Links and short notes, 2024-12-16

Brain mapping, walkable cities, progress on the curriculum, and much more

Much of this content originated on social media. To follow news and announcements in a more timely fashion, follow me on Twitter, Threads, Bluesky, or Farcaster.

Jobs & fellowships
Looking for writers?
People doing interesting things
Events
DARPA wants input
Other announcements
Progress on the curriculum
The growth of the progress movement
AI will allow the average person to navigate The System
I have questions
Other people have questions
Links
100 years ago
Humboldt on progress
Progress news with cool pics
Anti-elite elites
Politics links and short notes
BBC doesn’t know what “nominal” means
Charts
Fun

Jobs & fellowships

We’re hiring an Event Manager to run Progress Conference 2025 and other events. Best to get your application in before the holidays!
“The Kothari Fellowship provides grant and mentorship to young Indians (<25 years) who want to build, empowering them to turn ideas into reality, instead of being held back by societal norms.” Provides up to ₹1 lakh per month for 12 months (~$15k per year)
ARIA Research will “start the search for our first Frontier Specialists” to work alongside program directors. “It’s a two-year role that will give you a chance to step off the standard career track and go after outsized impact” (@ARIA_research). Apply here

Looking for writers?

“Are you running a progress-y or abundance-oriented newsletter, blog, magazine or other publication? Would you like to receive pitches from the talented RPI fellows? Reply here so I can send our writers your way” (@elmcaleavy)

People doing interesting things

Rosie Campbell (RPI fellow) has left OpenAI and is thinking about her next steps. She’s interested in talking to people about various topics related to AI, risk, safety, policy, epistemics, and more
@danielgolliher: “I want to take my ‘Foundations of America’ students on an optional day trip to Washington D.C., and do one or both of: Watch a Congressional committee hearing; Watch SCOTUS oral argument. Anyone in DC want to co-lead with me? I plan to come down in January or February”
@etiennefd wants to start “a Quebec-focused progress studies think tank”

Events

Brian Armstrong and Blake Byers hosting a “Frontier Bio dinner on Assisted Reproductive Technology,” SF, Q1 next year. “If you’re a scientist or engineer interested in this field, apply in the post below” (@brian_armstrong)

DARPA wants input

“The head of Biological Technology at DARPA is … asking for ideas to speed up design build test cycles in biology” (@sethbannon). In case you have input!

Other announcements

“In collaboration with E11 Bio, we are announcing today a new way to map brain circuits at scale. With improvements in AI and microscopy I think whole brain mouse and maybe human brain mapping will be feasible in ~5-10 years” (@SGRodriques)
RPI fellow Ryan Puzycki was appointed to Austin’s Zoning Commission in March. “This week, we passed a recommendation to allow for amenities like coffee shops and corner groceries to be built in neighborhoods. It’s only the start of a process, and the next step in building on some of our recent reforms to make Austin a more walkable and connected city.” (@RyanPuzycki) See his writeup, “The Next Step Toward a Walkable City”
Triumph of the Civil Libertarians, a forthcoming book by Nico Perrino. “In less than a century, America went from a country where free speech received scant protection to one where it is of transcendent importance in law and culture. Who were the men and women who made this possible, and can their accomplishments endure? Coming 2026” (@NicoPerrino)

Read rest of this digest with a Substack subscription.