Wyclif's Dust

Wyclif's Dust explores the intersection of politics, culture, and social science through a critical lens, addressing themes such as sexuality, academia, online discourse, diversity and inclusion, genetics, media systems, and the state of global democracy. It examines complex issues with both serious and inquisitive approaches.

Sexuality and Identity Academic Culture Online Communication Diversity and Inclusion Genetics and Society Family Dynamics Mental Health Media Analysis Democracy and Governance Cultural Change

The hottest Substack posts of Wyclif's Dust

And their main takeaways

The global defeat of democracy: geopolitics, and what to do about it

1001 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24

Democracies face an international challenge from the new autocratic axis of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
International conflicts are a struggle for whose rules will prevail, America's or China's.
Democratic systems need more 'weight' in decision-making and should balance policy populism with institutional elitism.

How to write a good comment

2502 implied HN points • 03 Nov 23

🎭️ Culture Writing Debate Social media Self-Improvement

Commenting online can be more effective with thoughtful writing.
Understand the purpose of your comment before posting.
Consider the audience and venue when commenting to make a stronger impact.

Academia is worth fighting for

2752 implied HN points • 13 Oct 23

🚌 Education Academia Peer Review Cancel Culture

Academia is worth fighting for despite its flaws
Peer review, while imperfect, adds value to scientific papers
Not all unpopular views in academia lead to cancelation; some encourage freedom of thought

Does birth order matter?

2002 implied HN points • 11 Nov 23

🔬 Science Genetics Environment Family Dynamics Research Methods Data Analysis

Birth order and parental age influence outcomes in opposite ways.
Within families, birth order and parental age have a high correlation.
Even though birth order effects are big, they explain very little of the variation in outcomes.

The global defeat of democracy: political weaknesses

1501 implied HN points • 25 Nov 23

🌍 World Politics Democracy Political Systems

Individuals lack political will to bring about necessary changes, relying on empowered leaders.
Democracy's overexpansion has led to ineffectiveness, with nobody truly in charge.
Short-termism and lack of vision in politics hinder long-term problem-solving and recognition of key issues.

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Sexuality is as wide as the sea

3253 implied HN points • 26 Jul 23

🎭️ Culture Sexuality Identity History Music Social Issues

Sexuality is complex and diverse, like the sea.
The link between sex and identity has led to a proliferation of identities, but the idea of sexual identity is fragile.
The understanding of human sexuality is still uncertain, and sexual mores have evolved over time.

Social media is an adversarial system, the MSM is inquisitorial

1501 implied HN points • 22 Oct 23

🌍 World Politics Social media Mainstream Media

Social media operates as an adversarial system while traditional media functions in an inquisitorial system.
The differences in media systems can be likened to judicial systems of adversarial and inquisitorial natures.
Social media platforms need to engineer systems that surface quality content and resist manipulation in a scalable way.

The global defeat of democracy: a scenario

1001 implied HN points • 19 Nov 23

🌍 World Politics Democracy International Conflict Autocracy Cold War

A new conflict is developing between Western democracies and non-Western autocracies.
Defeat in the global conflict between democracy and autocracies could lead to a potential erosion of liberalism.
Emerging weaknesses in democracy could put the system at serious risk, especially in the face of a changing international landscape.

Schizophrenia: a coda

1751 implied HN points • 23 Sep 23

🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Research Genetics

There are significant differences in schizophrenia polygenic scores between ethnic groups, which can impact diagnosis and treatment.
Genetic research on different ethnic groups can lead to improved medical outcomes and understanding disparities.
Studying gene-environment interactions in intergroup context can provide insights into causal pathways for social and medical outcomes.

Thought bubble: why DEI is bad, even if you like diversity, equity and inclusion

2252 implied HN points • 01 Jul 23

🎭️ Culture Social Issues Religion Philosophy

DEI concepts can have both acceptable and extreme versions, leading to ambiguity.
Critiquing the ambiguity in DEI is similar to critiquing moderates in religion.
Extreme versions of concepts like equity can lead to political bias and conflict.

Work in progress on natural selection in the US

1001 implied HN points • 17 Sep 23

🔬 Science Genetics Research Social Science Data Analysis

Polygenic scores predicting education levels also predict fertility in opposite directions.
Economic theory explains the relationship between income, education, and number of children.
US data on natural selection shows differences compared to the UK, possibly influenced by factors like welfare support and class distinctions.

The global competition between exit- and voice-based legitimacy

1001 implied HN points • 10 Sep 23

🌍 World Politics International relations

Global politics can be seen as a competition between democracy and exit-based legitimacy.
Exit-based legitimacy is about the choices individuals make in selecting their rulers or locations.
The rise of exit-based legitimacy is impacting international relations, including attracting skilled immigrants and signaling power on the global stage.

Natural selection: what's the effect size?

2252 implied HN points • 07 Apr 23

🔬 Science Genetics Evolution Statistics

Many polygenic scores are significantly correlated with the number of children a person has, indicating a link between genetics and fertility.
The effect sizes of these correlations can be influenced by the accuracy of the polygenic scores, with noise potentially underestimating the true effects.
Improving polygenic scores and considering the impact of rare genetic variants are important for better understanding the relationship between genetics, fertility, and education.

Natural selection: I still have no clue about the effect size

1501 implied HN points • 14 Apr 23

🔬 Science Genetics Research Simulation Data Analysis Evolution

The MAF/effect size slope gets steeper below MAF of 0.1, but correction becomes less trustworthy.
There is a slope in the EA/fertility relationship above MAF of 0.1, so it's not constant everywhere.
The relationship between EA/fertility is smaller for rare alleles, but the impact of very rare mutations remains uncertain.

Square pegs and round holes in cultural change

1251 implied HN points • 17 Feb 23

🎭️ Culture Social Issues Relationships Ideology Traditions Philosophy

Moral problems are sometimes addressed using inappropriate ethical language
Some movements use ideologies that may not effectively justify their lifestyles
Bricolage, or patchwork solutions, may not be optimal for addressing social problems

2x2 games will change your life

7 HN points • 24 Feb 24

🚌 Education Game Theory Mathematics Social Sciences Economics Theory

Mathematics can change the way you think by showing how words correspond to underlying structures.
2x2 games, like the Prisoner's Dilemma, are simple models that offer powerful insights into cooperation, trade, and decision-making.
Understanding game theory, particularly 2x2 games, can help in analyzing real-world scenarios such as economics, politics, and social interactions.

The manlet Dorian

1 HN point • 10 Feb 24

📚 Literature Analysis Themes Characters Cultural impact

The text discusses the concept of perpetual youth and the desire to avoid growing up, using Dorian Gray as an example.
It explores the idea of life as self-creation, focusing on experiences and the impact of societal values on personal development.
The text also delves into the consequences of prioritizing individual desires and self-creation over traditional responsibilities like parenthood, highlighting the challenges and implications of this modern mindset.