Scott Alexander reviews his intellectual progress in the 2010s across various fields, crediting his blog for accelerating learning. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reflects on the intellectual progress he made in the 2010s, largely tracked through his blog posts. He discusses major updates in his understanding of topics like predictive coding theory, psychedelics, mental health, SSRIs, genetics, willpower, nutrition, x-risk, AI, scientific progress, cost disease, the replication crisis, placebo effect, ethics, politics, cultural evolution, social justice, game theory, and enlightenment. He notes that while some were major shifts in position, many represent 'deconfusion' - gaining a better map of the problem space. Scott credits his blog and reader interactions for accelerating his learning in the latter half of the decade. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of links covering AI, economics, politics, science, and culture, offering brief comments and insights on each topic. Longer summary

This post is a collection of links to various news articles, studies, and interesting tidbits. It covers a wide range of topics including AI, economics, politics, science, and culture. Some notable items include: a new AI that draws pictures based on captions, a study on the effectiveness of ballpoint pens for emergency tracheotomies, the cancellation of a basic income experiment, weaknesses in Xi Jinping's rule, and a study showing Hitler's speeches didn't measurably increase Nazi support. The post also touches on topics like climate change, antimalarial bed nets, polygenic scores for disease risk, and a replication of a famous psychology study on smiling and happiness. The tone is informative and occasionally humorous, with Scott providing brief comments or insights on many of the links. 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 Alexander defends rationalists against common criticisms, arguing that the movement is self-aware and actively tries to avoid past mistakes while striving for improvement. Longer summary

Scott Alexander responds to common criticisms of rationalists, economists, and psychiatrists. He argues that these criticisms are often outdated or based on misunderstandings, and that the fields in question are usually well aware of their own shortcomings. He focuses on the rationalist community, explaining that they actively try to avoid the mistakes of past movements, are aware of potential pitfalls, and strive for constant self-improvement and error minimization. Scott emphasizes that while the rationalist movement is likely still making mistakes, they are new ones rather than the obvious errors that critics often assume. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander's bet about readers misinterpreting an article on economists' views on school vouchers is settled through two surveys, confirming his argument. Longer summary

Scott Alexander follows up on his previous post about economists' views on school vouchers as reported in a news article. He had argued that the article misrepresented economists' opinions, and to settle the disagreement, he proposed a bet that most people would misinterpret the article. Two independent surveys were conducted on Mechanical Turk, both showing that a large majority of readers (91% and 78%) misinterpreted the article to claim that economists opposed privatizing education. This empirically settled the disagreement, with Scott winning the bet. He expresses satisfaction at being able to decisively resolve a dispute through experimentation. Shorter summary

A links post collecting interesting stories from around the web, including scientific studies, historical oddities, media criticism, and current events, with Scott's commentary and analysis. Longer summary

This is a links post collecting various interesting stories and studies from around the web. It covers topics from historical oddities (like Maoist China's mango obsession), scientific studies (on autism genetics, weight loss, and practice effects), media criticism (of Salon and coverage of Venezuela's collapse), and current events. The post points out interesting patterns and connections between the stories while maintaining a somewhat skeptical tone about extraordinary claims. Scott maintains his characteristic style of finding fascinating angles on seemingly mundane topics while questioning conventional narratives. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines how different statistical presentations of the same data in social science studies can lead to vastly different interpretations, potentially misleading readers. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the importance of understanding and interpreting statistical measures in social science studies, particularly focusing on correlation, percent variance explained, and visual representations of data. He examines two studies: one on IQ and state wealth, and another on wealth inheritance. Alexander highlights how different presentations of the same data can lead to vastly different interpretations, potentially misleading readers. He emphasizes the need for a good grasp of statistical concepts and realistic expectations when evaluating social science research, noting that correlations above 0.4 are rare in this field. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links from September 2014 covering scientific research, social issues, and curiosities, with commentary from Scott Alexander. Longer summary

This is a links post collecting various interesting articles and news from September 2014. It covers a wide range of topics including academic research, social issues, scientific discoveries, and current events. Notable items include a study about feminist activists and digit ratios, progress on male contraception (Vasalgel), Steven Pinker's critique of Ivy League admissions, research on gut flora and antibiotics, and various interesting historical and scientific curiosities. The post maintains a light tone while discussing both serious topics and amusing finds. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores the puzzling lack of GDP impact from women's significant entry into the workforce, considering various explanations and economic implications. Longer summary

Scott Alexander examines the puzzling lack of impact on GDP trends despite women's significant entry into the workforce between 1935 and 1985. He explores possible explanations, including data inaccuracies, low-resolution data, substitution of unpaid labor, or contradictions to economic theory. The post also addresses whether women's workforce participation lowered male wages, drawing parallels to debates about immigrant labor. Scott notes the absence of evidence for wage depression and expresses confusion about the economic implications of this major labor force change. 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 presents a diverse collection of recent news items, studies, and interesting facts, covering topics from public health to economics to quirky trivia. Longer summary

This post is a collection of diverse news items, studies, and interesting facts curated by Scott Alexander. It covers a wide range of topics including public health policies, economics, scientific discoveries, social issues, and quirky facts. Scott provides brief commentary on many of the items, often with a touch of humor or irony. The post doesn't have a central theme but rather serves as a roundup of interesting information Scott has come across recently. Shorter summary