Scott invites readers to ask questions that will be answered by Claude 4.6 Opus to demonstrate current AI capabilities and test whether AI skeptics underestimate what paid-tier AI can do. Longer summary

Scott Alexander invites his readers to ask questions that will be answered by Claude 4.6 Opus, the most capable paid-tier AI model, to test the theory that AI skeptics underestimate AI capabilities because they don't pay for premium access. He suggests asking real questions that are too hard to Google immediately but not beyond human knowledge, and promises to show the first result he gets without cherry-picking. The post includes rules for both questioners and Scott himself, including a note that he's configured Claude to think hard and do web searches rather than rely on memory. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander answers reader questions on various topics, including his projects, views, and personal preferences in a mailbag format. Longer summary

Scott Alexander responds to several reader questions in a mailbag-style post. He addresses topics such as publishing his book Unsong, the status of his Lorien Psychiatry business, future ACX Grants rounds, his progress on reading Nixonland, his views on AI risk, how to get involved in the rationalist/EA community, Straussian interpretations of his posts, and his refusal to go on podcasts. The responses vary in length and detail, with some providing specific information and others explaining his reasoning or personal preferences. Shorter summary