The Podcast of the Lotus Eaters PREVIEW: Brokenomics | Living in Space with Grant Donahue: Part I
Aug 5, 2025
Dan chats with Grant Donahue, a planetary scientist passionate about the possibilities of living in space. They dive into the challenges and technologies needed for extraterrestrial life, questioning if space is more desirable than Earth. The conversation touches on the evolution of rocket engineering and cost-effective space travel. Grant explains how the Moon could serve as a launching pad for future colonization and discusses innovative habitat designs that could sustain human life. Get ready to rethink the final frontier!
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Tech Advances Hit Diminishing Returns
- Engineering evolves through revolutionary then incremental phases.
- Jet engines illustrate high initial leaps then marginal gains.
Wright's Law Limits Progress
- Wright's Law predicts efficiency gains through cumulative production doublings.
- Gains become costly as production scales massively for small improvements.
Space Living Demands In-Situ Production
- Launching materials from Earth remains incredibly expensive.
- Space industry must produce materials in orbit to be economically viable.