Scott Alexander debunks a misleading graph on antibiotic discovery and presents more accurate data, discussing reasons for the decline in antibiotic development. Longer summary

Scott Alexander critiques a misleading graph about antibiotic discovery, pointing out its numerous errors and omissions. He then presents his own data on antibiotic discovery rates, showing a decline but not as severe as the original graph suggested. The post discusses potential causes for this decline, including scientific challenges, economic factors, and regulatory issues. Scott also notes that using antibiotics as a measure of scientific progress may be unfair due to the nature of their discovery, and contrasts this with the rapid progress in antidiabetic drugs. Shorter summary

Scott explores how antibiotics and antiprotozoal drugs unexpectedly affect mental health, suggesting that random chemicals may frequently influence mental processes. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses how antibiotics and antiprotozoal drugs can have unexpected psychiatric effects, using examples like suramin for autism, minocycline for schizophrenia, iproniazid for depression, and cycloserine for anxiety disorders. He argues that this phenomenon suggests random chemicals may often affect mental processes, implying that base rates for psychiatric effects of drugs might be higher than commonly assumed. The post starts with recent research on suramin, moves through historical examples, and concludes with reflections on the implications for drug discovery and toxicity claims in psychiatry. Shorter summary