Linklog 8

I like MSVAB as a concept but I think of it as a tactical playbook, in that vision seems always downstream of mythology. I am not enamored of the shift in space mythologies from Star Trek towards Dune, but to be honest neither seems to have really grappled with the actual math or social science of their respective projects. But then social science seems to tend more…“dismal”(?) than physical science, at least with respect to visions that could generate approvals and budgets. Perhaps my colleagues in sociology or political science are more uplifting than the economists.

For what it’s worth I don’t actually find social science dismal at all; I think it can seem that way because of its focus on the fact that, no matter what technologies are involved, building better societies means living and dealing with each other. So while the Martian labor revolt problem may only be a live issue for space economists of 2130 and maybe doesn’t need too much ink spilled on it today, it seems to me like space economists of 2030 ought to be working at least a little on the mythologies needed to understand it.

Math Science Vision Approvals Budget. “A C-player is a person whose mistakes are always wasted” is a great insight. What else might we learn from Mr Beast? OP

A better mythology for science? Zach always has interesting thoughts. I don’t think I realized how much I’d internalized the linear model till I read this. OP

No cities on the Moon: a billion tons of water is not enough for sustainability. Table 3 is cool. Presumably there’s an optimal size that would get much longer out of its resources and be more economically viable, but the volatiles are still finite and will need to be managed. OP