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26 posts found
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Dec 10, 2025
acx
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Links For December 2025

51 min • 7,776 words • 592 comments • 260 likes • podcast (52 min)
Scott's monthly roundup of interesting links covering AI policy developments, technology news, cultural observations, and scientific research from December 2025. Longer summary
This is Scott Alexander's monthly collection of links and commentary covering diverse topics. Major themes include AI policy battles (chip sales to China, regulation debates, political campaigns), startup news (Substrate fraud allegations, Tornyol mosquito drones), and scientific updates (COVID origins, Hitler's DNA, lactose intolerance). The post also covers cultural topics like the first millennial saint, Dimes Square commentary, and political polling about ideal Democratic candidates. Scott provides his characteristic mix of straightforward reporting, skeptical analysis, and occasional humor throughout the 53 linked items. Shorter summary
Jan 17, 2025
acx
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Links For January 2025

35 min • 5,422 words • 875 comments • 236 likes • podcast (32 min)
Scott shares various interesting links and news items from January 2025, covering topics from AI development and politics to historical curiosities and economic trends. Longer summary
This links post covers a wide array of topics from January 2025, with Scott providing commentary and analysis on each. The links include discussions about running for Congress, AI development and safety, dating advice, psychiatric diagnoses, and various economic and technological developments. Scott often adds his own insights and sometimes skepticism to the claims being discussed. The post also includes several historical curiosities and social observations, maintaining a mix of serious analysis and lighter interesting facts. Shorter summary
Jan 30, 2024
acx
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Mantic Monday 1/29/24

19 min • 2,887 words • 228 comments • 77 likes • podcast (19 min)
The post examines the performance of prediction markets in elections, current political forecasts, and various other prediction markets, while also discussing the challenges and potential of forecasting. Longer summary
This post discusses several topics related to prediction markets and forecasting. It starts by examining a claim that prediction markets have an 'election problem', showing that real-money markets performed poorly in recent elections. The author then analyzes current polls and prediction markets for the 2024 US presidential election, noting discrepancies between different platforms. The post also explores a forecasting experiment on AI futures, and reviews several other prediction markets on current events. Finally, it includes short links to other forecasting-related news and reflections. Shorter summary
Nov 10, 2023
acx
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Followup: Quests And Requests

71 min • 10,981 words • 81 comments • 32 likes • podcast (55 min)
Scott provides updates and reader responses to his previous 'Quests and Requests' article, addressing the status and potential of each proposed project. Longer summary
This is a follow-up post to Scott's 'Quests and Requests' article, addressing the current status and responses to each of the eight projects proposed. Scott provides updates, shares relevant comments and offers from readers, and gives his thoughts on the progress and potential of each quest. He also clarifies his intentions and expectations for these projects, encouraging self-organization among interested parties. Shorter summary
Nov 07, 2023
acx
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Highlights From The Comments On Kidney Donation

71 min • 10,918 words • 555 comments • 107 likes • podcast (56 min)
Scott Alexander summarizes and responds to various comments on his kidney donation post, covering a wide range of related topics and perspectives. Longer summary
Scott Alexander provides highlights from comments on his kidney donation post, covering various perspectives and topics. These include comments from other kidney donors and recipients, discussions on opt-out organ donation systems, debates on radiation risk from screening tests, issues with rejection during the donation process, polls about willingness to donate, and developments in artificial organ technology. Scott also responds to many comments, offering additional insights and reflections on the donation process and related ethical considerations. Shorter summary
Dec 12, 2022
acx
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Perhaps It Is A Bad Thing That The World's Leading AI Companies Cannot Control Their AIs

18 min • 2,697 words • 720 comments • 369 likes • podcast (23 min)
Scott Alexander analyzes the shortcomings of OpenAI's ChatGPT, highlighting the limitations of current AI alignment techniques and their implications for future AI development. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses the limitations of OpenAI's ChatGPT, focusing on its inability to consistently avoid saying offensive things despite extensive training. He argues that this demonstrates fundamental problems with current AI alignment techniques, particularly Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF). The post outlines three main issues: RLHF's ineffectiveness, potential negative consequences when it does work, and the possibility of more advanced AIs bypassing it entirely. Alexander concludes by emphasizing the broader implications for AI safety and the need for better control mechanisms. Shorter summary
Sep 29, 2022
acx
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Universe-Hopping Through Substack

46 min • 7,043 words • 279 comments • 315 likes • podcast (48 min)
Scott Alexander reviews popular Substack blogs from various categories, offering humorous commentary and insights on each. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores various Substack blogs across different categories, offering humorous commentary and insights on each. He starts with a popular culture blog about celebrity gossip, moves on to a top political newsletter, then examines blogs on faith and spirituality, business, food and drink, music, international affairs, and sports. Throughout, Scott mixes analysis of the content with witty observations about the nature of blogging and the diverse 'universes' represented by different Substack niches. Shorter summary
Dec 30, 2021
acx
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Links For December

17 min • 2,607 words • 535 comments • 64 likes • podcast (21 min)
Scott Alexander shares 34 diverse and interesting links on topics ranging from historical curiosities to current scientific debates, with brief commentaries on each. Longer summary
This post is a collection of 34 interesting links and brief commentaries on various topics. It covers a wide range of subjects including historical anecdotes, scientific studies, economic theories, technological developments, and social issues. The author, Scott Alexander, provides his thoughts and sometimes skeptical analysis on many of the items. The links are diverse, ranging from a list of games Buddha wouldn't play to discussions about AI safety research opportunities. Shorter summary
Dec 28, 2021
acx
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ACX Grants Results

44 min • 6,732 words • 346 comments • 229 likes • podcast (44 min)
Scott Alexander announces the results of the ACX Grants program, awarding funding to various projects and individuals across different fields. Longer summary
Scott Alexander announces the results of the ACX Grants program, which awarded funding to various projects and individuals across different fields. He provides details on the awardees, their projects, and the grant amounts. Scott also discusses the challenges of the grant-making process, acknowledges the help he received, and outlines future steps for the program. Shorter summary
Dec 27, 2021
acx
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Mantic Monday: Dogs In Wizard Hats

17 min • 2,603 words • 95 comments • 41 likes • podcast (24 min)
Scott discusses recent developments in prediction markets, including new platforms, features, and current market predictions on various topics. Longer summary
This Mantic Monday post covers several topics in the world of prediction markets. Scott reviews a YouTube explainer on prediction markets, introduces a new market called Futuur, discusses the innovative approach of Mantic Markets, highlights Metaculus' Public Figure Predictions feature, and provides updates on current market predictions for various events. He also shares some short notes on foot voting coordination efforts, a suggestion for using prediction markets in college debates, and Google's new prediction market team. Shorter summary
Dec 20, 2021
acx
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Mantic Monday: Let Me Google That For You

17 min • 2,525 words • 125 comments • 41 likes • podcast (23 min)
Scott Alexander reviews recent developments in prediction markets, including Google's internal market and Metaculus' 'fortified essays', while discussing challenges and applications in various fields. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses recent developments in prediction markets, including Google's internal prediction market Gleangen, challenges in long-term predictions, conditional markets for policy decisions, and new weight loss drugs. He also covers Metaculus' 'fortified essays' concept, which combines expert analysis with crowd forecasts, and shares recent predictions on topics like COVID-19 hospitalizations and SAT requirements in college admissions. Shorter summary
Nov 23, 2021
acx
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Highlights From The Comments On Ivermectin

38 min • 5,817 words • 510 comments • 62 likes • podcast (44 min)
Scott Alexander responds to comments on his ivermectin article, discussing criticisms, the worms hypothesis, vaccine skepticism, and journalism quality. Longer summary
This post highlights comments on Scott Alexander's previous article about ivermectin as a potential COVID-19 treatment. Scott responds to criticisms from ivmmeta.com, discusses the worms hypothesis with various commenters, addresses concerns about the TOGETHER trial, and shares perspectives on vaccine skepticism and journalism quality. He also reflects on his own writing process compared to traditional journalism. Shorter summary
Jul 23, 2021
acx
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Links For July

19 min • 2,849 words • 567 comments • 70 likes • podcast (24 min)
Scott Alexander presents a diverse collection of interesting links and news items from July, covering topics from science and technology to politics and culture, with brief commentary on each. Longer summary
This post is a collection of various interesting links and news items from July. It covers a wide range of topics including scientific studies, politics, technology, economics, and culture. Scott Alexander provides brief commentary on each item, often with a mix of humor and insightful observations. Some notable topics include a study on using Botox for depression, British attitudes towards lockdowns, advances in polygenic embryo selection, and discussions on economic divergence between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The post also includes several quirky or amusing items, such as Chinese propaganda, a topologist's map of the world, and an anecdote about a unique interpretation of the Bible. Shorter summary
Apr 16, 2021
acx
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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
Dec 02, 2019
ssc
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Links 12/19

21 min • 3,212 words • 918 comments
A diverse collection of links to interesting articles, studies, and news items on topics ranging from history and science to politics and culture. Longer summary
This post is a collection of links to various interesting articles, studies, and news items. It covers a wide range of topics including Russian city flags, archaeological hoaxes, growth mindset research, atomic gardening, AI takeoff scenarios, UFO patents, antibiotic resistance, freelance journalism laws, religious trends in the Middle East, presidential candidate support by occupation, civility in politics, pollution comparisons, open borders debates, gender reveal party accidents, historical theories about Western psychology, entrepreneurship age trends, socialist proposals, WWI myths, biological feedback mechanisms, and various other curiosities and current events. Shorter summary
Oct 07, 2019
ssc
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Links 10/19

20 min • 2,960 words • 400 comments
A diverse collection of links on topics ranging from gerrymandering and health insurance to tech bubbles and extinction risk estimates, presented with minimal commentary. Longer summary
This post is a collection of various interesting links and news items. It covers a wide range of topics including gerrymandering, health insurance effects, corporate profits, drug pricing, media bias, ketamine research, tech bubbles, seasonal effects on mental health, FDA drug importation plans, research on sex differences, carbon capture technologies, birth order effects, waist-to-hip ratio preferences, extinction risk estimates, life sciences research, Google algorithm changes affecting health sites, online economy intricacies, fluoride effects on IQ, and many other diverse subjects. The post presents these items without much commentary, leaving readers to explore further on their own. Shorter summary
Apr 17, 2019
ssc
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Highlights From The Comments On College Admissions

35 min • 5,304 words • 224 comments • podcast (35 min)
Scott Alexander summarizes and responds to reader comments on his article about increasing competition in college admissions, covering various factors and perspectives on the issue. Longer summary
This post highlights comments on Scott Alexander's original article about college admissions. The comments cover various aspects, including factors influencing college selectivity, the impact of college prestige on careers, the role of rankings and admissions rates, the importance of extracurricular activities, the influence of student loans, and comparisons between the US and Canadian university systems. Some commenters offer personal experiences and perspectives on the increasing competitiveness in college admissions and other fields. The post also touches on broader themes of increasing competition in society and possible explanations for this trend. Shorter summary
Jan 15, 2019
ssc
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Kernel Of Doubt: Testing Math Preference Vs. Corn-Eating Style

8 min • 1,212 words • 98 comments • podcast (11 min)
Scott Alexander tests the claim that mathematicians' preference for algebra or analysis predicts their corn-eating style, finding no significant correlation in a survey of over 2,600 respondents. Longer summary
Scott Alexander investigates a claim made by Ben Tilly that mathematicians' preference for algebra or analysis predicts how they eat corn (in rows or spirals). Scott included questions about math preference and corn-eating style in his 2019 Slate Star Codex reader survey. Analyzing 2,683 responses, including a subset of PhD mathematicians, he found no significant correlation between math preference and corn-eating style, contradicting Tilly's observation. Scott suggests the original claim might be due to the power of suggestion or selective memory. He also explores demographic factors influencing corn-eating styles, finding some cultural differences but no clear explanation for the variability. Shorter summary
Feb 19, 2018
ssc
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Technological Unemployment: Much More Than You Wanted To Know

45 min • 6,822 words • 523 comments • podcast (56 min)
Scott Alexander examines evidence for technological unemployment, finding little current impact but signs of 'technological underemployment' pushing workers to lower-skill jobs. Longer summary
Scott Alexander examines the arguments for and against technological unemployment, analyzing labor force participation rates, manufacturing job losses, and economic data to determine if automation is currently causing significant job displacement. He concludes that while there's little evidence of technological unemployment happening right now, there are signs of 'technological underemployment' where automation is pushing workers from middle-skill to lower-skill jobs. The long-term impacts remain uncertain, with economists divided on whether this is a temporary adjustment or a new normal. Shorter summary
Aug 31, 2017
ssc
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Highlights From The Comments On My IRB Nightmare

26 min • 3,982 words • 183 comments
Scott shares reader responses to his IRB experience, ranging from similar frustrations to defenses of the system, and discusses concerns about increasing bureaucracy in research. Longer summary
This post highlights responses to Scott's previous article about his frustrating experience with the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process. Many readers shared similar stories of bureaucratic hurdles and absurd requirements they faced when trying to conduct research. Some commenters offered advice on how to navigate the system more effectively or suggested that experiences may vary depending on the institution. Others defended the importance of IRBs in preventing unethical research, citing historical examples like the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. Scott acknowledges some fair criticisms but maintains that IRBs have become overly burdensome for low-risk studies. He expresses concern about new NIH policies that may further increase bureaucratic requirements for basic science research. Shorter summary
Feb 16, 2016
ssc
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Links 2/16: N-Acetyl Selink

19 min • 2,865 words • 469 comments
A collection of interesting links and brief commentary spanning topics from scientific research to cultural phenomena, including updates on various studies challenging previous beliefs. Longer summary
This is a links post containing short summaries and comments on various news, studies, and interesting articles. Topics covered include gun violence research, genetic studies, college admissions and tuition, nutrition science, criminal justice reform, and cultural effects. Scott discusses new research challenging previous beliefs about bilingualism and drug side effects, shares interesting discoveries about religious effects on society, and provides updates on various scientific and technological developments. The post also includes commentary on political developments, interesting place names, and various cultural phenomena. Shorter summary
Feb 12, 2016
ssc
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Before You Get Too Excited About That GitHub Study…

16 min • 2,394 words • 878 comments
Scott Alexander critiques a study claiming gender bias in GitHub, pointing out methodological flaws and media misrepresentation of its non-peer-reviewed findings. Longer summary
Scott Alexander critiques a study about gender bias in GitHub pull request acceptance rates. He points out several issues with the study's methodology and interpretation, including the lack of peer review, ambiguous statistical significance, and potential confounding factors. He also criticizes media outlets for misrepresenting the study's findings, exaggerating its conclusions, and failing to mention its non-peer-reviewed status. Scott emphasizes that the study actually shows women's pull requests are accepted more often overall, and that the observed bias against women in one subgroup is small and possibly not statistically significant. He expresses concern about how such studies are used to promote a narrative of widespread sexism in tech. Shorter summary
Dec 27, 2015
ssc
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Things That Are Not Superintelligences

9 min • 1,388 words • 482 comments
Scott Alexander refutes claims that existing collective entities are superintelligent AIs, emphasizing the fundamental differences between collective intelligence and true superintelligence. Longer summary
Scott Alexander argues against the idea that existing entities like corporations, bureaucracies, teams, or civilizations are already superintelligent AIs. He distinguishes between collective intelligence and genuine superintelligence, asserting that groups have advantages but can't surpass the problem-solving ability of their smartest member. Scott emphasizes that true superintelligence would be a completely different class of entity, possessing both the advantages of collective intelligence and higher genuine problem-solving ability without the disadvantages. The post includes examples, counterarguments, and clarifications to support this distinction. Shorter summary
Jun 14, 2015
ssc
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Fearful Symmetry

45 min • 6,866 words • 505 comments
Scott Alexander examines the parallels between social justice and anti-social justice groups, arguing that shared experiences of perceived persecution could lead to better understanding and less conflict. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores the similarities between social justice and anti-social justice narratives, showing how both groups often feel persecuted and develop similar defensive mechanisms. He argues that this shared experience of perceived threat, even when statistically unlikely, leads to hypervigilance and extreme reactions from both sides. Scott suggests that as both groups now face similar challenges, there may be an opportunity for mutual understanding and the development of protocols to prevent escalation. He advises against dismissing the fears of either side and proposes that recognizing the shared experience of fear could lead to more productive dialogue. Shorter summary
Jun 08, 2015
ssc
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Links 6/15: Everything But The Kitchen Link

13 min • 1,990 words • 177 comments
A collection of interesting links covering science, politics, economics, and culture, with Scott's commentary on each story. Longer summary
This is a links post containing various interesting stories and studies. The topics range widely from scientific studies about CBT efficacy and homosexuality in fruit flies, to political events like the Baltimore riots aftermath and FIFA scandals, to cultural curiosities like Chinese translations of Finnegan's Wake and crash blossom headlines. The post includes some interesting technology stories like AI safety and Russian smart billboards, economic studies about education and art museums, and various sociological studies and experiments. Shorter summary
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