Elon Musk is a nice chap

[Psi]

I think Elon is more thinking about long term using humanoid robot tech to better automate the Tesla car manufacturing lines, rather than sending them mars.

There's stuff that big industrial robots just cant do, you need better vision and manual dexterity

Such as?

I cannot think of any industrial task better performed by a humanoid robot than by a specialized robot optimized for the specific task. Cars are built on assembly lines, even human workers are trained for specific tasks, the guy who bolts together engines and transmissions is never going to be installing seats. Improved vision and manual dexterity has nothing to do with humanoid form, it would be better to have a highly articulated arm on a boom than attached to the rest of a humanoid body.

Elon has said multiple times that one of the problems with the first model3 production line, and the thing that almost made Tesla bankrupt, was wasting money trying to get robots to do too many of the tasks on the production line.  There are just some things that a human can do better/faster than a kuka robot.

I think Elon is more thinking about long term using humanoid robot tech to better automate the Tesla car manufacturing lines, rather than sending them mars.
There's stuff that big industrial robots just cant do, you need better vision and manual dexterity

If something on a car production line can be helped with robot automation it already has been.

There is nothing new under the sun.

[james_s]

Elon has said multiple times that one of the problems with the first model3 production line, and the thing that almost made Tesla bankrupt, was wasting money trying to get robots to do too many of the tasks on the production line.  There are just some things that a human can do better/faster than a kuka robot.

He's absolutely correct, and this is no different. It's still a robot, it's just a much more complicated robot that is much harder to get right, it isn't a human even if it's shaped like one. The thing that makes robots not as good as humans for some things is not the form factor, it's the fact that humans have an incredibly powerful and self aware analog computer controlling them.

[GlennSprigg]

As people have said here, since I mentioned Elon's 'Humanoid' ideas, that we don't need an 'actual' model with LEGS as such,
due to to added complexity etc., that is generally true!... However, I've always wondered how if a 'God'(?) designed us, (OK, we
evolved!!), how is 'walking' so utterly inefficient compared to the most simple mechanical device called a 'Bicycle' !!!   
It increases our efficiency by 800% regarding ease, energy, speed, distance etc etc...   

[sandalcandal]

The goal of course is as others said, to recruit robotics talent that otherwise dont give a toss about cars or rockets. Once you have that and start developing stuff, you can pivot in any direction.

I get the feeling this is a major part of Elon Musk's management/recruitment strategy. Put out these really sexy, fantastic company goals and missions to inspire people whilst channelling the effort into more immediately practical and achievable tasks e.g. Orbital Launches for Gov -> Commercial satellite constellations -> Moon missions -> Mars missions.

As people have said here, since I mentioned Elon's 'Humanoid' ideas, that we don't need an 'actual' model with LEGS as such,
due to to added complexity etc., that is generally true!... However, I've always wondered how if a 'God'(?) designed us, (OK, we
evolved!!), how is 'walking' so utterly inefficient compared to the most simple mechanical device called a 'Bicycle' !!!   
It increases our efficiency by 800% regarding ease, energy, speed, distance etc etc...   

Well they're doing wheeled robots too now apparently.

https://www.tesla.com/en_AU/careers/search/job/autonomy-tesla-bot-99241


See 1:47

[vk6zgo]

As people have said here, since I mentioned Elon's 'Humanoid' ideas, that we don't need an 'actual' model with LEGS as such,
due to to added complexity etc., that is generally true!... However, I've always wondered how if a 'God'(?) designed us, (OK, we
evolved!!), how is 'walking' so utterly inefficient compared to the most simple mechanical device called a 'Bicycle' !!!   
It increases our efficiency by 800% regarding ease, energy, speed, distance etc etc...   

Walking is incredibly versatile, we can walk over surfaces which are too rough or obstructed, or vertically inclined, that a bicycle  can only traverse with difficulty, if at all.

If God wanted us to have the efficiency you suggest, He could have made us as intelligent camels, or even better, centaurs.
Or maybe, we just evolved to suit the environment we spent most of the time we have existed in.

[james_s]

As people have said here, since I mentioned Elon's 'Humanoid' ideas, that we don't need an 'actual' model with LEGS as such,
due to to added complexity etc., that is generally true!... However, I've always wondered how if a 'God'(?) designed us, (OK, we
evolved!!), how is 'walking' so utterly inefficient compared to the most simple mechanical device called a 'Bicycle' !!!   
It increases our efficiency by 800% regarding ease, energy, speed, distance etc etc...   

From a performance standpoint, wheels would be far superior. Unfortunately our bodies are made of living tissue that requires a continuous circulation of blood and a rotating wheel is not easy to construct under these conditions. Given the sort of materials and subsystems that mammalian bodies are constructed from, legs are arguably the most effective method of locomotion. With access to metals and synthetic materials that are long lasting and do not require blood flow and continuous cell replacement a wheel is a lot more practical.

[wraper]

As people have said here, since I mentioned Elon's 'Humanoid' ideas, that we don't need an 'actual' model with LEGS as such,
due to to added complexity etc., that is generally true!... However, I've always wondered how if a 'God'(?) designed us, (OK, we
evolved!!), how is 'walking' so utterly inefficient compared to the most simple mechanical device called a 'Bicycle' !!!   
It increases our efficiency by 800% regarding ease, energy, speed, distance etc etc...   

From a performance standpoint, wheels would be far superior. Unfortunately our bodies are made of living tissue that requires a continuous circulation of blood and a rotating wheel is not easy to construct under these conditions. Given the sort of materials and subsystems that mammalian bodies are constructed from, legs are arguably the most effective method of locomotion. With access to metals and synthetic materials that are long lasting and do not require blood flow and continuous cell replacement a wheel is a lot more practical.

Think about wheels as an ASIC for a specific type of computation and legs as a CPU. ASIC for sure will be way more efficient at doing it's specific task but CPU on the other hand while lacking efficiency can do a wide range of tasks about which CPU manufacturer have no idea. Wheels are more efficient where they work. Legs will work anywhere.

[sandalcandal]

Sean O'Kane "Amazon sent us a 13-page PDF to prove Elon Musk is as litigious as Jeff Bezos" 29 September 2021, The Verge, https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/29/22700600/amazon-elon-musk-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-spacex-lawsuits

All of this once-in-a-generation momentum, can easily be undone by one party—in this case, Blue Origin—who seeks to prioritize its own fortunes over that of NASA, the United States, and every person alive today

Source: Allison M. Geno, Brian M. Stanford, Victoria H. Kauffinan and James A. Vatne "Re: B-419783.1, Protest of Blue Origin Federation, LLC Agency Report" 26 May 2021, Counsel for NASA https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22887155/r_76c___MOL_Blue_Origin_B_419783.1__Final_Corrected_Copy__Public_Redacted.pdf
Via Joey Roulette "Blue Origin ‘gambled’ with its Moon lander pricing, NASA says in legal documents" 29 September 2021, The Verge https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/29/22689729/blue-origin-moon-lunar-lander-price-nasa-hls-foia

What a shit show.

Edit:
Also ABC (the Australian national broadcaster) ran a report on SpaceX today

[eti]

Mr Musk owns Twitter 😍😍😍

Fired all the morons who censor, and the liberals are having tantrums. Oh well, sanity is slowly prevailing.

[Psi]

Will be interesting to see how Twitter changes over the next 2 years.

I don't expect to see anything too radical, just a bit more common sense in how they do things and more of an engineering mindset used to try and solve the problems twitter has.

[DavidAlfa]

There're plenty of articles showing a lot of not-so-nice behavior.
I don't think Elon is any different than Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, he just made a lot of noise and got a decent amount of fans.

Then there's that stupid and expensive obsession with Mars.
Exploring Mars? Yeah! Living in Mars? Why? It's a dead planet!
Mars lost its magnetic field when the core cooled down (No more convection currents), it's completely unprotected against radiation.
Has 1/155th of Earth amospheric pressure (So the plan is to live forever in fishbowls).
It simply doesn't make any sense.
It's a giant hypocresy, spend those billions on fixing our planet instead, while we can!
Oh wait, we're already fixing it. Or aren't we? Everything costs 3x more. Ahh the CO2 taxes, going to the same pockets!

Meanwhile, places like Arizona illegalized the feeding of homeless people.

Sorry, this sh** drives me nuts, it's like thinking on what car you'll buy next while you're falling off a bridge!

[james_s]

Meanwhile, places like Arizona illegalized the feeding of homeless people.

That's probably more logical than it looks at first glance. Feeding stray animals is discouraged or in some cases illegal for the same reason, it results in more stray animals and ultimately increases the amount of suffering. Homeless people are drawn to places where they can get free stuff.

[wraper]

Meanwhile, places like Arizona illegalized the feeding of homeless people.

No, they made illegal doing so in public parks. Guess why, because it ruins them for everyone. Pretty common for liberals to take things out of context and cry about that.

[themadhippy]

Meanwhile, places like Arizona illegalized the feeding of homeless people.

As usual were britain leads others follow,our caring tories tried that  10 years ago

[AndyBeez]

 

[MikeK]

Meanwhile, places like Arizona illegalized the feeding of homeless people.

Not a surprise if you know about that state.  They were also the last one to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday.

[bsfeechannel]

You mentioned Arizona?

[SiliconWizard]

Meanwhile, places like Arizona illegalized the feeding of homeless people.

That's probably more logical than it looks at first glance. Feeding stray animals is discouraged or in some cases illegal for the same reason, it results in more stray animals and ultimately increases the amount of suffering. Homeless people are drawn to places where they can get free stuff.

Yes. I tend to agree. But that's of course a highly sensitive "political" topic so I'm not surprised this would trigger highly emotional reactions rather than rational ones.

[SiliconWizard]

There're plenty of articles showing a lot of not-so-nice behavior.
I don't think Elon is any different than Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, he just made a lot of noise and got a decent amount of fans.

I don't know if he's "better" or even what "better" means here, but I do think he is definitely different from Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Zuckerberg, in other words, the other "tech giants".
And difference is good. I don't like monopoly, neither in business nor in ideas.

And I still don't understand why you put Gates and Jobs in the same basket either. Almost polar opposites.

[DavidAlfa]

Usually it's done to hide the problem, if nobody sees it, then ain't no problem, simple as that.
Here in Spain, when the '08 crash happened and the homeless people increased, instead doing something for them (Are we crazy??) They replaced the banks with others having a solid steel separator, or installed stuff like spikes, poles...so they couldn't sleep in these places anymore.
Go where nobody can see you!
**** politics.

[MT]

[RJSV]

Red Squirrel:
Why, can't we 'Save the Earth's Carbon, '...and Chew Gum at the same time ! OR, seriously, that's a resource limitation,...that we have to choose,...one project or the other ?
AND,... So what are your science numbers, there ?
OR, does it just 'feel' like the numbers don't work out, for doing more than just 'Saving...' ?
Prioritizing need numbers, for semblance of competency.

[Infraviolet]

I'm not going to try to judge him as a man overall, there is too much to consider on both sides of it. But he does seem a bit more decent than the rest of the notable billionaires. He seems to have commitments to free speech and a human sense of humour, although some of the ways his companies make money seem exploitative and DRM'ey. On the positive side he's condemned PayPal, which he originally founded, on account of its financial censorship and other politically motivated intrusion (and planned $2500 thefts) against individuals and organisations (infrastructure, including financial infrastructure, should not discriminte against anyone however disagreeable their opinions may be). And now he's taken over twitter the big battle is yet to be decided, will he be determined enough to kick the EU's backside and ignore their obscene (don't assume I'm anti-EU, I'm just anti-censorship) anti-free-speech Digital Services diktats. The moment he took power various EU officials tweeted that "the bird flies by our rules over here", given the rules they are talking about I sincerely hope he decides it will fly truly freely instead (not that I have a twitter account either, but I despise censorship).

[Psi]

I think sometimes people subconsciously look at the number of negative things Elon's done and compare the size of that list to a typical person and use that to judge him negatively.
They fail to consider that the bad scales with the good. The more you do in life the more times you screw up, and Elon does a ridiculous amount more than the typical person and at a huge scale. A long list of screw-ups is normal and expected.

[MT]

Mr Musk owns Twitter 😍😍😍
Fired all the morons who censor, and the liberals are having tantrums. Oh well, sanity is slowly prevailing.

It's sad when folk depend their amount of freedom of speech on corporate's like (Pentagon, InQtell subsidized) Elon Musk , but lets see how much freedom of speech Musk will give folks and good riddance.
At 6:20 Musk when he almost hugs the EU bureaucrat about his new EU censor laws.
https://odysee.com/@DavidKnightShow:1/Twitter-Digital-Town-Square-Danger-or-Opportunity:6