Scott Alexander updates on Lumina probiotic, discussing FDA trials, effectiveness, potential risks, and his nuanced stance on the product. Longer summary

Scott Alexander provides updates on Lumina, a genetically modified anti-tooth-decay bacterium. He clarifies information about FDA testing, discusses rat trial results, reports on recent colonization studies, addresses potential side effects, and shares some anecdotal results. Scott also explains his stance on Lumina, emphasizing that while he sees potential benefits, he doesn't fully endorse it and acknowledges the uncertainties and risks involved. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander presents a diverse collection of 38 links and news items, covering topics from book reviews and religious history to AI developments and political trends, with brief summaries and comments on each. Longer summary

This post is a collection of 38 diverse links and news items covering topics such as book reviews, religious history, economic forecasts, libertarianism, crime statistics, scientific studies, AI developments, educational policies, and political trends. Scott Alexander provides brief summaries or comments on each item, often with a mix of factual information and his own perspective. The links range from academic studies to social media posts, covering current events, historical anecdotes, and ongoing debates in various fields. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of links and news items, covering topics from architecture and history to AI developments and scientific studies, with brief commentary on many items. Longer summary

This post is a collection of various links and news items curated by Scott Alexander. It covers a wide range of topics including architecture, history, animal welfare, optical illusions, scientific studies, AI developments, demographics, and more. Scott provides brief commentary on many of the items, sometimes expressing his personal opinions or highlighting interesting aspects. The post includes both light-hearted topics (like unusual baby names) and more serious discussions (such as AI safety concerns and research on gender bias in academia). Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of links on topics ranging from scientific studies to cultural phenomena, with brief commentary on each. Longer summary

This post is a collection of links to various interesting articles, studies, and topics. Scott covers a wide range of subjects including scientific studies, cultural phenomena, economic trends, AI developments, and current events. The post includes commentary on each link, often with Scott's personal insights or opinions. Some recurring themes include AI progress, social science research, economic inequality, and cultural shifts. The tone is informative and slightly humorous, with Scott occasionally adding caveats about the reliability of certain claims or studies. 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 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

Scott Alexander presents a curated list of interesting links and news items on topics ranging from politics and science to technology and culture. Longer summary

This post is a collection of interesting links and news items curated by Scott Alexander. It covers a wide range of topics including politics, science, technology, economics, and culture. Some highlights include: a study on the effects of gender-balanced corporate boards in California, a debate about YouTube's algorithm and radicalization, updates on the coronavirus outbreak, and interesting scientific findings on topics like obesity and climate models. The post also includes humorous items and writing prompts. Shorter summary

A diverse collection of links covering technology, science, economics, politics, and culture, including critiques of studies, interesting scientific findings, and current events. 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 technology, science, economics, politics, and culture. Some highlights include: a list of places branding themselves as the next Silicon Valley, a study on declining fertility in dogs, critiques of bad scientific studies, an article on antidepressant tapering, data on value drift in effective altruism, and discussions on the Mueller Report's impact on media credibility. The post also includes links to various interesting facts, studies, and developments in fields such as nutrition, drug use, e-cigarettes, and urban development. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander critiques a misreported study on trigger warnings, highlighting its flaws and limited relevance to the broader debate on their use in colleges. Longer summary

Scott Alexander critiques a study on trigger warnings that has been misreported in media. He points out several flaws in the study, including weak statistical significance, inappropriate sample demographics, and questionable measurement of harm. Scott emphasizes that the study doesn't actually measure long-term effects or real-world impacts of trigger warnings on college students. He argues that the study's findings are being overinterpreted and misused in public discourse. The post ends with Scott reiterating his own proposal for implementing trigger warnings in a low-key, matter-of-fact manner. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of interesting links on topics ranging from science and politics to economics and culture, with brief commentary on many items. 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 scientific discoveries, political events, economic trends, technological advancements, and cultural phenomena. Scott Alexander provides brief commentary on many of the links, often adding context or his own thoughts. The tone is informative and occasionally humorous, with a focus on sharing intriguing information across diverse fields. Shorter summary

Scott shares a diverse collection of interesting links and news items, covering topics from ancient history to modern politics and technology, with brief commentary on each. Longer summary

This post is a collection of interesting links and news items on various topics. It covers a wide range of subjects including ancient Sumerian debates, conspiracy theories, academic research, political developments, AI safety, and social issues. The post presents these items in a concise format, often with brief commentary or analysis from Scott. Some notable items include studies on divorce laws and domestic violence, controversial research on firearms and naloxone, updates on AI safety research, and discussions of recent political events in Italy and South Africa. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines a failed replication of a study claiming analytical thinking promotes religious disbelief, and discusses the broader implications for understanding the relationship between thinking styles and religious belief. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews a study by Gervais and Norenzayan (G&N) that claimed analytical thinking promotes religious disbelief, and its subsequent failed replication attempts. The original study consisted of five experiments, including priming participants with images or word tasks before assessing their religious beliefs. The Reproducibility Project's replication of two of these experiments failed to find the same effects. Scott discusses the implications of this failure, noting that even studies that seem well-designed can fail to replicate. He then examines a meta-analysis by Pennycook et al. that found a small but consistent correlation between analytical thinking and irreligiosity across multiple studies. Scott concludes by summarizing key takeaways about the relationship between analytical thinking, IQ, and religious belief, as well as lessons about the replicability of psychological studies. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links covering various topics from Judaism and science to media bias and hate crime hoaxes, with Scott's commentary on each story. Longer summary

This is one of Scott's regular link posts, where he shares interesting articles and studies he's found with brief commentary on each. The links cover a wide range of topics including religious practices, scientific research, healthcare policy, media bias, and social issues. Among the notable items are studies on early school starting age and crime rates, fake hate crime reports after Trump's election, and research on gender differences in medical care. The tone is analytical and sometimes skeptical, with Scott often providing additional context or pointing out methodological issues. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander refutes PZ Myers' race car analogy against genetic engineering for intelligence, showing that high IQ positively correlates with many beneficial traits. Longer summary

Scott Alexander critiques PZ Myers' argument against genetic engineering for intelligence, which uses a race car analogy to suggest optimizing for intelligence might trade off against other important traits. Scott shows that, contrary to this intuition, high IQ correlates positively with many desirable traits like longevity, height, and health. He explores possible explanations for this, including heterozygosity advantages, mutational load, and trade-offs with traits important in evolutionary history but less so now. Scott concludes that while caution is warranted, the race car argument is likely less of an impediment to genetic engineering than it might seem. Shorter summary

Scott shares and comments on various news articles and studies, covering topics from police tactics and Trump's campaign to behavioral genetics and dietary research. Longer summary

A diverse collection of links covering various topics, with Scott Alexander's commentary on each. The post includes news about politics, scientific studies, and cultural phenomena. Highlights include a discussion of police tactics against drug dealers, updates on Trump's campaign, studies about bombing in Vietnam, diet research, and behavioral genetics. The post maintains a light and sometimes humorous tone while discussing serious topics, with Scott adding his characteristic analytical perspective and occasional wit to each link. Shorter summary

A diverse collection of links and studies covering education, race, healthcare, and various other topics, with Scott's commentary and analysis on each item. Longer summary

This is a link roundup post containing various news stories, studies, and interesting findings from different fields. The post covers topics ranging from education and healthcare to genetics and AI safety. Scott discusses several studies about racial achievement gaps, education outcomes, and healthcare system comparisons. He also shares interesting findings about animals, medical coding systems, and various social and economic issues. The post maintains a light tone while discussing serious topics, often adding humorous asides or personal observations. Shorter summary

A diverse collection of links covering recent studies, news stories, and interesting facts, ranging from scientific research to policy debates to unusual historical events. Longer summary

A link roundup post covering various topics from scientific studies to current events. The post includes discussions about studies on bottled water bans, birth month effects on health, probiotics and social anxiety, Mexican drug cartels, intelligence studies, and climate change. It also covers interesting stories like Pakistan's transgender tax collectors, a 1910s plan to introduce hippo ranching in America, and various policy discussions around gun violence, university regulations, and economic studies. The post maintains a light tone while discussing serious topics, often adding humorous asides or interesting historical facts. Shorter summary

Scott shares and comments on various links covering science, politics, and culture, with topics ranging from automation's effect on employment to psychology's replication crisis. Longer summary

This is a collection of interesting links and brief commentaries by Scott Alexander. He covers a wide range of topics including scientific studies, current events, and cultural phenomena. Notable items include studies about employment and automation, discrimination research methodology, problems with student course evaluations, and psychology's reproducibility crisis. The post also includes quirky items like Dutch swearing customs and unusual products, maintaining Scott's characteristic mix of serious analysis and lighter observations. Shorter summary