An exploration of the Epic of Gilgamesh, the world's oldest epic, examining its themes of mortality and meaning while providing extensive historical context about ancient Mesopotamia and arguing that the poem's true immortality comes from the countless people who preserved and transmitted it. Longer summary

This book review explores the Epic of Gilgamesh, the world's oldest epic story written around 2100 BC in Mesopotamia, examining its historical context, literary evolution through multiple versions, and central themes of mortality and meaning. The reviewer traces Gilgamesh's journey from tyrannical king through his friendship with Enkidu, his quest for immortality after Enkidu's death, and his ultimate acceptance of human mortality, while providing rich historical background on ancient Mesopotamia, the development of writing, and the text's rediscovery in the 19th century. The review concludes by reframing the poem's message: rather than seeking immortality through great deeds, we achieve a form of persistence through our connections to others and the information we leave behind, as demonstrated by the many anonymous scribes and citizens whose contributions preserved this ancient story. Shorter summary

Scott argues that aesthetic discussions wrongly conflate sensory delight with novelty and context, and that modern art's obsession with being part of a historical conversation has led to the abandonment of beauty in favor of mechanical innovation. Longer summary

Scott argues that discussions of artistic taste conflate multiple distinct concepts (sensory delight, novelty, pattern recognition, context, etc.) and that this conflation prevents clear thinking. He uses a parable about restaurant criticism to argue that we should isolate the direct aesthetic experience from contextual factors like novelty and provenance, similar to how medical trials control for placebo effects. He criticizes modern art and literature for prioritizing novelty and historical conversation over genuine beauty or transformation, using examples like the Angelus Novus painting (which inspired beautiful commentary despite being visually unimpressive) and the constraints on contemporary novels. Scott acknowledges the value of artistic innovation but argues that when artists can't successfully marry beauty with novelty, they should stick to traditional forms rather than produce endless variations of transgressive art that adds nothing meaningful to the conversation. Shorter summary

Brandon Hendrickson presents a method to teach Bayes' theorem effectively to everyone by making it visual, intuitive, emotionally engaging, and a tool for rational discourse. Longer summary

Brandon Hendrickson explores how to teach Bayes' theorem effectively to everyone, especially students, using Kieran Egan's educational framework. He proposes a four-step approach: make it visual using simple diagrams, make it intuitive by connecting it to emotional binaries, make it vital by focusing on topics students genuinely care about (like cryptids and UFOs), and repeat it until students understand its limitations. The post argues that teaching Bayes this way can create opportunities for meaningful conversations between people with different views, ultimately helping develop rational thinking. Shorter summary

Scott shares 55 interesting links covering topics from AI poetry to religious movements, including updates on various projects, unusual historical events, and current developments in technology, politics, and society. Longer summary

This is Scott's monthly links post for December 2024, collecting various interesting stories and developments. The links cover a wide range of topics, from Steven Seagal's bizarre life trajectory to developments in AI and technology, including updates on previous ACX topics and grants. Many links relate to ongoing discussions in the rationalist and EA communities, including debates about effective altruism and charitable giving. The post also includes various curiosities from history, culture, and current events, with Scott often providing his own analysis or perspective on the items shared. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander argues against judging polyamory based on memoirs or advice books, as these are often written by unrepresentative individuals. Longer summary

Scott Alexander critiques a pattern in media where people generalize about polyamory based on memoirs or advice books. He argues that this is unfair, as such books are often written by people with relationship issues or narcissistic tendencies, not representative of the average polyamorous person. He extends this critique to other groups, suggesting that public representatives often poorly reflect the actual members of various communities. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander argues against the fear of a chatbot propaganda apocalypse, presenting several reasons why its impact would be limited and offering predictions for 2030. Longer summary

Scott Alexander expresses skepticism about the chatbot propaganda apocalypse, a concern that AI-powered chatbots could be used to spread disinformation at scale. He argues that the impact of such bots would be limited due to existing social and technological anti-bot filters, fear of backlash, and the likelihood that establishment narratives would benefit more than disinformation. Scott suggests that crypto scams are a more likely use for chatbots than political propaganda. He acknowledges that chatbots might decrease serendipitous friendships but also considers potential positive outcomes if chatbots become good at social interactions. The post concludes with several predictions about the impact of chatbots on online discourse by 2030. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander compiles reader comments on healthcare systems in various countries, discussing economics, drug pricing, and personal experiences. Longer summary

This post is a collection of reader comments on healthcare systems in various countries, focusing on the US, Germany, Netherlands, UK, Australia, Switzerland, and several others. It covers topics like drug pricing, healthcare economics, and personal experiences with different systems. The post is structured into four main sections: comments on US healthcare, discussions on drug pricing and subsidies, explanations of why healthcare economics are unique, and detailed accounts of healthcare systems in specific countries. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander critiques a study claiming cash payments to poor mothers increased infant brain function, highlighting statistical and methodological issues that undermine its positive conclusions. Longer summary

Scott Alexander critiques a recent study claiming that cash payments to low-income mothers increased brain function in babies. He points out several issues with the study, including the loss of statistical significance after adjusting for multiple comparisons, potential artifacts in EEG data visualization, and deviations from pre-registered analysis plans. He also discusses the broader context of research on poverty and cognition, noting the difficulty in finding shared environmental effects and the tendency for studies in this field to be flawed or overhyped. Scott concludes that while the study doesn't prove cash grants don't affect children's EEGs, it essentially shows no effect and should not have been reported as an unqualified positive result. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander discusses and responds to comments on his article about the effects of missing school, exploring various perspectives and reflecting on education's value and impact. Longer summary

This post discusses the comments on Scott Alexander's previous article about the effects of missing school on children's education. It covers various perspectives, including personal anecdotes of people who missed school and succeeded, concerns about the impact on disadvantaged children, debates about the value of schooling beyond test scores, and Scott's reflections on the reactions to his original post. The author also shares his thoughts on the nature of education, forced activities for children, and the ethical implications of arguing for weaker positions while holding stronger views. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines the impact of media coverage on fringe beliefs like creationism, suggesting that reduced coverage doesn't necessarily lead to their spread. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the dilemma faced by news organizations in reporting on 'stupid things', using creationism as a case study. He notes that while media coverage of creationism has declined significantly since the 2000s, the percentage of Americans believing in creationism has remained relatively stable. Organizations promoting creationism are still active, but receive far less attention. Scott suggests that this experience with creationism might indicate that aggressive media coverage and extreme measures to combat fringe beliefs (like Pizzagate or QAnon) may be unnecessary or even counterproductive. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews a book about Chinese education, comparing it to criticisms of US schools and examining evidence for discipline-focused vs. creativity-focused approaches to education. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews a book review of 'Little Soldiers', which describes the Chinese education system. The book's author, Lenora Chu, initially resists the strict methods but eventually sees benefits in her son's behavior. Scott compares this to criticisms of the US education system and discusses the debate between discipline-focused and creativity-focused approaches. He examines various pieces of evidence, including twin studies, historical examples, and trends in US education, but finds no conclusive answer. Scott suggests the Polgar method of intense but interest-driven education as a potential compromise. Shorter summary

The post examines the medical benefits, risks, and ethical considerations of infant circumcision, presenting a balanced view based on various studies and historical context. Longer summary

This post discusses the benefits, harms, and ethics of infant circumcision. It covers various aspects including effects on penile cancer, HIV and STD transmission, UTIs, penile problems, and surgical risks. The authors also examine the impact on sensitivity and sexual satisfaction, and discuss the ethical considerations of performing this procedure on infants. The post presents a balanced view, citing numerous studies and historical context, and acknowledges the complexity of the ethical debate surrounding infant circumcision. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines the rise and fall of New Atheism, arguing it was replaced by social justice as the dominant online 'hamartiology' explaining society's problems. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reflects on the rise and fall of New Atheism, a movement that dominated online discourse in the early 2000s. He traces its origins to the early days of the internet, when intellectual debates about religion were common, and its peak in the mid-2000s with the rise of prominent atheist authors. Scott argues that New Atheism declined around 2015 as it was supplanted by the social justice movement. He proposes that both movements served a similar psychological function as 'hamartiologies' - explanations for what's wrong with the world. New Atheism blamed religion for society's ills, while social justice focuses on racism and sexism. The essay suggests this transition reflects broader changes in how people engage in online discourse and form tribal identities. Shorter summary

Scott reviews a book applying evolutionary psychology to psychiatry, finding the approach intriguing but hard to verify and potentially open to misuse. Longer summary

Scott reviews 'Evolutionary Psychopathology: A Unified Approach' by Marco del Giudice. The book applies evolutionary psychology to psychiatry, using life history theory to explain mental disorders. It proposes that humans adopt different life strategies (fast vs. slow) based on their environment and genetics, which influence personality traits and potentially psychiatric conditions. Scott finds the theory intriguing but notes it requires subdividing existing psychiatric categories in ways that make it hard to verify. He discusses potential social and political implications of the theory, including how it might explain effects of early childhood interventions and romantic success patterns. While seeing promise in the approach, Scott cautions that the theory could be used to justify problematic social views. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander showcases and advocates for 'sentimental cartography', the art of creating geographic-style maps for non-geographic concepts, presenting various modern examples and lamenting its relative obscurity. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the art of 'sentimental cartography', which involves creating geographic-style maps of non-geographic concepts. He presents several examples of modern sentimental cartography, including his own map of the rationalist community, James Turner's Map of Humanity and Map of Love, the Atlas of Experience, Martin Vargic's maps of the Internet and Literature, and maps based on song titles and films. Scott expresses frustration at the difficulty of finding these works and the lack of a proper name for this art form. He advocates for a revival of this Renaissance-era practice, which he finds valuable and underappreciated. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews a paper that claims to solve the Fermi Paradox by using probability distributions instead of point estimates in Drake Equation calculations. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses a paper by Sandberg, Drexler, and Ord that claims to dissolve the Fermi Paradox. The authors argue that the traditional Drake Equation approach, which multiplies point estimates of various factors, is flawed. Instead, they propose using a distribution of probabilities for each factor. Using this method, they calculate a much higher probability (about 1 in 3) of Earth being alone in the galaxy, compared to the vanishingly small probability from the traditional approach. Scott expresses surprise that this approach wasn't widely used before, given its apparent simplicity and effectiveness. He also highlights an interesting section from the paper's supplement discussing potential barriers to complex life arising from alternative genetic systems. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores why medical residency test scores plateau after the first few years, proposing theories related to knowledge retention and individual differences in learning. Longer summary

The post discusses the plateau in standardized test scores for medical residents across different specialties. Scott Alexander analyzes data from internal medicine, psychiatry, and surgery residencies, noting that while scores improve significantly in the first year or two, they tend to level off in later years. He explores various potential explanations for this plateau, including ceiling effects, decreased motivation, and changes in teaching methods, but finds these unsatisfactory. The author proposes that the plateau might be related to how knowledge is reinforced and retained, drawing parallels to spaced repetition learning techniques. He suggests that individual differences in memory, intellectual curiosity, and integration of knowledge may contribute to the differences in scores among residents at the same level. The post concludes by considering the implications of this plateau effect for understanding learning and education more broadly. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links covering various topics from scientific studies, social issues, and current events, including problems with brain imaging studies, AI safety developments, and surprising research findings. Longer summary

This is one of Scott's regular link posts where he shares and briefly comments on interesting articles and studies he's found. The post covers diverse topics including medical research critique (particularly brain imaging and psychiatric studies), current events (like the Chinese government's actions against Buddhist monks), and technological developments in AI safety. Scott adds his characteristic analytical commentary to many of the links, pointing out surprising implications or potential flaws in the studies. The format is casual but informative, with Scott often expressing personal opinions or humorous observations about the material he's sharing. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines the problem of endless, unproductive arguments in online communities and proposes ways to mitigate them while maintaining healthy discourse. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the problem of interminable arguments in online communities, particularly within rationalist circles. He argues that while it's important to challenge beliefs and seek out counterarguments, this can lead to repetitive, unproductive debates that people feel obligated to engage in. The post explores reasons why people get drawn into these arguments, such as feeling the need to correct misinformation, responding to insults, or defending against attempts to marginalize their views. Scott suggests several ways to mitigate this issue, including blocking trolls, being more tolerant of newbies, recognizing asymmetrical debate burdens, and emphasizing that there's no obligation to defend one's position on demand. He proposes moving discussions to private channels or longer-form content as potential solutions. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander critiques Dylan Matthews' argument against prioritizing existential risk reduction, arguing that Matthews misuses probabilities and that his logic could also undermine other effective altruist causes. Longer summary

Scott Alexander critiques Dylan Matthews' argument against prioritizing existential risk reduction in effective altruism. Matthews claims that the probabilities used in x-risk arguments are made up and could be as low as 10^-66. Scott argues that such extremely low probabilities are unrealistic and that Matthews is misusing numbers. He explains that even with rough estimates, the case for prioritizing x-risk remains strong. Scott also points out that similar arguments could be used against other causes Matthews supports, like animal welfare. He concludes by advocating for a big tent approach in effective altruism that respects different cause prioritizations, including x-risk, while acknowledging that x-risk might not be the best public face for the movement. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander critiques psychological studies claiming large effects from simple interventions, suggesting their impressive results may be due to flawed research rather than genuinely effective treatments. Longer summary

Scott Alexander examines three psychological studies that claim significant improvements in academic performance and behavior from simple interventions. He contrasts these with a large, expensive early intervention program for troubled youth that showed only modest effects. This leads him to question whether psychological research is flawed or if other interventions are ineffective. After closer examination, he finds potential issues with each study's methodology or reporting, suggesting that the impressive results may be due to poor research standards rather than genuinely effective interventions. He concludes by comparing this situation to an XKCD comic about economic theories, implying that if these psychological interventions truly worked as claimed, we would see much more significant improvements in education, rehabilitation, and mental health. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews G.K. Chesterton's 'What's Wrong With The World', analyzing its critiques of early 20th century society and its proposed solutions. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews G.K. Chesterton's 1910 book 'What's Wrong With The World', discussing Chesterton's critique of early 20th century society and his proposed solutions. The review highlights Chesterton's unique writing style, his opposition to both conservative and progressive ideologies of his time, and his call for a return to traditional values. Scott also critically examines Chesterton's arguments, pointing out their limitations and the challenges of implementing such ideas in the modern world. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores how controversial ideas spread more effectively than uncontroversial ones, using examples from activism and media to illustrate this 'toxoplasma of rage' effect. Longer summary

This post discusses the concept of 'toxoplasma of rage', where controversial and outrage-inducing ideas spread more effectively than uncontroversial ones. Scott uses examples like PETA's provocative campaigns, viral rape cases, and the Ferguson protests to illustrate how activists and media are incentivized to focus on the most divisive cases, even if it ultimately harms their cause. He compares this to the toxoplasma parasite's life cycle and explores how social media platforms like Tumblr can amplify these effects. The post concludes by suggesting that this phenomenon is part of a larger system of perverse incentives that makes it difficult for society to focus on important but uncontroversial issues. Shorter summary

A links roundup covering topics from ISIS dating sites to space exploration, scientific studies, and cultural observations, featuring Scott's commentary and analysis on each item. Longer summary

This is a links post presenting various news and studies. It covers diverse topics including a dating site run by ISIS, space exploration news about Orion and SpaceX, studies about omega-3 fats and psychosis, Chinese censorship of puns, controversies around doxxing in Ferguson, research on glial cells and intelligence, poker tournament winners linked to effective altruism, and various other scientific studies and cultural observations. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander presents an interactive concept map of the rationalist community, inspired by previous community maps and showcasing various websites and adjacent communities. Longer summary

Scott Alexander presents a concept map of the rationalist community, inspired by previous maps like Julia's Map of Bay Area Memespace and xkcd's map of the Internet. The interactive map showcases various websites, blogs, and communities within and adjacent to the rationalist sphere. It includes links to these sites, with the size of each 'city' proportional to the site's Alexa rank or number of followers. The map also features external communities that have significant interaction with the rationalist community. Scott acknowledges that some omissions may be due to forgetfulness rather than intentional exclusion, and notes that for larger platforms like Twitter or Tumblr, only a selection of representatives could be included. Shorter summary