2025-01-10
glass
Thomas Pueyo on the origins of the largest cities in the United States as transit hubs. Rather long and jumpy, I think I would have preferred if it was per region or even per city. For example, Atlanta started as a natural railway hub just south of the Appalachians, so how was it that it became the HQ for Delta and a consumer airport hub (though maybe this is in his paywalled Atlanta article)? Related, I’m in Chongqing right now, and despite people’s admiration for it’s cyberpunk buildings (which I think is a counterargument against the idea that people have brutalist architecture), it’s clearly poorer than for example Chengdu. Is this because of Bo Xilai, either his centralizing policies or as punishment for supporting him, or is it related to cultural factors due to it’s history as a port city that leads to increased corruption? Or could there be some geographic explanation, like has the Three Gorges Dam somehow affected river trade?
Charter Cities Podcast discussion with Atossa Araxia Abrahamian, a good listen as it’s always nice to listen to people who are ideologues yet pragmatic. Also relevant to my pet idea of vested citizenship.
Takeover Pod on Charlemagne, good background for Alice Maz’s post on individuals and societies.
Here’s an interesting discussion where Aseco complains that EA is too diluted and sensitive to public pressures. I don’t really buy this ACX model of priesthoods, but it seems relevant.
Asimov Press on stories they want to publish.
Related, here’s Owl Posting profiling a particular startup which has potentially found a niche in the design of antibodies to target membrane proteins by applying computation design both to the antibodies, but also to creating analogues of the membrane proteins for easier wet lab testing. It’s weird, because in most other fields you would just focus on the last part and become a provider to other antibody companies, who would sell it off to a company specialized in pushing through clinical trials and approval. But instead it seems like biotech startups seem to try to own the entire chain, as if they were J&J.
Conversations with Tyler with Scott Sumner. I’d unsettling how much I identify with Scott. Others have corroborated my idea that I have the personality of a 60 year old man. Addendum.
Defender makes a case for what appears to be applied propaganda (for good?).
