Scott shares various interesting news items and studies spanning history, science, politics, and technology, with commentary on each item's significance or irony. Longer summary

A diverse collection of interesting links and news items covering various topics. The post includes historical curiosities (like Merv being the world's largest city), scientific research (including studies about genetic risk for sugar consumption and school effects), political developments (like Steve Bannon's profile and Trump's microphone issues), technology news (AI partnership between tech giants), and social issues (discrimination studies and immigration effects). The post maintains a light, sometimes humorous tone while discussing serious subjects, often adding ironic observations about how things work. Shorter summary

Scott shares a diverse collection of links and brief commentaries on scientific studies, political news, cultural phenomena, and personal observations across various fields. Longer summary

This post is a collection of links and brief commentaries on various topics, including scientific studies, political news, and cultural phenomena. Scott covers a wide range of subjects, from the effects of ultraviolet radiation on weight gain to the decline of cults, global inequality trends, genetic links to violent crime, and the concept of competitive governance. He also discusses recent political events, media controversies, and developments in artificial intelligence research. The post includes personal observations, book recommendations, and reflections on social dynamics within online communities. Shorter summary

Scott shares and comments on a diverse collection of news items and interesting links from March 2014, covering topics from medical advances to political issues and quirky stories. Longer summary

This post is a collection of various links and news items from March 2014. Scott covers a range of topics including medical advances, political issues, social science research, and quirky news stories. He comments on each item, often with a skeptical or humorous tone. The post touches on subjects like fecal transplants, charity effectiveness, SAT preparation myths, prediction markets, and genetic research. Scott also discusses some sociological theories and shares interesting statistics and studies. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines the life cycle of medical ideas, discussing how promising treatments often get stuck in a 'grey area' between proven and alternative medicine. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the life cycle of medical ideas, focusing on three examples from about five years ago: Zamboni's multiple sclerosis theory, Gat and Goren's prostatic hyperplasia theory, and minocycline for schizophrenia. He explores how the medical community responds to new ideas, the challenges of getting promising treatments approved and widely used, and the role of drug companies in this process. Scott notes a 'grey area' between proven medicine and alternative medicine, where promising ideas often languish, and reflects on the potential for new organizations to speed up the evaluation and adoption of these ideas. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links covering various topics from government plots and scientific studies to religious news and technological developments. Longer summary

Scott shares a diverse collection of interesting links from March, ranging from humorous historical anecdotes to serious scientific developments. The links cover topics like failed CIA plots against Cuba, religious developments including the Catholic Church's growth and interesting saints, scientific studies about diet and health, political observations, and technological news both positive (like graphene desalination) and negative (like various platform shutdowns). The post maintains a light, sometimes humorous tone while sharing these varied pieces of information. Shorter summary