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Ezra Klein On Vetocracy
Scott Alexander examines Ezra Klein's concept of 'vetocracy' and its implications for American governance and progress.
11 min read 1,563 words
The independent Scott Alexander archive
Scott Alexander, collected.
Essays, arguments, and unexpected connections. An independent archive of Slate Star Codex, Astral Codex Ten, and LessWrong.
The collection
2,008 essaysACX
Book Review: The Cult Of Smart
Scott Alexander reviews 'The Cult of Smart' by Freddie DeBoer, praising its main arguments while criticizing several aspects, particularly DeBoer's stance on education reform.
58 min read 8,989 words
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Highlights From The Comments On Cult Of Smart
Scott Alexander responds to comments on his review of 'The Cult of Smart', addressing criticisms and expanding on topics like charter schools, meritocracy, and education reform.
55 min read 8,427 words
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Coronavirus: Links, Discussion, Open Thread
Scott Alexander analyzes the COVID-19 pandemic's progress, predicts future waves, and speculates on its long-term impact and transition to an endemic disease.
22 min read 3,287 words
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COVID/Vitamin D: Much More Than You Wanted To Know
Scott Alexander critically evaluates the evidence for Vitamin D's role in COVID-19 prevention and treatment, ultimately leaning towards skepticism while acknowledging the low risk of supplementation.
20 min read 2,989 words
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Statement on New York Times Article
Scott Alexander responds to a New York Times article about him, addressing what he sees as unfair claims and misrepresentations.
14 min read 2,111 words
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The Precision Of Sensory Evidence
Scott Alexander examines a theory proposing that depression, anxiety, and trauma are characterized by low precision of sensory evidence, leading to overreliance on negative priors.
14 min read 2,167 words
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List Of Fictional Cryptocurrencies Banned By The SEC
Scott Alexander presents a satirical list of fictional cryptocurrencies and the humorous reasons for their ban by the SEC.
6 min read 866 words
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Ontology Of Psychiatric Conditions: Tradeoffs And Failures
Scott Alexander examines whether psychiatric conditions result from evolutionary failures or tradeoffs, proposing that most disorders involve a combination of both.
29 min read 4,352 words
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Book Review: Why We're Polarized
Scott Alexander reviews Ezra Klein's 'Why We're Polarized', finding it asks important questions about political polarization but provides few clear answers.
33 min read 5,061 words
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Metaculus Monday 2/8/21
Scott Alexander examines prediction markets, focusing on Metaculus forecasts for AI development and its potential impacts.
15 min read 2,201 words
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Journalism and Legible Expertise
Scott explores why journalists struggle to write controversial articles about topics like COVID-19 due to experts' reluctance to be interviewed.
4 min read 552 words
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WebMD, And The Tragedy Of Legible Expertise
Scott Alexander discusses the trade-offs between accuracy and liability in medical information, extending the analysis to public health experts and the role of expertise in society.
30 min read 4,570 words
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Book Review Contest Final Rules
Scott Alexander announces the final rules and details for his postponed book review contest, including submission guidelines, prizes, and publication plans.
3 min read 411 words
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Ontology Of Psychiatric Conditions: Dynamical Systems
Scott Alexander examines mental disorders through the lens of dynamical systems theory, exploring how this perspective complements and contrasts with taxometric approaches.
27 min read 4,087 words
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Riddle Of The Sphinx II: Sustained Release Riddlin'
Scott engages in a battle of wits with a Sphinx, exchanging clever riddles and culminating in an unexpected answer to the classic Sphinx riddle.
3 min read 336 words
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Metaculus Monday
Scott Alexander introduces 'Metaculus Monday', a series focusing on prediction markets, and discusses several Metaculus predictions about COVID-19.
13 min read 1,914 words
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Contra Weyl On Technocracy
Scott Alexander critiques Glen Weyl's anti-technocracy essay, arguing for a more nuanced view of formal mechanisms in decision-making and defending rationalist approaches.
36 min read 5,537 words
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Weyl Contra Me On Technocracy
Glen Weyl responds to Scott Alexander's critique of his technocracy essay, clarifying his position and defending his arguments while acknowledging some limitations.
8 min read 1,183 words
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Ontology Of Psychiatric Conditions: Taxometrics
Scott Alexander examines taxometrics in psychiatry, finding that most mental health conditions are dimensional rather than categorical, and discusses the implications for diagnosis and treatment.
31 min read 4,710 words
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Know Your Amphetamines
Scott Alexander examines the history, chemistry, and efficacy of various amphetamine-based ADHD medications, comparing their strengths and weaknesses.
22 min read 3,345 words
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Logistics
Scott Alexander details the logistics of his new blog on Substack, including subscription options and content plans, while addressing reader concerns.
8 min read 1,167 words
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Still Alive
Scott Alexander describes deleting his blog Slate Star Codex due to a doxxing threat, the aftermath, and his decision to return to blogging under his real name.
43 min read 6,643 words
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You're Probably Wondering Why I've Called You Here Today
Scott Alexander introduces his new blog, Astral Codex Ten, centered around the concept of ṛta and exploring topics related to rationality, science, and human cognition.
5 min read 739 words
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Introducing Astral Codex Ten
Scott Alexander announces the launch of his new blog, Astral Codex Ten, and provides the URL.
1 min read 34 words
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