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

Scott Alexander shares interesting links on diverse topics including Russian life comparisons, AI developments, scientific discoveries, cultural evolution, and various research findings, with brief commentary on each. Longer summary

This is a links post collecting various interesting articles and news items. The topics range from historical curiosities like forest rings and 18th century sci-fi to modern developments in AI and genetics. There are several items about scientific research, including studies on autism, addiction, and serotonin. The post also covers cultural and social issues like the 'Mizzou Effect' at colleges and racial segregation patterns. Each item is briefly summarized with Scott's characteristic mix of intellectual curiosity and light commentary. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander endorses Clinton (or Johnson/Stein in safe states) over Trump, citing concerns about Trump's unpredictability and potential negative impacts on conservatism and social dynamics. Longer summary

Scott Alexander endorses voting for Hillary Clinton in swing states, and Clinton, Johnson, or Stein in safe states. He argues against Donald Trump, not primarily on policy grounds, but because of Trump's unpredictability, potential for high-variance outcomes, and the damage he could do to conservatism and the fight against social justice extremism. Alexander expresses concerns about Trump's lack of concrete plans, his potential to radicalize the next generation towards the far left, and his movement's epistemic vices. He also touches on issues like global warming and immigration, urging readers to consider the long-term consequences of their vote. Shorter summary

A links post collecting interesting stories from around the web, including scientific studies, historical oddities, media criticism, and current events, with Scott's commentary and analysis. Longer summary

This is a links post collecting various interesting stories and studies from around the web. It covers topics from historical oddities (like Maoist China's mango obsession), scientific studies (on autism genetics, weight loss, and practice effects), media criticism (of Salon and coverage of Venezuela's collapse), and current events. The post points out interesting patterns and connections between the stories while maintaining a somewhat skeptical tone about extraordinary claims. Scott maintains his characteristic style of finding fascinating angles on seemingly mundane topics while questioning conventional narratives. Shorter summary

Scott analyzes California's water usage, critiques media coverage of the drought, and proposes a market-based solution focused on reducing alfalfa farming. Longer summary

This post analyzes California's water usage and the current drought crisis. Scott breaks down water consumption by sector using data from various sources, comparing it to a family budget for easier comprehension. He then examines recent news stories about water usage, pointing out how some concerns (like fracking and bottled water) are insignificant compared to agricultural use, particularly alfalfa farming. Finally, he discusses the potential for a market-based solution, suggesting that paying alfalfa farmers not to grow their crop could be more cost-effective than current water-saving measures. 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

Scott Alexander examines political tribalism in America, arguing that people often claim tolerance while harboring strong prejudices against their outgroups. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the concept of outgroups and ingroups, arguing that people often claim to be tolerant of all groups except their perceived outgroup. He suggests that in modern American society, political tribes (Red and Blue) have become more significant than traditional demographic divisions. The essay analyzes how these tribes interact, criticize each other, and sometimes engage in self-criticism that may actually be veiled attacks on the opposing tribe. Alexander ultimately reflects on his own biases and the difficulty of genuine self-criticism and tolerance. Shorter summary

The post explores the contradiction between studies suggesting elite influence on policy and those indicating money's limited impact on politics, offering several hypotheses to reconcile these findings. Longer summary

This post discusses two seemingly contradictory political science findings: one suggesting that elite opinion strongly influences US policy, and another indicating that money has little impact on politics. The author presents several hypotheses to reconcile these findings, including the possibility that legislators are themselves elites, that elites control cultural institutions, or that money influences politics through lobbying rather than campaign contributions. The post critically examines each hypothesis, considering their strengths and weaknesses in explaining the apparent contradiction. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines Pope Francis's PR-friendly actions, questioning why previous Popes didn't employ similar strategies and considering how this shift reflects changing public values. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses Pope Francis being named Time's Person of the Year, expressing appreciation for the Pope's good work while questioning the public's focus on his PR-friendly actions. He argues that these actions, like washing the feet of the poor or living humbly, are obvious PR moves that any savvy leader would make. Scott wonders why previous Popes didn't engage in similar activities, suggesting that Francis might be the first to truly understand modern PR. The post ends with an edit considering that perhaps previous Popes' strategies of projecting power and wealth were actually more effective for their times, implying a significant shift in public values over the past century. Shorter summary

Scott shares a diverse collection of interesting links and brief commentary on topics ranging from unusual video games to genetic research and political oddities. Longer summary

This post is a collection of interesting links and brief commentary on various topics. It covers a range of subjects including unusual video games, disease threat research, medical concerns about Tylenol use during pregnancy, questionable online dating sites, car-free cities, the relationship between intelligence and longevity, augmented reality games, historical enigmas, genetic editing techniques, political oddities, social mobility research, and unusual election tactics. The tone is informative and sometimes humorous, with Scott providing his thoughts and observations on each item. Shorter summary