A society's dynamism can be measured by whether a 30-year-old's living standards exceed those their parents had at the same age, and by the returns to scientific research—which now show diminishing returns, requiring ever more investment for the same output, making research feel like a 'sociopathic, Malthusian' institution that eventually collapses.
factualpending
Speaker
Peter ThielEvidence Quote
“you have to throw more and more and more at something to get the same returns. And at some point, people give up and the thing collapses.”
Source
A.I., Mars and Immortality: Are We Dreaming Big Enough? | Interesting Times with Ross Douthat— Interesting Times with Ross DouthatCreated: 6/18/2026, 2:32:27 PM
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