Perhaps it would be better if that wasn't the case...

Is there some experimental mode for Siri that can utilize an AI model? Despite the higher error rate I would expect that the LLM is going to give more interesting (engaging) results for certain types of interactions.

The important thing to remember with Starship is that the last two flights incorporated an entirely new design.with multiple experiments. These were fundamentally new rockets largely unlike their largely successful prior versions. Rather than a tweak of a nearly successful version to fix a few things we saw major changes one or two of which unfortunately is causing some catastrophic problems. They never got this far, but even just the tile system included probably a hundred different experiments.

Unfortunately since they didn't get that far it is also possible some of those tile experiments will cause catastrophic failure on re-entry if they try them all again. The thing about experiments is you need to to survive long enough to get to them. Hopefully some of those experiments were more about manufacturing rather than survivability so they can down select the most promising alternatives next ship in production. Regardless, we are still seeing a lot of changes each flight and those changes have the potential to not work.

I view BO's (heh) New Shepard as roughly on par with the risk of everyday commercial air flight. Some factors increase risk, while others (like the fact that the entire spacecraft is thoroughly checked out between flights and telemetered to heck and back) reduce risk. So overall I think it's probably a wash.

It goes straight up and comes straight back down. Atmospheric re-entry heating is a fraction of that of an orbital re-entry.

The capsule is aerodynamically stable on re-entry. The part that should point forward, will always point forward.

The flight is so short that even if atmospheric conditioning failed, as long as the capsule maintains pressure, there should be plenty of breathable atmo for the duration. This is reinforced by the fact that the New Shepard crew are not required to wear pressure suits.

The LES is a simple solid rocket motor - ignite and it will burn, no valves or propellant pressurization to worry about, so it is as sure to work as about anything else in this world, to get you away from the going-boom rocket behind (plus it has already been demostrated both in tests and in a real-life booster failure).

So, I don't think it was that much of a step for JB to ride the first crewed bird, from a technical perspective. And of course there's other reasons why he might want to be on the first flight, but I'll leave it to others to expound on those aspects...

AI is like paying a toddler to be your CEO and paying them double.

Amazing progress doesn't mean AI is ready to take our jobs.

The order renamed the area bounded by the US and the Continental shelf "extending to the seaward boundary with Mexico and Cuba in the area formerly named as the Gulf of Mexico"

That area is recognized by both countries to be under US jurisdiction by treaty. Mexico could retain the Gulf of Mexico name in their waters without conflicting names.

Greater Distance, low power, simplicity make AM still a very effective communications protocol. Keep it. And go ahead and mandate it.

Romneycare still has onerous penalties on Massachusetts for lack of insurance above a certain income

How can you fix what government broke without government to at least unwind all the mistakes they(we) made? Yes, when government micromanages a free market it is bad, but putting in place simple regulations and then policing things like fraud is why we have government. You can't have a free market if the people can steal from one another without systematic use of violence to punish transgressors.

No one would knowingly choose a health insurance that denies twice as many claims as their competitors. Give people choice and the bad actors get squeezed out of the market.

I am ok with an option out model for health like you can opt out of a 401k. But some minimum being required is probably more preferable overall. Most people need retirement savings beyond Social Security and will get sick before Medicare. Health Savings accounts should absolutely be an option to get whatever money the employer would have spent subsidizing the insurance plan.

It's a bit mind boggling that insurance is required by law to cover gender affirming care, but not limb affirming care? I identity as wanting to have hands and feet.

Yes, we need employers to stop forcing us into crappy plans. The government can play a role here. Make the market for health insurance work better and give people better options for using those employer funds to save up money tax free in health savings accounts. Don't require minimum withdrawals under a certain age so people can save up while they are healthier.

The employer's HR benefits administrators choosing the cheapest plan or the one with the best sales team isn't a free market and doesn't put the decision making into the hands of the people actually using the health insurance.

Doing the Vulcan neck-pinch on the punk on the bus with the boombox was a good start...

I believe Musk has said that internally they will charge the Starlink business unit the same launch rates as they would Starlink competitors. Of course that is a balance sheet exercise when it is under one roof.