Jay Powell

This has turned into the ultimate Rorschach test on social media, where people are projecting into this tragedy, which tragically occurs every year to varying degrees. And maybe every 20, 30 years, it's an acute situation. We'll get into that in a moment. But looking at this absolute, just devastating loss of property and lives, the lives could have been a lot worse.

Freeberg, from a scientific perspective, maybe we'll start there. When you look at these wildfires, extreme weather, global warming, and you look at this situation, is that where your mind goes or in this Rorschach test of how you feel about these kind of tragedies and how you interpret it? Do you go somewhere else? The incompetence of California's government, DEI, Ukraine?

Freeberg, from a scientific perspective, maybe we'll start there. When you look at these wildfires, extreme weather, global warming, and you look at this situation, is that where your mind goes or in this Rorschach test of how you feel about these kind of tragedies and how you interpret it? Do you go somewhere else? The incompetence of California's government, DEI, Ukraine?

I mean, everybody is superimposing on this natural disaster, whatever their pet issues are. Where do you come to when you look at this?

I mean, everybody is superimposing on this natural disaster, whatever their pet issues are. Where do you come to when you look at this?

Okay, let's get to that after we go through maybe a little bit of the quick reactions here.

Okay, let's get to that after we go through maybe a little bit of the quick reactions here.

Okay, so Chamath, I think table stakes, we all agree, global warming, extreme weather, depending on what degree you believe in it, there's play some factor here. And this is something that has reoccurred over and over again in this specific region. region. But on social media, we're seeing a lot of other interpretations of this event. Maybe your thoughts on some of the other interpretations.

Okay, so Chamath, I think table stakes, we all agree, global warming, extreme weather, depending on what degree you believe in it, there's play some factor here. And this is something that has reoccurred over and over again in this specific region. region. But on social media, we're seeing a lot of other interpretations of this event. Maybe your thoughts on some of the other interpretations.

And then when you look at it, what do you start to think about preventing this in the future? Or maybe who's responsible? What's your general take on what we've seen in the last week?

And then when you look at it, what do you start to think about preventing this in the future? Or maybe who's responsible? What's your general take on what we've seen in the last week?

Okay, Cyan, you've heard Chamath and Freeberg's take here. some amount of incompetence, some amount of, hey, this keeps occurring and there might be some global warming that is contributing to it. What do you take away from this situation?

Okay, Cyan, you've heard Chamath and Freeberg's take here. some amount of incompetence, some amount of, hey, this keeps occurring and there might be some global warming that is contributing to it. What do you take away from this situation?

Yeah, and I actually lived right next door to this area for a long time in Brentwood. And to your point about roofs, it seems silly. And a lot of these fire prevention things can seem silly when you first mention them, which Trump looked, let's face it, the way he says things sometimes is very colorful.

Yeah, and I actually lived right next door to this area for a long time in Brentwood. And to your point about roofs, it seems silly. And a lot of these fire prevention things can seem silly when you first mention them, which Trump looked, let's face it, the way he says things sometimes is very colorful.

And when he said, listen, you're not raking like people in wherever he said it, Scandinavia, Finland are raking the forest. And he was absolutely 100% correct on that. Maybe it sounded bombastic or silly when the way he said it. But the truth is, in Tahoe, where we just were over the holidays, people are clearing underbrush.

And when he said, listen, you're not raking like people in wherever he said it, Scandinavia, Finland are raking the forest. And he was absolutely 100% correct on that. Maybe it sounded bombastic or silly when the way he said it. But the truth is, in Tahoe, where we just were over the holidays, people are clearing underbrush.

When I lived in Los Angeles, people who lived in the Hollywood Hills would get a fine if they didn't clear it. But there are mountain ranges that nobody owns. And when you showed that Sepulveda Pass, that's the 405 going past the Getty Center. That area has got to be cleaned by the city and the government. And maybe they weren't doing it as much. Look at this. This is apocalyptic.

When I lived in Los Angeles, people who lived in the Hollywood Hills would get a fine if they didn't clear it. But there are mountain ranges that nobody owns. And when you showed that Sepulveda Pass, that's the 405 going past the Getty Center. That area has got to be cleaned by the city and the government. And maybe they weren't doing it as much. Look at this. This is apocalyptic.

Yeah, so I know this past very well because I would drive through it.