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Welcome to Bastrop
In most modern cities, steel cranes rise above the skyline. Back home in Abu Dhabi, crews break ground on a new project every month. But in California, the home of Silicon Valley and America’s supposed bastion of innovation? Nothing.
Nov 14


Quantum’s billion-dollar mirage
I’m on the road with Matt Ridley and ROS co-founder Dan Steinhart, visiting six cities and meeting 30 world-class innovators in two weeks.
Nov 9


How $500 Drones Are Forcing America to Reinvent Its Military | ROP #59
A handful of $500 drones recently caused $5 billion in damage to a fleet of Russian strategic bombers. This is the new reality of warfare, and America is not ready.
Nov 5


Rational Optimists take America
I’m on my way to LA kicking off a two-week sprint across America with my ROS co-founders Matt Ridley and Dan Steinhart.
Nov 1


America's Drone Market is About to Collapse (And It's a Good Thing) | ROP #58
China's DJI owns 90% of the US commercial drone market. A nationwide ban is about to make them illegal, threatening to collapse the industry overnight. Thoron founder Thayne Kollmorgen says: good.
Oct 29


Is this a pipedream?
One of the coolest things about living in Abu Dhabi is how fast everything arrives.
Oct 26


Founder's Guide to Winning the New Space Race | ROP #57
A new generation of founders is winning the new space race, and they're doing it by breaking one simple rule.
Oct 22


The world’s new fastest car is…
There’s a new world’s fastest car. It’s not a Ferrari, Lamborghini or Bugatti. It’s Chinese brand BYD.
Oct 19


His "Factory in a Box" Builds a House in 30 Days | ROP #56
America is facing a housing crisis driven by two core problems: a massive skilled labor shortage and 50 years of zero productivity growth in construction.
Oct 15


Who’s winning the SMR race?
If friendly aliens landed on Earth in 2025, they’d be baffled.
Oct 12


America's Nuclear Waste "Problem" is a Lie (And It's a Good Thing) | ROP #55
America doesn't have a nuclear waste problem; it has a financial one. In this episode, Exodys Energy founder Carl Perez reveals why the 50-year-old fear of spent fuel is based on a lie, and why solving it will unleash the nuclear renaissance.
Oct 8


Your body’s check engine light is flashing
AI is the new doctor’s waiting room
Oct 5


This New American Battery Gives an EV a 1,500 Mile Range | ROP #54
Venture capitalists recently returned from China declaring America's battery race "futile."
Oct 3


The AI Tutor Built for Elon's Kids is Now Available to Everyone | ROP #53
When Elon Musk couldn't find a school good enough for his kids, he started his own at SpaceX.
Oct 1


Dad, can I tell you something
I had a proud dad moment at 5:55 am yesterday.
Sep 28


His Nuclear Reactor Will Make Energy CHEAP Faster Than You Think | ROP #52
For 50 years, nuclear power has meant billion-dollar cost overruns and decade-long delays. That's about to change.
Sep 24


Battery Magic
A time traveler from the past would certainly agree that much we take for granted today qualifies as magic.
Sep 17


The End of "Made in China" is Arriving Faster Than You Think | ROP #51
For decades, "Made in China" was the default setting for the global economy.
Sep 17


The first nuclear SMR will be…
After one week off to move my family to Abu Dhabi, I returned to a pile of breakthroughs so thick I didn’t know where to start.
Sep 14


Why The Ruling Class Fears AI (And It's a Good Thing) | ROP # 50
The modern panic over AI isn't new; it's a predictable pattern driven by elites whenever a technology threatens the status quo.
Sep 10
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