Musk on Mars

Now that Elon is no longer part of the administration, he has returned to a long term goal that I agree with:

But there remain problems:

• 0:00 - 6:25 :: a summary of what SpaceX has accomplished and plans to expand Starship production.
• 6:24 :: the goal,
• 7:09 :: independent life on Mars,
• 7:49 :: everything was good until
  • Or keep factories open during a COVID epidemic
  • Or broadcast false conspiracies to those who would listen
  • Or have a "firing quota of 10%" instead of a performance based policy
  • Or support a sociopath running for public office

The rest of the video is instructive to Elon's state of mind but fails to indicate he is adopting the policies that made Tesla great. For example, following the Tesla"Anti Employee Handbook" and listening to Tesla customers. Once a certain level of development is achieved, Tesla drops further improvements, freezing their products at a moment in time. For example, the Falcon 9 does not use hot staging or earlier deployment of the grid fins to reduce boost-back fuel expenditure.

Elon and SpaceX will make progress but his public wealth is measured by TSLA stock price and shares he owns. Meanwhile, the sociopath in Chief and his minions are doing everything they can to remove support for Tesla's EVs, clean air credits, and solar roofs. Like the scorpion said to the frog while drowning, "it is in the sociopath's nature."

I have a 2019 Tesla Model 3 and the most recent 2025 Model 3 has the same efficiency. Actually, mine is a little more efficient thanks to a decade of Prius ownership. A stock Model 3 will get 4 miles/kWh but mine gets up to 5 miles/kWh by better tires, Full Self Driving features, and navigation options (which like Casandra, I share with forum members.)

Although I agree with the goal of a multi-planetary humanity, Elon's past practices suggests he'll achieve a respectable 90% of his goals and ignore the last 10%.

Bob Wilson

 

As for the TSLA stock, I’ve lost any interest.

I share his dream but doubt he’ll achieve it in my lifetime. When I was in high school, I sometimes wondered what terrible crime I had committed in a previous life to sent to high school hadies.

He has already shown the character flaws that won’t enlist the minds he needs to inhabit Mars. For example, how he handled COVID.

Bob Wilson

 

Inhabiting Mars is non-trivial but first we have to get there. Musk can lead a team to get there. The rest takes orders of magnitude more effort and intelligence. But I think he has met the enemy and his character is it.

Bob Wilson

 

I served in the Marines, 1971-75, and @ETC(SS) served longer in Navy. Which branch were you in and what years?

The reason I ask is the practice of "chicken hawks" to cite '"vets" yet never having worn a uniform or served.

The weight of our excess food production would crush our "our own Citizens First". By sending that food overseas, we encourage them NOT to seek life here and become illegal aliens in the USA ... where the food is. Feed them there instead of having them come here to work "under the radar" to live. This is something I learned in Sunday school:

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”​

So which are any of us: "priest"; "Levite". or; "Samaritan"?

Bob Wilson

 

Thanks to the climate today, we easily grow wheat, corn, and other silage crops. But we're not good at producing bananas and coco. Furthermore, many of those countries in need of food are suffering climate and conflicts that make food production today impractical.

IMHO, each should produce what they can best and sell or give to the rest. Let them then develop what they can do best and we'll trade.

Bob Wilson