Thoughts on how to make kids more self reliant, from Neils Stephenson and Ferguson (except the latter is a Niall).
Category Archives: Technology and Society
Heading Home
I had terrible flights, today. I have a cold, so I was miserable to start. Then at DCA, Americans delayed my flight to Phoenix, then had me go to a different terminal to catch it, while changing my seat from my window toward the front to a center toward the rear(with no explanation), with a woman in the window seat who had zero interest in what was going on outside, so I spent over four hours in a semi-claustrophobic condition. (As an aside, I’m kind of astonished at how many people in window seats have zero curiosity and desire to see where they are, keeping shades down throughout).
Then, when I get to Phoenix, my connection to LA is delayed three hours, which is why I have time to bitch about it. But I hope I’ll be home soon, with Patricia and the cats, after being gone for over a week.
The Global Baby Bust
Three long-shot ways of solving it. One of them is space.
Still On The Road
ISDC is over, and I’m flying to DC in the morning. Driving down to Norfolk from there on Thursday to do a presentation on equatorial LEO at CRASTE. But I’ll have more time to check in this week once I’m ensconced there. I heard something about a bomber raid in Iran.
[Monday-afternoon update]
What next with Iran? Ten questions from VDH.
I’m No Munitions Expert, But…
OK, so I understand that if you want to quickly bust a bunker, you need a bunker buster. But what if there's no hurry? Because you completely dominate the skies? Why can't Israel just keep dropping more-conventional bombs, one after another, in each consecutive crater? Wouldn't…
— Not-So-OK Boomer (@Rand_Simberg) June 17, 2025
El Segundo
Ignoring the dumb headline, Joel Kotkin has an interesting story on the new tech hub in the South Bay. I helped set up some of the plant visits for it.
The Real War Has Finally Begun
A good analysis of what’s been happening over the past day in Iran.
1. The Israel-Iran war: The first day.
— נדב איל Nadav Eyal (@Nadav_Eyal) June 13, 2025
We are now about 15 hours after Israel launched what it labels a *preventive strike* against the Islamic Republic of Iran – targeting its nuclear facilities and ballistic missile sites.
Here’s a short recap of what’s happened – and what…
It seemed pretty clear that something was going to happen when we evacuated embassies in the region.
[Update early afternoon]
Iran has been waging war on us for over 45 years, while we've been pretending they weren't so we didn't have to do anything about it. We got away with it because they hadn't yet developed the capability to hurt us other than killing our soldiers in the region (it certainly wasn't…
— Not-So-OK Boomer (@Rand_Simberg) June 13, 2025
Iran has been launching retaliatory missile strikes against Tel Aviv, with most of them intercepted. I don’t think I’d want to be on Kharg Island on any day, but definitely not today.
Of Monasteries And Universities
A long but useful essay on the coming obsolescence of the current system of higher education.
Blue Origin Speaks
It’s time for NASA to get out of the launch business.
I’ve only been saying this for over two decades.
Don’t read the comments, though.
[Tuesday-morning update]
Bob Zimmerman is very encouraged about the future of America in space.
Light posting today if at all, because I’ll be at the Space Tech Expo in Long Beach all day.
[Thursday-morning update]
Bob has a follow up post. I do think the proposal to reduce crew size on the ISS is penny-wise pound-foolish.
Elon’s Presentation On Mars Plans
Bob Zimmerman has it, and summarizes.