The Briefing: Technology | Economy | Policy

Dan Duncavage
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The Briefing provides context and insight into the most important developments in Technology, Economy and Policy. We tackle big issues and show their relationship: Emerging tech like AIThe rapidly changing nature of the US economy and its relation to the world.US Government policies that impact Tech and the Economy. A whole new AI driven civilization is being created and the old ways of thinking about government's relation to science, tech, business and economics is being thrown aside. the Briefing will make sense of the most important developments.

Episodes

  1. Hegseth: The Deptartment of War is a bad customer.

    2 DAYS AGO

    Hegseth: The Deptartment of War is a bad customer.

    Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated that the DoW makes it very difficult for contractors to provide the systems that are needed. Mazes of requirements, changing directions and a blizzard of documentation all stand in the way. My years at NASA taught me the same thing. The existing regulations make it impossible for the government and industry to work together efficiently. Good people, working hard to follow the rules, but the rules need to be improved. Hegseth's comments are in keeping with the Trump Administration's initiative to radically rewrite the FAR - Federal Acquisition Regulation to focus more on performance for the taxpayer.

    10 min

  2. 3 DAYS AGO

    Did Elon Chicken Out on Mars? The Truth Behind SpaceX's Moon Pivot.

    Did Elon Musk chicken out on Mars? In early 2025, he called the Moon a “distraction” and insisted SpaceX was going “straight to Mars.” Yet in 2026, he suddenly made the Moon the overriding priority—announcing plans for a self-growing lunar city in under 10 years. So what changed? Was it a retreat… or a smart pivot? In this episode of The Briefing, we break down: Elon’s own words dismissing the Moon (and LEO stations) as sideshowsWhy the brutal 26-month Earth-Mars launch window and 6–9 month transit times make Mars iteration painfully slowHow SpaceX’s rapid, failure-tolerant development style thrives on fast cycles—and why the Moon (days/weeks to orbit and test) is the perfect proving groundThe real cost of waiting decades for Mars vs. building momentum with a lunar baseWhy a Moon-first strategy might be exactly what keeps public and political support alive (especially with potential Trump-era acceleration to counter China) No “chicken dinner” here—Elon’s shift is driven by hard engineering reality, Starship’s iterative challenges, and strategic timing. Mars is still the endgame… but the Moon just got promoted to the fast lane. Timestamps: 0:00 – Intro & Elon’s 2025 “Moon is a distraction” quote 2:45 – The 26-month Mars window problem 5:30 – Why fast iteration is everything for SpaceX 8:15 – Lunar base as PR and technical accelerator 11:00 – My NASA days: the quarterly landing idea 13:20 – Conclusion: smart pivot, not surrender What do you think—Moon-first genius or Mars betrayal? Drop your thoughts below! Subscribe for more deep dives into space tech, policy, and economy. #ElonMusk #SpaceX #Mars #Moon #Starship #NASA #Artemis #SpacePolicy #IterativeDevelopment #LunarBase

    10 min
  3. Lectured by a Communist: Soviet Secrets, NASA Requirements and the Evolution of SpaceX.

    6 FEB

    Lectured by a Communist: Soviet Secrets, NASA Requirements and the Evolution of SpaceX.

    In 1995, deep in post-Soviet Russia at RSC Energia in Korolev, a 28-year-old NASA engineer (me) faced off against a grizzled senior manager who embodied the old Soviet ways. We were moments from signing a protocol during our quarterly meeting on the $400M NASA-Russia Space Station contract, when he launched into a lecture: why NASA’s demand for detailed design docs on a pure oxygen pump was misguided—and why tough test requirements and full contractor accountability were superior. He refused to share heat treatment details, arguing that he didn't have the information and didn't want it, preferring test data. NASA culture wanted both detailed design information and test data. This clash revealed deep cultural differences: Soviet-era secrecy for power and survival vs. NASA’s multi-layered oversight born from hard-learned failures in spaceflight physics. Frankly, I agreed with his view - but it was my job to get the data. Years later, SpaceX launched with a philosophy closer to that Russian ideal—fixed-price contracts, arm's-length from NASA processes, emphasizing owner accountability and rapid iteration. But as challenges mounted (schedule slips, costs), they didn't reject NASA wholesale. They learned, selectively adopted proven elements, and evolved into something more effective—proving hybrid approaches win. NASA's legacy is real: every "ridiculous" requirement has a story, often from missions that failed spectacularly due to counterintuitive risks. Jared Isaacman's challenge is to reinvent NASA, pulling the best from that past into a new culture or excellence. Join me for this personal story from the front lines of ISS collaboration, reflections on engineering culture, and why true progress comes from blending the best of bureaucratic wisdom and bold innovation. 👍 Like to hear more insider stories 🔔 Subscribe for weekly deep dives on technology, economy, and policy intersections 💬 Comment: What do you think—does accountability win, or is deep oversight essential in space?

    14 min
  4. E6 NASA vs SpaceX

    3 FEB

    E6 NASA vs SpaceX

    In 1992, Administrator Dan Godlin pushed NASA to be Faster, Better, Cheaper. What stood in the way? Is it even possible?

    19 min
  5. E5: NASA Disasters and Culture

    31 JAN

    E5: NASA Disasters and Culture

    An insider's experience at NASA in the wake of the Columbia and Challenger disasters, focusing on decision making and response to the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. How does culture impact flight safety vs cost and schedule?

    19 min
  6. E4: Davos Shift

    27 JAN

    E4: Davos Shift

    What really happened at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos? Aside from all the spin, what sea changes occurred?

    10 min
  7. E3: AI Moratorium?

    24 JAN

    E3: AI Moratorium?

    Should there be a Moratorium on AI Data Center development? Bernie Sanders thinks so, but why? It turns out that there is a concerted and camoflaged effort by 4 billionaires to convince Americans that AI is dangerous and must be regulated by Washington DC. You can read about this in depth at: https://www.aipanic.news/p/the-ai-existential-risk-industrial https://corporate.vanguard.com/content/dam/corp/research/pdf/isg_vemo_2026.pdf https://budgetlab.yale.edu/research/evaluating-impact-ai-labor-market-september-cps-update

    11 min
  8. E2: GPU, TPU, LPU?

    19 JAN

    E2: GPU, TPU, LPU?

    What is the hardware that drives the AI we use? In this Brief, we cover the silicon processor chips, memory, networking and power needs.

    14 min
  9. E1: Why AI?

    15 JAN

    E1: Why AI?

    Why is AI so important? How will AI impact the economy and jobs?

    14 min
  • 9 Episodes

About

The Briefing provides context and insight into the most important developments in Technology, Economy and Policy. We tackle big issues and show their relationship: Emerging tech like AIThe rapidly changing nature of the US economy and its relation to the world.US Government policies that impact Tech and the Economy. A whole new AI driven civilization is being created and the old ways of thinking about government's relation to science, tech, business and economics is being thrown aside. the Briefing will make sense of the most important developments.

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