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 the relationship between gun ownership and homicide rates, finding a likely causal link but noting it's not the main factor in the US's high murder rate. Longer summary

Scott Alexander analyzes the relationship between gun ownership and homicide rates in the US, critiquing misleading statistics and conducting a more rigorous analysis. He finds that while there is likely a causal relationship between gun ownership and homicide rates, it's not the primary factor explaining the US's high murder rate compared to other developed countries. He tentatively concludes that gun control measures similar to Australia's might be beneficial, but emphasizes the need for further research. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander uses an analogy between race and culture to argue that mathematical clustering arguments don't determine whether race 'exists' any more than they determine whether culture 'exists'. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the concept of 'Eulering,' using complex math to debunk common sense ideas, and proposes 'Feynmaning' as a counter-technique. He applies this to the debate about race, comparing arguments against race as a biological concept to similar arguments that could be made about culture. He concludes that mathematical arguments about clustering don't determine whether race 'exists' any more than they determine whether culture 'exists,' and suggests that race doesn't have any extra reality beyond culture. The post uses an analogy between race and culture to challenge both those who claim race isn't real and those who claim it's more 'scientific' than culture. Shorter summary