Scott Alexander analyzes SSC survey results on trust, finding correlations with education, location, and political views, but not with gender, race, or religiosity. Longer summary

Scott Alexander analyzes the results of the SSC survey question on trust, exploring how different factors correlate with people's tendency to find others trustworthy. He finds that trust levels don't significantly differ by gender, race, religiosity, or intelligence, but there are differences based on education level, location, and political views. Urban and liberal areas tend to be more trusting, as do more educated individuals. Conservatives are generally less trusting than liberals. Effective altruists and polyamorous Less Wrong readers from California are found to be the most trusting groups. The post also notes correlations with mental health conditions and drug use, and observes that people who chose 'Other' in any category were consistently less trusting. Shorter summary

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

Scott Alexander discusses how categories are human constructs that should be flexible when it serves a useful purpose, using examples from biology, astronomy, and transgender identity. Longer summary

This post discusses the concept of categorization and how it applies to various topics, including the classification of whales as fish, the definition of planets, and transgender identity. Scott argues that categories are not inherently true or false but are tools we use to make sense of the world, and that we should be flexible in our categorizations when it serves a useful purpose. He uses examples from biology, astronomy, geography, and psychiatry to illustrate his points. The post concludes by addressing criticisms of transgender identity and arguing for compassion and practicality in how we treat people with gender dysphoria. Shorter summary

The post examines Midwestern geography, debunking the author's initial impression of a grid pattern in town arrangements and humorously exploring potential 'ley lines' between cities. Longer summary

This post explores the geography of the Midwest, particularly Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, and Minnesota, using satellite images. The author initially thought there was a clear grid pattern in the arrangement of towns, but upon closer inspection, found this to be an illusion. The post discusses the Public Land Survey System, which does create a grid pattern, but at a smaller scale than what's visible on these maps. The author humorously looks for 'ley lines' connecting cities and finds a few potential alignments, though these are likely coincidental. The post concludes with an anecdote about Zilwaukee, Michigan, supposedly named to trick settlers heading to Milwaukee into settling there instead. Shorter summary