Scott Alexander argues that using polygenic screening to select low-risk embryos can be considered as preventing genetic disorders, drawing parallels with other accepted preventive practices. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the ethical implications of using polygenic screening to select embryos with lower risk of genetic disorders, specifically schizophrenia. He argues that this practice can be considered as prevention of the disorder, despite objections that it's merely replacing a high-risk individual with a low-risk one. To support his argument, Scott presents three analogous situations: preventing fetal alcohol syndrome, selecting embryos in IVF, and preventing child abuse through parenting workshops. He concludes that polygenic selection is ethically comparable to these widely accepted practices and can be fairly described as preventing schizophrenia. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores how evolutionary processes explain the polygenic structure of schizophrenia and other complex traits, addressing concerns about genetic research and implications for future genetic interventions. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the polygenic nature of schizophrenia and other complex traits, explaining how evolution shapes genetic structures. He presents arguments by E. Fuller Torrey about the lack of large-effect genes for schizophrenia and its persistence despite negative fitness effects. Scott then explores how these seemingly contradictory points actually explain each other: evolution removes large-effect genes, leaving only small-effect genes that accumulate to cause disorders. He discusses three possible reasons for the persistence of these small-effect genes and their implications for genetic selection and engineering. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander argues that schizophrenia should be described as predominantly genetic, addressing counterarguments and emphasizing the importance of this perspective for prevention strategies. Longer summary

Scott Alexander argues that it's fair and accurate to describe schizophrenia as predominantly genetic. He responds to various arguments against this characterization, comparing the situation to how we discuss smoking causing lung cancer. Scott emphasizes that while environmental factors play a role, genetic factors account for the majority of variance in schizophrenia risk. He argues that acknowledging the genetic nature of schizophrenia is important for developing effective prevention strategies, such as polygenic screening, rather than focusing solely on hard-to-control environmental factors. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander uses simulations to explain why seemingly counterintuitive arguments against the genetic basis of schizophrenia are misleading. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses two seemingly counterintuitive arguments against the genetic basis of schizophrenia and explains why they're not as compelling as they might appear. He uses a simplified simulation to demonstrate how a highly heritable disorder can have low twin concordance rates and why eliminating affected individuals doesn't significantly reduce prevalence in the next generation. The post aims to clarify common misunderstandings about polygenic disorders and their inheritance patterns. Shorter summary

A review of Stanislas Dehaene's 'Consciousness and the Brain', discussing scientific findings on consciousness and their implications. Longer summary

This review discusses Stanislas Dehaene's book 'Consciousness and the Brain', which explores the scientific understanding of consciousness. The book defines consciousness as the ability to report on a perception, and describes experiments that differentiate conscious from unconscious processing. It explains what the brain can do unconsciously, what requires consciousness, and how consciousness operates in the brain. The review also covers the book's insights on topics like schizophrenia and the 'hard problem' of consciousness. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines a genetic study distinguishing cognitive and non-cognitive skills in educational attainment, revealing unexpected correlations with mental health conditions. Longer summary

This post discusses a genetic study on educational attainment, focusing on the distinction between cognitive and non-cognitive skills that contribute to it. The study, by Demange et al, uses a method called 'GWAS-by-subtraction' to isolate genes associated with non-cognitive skills from those linked to intelligence. Scott Alexander analyzes the results, which show correlations between these genetic factors and various traits, personality factors, and mental health conditions. He highlights surprising findings, particularly the positive correlation between schizophrenia genes and non-cognitive skills beneficial for educational attainment, contrary to previous beliefs about schizophrenia genes being purely detrimental. Shorter summary

Scott explores the puzzling relationship between congenital blindness, schizophrenia, and autism, discussing potential explanations and the need for further research. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the intriguing psychiatric trivia that congenitally blind people never develop schizophrenia, but are 50 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism. He explores this in the context of the diametrical model of autism vs. schizophrenia, which suggests these conditions are opposites in many ways. Scott speculates on possible explanations, including the idea that blindness might shift certain neural hyperparameters towards the autism end of a spectrum. He acknowledges the complexity of the issue and the need for further research, mentioning studies on sensory deprivation and its effects on both conditions. Shorter summary

Scott discusses reader comments on his 'Crazy Like Us' book review, covering topics like PTSD, cultural influences on mental illness, and cross-cultural prevalence of schizophrenia. Longer summary

This post discusses several comments on Scott's review of 'Crazy Like Us', touching on topics like PTSD in ancient vs modern soldiers, cultural influences on mental illness, childhood sexual abuse, and cross-cultural prevalence of schizophrenia. Scott reflects on these comments, providing additional context and sometimes revising his views based on new information presented. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews 'Crazy Like Us', exploring how Western mental health concepts spread globally and whether raising awareness of mental health problems might make them worse. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews 'Crazy Like Us' by Ethan Watters, which explores how Western mental health concepts are spreading globally. The book presents case studies on anorexia in Hong Kong, depression in Japan, PTSD in Sri Lanka, and schizophrenia in Zanzibar. While Scott finds the book's main thesis only moderately interesting, he's intrigued by a recurring sub-theme: whether raising awareness of mental health problems might actually make them worse. He discusses each case study, offering his own insights and critiques, and concludes by imagining a culture that runs 'Mental Health Unawareness Campaigns'. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines whether psychiatric conditions result from evolutionary failures or tradeoffs, proposing that most disorders involve a combination of both. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the nature of psychiatric conditions, discussing whether they result from evolutionary failures or tradeoffs. He presents evidence for both hypotheses, noting that recent research favors the failure hypothesis. However, he argues that some conditions likely involve both failures and tradeoffs. He uses analogies from justice systems and nuclear war scenarios to illustrate how failures and tradeoffs can interact. The post concludes by suggesting that most psychiatric disorders exist on a spectrum from mostly-tradeoff to mostly-failure, and critiques the neurodiversity movement's blanket statements about conditions like autism. Shorter summary

The post explores the diametrical model of autism and schizophrenia, suggesting they represent opposite ends of a spectrum from mechanistic to mentalistic cognition. Longer summary

This post discusses the diametrical model of autism and schizophrenia, which posits that these conditions are opposite ends of a spectrum from overly mechanistic to overly mentalistic cognition. The author explains how this theory accounts for observed similarities and differences between autism and schizophrenia, including genetic, neurological, and behavioral factors. The post explores the concepts of schizotypy and high-functioning autism, and how they relate to this model. It also touches on gender differences, mutational load, and how this theory might explain certain cognitive strengths and weaknesses associated with each condition. The author acknowledges that while there's limited scientific evidence for this model, it provides an interesting framework for understanding these complex disorders. Shorter summary

Scott explores how acetylcholine-related cognitive enhancers might work by increasing sensory precision and learning rate, while speculating on potential tradeoffs and acknowledging the highly speculative nature of these ideas. Longer summary

This post explores the mechanisms and potential tradeoffs of cognitive enhancers, focusing on acetylcholine-related substances like piracetam and nicotine. Scott discusses the role of acetylcholine in the brain's predictive coding model, where it's thought to increase sensory precision and learning rate. He speculates on how this might explain the cognitive-enhancing effects of these drugs, but also considers potential downsides like disrupted intuitive understanding or increased risk of psychotic-like thinking. The post ends by acknowledging the highly speculative nature of these ideas and noting some contradictory evidence. Shorter summary

The post examines the theory of treating schizophrenia's prodrome stage, exploring how early intervention might prevent full-blown schizophrenia and discussing the biological mechanisms behind the disease's progression. Longer summary

This post discusses the concept of treating the prodrome of schizophrenia, an early stage where symptoms are just beginning to develop. The author explores the theory that early intervention can prevent full-blown schizophrenia, comparing it to early detection in other medical conditions. The post delves into the 'Duration of Untreated Psychosis' (DUP) model, which suggests that psychosis can be toxic to the brain. The author initially expresses skepticism about this model but later becomes more open to it after learning about the biology of schizophrenia. The post then explains a theory of how schizophrenia develops through aberrant prediction errors and how this process might lead to both positive and negative symptoms. It concludes with a first-person account of schizophrenia that illustrates these concepts. Shorter summary

Scott proposes a speculative theory of depression as pathologically low confidence in neural predictions within the predictive processing framework, explaining how this could account for various depressive symptoms. Longer summary

This post explores a potential theory of depression within the predictive processing (PP) framework. Scott starts by noting the lack of a compelling PP account for depression, then proposes that depression might be a state of pathologically low confidence in neural predictions. He explains how this could account for various symptoms of depression, including perceptual changes, psychomotor retardation, and lack of motivation. The post then speculates on why low confidence might cause sadness, suggesting that emotions could be a way of globally adjusting confidence levels based on past success or failure. Scott acknowledges the speculative nature of these ideas and some potential problems with the theory. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews 'Surfing Uncertainty' by Andy Clark, exploring the predictive processing model of brain function and its wide-ranging explanatory power. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews the book 'Surfing Uncertainty' by Andy Clark, which explains the predictive processing model of how the brain works. This model posits that the brain is constantly making predictions about sensory input and updating its models based on prediction errors. Scott explores how this theory can explain various phenomena like attention, imagination, learning, motor behavior, and even psychiatric conditions like autism and schizophrenia. He finds the model compelling and potentially explanatory for a wide range of cognitive and perceptual processes. Shorter summary

Scott explores the theory that clozapine's unique effectiveness in treating schizophrenia may be due to its combined action on dopamine and glutamate systems, potentially opening avenues for safer treatments. Longer summary

This post explores why clozapine is considered uniquely effective among antipsychotic drugs for treating schizophrenia. Scott discusses recent research suggesting clozapine's superiority may be due to its action on the glutamate system, specifically as an NMDA receptor agonist, in addition to its dopamine-blocking effects. He explains that adding NMDA modulators to other antipsychotics improves their efficacy, but not when added to clozapine, possibly because clozapine already has this effect. The post speculates that if this theory is correct, it could lead to safer treatments combining standard antipsychotics with NMDA agonists, avoiding clozapine's serious side effects. However, Scott notes that more research is needed to confirm this hypothesis and overcome regulatory hurdles. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores potential links between perception of optical illusions and cognitive styles, proposing further research to investigate these connections. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the potential link between perception and cognition based on survey results about optical illusions. He notes that 'weirder' groups (e.g., schizophrenics, transhumanists, polyamorous people) tend to see more ambiguity in illusions like the Hollow Mask and Spinning Dancer. Scott proposes a research program to explore whether perception of optical illusions could predict cognitive biases or high-level beliefs. He plans to include more illusions in future surveys to better understand the underlying mental processes. While acknowledging the ambitiousness of this idea, he cites some supporting evidence, such as the involvement of NMDA receptors in both political opinions and illusion perception. Scott also considers potential confounding factors and how to address them in future research. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander hypothesizes a link between transgender identity, optical illusions, and NMDA receptor function, based on survey data and existing research on schizophrenia and autism. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores a potential link between transgender identity, optical illusions, and NMDA receptor function in the brain. He presents survey data suggesting that transgender individuals, like those with schizophrenia and autism, are less susceptible to certain optical illusions. He hypothesizes that this might be related to NMDA receptor hypofunction, which is also associated with dissociation, a common experience among transgender people. The post explores how estrogen, which enhances NMDA function, alleviates dissociation in trans women. Scott connects these findings to broader research on NMDA receptors in schizophrenia and autism, noting the higher prevalence of these conditions in transgender populations. The post concludes with several caveats and suggestions for future research to validate these speculative connections. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines a theory linking autism and schizophrenia to human self-domestication, initially dismissing it before reconsidering its merits in light of Williams Syndrome. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses a theory suggesting that autism and schizophrenia are anomalies in human self-domestication. He initially dismisses the theory, pointing out inconsistencies and over-reaching comparisons. However, he then considers Williams Syndrome, which appears to fit the 'hyperdomestication' model better. Scott concludes that while autism and schizophrenia may not be exact opposites of domestication, they likely involve a biological system determining trust and sociability, which is linked to embryological development. He suggests that an embryological approach might be more fruitful in studying these conditions. Shorter summary

The post explores how Bayesian processes in the brain might explain perception and various mental disorders, linking neurotransmitters to different aspects of Bayesian reasoning. Longer summary

This post explores the application of Bayes' Theorem to neuroscience and psychiatry. It discusses how the brain might use Bayesian processes for perception and cognition, and how disruptions in these processes could explain various mental disorders. The author first explains Bayes' Theorem and its relevance to perception, then delves into a neuroscientific model that links neurotransmitters to different aspects of Bayesian processing. The post then applies this model to explain phenomena in schizophrenia, psychedelic experiences, and autism. The author concludes by pointing out some limitations and inconsistencies in the model, while still appreciating its potential as a high-level framework for understanding brain function and mental disorders. Shorter summary

Scott reviews a book arguing against deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill, agreeing with many of its claims but ultimately disagreeing with its conclusion. Longer summary

Scott reviews Clayton Cramer's book 'My Brother Ron', which argues against deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill. The book traces the history of mental health care in America, from colonial times through the rise of large institutions and their subsequent closure. While Scott agrees with many of Cramer's empirical claims about problems faced by deinstitutionalized mentally ill people, he ultimately disagrees with Cramer's conclusion that reinstitutionalization is needed. Scott argues for alternatives like involuntary outpatient commitment that preserve more freedom for the mentally ill while still providing treatment. Shorter summary

The post explores the complex relationship between smoking and schizophrenia, critiquing conflicting studies and cautioning against hasty conclusions about nicotine's effects on schizophrenia risk. Longer summary

This post examines the relationship between smoking and schizophrenia. It starts by noting the high prevalence of smoking among schizophrenics and discusses various theories for this, including the self-medication hypothesis. The author then analyzes two conflicting studies on whether smoking causes or prevents schizophrenia. One study suggests smoking increases risk, while another, which controls for confounders, indicates smoking may decrease risk. The post criticizes how the first study, despite being newer, ignores the contradictory findings of the second study. The author expresses frustration with this scientific approach and cautions against pushing people at risk of schizophrenia away from nicotine without stronger evidence. The post ends by noting that smoking definitely decreases Parkinson's Disease risk and reiterating that tobacco smoking is still harmful overall. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander critiques Bryan Caplan's argument that psychiatric diseases are unusual preferences rather than real illnesses, providing counterarguments and evidence to show this view is untenable. Longer summary

Scott Alexander critiques Bryan Caplan's 2006 paper arguing that psychiatric diseases are better understood as unusual preferences rather than true illnesses. Scott challenges Caplan's distinction between preferences and budgetary constraints, arguing it breaks down for complex human experiences. He provides counterexamples showing how mental illnesses can resemble physical constraints, discusses how most psychiatric patients seek help voluntarily, and examines issues with Caplan's explanations of alcoholism and schizophrenia. Scott concludes that viewing psychiatric illnesses as simply different preferences is not tenable given the evidence. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares insights and critiques from a psychiatry conference, covering topics from medication prescribing rights to new monitoring technologies and research methodologies. Longer summary

Scott Alexander humorously recounts his experience at a psychiatry conference, highlighting various issues in the field. He discusses the debate over psychologists prescribing medication, new technologies for monitoring schizophrenic patients, problems with certain study designs, the effectiveness of long-acting injectable antipsychotics, and the superiority of clozapine. He also touches on political lobbying in psychiatry and the influence of drug companies. The post is written with a mix of seriousness and sardonic humor, critiquing various aspects of psychiatric practice and research. Shorter summary

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