The Generalist Reviving Forgotten Technologies: How Airships, Supersonic Flight, and Geothermal Energy Could Transform Our World | Eli Dourado (Head of Strategic Investments at Astera Institute)
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Aug 19, 2025 Eli Dourado, Head of Strategic Investments at the Astera Institute, discusses reviving forgotten technologies that could reshape our future. He highlights the potential for a revival of supersonic flight by lifting outdated bans, and how massive airships could revolutionize global logistics. Dourado also delves into the untapped benefits of geothermal energy and the need for innovative drilling methods. He emphasizes titanium's promise as a manufacturing game-changer, and shares thoughts on the complex relationship between AI and productivity, while pondering the future of antimatter in space travel.
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Flexible Capital To De-Risk Big Science
- Astera combines grants and investments to speed transformative tech while recycling capital.
- Using both tools lets the foundation tilt outcomes without losing all capital on every bet.
Career By Following Interest
- Eli left an academic-style career partly out of fear of repetition and boredom.
- He deliberately pivots every few years to align interests with deep work and avoid getting pigeonholed.
Supersonics As The Great Regress
- Supersonic aviation exemplifies the 'great regress' where we've lost prior capabilities.
- Restoring progress means removing barriers that forced developers into the hardest market entry point.
