Reasons For Optimism 39-41
39. There are a lot of bad software patents out there that are probably restricting innovation. Stack Exchange has a new sub-site for crowd-sourcing patent applications to help find “prior art” for...
View ArticleReasons For Optimism 42-45
42. 3D Printers Are Reshaping Modern Medicine. Dude, we can print human tissue! We’re still “at least 10 years away” from literally printing new organs, but I’m amazed that it’s even on the horizon....
View ArticleReasons For Optimism 46-49
46. Poop Transplants Are Saving Lives. Um… self-explanatory. 47. A new report says the Marcellus Shale natural gas reserves are larger than expected. We’re still not running out of energy. 48. Volvo...
View ArticleReasons For Optimism 50-54
50. Over Thanksgiving I randomly caught some segments of a (CNBC?) TV program about John Deere and the combines they design and manufacture. They are constantly working on new models that harvest crops...
View ArticleReasons For Optimism 55-58
55. Africa’s rapid economic development continues. “64 recent major discoveries of fuel deposits” will help the continent meet its growing energy needs, and connecting more Africans to the electric...
View ArticleReasons For Optimism 59-64
59. Solar power is still becoming more efficient at an incredible rate, and it could finally eclipse the equivalent energy costs of fossil fuels by the end of this decade, marching us into “a whole new...
View ArticleReasons For Optimism 65-68
65. Newegg scored a major victory against a patent troll. This has a positive externality that makes it less likely that other e-commerce stores will come under attack by similar trolls. 66. Like...
View ArticleReasons For Optimism 69-75
69. There has been a lot of momentum in the move to re-legalize the unlocking of cell phones, from a generally supportive White House petition response to calls for reform from industry groups to...
View ArticleReasons For Optimism 76-80
76. A new estimate of the Bakken Formation that has been transforming North Dakota says there is more than twice as much recoverable oil as the previous estimate. U.S. oil inventories reached an...
View ArticleReasons For Optimism 81-84
81. Airway made by 3D printer saves baby’s life. 82. The global poverty rate has dropped by half since 1990, and the absolute number of the absolute poor has dropped from 1.9 billion to 1.2 billion....
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Encrypted Communication Apps
I have discussed this idea in the past, but normally I’ve only gotten excitement about encrypted communication from my fellow libertarians and netsec friends. But with the current Presidential...
View ArticleUrbanization and Free Markets
I’m not an environmentalist. I find global warming problematic because it will likely make living on Earth more expensive for humans. Preservation of natural resources is not inherently important to me...
View ArticleBitcoin Value Questions
Does Bitcoin offer something of value today? Does it have the potential to be more valuable in the future? Here are some thoughts how you might be able to answer yes or no to these questions. I. The...
View ArticleThings Mars Can Export
Imagine an economy on Mars or the Moon. Some people move there, excited about the chance to live on the new frontier of human development. They set up shop and start providing services and goods to...
View ArticleBook Review: The Precipice
I have titled my annual blog post summarizing where I donate my charitable budget as “How can we use our resources to help others the most?” This is the fundamental question of the Effective Altruism...
View ArticleHow can we use our resources to help others the most?
This is the fundamental question of the Effective Altruism movement, and it should be the fundamental question of all charitable giving (and indeed, this post is largely copied from my similar post...
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