Scott Alexander explores the universal human drive for discovery and knowledge-seeking, comparing it to 'intellectual minor leagues' and questioning how non-experts can contribute meaningful insights. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reflects on Adrian Hon's article about QAnon and alternate reality games, exploring the human drive for discovery and knowledge-seeking. He argues that this drive isn't limited to conspiracy theorists but is present in all of us, including academics and bloggers. Scott discusses how people satisfy their intellectual curiosity in a world where most significant discoveries have already been made, comparing it to 'intellectual minor leagues'. He considers various explanations for how non-experts can still contribute meaningful insights, such as the vastness of knowledge, unique combinations of experiences, or repackaging existing ideas. The essay concludes by questioning the author's own role in knowledge production and suggesting that the discovery drive is a fundamental human trait. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander analyzes birth order effects in SSC readers, finding strong effects for sibling age gaps of 1-7 years, with a significant drop-off after 7 years. Longer summary

Scott Alexander investigates birth order effects using data from the 2019 Slate Star Codex survey. He finds that firstborns are overrepresented among SSC readers, replicating previous findings. The study focuses on how age gaps between siblings affect this birth order effect. Results show strong effects for age gaps of 1-7 years, with a dramatic decrease for gaps larger than 7 years. Scott discusses possible explanations for these findings, including intra-family competition and parental investment hypotheses. He notes that the results don't seem consistent with some other proposed mechanisms like maternal antibodies or vitamin deficiencies. The post ends with a call for further replication and expansion of these results. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander presents survey data showing a strong overrepresentation of oldest siblings among his blog readers, challenging the view that birth order effects are negligible. Longer summary

Scott Alexander challenges the mainstream view that birth order effects are negligible, presenting data from his blog survey that shows a strong tendency for oldest children to be overrepresented among his readers. He finds that in families of two children, 71.4% of respondents were the older sibling, with similar patterns in larger families. While he couldn't fully replicate previous studies' findings on IQ differences, he did find a significant difference in Openness to Experience. Scott suggests that birth order may have a stronger effect on intellectual curiosity than previously thought, which could explain the skewed ratios in certain communities. He calls for further research to understand the mechanisms behind this effect and its potential implications. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores why medical residency test scores plateau after the first few years, proposing theories related to knowledge retention and individual differences in learning. Longer summary

The post discusses the plateau in standardized test scores for medical residents across different specialties. Scott Alexander analyzes data from internal medicine, psychiatry, and surgery residencies, noting that while scores improve significantly in the first year or two, they tend to level off in later years. He explores various potential explanations for this plateau, including ceiling effects, decreased motivation, and changes in teaching methods, but finds these unsatisfactory. The author proposes that the plateau might be related to how knowledge is reinforced and retained, drawing parallels to spaced repetition learning techniques. He suggests that individual differences in memory, intellectual curiosity, and integration of knowledge may contribute to the differences in scores among residents at the same level. The post concludes by considering the implications of this plateau effect for understanding learning and education more broadly. Shorter summary