After Things Podcast

The episode opens with a discussion of NASA's wet dress rehearsal for the SLS rocket, the Artemis program, and the tension between the expensive, delayed SLS approach and SpaceX's lower-cost reusable systems. The hosts note that SLS has repeatedly run into problems and that Starship is still unproven, while also arguing that having multiple launch providers is strategically useful. They then broaden into a critique of defense contracting and military logistics, saying the system is often inefficient because of procurement structures, reporting incentives, and the hidden importance of mundane logistics. The conversation then shifts to Elon Musk becoming Twitter's largest shareholder and what that might mean. The hosts argue that Twitter matters less as a place where news is created and more as a news-distribution and amplification engine, with 'King Media' and social proof determining what gets attention. They also debate moderation, free speech, hate speech, and the limits of platform-wide rules, including re