A review of Joe Henrich's 'The Weirdest People in the World', examining its argument that the Western Church's marriage regulations led to WEIRD psychology and modern economic growth. Longer summary

This book review examines Joe Henrich's 'The Weirdest People in the World', which argues that the Western Church's Marriage and Family Program (MFP) dismantled intensive kinship networks, leading to WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) psychology and modern economic growth. The reviewer discusses the book's scientific approach to European history, its extensive coverage of various topics, and raises questions about the intentionality of historical actors and the future implications of WEIRD psychology. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander argues that non-empirical reasoning, based on principles like simplicity and elegance, is a necessary and legitimate part of scientific practice, even for evaluating seemingly untestable theories. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the role of non-empirical arguments in science, challenging the view that untestable theories are inherently unscientific. He argues that even in cases where direct empirical testing is impossible, scientists use principles like simplicity and elegance (often formalized as Occam's Razor) to evaluate competing theories. Scott uses examples ranging from paleontology vs. creationism to multiverse theories in physics to demonstrate that this type of reasoning is both necessary and legitimate in scientific practice. He concludes that while there may be debates about the best way to formalize or apply these principles, it's crucial to recognize that some form of non-empirical reasoning is an inescapable part of the scientific process. Shorter summary

The post examines the relationship between neuron count and intelligence across species, challenging traditional brain size measures and exploring implications for AI development. Longer summary

This post discusses the relationship between brain size, neuron count, and intelligence across different species. It challenges traditional measures like absolute brain size and encephalization quotient, focusing instead on the number of cortical neurons as a key factor in intelligence. The post highlights birds as an example, explaining how their dense neuron packing allows them to achieve primate-level intelligence with much smaller brains. The author then explores the implications of this for understanding intelligence and its potential impact on AI development, suggesting that AI capabilities might scale linearly with computing power. The post ends with a humorous reference to pilot whales, which have more cortical neurons than humans but aren't known for higher intelligence. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores theories to reconcile contradictory views on AI progress rates, considering the implications for AI development timelines and intelligence scaling. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the apparent contradiction between Eliezer Yudkowsky's argument that AI progress will be rapid once it reaches human level, and Katja Grace's data showing gradual AI improvement across human-level tasks. He explores several theories to reconcile this, including mutational load, purpose-built hardware, varying sub-abilities, and the possibility that human intelligence variation is actually vast compared to other animals. The post ends by considering implications for AI development timelines and potential rapid scaling of intelligence. Shorter summary

Scott examines psychological phenomena attributed to the unconscious mind, noting many have failed to replicate, and suggests a shift away from the power of the unconscious in psychological research. Longer summary

This post explores the concept of 'voodoo death' and its parallels in psychology, suggesting that many psychological phenomena previously attributed to the power of the unconscious mind may be less significant than once thought. Scott examines several examples, including the placebo effect, stereotype threat, self-esteem, and social priming, noting that many of these effects have failed to replicate in recent studies. He proposes a pattern of shifting away from the power of the unconscious in psychological research, while acknowledging the limitations of his analysis. The post concludes by considering the implications for Freudian psychology and suggesting a need to reevaluate our understanding of the unconscious mind. Shorter summary

A links roundup examining various scientific studies, social developments, and historical findings, with a particular focus on recent research about confounding variables and replication issues in science. Longer summary

This is an extensive links post covering various scientific studies, news items, and interesting facts. Scott discusses several studies about confounding variables and replication in science, historical findings about ancient civilizations, new research on topics ranging from climate change to criminology, and various social and political developments. The post starts with methodological concerns in science, moves through various research findings and historical tidbits, and ends with news about ongoing projects and obituaries. The tone is analytical but casual, with Scott often adding his own commentary and pointing out interesting implications or contradictions. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links covering various topics including medical discoveries, scientific studies, social issues, and economic findings, with brief commentary on each. Longer summary

This is a links post collecting various interesting articles and studies. The topics range from medical discoveries to economics, from social issues to scientific studies. It includes discussions of the Brindley lecture in urology, property rights on the moon, fecal transplant effects on weight, mental health policies at Yale, studies on criminality and parenting, and various other scientific and social findings. The post presents each link with a brief commentary or explanation, often with Scott's characteristic mix of curiosity and skepticism. Shorter summary