science

psychology

+13

You can probably just tell the truth much more often than you think

Jan 25, 2026

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2 min read

You can probably just tell the truth much more often than you think

On white lies, tactful honesty, and why most people’s intuitions here are (understandably) incorrect

Alex Libre

writing

+11

Jan 5, 2026

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1 min read

If you're not yet using AI to get feedback on your human writing, you should start

Especially considering a humanities professor at Dartmouth once admitted to me that he and most of his colleagues "honestly just kind of skim [the essays students submit for their courses]".

Alex Libre

technology

Everything worth inventing has not, in fact, already been invented

Jan 3, 2026

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4 min read

Everything worth inventing has not, in fact, already been invented

There are good reasons to believe that education could be a lot better than it currently is in most school systems. Freddie deBoer is, as he often is, confused about this.

Alex Libre

being wrong

Infants feel pain, continents move, an asteroid killed the dinosaurs, and 27 other things that you would have at some point been ridiculed for believing.

Dec 15, 2024

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4 min read

Infants feel pain, continents move, an asteroid killed the dinosaurs, and 27 other things that you would have at some point been ridiculed for believing.

I think it's actually super important to remember this: it's not only possible for literally everyone to be wrong about important questions, but it's the default state of epistemic affairs.

Alex Libre

peer support

Dec 8, 2024

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5 min read

Why we should deregulate psychotherapy

Nice people, with some basic training in active listening, appear to be just as good as professionals (many independent studies support this conclusion). Are therapists just expensive friends?

Alex Libre

debates

Mar 23, 2024

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6 min read

Critical thinking is not an illusion

A writer recently argued that what we call "critical thinking" is actually just knowing more facts about a topic. I think he is deeply confused about this, and not thinking critically.

Alex Libre

science

You can probably just tell the truth much more often than you think

If you're not yet using AI to get feedback on your human writing, you should start

Everything worth inventing has not, in fact, already been invented

Infants feel pain, continents move, an asteroid killed the dinosaurs, and 27 other things that you would have at some point been ridiculed for believing.

Why we should deregulate psychotherapy

Critical thinking is not an illusion

Orca & Fishbowl