so, the (lack of) motives? Lack of imminent threat of nuclear destruction? No longer need to outcompete the illiberal enemy? Too many old and risk-averse peopl

so, the (lack of) motives? Lack of imminent threat of nuclear destruction? No longer need to outcompete the illiberal enemy? Too many old and risk-averse people? The precipitous drop in testosterone? Lack of typically more risk-taking male role models? Lack of competition from an even more liberal/deregulated country? Lack of an even more terrifying (and thus deterrence-breaking) weapon than thermonuclear bombs? On the one hand, it s kind of sad that even the most progressive big trends in R&D today, clean energy and space travel, will only take us forward to an incrementally updated version of 1971. on the other hand, black swan events like the coronavirus are forcing the world to break ranks with the slow pace of progress. Wish the times were more interesting.