Opens profile photo
Follow
Samo Burja
@SamoBurja
There's never been an immortal society. Figuring out why. Founder of . fellow. Bylines
San Franciscosamoburja.comJoined January 2018

Samo Burja’s Tweets

The boom arguably economically harmed rival petrostates like Iran and Venezuela. But it has not resulted in political change. It has, however, brought energy-poor U.S. allies ever closer to the U.S., especially through rapidly growing imports of U.S. liquefied gas. 4/n
Image
2
9
Show this thread
The boom got underway in the 2000s and became very noticeable in the 2010s. Oil and gas production has doubled. While other developed countries in Europe and Asia have struggled with high and unpredictable energy prices, U.S. prices have remained lower and more stable. 3/n
Image
1
6
Show this thread
In short, fracking entails injecting pressurized fluid into the bedrock deep beneath the ground until it cracks and releases hydrocarbons. The principle isn’t new, but it only became commercially viable in the 90s due to the right method for keeping fractures open. 2/n
Image
1
5
Show this thread
a thought on an implication here: - with the trend towards protectionism, and a favour towards localism (trade will ofc still be global to a large extent) - changing world hegemony and trade relations.. How exposed is Singapore seeing how reliant they are being in the middle?
Quote Tweet
Singapore’s key challenge in the coming decades will be balancing U.S.-China tensions. In the words of Prime Minister Lee, “we depend on globalization to make a living.” Self-preservation between such great powers is the government’s main strategic imperative. 4/n
Show this thread
Image
1
9
Show this thread
Thread. Who do you know or know of that might be an ideal Executive Director for Long Now? It's a role for intellectual leadership as well as team leadership, with a gift for making amazing things happen.
Quote Tweet
Want to build something that lasts? We’re looking for an Executive Director to lead The Long Now Foundation into its next quarter-century.
Show this thread
Image
11
53
It looks like the Singaporean government has been one of the biggest backers of eating insects, printed labgrown meat, vegan food, ... Billions of sovereign wealth fund money since 2015! The reason is they are aiming for food autarky through mad science in case a war happens.
Quote Tweet
Let's chat about why you keep reading how eating bugs and living in a pod is the future. A short thread. 1/n
Show this thread
7
96
Singapore’s key challenge in the coming decades will be balancing U.S.-China tensions. In the words of Prime Minister Lee, “we depend on globalization to make a living.” Self-preservation between such great powers is the government’s main strategic imperative. 4/n
Image
3
27
Show this thread
Singapore’s tiny size means it has arguably effectively reached the traditional limits to industrial growth. As a result, the government pursues economic growth through fields that don’t require more space or people: finance, automation, and software. 3/n
Image
1
37
Show this thread
Singapore has always been much more of a live player than most modern governments. This is because it is effectively a one-party state, led by the Lee family dynasty. The Lees elevate effective civil servants to political power, keeping bureaucracies aligned. 2/n
Image
2
36
Show this thread
Security and intelligence services operate on extreme norms of secrecy and deference to authority. I think this completely destroys any epistemic standards.
12
174
Show this thread
The epistemic environment of the security services is probably not the most conducive to verifying outlandish claims, such as about aliens. A career in the security and intelligence services is nevertheless treated as a source of intellectual authority by many people.
Quote Tweet
Replying to @shellenberger
I have seen zero evidence of aliens fwiw
1
42
Live player move. Too few Silicon Valley entrepreneurs realize how happy European politicians are for a photo op with them.
Quote Tweet
Glad to meet @OpenAI CEO @sama AI can fuel huge progress and improve our lives. But we must mitigate risks and build trust. To match the speed of tech development, AI firms need to play their part. EU will work with global partners and stakeholders towards trustworthy AI.
Image
7
134
Remote work has is being walked back by most major tech corporations.
Quote Tweet
Meta institutes a 3-day work week. theinformation.com/articles/meta-
7
58
In 2002, Mexico had a larger GDP than Russia, India, Brazil, or Korea. It has since fallen behind all of them, as a long-running drug war has intensified. The lack of scrutiny of Mexican elites shows the U.S. has a profound disinterest in Mexico, despite its proximity. 4/n
Image
6
30
Show this thread
Slim leads a family dynasty of prominent Lebanese-Mexicans. His wife came from a prominent Lebanese political family. Each of his three sons leads different arms of the corporate empire. Two of his daughters are married to his executives, who are also apparently Lebanese. 3/n
Image
2
20
Show this thread
With a net worth of $96 billion, Carlos Slim is the wealthiest person in Latin America and one of the wealthiest worldwide. His fortune was not made in tech or finance, but mainly in Mexico’s privatized telecom sector, where he benefited from opaque political patronage. 2/n
Image
1
26
Show this thread
Replying to
the US gov has spent hundreds of millions of dollars since 1990 in mRNA vaccine r&d which set the foundation for the breakthrough the US gov also provided the majority of the funding for vaccine development and deployment so on both accounts you’re incorrect
4
58