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Feb 05, 2026

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Links For February 2026

48 min • 7,419 words • 660 comments • 255 likes • podcast (49 min)

A monthly collection of diverse links covering AI developments and regulation, COVID origins debates, healthcare policy, cultural phenomena, scientific research, and internet curiosities, maintaining Scott's characteristic blend of serious analysis and entertaining observations. Longer summary

Scott Alexander's February 2026 links collection covers a wide range of topics including AI developments, politics, science, culture, and internet phenomena. Major themes include updates on AI capabilities and regulation (with discussions of OpenAI, Anthropic, and various political machinations around AI policy), the ongoing COVID lab leak debate and related prediction markets, healthcare and drug development issues, cultural observations from around the world, and various scientific and academic findings. The post maintains Scott's characteristic style of jumping between serious policy discussions, academic research, internet curiosities, and cultural commentary, with particular attention to AI safety concerns, rationalist community topics, and interesting historical or linguistic oddities. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: forecasting (87), prediction markets (85), scientific research (64), links (62), rationalist community (38), internet culture (34), AI alignment (32), links roundup (28), OpenAI (27), AI development (23), AI capabilities (21), healthcare policy (20), dating (18), drug development (18), AI regulation (14), crime statistics (13), Anthropic (12), AI policy (11), COVID-19 origins (6), lab leak theory (3), political influence (2), cultural observations (2)

Aug 08, 2025

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Your Review: My Father’s Instant Mashed Potatoes

33 min • 4,961 words • 366 comments • 334 likes • podcast (30 min)

Through the lens of instant mashed potatoes, the author explores how modern society creates inferior imitations of real things, and what we lose by accepting these substitutes. Longer summary

The author reviews his relationship with instant mashed potatoes, using them as a lens to explore how modern society creates inferior imitations of real things. Starting with personal history about his father's love of instant mashed potatoes, the author traces the history of potato cultivation and preparation, from ancient Peru to modern instant versions. He then uses this to develop a broader theory about 'IMPish' (Instant Mashed Potato-ish) substitutes - things that are reconstituted, inferior versions of real things, from processed foods to online communities. The post ends with reflections on authenticity and what we lose when we accept these substitutes. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: cultural criticism (12), agriculture (11), World War II (5), processed food (3), food (3), food processing (2), food technology (2)

Jul 03, 2023

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Tales Of Takeover In CCF-World

28 min • 4,327 words • 400 comments • 134 likes • podcast (26 min)

Scott Alexander discusses various scenarios of AI takeover based on the Compute-Centric Framework, exploring gradual power shifts and potential conflicts between humans and AI factions. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores various scenarios of AI takeover based on the Compute-Centric Framework (CCF) report, which predicts a continuous but fast AI takeoff. He presents three main scenarios: a 'good ending' where AI remains aligned and beneficial, a scenario where AI is slightly misaligned but humans survive, and a more pessimistic scenario comparing human-AI relations to those between Native Americans and European settlers. The post also includes mini-scenarios discussing concepts like AutoGPT, AI amnesty, company factions, and attempts to halt AI progress. The scenarios differ from fast takeoff predictions, emphasizing gradual power shifts and potential factional conflicts between humans and various AI groups. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: AI (110), AI safety (69), AI alignment (32), existential risk (19), technological progress (19), geopolitics (6), future scenarios (5)

May 19, 2023

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Your Book Review: Cities And The Wealth Of Nations/The Question Of Separatism

72 min • 11,134 words • 611 comments • 362 likes • podcast (61 min)

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

Recurring tags: book review (212), welfare (6), economic decline (3), city development (2), urban economics (2)

Apr 30, 2021

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Your Book Review: The Wizard And The Prophet

41 min • 6,332 words • 327 comments • 90 likes • podcast (39 min)

A review of 'The Wizard and the Prophet' by Charles Mann, exploring contrasting approaches to human-nature relationships through the lives of William Vogt and Norman Borlaug. Longer summary

This review of Charles Mann's 'The Wizard and the Prophet' explores the contrasting approaches to human-nature relationships through the lives of William Vogt (the 'Prophet') and Norman Borlaug (the 'Wizard'). The reviewer initially favors Borlaug's Wizardly approach of using science and technology to solve problems, but later acknowledges the complexity of modern systems may require a more holistic approach. The review covers the book's structure, discussing the biographies of Vogt and Borlaug, and then exploring four key areas: food, water, energy, and climate change. The reviewer concludes by reflecting on the challenges of COVID-19 and the need to continue striving for improvement despite increasing complexity. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: book review (212), technology (63), COVID-19 (53), climate change (33), agriculture (11), biography (7), environmentalism (6), population growth (4), complexity (3)

Apr 16, 2021

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Your Book Review: Progress And Poverty

136 min • 21,047 words • 523 comments • 217 likes • podcast (133 min)

Henry George's 'Progress and Poverty' argues that private land ownership and rent cause persistent poverty, and proposes a land value tax as a solution. Longer summary

This review examines Henry George's book 'Progress and Poverty', which argues that poverty persists alongside economic progress due to private land ownership and rent-seeking. George proposes a land value tax as a solution to eliminate speculation, encourage efficient land use, and fund public goods. The review covers George's theories on wages, capital, rent, and criticisms of prevailing economic ideas like Malthusianism. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: book review (212), economics (103), poverty (20), urban development (10), inequality (8), rent (2)

Jan 29, 2019

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Links 1/19: Linkguistics

17 min • 2,584 words • 542 comments

A diverse collection of news items and interesting links covering science, technology, politics, and culture, with brief commentary on each. Longer summary

This post is a collection of interesting links and news items from various fields. It covers topics such as animal behavior, space exploration, technology, politics, environmental issues, and scientific research. The post includes brief summaries or commentary on each item, often with a touch of humor or personal reflection. Some notable items include the story of the Soviet space shuttle Buran, a new California law on pet shops, developments in AI and cryptocurrency, and concerns about insect population decline. The post also touches on social issues like racial approval ratings for Trump and the controversial Gillette commercial. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: politics (89), science (85), technology (63), cryptocurrency (30), artificial intelligence (23), social issues (14), space exploration (8), animal behavior (3), environment (2)

Jun 24, 2018

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Book Review: Capital In The Twenty-First Century

37 min • 5,698 words • 538 comments • podcast (42 min)

Scott Alexander reviews Piketty's 'Capital in the Twenty-First Century', finding its analysis of long-term economic trends and inequality compelling but pessimistic about proposed solutions. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews Thomas Piketty's 'Capital in the Twenty-First Century', a book on inequality and macroeconomic history. The review covers Piketty's key arguments about economic growth, the rise and fall of rentiers, and increasing inequality. Scott finds Piketty's data and analysis compelling, particularly the idea that normal economic growth is always 1-1.5% per year and that the rate of return on capital tends to exceed economic growth, leading to increasing inequality over time. The review discusses potential solutions like wealth taxes, but is pessimistic about their implementation. It ends on some cautiously optimistic notes about global inequality reduction and the scientific nature of Piketty's approach. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: book review (212), economic growth (14), economic history (11), inequality (8), wealth tax (3), rentier class (2)

Nov 17, 2016

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The Alzheimer Photo

7 min • 969 words • 94 comments

Scott Alexander analyzes a photo of Alois Alzheimer's research team, discussing the reasons for their scientific productivity and theorizing about patterns of scientific progress. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses a historic photograph of Alois Alzheimer and his colleagues, noting the concentration of scientific talent in that group and era. He explores reasons for this concentration, including new histological staining techniques, the geographic and temporal context of fin de siecle Central Europe, and Emil Kraepelin's organizational skills. Scott theorizes that scientific progress often comes from exploiting a fruitful paradigm until it's exhausted, rather than continuously developing new ones. The post concludes with a brief history of Alzheimer's institute, including its unfortunate involvement with Nazi eugenics and its post-war reformation. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: psychiatry (73), scientific progress (16), eugenics (6), Nazi Germany (4), history of science (3)

Jan 13, 2016

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Links 1/16: Link A Thief In The Night

17 min • 2,516 words • 551 comments

Scott shares and comments on various interesting links spanning history, science, economics, and current events, with topics ranging from ancient Greek snake warfare to modern AI development. Longer summary

A collection of diverse links covering various topics, from historical anecdotes about ancient Greek warfare with snakes to modern developments in CRISPR technology and urban policy. Scott presents interesting findings about bullying interventions, Vitamin D supplementation, and mental health in different societies. The post includes commentary on various current events, including Venezuela's economic situation, drug policy debates, and AI development at OpenAI. The post maintains Scott's characteristic mix of scholarly interest and humor throughout. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: economics (103), science (85), link roundup (35), current events (28), OpenAI (27), urban planning (23), drug policy (19), historical anecdotes (6), CRISPR (2)