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!

See also Top Posts and All Tags.

Minutes:
Blog:
Year:
4622 tags
Show all filters
2 posts found
Jun 05, 2014
ssc

Don’t Be An Asch-Hole

9 min • 1,247 words • 317 comments
Scott Alexander explores a thought experiment based on the Asch conformity experiment to examine the strength and flexibility of personal beliefs and societal norms. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses a thought experiment inspired by the Asch conformity experiment, where one imagines being told that their beliefs are completely wrong according to everyone else in the 'real world'. He explores how this experiment might affect various beliefs, from personal convictions to societal norms, using examples like slavery in the antebellum South and vegetarianism. The post suggests that this thought experiment can be a powerful tool for examining one's beliefs, understanding moral progress, and even as a motivational technique. Scott also reflects on how this experiment might reveal which beliefs we hold most strongly and which we might be more willing to doubt or change. Shorter summary
Jun 03, 2014
ssc

Asches to Asches

20 min • 2,790 words • 108 comments
A person repeatedly wakes up in a Matrix-like pod, being told different versions of reality about the concept of 'family' in a series of nested scenarios, ultimately revealed to be an alien experiment. Longer summary
This fictional story describes a series of nested simulations or scenarios where the protagonist repeatedly wakes up in a Matrix-like pod. Each time, they are told a different version of reality regarding the concept of 'family'. The story explores themes of conformity, belief systems, and the malleability of memory and perception. It ends with a twist revealing that the entire experiment was conducted by aliens seeking to understand optimal social arrangements, particularly regarding the concept of family. Shorter summary