Podcasts about Technology policy

The clock is ticking on meaningful crypto regulation in the US, and the consequences of continued inaction could be dire. In this episode of Decentralize with Cointelegraph, reporter Vince Quill sits down with Marta Belcher, president of the Blockchain Association and the Filecoin Foundation, to explore the urgent need for legislative clarity before the 2026 midterm elections.Together, they dissect what's holding Congress back, the long shadow of the Trump administration on the crypto industry and whether the US can still reclaim its leadership in Web3. From bipartisan momentum to market structure must-haves, Belcher offers her insights into the state of crypto in Washington, along with what both lawmakers and industry leaders need to do next.(01:09) Why passing US crypto legislation before 2026 is critical(03:08) What's stalling crypto laws in Congress?(05:22) Trump's lingering influence on the crypto landscape(06:36) Top concerns from within the crypto industry(08:28) Has the US already lost too many crypto companies?(09:41) Should the US take cues from other countries on crypto regulation?(11:04) Is crypto truly a bipartisan issue in Washington?(12:10) What must be included in a solid market structure bill?(13:37) Is there any regulatory breathing room for crypto startups?(18:38) Key legislation and proposals currently on the radar(24:14) Advice for lawmakers and crypto leadersThis episode was hosted by Vince Quill, @VinceQuill and produced by Savannah Fortis, @savannah_fortis.Follow Cointelegraph on X @Cointelegraph.Check out Cointelegraph at cointelegraph.com.If you like what you heard, rate us and leave a review!The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants' alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast's participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

Join us Monday, June 9th, at 12:00pm EST for a timely discussion examining how artificial intelligence is fundamentally upending existing data protection laws and reshaping the debate over privacy protections.The rise of AI has created a tension between unlocking AI’s transformative potential and protecting personal data. As AI systems require vast amounts of data to function effectively, traditional privacy frameworks face unprecedented challenges. Our panel of experts will address emerging issues in data privacy such as how AI is challenging conventional data privacy best practices, state-level privacy regulations and their impact on AI innovation, sectoral challenges in healthcare, education, and finance, and what a modern privacy framework designed for the AI era might look like.Featuring:Pam Dixon- Founder & Executive Director, World Privacy ForumKevin Frazier- AI Innovation and Law Fellow, University of Texas School of LawJennifer Huddleston- Senior Fellow, Technology Policy, Cato Institute[Moderator] Ashley Baker- Executive Director, Committee for Justice

Renaissance Philanthropy — in my opinion, the most exciting S&T philanthropic venture in the US — is getting a one-year check-in. Kumar Garg first appeared on the show right before I went on paternity leave, and now we're back for round two. Before founding Renaissance Philanthropy, Kumar worked in the Obama Office of Science and Technology Policy and spent time at Schmidt Futures. We discuss… How Renaissance ⁠catalyzed⁠ over $200 million in philanthropic funding in its first year, The goals of the organization and how it has responded to Trump's S&T funding cuts, What sets Renaissance apart from traditional philanthropic organizations, and lessons for China-focused research foundations, AI applications in education, from tutoring to dyslexia screening, Donor psychology, “portfolio regret,” and how to build trust within a philanthropic network. Thanks to ElevenLabs for sponsoring this episode. Check out the ElevenReader text-to-speech app here. Outro music: Mercy, Mercy, Mercy - Cannonball Adderley (YouTube Link) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renaissance Philanthropy — in my opinion, the most exciting S&T philanthropic venture in the US — is getting a one-year check-in. Kumar Garg first appeared on the show right before I went on paternity leave, and now we're back for round two. Before founding Renaissance Philanthropy, Kumar worked in the Obama Office of Science and Technology Policy and spent time at Schmidt Futures. We discuss… How Renaissance ⁠catalyzed⁠ over $200 million in philanthropic funding in its first year, The goals of the organization and how it has responded to Trump's S&T funding cuts, What sets Renaissance apart from traditional philanthropic organizations, and lessons for China-focused research foundations, AI applications in education, from tutoring to dyslexia screening, Donor psychology, “portfolio regret,” and how to build trust within a philanthropic network. Thanks to ElevenLabs for sponsoring this episode. Check out the ElevenReader text-to-speech app here. Outro music: Mercy, Mercy, Mercy - Cannonball Adderley (YouTube Link) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Global Positioning System is over 50 years old. When it was developed, no one imagined all of the different ways it would be used by both civilians and the military. As we look forward to regulation of new technologies like artificial intelligence, what policy development lessons can we learn from GPS's history? Here with some thoughts on that is Systems Director for the Center for Space Policy and Strategy at The Aerospace Corporation, Dr. Brian Weeden.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To kick off our big 15 year anniversary celebration, we're re-sharing two stories from the storytellers you, the fans, voted as your favorite stories. And the best part? You can see these storytellers, along with the other fan favorites, take the stage live on June 3, 2025, at Caveat in New York City during our special anniversary show and fundraiser. Learn more and grab your tickets here. Part 1: Maryam Zaringhalam's scheme to cheat her way into the smart class makes clear a huge flaw in the education system. Part 2: On the first day of grad school for her PhD, a fellow student tells Bianca Jones Marlin that she doesn't really belong there. Maryam is a molecular biologist by training who traded in her pipettes for the world of science policy and advocacy. She's on a mission to make science more open and inclusive through her work both as a science communicator and policymaker. She's a Senior Producer for the Story Collider in DC and previously served as the Assistant Director for Public Access and Research Policy at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from 2023 to 2024. She has a cat named Tesla, named after the scientist and not the car. You can learn more about her at https://webmz.nyc. Dr. Bianca Jones Marlin is a neuroscientist and postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate Dr. Richard Axel, where she investigates transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, or how traumatic experiences in parents affect the brain structure of their offspring. She holds a PhD in neuroscience from New York University, and dual bachelor degrees from St. John's University, in biology and adolescent education. As a graduate student, her research focused on the vital bond between parent and child, and studied the use of neurochemicals, such as the “love drug” oxytocin, as a treatment to strengthen fragile and broken parent-child relationships. Dr. Marlin's research has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Scientific American, and Discover Magazine's “100 Top Stories of 2015.” Dr. Marlin aims to utilize neurobiology and the science of learning to better inform both the scientific and educational community on how positive experiences dictate brain health, academic performance, and social well being. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On May 1st, 2025, the UAP Disclosure Fund held its first-ever UAP / UFOs experts panel in Washington, DC. The event was attended by lawmakers Anna Paulina-Luna, Eric Burlison, and Tim Burchett. The final presentation was made by Dr. Anna Brady-Estevez, who has been working behind the scenes for UAP transparency for some time. Today is part one of a two-part exclusive interview with Anna as we explore her work to bring the UAP reality to entrepreneurs, the world of finance, blockchain, space, and more. Dr. Anna Brady-Estevez is a distinguished leader in deep technology investment, innovation policy, and science-driven entrepreneurship. She is the Founding Partner of American DeepTech, a deep technology investment firm dedicated to advancing transformative technologies across sectors such as space, energy, biotechnology, AI and secure digital systems.Anna is a Kauffman Fellow investor, ranked as the #7 woman globally, in the Kauffman Fellows Fund Returners Index (a ranking similar to Forbes Midas list).In her previous role as a Program Director at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Dr. Brady-Estevez managed the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) portfolio, directing $250 million in grants to early-stage startups. She directed the commercial national portfolios in Energy, Space tech, Clean tech, Digital Assets & Blockchain and Chemical Technologies at NSF. Her early stage portfolio has achieved more than $8.5 billion in follow-on financing and over $17 billion in total company valuations for companies like Ascend Elements, Epirus, Stoke Space Technologies, and Syzygy Plasmonics. Dr. Brady-Estevez has also served as a Senior Investment Advisor and Venture Partner at the U.S. Small Business Administration's SBIC program, which invests over $5 billion annually in venture capital and private equity. Her government service includes co-chairing the U.S. Space Economy Interagency Working Group alongside NASA and the U.S. Digital Assets R&D Agenda alongside the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Segment Producer: Ali Travis Links:Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thegoodtroubleshowPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheGoodTroubleShow YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGoodTroubleShowX/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodTroubleShow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegoodtroubleshow/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goodtroubleshowFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Good-Trouble-Show-With-Matt-Ford-106009712211646 Threads: @TheGoodTroubleShowBlueSky: @TheGoodTroubleShowBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-good-trouble-show-with-matt-ford--5808897/support.

Original air date: May 31, 2024 On this special edition of Siliconsciousness, we have an in-depth conversation with Arati Prabhakar, the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. We discuss the current state of the administration-wide effort to adapt to the complex realities of age of Artificial Intelligence. Prabhakar also details evolving objectives and challenges for the effort. A must-listen on a wide range of vital topics. Join us. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: May 31, 2024 On this special edition of Siliconsciousness, we have an in-depth conversation with Arati Prabhakar, the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. We discuss the current state of the administration-wide effort to adapt to the complex realities of age of Artificial Intelligence. Prabhakar also details evolving objectives and challenges for the effort. A must-listen on a wide range of vital topics. Join us. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kelvin Droegemeier, a longtime leader in science policy, joins host Megan Nicholson for this installment of Science Policy IRL. Droegemeier began his career as a research meteorologist and went on to serve in many different leadership roles in state and federal government. He directed the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from 2019–2021, served on the National Science Board from 2004–2016, and served on the Oklahoma Governor's Science and Technology Council from 2011–2019. He is currently a professor and Special Advisor to the Chancellor for Science and Policy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. On this episode, Droegemeier shares what it's like to work on science policy at the state and federal levels, discusses what he sees as the pressing science policy issues of our time, and reflects on his leadership roles in academia and government. Resources:Read Kelvin Droegemier's book, Demystifying the Academic Research Enterprise: Becoming a Successful Scholar in a Complex and Competitive Environment, to gain a better understanding of how the academic research enterprise works. Check out the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine project on Improving the Regulatory Efficiency and Reducing Administrative Workload to Strengthen Competitiveness and Productivity of US Research. Read Science, the Endless Frontier by Vannevar Bush and Issues's project marking the anniversary of that report, The Next 75 Years of Science Policy, to learn more about the structure of scientific research in the United States. The National Science Board's Science and Engineering Indicators provide important metrics to understand the current state of science and engineering. What is the future of American science and technology? Check out Vision for American Science and Technology (VAST) for a potential roadmap. 

John Holdren is the Teresa and John Heinz Research Professor for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and co-director of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program at the School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He is a former Professor of Environmental Science and Policy in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, and Affiliated Professor in the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science. He is also President Emeritus and Senior Advisor to the President at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, a pre-eminent, independent, environmental-research organization. From 2009 to 2017, Holdren was President Obama's Science Advisor and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, becoming the longest-serving Science Advisor to the President in the history of the position. Before joining Harvard, was a professor of energy resources at the University of California, Berkeley, where he founded and led the interdisciplinary graduate-degree program in energy and resources. Prior to that he was a theoretical physicist in the Theory Group of the Magnetic Fusion Energy Division at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and a Senior Research Fellow at Caltech. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the MacArthur Foundation and Chairman of the Committee on International Security and Arms Control at the National Academy of Sciences. During the Clinton Administration, he served for both terms on the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, leading multiple studies on energy-technology innovation and nuclear arms control. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Academy of Political and Social Science, and the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also a foreign member of the Royal Society of London and the Indian National Academy of Engineering and a former President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His many honors include one of the first MacArthur Prize Fellowships (1981) and the Moynihan Prize of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences. In 1995, he gave the acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, an international organization of scientists and public figures. He holds SB and SM degrees from MIT in aeronautics and astronautics and a Ph.D. from Stanford in aeronautics and astronautics and theoretical plasma physics.Jennifer Spence is the Director of the Arctic Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, with expertise related to sustainable development, international governance, institutional effectiveness, and public policy. Spence currently co-chairs the Arctic Research Cooperation and Diplomacy Research Priority Team for the Fourth International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP IV), participates as a member of the Climate Expert Group for the Arctic Council's Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, and sits as a member of the Yukon Arctic Security Advisory Council. Spence was the Executive Secretary of the Arctic Council's Sustainable Development Working Group from 2019-2023. Previously, she taught and conducted research at Carleton University and worked for a 2-year term at the United Nations Development Programme. She also worked for 18 years with the Government of Canada in senior positions related to resource management, conflict and change management, strategic planning, and leadership development. Spence holds a Ph.D. in public policy from Carleton University, a MA from Royal Roads University in conflict management and analysis, and a BA in political science from the University of British Columbia.Ralph Ranalli of the HKS Office of Communications and Public Affairs is the host, producer, and editor of HKS PolicyCast. A former journalist, public television producer, and entrepreneur, he holds an BA in political science from UCLA and a master's in journalism from Columbia University.Scheduling and logistical support for PolicyCast is provided by Lilian Wainaina.Design and graphics support is provided by Laura King and the OCPA Design Team. Web design and social media promotion support is provided by Catherine Santrock and Natalie Montaner. Editorial support is provided by Nora Delaney and Robert O'Neill. 

Ep. 272. Recorded 4/22/2025. Episode out of Time… Todd & Dewayne are joined by Special Guest Dr. Jesse Taylor from the Taylor Center for Technology Policy. For this Gala episode, Dewayne picked some Golden, delicious questions on the history of Apple. Jesse's answers were crisp, while Todd attempts to turnover a new leaf.

Lennart Heim, a researcher and information scientist at RAND Corporation, joins Azeem Azhar to unpack a provocative claim: China is catching up with US AI capabilities, but it doesn't matter. Timestamps: (00:00) Episode trailer (01:19) Lennart's core thesis (03:26)   Why compute matters so much (07:31)  The investment split between model R&D and model execution (11:18)  How test-time compute impacts costs (16:14) The geopolitics of compute (21:32) Why does the U.S have more compute capacity than China? (25:01)  The trade-off between economic needs and national-security needs (31:54)  How technology change might shift the battlegrounds (35:33)  Dealing with compute and power concentration (48:19)  Concluding quick-fire question  Lennart's links: Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/ohlennartPersonal blog: https://heim.xyz/Azeem's links:Substack: https://www.exponentialview.co/Website: https://www.azeemazhar.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azharTwitter/X: https://x.com/azeemThis was originally recorded for "Friday with Azeem Azhar", a new show that takes place every Friday at 9am PT and 12pm ET. You can tune in through Exponential View on Substack. Produced by supermix.io and EPIIPLUS1 Ltd

Today we are joined by José Morey, M.D. Dr. Morey is Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Ad Astra Media LLC, an Eisenhower Fellow, and Co-Founder of Ever Medical Technologies. He is a health and technology keynote speaker, author, and consultant for NASA, Forbes, MIT, the United Nations World Food Program and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He is considered the world's first Intergalactic Doctor and is often featured on Forbes, Univision, CNBC, and NASA360. He coined Puerto Rico as the future "Silicon Island” as appeared in Forbes, The Weekly Journal, Reddit and Hispanic Executive. Additionally, he is co-author of "LatinX Business Success".  [May 12, 2025]   00:00 - Intro 00:19 - Intro Links -          Social-Engineer.com - http://www.social-engineer.com/ -          Managed Voice Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/vishing-service/ -          Managed Email Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/se-phishing-service/ -          Adversarial Simulations - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/social-engineering-penetration-test/ -          Social-Engineer channel on SLACK - https://social-engineering-hq.slack.com/ssb -          CLUTCH - http://www.pro-rock.com/ -          innocentlivesfoundation.org - http://www.innocentlivesfoundation.org/                                01:37 - Dr. Jose Morey Intro 02:30 - A Marriage of Pursuits 09:48 - What is an Intergalactic Doctor? 12:21 - S.T.E.A.M. 16:51 - Limited Trust of AI 23:49 - A Tool is Amoral 27:03 - Ad Astra 31:05 - The Power of Representation 33:13 - Find Dr. Jose Morey Online -          Website:   adastrasteammedia.org -          LinkedIn: in/drjosemorey -          Instagram: @adastramedia_org 33:55 - Book Recommendations -          Leonardo da Vinci Books -          I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou -          Quantum Mechanics Books 35:14 - Mentors -          Family -          Grandmother 37:36 - Helping in a Healthy Way 39:09 - Guest Wrap Up & Outro -          www.social-engineer.com -          www.innocentlivesfoundation.org

Audio file, also on Apple and SpotifyTyler Cowen, Ph.D, is the Holbert L. Harris Professor of Economics at George Mason University. He is the author of 17 books, most recently Talent.: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, and Winners Around the World. Tyler has been recognized as one of the most influential economists of the past decade. He initiated and directs the philanthropic project Emergent Ventures, writes a blog Marginal Revolution, and a podcast Conversations With Tyler, and also writes columns for The Free Press." He is writing a new book (and perhaps his last) on Mentors. “Maybe AGI [Artificial General Intelligence] is like porn — I know it when I see it. And I've seen it.”—Tyler CowenOur conversation on acquiring information, A.I., A.G.I., the NIH, the assault on science, the role of doctors in the A.I. era,, the meaning of life, books of the future, and much more.Transcript with linksEric Topol (00:06):Well, hello. This is Eric Topol with Ground Truths, and I am really thrilled today to have the chance to have a conversation with Tyler Cowen, who is, when you look up polymath in the dictionary, you might see a picture of him. He is into everything. And recently in the Economist magazine 1843, John Phipps wrote a great piece profile, the man who wants to know everything. And actually, I think there's a lot to that.Tyler Cowen (00:36):That's why we need longevity work, right?Eric Topol (00:39):Right. So he's written a number of books. How many books now, Tyler?Tyler Cowen:17, I'm not sure.Eric Topol:Only 17? And he also has a blog that's been going on for over 20 years, Marginal Revolution that he does with Alex Tabarrok.Tyler Cowen (00:57):Correct.Eric Topol (00:57):And yeah, and then Conversations with Tyler, a podcast, which I think an awful lot of people are tuned into that. So with that, I'm just thrilled to get a chance to talk with you because I used to think I read a lot, but then I learned about you.“Cowen calls himself “hyperlexic”. On a good day, he claims to read four or fivebooks. Secretly, I timed him at 30 seconds per page reading a dense tract byMartin Luther. “—John Phipps, The Economist's 1843I've been reading more from the AIs lately and less from books. So I'll get one good book and ask the AI a lot of questions.Eric Topol (01:24):Yeah. Well, do you use NotebookLM for that?Tyler Cowen (01:28):No, just o3 from OpenAI at the moment, but a lot of the models are very good. Claude, there's others.Eric Topol (01:35):Yeah, yeah. No, I see how that's a whole different way to interrogate a book and it's great. And in fact, that gets me to a topic I was going to get to later, but I'll do it now. You're soon or you have already started writing for the Free Press with Barri Weiss.Tyler Cowen (01:54):That's right, yes. I have a piece coming out later today. It's been about two weeks. It's been great so far.“Tyler Cowen has a mind unlike any I've ever encountered. In a single conversation, it's not at all unusual for him to toggle between DeepSeek, GLP-1s, Haitian art, sacred Tibetan music, his favorite Thai spot in L.A., and LeBron James”—Bari WeissYeah, so that's interesting. I hadn't heard of it until I saw the announcement from Barri and I thought what was great about it is she introduced it. She said, “Tyler Cowen has a mind unlike any I've ever encountered. In a single conversation, it's not at all unusual for him to toggle between DeepSeek, GLP-1s, Haitian art, sacred Tibetan music, his favorite Thai spot in L.A., and LeBron James. Now who could do that, right. So I thought, well, you know what? I need independent confirmation of that, that is as being a polymath. And then I saw Patrick Collison, who I know at Stripe and Arc Institute, “you can have a specific and detailed discussion with him about 17th-century Irish economic thinkers, or trends in African music or the history of nominal GDP targeting. I don't know anyone who can engage in so many domains at the depth he does.” So you're an information acquirer and one of the books you wrote, I love the title Infovore.Tyler Cowen (03:09):The Age of the Infovore, that's right.Eric Topol (03:11):I mean, have people been using that term because you are emblematic of it?“You can have a specific and detailed discussion with him about 17th-century Irish economic thinkers, or trends in African music or the history of nominal GDP targeting. I don't know anyone who can engage in so many domains at the depth he does.”—Patrick CollisonIt was used on the internet at some obscure site, and I saw it and I fell in love with that word, and I thought I should try to popularize it, but it doesn't come from me, but I think I am the popularizer of it.Yeah, well, if anybody was ingesting more information and being able to work with it. That's what I didn't realize about you, Tyler, is restaurants and basketball and all these other fine arts, very impressive. Now, one of the topics I wanted to get into you is I guess related to a topic you've written about fair amount, which is the great stagnation, and right now we're seeing issues like an attack on science. And in the past, you've written about how you want to raise the social status of scientists. So how do you see this current, I would even characterize as a frontal assault on science?Tyler Cowen (04:16):Well, I'm very worried about current Trump administration policies. They change so frequently and so unpredictably, it's a little hard to even describe what they always are. So in that sense, it's a little hard to criticize them, but I think they're scaring away talent. They might scare away funding and especially the biomedical sciences, the fixed costs behind a lot of lab work, clinical trials, they're so high that if you scare money away, it does not come back very readily or very quickly. So I think the problem is biggest perhaps for a lot of the biomedical sciences. I do think a lot of reform there has been needed, and I hope somehow the Trump policies evolve to that sort of reform. So I think the NIH has become too high bound and far too conservative, and they take too long to give grants, and I don't like how the overhead system has been done. So there's plenty of room for improvement, but I don't see so far at least that the efforts have been constructive. They've been mostly destructive.Eric Topol (05:18):Yeah, I totally agree. Rather than creative destruction it's just destruction and it's unfortunate because it seems to be haphazard and reckless to me at least. We of course, like so many institutions rely on NIH funding for the work, but I agree that reform is fine as long as it's done in a very thought out, careful way, so we can eke out the most productivity for the best investment. Now along with that, you started Emergent Ventures where you're funding young talent.Tyler Cowen (05:57):That's right. That's a philanthropic fund. And we now have slightly over 1000 winners. They're not all young, I'd say they're mostly young and a great number of them want to go into the biomedical sciences or have done so. And this is part of what made me realize what an incredible influx of talent we're seeing into those areas. I'm not sure this is widely appreciated by the world. I'm sure you see it. I also see how much of that talent actually is coming from Canada, from Ontario in particular, and I've just become far more optimistic about computational biology and progress in biology and medical cures, fixes, whatever you want to call it, extending lives. 10 years ago, I was like, yeah, who knows? A lot of things looked pretty stuck. Then we had a number of years where life expectancy was falling, and now I think we're on the verge of a true golden age.Eric Topol (06:52):I couldn't agree with you more on that. And I know some of the people that you funded like Anne Wylie who developed a saliva test for Covid out of Yale. But as you say, there's so many great young and maybe not so young scientists all over, Canada being one great reservoir. And now of course I'm worried that we're seeing emigration rather than more immigration of this talent. Any thoughts about that?Tyler Cowen (07:21):Well, the good news is this, I'm in contact with young people almost every day, often from other countries. They still want to come to the United States. I would say I sign an O-1 letter for someone about once a week, and at least not yet has the magic been dissipated. So I'm less pessimistic than some people are, but I absolutely do see the dangers. We're just the biggest market, the freest place we have by far the most ambitious people. I think that's actually the most significant factor. And young people sense that, and they just want to come here and there's not really another place they can go that will fit them.Eric Topol (08:04):Yeah, I mean one of the things as you've probably noted is there's these new forces that are taking on big shouldering. In fact, Patrick Collison with Arc Institute and Chan Zuckerberg for their institute and others like that, where the work you're doing with Emergent Ventures, you're supporting important projects, talents, and if this whole freefall in NIH funding and other agency funding continues, it looks like we may have to rely more on that, especially if we're going to attract some talent from outside. I don't know how else we're going to make. You're absolutely right about how we are such a great destination and great collaborations and mentors and all that history, but I'm worried that it could be in kind of a threatened mode, if you will.Tyler Cowen (08:59):I hope AI lowers costs. As you probably know at Arc, they had Greg Brockman come in for some number of months and he's one of the people, well, he helped build up Stripe, but he also was highly significant in OpenAI behind the GPT-4 model. And to have Greg Brockman at your institute doing AI for what, six months, that's a massive acceleration that actually no university had the wisdom to do, and Arc did. So I think we're seeing just more entrepreneurial thinking in the area. There's still this problem of bottlenecks. So let's say AI is great for drug discovery as it may be. Well, clinical trials then become a bigger bottleneck. The FDA becomes a bigger bottleneck. So rapid improvement in only one area while great is actually not good enough.Eric Topol (09:46):Yeah, I'm glad you brought up that effect in Arc Institute because we both know Patrick Hsu, who's a brilliant young guy who works there and has published some incredible large language models applied to life science in recent months, and it is impressive how they used AI in almost a singular way as compared to as you said, many other leading institutions. So that is I think, a really important thing to emphasize.Tyler Cowen (10:18):Arc can move very quickly. I think that's not really appreciated. So if Patrick Hsu decides Silvana Konermann, Patrick Collison, if they decide something ought to be bought or purchased or set in motion, it can happen in less than a day. And it does happen basically immediately. And it's not only that it's quicker, I think when you have quicker decisions, they're better and it's infectious to the people you're working with. And there's an understanding that the core environment is not a bureaucratic one. So it has a kind of multiplier effect through the institution.Eric Topol (10:54):Yeah, I totally agree with you. It's always been a philosophy in your mind to get stuff done, get s**t done, whatever you want to call it. They're getting it done. And that's what's so impressive. And not just that they've got some new funds available, but rather they're executing in a way that's parallel to the way the world's evolving in the AI front, which is I think faster than most people would ever have expected, anticipated. Now that gets me to a post you had on Marginal Revolution just last week, which one of the things I love about Marginal Revolution is you don't have to read a whole lot of stuff. You just give the bullets, the juice, if you will. Here you wrote o3 and AGI, is April 16th AGI day? And everybody's talking about artificial general intelligence is here. It's going to be here five years, it's going to be seven years.Eric Topol (11:50):It certainly seems to be getting closer. And in this you wrote, “I think it is AGI, seriously. Try asking it lots of questions, and then ask yourself: just how much smarter was I expecting AGI to be? As I've argued in the past, AGI, however you define it, is not much of a social event per se. It still will take us a long time to use it properly. Benchmarks, benchmarks, blah blah blah. Maybe AGI is like porn — I know it when I see it. And I've seen it.” I thought that was really well done, Tyler. Anything you want to amplify on that?Tyler Cowen (12:29):Look, if I ask at economics questions and I'm trained as an economist, it beats me. So I don't care if other people don't call it AGI, but one of the original definitions of AGI was that it would beat most experts most of the time on most matters, say 90% or above, and we're there. So people keep on shifting the goalposts. They'll say, well, sometimes it hallucinates or it's not very good at playing tic-tac toe, or there's always another complaint. Those are not irrelevant, but I'll just say, sit down, have someone write at a test of 20 questions, you're a PhD, you take the test, let o3 take the test, then have someone grade, see how you've done, then form your opinion. That's my suggestion.Eric Topol (13:16):I think it's pretty practical. I mean, enough with the Turing test, I mean, we've had that Turing test for decades, and I think the way you described it is a little more practical and meaningful these days. But its capabilities to me at least, are still beyond belief eke out of current, not just the large language models, but large reasoning models. And so, it's just gotten to a point where and it's accelerating, every week there's so many other, the competition is good for taking it to the next level.Tyler Cowen (13:50):It can do tasks and it self improves. So o3-pro will be out in a few weeks. It may be out by the time you're hearing this. I think that's obviously going to be better than just pure o3. And then GPT-5 people have said it will be this summer. So every few months there are major advances and there's no sign of those stopping.Eric Topol (14:12):Absolutely. Now, of course, you've been likened to “Treat Tyler like a really good GPT” that is because you're this information meister. What do you ask the man who you can ask anything? That's kind of what we have when we can go to any one of these sites and start our prompts, whatever. So it's kind of funny in some ways you might've annotated this with your quest for knowledge.Tyler Cowen (14:44):Well, I feel I understand the thing better than most people do for that reason, but it's not entirely encouraging to me personally, selfishly to be described that way, whether or not it's accurate. It just means I have a lot more new competition.Eric Topol (14:59):Well, I love this one. “I'm not very interested in the meaning of life, but I'm very interested in collecting information on what other people think is the meaning of life. And it's not entirely a joke” and that's also what you wrote about in the Free Press thing, that most of the things that are going to be written are going to be better AI in the media and that we should be writing books for the AI that's going to ingest them. How do you see this human AI interface growing or moving?Tyler Cowen (15:30):The AI is your smartest reader. It's your most sympathetic reader. It will remember what you tell it. So I think humans should sit down and ask, what does the AI need to know? And also, what is it that I know that's not on the historical record anywhere? That's not just repetition if I put it down, say on the internet. So there's no point in writing repetitions anymore because the AI already knows those things. So the value of what you'd call broadly, memoir, biography, anecdote, you could say secrets. It's now much higher. And the value of repeating basic truths, which by the way, I love as an economist, to be clear, like free trade, tariffs are usually bad, those are basic truths. But just repeating that people will be going to the AI and saying it again won't make the AI any better. So everything you write or podcast, you should have this point in mind.Eric Topol (16:26):So you obviously have all throughout your life in reading lots of books. Will your practice still be to do the primary reading of the book, or will you then go to o3 or whatever or the other way around?Tyler Cowen (16:42):I've become fussier about my reading. So I'll pick up a book and start and then start asking o3 or other models questions about the book. So it's like I get a customized version of the book I want, but I'm also reading somewhat more fiction. Now, AI might in time become very good at fiction, but we're not there now. So fiction is more special. It's becoming more human, and I should read more of it, and I'm doing that.Eric Topol (17:10):Yeah, no, that's great. Now, over the weekend, there was a lot of hubbub about Bill Gates saying that we won't need doctors in the next 10 years because of AI. What are your thoughts about that?Tyler Cowen (17:22):Well, that's wrong as stated, but he may have put it in a more complex way. He's a very smart guy of course. AI already does better diagnosis on humans than medical doctors. Not by a lot, but by somewhat. And that's free and that's great, but if you need brain surgery for some while, you still need the human doctor. So human doctors will need to adjust. And if someone imagines that at some point robots do the brain surgery better, well fine. But I'm not convinced that's within the next 10 years. That would surprise me.Eric Topol (17:55):So to that point, recently, a colleague of mine wrote an op-ed in the New York Times about six studies comparing AI alone versus doctors with AI. And in all six studies, the AI did better than the doctors who had access to AI. Now, you could interpret that as, well they don't know how to use AI. They have automation bias or that is true. What do you think?Tyler Cowen (18:27):It's probably true, but I would add as an interpretation, the value of meta rationality has gone up. So to date, we have not selected doctors for their ability to work with AI, obviously, but some doctors have the personal quality, it's quite distinct from intelligence, but if just knowing when they should defer to someone or something else, and those doctors and researchers will become much more valuable. They're sufficiently modest to defer to the AI and have some judgment as to when they should do that. That's now a super important quality. Over time, I hope our doctors have much more of that. They are selected on that basis, and then that result won't be true anymore.Eric Topol (19:07):So obviously you would qualify. There's a spectrum here. The AI enthusiasts, you and I are both in that group, and then there's the doomsayers and there's somewhere middle ground, of course, where people are trying to see the right balance. Are there concerns about AI, I mean anything about that, how it's moving forward that you're worried about?Tyler Cowen (19:39):Well, any change that big one should have very real concerns. Maybe our biggest concern is that we're not sure what our biggest concern should be. One simple effect that I see coming soon is it will devalue the status of a lot of our intellectuals and what's called our chattering class. A lot of its people like us, we won't seem so impressive anymore. Now, that's not the end of the world for everyone as a whole, but if you ask, what does it mean for society to have the status of its elites so punctured? At a time when we have some, I would say very negative forces attacking those elites in other ways, that to me is very concerning.Eric Topol (20:25):Do you think that although we've seen what's happening with the current administration with respect to the tariffs, and we've already talked about the effects on science funding, do you see this as a short-term hit that will eventually prevail? Do you see them selectively supporting AI efforts and finding the right balance with the tech companies to support them and the competition that exists globally with China and whatnot? How are we going to get forward and what some people consider pretty dark times, which is of course, so seemingly at odds with the most extraordinary times of human support with AI?Tyler Cowen (21:16):Well, the Trump people are very pro AI. I think that's one of the good things about the administration, much pro AI and more interested than were the Biden people. The Biden people, you could say they were interested, but they feared it would destroy the whole world, and they wanted to choke and throttle it in a variety of ways. So I think there's a great number of issues where the Trump people have gone very badly wrong, but at least so far AI's not one of them. I'd give them there like an A or A+ so far. We'll see, right?Eric Topol (21:44):Yeah. As you've seen, we still have some of these companies in some kind of a hot seat like Meta and Google regarding their monopolies, and we saw how some of the tech leaders, not all of them, became very supportive, potentially you could interpret that for their own interests. They wanted to give money to the inauguration and also get favor curry some political favor. But I haven't yet seen the commitment to support AI, talk about a golden age for the United States because so much of this is really centered here and some of the great minds that are helping to drive the AI and these models. But I wonder if there's more that can be done so that we continue to lead in this space.Tyler Cowen (22:45):There's a number of issues here. The first is Trump administration policy toward the FTC, I think has not been wonderful. They appointed someone who seems like would be more appropriate for a democratic or more left-leaning administration. But if you look at the people in the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the White House, they're excellent, and there's always different forces in any administration. But again, so far so good. I don't think they should continue the antitrust suit against Google that is looking like it's going against Google, but that's not really the Trump administration, that's the judiciary, and that's been underway for quite some while. So with Trump, it's always very hard to predict. The lack of predictability, I would say, is itself a big problem. But again, if you're looking for one area where it's good, that would be my pick.Eric Topol (23:35):Yeah, well, I would agree with that for sure. I just want to see more evidence that we capitalize on the opportunities here and don't let down. I mean, do you think outlawing selling the Nvidia chips to China is the way to do this? It seems like that hurts Nvidia and isn't China going to get whatever they want anyway?Tyler Cowen (24:02):That restriction, I favored when it was put in. I'm now of the view that it has not proved useful. And if you look at how many of those chips get sold, say to Malaysia, which is not a top AI performer, one strongly suspects, they end up going to China. China is incentivized to develop its own high-quality chips and be fully independent of Western supply lines. So I think it's not worked out well.Eric Topol (24:29):Yeah, no, I see that since you've written so much about this, it's good to get your views because I share those views and you know a lot more about this than I would, but it seems like whether it's Malaysia or other channels, they're going to get the Blackwell chips that they want. And it seems like this is almost like during Covid, how you would close down foreign travel. It's like it doesn't really work that well. There's a big world out there, right?Tyler Cowen (25:01):It's an interesting question. What kind of timing do you want for when both America and China get super powerful AI? And I don't think you actually want only America to have it. It's a bit like nuclear weapons, but you don't want China to have it first. So you want some kind of staggered sequence where we're always a bit ahead of them, but they also maybe are constraining us a bit. I hope we're on track to get that, but I really, really don't want China to have it first.Eric Topol (25:31):Yeah, I mean I think there's, as you're pointing out aptly is a healthy managed competition and that if we can keep that lead there, it is good for both and it's good for the world ideally. But getting back, is there anything you're worried about in AI? I mean because I know you're upbeat about its net effective, and we've already talked about amazing potential for efficiency, productivity. It basically upends a lot of economic models of the past, right?Tyler Cowen (26:04):Yes. I think it changes or will change so many parts of life. Again, it's a bit difficult to specify worries, but how we think of ourselves as humans, how we think of our gods, our religions, I feel all that will be different. If you imagine trying to predict the effects of the printing press after Gutenberg, that would've been nearly impossible to do. I think we're all very glad we got the printing press, but you would not say all of it went well. It's not that you would blame the printing press for those subsequent wars, but it was disruptive to the earlier political equilibrium. I think we need to take great care to do it better this time. AI in different forms will be weaponized. There's great potential for destruction there and evil people will use it. So of course, we need to be very much concerned.Eric Topol (26:54):And there's obviously many of these companies have ways to try to have efforts to anticipate that. That is alignments and various safety type parallel efforts like Ilya did when he moved out of OpenAI and others. Is that an important part of each of these big efforts, whether it's OpenAI, Google, or the rest of them anthropic that they put in resources to keep things from going off the tracks?Tyler Cowen (27:34):That's good and it's important, but I think it's also of limited value because the more we learn how to control AI systems directly, the bad guys will have similar lessons, and they will use alignment possibly to make their AIs bad and worse and that it obeys them. So yeah, I'd rather the good guys make progress on what they're trying to do, but don't think it's going to solve the problem. It creates new problems as well.Eric Topol (28:04):So because of AI, do you think you'll write any more books in the future?Tyler Cowen (28:11):I'm writing a book right now. I suspect it will be my last. That book, its title is Mentors. It's about how to mentor individuals and what do the social sciences know about mentoring. My view is that even if the AI could write the book better than I can, that people actually want to read a book like that from a human. I could be wrong, but I think we should in the future, restrict ourselves to books that are better by a human. I will write every day for the rest of my life, but I'm not sure that books make sense at the current moment.Eric Topol (28:41):Yeah, that's a really important point, and I understand that completely. Now, when you write for the Free Press, which will be besides the Conversations with Tyler podcast and the Marginal Revolution, what kind of things will you be writing about in the Free Press?Tyler Cowen (28:56):Well, I just submitted a piece. It's a defense of elitism. So the problem with our elites is that they have not been elitist enough and have not adhered strictly enough to the scientific method. So it's a very simple point. I think to you it would be pretty obvious, but it needs to be said. It's not out there enough in the debate that yes, sometimes the elites have truly and badly let us down, but the answer is not to reject elitism per se, but to impose higher elitist standards on our sometimes supposed elites. So that's the piece I just sent in. It's coming out soon and should be out by the time anyone hears this.Eric Topol (29:33):Well, I look forward to reading that. So besides a polymath, you might be my favorite polymath, Tyler you didn't know that. Also, you're a futurist because when you have that much information ingested, and now of course with a super performance of AI to help, it really does help to try to predict where we're headed. Have I missed anything in this short conversation that you think we should touch on?Tyler Cowen (30:07):Well, I'll touch on a great interest of yours. I like your new book very much. I think over the course of the next 40 years working with AI, we will beat back essentially every malady that kills people. It doesn't mean you live forever. Many, many more people will simply die of what we now call old age. There's different theories as to what that means. I don't have a lot of expertise in that, but the actual things people are dying from will be greatly postponed. And if you have a kid today to think that kid might expect to live to be 97 or even older, that to me is extremely plausible.Tyler Cowen (30:45):I won't be around to see it, but that's a phenomenal development for human beings.Eric Topol (30:50):I share that with you. I'm sad that I won't be around to see it, but exactly as you've outlined, the fact that we're going to be able to have a huge impact on particularly the age-related diseases, but also as you touched on the genetic diseases with genome editing and many other, I think, abilities that we have now controlling the immune system, I mean a central part of how we get into trouble with diseases. So I couldn't agree with you more, and that's a really good note to finish on because so many of the things that we have discussed today, we share similar views and we come at it from totally different worlds. The economist that has a very wide-angle lens, and I guess you'd say the physician who has a more narrow lens aperture. But thank you so much, Tyler for joining me today.Tyler Cowen (31:48):My pleasure. Let me close by telling you some good news. I have AI friends who think you and I, I'm 63 will be around to see that, I don't agree with them they don't convince me, but there are smart people who think the benefits from this will come quite soon.Eric Topol (32:03):I sure hope they're right.Tyler Cowen (32:05):Yes.*******************************************SUPER AGERS, my new book, was released on May 6th. It's about extending our healthspan, and I introduce 2 of my patients (one below, Mrs. L.R.) as exemplars to learn from. This potential to prevent the 3 major age-related diseases would not be possible without the jumps in the science of aging and multimodal A.I. My op-ed preview of the book was published in The NY Times last week. Here's a gift link. I did a podcast with Mel Robbins on the book here. Here's my publisher ‘s (Simon and Schuster) site for the book. If you're interested in the audio book, I am the reader (first time I have done this, quite an experience!)The book was reviewed in WSJ. Here's a gift linkThere have been many pieces written about it. Here's a gift link to the one in the Wall Street Journal and here for the one in the New York Times .**********************Thanks for reading and subscribing to Ground Truths.If you found this interesting please share it!That makes the work involved in putting these together especially worthwhile.All content on Ground Truths— newsletters, analyses, and podcasts—is free, open-access.Paid subscriptions are voluntary and all proceeds from them go to support Scripps Research. They do allow for posting comments and questions, which I do my best to respond to. Please don't hesitate to post comments and give me feedback. Many thanks to those who have contributed—they have greatly helped fund our summer internship programs for the past two years. Get full access to Ground Truths at erictopol.substack.com/subscribe

Join Sophie in welcoming Doug Rand, a visionary in the realm of innovation and immigration policy, to explore the unique journey that led him from the world of evolutionary biology to the corridors of the White House. Doug shares his fascinating transition from scientific research to entrepreneurship and policy-making, shedding light on the pivotal role of his work under the Obama administration in modernizing employment-based immigration, especially the H-1B program. His story underscores the significance of civil servants and their behind-the-scenes efforts in shaping global talent mobility. Co-Director of the Talent Mobility Fund, Doug Rand is a startup founder, immigration expert, and policymaker who trained as an evolutionary biologist. He served as Senior Advisor to the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services from 2021–2025 and as Assistant Director for Entrepreneurship in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from 2010–2017. As an entrepreneur, he was the co-founder and president of Boundless, and the co-founder and CEO of Playscripts, Inc In this episode, you'll hear about: Doug Rand's transition from evolutionary biology to a key role in U.S. immigration policy Modernization of the H-1B program and its impact on global talent mobility Biden administration's changes allowing startup founders to qualify for H-1B visas Extension of employment authorization documents to address backlog issues Challenges and opportunities for immigrant entrepreneurs in the U.S. Importance of issuing more green cards to retain top AI talent in the U.S. Collaborative potential between government and startups to support innovation and immigration policy Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. Supporting Resources: Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-rand/ Website - https://welcomingthefuture.substack.com/ https://www.talentmobility.fund/ https://welcomingthefuture.substack.com/p/a-modern-melting-pot-for-scientists USCIS Impact: 2021–2025 Options for Noncitizen STEM Professionals to Work in the United States Options for Noncitizen Entrepreneurs to Work in the United States https://archivemacropolo.org/interactive/digital-projects/the-global-ai-talent-tracker/  https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/outreach-tools/local-governments  https://cset.georgetown.edu/publication/most-of-americas-most-promising-ai-startups-have-immigrant-founders/  https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/information-for-employers-and-employees/options-for-nonimmigrant-workers-following-termination-of-employment  Alcorn Immigration Law: Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter Sophie Alcorn Podcast: Episode 16: E-2 Visa for Founders and Employees Episode 19: Australian Visas Including E-3 Episode 20: TN Visas and Status for Canadian and Mexican Citizens Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook

The TAKE IT DOWN Act is the first major U.S. federal law to squarely target non‑consensual intimate imagery (NCII) and to include a component requiring tech companies to act. Long handled via a patchwork of state laws, it criminalizes NCII at the federal level—both authentic images and AI-generated digital forgeries—and requires that platforms remove reported NCII within 48 hours of notification by a victim or victim's representative. TAKE IT DOWN passed with wide bipartisan support—unanimously in the Senate, and 409-2 in the House. Melania Trump championed it, and it is expected that President Trump will sign it. And yet, some of the cyber civil rights organizations that have led the fight to mitigate the harms of NCII over many years have serious reservations about the bill as passed. Why?Lawfare Contributing Editor Renée DiResta sits down with Mary Anne Franks, President and Legislative & Technology Policy Director at the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, and Eugene L. and Barbara A. Bernard Professor in Intellectual Property, Technology, and Civil Rights Law at the George Washington Law School; Becca Branum, Deputy Director of the Free Expression Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology; and Adam Conner, Vice President, Technology Policy at the Center for American Progress to unpack what the bill does, why it suddenly cruised through on a rare bipartisan wave of support, and whether its sweeping takedown mandate will protect victims or chill lawful speech. This is a nuanced discussion; some of the guests support specific aspects of the bill, while disagreeing about the implementation of others. Expect clear explanations, constructive disagreement, and practical takeaways for understanding this important piece of legislation.More resources:TAKE IT DOWN Act Legislative Summary and TextBecca Branum and Tom Bowman's letter urging changes to TAKE IT DOWN prior to passageCyber Civil Rights InitiativeSenate press release upon House signing, including list of 120 supporting organizationsTo receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is pretty big news if true. White House Office of Science and Technology Michael Kratsios hs said on record that the United States has tech that can bend time and space. If true what does this mean for the future? If so what does this mean for UAP disclosure? Kristian Harloff gives his thoughts. #ufo #uap #ufos #uaps #alien #aliens #disclosure #time #space #tech  UAP JAMES POST:https://x.com/UAPJames/status/1912492... OUR SPONSORS VIIA https://viia.co/KRISTIAN If you're 21+, check out the link to VIIA in our description and treat yourself to VIIA's annual SPRING 420 SALE – Black Friday-level savings up to 35% sitewide right now, up to 50% OFF packs and bundles AND get a FREE GIFT + MORE SAVINGS with your first order using our exclusive code DTE —plus, enjoy free shipping on orders over $100! That's code DTE at the link in our description. After you purchase they ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them we sent you. Enhance your everyday with VIIA.

In this episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal welcomes Dr. Carrie Wolinetz, a leading science and health policy expert. With an extensive background, including roles at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Dr. Wolinetz shares her insights on the evolving landscape of medical research funding, the role of science policy, and the critical intersection between government, private sector, and research institutions.From the historical foundations of federally funded science to the challenges posed by shifting political landscapes, Dr. Wolinetz offers a compelling perspective on the future of research and public health.What You'll Learn in This Episode

Adam Thierer, Senior Fellow for the Technology & Innovation team at R Street, joins Kevin Frazier, the AI Innovation and Law Fellow at the UT Austin School of Law and a Contributing Editor at Lawfare, to review public comments submitted in response to the Office of Science and Technology Policy's Request for Information on the AI Action Plan. The pair summarize their own comments and explore those submitted by major labs and civil society organizations. They also dive into recent developments in the AI regulatory landscape, including a major veto by Governor Youngkin in Virginia.Readings discussed:Kevin on Vance's America First, America Only Approach to AIKeegan and Adam on AI Safety Treatises Kevin on Proposed Firings at NISTDean and Alan on PreemptionTo receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Plus Is Meta Winning The AI GameLike this? Get AIDAILY, delivered to your inbox, every weekday. Subscribe to our newsletter at https://aidaily.usChina's TongTong 2.0: AI Kid Now Smarter Than EverChina just unveiled TongTong 2.0, an upgraded AI system that thinks and learns like a 5- to 6-year-old kid, leveling up from its previous toddler-like smarts. Revealed at the 2025 Zhongguancun Forum, this AI can now update its knowledge and skills on the fly, aiming to be the "brain" for future robots. Developers plan to integrate TongTong 2.0 into physical robots, boosting their interaction game and overall intelligence. Meta's Open-Source AI Flex: The Edge Over ChatGPT and OthersMeta's playing the long game by open-sourcing its AI models, like Llama, letting devs worldwide tweak and improve them. This move not only accelerates innovation but also positions Meta as a major player in the AI scene. Meanwhile, competitors like OpenAI keep their models locked up, potentially slowing their growth. Microsoft's AI Skills Fest: Level Up Your AI Game for FreeMicrosoft is launching the AI Skills Fest, a free 50-day event starting April 8, 2025, packed with AI training, live sessions, and hackathons. Kicking off with a Guinness World Record attempt for the most users taking an online AI lesson in 24 hours, participants can earn badges, certifications, and even snag discounts on future courses. Whether you're a tech pro, business leader, or just AI-curious, there's something for everyone. AI Transforms China's Dahaize Coal Mine into a Profit PowerhouseChina's Dahaize coal mine is leveling up by integrating AI and automation, cutting down on manual labor and boosting efficiency. This tech upgrade is not only making operations safer but also significantly increasing profits. It's a prime example of how smart tech is revolutionizing traditional industries. Michael Kratsios: The Tech Whiz Steering Trump's AI Battle PlanMichael Kratsios, once Peter Thiel's right-hand man, is now leading the White House's tech game as head of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. His mission? Craft an AI strategy that keeps China in check without messing up U.S. businesses. With China's AI startup DeepSeek flexing powerful, budget-friendly models, Kratsios is all about boosting U.S. innovation while keeping a close eye on national security. YouTube Cracks Down on AI-Generated Fake Movie Trailers Hollywood studios like Warner Bros. and Paramount have been cashing in on AI-generated fake movie trailers on YouTube by redirecting ad revenue instead of taking them down. These channels, such as Screen Culture and KH Studio, mix real clips with AI content, often misleading viewers. Sam Altman Begs Users to Chill on Ghibli-Style AI Art FrenzyOpenAI's CEO Sam Altman is pleading with users to ease up on generating Studio Ghibli-style images, as the viral trend is overwhelming their systems and leaving the team sleep-deprived. The surge in AI-crafted Ghibli art has sparked debates on copyright and the ethics of mimicking distinct artistic styles.

One of the ways this Trump administration is different from the last is, relatively at least, how much more unconstitutional, how much more organized and comprehensive the attacks on our institutions, particularly the scaffolding we built for ourselves the most precious parts of of our societies: immigration, agriculture, the VA, NIH, the CDC, the NSF and humanitarian work around the globe.Do some of these need reform? Of course, they do. Is this the way to do it? No, it is not. These institutions, the ones we built over the last century that, again, however imperfect, baseline keep us fed and safe and on the other hand, help advance remarkable scientific progress.They're at more risk than ever. Every single day. To combat this onslaught, we need groups who are actually prepared to fight back. My guest today is Dr. Gretchen Goldman. Dr. Goldman is the President of the Union of Concerned Scientists. Previously, she served almost two years in the Biden-Harris White House as the Assistant Director for Environmental Science, Engineering, Policy, and Justice in the Climate and Environment Division of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and later as the Climate Change Research and Technology Director at the U.S. Department of Transportation.She is a prolific writer and speaker on science policy and her words and her voice have appeared in Science, Nature, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, NPR, and the BBC, among others. -----------Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comNew here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com.Take Action at www.whatcanido.earth-----------INI Book Club:Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall KimmererFind all of our guest recommendations at the INI Book Club: https://bookshop.org/lists/important-not-important-book-clubLinks:Donate, volunteer and be heard at ucs.org Protect yourself and stand up for science using these Resources for Federal SciencesFollow more of Gretchen's workFollow us:Subscribe to our newsletter at importantnotimportant.comSupport our work and become a Member at importantnotimportant.com/upgradeGet our merchFollow us on Twitter:

Activate helps scientists and engineers bring their transformative technologies to life. Through a two-year paid fellowship, these science entrepreneurs receive the support they need to turn their ideas into hard-tech startups. Fellows work on climate solutions, advanced manufacturing and robotics, new uses of chemistry and materials, reimagined food and agriculture, space innovations, and more. As a nonprofit organization, Activate partners with philanthropies, universities, government programs, the corporate sector, and VC investors to help fellows bridge the gap from lab to commercialization — all without taking any equity in their startups.Cyrus Wadia is the CEO of Activate. He was previously director of worldwide product sustainability at Amazon, vice president of sustainable business & innovation at Nike, and assistant director of clean energy and materials R&D in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Cyrus was also a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, a senior program officer at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the founding co-director of the Haas School of Business CleanTech to Market initiative. He holds a Ph.D. in energy and resources from UC Berkeley and an M.S. in chemical engineering from MIT.--✅ PODCAST TOPICS:Activate has supported 249 fellows, catalyzed $3.6 billion, and helped launch 197 startups. Fellows receive a salary and a $100,000 recoverable grant to develop deep-tech startups addressing societal challenges, especially in climate.Technical founders, particularly PhD scientists, face challenges shifting their mindset from research to business objectives. They must quickly learn skills like hiring, culture-building, fundraising, and balancing technical tasks with managing a business.Cyrus emphasizes stronger university collaborations to foster entrepreneurial thinking among scientists and clearer corporate guidance about market needs and significant industry challenges. This clarity would help Activate choose Fellows aligned with commercial demand.Activate currently receives around 1,000 high-quality fellowship applications each year but can only support 50 due to limited resources. Personally, Cyrus advises prioritizing mentorship early in one's career. He maintains balance through cycling and clear work-life boundaries. He also recommends Rick Rubin's book "The Creative Act: A Way of Being" to founders and innovators.--

Would you use a deep learning AI to count calories for you? Does retouching a photograph with generative AI tools no longer make it a photograph? Pebble's creator has a new company called Core Devices, and guess what it's ready to start selling in two months? And more than 400 Hollywood creative leaders signed an open letter to the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy, urging them not to roll back copyright protection. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Shannon Morse, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!

Dr. Alondra Nelson holds the Harold F. Linder Chair and leads the Science, Technology, and Social Values Lab at the Institute for Advanced Study, where she has served on the faculty since 2019. From 2021 to 2023, she was deputy assistant to President Joe Biden and acting director and principal deputy director for science and society of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. She was deeply involved in the Biden administration's approach to artificial intelligence. She led the development of the White House “Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights,” which informed President Biden's Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence. To say the Trump administration has taken a different approach to AI and how to think about its role in government and in society would be an understatement. President Trump rescinded President Biden's executive order and is at work developing a new approach to AI policy. At the Paris AI Action Summit in February, Vice President JD Vance promoted a vision of American dominance and challenged other nations that would seek to regulate American AI firms. And then there is DOGE, which is at work gutting federal agencies with the stated intent of replacing key government functions with AI systems and using AI to root out supposed fraud and waste.This week, Justin Hendrix had the chance to speak with Dr. Nelson about how she's thinking about these phenomena and the work to be done in the years ahead to secure a more just, democratic, and sustainable future.

In this episode of This Week in Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik host Dr. Robert O'Brien, Director of the Universities Space Research Association's Center for Space Nuclear Research, for a fascinating deep dive into nuclear propulsion technology for space exploration. They discuss the history, current developments, and future potential of nuclear electric and nuclear thermal propulsion systems, which could revolutionize our ability to explore Mars and beyond—both robotically and with human crews. Headlines Crew-10 Launch Update: SpaceX's Dragon Endurance prepared to launch relief crew for ISS, addressing delays and setting stage for Williams and Wilmore's return. NASA Layoffs: NASA shuttering several offices including Technology Policy and Strategy, Chief Scientist, and diversity initiatives to comply with Trump administration executive orders. Saturn's Moon Count: 128 additional moons discovered orbiting Saturn, bringing total to 274 (surpassing Jupiter's 95), raising questions about moon classification criteria. Lunar Eclipse: First total lunar eclipse of 2025 visible across western hemisphere, with another eclipse in September for viewers in Asia and Australia. New Space Billionaire: Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO, takes over as CEO of Relativity Space (a 3D printing rocket company), joining Bezos, Musk, and Branson in the space industry. Main Topic: Nuclear Propulsion with Dr. Robert O'Brien Propulsion Types: Dr. O'Brien explained two main types: nuclear electric propulsion generates electricity for electric thrusters, while nuclear thermal propulsion heats propellant directly through a fission reactor for thrust. Efficiency Advantages: Nuclear systems offer greater efficiency than chemical rockets, potentially reducing Mars mission mass to one-third or less while enabling "maneuver without regret" capability. Historical Context: US launched SNAP-10A reactor in mid-1960s; Rover-NERVA program demonstrated nuclear thermal rocket technology before cancellation after Apollo. Current Development: Working to regain 1960s capabilities while implementing modern safety protocols, testing procedures, and materials science improvements. Safety Considerations: Modern development includes full exhaust containment and comprehensive safety measures, with waste containment as the primary focus. AI Applications: AI could accelerate development through materials optimization, autonomous operation for deep space, and enhanced reactor control safety. Fusion Propulsion: Remains promising future technology potentially enabling interstellar travel, with growing international investment. Project Orion: Historical nuclear pulse propulsion concept using small nuclear explosions for thrust - impractical for Earth launches but potential for interstellar applications. Public Education: Addressing concerns requires transparent communication, moving away from the "veil of mystery" of earlier nuclear programs. Educational Outreach: The Universities Space Research Association is developing a talent pipeline for "unicorn capabilities" in space nuclear expertise. Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Dr. Robert O'Brien Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

In this episode of This Week in Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik host Dr. Robert O'Brien, Director of the Universities Space Research Association's Center for Space Nuclear Research, for a fascinating deep dive into nuclear propulsion technology for space exploration. They discuss the history, current developments, and future potential of nuclear electric and nuclear thermal propulsion systems, which could revolutionize our ability to explore Mars and beyond—both robotically and with human crews. Headlines Crew-10 Launch Update: SpaceX's Dragon Endurance prepared to launch relief crew for ISS, addressing delays and setting stage for Williams and Wilmore's return. NASA Layoffs: NASA shuttering several offices including Technology Policy and Strategy, Chief Scientist, and diversity initiatives to comply with Trump administration executive orders. Saturn's Moon Count: 128 additional moons discovered orbiting Saturn, bringing total to 274 (surpassing Jupiter's 95), raising questions about moon classification criteria. Lunar Eclipse: First total lunar eclipse of 2025 visible across western hemisphere, with another eclipse in September for viewers in Asia and Australia. New Space Billionaire: Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO, takes over as CEO of Relativity Space (a 3D printing rocket company), joining Bezos, Musk, and Branson in the space industry. Main Topic: Nuclear Propulsion with Dr. Robert O'Brien Propulsion Types: Dr. O'Brien explained two main types: nuclear electric propulsion generates electricity for electric thrusters, while nuclear thermal propulsion heats propellant directly through a fission reactor for thrust. Efficiency Advantages: Nuclear systems offer greater efficiency than chemical rockets, potentially reducing Mars mission mass to one-third or less while enabling "maneuver without regret" capability. Historical Context: US launched SNAP-10A reactor in mid-1960s; Rover-NERVA program demonstrated nuclear thermal rocket technology before cancellation after Apollo. Current Development: Working to regain 1960s capabilities while implementing modern safety protocols, testing procedures, and materials science improvements. Safety Considerations: Modern development includes full exhaust containment and comprehensive safety measures, with waste containment as the primary focus. AI Applications: AI could accelerate development through materials optimization, autonomous operation for deep space, and enhanced reactor control safety. Fusion Propulsion: Remains promising future technology potentially enabling interstellar travel, with growing international investment. Project Orion: Historical nuclear pulse propulsion concept using small nuclear explosions for thrust - impractical for Earth launches but potential for interstellar applications. Public Education: Addressing concerns requires transparent communication, moving away from the "veil of mystery" of earlier nuclear programs. Educational Outreach: The Universities Space Research Association is developing a talent pipeline for "unicorn capabilities" in space nuclear expertise. Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Dr. Robert O'Brien Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

In this episode of This Week in Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik host Dr. Robert O'Brien, Director of the Universities Space Research Association's Center for Space Nuclear Research, for a fascinating deep dive into nuclear propulsion technology for space exploration. They discuss the history, current developments, and future potential of nuclear electric and nuclear thermal propulsion systems, which could revolutionize our ability to explore Mars and beyond—both robotically and with human crews. Headlines Crew-10 Launch Update: SpaceX's Dragon Endurance prepared to launch relief crew for ISS, addressing delays and setting stage for Williams and Wilmore's return. NASA Layoffs: NASA shuttering several offices including Technology Policy and Strategy, Chief Scientist, and diversity initiatives to comply with Trump administration executive orders. Saturn's Moon Count: 128 additional moons discovered orbiting Saturn, bringing total to 274 (surpassing Jupiter's 95), raising questions about moon classification criteria. Lunar Eclipse: First total lunar eclipse of 2025 visible across western hemisphere, with another eclipse in September for viewers in Asia and Australia. New Space Billionaire: Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO, takes over as CEO of Relativity Space (a 3D printing rocket company), joining Bezos, Musk, and Branson in the space industry. Main Topic: Nuclear Propulsion with Dr. Robert O'Brien Propulsion Types: Dr. O'Brien explained two main types: nuclear electric propulsion generates electricity for electric thrusters, while nuclear thermal propulsion heats propellant directly through a fission reactor for thrust. Efficiency Advantages: Nuclear systems offer greater efficiency than chemical rockets, potentially reducing Mars mission mass to one-third or less while enabling "maneuver without regret" capability. Historical Context: US launched SNAP-10A reactor in mid-1960s; Rover-NERVA program demonstrated nuclear thermal rocket technology before cancellation after Apollo. Current Development: Working to regain 1960s capabilities while implementing modern safety protocols, testing procedures, and materials science improvements. Safety Considerations: Modern development includes full exhaust containment and comprehensive safety measures, with waste containment as the primary focus. AI Applications: AI could accelerate development through materials optimization, autonomous operation for deep space, and enhanced reactor control safety. Fusion Propulsion: Remains promising future technology potentially enabling interstellar travel, with growing international investment. Project Orion: Historical nuclear pulse propulsion concept using small nuclear explosions for thrust - impractical for Earth launches but potential for interstellar applications. Public Education: Addressing concerns requires transparent communication, moving away from the "veil of mystery" of earlier nuclear programs. Educational Outreach: The Universities Space Research Association is developing a talent pipeline for "unicorn capabilities" in space nuclear expertise. Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Dr. Robert O'Brien Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

In this episode of This Week in Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik host Dr. Robert O'Brien, Director of the Universities Space Research Association's Center for Space Nuclear Research, for a fascinating deep dive into nuclear propulsion technology for space exploration. They discuss the history, current developments, and future potential of nuclear electric and nuclear thermal propulsion systems, which could revolutionize our ability to explore Mars and beyond—both robotically and with human crews. Headlines Crew-10 Launch Update: SpaceX's Dragon Endurance prepared to launch relief crew for ISS, addressing delays and setting stage for Williams and Wilmore's return. NASA Layoffs: NASA shuttering several offices including Technology Policy and Strategy, Chief Scientist, and diversity initiatives to comply with Trump administration executive orders. Saturn's Moon Count: 128 additional moons discovered orbiting Saturn, bringing total to 274 (surpassing Jupiter's 95), raising questions about moon classification criteria. Lunar Eclipse: First total lunar eclipse of 2025 visible across western hemisphere, with another eclipse in September for viewers in Asia and Australia. New Space Billionaire: Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO, takes over as CEO of Relativity Space (a 3D printing rocket company), joining Bezos, Musk, and Branson in the space industry. Main Topic: Nuclear Propulsion with Dr. Robert O'Brien Propulsion Types: Dr. O'Brien explained two main types: nuclear electric propulsion generates electricity for electric thrusters, while nuclear thermal propulsion heats propellant directly through a fission reactor for thrust. Efficiency Advantages: Nuclear systems offer greater efficiency than chemical rockets, potentially reducing Mars mission mass to one-third or less while enabling "maneuver without regret" capability. Historical Context: US launched SNAP-10A reactor in mid-1960s; Rover-NERVA program demonstrated nuclear thermal rocket technology before cancellation after Apollo. Current Development: Working to regain 1960s capabilities while implementing modern safety protocols, testing procedures, and materials science improvements. Safety Considerations: Modern development includes full exhaust containment and comprehensive safety measures, with waste containment as the primary focus. AI Applications: AI could accelerate development through materials optimization, autonomous operation for deep space, and enhanced reactor control safety. Fusion Propulsion: Remains promising future technology potentially enabling interstellar travel, with growing international investment. Project Orion: Historical nuclear pulse propulsion concept using small nuclear explosions for thrust - impractical for Earth launches but potential for interstellar applications. Public Education: Addressing concerns requires transparent communication, moving away from the "veil of mystery" of earlier nuclear programs. Educational Outreach: The Universities Space Research Association is developing a talent pipeline for "unicorn capabilities" in space nuclear expertise. Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Dr. Robert O'Brien Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

President Donald Trump nominated Eric Ueland to be the top federal management official. Ueland, who is currently the acting chief of staff for OMB, would be the deputy director for management at OMB if confirmed by the Senate.  He would replace Jason Miller, who was DDM for all four years of the Biden administration. Ueland is a former Senate staff member, having worked for majority leader Senator William Frist (R-Tenn.) and then as staff director for the upper chamber's budget committee. Along with Ueland, Trump nominated Ethan Klein to be an associate director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, which is another name for the federal chief technology officer. He was an emerging technology policy adviser during the first Trump administration where he focused on autonomous and unmanned systems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Donald Trump nominated Eric Ueland to be the top federal management official. Ueland, who is currently the acting chief of staff for OMB, would be the deputy director for management at OMB if confirmed by the Senate.  He would replace Jason Miller, who was DDM for all four years of the Biden administration. Ueland is a former Senate staff member, having worked for majority leader Senator William Frist (R-Tenn.) and then as staff director for the upper chamber's budget committee. Along with Ueland, Trump nominated Ethan Klein to be an associate director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, which is another namefor the federal chief technology officer. He was an emerging technology policy adviser during the first Trump administration where he focused on autonomous and unmanned systems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Join Sophie for an enlightening conversation with Amy Nice, a distinguished immigration lawyer and policy expert, as we unpack the complexities of STEM immigration policy. Amy shares her invaluable insights into how immigrants with advanced STEM degrees are pivotal to America's innovation, economic growth, and national security. Amidst the challenges of navigating the U.S. immigration system, Amy's positive perspective highlights ongoing and potential policy shifts aimed at empowering international scientists and engineers to contribute more effectively within the existing legal framework. Amy Nice is a leading thinker on STEM immigration focused on using evidence-based research to find practical solutions to immigration policy problems. She presently focuses her work on policy shifts that support the critical role immigrant scientists, technologists, and engineers play at the intersection of emerging fields, security, economic opportunity, innovation, and tech competition.  She has been an immigration lawyer in Washington, DC for more than 35 years, first in the private practice of law at a big DC law firm - for 20 years, and since 2010 focused on immigration policy.  She worked in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy leading efforts on STEM immigration policy from June 2021 to January 2023. In this episode, you'll hear about: Amy Nice discusses the crucial role of STEM immigrants in driving America's innovation and economic growth. Insights into navigating the complexities and challenges of the U.S. immigration system for high-skilled professionals. Examination of the J-1 exchange visitor visa program's evolution, including updates to the two-year home residency requirement. Overview of the H-1B modernization rule, focusing on cap exemptions and the influence of tech leaders on immigration discourse. Emphasis on the need for proactive policy shifts to support international scientists and engineers. Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. Supporting Resources: Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nice-amy/ Using the J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa to Support U.S. Companies in the STEM Ecosystem: https://www.researcherusa.com/ and https://ifp.org/wp-content/uploads/J-1-STEM-Research-Initiative.pdf Everything STEM Researchers in Critical and Emerging Technology Fields Need to Know about the O-1A Visa Category https://ifp.org/o1a-natsec-innovation-base/ https://www.talentmobility.fund/  Alcorn Immigration Law: Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter Sophie Alcorn Podcast: Episode 16: E-2 Visa for Founders and Employees Episode 19: Australian Visas Including E-3 Episode 20: TN Visas and Status for Canadian and Mexican Citizens Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook

Ethan Klein, an emerging technology policy adviser during the first Trump administration, has been nominated to be the White House's chief technology officer, the Office of Science and Technology Policy confirmed Tuesday. After serving in the first Trump White House, Klein completed a PhD in nuclear science and engineering at MIT, where he worked to develop nuclear tech for arms control and nonproliferation with funds from a fellowship through the National Nuclear Security Administration. Klein also spent time at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which is operated for the NNSA and focuses on weapons development, stewardship and national security. Klein has been pursuing an MBA at Stanford, while working as a summer associate for the Aerospace and Defense group within Lazard, a financial advisory and asset management firm. If confirmed as CTO, Klein would fill the same role that Michael Kratsios did during the first Trump administration, which went unfilled for the entirety of the Biden administration. The Department of Government Efficiency's increasingly vast power across the government likely makes it subject to U.S. records law, a federal judge said Monday in a ruling that ordered the Elon Musk-led group to begin processing requests on an expedited timeline. In a 37-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper concluded that DOGE — the rebranded U.S. Digital Service — “is likely exercising substantial independent authority much greater than” other components within the Executive Office of the President that are covered by the Freedom of Information Act, subjecting it to the same rules. Cooper noted as examples that the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Council on Environmental Quality are both covered by FOIA due to the substantial independent authority they wield when it comes to the evaluation of federal programs. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

Interoperability efforts are ensuring patients and providers can access and use health data seamlessly. The Sequoia Project has been at the forefront of Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ASTP/ONC)'s Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) that removes barriers to sharing health information electronically. At HIMSS in Las Vegas, The Sequoia Project CEO Mariann Yeager highlights why interoperability matters, how plain language and digital transformation can help patients understand their rights, and what it takes to break down the barriers preventing true data exchange.

Troy Edgar for Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security and Dan Bishop for Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget Stephen Feinberg for Deputy Secretary of Defense White House Press Briefing Commentary from Ashe and Gordon Continued: Stephen Feinberg for Deputy Secretary of Defense Michael Kratsios for Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy & Mark Meador for Federal Trade Commissioner

Mark Zuckerberg sent shockwaves around the world when Meta announced the end of its fact-checking program in the U.S. on its platforms Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Critics lamented the potential for more mis/disinformation online while proponents (especially conservatives) rejoiced, as they saw the decision as a rollback of political censorship and viewpoint discrimination. Beneath the hot takes lie bigger questions around who should control what we see online. Should critical decisions around content moderation that affect billions of users be left to the whims of Big Tech CEOs? If not, is government intervention any better—and could it even clear First Amendment hurdles? What if there is a third option between CEO decrees and government intrusion?Enter middleware: third-party software that sits between users and platforms, potentially offering a "third way" beyond what otherwise appears as a binary choice between. Middleware holds the potential to enable users to select different forms of curation on social media by third-parties—anyone from your local church to news outlets to political organizations. Could this technology put power back in the hands of users while addressing concerns about bias, misinformation, harassment, hate speech, and polarization?Joining us are Luke Hogg, Director of Technology Policy at FAI, and Renee DiResta, Georgetown University professor and author of "Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turned Lies Into Reality." They break down their new paper, “Shaping the Future of Social Media with Middleware,”  on and explore whether this emerging technology could reshape our social media landscape for the better. 

When it comes to your health, having digitized information available for seamless sharing across multiple healthcare providers and other stakeholders -- including patients themselves -- is a clear benefit. But can certain actors disrupt the goal of interoperability? David Schwartz, a healthcare-focused antitrust lawyer, joins Jeny Maier and Matt Tabas to introduce us to the challenge of healthcare information blocking and what avenues are available to enforcers to address this behavior. Listen to this episode if you're curious about how competition law principles play a part in ensuring that patients receive more effective care through seamless exchange of electronic medical records. With special guest: David Schwartz, Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner Related Links: Everson J, Patel V, Adler-Milstein J., Information blocking remains prevalent at the start of 21st Century Cures Act: results from a survey of health information exchange organizations 2015 Information Blocking Report  HHS Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy (a/k/a the Office of National Coordinator) webpage on information blocking HHS ASTP/ONC webpage on information blocking exceptions Hosted by: Jeny Maier, Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP and Matt Tabas, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP

In this episode we're coming to you once again from the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, for a look at the HPE-supported AI House. We'll be talking more about AI, from where we've come from, to where we're headed – and the challenges and opportunities along the way, with the help of HPE Vice President, fellow, and chief architect at Hewlett Packard Labs, Kirk Bresniker. This is Technology Now, a weekly show from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Every week we look at a story that's been making headlines, take a look at the technology behind it, and explain why it matters to organizations and what we can learn from it.Watch a video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/kUUJ3OQWvG8?si=FWP7PraPLyyU_c1I About this week's guest, Kirk Bresniker: https://www.hpe.com/psnow/doc/a00051798enw?jumpid=in_pdfviewer-psnow Sources cited in this week's episode: The World Economic Forum: https://www.weforum.org/ The Davos homepage: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2025/The AI House at Davos: https://www.aihousedavos.com/China to plant ‘waving flag' on the moon: https://eng.yidaiyilu.gov.cn/p/0H5QSNAU.html

In this episode we're coming to you once again from the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, for a look at the HPE-supported AI House. We'll be talking more about AI, from where we've come from, to where we're headed – and the challenges and opportunities along the way, with the help of HPE Vice President, fellow, and chief architect at Hewlett Packard Labs, Kirk Bresniker. This is Technology Now, a weekly show from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Every week we look at a story that's been making headlines, take a look at the technology behind it, and explain why it matters to organizations and what we can learn from it.Watch a video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/kUUJ3OQWvG8?si=FWP7PraPLyyU_c1I About this week's guest, Kirk Bresniker: https://www.hpe.com/psnow/doc/a00051798enw?jumpid=in_pdfviewer-psnow Sources cited in this week's episode: The World Economic Forum: https://www.weforum.org/ The Davos homepage: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2025/The AI House at Davos: https://www.aihousedavos.com/China to plant ‘waving flag' on the moon: https://eng.yidaiyilu.gov.cn/p/0H5QSNAU.html

In this episode we're coming to you from the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where we're meeting with HPE's President and CEO, Antonio Neri.We'll be talking about why Davos matters, and the importance of bringing businesses, Governments and other organizations together. This is Technology Now, a weekly show from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Every week we look at a story that's been making headlines, take a look at the technology behind it, and explain why it matters to organizations and what we can learn from it. About this week's guest, Antonio Neri: https://www.hpe.com/uk/en/leadership-bios/antonio-neri.html Sources cited in this week's episode: The World Economic Forum: https://www.weforum.org/ The Davos homepage: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2025/

The Office of Personnel Management has created a new email account meant to collect reports of suspected diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, one of a series of moves the Trump administration has taken to slash DEI efforts across the federal workforce. According to a Jan. 21 memo available online, OPM directed agencies — which are now engaged in the process of shutting down diversity initiatives — to collect reports of any efforts to disguise such initiatives. The memo states that the administration is aware of efforts by some in government to disguise DEI programs by using coded or imprecise language, calling for anyone aware of a change in any contract description or personnel position description since November 5, 2024 to obscure the connection between the contract and DEI or similar ideologies to report all “facts and circumstances” to the email account DEIAtruth@opm.gov within 10 days. Failure to report such activities could result in “adverse consequences,” the memo notes. The White House sent Michael Kratsios's nomination to direct the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to the Senate on Wednesday, formally beginning his confirmation process. Kratsios was chief technology officer during the first Trump administration and was most recently managing director at Scale AI, a technology company and defense contractor focused on AI model training data. Sending his nomination to the Senate officially starts the confirmation process and puts him among the first of Trump's selections officially transmitted to the chamber. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

In this episode we're coming to you from the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where we're meeting with HPE's President and CEO, Antonio Neri.We'll be talking about why Davos matters, and the importance of bringing businesses, Governments and other organizations together. This is Technology Now, a weekly show from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Every week we look at a story that's been making headlines, take a look at the technology behind it, and explain why it matters to organizations and what we can learn from it. About this week's guest, Antonio Neri: https://www.hpe.com/uk/en/leadership-bios/antonio-neri.html Sources cited in this week's episode: The World Economic Forum: https://www.weforum.org/ The Davos homepage: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2025/

For the past 20 years, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, the ONC has played a pivotal role shaping and regulating the health tech market. On the eve of the election, Micky Tripathi joined me to discuss the agency's recently expanded role. Now, two months later—though it feels like a decade—the future is uncertain. Will the ONC and ASTP continue as market regulators and opportunity catalysts, or is a new direction on the horizon?Here's what we covered:The government's role in shaping and regulating the health tech ecosystemAI in healthcare: balancing the risks of misuse vs. the risk of “missed uses” Health information sharing: why Micky is optimistic about the future Can technology take the pain out of prior auth?Micky thinks we are standing on the edge of a transformative era:“We are just at the beginning of the most exciting decade...health information technology can really start to show… the return on investment for patients. We've done a lot of hard work over the last 10 years… [With that foundation in place] we have the opportunity to say there's an ROI here for patients.”Relevant LinksBlog post on ONC reorganization: ONC's Next ChapterTEFCA overviewForbes interview: Where is interoperability headed?Healthcare Dive: HHS AI Task Force Takes Shape (March 2024)Blog post by Micky: Getting real about information blocking and APIs (October 2024)About Our GuestMicky Tripathi is the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, and Acting Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he leads the formulation of HHS technology and data strategy and coordinates technology policies, standards, programs, and investments.Dr. Tripathi has over 20 years of experience across the health IT landscape. Prior to joining the federal government he served as Chief Alliance Officer for Arcadia, a health care data and software company focused on population health management and value-based care, the project manager of the Argonaut Project, an industry collaboration to accelerate the adoption of FHIR, and a board member of HL7, the Sequoia Project, the CommonWell Health Alliance, and the CARIN Alliance.Dr. Tripathi served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative (MAeHC), a non-profit health IT advisory and clinical data analytics company. He was also the founding President and CEO of the Indiana Health Information Exchange, a statewide HIE partnered with the Regenstrief Institute, an Executive Advisor to investment firm LRVHealth, and a Fellow at the Berkman-Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University.He holds a PhD in political science from the Massachusetts...

In the tenth episode of the CommonHealth Live! series, Katherine E. Bliss will sit down with Stacy Aguilera-Peterson, Deputy Director for Research, U.S. Global Climate Change Research Program, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Josh Glasser, Assistant Director for Combatting Antimicrobial Resistance & Integrated Health Innovation (One Health), White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.  The discussion will focus on how the Biden administration has sought to define the relationship between climate change and health, the extent to which climate-related impacts on health can be seen as threats to national security, and opportunities for stakeholders in research, program implementation, service delivery, and the private sector to collaborate with U.S. government agencies and international partners on addressing global challenges at the intersection of climate change and health.  This event is made possible by the generous support of the Wellcome Trust and GSK.​​​

Teresa K. Woodruff joined an elite group of Americans who have received two national medals of honor when President Joe Biden announced the latest recipients of the National Medal of Science on Jan. 3.  Arati Prabhakar, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, presented Woodruff with the medal at a ceremony at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., on the same date. The first person from Michigan State University to receive the National Medal of Science, Woodruff has made significant global contributions in scientific research, improvements to the scientific process and diversification of research teams. Woodruff is an MSU Foundation professor in both the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at MSU's College of Human Medicine and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at MSU's College of Engineering. She was named provost of MSU in August 2020 and served as interim president of MSU from 2022-2024.   Established in 1959 by the U.S. Congress, the National Medal of Science is the highest recognition the nation can bestow on scientists and engineers. Teresa is the first MSU faculty member to receive the recognition.   President Barack Obama presented Woodruff with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring in an Oval Office ceremony in 2011. It is very rare to receive two presidential honors.   Conversation Highlights: (1:36) - Congratulations! How does it feel? (2:30) - You're one of the world's leading fertility experts, and you pioneered the science of oncofertility in 2006 that has helped thousands of cancer patients protect their reproductive futures. Talk about how your interest in this area developed and describe your research interests. (4:43) - How is your research evolving? Findings lead to more questions, right? What is the zinc spark? (6:37) - Teaching and mentoring are important to you. You're an advocate for women in science and led efforts to change federal policy to mandate the use of females in fundamental National Institutes of Health research.Your students inspire you. Why is mentoring important to you and how are they helping carry on your work? (8:57) - Why MSU? You could do this research anywhere.  (9:57) – The burgeoning MSU Health Sciences. Listen to “MSU Today with Russ White” on the radio and through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your shows.

Even as the new year ushers in a new administration and Congress in the US at the federal level, dozens of states are kicking off new legislative sessions and are expected to pursue various tech policy goals. Justin Hendrix spoke to three experts to get a sense of the trends unfolding across the states on the regulation of AI, privacy, child online safety, and related issues: Keir Lamont, senior director at the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and author of The Patchwork Dispatch, a newsletter on state tech policy issues; Caitriona Fitzgerald, deputy director at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), which runs a state privacy policy project and scores AI legislation; Scott Babwah Brennen, director of the Center on Technology Policy at New York University and an author of a recent report on trends in state tech policy.

From December 13, 2023: You may have heard of Javier Milei, Argentina's new president, thanks to some of his eccentricities, like his five cloned dogs or his reliance on a chainsaw prop to illustrate the need to cut public expenditure. But Milei was able to harness the dissatisfaction with a system that has left the country with 150% inflation and over 40% of the population under the line of poverty. Now, the self described anarcho-capitalist libertarian will attempt to turn the economy around with shocking fiscal adjustment.To discuss this inflection point in Argentina, Lawfare's Fellow in Technology Policy and Law Eugenia Lostri spoke with Ana Iparraguirre, a partner at consulting firm GBAO and a frequent commentator on leading Latin American media outlets. They talked about Milei's rise to power, if and how he can deliver on his campaign promises, and what that would even mean for the Argentinian people.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From April 14, 2023: Over the past few years, TikTok has become a uniquely polarizing social media platform. On the one hand, millions of users, especially those in their teens and twenties, love the app. On the other hand, the government is concerned that TikTok's vulnerability to pressure from the Chinese Communist Party makes it a serious national security threat. There's even talk of banning the app altogether. But would that be legal? In particular, does the First Amendment allow the government to ban an application that's used by millions to communicate every day?On this episode of Arbiters of Truth, our series on the information ecosystem, Matt Perault, director of the Center on Technology Policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Alan Z. Rozenshtein, Lawfare Senior Editor and Associate Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota, spoke with Ramya Krishnan, a staff attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, and Mary-Rose Papendrea, the Samuel Ashe Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of North Carolina School of Law, to think through the legal and policy implications of a TikTok ban.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At a virtual panel conversation co-hosted by Lawfare and NYU's Center for Technology Policy, center Director Scott Brennen moderated a conversation between Lawfare Senior Editor and University of Minnesota law professor Alan Rozenshtein, University of North Carolina law professor Mary-Rose Papandrea, and Georgetown law professor Anupam Chander, about the recent D.C. Circuit decision upholding the TikTok divestment-or-ban law and what that means for the future of both TikTok and the First Amendment.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

STAFFER guest Bruce Mehlman, founder of Mehlman Consulting, has been on Washingtonian Magazine's list of 500 Most Influential People for three years running. Prior to founding his own firm, Bruce served as counsel at the NRCC, General Counsel and Policy Director for the House Republican Conference, Policy Counsel at Cisco, and Assistant Secretary of Technology Policy at the U.S. Department of Commerce.  Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn