Scott Alexander humorously describes his observations at the American Psychiatric Association meeting, highlighting pharmaceutical influence, social justice focus, and historical context of psychiatry. Longer summary

Scott Alexander attends the American Psychiatric Association meeting and shares his observations in a humorous photo-essay. He notes the overwhelming presence of pharmaceutical advertising, the conference's focus on social justice issues, the presence of Scientology protesters and CIA recruiters, and the abundance of new but seemingly unnecessary psychiatric drugs. He reflects on the historical context of psychiatry, including its past political biases and progress over time, while critiquing the current state of the field and its relationship with drug companies and social trends. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores the overuse of the term 'conspiracy theory' and provides heuristics for evaluating the plausibility of conspiratorial claims. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the concept of conspiracy theories, arguing that the term is often overused and misapplied. He presents a list of various claims, ranging from political conspiracies to scientific misconduct, and analyzes which should be considered conspiracy theories. The post introduces the 'Basic Argument Against Conspiracy Theories' which states that large secret organizations are difficult to maintain without detection. Scott then applies this principle to various scenarios, showing how some seemingly conspiratorial ideas might not actually qualify as conspiracy theories. He concludes by offering heuristics for evaluating the plausibility of conspiracy claims, emphasizing that the size, secrecy, and self-interest of the groups involved are key factors to consider. Shorter summary