Author: Colin Henderson

Progress in era of productivity
US

Will Harris’s Lead Last? A Few Questions That Will Shape the Answer.

Colin Henderson

By Nate Cohn Republicans have struggled to cast Kamala Harris in a negative light.Credit…Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times Kamala Harris has wrapped up an extraordinary month. In that short time, she’s completely transformed the 2024 presidential election. She leads in most national and battleground state polls, and the real-world signs of the enthusiasm for her candidacy are everywhere, from filled-up stadiums to record-setting campaign contributions. All this was hard to imagine before President Biden dropped out, when a majority of Americans had an unfavorable view of her. Her previous run for president did not go well. If anything, her record in national politics saddled … Continue reading Will Harris’s Lead Last? A Few Questions That Will Shape the Answer.

Geopolitics

How US military planning has shifted away from fighting terrorism to readying for tensions and conflict with China and Russia

Colin Henderson

 Eric RosenbachPublished: August 26, 2024 1.31pm BST President Joe Biden’s recent approval of a major shift in U.S. nuclear weapons strategyhighlights the attention the country’s national security officials are paying to Chinese ambitions for influence in the world. As changes emerge in the types of threats facing the U.S., the American military adjusts its strategic focus, budgets and planning. For instance, after 9/11, the U.S. military refocused away from its Cold War emphasis on preparing for combat against a powerful nation – the Soviet Union – and toward fighting small terrorist and insurgent groups instead. Over the past decade, the Pentagon’s efforts have … Continue reading How US military planning has shifted away from fighting terrorism to readying for tensions and conflict with China and Russia

productivity

Workers in Canada are now only 70 per cent as productive as their counterparts in the US

Colin Henderson

Workers in Canada are now only 70 per cent as productive as their counterparts in the United States, and our productivity growth lags that of the United Kingdom, Germany and France.August 14, 2024 From: Martin Eichenbaum, Michelle Alexopoulos and Jeremy M. Kronick >Many reasons have been cited for the country’s poor performance, over-regulation and barriers to competition and interprovincial trade among them. >But a lesser-known contributor to the problem is Canada’s focus on investment in the construction industry which tends to have weaker productivity than other industries, said Caranci. >Along with regulation barriers, the industry contains a large number of small … Continue reading Workers in Canada are now only 70 per cent as productive as their counterparts in the US

Military

Trying to Head Off War, U.S. Moves Naval Forces Closer to Israel

Colin Henderson

Trying to Head Off War, U.S. Moves Naval Forces Closer to Israel American officials are sending a signal to Iran and its allies, in the form of two aircraft carrier groups and an attack submarine. By Eric Schmitt With fears rising that a wider war could break out in the Middle East, the United States has steadily been moving Navy forces closer to the area, including two aircraft carrier groups and an attack submarine. And it has not been shy about announcing the details, in a clear effort to deter Iran and its allies from more intense attacks on Israel. Earlier … Continue reading Trying to Head Off War, U.S. Moves Naval Forces Closer to Israel

AI

Mike Gallagher is a new hire at Palantir

Colin Henderson

Palantir Hires Someone Very Important… Let’s dive into Mike Gallagher. AMIT KUKREJA AUG 25 READ IN APP Welcome back to DailyPalantir! On today’s newsletter, we dive deep into the latest employee Palantir just hired. Let’s get into it! Who is Mike Gallagher? Mike Gallagher is a new hire at Palantir, and he brings a background that’s a bit different from your typical defense industry professional. Before joining Palantir, he was a Republican congressman from Wisconsin, serving seven years in the House of Representatives. Gallagher’s new role marks his first job in the defense sector, but his experience in politics and national … Continue reading Mike Gallagher is a new hire at Palantir

Sociology2

A thermodynamic miracle: Compute and energy are key to humanity’s continued evolution

Colin Henderson

JAMES PETHOKOUKIS – James Pethokoukis is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and an official CNBC contributor. AUG 24 Explaining humanity’s societal evolution is the goal of the marvelous new (and preliminary) paper “The computational power of a human society: a new model of social evolution” by David H. Wolpert (Santa Fe Institute,) and Kyle Harper (University of Oklahoma, Santa Fe Institute.) It’s a big-picture, big-think analysis that syncs well with what I write about both in this premium newsletter and in my 2023 book, The Conservative Futurist: How To Create the Sci-Fi World We Were Promised. But more on … Continue reading A thermodynamic miracle: Compute and energy are key to humanity’s continued evolution

AI

America Isn’t Ready for the Wars of the Future

Colin Henderson

America Isn’t Ready for the Wars of the Future And They’re Already Here By Mark A. Milley and Eric Schmidt On the battlefields of Ukraine, the future of war is quickly becoming its present. Thousands of drones fill the skies. These drones and their operators are using artificial intelligence systems to avoid obstacles and identify potential targets. AI models are also helping Ukraine predict where to strike. Thanks to these systems, Ukrainian soldiers are taking out tanks and downing planes with devastating effectiveness. Russian units find themselves under constant observation, and their communications lines are prone to enemy disruption—as are … Continue reading America Isn’t Ready for the Wars of the Future

AI

Discover the rise of efficient AI with smaller language models..

Colin Henderson

The advent of small mobile ready AI applications marks the next step in applied AI and broad usage with new revenue models. Jennifer Wales 4 min read View on Medium OpenAI’s Releases GPT-4o mini LLM Small but mighty! ChatGPT-4o mini defies outperforming larger LLMs in key benchmarks. Discover the rise of efficient AI with smaller language models.. But with the launch of ChatGPT-4o mini, the scenario is changing quite a bit. This smaller sibling of the renowned ChatGPT-4 is leading the revolution for smaller language models. Even though it is compact, it is highly powerful and has greater abilities to … Continue reading Discover the rise of efficient AI with smaller language models..

Business Models

Structural form that offers any position paper approach – from article by Jonathan Alter

Colin Henderson

The Four Points That Harris’s Speech Needs to Emphasize Aug. 22, 2024 By Jonathan Alter Contributing Opinion Writer, reporting from Chicago The most important part of any convention is the acceptance speech. It wins the highest ratings and usually determines the size of the post-convention bounce in the polls. Donald Trump blew his speech at the Republican convention by rambling interminably. Kamala Harris isn’t likely to do that at the Democratic convention on Thursday. But to win the election she must successfully introduce herself to millions of Americans and stress themes that resonate. Here are four possibilities: Opportunity: Harris will tell her … Continue reading Structural form that offers any position paper approach – from article by Jonathan Alter