Scott Alexander's monthly links post covers diverse topics from AI developments and genetic research to historical anecdotes and local news, with a mix of serious analysis and humor. Longer summary

This links post covers a wide range of topics, including recent research on the Flynn Effect, factors influencing fertility rates, genetic engineering, AI developments, political issues, historical anecdotes, and local Bay Area news. Scott highlights interesting studies, cultural phenomena, and recent events, often with a humorous or ironic tone. He touches on subjects like universal basic income experiments, the formation of elite groups, and changes in political dynamics. The post also includes several visual elements like unusual architectural designs and tattoos. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander debunks a study claiming Victorians were smarter than modern people, showing it's based on flawed data comparison and ignores crucial factors like selection bias and demographics. Longer summary

Scott Alexander critiques a study claiming Victorians were more intelligent than modern people based on reaction time measurements. He argues the study's conclusion is flawed due to significant selection bias in the Victorian data, which primarily came from wealthy, educated individuals. The modern data, in contrast, was more representative of the general population. Scott points out that the difference in reaction times can be explained by sampling from the top 20% of Victorian society versus a broader modern sample. He also highlights how the study ignores important factors like race and regional variations in IQ, which could further account for the observed differences. Scott concludes by urging readers not to cite this study as evidence for declining intelligence or civilization. Shorter summary