The Iran War is shattering the U.S. illusion of power, breaking truths that are being replaced by AI models and creating an epistemic collapse
Thursday, March 19, 2026
Tall Buildings Lead to More Compact and Productive Cities
On the benefits of urban density and the role of tall buildings in achieving that result.
Iran War: Leap Up Escalation Ladder with Israel//US Attack on Iran Gas Field, Nuclear Plant, Iran Retaliation on Qatar Gas Facilities, Other Energy Infrastructure Across Region; MSM Initial Under-Reporting Not Blunting Surge in UK, EU Gas Prices;
Iran war news: The Middle East burns thanks to epically stupid Israeli attacks on Iran’s energy assets, which produced a fierce response
Trump FBI and IRS Team Up to Probe US Nonprofit Groups for ‘Domestic Terrorism’ Links
Trump had threatened independent voices via revoking IRS non-for-profit status. He is upping the ante with FBI and terrorism probes
Rifling Through the Evidence: Uncertainty in Firearms Analysis
Recently published studies raise basic methodology questions about the tests used to vet firearms ballistic analysts.
Coffee Break: Silicon Valley Accelerationists Take On the World and Everyone in It
Multiple Silicon Valley accelerationists like Marc Andreessen, Peter Thiel, Alex Karp, and Mark Zuckerberg are getting attention for what some consider their challenges to values that many consider central to humanity: introspection, civil society, education, and privacy.
AI-Powered Robot Dogs Guarding Reviled Data Centers Is Where We Have Arrived
Robot dogs, known as “quadrupeds,” patrol sprawling energy-sucking complexes, which are increasingly met with protest around the country.
Iran War: Joe Kent Resignation Bombshell; US Deploys Bunker-Busters Near Strait of Hormuz; Iran Makes Retaliatory Strikes on Israel, Across Gulf for Ali Larijani Assassination; Real World Oil Prices Diverge from Paper Oil
Today’s Iran war update: attritional slugging continues as Joe Kent’s resignation shows MAGA doubts and the economic tsunami starts rolls in.
What Does Europe Do Now?
EU economy chief downplays risks from war against Iran as misleadership class seeks ways to make crises even worse.
“Regime Tweaking” In Cuba Is The Most Realistic Outcome Of Its US-Instigated Crisis
Cuba has no option other than to knuckle under in the face of US economic strangulation. What comes next?
Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – Distributed Deterrence
Military superiority has long been assumed to confer decisive strategic advantage. Yet the spread of precision missiles, mobile launch systems, and low-cost drones is eroding that assumption. A new condition of “distributed deterrence” is emerging—one that may constrain great power coercion while introducing new risks of escalation.
Why Insect Farming Startups Are Going Bankrupt
To the frustration of Davos Man, insect agriculture has found it difficult to compete with the traditional meat industry.
