Scott's monthly links roundup covering AI progress, the coming flood of philanthropic funding to effective altruism from AI companies, new research on persuasion and forecasting, and various scientific and cultural topics ranging from dementia prevention to Romanian politicians' embarrassing quotes. Longer summary

This is the second part of Scott Alexander's monthly links roundup for July 2026, covering a wide range of topics including AI developments, effective altruism funding waves, healthcare research, and cultural curiosities. Major themes include Chinese AI models catching up to the US (though still 6-12 months behind), the coming "third wave" of American philanthropy from AI company equity donations potentially flooding effective altruism with $40 billion/year, AI systems now outperforming humans at persuasion in specific contexts, and various scientific findings from dementia prevention to infinite ethics. The post maintains Scott's characteristic style of jumping between serious technical analysis, historical oddities, and humorous observations, with extensive linking to sources and ongoing debates in the rationalist and effective altruist communities. Shorter summary

The post explores the Far Out Initiative's goal to eliminate suffering through biotechnology, inspired by a pain-free woman and David Pearce's philosophy. Longer summary

This post discusses the Far Out Initiative, a project aimed at eliminating suffering through biotechnology. It begins by introducing Jo Cameron, a woman genetically incapable of feeling pain or anxiety, and explores the philosophical implications of her condition. The post then delves into David Pearce's suffering abolitionism philosophy and his practical approaches to ending suffering. Finally, it describes the Far Out Initiative's current efforts, led by Marcin Kowrygo, to create suffering-free animals through genetic engineering and potentially extend this to humans in the future. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares 57 diverse links and brief commentaries on topics ranging from politics and psychology to technology and culture. Longer summary

Scott Alexander presents a collection of 57 interesting links and brief commentaries on various topics, including politics, psychology, technology, culture, and science. The post covers a wide range of subjects, from corporate takeovers and European stereotypes to psychedelic research and AI developments. It also includes discussions on mental health, education, and current events. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores various commenters' insights on the neuroscience of reward, happiness, and relationships, expanding on his original post about unpredictable rewards. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses highlights from comments on his post 'Unpredictable Reward, Predictable Happiness', covering topics such as neuroscience of reward, dopamine, and relationships. He explores various perspectives on how the brain processes rewards, predictions, and happiness, including insights from neuroscientists, psychologists, and personal anecdotes. The post touches on topics like abusive relationships, polyamory, wealth and happiness, and the cognitive burden of poverty. Shorter summary

Scott examines two types of happiness - one affected by predictability and one that persists - through various examples and neuroscientific concepts. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the concept of happiness and reward in relation to neuroscience and prediction error. He discusses how there seem to be two types of happiness: one that is cancelled out by predictability (like the hedonic treadmill) and another that persists even when expected. The post delves into various examples including grief, romantic relationships, and drug tolerance to illustrate this pattern. Scott also touches on AI concepts and how they might relate to human reward systems. He concludes by suggesting that while unpredicted rewards can't be consistently obtained, predicted rewards can still be enjoyable. Shorter summary