Scott Alexander reviews comments on his defense of Baby Boomers, clarifying three separate claims about generational fairness and addressing debates about housing policy, Social Security, cultural changes, and whether the structural problems attributed to Boomers are actually universal features of aging populations. Longer summary

Scott Alexander responds to comments on his original post defending Baby Boomers from generational criticism. He clarifies that he should have better separated three distinct claims: whether Boomers had it easier, whether the political system favors them unfairly, and whether they're uniquely selfish. He addresses housing policy (particularly California's Proposition 13), cultural changes like divorce and childcare, Social Security technicalities, and whether anti-Boomer sentiment is justified as a political project. Throughout, he emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between 'natural' and 'marked' policy choices, and argues that many problems blamed on Boomers result from broader structural issues like demographic pyramids rather than unique generational selfishness. Shorter summary

A satirical account of a Bay Area house party featuring absurd conversations on tech, culture, and startups, ending with the protagonist's plan to profit from the information gained. Longer summary

This satirical post describes a fictional Bay Area house party, featuring conversations on various tech and cultural topics. It includes discussions about adapting Buddhism for conservatives, a consultant who helps companies be offensive, a new financial product called 'antistocks', debates between a YIMBY, crypto enthusiast, and youth pastor, AI happiness optimization, and a scheme to distract tech billionaires with conferences. The story ends with the protagonist learning about a startup working on immortality through transmissible tumors, and deciding to use this information for financial gain. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares reader comments on his 'San Fransicko' book review, covering homelessness, crime statistics, and urban policy debates. Longer summary

This post is a collection of highlights from reader comments on Scott Alexander's review of the book 'San Fransicko'. It covers various topics related to homelessness, crime, and urban policy in San Francisco and other cities. The comments provide additional context, personal anecdotes, data analysis, and critiques of both the book and Scott's review. Key themes include the complexity of homelessness, issues with crime statistics, debates over housing policy, and differing perspectives on how to address urban problems. Shorter summary

Scott examines new techniques in forecasting and prediction markets, including reciprocal scoring and iterated markets, while highlighting the accuracy of prediction markets compared to traditional media. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses recent developments in forecasting and prediction markets. He covers a new paper on reciprocal scoring for long-term and counterfactual predictions, the performance of prediction markets vs. traditional media in calling election results, a proposal for iterated prediction markets to handle long-term forecasts, and updates on current prediction market probabilities for various events. He also notes the accuracy of past Metaculus predictions about Starlink availability and shares some short items on futurism and expert forecasting. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of links and commentary on topics ranging from housing policy and employment discrimination to conspiracy theories and vaccine hesitancy, with a mix of analysis, skepticism, and humor. Longer summary

This post is a collection of interesting links and commentary on various topics. Scott Alexander covers a wide range of subjects including housing policy, creativity tests, Chinese tech regulation, employment discrimination studies, conspiracy theories, vaccine hesitancy among PhDs, and public health policies. He also shares intriguing images, discusses scientific controversies, and provides commentary on current events and social issues. The post maintains a mix of seriousness and humor throughout, often with a skeptical or analytical perspective on the topics presented. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander presents counterarguments to YIMBY housing policies, questioning their effectiveness and considering NIMBY perspectives. Longer summary

Scott Alexander steelmans the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) position against YIMBYism (Yes In My Back Yard) in housing policy debates, particularly focused on San Francisco. He argues that: 1) San Francisco's housing growth rate is not uniquely low, 2) Building more housing may not significantly lower rents, 3) Increased housing supply could potentially increase rents due to agglomeration effects, 4) NIMBYs have valid reasons to oppose development, and 5) Increasing housing supply might trap more people in an undesirable equilibrium. He concludes by acknowledging the lack of clear alternatives but expressing skepticism that simply building more housing will solve the problem. Shorter summary

A links post featuring stories about AI research, scientific studies, historical oddities, and current events, ranging from antibacterials in soap to disco riots at baseball games. Longer summary

This is a links post collecting various interesting stories and studies. It covers topics ranging from AI research (including MIRI's new paper on Logical Induction and UC Berkeley's new AI safety center), scientific findings (about school entry age and journal quality), historical oddities (like Disco Demolition Night and pay toilets), and current events (like the kratom ban and Seattle's microhousing). The post demonstrates Scott's typical mix of academic research, policy analysis, and interesting historical anecdotes, all tied together with his characteristic dry humor. Shorter summary

A curated collection of interesting links spanning medicine, economics, social issues and quirky stories, with Scott's commentary on various developments and findings. Longer summary

This is a collection of interesting links and news curated by Scott Alexander, covering a wide range of topics from medical research to economics, social issues, and quirky stories. The post includes discussions of new medical findings about heart receptors, debates about alcohol health effects, archaeological stories, studies about demographics and education, and various social and economic developments. Scott adds his own commentary and insights to many of the links, particularly around housing policy, scientific studies, and mental health care. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links covering topics from Mormon facial recognition to migraine treatments to housing policy, with Scott's analysis and commentary on each. Longer summary

This is a links post collecting various interesting stories and articles. It covers diverse topics including a study about Mormons being able to recognize each other, Silicon Valley housing issues, statistics about African immigrants, medical research about migraines and gum chewing, updates on anti-aging drugs, and various cultural and political stories. The post includes both lighthearted items (like puppy pregnancy syndrome in India) and serious policy discussions (like minimum wage debates), while maintaining Scott's characteristic mix of intellectual curiosity and careful analysis. Shorter summary