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# Open Thread 396
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 171863647 | Open Thread 396 | acx |
# Your Review: Ollantay
*[This is one of the finalists in the 2025 review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. I’ll be posting about one of these a week for several months. When you’ve read them all, I’ll ask you to vote for a favorite, so remember which ones you like... | a reader | 167091288 | Your Review: Ollantay | acx |
# My Responses To Three Concerns From The Embryo Selection Post
*[original post [here](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/suddenly-trait-based-embryo-selection)]*
**#1: Isn’t it possible that embryos are alive, or have personhood, or are moral patients? Most IVF involves getting many embryos, then throwing out the ones... | Scott Alexander | 170352519 | My Responses To Three Concerns From The Embryo Selection Post | acx |
# Open Thread 395
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 171253640 | Open Thread 395 | acx |
# Your Review: Dating Men In The Bay Area
*[This is one of the finalists in the 2025 review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. I’ll be posting about one of these a week for several months. When you’ve read them all, I’ll ask you to vote for a favorite, so remember w... | [unknown] | 167094307 | Your Review: Dating Men In The Bay Area | acx |
# In Defense Of The Amyloid Hypothesis
The “amyloid hypothesis” says that Alzheimer’s is caused by accumulation of the peptide amyloid-β. It’s the leading model in academia, but a favorite target for science journalists, contrarian bloggers, and neuroscience public intellectuals, who point out problems like:
* Some o... | Scott Alexander | 170977449 | In Defense Of The Amyloid Hypothesis | acx |
# Highlights From The Comments On Liberalism And Communities
*[Original post: [Should Strong Gods Bet On GDP?](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/should-strong-gods-bet-on-gdp)]*
**1:** Comments About The Theory **2:** Comments About Specific Communities
**3:** Other Comments
## Comments About The Theory
**Darwin [... | Scott Alexander | 170594376 | Highlights From The Comments On Liberalism And Communities | acx |
# Open Thread 394
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 170660113 | Open Thread 394 | acx |
# Your Review: My Father’s Instant Mashed Potatoes
*[This is one of the finalists in the 2025 review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. I’ll be posting about one of these a week for several months. When you’ve read them all, I’ll ask you to vote for a favorite, so r... | a reader | 167090712 | Your Review: My Father’s Instant Mashed Potatoes | acx |
# Fall Meetups Everywhere - Call for Organizers
There are ACX meetup groups all over the world. Lots of people are vaguely interested, but don't try going to a meetup until I make a big deal about it on the blog. Since learning that, I've tried to make a big deal about it on the blog twice annually, and it's that time... | Skyler | 168894975 | Fall Meetups Everywhere - Call for Organizers | acx |
# Should Strong Gods Bet On GDP?
Francis Fukuyama is on Substack; last month he wrote [Liberalism Needs Community](https://www.persuasion.community/p/liberalism-needs-community). As always, read the whole thing and don’t trust my summary, but the key point is:
> According to R. R. Reno, editor of the magazine *First ... | Scott Alexander | 170177581 | Should Strong Gods Bet On GDP? | acx |
# Open Thread 393
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 170064114 | Open Thread 393 | acx |
# Your Review: Joan of Arc
*[This is one of the finalists in the 2025 review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. I’ll be posting about one of these a week for several months. When you’ve read them all, I’ll ask you to vote for a favorite, so remember which ones you l... | a reader | 167032237 | Your Review: Joan of Arc | acx |
# Suddenly, Trait-Based Embryo Selection
*[see footnote 4 for conflicts of interest]*
In 2021, **[Genomic Prediction](https://www.lifeview.com/)** announced [the first polygenically selected baby](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/welcome-polygenically-screened-babies).
When a couple uses IVF, they may get as many as... | Scott Alexander | 166886615 | Suddenly, Trait-Based Embryo Selection | acx |
# My Heart Of Hearts
I promised some people longer responses:
* [Thomas Cotter asks](https://substack.com/@astralcodexten/note/c-124794836) why people think “consistency” is an important moral value. After all, he says, the Nazis and Soviets were “consistent” with their evil beliefs. I’m not so sure of his examples -... | Scott Alexander | 168743529 | My Heart Of Hearts | acx |
# Open Thread 392
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 169437729 | Open Thread 392 | acx |
# Your Review: The Astral Codex Ten Commentariat (“Why Do We Suck?”)
*[This is one of the finalists in the 2025 review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. I’ll be posting about one of these a week for several months. When you’ve read them all, I’ll ask you to vote fo... | [unknown] | 167093068 | Your Review: The Astral Codex Ten Commentariat (“Why Do We Suck?”) | acx |
# Apply For An ACX Grant (2025)
We’re running another ACX Grants round!
If you already know what this is and just want to apply for a grant, use **[the form here](https://forms.gle/CvvHhoi1cYAG9GiU9)** (should take 15 - 30 minutes), deadline August 15.
If you already know what this is and want to help as a [funder](... | Scott Alexander | 168898563 | Apply For An ACX Grant (2025) | acx |
# Press Any Key For Bay Area House Party
*[previously in series: [1](https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/every-bay-area-house-party), [2](https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/another-bay-area-house-party), [3](https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/even-more-bay-area-house-party), [4](https://www.astralcodexten.com/... | Scott Alexander | 168756789 | Press Any Key For Bay Area House Party | acx |
# Open Thread 391
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 168848810 | Open Thread 391 | acx |
# Your Review: Islamic Geometric Patterns In The Metropolitan Museum Of Art
*[This is one of the finalists in the 2025 review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. I’ll be posting about one of these a week for several months. When you’ve read them all, I’ll ask you to ... | a reader | 167029037 | Your Review: Islamic Geometric Patterns In The Metropolitan Museum Of Art | acx |
# Book Review: Arguments About Aborigines
**I.**
A thought I had throughout reading L.R. Hiatt’s [Arguments About Aborigines](https://www.amazon.com/Arguments-about-Aborigines-Australia-Anthropology/dp/0521566193?crid=38VBHTOAYO3ZG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vNdlUDF2-B6ilJVMGN_iRVxmHkaaVQXYrHGhZcgb-rsuEEPasHda6m78Zgxqjb8qroU3I... | Scott Alexander | 168204420 | Book Review: Arguments About Aborigines | acx |
# Open Thread 390
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 168248566 | Open Thread 390 | acx |
# Your Review: Of Mice, Mechanisms, and Dementia
*[This is one of the finalists in the 2025 review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. I’ll be posting about one of these a week for several months. When you’ve read them all, I’ll ask you to vote for a favorite, so rem... | a reader | 167092138 | Your Review: Of Mice, Mechanisms, and Dementia | acx |
# Practically-A-Book Review: Byrnes on Trance
Steven Byrnes is a physicist/AI researcher/amateur neuroscientist; needless to say, he blogs on Less Wrong. I finally got around to reading **[his 2024 series giving a predictive processing perspective on intuitive self-models](https://www.lesswrong.com/s/qhdHbCJ3PYesL9dde... | Scott Alexander | 166402303 | Practically-A-Book Review: Byrnes on Trance | acx |
# Now I Really Won That AI Bet
In June 2022, I bet a commenter $100 that AI would master image compositionality by June 2025.
DALL-E2 had just come out, showcasing the potential of AI art. But it couldn’t follow complex instructions; its images only matched the “vibe” of the prompt. For example, here were some of its... | Scott Alexander | 167709461 | Now I Really Won That AI Bet | acx |
# Open Thread 389
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 167646550 | Open Thread 389 | acx |
# Your Review: School
*[This is one of the finalists in the 2025 review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. It was originally given an Honorable Mention, but since [last week’s piece](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/your-review-alpha-school) was about an exciting ne... | [unknown] | 167356866 | Your Review: School | acx |
# Highlights From The Comments On Missing Heritability
*[Original thread here: [Missing Heritability: Much More Than You Wanted To Know](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/missing-heritability-much-more-than)]*
1: Comments From People Named In The Post
2: Very Long Comments From Other Very Knowledgeable People
3: S... | Scott Alexander | 167032054 | Highlights From The Comments On Missing Heritability | acx |
# Links For July 2025
*[I haven’t independently verified each link. On average, commenters will end up spotting evidence that around two or three of the links in each links post are wrong or misleading. I correct these as I see them, and will highlight important corrections later, but I can’t guarantee I will have cau... | Scott Alexander | 166892112 | Links For July 2025 | acx |
# Contra Skolnick On Schizophrenia Microbes
Stephen Skolnick is a gut microbiome expert blogging at [Eat Shit And Prosper](https://stephenskolnick.substack.com/p/schizophrenia). His **[most recent post](https://stephenskolnick.substack.com/p/schizophrenia)** argues that contra the psychiatric consensus, schizophrenia ... | Scott Alexander | 166960928 | Contra Skolnick On Schizophrenia Microbes | acx |
# Open Thread 388
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 167164942 | Open Thread 388 | acx |
# Your Review: Alpha School
[*This is one of the finalists in the 2025 review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. I’ll be posting about one of these a week for several months. When you’ve read them all, I’ll ask you to vote for a favorite, so remember which ones you ... | Scott Alexander | 166959786 | Your Review: Alpha School | acx |
# Missing Heritability: Much More Than You Wanted To Know
### The Story So Far
The mid-20th century was the golden age of nurture. Psychoanalysis, behaviorism, and the spirit of the ‘60s convinced most experts that parents, peers, and propaganda were the most important causes of adult personality.
Starting in the 19... | Scott Alexander | 162316870 | Missing Heritability: Much More Than You Wanted To Know | acx |
# Open Thread 387
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 166590388 | Open Thread 387 | acx |
# Open Questions For Future ACX Grants Rounds
*Related to: [ACX Grants 1-3 Year Updates](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/acx-grants-1-3-year-updates)*
**1:** Should we give money to forprofit companies with charitable aims?
* **Arguments for yes:** Forprofit companies are powerful way to align incentives and multip... | Scott Alexander | 166234748 | Open Questions For Future ACX Grants Rounds | acx |
# ACX Grants 1-3 Year Updates
The first cohort of ACX Grants was announced in [late 2021](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/acx-grants-results), the second in [early 2024](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/acx-grants-results-2024). In 2022, I posted [one-year updates](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/acx-grants-project-... | Scott Alexander | 165527254 | ACX Grants 1-3 Year Updates | acx |
# Open Thread 386
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 165938349 | Open Thread 386 | acx |
# The Claude Bliss Attractor
This is [a reported phenomenon](https://theconversation.com/ai-models-might-be-drawn-to-spiritual-bliss-then-again-they-might-just-talk-like-hippies-257618) where if two copies of Claude talk to each other, they end up spiraling into rapturous discussion of spiritual bliss, Buddhism, and t... | Scott Alexander | 165702568 | The Claude Bliss Attractor | acx |
# "But" vs. "Yes, But"
This is another heuristic from the same place as [If It’s Worth Your Time To Lie, It’s Worth My Time To Correct You](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/if-its-worth-your-time-to-lie-its).
If someone proves you are absolutely, 100% wrong about something, it’s polite to say “Oh, I guess I was wrong... | Scott Alexander | 156506277 | "But" vs. "Yes, But" | acx |
# If It's Worth Your Time To Lie, It's Worth My Time To Correct It
People don’t like nitpickers. “He *literally* did the WELL AKTUALLY!” If you say Joe Criminal committed ten murders and five rapes, and I object that it was actually only six murders and two rapes, then why am I “defending” Joe Criminal?
Because if it... | Scott Alexander | 156502947 | If It's Worth Your Time To Lie, It's Worth My Time To Correct It | acx |
# P-Zombies Would Report Qualia
There’s a long-running philosophical argument about the conceivability of otherwise-normal people who are not conscious, aka [“philosophical zombies”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_zombie). This has spawned a shorter-running (only fifteen years!) rationalist sub-argument o... | Scott Alexander | 165172144 | P-Zombies Would Report Qualia | acx |
# Open Thread 385
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 165525363 | Open Thread 385 | acx |
# Choose Nonbook Review Finalists 2025
It's time to narrow the 141 entries in the [Non-Book Review Contest](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/everything-except-book-review-contest) to about a dozen finalists. I can't read 141 reviews alone, so I need your help. Please pick as many as you have time for, read them, and *... | Scott Alexander | 165087080 | Choose Nonbook Review Finalists 2025 | acx |
# Berkeley Meetup This Wednesday
**Why:** Our usual [spring meetups](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/spring-meetups-everywhere-2024) session, plus lots of out-of-state people in town for [Manifest](https://manifest.is/).
**When:** Wednesday, June 4, 6:30 PM.
**Where:** [Lighthaven](https://www.lighthaven.space/), 2... | Scott Alexander | 165058369 | Berkeley Meetup This Wednesday | acx |
# Open Thread 384
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 165006074 | Open Thread 384 | acx |
# Bayes For Everyone
*[**Editor’s note:** I accept guest posts from certain people, especially past Book Review Contest winners. Brandon Hendrickson, whose [review of The Educated Mind](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/your-book-review-the-educated-mind) won the 2023 contest, has taken me up on this and submitted this... | Scott Alexander | 164774376 | Bayes For Everyone | acx |
# Sorry, I Still Think MR Is Wrong About USAID
Tyler Cowen of Marginal Revolution continues to disagree with my [Contra MR On Charity Regrants](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/contra-mr-on-charity-regrants). Going through **[his response](https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2025/05/so-many-mistakes.html... | Scott Alexander | 164370155 | Sorry, I Still Think MR Is Wrong About USAID | acx |
# Open Thread 383
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 164470297 | Open Thread 383 | acx |
# Moments Of Awakening
Consciousness is the great mystery. In search of answers, scientists have plumbed every edge case they can think of - sleep, comas, lucid dreams, LSD trips, meditative ecstasies, seizures, neurosurgeries, [that one pastor in 18th century England who claimed a carriage accident turned him into a ... | Scott Alexander | 163543350 | Moments Of Awakening | acx |
# Contra MR On Charity Regrants
I often disagree with Marginal Revolution, but [their post today](https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2025/05/the-allocation-of-us-aid-funds.html#comments) made me a new level of angry:
Commenters correctly point out that there’s a difference between regranting to other c... | Scott Alexander | 164190307 | Contra MR On Charity Regrants | acx |
# The Evidence That A Million Americans Died Of COVID
**I.**
Many commenters responded to [yesterday’s post](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/the-other-covid-reckoning) by challenging the claim that 1.2 million Americans died of COVID:
> I'm still not convinced that number can be directly linked to Covid. Yes, I'm t... | Scott Alexander | 164121388 | The Evidence That A Million Americans Died Of COVID | acx |
# The Other COVID Reckoning
Five years later, we can’t stop talking about COVID. Remember lockdowns? The conflicting guidelines about masks - don’t wear them! Wear them! Maybe wear them! School closures, remote learning, learning loss, something about teachers’ unions. That one Vox article on how worrying about COVID ... | Scott Alexander | 163877244 | The Other COVID Reckoning | acx |
# Open Thread 382
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 163931739 | Open Thread 382 | acx |
# Book Review: Selfish Reasons To Have More Kids
Bryan Caplan’s *[Selfish Reasons To Have More Kids](https://www.amazon.com/Selfish-Reasons-Have-More-Kids/dp/0465028616)* is like the Bible. You already know what it says. You’ve already decided whether you believe or not. Do you really have to read it all the way throu... | Scott Alexander | 160403083 | Book Review: Selfish Reasons To Have More Kids | acx |
# In Search Of /r/petfree
[Ask Redditors what’s the worst subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1k6yuck/what_is_the_most_unhinged_subreddit_youve_ever/moty4js/), and a few names always come up. [/r/atheism](https://www.reddit.com/r/atheism) and [/r/childfree](https://www.reddit.com/r/childfree/) are u... | Scott Alexander | 163319749 | In Search Of /r/petfree | acx |
# Open Thread 381
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 163376261 | Open Thread 381 | acx |
# Highlights From The Comments On AI Geoguessr
Thanks to everyone who commented on [the original post](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/testing-ais-geoguessr-genius).
Many people ran their own tests, some successful, some less so. For example, Torches Together ([blog](https://torchestogether.substack.com/)) [wrote](h... | Scott Alexander | 162812635 | Highlights From The Comments On AI Geoguessr | acx |
# Moldbug Sold Out
Cathy Young’s new hit piece on Curtis Yarvin (aka Mencius Moldbug) doesn’t mince words. Titled [The Blogger Who Hates America](https://substack.com/@cathyyoung/p-162138929), it describes him as an "inept", "not exactly coherent" "trollish, ill-informed pseudo-intellectual" notable for his "woefully ... | Scott Alexander | 161739289 | Moldbug Sold Out | acx |
# Open Thread 380
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 162811050 | Open Thread 380 | acx |
# Testing AI's GeoGuessr Genius
Some of the more unhinged writing on superintelligence pictures AI doing things that seem like magic. Crossing air gaps to escape its data center. Building nanomachines from simple components. Plowing through physical bottlenecks to revolutionize the economy in months.
More sober think... | Scott Alexander | 162652074 | Testing AI's GeoGuessr Genius | acx |
# The Populist Right Must Own Tariffs
President Trump’s approval rating [has fallen](https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-polling-plummets-approval-rating-new-low-1235325964/) to near-historic lows. With economic disruption from the tariffs likely to hit next month, his numbers will probably g... | Scott Alexander | 162248099 | The Populist Right Must Own Tariffs | acx |
# Open Thread 379
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 162297884 | Open Thread 379 | acx |
# AMA With AI Futures Project Team
The [AI Futures Project team](https://ai-futures.org/about/) will be answering your questions about AI, forecasting, and alignment here from 3:30 - 6 Pacific.
See also:
* [AI 2027 scenario](https://ai-2027.com/)
* [AIFP blog](https://blog.ai-futures.org/) | Scott Alexander | 162114191 | AMA With AI Futures Project Team | acx |
# AI Futures: Blogging And AMA
AI Futures Project is the group behind [AI 2027](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/introducing-ai-2027). I’ve been helping them with [their blog](https://blog.ai-futures.org/). Posts written or co-written by me include:
* **[Beyond The Last Horizon](https://blog.ai-futures.org/p/beyond-t... | Scott Alexander | 162020055 | AI Futures: Blogging And AMA | acx |
# Links For April 2025
*[I haven’t independently verified each link. On average, commenters will end up spotting evidence that around two or three of the links in each links post are wrong or misleading. I correct these as I see them, and will highlight important corrections later, but I can’t guarantee I will have ca... | Scott Alexander | 161001546 | Links For April 2025 | acx |
# Open Thread 378
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 161455418 | Open Thread 378 | acx |
# ACX Classifieds 4/25
This is the irregular classifieds thread. Advertise whatever you want in the comments.
To keep things organized, please respond to the appropriate top-level comment: **Employment, Dating, Read My Blog** (also includes podcasts, books, etc)**, Consume My Product/Service, Meetup,** or **Other.** ... | Scott Alexander | 161520839 | ACX Classifieds 4/25 | acx |
# Highlights From The Comments On POSIWID
*(original post: [Come On, Obviously The Purpose Of A System Is Not What It Does](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/come-on-obviously-the-purpose-of))*
…
Thanks to everyone who commented on this controversial post.
Many people argued that the phrase had some valuable insight... | Scott Alexander | 161219997 | Highlights From The Comments On POSIWID | acx |
# Open Thread 377
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 161295011 | Open Thread 377 | acx |
# Come On, Obviously The Purpose Of A System Is Not What It Does
(see Wikipedia: [The Purpose Of A System Is What It Does](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_purpose_of_a_system_is_what_it_does))
Consider the following claims
* The purpose of a cancer hospital is to cure two-thirds of cancer patients.
* The purpose o... | Scott Alexander | 160769790 | Come On, Obviously The Purpose Of A System Is Not What It Does | acx |
# My Takeaways From AI 2027
Here’s a list of things I updated on after working on [the scenario](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/introducing-ai-2027).
Some of these are discussed in more detail in the supplements, including the [compute forecast](https://ai-2027.com/research/compute-forecast), [timelines forecast](h... | Scott Alexander | 160101869 | My Takeaways From AI 2027 | acx |
# Open Thread 376
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 160766312 | Open Thread 376 | acx |
# Introducing AI 2027
In 2021, a researcher named Daniel Kokotajlo published a blog post called “[What 2026 Looks Like](https://www.alignmentforum.org/posts/6Xgy6CAf2jqHhynHL/what-2026-looks-like)”, where he laid out what he thought would happen in AI over the next five years.
The world delights in thwarting would-be... | Scott Alexander | 160050086 | Introducing AI 2027 | acx |
# The Colors Of Her Coat
**I.**
In *Ballad of the White Horse,* G.K. Chesterton describes the Virgin Mary:
> *Her face was like an open word
> When brave men speak and choose,
> The very colours of her coat
> Were better than good news.*
Why the colors of her coat?
The medievals took their dyes very seriousl... | Scott Alexander | 160246206 | The Colors Of Her Coat | acx |
# Open Thread 375
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 160231280 | Open Thread 375 | acx |
# "Deros And The Ur-Abduction" In Asterisk
[Asterisk](https://asteriskmag.com/) invited me to participate in their “Weird” themed issue, so I wrote five thousand words on evil Atlantean cave dwarves.
As always, I thought of the perfect framing just after I’d sent it out. The perfect framing is - where did Scientolog... | Scott Alexander | 159909961 | "Deros And The Ur-Abduction" In Asterisk | acx |
# Meetups Everywhere Spring 2025: Times & Places
Many cities have regular Astral Codex Ten meetup groups. Twice a year, I try to advertise their upcoming meetups and make a bigger deal of it than usual so that irregular attendees can attend. This is one of those times.
This year we have spring meetups planned in over... | Scott Alexander | 159593244 | Meetups Everywhere Spring 2025: Times & Places | acx |
# Open Thread 374
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 159742494 | Open Thread 374 | acx |
# More Drowning Children
**I.**
People love trying to find holes in the drowning child thought experiment. This is natural: it’s obvious you should save the child in the scenario, but much less obvious that you should give lots of charity to poor people (as it seems to imply). So there must be some distinction betwee... | Scott Alexander | 156783092 | More Drowning Children | acx |
# Misophonia: Beyond Sensory Sensitivity
Jake Eaton has [a great article on misophonia](https://asteriskmag.com/issues/09/the-unbearable-loudness-of-chewing) in Asterisk.
Misophonia is a condition in which people can’t tolerate certain noises (classically chewing). Nobody loves chewing noises, but misophoniacs go abo... | Scott Alexander | 158679960 | Misophonia: Beyond Sensory Sensitivity | acx |
# Open Thread 373
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 159250925 | Open Thread 373 | acx |
# OpenAI Nonprofit Buyout: Much More Than You Wanted To Know
Last month, I [put out a request](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/deliberative-alignment-and-the-spec) for experts to help me understand the details of OpenAI’s forprofit buyout. The following comes from someone who has looked into the situation in depth bu... | Scott Alexander | 158405653 | OpenAI Nonprofit Buyout: Much More Than You Wanted To Know | acx |
# The Ozempocalypse Is Nigh
Three GLP-1 drugs are approved for weight loss in the United States:
* **Semaglutide** (Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Rybelsus®)
* **Tirzepatide** (Mounjaro®, Zepbound®)
* **Liraglutide** (Victoza®, Saxenda®)
…but liraglutide is noticeably worse than the others, and most people prefer either semaglu... | Scott Alexander | 158812671 | The Ozempocalypse Is Nigh | acx |
# What Happened To NAEP Scores?
The NAEP is a nationwide standardized test of reading and math proficiency. The 2024 scores are out, [and they’re not good](https://edsource.org/2025/california-still-lags-behind-pre-pandemic-reading-and-math-scores-on-national-assessment/725806):
There are four tests - 4th and 8th gra... | Scott Alexander | 158734157 | What Happened To NAEP Scores? | acx |
# Open Thread 372
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 158758092 | Open Thread 372 | acx |
# Why Should Intelligence Be Related To Neuron Count?
Intelligence seems to correlate with total number of neurons in the brain.
Different animals’ intelligence levels [track the number of neurons in their cerebral cortices](https://slatestarcodex.com/2019/03/25/neurons-and-intelligence-a-birdbrained-perspective/) (c... | Scott Alexander | 156509295 | Why Should Intelligence Be Related To Neuron Count? | acx |
# Open Thread 371.5
(sorry, some of you may have gotten an earlier version of this with the wrong time - reposting to correct)
Usually this would be the hidden thread, but I’m opening it up for two mid-week announcements:
**1:** Pro-PEPFAR protest in DC this Friday at 12 noon. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has gran... | Scott Alexander | 158479164 | Open Thread 371.5 | acx |
# Spring Meetups Everywhere 2025 - Call For Organizers
There are ACX meetup groups all over the world. Lots of people are vaguely interested, but don't try them out until I make a big deal about it on the blog. Some people who try meetups out realize they love ACX meetups and start going regularly. Since learning that... | Scott Alexander | 158332428 | Spring Meetups Everywhere 2025 - Call For Organizers | acx |
# Open Thread 371
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 158281217 | Open Thread 371 | acx |
# Everything-Except-Book Review Contest 2025
I enjoy the yearly book review contest, but it feels like last year’s contest is barely done, and I want to give you a break so you can read more books before we start over. So this year, let’s do something different. Submit an ACX-length post reviewing something, anything,... | Scott Alexander | 158108442 | Everything-Except-Book Review Contest 2025 | acx |
# Links For February 2025
*[I haven’t independently verified each link. On average, commenters will end up spotting evidence that around two or three of the links in each links post are wrong or misleading. I correct these as I see them, and will highlight important corrections later, but I can’t guarantee I will have... | Scott Alexander | 157851847 | Links For February 2025 | acx |
# Why I Am Not A Conflict Theorist
Conflict theory is the belief that political disagreements come from material conflict. So for example, if rich people support capitalism, and poor people support socialism, this isn’t because one side doesn’t understand economics. It’s because rich people correctly believe capitalis... | Scott Alexander | 157690414 | Why I Am Not A Conflict Theorist | acx |
# Open Thread 370
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 157374766 | Open Thread 370 | acx |
# Highlights From The Comments On Tegmark's Mathematical Universe
*[Original thread here: [Tegmark’s Mathematical Universe Defeats Most Arguments For God’s Existence.](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/tegmarks-mathematical-universe-defeats)]*
1: Comments On Specific Technical Points
2: Comments From Bentham’s Bulld... | Scott Alexander | 157585994 | Highlights From The Comments On Tegmark's Mathematical Universe | acx |
# Lives Of The Rationalist Saints
**St. Felix** publicly declared that he believed with 79% probability that COVID had a natural origin. He was brought before the Emperor, who threatened him with execution unless he updated to 100%. When St. Felix refused, the Emperor was impressed with his integrity, and said he woul... | Scott Alexander | 157374780 | Lives Of The Rationalist Saints | acx |
# Tegmark's Mathematical Universe Defeats Most Proofs Of God's Existence
It feels like 2010 again - the bloggers are [debating the proofs for the existence of God](https://benthams.substack.com/p/follow-the-converging-lines-of-evidence). I found these much less interesting after learning about Max Tegmark’s [mathemati... | Scott Alexander | 156830669 | Tegmark's Mathematical Universe Defeats Most Proofs Of God's Existence | acx |
# Open Thread 369
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/), [Discord](https://discord.gg/RTKtdut), and [bulletin board](https://www.datasecretslox.com/index.php), and [in-person meet... | Scott Alexander | 156884649 | Open Thread 369 | acx |
# Only About 40% Of The Cruz "Woke Science" Database Is Woke Science
From [the Commerce Department](https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2025/2/cruz-led-investigation-uncovers-2-billion-in-woke-dei-grants-at-nsf-releases-full-database):
> U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) released a database ident... | Scott Alexander | 157114231 | Only About 40% Of The Cruz "Woke Science" Database Is Woke Science | acx |
# Deliberative Alignment, And The Spec
*In the past day, [Zvi has written](https://thezvi.substack.com/p/on-deliberative-alignment) about deliberative alignment, and OpenAI has [updated their spec](https://openai.com/index/sharing-the-latest-model-spec/). This article was written before either of these and doesn’t acc... | Scott Alexander | 154253985 | Deliberative Alignment, And The Spec | acx |
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