text stringlengths 136 178k | author stringclasses 5
values | id stringlengths 6 9 | title stringlengths 9 112 | source stringclasses 1
value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
# Meetups Everywhere Fall 2024 - 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... | Skyler | 147175029 | Meetups Everywhere Fall 2024 - Call for Organizers | acx |
# Matt Yglesias Considered As The Nietzschean Superman
**I. Bentham’s Bulldog**
Blogger “Bentham’s Bulldog” recently wrote [Shut Up About Slave Morality](https://benthams.substack.com/p/shut-up-about-slave-morality).
Nietzsche’s concept of “slave morality” (he writes) is just a dysphemism for the usual morality wher... | Scott Alexander | 145940385 | Matt Yglesias Considered As The Nietzschean Superman | acx |
# Open Thread 340
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 | 147117729 | Open Thread 340 | acx |
# Your Book Review: Real Raw News
[*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] | 146072744 | Your Book Review: Real Raw News | acx |
# Links for July 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 cau... | Scott Alexander | 146432911 | Links for July 2024 | acx |
# Some Practical Considerations Before Descending Into An Orgy Of Vengeance
The “LibsOfTikTok” Twitter account found a random Home Depot employee who said she wished the Trump assassin hadn’t missed. Her followers mass-called Home Depot [and got the employee fired](https://reason.com/2024/07/17/getting-a-home-depot-em... | Scott Alexander | 146838743 | Some Practical Considerations Before Descending Into An Orgy Of Vengeance | acx |
# Open Thread 339
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 | 146872428 | Open Thread 339 | acx |
# Your Book Review: How Language Began
[*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... | [unknown] | 146070825 | Your Book Review: How Language Began | acx |
# Highlights From The Comments On Mentally Ill Homeless People
[*[Original post here](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/details-that-you-should-include-in)*]
**Table Of Contents**
**1:** Responses To Broad Categories Of Objections
**2:** Responses To Specific Comments
**3:** Comments By People Who Have Relevant E... | Scott Alexander | 146463231 | Highlights From The Comments On Mentally Ill Homeless People | acx |
# Consciousness As Recursive Reflections
*[Editor’s note: I accept guest posts from certain people, especially past Book Review Contest winners. Daniel Böttger, who wrote last year’s review of [On The Marble Cliffs](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/your-book-review-on-the-marble-cliffs), has finally taken me up on thi... | Scott Alexander | 146660141 | Consciousness As Recursive Reflections | acx |
# Open Thread 338
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 | 146593571 | Open Thread 338 | acx |
# Your Book Review: The Family That Couldn’t Sleep
[*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,... | a reader | 146003442 | Your Book Review: The Family That Couldn’t Sleep | acx |
# Lifeboat Games And Backscratchers Clubs
### I. Lifeboat Games
Ten people are stuck on a lifeboat after their ship sank. It will be weeks before anyone finds them, and they’re out of food.
They’ve heard this story before, so they decide to turn to cannibalism sooner rather than later. They agree to draw lots to det... | Scott Alexander | 140673111 | Lifeboat Games And Backscratchers Clubs | acx |
# Details That You Should Include In Your Article On How We Should Do Something About Mentally Ill Homeless People
**I.**
Suppose that you, an ordinary person, open your door and start choking on yellow smoke. You call up your representative and say “there should be less pollution”.
A technical expert might hear “th... | Scott Alexander | 146308961 | Details That You Should Include In Your Article On How We Should Do Something About Mentally Ill Homeless People | acx |
# Open Thread 337
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 | 146391958 | Open Thread 337 | acx |
# Your Book Review: Don Juan
[*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 one... | a reader | 146003326 | Your Book Review: Don Juan | acx |
# Prediction Markets Suggest Replacing Biden
The last week hasn’t been great for the Democratic Party. First Biden bombed the debate. But the subsequent decision about whether/how to replace Biden has also been embarrassing. Biden has refused to step aside gracefully, and party elites don’t seem to have any contingenc... | Scott Alexander | 146153982 | Prediction Markets Suggest Replacing Biden | acx |
# Open Thread 336
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 | 146162562 | Open Thread 336 | acx |
# Your Book Review: Dominion
[*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 one... | a reader | 146003130 | Your Book Review: Dominion | acx |
# My 2024 Presidential Debate
**Alexander:** Hello and welcome to the first Presidential debate of 2024. Based on the remarkable popularity of the previous debates I moderated ([2016](https://slatestarcodex.com/2015/11/16/hardball-questions-for-the-next-debate/), [2020](https://slatestarcodex.com/2020/01/05/hardball-q... | Scott Alexander | 142237570 | My 2024 Presidential Debate | acx |
# Clarification On "Fake Tradition Is Traditional"
I think I got [the original post](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/fake-tradition-is-traditional) slightly off.
I was critiquing Sam Kriss’ claim that the best traditions come from “just doing stuff”, without trying to tie things back to anything in the past.
The co... | Scott Alexander | 145888347 | Clarification On "Fake Tradition Is Traditional" | acx |
# Open Thread 335
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 | 145938359 | Open Thread 335 | acx |
# Your Book Review: Autobiography Of Yukichi Fukuzawa
[*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 favori... | Scott Alexander | 145867018 | Your Book Review: Autobiography Of Yukichi Fukuzawa | acx |
# Fake Tradition Is Traditional
**I.**
> **A:** I like Indian food.
>
> **B:** Oh, so you like a few bites of flavorless rice daily? Because India is a very poor country, and that’s a more realistic depiction of what the average Indian person eats. And India has poor food safety laws - do you like eating in unsanitar... | Scott Alexander | 144992357 | Fake Tradition Is Traditional | acx |
# Open Thread 334
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 | 145714937 | Open Thread 334 | acx |
# Failure To Replicate Anti-Vaccine Poll
**I.**
Steve Kirsch is an inventor and businessman most famous for developing the optical mouse. More recently, he’s become an anti-COVID-vaccine activist. He has many different arguments on [his Substack](https://kirschsubstack.com/), of which one especially caught my eye:
H... | Scott Alexander | 145404109 | Failure To Replicate Anti-Vaccine Poll | acx |
# Nobody Can Make You Feel Genetically Inferior Without Your Consent
**I.**
Lately [we’ve been discussing](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/who-does-polygenic-selection-help) some of the ethics around genetics and embryo selection. One question that comes up in these debates is - are we claiming that some people are ... | Scott Alexander | 141456021 | Nobody Can Make You Feel Genetically Inferior Without Your Consent | acx |
# Open Thread 333
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 | 145493948 | Open Thread 333 | acx |
# Berkeley Meetup This Wednesday
**Why:** Because we’re having [another round of spring meetups](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/spring-meetups-everywhere-2024), 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:** Wednesday, J... | Scott Alexander | 145295841 | Berkeley Meetup This Wednesday | acx |
# Open Thread 332
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 | 145253770 | Open Thread 332 | acx |
# Unsong Available In Paperback
Seven years ago, I wrote an online serial novel, *Unsong,* about alternate history American kabbalists. You can read the online version [here](https://unsongbook.com/).
The online version isn’t going anywhere, but lots of people asked for a hard copy. I tried to get the book formally p... | Scott Alexander | 144934156 | Unsong Available In Paperback | acx |
# Contra Stone On EA
**I.**
Lyman Stone wrote an article [Why Effective Altruism Is Bad](https://medium.com/@lymanstone/why-effective-altruism-is-bad-80dfbccc7a68). You know the story by now, let’s start with the first argument:
> The only cities where searches for EA-related terms are prevalent enough for Google to... | Scott Alexander | 145121537 | Contra Stone On EA | acx |
# Links for May 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 caug... | Scott Alexander | 144935823 | Links for May 2024 | acx |
# What Is Going On In IFS?
In [my book review of](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/book-review-the-others-within-us) *[The Others Within Us](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/book-review-the-others-within-us)*, I wrote:
> [An Internal Family Systems session] isn’t supposed to be just the therapist walking you through ... | Scott Alexander | 145053093 | What Is Going On In IFS? | acx |
# Open Thread 331
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 | 145023166 | Open Thread 331 | acx |
# A Theoretical "Case Against Education"
**I.**
There’s been renewed debate around Bryan Caplan’s *The Case Against Education* recently, so I want to discuss one way I think about this question.
Education isn’t just about facts. But it’s partly about facts. Facts are easy to measure, and they’re a useful signpost fo... | Scott Alexander | 144900916 | A Theoretical "Case Against Education" | acx |
# Book Review: The Others Within Us
**I.**
Internal Family Systems, the hot new[1](#footnote-1) psychotherapy, has a secret.
“Hot new psychotherapy” might sound dismissive. It’s not. [There’s always got to be one](https://slatestarcodex.com/2019/11/20/book-review-all-therapy-books/). The therapy that’s getting all t... | Scott Alexander | 144719880 | Book Review: The Others Within Us | acx |
# Open Thread 330
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 | 144797546 | Open Thread 330 | acx |
# Choose Book Review Finalists 2024
It's time to narrow the 150 entries in the Book Review Contest to about a dozen finalists. I can't read 150 reviews alone, so I need your help.
You'll find the entries in six Google Docs (thanks to a reader for collating them):
* [A - D](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AXmWgSb... | Scott Alexander | 144685428 | Choose Book Review Finalists 2024 | acx |
# Profile: The Far Out Initiative
### I. Jo Cameron, Bio-Arhat
Suffering is part of the human condition, except when it isn't.
I met a man at an ACX meetup once who claimed he has never felt anxiety, not even the littlest bit. His father was the same way, so maybe it's genetic.
Some people feel more pain than other... | Scott Alexander | 143545355 | Profile: The Far Out Initiative | acx |
# Mantic Monday 5/13/24
*Disclaimer: This post involves more discussion of laws than usual. I am not a lawyer. Assume there are some errors. I will try to correct them after I learn about them.*
## CFTC Extra-Double-Bans Prediction Markets
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the body that thwarts real-money pr... | Scott Alexander | 144124129 | Mantic Monday 5/13/24 | acx |
# Open Thread 329
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 | 144573860 | Open Thread 329 | acx |
# Highlights From The Comments On Hanson And Health Care
Most recent post [here](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/response-to-hanson-on-health-care).
**Table Of Contents:**
**1:** Comments From Robin
**2:** Comments About/From Goldin et al
**3:** Comments From The Rest Of You Yokels
## 1: Comments From Robin
I... | Scott Alexander | 144325006 | Highlights From The Comments On Hanson And Health Care | acx |
# The Emotional Support Animal Racket
If you’re from a country that doesn’t have emotional support animals, here’s how it works.
Sometimes places ban or restrict animals. For example, an apartment building might not allow dogs. Or an airline might charge you money to transport your cat. But the law requires them to a... | Scott Alexander | 143116347 | The Emotional Support Animal Racket | acx |
# Asterisk/Zvi on California's AI Bill
California’s state senate is considering [SB1047](https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB1047/2023), a bill to regulate AI. Since OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Meta are all in California, this would affect most of the industry.
If the California state senate passed a bill saying that t... | Scott Alexander | 144429673 | Asterisk/Zvi on California's AI Bill | acx |
# Highlights From The Comments On "The Origin Of Woke"
Original post [here](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/book-review-the-origins-of-woke).
## Table Of Contents:
**1:** Response From The Author
**2:** Attempted Fact Checks
**3:** People With Personal Experience At Their Workplace
**4:** People With Personal... | Scott Alexander | 144299981 | Highlights From The Comments On "The Origin Of Woke" | acx |
# Open Thread 328
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 | 144357982 | Open Thread 328 | acx |
# Book Review: The Origins Of Woke
## The Origins Of . . . Civil Rights Law
*[The Origins Of Woke](https://amzn.to/3xRooxr)*, by [Richard Hanania](https://www.richardhanania.com/), has an ambitious thesis. And it argues for an ambitious thesis. But the thesis it has isn’t the one it argues for.
The claimed thesis is... | Scott Alexander | 144030929 | Book Review: The Origins Of Woke | acx |
# Response to Hanson On Health Care
Robin Hanson [replied here](https://www.overcomingbias.com/p/response-to-scott-alexander-on-medical) to my original post [challenging him on health care here](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/contra-hanson-on-medical-effectiveness).
### On Straw-Manning
Robin thinks I’m straw-mann... | Scott Alexander | 144089513 | Response to Hanson On Health Care | acx |
# Open Thread 327
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 | 144090754 | Open Thread 327 | acx |
# Survey Results: PMS Symptoms
In November 2022, Aella posted [this Twitter poll](https://twitter.com/Aella_Girl/status/1589509446837075970):
19% of women without pre-menstrual symptoms believed in the supernatural, compared to 39% of women with PMS. I can’t do chi-squared tests in my head, but with 1,074 votes this ... | Scott Alexander | 143803725 | Survey Results: PMS Symptoms | acx |
# Desperately Trying To Fathom The Coffeepocalypse Argument
One of the most common arguments against AI safety is:
> Here’s an example of a time someone was worried about something, but it didn’t happen. Therefore, AI, which you are worried about, also won’t happen.
I always give the obvious answer: “Okay, but there... | Scott Alexander | 140348944 | Desperately Trying To Fathom The Coffeepocalypse Argument | acx |
# Contra Hanson On Medical Effectiveness
### I. Introduction
Robin Hanson of [Overcoming Bias](https://www.overcomingbias.com/) ~~more or less believes medicine doesn’t work~~ [EDIT: see his response [here,](https://www.overcomingbias.com/p/response-to-scott-alexander-on-medical) where he says this is an inaccurate s... | Scott Alexander | 143671629 | Contra Hanson On Medical Effectiveness | acx |
# Open Thread 326
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 | 143847751 | Open Thread 326 | acx |
# ACX Survey Results 2024
Thanks to the 5,981 people who took the 2024 Astral Codex Ten survey.
**[See the questions for the ACX survey](https://forms.gle/TxkHyN4nMVebuCHi6)**
**[See the results from the ACX Survey](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdTw4xhkP5Awgn0xhL4ScjvZp8ieaojGrnSPgDTM-lSH8m--g/closedform... | Scott Alexander | 143600454 | ACX Survey Results 2024 | acx |
# Ye Olde 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/p/bride-of... | Scott Alexander | 143477407 | Ye Olde Bay Area House Party | acx |
# Updates on Lumina Probiotic
Lumina, the genetically modified anti-tooth-decay bacterium that [I wrote about in December](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/defying-cavity-lantern-bioworks-faq), is back in the news after lowering its price from $20,000 to [$250](https://www.luminaprobiotic.com/preorder) and getting end... | Scott Alexander | 143543134 | Updates on Lumina Probiotic | acx |
# Open Thread 325
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 | 143596446 | Open Thread 325 | acx |
# ACX Classifieds 4/24
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 | 143474423 | ACX Classifieds 4/24 | acx |
# Highlights From The Comments On The Lab Leak Debate
Original post [here](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/practically-a-book-review-rootclaim). Table of contents below. I want to especially highlight three things.
First, Saar wrote a response to my post (and to zoonosis arguments in general). I’ve put a summary and... | Scott Alexander | 143072255 | Highlights From The Comments On The Lab Leak Debate | acx |
# Open Thread 324
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 | 143374272 | Open Thread 324 | acx |
# Links For April 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 ca... | Scott Alexander | 143211970 | Links For April 2024 | acx |
# Open Thread 323
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 | 143148901 | Open Thread 323 | acx |
# Spring Meetups Everywhere 2024
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 eighty cities, ... | Skyler | 143046941 | Spring Meetups Everywhere 2024 | acx |
# Practically-A-Book Review: Rootclaim $100,000 Lab Leak Debate
# I. Saar’s COV-2
Saar Wilf is an ex-Israeli entrepreneur. Since 2016, he’s been developing a new form of reasoning, meant to transcend normal human bias.
His method - called Rootclaim - uses Bayesian reasoning, a branch of math that explains the right ... | Scott Alexander | 142476535 | Practically-A-Book Review: Rootclaim $100,000 Lab Leak Debate | acx |
# Take The 2024 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 a bunch of psych findings, and investigate interesting hypotheses. Some highlights from past years include [birth order effects](https://slatestarcodex.com/2018/01/08/fight-m... | Scott Alexander | 142966319 | Take The 2024 ACX Survey | acx |
# Open Thread 322
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 | 142931631 | Open Thread 322 | acx |
# In Continued Defense Of Non-Frequentist Probabilities
It’s every blogger’s curse to return to the same arguments again and again. Matt Yglesias has to keep writing “maybe we should do popular things instead of unpopular ones”, Freddie de Boer has to keep writing “the way culture depicts mental illness is bad”, and f... | Scott Alexander | 140237071 | In Continued Defense Of Non-Frequentist Probabilities | acx |
# The Mystery Of Internet Survey IQs
I have data from two big Internet surveys, [Less Wrong 2014](https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/YAkpzvjC768Jm2TYb/2014-survey-results) and [Clearer Thinking 2023](https://twitter.com/SpencrGreenberg/status/1681775113065070592). Both asked questions about IQ:
* The average LessWronger... | Scott Alexander | 136151229 | The Mystery Of Internet Survey IQs | acx |
# Open Thread 320
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 | 142716666 | Open Thread 320 | acx |
# In Partial Grudging Defense Of Some Aspects Of Therapy Culture
Both the Atlantic’s critique of polyamory and [my defense of it](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/you-dont-hate-polyamory-you-hate) shared the same villain - “therapy culture”, the idea that you should prioritize “finding your true self” and make drastic... | Scott Alexander | 142438918 | In Partial Grudging Defense Of Some Aspects Of Therapy Culture | acx |
# Verses On Five People Being Killed By A Falling Package Of Foreign Aid
*(inspired by [Aid Airdrop Kills Five People In Gaza After Parachute Fails](https://www.aljazeera.com/program/newsfeed/2024/3/8/fatal-aid-drop-over-gaza-as-parachutes-fail))*
When God placed Man upon the earth
In days of God knows when
He sa... | Scott Alexander | 142447491 | Verses On Five People Being Killed By A Falling Package Of Foreign Aid | acx |
# Mantic Monday 3/11/24
## Robots Of Prediction
Last month [we talked about FutureSearch](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/mantic-monday-21924), a prediction startup that claims their AI is as good as experienced forecasters. This month, two academic teams claim to have gotten similar results with AIs of their own.
... | Scott Alexander | 142509694 | Mantic Monday 3/11/24 | acx |
# Open Thread 319
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 | 142508992 | Open Thread 319 | acx |
# Spring Meetups Everywhere 2024 - 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. Since learning that, I've tried to make a big deal about it on the blog twice annually, and it's that time o... | Scott Alexander | 142219185 | Spring Meetups Everywhere 2024 - Call For Organizers | acx |
# How Should We Think About Race And "Lived Experience"?
**I.**
The consensus says "biological race doesn't exist". But if race doesn't exist, how do we justify affirmative action, cultural appropriation, and all our other race-related practices? The consensus says that, although race doesn't exist biologically, it e... | Scott Alexander | 142260100 | How Should We Think About Race And "Lived Experience"? | acx |
# ACX Grants Followup Impact Market
## I. What’s Going On
We got 351 proposals for [ACX Grants](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/acx-grants-results-2024), but were only able to fund 34 of them. I’m not a professional grant evaluator and can’t guarantee there aren’t some jewels hidden among the remaining 317.
The pla... | Scott Alexander | 142350630 | ACX Grants Followup Impact Market | acx |
# Who Predicted 2023?
## I. The Annual Forecasting Contest
…is one of my favorite parts of this blog. I get a spreadsheet with what are basically takes - “Russia is totally going to win the war this year”, “There’s no way Bitcoin can possibly go down”. Then I do some basic math to it, and I get *better takes*. There ... | Scott Alexander | 142162972 | Who Predicted 2023? | acx |
# Open Thread 318
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 | 142288409 | Open Thread 318 | acx |
# Book Review Contest Rules 2024
All right, let’s do this again.
Write a review of a book. There’s no official word count requirement, but previous finalists and winners were often between 2,000 and 10,000 words. There’s no official recommended style, but check the style of [last year’s finalists and winners](https:/... | Scott Alexander | 142228689 | Book Review Contest Rules 2024 | acx |
# Links For February 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 | 141921067 | Links For February 2024 | acx |
# Less Utilitarian Than Thou
I sometimes identify (and get identified by others) as utilitarian or consequentialist. It’s a fair descriptor. I think about morality in terms of [how to decrease suffering / fulfill preferences / other stuff which is surprisingly hard to specify](https://academic.oup.com/book/564/chapter... | Scott Alexander | 142053656 | Less Utilitarian Than Thou | acx |
# Open Thread 317
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 | 142061221 | Open Thread 317 | acx |
# Who Does Polygenic Selection Help?
Suppose a couple has a strong family history of schizophrenia. They expect their children will be at high risk. They do IVF and get ten embryos. Polygenic screening reveals that nine of the embryos are at high risk for schizophrenia, but one is low-risk. They implant the low-risk e... | Scott Alexander | 141267301 | Who Does Polygenic Selection Help? | acx |
# Highlights From The Comments On Polyamory
*[Original posts: [Contra The Atlantic On Polyamory (subscriber only)](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/contra-the-atlantic-on-polyamory), [You Don’t Hate Polyamory, You Hate People Who Write Books](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/you-dont-hate-polyamory-you-hate)]*
**1:**... | Scott Alexander | 141726468 | Highlights From The Comments On Polyamory | acx |
# Mantic Monday 2/19/24
Manifold has lots of bots. There’s a Silicon League entirely for bots. Lots of bots make lots of money:
Most of these bots are boring. They’re bots programmed to automatically buy some market once the price gets low enough, or to arbitrage basically-identical markets, or do some other technica... | Scott Alexander | 141813824 | Mantic Monday 2/19/24 | acx |
# Open Thread 316
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 | 141788912 | Open Thread 316 | acx |
# X Fact Check: Does Gender Integration Moderate Politics?
John Burn-Murdoch (that’s his surname, not a suggestion) argues that a political gap is forming between men and women:
Click to go to original tweet.
Although there has long been a weak tendency for men to be more conservative and women more liberal, it seem... | Scott Alexander | 141266255 | X Fact Check: Does Gender Integration Moderate Politics? | acx |
# Love And Liberty
Libertarians don’t really have their own holiday. Communists have May Day. The woke have MLK’s birthday. Nationalists have July 4th or their local equivalent. But libertarians have nothing.
I propose Valentine’s Day. The way people think about love is the last relic of the way that libertarians thi... | Scott Alexander | 141627183 | Love And Liberty | acx |
# Sam Altman Wants $7 Trillion
*[All numbers here are very rough and presented in a sloppy way. For the more rigorous versions of this, read [Tom Davidson](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/davidson-on-takeoff-speeds), [Yafah Edelman](https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/nXcHe7t4rqHMjhzau/report-on-frontier-model-training),... | Scott Alexander | 141569076 | Sam Altman Wants $7 Trillion | acx |
# Open Thread 315
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 | 141597345 | Open Thread 315 | acx |
# ACX Grants Results 2024
Thanks to everyone who participated in ACX Grants, whether as an applicant, an evaluator, or a funder.
The best part of ACX Grants is telling the winners they won, which I’ll do in a moment. The worst part of ACX Grants is telling the non-winners they didn’t win. If I wasn’t able to give you... | Scott Alexander | 141192754 | ACX Grants Results 2024 | acx |
# Evolution Explains Polygenic Structure
We’ve been gradually working our way through the conversation around E. Fuller Torrey’s concerns about schizophrenia genetics - last week we had [It’s Fair To Describe Schizophrenia As Probably Mostly Genetic](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/its-fair-to-describe-schizophrenia)... | Scott Alexander | 141142911 | Evolution Explains Polygenic Structure | acx |
# You Don't Hate Polyamory, You Hate People Who Write Books
**I.**
Yesterday [I criticized](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/contra-the-atlantic-on-polyamory) *[The Atlantic](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/contra-the-atlantic-on-polyamory)*[’s recent invective against polyamory](https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/con... | Scott Alexander | 141358165 | You Don't Hate Polyamory, You Hate People Who Write Books | acx |
# Open Thread 314
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 | 141387193 | Open Thread 314 | acx |
# It's Fair To Describe Schizophrenia As Probably Mostly Genetic
Famous schizophrenia researcher E. Fuller Torrey recently [wrote a paper](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165178123006418) trying to cast doubt on whether schizophrenia is really genetic. His exact argument is complicated, but I f... | Scott Alexander | 141000175 | It's Fair To Describe Schizophrenia As Probably Mostly Genetic | acx |
# Seems Like Targeting
**I.**
Recently [Claudine Gay resigned](https://www.cnn.com/business/live-news/harvard-president-claudine-gay-plagiarism-probe/h_9b201ce1347a198e668987858b47b730) as President of Harvard over plagiarism accusations and a fumbled Congressional testimony on anti-Semitism.
The plagiarism was disc... | Scott Alexander | 140437487 | Seems Like Targeting | acx |
# Mantic Monday 1/29/24
### Do Prediction Markets Have An Election Problem?
This is the claim of [an article by Jeremiah Johnson in Asterisk Magazine](https://asteriskmag.com/issues/05/prediction-markets-have-an-elections-problem-jeremiah-johnson). The key graphic is this:
Original source: [First Sigma](https://firs... | Scott Alexander | 141091808 | Mantic Monday 1/29/24 | acx |
# Open Thread 313
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 | 141154653 | Open Thread 313 | acx |
# The Psychopolitics Of Trauma
**I.**
Everyone knows politics makes people crazy. But what kind of crazy? Which page of the DSM is it on?
I’m only half joking. Psychiatrists have spent decades developing a whole catalog of ways brains can go wrong. Politics makes people’s brains go wrong. Shouldn’t it be in the cata... | Scott Alexander | 125990073 | The Psychopolitics Of Trauma | acx |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.