Links and short notes, 2024-11-21

CP Snow on industrial literacy, cost-minus contracting, biocentrism, the dictator's dilemma, and more

The links digest is back! I put it on hiatus this year to focus on my book, the RPI fellowship and conference, and fundraising for all of the above. Now I’m bringing it back—mostly for paid subscribers, who get the full digest. All subscribers will get the announcement links, at the top.

Much of this content originated on social media. To follow news and announcements in a more timely fashion, follow me on Twitter, Threads, or Farcaster.

Contents

• Announcements

• “And France had pride again”

• C. P. Snow on industrial literacy

• 130 hours in a Waymo

• Cost-minus contracting

• “Here ends the joy of my life”

• Tribal reservations as innovation zones?

• “Two Plus Two Equals Five”

• Pro-bat vs. pro-human

• Quick quotes and charts

Announcements

• Foresight Vision Weekend USA is Dec 6–8 in the SF Bay Area (@foresightinst). I’ll be giving a short talk on The Techno-Humanist Manifesto

• Astera’s first Residency cohort: “We are seeking creative, high-agency scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs passionate about building open projects for public benefit” (@AsteraInstitute). Early application ends tomorrow (Nov 22), but applications will be considered on a rolling basis after that

• Nautilus: “A three-month gap program where you get paid—no strings attached—to dive into your craziest, most ambitious project” (@zeldapoem). Apply here

• “Colossus Review is a print (and digital) publication that creates definitive accounts of investors, founders, companies, and the people and ideas that inspire them” (@patrick_oshag)

• New at Works in Progress: “A round-up of the new tunnels, monorails, ports, airports, canals and other physical infrastructure being built around the world” (@s8mb)

“And France had pride again”

The Eiffel Tower seems quaint and charming now, but it was the tallest structure in the world for 40 years. Sci-fi author Jerry Pournelle, in Another Step Farther Out, says that at the end of the 19th century, it restored French national pride: