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November Housekeeping Post
Scott Alexander provides updates on the Less Wrong survey, his NYC trip, an upcoming meetup, and asks for lawn care advice.
3 min read 349 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
Genetic Russian Roulette
Scott Alexander describes his increasing hesitation to have children due to his experiences with rare genetic disorders and difficult patients in psychiatry and medicine.
15 min read 2,240 words
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More Links for November
Scott shares a diverse collection of interesting links and brief commentary on topics ranging from unusual video games to genetic research and political oddities.
11 min read 1,561 words
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Highlights From My Notes From A Forensic Psychiatry Conference Last Week
The post shares insights and anecdotes from a forensic psychiatry conference, covering topics like the insanity defense, criminal psychology, and death penalty cases.
9 min read 1,305 words
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Lies, Damned Lies, And Facebook (Part 4 of ∞)
Scott Alexander debunks claims of effectiveness for Vancouver's 'Don't Be That Guy' anti-rape campaign, arguing that the reported crime reduction is likely due to normal statistical fluctuations rather than the campaign's impact.
14 min read 2,160 words
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2013 Census/Survey: call for changes and additions
Scott announces the 2013 LessWrong Census/Survey and requests community input for minor changes, particularly seeking better IQ and Big Five tests and asking CFAR about their previous questions.
2 min read 201 words
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List of Reasons Why Gunpowder Treason Should Be Forgot
Scott Alexander lists five reasons why Guy Fawkes Day should be forgotten, demonstrating how easy it is to generate arguments when one puts some thought into it.
1 min read 107 words
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Links for November
Scott shares and comments on various interesting links, ranging from charity history and religious debates to scientific discoveries and technological developments.
8 min read 1,134 words
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The Poor You Will Always Have With You
Scott Alexander argues that ancient Rome's welfare system was similar to modern progressive policies in causes and outcomes, despite different philosophical justifications.
18 min read 2,740 words
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List of Fictional Drugs Banned By The FDA
Scott presents a humorous list of fictional drugs banned by the FDA, each with unexpected and often ironic consequences.
6 min read 898 words
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Some preliminary responses to responses to the Anti-Reactionary FAQ
Scott Alexander responds to critiques of his Anti-Reactionary FAQ, addressing focus on recent trends, class gaps, sexual norms, equality, tone, and the concept of the Cathedral.
17 min read 2,510 words
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The Anti-Reactionary FAQ
This post systematically rebuts common Reactionary political beliefs on topics like societal decline, traditional governance, progress, and social issues through data analysis and historical examples.
228 min read 35,234 words
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Links for Octember
A collection of interesting links covering history, science, economics, and culture, with Scott's commentary and observations on each topic.
11 min read 1,631 words
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Sleep – Now By Prescription
Scott Alexander critiques the medical system's preference for expensive prescription sleep aids like Ramelteon over cheaper alternatives like melatonin, while sharing interesting facts about melatonin's uses.
9 min read 1,316 words
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The Trend Evaluation Of All Values
The author analyzes results of a prediction contest about American political opinions, revealing participants' inaccuracies and biases in estimating current views and changes over time.
4 min read 552 words
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Prediction is very difficult, especially of the past
Scott Alexander creates a test using Pew Research data to gauge predictions about American values changes from 1987 to 2009, hypothesizing that people will underestimate their own political position's strength.
3 min read 333 words
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The Thin Blue Line That Stays Strangely Horizontal
Scott analyzes DW-NOMINATE data which unexpectedly shows no leftward drift in US politics over 120 years, despite historical evidence suggesting otherwise.
5 min read 674 words
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Scientific Freud
Scott Alexander examines a study showing no significant difference between CBT and psychodynamic therapy, challenging the idea that CBT is superior and exploring the possibility that most psychotherapies work through non-specific factors.
9 min read 1,304 words
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Inefficient Hot Dogs
Scott Alexander examines the hot dog and bun quantity mismatch as evidence that markets may not always efficiently respond to consumer preferences.
3 min read 315 words
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Giving and Accepting Apologies
Scott Alexander explores the nuances of apologies, their meanings, and societal implications, using personal and political examples to illustrate the complexities involved.
20 min read 3,033 words
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The Life Cycle of Medical Ideas
Scott Alexander examines the life cycle of medical ideas, discussing how promising treatments often get stuck in a 'grey area' between proven and alternative medicine.
13 min read 1,942 words
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Links for September
Scott shares a diverse collection of interesting links ranging from scientific studies and economic developments to cultural oddities and humor pieces.
9 min read 1,278 words
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Military Strikes Are An Extremely Cheap Way To Help Foreigners
Scott Alexander argues that military interventions can potentially be a cost-effective way to help foreigners, contrary to a Slate article's claim.
11 min read 1,583 words
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Fake Euthanasia Statistics
Scott Alexander debunks misleading statistics about euthanasia in the Netherlands, showing claims of widespread non-consensual euthanasia are false and not supported by careful analysis of the data.
28 min read 4,188 words
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