How to avoid getting lost reading Scott Alexander and his 1500+ blog posts? This unaffiliated fan website lets you sort and search through the whole codex. Enjoy!

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Nov 11, 2022
acx

Contra Resident Contrarian On Unfalsifiable Internal States

45 min • 5,820 words • 733 comments • 171 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander argues for generally believing reports of unusual mental experiences, countering skepticism about unfalsifiable internal states. Longer summary
Scott Alexander responds to Resident Contrarian's skepticism about unfalsifiable internal states like jhana meditation experiences. He argues that we should generally believe people's reports of unusual mental experiences, based on examples like visual imagination, synaesthesia, and phantom limb pain. Scott critiques RC's arguments about 'spoonies' and dissociative identity disorder, providing a more nuanced view of these conditions. He emphasizes the importance of considering evidence and priors rather than relying solely on intuition about whether people are lying. Shorter summary
Oct 31, 2022
acx

Highlights From The Comments On Jhanas

56 min • 7,254 words • 369 comments • 90 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander summarizes comments debating the reality and implications of jhanas, a meditative state of extreme bliss. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews and summarizes comments on his previous post about jhanas, a meditative state of extreme bliss. He discusses the debate over whether jhanas are real, how they compare to other pleasures like sex, whether they can substitute for other pleasures, what science says about them, and whether pursuing jhanas is good or bad. The post includes many quotes from commenters sharing their own experiences with jhanas and opinions on the topic. Shorter summary
Aug 11, 2022
acx

Will Nonbelievers Really Believe Anything?

10 min • 1,246 words • 867 comments • 174 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander investigates whether non-religious people are more prone to believing conspiracy theories, finding a U-shaped relationship between religiosity and skepticism. Longer summary
Scott Alexander examines the claim that non-religious people are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories and woo. He analyzes various studies on beliefs in UFOs, Bigfoot, and astrology across different religious groups. The results show a more nuanced picture: both strongly religious people and outright atheists are generally less likely to believe in these theories, while those in the middle (weakly religious or agnostic) are more susceptible. Scott discusses possible explanations for this pattern, including intellectual coherence and closed-mindedness. He concludes that the relationship between religiosity and belief in conspiracy theories is more complex than commonly assumed. Shorter summary
Oct 24, 2019
ssc

Highlights From The Comments On PNSE

24 min • 3,097 words • 165 comments • podcast
Scott Alexander examines skeptical and supportive comments on claims of enlightenment, arguing that evidence for such states is comparable to other accepted mental phenomena. Longer summary
This post discusses the comments on a previous article about Persistent Non-Symbolic Experience (PNSE) or 'enlightenment'. Scott Alexander addresses skepticism towards claims of enlightenment, comparing it to other mental states and discussing the evidence for its existence. He argues that the evidence for enlightenment-like states is as strong as for many other accepted mental phenomena. The post also explores different perspectives on enlightenment, including potential criticisms and alternative explanations, as well as personal accounts from individuals with meditation experience. Shorter summary
May 09, 2019
ssc

Is There A Case For Skepticism Of Psychedelic Therapy?

8 min • 1,039 words • 100 comments • podcast
Scott Alexander presents a case for skepticism about psychedelic therapy in psychiatry, outlining seven points of concern while still supporting further research. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses reasons for skepticism about the potential of psychedelic therapy in psychiatry. He outlines seven main points of concern: small studies by enthusiasts leading to unreplicable results, the tendency for all psychotherapies to have amazing success stories, comparison with ketamine's underwhelming results, the case of NSI-189 which failed in trials despite anecdotal success, the lack of obvious effects given widespread psychedelic use, the possibility that insights from psychedelics are illusory, and potential FDA restrictions limiting access and effectiveness. Despite these concerns, Scott supports psychedelic research and hopes to be proven wrong. Shorter summary
Jun 19, 2014
ssc

Money On The Ground

2 min • 220 words • 57 comments • podcast
Scott Alexander defends an economic principle often mocked in jokes, explaining its validity when applied to long-standing, seemingly obvious financial opportunities. Longer summary
Scott Alexander critiques a common joke about economists dismissing free money on the ground. He argues that the underlying economic principle, when phrased more realistically, is actually correct and useful. The post explains that while it's possible to find money just dropped, it's highly unlikely for a bill to remain unclaimed in a busy area for an extended period. This principle warns against seemingly easy, no-risk money-making opportunities that have been available for a while, suggesting they may be more complicated or risky than they appear. Shorter summary
Apr 15, 2014
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The Cowpox of Doubt

11 min • 1,427 words • 123 comments • podcast
Scott argues that focusing on easily debunked fringe beliefs when discussing rationality can be counterproductive, potentially hampering people's ability to doubt their own beliefs and engage in critical thinking. Longer summary
Scott Alexander criticizes the tendency to focus on easily debunked fringe beliefs like moon-hoaxing and homeopathy when discussing rationality. He argues that this approach is counterproductive, as it trains people to dismiss opposing views too quickly and lose the ability to doubt their own beliefs. The post suggests that constantly debunking obvious falsehoods can 'inoculate' people against questioning more complex issues, potentially hampering their ability to engage in genuine critical thinking and self-doubt. Scott emphasizes that true rationality involves recognizing one's own potential for error, even in strongly held beliefs. Shorter summary
Nov 08, 2013
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Lies, Damned Lies, And Facebook (Part 4 of ∞)

17 min • 2,160 words • 52 comments • podcast
Scott Alexander debunks claims of effectiveness for Vancouver's 'Don't Be That Guy' anti-rape campaign, arguing that the reported crime reduction is likely due to normal statistical fluctuations rather than the campaign's impact. Longer summary
Scott Alexander critiques claims that the 'Don't Be That Guy' anti-rape campaign in Vancouver reduced sexual assault rates by 10%. He argues that such small changes in crime rates are common and don't necessarily indicate causation. He examines crime statistics from Vancouver and Edmonton, where the campaign originated, showing that similar fluctuations occur in various crime categories and across different years. Scott suggests that the apparent success of the campaign may be due to selective reporting and misinterpretation of statistics. He concludes by proposing that such campaigns might be more about signaling group membership than actually reducing crime. Shorter summary
Feb 14, 2013
ssc

Abraham Lincoln, Necromancer

27 min • 3,473 words • 5 comments • podcast
The post investigates claims about Abraham Lincoln's involvement in spiritualism, finding evidence for his attendance at seances while debunking more extreme claims. Longer summary
This post explores the historical evidence for Abraham Lincoln's involvement in spiritualism and seances during his presidency. The author starts with well-documented accounts of Lincoln attending seances, including one where a piano supposedly levitated. The post then delves into more controversial claims, such as Lincoln using mediums for intelligence during the Civil War. While debunking the extreme claim that Lincoln made a pact with Attila the Hun's ghost, the author shows how investigating outlandish claims can lead to discovering intriguing historical facts. The post concludes by emphasizing the value of charitable investigation of seemingly absurd claims. Shorter summary