The post examines whether unimproved land value can be accurately assessed separately from buildings, a crucial aspect of Georgist land value taxation. Longer summary

This post explores the feasibility of accurately assessing unimproved land value separately from buildings, a key requirement for implementing Georgist land value taxation. It reviews various modern assessment methods, discusses their accuracy and limitations, and concludes that while not perfect, these methods are likely 'good enough' for practical implementation of land value tax policies. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews three books: a controversial psychotherapy text, an introduction to Lacan's philosophy, and a rationalist-themed fantasy novel. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews three books in this post. He starts with 'Method of Levels' by Timothy Carey, a book about psychotherapy based on perceptual control theory. Scott criticizes the book's extreme claims but finds some value in its approach. Next, he reviews 'How To Read Lacan' by Slavoj Zizek, finding it surprisingly readable but not entirely coherent. Lastly, he discusses 'The Steerswoman', a fantasy novel popular in the rationalist community, which he finds fun but not particularly deep. Shorter summary

Scott shares diverse links ranging from optical illusions and Bitcoin drama to educational research and medical controversies, with commentary on methodology and social implications. Longer summary

A collection of interesting links covering various topics. The post starts with scientific curiosities like the McCullough Effect optical illusion and updates on potential alien megastructures, then moves through educational research, Bitcoin controversies, and employment discrimination. It includes discussions of medical issues in the UK, interesting methodologies in gender research, and immigration policies. The post ends with various studies on economics, psychology, and social issues, including an intriguing study about Vietnam veterans' children's income. Shorter summary

Scott explores the nature of scientific contrarianism, discussing how ideas spread through the scientific community and the challenges faced by both crackpots and legitimate contrarians. Longer summary

This post discusses the concept of contrarians and crackpots in science, exploring how ideas move through different levels of the scientific community. Scott examines cases like Gary Taubes and the serotonin theory of depression to illustrate how scientific consensus can differ at various levels. He proposes a pyramid model of scientific knowledge dissemination and discusses how contrarians might be skipping levels in this pyramid. The post then contrasts virtuous contrarians with crackpots, noting that the former often face indifference rather than opposition. Scott concludes by discussing paradigm shifts in science and how even correct contrarians often lose credit for their ideas. Shorter summary