If you were in charge tomorrow, what concrete, measurable milestone would you have the most the talented scientists and 0.4% of GDP go to solving?

Well, it can no longer pull off basic projects, let alone Manhattan Projects.

But if it could do one (1), it should spend the capital on decommissioning of the federal government.

Return powers to US states or foreign states. Back to 1800s with far less centralization of function.

This is what we will get anyway…

I was thinking the same but I usually think that the best thing someone can do to restore the US to the progress era is painting China as an existential threat/enemy. I think that'll restore a national identity, force a reduction in government, and you’ll get the old silicon valley government dynamics back.

do you think if that was the common narrative big projects can get done?

I know people are trying to do this, but an external enemy can serve as a dividing force as much as a unifying force.

Did the War on Terror or COVID or anything else truly unite Americans over the long term?

If not, why would a war that caused a huge reduction in quality of life (eg via supply chain) be different?