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{{Short description|Blog focused on psychology, philosophy, artificial intelligence, and futurism}}
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{{Infobox website
| name = ''Slate Star Codex''
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| url = {{URL|https://www.slatestarcodex.com}} [formerly]<br/>{{URL|https://
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'''''Astral Codex Ten''''' (ACX), formerly
''Slate Star Codex'' was launched in 2013
Alexander also blogged at the [[
==
''[[The New Yorker]]'' states that the volume of content Alexander has written on ''Slate Star Codex'' makes the blog difficult to summarize, with an e-book of all posts running over nine thousand pages in PDF form.<ref name="NewYorker">{{cite magazine|last=Lewis-Kraus|first=Gideon|date=9 July 2020|title=Slate Star Codex and Silicon Valley's War Against the Media|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-inquiry/slate-star-codex-and-silicon-valleys-war-against-the-media|url-status=live|access-date=10 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710020419/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-inquiry/slate-star-codex-and-silicon-valleys-war-against-the-media|archive-date=10 July 2020}}</ref> Many posts are book reviews (typically of books in the fields of social sciences or medicine) or reviews of a topic in the scientific literature. For example, the March 2020 blog post "Face Masks: Much More Than You Wanted To Know" analyzes available medical literature and comes to a conclusion that contrary to early guidance by the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|CDC]], [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|masks]] are likely an effective protection measure against [[COVID-19]] for the general public under certain conditions.<ref name="NewYorker" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Alexander|first=Scott|date=23 March 2020|title=Face Masks: Much More Than You Wanted To Know|url=https://slatestarcodex.com/2020/03/23/face-masks-much-more-than-you-wanted-to-know/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820015532/https://slatestarcodex.com/2020/03/23/face-masks-much-more-than-you-wanted-to-know/|archive-date=20 August 2020|access-date=|website=Slate Star Codex}}</ref> Some posts are prefaced with a note on their "epistemic status", an assessment of Alexander's confidence in the material to follow.<ref name="NewYorker" />
=== Effective altruism ===
In 2017, ''Slate Star Codex'' ranked fourth on a survey conducted by Rethink Charity of how [[effective altruism|effective altruists]] first heard about effective altruism, after "personal contact", "''[[LessWrong]]''", and "other books, articles and blog posts", and just above "''[[80,000 Hours]]''."<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Mulcahy|first1=Anna|last2=Barnett|first2=Tee|last3=Hurford|first3=Peter|date=17 November 2017|title=EA Survey 2017 Series Part 8: How do People Get Into EA?|url=https://rtcharity.org/ea-survey-2017-part-8/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190429135314/https://rtcharity.org/ea-survey-2017-part-8/|archive-date=29 April 2019|access-date=9 September 2020|website=Rethink Charity}}</ref> The blog discusses moral questions and dilemmas relevant to effective altruism, such as moral offsets (the proposition that
| {{Cite book|last1=Chan|first1=Rebecca|url= === Artificial intelligence ===
Alexander regularly
In the long essay "Meditations On Moloch", he analyzes [[Game theory|game-theoretic]] scenarios of cooperation failure like the [[prisoner's dilemma]] and the [[tragedy of the commons]] that underlie many of humanity's problems and argues that [[Existential risk from artificial intelligence|AI risks]] should be considered in this context.<ref>{{multiref2
| {{Cite journal|last=Sotala|first=Kaj|date=2017|title=Superintelligence as a Cause or Cure for Risks of Astronomical Suffering|url=http://www.informatica.si/index.php/informatica/article/view/1877/1098|journal=Informatica|volume=41|pages=389–400|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220215810/http://www.informatica.si/index.php/informatica/article/view/1877/1098|archive-date=20 February 2020|via=}} === Controversies and memes ===
In "The Toxoplasma of Rage", Alexander discusses how controversies spread in media and social networks. According to Alexander, [[meme]]s that generate a lot of disagreement spread further, in part because they present an opportunity to members of different groups to send a [[Costly signaling theory in evolutionary psychology|strong signal]] of commitment to their cause. For example, he argues that [[PETA]], with its controversial campaigns, is better known than other animal rights organizations such as [[Vegan Outreach]] because of this dynamic.<ref>{{Cite book |author1=
===Shiri's scissor===
In the short story "Sort By Controversial", Alexander introduces the term "Shiri's scissor" or "scissor statement" to describe a statement that has great destructive power because it generates wildly divergent interpretations that fuel conflict and tear people apart. The term has been used to describe controversial topics widely discussed in social media.<ref>{{multiref2
| {{Cite news|last=Lewis|first=Helen|date=19 August 2020|title=The Mythology of Karen|work=The Atlantic|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/08/karen-meme-coronavirus/615355/|url-status=live|access-date=9 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200830034317/https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/08/karen-meme-coronavirus/615355/|archive-date=30 August 2020|issn=1072-7825}} | === Anti-reactionary FAQ ===
The 2013 post "The Anti-Reactionary FAQ" critiques the work and worldview of the [[neoreaction|neoreactionary movement]], arguing against the work of [[Curtis Yarvin]] (whose views include a belief in natural [[racial hierarchy|racial hierarchies]] and a desire to restore [[feudalism]]). Alexander allowed
</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Matthews |first1=Dylan |date=18 April 2016 |title=The alt-right is more than warmed-over white supremacy. It's that, but way way weirder. |url=https://www.vox.com/2016/4/18/11434098/alt-right-explained |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831155255/https://www.vox.com/2016/4/18/11434098/alt-right-explained |archive-date=31 August 2017 |access-date=4 August 2020 |work=Vox |language=en |quote=Note that these empirical claims are, well, not true. Scott Alexander explains well here; his devil's advocate account of reactionary beliefs is also well worth your time.}}</ref>
=== Lizardman's Constant ===
In the 2013 post "Lizardman's Constant is 4%
Alexander suggested that polls should include a question with an absurd answer as one of the options, so anyone choosing that option could be weeded out as a [[Troll (slang)|troll]].<ref name="Elledge 2021">{{cite web | last=Elledge | first=Jonn | title=More people think the world is run by lizards than that the PM negotiated a very good Brexit deal | website=New Statesman | date=2021-06-07 | url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/brexit/2019/11/more-people-think-world-run-lizards-pm-negotiated-very-good-brexit-deal | access-date=2021-10-14 | archive-date=October 29, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029172546/https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/brexit/2019/11/more-people-think-world-run-lizards-pm-negotiated-very-good-brexit-deal | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Hartman 2021">{{cite journal | last=Hartman | first=Rachel | title=Did 4% of Americans Really Drink Bleach Last Year? | journal=Harvard Business Review | date=2021-04-20 | url=https://hbr.org/2021/04/did-4-of-americans-really-drink-bleach-last-year | access-date=2021-10-14 | archive-date=October 26, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026232045/https://hbr.org/2021/04/did-4-of-americans-really-drink-bleach-last-year | url-status=live }}</ref>
Alexander used his [[first name|first]] and [[middle name]] alone for safety and privacy reasons, although he had previously published ''Slate Star Codex'' content academically under his real name.<ref name="nytssc" /> In June 2020, he deleted all entries on ''Slate Star Codex'', stating that a technology reporter from ''[[The New York Times]]''
▲=== ''The New York Times'' controversy ===
▲Alexander used his [[first name|first]] and [[middle name]] alone for safety and privacy reasons, although he had previously published ''Slate Star Codex'' content academically under his real name.<ref name="nytssc" /> In June 2020, he deleted all entries on ''Slate Star Codex'', stating that a ''[[New York Times]]'' technology reporter intended to publish an article about the blog using his full name. Alexander said that the reporter told him that it was newspaper policy to use real names,<ref name="hoonhout">{{cite news |last1=Hoonhout |first1=Tobias |date=23 June 2020 |title=What an NYT Reporter's Doxing Threat Says about the Paper's 'Standards' |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/news/what-a-nyt-reporters-doxxing-threat-says-about-the-papers-standards/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623232307/https://www.nationalreview.com/news/what-a-nyt-reporters-doxxing-threat-says-about-the-papers-standards/ |archive-date=23 June 2020 |access-date=23 June 2020 |work=[[National Review]]}}</ref> and he referred to it as [[doxing]].<ref name="NewYorker" /> ''The New York Times'' responded: "We do not comment on what we may or may not publish in the future. But when we report on newsworthy or influential figures, our goal is always to give readers all the accurate and relevant information we can."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Athey |first1=Amber |date=23 June 2020 |title=The death of the private citizen |url=https://spectator.us/new-york-times-private-slate-star-codex-blog/ |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623214217/https://spectator.us/new-york-times-private-slate-star-codex-blog/ |archive-date=23 June 2020 |access-date=23 June 2020 |work=[[Spectator USA]]}}</ref> ''[[The Verge]]'' cited a source saying that at the time when Alexander deleted the blog, "not a word" of a story about ''SSC'' had been written.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schiffer |first=Zoe |date=16 July 2020 |title=How Clubhouse brought the culture war to Silicon Valley's venture capital community |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/16/21325678/venture-capitalists-vc-media-silicon-valley-clubhouse-tech-journalists |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716145045/https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/16/21325678/venture-capitalists-vc-media-silicon-valley-clubhouse-tech-journalists |archive-date=16 July 2020 |access-date=16 July 2020 |website=[[The Verge]] |language=en}}</ref> The [[Poynter Institute]]'s David Cohn interpreted this event as part of an ongoing clash between the tech and media industries, reflecting a shift from primarily economic conflicts to fundamental disagreements over values, ethics, and cultural norms.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cohn |first1=David |title=When journalism and Silicon Valley collide |url=https://www.poynter.org/ethics-trust/2020/when-journalism-and-silicon-valley-collide/ |publisher=[[Poynter Institute]] |date=1 September 2020 |access-date=8 September 2020 |archive-date=1 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901213818/https://www.poynter.org/ethics-trust/2020/when-journalism-and-silicon-valley-collide/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Prior to the article's publication, several commentators argued that
Supporters of the site organized a petition against release of the author's name. The petition collected over six thousand signatures in its first few days, including psychologist [[Steven Pinker]], social psychologist [[Jonathan Haidt]], economist [[Scott Sumner]], computer scientist and blogger [[Scott Aaronson]], and philosopher [[Peter Singer]].<ref name=NewYorker/>
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* [https://slatestarcodex.com/ slatestarcodex.com], the original, now discontinued blog
* [https://astralcodexten.substack.com/ ''Astral Codex Ten''], the successor blog.
* [https://www.lesswrong.com/users/Yvain Scott Alexander's writings] on [[LessWrong]]
{{Existential risk from artificial intelligence}}
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[[Category:Philosophy blogs]]
[[Category:Science blogs]]
[[Category:LessWrong rationalists]]
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