The 1870s Thesis: Why America's Next Boom is Nuclear

Michael Thompson, co-founder and managing partner of Reinvent Capital, a director at Joby Aviation, and a board member at Oklo, joins the show to talk about what it will actually take to reindustrialize America. We dig into why Oklo's small modular reactors (SMRs) are the missing piece for abundant, reliable power and how overregulation has slowed nuclear’s ability to scale when the country needs it most. Then we pivot to the mobility side of the rebuild: why Joby’s approach is different, including its hydrogen-electric work aimed at unlocking true regional-range flight powered by hydrogen fuel cells. If you care about energy dominance, manufacturing capacity, and the next era of American infrastructure, this one’s a blueprint.

Learn more here:

Oklo: https://oklo.com/overview/default.aspx

Joby Aviation: https://www.jobyaviation.com/

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Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:58 The 1870s Thesis and Infrastructure Investment

05:43 Challenges in American Manufacturing

08:47 The Nuclear Industry's Decline and Regulation

11:34 Oklo's Vision and Partnerships

14:32 The Future of Nuclear Energy and SMRs

17:42 Uranium Mining and Domestic Supply Chains

20:45 Understanding SMRs and Oklo's Technology

23:29 Community Integration and Energy Solutions

26:47 Education and Career Pathways in Nuclear Engineering

35:04 The Impact of AI on Education and Employment

39:34 Nuclear Technology and Global Diplomacy

43:26 Transformations in U.S. Defense and Manufacturing

46:28 Joby Aviation: Innovations in Air Travel

52:47 Hydrogen Fuel Cells and Future of Aviation

01:01:05 Advice for Entering Cutting-Edge Technologies

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