The idea that the US is intrinsically uncompetitive in certain manufacturing areas like consumer electronics is 'crap.' Automation allows high-wage countries to compete. Ceding entire sectors is a strategic error; the US has every advantage needed to compete if it chooses to.
To avoid organizational decay, government agencies like NASA should be established with a fixed lifespan (e.g., 10 years). At sunset, they would be forced to reconstitute, allowing for a re-evaluation of their mission and shedding of unproductive labs, ensuring continued relevance and success.
The primary obstacle to US solar deployment isn't technology, but permitting. Allowing 'by-right' development—treating solar projects like cattle ranching on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land—would dramatically accelerate deployment by removing tiresome and expensive regulatory hurdles.
A top mechanical engineering graduate from a prestigious university who has never built a single project outside of class requirements demonstrates a lack of intrinsic motivation. This is a major red flag for hiring managers at ambitious hardware companies looking for true builders.
The common approach to reduce flying's climate impact—taxing fuel—disproportionately harms lower-income individuals. A more progressive and technologically optimistic solution is to invent cheaper, carbon-neutral jet fuel, expanding access to the 'privilege' of flight for everyone, not just the wealthy.
Keeping an employee in a role where they are failing is a profound disservice. You cannot coach someone into a fundamentally bad fit. The employee isn't growing; they're going backward. A manager's responsibility is to provide direct feedback and, if necessary, 'invite them to build their career elsewhere.'
Figures like Henry Kaiser and Elon Musk don't confine themselves to one industry (e.g., roads or rockets). They view their core skill as engineering itself—a portable competence applicable to any complex physical problem, enabling them to jump into and dominate new fields.
China's frantic deployment of solar is a strategic move to reduce dependence on oil imported through sea lanes it doesn't control, such as the Strait of Malacca. By becoming an 'electrostate,' China aims to neutralize a key point of economic and military leverage held by the U.S. and its allies.
As solar panels become cheaper, it's more cost-effective to install additional static panels than to use expensive mechanical trackers that follow the sun. Despite the math favoring static arrays since 2016, trackers persist due to industry inertia and 'cozy oligopolies' in the installation sector.
The fundamental physics of high-speed travel dictates that the faster you go, the farther from the Earth's surface you need to be for safety. This constraint meant Hyperloop would require extensive, economically unviable tunneling, making it more expensive than equivalent air travel.
If a highly successful person repeatedly makes decisions that seem crazy but consistently work, don't dismiss them. Instead, assume their model of reality is superior to yours in a key way. Your goal should be to infer what knowledge they possess that you don't.
While one might hope to build a successful hardware company without being 'uncompromisingly demanding,' experience suggests otherwise. People are capable of far more than they believe, but almost always require extrinsic motivation. This tough leadership style appears necessary for succeeding in competitive hardware manufacturing.
Despite building massive enterprises like Kaiser Permanente and working on Hoover Dam, Henry Kaiser's empire fragmented after his death. His assets went to his second wife, who had no interest in running the businesses, leading to their gradual sell-off and his diminished historical recognition.
The requirement for specific car seats, while saving ~58 children's lives annually, statistically averts an estimated 10,000 births. This happens because families cannot afford to upgrade their vehicles to accommodate more children safely and legally, highlighting how minor regulations can have significant demographic effects.