The hottest Research Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Health Politics Topics

Towards Solving the Long Covid Puzzle

Ground Truths • 10191 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Research
  1. Recent studies shed light on the disrupted blood-brain barrier in Long Covid, with implications for brain fog and inflammation.
  2. Persistent SARS-CoV-2 infections increase the risk of Long Covid, with viral loads indicating active replication.
  3. Interferon-gamma biomarker shows promise in diagnosing and treating Long Covid, potentially aiding in clinical trials.

AlphaGeometry2: Impressive accomplishment, but still a long path ahead

Marcus on AI • 3161 implied HN points • 17 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Research
  1. AlphaGeometry2 is a specialized AI designed specifically for solving tough geometry problems, unlike general chatbots that tackle various types of questions. This means it's really good at what it was built for, but not much else.
  2. The system's impressive 84% success rate comes with a catch: it only achieves this after converting problems into a special math format first. Without this initial help, the success rate drops significantly.
  3. While AlphaGeometry2 shows promising advancements in AI problem-solving, it still struggles with many basic geometry concepts, highlighting that there's a long way to go before it can match high school students' understanding in geometry.

What Is The Right Atomic Unit For Knowledge?

Adjacent Possible • 364 implied HN points • 26 Nov 25
🕹 Technology Research
  1. The history of peer review shows how a small change in the scientific community shaped the way knowledge is shared for a long time. It's a reminder that even minor adjustments can have big impacts.
  2. With advancements in AI, there's potential for a new way to package and share knowledge that goes beyond what we currently have. This could make accessing and understanding information easier for everyone.
  3. New tools like Deep Research and Google Research notebooks can help us gather and organize information better, allowing for interactive and personalized research experiences. This makes learning more engaging and effective.

I Know That I Know Nothing

Fields & Energy • 339 implied HN points • 17 Jun 24
🔬 Science Research
  1. Admitting you don't know something is important for growth. It helps you start fresh and build better understanding.
  2. Real science often challenges the current beliefs. Great discoveries come when people realize the accepted ideas might be wrong.
  3. Being open to being wrong can lead to better learning. It's key for scientists to question what they think they know.

On the greats and mathematical style

Infinitely More • 15 implied HN points • 22 Feb 26
🔬 Science Research
  1. Greatness in mathematics is hard to rank because insights can come from many people and eras, and being the first often involves luck since ideas are sometimes "in the air."
  2. Simple, clear, easy-to-understand arguments are especially valued because they are easier to check and to learn from, and playful thought experiments or metaphors help visualize problems and reveal strategies.
  3. There are different successful working styles—long solitary grinds on one problem versus collaborative, social approaches that switch problems—and many practitioners pursue mathematics for the love of the subject rather than for prizes, with online collaboration regularly sparking new work.
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On hype, and the unbearable banality of ChatGPT’s poetry

Marcus on AI • 4466 implied HN points • 19 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Research
  1. A recent study claims that ChatGPT's poetry is similar to Shakespeare's, but it's important to be skeptical of such bold claims. Many experts believe the poetry is just a poor imitation, lacking genuine creativity.
  2. The critique of the AI poetry highlights that it often reads like the work of an unskilled poet who doesn't truly understand the style they're trying to emulate. This raises questions about the quality of AI-generated content.
  3. It's essential to approach AI-generated work with caution and to not get swayed by hype, as popular claims may not always reflect the true abilities of the technology.

Looking Back at 2024

The Asianometry Newsletter • 3637 implied HN points • 31 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Research
  1. The channel enjoyed a lot of growth in 2024, hitting impressive milestones with over 100 million lifetime views. It's amazing to think so many people watched the videos.
  2. Some favorite videos included stories about Nisei interpreters and Texas Instruments, which are rich in history and technology. These stories really resonate and are fun to tell.
  3. There are plans for 2025 to explore a mix of semiconductor topics and new themes to keep things fresh and engaging. It's all about balancing work and passion.

Not So Fast: AI Coding Tools Can Actually Reduce Productivity

Am I Stronger Yet? • 1379 implied HN points • 10 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Research
  1. A recent study found that using AI coding tools can actually slow down experienced developers by about 19%. They thought AI would help them work faster, but it didn’t turn out that way.
  2. The study showed that developers spent a lot of time reviewing and fixing the code generated by AI since it often didn't meet their quality standards. This extra review time took away from their actual coding time.
  3. AI tools might be better suited for simple, new projects rather than complex, established codebases. This means while AI can assist in some areas, it’s not ready to fully replace human developers in challenging tasks.

'Cancer Is Striking More Young People, and Doctors Are Alarmed and Baffled Researchers are trying to figure out what is making more young adults sick, and how to identify those at high risk'

Alexander News Network -Dr. Paul Elias Alexander's substack • 1474 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Research
  1. Cancer is increasingly affecting young people globally, leaving doctors puzzled and alarmed.
  2. Diagnosis rates of cancer in individuals under 50 have risen, prompting a rush to identify high-risk young adults.
  3. Doctors suspect lifestyle changes, such as less physical activity and more processed foods, may be contributing to the rise in cancer among the younger generation.

Reader Question – What’s the Deal with Awaken180?

Weight and Healthcare • 1417 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Research
  1. Awaken180 claims to create long-term weight loss, but lacks concrete scientific evidence to support their program.
  2. The program emphasizes weight loss over other aspects of health and success, disregarding the variety of body sizes and individual needs.
  3. Awaken180 relies on caloric and carbohydrate restrictions, potentially involving expensive prepacked food, and might not be sustainable for long-term weight loss.

Wegovy for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction - Part 2

Weight and Healthcare • 659 implied HN points • 17 Apr 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Research
  1. The trial data for Semaglutide (Wegovy) for cardiovascular risk reduction was manipulative and lacking in transparency, raising concerns about conflicts of interest and data sharing.
  2. The study demographics were concerning, with a lack of diversity and representation, particularly skewed towards white men, older participants, and those with existing heart disease.
  3. The actual cardiovascular risk reduction with Semaglutide was much lower than claimed, highlighting issues with study design, data presentation, and potential overemphasis on specific demographics in the results.

2025 Interconnects year in review

Democratizing Automation • 195 implied HN points • 18 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Research
  1. The publication grew a lot this year and became a much more influential source of cutting‑edge AI analysis, reaching millions of pageviews and a much larger audience.
  2. Reinforcement learning, reasoning models, and open‑model ecosystems were the central technical themes, and major initiatives were launched to advance American open models and research infrastructure.
  3. Output hit practical limits after a year of high volume, so the focus is shifting to higher‑value work: prioritizing quality over quantity, investing in key projects, and using more open models going forward.

Reader Question- How Does Questionable Research Happen?

Weight and Healthcare • 738 implied HN points • 03 Apr 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Research
  1. Questionable research can happen due to researchers being influenced by profit interests or an entrenched paradigm.
  2. Some researchers may design studies to support predetermined conclusions, leading to misleading results.
  3. Doctors involved with the weight loss industry may have subconscious biases towards promoting weight loss, despite evidence of its ineffectiveness and harms.

Quick Advice on Writing Essays

Niko McCarty • 399 implied HN points • 28 May 24
🚌 Education Research
  1. Start your essay with a focused idea. Make sure it's specific enough to explore and not too broad.
  2. Outline your essay and list the questions you want to answer. This helps you stay organized and focused on what you need to research.
  3. Research answers to your questions one at a time, then compile your findings into a structured essay. This makes writing easier and clearer.

The Sequence Opinion #798: Inside the Most Important Paper in Agentic Reasoning: Why the Loop is the Logic

TheSequence • 84 implied HN points • 29 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Reasoning comes from the interaction loop with the environment, not just from the model itself.
  2. Current LLMs act like fast, shallow 'System 1' pattern matchers, so they need agentic feedback loops to produce real-world reasoning and agency.
  3. The next frontier is designing the agentic loop and environment (the "new hidden layer") rather than only scaling model parameters.

Import AI 373: Guaranteed safety; West VS East AI attitudes; MMLU-Pro

Import AI • 419 implied HN points • 20 May 24
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Academic researchers have built the National Deep Inference Fabric (NDIF) to experiment with large-scale AI models in a transparent manner.
  2. Researchers have outlined a framework for building 'guaranteed safe' AI systems, involving components like safety specifications, world models, and verifiers.
  3. A global survey indicates that Western countries have more pessimism towards AI regulation compared to China and India, potentially changing how governments approach regulating and adopting AI.

The Sequence Opinion #806: The Emergence of the Agent-as-a-Judge: Why Evals Need a Reasoning Engine

TheSequence • 49 implied HN points • 12 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Evaluation moved from informal "vibe checks" to using stronger LLMs to automatically grade weaker models' outputs.
  2. That single-pass LLM-as-judge approach powered benchmarks like MT-Bench and Chatbot Arena, but simple intuitive judgments are becoming insufficient.
  3. The field is shifting to agent-as-a-judge, where evaluations need multi-step reasoning engines and dynamic, agentic judging instead of static benchmarks.

This is Your Brain on Menopause

Ladyparts • 798 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Research
  1. Menopause impacts not just the reproductive system but also the brain, leading to various neurological symptoms like hot flashes, memory lapses, and depression.
  2. Understanding how menopause affects the brain empowers women to navigate this phase of life confidently and with resilience.
  3. Dr. Lisa Mosconi's research highlights the importance of studying the impact of menopause on brain health to provide valuable insights for women's well-being.

Evolution Explains Polygenic Structure

Astral Codex Ten • 8465 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
🔬 Science Research
  1. Genes for severe conditions like schizophrenia are likely small in effect and numerous, not large and few.
  2. Evolution would have eliminated genes with large negative effects, leaving only genes with small effects.
  3. The presence of genes with very small effects may be due to various factors like insufficient time for removal or counterbalancing advantages.

Reader Question – What Should Disclosures in Weight Science and Weight Loss Research Include?

Weight and Healthcare • 499 implied HN points • 01 May 24
🏥 Health Politics Research
  1. Research in weight science and weight loss should prioritize scientific integrity over business interests.
  2. Disclosures in research should be easily accessible within the study and in front of any paywall to inform decision-making.
  3. Disclosures should include details on study funding, financial entanglements with companies, organizations, and personal benefits for researchers.

“DeepSeek Moment” Anniversary in a Nashville Snowpocalypse

Interconnected • 61 implied HN points • 27 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Making open source the default for frontier AI speeds innovation and lets more people contribute and build on progress.
  2. Letting software specifications drive hardware roadmaps, especially in China, aligns chip design with real AI needs and priorities.
  3. Pursuing AGI without a short-term business model can be a strategic advantage because it prioritizes long-term capability over immediate profit.

"Virginia Doesn't Care"

Range Widely • 1847 implied HN points • 08 Nov 23
📚 Literature Research
  1. Virginia Woolf persevered through criticism and self-doubt to publish multiple books.
  2. Virginia Woolf's ability to care deeply about her core project made criticism seem less significant.
  3. Drawing inspiration from Virginia Woolf, one can channel inner strength to overcome challenges in pursuing important projects.

The Right-Hand Rule for Radiation

Fields & Energy • 499 implied HN points • 29 Apr 24
🔬 Science Research
  1. The right-hand rule for radiation helps us understand how electromagnetic energy behaves. It's a simple concept that suggests the direction of radiation can be figured out using your right hand.
  2. Radiation doesn't just come from single charges; it comes from interactions between charges. If a charge is isolated, it doesn't radiate any energy on its own.
  3. Understanding the difference between fields and energy in electromagnetism is important. They work together but behave differently, and grasping this can help us solve complex problems in physics.

Hereditarian Hypotheses Aren't More Harmful

ideassleepfuriously • 1238 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
🔬 Science Research
  1. The blank slate perspective can lead to conflict, totalitarianism, and rejection of genetic enhancement technology.
  2. We should value understanding the role of genes in socioeconomic outcomes for accurate policy-making.
  3. Attributing group disparities to genes can reduce blame, control, and punishment, fostering compassion and reducing social conflict.

A slightly tipsy investigation into my wife's superpower

Experimental History • 7657 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
🔬 Science Research
  1. Some people have unique sensory abilities that others may not understand or share, like detecting the lingering smell of eggs on plates even after washing.
  2. Being open-minded and receptive to new ideas is important to avoid rigidity in thinking and to continuously learn and grow.
  3. Academic professions, like journal publishing and university rankings, can sometimes involve questionable practices that prioritize profit over knowledge or ethics.

Adhesion, symbiotic rivalry & stress management strategies

The Strategy Toolkit • 866 implied HN points • 28 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Scientists are studying how remora fish stick to larger fish to create better underwater adhesives. This natural inspiration helps develop stronger glues for various challenging conditions.
  2. The new Mechanical Underwater Soft Adhesion System can stick to many soft surfaces, adjusting to different textures and strengths. This versatility makes it useful for many practical applications.
  3. Researchers are constantly looking to nature for solutions to complex engineering problems, showing how nature can guide innovation in technology.

A Most Important Mustard

Asimov Press • 264 implied HN points • 26 Nov 25
🔬 Science Research
  1. Arabidopsis thaliana is a small plant that was first discovered in the Harz Mountains of Germany. Despite its simplicity, it has become a major model for plant biology.
  2. Important researchers saw its potential, especially because it has a small genome and can be easily manipulated in the lab. This made it useful for studying plant genetics.
  3. Over time, Arabidopsis has transformed from being overlooked to becoming a key species for understanding many plant processes, benefiting both research and agriculture.

Prove it

Nepetalactone Newsletter • 1945 implied HN points • 30 Jun 23
🔬 Science Research
  1. The importance of independent reproduction in scientific research.
  2. Reproduction being more significant than peer review.
  3. Utilizing blockchain for peer-to-peer review to address replication challenges.

Our 2024 Hedge Fund Analyst Christmas List

The Bear Cave • 2799 implied HN points • 19 Dec 24
💰 Finance Research
  1. There are many great free tools available for investors to research companies, such as the SEC Full-Text Search and Google Advanced Search.
  2. Paid resources like EdmundSEC and TIKR can provide deep insights and data for serious investors to enhance their research.
  3. Following insightful social media accounts and newsletters can be a valuable way to generate investment ideas and stay updated on market trends.

Government Science and the Prestige Economy

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 1219 implied HN points • 14 Jun 25
🔬 Science Research
  1. Government funding for science is important because there are some types of research that private companies won't invest in, even though they can benefit society. Basic research is valuable, even if it doesn't have immediate economic benefits.
  2. The idea of crowding out suggests that government funding may take talent away from private companies, but research shows that government support often leads to more innovation in the private sector as well.
  3. Prestige economies, which reward knowledge and research, can motivate scientists to do valuable work even if it doesn't yield direct financial gains. This is different from private sector jobs where profit is the main goal.

Article Discusses How to End Weight Stigma in Eating Disorders Treatment

Weight and Healthcare • 778 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Research
  1. Weight stigma is prevalent in the eating disorders community on various levels, and addressing this issue is crucial for treatment.
  2. Treatment approaches should shift from a weight-centric focus to one that is weight-inclusive, prioritizing health behaviors and client autonomy.
  3. Provider education and competency need to be improved to reduce weight bias and promote structural interventions, rather than focusing on personal bias elimination.