Roots of Progress Institute

The wisdom of Vitalik, Voices from 2099, ultrasound BCI, preventative MRIs, a browser written by AI, and much, much more Links and short notes, 2026-01-26: https://lnkd.in/eNgMV2RH

There is no silver bullet for risk. Safety is achieved through defense in depth, and through the orchestration of a wide variety of solutions. Here's a historical example: the history of fire safety https://lnkd.in/esMn-7cy

Nature is a complex system, we are told, and therefore unpredictable, uncontrollable, unruly. This is true but irrelevant: we can master nature in the ways that matter https://lnkd.in/g3XM78Vk

Everyone loves writing annual letters these days—so here’s Jason Crawford's, including his annual reading highlights: https://lnkd.in/g5q9Symi

Jason Crawford's essay series The Techno-Humanist Manifesto has concluded, and you can read the whole thing online. We're pleased to announce that the series will be revised for publication as a book from The MIT Press (expected early 2027)! https://lnkd.in/gxjA4PSk

The links digest is back! Claude’s soul, industrial leapfrogging, slop from the 1700s, the genius of Jeff Dean, and much more Links and short notes, 2025-12-19: https://lnkd.in/gXYs358E

When the cost of creation falls, the volume of production greatly expands, but the average quality necessarily falls. This overall process, however, will usher in a golden age of creativity and experimentation https://lnkd.in/gEJJfe3f

Applications are now OPEN for a new career exploration program for high school students: *Progress in Medicine* is a great opportunity for teenagers to learn from experts and be inspired by heroic work in the past to tackle future challenges. In this summer program, high school students will explore careers in in medicine, biotech, health policy, and longevity. We will inspire them with stories of historical progress and future opportunities in medicine, help them think about a wider range of careers, and raise their aspirations about how they can contribute to progress in medicine. The program centers on this central question: People today live longer, healthier, and less painful lives than ever before. Why? Who made those changes possible? Can we keep this going? And could you play a part? High school students will get: • Weekly deep-dive case studies on topics from public health to to longevity. • Practical tools and strategies for building a meaningful life and career • A chance to explore hands-on skills that for a taste of medical training • A 4-day in-residency at Stanford & tours of labs and biotech companies • Practice writing a personal essay as prep for college applications We have a great group of experts lined up to speak to modern problems they solve, including: • Celine Halioua (CEO at Loyal, dog longevity drugs) • Amesh Adalja (Senior Scholar at John Hopkins University, infectious diseases) • Jared Seehafer (Senior Advisor, FDA Office of the Commissioner, accelerating life-saving technology) • Jacob Swett (CEO Blueprint Biosecurity, clean air for infectious disease preve This is a 6-week program. 5 weeks online, 2 hours/day via Zoom. 4 days in-residency hosted at Stanford dorms, with small-group tours to research labs and biotech companies in the Bay Area. Share with parents and high school students in your network. Apply now; priority application deadline is February 8th, 2026: https://lnkd.in/gZkNqVbf

Let’s shift from a static, passive framing of our relationship to technology, to a dynamic, agentic one. Instead of debating whether a technology is inherently good or bad, let’s discuss how to navigate new landscapes—and recognize the responsibility we all have to do so https://lnkd.in/e2QDtJcQ

The Techno-Humanist Manifesto, Chapter 10: The Grand Project Progress is a grand project for humanity: one with an illustrious past and a glorious future. And its heroes are the scientist, the inventor, and the founder https://lnkd.in/eUSqHQSG