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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Apr 07, 2021
acx

Metis And Bodybuilders

18 min • 2,403 words • 269 comments • 115 likes • podcast (16 min)
Scott examines how scientific research has challenged traditional bodybuilding wisdom about rest periods, questioning the reliability of practical wisdom ('metis') compared to academic studies. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses the relationship between bodybuilding lore and scientific research, using an article by fitness researcher Menno Henselmans as a starting point. The post examines the traditional bodybuilding wisdom about short rest periods between sets, which was believed to be optimal for muscle growth. Scott then explores how recent scientific studies have contradicted this belief, showing that longer rest periods can be more effective. He uses this example to reflect on the concept of 'metis' (practical wisdom) in bodybuilding communities and its limitations when compared to academic scientific research. Shorter summary
Nov 13, 2017
ssc

Book Review: Legal Systems Very Different From Ours

39 min • 5,431 words • 444 comments • podcast (39 min)
Scott reviews David Friedman's book on unconventional legal systems, exploring how different societies have developed unique ways to enforce laws and resolve conflicts without centralized government. Longer summary
This book review explores David Friedman's 'Legal Systems Very Different From Ours', which examines various historical and contemporary legal systems that differ significantly from modern state-run systems. The review highlights how these systems, from medieval Iceland to Gypsy communities, solve problems of law enforcement and conflict resolution without a centralized state. It discusses the economic incentives and cultural evolution that shape these systems, and how they often rely on community enforcement rather than imprisonment. The review also touches on the book's optimistic view of cultural evolution and its relevance to current debates about police and government reform. Shorter summary
Mar 16, 2017
ssc

Book Review: Seeing Like A State

81 min • 11,306 words • 570 comments • podcast (78 min)
Scott Alexander reviews 'Seeing Like A State', examining how state efforts to standardize and control societies often backfire by ignoring local knowledge. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews 'Seeing Like A State' by James Scott, which examines how states have historically tried to make societies more 'legible' through standardization and top-down planning, often with disastrous results. The book covers examples from forestry, urban planning, agriculture and more, contrasting the failures of high modernist schemes with the success of local, traditional knowledge (metis). While acknowledging some benefits of standardization, the review explores the book's critique of overzealous state planning that ignores local conditions and wisdom. Shorter summary