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3 posts found
Nov 03, 2023
acx
30 min 4,100 words 557 comments 126 likes podcast (23 min)
Scott Alexander proposes various project ideas for ACX Grants, ranging from scientific research to social initiatives, and encourages readers to pursue them. Longer summary
Scott Alexander proposes several project ideas for the upcoming ACX Grants round. These range from replicating brain entrainment learning results to creating an open-source polygenic score for educational attainment. Other suggestions include campaigns similar to John Green's anti-tuberculosis effort, a novel approach to language teaching, an automatic Implicit Association Test generator, a new dating site concept, a foundation to promote classical art and architecture, and a primer on political change. Scott encourages readers to take on these projects, offering potential publicity and connections to funders. Shorter summary
Apr 22, 2013
ssc
9 min 1,191 words 41 comments
Scott Alexander reviews a study using Implicit Association Tests to measure suicidal intent, expressing both excitement for the research direction and skepticism about its methodology and practical applications. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses a 2007 study by Nock & Banaji that uses Implicit Association Tests (IATs) to measure suicidal intent in psychiatric patients. The study matches categories of self/other with images of self-harm/non-self-harm, claiming to distinguish between healthy controls, those with past suicidal ideation, and past suicide attempters. While Scott is excited about research in this area, he expresses skepticism about the study's methodology, particularly its use of self-harm images instead of actual suicide imagery. He also questions the study's ability to predict future suicide attempts and its potential usefulness in real-world scenarios. Despite his reservations, Scott sees this as a positive step towards using IATs for practical applications beyond social justice projects. Shorter summary
Apr 20, 2013
ssc
18 min 2,509 words 93 comments
Scott presents evidence for the reality and high economic costs of racial and gender discrimination, arguing that fighting prejudice is important and potentially effective. Longer summary
This post argues against Reactionary politics by defending the importance of fighting racism and sexism. It presents evidence from controlled experiments showing significant discrimination against minorities in job hiring, housing, and other areas. The post then estimates the economic costs of discrimination in the US to be at least $438 billion per year, comparable to the costs of major diseases. It concludes that even small successes in reducing racism and sexism could have large economic benefits, and that while many social justice efforts may be ineffective, there is potential for evidence-based approaches to make meaningful progress. Shorter summary