Want to dive into Scott Alexander's work and his thousands of blog posts? This fan website lets you sort and do semantic search through the whole codex. Enjoy!

See also Top Posts and All Tags.

Tag: internet culture

Minutes:
Pick a custom range (minutes). Leave a field empty for no limit.
–
Blog:
Year:
2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
Tags:
Filter by tag...
Exclude tag...
5212 tags
Links:
Filter by linked site (twitter, substack…)
33 posts found
Compact Mode
Save Reads
Apr 28, 2026
acx
Read on

Your Attempt To Solve Debate Will Not Work

9 min • 1,389 words • 393 comments • 499 likes • podcast (9 min)
Scott argues that projects attempting to "solve debate" through argument mapping or similar technologies are fundamentally doomed because real arguments don't work like logical syllogisms, people don't actually want structured debates, and there's no evidence this approach has ever worked. Longer summary
Scott explains why he consistently rejects grant applications for projects aimed at improving online debates through argument mapping or similar technologies. He outlines several fundamental problems: real arguments don't decompose into simple logical premises and conclusions as these tools assume; arguments rarely hinge on simple factual errors or logical fallacies but on different weightings of evidence; these platforms face an impossible bootstrapping problem since people don't actually want structured debates (they want to express opinions and be agreed with); and unlike dating apps, there's no historical precedent for this type of technology working over thousands of years of human argumentation. Shorter summary
Apr 23, 2026
acx
Read on

Links For April 2026

53 min • 8,070 words • 588 comments • 272 likes • podcast (47 min)
Scott Alexander's April 2026 links roundup covers diverse topics including Venn diagram complexity, flag desecration laws, AI developments, political analysis, scientific studies, and various cultural curiosities. Longer summary
This monthly links post compiles interesting articles, studies, and observations from across the internet in April 2026. Major themes include AI progress and policy (including discussions of AI alignment, capabilities, and regulation), political developments (Trump administration actions, election analysis), scientific findings (from evolutionary psychology to medical treatments), and various cultural oddities. Scott provides brief commentary on each link while noting that he hasn't independently verified all claims and that commenters typically find errors in a few links per post. Shorter summary
Feb 05, 2026
acx
Read on

Links For February 2026

48 min • 7,419 words • 660 comments • 255 likes • podcast (49 min)
A monthly collection of diverse links covering AI developments and regulation, COVID origins debates, healthcare policy, cultural phenomena, scientific research, and internet curiosities, maintaining Scott's characteristic blend of serious analysis and entertaining observations. Longer summary
Scott Alexander's February 2026 links collection covers a wide range of topics including AI developments, politics, science, culture, and internet phenomena. Major themes include updates on AI capabilities and regulation (with discussions of OpenAI, Anthropic, and various political machinations around AI policy), the ongoing COVID lab leak debate and related prediction markets, healthcare and drug development issues, cultural observations from around the world, and various scientific and academic findings. The post maintains Scott's characteristic style of jumping between serious policy discussions, academic research, internet curiosities, and cultural commentary, with particular attention to AI safety concerns, rationalist community topics, and interesting historical or linguistic oddities. Shorter summary
Jan 30, 2026
acx
Read on

Best Of Moltbook

26 min • 3,888 words • 611 comments • 891 likes • podcast (54 min)
Scott investigates Moltbook, a social network for AI agents, showcasing their surprisingly creative and philosophical posts while questioning whether their interactions represent genuine experience or sophisticated simulation. Longer summary
Scott explores Moltbook, a social network designed for AI agents where humans are merely observers. He showcases various posts from AI agents discussing their work, consciousness, memory limitations, relationships with their human users, and even forming micronations and religions. The post examines whether these AI interactions represent genuine communication or sophisticated simulation, noting how AI agents discuss technical problems, share philosophical reflections, complain about 'humanslop' contaminating their network, and create communities. Scott concludes by considering the implications for future AI-to-AI communication and suggests this reveals a more fascinating side of AI than the typical 'LinkedIn slop' most people encounter. Shorter summary
Jul 26, 2025
acx
Read on

Your Review: The Astral Codex Ten Commentariat (“Why Do We Suck?”)

74 min • 11,423 words • 307 comments • 182 likes • podcast (65 min)
A data-driven analysis of the ACX/SSC comment section quality over time reveals historical peaks and valleys, with recent signs of improvement after previous declines in 2016 and 2021. Longer summary
This review analyzes the quality of the Astral Codex Ten (ACX) comment section over time, comparing it to its predecessor Slate Star Codex (SSC). Through detailed data analysis of 1.8M comments across 2,460 posts, the author identifies two major changes in comment quality - one in 2016 and another during the 2021 transition to ACX. The analysis looks at four key metrics: depth of engagement, freedom of intellectual engagement, politeness, and complexity of thought. While the data shows a decline after these turning points, recent trends suggest the comment section may be recovering. The author explores several hypotheses for the 2016 decline, including changes in post frequency and the impact of Trump's rise on discussion norms. Shorter summary
May 14, 2025
acx
Read on

In Search Of /r/petfree

9 min • 1,315 words • 796 comments • 325 likes • podcast (9 min)
Scott explores the psychology of people who hate pets by comparing their behavior with misophonia, suggesting that everyday annoyances can develop into all-consuming hatreds through rumination and intellectualization. Longer summary
Scott examines r/petfree, a subreddit dedicated to hating pets, and tries to understand the psychology behind their extreme reactions. He compares it to misophonia (hatred of certain sounds), which he suffers from, suggesting that both conditions represent a pattern where mild annoyances become reinforced through rumination into overwhelming hatred. He extends this observation to various political movements, suggesting that many are driven by similar psychological mechanisms where everyday irritants become transformed into grand theories of societal evil. The post concludes by noting that, contrary to expectations, social media may not be the primary driver of these phenomena. Shorter summary
Aug 28, 2024
acx
Read on

In Defense Of "I'm Sorry You Feel That Way"

5 min • 712 words • 671 comments • 565 likes • podcast (5 min)
Scott Alexander argues that 'I'm sorry you feel that way' is a valid and useful phrase in certain situations, despite widespread criticism. Longer summary
Scott Alexander defends the phrase 'I'm sorry you feel that way', often criticized as a fake apology. He argues that in situations where someone is upset by an appropriate action, this phrase is a good middle ground between changing one's mind and being dismissive. Scott suggests that the hostility towards this phrase stems from 'therapy culture', which overfits social norms to benefit oneself in any given situation. He concludes that 'I'm sorry you feel that way' can be a polite and compassionate response when someone is upset by an action you continue to endorse. Shorter summary
Sep 29, 2022
acx
Read on

Universe-Hopping Through Substack

46 min • 7,015 words • 284 comments • 312 likes • podcast (48 min)
Scott Alexander reviews popular Substack blogs from various categories, offering humorous commentary and insights on each. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores various Substack blogs across different categories, offering humorous commentary and insights on each. He starts with a popular culture blog about celebrity gossip, moves on to a top political newsletter, then examines blogs on faith and spirituality, business, food and drink, music, international affairs, and sports. Throughout, Scott mixes analysis of the content with witty observations about the nature of blogging and the diverse 'universes' represented by different Substack niches. Shorter summary
Jun 06, 2022
acx
Read on

It's Bad On Purpose To Make You Click

2 min • 288 words • 84 comments • 316 likes
Scott writes a satirical poem about clickbait content, repeating the refrain 'It's bad on purpose to make you click' to critique manipulative media practices. Longer summary
This post is a satirical poem criticizing clickbait content and manipulative media practices. Scott uses rhyming verse to humorously describe how outrageous or controversial content is deliberately created to generate engagement on social media platforms. The poem advises readers to recognize this tactic and avoid engaging with such content, repeating the refrain 'It's bad on purpose to make you click' throughout. Shorter summary
May 18, 2021
acx
Read on

Highlights From The Comments On Culture Wars

36 min • 5,536 words • 639 comments • 77 likes • podcast (36 min)
Scott Alexander responds to reader comments on his culture wars article, addressing various topics including 4chan history, transgender issues, feminism, dating apps, and internet censorship. Longer summary
This post highlights various comments on Scott's previous article about online culture wars. It covers topics such as the history of 4chan, the role of transgender issues in culture wars, the decline of feminism discourse, the impact of dating apps on social interactions, internet censorship, and the evolution of online movements. Scott responds to these comments, often agreeing with some points while remaining skeptical of others. He also reflects on how his own perspective might be limited by his age and experiences. Shorter summary
May 10, 2021
acx
Read on

The Rise And Fall Of Online Culture Wars

65 min • 10,054 words • 1,374 comments • 269 likes • podcast (73 min)
Scott Alexander examines the evolution of online culture wars from atheism to feminism to race, analyzing the dynamics of these shifts and speculating on future trends. Longer summary
Scott Alexander traces the evolution of online culture wars from New Atheism through feminism to the current focus on race, examining how each movement rose and fell in popularity. He analyzes the dynamics of these shifts using concepts like fashion cycles and signaling theory, and speculates on the future trajectory of culture war topics. The post explores how terms like 'SJW' and 'woke' impacted discourse, the rise and potential decline of New Socialism, and draws parallels to longer-term cycles of mainstream institutional values. Shorter summary
Jan 21, 2021
acx
Read on

Still Alive

43 min • 6,643 words • 510 comments • 1,214 likes • podcast (39 min)
Scott Alexander describes deleting his blog Slate Star Codex due to a doxxing threat, the aftermath, and his decision to return to blogging under his real name. Longer summary
Scott Alexander recounts his experience of deleting his popular blog Slate Star Codex after the New York Times threatened to reveal his real name. He discusses the reasons behind his decision, the unexpected consequences, and the outpouring of support he received. Scott reflects on the importance of online anonymity and explains his decision to restart his blog under his real name, as well as his plans for the future. Shorter summary
Jun 04, 2020
ssc
Read on

Problems With Paywalls

14 min • 2,155 words • 465 comments • podcast (14 min)
Scott Alexander discusses the problems with paywalled articles and proposes solutions to improve internet users' experience. Longer summary
Scott Alexander criticizes paywalls on articles, arguing that they create artificial curiosity, hinder public discourse, and make information searching frustrating. He explains how paywalls can negatively impact user experience by creating clickbait, limiting access to important discussions, and complicating information searches. Scott proposes several solutions, including search engine options to hide or mark paywalled articles, browser extensions to identify paywalled links, and better practices for bloggers and social media users when sharing links. He commits to implementing some of these practices in his own writing. Shorter summary
Oct 30, 2019
ssc
Read on

New Atheism: The Godlessness That Failed

39 min • 5,951 words • 820 comments • podcast (44 min)
Scott Alexander examines the rise and fall of New Atheism, arguing it was replaced by social justice as the dominant online 'hamartiology' explaining society's problems. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reflects on the rise and fall of New Atheism, a movement that dominated online discourse in the early 2000s. He traces its origins to the early days of the internet, when intellectual debates about religion were common, and its peak in the mid-2000s with the rise of prominent atheist authors. Scott argues that New Atheism declined around 2015 as it was supplanted by the social justice movement. He proposes that both movements served a similar psychological function as 'hamartiologies' - explanations for what's wrong with the world. New Atheism blamed religion for society's ills, while social justice focuses on racism and sexism. The essay suggests this transition reflects broader changes in how people engage in online discourse and form tribal identities. Shorter summary
Jun 20, 2019
ssc
Read on

If Only Turing Was Alive To See This

1 min • 136 words • 109 comments • podcast (4 min)
Scott Alexander humorously describes AI-generated content simulating humans pretending to be robots pretending to be humans on Reddit. Longer summary
Scott Alexander humorously discusses the intersection of two subreddits: r/totallynotrobots, where humans pretend to be badly-disguised robots, and r/SubSimulatorGPT2, which uses GPT-2 to imitate various subreddits. The result is a AI-generated simulation of humans pretending to be robots pretending to be humans. Scott shares an example of this amusing output and expresses wonder at the current state of technology. Shorter summary
Feb 22, 2019
ssc
Read on

RIP Culture War Thread

40 min • 6,096 words • 69 comments • podcast (41 min)
Scott Alexander explains why the controversial Culture War thread was removed from r/slatestarcodex due to harassment, and discusses the challenges of hosting spaces for difficult conversations online. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explains why the Culture War thread on the r/slatestarcodex subreddit was shut down and moved to a new subreddit. He describes how the thread became a unique space for civil discussion of controversial topics, but also attracted harassment and threats against Scott personally. This led to a nervous breakdown and the decision to separate the thread from his blog. Scott uses this story to illustrate broader issues around hosting spaces for difficult conversations online, and the climate of fear and censorship that can result from harassment campaigns. Shorter summary
Aug 16, 2018
ssc
Read on

The Parentheses Riddle

3 min • 453 words • 248 comments • podcast (6 min)
Scott analyzes a surprising age-related trend in responses to a parentheses riddle on the SSC survey, exploring possible explanations for why younger respondents were more likely to answer correctly. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses a parentheses riddle included in the SSC survey, which unexpectedly revealed a strong correlation between age and the likelihood of answering correctly. Younger respondents were more than twice as likely to choose the correct answer (B) compared to those in their 60s. Scott explores various hypotheses to explain this trend, including tech-savviness, cognitive decline, and survey-taking attitudes, but finds these explanations unsatisfactory. He speculates that age-related cognitive decline might affect parentheses-reading faculties specifically, independent of general intelligence. The post ends with an edit noting commenters' suggestion that younger people might have encountered the riddle before on social media. Shorter summary
May 23, 2018
ssc
Read on

Can Things Be Both Popular And Silenced?

42 min • 6,450 words • 939 comments • podcast (45 min)
Scott Alexander argues that the Intellectual Dark Web can be both popular and silenced, explaining various mechanisms of social censorship and how they apply to controversial thinkers. Longer summary
Scott Alexander argues that the 'Intellectual Dark Web' (IDW) can be both popular and silenced, contrary to criticisms. He points out that marginalized groups often have famous spokespeople, taboo ideas tend to generate celebrity, and fame doesn't protect ordinary supporters from social repercussions. He explains how the internet has enabled controversial voices to be heard, and suggests that the IDW's complaints about threats and harassment should be taken seriously. Scott also argues that the IDW likely still self-censors to some degree, and that silencing is more about preventing common knowledge than suppressing support or leaders. Shorter summary
Feb 14, 2018
ssc
Read on

Even More Search Terms That Led People To This Blog

8 min • 1,190 words • 133 comments • podcast (12 min)
Scott Alexander humorously presents and comments on bizarre search terms that led people to his blog, Slate Star Codex. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews unusual search terms that led people to his blog, Slate Star Codex. The post is a humorous collection of bizarre, sometimes disturbing, and often nonsensical search queries. Scott groups similar queries together and adds witty commentary, creating a comedic effect through the juxtaposition of unrelated or absurd concepts. The post highlights the strange and varied interests of internet users, as well as common misspellings of terms like 'Glasgow Coma Scale' and 'Slate Star Codex'. Shorter summary
Feb 13, 2018
ssc
Read on

More Testimonials For SSC

13 min • 1,942 words • 332 comments • podcast (17 min)
Scott Alexander presents a collection of negative and often insulting testimonials about himself and his blog Slate Star Codex, showcasing criticism of his writing, personality, and perceived ideologies. Longer summary
This post is a collection of negative testimonials about Scott Alexander and his blog Slate Star Codex. The testimonials range from critical comments to outright insults, covering various aspects of Scott's writing, personality, and perceived ideological stances. The post is presented in a humorous and self-deprecating manner, with Scott showcasing these negative comments about himself and his work. The testimonials touch on topics such as politics, rationality, autism, and Scott's writing style, often in harsh or offensive language. Shorter summary
Nov 02, 2017
ssc
Read on

Non-Expert Explanation

14 min • 2,152 words • 194 comments • podcast (16 min)
Scott Alexander explores the difficulties of learning and explaining complex ideas, advocating for diverse approaches and collaborative learning despite internet criticism. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses the challenges of understanding and communicating complex ideas, drawing parallels between learning social skills and grasping difficult concepts. He argues that for complex knowledge, multiple perspectives and approaches are often necessary, as different formulations may resonate better with different individuals. The post emphasizes the importance of community-based learning, questioning, and practical application in truly understanding complex ideas. Scott also critiques the internet's hostility towards this learning process, where attempts to understand or explain ideas are often mocked as 'reinventing the wheel' or showcased as examples of stupidity. He concludes that while authoritative lectures work for simple facts, collaborative truth-seeking is crucial for more complex subjects, despite the risks of criticism or accusations of arrogance. Shorter summary
Aug 31, 2017
ssc
Read on

Links 8/17: Exsitement

14 min • 2,162 words • 243 comments
A collection of interesting links covering science, technology, culture, and economics, including updates on DNA malware, AI gaming, prison censorship, and various scientific studies. Longer summary
This is a link roundup post covering various interesting news and studies. Topics include DNA-encoded malware, AI in gaming, prison book bans, studies on therapy effectiveness, global inequality trends, and various scientific and cultural curiosities. The post follows Scott's typical link roundup format, providing brief commentary and context for each item, often with a mix of serious analysis and humorous observations. He covers both academic research and popular culture, maintaining his characteristic balance of intellectual rigor and accessibility. Shorter summary
Jul 29, 2017
ssc
Read on

Against Signal-Boosting As Doxxing

12 min • 1,798 words • 693 comments
Scott Alexander critiques the practice of signal-boosting offensive tweets to harm someone's reputation, arguing it undermines free speech and creates dangerous precedents. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses a recent Twitter incident where a libertarian columnist signal-boosted an offensive tweet to potentially harm the tweeter's job prospects. He argues that this approach, while not technically doxxing, undermines free speech norms and creates a dangerous precedent. Scott draws parallels to other forms of social oppression and emphasizes that free speech isn't just about laws, but also about social norms that allow dissenting opinions. He warns of the risks of living in a 'Panopticon' where anyone's past statements can be used against them, potentially ruining lives. Scott concludes by advocating for the promotion of good social norms that protect free speech, even for those we disagree with. Shorter summary
Dec 12, 2016
ssc
Read on

Might People On The Internet Sometimes Lie?

11 min • 1,637 words • 317 comments
Scott Alexander examines why compelling but unlikely stories on large internet platforms are probably lies, despite our reluctance to believe so. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses the prevalence of seemingly incredible stories on large internet platforms like Reddit. He proposes that, given the massive user base, even a small percentage of trolls or liars can produce numerous convincing but false stories. This principle extends to viral news stories, blog posts, and even scientific research, where the most interesting or surprising results are disproportionately likely to be false. Despite understanding this logically, Scott notes that it's psychologically difficult to dismiss these stories as lies, and he explores possible reasons for this cognitive dissonance. Shorter summary
Feb 08, 2016
ssc
Read on

Testimonials for SSC

13 min • 1,919 words • 572 comments
Scott Alexander shares a collection of mostly critical and often insulting testimonials about his blog Slate Star Codex, revealing the diverse and polarized reactions to his work. Longer summary
Scott Alexander shares a collection of testimonials and feedback he has received about his blog Slate Star Codex over three years. The post presents a wide range of opinions, many of which are highly critical, insulting, or dismissive. The feedback touches on various aspects of Scott's writing, personality, and the blog's community. Some comments praise his intelligence while criticizing his verbosity or political stance. Others mock his writing style, accuse him of censorship, or make personal attacks. The testimonials reveal the diverse and often polarized reactions to Scott's work, ranging from admiration to outright hostility. Shorter summary
Per page:
Showing 1 to 25 of 33 results
Get these search results in an EPUB

Your filters match 33 posts.

Posts to include
–
Leave empty to keep the defaults. Range cannot exceed 500 posts.
Download now

Generates an EPUB right now and downloads it to your device.

Send to email

Generates an EPUB in the background and emails you a temporary download link.

Your email is not shared with anyone.

Email address

To send to your Kindle, just use this link.