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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31 posts found
Jul 30, 2024
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Matt Yglesias Considered As The Nietzschean Superman

92 min • 11,888 words • 1,099 comments • 812 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander examines Nietzsche's concepts of 'master morality' and 'slave morality', analyzing their modern manifestations and exploring potential compromises between these opposing moral frameworks. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores the concepts of 'master morality' and 'slave morality' introduced by Nietzsche, analyzing their manifestations in modern society and various ideologies. He discusses how these moral frameworks are reflected in figures like Ayn Rand, Andrew Tate, and Matt Yglesias, as well as in movements like effective altruism. The post examines the tensions between these moral systems and attempts to find a balance or transcendence of the dichotomy, ultimately suggesting that a cyclical, civilization-building approach might offer a meaningful compromise. Shorter summary
Jul 23, 2024
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Some Practical Considerations Before Descending Into An Orgy Of Vengeance

35 min • 4,509 words • 1,619 comments • 540 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander argues against conservatives adopting cancel culture tactics, presenting practical reasons why this approach would be counterproductive and harmful. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses the recent debate among conservatives about whether to adopt cancel culture tactics against their opponents. He argues against this approach, presenting several practical considerations. These include the ineffectiveness of persecution in teaching lessons, the historical context of cancel culture, the similarity between left and right attitudes, the prevalence of friendly fire in cancellations, the negative impact on competence and institutions, and the strategic downsides for conservatives. Scott suggests alternative approaches to addressing cancel culture, emphasizing the need for principled and incremental progress. Shorter summary
Jun 27, 2024
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My 2024 Presidential Debate

33 min • 4,176 words • 177 comments • 400 likes • podcast
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
Feb 15, 2024
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X Fact Check: Does Gender Integration Moderate Politics?

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
Jan 25, 2024
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The Psychopolitics Of Trauma

48 min • 6,161 words • 574 comments • 501 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander proposes that political hyperpartisanship might be a form of trauma, comparing PTSD symptoms to behaviors observed in political extremists. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores the idea that political extremism might be a form of trauma. He compares symptoms of PTSD to behaviors observed in politically hyperpartisan individuals, such as triggers, distorted cognitions, and hypervigilance. The post discusses how trapped priors in the brain might explain both cognitive and emotional aspects of political extremism. Scott also considers the implications of framing political partisanship as trauma, including potential risks of expanding the concept of trauma. Shorter summary
Nov 22, 2023
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Seen In The Bay

29 min • 3,738 words • 125 comments • 78 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander presents a visual tour of the Bay Area's eccentricities through a series of photos with humorous commentary. Longer summary
Scott Alexander shares a collection of quirky, unusual, and often humorous photos taken around the San Francisco Bay Area, showcasing the region's unique culture, politics, and characters. The post features images of eccentric signs, posters, advertisements, and street art that reflect the area's diverse ideologies, from radical leftist propaganda to cryptocurrency promotions. Scott provides witty commentary on each image, highlighting the peculiarities of Bay Area life and its residents. Shorter summary
Sep 05, 2023
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My Presidential Platform

22 min • 2,801 words • 452 comments • 675 likes • podcast
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
Feb 20, 2023
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Grading My 2018 Predictions For 2023

58 min • 7,468 words • 483 comments • 142 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander grades his 2018 predictions for 2023 and makes new predictions for 2028, with a strong focus on AI developments. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews his predictions from 2018 for 2023, grading himself on accuracy across various domains including AI, world affairs, US culture and politics, economics, science/technology, and existential risks. He then offers new predictions for 2028, focusing heavily on AI developments and their potential impacts on society, economics, and politics. Shorter summary
Jan 04, 2022
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Movie Review: Don't Look Up

27 min • 3,396 words • 1,142 comments • 277 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander reviews 'Don't Look Up', critiquing its contradictory narratives about trusting science and experts vs. outsiders. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews the movie 'Don't Look Up', focusing on its political implications rather than its message about existential risk. He summarizes the plot, then critiques the film's self-contradictory narratives about trusting experts vs. trusting outsiders. Scott argues that the movie unintentionally encourages conspiracy thinking while trying to promote 'trusting science'. He explains how people often hold contradictory political narratives, deploying whichever is convenient. The review concludes that the film succeeds in conveying emotions around existential risk debates but fails to coherently follow through on its intended message. Shorter summary
Nov 18, 2021
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Highlights From The Comments On Great Families

48 min • 6,147 words • 257 comments • 47 likes • podcast
Scott summarizes reader comments on his 'Secrets of the Great Families' post, covering additional examples, statistical discussions, and personal perspectives on family achievement. Longer summary
This post highlights comments on Scott's previous article about famous families. It includes additional examples of notable families, discussions on the statistical significance of family clustering, insights from people with high-achieving families, perspectives from those with less successful backgrounds, and various other related topics. The post covers a wide range of fields including science, sports, literature, and politics, and discusses factors like genetics, environment, and family culture that may contribute to success across generations. Shorter summary
Apr 19, 2021
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Mantic Monday: Grading My Trump Predictions

75 min • 9,658 words • 1,013 comments • 96 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander evaluates his predictions about the Trump presidency, finding he performed about average overall with some notable successes and failures. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews and grades his predictions about Donald Trump's presidency, covering topics from Trump's base diversity to the likelihood of a coup. He analyzes his successes and failures, discussing his performance on prediction markets and his overall accuracy compared to average pundits. Scott concludes that he did about average in his predictions, with some notable successes in race-related predictions and on prediction markets, but also made mistakes in overestimating Trump's competence and underestimating his continued support from Republicans. Shorter summary
Mar 12, 2021
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Richard Nixon Vs. Cool

6 min • 689 words • 247 comments • 137 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander explores the dynamics of cool vs. uncool groups, relating it to Richard Nixon's college strategy of uniting outsiders against elites. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reflects on his middle school thoughts about cool and uncool kids, wondering why uncool kids don't band together to challenge the cool kids' status. He then shares a comment from a reader that draws parallels to Richard Nixon's college experience, as described in Rick Perlstein's book 'Nixonland'. The comment details how Nixon formed the Orthogonians, a group for outsiders and strivers, in opposition to the elite Franklins at Whittier College. This strategy of uniting the 'uncool' majority against the 'cool' minority became a blueprint for Nixon's later political success. Shorter summary
Mar 05, 2021
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Highlights From The Comments On Class

30 min • 3,772 words • 262 comments • 86 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander shares reader comments on his review of Fussell's class book, covering upper-class perspectives, class indicators, and political implications of class distinctions. Longer summary
Scott Alexander highlights comments on his review of Paul Fussell's book on class. The comments cover various aspects of class distinctions, including perspectives from upper-class readers, discussions on flower preferences as class indicators, and debates about the portrayal of working-class life in 'The Simpsons'. The post also touches on modern class analysis, Republican politics, and the author's thoughts on political strategies for Democrats. Shorter summary
Mar 04, 2021
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Highlights From The Comments On March Links

22 min • 2,780 words • 175 comments • 55 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander reviews and responds to reader comments on various topics from his March Links post, providing additional context and clarifications. Longer summary
Scott Alexander summarizes and responds to comments on his March Links post. Topics include privateering, hurricane data reliability, Harvard's budget accounting, Bernie Sanders' campaign, police reform studies, and political psychology research. He highlights expert opinions, clarifies misunderstandings, and adds context to various points raised in the original post. Shorter summary
Feb 25, 2021
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A Modest Proposal For Republicans: Use The Word "Class"

28 min • 3,512 words • 1,607 comments • 542 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander suggests Republicans should focus on fighting cultural classism to broaden their appeal and unite their base. Longer summary
Scott Alexander proposes a strategy for the Republican Party to pivot towards fighting classism as a way to maintain relevance and appeal to a broader base. He suggests that the party should focus on the cultural aspects of class rather than economic ones, positioning themselves as champions of the working class against the upper class. The post outlines several potential policy areas, including reforming higher education, challenging the concept of expertise, critiquing upper-class media, and reframing the debate on 'wokeness' as a class issue. Alexander argues that this approach could unite various Republican constituencies and potentially attract new voters, including minorities. Shorter summary
Feb 20, 2021
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Ezra Klein On Vetocracy

13 min • 1,563 words • 443 comments • 94 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander examines Ezra Klein's concept of 'vetocracy' and its implications for American governance and progress. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses Ezra Klein's concept of 'vetocracy', which describes the increasing inability of American institutions to build, innovate, or solve problems due to multiple veto points. The post explores whether vetocracy is the same as polarization, why it's happening, and how it relates to increasing regulation. Scott questions why vetocracy hasn't led to a libertarian paradise and considers potential solutions, including the drastic option of creating unchangeable structures as proposed in the crypto world. Shorter summary
Feb 14, 2021
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Statement on New York Times Article

17 min • 2,107 words • 1,457 comments • 853 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander responds to a New York Times article about him, addressing what he sees as unfair claims and misrepresentations. Longer summary
Scott Alexander responds to a recent New York Times article about him and his blog, which he perceives as negative and retaliatory. He addresses four main claims from the article, explaining why he feels they are unfair or misrepresented. Scott denies being aligned with Charles Murray's controversial views on race, clarifies his comments about feminists, defends his stance on women in tech, and addresses his alleged connections to right-wing figures in Silicon Valley. He expresses concern about the article's impact on his friends, family, and patients, and requests that people not contact him about the situation. Shorter summary
Feb 05, 2021
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WebMD, And The Tragedy Of Legible Expertise

36 min • 4,566 words • 489 comments • 318 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander discusses the trade-offs between accuracy and liability in medical information, extending the analysis to public health experts and the role of expertise in society. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores the challenges of providing accurate medical information online, using his own experience with a psychiatry database and comparing it to WebMD. He argues that larger, more legitimate sources like WebMD and government agencies often provide less useful information due to liability concerns and political pressures. The post then extends this analysis to public health experts like Dr. Fauci, suggesting that while they may not always provide the best advice, they serve an important role as 'legibly mediocre' sources of information in a complex system. Scott concludes that while the current system of expertise is flawed, it's better than alternatives and deserves some appreciation. Shorter summary
Oct 30, 2018
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Sort By Controversial

38 min • 4,852 words • 471 comments • podcast
A fictional account of an accidental AI creation that generates extremely controversial statements, leading to societal division and paranoia. Longer summary
This fictional story describes the creation of 'Shiri's Scissor', an AI tool that generates maximally controversial statements. The narrator works at an ad startup that accidentally creates this tool while trying to predict Reddit upvotes. They test it on themselves, causing a major argument that leads to firings. They attempt to sell it to the military, but legal troubles and violence ensue, destroying the company. Later, the narrator realizes some major real-world controversies match predictions made by the Scissor, suggesting someone else had created it earlier. The story ends with the narrator deeply affected by the Scissor statements, warning readers to disconnect from society and prepare for the worst. Shorter summary
Oct 13, 2016
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More Hardball Debate Questions

17 min • 2,137 words • 359 comments • podcast
The post presents challenging hypothetical debate questions for presidential candidates, addressing controversial aspects of their platforms or backgrounds. Longer summary
This post presents a series of hypothetical debate questions for presidential candidates Jill Stein, Hillary Clinton, Gary Johnson, and Donald Trump. For Stein, the question challenges her stance on organic food and pesticides by citing conflicting scientific evidence. Clinton's question addresses her focus on implicit bias in policing, questioning the validity of Implicit Association Tests. Johnson receives a brief, humorous question about a fictional crisis. Trump's question focuses on his campaign CEO Steve Bannon's past involvement with the Biosphere 2 experiment, using it to question Trump's environmental policies. The questions are designed to be provocative and highlight potential contradictions or weaknesses in each candidate's positions or backgrounds. Shorter summary
Nov 16, 2015
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Hardball Questions For The Next Debate

24 min • 2,992 words • 574 comments • podcast
Scott Alexander presents satirical, absurdist 'hardball' questions for presidential candidates, blending their backgrounds with outlandish scenarios and philosophical puzzles. Longer summary
Scott Alexander proposes a series of humorous and satirical 'hardball' questions for presidential candidates in a debate format. He crafts elaborate, absurd scenarios for each candidate based on their background or public statements. For Dr. Carson, he questions the ethics of functional hemispherectomy. For Fiorina, he critiques her praise of the Ottoman Empire. For Bush, he uses statistics to question political dynasties. For Cruz, he explores the paradox of trusting a skilled debater. For Rubio, he spins a conspiracy theory about a magical sword. For Trump, he pokes fun at his branding habits. Shorter summary
Oct 23, 2015
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A Whiter Shade of Candidate

16 min • 2,079 words • 681 comments • podcast
Scott Alexander debunks the idea that Trump's supporters are disproportionately white, revealing that Bernie Sanders actually has much whiter support, and uses this to challenge common narratives about race and politics. Longer summary
Scott Alexander analyzes the media narrative that Donald Trump's supporters are disproportionately white, showing it to be unsupported by polling data. He then reveals that Bernie Sanders, not Trump, has a much higher ratio of white to non-white support within his party. Scott uses this to illustrate two points: 1) 'white' in political discussions often means the 'Red Tribe' rather than literal race, and 2) low minority representation in a group doesn't necessarily indicate racism. He suggests that Sanders' lack of minority support might be due to him being seen as a 'weird intellectual signaling-laden countercultural movement', similar to other groups with low minority representation like atheists or BDSM enthusiasts. Shorter summary
Sep 03, 2015
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Theses On Trump

11 min • 1,341 words • 781 comments • podcast
Scott Alexander analyzes the unexpected success of political outsiders like Trump and Corbyn, attributing it to growing ideological polarization and anti-establishment sentiment. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores the rise of outsider political figures like Donald Trump and Jeremy Corbyn, attributing their unexpected success to a growing trend of ideological polarization and distrust of the establishment. He argues that as the political spectrum widens, traditional politicians struggle to balance appealing to their base while remaining electable, creating an opening for candidates who signal their opposition to the establishment. The post compares Trump's and Corbyn's seemingly opposite yet similar rises to power, and suggests this trend might explain other political surprises like Bernie Sanders' popularity and Obama's 2008 victory over Hillary Clinton. Shorter summary
Nov 08, 2014
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More Links For November 2014

24 min • 3,094 words • 302 comments • podcast
Scott shares a diverse collection of links and brief commentaries on scientific studies, political news, cultural phenomena, and personal observations across various fields. Longer summary
This post is a collection of links and brief commentaries on various topics, including scientific studies, political news, and cultural phenomena. Scott covers a wide range of subjects, from the effects of ultraviolet radiation on weight gain to the decline of cults, global inequality trends, genetic links to violent crime, and the concept of competitive governance. He also discusses recent political events, media controversies, and developments in artificial intelligence research. The post includes personal observations, book recommendations, and reflections on social dynamics within online communities. Shorter summary
Sep 18, 2014
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More Links For September 2014

15 min • 1,890 words • 225 comments • podcast
Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of interesting links with brief commentaries, covering topics from education and politics to science and technology. 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 education, politics, technology, history, and science. He discusses SAT coaching effectiveness, college admissions critiques, a new Civilization game, unusual government policies, teacher observations on student behavior changes, and scientific studies on schizophrenia and lithium. The post also includes humorous anecdotes and thought-provoking historical what-ifs. Scott's commentary often adds an insightful or ironic perspective to the linked content. Shorter summary