Slate Star Codex

Slate Star Codex. It was a widely influential rationalist and effective altruism blog written by psychiatrist Scott Alexander from 2013 until 2020. The blog served as a central hub for intellectual discussion on topics ranging from science and medicine to philosophy and social science, attracting a dedicated readership that included prominent academics, technologists, and journalists. Its distinctive style blended rigorous analysis with accessible prose, often exploring unconventional ideas and conducting detailed reviews of complex studies from fields like psychology and sociology.

History and founding

The blog was launched in 2013 by Scott Alexander, a resident in psychiatry who had previously written under other pseudonyms. Its creation followed the tradition of other rationalist community blogs like LessWrong, founded by Eliezer Yudkowsky, seeking to apply principles of Bayesian reasoning and cognitive bias mitigation to a wide array of subjects. The name itself was a playful anagram of the author's first name. Early growth was organic, driven by links from established communities within the effective altruism movement and shared among thinkers at institutions like the Machine Intelligence Research Institute and the Future of Humanity Institute. Key early posts often engaged with or critiqued works by figures such as Robin Hanson and Steven Pinker, establishing its intellectual tone.

Content and themes

Posts were characterized by deep dives into academic literature, often from epidemiology, genetics, or neuroscience, framed through a lens of utilitarianism and modeling. Recurring themes included the analysis of social justice dynamics, the exploration of consciousness and artificial intelligence, and critical examinations of research methodologies in fields like nutritional science and psychopharmacology. Notable series included detailed reviews of the Replication Crisis in psychology and analyses of historical events like the Spanish Inquisition or the Cultural Revolution to illustrate broader sociological points. The blog also featured extensive discussions of works by philosophers like Derek Parfit and economists like Bryan Caplan.

Influence and reception

The blog garnered a significant and influential audience, including researchers from Oxford University, Google engineers, and writers for publications like The New Yorker and The Atlantic. Its analyses were frequently cited in discussions within the effective altruism community and among Silicon Valley intellectuals. Figures like Tyler Cowen of Marginal Revolution and Andrew Gelman of Columbia University engaged with its statistical critiques. The blog's readership survey, the SSC Survey, became a notable data source for understanding demographics and beliefs within niche intellectual circles. Its style of long-form, evidence-driven blogging influenced a generation of online writers and was instrumental in popularizing certain ideas about biotechnology and AI safety.

Controversies and hiatus

In June 2020, the blog entered a highly publicized hiatus following a controversy with The New York Times. A reporter intended to publish an article disclosing Scott Alexander's real name, citing the blog's influence on figures like Peter Thiel and discussions involving the Dark Enlightenment. Alexander argued this would jeopardize his clinical work with patients and his privacy, leading to a widespread backlash from readers and commentators across the political spectrum, including from Ross Douthat and Jesse Singal. The incident sparked intense debate about journalistic ethics, doxxing, and the boundaries between pseudonymity and public intellectualism. The blog was taken offline temporarily, with its archives later restored.

Archival and successor projects

Following the hiatus, the archives were preserved and remain publicly accessible. In January 2021, Scott Alexander launched a successor blog, Astral Codex Ten, which continues in a similar vein under a new name. The Substack platform hosts this new project, which maintains the tradition of the SSC Survey and in-depth analysis of topics like COVID-19 policies and FDA regulation. Other community projects inspired by the original blog include the ACX Grants program and the SSC Subreddit, which continue to facilitate discussion. The original body of work remains a touchstone for communities centered on Berkeley's Rationalist scene and the Effective Altruism forum. Category:Blogs Category:Effective Altruism Category:Rationalist community