Afropolitan, while discussing ongoing developments and challenges. Longer summary

This post provides updates on several charter city and model city projects. It discusses the repeal of the ZEDE law in Honduras and its impact on existing projects like Prospera, the dissolution of Disney's Reedy Creek Improvement District in Florida, and the launch of Afropolitan, a new digital nation concept. The post also covers Prospera's ongoing development despite legal challenges, including new resorts, construction projects, and a gene therapy company. Finally, it touches on other model city developments and provides predictions for the future of these projects. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews 'The Gervais Principle', a book offering insights into organizational dynamics through a classification of three personality types, finding it thought-provoking but not entirely convincing. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews 'The Gervais Principle' by Venkatesh Rao, a book that claims to offer insights into organizational dynamics and human behavior through a classification system of three types: Sociopaths, Losers, and Clueless. The book combines elements of psychoanalysis, developmental psychology, and status economics to explain workplace dynamics and personal development. Scott finds the typology interesting but not entirely convincing, appreciating the book's ability to provoke thought and provide a framework for understanding organizational behavior, while questioning its universal applicability and some of its core claims. Shorter summary

A compilation of 30 diverse links on various topics including science, history, technology, and culture, with brief commentaries by Scott Alexander. Longer summary

This post is a collection of 30 diverse links and brief discussions on various topics. It covers a wide range of subjects including scientific findings, historical anecdotes, technological developments, cultural phenomena, and current events. The post touches on topics such as oil spills, architecture, IQ research, chronic pain therapy, alcohol consumption, AI safety, and more. Scott Alexander provides short commentaries or explanations for each link, often adding his own insights or connecting the information to broader themes. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander humorously analyzes 'My Immortal' as an alchemical allegory, combining medieval alchemy, Rosicrucian writings, and Goethe's Faust. Longer summary

Scott Alexander presents a satirical analysis of the infamous Harry Potter fanfiction 'My Immortal', arguing that it is actually a complex alchemical allegory combining medieval alchemy, Rosicrucian writings, and Goethe's Faust. He breaks down the story's structure, characters, and symbolism, drawing parallels to alchemical stages and concepts. The post is written in a tongue-in-cheek manner, mimicking academic literary analysis while applied to a notoriously bad piece of writing. Shorter summary

A diverse collection of links on topics ranging from gerrymandering and health insurance to tech bubbles and extinction risk estimates, presented with minimal commentary. Longer summary

This post is a collection of various interesting links and news items. It covers a wide range of topics including gerrymandering, health insurance effects, corporate profits, drug pricing, media bias, ketamine research, tech bubbles, seasonal effects on mental health, FDA drug importation plans, research on sex differences, carbon capture technologies, birth order effects, waist-to-hip ratio preferences, extinction risk estimates, life sciences research, Google algorithm changes affecting health sites, online economy intricacies, fluoride effects on IQ, and many other diverse subjects. The post presents these items without much commentary, leaving readers to explore further on their own. Shorter summary