The Austin launch of Tesla’s robotaxi service has been defined less by its boundless potential and more by its boundaries, operating in a limited area, with invite-only customers and a “safety monitor” in each vehicle.
It is painful to watch the defunding of the nation’s research arm by a third to a half, the wanton destruction of what, since the end of World War II, has kept the United States the premier inventor nation, the unequaled leader in discovery.