A review of 'The Family That Couldn't Sleep' by D. T. Max, discussing its exploration of prion diseases and their impact, with updated perspectives on the book's conclusions. Longer summary

This review discusses 'The Family That Couldn't Sleep' by D. T. Max, a book about prion diseases published in 2006. The review covers the book's exploration of various prion diseases, including fatal familial insomnia, kuru, mad cow disease, and chronic wasting disease. It highlights the book's focus on the historical, scientific, and cultural aspects of these diseases, as well as the key figures involved in prion research. The reviewer also provides updated information and critiques some of the book's conclusions in light of more recent research. Shorter summary

The review explores Jane Jacobs' economic theories from two of her books, focusing on the importance of cities in economic development and challenging conventional wisdom on separatism and large political entities. Longer summary

This review examines two books by Jane Jacobs: 'Cities and the Wealth of Nations' and 'The Question of Separatism'. The reviewer explores Jacobs' economic theories, which center on the importance of cities in economic development. Jacobs argues that cities, not nations, are the fundamental units of economic life, and that the process of import replacement is crucial for economic growth. The review also discusses Jacobs' views on separatism, currency, and the drawbacks of large political entities. The author notes that Jacobs' ideas challenge conventional wisdom across the political spectrum and suggests that her work deserves more attention in economic discourse. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews 'Crazy Like Us', exploring how Western mental health concepts spread globally and whether raising awareness of mental health problems might make them worse. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews 'Crazy Like Us' by Ethan Watters, which explores how Western mental health concepts are spreading globally. The book presents case studies on anorexia in Hong Kong, depression in Japan, PTSD in Sri Lanka, and schizophrenia in Zanzibar. While Scott finds the book's main thesis only moderately interesting, he's intrigued by a recurring sub-theme: whether raising awareness of mental health problems might actually make them worse. He discusses each case study, offering his own insights and critiques, and concludes by imagining a culture that runs 'Mental Health Unawareness Campaigns'. Shorter summary

Henry George's 'Progress and Poverty' argues that private land ownership and rent cause persistent poverty, and proposes a land value tax as a solution. Longer summary

This review examines Henry George's book 'Progress and Poverty', which argues that poverty persists alongside economic progress due to private land ownership and rent-seeking. George proposes a land value tax as a solution to eliminate speculation, encourage efficient land use, and fund public goods. The review covers George's theories on wages, capital, rent, and criticisms of prevailing economic ideas like Malthusianism. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews Robin Hanson's 'Age of Em', praising its creativity while critiquing its assumptions and arguing the future may be even stranger. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews Robin Hanson's book 'Age of Em', which predicts a future where human brain emulations ('ems') dominate the economy. The book explores in great detail how an em society might function, with copied minds running at different speeds and bizarre social dynamics. While praising Hanson's creativity and rigor, Scott critiques some of the assumptions and argues the future may be even stranger and potentially more dystopian than Hanson envisions, possibly resembling Nick Land's idea of an 'Ascended Economy' detached from human values. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines the challenges to free speech posed by centralized internet platforms and the difficulties in creating viable alternatives. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the challenges of maintaining freedom of speech on the centralized web. He compares internet communities to corporate states, noting that instead of fostering competition, the internet has led to a few dominant platforms. He argues that these platforms' power over speech is concerning, as they can effectively censor unpopular ideas. The post examines the difficulties in creating alternative platforms, using the example of Voat's struggle to compete with Reddit. Scott concludes by warning of a potential 'two-tier marketplace of ideas' where unpopular ideas are relegated to stigmatized platforms, effectively silencing them. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links covering history, science, politics and culture, with Scott's commentary on each topic. Longer summary

This is a link roundup post covering various topics. It starts with interesting historical anecdotes like Kipling designing an engineering ritual and the passage of the Habeas Corpus Act. It covers recent news and developments in politics, technology, and science, including Elon Musk's SpaceX ships, cancer therapies, and climate change agreements. The post also discusses several academic papers and studies, addressing topics like citation practices, telomere research, and financial returns to education. Throughout, Scott maintains a skeptical eye toward overblown claims and provides commentary on various social and political developments. Shorter summary

Ozy Frantz provides a detailed critique of common 'manosphere' beliefs, particularly those of blogger Heartiste, using scientific studies and logical arguments to counter claims about human sexuality and dating. Longer summary

This post is a detailed rebuttal of many common beliefs within the 'manosphere', particularly focusing on the blogger Heartiste. The author, Ozy Frantz, argues against Heartiste's views on human sexual interaction, beauty standards, gender differences, and dating strategies. They provide counterarguments supported by scientific studies and logical reasoning, addressing topics such as physical attractiveness, femininity, sluttiness, and 'game' techniques. The post also touches on issues of evolutionary psychology, societal norms, and the nature of human sexuality. Throughout, Ozy maintains a skeptical stance towards many manosphere claims while acknowledging some gender differences do exist. Shorter summary