Scott Alexander examines a theory proposing that depression, anxiety, and trauma are characterized by low precision of sensory evidence, leading to overreliance on negative priors. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses a paper by Van der Bergh et al. that proposes a unified theory of negative emotionality, including depression, anxiety, and trauma. The theory suggests that these conditions are characterized by a processing style that assigns unusually low precision to sensory evidence, leading to an overreliance on negative priors. Scott explores the implications of this theory, including its support for various psychotherapies, somatic therapies, and meditation. He also discusses potential pharmacological interventions and how this model ties together various concepts in psychiatry and predictive processing. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews 'Willpower' by Baumeister and Tierney, finding it disappointing for its pop science approach and failure to address controversies in willpower research. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews the book 'Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength' by Roy Baumeister and John Tierney. He expresses disappointment with the book's pop science approach and lack of in-depth exploration of the controversies surrounding willpower research. The review outlines key points from the book, discusses ongoing debates in the field, and presents Scott's own thoughts on how willpower might work. He critiques the book for not addressing important controversies and research challenges in the field of willpower studies. Shorter summary

A links roundup covering topics from ISIS dating sites to space exploration, scientific studies, and cultural observations, featuring Scott's commentary and analysis on each item. Longer summary

This is a links post presenting various news and studies. It covers diverse topics including a dating site run by ISIS, space exploration news about Orion and SpaceX, studies about omega-3 fats and psychosis, Chinese censorship of puns, controversies around doxxing in Ferguson, research on glial cells and intelligence, poker tournament winners linked to effective altruism, and various other scientific studies and cultural observations. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of interesting news items and links from July 2014, covering topics from philosophy and politics to science and pop culture. Longer summary

This post is a collection of interesting links and news items from July 2014. Scott covers a wide range of topics, including a plagiarism scandal involving Slavoj Zizek, a man claiming unclaimed African land for his daughter, artificial language generation, diet research, a Tumblr convention, online drug trade, religious preferences in America, and various other cultural, scientific, and political items. The post has a light, sometimes humorous tone, and often includes Scott's personal commentary on the news items. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander presents Raikoth, his fictional utopian society, which strives for perfection in language, government, and population through unique systems and practices. Longer summary

Scott Alexander describes Raikoth, a fictional utopian society he created. Raikoth is an island nation of 8 million people that aims for perfection in three areas: language, government, and population. They use Kadhamic, a 'perfect language' designed for philosophical rigor, and are governed by AI 'Angels' that make decisions based on utilitarian calculations. The population is carefully managed through birth control, exile of criminals, and selective breeding. Education focuses on meditation, psychedelic experiences, and rationality. The post provides detailed information about Raikoth's history, government structure, societal norms, and educational system. Shorter summary