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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80 posts found
Nov 01, 2024
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Links For November 2024

46 min • 6,321 words • Comments pending • podcast (41 min)
A diverse collection of news items, studies, and interesting facts from November 2024, covering topics from scientific discoveries to cultural phenomena. Longer summary
This post is a compilation of various news items, studies, and interesting facts from November 2024. It covers a wide range of topics including scientific discoveries, political events, technological advancements, cultural phenomena, and historical anecdotes. The post is structured as a numbered list, with each item briefly summarizing a piece of news or information. Some notable items include a new schizophrenia drug approval, YouGov polling results on various historical figures, findings on genetic IQ changes over time, and updates on AI technology and its implications. Shorter summary
Sep 12, 2024
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Links For September 2024

35 min • 4,864 words • 1,216 comments • 211 likes • podcast (29 min)
A compilation of 50 diverse news items and links from September 2024, covering topics from politics and economics to science and technology. Longer summary
This post is a compilation of 50 diverse links and news items from September 2024. It covers a wide range of topics including politics, science, technology, economics, and social issues. Some notable items include discussions on kidney donation compensation, personality genetics, fertility rates in Israel, drug decriminalization in Oregon, AI regulation in California, and various political and economic analyses. The post also includes commentary on recent studies, books, and social phenomena. Shorter summary
May 29, 2024
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Links for May 2024

42 min • 5,785 words • 1,045 comments • 125 likes • podcast (37 min)
A wide-ranging collection of 40 news items and interesting facts, covering AI, politics, science, economics, and culture, with the author's commentary. Longer summary
This post is a collection of 40 diverse links and news items covering topics such as AI developments, politics, science, technology, economics, and culture. It includes updates on OpenAI and Google's AI projects, discussions on religious phenomena, analyses of social and economic trends, and various interesting facts and anecdotes. The author provides commentary and context for many of the items, often with a mix of humor and critical analysis. Shorter summary
Feb 29, 2024
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Links For February 2024

36 min • 4,992 words • 585 comments • 115 likes • podcast (32 min)
A compilation of 55 diverse links and brief commentaries on various topics, including scientific studies, historical anecdotes, cultural phenomena, and technological developments. Longer summary
This post is a collection of 55 diverse links and brief commentaries on various topics, ranging from scientific studies and historical anecdotes to cultural phenomena and technological developments. The author covers subjects such as economic miracles, AI developments, religious trends, and social issues. Many items include claims or studies that the author finds interesting or surprising, often with a skeptical or analytical perspective. The post also includes updates on previous topics discussed by the author and references to other bloggers or researchers in the rationalist and effective altruism communities. Shorter summary
Dec 01, 2023
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Links For November 2023

29 min • 4,047 words • 532 comments • 125 likes • podcast (26 min)
A collection of 47 diverse links and news items covering topics from religious practices to AI developments, with brief commentary on many items. Longer summary
This post is a collection of 47 diverse links and news items covering various topics. It includes discussions on religious practices, video games, political trends, scientific studies, AI developments, economic analyses, historical anecdotes, and cultural phenomena. The author provides brief commentary on many of the items, often with a mix of humor and critical analysis. The links range from academic studies and economic reports to quirky historical facts and contemporary cultural observations. Shorter summary
Aug 09, 2023
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Links For August 2023

28 min • 3,899 words • 785 comments • 137 likes • podcast (25 min)
Scott Alexander presents a diverse collection of 38 links and news items, covering topics from book reviews and religious history to AI developments and political trends, with brief summaries and comments on each. Longer summary
This post is a collection of 38 diverse links and news items covering topics such as book reviews, religious history, economic forecasts, libertarianism, crime statistics, scientific studies, AI developments, educational policies, and political trends. Scott Alexander provides brief summaries or comments on each item, often with a mix of factual information and his own perspective. The links range from academic studies to social media posts, covering current events, historical anecdotes, and ongoing debates in various fields. Shorter summary
May 26, 2023
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Your Book Review: Lying for Money

93 min • 12,896 words • 224 comments • 168 likes • podcast (68 min)
The review examines 'Lying for Money' by Dan Davies, which explores various types of financial fraud and their economic implications, discussing main themes and types of white-collar crime. Longer summary
This book review explores 'Lying for Money' by Dan Davies, which examines various types of financial fraud and their implications for the broader economy. The review covers the book's main themes, including the idea that fraud is an equilibrium phenomenon, the importance of trust networks in facilitating fraud, and how complex systems are more vulnerable to exploitation. It discusses the four types of white-collar crime outlined in the book: long firm fraud, counterfeiting, control fraud, and market crimes. The review also highlights the book's insights on how frauds tend to grow over time and the challenges in preventing and prosecuting financial crimes. The reviewer adds their own analysis, particularly on the recent FTX cryptocurrency scandal, which is not covered in the book but fits well with its themes. Shorter summary
May 17, 2023
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Why Is The Academic Job Market So Weird?

9 min • 1,217 words • 506 comments • 201 likes • podcast (8 min)
Scott Alexander examines the strange dynamics of the academic job market, questioning why colleges prefer new PhDs for tenure-track positions and proposing potential explanations for this system. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores the peculiarities of the academic job market, building on Bret Devereaux's analysis. He notes the split between well-paid tenure-track positions and poorly-paid adjunct positions, and questions why colleges prefer hiring new PhDs over experienced adjuncts for tenure-track roles. Scott proposes that colleges want both teaching and prestigious research, leading to a two-tier system. He speculates on reasons for preferring inexperienced hires and hiring from outside institutions. The post concludes by questioning why colleges don't hire everyone at a low level and then promote the most successful, and why there isn't more competition between colleges for established star professors. Shorter summary
Apr 20, 2023
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Links For April 2023

27 min • 3,777 words • 747 comments • 115 likes • podcast (23 min)
Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of interesting links and news items for April 2023, covering topics from unusual stories and scientific research to AI developments and global trends. Longer summary
Scott Alexander presents a collection of interesting links and news items for April 2023. The post covers a wide range of topics, including unusual stories, scientific research, political developments, AI progress and concerns, cultural phenomena, and more. Notable items include a real-life 'Cocaine Bear' story, an adversarial collaboration on income and happiness, concerns about AI development, and updates on global trends like birth rates in Africa. The post also includes several short fiction recommendations and humorous AI-related anecdotes. Shorter summary
Feb 20, 2023
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Grading My 2018 Predictions For 2023

54 min • 7,468 words • 483 comments • 142 likes • podcast (48 min)
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
Feb 09, 2023
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Links For February 2023

45 min • 6,172 words • 1,133 comments • 147 likes • podcast (41 min)
Scott Alexander presents a diverse collection of 49 links and brief commentaries on various topics, ranging from cultured meat to AI developments and current events. Longer summary
This post is a collection of 49 diverse links and brief commentaries on various topics, including cultured meat, government policies, scientific studies, historical anecdotes, AI developments, and current events. The author, Scott Alexander, provides his thoughts and observations on each item, often with a mix of humor, skepticism, and analysis. The links cover a wide range of subjects from technology and economics to politics and culture, reflecting the broad interests of the blog's readership. Shorter summary
Oct 12, 2022
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Links For October

23 min • 3,115 words • 585 comments • 89 likes • podcast (24 min)
Scott Alexander presents a curated list of 41 diverse links and news items, covering topics from linguistics and technology to politics and popular culture, with brief commentary on each. Longer summary
This post is a collection of 41 diverse links and news items curated by Scott Alexander. The topics range from linguistics, technology, and politics to economics, science, and popular culture. Scott provides brief commentary on each item, often with a touch of humor or skepticism. The post includes updates on current events, interesting scientific findings, cultural trends, and academic debates. It also features some visual content like graphs, images, and embedded tweets. Shorter summary
Jul 29, 2022
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Links For July

22 min • 2,992 words • 454 comments • 93 likes • podcast (24 min)
Scott Alexander presents a diverse collection of interesting links and news items from July, covering topics from linguistics and AI to politics and economics. Longer summary
This post is a collection of interesting links and news items from July. Topics range from linguistic analysis of Reddit insults, to COVID-19 learning loss, to AI art generation, to political and economic news. Scott also comments on recent scientific studies, technological developments, and cultural phenomena. The tone is informative and occasionally humorous, with Scott providing brief commentary or context for many of the items. Shorter summary
Feb 22, 2022
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Links For February

30 min • 4,111 words • 588 comments • 64 likes • podcast (32 min)
Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of links on topics ranging from scientific studies to cultural phenomena, with brief commentary on each. Longer summary
This post is a collection of links to various interesting articles, studies, and topics. Scott covers a wide range of subjects including scientific studies, cultural phenomena, economic trends, AI developments, and current events. The post includes commentary on each link, often with Scott's personal insights or opinions. Some recurring themes include AI progress, social science research, economic inequality, and cultural shifts. The tone is informative and slightly humorous, with Scott occasionally adding caveats about the reliability of certain claims or studies. Shorter summary
Feb 01, 2022
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Predictions For 2022

16 min • 2,236 words • 181 comments • 42 likes • podcast (23 min)
Scott Alexander shares his predictions for 2022 on various topics, comments on predictions from other sources, and announces a prediction contest for readers. Longer summary
Scott Alexander presents a list of predictions for 2022 covering various topics including US politics, world events, economics, technology, COVID-19, personal life, and his blog. He assigns probabilities to each prediction. The post also includes predictions from Vox and Matt Yglesias, which Scott comments on and adjusts based on his own views. The post ends with an announcement of a prediction contest for readers, based on the same set of questions. Shorter summary
Jan 24, 2022
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Grading My 2021 Predictions

12 min • 1,551 words • 140 comments • 86 likes • podcast (17 min)
Scott Alexander evaluates his 2021 predictions, analyzing his performance across various confidence levels and comparing his results to other forecasters and prediction markets. Longer summary
Scott Alexander grades his 2021 predictions, made at the beginning of the year. He lists 108 predictions on various topics including politics, economics, technology, COVID-19, community events, personal life, work, and his blog. The post details which predictions came true (in bold) and which didn't (in italics). Scott then analyzes his performance, breaking down the accuracy rates for different confidence levels. He compares his results to a graph of expected vs. actual accuracy, finding he was slightly underconfident overall. The post concludes with a comparison to other forecasters and prediction markets, showing Scott performed well but was outperformed by both Zvi and the markets. Shorter summary
Jan 19, 2022
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Book Review: Which Country Has The World's Best Health Care?

24 min • 3,356 words • 698 comments • 172 likes • podcast (26 min)
Scott Alexander reviews a book comparing international healthcare systems, finding it informative but lacking in explaining why some systems succeed while others fail. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews 'Which Country Has The World's Best Health Care?' by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, a book comparing healthcare systems across 11 countries. The book categorizes systems into five types, from fully socialized to mostly privatized. Emanuel reluctantly concludes that Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Taiwan have the best systems. Scott finds the book informative but criticizes its organization and limited scope. He expresses confusion about why some systems work better than others, particularly regarding drug pricing and budget setting. The review highlights the complexity of healthcare economics and the difficulty in understanding why the US system performs poorly compared to seemingly similar systems in other countries. Shorter summary
Dec 30, 2021
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Links For December

19 min • 2,577 words • 592 comments • 63 likes • podcast (21 min)
Scott Alexander shares 34 diverse and interesting links on topics ranging from historical curiosities to current scientific debates, with brief commentaries on each. Longer summary
This post is a collection of 34 interesting links and brief commentaries on various topics. It covers a wide range of subjects including historical anecdotes, scientific studies, economic theories, technological developments, and social issues. The author, Scott Alexander, provides his thoughts and sometimes skeptical analysis on many of the items. The links are diverse, ranging from a list of games Buddha wouldn't play to discussions about AI safety research opportunities. Shorter summary
Oct 14, 2021
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Links For October

21 min • 2,866 words • 507 comments • 64 likes • podcast (24 min)
A compilation of 30 diverse links on various topics including science, history, technology, and culture, with brief commentaries by Scott Alexander. Longer summary
This post is a collection of 30 diverse links and brief discussions on various topics. It covers a wide range of subjects including scientific findings, historical anecdotes, technological developments, cultural phenomena, and current events. The post touches on topics such as oil spills, architecture, IQ research, chronic pain therapy, alcohol consumption, AI safety, and more. Scott Alexander provides short commentaries or explanations for each link, often adding his own insights or connecting the information to broader themes. Shorter summary
Sep 20, 2021
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Links For September

24 min • 3,283 words • 710 comments • 65 likes • podcast (28 min)
Scott Alexander presents a curated list of 37 diverse and interesting links, covering topics from historical events to recent scientific studies, with brief summaries and occasional commentary. Longer summary
This post is a collection of 37 links to various articles, studies, and interesting facts across a wide range of topics. Scott Alexander presents these links with brief summaries or comments, covering subjects from historical events and scientific studies to economic theories and technological advancements. The tone is informative and sometimes humorous, with Scott occasionally offering personal opinions or admitting to previous errors. The links span diverse areas including politics, psychology, economics, technology, and culture. Shorter summary
Jul 23, 2021
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Links For July

21 min • 2,829 words • 589 comments • 68 likes • podcast (24 min)
Scott Alexander presents a diverse collection of interesting links and news items from July, covering topics from science and technology to politics and culture, with brief commentary on each. Longer summary
This post is a collection of various interesting links and news items from July. It covers a wide range of topics including scientific studies, politics, technology, economics, and culture. Scott Alexander provides brief commentary on each item, often with a mix of humor and insightful observations. Some notable topics include a study on using Botox for depression, British attitudes towards lockdowns, advances in polygenic embryo selection, and discussions on economic divergence between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The post also includes several quirky or amusing items, such as Chinese propaganda, a topologist's map of the world, and an anecdote about a unique interpretation of the Bible. Shorter summary
Jun 23, 2021
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Links For June

25 min • 3,436 words • 713 comments • 55 likes • podcast (31 min)
Scott Alexander presents a monthly collection of 42 diverse links covering topics from science, politics, culture, and technology, highlighting interesting findings and current events. Longer summary
This post is a collection of 42 diverse links and topics, ranging from scientific studies to political news and cultural observations. Scott Alexander curates these links monthly, covering a wide array of subjects including zoology, sociology, economics, psychology, technology, and more. The links often highlight interesting or surprising findings, such as studies on cult demographics, obesity research controversies, and the effects of testosterone on belief in minority positions. Scott also includes humorous content, political commentary, and discussions on current events and social trends. Shorter summary
May 21, 2021
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Your Book Review: The Accidental Superpower

69 min • 9,626 words • 415 comments • 47 likes • podcast (72 min)
A review of Peter Zeihan's 'The Accidental Superpower', which predicts global disorder and American preeminence based on geographic and demographic advantages. Longer summary
This review discusses Peter Zeihan's book 'The Accidental Superpower', which predicts global disorder following America's disengagement from the world. The book presents a model for power and wealth creation based on geography, technology, and demographics. Zeihan argues that America has significant advantages in these areas, which will allow it to thrive even as other nations struggle. The review examines Zeihan's analysis of the Bretton Woods system, his predictions for various countries, and potential criticisms of his thesis. Shorter summary
May 20, 2021
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Links For May

19 min • 2,553 words • 402 comments • 52 likes • podcast (28 min)
Scott Alexander presents a diverse collection of 37 links and interesting facts, covering topics from AI research and educational methods to historical anecdotes and current events. Longer summary
This post is a collection of 37 diverse links and interesting facts. Topics range from politics, technology, and science to history, culture, and economics. The post includes updates on AI research, discussions of educational methods, unusual historical anecdotes, and commentary on current events. Scott Alexander presents these with his characteristic mix of curiosity, humor, and analytical insight, often adding personal thoughts or highlighting particularly intriguing aspects of each item. Shorter summary
Apr 26, 2021
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Mantic Monday: Predictions For 2021

9 min • 1,148 words • 257 comments • 49 likes • podcast (13 min)
Scott Alexander shares his annual predictions for 2021, covering various topics from politics to personal life, with assigned probabilities for each prediction. Longer summary
Scott Alexander presents his annual predictions for the upcoming year, covering a wide range of topics including US politics, world events, economics, technology, COVID-19, community matters, personal life, work-related issues, and his blog. The post includes over 100 predictions with percentage probabilities assigned to each. Scott emphasizes that the purpose of these predictions is to calibrate his ability to assess his own knowledge and certainty, rather than to demonstrate expertise on the topics. Shorter summary