A detailed review of Islamic geometric patterns in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Moroccan Court, analyzing both the flaws in modern recreations and the underlying mathematical principles of authentic pattern construction. Longer summary

This book review contest entry examines Islamic geometric patterns found in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Moroccan Court, particularly focusing on a set of wooden doors that contain noticeable imperfections in their geometric designs. The author explains the traditional rules and principles of Islamic geometric patterns, demonstrating how proper patterns are constructed using a polygonal technique, and contrasts this with modern attempts that often fall short. Through detailed analysis of several examples in the Met's collection, including both historical pieces and modern recreations, the author explores how the loss of traditional artistic knowledge manifests in subtle ways. The piece concludes with reflections on the nature of artistic creation and the gap between creator and observer understanding. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander rejects the 'cultural Christianity' argument, stating that both Christian and secular liberal societies eventually succumb to modernism, making Christianity no more stable than secular alternatives. Longer summary

Scott Alexander critiques the 'cultural Christianity' argument, which suggests atheists should support Christian society for its cultural benefits. He acknowledges being part of the target audience, appreciating certain aspects of past Christian-influenced cultures. However, he rejects the argument on two grounds: his personal aversion to asserting falsehoods, and the observation that Christianity, like other cultural systems, has also succumbed to modernism and 'wokeness'. He argues that if both Christian and non-Christian liberal societies eventually collapse into undesirable cultural states, there's no advantage in advocating for Christianity over secular liberalism. The post concludes that addressing modern cultural challenges requires inventing a new cultural package rather than reverting to Christianity. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander distinguishes between 'universal culture' and 'Western culture', exploring how the former outcompetes all traditional cultures and the ethical implications of this process. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the concept of 'universal culture' as distinct from 'Western culture', arguing that what is often called 'Westernization' is actually the spread of a culture optimized for industrial societies. He explains how this universal culture outcompetes traditional cultures, including Western culture itself, and explores the ethical implications of this process. The post concludes by considering whether we should support or resist the spread of universal culture, acknowledging the complexity of the issue without reaching a definitive stance. Shorter summary

Scott examines five potential mechanisms of cultural evolution, discussing their strengths and limitations, and concludes that they don't strongly justify preserving specific cultural features. Longer summary

This post discusses various ways cultural evolution can occur, based on comments from a previous post. It explores five scenarios: super-innovations allowing one culture to dominate others, differential breeding rates between groups, evolution of subcultures, accretion of beneficial practices, and prehistoric cultural evolution. Scott analyzes each scenario, noting their strengths and limitations. He concludes that while cultural evolution has potential to be interesting, it doesn't provide a strong argument for preserving specific cultural features without additional justification. Shorter summary