Scott Alexander maintains a list of significant mistakes in his blog posts, providing corrections and updates in reverse chronological order. Longer summary

Scott Alexander maintains a list of significant mistakes he has made in his blog posts, providing corrections and updates. He acknowledges errors in data interpretation, misunderstandings of studies, incorrect predictions, and instances where he changed his mind based on new evidence or reader feedback. The list is presented in reverse chronological order and covers a wide range of topics including medicine, economics, psychology, and social issues. Shorter summary

A curated collection of interesting links spanning medicine, economics, social issues and quirky stories, with Scott's commentary on various developments and findings. Longer summary

This is a collection of interesting links and news curated by Scott Alexander, covering a wide range of topics from medical research to economics, social issues, and quirky stories. The post includes discussions of new medical findings about heart receptors, debates about alcohol health effects, archaeological stories, studies about demographics and education, and various social and economic developments. Scott adds his own commentary and insights to many of the links, particularly around housing policy, scientific studies, and mental health care. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews the psychiatric medication information site crazymeds.us, praising its quality but explaining why he can't recommend it to patients due to potential offense. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the website crazymeds.us, praising its accurate, readable, and humorous descriptions of psychiatric medications. He compares it favorably to more official sources like drugs.com, which often provide overwhelming and unhelpful information. Despite its quality, Scott explains why he can't recommend it to patients, citing concerns about its potentially offensive name and content. He explores the concept of 'negative selection' in medicine and how it affects his decision-making. The post concludes by reflecting on the trade-offs between effectiveness and political correctness in medical communication. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links from November 2014 covering science, technology, politics, and culture, with Scott's commentary and analysis on each. Longer summary

This is a links post collecting various interesting stories and articles from around the web. The post covers a wide range of topics, from scientific discoveries like saltwater crops and hover technology, to social issues like online harassment statistics and Ethiopia's economic growth. Scott provides brief commentary and often humorous observations about each link, while maintaining his characteristic analytical approach to evaluating claims and studies. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander analyzes Moloch as a metaphor for destructive societal coordination problems, using various examples to show how competing incentives can lead to negative outcomes. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the concept of Moloch as a metaphor for destructive coordination problems in society, drawing on Allen Ginsberg's poem and various examples to illustrate how competing incentives can lead to negative outcomes for all. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores biological factors like lead exposure, omega-6 fatty acids, and lithium levels as potential explanations for historical crime rate trends, particularly the possible increase from 1850 to 1980. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses potential biological explanations for historical trends in crime rates. He provisionally accepts that crime may have increased from 1850 to 1980, contrary to his previous belief. He then explores three biological factors that could explain this trend: lead exposure, omega-6 fatty acid consumption, and lithium levels in water. Scott argues that increased lead exposure from industrialization, a dramatic rise in omega-6 fatty acid consumption, and decreased lithium in water due to modern purification methods could all contribute to higher crime rates. He presents evidence linking these factors to aggression and crime, including studies on dietary supplements reducing violence in various populations. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews and critiques a polite but underwhelming video debate between Noah Smith and Michael Anissimov on neoreactionary ideas. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews a video debate between Noah Smith, an economics professor, and Michael Anissimov, a spokesperson for neoreaction. The debate covered topics such as social isolation, happiness trends, equality, capitalism, democracy, monarchy, organic state theory, aristocracy, and gender roles. Scott found the debate polite but somewhat underwhelming, with both participants making more moderate claims than expected. He provides his own analysis and critiques of the arguments presented, noting areas where he felt important points were missed or inadequately addressed. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander argues for a legitimate 'spirit of the First Amendment' that protects the marketplace of ideas, criticizing tactics that silence rather than address arguments. Longer summary

This post discusses the concept of 'spirit of the First Amendment' and its implications for free speech. Scott Alexander disagrees with Popehat's criticism of this concept, arguing that there is a legitimate meaning to it. He explains that the spirit of the First Amendment is about protecting the marketplace of ideas, where arguments succeed based on evidence rather than the power of their proponents. Scott distinguishes between good responses to arguments (addressing ideas) and bad responses (silencing them), including methods like getting people fired, doxxing, and online harassment. He argues that these silencing tactics distribute power based on popularity and wealth rather than the validity of ideas. The post concludes by stating that bad arguments should be met with counterarguments, not with tactics that silence or harm the speaker. Shorter summary

This post systematically rebuts common Reactionary political beliefs on topics like societal decline, traditional governance, progress, and social issues through data analysis and historical examples. Longer summary

This post is an extensive rebuttal to common beliefs held by the Reactionary political movement. It systematically addresses and counters Reactionary claims about societal decline, traditional monarchies, the origins and nature of progress, corporate governance models, and modern views on race and gender. The author analyzes data and historical examples to argue against Reactionary positions, while acknowledging some valid critiques and interesting ideas within the movement. The post ends by listing various rebuttals and responses to the FAQ itself from Reactionary bloggers. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander defends social psychology against conservative criticism, arguing that it correctly balances situational and personality factors in human behavior, and proposes a progressive approach that leverages human nature for positive outcomes. Longer summary

Scott Alexander critiques a conservative perspective on social psychology, arguing that the field correctly recognizes the importance of both situation and personality in human behavior. He explains that social psychology's focus on situational effects doesn't negate the existence of personality traits or genetic influences. Scott uses an analogy of the heart as a series of levers to illustrate how the brain might be hard-coded for malleability. He then shares a hospital anecdote to demonstrate how progressive approaches can effectively use knowledge of human nature to create better outcomes. The post concludes by defining Scott's brand of progressivism as using knowledge of human nature to create structures that encourage prosocial behavior. Shorter summary

Scott shares and comments on various interesting links, including critiques of science journalism, updates on scientific discoveries, and various cultural curiosities. Longer summary

A collection of interesting links and news stories, covering diverse topics from scientific research to social experiments. The post includes critiques of science reporting, particularly focusing on poor journalism in the Daily Mail, discussions of various scientific discoveries including medical breakthroughs in back pain treatment, and interesting historical anecdotes. Scott also covers economic experiments with basic income, technology news about 3D printed guns, and various cultural curiosities, maintaining a mix of serious analysis and humorous observations throughout. Shorter summary