SSC
Book Review: The Hungry Brain
Scott reviews 'The Hungry Brain' by Stephan Guyenet, exploring the neuroscience of eating behavior and obesity, presenting a model focused on brain regulation of body weight.
46 min read 7,076 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 essaysSSC
SSC Journal Club: Childhood Trauma And Cognition
Scott Alexander discusses a study challenging the idea that childhood abuse lowers IQ, and explores its implications for understanding the effects of child abuse on various outcomes.
9 min read 1,254 words
SSC
Learning To Love Scientific Consensus
Scott Alexander examines his evolving view on scientific consensus, realizing it's more reliable and self-correcting than he previously thought.
40 min read 6,075 words
SSC
SSC
Clarification To “Sacred Principles As Exhaustible Resources”
Scott clarifies that he supports free speech for all, but criticizes deliberately seeking controversy when choosing speakers to defend free speech principles.
7 min read 996 words
SSC
Sacred Principles As Exhaustible Resources
Scott Alexander argues that overusing free speech to defend controversial figures may lead to a backlash against the principle itself, potentially depleting it as a societal resource.
7 min read 1,046 words
SSC
Yes, We Have Noticed The Skulls
Scott Alexander defends rationalists against common criticisms, arguing that the movement is self-aware and actively tries to avoid past mistakes while striving for improvement.
10 min read 1,499 words
SSC
The Case Of The Suffocating Woman
Scott presents a case of postpartum panic attacks, explains the theory of panic as a false suffocation alarm, and discusses how understanding this mechanism can help treat the condition.
22 min read 3,351 words
SSC
Determining Consent
Scott Alexander explores the complex ethical and legal issues surrounding sexual consent for institutionalized and intellectually disabled individuals, arguing for a nuanced approach that balances protection and autonomy.
19 min read 2,866 words
SSC
G.K. Chesterton On AI Risk
A fictional G.K. Chesterton essay defends AI risk concerns against criticisms, arguing that seemingly fantastical ideas often become reality and that contemplating the infinite leads to practical progress.
15 min read 2,183 words
SSC
Links 3/17: Relinkquishment
A links post featuring various news stories, research findings, and interesting facts, from Jewish pirates to ancient Roman artifacts to the fallout of various Trump-related controversies.
16 min read 2,417 words
SSC
Guided By The Beauty Of Our Weapons
Scott Alexander argues that true logical debate, rarely attempted, could be more effective in changing minds than commonly believed, and is necessary for long-term progress in distinguishing truth from falsehood.
40 min read 6,166 words
SSC
SSC
SSC Survey 2017 Results
Scott Alexander presents and analyzes the results of the 2017 Slate Star Codex reader survey, revealing demographic and psychological insights about the blog's audience.
27 min read 4,078 words
SSC
Book Review: Seeing Like A State
Scott Alexander reviews 'Seeing Like A State', examining how state efforts to standardize and control societies often backfire by ignoring local knowledge.
74 min read 11,326 words
SSC
Links 3/17: Siteochrome P450
A wide-ranging links post covering recent research, political developments, and interesting findings across various fields, with particular focus on psychology research, political polling, and academic developments.
20 min read 3,046 words
SSC
Antidepressant Pharmacogenomics: Much More Than You Wanted To Know
Scott Alexander critically examines pharmacogenomic testing for antidepressants, particularly the GeneSight test, expressing skepticism about its current effectiveness and validity.
42 min read 6,454 words
SSC
Book Review: Behavior – The Control Of Perception
Scott reviews Will Powers' book on Perceptual Control Theory, finding it convincing for explaining lower-level brain functions but skeptical of its application to higher-level concepts.
25 min read 3,846 words
SSC
SSC
SSC Journal Club: Analytical Thinking Style And Religion
Scott Alexander examines a failed replication of a study claiming analytical thinking promotes religious disbelief, and discusses the broader implications for understanding the relationship between thinking styles and religious belief.
23 min read 3,531 words
SSC
Some Groups Of People Who May Not 100% Deserve Our Eternal Scorn
Scott Alexander argues against harshly criticizing various groups often mocked by both left and right, emphasizing nuanced thinking and engagement with evidence.
28 min read 4,186 words
SSC
[REPOST] The Non-Libertarian FAQ
Scott Alexander reposts his 'Non-Libertarian FAQ' critiquing libertarian philosophy and arguments, noting it no longer fully reflects his current views.
198 min read 30,585 words
SSC
Highlights From The Comments On Cost Disease
Scott Alexander summarizes various responses to his post on 'cost disease', presenting diverse explanations for dramatic cost increases in healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
51 min read 7,862 words
SSC
Links 2/17: Site Your Sources
A collection of interesting links from early 2017 covering drugs, education, politics, science and history, with Scott's commentary on each.
13 min read 1,974 words
SSC
Considerations On Cost Disease
Scott Alexander examines the phenomenon of cost disease, where costs for basic services like education and healthcare have increased dramatically without corresponding improvements in quality or wages.
47 min read 7,274 words
Find your next rabbit hole
Start with a reader favorite, or follow an idea somewhere unexpected.