It seems like there’s so many negative stories these days. I was glad to see that a new podcast, “American Optimist,” features good things that are coming.
Joe Lonsdale, founder of Palantir Venture Capitalists, hosts the show. Sal Churi interviews entrepreneurs such as Joe Lonsdale who finances companies like Icon which was able to print 3D homes in one day.
It is fascinating to see. It’s all in my New video
People who are poor and want to build a home quickly can do so with the help of fast home builders! Churi is not able to overcome rigid safety and zoning rules set by the government.
“It’s actually impossible to do 3D printing of homes with modern technology because government regulation is making it impossible,” says Lonsdale.
“That infuriates me,” I tell him. “I keep seeing these wonderful new things we can’t have … because of regulations that don’t matter.”
“We’d probably have twice as big of an economy if we didn’t have bad regulations,” he replies.
Innovations that get over regulators will lead to many cool ideas.
Many people predicted that flying cars would be a reality for many years. Lonsdale and Paul Sciarra’s friend, who was also the co-founder of Pinterest’s company, have invested in Joby Aviation. The small aircraft looks similar to a flying car. It will likely be used for an aerial taxi.
“It’s about 100 times quieter than a helicopter,” says Lonsdale. “Goes about 200 miles on a charge – safer, much quieter. It is intended to be used as a commuter vehicle. I’m pretty excited as we start to scale this out.”
Elon Musk of Boring Company, another Lonsdale friend, hopes to speed up traffic through tunnels.
Again, however it is difficult to obtain such new transportation beyond the rules of bureaucrats. Digging tunnels today actually often costs more( and takes longer – even though construction equipment is much better!
“The EPA is going to insist you do these studies that take four or five years,” complains Lonsdale. “It’s almost like they delight in delaying you.”
Musk is the rare entrepreneur who triumphs over regulations – sometimes by ignoring them.
Sometimes, however, innovation in fields like neurotechnology can be allowed to escape from stupid regulations because regulators aren’t clear on what they’re trying to do.
Musk’s Neuralink company invented technology that could allow us to control everything with our brains. Stossel TV’s Lonsdale video includes a Neuralink clip that shows a monkey simply by thinking.
It will soon be possible to help paralyzed individuals do new things with this technology. Someday, we may be able communicate through it. They’ll just… think…to each other.
Rick Klausner (scientist who created Grail blood testing that can detect all 50 types of cancers) is featured on Lonsdale’s podcast. The Federal Trade Commission has blocked the merger of the company to which it would be sold.
“This could be saving over 1,000 lives a month right now by detecting early cancers!” complains Lonsdale.
He talks to Maureen Hillenmeyer (founder of Hexagon Bio), which transforms fungi into cancer-fighting drugs. However, approval by the Food and Drug Administration may take up to 10 years.
“It definitely does not need to be 10 years!” says Lonsdale. “Competition of ideas is very important. When I am in charge of the federal government, I’m going to have the FDA compete against itself and have multiple competing agencies.”
He will be in charge the government. He probably won’t. Competition could make bureaucrats a lot more efficient and less sleepy. It is likely.
“We’re living in one of the most exciting times,” concludes Lonsdale. “The quality of life we have even during COVID is so much higher than anything humanity experienced, and it’s only going to get better.”
These optimists are a blessing.
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