How to explore Scott Alexander's work and his 1500+ blog posts? This unaffiliated fan website lets you sort and search through the whole codex. Enjoy!

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2 posts found
Dec 08, 2022
acx

Know Your GABA-A Receptor Subunits

9 min • 1,161 words • 115 comments • 87 likes • podcast (9 min)
Scott explores GABA-A receptor subunits, their effects, and how various drugs interact with them, discussing potential for more selective drug development. Longer summary
This post explores GABA-A receptor subunits and their role in psychiatric drugs and supplements. It explains the structure of GABA-A receptors, focusing on the alpha subunits and their associated effects. The post discusses how different drugs like benzodiazepines and zolpidem (Ambien) interact with these subunits, and mentions attempts to create more selective drugs. It also touches on the role of GABA receptors in alcohol's effects and the classification of Z-drugs. The author includes personal experiences with supplements claiming to have selective GABA modulation. Shorter summary
Jul 28, 2014
ssc

Weird Psychiatric Ads Of The Seventies

12 min • 1,628 words • 36 comments
Scott Alexander presents and humorously critiques a series of strange psychiatric drug advertisements from the 1960s and 1970s, highlighting their peculiar imagery and messaging. Longer summary
Scott Alexander shares a collection of psychiatric drug advertisements from the 1960s and 1970s, highlighting their peculiar and often creepy nature. He comments on various aspects of these ads, including the evolution of psychiatric terminology, the relationship between drug therapy and psychoanalysis, and the bizarre imagery used to market antipsychotics. The post humorously critiques the ads' visual elements, puns, and implied messages, while also noting how they reflect changing attitudes in psychiatry over time. Shorter summary