Introduction

Matt Clancy is a progress fellow at Emergent Ventures. He teaches at Iowa State University and writes on Substack a newsletter called New Things Under the Sun, which you should subscribe to if you are interested in anything innovation related. Matt has also synthesised many of the emerging studies on remote working. Transcript and video links here.

We discuss whether progress has been stagnating and the importance of moral and social progress as well as technological.

Whether small team or large teams are better for invention.

How important are agglomeration effects and how a declining agglomeration impact might make the case for remote work stronger.

The role of innovation prizes and patents for incentivising innovation and if copyright is too long.

Whether innovation agencies (eg ARPA)  are the answer and what Matt would do as an executive director of one.

Differences between UK and US university systems and advice for young people.

Matt’s thinking on remote work.