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I had the privilege of being a guest speaker at MIT’s Complex Adaptive Systems 2025, taking on one of aviation’s most perplexing and persistent problems: airplane stalls. For over a century, stalls have contributed to thousands of fatalities, despite every possible improvement—better aircraft designs, safety systems, pilot training, you name it.

In my talk, I exposed the hidden flaw lurking in our approach all along. I traced the industry’s diligent, decades-long effort to prevent stalls—from setting requirements to rigorous testing of systems and pilots—and explained why those efforts fell short in the real world. After 100+ years of frustration, we've finally cracked the code and fixed the flaw. It’s a story of how systems engineering and real-world dynamics collided to unravel a century-old challenge, and I was thrilled to share it with the audience.

I was thrilled to be invited to speak about my work in System Dynamics at the literal birthplace of the field—MIT. I presented a System Dynamics model capturing the feedback loops between pilot behavior and airplane systems. The model reveals how an inherent instability in the pilot-airplane system can cause pilots to fall into an “error trap” during stall events, leading to incorrect inputs even when systems function properly. I also explored the psychological factors driving pilots to override their training in high-stress situations. My key message emphasized the need for a fundamental shift in how we design and implement stall prevention strategies—ones accounting for real human behavior, not idealized responses. 

I had the opportunity to speak at the University of North Dakota’s Space Operations Summit—an inspiring event focused on the future of space exploration. I shared Blue Origin’s vision of enabling millions of people to live and work in space, and talked about the incredible work happening across our programs. It was especially meaningful to reflect on what it’s like leading a team of brilliant engineers, scientists, and researchers who are helping build the road to space. 

At the International System Dynamics Conference, I gave a talk on using System Dynamics to better understand pilot responses in emergency scenarios, focusing on helicopter tail rotor failures. I shared models illustrating how pilots operate within a larger system and explored why many fail to respond effectively in real emergencies, even with proper training. I also examined several real-life case studies of tail rotor failure accidents and used System Dynamics to describe the pilot decision-making process in those critical moments. Drawing from real-world data and personal experience, I demonstrated how system-based thinking can improve training design and ultimately save lives. 

 In 2023, I was invited to speak at The International Workshop on AI-Powered Space, hosted by Rice University and NASA at the Ion in Houston. I shared Blue Origin’s vision for how AI, Digital Twins, and the Digital Thread can help accelerate our mission to enable millions of people to live and work in space. It was a great opportunity to connect with experts from across industry and academia, and to explore the future of AI-driven space exploration.