Progress along the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Organizing framework
History and causes
How do we make progress?
Definition and measurement
What should we be building towards?
Drawbacks of progress
What are the risks?
How do we make differential progress?
Research plan
Move from concrete areas to general frameworks.
Critical areas for human flourishing:
Health
Housing
Energy
Transportation (+ Logistics)
General Purpose Technologies (GPTs)
Steam engine
Electricity
Computers
AI
Robotics
Synthetic biology
GPTs need to be (1) Possible (foundational theory/key invention), (2) Viable (technological advancements), (3) Valuable (existing demand + complementary innovation) and (4) Available (distribution) in order to have proper impact.