Open Thread 218
This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. You can also talk at the unofficial ACX community subreddit, Discord, or bulletin board. Also:
1: Last chance to send in Book Review Contest entries, due date is still 4-5-22!
2: I’m provisionally abandoning the “odd numbered open threads are no politics” rule. I always forgot about this myself, everyone else always forgot, I never punished rulebreakers, and I’m nervous about having rules that don’t get enforced. Please try to be careful in how you talk about politics, don’t post controversy-for-the-sake-of-controversy, and I’ll still moderate anything that gets too heated. If anyone is really upset about this, let me know.
3: We have spring Schelling Meetup dates for seventy cities! If you only go to one meetup a year, go to the big well-advertised one we do in late summer / early fall. But if you only go to two or three meetups a year, go to this one too. If you’re not on the list and should be, fill in this form; if you have questions, ask meetupsmingyuan@gmail.com .
4: INFER tournament for EA student groups: if your college has an effective altruist group, it’s invited to enter this superforecasting-style tournament. Top teams will get monetary prizes, top individuals will get offered professional forecasting positions. If your college doesn’t have an EA student group, you can always start one! Get in touch with chapters@effectivealtruism.org, or just say the words “I would like to start an EA student group” somewhere within ten meters of a smartphone, computer, or mirror; the recruitment arm is omnipresent and relentless.
5: Related: Will MacAskill’s book What We Owe The Future , on effective altruism and the long-term future, is available for pre-order. He says it helps with marketing if people pre-order rather than wait until it comes out, so if you’re interested, get it now. You can preorder on Amazon ($27).
6: Sarah Constantin wrote some additional thoughts on progesterone for post-partum depression: you can read them here.