A links roundup post covering recent developments in science, medicine, psychology and politics, with particular focus on research replication issues and the 2016 election season. Longer summary

This is a links roundup post covering various recent research findings, news, and developments. It covers topics from toxoplasma research, drug trials, and scientific replication crises to politics and social issues. The post discusses several important developments in psychology including failed replications of established theories like ego depletion, updates on clinical trials and drug research, and various political developments around the 2016 election season. It maintains a light tone while discussing serious academic and scientific topics, including several meta-analyses and study critiques. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links and brief commentary spanning topics from scientific research to cultural phenomena, including updates on various studies challenging previous beliefs. Longer summary

This is a links post containing short summaries and comments on various news, studies, and interesting articles. Topics covered include gun violence research, genetic studies, college admissions and tuition, nutrition science, criminal justice reform, and cultural effects. Scott discusses new research challenging previous beliefs about bilingualism and drug side effects, shares interesting discoveries about religious effects on society, and provides updates on various scientific and technological developments. The post also includes commentary on political developments, interesting place names, and various cultural phenomena. 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 the concept of 'Lizardman's Constant' and its implications for interpreting poll results, especially those concerning unpopular beliefs. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the concept of 'Lizardman's Constant', which refers to the roughly 4% of respondents in polls who give outlandish or deliberately false answers. He explores this through three examples: a personal experience with survey responses, a poll about conspiracy theories, and a controversial study on climate change skepticism. The post argues that when dealing with unpopular beliefs, polls can only provide weak signals that are easily overwhelmed by noise from various sources, including jokesters, cognitive biases, and deliberate misbehavior. Scott concludes that polls relying on detecting very weak signals should be treated with skepticism. Shorter summary