Scott Alexander discusses a replication of his nootropics survey, expressing skepticism about the results due to potential placebo effects and biases in participant ratings. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses a replication of his 2020 nootropics survey by the blog Troof, which gathered data from 1981 subjects using a recommendation engine. While the results largely align with Scott's original survey, he expresses some skepticism about the findings. He notes that addictive or illegal substances, difficult lifestyle interventions, and fancy high-tech chemicals tend to rank higher, which could be due to both actual effectiveness and placebo effects. Scott highlights concerns about psilocybin microdosing's high ranking despite studies showing its ineffectiveness, and the low ranking of SAMe despite its proven effectiveness in clinical trials. He suggests that a simple model based on factors like difficulty of obtaining the substance and perceived novelty could largely predict the survey results, questioning whether any findings truly stand out beyond these factors. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander presents results from his 2020 nootropics survey, covering effectiveness ratings, tolerance, and user experiences with various substances. Longer summary

This post presents the results of Scott Alexander's 2020 nootropics survey, where 852 respondents rated various substances on effectiveness. The survey covered a range of nootropics, from common stimulants to newer experimental substances. Key findings include the high rating of Zembrin (a kanna extract), insights on modafinil usage, and user experiences with caffeine alternatives. The post also discusses tolerance development, overall opinions on nootropics, and vendor recommendations. Scott notes that most respondents were from his blog community rather than the broader nootropics community, which he found disappointing. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander announces a new survey on nootropics experiences, inviting readers to participate in the 2020 SSC Nootropics Survey. Longer summary

Scott Alexander is conducting a new survey on nootropics experiences, following up on a similar survey from a few years ago. He invites readers with nootropics experience to participate in the 2020 SSC Nootropics Survey, which is expected to take about 15 minutes to complete. The survey aims to gather information on user experiences with various nootropic substances, including newer ones that have emerged since the last survey. Shorter summary

Scott explores how acetylcholine-related cognitive enhancers might work by increasing sensory precision and learning rate, while speculating on potential tradeoffs and acknowledging the highly speculative nature of these ideas. Longer summary

This post explores the mechanisms and potential tradeoffs of cognitive enhancers, focusing on acetylcholine-related substances like piracetam and nicotine. Scott discusses the role of acetylcholine in the brain's predictive coding model, where it's thought to increase sensory precision and learning rate. He speculates on how this might explain the cognitive-enhancing effects of these drugs, but also considers potential downsides like disrupted intuitive understanding or increased risk of psychotic-like thinking. The post ends by acknowledging the highly speculative nature of these ideas and noting some contradictory evidence. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander argues for the broader use of guidelines instead of simple recommendations in fields outside medicine, explaining their benefits and why they're underutilized. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the value of guidelines over simple recommendations, using medical guidelines as an example. He argues that guidelines are underappreciated in many fields outside medicine. Guidelines offer multiple recommendations, tailor advice to specific circumstances, acknowledge individual differences, provide criteria for success or failure, and show correlations between options. Scott suggests that experts in fields like nutrition and self-help should create similar guidelines, but notes that doing so might be seen as too strong a claim to authority. He expresses frustration at the lack of such guidelines in areas like dieting, nootropics, and self-help, where they could be particularly useful. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander criticizes branded combination nootropics, explaining why they are often ineffective or harmful, and advises careful individual experimentation with single substances instead. Longer summary

Scott Alexander criticizes branded combination nootropics, arguing they are often poorly designed and potentially harmful. He begins by mocking the ridiculous names and exaggerated claims of many such products, then explains why even well-intentioned combinations are problematic. The post discusses how nootropics affect individuals differently, making one-size-fits-all approaches ineffective. Scott emphasizes the importance of careful individual experimentation with single substances, rather than relying on pre-made combinations. He also cautions against assuming synergistic effects between different nootropics, noting that even well-studied psychiatric drug combinations often fail to show benefits. The post concludes by advising readers to approach nootropics cautiously and individually, rather than relying on branded combinations. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander presents results from a survey of 850 people rating various nootropics, showing a range of perceived effectiveness and exploring addiction potential for some substances. Longer summary

Scott Alexander presents the results of a survey on nootropics, substances that claim to improve mental function. The survey gathered ratings from 850 participants on various nootropics. The results show a range of effectiveness, with prescription drugs like Adderall and Modafinil scoring highly, along with LSD microdosing and Phenibut. Some less well-known substances like tianeptine, Semax, and ashwagandha also performed well. The survey also explored addiction potential for certain substances. Scott notes that while the survey lacks placebo control, the large sample size and consistency with previous results lend some credibility to the findings. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander offers Christmas shopping recommendations for various products, from balsamic vinegar to nootropics, with personal insights on each item. Longer summary

Scott Alexander provides product recommendations for Christmas shopping, including a link to his Amazon affiliate page. He recommends traditional 18-year balsamic vinegar for its interesting taste, sweatpants that look like regular pants for comfort, xylitol nasal spray for congestion, the Hamilton musical CD, dental floss scythes for easier flossing, Nootropics Depot and Ceretropic online stores for nootropics, and periscope glasses for reading while lying down. He discusses each product's benefits and his personal experiences with them. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander discusses the concept of one-sided tradeoffs, using examples from college admissions to life hacks, and suggests ways to find opportunities for 'free' gains in various decisions. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the concept of one-sided tradeoffs using college admissions as a starting point. He explains how most decisions involve tradeoffs between different qualities, but suggests ways to find opportunities for 'free' gains. These include insider trading (having unique knowledge), bias compensation (exploiting others' biases), and comparative advantage (specializing in a specific area). He applies this framework to policy debates, life hacks, and personal decisions, arguing that understanding these concepts can help identify opportunities where one can gain benefits without significant downsides. The post concludes with examples like considering nootropics if one isn't afraid of taking drugs, or buying houses on streets with rude names for a discount. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander discusses the online forum Longecity, where users organize group buys of experimental chemicals, seeing it as a risky but intriguing counterbalance to slow drug approval processes. Longer summary

Scott Alexander expresses admiration for Longecity, an online forum where users organize group buys of experimental chemicals for self-experimentation. While acknowledging the dangers and irresponsibility of such practices, he finds a certain appeal in how it counteracts potential suppression of wonder drugs by slow-moving institutions. The post discusses examples of ongoing group buys, including attempts to replicate anti-aging experiments in rats. Scott concludes by suggesting that while this behavior is risky, it serves as a safeguard against dystopian scenarios where beneficial drugs are suppressed, reflecting a balance between institutional stupidity and population insanity in Western civilization. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reports on a survey of nootropics users, finding mixed results for various substances and discussing methodological challenges in assessing their effectiveness. Longer summary

Scott Alexander presents the results of a survey on nootropics, substances claimed to improve mental functioning. The survey, taken by 162 respondents from online nootropics communities, asked about experiences with 28 different substances. Key findings include: caffeine and modafinil were rated most effective; some newer substances like phenylpiracetam and coluracetam showed promise; traditional medicines had mixed results; dose-response relationships were mostly inconclusive except for high-dose vitamin D; and there were unexpected correlations between effects of different substances. Scott discusses limitations of the survey and plans for future iterations. Shorter summary

Scott celebrates the blog's first birthday, announces travel plans, and makes various requests and announcements related to the blog and community. Longer summary

This is a housekeeping post marking the blog's first anniversary. Scott announces his upcoming visit to the Bay Area, seeking information about rationalist community events during his stay. He thanks volunteers for helping with Ozy's thesis on romance novels. Scott also requests access to journal articles and announces the completion of the Less Wrong Survey, inviting readers to participate in a new survey about nootropics. Shorter summary