Derek Thompson

How did that happen? It's funny that you said that. That entire question, I was like, God, I've literally had this conversation to myself in my head. If you had told 2015 Derek that there was a Republican administration and Mark Andreessen and Elon Musk, the 2015 versions of Mark Andreessen and Elon Musk were going to be two of the more important stewards of American science and tech policy.

How did that happen? It's funny that you said that. That entire question, I was like, God, I've literally had this conversation to myself in my head. If you had told 2015 Derek that there was a Republican administration and Mark Andreessen and Elon Musk, the 2015 versions of Mark Andreessen and Elon Musk were going to be two of the more important stewards of American science and tech policy.

If you asked me what the odds are on us cutting scientific funding by 50%, I'd be like fucking 10,000 to one. Are you serious? Elon Musk overseeing an effort to cut the NIH by 40%? No way. Cut the NSF, which has a lot of physical world nitty gritty things. physics, science, not this, you know, cellular stuff, but just figuring out like the next generation of like energy construction.

If you asked me what the odds are on us cutting scientific funding by 50%, I'd be like fucking 10,000 to one. Are you serious? Elon Musk overseeing an effort to cut the NIH by 40%? No way. Cut the NSF, which has a lot of physical world nitty gritty things. physics, science, not this, you know, cellular stuff, but just figuring out like the next generation of like energy construction.

If you asked me what the odds are on us cutting scientific funding by 50%, I'd be like fucking 10,000 to one. Are you serious? Elon Musk overseeing an effort to cut the NIH by 40%? No way. Cut the NSF, which has a lot of physical world nitty gritty things. physics, science, not this, you know, cellular stuff, but just figuring out like the next generation of like energy construction.

This is totally like 2015 Elon Musk shit. We're cutting it by 50%. The Trump nominated director of NSF just left because of what a disaster they're making it. I mean, if even if you left the tariffs out of it,

This is totally like 2015 Elon Musk shit. We're cutting it by 50%. The Trump nominated director of NSF just left because of what a disaster they're making it. I mean, if even if you left the tariffs out of it,

This is totally like 2015 Elon Musk shit. We're cutting it by 50%. The Trump nominated director of NSF just left because of what a disaster they're making it. I mean, if even if you left the tariffs out of it,

And you said, we're just going to evaluate what these guys are doing to American science with the understanding that it was basic research in American science that built TCP IP, the technology that helped make Marc Andreessen a billionaire, and that made possible the photovoltaic cell, which is part of what, well, even before the photovoltaic cell, lithium ion batteries, which are core to electric vehicle technology, basic research made these men billionaires.

And you said, we're just going to evaluate what these guys are doing to American science with the understanding that it was basic research in American science that built TCP IP, the technology that helped make Marc Andreessen a billionaire, and that made possible the photovoltaic cell, which is part of what, well, even before the photovoltaic cell, lithium ion batteries, which are core to electric vehicle technology, basic research made these men billionaires.

And you said, we're just going to evaluate what these guys are doing to American science with the understanding that it was basic research in American science that built TCP IP, the technology that helped make Marc Andreessen a billionaire, and that made possible the photovoltaic cell, which is part of what, well, even before the photovoltaic cell, lithium ion batteries, which are core to electric vehicle technology, basic research made these men billionaires.

And then they got power. And they are participants in administration that is destroying the very thing that made their careers possible. It's so strange to me that this is happening. I mean, I understand it's an ideological purge of government. I understand why they're doing it at an interpersonal level.

And then they got power. And they are participants in administration that is destroying the very thing that made their careers possible. It's so strange to me that this is happening. I mean, I understand it's an ideological purge of government. I understand why they're doing it at an interpersonal level.

And then they got power. And they are participants in administration that is destroying the very thing that made their careers possible. It's so strange to me that this is happening. I mean, I understand it's an ideological purge of government. I understand why they're doing it at an interpersonal level.

But at exactly the level of abstraction that you pose the question, I am totally fucking flabbergasted.

But at exactly the level of abstraction that you pose the question, I am totally fucking flabbergasted.

But at exactly the level of abstraction that you pose the question, I am totally fucking flabbergasted.

So how do I want to frame this? We wrote this book in 2023 and 2024. We added four sentences, maybe. Maybe seven sentences in November 2024 after the Donald Trump election. So this is a book that is not about 2025. This is a book about what Ezra and I think is most important in American policy that we hope Democrats focus more on.

So how do I want to frame this? We wrote this book in 2023 and 2024. We added four sentences, maybe. Maybe seven sentences in November 2024 after the Donald Trump election. So this is a book that is not about 2025. This is a book about what Ezra and I think is most important in American policy that we hope Democrats focus more on.

So how do I want to frame this? We wrote this book in 2023 and 2024. We added four sentences, maybe. Maybe seven sentences in November 2024 after the Donald Trump election. So this is a book that is not about 2025. This is a book about what Ezra and I think is most important in American policy that we hope Democrats focus more on.