Scott Alexander examines the historical link between gout and achievement, ultimately finding the evidence unconvincing despite some intriguing connections. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the historical association between gout and high achievement, discussing a theory that high uric acid levels might contribute to success. He examines the biological basis for this idea, comparing uric acid to caffeine and theacrine. However, after reviewing several studies, Scott concludes that the evidence for this theory is weak and inconsistent. He then discusses more recent research linking uric acid to mood disorders, particularly mania, but suggests that more research is needed before any firm conclusions can be drawn. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reflects on reader comments about his review of Jordan Peterson's '12 Rules for Life', discussing interpretations of Peterson's philosophy and its impacts. Longer summary

This post summarizes and reflects on various comments made in response to Scott Alexander's review of Jordan Peterson's book '12 Rules for Life'. The comments cover a range of topics including Peterson's philosophical approach, his views on meaning and suffering, his impact on readers, and comparisons to other thinkers like C.S. Lewis. Scott provides his own thoughts on these interpretations, discussing ideas around the nature of meaning, the role of inspiration vs truth, and the merits of Peterson's approach to self-improvement and politics. He also considers how Peterson's ideas might be viewed from different philosophical perspectives. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines why life hacks don't seem to reach universal adoption in society, despite potential competitive advantages. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the concept of life hacks reaching fixation in society, similar to how beneficial mutations reach fixation in genetics or how new technologies become widespread. He notes that despite the competitive nature of human society, he can't think of any life hacks that have reached universal adoption. He proposes several explanations for this, including the possibility that there are no exceptionally good life hacks, that life hacks are too individualized to reach fixation, or that useful life hacks that have reached fixation are no longer recognized as such. He grudgingly accepts some examples like organizational tools and 'diet and exercise', but notes these don't fit the typical image of a life hack. The post ends with an edit accepting caffeine as a possible example of a life hack reaching fixation. 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