Scott Alexander discusses reader comments on his 'Geography of Madness' review, revising views on culture-bound syndromes and exploring various mental health topics. Longer summary

This post discusses various comments on Scott Alexander's review of 'The Geography of Madness'. It covers topics like culture-bound syndromes, the prevalence of brief psychotic disorder, the history of school shootings, the universality of PTSD, the rise of transgender identities, and the correlation between believing in ghosts and experiencing PMS. Scott revises some of his previous views, becoming more skeptical about many traditional culture-bound syndromes and acknowledging the complexity of cultural influences on mental health conditions. Shorter summary

A critical review of 'The Dawn of Everything' by Graeber and Wengrow, examining their challenge to standard prehistory narratives and proposing an alternative hypothesis. Longer summary

This book review of 'The Dawn of Everything' by David Graeber and David Wengrow critically examines the authors' attempt to challenge standard narratives of human prehistory. The reviewer praises the book's wealth of archaeological evidence but criticizes its political bias. The review explores the book's key arguments about the diversity of prehistoric societies, the non-revolutionary nature of agriculture, and the 'indigenous critique' of Western civilization. It also discusses the book's treatment of the 'Sapient Paradox' and proposes an alternative hypothesis about prehistoric social organization based on 'raw social power'. The review concludes by drawing parallels between this prehistoric 'Gossip Trap' and modern social media dynamics. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of links on topics ranging from scientific studies to cultural phenomena, with brief commentary on each. Longer summary

This post is a collection of links to various interesting articles, studies, and topics. Scott covers a wide range of subjects including scientific studies, cultural phenomena, economic trends, AI developments, and current events. The post includes commentary on each link, often with Scott's personal insights or opinions. Some recurring themes include AI progress, social science research, economic inequality, and cultural shifts. The tone is informative and slightly humorous, with Scott occasionally adding caveats about the reliability of certain claims or studies. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores a theory suggesting that complex features of human biology evolved as defenses against parasite manipulation, discussing its implications for understanding psychiatric medications and biological complexity. Longer summary

This post discusses a theory proposed by Marco del Giudice in his paper 'Brain Evolution Through The Lens Of Parasite Manipulation'. The theory suggests that many complex features of human biology, particularly in neurotransmitter systems, evolved as defenses against parasite manipulation of host behavior. The post outlines various strategies that organisms might use to defend against such manipulation, including complicated signaling cascades, feedback loops, pulse-based communication, individual variability, and the use of antimicrobial substances as neurotransmitters. Scott Alexander explores the implications of this theory for understanding psychiatric medications, tolerance effects, and the complexity of human biology. He concludes by discussing the strengths and potential weaknesses of the theory, noting that while it's an interesting perspective, it's too early to determine its full validity or impact. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines the fate of 1990s environmental concerns, finding a mix of solved problems, exaggerated issues, and ongoing challenges that have faded from public attention. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reflects on the environmental concerns of the 1990s, examining what happened to issues like air and water pollution, acid rain, rainforest deforestation, endangered species, landfill space, peak resource, and whale conservation. He finds that some problems were solved, some were exaggerated, and others continue but receive less attention. The post explores why certain environmental issues fade from public consciousness, considering factors like problem-solving, alarmism, shifting focus to climate change, and changes in societal attitudes. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines melatonin's effects, proper dosage, and uses for sleep disorders and circadian rhythm issues, emphasizing its dual role as a hypnotic and chronobiotic. Longer summary

Scott Alexander provides an in-depth analysis of melatonin, its effects, and proper usage. He explains that melatonin functions as both a hypnotic (inducing sleep) and a chronobiotic (shifting circadian rhythms). The post covers optimal dosing (0.3 mg, much lower than commonly available doses), use in treating circadian rhythm disorders, jet lag, and potential connections to other psychiatric conditions like seasonal affective disorder and depression. Scott also discusses personal experiences with melatonin, including its tendency to cause early waking and vivid dreams in some people. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links covering a wide range of topics, from scientific studies and historical facts to current events and amusing anecdotes. Longer summary

This is one of Scott's regular link posts, collecting various interesting articles, studies, and facts that caught his attention. The topics range widely from scientific research (like PTSD in Roman soldiers and genetic studies) to historical curiosities (like Byzantine titles and the history of cell phones). He also comments on current events like Silicon Valley critiques and political developments. Some links are serious academic studies, while others are more lighthearted like the rules around shooting Bigfoot. Throughout the post, Scott adds brief commentary and context to help readers understand the significance of each link. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links from early 2017 covering drugs, education, politics, science and history, with Scott's commentary on each. Longer summary

This is a links post where Scott Alexander shares various interesting articles and studies he's come across. The post covers a wide range of topics including new drug developments, education statistics, political events around Trump's presidency, scientific discoveries, and historical curiosities. The format follows a typical links post structure with brief commentary on each link, often adding context or witty observations. Many items focus on current events from early 2017, including Trump administration policies and European political trends. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links covering science, economics, and culture, with key stories about psychology study replication failures and various scientific findings. Longer summary

This is a links post containing various interesting news and studies from around the internet. Scott shares updates on topics ranging from economics to psychology to politics. Key highlights include a discussion of the psychology replication crisis where only half of major studies replicated, new findings about e-cigarettes being safer than smoking, insights into carbon offset fraud in Russia and Ukraine, and various scientific studies on topics like genetics and obesity, women in STEM fields, and the effects of school schedules on academic performance. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links covering various topics including medical discoveries, scientific studies, social issues, and economic findings, with brief commentary on each. Longer summary

This is a links post collecting various interesting articles and studies. The topics range from medical discoveries to economics, from social issues to scientific studies. It includes discussions of the Brindley lecture in urology, property rights on the moon, fecal transplant effects on weight, mental health policies at Yale, studies on criminality and parenting, and various other scientific and social findings. The post presents each link with a brief commentary or explanation, often with Scott's characteristic mix of curiosity and skepticism. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of links on topics ranging from politics and economics to scientific studies, offering brief commentaries and critiques. Longer summary

This post is a collection of interesting links and brief commentaries on various topics. Scott Alexander covers a wide range of subjects including politics, science, social issues, and economics. He discusses studies on poverty traps, the relationship between poverty and crime, and the effects of marijuana legalization. The post also includes quirky facts, book reviews, and observations on cultural phenomena. Scott's tone is analytical and often skeptical, particularly when discussing scientific studies and their interpretations. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reframes the Thanksgiving story as a science fiction narrative to highlight its overlooked complexities and darker aspects. Longer summary

Scott Alexander retells the story of Thanksgiving as a science fiction narrative, highlighting lesser-known historical facts. The post reimagines Squanto's life as a tale of alien abduction, dystopian empires, and post-apocalyptic America. It portrays the Pilgrims as aliens with advanced technology but lacking basic knowledge, and Squanto as a complex figure trying to rebuild civilization. The narrative concludes with a reminder of the eventual near-extinction of Native Americans, drawing parallels to the aliens' actions in the story. Scott uses this sci-fi retelling to emphasize the often-overlooked complexities and dark aspects of the Thanksgiving story. 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

Scott Alexander proposes a 'Thrive/Survive Theory' explaining political ideologies as optimizations for different environments, with rightism for survival and leftism for thriving in safety. Longer summary

Scott Alexander proposes a 'Thrive/Survive Theory' to explain the political spectrum. He suggests that rightism is optimized for surviving unsafe environments, while leftism is optimized for thriving in safe environments. The post explores how this theory explains various aspects of political ideologies, including their stability across cultures, correlation with other preferences, and the gradual leftward drift of society over time. Scott uses thought experiments involving zombie apocalypses and utopian futures to illustrate how different environments might shape political views. He also discusses how this theory relates to developmental psychology and historical trends. Shorter summary

Scott shares his monthly collection of interesting links spanning science, technology, history, and culture, with commentary on each story's significance or peculiarity. Longer summary

A collection of interesting links from February 2013, covering various topics from scientific discoveries to cultural oddities. The post includes stories about DNA data storage, unusual medical cases, economic statistics, technological advances in AI, historical curiosities like Irish slaves and green children, and various social and political observations. Scott presents these with his characteristic mix of intellectual curiosity and witty commentary, often noting when claims appear exaggerated or deserve skepticism. Shorter summary