A review of 'Why Machines Will Never Rule the World', presenting its arguments against AGI based on complexity and computability, while critically examining its conclusions and relevance. Longer summary

This review examines 'Why Machines Will Never Rule the World' by Jobst Landgrebe and Barry Smith, a book arguing against the possibility of artificial general intelligence (AGI). The reviewer presents the book's main arguments, which center on the complexity of human intelligence and the limitations of computational systems. While acknowledging the book's thorough research and engagement with various fields, the reviewer remains unconvinced by its strong conclusions. The review discusses counterarguments, including the current capabilities of language models and the uncertainty surrounding future AI developments. It concludes by suggesting alternative interpretations of the book's arguments and questioning the practical implications of such theoretical debates. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of interesting links and news items for April 2023, covering topics from unusual stories and scientific research to AI developments and global trends. Longer summary

Scott Alexander presents a collection of interesting links and news items for April 2023. The post covers a wide range of topics, including unusual stories, scientific research, political developments, AI progress and concerns, cultural phenomena, and more. Notable items include a real-life 'Cocaine Bear' story, an adversarial collaboration on income and happiness, concerns about AI development, and updates on global trends like birth rates in Africa. The post also includes several short fiction recommendations and humorous AI-related anecdotes. Shorter summary

Scott reviews 'Rhythms Of The Brain', exploring the nature and potential significance of brain waves in neuroscience and consciousness. Longer summary

Scott reviews 'Rhythms Of The Brain' by Gyorgy Buzsaki, exploring the nature and potential significance of brain waves. He discusses why brains produce oscillations, the characteristics of these waves, their possible functions, and speculates on their relationship to consciousness and spiritual experiences. The review concludes with thoughts on how the absence of brain-wave equivalents in AI might affect their development of consciousness or selfhood. Shorter summary

Scott proposes a 'low-hanging fruit' model to explain trends in scientific discovery, using a foraging analogy to illustrate why early scientists make more discoveries and at a younger age. Longer summary

Scott Alexander proposes a model to explain several trends in scientific discovery over time, using an analogy of foragers in a camp. The model suggests that early scientists make more discoveries than later ones, amateurs are more likely to contribute early on, and the age of discovery increases over time. These trends are less pronounced for brilliant scientists and don't apply to new fields. The model provides a mechanical explanation for trends often attributed to political factors, though Scott estimates it accounts for about 75% of the effect. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander presents a diverse collection of 37 links and interesting facts, covering topics from AI research and educational methods to historical anecdotes and current events. Longer summary

This post is a collection of 37 diverse links and interesting facts. Topics range from politics, technology, and science to history, culture, and economics. The post includes updates on AI research, discussions of educational methods, unusual historical anecdotes, and commentary on current events. Scott Alexander presents these with his characteristic mix of curiosity, humor, and analytical insight, often adding personal thoughts or highlighting particularly intriguing aspects of each item. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines mental disorders through the lens of dynamical systems theory, exploring how this perspective complements and contrasts with taxometric approaches. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the concept of mental disorders as dynamical systems with attractor states, contrasting this with the taxometric approach. He uses examples like Alice's health insurance situation and Bob's depression to illustrate how complex systems can have stable states that attract nearby unstable situations. The post discusses how this perspective can help understand the nature of depression and other mental disorders, showing how they can be both dimensional and categorical. Scott also draws parallels between the complexity of mental disorders and the global economy, emphasizing the intricate interconnections and the difficulty of predicting outcomes or effective interventions. Shorter summary

A diverse collection of links covering technology, science, economics, politics, and culture, including critiques of studies, interesting scientific findings, and current events. Longer summary

This post is a collection of links to various interesting articles, studies, and news items. It covers a wide range of topics including technology, science, economics, politics, and culture. Some highlights include: a list of places branding themselves as the next Silicon Valley, a study on declining fertility in dogs, critiques of bad scientific studies, an article on antidepressant tapering, data on value drift in effective altruism, and discussions on the Mueller Report's impact on media credibility. The post also includes links to various interesting facts, studies, and developments in fields such as nutrition, drug use, e-cigarettes, and urban development. Shorter summary

A diverse collection of links covering history, science, politics, culture, and curiosities, presented with humor and interesting facts. Longer summary

This post is a collection of various links and interesting facts across multiple domains. It covers historical peace treaties, scientific research on diminishing returns in science, geopolitical tensions in Eurovision, education rankings, religious schisms, marijuana regulations, scientific publishing news, experimental archaeology, neuroscience discoveries, geographical facts, international disputes, philosophy humor, rationality-related subreddits, healthcare transparency efforts, academic scandals, mathematical breakthroughs, political trends, cultural oddities, and linguistic curiosities. The post maintains a light, often humorous tone while presenting a wide array of information. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander uses the evolution of genetic science as a metaphor to explore how other fields might benefit from recognizing the polycausal nature of complex phenomena. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the evolution of genetic science, from the search for single genes responsible for complex traits to the current understanding that almost all genes contribute to these traits. He uses this as a metaphor for other sciences, particularly psychiatry, suggesting that many fields may be more polycausal than initially thought. The post explores the implications of this shift, including skepticism about personalized medicine and the potential need for new approaches to scientific research that can handle massive numbers of interacting causes. Scott concludes by imagining a hypothetical alien society where science is centered around polycausal scores, presenting this as a thought experiment for what science could aspire to be. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander presents a diverse collection of links and brief commentary on topics ranging from historical anecdotes to recent scientific studies and political developments. Longer summary

This post is a collection of various links and brief commentary on diverse topics. It covers historical anecdotes, scientific studies, political developments, and cultural phenomena. The post touches on subjects like vegetarian activism, Supreme Court changes, AI alignment, and Silicon Valley culture. Scott Alexander provides concise summaries and occasional personal opinions on these wide-ranging topics, often with a touch of humor or irony. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of links and brief commentaries on topics ranging from ancient calendars to fusion research, social trends, and economic analyses. Longer summary

This post is a collection of links and brief summaries on various topics, including calendar systems, scientific studies, social trends, economics, politics, and technology. Scott Alexander covers a wide range of subjects, from an ancient Persian calendar to fusion power research, social psychology effects, philosophical hiring biases, and economic analyses. The post includes commentary on recent news, scientific findings, and cultural phenomena, often with a touch of humor or skepticism. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links covering science, politics, economics, and culture, with Scott's commentary on each story. Longer summary

This is a links post containing various interesting stories and studies. The topics range widely from scientific studies about CBT efficacy and homosexuality in fruit flies, to political events like the Baltimore riots aftermath and FIFA scandals, to cultural curiosities like Chinese translations of Finnegan's Wake and crash blossom headlines. The post includes some interesting technology stories like AI safety and Russian smart billboards, economic studies about education and art museums, and various sociological studies and experiments. Shorter summary

Scott shares and comments on various interesting links covering science, politics, and curiosities, with particular focus on recent studies in genetics and psychology. Longer summary

This is a links post collecting various interesting news and studies from different fields. Topics range from scientific discoveries about probiotics and neurons, to political news about Hillary Clinton and Obamacare, to peculiar historical facts about town names and statistical centers. Scott provides brief commentary on many of the links, expressing particular interest in studies about genetics, social mobility, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Shorter summary