Scott shares humorous anecdotes about the daily chaos of raising toddler twins, from emergency police visits triggered by screaming over the wrong version of a song, to elaborate bedtime battles and the children's obsession with identifying vehicles and animals. Longer summary

Scott Alexander shares entertaining stories about parenting his toddler twins, Kai and Lyra, describing life with them as a 'permanent emergency'. The post opens with police arriving after a 911 call likely triggered by screaming over the wrong version of 'Mister Golden Sun'. Scott describes how the children have developed their own names for songs, their obsession with identifying animals and vehicles (which he theorizes relates to hunter-gatherer instincts), and their different personalities - Kai being chaotic and disruptive while Lyra is calm and cooperative. He details the elaborate bedtime ritual with Kai, including various stalling tactics like demanding food and fake-drinking milk. The post includes several photos of the twins and maintains a humorous, self-deprecating tone throughout while exploring how toddler behavior might reflect evolutionary programming. Shorter summary

A review of the synaptic plasticity and memory hypothesis arguing that it is insufficient to explain memory, and proposing a broader cellular processes and memory hypothesis that includes molecular and intracellular mechanisms. Longer summary

The post reviews the synaptic plasticity and memory (SPM) hypothesis, which claims that learning and memory are stored in changes to synaptic weights between neurons. Through several compelling examples, from cannibalism rituals to heart transplant stories and single-cell learning, the author argues that while the SPM hypothesis has been productive, it is incomplete and partially wrong. The post presents evidence that memory can be stored through non-synaptic mechanisms, and proposes an alternative called the cellular processes and memory (CPM) hypothesis, which suggests memory storage involves multiple molecular and intracellular processes beyond just synaptic weights. Shorter summary

This review examines the importance of Silver Age Marvel Comics (1961-1965) as modern mythology, discussing their innovations and impact on comic book history. Longer summary

This review explores the significance of Silver Age Marvel Comics (1961-1965), discussing their role as modern mythology, their innovations in storytelling and character creation, and their impact on comic book history. The author analyzes Stan Lee's contributions, the Marvel Method of comic creation, and the establishment of the interconnected Marvel Universe, while also acknowledging the era's limitations in terms of gender representation and storytelling complexity. Shorter summary

The review analyzes Real Raw News, a popular conspiracy theory website, examining its content, appeal, and implications in the context of modern media consumption and AI technology. Longer summary

This book review analyzes the website Real Raw News, a popular source of conspiracy theories and fake news stories centered around Donald Trump and his alleged secret war against the 'Deep State'. The reviewer examines the site's content, its narrative techniques, and its appeal to believers, drawing parallels to comic book lore and discussing the psychological needs it fulfills. The review also considers the broader implications of such conspiracy theories in the age of AI-generated content. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander argues against conservatives adopting cancel culture tactics, presenting practical reasons why this approach would be counterproductive and harmful. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the recent debate among conservatives about whether to adopt cancel culture tactics against their opponents. He argues against this approach, presenting several practical considerations. These include the ineffectiveness of persecution in teaching lessons, the historical context of cancel culture, the similarity between left and right attitudes, the prevalence of friendly fire in cancellations, the negative impact on competence and institutions, and the strategic downsides for conservatives. Scott suggests alternative approaches to addressing cancel culture, emphasizing the need for principled and incremental progress. Shorter summary

The review explores Jane Jacobs' economic theories from two of her books, focusing on the importance of cities in economic development and challenging conventional wisdom on separatism and large political entities. Longer summary

This review examines two books by Jane Jacobs: 'Cities and the Wealth of Nations' and 'The Question of Separatism'. The reviewer explores Jacobs' economic theories, which center on the importance of cities in economic development. Jacobs argues that cities, not nations, are the fundamental units of economic life, and that the process of import replacement is crucial for economic growth. The review also discusses Jacobs' views on separatism, currency, and the drawbacks of large political entities. The author notes that Jacobs' ideas challenge conventional wisdom across the political spectrum and suggests that her work deserves more attention in economic discourse. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares 57 diverse links and brief commentaries on topics ranging from politics and psychology to technology and culture. Longer summary

Scott Alexander presents a collection of 57 interesting links and brief commentaries on various topics, including politics, psychology, technology, culture, and science. The post covers a wide range of subjects, from corporate takeovers and European stereotypes to psychedelic research and AI developments. It also includes discussions on mental health, education, and current events. Shorter summary

A review of Ray Huang's '1587, A Year of No Significance', examining the decline of the Ming dynasty through the lens of an apparently uneventful year. Longer summary

This book review examines '1587, A Year of No Significance: The Ming Dynasty in Decline' by Ray Huang. The reviewer details the book's exploration of a seemingly uneventful year in Ming dynasty China, highlighting how it exemplifies the systemic inertia and decline of the empire. The review covers key figures like the Wan-Li Emperor, Grand Secretaries Chang and Shen, and other notable individuals, while drawing parallels to other historical contexts and discussing the broader implications of the Ming dynasty's governance style and eventual fall. Shorter summary

A comprehensive review of 'The Castrato' by Martha Feldman, exploring the history, biology, and social impact of castrati singers in Italy. Longer summary

This book review explores 'The Castrato' by Martha Feldman, detailing the history of castrati singers in Italy from the 16th to 19th centuries. It covers their origins, biology, vocal abilities, social status, and relationships with the church and aristocracy. The review also draws parallels to modern practices and speculates on potential future implications of human modification for entertainment or power. Shorter summary

Scott explores various fictional scenarios about the relationship between gods, belief, and power through a series of dialogues between a student and a sage. Longer summary

This post is a series of fictional dialogues between a student and a sage, exploring different hypothetical scenarios about the nature of gods and belief. Each scenario presents a unique twist on the relationship between gods, belief, and power. The dialogues cover topics such as the balance between belief and doubt, the power of unbelievers' worship, the strength gained from doubt, and the potential for humans to become gods through collective belief. The post ends with a surprising turn, suggesting a connection to a well-known religious figure. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores the universal human drive for discovery and knowledge-seeking, comparing it to 'intellectual minor leagues' and questioning how non-experts can contribute meaningful insights. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reflects on Adrian Hon's article about QAnon and alternate reality games, exploring the human drive for discovery and knowledge-seeking. He argues that this drive isn't limited to conspiracy theorists but is present in all of us, including academics and bloggers. Scott discusses how people satisfy their intellectual curiosity in a world where most significant discoveries have already been made, comparing it to 'intellectual minor leagues'. He considers various explanations for how non-experts can still contribute meaningful insights, such as the vastness of knowledge, unique combinations of experiences, or repackaging existing ideas. The essay concludes by questioning the author's own role in knowledge production and suggesting that the discovery drive is a fundamental human trait. Shorter summary

A writer pitches increasingly absurd zombie story ideas to an editor who dismisses them all as 'done', ending with a twist revealing the editor is a zombie. Longer summary

This satirical story depicts a conversation between a writer and an editor about a proposed zombie story. The writer tries to pitch various zombie story ideas, but the editor repeatedly dismisses them as 'done', highlighting the oversaturation of the zombie genre. The writer becomes increasingly desperate, proposing more and more outlandish ideas, all of which have supposedly been done. The story ends with a twist revealing that the editor is actually a zombie, ironically embodying the very trope being criticized. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines how debates often revolve around vague concepts with positive or negative associations rather than specific claims, leading to logical fallacies and tribal thinking. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the concept of 'ethnic tension' in arguments, showing how debates often center around vague concepts loaded with good or bad karma rather than specific factual or moral claims. He argues this leads to motte-and-bailey fallacies, tribal affiliations, and motivated reasoning. The post analyzes how concepts become associated with groups, creating proxy ethnicities and making rational debate difficult. Scott suggests precision and separating concepts as a potential solution to this problem. Shorter summary

Scott shares various interesting links and studies, covering topics from education research and IQ testing to controversial social issues and scientific discoveries, while adding his commentary on each. Longer summary

This is a collection of interesting links with Scott's commentary. The links cover a wide range of topics including education research showing long-term effects of good teachers, studies about IQ test motivation, controversial social policies, viral stories that turned out to be hoaxes, and scientific discoveries. Scott provides context and critical analysis for each link, often connecting them to broader themes about social movements, research methodology, and policy effectiveness. The post ends with some interesting scientific findings about inherited memories in mice and a personal request for accommodation in New York. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander critiques the concept of 'rape culture', arguing that society actually treats rape more seriously than many other crimes, contrary to what the term implies. Longer summary

Scott Alexander expresses confusion and skepticism about the term 'rape culture'. He examines five claims associated with the concept and argues against each one, concluding that society actually treats rape as particularly heinous compared to other crimes. He discusses how the criminal justice system handles rape cases, victim-blaming behaviors, sexual objectification, and the disproportionate attention given to rape compared to other issues. The post uses various examples and statistics to support its arguments, maintaining that the concept of 'rape culture' is misguided and contradicts observable societal attitudes towards rape. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander critiques a plan to cure youth unemployment by abolishing minimum wage, arguing that unemployment might be preferable to miserable employment at extremely low wages. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses Federico's plan to cure youth unemployment through policies like abolishing minimum wage and reducing labor regulations. He explores the potential consequences, comparing unemployment to underemployment at very low wages. The post delves into historical communist strategies, technological unemployment, and the challenges of adapting to a changing job market. Scott argues that unemployment might be preferable to miserable employment at extremely low wages, as it could lead to solutions like a Basic Income Guarantee. He concludes that minimum wage and labor regulations might serve to turn miserably-employed people into unemployed welfare recipients, creating a problem society is more likely to address. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander criticizes the humorous adaptations of Lovecraft's work in geek culture, arguing they miss the author's intent to create a sense of the strange and transcendent. Longer summary

Scott Alexander critiques the transformation of Lovecraft's work in geek culture, arguing that the humorous adaptations of Cthulhu and other Lovecraftian elements miss the author's original intent. He emphasizes that Lovecraft's aim was to create a sense of the strange, intense, and unearthly, divorced from everyday mundanity. Scott argues that Lovecraft opposed ironic humor that diminishes the transcendent nature of his creations. He urges readers who are interested in Lovecraft to explore his serious works, particularly recommending 'The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath' and shorter stories in the Dream Cycle. Shorter summary