Scott Alexander reviews a book attributing rising service costs to the Baumol effect, finding it convincing but raising some concerns about conflicting data and affordability issues.

13 min read 1,976 words

Baumol effect book review cost disease

Feb 25, 2019SSC

Wage Stagnation: Much More Than You Wanted To Know

Scott analyzes wage stagnation since 1973, examining various explanations and concluding that while wages have risen 40-50%, there is still significant decoupling from productivity due to multiple factors.

42 min read 6,438 words

economic analysis economic policy income inequality

Jul 18, 2016SSC

Pushing And Pulling Goals

Scott Alexander explores the concepts of 'pulling goals' (driven by specific desires) and 'pushing goals' (driven by existing structures), expressing his preference for the former and strategies to deal with the latter.

7 min read 1,046 words

atheism education goal-setting

Mar 3, 2014SSC

Do Life Hacks Ever Reach Fixation?

Scott Alexander examines why life hacks don't seem to reach universal adoption in society, despite potential competitive advantages.

8 min read 1,171 words

caffeine evolutionary psychology life hacks

Mar 6, 2013SSC

Yet Another Parable On The Importance Of Controlling Your Experiments

Scott attempts to test a productivity hack using calligraphy study, but discovers calligraphy itself is captivating, leaving the experiment inconclusive.

2 min read 235 words

Dungeons and Discourse experimental design humor