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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), drug development (18), dating (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)

Jul 24, 2024

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Links for July 2024

21 min • 3,173 words • 934 comments • 180 likes • podcast (20 min)

Scott Alexander presents a diverse collection of 41 links and news items, covering topics from science and politics to history and technology, with brief commentaries and insights. Longer summary

This post is a collection of 41 diverse links and news items covering a wide range of topics. The items include scientific studies, political developments, historical anecdotes, technological advancements, and cultural phenomena. Scott Alexander presents these with brief commentaries, often adding his own insights or expressing skepticism about certain claims. The tone is informative and occasionally humorous, with Scott pointing out interesting connections or implications of the information presented. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: AI (110), politics (89), science (85), technology (63), genetics (58), healthcare (56), culture (45), social media (42), history (25), journalism (16)

Apr 26, 2024

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Survey Results: PMS Symptoms

9 min • 1,327 words • 223 comments • 81 likes • podcast (9 min)

Scott Alexander explores correlations between PMS symptoms and various beliefs and traits, finding significant connections that leave him puzzled. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses survey results related to PMS symptoms and their correlations with various beliefs and traits. He attempts to replicate findings from Aella's Twitter polls, which showed connections between PMS and belief in the supernatural, as well as neuroticism. Using data from the ACX survey, Scott finds significant correlations between PMS symptoms and belief in the supernatural, as well as anxiety levels. He explores potential explanations, including cultural influences and hormonal factors, and presents additional correlations found in the survey data. The post ends with Scott expressing confusion about the findings and inviting readers to replicate his work using the publicly available survey results. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: psychology (69), statistical analysis (53), survey analysis (41), study (15), anxiety (13), supernatural beliefs (3), PMS (2)

Feb 27, 2023

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Highlights From The Comments On Geography Of Madness

22 min • 3,377 words • 278 comments • 102 likes • podcast (19 min)

Scott Alexander discusses reader comments on his 'Geography of Madness' review, revising views on culture-bound syndromes and exploring various mental health topics. Longer summary

This post discusses various comments on Scott Alexander's review of 'The Geography of Madness'. It covers topics like culture-bound syndromes, the prevalence of brief psychotic disorder, the history of school shootings, the universality of PTSD, the rise of transgender identities, and the correlation between believing in ghosts and experiencing PMS. Scott revises some of his previous views, becoming more skeptical about many traditional culture-bound syndromes and acknowledging the complexity of cultural influences on mental health conditions. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: mental health (68), highlights from the comments (67), transgender (10), PTSD (9), culture-bound syndromes (4), cultural influences (4), PMS (2), school shootings (2)

Dec 27, 2022

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Selection Bias Is A Fact Of Life, Not An Excuse For Rejecting Internet Surveys

7 min • 963 words • 317 comments • 241 likes • podcast (7 min)

Scott Alexander argues that selection bias, while a concern, is not a valid reason to automatically reject amateur online surveys, as professional studies also face similar limitations. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the issue of selection bias in amateur online surveys, arguing that it's not a valid reason to dismiss their results outright. He points out that professional scientific studies also suffer from selection bias, often using unrepresentative samples like psychology students. The post explains that while selection bias is problematic for polls or census-like studies aiming to determine population-wide statistics, it's less of an issue for correlation studies. Scott argues that the key is to consider the mechanism being studied and how it might generalize, rather than dismissing studies based solely on their sample selection method. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: psychology (69), statistics (54), research methodology (26), survey (24), scientific methodology (22), selection bias (4)

Jul 01, 2022

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Links For June

24 min • 3,695 words • 576 comments • 88 likes • podcast (31 min)

Scott Alexander shares 57 diverse links on topics including politics, science, technology, and culture, providing brief summaries and commentary on each. Longer summary

This post is a collection of 57 diverse links covering various topics including politics, science, technology, culture, and society. Scott Alexander briefly summarizes each link, often adding his own commentary or thoughts. The links range from scientific studies and political polls to interesting cultural phenomena and technological advancements. Some notable topics include AI development, environmental issues, mental health, and social trends. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: AI (110), politics (89), science (85), mental health (68), links (62), culture (45), social trends (6), environmental issues (4)

Mar 08, 2022

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Ukraine Thoughts And Links

30 min • 4,611 words • 1,010 comments • 70 likes • podcast (34 min)

Scott Alexander analyzes the Ukraine conflict, discussing international norms, risks of escalation, and Western responses, while providing various related links and resources. Longer summary

Scott Alexander shares his thoughts on the Ukraine conflict, covering topics such as the state of 'Pax Americana', the importance of international norms, the risks of escalation, and the West's response. He emphasizes the dangers of a no-fly zone, discusses the unexpected resilience of Ukraine and Western unity, and acknowledges criticisms of Western actions. The post ends with various links related to the conflict, including resources for helping Ukrainians and interesting cultural tidbits. Shorter summary

Recurring tags: geopolitics (6), Ukraine war (4), international relations (4), nuclear risk (4), NATO (2), sanctions (2)

Dec 30, 2021

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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

Recurring tags: economics (103), science (85), AI safety (69), technology (63), links (62), statistical analysis (53), COVID-19 (53), social issues (14), historical anecdotes (6)