Read Scott Alexander

Dec 10, 2025

acx

Read on

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

Recurring tags: politics (89), scientific research (64), links (62), links roundup (28), OpenAI (27), AI regulation (14), Donald Trump (14), basic income (12), AI policy (11), COVID-19 origins (6), embryo selection (6), fraud (4), startup funding (4), technology news (3), cultural commentary (3)

Aug 08, 2024

acx

Read on

Highlights From The Comments On Nietzsche

99 min • 15,205 words • 236 comments • 138 likes • podcast (81 min)

Scott Alexander summarizes and responds to reader comments on his article about Matt Yglesias and Nietzschean philosophy, exploring various perspectives on master and slave morality. Longer summary

This post highlights comments on Scott Alexander's article about Matt Yglesias and Nietzschean philosophy. It covers various perspectives on master and slave morality, critiques of different thinkers mentioned in the original post, and other related topics. The comments explore nuances in Nietzsche's philosophy, discuss the applicability of these concepts to modern society, and debate the merits of different moral frameworks. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: effective altruism (97), philosophy (47), religion (43), online communities (22), cultural differences (19), morality (14), social commentary (9), Nietzsche (3)

Jun 20, 2024

acx

Read on

Fake Tradition Is Traditional

10 min • 1,539 words • 751 comments • 361 likes • podcast (9 min)

Scott Alexander defends the practice of looking to idealized traditions for inspiration, arguing it's a common and useful human approach to creativity and innovation. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the concept of tradition and how it's often misunderstood or criticized. He argues that references to the past or tradition are often just 'pointers' to specific aspects people appreciate, not necessarily an endorsement of everything from that era. He challenges the idea that past cultures didn't look back to idealized histories, providing examples from various periods showing how looking to an idealized past has been a common human practice. Scott suggests that using tradition as inspiration can be a psychologically easier way to introduce new ideas or practices than presenting them as entirely original. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: psychology (69), culture (45), history (25), cultural criticism (12), architecture (9), literature (8), creativity (7), tradition (6)

May 29, 2024

acx

Read on

Links for May 2024

38 min • 5,841 words • 986 comments • 126 likes • podcast (37 min)

A wide-ranging collection of 40 news items and interesting facts, covering AI, politics, science, economics, and culture, with the author's commentary. Longer summary

This post is a collection of 40 diverse links and news items covering topics such as AI developments, politics, science, technology, economics, and culture. It includes updates on OpenAI and Google's AI projects, discussions on religious phenomena, analyses of social and economic trends, and various interesting facts and anecdotes. The author provides commentary and context for many of the items, often with a mix of humor and critical analysis. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: AI (110), economics (103), politics (89), science (85), technology (63), current events (28), OpenAI (27), Google (6), social trends (6), religious phenomena (2)

Feb 21, 2024

acx

Read on

Highlights From The Comments On Polyamory

72 min • 11,021 words • 441 comments • 89 likes • podcast (57 min)

Scott Alexander responds to comments on polyamory, providing data and addressing concerns about relationship satisfaction, child-rearing, and abuse risks in poly relationships. Longer summary

Scott Alexander responds to comments on his previous posts about polyamory, addressing various arguments and providing data where possible. He discusses statistics on relationship satisfaction and child-rearing in poly vs. monogamous relationships, addresses concerns about abuse risks, and shares personal observations. The post touches on cultural perceptions of polyamory, its prevalence among different groups, and potential societal impacts. Scott also reflects on some new insights he gained from the discussion, particularly around child-rearing in poly relationships and abuse risks. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: data analysis (32), polyamory (16), relationships (12), child-rearing (3), cultural perceptions (2)

Apr 27, 2023

acx

Read on

Highlights From The Comments On Nerds And Hipsters

40 min • 6,075 words • 495 comments • 108 likes • podcast (34 min)

Scott summarizes and responds to comments on his previous article about nerds and hipsters, covering various topics and reflecting on personal identity and social signaling. Longer summary

This post summarizes and responds to comments on Scott's previous article about nerds and hipsters. It covers various topics including the changing definition of 'nerd', the decline of traditional collecting hobbies, the value of sports, and the relationship between enjoying things and building identities around them. Scott reflects on these comments, offering his own thoughts and experiences, and explores the complexities of personal identity and social signaling in modern culture. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: nerd culture (6), social signaling (5), sports (3), identity formation (3), collecting (2), fandom (2), Marvel Cinematic Universe (2), hipster culture (2)

Apr 19, 2023

acx

Read on

Contra Kriss On Nerds And Hipsters

11 min • 1,646 words • 603 comments • 284 likes • podcast (10 min)

Scott Alexander critiques Sam Kriss's analysis of nerds and hipsters, offering an alternative theory about identity investment in cultural products. Longer summary

Scott Alexander responds to Sam Kriss's post about nerds and hipsters. He agrees with Kriss's analysis of hipsters as information sorting algorithms, but disagrees with his characterization of nerds. Scott proposes an alternative theory: hipsterism and nerdism are both forms of trying to invest one's identity in a cultural product, with hipsters focusing on breadth (discovering new things) and nerds on depth (showing extreme devotion to popular things). He explores the motivations behind these behaviors and reflects on the decline of traditional collecting hobbies. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: cultural analysis (9), nerd culture (6), identity formation (3), collecting (2), hipster culture (2), Marvel Cinematic Universe (2)

Mar 10, 2023

acx

Read on

Links For March 2023

27 min • 4,178 words • 783 comments • 123 likes • podcast (23 min)

Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of links and brief discussions on topics including AI developments, social trends, scientific studies, and cultural phenomena. Longer summary

This post is a collection of diverse links and brief discussions on various topics. Scott Alexander covers AI developments, historical events, social trends, scientific studies, and cultural phenomena. He touches on subjects like AI safety concerns, social media effects on mental health, mask efficacy debates, and potential shifts in 'woke' culture. The post also includes interesting anecdotes, thought experiments, and statistical analyses on topics ranging from medieval Mali to modern dating dynamics. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: AI (110), mental health (68), links (62), social media (42), culture war (22), dating (18), scientific studies (7), historical anecdotes (6), mask efficacy (2)

Oct 12, 2022

acx

Read on

Links For October

21 min • 3,111 words • 561 comments • 91 likes • podcast (24 min)

Scott Alexander presents a curated list of 41 diverse links and news items, covering topics from linguistics and technology to politics and popular culture, with brief commentary on each. Longer summary

This post is a collection of 41 diverse links and news items curated by Scott Alexander. The topics range from linguistics, technology, and politics to economics, science, and popular culture. Scott provides brief commentary on each item, often with a touch of humor or skepticism. The post includes updates on current events, interesting scientific findings, cultural trends, and academic debates. It also features some visual content like graphs, images, and embedded tweets. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: economics (103), politics (89), science (85), AI safety (69), technology (63), links (62), culture (45), current events (28), linguistics (8), social trends (6)