Book Review: Where's My Flying Car?

7 hours ago

The book 'Where's My Flying Car?' argues that the Great Stagnation in technological progress since the 1970s stems from flatlined energy usage due to a failure to adopt nuclear energy, driven by excessive regulation and 'green fundamentalism'.
Hall posits that flying cars have been technologically feasible since the 1930s but were hindered by historical events like the Great Depression and WWII, and later stifled by regulatory barriers, rather than technical infeasibility.
Nuclear power's decline is attributed to crippling regulations post-1970s, exemplified by incidents like the Calvert Cliffs case and the establishment of the Department of Energy under Jimmy Carter, which led to soaring costs and stalled development.
The author critiques 'green fundamentalism' as a dominant ideology opposing human agency over nature, linking it to misguided fears about nuclear energy and environmental policies, such as the ban on DDT, which he argues have hindered progress.
Hall suggests that public funding for science, particularly in nanotechnology, has been counterproductive, fostering academic turf wars and stifling innovation, while private R&D historically drove major technological advancements.
The book advocates for a return to 'definite optimism,' envisioning a future unlocked by embracing nuclear energy and nanotechnology, with possibilities like flying cities and advanced flying cars, despite current bureaucratic and regulatory obstacles.

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