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political polarization (32)
study critique (270)
book review (221)
AI (112)
economics (105)
effective altruism (105)
education (93)
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study critique (270)
book review (221)
AI (112)
economics (105)
effective altruism (105)
education (93)
creative writing (91)
debate (89)
forecasting (89)
politics (89)
prediction markets (88)
science (85)
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media criticism (76)
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rationality (76)
psychiatry (73)
psychology (72)
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highlights from the comments (68)
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domain: slatestarcodex.com (1127 posts)
domain: wikipedia.org (896 posts)
domain: astralcodexten.com (560 posts)
domain: lesswrong.com (491 posts)
domain: twitter.com / x.com (445 posts)
domain: nih.gov (333 posts)
domain: reddit.com (321 posts)
domain: amazon.com (276 posts)
domain: substack.com (268 posts)
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domain: washingtonpost.com (143 posts)
domain: marginalrevolution.com (140 posts)
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domain: theguardian.com (130 posts)
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32 posts
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Against Against Boomers

Scott argues against the trend of 'Boomer-hating,' contending that Baby Boomers delivered peace and prosperity, passed on greater wealth to their children, and don't differ significantly from younger generations on most political issues.

acx
Dec 19, 2025 2,631 words 667 likes 1,074 comments Listen · 16 min Read Read

Why I Am Not A Conflict Theorist

Scott examines and rejects conflict theory (the idea that political disagreements come from material self-interest), arguing instead that political positions are primarily driven by psychological needs and identity rather than material interests.

acx
Feb 26, 2025 4,535 words 486 likes 900 comments Listen · 27 min Read Read

Your Book Review: Real Raw News

The review analyzes Real Raw News, a popular conspiracy theory website, examining its content, appeal, and implications in the context of modern media consumption and AI technology.

acx
Jul 26, 2024 8,377 words 210 likes 486 comments Listen · 47 min Read Read

The Psychopolitics Of Trauma

Scott Alexander proposes that political hyperpartisanship might be a form of trauma, comparing PTSD symptoms to behaviors observed in political extremists.

acx
Jan 25, 2024 6,173 words 678 likes 541 comments Listen · 35 min Read Read

Which Party Has Gotten More Extreme Faster?

Scott Alexander examines which US political party has become more extreme faster, concluding Democrats have moved further left on policy since 1994, while results vary for other aspects of extremism.

acx
Jun 8, 2022 3,171 words 171 likes 1,058 comments Listen · 29 min Read Read

Highlights From The Comments On Kids And Climate Change

Scott responds to various reader comments on his article about having children despite climate change, addressing critiques and expanding on several points.

acx
Oct 13, 2021 5,387 words 93 likes 534 comments Listen · 37 min Read Read

Book Review: The Revolt Of The Public

Scott Alexander reviews 'The Revolt of the Public', a 2014 book that predicted the rise of social media-driven mass revolts against elites, finding its insights now obvious but acknowledging its prescience at the time of publication.

acx
Sep 17, 2021 4,492 words 122 likes 396 comments Listen · 33 min Read Read

Too Good To Check: A Play In Three Acts

Scott Alexander analyzes the evolving narrative around a news story about ivermectin overdoses in Oklahoma hospitals, illustrating how cognitive biases and media dynamics can distort information.

acx
Sep 6, 2021 2,567 words 336 likes 843 comments Listen · 19 min Read Read

List Of Passages I Highlighted In My Copy Of Ages Of Discord

Scott Alexander shares and comments on passages from Peter Turchin's 'Ages of Discord', exploring historical cycles of unity and polarization in American society.

ssc
Sep 4, 2019 1,364 words 0 likes 53 comments Listen · 12 min Read Read

Book Review: Ages Of Discord

Scott reviews 'Ages of Discord', which applies cyclic theories of civilizational rise and fall to modern America, finding the data interesting but the core theory questionable.

ssc
Sep 2, 2019 6,622 words 0 likes 315 comments Listen · 48 min Read Read

RIP Culture War Thread

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.

ssc
Feb 22, 2019 6,096 words 0 likes 69 comments Listen · 41 min Read Read

Too Many People Dare Call It Conspiracy

Scott Alexander explores the overuse of the term 'conspiracy theory' and provides heuristics for evaluating the plausibility of conspiratorial claims.

ssc
Jan 14, 2019 2,801 words 0 likes 575 comments Listen · 44 min Read Read

Kavanaugh: A Probability Poll

Scott Alexander analyzes a survey on readers' estimated probabilities of Kavanaugh's guilt, finding significant partisan differences and no clear consensus even with probabilistic thinking.

ssc
Oct 8, 2018 1,179 words 0 likes 533 comments Listen · 11 min Read Read

Fundamental Value Differences Are Not That Fundamental

Scott Alexander argues that fundamental value differences are less common and less aligned with political tribes than often assumed, emphasizing the need for coexistence despite varying values.

ssc
Jul 18, 2018 3,412 words 0 likes 706 comments Listen · 26 min Read Read

Against Murderism

Scott Alexander critiques the concept of 'racism' as an oversimplified explanation for complex issues, arguing for a more nuanced approach to understanding and addressing societal problems.

ssc
Jun 21, 2017 6,392 words 0 likes -1 comments Read Read

Neutral vs. Conservative: The Eternal Struggle

Scott Alexander critiques an article on conservative 'tribal epistemology', arguing that liberal bias in supposedly neutral institutions has driven conservatives to create their own spaces, exacerbating polarization.

ssc
May 1, 2017 3,180 words 0 likes 909 comments Read Read

Sacred Principles As Exhaustible Resources

Scott Alexander argues that overusing free speech to defend controversial figures may lead to a backlash against the principle itself, potentially depleting it as a societal resource.

ssc
Apr 11, 2017 1,046 words 0 likes 717 comments Read Read

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

SSC Endorses Clinton, Johnson, Or Stein

Scott Alexander endorses Clinton (or Johnson/Stein in safe states) over Trump, citing concerns about Trump's unpredictability and potential negative impacts on conservatism and social dynamics.

ssc
Sep 28, 2016 5,167 words 0 likes 317 comments Read Read

Post-Partisanship Is Hyper-Partisanship

Scott Alexander discusses how political groups can shift from outgroups to 'fargroups', leading to less hostility and more exoticization, and predicts this pattern may increase political in-fighting while reducing inter-party conflict.

ssc
Jul 27, 2016 2,639 words 0 likes 845 comments Read Read

Book Review: Albion’s Seed

Scott reviews 'Albion's Seed' by David Fischer, exploring how four British cultural groups that settled colonial America shaped regional cultures and may still influence modern US political divisions.

ssc
Apr 27, 2016 9,826 words 0 likes 287 comments Listen · 71 min Read Read

Testimonials for SSC

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.

ssc
Feb 8, 2016 1,919 words 0 likes 572 comments Read Read

Links 9/15: Linkua Franca

Scott Alexander presents a diverse collection of interesting links covering politics, science, history, and culture, with brief commentary on each item.

ssc
Sep 28, 2015 2,071 words 0 likes 151 comments Read Read

Beware Systemic Change

Scott Alexander argues that effective altruism should be wary of pursuing systemic change, as it risks wasting resources and alienating supporters.

ssc
Sep 22, 2015 4,024 words 0 likes 871 comments Read Read

Theses On Trump

Scott Alexander analyzes the unexpected success of political outsiders like Trump and Corbyn, attributing it to growing ideological polarization and anti-establishment sentiment.

ssc
Sep 3, 2015 1,436 words 0 likes 781 comments Read Read
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