Let's take a moment to marvel at how bad the original USDA food pyramid was
Edited 2025-05-26 to correct an inaccuracy—originally I said butter goes in the Dairy group but actually it goes in the Fats, Oils & Sweets group. The...
Can you maintain lean mass in a calorie deficit?
http://mdickens.me/2025/05/01/resistance_training_calorie_deficit/ If you’re losing weight, does lifting weights reduce how much muscle you lose? Is it...
Can you maintain lean mass in a calorie deficit?
TLDR: A meta-analysis allegedly showed that a 500-calorie deficit is the sweet spot to avoid losing lean mass, but the interpretation of the data was wrong...
Why would AI companies use human-level AI to do alignment research?
http://mdickens.me/2025/04/25/bootstrapped_alignment/ Many plans for how to safely build superintelligent AI have a critical section that goes like this:...
Why would AI companies use human-level AI to do alignment research?
Cross-posted to the EA Forum. Many plans for how to safely build superintelligent AI have a critical section that goes like this: Develop AI that’s powerful...
Do Protests Work? A Critical Review
http://mdickens.me/2025/04/18/protest_outcomes_critical_review/ (Note for email readers: Some parts of this post might not work properly in email clients. If...
Do Protests Work? A Critical Review
James Özden and Sam Glover at Social Change Lab wrote a literature review on protest outcomes1 as part of a broader investigation2 on protest effectiveness....
The Triple-Interaction-Effects Argument
http://mdickens.me/2025/04/10/triple_interaction_effects/ In this post I will explain the most impressive argument I heard in 2024. First, some context:...
The Triple-Interaction-Effects Argument
In this post I will explain the most impressive argument I heard in 2024. First, some context: There is an ongoing debate in the bodybuilding/strength...
You can now read my reading notes
http://mdickens.me/2025/03/31/new_reading_notes/ Since 2015, I have been taking notes on most articles I read. I figured other people might find them useful,...
You can now read my reading notes
Since 2015, I have been taking notes on most articles I read. I figured other people might find them useful, so I cleaned them up and published them on my...
There Are Three Kinds of "No Evidence"
http://mdickens.me/2025/03/03/three_kinds_of_no_evidence/ David J. Balan once proposed that there are two kinds of "no evidence": There have been lots of...
There Are Three Kinds of "No Evidence"
David J. Balan once proposed that there are two kinds of “no evidence”: There have been lots of studies directly on this point which came back with the...
Return stacked funds: A new way to get leverage
http://mdickens.me/2025/02/04/return_stacked_funds/ Some people (including me) have argued that altruists often benefit from leveraging their investments....
Return Stacking Funds: A New Way to Get Leverage
Last updated 2026-02-04. Some people (including me) have argued that altruists often benefit from leveraging their investments. Recently, it has become...
I was probably wrong about HIIT and VO2max
http://mdickens.me/2025/02/03/I_was_probably_wrong_about_HIIT_and_VO2max/ This research piece is not as rigorous or polished as usual. I wrote it quickly in...
I was probably wrong about HIIT and VO2max
This research piece is not as rigorous or polished as usual. I wrote it quickly in a stream-of-consciousness style, which means it’s more reflective of my...
Retroactive If-Then Commitments
http://mdickens.me/2025/02/01/retroactive_if-then_commitments/ An if-then commitment is a framework for responding to AI risk: “If an AI model has capability...
Retroactive If-Then Commitments
An if-then commitment is a framework for responding to AI risk: “If an AI model has capability X, then AI development/deployment must be halted until...
The 7 Best High-Protein Breakfast Cereals
http://mdickens.me/2025/01/17/high_protein_breakfast_cereals/ (I write listicles now) (there are only 7 eligible high-protein breakfast cereals, so the ones...