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scientific method (14)
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study critique (270)
book review (223)
AI (112)
economics (105)
effective altruism (105)
education (93)
creative writing (91)
debate (90)
forecasting (89)
politics (89)
prediction markets (88)
science (85)
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media criticism (76)
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rationality (76)
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psychology (72)
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domain: slatestarcodex.com (1128 posts)
domain: wikipedia.org (898 posts)
domain: astralcodexten.com (562 posts)
domain: lesswrong.com (492 posts)
domain: twitter.com / x.com (445 posts)
domain: nih.gov (334 posts)
domain: reddit.com (321 posts)
domain: amazon.com (277 posts)
domain: substack.com (269 posts)
domain: google.com (235 posts)
domain: nytimes.com (229 posts)
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domain: vox.com (159 posts)
domain: washingtonpost.com (143 posts)
domain: marginalrevolution.com (140 posts)
domain: sciencedirect.com (131 posts)
domain: theguardian.com (130 posts)
subreddit: slatestarcodex (130 posts)
domain: youtube.com (129 posts)
Remember which posts I've read on this device
14 posts
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The Beauty Of Settled Science

Scott argues the real distinction in psychology isn't between subfields but between settled science (like dopamine, brain localization, heritability) and breaking-news research, defending psychology's solid core against critics who conflate bad recent studies with the entire field.

acx
Aug 4, 2026 2,027 words 361 likes 269 comments Listen · 13 min Read Read Opened Opened

Criticism Of Criticism Of Criticism

Scott Alexander analyzes EA's approach to criticism, arguing that specific, targeted critiques are more valuable than vague, paradigmatic ones for driving real change.

acx
Jul 20, 2022 3,034 words 334 likes 589 comments Listen · 20 min Read Read Opened Opened

What Are We Arguing About When We Argue About Rationality?

Scott Alexander examines various interpretations of rationality, concluding it might be best understood as 'the study of study' - a meta-level examination of truth-seeking methods.

acx
Mar 4, 2022 3,496 words 180 likes 405 comments Listen · 24 min Read Read Opened Opened

The Phrase "No Evidence" Is A Red Flag For Bad Science Communication

Scott Alexander criticizes the misleading use of 'no evidence' in science communication and suggests more nuanced alternatives.

acx
Dec 17, 2021 1,478 words 400 likes 491 comments Listen · 14 min Read Read Opened Opened

Your Book Review: On The Natural Faculties

This review of Galen's 'On the Natural Faculties' challenges common misconceptions about the ancient physician, portraying him as more empirical and scientifically-minded than typically believed.

acx
Apr 9, 2021 7,731 words 149 likes 214 comments Listen · 49 min Read Read Opened Opened

Building Intuitions On Non-Empirical Arguments In Science

Scott Alexander argues that non-empirical reasoning, based on principles like simplicity and elegance, is a necessary and legitimate part of scientific practice, even for evaluating seemingly untestable theories.

ssc
Nov 6, 2019 3,505 words 0 likes 438 comments Listen · 27 min Read Read Opened Opened

Call For Adversarial Collaborations

Scott Alexander announces a contest for adversarial collaborations, offering prizes for teams who write balanced summaries on controversial topics they disagree about.

ssc
Apr 26, 2018 1,032 words 0 likes 605 comments Listen · 8 min Read Read Opened Opened

Guided By The Beauty Of Our Weapons

Scott Alexander argues that true logical debate, rarely attempted, could be more effective in changing minds than commonly believed, and is necessary for long-term progress in distinguishing truth from falsehood.

ssc
Mar 24, 2017 6,166 words 0 likes 181 comments Listen · 42 min Read Read Opened Opened

If You Can’t Make Predictions, You’re Still In A Crisis

Scott Alexander argues that psychology is indeed in crisis, contrary to a New York Times article's claim, due to issues like publication bias and low replication rates.

ssc
Sep 5, 2015 1,866 words 0 likes 318 comments Read Read Opened Opened

Contra Hallquist On Scientific Rationality

Scott Alexander defends Less Wrong and Eliezer Yudkowsky against accusations of being anti-scientific, arguing that developing rational thinking skills beyond traditional scientific methods is valuable and necessary.

ssc
Aug 4, 2015 10,781 words 0 likes 679 comments Read Read Opened Opened

Utopian Science

Scott Alexander proposes a utopian scientific system using prediction markets and impartial researchers to eliminate bias and efficiently resolve controversies.

ssc
May 1, 2014 2,059 words 0 likes 68 comments Read Read Opened Opened

Effects Of Vertical Acceleration On Wrongness

The author humorously responds to a common argument against evidence-based medicine, suggesting a parachute experiment with a twist.

ssc
Feb 20, 2014 56 words 0 likes 16 comments Read Read Opened Opened

90% of all claims about the problems with medical studies are wrong

Scott Alexander examines the claim that '90% of medical research is false', arguing it's an exaggeration while acknowledging real issues in the field.

ssc
Feb 17, 2013 3,699 words 0 likes 26 comments Read Read Opened Opened

Philosophers and seeking answers

Scott explores whether philosophers genuinely seek answers or prefer endless debate, noting that while philosophy generates many solutions to problems, it lacks mechanisms like scientific experimentation to settle which solutions are correct.

lw
Feb 4, 2011 387 words 42 likes 27 comments Read Read Opened Opened
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