Dr. Mike makes the good case that five things can be done to boost standard of living everywhere. The standard of living is how much real goods, services, housing, energy, healthcare, and comfort the average person can actually afford. It is the #1 thing societies care about (even if they vote on it indirectly through jobs, taxes, or regulations). Instead of just waiting for markets to innovate or spending huge sums on new government infrastructure, he says we can get fast, massive gains almost for free or even for negative costs.
1. Housing
Let people build freely. End endless permitting, neighbor vetoes, special hearings, excessive environmental reviews, and pre-construction lawsuits.
→ If a project meets clear, known-in-advance safety codes, it gets automatic approval within a short deadline.
Allow duplexes, fourplexes, ADUs, and small apartments by default in most residential zones.
Result: huge supply increase → much lower rents and home prices in months/years.
2. Energy Production & Grid
Apply the same deregulation to power plants (especially nuclear/small modular reactors), high-voltage transmission lines, transformers, and the grid.
One lead agency with strict deadlines; standardize safe reactor designs so they don’t need case-by-case approval.
Energy is the foundation of civilization — cheap, abundant energy multiplies everything else (including the coming robotics boom).
Result: falling energy costs → cheaper products/services across the entire economy.
3. Healthcare Supply & Competition
Remove artificial limits on new hospitals, clinics, and providers. Allow interstate insurance sales, let nurses/physician assistants/pharmacists perform routine care they’re trained for, and require price transparency.
Replace heavy licensing with private ratings + informed patient consent.
Create a true spectrum of care levels so people can choose cost vs. expertise.
Result: more supply and competition → better and cheaper healthcare.
4. Faster Drug & Medical Innovation
Allow voluntary experimental use of promising new drugs/treatments (patient + doctor + pharma company all sign a waiver of liability).
Skip or accelerate slow sequential trials by gathering real-world data from willing participants.
Use simple labeling: “This drug has been in use X months/years with Y adverse events.”
Risk-tolerant people get access early; safer options stay available for everyone else.
Result: dramatically faster safe innovation without lowering overall safety standards.
5. Talent, Business Mobility & Smart ImmigrationMake it easy for businesses and licensed professionals to operate across state lines (automatic reciprocity).
Massively liberalize legal high-skill immigration: job offer + clean criminal record = fast visa.
5-year path to citizenship with ultra-basic services only during the wait period; instant deportation for serious crimes.
Zero tolerance for illegal immigration. End most occupational licensin
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.
