link roundup
Friend of the Substack Matt Clancy has a great post on the returns to R&D in developing countries.
Ben Johnson and Louise Dunsby have a piece out on boosting innovation for UK defense. I may be biased here - Louise is my boss - but they’re both very thoughtful and I recommend the piece.
Cool people are gathering in places:
Roots of Progress is having another conference in October. I will be around for this! Come say hi!
There’s going to be an EAGxNigeria! I am excited about its existence. There’s not a good reason for me to go but I might go anyway…
Ending US global health funding is estimated to kill 25 million people in ten years. Seems bad.
(More on this subject coming soon from me.)
The UK consistently underestimates demand for rail lines.
San Francisco and Los Angeles have the worst roads in the nation.1
This is surprising to me; I felt like the roads in Chicago were genuinely hazardous to life and limb.
That estimate of 25 million is assuming that the cut is to 0% for the next 15 years and that there is no replacement from governments/other aid. Even then I'm not sure I would estimate that large of an increase in child mortality (an extra 500k deaths per year) from 25 countries not including India and Pakistan.
I experienced REALLY bad Boston area roads, so I'm similarly surprised. Also, given the good weather in both LA and SF, I'm even more surprised (no freezing usually means fewer issues with potholes, paint fading, yes?).