A Challenge to Peter Thiel's Pessimism

Also: How America Has Built Big

Peter Thiel’s Pessimism is (Largely) Mistaken

By Marian Tupuy & Gale Pooley

Marian and Gale present a data-driven challenge to Thiel’s now-famous assertion of stagnation and slowdown in innovation, especially in the world of ‘atoms’. They note that, in a vastly more-populated world, one can nevertheless evidence increased abundance in basic and luxury commodities. Most importantly, it is the poor and needy who have benefitted most.

Building Fast and Slow: The Empire State Building and the World Trade Center (Part I)

By Brian Potter

Brian elaborates the similarities and differences of two of America’s architectural darlings, each at one point holding the record of tallest building in the world: the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center. In the interests of progress, he focuses his analysis on why the Empire State Building was built with so little friction, while the World Trade Center was mired by obstacles and controversy.

Golden Rice Harvest: A Breakthrough in the Philippines

By Tony Morley

Tony brings attention to the first implementation of large-scale Golden Rice cultivation in the Philippines. This GM rice is enriched to address Vitamin A malnutrition, common in Africa and Asia due to a rice-heavy diet, causing widespread blindness and immunodeficiency. Legislative breakthroughs means Golden Rice may become the norm.

Return to Earth: How Two Refugees Established the Technology Industry in Taiwan and India

By Niloy Gupta

Niloy tells the tale of two displaced immigrants. Fakir Kohli’s family was forced to flee east in the wake of the break-up of British India and the ensuing religious conflict between Hindu’s and Muslim’s. Morris Chang experienced Britain ceding his native Hong Kong to Japan during WW2. Yet these two nomadic figures were central to kickstarting Taiwanese and Indian technology.

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Ross