The hottest Science Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Culture Topics

At least five interesting things for the middle of your week (#29)

Noahpinion • 10588 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness AI Food Science Manufacturing
  1. AI might help restore the middle class by narrowing the productivity gap between high-skilled and low-skilled workers.
  2. Americans can still afford food, with spending on groceries remaining steady while restaurant spending has increased.
  3. Native Americans in Canada are involved in urban development and industry, showing a potential avenue for economic growth and modernity.

The Slop School of Internet Success and other lies about cyberspace

Experimental History • 19425 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Internet Writing Science Art Psychology
  1. Making a living on the internet doesn't have to involve creating 'slop' content like clickbait or scams.
  2. Success online can come from creating honest, original, and interesting content that people genuinely enjoy and share.
  3. Supporting creators financially for content you enjoy can help create a better internet ecosystem and encourage more quality content.

Substack Reads: The business of air miles, Bowie’s favorite books, and cold compost

read • 16116 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
💼 Business Travel Literature Science History Gardening
  1. Frequent-flier point programs were initially designed for occasional free flights, but evolved into turbo-charged schemes for travelers to earn points quickly.
  2. Weighing ingredients in cooking can make a big difference in recipes, especially in baked goods, where even small variations can impact the final texture and taste.
  3. During winter, composting slows down as decomposition rates decrease, signalling a time for compost piles to rest and wait for the warmer season for active decomposition.

Dissecting A Modern Vaccine Propaganda Piece

The Forgotten Side of Medicine • 8824 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Vaccines Science Politics Propaganda Disinformation
  1. The author dissects a modern vaccine propaganda piece and reveals tactics used to defend unchallenged arguments.
  2. Peter Hotez is highlighted as drawing the ire of the vaccine safety community by defending the vaccine narrative and attacking critics.
  3. Hotez's suggestions to silence opposition and his rhetoric are critiqued for their implications on free speech and public debate.

Substack Reads: The double exposure effect, a mustard obsession, and the color of Neptune

read • 4894 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Entertainment Design Coaching Science Memoir
  1. Nominees with great performances in multiple roles can lead to extra praise, known as the double exposure effect.
  2. Mustard packaging has a rich history dating back centuries, with brands like Grey Poupon and Maille showcasing timeless design.
  3. Neptune's true color is not actually blue as previously thought, but a milky, unmemorable interstellar cataract, challenging our perceptions.
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Luxuriating, Heretical Questions, The Age 30 Crisis

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 1458 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
🚌 Education Podcasts Literature Science Health & Wellness Reading
  1. Social media use habits can reveal gender differences, like adding 'o' to 'so' which is a strong predictor of being female.
  2. Verbal intelligence among college graduates has decreased over 40 years, implying a college degree doesn't represent the same verbal ability as before.
  3. The ratio of unmarried men to women varies by age, with more men at younger ages, but fewer men as age increases.

Niccolò Machiavelli, Adam Smith, and the crisis of modern science

uTobian • 4952 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics Politics History Science Medicine
  1. In modern times, freedom is often associated with unrestrained passion, but the idea of freedom through personal restraint from ancient times is considered a better path to happiness and fulfillment.
  2. The writings of Niccolò Machiavelli marked a shift in the concept of freedom towards acknowledging human selfishness and focusing on political security through class conflict.
  3. The current crisis in science and medicine is prompting a reevaluation of the assumption that scientists and doctors are inherently virtuous, suggesting the need for reforms based on the idea that they may be motivated by greed and power.

The Smoking Glove

Arkmedic's blog • 4363 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Health Politics Science International
  1. The SARS-Cov-2 virus was likely lab-made and created using a specific splicing enzyme.
  2. Lab techniques like restriction endonucleases are used to create infectious viruses from DNA clones.
  3. Evidence suggests that EcoHealth Alliance ordered a specific enzyme needed to splice the COVID virus, supporting claims of a lab origin.

There Will Be Blood

The Vajenda • 3734 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Medicine Empowerment Education Science
  1. The menstrual cycle is a unique and vital aspect of human biology.
  2. Historically, female physiology has been viewed as inferior, leading to inadequate research and medical care for those who menstruate.
  3. Education and knowledge about menstruation are crucial to combat misinformation and empower individuals to advocate for their health.

Recommended Reading Part IV: Metaphysics

Contemplations on the Tree of Woe • 723 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Philosophy Science Metaphysics Atheism Consciousness
  1. Physicalism argues that everything in the universe can be explained by physical processes, while post-physicalism believes there are aspects physicalism cannot explain, like consciousness and free will.
  2. Reading about atheism and counter-atheism can lead to shifts in beliefs, from atheism to agnosticism and questioning physicalism.
  3. Exploring quantum mechanics and consciousness challenges physicalist views and opens up discussions about the mind-body connection and the nature of reality.

Aporia gets a hit piece in the Guardian

ideassleepfuriously • 2122 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
📰 News Media Journalism Politics Activism Science
  1. The article criticizes a hit piece on Aporia Magazine by The Guardian for associating the magazine with scientific racism and attacking anti-woke activist Chris Rufo.
  2. The piece points out the tactic of using experts to lend authority to playground insults, such as labeling Aporia as 'seriously nasty' and 'scientific racist'.
  3. The article highlights the tactic of quoting out of context, like criticizing statements about racial differences in intelligence, without actually refuting the claims.

The RCT Agenda

Bet On It • 352 implied HN points • 11 Mar 24
🚌 Education Economics Research Science Academia
  1. The book highlights how the randomistas in economics might have a political agenda of serving government rather than challenging it, focusing on randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
  2. Many economists focus on RCTs to measure causal effects of variables, emphasizing laboratory, field, and natural experiments in research, with randomization as the core of experimentation.
  3. Randomistas often avoid engaging in the debate of free markets vs. government, favoring government-centered policies in their research strategies, leading to limited exploration of free-market economics.

Reid Hoffman on The Best Possible Future

The Generalist • 500 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Future Science
  1. Reid Hoffman discusses AI's potential and risks in the final edition of 'Letters to a Young Investor's' first series.
  2. The conversation delves into the importance of envisioning a positive future enabled by technology, rather than focusing solely on dystopian scenarios.
  3. Reid Hoffman emphasizes the need to proactively steer towards creating a future that is radically better than our current trajectory, despite acknowledging the challenges technology presents.

The plan for meta-rationality

Meaningness • 359 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
🚌 Education Philosophy Science Fiction Literature Health & Wellness
  1. The book being written focuses on meta-rationality, with previous parts discussing rationalism and reasonableness.
  2. The author plans to release the book in separate paperbacks/Kindle editions before putting it online for free.
  3. The concept of meta-rationality emphasizes caring for the situation more than abstractions, questioning what the situation needs, and understanding when rationality is relevant.

The blast furnace - 800 years of technology improvement

Construction Physics • 10856 implied HN points • 23 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Innovation History Manufacturing Science Environment
  1. Steel production has evolved over 800 years, with blast furnaces being a crucial part of the process.
  2. The blast furnace technology has seen gradual improvements by engineers and craftsmen over centuries.
  3. As advancements like hot blast and mechanization have been made, the blast furnace's role is changing in modern steelmaking.

The Naked Potential of 2024: Democracy, Chaos and Creativity

rebelwisdom • 1002 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Politics Philosophy Art Spirituality Science
  1. 2024 is a year with significant democratic elections worldwide, highlighting a growing apathy and distrust in the democratic process.
  2. The tension between centralized control and decentralized, regenerative movements is intensifying, leading to a clash of ideologies and perspectives in society.
  3. There is a growing movement towards seeking new ways of being and thinking, challenging existing structures and norms in society.

2 men with same problem, one a POTUS, one a bench pipetting scientist, one a leader, one a fraud: Trump vs Malone, how do they have same problem? 1)Trump, was against lockdowns & vaccine now supports

Alexander News Network -Dr. Paul Elias Alexander's substack • 511 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🏥 Health Politics Health Politics Public Health Vaccines COVID-19 Science Leadership
  1. Trump initially against lockdowns and vaccines, now supporting them. Needs to address why he shifted his stance.
  2. Dr. Malone, an advocate of mRNA technology, faced criticism for supporting vaccines based on his technology but then going against them. People question his credibility.
  3. Both Trump and Malone need to address their inconsistencies and the public's distrust towards their actions and statements.

DOCUMENTS: Chinese Researcher Who Mapped COVID Virus Two Weeks Before China Released Sequence Was on Anthony Fauci’s Payroll

The DisInformation Chronicle • 630 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Investigation Health Science Funding
  1. A Chinese researcher who mapped the COVID virus was on Fauci's payroll before China released the sequence.
  2. Questions arise about NIH funding in China and the timeline of understanding COVID.
  3. The Chinese researcher's initial virus sequence wasn't published but was similar to later ones.

Best of the Best: Year End Awards

Range Widely • 1002 implied HN points • 19 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Literature Philosophy Science History Art & Illustration
  1. The awards featured various categories like Best Quote for One's Own Obituary and Best Nobel/Olympic Family.
  2. Interesting fact shared about the empty space in atoms: if atom nucleus was the size of a tennis ball, the electron would be orbiting in New Jersey.
  3. Fascinating insights on different topics, from Saxon riddles to Nobel Prize connections, were shared in the post.

Sunday West 48

Wrong Side of History • 227 implied HN points • 25 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture History Politics Music Literature Science
  1. Video of Canon Club event on Richard Wagner by Paul Lay is now available.
  2. Ed West shares insights on various topics - from culture war politics to historical figures surviving difficult times.
  3. Citizens' assemblies and AI advancements are discussed in relation to societal impact and accountability.

The Case Against (Most) Books

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 4657 implied HN points • 10 May 23
📚 Literature Philosophy History Fiction Science Politics
  1. Consider opportunity costs when deciding to read a book cover-to-cover versus shorter pieces like articles.
  2. Categories for books worth reading fully: history books, books of historical interest, and works by brilliant storytellers on important topics.
  3. Be cautious of valuing ancient writings for wisdom over modern insights; focus on gaining wisdom from a diverse range of sources, including contemporary writers.