# Articles and Links ## @QiaochuYuan's Less Wrong/Rationalists Cult Thread https://twitter.com/QiaochuYuan/status/1542767419394912256 Interesting thread on how QY's arc through the rationalist community, describing ways in which it is a cult. > one of the most compelling things a cult can have is a story about why everyone else is insane / evil and why they are the only source of sanity / goodness Linked to in a reply to this tweet: https://twitter.com/taz_chu/status/1651382833095532544?s=20 > @taz_chu > How did Qiaochu Yuan go from one of the greatest all-time posters on math overflow to quitting his PhD to getting sucked into an AI alignment cult to becoming a very surreal (but seems to be having a good time, good for him!) Twitter poster. the arc is insane ### Summary The author of this Twitter thread discusses their experience with the rationalist community in the San Francisco Bay Area, which revolved around the writings of Eliezer Yudkowsky and his concerns about AI risk. The thread explains how the author was drawn to the community due to their fascination with Yudkowsky's ideas and writing, which captivated them like nothing they had ever encountered before. The author highlights the cult-like aspects of the rationalist community, such as the need for adherents to stop trusting themselves and the regulation of information flow. They describe how their entire social life became dominated by rationalists, and how they had to relearn basic human capacities, like noticing and expressing their feelings, to break away from the community. The author also mentions the prevalence of ex-evangelicals within the rationalist and effective altruism communities, speculating that many might be searching for a more rational alternative to their previous religious beliefs. Towards the end of the thread, the author expresses their appreciation for a post detailing someone's experience with Leverage Research, a group affiliated with the rationalist community, and hints at their own experiences working at the Center for Applied Rationality (CFAR). The thread concludes with the author acknowledging their past struggles and experiences that led them to their current state of mind. ## Decline in basal metabolic rate over time as an explanation for the obesity epidemic https://twitter.com/JohnSpeakman4/status/1651244232789598211 Could the obesity epidemic be explained by a decline in *basal* metabolic rate? This would mean the epidemic wasn't caused by inactivity, but by a decline in how much our bodies expend at rest. What could cause this? One hypothesis is a decrease in saturated fat intake, or increased high glycemic index foods. Ideas brought up in the comments: - Smoking: https://twitter.com/erik_arnesen/status/1651310559457865728?s=20 - Temperature: https://twitter.com/AbdTahrani/status/1651262813078278150?s=20 Balance on n- 3 and n-6 fatty acids do not appear to affect metabolism: https://twitter.com/JohnSpeakman4/status/1651249808819228673?s=20 [Dietary n-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids and energy balance in overweight or moderately obese men and women: a randomized controlled trial | Nutrition & Metabolism | Full Text](https://nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1743-7075-6-24) ### Summary In this Twitter thread, John Speakman shares the findings of a study on the decline in energy expenditure in the USA and Europe over the last 3-4 decades. The research shows a significant decline in total energy expenditure (TEE) in both males and females, with the decline in basal energy expenditure (BEE) driving the overall decrease. Surprisingly, activity energy expenditure (AEE) has increased over time, potentially due to increased leisure time activities. The decline in BEE could be attributed to changes in diet, such as reduced saturated fat consumption or increased high glycaemic load diets. Further research is needed to understand the impact of dietary changes on BEE and potential solutions to reverse the decline. The decline in basal energy expenditure (BEE) was detected by studying the total energy expenditure (TEE) of 4,799 individuals in Europe and the USA between the late 1980s and 2018, using the IAEA doubly-labelled water (DLW) database. The researchers found a significant decline in TEE over this period. They also had measures of BEE for 1,472 individuals, which allowed them to calculate activity energy expenditure (AEE), both adjusted for body composition. While AEE was found to have increased over time, the decline in TEE was primarily driven by a decline in BEE. The trend of falling BEE was further validated by a meta-analysis of data on basal metabolic rate (BMR) from the literature, which included 9,912 individuals from 163 studies. ## [Dr Sten Ekberg gets fact-checked by MD PhD Doctor - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFGvs1Qe7cA) This video goes over and rebuts a lot of internet theories around cholesterol, including things like oxLDL, and theories about how heart diseases develops. - oxLDL is no longer used as a risk factor for heart disease. - High HDL is not protective. - Statins are net beneficial for for heart health and there is tons of evidence for this. - Goes over evidence for LDL being causative in heart disease and not just an association.