At approximately 3 AM EST, reports started crossing the transom of a global IT outage impacting a broad range of industries, causing airlines, banks, media broadcasters, and shipping lines to shut …
A Renewed Commitment and Reorientation to the First Principles Thinking of the Founders
First principles thinking is a timeless methodology that continues to influence diverse fields by encouraging deep analysis and innovative solutions. While Aristotle and Descartes are pivotal figures …
NATO Versus “The Ultimate Threat Multiplier”
In 2017, NATO released a seminal report that concluded that climate change is the ultimate “threat multiplier," exacerbating political instability in the world’s most unstable regions, with …
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The Art of Geopolitical Intelligence: Lessons for Informed Decision-Making
I have spent decades immersed in the world of geopolitical intelligence and remain a practitioner of the craft today. With this post I reflect on some of the key lessons I have learned in seeking to …
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The Perovskite Scenarios: Critical Mineral Mining and the Future of Geopolitical Competition and Conflict
The mining of critical minerals like perovskite-related materials and oxides of calcium and titanium is increasingly becoming a geopolitical issue. The strategic importance, limited availability, and …
How Deep Tech Week and a Cadre of Innovators Shaping The Future Ignited My Optimism
Deep Tech Week was one of the most optimistic gathering I have been to. Every session was characterized by a positive and hopeful atmosphere and a sense of community. It is hard to capture the real …
Perovskite Mineral Chrystal Structures are the Future of Renewable Energy – and Many Other Cross-sector Material Science Innovations
In the latest installment in our Exponential, Convergent Material Science Innovation Series, we continue to pull the string provided to us by OODA Loop contributor Scott Nuzum (SVP at Chicago-based …
Is the Mass Casualty Event at the Annual Hajj Pilgrimage the Largest to Date Induced by Wet Bulb Conditions?
Recent reports peg the final number of fatalities at the centuries-old Hajj Pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia at anywhere from 550 to 645 people (and rising). For now, we are …
A Dispatch from the Ministry for the Future: “Wet Bulb” Heat and Humidity Conditions in the U.S.
The opening scene of "The Ministry for the Future" by Kim Stanley Robinson is a powerful and harrowing depiction of a catastrophic heatwave in India - where temperatures specifically reach critical …
The Materials Genome Initiative (MGI): A Paradigm Shift in the Discovery, Development, and Deployment of New Materials
Think of the infrastructure and architecture of the Human Genome Project, then apply it to the acceleration of our "understanding of the fundamentals of material science, providing a wealth of …