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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72 posts found
Jun 27, 2024
acx

My 2024 Presidential Debate

30 min • 4,176 words • 177 comments • 400 likes • podcast (23 min)
Scott Alexander presents a satirical 2024 presidential debate between Biden and Trump, featuring increasingly absurd positions on various issues. Longer summary
Scott Alexander moderates a fictional presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump for the 2024 election. The debate takes surreal turns as both candidates express increasingly bizarre views on topics like states' existence, abortion, wokeness, conspiracy theories, and immigration. Biden expresses solipsistic doubts about reality, while Trump argues for an expanded notion of America based on anthropic reasoning. The debate highlights the absurdity of political discourse through exaggerated positions and philosophical tangents. Shorter summary
May 31, 2024
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Unsong Available In Paperback

2 min • 236 words • 153 comments • 207 likes • podcast (2 min)
Scott Alexander's novel 'Unsong' is now available in paperback on Amazon, featuring improvements over the original online version. Longer summary
Scott Alexander announces the publication of his online serial novel 'Unsong' in paperback form on Amazon. He discusses the improvements made to the published version, including rewritten chapters, character name changes, and expanded historical and political details. Scott expresses gratitude to those who helped make the publication possible, particularly commenter Pycea. Shorter summary
Apr 18, 2024
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Ye Olde Bay Area House Party

25 min • 3,370 words • 177 comments • 323 likes • podcast (18 min)
Scott Alexander writes a satirical account of a Bay Area house party, mocking various tech and social trends in a Chaucer-inspired style. Longer summary
Scott Alexander presents another satirical Bay Area house party scenario, this time written in a Chaucer-inspired style. The narrator encounters various eccentric characters, each representing absurd or exaggerated tech and social trends. The post humorously critiques concepts like land acknowledgments, tunnel-digging ventures, anti-celebrity magazines, QR code browsers, and overzealous environmental protection. It also pokes fun at tech optimism, social awkwardness, and the Bay Area startup culture. Shorter summary
Nov 07, 2023
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Hardball Questions For The Next Debate

16 min • 2,209 words • 200 comments • 428 likes • podcast (16 min)
Scott Alexander presents a satirical, fictional Republican primary debate with absurd rules to highlight candidate personalities and critique political debate formats. Longer summary
Scott Alexander presents a satirical, fictional account of a Republican primary debate with unusual rules. The debate features Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, and Donald Trump answering questions while adhering to increasingly absurd constraints, such as avoiding specific letters, using certain words or phrases, or speaking in specific poetic forms. The satire highlights the candidates' personalities and political positions while critiquing the format of political debates and the state of American politics. Shorter summary
Sep 05, 2023
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My Presidential Platform

21 min • 2,801 words • 452 comments • 675 likes • podcast (16 min)
Scott Alexander presents a satirical presidential platform with outlandish and humorous policy proposals, critiquing various aspects of American politics and society. Longer summary
Scott Alexander presents a satirical presidential platform with outlandish and humorous policy proposals. The post covers a range of topics including naval supremacy, sovereign citizens, climate change, military service, Supreme Court appointments, education, internet privacy, and cultural issues. Each proposal is presented with a mix of historical references, current events, and absurd logic, creating a comedic critique of American politics and society. Shorter summary
Mar 27, 2023
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Turing Test

43 min • 5,967 words • 316 comments • 543 likes • podcast (39 min)
A fictional game show story explores the blurred lines between human and AI intelligence through philosophical debates and personal anecdotes. Longer summary
This post is a fictional story in the form of a game show called 'Turing Test!' where a linguist must determine which of five contestants are human or AI. The story explores themes of artificial intelligence, human nature, spirituality, and the boundaries between human and machine intelligence. As the game progresses, the contestants engage in philosophical debates and share personal stories, blurring the lines between human and AI behavior. The story ends with a twist that challenges the reality of the entire scenario. Shorter summary
Mar 20, 2023
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Half An Hour Before Dawn In San Francisco

8 min • 1,098 words • 530 comments • 509 likes • podcast (8 min)
Scott Alexander narrates a haunting pre-dawn walk through San Francisco, mixing observations with apocalyptic musings before the spell is broken by sunrise. Longer summary
Scott Alexander describes a surreal early morning experience in San Francisco, blending observations of the city with morbid thoughts and literary references. He reflects on the city's role as a hub of technological progress and potential existential risk, comparing it to pivotal moments in Earth's history. The post oscillates between eerie, apocalyptic imagery and more grounded observations, ultimately acknowledging the normalcy of the city as daylight breaks. Shorter summary
Oct 19, 2022
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Another Bay Area House Party

28 min • 3,823 words • 358 comments • 331 likes • podcast (25 min)
Scott Alexander presents a satirical account of a Bay Area house party, showcasing absurd startup ideas and intellectual discussions that parody Silicon Valley culture. Longer summary
Scott Alexander describes another fictional Bay Area house party, filled with eccentric characters pitching outlandish startup ideas and discussing bizarre theories. The narrative weaves through conversations about AI-generated myths, financial communication through rap, the future of human thought in the age of AI, Wikipedia editing dilemmas, extreme urban planning ideas, and ethical considerations in organ donation. The story satirizes Silicon Valley culture, startup mentality, and various intellectual subcultures. Shorter summary
Sep 19, 2022
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Janus' GPT Wrangling

18 min • 2,451 words • 73 comments • 109 likes • podcast (27 min)
Scott Alexander discusses Janus' experiments with GPT-3, exploring its capabilities, quirks, and potential implications. Longer summary
This post discusses Janus' work with GPT-3, exploring its capabilities and quirks. It covers how GPT-3 can generate self-aware stories, the differences between older and newer versions of the model, its tendency to fixate on certain responses, and some amusing experiments. The post highlights the balance between creativity and efficiency in AI language models, and touches on the potential implications of AI development. Shorter summary
Sep 02, 2022
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The Prophet And Caesar's Wife

19 min • 2,576 words • 186 comments • 288 likes • podcast (19 min)
A satirical series of encounters between a Prophet and various Bishops, exploring the contradictions in religious leadership and public perception. Longer summary
This satirical post presents a series of vignettes featuring a Prophet encountering various Bishops in different cities, each struggling with the balance between appearance and reality in their religious roles. The Prophet's advice is consistently inconsistent, highlighting the absurdity of trying to please everyone while maintaining a perfect image. The story culminates with the Prophet critiquing God's PR strategy in Heaven, turning the 'Caesar's wife' idiom on its head. Through these interactions, the post explores themes of hypocrisy, moral hazard, and the often contradictory expectations placed on religious leaders. Shorter summary
Sep 02, 2022
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Book Review Contest 2022 Winners

17 min • 2,254 words • 350 comments • 129 likes • podcast (15 min)
Scott Alexander announces the winners of the 2022 Book Review Contest, lists finalists and honorable mentions, and provides commentary on the entries and contest process. Longer summary
Scott Alexander announces the winners and finalists of the 2022 Book Review Contest. The post lists the top 5 winners, followed by the remaining finalists and honorable mentions. Scott provides brief commentary on many of the reviews, explaining his selection process and praising various aspects of the entries. He also shares some insights about the anonymity of the contest and its results, noting that some well-known writers performed well. The post concludes with information about prizes for winners and finalists, and a brief mention of plans for next year's contest. Shorter summary
Jun 06, 2022
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It's Bad On Purpose To Make You Click

3 min • 288 words • 86 comments • 298 likes
Scott writes a satirical poem about clickbait content, repeating the refrain 'It's bad on purpose to make you click' to critique manipulative media practices. Longer summary
This post is a satirical poem criticizing clickbait content and manipulative media practices. Scott uses rhyming verse to humorously describe how outrageous or controversial content is deliberately created to generate engagement on social media platforms. The poem advises readers to recognize this tactic and avoid engaging with such content, repeating the refrain 'It's bad on purpose to make you click' throughout. Shorter summary
Apr 13, 2022
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Biography of Jason Shea, 44th US President

11 min • 1,424 words • 88 comments • 76 likes
Scott explores cultural translation by reimagining Xi Jinping's life as that of a fictional American president, Jason Shea, and reflects on the challenges of this creative exercise. Longer summary
Scott Alexander presents a creative writing exercise where he attempts to 'translate' the biography of Chinese leader Xi Jinping into an American context, creating the fictional character of Jason Shea as the 44th US President. He explores the challenges of cultural translation, drawing parallels between Chinese and American political systems and historical events. The post is divided into two parts: the fictional biography and a reflection on the writing process and its limitations. Shorter summary
Mar 30, 2022
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Idol Words

34 min • 4,737 words • 186 comments • 378 likes • podcast (34 min)
A fictional story about a temple intern managing three omniscient idols, exploring logic puzzles and philosophical questions through visitors' interactions. Longer summary
This post is a fictional story set in a temple with three omniscient idols, where one always tells the truth, one always lies, and one answers randomly. The narrator is a bored summer intern who manages the temple, dealing with various visitors who come to ask the idols questions. The story explores different logical puzzles, philosophical questions, and human reactions to the idols' cryptic answers. In the end, the narrator uses his own three questions and realizes there might be more to his job and studies than he initially thought. Shorter summary
Feb 17, 2022
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The Gods Only Have Power Because We Believe In Them

13 min • 1,777 words • 196 comments • 213 likes • podcast (12 min)
Scott explores various fictional scenarios about the relationship between gods, belief, and power through a series of dialogues between a student and a sage. Longer summary
This post is a series of fictional dialogues between a student and a sage, exploring different hypothetical scenarios about the nature of gods and belief. Each scenario presents a unique twist on the relationship between gods, belief, and power. The dialogues cover topics such as the balance between belief and doubt, the power of unbelievers' worship, the strength gained from doubt, and the potential for humans to become gods through collective belief. The post ends with a surprising turn, suggesting a connection to a well-known religious figure. Shorter summary
Oct 04, 2021
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Highlights From The Comments On Modern Architecture

71 min • 9,901 words • 741 comments • 79 likes • podcast (76 min)
Scott Alexander discusses reader comments on why modern architecture differs from older styles, exploring economic, cultural, and artistic explanations. Longer summary
Scott Alexander summarizes and responds to comments on his previous post about modern architecture. The comments cover various theories for why modern architecture looks different from older styles, including economic factors, changes in artistic tastes, cultural shifts, and technological developments. Scott engages with these ideas, sometimes agreeing and sometimes disagreeing, while exploring the broader implications for art, culture, and society. Shorter summary
Apr 27, 2021
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Verses Written On The Occasion Of Getting The COVID Vaccine

4 min • 456 words • 340 comments • 152 likes
Scott Alexander writes a humorous poem about getting the COVID-19 vaccine, set to a Les Misérables tune, exploring lockdown frustrations and the complexities of returning to normalcy. Longer summary
This post is a creative writing piece in the form of verses set to the tune of a song from Les Misérables. It humorously depicts the experience of getting the COVID-19 vaccine and the conflicting desires between citizens wanting freedom and epidemiologists urging continued caution. The verses highlight various frustrations with lockdowns, and end with the narrator receiving the vaccine but still being advised to follow restrictions. The piece concludes with the narrator expressing a sense of freedom and resentment towards the FDA for delays in vaccine approval. Shorter summary
Feb 02, 2021
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Riddle Of The Sphinx II: Sustained Release Riddlin'

3 min • 332 words • 72 comments • 256 likes • podcast (4 min)
Scott engages in a battle of wits with a Sphinx, exchanging clever riddles and culminating in an unexpected answer to the classic Sphinx riddle. Longer summary
Scott Alexander presents a series of witty and clever riddles in a fictional encounter with a Sphinx on the road to LA. The riddles and answers showcase wordplay, puns, and creative interpretations of common phrases. The post culminates with Scott providing an unexpected but logical answer to the Sphinx's famous riddle about legs and time of day, using a flight itinerary as his solution. Shorter summary
Jun 17, 2020
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Slightly Skew Systems Of Government

10 min • 1,369 words • 190 comments • podcast (11 min)
Scott Alexander describes three fictional and slightly absurd systems of government: an acausal democracy, a constitutional mobocracy, and a meta-republic with representatives from various governing philosophies. Longer summary
This post presents three fictional systems of government in a satirical and creative manner. The first, Clamzoria, is an acausal democracy where elections are held at the end of a term and prediction markets determine who takes office. The second, Cognito, is a constitutional mobocracy where protests serve as the legislature. The third, Yyphrostikoth, is a meta-republic with representatives from various forms of government, including some absurd positions. Each system is described with its unique features, advantages, and eventual downfalls or quirks. Shorter summary
May 26, 2020
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“My Immortal” As Alchemical Allegory

53 min • 7,395 words • 164 comments • podcast (55 min)
Scott Alexander humorously analyzes 'My Immortal' as an alchemical allegory, combining medieval alchemy, Rosicrucian writings, and Goethe's Faust. Longer summary
Scott Alexander presents a satirical analysis of the infamous Harry Potter fanfiction 'My Immortal', arguing that it is actually a complex alchemical allegory combining medieval alchemy, Rosicrucian writings, and Goethe's Faust. He breaks down the story's structure, characters, and symbolism, drawing parallels to alchemical stages and concepts. The post is written in a tongue-in-cheek manner, mimicking academic literary analysis while applied to a notoriously bad piece of writing. Shorter summary
Mar 30, 2020
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Legal Systems Very Different From Ours, Because I Just Made Them Up

20 min • 2,787 words • 93 comments • podcast (17 min)
Scott Alexander describes six fictional legal systems, each with unique and sometimes absurd approaches to justice and social order, exploring various legal and philosophical concepts in a creative and humorous manner. Longer summary
Scott Alexander presents six fictional legal systems in this creative writing piece. Each system is unique and explores different approaches to justice, punishment, and social order. The Clamzorians treat natural objects as legal entities, Pohjankaupunki uses mood-altering drugs as punishment, Sloviria punishes society for individual crimes, Nova-Nishistan's system is based on blackmail, Bogolia ensures equal legal representation, Sanzorre evolved into an insurance-dominated system, and Mirakoth relies on judges' subjective opinions without formal laws. The post humorously examines the potential consequences and quirks of each system, highlighting various philosophical and practical issues in legal theory and social organization. Shorter summary
Jan 05, 2020
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Hardball Questions For The Next Debate (2020)

8 min • 1,013 words • 193 comments • podcast (9 min)
Scott Alexander presents satirical and absurd 'hardball questions' for 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, showcasing clever wordplay and humorous connections. Longer summary
Scott Alexander proposes humorous and satirical 'hardball questions' for the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. Each question is a clever play on words, current events, or personal characteristics of the candidates, designed to be absurd and comical rather than serious policy inquiries. The post showcases Scott's wit and ability to find unexpected connections and wordplay in political discourse. Shorter summary
Dec 24, 2019
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[ACC] Should You Have A Merry Christmas?

5 min • 673 words • 51 comments • podcast (6 min)
An adversarial collaboration in verse examines Christmas, concluding that despite historical inaccuracies and economic inefficiencies, its social benefits are worthwhile. Longer summary
This adversarial collaboration between Cindy Lou Who and the Grinch examines the merits and drawbacks of Christmas. They discuss the historical inaccuracies of Jesus' birthdate, the myth of Santa Claus, and the economic inefficiencies of gift-giving. Despite these issues, they conclude that the social and emotional benefits of the holiday outweigh the negatives. The collaboration is written in rhyming verse, maintaining a lighthearted tone while addressing serious topics. Shorter summary
Jul 02, 2019
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Editing Unsong

20 min • 2,757 words • 307 comments • podcast (19 min)
Scott Alexander outlines potential edits for his novel 'Unsong', seeking feedback on character changes, plot restructuring, and overall improvements before pursuing publication. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses potential edits for his online serial novel 'Unsong' before seeking publication. He presents a list of simple issues he's mostly decided on, such as renaming characters and deleting certain chapters. He then outlines more complex issues he's unsure about, including restructuring the narrative, changing character backstories, and improving action scenes. Scott seeks feedback on these changes and asks for readers' opinions on what worked well or needed improvement in the original version. Shorter summary
May 02, 2019
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Little Known Types Of Eclipse

2 min • 232 words • 73 comments • podcast (3 min)
Scott Alexander humorously invents various absurd types of 'eclipses', ranging from astronomical to metaphorical and apocalyptic. Longer summary
This post humorously explores various fictitious types of eclipses, starting with genuine astronomical events and gradually progressing to increasingly absurd and metaphorical 'eclipses'. Scott Alexander begins with real lunar and solar eclipses, then introduces imaginary concepts like 'terrestrial eclipse' and 'atmospheric eclipse'. The list becomes more fanciful, including 'motivational eclipse', 'marital eclipse', and even religious and apocalyptic variations. The tone is playful and satirical, using the concept of eclipses as a vehicle for wordplay and cultural references. Shorter summary