[MarkMc]

That's a good point - for example, the smartphone was a hardware improvement which led to a Cambrian explosion of software products.

Regarding the question about making sure it happens in the U.S.: A big factor would be increasing skilled immigration. eg. Currently there are Chinese students getting STEM PhDs at Ivy-league universities who will be forced to return to China after graduation - that is madness.

[cwxm]

Definitely, I personally know really smart Mainland Chinese graduates who ended up falling in love with the U.S. and its values, but had to move back to China due to U.S. immigration policy.

[mchusma]

I feel like that is the lowest of low hanging fruit in immigration policy, to let people who we subsidize their schooling stay in the US. (Most schools have a variety of government subsidies).