Level Up Those VLSI Skills

Very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuits are not just the bedrock of modern technology … nobody cares about technolgoy just for the sake of technolgy.

There are HUGE REASONS why VLSI circuits are more important than gasoline engines or ballistics or pharmaceuticals or the ability to grow all kinds of corn that can be turned into impressive lagoons of pigshit … it’s primarily because VLSI circuits go into EVERYTHING that produces anything. Of course, VLSI technology drives modern defense systems capabilties and making warfighters much better informed and better able to make smarter, more strategically successful decisions … but it’s really that VLSI technology drives the engines that power everything in the modern industrial economy.

Freedom Is Never Free! Uncle Sam is looking at you and saying, “This is up to you, kiddo!” There are giant lumps of VLSI magic in the stocking of your investment choices, but to put that magic to USE, you will need to level up those VLSI skills … even if your VLSI skills will be used for nothing other than making informed investment decisions, ie understanding why VLSI mfg tech is a MUCH SMARTER investment than cryptocurrency can possibly be.

You might be feeling a little neglected, a little left out … if you have not been following VLSI tech … like the stupid, immature adult on Christmas Eve who still plays with kiddo toys wondering why Santa has forgotten to bring you any adult presents, ie not understanding that YOU and your ability to invest is the only way you are going to be able to afford ANY presents.

You might be sniffling about the big money starting to be spread around by the bipartisan Chips and Science Act, thinking to yourself that you could put $52 billion to better use … except, if you’re actually that selfish to think such a thing, then you’re dead wrong.

And, FURTHERMORE, it’s time for you to growTF up! Santa Claus is not going to drop that much money down your chimney, Princess.

So you might ask, “ *What about me ... I mean, in addition to just dropping $52 billion into the US economy, exactly how will some CHIPS Act boost the strategically-significant development and manufacturing of semiconductors in the United States? In other words, what's so danged special about very large scale integrated circuits? When do I get my share?"*

We know what the answer is … but since we want the lowest-common denominator, most palatable answer for everyone, we were looking around for the very most hackneyed, tiredest, oldest, most cliche answer to exactly your question, so naturally we turned to the Bard, Google’s our largest and most capable AI model, the Gemini-Pro based generative AI chat tool. {NOTE: We also turned to Llama 2 and Mistral and ChatGPT … and they all came up with remarkably similar answers, but since we really like participating FULLY in the biggest climb yet in the AI hype wars, we went with the biggest hypesters.}

So, here’s what Bard had to say about your question, Princess … although Bard did not refer to you as “Princess,” Princess. We did that part.

You’re right, Princess, simply throwing $52 billion into the economy wouldn’t automatically translate to a thriving domestic semiconductor industry. The CHIPS and Science Act aims to achieve its goals through a multi-pronged approach that addresses various challenges faced by US chip manufacturing. Let’s delve deeper into its strategies and why very large scale integrated circuits (VLSI) are so crucial:

Challenges addressed by the CHIPS Act include:

Financial incentives: The act provides subsidies and tax breaks for building semiconductor facilities, attracting investment and making domestic production more competitive. Research and development (R&D): It establishes a National Semiconductor Technology Center to advance chip research and development, ensuring the US stays at the forefront of innovation.

Workforce development: The act invests in STEM education and workforce training programs, nurturing skilled talent for the chip industry.

Supply chain resilience: It encourages diversification of semiconductor manufacturing across the country, reducing dependence on foreign sources and mitigating vulnerabilities. Why VLSI circuits are strategically significant:

Ubiquitous technology: VLSI circuits are present in virtually every modern device, from smartphones and computers to cars and medical equipment.

Technological bedrock: Advancements in VLSI drive innovation across various sectors, including artificial intelligence, robotics, and clean energy.

Economic engine: The semiconductor industry is a high-value sector, creating high-paying jobs and contributing significantly to the US economy.

National security: Secure access to cutting-edge chips is crucial for military technology and CRITICAL infrastructure for the entire defense industry and everyone, ie all of us, who depends upon that industry.

Potential long-term impacts of the CHIPS Act include:

Reduced reliance on foreign chipmakers: Over time, the act could significantly increase domestic chip production, lessening dependence on countries like Taiwan and China.

Technological leadership: Increased R&D investments could propel the US back to the forefront of semiconductor technology, driving global innovation.

Economic growth and job creation: A robust domestic chip industry can create high-skilled jobs, bolstering the US economy and offering more career opportunities.

Enhanced national security: Secure access to advanced chips can strengthen national security by ensuring reliable supplies for military and critical infrastructure.

However, the CHIPS Act is not a magic bullet, but its multifaceted approach furnishes citizens with the potential to participate directly in significantly revitalizing the American semiconductor industry, so that America can reassert its leadership in this critical technological domain. The CHIPS Act’s success will depend on several factors, including effective implementation, attracting and retaining skilled talent, and navigating geopolitical challenges** AND especially engaging every citizen throughout the full US economy in the leveling up of VLSI skills in order to keep the country strong and secure – after all, Freedom Is Never Free!

Hopefully, you can read the rest of Bard’s answer, reflect on the meaning of all that jargon and can kinda sorta connect the dots ON YOUR OWN.

Frankly, as you might have guessed, it was not really Bard that was responsible for giving us that last part about how it comes down to YOU. That last part was sorta us. We have a knack for the obvious … and we’re not afraid to make the obvious SUPER-OBVIOUS … because it’s too important to miss.

What you eventually need to realize is that Uncle Sam is looking to YOU to participate in some meaningful way to strengthen America’s technological leadership in the critical domain of very large scale integrated circuits. This is not the Revolutionary War or War of 1812 or the Mexican-American War or the First Civil War or the “Remember the Maine” Pulitzer warmongering hypefest Spanish-American War or WWI over there or WWII over there again or the frozen Chosin Korean War OR even the confict in jungles of Vietnam … we don’t re-fight the past wars in our future wars … not even the recent ones. So even Afghanistan or Iraq or little conflicts in Syria or Ukraine or Gaza are not going to be exactly applicable. But one this IS applicable.

One obvious thing about all wars is that FUTURE wars are worse than past wars precisely because they are never exactly like the past wars that the country somehow survived. However, all future TOTAL wars which happen while you are around will find their ways to INVOLVE you, way more than you want, whether you wanted to participate or not. That’s how total wars work.

Freedom Is Never Free is not just some petty slogan that we roll out for Veterans Day or commemorating the long dead greatest generations.

The slogan, “Freedom Is Never Free” is about YOUR future and the futures of your descendants who are around for it.

Your bill for the future war will get paid by you OR you will wish that you had paid before. FUTURE wars will DEPEND upon the technology of war being a lot, Lot, LOT smarter than it is now … TOTAL wars will depend upon the TOTAL economy being a lot more engaged than just some sniper’s well-aimed bullet fired from rifle held by someone wearing a boot on the ground of a foreign war … although, FUTURE wars will depend upon that kind of thing,too … but the ONE Big Thing that puts it all together in the FUTURE total war that you don’t want, the the ONE Big Thing makes the entirety of all of our warfighting systems run smooth AND also makes the money to pay for the gear and logistics that makes it ALL possible is an unmatched, widespread, deep, proven, practiced capability of hundreds of millions of citizens who have some kick-ass VLSI skills. Freedom Is Never Free!

THAT … the deep and widespread technical competency in all facets of VLSI skills … is what’s so special about something like the Chips Act. The important part, for YOU, is this matter is that YOU cannot afford to be the lazy kind of asshole who believes that somebody else is going to level up your VLSI skills in using them, manufacturing them AND investing in the best companies that deliver them.

Freedom Is Never Free! Uncle Sam is looking at you and saying, “This is up to you, kiddo!”

You already have more VLSI skills than you realize … but those skills are not enough FOR THE FUTURE.

Thinking in terms of VLSI technology basically pervades much of our culture already … especially, for those of us who have worked professionally in manufacturing or industry … or, really, any form of project management. Organizing an EFFECTIVE campaign that really engages thought leaders, for example, and designing a VLSI circuit share some distinct similarities.

That’s true in very general sense in terms all kinds of design and planning and re-planning and re-optimization of good plans … but campaigns, because they are about human beings and the logic of collective human action is actually far more complex than just VLSI code.However, designing a good campaign to realy serve a consituency of voters is SOMEWHAT like designing a very large-scale integrated (VLSI) logic circuit. It can seem overwhelming … but as we break down complex projects into their component parts, we realize that there’s a certain manageable logic to it … as long as every component is executed as it should be executed, everything looks easy.

Nobody who designs new microprocessors or logic circuits starts from scratch – it’s all about reusing intellectual property for extremely large scale information processing tasks that have been THOROUGHLY proven in generations before. Organizing a campaign and designing a VLSI circuit share SOME similarities in terms of the planning and optimization involved. It is obviously necessary to recognize that political campaigns are far more complex than mere microprocessors, but . Here are some ways in which they are similar:

Both involve dividing a large entity into smaller parts: In voter organization, a constituency is divided into smaller precincts or districts for better management. Similarly, in VLSI design, a large circuit is divided into smaller blocks or modules for easier design and optimization … and then, successively more intensive refactoring, re-design and more intense optimization … and, as time elapses and lessons are learned, the optimization of the planning continues iteratively.
Both require careful planning and placement: In voter organization, precincts are planned and placed to ensure efficient voting processes and maximum voter turnout. In VLSI design, components are placed on the chip to minimize distance and optimize signal integrity.
Both involve managing interconnections: In voter organization, precincts are connected to each other through voting systems and networks. In VLSI design, components are connected through wires and buses to enable communication and data transfer.
Both require optimization for performance and efficiency: In voter organization, the goal is to maximize voter turnout and minimize wait times. In VLSI design, the goal is to minimize power consumption, reduce latency, and optimize performance.
Both involve testing and verification: In voter organization, precincts are tested and verified to ensure accurate vote counting and security. In VLSI design, the circuit is tested and verified to ensure proper functioning and reliability.

Of course, it should be blatantly obvious to recognize that voter organization and VLSI design are fundamentally different in terms of their purpose and scope. Voter organization is focused on ensuring more fair, more efficient elections with a better-informed electorate while VLSI design is only about a simpler, more narrowly scoped task of creating complex electronic systems for various applications. This analogy is only a model for thinking about the overall roadmap of how the process needs to unfold.