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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6 posts found
Feb 15, 2024
acx
4 min 477 words 630 comments 142 likes podcast
Scott Alexander tests a hypothesis about gender integration moderating political views using his survey data, finding no significant effect of sibling gender on political attitudes. Longer summary
Scott Alexander examines a claim about gender differences in political attitudes and tests a hypothesis using data from his 2022 survey. The post discusses a reported growing political gap between men and women, and a proposed explanation that increased gender integration might moderate political views. Scott tests this by comparing political attitudes of men and women with only brothers or only sisters. The results show no significant effect, suggesting that sibling gender doesn't influence political views in the way proposed. Scott also discusses potential limitations of using his survey data and mentions other explanations and challenges to the original finding. Shorter summary
Aug 16, 2023
acx
38 min 4,926 words 657 comments 207 likes podcast
Scott Alexander argues that describable dating preferences are valuable, despite studies suggesting otherwise, by pointing out flaws in research and emphasizing real-world evidence. Longer summary
Scott Alexander critiques studies suggesting that describable preferences are useless in dating, arguing that common sense and empirical evidence show otherwise. He points out flaws in these studies, such as pre-sorted populations and brief evaluation periods, and suggests that while initial attraction might be random, similar interests and personalities likely lead to lasting relationships. Scott also discusses the value of dating profiles and 'dating docs' in conveying subjective preferences that can't be easily quantified in psychological exams. He concludes that for people who believe they can use describable preferences effectively, these tools remain valuable despite average trends in the general population. Shorter summary
Dec 30, 2022
acx
2 min 181 words 766 comments 75 likes podcast
Scott Alexander announces the 2022 ACX Survey, highlighting past findings and offering incentives for participation. Longer summary
Scott Alexander announces the 2022 ACX Survey, an annual reader survey that helps him understand his audience and investigate interesting hypotheses. He highlights some findings from previous years, estimates the survey will take 20-40 minutes to complete, and offers free one-year paid subscriptions to five randomly-selected respondents as an incentive. The survey will be open until January 15, and readers are encouraged to report any problems in the comments. Shorter summary
Aug 02, 2015
ssc
21 min 2,659 words 248 comments podcast
Scott Alexander examines how different statistical presentations of the same data in social science studies can lead to vastly different interpretations, potentially misleading readers. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses the importance of understanding and interpreting statistical measures in social science studies, particularly focusing on correlation, percent variance explained, and visual representations of data. He examines two studies: one on IQ and state wealth, and another on wealth inheritance. Alexander highlights how different presentations of the same data can lead to vastly different interpretations, potentially misleading readers. He emphasizes the need for a good grasp of statistical concepts and realistic expectations when evaluating social science research, noting that correlations above 0.4 are rare in this field. Shorter summary
Aug 28, 2014
ssc
19 min 2,385 words 176 comments podcast
Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of links on topics ranging from politics and economics to scientific studies, offering brief commentaries and critiques. Longer summary
This post is a collection of interesting links and brief commentaries on various topics. Scott Alexander covers a wide range of subjects including politics, science, social issues, and economics. He discusses studies on poverty traps, the relationship between poverty and crime, and the effects of marijuana legalization. The post also includes quirky facts, book reviews, and observations on cultural phenomena. Scott's tone is analytical and often skeptical, particularly when discussing scientific studies and their interpretations. Shorter summary
Jun 18, 2014
ssc
15 min 1,898 words 348 comments podcast
Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of links and brief commentary on topics ranging from climate change to social science research, with both serious analysis and humorous observations. Longer summary
This post is a collection of interesting links and brief commentary on various topics. Scott Alexander covers a wide range of subjects, including climate change, economics, social science research, technology, and current events. He shares studies, news articles, and personal observations, often with a skeptical or analytical perspective. The post includes both serious topics and more lighthearted content, reflecting Scott's diverse interests and tendency to explore unconventional ideas. Shorter summary