Interview
Art of the real: Trump bows to markets
- A 90-day tariff delay has been implemented following negotiations, initially causing market euphoria despite advisors warning of potential recession risks and suggesting the decision may lack a careful plan.
- The US tariff rate remains at a 10% baseline, the highest in nearly a century, while reciprocal rates vary by trade surplus and tensions with China continue to spiral upward with unclear prospects for de-escalation.
- Countries negotiating with the US administration are expected to offer concessions such as purchasing American LNG, securing favorable market access, or increasing defense spending, though the final outcome regarding zero or reduced tariffs remains uncertain.
- Space data centres are proposed to utilize continuous solar energy, efficient vacuum cooling, and potentially faster laser networking, with specific plans for a company to launch a fridge-sized demonstrator in the summer and free-flying units within the next couple of years.
- Industry forecasts indicate that scaling to giant data centres by the 2030s depends heavily on the successful operation of new rockets like Starship and a dramatic reduction in launch costs to one-hundredth or one-thousandth of current rates.
- A company named StarCloud intends to test the viability of using shielded off-the-shelf AI chips and alternative cooling methods like heat pumps, with subsequent launches of larger satellites expected within 12 to 18 months if initial tests succeed.
- The novel The Great Gatsby is described as retaining urgent themes regarding time, money, and the American experience, offering a perspective on memory and regret that resonates with modern views on history and social inequality.