Author Topic: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man  (Read 74953 times)

Offline Mongo62

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Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« on: 05/18/2015 03:38 pm »
Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man

The first part of a multi-part series on Elon Musk and what he and his companies are planning to do in the world and off it. Right now, only this part is up, but the others will be following in due time.

At last, a technically savvy writer with a long-standing interest in many of the same things that Mr. Musk is interested in, talking with him over lunch about many of those topics. A highly recommended read.

Wait But Why is one of my favorite blogs, by the way.
« Last Edit: 05/18/2015 04:25 pm by Mongo62 »

Offline TripD

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Re: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« Reply #1 on: 05/18/2015 05:59 pm »
Awesome.  Had not heard of this site before.

I have to confess to giggling a bit after reading that you can buy the book on Amazon.

Offline Tuts36

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Re: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« Reply #2 on: 05/18/2015 06:37 pm »
I almost didn't read this article because the title made me go "urgh", but hey it's a slow news day so *clicky*

Great article & enjoyable blog site as well, so Thank You x 2!

Offline meekGee

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Re: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« Reply #3 on: 05/18/2015 07:27 pm »
I almost didn't read this article because the title made me go "urgh", but hey it's a slow news day so *clicky*

Great article & enjoyable blog site as well, so Thank You x 2!

'sactly, on both counts.
ABCD - Always Be Counting Down

Offline ClayJar

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Re: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« Reply #4 on: 05/19/2015 02:45 pm »
I almost didn't read this article because the title made me go "urgh", but hey it's a slow news day so *clicky*

Great article & enjoyable blog site as well, so Thank You x 2!

'sactly, on both counts.
Figured if two people said it was worth it, it might be.  It absolutely was.

Now I'm waiting for the next part with bated breath (and watching my free time vanish in a flood of older articles to read).

Offline Mongo62

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Re: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« Reply #5 on: 05/19/2015 02:58 pm »
Now I'm waiting for the next part with bated breath (and watching my free time vanish in a flood of older articles to read).

Somebody who uses the correct spelling for "bated"... there must be a lot of people out there whose breath smells like minnows.

I do recommend the article on Graham's number. I had heard of it before, but this is the first time that I got some idea of just how inconceivably huge it is, compared to other large named numbers I had heard of.

There was discussion on NASASpaceflight of Elon's opinion of the dangers of artificial superintelligence, so this blog's series of articles on that topic is of particular interest.
« Last Edit: 05/19/2015 02:59 pm by Mongo62 »

Offline Jamsta

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Re: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« Reply #6 on: 05/19/2015 04:43 pm »
Really nice article, highly inspiring.

I bet if you're highly cynical or opposed to Musk's position you could write that whole article off as astroturfing/amazing peopleism.

I'm not, though... :)

Offline RanulfC

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Re: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« Reply #7 on: 05/19/2015 08:38 pm »
Really nice article, highly inspiring.

I bet if you're highly cynical or opposed to Musk's position you could write that whole article off as astroturfing/amazing peopleism.

I'm not, though... :)

I have an acquaintance through email who's highly anti-Musk and used that article to explain why no "competent" engineer (that he knows) believes Musk or SpaceX will survive for much longer and how Falcon flights are going to be a disaster real soon now. And I understand how the "amazing peopleism" can be grating and how he (since he worked/works in the industry) is tired of seeing "old-space" beat upon with hammers for things that they can't control with "Muskism-hammers" and such. And I will admit he has some points about how close to the margins SpaceX runs both manufacturing and business wise but I really don't understand how he can't see that there are some actual changes and differences between the way he's used to it being done and the way SpaceX does it.

He quotes the case of the actuator for the Merlin which was vendor quoted at something like $100,000 dollars, to which Musk said "ridiculous" gave an in-house engineer $5,000 and told him to make it work. Using non-aerospace parts and keeping within budget is to this persons "proof" that the entire Falcon/Merlin house-of-cards will soon come to a fiery, crashing. (killing hundreds and ending human space flight as we know it) end any day now. The general justification is that because it hasn't flown hundreds of flights it's simply not "reliable" enough.

He then goes on to suggest that everything Musk does is being financed by NASA, while also pointing that neither the NASA ISS contracts or satellite launches are near enough to cover what SpaceX and the rest of Musk's companies are putting out so the financial "house-of-cards" if going to come down "real-soon-now" (tm) as Musk's money evaporates.

Of course Musk will end up in jail sooner than that because "Congress is investigating him"...

And on and on. It's enough to make me want to go back to reading Musk-amazing peopleism articles :)

Randy
From The Amazing Catstronaut on the Black Arrow LV:
British physics, old chap. It's undignified to belch flames and effluvia all over the pad, what. A true gentlemen's orbital conveyance lifts itself into the air unostentatiously, with the minimum of spectacle and a modicum of grace. Not like our American cousins' launch vehicles, eh?

Offline Kabloona

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Re: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« Reply #8 on: 05/19/2015 08:57 pm »
Quote
I have an acquaintance through email who's highly anti-Musk and used that article to explain why no "competent" engineer (that he knows) believes Musk or SpaceX will survive for much longer and how Falcon flights are going to be a disaster real soon now.

For a man who has used an abacus all his life, the digital computer remains a mystery. So sad.

Offline Damon Hill

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Re: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« Reply #9 on: 05/19/2015 10:37 pm »
Try not to enjoy too much rubbing his nose in his old-fartism.  People that out of touch with reality are never going to see the obvious.

Though I've got to admit that ten years ago I wouldn't have believed any mortal being could have accomplished what Musk has done to date.

Offline deruch

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Re: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« Reply #10 on: 05/19/2015 11:29 pm »
Really nice article, highly inspiring.

I bet if you're highly cynical or opposed to Musk's position you could write that whole article off as astroturfing/amazing peopleism.

I'm not, though... :)
[edited to avoid multiple split quotes]
1. I really don't understand how he can't see that there are some actual changes and differences between the way he's used to it being done and the way SpaceX does it.

2.  gave an in-house engineer $5,000 and told him to make it work. ... The general justification is that because it hasn't flown hundreds of flights it's simply not "reliable" enough.

3. "Congress is investigating him"

4. "Musk-amazing peopleism"

1. Why can't he see it?  It's called Confirmation Bias--something all humans are inherently susceptible to and one of the problems amazing peoples also have.  I've just decided that "amazing people" needs an appropriately opposite term.  My best suggestion: "foeboy"(tm) (optional spelling- fauxboy).

2. I think you've actually somewhat mischaracterized what happened.  Musk gave an in-house engineer a problem to solve not a wad of cash.  The required solution being an actuator that can be produced in-house for less than $5,000.  Not sure if that was unintentional or "literary license".  As for an answer to your correspondent's general complaint about reliability, you can always ask him how the $100,000 got qualified in the first place?  Every aerospace part starts out needing to be qualified.  Absence of evidence (flight history) isn't the same thing as evidence of absence (bad part).  etc.

3. Finally Congress investigates something worthwhile!  The Day they Announce (Hurrah!) that they've figured out how to clone Elon and thereby dial Our Nation's capitalistic Effort up to 11 shall be a Day to Remember indeed.  /s

4. Muskist?  Muskovite? 
Shouldn't reality posts be in "Advanced concepts"?  --Nomadd

Offline Mongo62

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Re: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« Reply #11 on: 05/19/2015 11:42 pm »
3. Finally Congress investigates something worthwhile!  The Day they Announce (Hurrah!) that they've figured out how to clone Elon and thereby dial Our Nation's capitalistic Effort up to 11 shall be a Day to Remember indeed.  /s

The new Elon Musk biography, released today mentions that the Tesla Model S sound system volume goes up to 11. This was apparently due to Mr. Musk's sense of humor at work.

Offline Chris Bergin

Re: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« Reply #12 on: 05/19/2015 11:50 pm »
I almost didn't read this article because the title made me go "urgh", but hey it's a slow news day so *clicky*

Great article & enjoyable blog site as well, so Thank You x 2!

I was travelling around the site and saw this thread title. I whistled at the delete button, saying "here delete button, there's a good boy. I think this thread title suggests a crap thread alert, I may need you." He said "woof" and we jumped into the moderation-mobile before we arrived and parked up at the thread.*

Needless to say I put him back in the van as that was a lot of fun! ;D

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Offline Kabloona

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Re: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« Reply #13 on: 05/19/2015 11:56 pm »
Quote
Muskist?  Muskovite?

Muskrat. Just like gym rat, padrat, wharf rat, etc.
« Last Edit: 05/19/2015 11:57 pm by Kabloona »

Offline RotoSequence

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Re: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« Reply #14 on: 05/20/2015 12:12 am »
These articles that are Elon centric make me worried for the companies he helms in the event of the unthinkable. The comparisons to John D Rockefeller, Henry Ford, and Thomas Edison are warranted and easily made, but I'd like to add a fourth name to the list - Walt Disney; he's a man who knew his business, and was instrumental in making things happen, and was the final word in his areas of expertise (a list of which seemed to be endless). Elon, like Walt, are men who knew what they wanted. When Walt Disney died, some of the divisions he was most focused on spent the next twenty years asking for his ghost. I'd hate to see SpaceX or Tesla face the same situation.
« Last Edit: 05/20/2015 12:14 am by RotoSequence »

Offline Oli

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Re: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« Reply #15 on: 05/20/2015 12:44 am »
I have an acquaintance through email who's highly anti-Musk and used that article to explain why no "competent" engineer (that he knows) believes Musk or SpaceX will survive for much longer and how Falcon flights are going to be a disaster real soon now.

Not that I believe that, but as an aerospace engineer I probably wouldn't like Musk particularly either. So far he has mainly pushed down wages, offering "hope" and "inspiration" instead, but he has yet to expand the market.

Great for the tax payer though.
« Last Edit: 05/20/2015 04:04 am by Oli »

Offline Kabloona

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Re: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« Reply #16 on: 05/20/2015 03:11 am »
So far he has mainly pushed down wages, offering "hope" and "inspiration" instead but he has yet to expand the market.

Aside from creating 5000 jobs...

Offline Oli

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Re: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« Reply #17 on: 05/20/2015 03:58 am »
So far he has mainly pushed down wages, offering "hope" and "inspiration" instead but he has yet to expand the market.

Aside from creating 5000 jobs...

At the expense of jobs at Orbital, Sierra Nevada Corp., Aerojet, ULA and some Russian/Ukrainian companies.

I'm sure though working at SpaceX is exciting, for those who are not as cynical as me. Money is not everything.

Offline ChrisWilson68

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Re: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« Reply #18 on: 05/20/2015 04:23 am »
These articles that are Elon centric make me worried for the companies he helms in the event of the unthinkable. The comparisons to John D Rockefeller, Henry Ford, and Thomas Edison are warranted and easily made, but I'd like to add a fourth name to the list - Walt Disney; he's a man who knew his business, and was instrumental in making things happen, and was the final word in his areas of expertise (a list of which seemed to be endless). Elon, like Walt, are men who knew what they wanted. When Walt Disney died, some of the divisions he was most focused on spent the next twenty years asking for his ghost. I'd hate to see SpaceX or Tesla face the same situation.

Disney is a very strange example to choose to make that particular point.  Disney might have had problems in certain areas for a while, but enough of the magic remained that today Disney dominates its original markets and has successfully expanded far beyond them.  I'd be thrilled to see SpaceX and/or Tesla as successful in 60 years as Disney is today.

Offline RotoSequence

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Re: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man
« Reply #19 on: 05/20/2015 04:42 am »
Disney is a very strange example to choose to make that particular point.  Disney might have had problems in certain areas for a while, but enough of the magic remained that today Disney dominates its original markets and has successfully expanded far beyond them.  I'd be thrilled to see SpaceX and/or Tesla as successful in 60 years as Disney is today.

Success isn't the metric that concerns me. Until they stopped asking "What would Walt do," the thing that died with Disney was innovation, and that's what I fear would be lost without Musk.
« Last Edit: 05/20/2015 04:42 am by RotoSequence »

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