Archive - Construction Physics

A personal post about the loss of our son

13 hrs ago •

The Long Road to Fiber Optics

Over the past six decades, advances in computers and microprocessors have completely reshaped our world.

Sep 12 •

Why Can't the U.S. Build Ships?

This post is cross-posted at Noahpinion.

Sep 5 •

August 2024

How to Build a 50,000 Ton Forging Press

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, a revolution took place in American military aircraft design.

Aug 21 •

Is Land-Use Regulation Holding Back Construction Productivity?

Ed Glaeser is perhaps the pre-eminent urban economist working today, and I’ve cited his work repeatedly when looking at land-use restrictions and…

Aug 13 •

How California Turned Against Growth

Even before it became a state, people migrated to California in search of a better life: for jobs, the chance to become rich and famous, or simply the…

Aug 8 •

California Growth Reading List

There’s quite a few good books on the history of California, and how its culture evolved to be anti-growth, and pro-environment.

Aug 7 •

July 2024

Why Levittown Didn't Revolutionize Homebuilding

For decades, people have tried to bring mass production methods to housing: to build houses the way we build cars.

Jul 25 •

What Would It Take to Recreate Bell Labs?

For most of the 20th century, AT&T was almost entirely responsible for building and operating America’s telephone infrastructure.

Jul 18 •

Bell Labs Reading List

Unlike the inner workings of a lot of 20th-century companies, there is a fair amount written about Bell Labs, some of it excellent.

Jul 18 •

Building the Bell System

If someone was making a list of the most important American companies today, it’s unlikely AT&T would be anywhere near the top.

Jul 3 •

June 2024

Will We Ever Get Fusion Power?

“Every one of the stars in the sky uses fusion to generate enormous amounts of energy. Why shouldn’t we?”

Jun 26 •

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