Max Bodach

announcement: i'm launching a $100,000 grant for amateur astronomy research: claudestronomy.com over the past few weeks, @joshuawolk @LukeFarritor and i have been digging through public telescope data, hunting for new planets, asteroids, and more our first release: we found a new dwarf planet in our solar system!! it's insane how much you can find with some claude + codex credits it's about 1/4 the width of Pluto and orbits about twice as far (way past Neptune), and looks like it's about the 50th largest object in our solar system. @joshuawolk is in the process of confirming it this dwarf planet has sat in public images for over a decade without anyone noticing. there's tons more out there: all sitting in public NASA/ESA/etc. databases for you to analyze there's tons of stuff still out there, sitting in data that astronomers don't have enough time to go through all of you can do this too! apply for a grant. more info below

We're hiring policy researchers at Thinking Machines. Quick 🧵 on why I think this role is something folks in AI policy should consider applying to:

excited to host the builders and financiers bringing AI into factories and infrastructure next Saturday evening in New York in conversation with @tryramp lead economist @arakharazian, @lumaril cofounder Mark Elliot, and @JaneStreetGroup’s Nick Wage request an invitation below

"Nvidia Corp.’s board is launching an investigation into whether Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang was targeted by a foreign espionage plot after he admitted to employees that he was unfaithful to his wife." bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

excited to host the builders and financiers bringing AI into factories and infrastructure next Saturday evening in New York in conversation with @tryramp lead economist @arakharazian, @lumaril cofounder Mark Elliot, and @JaneStreetGroup’s Nick Wage request an invitation below

My forthcoming book, the first comprehensive intellectual history of the Tech Right, is now available for pre-order from Amazon, Bookshop, etc: us.macmillan.com/books/97812…

In preparation for the Ross Douthat @60Minutes interview tomorrow, everyone should (re)read this masterpiece featuring: a 26-yo Ross, a flirtatious Bridge Colby, an unbuttoned Matthew Continetti, and Reihan Salam dancing alone at a 2000s DC house party observer.com/2014/11/the-sma…

Today, we released the National Policy for Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening to protect American biotechnology innovation while reducing the risk of misuse. This policy establishes a new, government-wide screening requirements for synthetic DNA and the equipment used to make it. It will ensure companies selling nucleic acid sequences and synthesis equipment know their customers and prevent the malicious use of these materials and tools. This policy strengthens our Nation’s biosecurity posture by establishing rigorous U.S. government-wide procurement screening and physical security standards for synthetic biology. It replaces outdated “self-attestation” systems with robust, independent verification. It creates a dynamic, SI-powered screening layer that assesses the biological risk from nucleic acid sequences, allowing the U.S. to anticipate and prevent malicious use and help stop dangerous gain-of-function research. @NIST will issue rigorous new screening standards and @HHSGov and @USDA will certify synthetic biology providers. Together, these measures will strengthen American biosecurity, safeguard responsible innovation, and establish a global standard for safe and transparent synthetic biology tools and research.

It’s here. My most ambitious project yet: I built 3D models of embassies across Washington—and a digital atlas of the world’s diplomacy with the United States. Ladies and gentlemen, this is what 10 billion Astra tokens buys. 🧵 1/10 chanceries.org

2026 was the first AI election, but it won’t be the last. Our data shows super intelligence was a major factor in the significant losses for Republicans, and winning back voters’ trust requires course-correcting now. Our @BetterFuture_AI memo breaks down the numbers. Some highlights: 1) AI had the “most significant growth of any issue” this cycle. Less than a year ago, only 7% of voters called AI a top priority for the government. Now that number is 21%, representing the most significant growth of any issue tested. No other issue moved more than 4%. NBC reported that over half of voters polled (56%) called AI and datacenters a crucial or major factor in their vote. When CNBC asked voters their top fear if Republicans keep Congress, 18% said failure to regulate AI and data centers. This concern tied with the war in Iran. 2) Voters are unified: they want Big Tech accountability. Voters have made their anger about SI/AI clear. An October 27 survey of Ohio and Iowa voters found that 67% say we need more safety measures, even at the risk of losing to China. 91% of Americans consider it important for the U.S. to establish safeguards for AI (Quinnipiac). A separate national survey released by Reuters/Ipsos on September 22 found 73% say AI companies haven't done enough to prevent serious harm. Crucially, 61% of Republicans support stricter government action on AI. 3) Voters don’t trust Republicans on AI. They think the GOP is too close with Big Tech. Voters are worried about AI, but Republicans didn’t effectively address those concerns. That’s why Democrats now hold a 9-point trust advantage on it (Navigator) and 47% of voters call Republicans the party of tech tax breaks, more than double who say the same of Democrats (Politico). The 2028 election cycle starts now. Republicans must act quickly to gain trust back. 4) Democrats weaponized SI against Republicans, and Republicans didn’t fight back. Democrats seized on SI/AI as a political vulnerability for Republicans, outspending Republicans 9 to 1 on AI and data center ads, and winning 8 out of the 9 races where ads were run. In Ohio alone, Dems spent $30M portraying Jon Husted as a corrupt Big Tech ally, and he paid the price. 5) It’s not too late to course-correct for 2028, but Republicans must address voter concerns quickly. SI/AI can transform Americans’ lives for the better, but only if people believe it is trustworthy and secure. We need to act now to make this happen: ✅ Protect children: Pass legislation to ensure that chatbots never addict children, create unhealthy attachments, or coach children towards sexual behavior or suicide. ✅ Defend America’s security: Require national security protections like robust controls and monitoring, incident reporting, auditors, and independent incident reviews to address unintended SI behaviors. ✅ Strengthen the economy: Implement measures that prevent workers from being left behind and require data center companies to pay their own way on power costs. ✅ Benefit everyday Americans: Encourage developers to spend more resources on curing diseases and making products cheaper, and less on experiments that only benefit the developers. It would be political malpractice for Republicans not to course-correct on the most powerful technology of our lifetime and the issue that will headline the 2028 cycle. While the recent midterm election was about more than just AI, 2028 will not be. We need to get real on balancing innovation with security, and we need to do it fast.

A few quick thoughts. 1. The most important issues were Iran and corruption. The corruption one is less discussed but it is ultimately more important. Corruption was guaranteed to torpedo both the populist coalition Trump built and the nationalist program he ran on.

One of the most concerning developments in open-weight AI has been the rise of vendors of "abilterated" models offering cyber capabilities with no guardrails @joinFAI's FLD is seeking prospective plaintiffs who may have been injured by these systems to support impact litigation

New: Our deep dive into Nvidia's sharp-elbowed tactics in Washington to exert influence over companies, think tanks and government offices. Lots of new details into: - Nvidia's impact on OpenAI's export control positions - Nvidia's battles with China hawks at top think tanks - Thinning patience in Congress with Nvidia as export control debates pick back up You can read it all here: theinformation.com/articles/… W/ @_pheebini, @steph_palazzolo, @jemimacmcevoy, and @Jessicalessin

Our name change reflects the reality of what we work on. AI is an umbrella term that covers everything from LLMs to spam filters. SIs are highly persistent, goal-directed agents that surpass human experts along multiple dimensions. We don't work on spam filters.

A few weeks ago, the Secret Service locked Jensen Huang, Elon Musk, Sergey Brin, Satya Nadella, Lisa Su, and Michael Dell in a room in Washington, DC. While they waited for President Trump, Huang—who chooses not to own a jet—complained about a recent commercial plane ride. It had no Wi-Fi. “Best way to sandbox an AI,” Musk said. “Put it on a Delta flight.” All six were about to receive national medals from the President. The ceremony was the idea of Michael Kratsios, Trump's chief science advisor. He is 39, a Peter Thiel protégé, and has worked for Trump every day of both terms. For decades, the office Kratsios runs was known mostly for reports on things like algae blooms. Kratsios himself was barely known in Trump's first term. Now he sits between the President and tech royalty. He is one of a handful of people shaping America's AI policy, and the White House's point man on nuclear, space, and quantum. In our latest feature, @harrytlambert shows how the fight to regulate AI and reform American science runs through his office. colossus.com/article/michael…

American technological leadership should extend to the robots and machines that power our factories. Building that capacity here at home matters for our industrial strength and our national security. whitehouse.gov/presidential-…

The benefits of abundant intelligence will accrue far outside of San Fransisco. Spent the last year writing about capital, sovereignty, and the coming reordering of economic power. THE COMMANDING HEIGHTS Commanding-Heights.com