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18 posts found
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Feb 09, 2023
acx
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40 min 6,180 words 1,041 comments 146 likes podcast (41 min)
Scott Alexander presents a diverse collection of 49 links and brief commentaries on various topics, ranging from cultured meat to AI developments and current events. Longer summary
This post is a collection of 49 diverse links and brief commentaries on various topics, including cultured meat, government policies, scientific studies, historical anecdotes, AI developments, and current events. The author, Scott Alexander, provides his thoughts and observations on each item, often with a mix of humor, skepticism, and analysis. The links cover a wide range of subjects from technology and economics to politics and culture, reflecting the broad interests of the blog's readership. Shorter summary
Mar 30, 2022
acx
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20 min 3,044 words 974 comments 176 likes podcast (23 min)
Scott Alexander argues for a universal right to self-determination, critiquing the current paradigm of determining which groups qualify as 'peoples'. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores the concept of self-determination in international politics, focusing on the case of Ukraine and Russia. He critiques the current paradigm of determining which groups qualify as 'peoples' deserving self-determination, arguing instead for a universal right to self-determination for any region large enough to feasibly be its own country. The post discusses the complexities and potential problems with this approach, including the cases of Crimea and the American Confederacy. Scott concludes that while his position leads to some controversial conclusions, it's more consistent and ethically sound than basing self-determination on subjective cultural or historical criteria. Shorter summary
Jun 14, 2021
acx
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26 min 3,906 words 690 comments 202 likes podcast (29 min)
Scott Alexander argues that Jewish overachievement is real and deserves continued study, countering Noah Smith's attempt to downplay its significance. Longer summary
Scott Alexander responds to Noah Smith's article questioning whether Jews are really disproportionately successful. Scott argues that Jewish success is real and not fully explained by selective immigration or other factors Noah proposed. He examines historical evidence on Jewish immigration, compares Jewish achievement to urbanization rates, and discusses data on Jewish success in various fields. Scott concludes that Jewish overachievement remains an interesting and important phenomenon to study, potentially offering insights into genetics or cultural factors that could be broadly beneficial if understood. Shorter summary
May 10, 2018
ssc
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13 min 1,966 words 615 comments
Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of links and brief commentaries on topics ranging from ancient calendars to fusion research, social trends, and economic analyses. Longer summary
This post is a collection of links and brief summaries on various topics, including calendar systems, scientific studies, social trends, economics, politics, and technology. Scott Alexander covers a wide range of subjects, from an ancient Persian calendar to fusion power research, social psychology effects, philosophical hiring biases, and economic analyses. The post includes commentary on recent news, scientific findings, and cultural phenomena, often with a touch of humor or skepticism. Shorter summary
Feb 06, 2018
ssc
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10 min 1,435 words 302 comments podcast (13 min)
Scott Alexander shares his 100 predictions for 2018 on topics like politics, economics, technology, and personal goals, with assigned probabilities for each. Longer summary
Scott Alexander presents his annual predictions for 2018, covering various topics including US politics, economics, technology, culture wars, the rationalist community, and personal matters. He makes 100 predictions with assigned probabilities, ranging from political outcomes to personal goals. The post includes predictions about Donald Trump's presidency, cryptocurrency prices, SpaceX launches, and the growth of Scott's blog. He also mentions some secret predictions about friends' personal lives. Scott explains his methodology and notes some predictions he already believes may be miscalibrated. Shorter summary
Apr 17, 2017
ssc
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40 min 6,075 words 609 comments
Scott Alexander examines his evolving view on scientific consensus, realizing it's more reliable and self-correcting than he previously thought. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reflects on his changing perspective towards scientific consensus, sharing personal experiences where he initially believed he was defying consensus but later discovered that the scientific community was often ahead of or aligned with his views. He discusses examples from various fields including the replication crisis, nutrition science, social justice issues, and AI risk. Alexander concludes that scientific consensus, while not perfect, is remarkably effective and trustworthy, often self-correcting within a decade of new evidence emerging. Shorter summary
Feb 08, 2017
ssc
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5 min 632 words 105 comments
Scott Alexander discusses a genetic study that largely confirms historical American migration patterns described in 'Albion's Seed', noting both its confirmations and areas of confusion. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews a genetic study that analyzes the population structure of North America, relating it to David Fischer's book 'Albion's Seed' and the concept of American Nations. The study used 770,000 genomes to create clusters that largely confirm historical migration patterns described in these works. Scott notes how the genetic clusters match with New Englander and Pennsylvania Quaker migrations, and their westward spread. He expresses confusion about the Southern/Appalachian region's genetic divisions and disappointment that the study doesn't confirm some theories about West Coast populations. Overall, Scott sees this as an elegant example of hard science confirming historical speculation. Shorter summary
Nov 01, 2016
ssc
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9 min 1,395 words 671 comments
Scott Alexander shares a collection of interesting links and studies on various topics, including scientific research, cultural observations, and current events, with brief commentary on each. Longer summary
This post is a collection of links to various articles and studies, with brief commentary on each. The links cover diverse topics from science, anthropology, politics, and society, including findings about placebo effects in psychiatry, Mormon cultural origins, and college rankings. The format is informal, with Scott providing personal observations and sometimes humorous asides about each link. The post includes both academic studies and news articles, often focusing on unexpected or counterintuitive findings. Shorter summary
Jan 27, 2016
ssc
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22 min 3,388 words 968 comments
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
Jan 25, 2016
ssc
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10 min 1,447 words 534 comments
Scott Alexander shares his 100 predictions for 2016, assigning probabilities to each across various global and personal topics. Longer summary
Scott Alexander presents his predictions for 2016, covering a wide range of topics from world events to personal matters. He assigns probabilities to each prediction, indicating his level of confidence. The predictions span various areas including global politics, economics, technology, and personal life events. Scott also mentions other bloggers who are making similar yearly predictions with probabilities. Shorter summary
Dec 29, 2015
ssc
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11 min 1,597 words 581 comments
A curated collection of interesting links covering academic debates, cultural issues, economics, and scientific discoveries from around the web. Longer summary
This is a links post containing various interesting articles and news items from around the web. The post covers topics ranging from academic debates, cultural issues, economics, and scientific discoveries. Notable items include discussions about political correctness at Oberlin, a replication debate in economics, SpaceX's successful rocket landing, and various historical curiosities like the Roman charioteer Gaius Appuleius Diocles and the Sedan nuclear test mishap. Shorter summary
Dec 10, 2015
ssc
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20 min 3,031 words 323 comments
Scott Alexander shares and comments on highlighted passages from Garrett Jones' 'Hive Mind', covering various aspects of IQ research and its societal implications. Longer summary
This post is a collection of highlighted passages from Garrett Jones' book 'Hive Mind', along with Scott Alexander's commentary. The passages cover a wide range of topics related to IQ, including its measurement, cultural differences, effects on cooperation and voting behavior, and its relationship to national economic performance. Scott provides critical analysis and personal insights on these excerpts, often relating them to other research or raising questions about their implications. The post also touches on topics such as the Flynn effect, nutrition's impact on intelligence, and group dynamics in decision-making. Shorter summary
Dec 08, 2015
ssc
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19 min 2,827 words 785 comments
A collection of interesting links covering recent research, controversies, and developments across various fields including science, economics, politics and sociology, with Scott's brief commentary on each. Longer summary
This is a link roundup post covering various topics and recent research findings. Scott shares interesting links about economics, science, politics, and sociology. The post includes studies on racial bias in policing, diet soda effects, mass shootings statistics, refugee integration in Sweden, and various other topics. He also discusses controversial topics like cultural appropriation and gun control debates, while maintaining a balanced and analytical perspective. The format follows Scott's typical style of providing brief commentary and context for each link shared. Shorter summary
Oct 29, 2015
ssc
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20 min 2,965 words 639 comments
A collection of interesting links covering science, education, politics and culture, with Scott Alexander's commentary and analysis on each. Longer summary
This is a links post collecting various interesting articles and studies. Notable topics include: an IQ study predicting US gains, a social site called Omnilibrium trying to improve filtering, FDA allowing 23andMe genetic tests at higher prices, evidence about pre-K education having potentially negative effects, and news about polio eradication. The post also covers topics like genetic engineering in China, studies about police reducing crime, and cultural analysis of urban violence. Many links come with Scott's brief commentary or analysis putting them in context. Shorter summary
Jul 08, 2015
ssc
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16 min 2,412 words 769 comments
A diverse collection of links and studies covering education, race, healthcare, and various other topics, with Scott's commentary and analysis on each item. Longer summary
This is a link roundup post containing various news stories, studies, and interesting findings from different fields. The post covers topics ranging from education and healthcare to genetics and AI safety. Scott discusses several studies about racial achievement gaps, education outcomes, and healthcare system comparisons. He also shares interesting findings about animals, medical coding systems, and various social and economic issues. The post maintains a light tone while discussing serious topics, often adding humorous asides or personal observations. Shorter summary
May 08, 2015
ssc
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11 min 1,617 words 503 comments
Scott shares and comments on various links covering science, politics, and culture, with topics ranging from automation's effect on employment to psychology's replication crisis. Longer summary
This is a collection of interesting links and brief commentaries by Scott Alexander. He covers a wide range of topics including scientific studies, current events, and cultural phenomena. Notable items include studies about employment and automation, discrimination research methodology, problems with student course evaluations, and psychology's reproducibility crisis. The post also includes quirky items like Dutch swearing customs and unusual products, maintaining Scott's characteristic mix of serious analysis and lighter observations. Shorter summary
Apr 20, 2015
ssc
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9 min 1,315 words 363 comments
Scott shares and comments on various interesting links covering science, politics, and curiosities, with particular focus on recent studies in genetics and psychology. Longer summary
This is a links post collecting various interesting news and studies from different fields. Topics range from scientific discoveries about probiotics and neurons, to political news about Hillary Clinton and Obamacare, to peculiar historical facts about town names and statistical centers. Scott provides brief commentary on many of the links, expressing particular interest in studies about genetics, social mobility, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Shorter summary
Jul 25, 2014
ssc
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10 min 1,542 words 175 comments
Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of interesting news items and links from July 2014, covering topics from philosophy and politics to science and pop culture. Longer summary
This post is a collection of interesting links and news items from July 2014. Scott covers a wide range of topics, including a plagiarism scandal involving Slavoj Zizek, a man claiming unclaimed African land for his daughter, artificial language generation, diet research, a Tumblr convention, online drug trade, religious preferences in America, and various other cultural, scientific, and political items. The post has a light, sometimes humorous tone, and often includes Scott's personal commentary on the news items. Shorter summary
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