Open Thread 425

2026-03-16 · Source: Astral Codex Ten · Field: Science & Research — Mathematics & Computational Sciences, Life Sciences & Biology, Social Sciences & Behavioral Studies · Depth: Novice, quick

Summary

The weekly Astral Codex Ten (ACX) open thread highlights several community updates and discussions. A winner from the ACX Forecasting Contest, mAd-topo, a statistics PhD specializing in Bayesian methods, is seeking an academic position and requests "law nerds" to engage with his prediction markets on an upcoming Italian referendum. Discussions around a constitutional amendment concerning "Giant Congress" revealed it was likely a typo, and research suggests an additional state may have ratified it in 1790, potentially making it legally effective despite not being officially recognized. Additionally, ACX readers have launched Nectome, a cryonics company offering whole-body preservation at nanoscale detail, stable at room temperature, with pre-sales available at $100,000 per body until the end of April. A new subscribers-only post explores the philosophical question of harm when encountering AI-generated beautiful photos.

Key takeaway

For constitutional lawyers and historians, you should investigate the 1790 ratification of the "Giant Congress" amendment, as it may be legally binding despite not being officially recognized. This presents a unique opportunity to challenge existing legal interpretations and potentially introduce a previously overlooked constitutional provision into active legal discourse. Your research could significantly impact constitutional law.

Key insights

Community updates cover forecasting contest results, constitutional amendment analysis, a new cryonics venture, and AI ethics.

Principles

• Typographical errors can have historical legal implications.
• Early ratification records may alter constitutional understanding.

Method

Nectome preserves bodies at nanoscale detail using molecular crosslinks.

In practice

• Engage with prediction markets to inform voting decisions.
• Investigate historical legal records for overlooked amendments.

Topics

• Forecasting Contests
• Bayesian Statistics
• Constitutional Amendments
• Cryonics Preservation
• AI Ethics

Best for: General Interest, Legal Professional, Research Scientist

Related on AIssential

• Last Rights — The article contends that the widely unpopular U.S.
• Fourth Amendment Equilibrium Adjustment in an Age of Technological Upheaval — Courts must adapt Fourth Amendment interpretations to rebalance privacy rights against advanced surveillance technologies.
• Opinion | The Stakes of the Trump-Xi Summit — Partisan gerrymandering efforts are intensifying nationwide, leading to complex legal battles and electoral uncertainty.
• False claims in a widely-cited paper. No corrections. No consequences. Welcome to the Business School. — Institutional failures enable influential, flawed research to persist uncorrected, undermining scientific integrity.
• Executive Preemption and the Dormant Commerce Clause After Pataki and Paxton — Executive efforts to preempt state AI laws through litigation and funding leverage face significant constitutional and doctrinal challenges.
• imagine if we had LLMs in the 80s... — The content poses a hypothetical question about the impact of large language models existing in the 1980s.

Open in AIssential →

Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Astral Codex Ten.