Astral Codex Ten

Arkansas

13 min read

Arkansas

Article

Arkansas is a recurring place in the Astral Codex Ten archive, appearing 14 times across 14 issues between June 14, 2021 and April 01, 2026. The archive places it in contexts such as “I have some cousins in Arkansas who fit the bill”; “X was true in every American state except Arkansas”; “a family in Arkansas was going through an ancestor’s possessions”. It most often appears alongside San Francisco, Australia, Brazil.

Metadata

  • Category: Places
  • Mention count: 14
  • Issue count: 14
  • First seen: June 14, 2021
  • Last seen: April 01, 2026

Appears In

Source Context

Recovered passages from the original issue text. When the raw archive preserved outbound links inside the source passage, they are listed directly under the quote.

Contra Smith On Jewish Selective Immigration
June 14, 2021 · Original source
Jews in Europe were famously clustered in big cities. Probably this was in part because they weren't allowed to own a lot of land. But whatever the reason, the trend persisted when Jews immigrated to America. Sure, there are some Jewish hillbillies out there (I have some cousins in Arkansas who fit the bill), but you find Jews mostly clustered in big cities like New York and L.A.
Lockdown Effectiveness: Much More Than You Wanted To Know
July 07, 2021 · Original source
Philippe Lemoine is extremely against this conclusion. He first argues that since we don’t know why Finland+Iceland+Norway+Denmark did so well, we can’t assume it’s a “Scandinavia effect” and so we can’t assume Sweden would share it. Therefore, we should be judging it against the European average rather than the (better) Scandinavian average. I would counter that, although we can’t prove that just because X is true of Finland+Iceland+Norway+Denmark and not other European countries, that it should also be true of Sweden, but we should have a pretty high prior on it, in the same way that eg if we know that X was true in every American state except Arkansas (whose value was unknown), and not in any non-American polities, we should have a high prior that X is true in Arkansas. Anyway, even if we don’t compare Sweden the rest of Scandinavia, we would compare it to Europe, which it did twice as bad as.
Inline links: extremely against this conclusion
Ancient Plagues
December 15, 2021 · Original source
Also: a family in Arkansas was going through an ancestor’s possessions. An envelope fell out of a book containing a note and some weird red stuff; the note said that it was smallpox scabs from a past infection, kept as souvenirs. This sounds like a scene for a horror movie aimed at epidemiologists. But nobody has ever found evidence of live viable smallpox virus on an artifact or corpse. The article concludes:
Your Book Review: The Outlier
July 08, 2022 · Original source
Some of the advice Carter gets is good (like when the newly-elected 33-year-old governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton, tells Carter he needs to be a leader, not just a manager), but, as you’d expect would happen when you ask fifty people to tell you what’s wrong with you, some of it is totally off the rails. A prominent rabbi tells Carter that the real problem is Americans’ “unrestrained consumerism” and “mindless self-indulgence.” A Berkeley sociologist adds that Carter needs to “come down from the mountain with some hard truths” to help the American people “achieve personal happiness that does not depend on the endless accumulation of goods.”
Links For March 2023
March 10, 2023 · Original source
26: I’m trying not to be a conspiracy theorist, so can someone give me an innocent explanation for this? Clinton aide linked to Jeffrey Epstein found tied to a tree, dead of gunshot wound, with no gun anywhere in sight, Arkansas police rule it a “suicide”. [EDIT: Thanks Alex, gun was found after all and details were much less suspicious than early articles described]
Inline links: Clinton aide linked to Jeffrey Epstein found tied to a tree, dead of gunshot wound, with no gun anywhere in sight, Arkansas police rule it a “suicide”., Alex, details were much less suspicious than early articles described
Meetups Everywhere 2023: Times & Places
August 25, 2023 · Original source
TUCSON, ARIZONA, USA Contact: Chris Contact Info: acx[at]cmart[dot]today Time: Saturday, October 7th, 11:15 AM Location: Boxyard at 238 N 4th Ave. Look for ACX tabletop sign. I'll try to get the big shaded table way in the back (next to Los Perches). Coordinates: https://plus.codes/854F62FM+VWW Notes: Boxyard is outdoor seating. It's likely that we'll have shade, but not a guarantee, so dress for possible sun. UPDATE: The original organizer won't be making it, so there may not actually be anyone there. Arkansas FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS, USA Contact: Antanas Contact Info: antanasriskus27[at]gmail[dot]com Time: Thursday, September 21st, 6:30 PM Location: Wilson Park Coordinates: https://plus.codes/86873RFQ+9M
Inline links: https://plus.codes/854F62FM+VWW, https://plus.codes/86873RFQ+9M
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS, USA Contact: Antanas Contact Info: antanasriskus27[at]gmail[dot]com Time: Thursday, September 21st, 6:30 PM Location: Wilson Park Coordinates: https://plus.codes/86873RFQ+9M
Inline links: https://plus.codes/86873RFQ+9M
Spring Meetups Everywhere 2024
March 30, 2024 · Original source
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, USA Contact: Nathan Contact Info: natoboo2000[at]gmail[dot]com Time: Saturday, May 4th, 3:00 PM Location: Encanto Park 2499 N 15th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85007. We'll be at one of the picnic tables just south of the parking lot, with an ACX meetups sign at the table. Coordinates: https://plus.codes/8559FWG5+9RP Event Link: https://www.lesswrong.com/events/KRcNWJusPhdLrvvxx/acx-phoenix-may-meetup Group Link: https://www.lesswrong.com/groups/xSLmmoudDGM2w8JEG Notes: RSVPs on LessWrong appreciated: https://www.lesswrong.com/events/KRcNWJusPhdLrvvxx/acx-phoenix-may-meetup Arkansas FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS, USA Contact: Cristina Contact Info: olsoncristina[at]gmail[dot]com Time: Thursday, April 25th, 6:00 PM Location: Bakery District, 70 S 7th St, Fort Smith, AR 72901 Coordinates: https://plus.codes/86779HMF+V6H
Inline links: https://www.lesswrong.com/events/KRcNWJusPhdLrvvxx/acx-phoenix-may-meetup, https://www.lesswrong.com/groups/xSLmmoudDGM2w8JEG, https://plus.codes/86779HMF+V6H
FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS, USA Contact: Cristina Contact Info: olsoncristina[at]gmail[dot]com Time: Thursday, April 25th, 6:00 PM Location: Bakery District, 70 S 7th St, Fort Smith, AR 72901 Coordinates: https://plus.codes/86779HMF+V6H
Inline links: https://plus.codes/86779HMF+V6H
Meetups Everywhere 2024: Times & Places
August 29, 2024 · Original source
Contact: Nathan Contact Info: natoboo2000[at]gmail[dot]com Time: Saturday, September 14th, 03:00 AM Location: 20 W 6th St, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA Coordinates: https://plus.codes/855CC3F5+QJ Group Link: https://discord.com/invite/ANSywQABEF Notes: Please RSVP on Lesswrong so that I can get a general gauge of how many people are coming: https://www.lesswrong.com/events/Eq2PYKCMBM9cGsFQP/acx-phoenix-september-meetup Arkansas FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS, USA Contact: Keaton Contact Info: keatonhurlbut[at]gmail[dot]com Time: Wednesday, September 04th, 06:30 PM Location: Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers - 1788 W Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. I'll have a sign that says ACX MEETUP Coordinates: https://plus.codes/86873R47+QJ Notes: Please RSVP by emailing me
Inline links: https://plus.codes/855CC3F5+QJ, https://discord.com/invite/ANSywQABEF, https://plus.codes/86873R47+QJ
Meetups Everywhere Spring 2025: Times & Places
March 25, 2025 · Original source
Contact: Nathan Contact Info: natoboo2000[a t]gmail[period]com Time: Friday, May 16th, 5:30 PM Location: The Churchill. Covered, open-air space with misters. Food hall. I'll have a sign saying ACX. Coordinates: https://plus.codes/8559FW5H+44 Group Link: https://discord.com/invite/ANS[remove this part]ywQABEF, https://www.lesswrong.com/groups/xSLmmoudDGM2w8JEG Arkansas BENTONVILLE Contact: Charles Contact Info: nwa_rationality[period]humid012[a t]silomails[period]com Time: Saturday, April 5th, 2:00 PM Location: Onyx Coffee Lab, NW 2nd Street Coordinates: https://plus.codes/86879QFR+77
Inline links: https://plus.codes/8559FW5H+44, https://www.lesswrong.com/groups/xSLmmoudDGM2w8JEG, https://plus.codes/86879QFR+77
Your Review: Alpha School
June 27, 2025 · Original source
NextGen Academy (Austin) —Perhaps the most radical experiment. Afternoons are spent training in competitive esports & game design. Each new campus launched with <10 students, two or more local guides, and the same two‑hour core. Simultaneously Alpha opened a Miami elementary campus, promoted the idea that cities could launch “micro schools” if they had enough local demand (unless you count Miami, none actually launched) and piloted a beta-test of a Home‑School version of the platform. Early homeschool data showed that kids were using it for ~2 hours/day as planned, but only seeing a 1x learning growth — still a fine result for only doing 2-hours of academics per day, but a long way from what Alpha was delivering on their own campuses, so the program has stayed in beta. Jan 2025 | Charter & Licence Play Alpha now had a parent company, “2-hour Learning”, which sat above all of the schools, the home school product, and the platform itself (that they now offer to license out to third parties). The parent company filed under “Unbound Academy” to launch charter schools in Arizona and Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania school was rejected, but the Arizona school will launch in fall 2025. There are more applications pending in at least Utah, Arkansa, North Carolina, South Carolina (and likely more). While the PR spin around these schools is “AI-driven, no teachers” in practice they use 20:1 teacher guide:student ratios (vs the 5:1 ratio at the Alpha private schools) Generally states subsidize charter schools in the neighborhood of $10,000 per student – which is a lot lower than what Alpha charges. They should be able to make those economics work by using fewer, less expensive teachers, not having an expensive campus (or no campus at all for the online schools), skimming on the extras (no trips to Poland), avoiding teaching the youngest kids (Arizona is 4th-8th grade), and being willing to accept smaller or even negligible margin on their learning platform. The goal of these schools does not seem to be making money or profit – at least not right away. The goal seems to be rapidly expanding the program to have more influence, and to see if they can make it work with “non-selected kids at a low price point”. Fall 2025 and Beyond | The Future The Alpha website claims the following locations are launching in Fall 2025: Houston, TX
Inline links: NextGen Academy, 2-hour Learning, locations
Highlights From The Comments On Liberalism And Communities
August 12, 2025 · Original source
Their first test community has bought land in Arkansas, and there are a few articles on it, including this one which describes it as “about 40 inhabitants who live on 150 acres of land [with] cabins, roads, wells, a community center, and a schoolhouse”, and this interview with movement leader Eric Orwoll, who says that “a second Hitler won’t arrive unless people do the work”, but that “when I say, you're gonna have to wait for that new Hitler to arise, I'm not saying you're going to have to wait for a new person to start a new Holocaust. I am saying you are going to wait for a charismatic leader who is going to advocate for your interests”. How Orwollian.
Inline links: this one, this
Meetups Everywhere 2025: Times and Places
August 29, 2025 · Original source
Contact: Nathan Contact Info: natoboo2000[a t]gmail[period]com Time: Saturday, September 13th, 3:00 PM Location: 901 N 1st St, Phoenix, AZ 85004. We'll have a table sign saying "ACX MEETUP", and plan to be at the high tables in the back of the courtyard. Coordinates: https://plus.codes/8559FW5H+54 Group Link: https://www.lesswrong.com/groups/xSLmmoudDGM2w8JEG Notes: Please RSVP on LessWrong so I can get a rough estimate of how many people to expect. Arkansas FAYETTEVILLE Contact: Charles Smith Contact Info: nwa_rationality[period]humid012[a t]silomails[period]com Time: Wednesday, September 24th, 5:00 PM Location: Loafin' Joe's- Fayetteville Coordinates: https://plus.codes/86873R6Q+P5
Inline links: https://plus.codes/8559FW5H+54, https://www.lesswrong.com/groups/xSLmmoudDGM2w8JEG, https://plus.codes/86873R6Q+P5
25
October 28, 2025 · Original source
2: On the other side of the, uh, aisle, the Return To The Land movement continues their plan to build a string of white separatist communities across the country, starting in the Ozark Mountains. They got a boost in July, when the Arkansas attorney general said the plan was not illegal.
Inline links: Return To The Land movement, starting in the Ozark Mountains, not illegal
Meetups Everywhere Spring 2026: Times & Places
April 01, 2026 · Original source
Contact: Nathan Contact Info: natoboo2000[@]gmail[.]com Time: Sunday, May 10th, 1:45 PM Location: 3500 S Rural Rd, Tempe, AZ 85282, USA We’ll be in the Tempe Library, Ironwood Classroom (the front desk can give you directions thru the hallways) Coordinates: https://plus.codes/855C93RC+HP Group Link: https://discord.com/invite/ANSyw [remove this bit] QABEF Notes: RSVP not required, but much appreciated! Arkansas ROGERS Contact: Cristina Contact Info: olsoncristina[@]gmail[.]com Time: Wednesday, April 29th, 6:00 PM Location: Pavilion at the Railyard Bike Park in Rogers, 299 E Cherry St, Rogers, AR 72756. Coordinates: https://plus.codes/86878VHP+G9C Notes: If it’s bad weather, we will meet somewhere else, please email for info.
Inline links: https://plus.codes/855C93RC+HP, https://plus.codes/86878VHP+G9C