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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Aug 09, 2021
acx

Eight Hundred Slightly Poisoned Word Games

9 min • 1,157 words • 233 comments • 95 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander conducts an experiment playing a word game 800 times under varying CO2 levels, finding no correlation between indoor carbon dioxide and cognitive performance. Longer summary
Scott Alexander describes his experiment to test the effect of indoor carbon dioxide levels on cognitive performance. He played a word game called WordTwist 800 times over three months, recording his scores and the CO2 levels in his room. The CO2 levels ranged from 445 ppm to 3208 ppm. Scott found no correlation between CO2 levels and his game performance (r = 0.001, p = 0.97). He discusses potential confounding factors but argues that his results strongly suggest that CO2 levels don't affect his cognitive performance on this specific task. Scott encourages others to conduct similar experiments with different cognitive tasks and offers to provide CO2 monitors to interested researchers. Shorter summary
Oct 04, 2018
ssc

Nighttime Ventilation Survey Results

5 min • 616 words • 26 comments • podcast
Scott Alexander reports on a survey about nighttime ventilation interventions, finding modest overall improvements but some individual success stories. Longer summary
Scott Alexander presents the results of a survey on nighttime ventilation conducted after his previous post on carbon dioxide levels. The survey, with 129 participants, explored various interventions to improve sleep quality by reducing CO2 levels. While the overall results were modest, with an average improvement of 1.4 on a 0-5 scale, some participants reported significant benefits. The most common intervention was sleeping with an open window. Despite the underwhelming results, most participants planned to continue their interventions. Scott concludes that the results are essentially negative, both for nighttime ventilation and for the reliability of informal blog surveys in producing confident data. Shorter summary
Aug 23, 2018
ssc

Carbon Dioxide: An Open Door Policy

13 min • 1,591 words • 213 comments • podcast
Scott Alexander explores research on how high indoor CO2 levels may impair cognition and sleep, suggesting simple solutions like better ventilation. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses recent research on the effects of high indoor carbon dioxide (CO2) levels on cognitive function and sleep quality. He describes how his housemates discovered high CO2 levels in their home and improved their symptoms by increasing ventilation. The post explores studies showing cognitive impairment at high CO2 levels and the potential impact on sleep quality. Scott suggests that nighttime CO2 levels in bedrooms can be particularly high and may affect sleep. He recommends simple solutions like opening windows or using certain plants to reduce CO2 levels. The post ends with a call for readers to participate in an informal experiment on nighttime air quality. Shorter summary
Apr 05, 2017
ssc

The Case Of The Suffocating Woman

26 min • 3,347 words • 158 comments • podcast
Scott presents a case of postpartum panic attacks, explains the theory of panic as a false suffocation alarm, and discusses how understanding this mechanism can help treat the condition. Longer summary
The post discusses a case of a woman experiencing panic attacks and feelings of suffocation after childbirth. Scott explores Donald Klein's theory of panic disorder as a false suffocation alarm, explaining how the brain monitors CO2 levels and other factors to determine if suffocation is occurring. The theory is linked to postpartum panic attacks due to hormonal changes affecting breathing patterns. Scott explains this to the patient, which helps calm her down. The post concludes by discussing how understanding the mechanism behind panic attacks can be therapeutic, drawing parallels with other psychological experiments. Shorter summary
Dec 05, 2016
ssc

Thin Air

14 min • 1,809 words • 127 comments • podcast
Scott examines the relationship between altitude and obesity, then explores and ultimately dismisses the theory that increased atmospheric CO2 could be causing the obesity epidemic. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores the correlation between altitude and obesity rates in the US, noting that people living at higher elevations tend to be less obese. He discusses various studies on altitude anorexia and hypoxia's effect on weight loss. The post then transitions to a speculative theory about whether increased atmospheric CO2 from global warming could be causing the obesity epidemic. While intriguing, Scott ultimately concludes that this theory is likely not true, based on geographical inconsistencies, submarine studies, and the small magnitude of potential effects. Shorter summary