Elon Musk: "I would like to die on Mars" • Hacker News Board

Re: Elon Musk: "I would like to die on Mars"

#21

Post by waterlesscloud » Fri, Sep 14, 2012, 9:24 PM UTC

codex wrote: post #10

Given Mars' weak gravitational field, extremely low atmospheric pressure, lack of breathable oxygen, deathly cold temperatures, and weak magnetic field (leading to high levels of radiation), he may well get his wish. Many others will likely get this wish against their will. If he would like to get a taste of realistic Martian colonization here on Earth, may I suggest living underground in a windowless tank, surrounde…

If only humans had demonstrated some ability to construct defenses against hostile environments.

You know, like they've done since the invention of fire and the construction of lean-tos.

Re: Elon Musk: "I would like to die on Mars"

#22

Post by vannevar » Fri, Sep 14, 2012, 9:27 PM UTC

I love what Musk is doing, but both of his current engineering successes---Space X and Tesla---involve building well-understood vehicles, just faster and at less cost than competitors. Doing entirely novel projects like a manned mission to Mars or some new kind of mass transportation system are orders of magnitude more difficult and uncertain, and I think he's grossly underestimating the time and cost for either of his more ambitious new goals. I'd like to see him make plain vanilla space transportation and electric cars into business successes comparable to PayPal before he moves on to Mars and Hyperloop.

Re: Elon Musk: "I would like to die on Mars"

#23

Post by rdl » Fri, Sep 14, 2012, 9:28 PM UTC

I'd prefer to not die, but dying on Mars would be ok if dying is necessary.

Re: Elon Musk: "I would like to die on Mars"

#24

Post by dredmorbius » Fri, Sep 14, 2012, 9:29 PM UTC

mej10 wrote: post #11

How about... you know, not dying? At least in the foreseeable future. You can do a lot more awesome engineering and science and exploration if you don't die after ~80 years.

My first thought: how about reproducing on Mars?

Now to find a suitable Mr. & Mrs. Smith, if you grok me.

Re: Elon Musk: "I would like to die on Mars"

#25

Post by waterlesscloud » Fri, Sep 14, 2012, 9:30 PM UTC

shawnee_ wrote: post #15

On the assumption that people will be living on earth for some time, Musk is cooking up plans for something he calls the Hyperloop. He won’t share specifics but says it’s some sort of tube capable of taking someone from downtown San Francisco to Los Angeles in 30 minutes. He calls it a “fifth mode of transportation”—the previous four being train, plane, automobile, and boat. “What you want is something that never cra…

The California "high speed" rail project is depressing.

In theory, I'm a huge fan of high speed rail. But the California project is going to end up costing over $100 billion, and everyone knows it. It's going to take decades to complete. If, indeed, it's ever completed. It's routed to go places no one wants to go. And, as Mr. Musk says, it' not actually going to be very fast. It's pretty much a classic textbook boondoggle.

I wish they'd cancel it and start over again from scratch in 10 years. It could still be finished faster.

Re: Elon Musk: "I would like to die on Mars"

#26

Post by ChuckMcM » Fri, Sep 14, 2012, 9:31 PM UTC

27182818284 wrote: post #7

enraged_camel wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, he did qualify the statement by adding, "and not during landing."

This is exactly what I tell people and they're surprised. If I was offered the chance to homestead Mars with the caveat that LEO and landing must be reasonable safe so I don't die in the boring parts, I'd sign up right away!

You and a lot of people. I'm sure a big chunk of the seasteaders would jump at the chance to live on a moon city.

So here is the entrepreneurial challenge, believe Elon, in that he will make it possible to go to Mars, and before that it will be a lot easier to send stuff to the Moon. What can you start researching today so that 10 years from now when everyone realizes that this is going to come to pass you'll be way ahead of the game and visionary?

Re: Elon Musk: "I would like to die on Mars"

#27

Post by mc32 » Fri, Sep 14, 2012, 9:31 PM UTC

codex wrote: post #10

Given Mars' weak gravitational field, extremely low atmospheric pressure, lack of breathable oxygen, deathly cold temperatures, and weak magnetic field (leading to high levels of radiation), he may well get his wish. Many others will likely get this wish against their will. If he would like to get a taste of realistic Martian colonization here on Earth, may I suggest living underground in a windowless tank, surrounde…

Where's the sense of adventure and romance in that?

Lots of explorers of yore could have met with the similar arguments. Some people can stay behind and man/woman? the home front, others can go off to explore and expand our existence. Not that there's no cost to it, but let's hope, that overall, it's a net plus.

As a species we have wanderlust built-in, perhaps.

Re: Elon Musk: "I would like to die on Mars"

#28

Post by dredmorbius » Fri, Sep 14, 2012, 9:34 PM UTC

waterlesscloud wrote: post #25

shawnee_ wrote: post #15

On the assumption that people will be living on earth for some time, Musk is cooking up plans for something he calls the Hyperloop. He won’t share specifics but says it’s some sort of tube capable of taking someone from downtown San Francisco to Los Angeles in 30 minutes. He calls it a “fifth mode of transportation”—the previous four being train, plane, automobile, and boat. “What you want is something that never cra…

The California "high speed" rail project is depressing. In theory, I'm a huge fan of high speed rail. But the California project is going to end up costing over $100 billion, and everyone knows it. It's going to take decades to complete. If, indeed, it's ever completed. It's routed to go places no one wants to go. And, as Mr. Musk says, it' not actually going to be very fast. It's pretty much a classic textbook boond…

Even magabooster Quentin Kopp is strongly recommending they scrap it.

Re: Elon Musk: "I would like to die on Mars"

#29

Post by dredmorbius » Fri, Sep 14, 2012, 9:35 PM UTC

fghh45sdfhr3 wrote: post #14

codex wrote: post #10

Given Mars' weak gravitational field, extremely low atmospheric pressure, lack of breathable oxygen, deathly cold temperatures, and weak magnetic field (leading to high levels of radiation), he may well get his wish. Many others will likely get this wish against their will. If he would like to get a taste of realistic Martian colonization here on Earth, may I suggest living underground in a windowless tank, surrounde…

Well you're just mister sunshine, aren't you.

Well, on Mars, he's Mr. 50% Earth-intensity sunshine. We call him "50-cent" for short.

Re: Elon Musk: "I would like to die on Mars"

#30

Post by ktizo » Fri, Sep 14, 2012, 9:36 PM UTC

codex wrote: post #10

Given Mars' weak gravitational field, extremely low atmospheric pressure, lack of breathable oxygen, deathly cold temperatures, and weak magnetic field (leading to high levels of radiation), he may well get his wish. Many others will likely get this wish against their will. If he would like to get a taste of realistic Martian colonization here on Earth, may I suggest living underground in a windowless tank, surrounde…

Many others will likely get this wish against their will.

Really? I suspect that if you offered a million one way tickets to mars and advertised it as almost certain death, they would sell out in less than an hour.