SSC
More Links For August
Scott Alexander shares a diverse collection of links on topics ranging from politics and economics to scientific studies, offering brief commentaries and critiques.
16 min read 2,385 words
A thread through the archive
study critique
Essays tagged “study critique”. Follow an idea across the archive.
Essays on study critique
269 essaysSSC
Links For August 2014
Scott shares a collection of interesting links covering topics like folklore, scientific papers, geopolitics, and cultural curiosities.
7 min read 1,043 words
SSC
HeartMath Considered Incoherent
Scott Alexander critically examines the Institute of HeartMath, exposing a mix of misused science and pseudoscience in their 'heart coherence' claims and practices.
35 min read 5,343 words
SSC
SSRIs: Much More Than You Wanted To Know
Scott analyzes various criticisms of antidepressants, concluding they have modest but real benefits over placebo, with important considerations about side effects and efficacy.
56 min read 8,645 words
SSC
How Common Are Science Failures?
Scott Alexander estimates the frequency of significant scientific failures to evaluate the plausibility of climate change skepticism.
12 min read 1,707 words
SSC
The Placebo-Singers
Scott explores the fascinating etymology of 'placebo' from medieval funerals to medicine, then discusses the controversial placebo effect in depression treatment.
8 min read 1,186 words
SSC
Links for June 2014
A links roundup post from June 2014 covering various topics from e-cigarettes and gender studies to technology and healthcare, with critical analysis of recent research and developments.
16 min read 2,369 words
SSC
Compound Interest Is The Least Powerful Force In The Universe
Scott Alexander critiques Ezra Klein's argument that white Americans have benefited from compound interest on wealth stolen from African Americans, citing evidence that wealth rarely persists across generations.
16 min read 2,465 words
SSC
Links For May 2014
A monthly links post collecting and commenting on various interesting articles and studies from around the web, ranging from scientific research to philosophy to economics.
14 min read 2,117 words
SSC
Stop Confounding Yourself! Stop Confounding Yourself!
Scott criticizes a study linking childhood bullying to negative adult outcomes, arguing that its method of controlling for confounders is inadequate and proposing alternative explanations for the correlation.
9 min read 1,299 words
SSC
Plutocracy Isn’t About Money
The post explores the contradiction between studies suggesting elite influence on policy and those indicating money's limited impact on politics, offering several hypotheses to reconcile these findings.
7 min read 972 words
SSC
Confounder Of The Day: How Sexy Your Parents Were
Scott Alexander examines studies linking parental age to psychiatric disorders in children, revealing that the father's age at first child, not at conception, is the key factor.
5 min read 754 words
SSC
Links For April 2014
A collection of interesting links from April 2014 covering science, culture, and quirky news, with Scott's brief commentary on each.
16 min read 2,453 words
SSC
Dermatology Quiz: Answers
Scott provides answers to a dermatology quiz, discussing skin cancer risks, a quiz correction, and the surprising effectiveness of Botox in treating depression.
4 min read 503 words
SSC
Wheat: Much More Than You Wanted To Know
Scott Alexander examines various anti-wheat claims and pro-wheat evidence, concluding that while some concerns exist, current evidence generally supports wheat consumption for most people.
38 min read 5,774 words
SSC
E-Cig Study: Much Smoke, Little Light
Scott Alexander criticizes a study on e-cigarette effectiveness for quitting smoking, explaining potential sampling bias that could skew the results.
6 min read 829 words
SSC
Unteachable Things Hard To Teach, Study Suggests
Scott Alexander discusses a study suggesting communication skills training for doctors may be ineffective, and shares personal observations on the nuances of doctor-patient communication.
10 min read 1,416 words
SSC
Proposed Biological Explanations For Historical Trends In Crime
Scott Alexander explores biological factors like lead exposure, omega-6 fatty acids, and lithium levels as potential explanations for historical crime rate trends, particularly the possible increase from 1850 to 1980.
10 min read 1,487 words
SSC
Links for February 2014
Scott shares and comments on various interesting links from February 2014, covering science, medicine, education, technology, and politics.
20 min read 2,981 words
SSC
More Links For January
Scott Alexander presents a diverse collection of recent news items, studies, and interesting facts, covering topics from public health to economics to quirky trivia.
12 min read 1,715 words
SSC
Beware Mass-Produced Medical Recommendations
Scott Alexander critiques mass-produced medical recommendations, showing how they can oversimplify or misrepresent scientific evidence using vitamin D and niacin as examples.
19 min read 2,816 words
SSC
Genetic Testing and Self-Fulfilling Prophecies
Scott Alexander critiques a study suggesting knowledge of ApoE4 gene status affects memory performance, arguing the results may be due to priming or stereotype threat rather than actual memory decline.
5 min read 734 words
SSC
Two Dark Side Statistics Papers
Scott Alexander reviews two papers exposing statistical manipulation techniques in psychology research and addiction treatment program evaluations.
14 min read 2,049 words
SSC
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
SSC
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