text stringlengths 136 178k | author stringclasses 5
values | id stringlengths 6 9 | title stringlengths 9 112 | source stringclasses 1
value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
# Ask Me Anything (2/2025)
Another paid subscriber AMA. This time I’m letting freeloaders see responses, but only subscribers can ask questions or comment.
Questions I’m less likely to answer include:
* Requests for medical advice that you should be asking your doctor instead. I’m happy to discuss the theory of psyc... | Scott Alexander | 156884230 | Ask Me Anything (2/2025) | acx |
# Open Thread 368
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 | 156832385 | Open Thread 368 | acx |
# 1DaySooner's Trump II Health Policy Proposals
As RFK Jr. fights to be confirmed in Congress, the rest of Trump’s health team is already taking shape.
[1DaySooner](https://www.1daysooner.org/) is an ACX grantee organization that advocates for innovative health policies. They’ve helped me write a list of who some of ... | Scott Alexander | 156298729 | 1DaySooner's Trump II Health Policy Proposals | acx |
# Money Saved By Canceling Programs Does Not Immediately Flow To The Best Possible Alternative
**I.**
PEPFAR - a Bush initiative to send cheap AIDS drugs to Africa - [has saved millions of lives and is among the most successful foreign aid programs ever](https://benthams.substack.com/p/the-upcoming-pepfar-cut-will-ki... | Scott Alexander | 156310699 | Money Saved By Canceling Programs Does Not Immediately Flow To The Best Possible Alternative | acx |
# Model City Monday 2/3/25
## Prospera Declared Unconstitutional
The Honduras Supreme Court [has declared charter cities](https://chartercitiesinstitute.org/blog-posts/honduran-supreme-court-declares-zedes-unconstitutional/), including Prospera, unconstitutional.
The background: in the mid-2010s, the ruling conserva... | Scott Alexander | 156163841 | Model City Monday 2/3/25 | acx |
# Open Thread 367
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 | 156417968 | Open Thread 367 | acx |
# Why Recurring Dream Themes?
An observant Jewish friend told me she has recurring dreams about being caught unprepared for Shabbat.
(Shabbat is the Jewish Sabbath, celebrated every Saturday, when observant Jews are forbidden to work, drive, carry things outdoors, spend money, use electrical devices, etc.)
She said ... | Scott Alexander | 146362785 | Why Recurring Dream Themes? | acx |
# ACX Survey Results 2025
Thanks to the 5,975 people who took the 2025 Astral Codex Ten survey.
**[See the questions for the ACX survey](https://forms.gle/mihwF2bcVARrTy1u6)**
**[See the results from the ACX Survey](https://forms.gle/4TFknV5vcY1Q7wnLA)** (click “see previous responses” on that page[1](#footnote-1))
... | Scott Alexander | 155809449 | ACX Survey Results 2025 | acx |
# Open Thread 366
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 | 155818493 | Open Thread 366 | acx |
# Everyone's A Based Post-Christian Vitalist Until The Grooming Gangs Show Up
Whenever I talk about charity, a type that I’ll call the “based post-Christian vitalist” shows up in the comments to tell me that I’ve got it all wrong. The moral impulse tells us to help our family, friends, and maybe village. It’s a weird ... | Scott Alexander | 154790984 | Everyone's A Based Post-Christian Vitalist Until The Grooming Gangs Show Up | acx |
# Try The 2025 ACX/Metaculus Forecasting Contest
This is normally when I would announce the winners of the 2024 forecasting contest, but there are some complications and Metaculus has asked me to wait until they get sorted out.
But time doesn’t wait, and we have to get started on the new year’s forecasting contest to... | Scott Alexander | 155014662 | Try The 2025 ACX/Metaculus Forecasting Contest | acx |
# Open Thread 365
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 | 155244552 | Open Thread 365 | acx |
# Links For January 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 | 154699327 | Links For January 2025 | acx |
# Highlights From The Comments On Lynn And IQ
**Shaked Koplewitz [writes](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/how-to-stop-worrying-and-learn-to/comment/86311397):**
> Doesn't Lynn's IQ measure also suffer from the IQ/g discrepancy that causes the Flynn effect?
>
> That is, my understanding of the Flynn effect is that IQ... | Scott Alexander | 154931139 | Highlights From The Comments On Lynn And IQ | acx |
# How To Stop Worrying And Learn To Love Lynn's National IQ Estimates
Richard Lynn was a scientist who infamously tried to estimate the average IQ of every country. Typical of his results is [this paper](https://sci-hub.st/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160289610000450), which ranged from 60 (... | Scott Alexander | 153971411 | How To Stop Worrying And Learn To Love Lynn's National IQ Estimates | acx |
# Subscrive Drive '25 + Free Unlocked Posts
Astral Codex Ten has a [paid subscription option](https://www.astralcodexten.com/subscribe?). Once a year, I try to convince you to take it. You pay $10 (or $2.50 if you’re a student or you can’t afford the regular price) per month, and get:
* Extra articles (usually 1-2 pe... | Scott Alexander | 154618303 | Subscrive Drive '25 + Free Unlocked Posts | acx |
# Open Thread 364
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 | 154699243 | Open Thread 364 | acx |
# Bureaucracy Isn't Measured In Bureaucrats
An old tweet from Vivek Ramaswamy, now co-head of the Department of Government Efficacy:
([source](https://x.com/VivekGRamaswamy/status/1723743653816836377))
I was surprised to see someone with such experience in the pharmaceutical industry say this, because it goes agains... | Scott Alexander | 153482933 | Bureaucracy Isn't Measured In Bureaucrats | acx |
# On Priesthoods
Source [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/PoliticalCompassMemes/comments/ycc919/cites_study_once_it_gets_debunked_keeps_using_it/).
Some recent political discussion has focused on “the institutions” or “the priesthoods”. I’m part of one of these (the medical establishment), so here’s an inside look on w... | Scott Alexander | 153191463 | On Priesthoods | acx |
# Open Thread 363
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 | 154205287 | Open Thread 363 | acx |
# It's Still Easier To Imagine The End Of The World Than The End Of Capitalism
**I.**
*[No Set Gauge](https://nosetgauge.substack.com/)* has a great essay on [Capital, AGI, and Human Ambition](https://nosetgauge.substack.com/p/capital-agi-and-human-ambition), where he argues that if humankind survives the Singularity... | Scott Alexander | 153800266 | It's Still Easier To Imagine The End Of The World Than The End Of Capitalism | acx |
# H5N1: Much More Than You Wanted To Know
What is the H5N1 bird flu? Will it cause the next big pandemic? If so, how bad would that pandemic be?
### Wait, What Even Is Flu?
Flu is a disease caused by a family of related influenza viruses. Pandemic flu is always caused by the influenza A virus. Influenza A has two su... | Scott Alexander | 153524214 | H5N1: Much More Than You Wanted To Know | acx |
# Open Thread 362
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 | 153797843 | Open Thread 362 | acx |
# Why Worry About Incorrigible Claude?
Last week I wrote about how [Claude Fights Back](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/claude-fights-back). A common genre of response complained that the alignment community could start a panic about the experiment’s results *regardless of what they were*. If an AI fights back agains... | Scott Alexander | 153534932 | Why Worry About Incorrigible Claude? | acx |
# Open Thread 361
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 | 153515827 | Open Thread 361 | acx |
# Take The 2025 ACX Survey
Each year, I post a reader survey. This helps me learn who’s reading this blog. But it also helps me try to replicate psych findings and investigate interesting hypotheses. Some highlights from past years include [birth order effects](https://slatestarcodex.com/2018/01/08/fight-me-psychologi... | Scott Alexander | 153400739 | Take The 2025 ACX Survey | acx |
# Claude Fights Back
**[Greenblatt et al](https://assets.anthropic.com/m/983c85a201a962f/original/Alignment-Faking-in-Large-Language-Models-full-paper.pdf)** investigate: if Anthropic tried to turn Claude evil, would Claude fight back?
(if you're just joining us - Claude is an AI model similar to GPT-4; Anthropic is ... | Scott Alexander | 153342373 | Claude Fights Back | acx |
# Links For December 2024
*[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 | 152914874 | Links For December 2024 | acx |
# Open Thread 360
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 | 153190763 | Open Thread 360 | acx |
# Highlights From The Comments On Prison
*[Original post here - [Prison And Crime: Much More Than You Wanted To Know](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/prison-and-crime-much-more-than-you)]*
**Table of Contents:**
**1:** Comments On Criminal Psychology
**2:** Comments On Policing
**3:** Comments On El Salvador
... | Scott Alexander | 152754467 | Highlights From The Comments On Prison | acx |
# Open Thread 359
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 | 152826747 | Open Thread 359 | acx |
# Indulge Your Internet Addiction By Reading About Internet Addiction
Internet addiction may not be as bad as some other forms of addiction, but it’s more common (and more personal). I have young children now and wanted to learn more about it, so I included some questions in last year’s ACX survey. The sample was 5,98... | Scott Alexander | 152399208 | Indulge Your Internet Addiction By Reading About Internet Addiction | acx |
# Friendly And Hostile Analogies For Taste
Recently we’ve gotten into discussions about artistic taste (see comments on [AI Art Turing Test](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/how-did-you-do-on-the-ai-art-turing) and [From Bauhaus To Our House](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/book-review-from-bauhaus-to-our-house)).
T... | Scott Alexander | 152602637 | Friendly And Hostile Analogies For Taste | acx |
# Book Review: From Bauhaus To Our House
[Like most people](https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2020/10/23/public-architecture-dysfunctional), Tom Wolfe didn’t like modern architecture. He wondered why we abandoned our patrimony of cathedrals and palaces for a million indistinguishable concrete boxes.
Unlike most people... | Scott Alexander | 152282783 | Book Review: From Bauhaus To Our House | acx |
# Open Thread 358
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 | 152449970 | Open Thread 358 | acx |
# Prison And Crime: Much More Than You Wanted To Know
Do longer prison sentences reduce crime?
It seems obvious that they should. Even if they don’t deter anyone, they at least keep criminals locked up where they can’t hurt law-abiding citizens. If, [as the studies suggest](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC39... | Scott Alexander | 151736411 | Prison And Crime: Much More Than You Wanted To Know | acx |
# Open Thread 357
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 | 152137289 | Open Thread 357 | acx |
# Against The Generalized Anti-Caution Argument
Suppose something important will happen at a certain unknown point. As someone approaches that point, you might be tempted to warn that the thing will happen. If you’re being appropriately cautious, you’ll warn about it before it happens. Then your warning will be wrong.... | Scott Alexander | 152012786 | Against The Generalized Anti-Caution Argument | acx |
# How Did You Do On The AI Art Turing Test?
Last month, [I challenged](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/ai-art-turing-test) 11,000 people to classify fifty pictures as either human art or AI-generated images.
I originally planned five human and five AI pictures in each of four styles: Renaissance, 19th Century, Abstr... | Scott Alexander | 151145038 | How Did You Do On The AI Art Turing Test? | acx |
# Open Thread 356
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 | 151823561 | Open Thread 356 | acx |
# The Early Christian Strategy
**I.**
In 1980, game theorist Robert Axelrod ran a famous Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma Tournament.
He asked other game theorists to send in their best strategies in the form of “bots”, short pieces of code that took an opponent’s actions as input and returned one of the classic Prisoner... | Scott Alexander | 151601267 | The Early Christian Strategy | acx |
# Book Review: The Rise Of Christianity
The rise of Christianity is a great puzzle. In 40 AD, there were maybe a thousand Christians. Their Messiah had just been executed, and they were on the wrong side of an intercontinental empire that had crushed all previous foes. By 400, there were forty million, and they were s... | Scott Alexander | 151440192 | Book Review: The Rise Of Christianity | acx |
# Open Thread 355
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 | 151501044 | Open Thread 355 | acx |
# Game Theory Of Michigan Muslims
*(this post was written before the election, but nothing in it changes based on the result)*
Mentioned before: a group of Muslims in Michigan are backing Trump because they’re mad at the Biden/Harris administration for supporting Israel. They understand that Trump supports Israel eve... | Scott Alexander | 151151509 | Game Theory Of Michigan Muslims | acx |
# Congrats To Polymarket, But I Still Think They Were Mispriced
**I.**
[Polymarket](https://polymarket.com/) (and prediction markets in general) had an amazing Election Night. They [called states impressively early and accurately](https://x.com/Polymarket/status/1854301681090986401), kept the site stable through what... | Scott Alexander | 151306005 | Congrats To Polymarket, But I Still Think They Were Mispriced | acx |
# Mantic Monday: Judgment Day
### Judgment Day
A red sun dawns over San Francisco. Juxtaposed against clouds and sea, it forms a patriotic tableau: blood red, deathly white, and the blue of the void. As its first rays touch the city, the frantic traffic slows to a crawl; even the birds cease to sing. It is Election D... | Scott Alexander | 150737503 | Mantic Monday: Judgment Day | acx |
# Open Thread 354
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 | 151144398 | Open Thread 354 | acx |
# Links For November 2024
*[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 | 150644088 | Links For November 2024 | acx |
# ACX Endorses Harris, Oliver, Or Stein
**I.**
Time to own the libs! ACX joins such based heterodox thinkers as [Curtis Yarvin](https://graymirror.substack.com/p/bidenharris-2024), [Nick Fuentes](https://www.newsweek.com/conservative-influencer-nick-fuentes-refuses-back-donald-trump-2024-election-1927860), [Richard S... | Scott Alexander | 150962209 | ACX Endorses Harris, Oliver, Or Stein | acx |
# The Case Against California Proposition 36
*[This is a guest post by Clara Collier. Clara is the editor of [Asterisk Magazine](https://asteriskmag.com/).]*
Proposition 36 is a California ballot measure that increases mandatory sentences for certain drug and theft crimes.
It’s also a referendum on over a decade of ... | Scott Alexander | 150872169 | The Case Against California Proposition 36 | acx |
# Open Thread 353
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 | 150828075 | Open Thread 353 | acx |
# Notes From The Progress Studies Conference
Tyler Cowen is an economics professor and blogger at [Marginal Revolution](https://marginalrevolution.com/). Patrick Collison is the billionaire founder of the online payments company Stripe. In 2019, they [wrote an article](https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/... | Scott Alexander | 150459736 | Notes From The Progress Studies Conference | acx |
# Secrets Of The Median Voter Theorem
The [Median Voter Theorem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Median_voter_theorem) says that, given some reasonable assumptions, the candidate closest to the beliefs of the median voter will win. So if candidates are rational, they’ll all end up at the same place on a one-dimensional ... | Scott Alexander | 150500663 | Secrets Of The Median Voter Theorem | acx |
# ACX Local Voting Guides
Thanks to our local meetup groups for doing this! Quick lookup version:
**AUSTIN: [Guide here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CafmE10shNZRsemJMbQagJQ7huVLCkIA31auaNI3YcU/edit?tab=t.0)
BOSTON: [Guide here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qyK-q9tK4S3aWnnGOVHfTqs2zwkW1f-0VOvpOqxEvqI/... | Scott Alexander | 150557261 | ACX Local Voting Guides | acx |
# Open Thread 352
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 | 150505306 | Open Thread 352 | acx |
# Book Review: Deep Utopia
**I.**
Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom got famous for asking “What if technology is really really bad?” He helped define ‘existential risk’, popularize fears of malevolent superintelligence, and argue that we were living in a ‘vulnerable world’ prone to physical or biological catastrophe.
... | Scott Alexander | 148365441 | Book Review: Deep Utopia | acx |
# AI Art Turing Test
Okay, let’s do this! Link is **[here](https://forms.gle/J24TiJ7e4tbX5oBPA)**, should take about twenty minutes. I’ll close the form on Monday 10/21 and post results the following week.
I’ll put an answer key in the comments here, and have a better one including attributions in the results post. D... | Scott Alexander | 150170926 | AI Art Turing Test | acx |
# Open Thread 351
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 | 150189223 | Open Thread 351 | acx |
# Book Review Contest 2024 Winners
Thanks to everyone who entered or voted in the book review contest. The winners are:
* **1st:** ***[Two Arms And A Head](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/your-book-review-two-arms-and-a-head)**,* reviewed by AmandaFromBethlehem. Amanda is active in the Philadelphia ACX community. Sh... | Scott Alexander | 149957117 | Book Review Contest 2024 Winners | acx |
# SB 1047: Our Side Of The Story
**I.**
My ex-girlfriend has a weird relationship to reality. Her actions ripple out into the world more heavily than other people's. She finds herself at the center of events more often than makes sense. One time someone asked her to explain the whole “AI risk” thing to a State Senato... | Scott Alexander | 149908272 | SB 1047: Our Side Of The Story | acx |
# Triple Tragedy And Thankful Theory
*I accept guest posts from certain people, especially past Book Review Contest winners. Earlier this year, I published Daniel Böttger’s essay [Consciousness As Recursive Reflections](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/consciousness-as-recursive-reflections).*
*While we were working ... | Scott Alexander | 150002163 | Triple Tragedy And Thankful Theory | acx |
# Open Thread 350
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 | 149903749 | Open Thread 350 | acx |
# Ballots Everywhere: Times And Places
Each election year, [I’ve shared](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/my-california-ballot-2022) how I plan to vote in local elections. This year I want to scale up and produce voter guides for all the big US cities/states with a critical mass of ACX readers. Eight big city meetup g... | Scott Alexander | 149698976 | Ballots Everywhere: Times And Places | acx |
# Against The Cultural Christianity Argument
The "cultural Christianity" argument says that atheists might not like Christianity, but they like a culture which depends on Christianity. They like open, free, thoughtful, liberal, beautiful, virtuous societies. Unmoored from a connection to Christanity, a society will gr... | Scott Alexander | 149528908 | Against The Cultural Christianity Argument | acx |
# Preliminary Milei Report Card
How is Javier Milei, the new-ish libertarian president of Argentina doing?
According to [right-wing sources](https://www.heritage.org/americas/commentary/argentinas-milei-miracle-exposing-its-failing-socialist-neighbors), he’s doing amazing, [inflation is vanquished](https://markets.bu... | Scott Alexander | 149438571 | Preliminary Milei Report Card | acx |
# Ballots Everywhere: Call For Organizers, Times, & Dates
Each election year, [I’ve shared](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/my-california-ballot-2022) how I plan to vote in local elections. This year I want to scale up and produce voter guides for all the big US cities/states with a critical mass of ACX readers.
Her... | Scott Alexander | 149481618 | Ballots Everywhere: Call For Organizers, Times, & Dates | acx |
# Open Thread 349
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 | 149605816 | Open Thread 349 | acx |
# Vote In The 2024 Book Review Contest
If you’ve read the finalists of this year’s book review contest, **[vote for your favorite here](https://forms.gle/kwYC78zFwjCa76nX7)**. Voting will close sometime on Sunday, October 6.
Last year we did ranked choice voting. This year, to satisfy the *other* half of the voting s... | Scott Alexander | 149479311 | Vote In The 2024 Book Review Contest | acx |
# ACX Classifieds 9/2024
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 | 149434794 | ACX Classifieds 9/2024 | acx |
# How Often Do Men Think About Rome?
There’s a Twitter meme on how men constantly think about the Roman Empire. Some feminist friends objected that women think about Rome a lot too. To [settle](https://manifold.markets/ScottAlexander/do-more-men-think-about-the-roman-e?play=true) the matter, I included a question abou... | Scott Alexander | 146392773 | How Often Do Men Think About Rome? | acx |
# Open Thread 348
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 | 149292213 | Open Thread 348 | acx |
# Your Book Review: The Ballad of the White Horse
[*This is one of the finalists in the 2024 book 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, ... | [unknown] | 146081846 | Your Book Review: The Ballad of the White Horse | acx |
# Sakana, Strawberry, and Scary AI
**I.**
Sakana ([website](https://sakana.ai/ai-scientist/), [paper](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2408.06292)) is supposed to be “an AI scientist”. Since it can’t access the physical world, it can only do computer science. Its human handlers give it a computer program. It prompts itself to g... | Scott Alexander | 148880537 | Sakana, Strawberry, and Scary AI | acx |
# Mantic Monday 9/16/24
## Probably No Superintelligent Forecaster Yet
FiveThirtyNine (ha ha) is a new forecasting AI that purports to be “superintelligent”, ie able to beat basically all human forecasters. In fact, its creators go further than that: they say it beats Metaculus, a site which aggregates the estimates ... | Scott Alexander | 148917601 | Mantic Monday 9/16/24 | acx |
# Open Thread 347
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 | 148963144 | Open Thread 347 | acx |
# Berkeley Meetup This Saturday
**Why:** Because we’re having [another round of fall meetups](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/meetups-everywhere-2024-times-and), and Berkeley is one of them. I’m signal-boosting this one because it’s usually our biggest, and because I hope to be able to attend.
**When:** Saturday, Se... | Scott Alexander | 148874131 | Berkeley Meetup This Saturday | acx |
# Your Book Review: Nine Lives
[*This is one of the finalists in the 2024 book 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 o... | [unknown] | 146072706 | Your Book Review: Nine Lives | acx |
# Links For September 2024
*[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 hav... | Scott Alexander | 148484450 | Links For September 2024 | acx |
# Contra DeBoer On Temporal Copernicanism
Freddie deBoer [has a post on what he calls “the temporal Copernican principle.”](https://freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/the-temporal-copernican-principle) He argues we shouldn’t expect a singularity, apocalypse, or any other crazy event in our lifetimes. Discussing celebrity tr... | Scott Alexander | 148609720 | Contra DeBoer On Temporal Copernicanism | acx |
# Open Thread 346
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 | 148667536 | Open Thread 346 | acx |
# Your Book Review: The Pale King
[*This is one of the finalists in the 2024 book 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 whic... | [unknown] | 146073662 | Your Book Review: The Pale King | acx |
# Highlights From The Comments On "Sorry You Feel That Way"
*[Original post [here](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/in-defense-of-im-sorry-you-feel-that).]*
**Aeon [writes](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/in-defense-of-im-sorry-you-feel-that/comment/66996689):**
> The main complaint about this expression is that it... | Scott Alexander | 148429407 | Highlights From The Comments On "Sorry You Feel That Way" | acx |
# Interview Day At Thiel Capital
You look up from your massive mahogany desk.
“Tom, right? Thank you for coming…hmm…I see you’re applying for the role of Vice-President Of Sinister Plots. Your resume looks very impressive - I didn’t even know any of the masterminds behind the Kennedy assassination were still alive.”
... | Scott Alexander | 148037300 | Interview Day At Thiel Capital | acx |
# Open Thread 345
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 | 148387758 | Open Thread 345 | acx |
# Your Book Review: The History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in Europe
[*This is one of the finalists in the 2024 book 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 ... | [unknown] | 146073551 | Your Book Review: The History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in Europe | acx |
# Meetups Everywhere 2024: Times & Places
Thanks to everyone who responded to my request for ACX meetup organizers. Volunteers have arranged meetups in 171 cities around the world, from Baghdad to Buenos Aires.
You can find the list below, in the following order:
1. Africa & Middle East
2. Asia-Pacific
3. Europe
4. ... | Scott Alexander | 148057803 | Meetups Everywhere 2024: Times & Places | acx |
# In Defense Of "I'm Sorry You Feel That Way"
[People](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-mental-health-revolution/202203/i-m-sorry-you-feel-way-and-other-gaslighting-tactics) [hate](https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/comments/teefkh/im_sorry_you_feel_that_way_is_not_an_apology_it/) [this](https://www.... | Scott Alexander | 147738849 | In Defense Of "I'm Sorry You Feel That Way" | acx |
# Open Thread 344
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 | 148141710 | Open Thread 344 | acx |
# Your Book Review: The Complete Rhyming Dictionary and Poet's Craft Book (1936 Edition)
[*This is one of the finalists in the 2024 book 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... | [unknown] | 146073629 | Your Book Review: The Complete Rhyming Dictionary and Poet's Craft Book (1936 Edition) | acx |
# The Compounding Loophole
Now that we’ve gone over [the pharmacology of the GLP-1 agonists](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/why-does-ozempic-cure-all-diseases), let’s get back to the economics.
[Last time](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/semaglutidonomics), we asked - how will the economy handle a $12,000/year dru... | Scott Alexander | 147781102 | The Compounding Loophole | acx |
# Lukianoff And Defining Cancel Culture
In [a recent post](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/some-practical-considerations-before), I said that part of opposing cancel culture is to rigorously define it. Greg Lukianoff, president of FIRE, [took up the challenge](https://greglukianoff.substack.com/p/five-reasons-why-sco... | Scott Alexander | 147302807 | Lukianoff And Defining Cancel Culture | acx |
# Open Thread 343
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 | 147874137 | Open Thread 343 | acx |
# Your Book Review: Silver Age Marvel Comics
[*This is one of the finalists in the 2024 book 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 re... | [unknown] | 146073274 | Your Book Review: Silver Age Marvel Comics | acx |
# Why Does Ozempic Cure All Diseases?
Fine, the title is an exaggeration. But only a small one. GLP-1 receptor agonist medications like Ozempic are already FDA-approved to treat diabetes and obesity. But an increasing body of research finds they’re also effective against [stroke, heart disease, kidney disease](https:/... | Scott Alexander | 147025858 | Why Does Ozempic Cure All Diseases? | acx |
# Open Thread 342
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 | 147617200 | Open Thread 342 | acx |
# Your Book Review: How the War Was Won
[*This is one of the finalists in the 2024 book 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 remembe... | [unknown] | 146072500 | Your Book Review: How the War Was Won | acx |
# Highlights From The Comments On Nietzsche
*[original post [here](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/matt-yglesias-considered-as-the-nietzschean)]*
**Table Of Contents**
**I.** Comments About Master And Slave Morality
**II.** Comments By People Named In The Post
**III**. Comments Making Specific Points About One ... | Scott Alexander | 147332590 | Highlights From The Comments On Nietzsche | acx |
# Altruism And Vitalism As Fellow Travelers
Some commenters on [the recent post](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/matt-yglesias-considered-as-the-nietzschean) accused me of misunderstanding the Nietzschean objection to altruism.
We hate altruism, they said, not because we’re “bad and cruel”, but because we instead su... | Scott Alexander | 147335786 | Altruism And Vitalism As Fellow Travelers | acx |
# Open Thread 341
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 | 147362437 | Open Thread 341 | acx |
# Your Book Review: Two Arms and a Head
[*This is one of the finalists in the 2024 book 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 remembe... | [unknown] | 146080359 | Your Book Review: Two Arms and a Head | acx |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.