Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of interesting links and news items, covering topics from historical anecdotes to recent scientific studies and cultural trends. Longer summary

This post is a collection of interesting links and news items from various fields. It covers topics such as historical anecdotes, scientific studies, political developments, technological innovations, and cultural trends. The author, Scott Alexander, provides brief summaries and sometimes adds his own commentary or humorous observations. The post touches on subjects like cryptocurrency, open access scientific publishing, genetic research, social media effects on polarization, and artificial intelligence developments. It also includes updates on ongoing stories and mysteries, such as the illness affecting US diplomats and the discovery of ancient skeletons in Tibet. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander uses a thought experiment about a drum-free town to explore libertarian ideas on community rights, then applies these concepts to real-world housing issues and proposes charter cities as a potential solution. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the concept of community rights and individual freedoms through a thought experiment about a fictional town called Nodrumia. He uses this to discuss libertarian philosophy, property rights, and the balance between community preferences and individual liberties. The post then transitions to real-world applications, discussing NIMBYism and proposing charter cities as a potential solution to housing shortages. He uses the example of Irvine, California to illustrate how planned cities can be successful, and suggests that creating new cities might be easier than reforming existing ones to address housing crises. 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