Substacks recommended by David Chapman

Recommended by David Chapman

Rough Diamonds

By Sarah Constantin

Underrated opportunities in science, technology, and society

Sharp & quirky insights in to science, life, and a life in science

- David Chapman

Don't Worry About the Vase

By Zvi Mowshowitz

A world made of gears. Doing both speed premium short term updates and long term world model building. Currently focused on weekly AI updates. Explorations include AI, policy, rationality, medicine and fertility, education and games.

Zvi provides a weekly+ rundown of AI news, highlighting what matters and why. Ferociously intelligent and comprehensive!

- David Chapman

Mr. and Mrs. Psmith’s Bookshelf

By Jane Psmith

The P is silent, as in pshrimp or pseudonym.

Ferociously intelligent, carefully-crafted, extraordinarily erudite essays disguised as reviews of books on an astonishing array of topics

- David Chapman

In One Lifetime

By Paul Litvak

On practicing Vajrayana Buddhism.

Remarkably insightful commentary on diverse topics from a Vajrayana Buddhist point of view

- David Chapman

jonstokes.com

By Jon Stokes

AI/ML, crypto, speech, power

Great explanations of current AI technologies, plus unique analyses of their implications for culture and for power politics!

- David Chapman

Astral Codex Ten

By Scott Alexander

P(A|B) = [P(A)*P(B|A)]/P(B), all the rest is commentary.

The one essential, definitive epitome of all blogs. I wish I could write one tenth as well as Scott!

- David Chapman

FreakTakes

By Eric Gilliam

I want to help people start historically great labs. Operational histories on history's best R&D orgs.

Insights for innovation from detailed explorations of how outstanding labs and funding agencies have produced breakthrough technologies.

- David Chapman

Joe Carlsmith's Substack

Philosophy, futurism, and other topics

Profound essays on ethics, artificial intelligence, and the future.

- David Chapman

AI as Normal Technology

By Arvind and Sayash

Analyzing AI as transformative but normal technology, not superintelligence.

Skeptical takes on current AI technical claims and sharp analyses of AI social impacts, combining deep understanding with careful advocacy.

- David Chapman

arg min

By Ben Recht

arg min: a blog of minimum value. on the history, foundations, and validity of "optimally" automated decision making.

Incisive analyses of statistical practice, decision theory, and machine learning—from a skeptical, first-principles point of view.

- David Chapman

The Current

By Peter McEwen

Notes from the field of lived practice, viewed through the lens of embodied immediacy, tantric view, and unfiltered aliveness. What I’m working with. What breaks and what holds.

Peter McEwen explains serious Vajrayana (tantra, dzogchen) clearly. His straightforward style transmits the key practices and conceptual frameworks, while omitting the unhelpful traditional complications.

- David Chapman

Wayward Things by Will Buckingham

Philosophy is taking a thought for a walk... by Taiwan-based writer and philosopher Will Buckingham.

james.claims

By James Heathers

everything your mother should have told you about science

James Heathers spearheads "forensic metascience"—uncovering medical research frauds that harm or kill millions of people. He's careful, smart, and angry.

- David Chapman