Scott Alexander critiques therapy books, highlighting their exaggerated claims and questioning the validity of their approaches, based on his clinical experience and historical misdiagnoses in psychology. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews the common patterns in therapy books, noting their tendency to promise miraculous results and criticize previous methods. He observes that while these books claim extraordinary success, his clinical experience doesn't match these claims. The post explores the concept of 'historicism' in therapy, where current problems are linked to past traumas, and questions the validity of this approach. Scott expresses skepticism about the dramatic transformations described in therapy books, comparing them to past misguided theories about mental health conditions. He concludes by warning readers to be cautious when evaluating individual therapy books, as they can be convincing in isolation but problematic when viewed as part of a larger trend. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander argues that non-empirical reasoning, based on principles like simplicity and elegance, is a necessary and legitimate part of scientific practice, even for evaluating seemingly untestable theories. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the role of non-empirical arguments in science, challenging the view that untestable theories are inherently unscientific. He argues that even in cases where direct empirical testing is impossible, scientists use principles like simplicity and elegance (often formalized as Occam's Razor) to evaluate competing theories. Scott uses examples ranging from paleontology vs. creationism to multiverse theories in physics to demonstrate that this type of reasoning is both necessary and legitimate in scientific practice. He concludes that while there may be debates about the best way to formalize or apply these principles, it's crucial to recognize that some form of non-empirical reasoning is an inescapable part of the scientific process. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines a pseudoscientific claim about the Great Pyramid of Giza to illustrate how coincidences can appear more significant than they are, relating this to challenges in evaluating scientific studies. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses a pseudoscientific claim that the Great Pyramid of Giza's location encodes the speed of light to seven decimal places. He breaks down the coincidence, explaining how it's less impressive than it initially appears due to various degrees of freedom in the calculation. He then uses this as a jumping-off point to discuss how similar issues can arise in legitimate scientific studies, referencing Andrew Gelman's 'garden of forking paths' concept. The post concludes by emphasizing the difficulty of fully dissecting such coincidences, even when actively looking for explanations, and how this applies to evaluating scientific studies. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explains the 'motte and bailey doctrine', a rhetorical fallacy, providing examples and comparing it to the 'weak man fallacy'. Longer summary

This post explains and analyzes the 'motte and bailey doctrine', a rhetorical fallacy popularized by the author. The concept involves making a controversial claim (the bailey) and then retreating to a more defensible position (the motte) when challenged. Scott provides several examples of this fallacy in action, including in religious arguments, feminism, and pseudoscience. He then compares it to the 'weak man fallacy', showing how they are mirror images of each other. The post concludes by advising readers to avoid vague, poorly-defined concepts in debates and instead focus on specific, clear propositions. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander critically examines the Institute of HeartMath, exposing a mix of misused science and pseudoscience in their 'heart coherence' claims and practices. Longer summary

Scott Alexander critiques the Institute of HeartMath, an organization promoting 'heart coherence' techniques. He examines their scientific claims, finding a mix of valid science taken out of context and pseudoscientific assertions. The post delves into the backgrounds of HeartMath's leaders, questioning their credentials and research. Scott then reveals HeartMath's more esoteric beliefs, including influencing DNA through intention and affecting global consciousness. He concludes that while some of HeartMath's relaxation techniques may be beneficial, their pseudoscientific claims and high-priced programs are concerning, especially given their influence in healthcare, military, and education sectors. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander proposes a utopian scientific system using prediction markets and impartial researchers to eliminate bias and efficiently resolve controversies. Longer summary

Scott Alexander describes a utopian scientific system in the fictional culture of Raikoth. In this system, anyone can do exploratory research, but confirmatory experiments are funded through prediction markets and conducted by impartial consultant scientists. The system includes pre-registration of experiments, public statements of predictions by experts, and financial incentives for accurate predictions. This approach aims to eliminate bias, increase transparency, and efficiently resolve scientific controversies. The post ends by highlighting the benefits of such a system, including the elimination of pseudoscience and the creation of a comprehensive, dynamic list of scientific hypotheses and their probabilities. Shorter summary