Changes in Transportation

And speaking of unexpected changes, could the future of transportation be something completely different than what we expect? How might the transportation landscape change with autonomous cars, full electrification, and distributed sources of energy?

New Model for Evolution

A new model for evolution hypothesizes that cooperation and niche expansion could be another driver for speciation rather than the classical assumption of competition as the driver. This could be an interesting expansion into studying natural systems.

It also raises an interesting idea in my mind. In what other areas should we rethink our assumptions about the role of competition in driving innovation and change? Could this be a different way to think about economic systems? What about studying how enterprises thrive by finding untapped demands and actually creating new markets rather than fighting for a bigger share of an existing market?

Trump Quality

To get an idea of the quality of expertise upon which Trump relies, look at who he enlists as his economic advisers. 

Larry Kudlow

Kudlow is to economics what William Kristol is to political strategy: if he says something, you know it’s wrong. When he ridiculed “bubbleheads” who thought overvalued real estate could bring down the economy, you should have rushed for the bomb shelters; when he proclaimed Bush a huge success, because a rising stock market is the ultimate verdict on a presidency (unless the president is a Democrat), you should have known that the Bush era would end with epochal collapse. 

Stephen Moore.
In a bid to preserve its journalistic integrity, one newspaper will no longer use him as a resource.

Beyond the empty bombast, don't count on Mr. Trump to be able to build a qualified staff on much of anythin.

Stopping The Outbreak Of Anti-LGBT Laws

A simple act of Congress could stop all these state-by-state anti-LGBT laws. It would save us all the bother of suits and counter-suits to take the issue to the Supreme Court. The Court has already ruled in favor of same-sex marriage for all 50 states based on the equal protection guaranteed in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Based on Obergefell v. Hodges, I can't see how any court should have to go through the exercise of striking down all 100 or more discriminatory statutes which are currently being considered by various state legislatures.

The Abortion Myth

Abortion is much safer than giving birth. It’s also safer than a colonoscopy or getting wisdom teeth removed. When Texas and other throw-back states start requiring clinics and oral surgeons to have hospital-grade facilities, we might begin to think that they have some sense in their heads. But until then...well, here's your sign.

Five Pacific Islands Are Victims of Global Warming

Five of the Solomon Islands are harbingers of the things to come as they vanish beneath the waves. Sadly, the rest of the world moves to do something about far too slowly. Will we be in time for the major cities along our coasts or will they share the same fate?