SSC
Age Gaps And Birth Order Effects
Scott Alexander analyzes birth order effects in SSC readers, finding strong effects for sibling age gaps of 1-7 years, with a significant drop-off after 7 years.
11 min read 1,636 words
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2,008 essaysSSC
AI Persuasion Experiment
Scott Alexander is running an experiment to test the effectiveness of persuasive essays about AI risk, asking readers to participate by reading an essay and answering questions.
2 min read 243 words
SSC
AI Persuasion Experiment Results
Scott Alexander's experiment tested how different essays affect people's concerns about AI risk, finding a modest but persistent increase in concern after reading.
10 min read 1,429 words
SSC
AI Persuasion Followup Survey
Scott Alexander requests participants of last month's AI persuasion experiment survey to complete a brief followup survey, providing a link.
1 min read 62 words
SSC
AI Researchers On AI Risk
Scott Alexander provides evidence that many prominent AI researchers are concerned about AI risk, contrary to claims in some popular articles.
36 min read 5,524 words
SSC
Albion’s Seed, Genotyped
Scott Alexander discusses a genetic study that largely confirms historical American migration patterns described in 'Albion's Seed', noting both its confirmations and areas of confusion.
5 min read 632 words
SSC
Alcoholics Anonymous: Much More Than You Wanted To Know
Scott Alexander examines the effectiveness of Alcoholics Anonymous, finding it and other treatments only marginally better than no treatment, based on flawed and inconclusive studies.
38 min read 5,838 words
SSC
All Debates Are Bravery Debates
Scott Alexander argues that many debates are 'bravery debates' where different groups need opposing advice, making it challenging to target advice effectively.
14 min read 2,052 words
SSC
All In All, Another Brick In The Motte
Scott Alexander explains the 'motte and bailey doctrine', a rhetorical fallacy, providing examples and comparing it to the 'weak man fallacy'.
10 min read 1,543 words
SSC
Ambijectivity
Scott Alexander introduces the concept of 'ambijectivity' to describe statements that are neither purely subjective nor objective, using musical and astronomical examples to illustrate the idea.
8 min read 1,150 words
SSC
An Iron Curtain Has Descended Upon Psychopharmacology
Scott Alexander compares the disconnect between American and Russian psychopharmacology to having different chemical elements, exploring why effective Russian psychiatric drugs are unknown in America.
8 min read 1,144 words
SSC
SSC
Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: habemus officium!
Scott Alexander announces his acceptance into a psychiatry residency in Michigan, reflecting on the competitive nature of medical residencies and his unexpected positive experiences following a previous rejection.
12 min read 1,754 words
SSC
Anorexia And Metabolic Set Point
Scott Alexander speculates that anorexia might be caused by a distorted metabolic set point, similar to but opposite of obesity's mechanisms.
12 min read 1,770 words
SSC
Another Followup To “Economists On Education”
Scott Alexander's bet about readers misinterpreting an article on economists' views on school vouchers is settled through two surveys, confirming his argument.
5 min read 702 words
SSC
Answer to Job
Scott Alexander reimagines the biblical story of Job as a philosophical dialogue about the existence of evil and suffering in God's creation.
9 min read 1,331 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
Anxiety Sampler Kits
Scott Alexander introduces an 'Anxiety Sampler Kit' for testing various anxiety supplements, aiming to personalize treatment and gather data through self-experimentation.
7 min read 933 words
SSC
Apart From Better Sanitation And Medicine And Education And Irrigation And Public Health And Roads And Public Order, What Has Modernity Done For Us?
Scott Alexander uses historical data to refute the Reactionary claim that modern society increases war, showing instead that violence has decreased significantly in progressive eras.
12 min read 1,843 words
SSC
Apologia Pro Vita Sua
Scott Alexander compares his inability to allocate time for work tasks despite blogging regularly to heroin addicts' inability to allocate money for medication despite buying drugs.
5 min read 656 words
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Archipelago and Atomic Communitarianism
Scott Alexander proposes 'Archipelago', a society of voluntary communities, as a potential solution to issues in modern politics and social organization.
45 min read 6,855 words
SSC
Are Sexual Purity Taboos A Response To STIs?
Scott Alexander examines the hypothesis that sexual purity taboos evolved to prevent STI spread, considering historical STI prevalence and cross-cultural taboos.
10 min read 1,533 words
SSC
Are The Amish Unhappy? Super Happy? Just Meh?
Scott Alexander critically examines conflicting studies on Amish happiness levels, finding the research too unreliable to draw firm conclusions.
10 min read 1,521 words
SSC
Aretaeus On Bipolar Disorder
Scott compares ancient and modern descriptions of bipolar disorder, finding significant similarities that suggest the condition is biologically grounded rather than culturally determined.
7 min read 941 words
SSC
Arguments From My Opponent Believes Something
Scott Alexander outlines and criticizes ten fallacious argument styles that misrepresent an opponent's beliefs, demonstrating how they can be used to unfairly attack any position.
6 min read 806 words