Scott Alexander announces the 2024 ACX Survey, inviting readers to participate and potentially win a free subscription. Longer summary

Scott Alexander announces his annual reader survey for 2024, which serves to gather information about his readership and to replicate psychological findings. He mentions some interesting results from past surveys, explains that the survey will take 15-30 minutes, and offers free one-year paid subscriptions to five randomly-selected respondents as an incentive. Scott provides a link to the survey and asks readers to report any significant issues with the questions. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews the 'Malleus Maleficarum', a 15th-century witch-hunting manual, analyzing its content and historical context while reflecting on the dangers of limited knowledge. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews the 'Malleus Maleficarum', a 15th-century manual for witch-hunters, exploring its contents, historical context, and implications. He examines the book's theological arguments, descriptions of witchcraft, and guidelines for witch trials, highlighting the authors' attempts at rationality within their belief system. The review concludes by reflecting on the tragedy of well-intentioned people causing harm due to limited understanding, drawing parallels to modern challenges in psychiatry and knowledge. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander celebrates Slate Star Codex's fifth anniversary by thanking the many people who have contributed to the blog's success and growth. Longer summary

Scott Alexander celebrates the fifth anniversary of Slate Star Codex, thanking numerous individuals and groups who have contributed to the blog's success. He expresses gratitude to those who have helped with technical aspects, moderation, organization of meetups, and content creation. Scott also thanks his supporters, advertisers, and even his critics for their decency. He acknowledges the value of the blog's community, particularly in comments and survey participation, which has enabled interesting research findings. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander argues that while IQ is valuable for research, it's not reliable for predicting individual success and shouldn't be a major personal concern. Longer summary

Scott Alexander addresses the issue of people becoming overly concerned about their personal IQ scores. He explains that while IQ is a valuable research tool for understanding populations, it's not as useful or reliable for predicting individual outcomes. He points out that IQ tests often give inaccurate results for individuals, and even accurate IQ scores don't determine a person's potential for success. Alexander uses analogies like family wealth to illustrate how statistical correlations don't necessarily apply to individuals. He emphasizes that many factors beyond IQ contribute to success in various fields. The post aims to reassure readers who may be worried about their own IQ scores, while still maintaining the importance of IQ research for understanding broader societal trends. Shorter summary