Links: Building things fast, do intellectuals matter?, and more!

* Ezra Klein on the importance of building, and building fast, to the American project and to individual well-being.

* On the Framework 16′ modular laptop. An impressive device and with great Linux support.

* “China notes, July ’23: on technological momentum.” By Dan Wang and, so, characteristically good.

* “How Much Do Intellectuals Matter?” In this case, be deceived, maybe even pleasantly, by the title.

* NEPA really is a problem for clean energy.

* If We Want a Shift to Walking, We Need to Prioritize Dignity. In this article, “dignity” and “safety” are basically synonyms.

* Michael Nielsen’s impressively developed “quick” thoughts on research.

* “America’s Fiscal Time Bomb Ticks Even Louder.” And the collective response is: “LOL, whatever.” Kind of like global warming.

* “How the Recession Doomers Got the U.S. Economy So Wrong.”

* The Voyeur’s Motel by Gay Talese. Which we perhaps all live in today?