Support Slate Star Codex on Patreon. I have a day job and SSC gets free hosting, so don't feel pressured to contribute. But extra cash helps pay for contest prizes, meetup expenses, and me spending extra time blogging instead of working.
B4X is a free and open source developer tool that allows users to write apps for Android, iOS, and more.
Jane Street is a quantitative trading firm with a focus on technology and collaborative problem solving. We're always hiring talented programmers, traders, and researchers and have internships and fulltime positions in New York, London, and Hong Kong. No background in finance required.
Dr. Laura Baur is a psychiatrist with interests in literature review, reproductive psychiatry, and relational psychotherapy; see her website for more. Note that due to conflict of interest she doesn't treat people in the NYC rationalist social scene.
AISafety.com hosts a Skype reading group Wednesdays at 19:45 UTC, reading new and old articles on different aspects of AI Safety. We start with a presentation of a summary of the article, and then discuss in a friendly atmosphere.
The COVID-19 Forecasting Project at the University of Oxford is making advanced pandemic simulations of 150+ countries available to the public, and also offer pro-bono forecasting services to decision-makers.
MealSquares is a "nutritionally complete" food that contains a balanced diet worth of nutrients in a few tasty easily measurable units. Think Soylent, except zero preparation, made with natural ingredients, and looks/tastes a lot like an ordinary scone.
Seattle Anxiety Specialists are a therapy practice helping people overcome anxiety and related mental health issues (eg GAD, OCD, PTSD) through evidence based interventions and self-exploration. Check out their free anti-anxiety guide here
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Beeminder's an evidence-based willpower augmention tool that collects quantifiable data about your life, then helps you organize it into commitment mechanisms so you can keep resolutions. They've also got a blog about what they're doing here
Norwegian founders with an international team on a mission to offer the equivalent of a Norwegian social safety net globally available as a membership. Currently offering travel medical insurance for nomads, and global health insurance for remote teams.
Giving What We Can is a charitable movement promoting giving some of your money to the developing world or other worthy causes. If you're interested in this, consider taking their Pledge as a formal and public declaration of intent.
Altruisto is a browser extension so that when you shop online, a portion of the money you pay goes to effective charities (no extra cost to you). Just install an extension and when you buy something, people in poverty will get medicines, bed nets, or financial aid.
Metaculus is a platform for generating crowd-sourced predictions about the future, especially science and technology. If you're interested in testing yourself and contributing to their project, check out their questions page
Substack is a blogging site that helps writers earn money and readers discover articles they'll like.
The Effective Altruism newsletter provides monthly updates on the highest-impact ways to do good and help others.
80,000 Hours researches different problems and professions to help you figure out how to do as much good as possible. Their free career guide show you how to choose a career that's fulfilling and maximises your contribution to solving the world's most pressing problems.
Yearly Archives: 2013
Fake Euthanasia Statistics
I promised I’d write something clearing up statistics on euthanasia in the Netherlands, so let’s start with Anne McTavish: The Netherlands’ Euthanasia Stats Are Appalling. She writes: I want to focus on the doctors and the rest of us who … Continue reading
Fake Consensualism
[A previous version of this essay was posted incomplete. This is the full version] I. Dear friend, have you considered banning health care? Several studies agree that sick people are often treated against their preferences and sometimes against their explicit … Continue reading
Things I Don’t Understand About Genetics (A Non-Exhaustive List)
A couple months ago the Genetic Association Consortium’s study on SNPs for intelligence raised an important question: should all of our genetics studies be performed by organizations whose acronyms are also amino acid codons? And aspartic acid? Really? Kind of … Continue reading
Fermat’s Last Stand: Soundtrack and Adventure Log
Two years ago an impromptu role-playing group put on a very successful Dungeons and Discourse adventure, complete with several musical numbers. Last week, we completed our first sequel to that adventure, Fermat’s Last Stand. Below is the log and twelve … Continue reading
Extreme Mnemonics
[Very minor Game of Thrones spoilers] From one of my LW comments, discussing how hard it is to learn biochemistry: I’m having the same problem with molecular biology right now, and I agree with the track you’re taking. The issue … Continue reading
Science & Medicine Links for August
Case report from the BMJ that would also make a good Twilight Zone episode: Woman hallucinates ghost children. Husband takes pictures of scene to try to prove that there’s nobody there. Woman sees exact same hallucinations in the photographs. Woman … Continue reading
On first looking into Chapman’s “Pop Bayesianism”
I. David Chapman keeps complaining that “Bayesianism” – as used to describe a philosophy rather than just a branch of statistics – is meaningless or irrelevant, yet is touted as being the Sacred Solution To Everything. In my reply on … Continue reading
Holocaust Good For You, Research Finds, But Frequent Taunting Causes Cancer In Rats
A study published this month in PLoS One finds that victims of weight discrimination (“fat-shaming”, in case you only speak Tumblrese) are more likely to subsequently gain weight. It’s hard for me to like a study that so obviously got … Continue reading
Links for July
Photos of Children Around The World With Their Most Prized Possessions. Don’t you dare call it “super-cute” or else Pavel will hunt you down and kill you when he grows up. A highlight of the recently-overthrown Egyptian government was the … Continue reading
I Myself Am A Scientismist
I. “Science can tell you about rocks and molecules and stars. But what kind of science can tell you about the deepest recesses of the human soul?” I hear this a lot, and I want to answer “Psychology! It’s this … Continue reading