Right now, our research agenda is primarily focused on:
prioritization and research work within interventions aimed at nonhuman animals (as research progress here looks uniquely tractable compared to other cause areas)
understanding EA movement growth by running the EA Survey and assisting LEAN and SHIC in gathering evidence about EA movement building (as research here looks tractable and neglected)
Sounds like they’re currently focused on new animal welfare & community-building interventions, rather than finding an entirely different cause area.
We’re also working on understanding invertebrate sentience and wild animal welfare—maybe not “cause X” because other EAs are aware of this cause already, but I think will help unlock important new interventions.
Additionally, we’re doing some analysis of nuclear war scenarios and paths toward non-proliferation. I think this is understudied in EA, though again maybe not “cause X” because EAs are already aware of it.
Lastly, we’re also working on examining ballot initiatives and other political methods of achieving EA aims—maybe not cause X because it isn’t a new cause area, but I think it will help unlock important new ways of achieving progress on our existing causes.
Rethink Priorities seems to be the obvious organization focused on this.
From their website:
Sounds like they’re currently focused on new animal welfare & community-building interventions, rather than finding an entirely different cause area.
We’re also working on understanding invertebrate sentience and wild animal welfare—maybe not “cause X” because other EAs are aware of this cause already, but I think will help unlock important new interventions.
Additionally, we’re doing some analysis of nuclear war scenarios and paths toward non-proliferation. I think this is understudied in EA, though again maybe not “cause X” because EAs are already aware of it.
Lastly, we’re also working on examining ballot initiatives and other political methods of achieving EA aims—maybe not cause X because it isn’t a new cause area, but I think it will help unlock important new ways of achieving progress on our existing causes.
Thanks!
Is there a public-facing prioritized list of Rethink Priorities projects? (Just curious)
Right now everything I mentioned is in https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/6cgRR6fMyrC4cG3m2/rethink-priorities-plans-for-2019
We’re working on writing up an update.