The hottest Research Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Health Politics Topics

Novo Nordisk's Ethically Questionable Wegovy Publicity Stunt

Weight and Healthcare • 1078 implied HN points • 09 Aug 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Research
  1. Novo Nordisk released a press release touting study results that were not peer-reviewed or published, raising ethical concerns.
  2. The study population in the trial for the weight loss drug Wegovy was limited to specific criteria, excluding certain groups for evaluation of benefits and risks.
  3. The publicity stunt around the drug's benefits showcases the pharmaceutical company's marketing tactics that may manipulate perceptions and stock prices.

FRIDAY 13TH OCTOBER: TEMPLAR APOCALYPSE?

History, etc • 1061 implied HN points • 13 Oct 23
💾 History Research
  1. New research suggests Knights Templar almost won their case in 1307-14
  2. Philip IV of France saw Templars as enemies due to loyalty to the papacy and accusations of corruption
  3. Templars were raided due to a dodgy dossier portraying them as perverts and heretics

Problems at Hindenburg Research

The Bear Cave • 1982 implied HN points • 15 Oct 24
💼 Business Research
  1. Hindenburg Research has been accused of copying or closely mirroring reports made by The Bear Cave without giving credit. This includes similar wording and findings in their investigations.
  2. The Bear Cave has done extensive work on issues such as safety and child abuse on platforms like Roblox, which Hindenburg has also reported on without mentioning The Bear Cave's previous contributions.
  3. There are growing concerns about the ethics of Hindenburg's reporting practices, as many see it as taking credit for others' research without acknowledgment.

☀ The Doomsday Clock needs a pro-progress switch to the Genesis Clock

Faster, Please! • 1370 implied HN points • 29 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Research
  1. The Doomsday Clock is getting closer to midnight, signaling the world's increasing dangers like nuclear threats and climate change. We need a new way to measure progress, like the Genesis Clock, which focuses on humanity's advancements.
  2. The Genesis Clock would celebrate achievements in technology and health, such as extending human lifespans or solving major diseases. It encourages us to look forward to positive developments instead of just fearing potential disasters.
  3. AI can be our collaborative partner, helping us work better together rather than taking jobs away. It's about designing AI that complements human skills and enhances our research and creative processes.
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ChinAI #250: LLMs summarize China's 2023 in one word

ChinAI Newsletter • 589 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Research
  1. One of the biggest storylines in 2023 was the grim employment outlook for China’s 11.5 million college graduates.
  2. There was interesting variation between Chinese and international large language models when summing up China’s 2023.
  3. Different large language models had varied perspectives on the hot internet events of 2023 in China.

The Sequence AI of the Week #789: Recursive Language Models: Inside the MIT Research Everyone is Talking About

TheSequence • 56 implied HN points • 14 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Bigger context windows aren't always the answer; dumping more text into attention can make a model's reasoning worse, not better.
  2. The paper calls this failure mode "context rot": as prompts grow, attention dilutes, the model's working set becomes unmanageable, and output quality drops.
  3. Instead of just expanding attention, we need different computational shapes—treating prompts more like environments and processing information recursively to avoid drowning the model in irrelevant context.

Deepseek: The Quiet Giant Leading China’s AI Race

ChinaTalk • 1615 implied HN points • 27 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Deepseek is a rising Chinese AI startup that has surpassed major competitors like OpenAI in some technical benchmarks. They are focused on foundational research and open-sourcing their models.
  2. The company has started a price war in the Chinese AI market by offering their technology at much lower rates than the competition, making AI more accessible.
  3. Deepseek's approach prioritizes innovation over immediate profit, aiming to contribute to the global technological landscape rather than just following existing trends.

Links for July

DYNOMIGHT INTERNET NEWSLETTER • 531 implied HN points • 08 Jul 25
🔬 Science Research
  1. Goats have unique eyeballs that rotate to keep their vision horizontal, allowing them to see better while munching or looking around. This is pretty cool and shows how animals adapt physically to their environment.
  2. There's a way to stimulate specific cone cells in our eyes to potentially see new colors beyond what we can normally perceive. It suggests our brains can interpret unusual signals in fascinating ways.
  3. Recent findings indicate that only a small percentage of light-sensitive cells in our eyes control melatonin production, which affects our sleep. It's important to focus on dim lighting at night, rather than just blocking blue light.

An undergrad, twitching rodent heads, DOI, and the DEA: 5 Questions for researcher Alyssa Gillies

The Microdose • 511 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🔬 Science Research
  1. Researchers use DOI in the lab to study the head twitch response in rodents as an indicator of 5-HT2 receptor activation.
  2. Scheduling DOI as a Schedule I drug would create barriers for labs studying the 5-HT2 receptor due to accessibility and legal requirements.
  3. There is minimal recreational use of DOI and DOC, with the DEA's proposal affecting the progress of psychedelic research and impacting researchers.

The Future Is Now #1: Floods, Pings & Regrowing Things

Everything Is Amazing • 570 implied HN points • 26 Jun 25
🔬 Science Research
  1. There's a big interest in science stories that highlight the amazing things happening in the world. People want to hear about the good and exciting discoveries too.
  2. The news often focuses on negative events, making it hard to notice all the positive changes and breakthroughs in science that are happening quickly.
  3. Scientists are making incredible advancements, like understanding animal communication and exploring ancient natural disasters, which can be truly fascinating.

"On Action At a Distance"

Fields & Energy • 219 implied HN points • 03 May 24
🔬 Science Research
  1. There are debates about how forces act over distances. Some people think there's a hidden connection, while others believe that objects can directly affect each other without any medium.
  2. Here’s a fun example: when you ring a bell using a wire, the movement happens gradually, showing that actions often involve a series of connections, not just instant forces.
  3. Scientists like Faraday introduced the idea of 'lines of force' to visualize these actions. Instead of just thinking about pushes and pulls, we can now understand force as stretching and pressing through a medium.

A Sober Look at MDMA Therapy: What Happens Next?

Tripsitter • 119 implied HN points • 18 Jun 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Research
  1. MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD is facing a critical juncture with the FDA, with potential historical implications for rescheduling and funding sources.
  2. There is ongoing debate on the safety, efficacy, and ethical conduct of MDMA-AT, with a focus on the role of organizations like Lykos/MAPS.
  3. Despite the current challenges and controversies, the testimonies of individuals like Cristina Pearse underscore the potential transformative impact of MDMA-AT and the imperative to enhance safety measures.

The first RCT for GLP-1 drugs and alcoholism isn't what we hoped

DYNOMIGHT INTERNET NEWSLETTER • 1109 implied HN points • 20 Feb 25
🏥 Health Politics Research
  1. GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide help with diabetes and obesity, but new research shows they might not be effective for alcohol addiction as previously thought. The first clinical trial results were disappointing.
  2. The trial had only 48 participants and mixed results, with no clear evidence that semaglutide reduced alcohol consumption. Some data suggested it might help in a lab setting, but overall findings were weak.
  3. Despite the poor results, there are still many personal stories claiming these drugs help with addiction. More research is needed, as the search for effective treatments for addiction continues.

3.4.4 Ampère’s Law

Fields & Energy • 239 implied HN points • 24 Apr 24
🔬 Science Research
  1. Ampère’s Law explains how electric currents create magnetic fields. You can use the right-hand rule to find the direction of the magnetic field around a current.
  2. We visualize magnetic fields using 'dot-x' notation. A 'dot' shows current coming toward you, while an 'x' shows it going away, helping to understand how fields form around currents.
  3. Maxwell introduced the idea of displacement current, which means a changing electric field can create a magnetic field. This is important for understanding how electromagnetic waves travel.

Ranking the Chinese Open Model Builders

Democratizing Automation • 356 implied HN points • 17 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Research
  1. China's AI labs are rapidly releasing open models, showing strong competition with Western counterparts. Labs like DeepSeek and Qwen are leading the pack with frequent and high-quality outputs.
  2. DeepSeek is known for its innovative models and focus on performance, but its recent slower release pace has allowed other labs to catch up. They aim for continual improvement and impactful contributions.
  3. Other emerging companies like Moonshot AI and Zhipu are also gaining ground, offering competitive models and partnering with tech giants for investments. They are expected to grow and possibly reshape the AI landscape.

NIH Dissolving Pricey Infectious Disease Centers as Scripps’ Kristian Andersen Prepares to Flee the US for Norway

The DisInformation Chronicle • 590 implied HN points • 05 Jun 25
🏥 Health Politics Research
  1. The NIH is shutting down its expensive Infectious Disease Centers, which were started to handle emerging diseases. This move means that some funded researchers might lose their grants.
  2. Kristian Andersen, a researcher involved in the controversial 'Proximal Origin' paper, is leaving the US to take a position at the University of Oslo. His past work has sparked serious scrutiny about its ties to grant funding.
  3. There are ongoing investigations into whether Andersen misled intelligence agencies regarding the origins of COVID-19. This has raised concerns about academic integrity and accountability.

Avoiding Epistemological Nihilism

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 3657 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🔬 Science Research
  1. Social scientists often resort to statistical relationships when randomized experiments are not feasible, which can lead to flawed conclusions due to selection effects and confounding variables.
  2. Flawed data is often worse than having no data at all, as it can mislead individuals into making decisions based on inaccurate information.
  3. To form reasonable opinions on social, political, and economic issues, it is essential to prioritize well-grounded ideas backed by theoretical reasoning and empirical data over blindly following data from flawed social science research.

Let's talk about science, baby

Techno Sapiens • 491 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🔬 Science Research
  1. Science is important for making informed decisions and improving lives
  2. Scientists are not effectively communicating their research to the public
  3. Scientists need to communicate science in a more relatable and understandable way

Who Killed HRT?

Ladyparts • 479 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Research
  1. The Women's Health Initiative made alarmist claims about hormone replacement therapy, but these claims have been walked back except one, which is wrong.
  2. The WHI study negatively impacted women's health by generating unfounded fears and leading to a significant decrease in hormone replacement therapy prescriptions.
  3. Follow the money - the WHI study had major financial backing and caused harm, showing the influence of money in healthcare decisions.

A Confession and an Announcement

rebelwisdom • 1277 implied HN points • 13 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Research
  1. The book discusses a personal experience with a powerful psychedelic drug and its impact on the individual and collective wisdom.
  2. The book reflects on the integration of psychedelic science and spirituality in understanding and navigating the challenges of the present time.
  3. The author aims to prompt inquiry and critical thinking around the potential of psychedelics in transforming society and addressing current crises.

Photon-Lines Tech Notes - July 2025

Photon-Lines Substack • 417 implied HN points • 31 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Research
  1. OpenAI encourages a culture where anyone can share good ideas, and teams can quickly adapt and change their focus based on new findings. This fast-moving style allows for exciting developments but also comes with challenges.
  2. Modern software often hides important controls, making it hard for users to navigate interfaces efficiently. Good design should prioritize clear and visible controls to help users easily find what they need.
  3. Beliefs are like complex webs of ideas, and changing one belief often requires rethinking many connected beliefs. This makes conversations about challenging beliefs tough, as people naturally defend their larger belief systems.

Law enforcement seizures of psychedelic mushrooms skyrocket; Could psychedelics lead to better sex? And will CA be the next state to launch a psychedelics program?

The Microdose • 432 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Research
  1. Law enforcement seizures of psychedelic mushrooms have significantly increased over the years, indicating a potential rise in availability and use.
  2. Research suggests that psychedelics like psilocybin can lead to improvements in sexual functioning and satisfaction.
  3. California is considering launching a state-regulated program for therapeutic use of psychedelics, potentially making it the first to focus explicitly on psychedelic therapy.

The Sequence Opinion #786: The Great Absorption: When System Code Becomes Model Weights

TheSequence • 56 implied HN points • 08 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Many system and agent capabilities that used to live in external orchestration code are being internalized into model weights, so models now handle tasks once implemented by separate scripts and pipelines.
  2. Hand‑coded scaffolding like prompt chains, vector DB glue, and custom parsers is increasingly at risk of becoming obsolete whenever a new frontier model checkpoint appears, so expect rapid disruption.
  3. Product teams need to distinguish permanent infrastructure from temporary scaffolding and architect systems to tolerate or embrace model internalization, or else large parts of their stack can be replaced overnight.

We should all participate in scientific research

The Novelleist • 445 implied HN points • 07 Jul 25
🔬 Science Research
  1. Participating in scientific research can create better solutions to complex problems. When everyone gets involved, we can gather more data and generate thoughtful ideas.
  2. Top-down approaches to science can have limitations, like lack of local data and accessibility. Bottom-up participatory methods help engage communities and make research more effective.
  3. Collaboration between citizens, private companies, and researchers can lead to impactful changes. When people work together, they feel empowered and can drive progress for their communities.

Something weird is happening with LLMs and chess

DYNOMIGHT INTERNET NEWSLETTER • 1515 implied HN points • 14 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Large language models (LLMs) can somewhat play chess, but they struggle after the opening moves. They were not specifically designed for chess, yet they can manage to play using their text training.
  2. The performance of different language models varies significantly when playing chess. Some models like 'gpt-3.5-turbo-instruct' excel at it, while others perform very poorly.
  3. It seems that focusing on instruction tuning can make LLMs worse at chess, suggesting that training style impacts their ability to play games effectively.

Three Things That Should Be Required For Weight Loss Research

Weight and Healthcare • 718 implied HN points • 18 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Research
  1. Require five-year follow-up with mandatory publication to improve accuracy and information in weight loss studies
  2. Mandate essential information in bold print at the beginning of weight loss studies to ensure transparency and accessibility
  3. Implement a weight-neutral comparator group in weight loss studies to distinguish impacts of behavior changes from weight loss, reducing health risks

Weekend Listening: From McDonalds Drive-Through to Star Harvard Professor

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 3292 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
🚌 Education Research
  1. UATX, a new university founded by Pano Kanelos, has proven to be a real institution set to accept its inaugural class of students in 2024.
  2. Harvard economist Roland Fryer embodies academic excellence, emphasizing the pursuit of truth, admitting his mistakes, and overcoming obstacles.
  3. Fryer's life story showcases resilience, determination, and the importance of staying true to one's mission in the face of controversies and challenges.

Exploring the Need for More Semiconductor Technology Experiments in Space

Space Ambition • 139 implied HN points • 31 May 24
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Space has unique conditions like microgravity that can help create better semiconductor materials. This could lead to higher quality electronic devices in the future.
  2. Past experiments on the ISS focused mostly on growing crystals, but more research is needed on the complete manufacturing process for chips in space. This includes steps like slicing the crystals and fabricating circuits.
  3. Future projects aim to advance semiconductor production by using resources in space, like making solar cells from lunar materials. This could reduce costs and create a new way to manufacture technology off Earth.

The Sequence Radar #791: The Eastern Surge & The Silicon Valley Shuffle

TheSequence • 42 implied HN points • 18 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Engram shows that offloading static facts to a huge O(1) lookup memory lets neural experts focus on reasoning, and allocating roughly 20–25% of sparse parameters to that memory hits an optimal loss curve.
  2. Chinese labs are rapidly closing the gap with stronger unified multimodal architectures like Baidu’s Ernie 5, and Zhipu’s GLM-Image—trained entirely on Huawei Ascend chips—demonstrates domestic hardware can support SOTA training runs.
  3. Talent is extremely scarce and fiercely contested, evidenced by rapid co-founder departures and rehires, while large bets on non-invasive brain-computer interfaces signal a push to boost human-AI bandwidth beyond typed text.

Why I can no longer pursue a career in academia

David’s Substack • 19 implied HN points • 20 Sep 24
🚌 Education Research
  1. You don't need to fully understand the brain anymore to create advanced AI. Recent advancements in machine learning have made it possible to develop useful AI without deep knowledge of neuroscience.
  2. Just knowing things isn't enough; building and creating is important too. The academic world focuses too much on understanding without encouraging actual creation, which feels unfulfilling for some people.
  3. Academic culture often discourages ambition, leading to a focus on small, safe projects rather than bold, innovative research. This can make talented individuals feel stuck and unmotivated.

When will psychiatry invent the barcode?

Wood From Eden • 1344 implied HN points • 04 Dec 24
🏥 Health Politics Research
  1. Psychiatry has a problem with labels. Many old labels have been removed without clear replacements, making research and understanding harder.
  2. Using numbers instead of words could help describe a person's mental health better. A barcode-like system could show traits and abilities at a glance.
  3. Psychology is subjective and changes over time. Collecting more data through tests can help improve understanding and research in mental health.

Reader Question – Weight Loss Industry Big Think Part 1

Weight and Healthcare • 639 implied HN points • 29 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Research
  1. The weight loss industry is a for-profit industry that profits by labeling higher-weight individuals as diseased, creating harmful messaging and interventions.
  2. The industry has successfully infiltrated healthcare systems, promoting the idea that being in a higher-weight body is a lifelong, chronic disease.
  3. Industry tactics include promoting weight loss drugs as lifelong solutions, perpetuating weight stigma under the guise of helping higher-weight individuals, and making hundreds of billions of dollars through exploitative practices.