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How we’ll avoid being overwhelmed by drones
Important update on the future of war
3 days ago
Special update from Abu Dhabi
Everything’s OK
6 days ago
The real reason VAR has ruined football
From the original Rational Optimist
Mar 3
CO2 is simply not a danger to human health, and it’s actively good for crops
From the original Rational Optimist
Feb 27
Superschools for Every Kid
Our kids deserve better
Feb 24
What I’m telling my kids about AI
Introducing our syllabus for the future
Feb 18
R.I.P. chatbot era (2023 – 2025)
No wonder software stocks are crashing
Feb 15
The inconvenient truth about polar bears
From the original Rational Optimist
Feb 14
Shady stuff is happening underwater
The most underrated frontier
Feb 8
Why the AI Panic is a Lie (And It’s a Good Thing) | ROP #60
Is the panic over AI justified, or is it just the latest verse in a song we’ve been singing for centuries?
Feb 4
The chip rebellion is on
6 insurgents reinventing chips
Jan 29
Introducing our SMR power rankings
16 startups, 1 champion: who wins?
Jan 22
The American Dream needs a factory reset
Housing’s “iPhone moment”
Jan 16
How many lives will this AI model save?
I’m putting the finishing touches on a story 100 years in the making.
Jan 11
Rational Optimist Awards part 2!
2026 will be an awesome year, and not just because it’s America’s 250th birthday. Innovators will wake up every morning and make it awesome.
Jan 4
The Rational Optimist Awards 2026 (with photos)
It’s the holidays, and you’re likely reading this on your phone between family gatherings, with a plate of leftovers nearby. So it’s time to have some fun!
Dec 28, 2025
The great climate climbdown is finally here
From the original Rational Optimist
Dec 15, 2025
We must defeat B.A.N.A.N.A.
Time to break the rules
Dec 15, 2025
Dude, where’s my supersonic jet?
The Wright brothers first sputtered into the air in 1903.
Dec 10, 2025
Cracking the Methuselah code
For reasons lost to the cosmos, over my career I have become acquainted with a cadre of individuals who have made their lives’ work the quest for something that rhymes with immortality.
Dec 7, 2025
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