Scott J. Forman

Do LLMs tell the truth about the health topics where it matters most?

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I asked the major LLMs about sharply contested health claims, and found some interesting patterns.

Calypta Health: patience and empathy for thorny health challenges

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I’m starting a company called Calypta Health to help people navigate the most contentious and confusing health decisions we face. The mission: lower medical spending, ease provider stress and burnout, improve population health.

'Hi Scott, it's Don from Reno, call me back as soon as you can.'

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I haven’t told this story publicly before. But I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how our healthcare system does and doesn’t work for us, and figured it might be of some use to share.

LLMs can help persuade parents to vaccinate their kids.

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A preregistered active‑control RCT finds a clear increase in stated MMR vaccination intent after a short content review and an LLM conversation.

Can LLMs persuade people to vaccinate their kids?

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve been watching our 2025 measles outbreaks with growing horror. So I decided to try to do something about it.

ADU opportunities abound

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

California and New York are blessed with incredible natural and economic advantages, but they’re hemorrhaging people. They’re driving people away by strangling their housing markets. People still want to live there. You can tell by the sky-high housing prices. But those same prices are forcing people to leave. What can be done?

How to solve the looming autonomous traffic apocalypse

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The autonomous vehicle revolution promises three enormous benefits: millions of avoided deaths and maimings, more productive uses for the vast amounts of land we currently devote to parking (and gas stations, auto repair shops, dealerships, etc.). And most obviously, much cheaper mobility, which is straightforwardly a good thing.

Tehipite Valley Trip Report, October 2024

Sun, 27 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In October 2024, I backpacked into the remote Tehipite Valley in Kings Canyon National Park.

Rae Lakes Loop Trip Report, July 2024

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Rae Lakes area is reputed to offer some of the finest splendor in the high Sierra. I like loop trips, and also splendor, and as of recently, backpacking, so I gave this one a go. In July 2024 I ventured the Rae Lakes loop as a 4 day, 3 night solo backpacking trip.

Ebikes are extraordinary

Thu, 02 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I thought about getting an ebike for a few years before I finally pulled the trigger. With almost two thousand miles on the odometer, I’m happy to report that these are utterly magical machines. If you’re even remotely considering buying one, do. I’m pretty confident you won’t regret it.

How to type 50% faster with LLM assistance

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Even if you already type pretty fast, LLMs can help you type much faster.

Parking shouldn't be free, but it should be easy

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Most people hate paying for parking and fiercely resist attempts to make them do so. I wonder how much of that resistance isn’t to cost per se, but rather to the annoyance of the process of paying.

YIMBYpedia

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve been reading a lot about legislative efforts to address our catastrophic housing scarcity problem, and found myself struggling to keep track of all the attempts. I figured someone must have made a database of them all. But evidently not! So I made one:

Fair Tax California

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I got a little obssessed with California’s Prop 13 recently. I knew it was very bad but I didn’t grasp the full magnitude. So I dug in and channeled my ire into building something.

Lake Merritt rainbow

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Red shouldered hawk

Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Right now is the perfect moment to toll all the roads

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Autonomous driving gives us a rare opportunity to prevent future traffic nightmares and steer the future of mobility towards the public good.

Maybe RSS is all we need

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

My quixotic gesture at an alternative and healthier model for social media. Think of it as anti-social media.

Diego Rivera at the SF City Club

Sun, 10 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

I learned this weekend that there’s a spectacular Diego Rivera fresco at the City Club in San Francisco on the stairwell between the 10th and 11th floors.

mapo tofu

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Oakland mirrors

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Memorize some poetry

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

I think you should memorize some poetry, even just a little. I’ve been attempting this lately and I can recommend it highly.

About

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

👋 Hi! Scott J. Forman here, the person whose website this is. I’m currently building Calypta Health, where we use large language models to help people make better decisions about their health. We focus on childhood vaccination, one of the hardest cases, and others where misunderstanding and hesitation cause large-scale harm. You might also know me as the founder of Vote Forward, a nonprofit that works to increase civic participation by organizing volunteers to send handwritten letters to their fellow citizens.