The hottest Societal Impact Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Culture Topics

The Covid Screwtape Letters - Part 2

COVID Reason • 793 implied HN points • 18 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health Policy Debate Societal Impact Public Perception
  1. Masks became a way for people to show off their moral values, as if wearing one makes them better than others. It's interesting how people judge each other based on this simple piece of fabric.
  2. There’s a lot of confusion about how effective masks really are, with people switching their opinions constantly. This confusion helps keep people divided and distracted.
  3. Wearing masks has turned into a sign of tribal loyalty, where people identify if someone is 'with them' or 'against them.' This shows how easily they fall back on basic group instincts.

Highlights From The Comments On Prison

Astral Codex Ten • 15485 implied HN points • 10 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Criminal Justice Prison Reform Policing Public Policy Societal Impact
  1. Many criminals act without thinking of long-term consequences. They might believe they'd get away with risky behavior, such as driving drunk, which can lead to serious problems later on.
  2. Prison can sometimes offer a break from harmful lifestyles, especially for those already struggling with addiction or crime. It might not disrupt a stable life, since some people had a challenging life full of problems even before incarceration.
  3. The effectiveness of longer prison sentences as a deterrent is questionable. Many criminals don't pay attention to the details of potential punishments, but are more influenced by the chance of getting caught while committing a crime.

The Worst Year Ever

Wrong Side of History • 261 implied HN points • 20 Jan 25
💾 History Pandemics Epidemics Societal Impact Public Health
  1. The Black Death was a huge historical event that many people don't like to talk about because it was so depressing. Unlike wars, pandemics don't usually have inspiring stories attached to them.
  2. Most pandemics, including the Black Death, tend to be forgotten over time. This happens because, unlike wars, they don't create heroic narratives or national pride.
  3. The author originally wanted to write a book about the Plague, but felt that no one really wanted to read about pandemics due to their grim nature. Instead, they decided to share their findings as a series of posts.

LECTURE NOTES: 5.1. Global Warming

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 246 implied HN points • 18 Nov 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate Policy Global Warming Environmental Economics Sustainability Societal Impact
  1. Global warming is not just an environmental issue; it is changing how economies and societies work. The costs of addressing climate change could take away resources needed for future progress.
  2. As the climate shifts, we face serious challenges like unstable weather and changing environments. This affects our infrastructure and could lead to even worse disasters if not addressed quickly.
  3. Handling global warming will likely consume a lot of resources that could have helped us adapt to other economic changes. We need to think about how to support those who suffer as we transition to a more sustainable society.

On the Societal Impact of Open Foundation Models

AI Snake Oil • 398 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Societal Impact Risk Assessment Regulation
  1. The paper on the societal impact of open foundation models clarifies the discrepancy in claims about openness's societal effects, examines the benefits like transparency and empowering research, and proposes a risk evaluation framework for comparing risks of open vs. closed foundation models and existing technologies.
  2. The framework for risk assessment in the paper outlines steps like threat identification, evaluating existing risks and defenses, and determining the marginal risk of open foundation models. It aims to provide a structured approach to analyzing risks associated with open foundation models.
  3. By analyzing benefits, such as distribution of decision-making power, innovation, scientific research facilitation, and transparency, the paper sheds light on the advantages of open foundation models and offers recommendations for developers, researchers, regulators, and policymakers to navigate the landscape effectively.
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Why The Debates Over A.I. Are Wonderful

The Digital Anthropologist • 79 implied HN points • 08 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Debates Ethics Societal Impact Job Market
  1. AI debates are crucial: These discussions around AI are vital for society, as they prompt reflection on what it means to be human.
  2. Global engagement in AI discourse: Civil society, academia, and governments are all actively involved in conversations about AI.
  3. AI's societal impact: AI technology sparks debates on jobs, human storytelling, societal structures, and what it means to be human.

Digital dark age.

Default Wisdom • 210 implied HN points • 07 Aug 23
🎭️ Culture Social media Content creation Cultural Preservation Internet culture Societal Impact
  1. The future of content creation is uncertain, but people are still making money from platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
  2. Despite predictions of a Digital Dark Age, mass culture still exists with recognizable cultural touchpoints and influencers.
  3. The internet's 'perpetual now' raises concerns about the loss of digital history and the value we place on online content.

It's the Diets That Fail, Not the Patients They Are Prescribed To

Weight and Healthcare • 319 implied HN points • 27 Oct 21
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Loss Body Image Health Risks Societal Impact
  1. Diets often fail, with studies showing a high failure rate around 95%, despite patients' efforts.
  2. Weight loss interventions can lead to biological changes that promote weight regain, indicating a flaw in the approach.
  3. Healthy habits, rather than weight loss, show significant health benefits regardless of BMI, challenging the common belief in weight loss as the key to health.

A.I., Tech Revolutions & Society

The Digital Anthropologist • 39 implied HN points • 08 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Historical Analysis Societal Impact
  1. Revolutionary technologies do change society, but not as drastically or quickly as predicted.
  2. Cultural factors like economic systems, political governance, and aesthetics influence societal reactions to technological revolutions.
  3. History shows that society often overreacts to revolutionary technologies, making inaccurate predictions, but engaging in discussions can help shape the future.

Technology & Societal Expectations

The Digital Anthropologist • 19 implied HN points • 15 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Societal Impact Innovation Human Interaction Artificial Intelligence Robotics
  1. Technologies that understand and meet societal expectations are more likely to succeed as they are adapted in different cultural settings.
  2. Considering social expectations leads to more innovative technology, helps avoid biases, and enhances the chances of success for a technology.
  3. Cultures vary in how they expect technology to benefit them, and social expectations influence creativity, innovation, regulations, and societal acceptance of technologies.

A Study's Bombshell Finding That Has Been Ignored

Silent Lunch, The David Zweig Newsletter • 43 implied HN points • 01 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Research Pandemic response Societal Impact Infectiousness Public Health
  1. A new study challenges the logic behind pandemic responses like forced masking and distancing for healthy individuals.
  2. Research shows that presymptomatic infected individuals rarely have the ability to infect others.
  3. Findings suggest that social distancing measures may not have been as effective as previously believed.

New Technologies & The Golden Age Part 2

The Digital Anthropologist • 19 implied HN points • 23 Jan 23
🕹 Technology Future Tech Societal Impact Economic Shifts
  1. The future may bring a time of significant societal changes and advancements driven by ongoing technological revolutions.
  2. Anticipated shifts include political systems evolving, advancements in creativity and aesthetics, and improvements in legal frameworks.
  3. Economic models, societal norms, and cultural structures are projected to transform, leading to potential progress and challenges for humanity.

Forecasting the College Enrollment Gender Gap

Data Taboo • 20 implied HN points • 26 Jul 23
🚌 Education Gender gap Predictive Modeling Societal Impact
  1. Male college enrollment has been declining relative to females, with significant historic changes in gender ratio.
  2. Learning outcomes like SAT scores and GPA are not driving the changing college enrollment gap.
  3. Changes in admission criteria, such as emphasizing GPA over standardized tests, have impacted male acceptance rates and enrollment.

Smug liberal lockdown supporters should be happy with their skyrocketing grocery bills

Anxiety Addiction & Ascension • 0 implied HN points • 25 Apr 22
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Economic Policy Societal Impact Wealth Inequality
  1. Supporters of lockdowns and money printing may face harsh reality with rising grocery bills.
  2. Outsourcing personal agency to bureaucracies and adopting slogans over dialog can lead to negative consequences.
  3. The system may be failing due to cronyism, and a return to true capitalism based on freedom might be necessary.