How to explore Scott Alexander's work and his 1500+ blog posts? This unaffiliated fan website lets you sort and search through the whole codex. Enjoy!

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2 posts found
Nov 12, 2014
ssc
15 min 1,998 words 73 comments
Scott Alexander explains how to interpret 23andMe genetic data using SNPedia, listing various SNPs and their alleged effects while emphasizing the unreliability of such interpretations. Longer summary
Scott Alexander humorously explores how to use 23andMe genetic testing data 'irresponsibly' by looking up various SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) and their purported effects. He provides instructions on how to access raw genetic data from 23andMe and interpret it using SNPedia. The post then lists several interesting SNPs associated with traits like violence, empathy, anxiety, divorce risk, and longevity. Scott repeatedly emphasizes that these associations are often unreliable, exaggerated, or misinterpreted, and should be taken as entertainment rather than medical advice. Shorter summary
Aug 23, 2013
ssc
8 min 1,097 words 38 comments
Scott Alexander discusses his confusion about polygenic inheritance, mutational load, and the paternal age effect in genetics, seeking explanations from readers. Longer summary
Scott Alexander expresses his confusion about several aspects of genetics, particularly regarding polygenic inheritance and intelligence. He starts by discussing the low contributions of individual SNPs to intelligence despite high heritability, questioning how this reconciles with the observed variation in human intelligence. He then explores the concept of mutational load and its implications, as well as the paternal age effect. Throughout the post, Scott presents various scenarios and analogies to illustrate his points of confusion, inviting readers to help explain these genetic concepts. Shorter summary