Author Archives: Scott Alexander

NYT Is Threatening My Safety By Revealing My Real Name, So I Am Deleting The Blog

[EDIT 2/13/21: This post is originally from June 2020, but there’s been renewed interest in it because the NYT article involved just came out. This post says the NYT was going to write a positive article, which was the impression … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on NYT Is Threatening My Safety By Revealing My Real Name, So I Am Deleting The Blog

Slightly Skew Systems Of Government

[Related To: Legal Systems Very Different From Ours Because I Just Made Them Up, List Of Fictional Drugs Banned By The FDA] I. Clamzoria is an acausal democracy. The problem with democracy is that elections happen before the winning candidate … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 190 Comments

The Vision Of Vilazodone And Vortioxetine

I. One of psychiatry’s many embarrassments is how many of our drugs get discovered by accident. They come from random plants or shiny rocks or stuff Alexander Shulgin invented to get high. But every so often, somebody tries to do … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 94 Comments

Open Thread 156

This is the biweek-ly visible open thread (there are also hidden open threads twice a week you can reach through the Open Thread tab on the top of the page). Post about anything you want, but please try to avoid … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 1,208 Comments

Wordy Wernicke’s

There are two major brain areas involved in language. To oversimplify, Wernicke’s area in the superior temporal gyrus handles meaning; Broca’s area in the inferior frontal gyrus handles structure and flow. If a stroke or other brain injury damages Broca’s … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 101 Comments

The Obligatory GPT-3 Post

I. I would be failing my brand if I didn’t write something about GPT-3, but I’m not an expert and discussion is still in its early stages. Consider this a summary of some of the interesting questions I’ve heard posed … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 263 Comments

Take The New Nootropics Survey

A few years ago I surveyed nootropics users about their experiences with different substances and posted the results here. Since then lots of new nootropics have come out, so I’m doing it again. If you have nootropics experience, please take … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 20 Comments

Problems With Paywalls

I. I hate paywalls on articles. Absolutely hate them. A standard pro-business argument: businesses can either make your life better (by providing deals you like) or keep your life the same (by providing deals you don’t like, which you don’t … Continue reading

Book Review: Origin Of Consciousness In The Breakdown Of The Bicameral Mind

I. Julian Jaynes’ The Origin Of Consciousness In The Breakdown Of The Bicameral Mind is a brilliant book, with only two minor flaws. First, that it purports to explains the origin of consciousness. And second, that it posits a breakdown … Continue reading

Open Thread 155

This is the biweek-ly visible open thread (there are also hidden open threads twice a week you can reach through the Open Thread tab on the top of the page). Post about anything you want, but please try to avoid … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 860 Comments