A collection of interesting links from early 2017 covering drugs, education, politics, science and history, with Scott's commentary on each. Longer summary

This is a links post where Scott Alexander shares various interesting articles and studies he's come across. The post covers a wide range of topics including new drug developments, education statistics, political events around Trump's presidency, scientific discoveries, and historical curiosities. The format follows a typical links post structure with brief commentary on each link, often adding context or witty observations. Many items focus on current events from early 2017, including Trump administration policies and European political trends. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reports on a survey of nootropics users, finding mixed results for various substances and discussing methodological challenges in assessing their effectiveness. Longer summary

Scott Alexander presents the results of a survey on nootropics, substances claimed to improve mental functioning. The survey, taken by 162 respondents from online nootropics communities, asked about experiences with 28 different substances. Key findings include: caffeine and modafinil were rated most effective; some newer substances like phenylpiracetam and coluracetam showed promise; traditional medicines had mixed results; dose-response relationships were mostly inconclusive except for high-dose vitamin D; and there were unexpected correlations between effects of different substances. Scott discusses limitations of the survey and plans for future iterations. Shorter summary

Scott shares and comments on various interesting links from February 2014, covering science, medicine, education, technology, and politics. Longer summary

This is a collection of interesting links from February 2014, covering a wide range of topics. Scott starts with unusual scientific findings about sobriety and chewing, then covers social experiments in schools, tech culture in San Francisco, medical system stories both good and bad, and various scientific studies about obesity, depression, and therapy. He also discusses education policy, with particular focus on coding bootcamps and charter schools, as well as various economic and political topics. The post ends with some technological developments including Bitcoin and a project for worldwide satellite internet. Shorter summary