Scott Alexander reviews David Sinclair's optimistic book on anti-aging research, discussing its main claims and potential criticisms. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews David Sinclair's book 'Lifespan', which argues that aging is primarily caused by epigenetic damage and can be easily solved. Sinclair proposes activating sirtuin proteins through various means like calorie restriction, exercise, or supplements to repair this damage. The review covers Sinclair's main arguments, potential criticisms, and broader philosophical questions about extending human lifespan. Scott expresses some skepticism about Sinclair's optimism but acknowledges the potential benefits of anti-aging research. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander writes two satirical sequels to GATTACA, critiquing discrimination based on epigenetics and educational background. Longer summary

This post is a satirical continuation of the movie GATTACA, imagining two sequels that critique different forms of discrimination. In 'GATTACA II: EPI-GATTACA', the focus is on epigenetics, where people are judged based on their ancestors' life experiences. In 'GATTACA III: EDU-GATTACA', the discrimination is based on which college one attended. Both stories follow a similar structure to the original GATTACA, with the protagonist Vincent trying to overcome societal barriers through deception. The stories end with Vincent's brother Anton helping him and Vincent realizing that he wants to change the discriminatory system, not just escape it. Shorter summary

The post argues that 'non-shared environment' in twin studies is often misunderstood, encompassing more than just different experiences and potentially overestimating the impact of nurture on personality and life outcomes. Longer summary

This post discusses the concept of non-shared environment in twin studies, arguing that it's often misinterpreted. The author explains that the 50% attributed to non-shared environment in many twin studies isn't solely about different experiences, but includes measurement error, random chance, and biological factors. The post breaks down various components of non-shared environment, including measurement error, luck, biological noise, immune system differences, epigenetics, and genetic mutations. The author suggests that the actual impact of different experiences (nurture) on personality and outcomes may be smaller than commonly believed, citing a review by Eric Turkheimer. The post concludes by suggesting that this interpretation could mean nature is more important than previously thought, making social interventions more challenging and genetic engineering more tempting. Shorter summary