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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Jul 19, 2024
acx

Your Book Review: How Language Began

92 min • 11,862 words • 677 comments • 211 likes • podcast
The review examines Daniel Everett's 'How Language Began', which challenges Chomsky's linguistic theories and proposes an alternative view of language as a gradual cultural invention. Longer summary
This book review discusses Daniel Everett's 'How Language Began', which challenges Noam Chomsky's dominant theories in linguistics. Everett argues that language emerged gradually over a long period, is primarily for communication, and is not innate but a cultural invention. The review contrasts Everett's views with Chomsky's, detailing Everett's research with the Pirahã people and his alternative theory of language origins. It also touches on the controversy Everett's work has sparked in linguistics and its potential implications for understanding language and AI. Shorter summary
Mar 09, 2023
acx

Give Up Seventy Percent Of The Way Through The Hyperstitious Slur Cascade

23 min • 2,868 words • 1,440 comments • 552 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander explores the concept of hyperstitious slurs, showing how words and actions become offensive through belief, and discusses when to adopt new language norms. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses the concept of hyperstitious slurs, which are words or phrases that become offensive primarily because people believe they are offensive. He explains how this process works, using examples like the word 'Jap' and 'Negro'. The post then extends this concept to actions, images, and even facts, showing how they can become signals of offensive intent through similar processes. Scott criticizes the unnecessary creation of new slurs, like banning 'field work' in academia, and discusses his personal approach to adopting new language norms. He suggests joining these cascades about 70% of the way through as a compromise between principle and self-preservation. Shorter summary
Aug 30, 2020
acx

You're Probably Wondering Why I've Called You Here Today

6 min • 735 words • 253 comments • 496 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander introduces his new blog, Astral Codex Ten, centered around the concept of ṛta and exploring topics related to rationality, science, and human cognition. Longer summary
Scott Alexander introduces his new blog, Astral Codex Ten, explaining that it focuses on the concept of ṛta, an ancient Sanskrit word related to order, truth, and rationality. He describes the blog's main topics, including reasoning, science, psychiatry, medicine, ethics, genetics, AI, economics, and politics. Scott emphasizes the importance of understanding cognitive biases and how they influence our perceptions and judgments. He mentions his connections to the rationalist and effective altruist communities, as well as his background in psychiatry, and expresses his commitment to fostering an engaged readership. Shorter summary
Oct 18, 2014
ssc

More Links For October 2014

9 min • 1,077 words • 472 comments • podcast
Scott shares a diverse collection of interesting links and brief commentary on topics including linguistics, science, economics, and social issues. Longer summary
This post is a collection of interesting links and brief commentary on various topics. Scott covers subjects ranging from linguistics and philosophy to scientific discoveries and social issues. He discusses recent research on evolution, cold fusion claims, autism theories, and dark matter detection. The post also touches on economic topics like immigration effects and living costs in major cities. Scott includes some humorous content and critiques of social policies in countries like Saudi Arabia. The tone is informative and slightly humorous, with Scott offering brief personal opinions on some of the topics discussed. Shorter summary