Scott Alexander discusses the political battle over California's AI safety bill SB 1047, its veto by Governor Newsom, and the implications for future AI regulation efforts. Longer summary

This post recounts the story behind SB 1047, a California bill aimed at regulating AI safety that was passed by the legislature but vetoed by Governor Newsom. Scott discusses the bill's supporters and opponents, the political maneuvering involved, and the aftermath of the veto. He analyzes the reasons for the veto, suggesting it was influenced by Silicon Valley donors and interests. The post also explores potential future strategies for AI regulation advocates, including possible alliances with left-wing groups. Scott concludes with reasons for optimism despite the setback, noting growing public support for AI regulation. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander presents a comprehensive FAQ on prediction markets, arguing for their accuracy, canonicity, and potential to solve the 'crisis of trust' in society. Longer summary

This post is a comprehensive FAQ about prediction markets, explaining what they are, why they are believed to be accurate and canonical, addressing common objections, and describing clever uses for them. Scott Alexander presents prediction markets as a potential solution to the 'crisis of trust' in modern society, arguing that they can provide unbiased, accurate predictions on a wide range of issues. The post also covers the current status of prediction markets and suggests ways people can help promote them. Shorter summary

A detailed review of Michael Shellenberger's 'San Fransicko', examining its critiques of San Francisco's progressive policies on homelessness, drugs, and crime. Longer summary

This post reviews Michael Shellenberger's book 'San Fransicko', which criticizes progressive policies on homelessness, drug addiction, and crime in San Francisco. The review examines key claims in the book, fact-checking statistics and comparing them to other sources. While finding some of Shellenberger's criticisms valid, the review also points out areas where the book presents a one-sided narrative or misrepresents data. Overall, the reviewer sees the book as a flawed but thought-provoking critique of San Francisco's approach to urban problems. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines recent developments in model cities, including political threats to ZEDEs in Honduras, El Salvador's Bitcoin city plan, and the mysterious Praxis project. Longer summary

This blog post discusses recent developments in model cities and charter cities. It covers the political situation in Honduras affecting ZEDEs, El Salvador's plan for a Bitcoin-themed city, the mysterious Praxis project, and other model city news. The post critically examines each project, analyzing their feasibility, potential impact, and the motivations behind them. Scott Alexander provides context, expresses skepticism where appropriate, and offers insights into the challenges and opportunities these projects face. Shorter summary

Scott reviews David Friedman's book on unconventional legal systems, exploring how different societies have developed unique ways to enforce laws and resolve conflicts without centralized government. Longer summary

This book review explores David Friedman's 'Legal Systems Very Different From Ours', which examines various historical and contemporary legal systems that differ significantly from modern state-run systems. The review highlights how these systems, from medieval Iceland to Gypsy communities, solve problems of law enforcement and conflict resolution without a centralized state. It discusses the economic incentives and cultural evolution that shape these systems, and how they often rely on community enforcement rather than imprisonment. The review also touches on the book's optimistic view of cultural evolution and its relevance to current debates about police and government reform. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links covering science, technology, culture, and economics, including updates on DNA malware, AI gaming, prison censorship, and various scientific studies. Longer summary

This is a link roundup post covering various interesting news and studies. Topics include DNA-encoded malware, AI in gaming, prison book bans, studies on therapy effectiveness, global inequality trends, and various scientific and cultural curiosities. The post follows Scott's typical link roundup format, providing brief commentary and context for each item, often with a mix of serious analysis and humorous observations. He covers both academic research and popular culture, maintaining his characteristic balance of intellectual rigor and accessibility. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links covering a wide range of topics, from scientific studies and historical facts to current events and amusing anecdotes. Longer summary

This is one of Scott's regular link posts, collecting various interesting articles, studies, and facts that caught his attention. The topics range widely from scientific research (like PTSD in Roman soldiers and genetic studies) to historical curiosities (like Byzantine titles and the history of cell phones). He also comments on current events like Silicon Valley critiques and political developments. Some links are serious academic studies, while others are more lighthearted like the rules around shooting Bigfoot. Throughout the post, Scott adds brief commentary and context to help readers understand the significance of each link. Shorter summary

Scott summarizes diverse perspectives from comments on his school choice article, covering topics like education costs, charter schools, and potential market failures in education. Longer summary

This post summarizes key points from the comment thread on Scott's previous article about school choice. It covers various perspectives on for-profit vs. nonprofit schools, cost increases in education, food deserts, charter schools, and potential market failures in education. Scott notes some arguments that made him more pessimistic about charter schools, but maintains that careful experimentation is needed. The post concludes by acknowledging that Betsy DeVos' policies don't qualify as careful experimentation. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander critiques arguments against school vouchers, discussing potential efficiency gains and drawbacks of privatization in education, while proposing experimental approaches to school reform. Longer summary

Scott Alexander critiques Nathan Robinson's arguments against school vouchers, discussing the potential efficiency gains and drawbacks of privatization in education. He compares education to other sectors like healthcare and grocery stores, analyzes the rising costs in public education, and proposes experimental approaches to school reform, including a system of small, home-based schools. Shorter summary

A Links post presenting various interesting news and studies from different fields, with brief commentary on each item. Longer summary

This is a Links post that presents a collection of interesting news, studies, and articles from various fields. The post covers topics ranging from scientific research and academic policy to economics and social issues. It includes studies on ADHD diagnosis, income inequality, neighborhood effects, and discussion of various cultural and political events. The tone is casual and informative, with Scott providing brief commentary and connecting different ideas throughout. Shorter summary

A curated collection of interesting links covering academic debates, cultural issues, economics, and scientific discoveries from around the web. Longer summary

This is a links post containing various interesting articles and news items from around the web. The post covers topics ranging from academic debates, cultural issues, economics, and scientific discoveries. Notable items include discussions about political correctness at Oberlin, a replication debate in economics, SpaceX's successful rocket landing, and various historical curiosities like the Roman charioteer Gaius Appuleius Diocles and the Sedan nuclear test mishap. 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