Top of mind

A database of “constraint numbers” that are crossover points between one way of doing technology and another

Dinner 23 Jun 2021

20 Jul 2021

# “This would be amazing BUT” list
Basically, this list would effectively be the Hamming question but for every field [[Richard Hamming]]

### Related
- [[A database of “constraint numbers” that are crossover points between one way of doing technology and another]]
- [[What processes can be drastically changed with new manufacturing tools and capabilities?]]


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# 20 Jul 2021
Morning 
- Probably shot due to ping pong table pickup

Afternoon
- [x] [[New kinds of ARPAs need new kinds of performers]]
- [[“This would be amazing BUT” list]]
- Update Website
	 - [x] Office Hours
	- Banner on PARPA
	- Questions
- Twitterify PARPA post
- Figure out LLC vs C corp - Todd
-  Comms
	-  📅📅 Dig in David Leigh People 
		- 
	- Reach out to all potential BoA and BoD peo
		- [[PARPA Partners]]



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“This would be amazing BUT” list

# A database of “constraint numbers” that are crossover points between one way of doing technology and another
A key way 
### Some possible places to dig
- [[3D Printing Constraints]]

### Related
- [[Constraints limit the impact and dispersion speed of a heuretic]]
- [[Every paradigm has constraints]]
- [[Constraints podcast]]
- [[“This would be amazing BUT” list]]
- [[Bottlenecks Workshop June 2021]]
- [[Bottlenecks]]
- [[What is the relationship between a causal graph, affordances, and constraints?]]
- [[Affordances and constraints instead of pros and cons]]
- [[Technology relaxes constraints]]


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28 Aug 2021

24 Aug 2021

25 Aug 2021

26 Aug 2021

27 Aug 2021

About these notes

# Top of mind
(Updated 19 Jul 2021) 

The intention of this page is to serve the function of  [a /now page](http://nownownow.com/about)  - shamelessly stealing the idea of a notes-based now page from the indomitable Andy Matuschak.

Most of my time is spent executing on the plan to build a[new institution](https://benjaminreinhardt.com/parpa-2-pager.pdf) I outlined [in the piece I wrote on building a private ARPA-riff.](https://benjaminreinhardt.com/parpa). This entails:
- Finding [potential program managers](https://benjaminreinhardt.com/parpa#its_possible_to_find_people_who_are_both_willing_and_capable_to_be_program_managers) and working with them on the fist steps of [[§Program Design]].
- Simultaneously working on designing a few programs myself. Specifically [general purpose telerobotics](https://benjaminreinhardt.com/parpa#general_purpose_telerobotics) and first steps towards an [artificial ribosome.](https://benjaminreinhardt.com/parpa#positional_chemistry)
- Working out the nitty-gritties of the [legal structure](https://benjaminreinhardt.com/parpa#legal_structure_is_critical_to_institutional_capacity) and getting the entities incorporated. 
- Finding the money to fund these things. 
- Reputationally bootstrapping the whole thing: the actual work becomes easier the more seriously people take you, but in order for people to take you seriously you need to do good work. 

If you want to see PARPA succeed, here are [[Ways to Help PARPA]].

More abstractly,  a thesis I’ve been playing around with as PARPA’s ‘theme’: [[Materials and manufacturing underpin civilization]] and the corollaries  [[What processes can be drastically changed with new manufacturing tools and capabilities?]], [[New materials can radically change technological constraints and enable previously unthought of applications]]

The nature of trying to create the organization still raises a number of research-y questions: [[Top of Mind Questions]]

And of course, I can’t help occasionally dicking around with
- Creating a [[“This would be amazing BUT” list]] — would love more suggestions!
- Expanding on the idea of [[The linear innovation pipeline is more harmful than useful]]
- Thinking about [[Observational technological phenomena]] and the [[§Tech Tree Model of Heuretics]].
- Recording an occasional [Idea Machines Podcast](ideamachinespodcast.com)as a way to talk to fascinating people and share it with the world.

On the physical front, I feel like I’ve mostly got my incremental climbing/physical ability increasing [[Training Plan]] nailed down. The trick is recovery and not overeating.



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What if PARPA focused on materials and manufacturing?

Ian Brooke Conversation 21 Jun 2021

# What processes can be drastically changed with new manufacturing tools and capabilities?
- [[SpaceX]] did this for rockets
- [[Ian Brooke]] is attempting to do this for airplanes 
	- Using
- Boats?
- [[Airships]]

### Some potential new tools and processes
- [[3D Printing]]
	- Especially metals/ceramics/structural materials
- [[Computer Aided Design — CAD]]
- [[Generative Design]]
- [[CNC Machining]]
- [[General Purpose Telerobotics]]
- [[Robotics]]

### Related
- [[fillerFundamentalManufacturingProcess2020]]
- [[Startup by spreadsheet]]
- [[What if PARPA focused on materials and manufacturing?]]
- [[Materials and manufacturing underpin civilization]]
- [[What happens if you have energy too cheap to meter?]]

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Ben's working notes

“This would be amazing BUT” list

Related

Links to this note