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

Scott Alexander analyzes a study suggesting cloth masks may be harmful, but remains cautiously in favor of their use despite the uncertainty. Longer summary

Scott Alexander examines a 2015 study by MacIntyre et al. on the efficacy of cloth masks compared to surgical masks and no masks in healthcare settings. The study found cloth masks performed worse than both surgical masks and the control group, raising concerns about their safety. However, Scott notes several limitations of the study and its interpretation. He leans towards believing cloth masks are still better than nothing, especially for blocking outgoing pathogens, but emphasizes the high uncertainty in this life-or-death decision during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shorter summary