1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:04,360 Speaker 1: Thank you and good afternoon. So we have lots of cover. 2 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:05,639 Elon does a lot of things. 3 00:00:07,639 --> 00:00:10,519 Speaker 2: There is at the moment one of his spaceships docked 4 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:13,839 to the space station, the Dragon spaceship. This is the 5 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:17,679 third time that's been docked. Second commercial one was launched 6 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:20,079 last week. Many of you may have followed the launch, 7 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:22,239 but there was drama. You know, there were solar panels 8 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:23,519 and all this kind of stuff we could follow on 9 00:00:23,519 --> 00:00:24,160 your Twitter feed. 10 00:00:24,199 --> 00:00:26,440 Speaker 3: Yet drama, what's it? 11 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 2: Can you just tell us what it's like to be 12 00:00:29,039 --> 00:00:32,079 Elon Musk in the control room during a launch when 13 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:34,799 something happens, when there's an issue. 14 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 4: Well, it's I mean, it's extremely nerve wracking. 15 00:00:39,399 --> 00:00:41,560 Speaker 3: I mean it's the thing about rocket launch is that 16 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:44,759 all of your work is distilled into these few minutes, 17 00:00:44,799 --> 00:00:49,759 particularly the first several seconds around the lift off. Because 18 00:00:49,799 --> 00:00:51,719 the worst thing that can happen with the rocket in 19 00:00:51,799 --> 00:00:56,439 a touch word is if if you have an engine 20 00:00:56,439 --> 00:00:59,399 failure or some huge failure right above the launch pad 21 00:00:59,679 --> 00:01:02,039 and the whole thing can come down with about a 22 00:01:02,039 --> 00:01:05,000 million pounds of T and T equivalent and destroyed the 23 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:07,640 whole lounch pad. That would be That's what's going through 24 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:11,239 my mind in case you're wondering, that's actually what. 25 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:12,040 Speaker 4: I'm thinking about here. 26 00:01:13,719 --> 00:01:18,519 Speaker 3: So when it clears the lightning towers and it's gotten 27 00:01:18,599 --> 00:01:22,519 further enough away from not actually destroying the launch pad, 28 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:26,640 then then it's that's one sort of go down a 29 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:33,159 notch on, you know, the fear and anxiety. And then 30 00:01:34,359 --> 00:01:37,159 after first stage separation. 31 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:39,519 Speaker 4: That's another one. And when the. 32 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 3: Second stage lights up, so it's sort of going down 33 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:49,439 in intensity as the rocket is going up. And the 34 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:51,680 thing is that the first three rocket launches that we 35 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:56,000 had failed okay, and then the first one failed quite 36 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:58,760 close to the launch pad, almost destroyed the launch pad. 37 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:00,159 Speaker 4: In fact, I spent that. 38 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:04,359 Speaker 3: They're picking up rocket pieces off the reef, which sucks. 39 00:02:04,359 --> 00:02:08,120 So I think like there's a pretty powerfully ingrained fear 40 00:02:08,159 --> 00:02:11,680 response as a result of that, because three in a row, 41 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:15,960 just you know, and the image of those rocket failures 42 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:17,599 kind of going through my mind as I seeing the 43 00:02:17,719 --> 00:02:20,080 rocket launch. So that's what's going on. 44 00:02:20,479 --> 00:02:22,599 Speaker 2: And then in this case, you made it through the 45 00:02:23,159 --> 00:02:25,000 state separation, but then there was an issue with the 46 00:02:25,039 --> 00:02:27,159 solar cells. Tell me a little bit how you sort 47 00:02:27,159 --> 00:02:29,240 of spotted the problem, diagnosed it, What does the team do? 48 00:02:29,319 --> 00:02:31,719 Speaker 1: I mean, you got there in the end, but how 49 00:02:31,759 --> 00:02:32,199 does it work? 50 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,759 Speaker 3: Yeah, so the solar panels are actually okay. But and 51 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,680 the rocket launch went went really well, so that that 52 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:44,000 was not a problem. Where things kind of went awry 53 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:49,080 was after spacecraft separation, we try to initialize the fourth 54 00:02:49,159 --> 00:02:52,240 rustler pods. So there's fourth thrustal pots with a combined 55 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:56,960 total of eighteen engines, and the system is designed with 56 00:02:57,039 --> 00:02:58,919 a huge amount of dundancy, so it can take all 57 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:01,800 sorts of failures and it's complete its mission. That's that's 58 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:05,879 the whole way it's been made. In fact, it can 59 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:07,800 it can work with even if it has only two 60 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:10,360 of the four thrust replies working, you know, they can 61 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:11,719 still do a mission. 62 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 4: So three weren't working. Wow, and. 63 00:03:19,199 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 3: That which was a huge puzzle, like what why are 64 00:03:21,319 --> 00:03:23,960 three not working? Because these things are crash strapped, so 65 00:03:24,159 --> 00:03:27,360 you'd kind of think that either maybe one wouldn't work 66 00:03:27,719 --> 00:03:30,639 or a crash strap pair wouldn't work, but not three. 67 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:32,159 Speaker 4: It was really really strange. 68 00:03:32,599 --> 00:03:38,199 Speaker 3: So so we had the spacecraft just going through kind 69 00:03:38,199 --> 00:03:43,960 of free drift in space, like we're just tumbling, and 70 00:03:44,039 --> 00:03:46,719 which makes all it's also difficult to communicate with because 71 00:03:46,759 --> 00:03:49,360 the antennas are like pointing, you know, every which way 72 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:52,000 you can imagine. So we had. All we had was 73 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:58,360 was a very flight two killer, it occasional two kill 74 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,840 a bit link that would go in and out and 75 00:04:02,159 --> 00:04:04,599 that was an omnidirectional signal beaming off of the NASA 76 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:09,719 Tedrous satellite system. So in order to actually improve the 77 00:04:09,879 --> 00:04:11,639 foot we first had to improve the bandwidth. 78 00:04:12,039 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 4: So we actually asked the Air Force. 79 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 3: If we could have some of their long range clameatory 80 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:20,360 scanners with would they give us access and we have 81 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:24,519 this communication system they would call the megaproxy, So we 82 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:28,160 had to recode the megaproxy to go through the Air 83 00:04:28,199 --> 00:04:31,959 Force long range dishes to blast the spacecraft with enough 84 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:36,879 intensity to be able to upload new code to try. 85 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 4: To fix the problem. 86 00:04:38,959 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 3: And so we wrote some new software to essentially pressure 87 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:52,120 slam the two of the three oxidizer tanks that were 88 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:56,079 refusing to pressurize. And it turned out we've I think 89 00:04:56,079 --> 00:04:58,959 we've figured out problem, which is that there's a there 90 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,240 was a slight chain which made to a check valve 91 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:04,040 that was in three of the tanks and not on 92 00:05:04,079 --> 00:05:04,360 the other. 93 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,079 Speaker 4: And we're able to replicate that problem the ground later. 94 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:12,519 Speaker 3: And we're able to to basically have the have the 95 00:05:12,519 --> 00:05:16,920 system build up pressure upstream, then release that pressure and 96 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:20,240 slam the valve. So we're trying to give it the 97 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:27,879 sort of the spacecraft equivalent to the heimlich maneuver basically, And. 98 00:05:26,759 --> 00:05:27,959 Speaker 4: And then we got one. 99 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:31,040 Speaker 3: Of the pods too that looked like it was making progress, 100 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:35,639 and we didn't want to unfil the solar panels until 101 00:05:35,639 --> 00:05:37,240 we had at least two pods. 102 00:05:36,959 --> 00:05:39,199 Speaker 4: Active so we could we could go from sort. 103 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 3: Of drifting to an active hold. But then the temperatures 104 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,399 of the solar panels, which are any protective covers, was 105 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:51,279 dropping and it can drop to like almost absolute zero 106 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:56,680 if it's pointing at a dog space. So so it 107 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,360 was dropping, dropping, dropping, and we're like, okay, we better 108 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:02,879 release the solar panels otherwise they could literally freeze in place. 109 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:07,720 And so we ran a simulation to see what would 110 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:11,120 what would happen, and it's actually slightly beneficial, and it's 111 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:11,399 kind of. 112 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 4: Like when a skater. 113 00:06:12,519 --> 00:06:15,959 Speaker 3: You know, when a skater puts her arms out, it 114 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:18,759 slows down, pull him in, it speeds up. So when 115 00:06:18,759 --> 00:06:21,160 actually when the the arms went out, when the solar 116 00:06:21,199 --> 00:06:23,120 panel raise went out, it slowed down. The rate of 117 00:06:23,199 --> 00:06:28,959 rotation actually slightly helped us with maintaining communication with the spacecraft. 118 00:06:29,319 --> 00:06:35,199 And so then we're able to uh with with the 119 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:39,399 precious lamp thing, get get it, get apart active. Then 120 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:41,720 then then a third one and then a fourth one. 121 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:45,240 Then we've got all four working and we're able to 122 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:47,879 continue the mission dock with the space station. In fact, 123 00:06:47,959 --> 00:06:50,360 Dragon is currently duck with the space station right now 124 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:54,519 and if if all goes well, we'll return to Earth 125 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:55,639 in about a week or two. 126 00:06:56,759 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 1: That sounds terrifying. 127 00:07:00,439 --> 00:07:05,079 Speaker 2: Why that was? 128 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:09,839 Speaker 4: That was hardcore. I don't want to go through that again. 129 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 2: Okay, you are not just here in in in Austin 130 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:17,839 for south by Southwest, but also to meet with the 131 00:07:17,879 --> 00:07:21,319 Texas legislature to talk about it possibly a launch base 132 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:22,279 here in Texas. 133 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 1: Tell us more about that. 134 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, So right now we've got two main launch locations. 135 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:33,000 One is Cape Canaval in Florida and the other is 136 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:37,360 a Vanderberg Air Force Base in California. And so the 137 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:41,920 Cape Narral is good for kind of eastward launches, Vanderberg 138 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:45,399 for southerly launches, and we figured we need a third 139 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:46,560 launch site. 140 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:47,879 Speaker 4: That's kind of a commercial launch site. 141 00:07:47,959 --> 00:07:50,879 Speaker 3: You know, it's not good because Cape Narval and Vanderberg 142 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:54,040 or air Force Bass, which which is cool, and it's 143 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:58,079 obviously there's an important need for air Force space launch bases, 144 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:01,920 as there is for air Force airports, but then there's 145 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:04,519 also a need for commercial airports. 146 00:08:04,879 --> 00:08:06,199 Speaker 4: And just like you wouldn't. 147 00:08:05,959 --> 00:08:09,759 Speaker 3: Expect commercial airliners to land at an air force base 148 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:12,720 in a normal course of events, it makes sense to 149 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:17,920 have a commercial spaceport. And we need to be able 150 00:08:17,959 --> 00:08:20,439 to launch eastward and we want to be close to 151 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:21,040 the equator. 152 00:08:22,839 --> 00:08:24,439 Speaker 4: So that basically means. 153 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 3: The potential states are Virginia through Texas going south, Hawaii 154 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:36,519 and Puerto Rico because the other things when need to stay. 155 00:08:35,759 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 4: On US territory because. 156 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:42,919 Speaker 3: Rocket technology like we're doing is considered an advanced weapons technology, 157 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:46,159 so it's very difficult to export that if you will, 158 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:51,440 to other countries and anyways, So those are our options 159 00:08:51,799 --> 00:08:55,639 right right now. Texas is arguably the leading candidate, but 160 00:08:56,600 --> 00:09:00,000 we need certain legislation pass that's supportive of space launch. 161 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:04,120 I don't think it's particularly controversial, but one of the 162 00:09:04,159 --> 00:09:05,559 things we need, for example, is we need to be 163 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:07,440 able to close the beach when we're doing a launch 164 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:08,519 and Texas has. 165 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:09,399 Speaker 4: The Open Beaches Act. 166 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:12,960 Speaker 3: It's like, Okay, you know, we we can't launch if 167 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:15,720 there's someone right next to the rocket, you know, on 168 00:09:15,759 --> 00:09:20,679 the beach. So that's I don't like I said, I 169 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:23,279 don't think it's a particularly controversial thing. 170 00:09:23,279 --> 00:09:24,679 Speaker 4: It's pretty straightforward. 171 00:09:25,799 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 3: And then and then we kind of need liberal protection 172 00:09:28,639 --> 00:09:31,559 for kind of the one in ten thousand person case 173 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:35,000 who complains about the thing. Like we had this dude 174 00:09:35,039 --> 00:09:38,360 who filed a lawsuit against us for our rocket development 175 00:09:38,399 --> 00:09:41,879 site in Central Texas near Waco. He's like not even 176 00:09:41,879 --> 00:09:45,200 in the same county, He's in a neighboring county, and 177 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:47,159 he like also thinks like the CIA is listening to 178 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:50,919 his brain waves. So we need like just a little 179 00:09:50,919 --> 00:09:53,080 bit of protection for people like that. So we're not 180 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:55,679 like spending a ton of time in court. So that's 181 00:09:55,679 --> 00:10:01,879 basically what we're asking for. Learning major and I think 182 00:10:01,919 --> 00:10:04,080 it's likely to move forward. So I think, you know, 183 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:07,759 if if things go as expected this this, it's likely 184 00:10:07,799 --> 00:10:09,360 that we'll have a launch sight in Texas, which I 185 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:17,639 think be really cool around when so it founds on 186 00:10:17,759 --> 00:10:20,279 how the environmental approval is going a lot. But I 187 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:24,000 think I think, well, if things go well, I mean 188 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:25,799 not all, not all of it's in our hands. So 189 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:29,360 but assuming that things go as expected, you know, there'd 190 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:31,879 be a decision this year and then we'll start construction 191 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:34,799 next year and then and probably the first launches would 192 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:37,480 take place and from there in two to three years. 193 00:10:37,879 --> 00:10:38,279 Speaker 1: Terrific. 194 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:42,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, So Falcon nine or the rocket that launched a 195 00:10:42,759 --> 00:10:46,360 dragon is traditional rocket, which is to say, it's disposable bits. 196 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:50,039 But you're essentially you're ultimately focused on reusable rock. Yes, 197 00:10:50,799 --> 00:10:52,919 Grasshopper is the name of that. Can you talk a 198 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:57,080 little bit about what's why reusable, what's different about reusable? 199 00:10:57,120 --> 00:10:58,480 Speaker 1: And I think you probably have some things to show 200 00:10:58,519 --> 00:10:58,840 as well. 201 00:10:59,759 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely so reasonability is extremely important if you think 202 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:09,480 it's important that humanity extend beyond Earth and become multipenant 203 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:12,279 species and all that, and I. 204 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:13,440 Speaker 4: Mean it's super important. I thought. 205 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:16,320 Speaker 3: I think it's also incredibly obvious common sense, Like you 206 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:19,279 can imagine watching like star Trek and then they got 207 00:11:19,279 --> 00:11:21,840 a new starship after every every trip that would be 208 00:11:21,879 --> 00:11:28,039 pretty sarly, and and and every motor transport that we're 209 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:31,600 used to, like cars, plane strains, ormobiles, horses. 210 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:32,840 Speaker 4: Bikes, they're all reusable. 211 00:11:34,799 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 3: But not rockets, and if we can't make rockets reusable, 212 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:43,279 the cost is just prohibitive. That the like the cost 213 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:46,720 of the fuel and oxygen on a Falcon nine is 214 00:11:46,799 --> 00:11:49,240 zero point three percent of the cost of the rocket. 215 00:11:50,159 --> 00:11:52,399 So it's basically it's a very tiny number. It's it's 216 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:56,519 very similar to an airplane. So it's how much does 217 00:11:56,559 --> 00:11:59,200 it cost to fuel up an airplane and how much 218 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:00,360 does it cost to buying air plane. 219 00:12:00,399 --> 00:12:01,399 Speaker 4: They're very different things. 220 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 3: So if we're if humanity is ever to expand beyond 221 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:09,279 Earth and establish a self sustaining base and another planet, 222 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:10,080 is critical that. 223 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:10,840 Speaker 4: We solve this problem. 224 00:12:10,879 --> 00:12:13,480 Speaker 3: Whether it's SpaceX or someone else, someone has to solve 225 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:16,639 the problem and we can have one hundred fold reduction 226 00:12:16,799 --> 00:12:22,320 in the cost of space plight. So so that's what 227 00:12:22,399 --> 00:12:25,360 SpaceX has been trying to do, and really that's been 228 00:12:25,399 --> 00:12:28,200 the goal since the beginning of the company. So so far, 229 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:31,240 I'm not being very successful in that in that regard, 230 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:34,159 so but I think we kind of have a. 231 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:35,840 Speaker 4: Handle on it. I think I think we've got to. 232 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:37,000 We've got a. 233 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:41,159 Speaker 3: Design that in the simulations in and in CAD and 234 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:44,639 so forth, it it closes like it should work. 235 00:12:44,799 --> 00:12:48,159 Speaker 4: If we can build that thing. It should work, and. 236 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:52,159 Speaker 3: In fact it may be worth just rolling the reusability 237 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:54,200 videos so people have a sense of what I'm talking about. 238 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:58,000 I don't know where that plays, but behind us a 239 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:07,240 farm us and people in the audience of that there. 240 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:14,000 Ye alright, So what you're saying here is that the 241 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:18,039 the first age after stage separation, the first aage turns around, 242 00:13:18,519 --> 00:13:22,120 boosts back to the launch pad, and then lands propulsively 243 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:24,519 with landing gear. That's kind of how rocket should land. 244 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:37,639 That's that's the upper stage. This is the this is 245 00:13:37,679 --> 00:13:43,840 the quick version of the video obviously, and then you're 246 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:46,559 seeing Dragon version two. So Dragon version two will land 247 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:50,480 on thrusters with landing gear with the at G as 248 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:52,759 accurately as a helicopter, so you can land anywhere on Earth. 249 00:13:53,279 --> 00:13:54,919 That's with the accuracy of a helicopter. 250 00:13:55,399 --> 00:13:58,320 Speaker 2: One last question about space before we turn to two cars. 251 00:14:00,879 --> 00:14:03,000 You've talked before about how you decided. 252 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:03,240 Speaker 1: To get into this. 253 00:14:03,399 --> 00:14:06,080 Speaker 2: You were you founded you know, you go founded PayPal. 254 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:08,639 You don't really, I mean, you have a physics degree, 255 00:14:08,639 --> 00:14:11,519 you know something about about you know the underlying mechanics, 256 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:15,039 but you didn't have any space experience. You decided I 257 00:14:15,039 --> 00:14:18,879 think on a train to go to Mars, and decided 258 00:14:18,919 --> 00:14:21,559 that you could out compete in NASA, that you could 259 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,039 get to Mars, you could get to space faster, cheaper, 260 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:27,879 better than one of the largest, the largest space agency. 261 00:14:27,559 --> 00:14:28,960 Speaker 3: In the world. 262 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 1: How did you get that confidence? 263 00:14:31,919 --> 00:14:37,759 Speaker 3: Uh? So, well, I think first of all, I should 264 00:14:37,799 --> 00:14:42,320 say maybe give some of a preface to what happened 265 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:47,440 before starting SpaceX. In fact, the way I sort of 266 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:54,000 got into space was to do I was really disappointed 267 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:55,799 that we had not send anyone to Mars, that we 268 00:14:55,840 --> 00:14:59,720 had not progressed beyond Apollo, and I kept waiting for 269 00:14:59,759 --> 00:15:00,799 when we would. 270 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 4: And it just didn't happen. 271 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:06,559 Speaker 3: A year after year, and and so a friend of 272 00:15:06,559 --> 00:15:08,399 mine asked me about what I wanted to do after PayPal, 273 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:10,399 and I thought, well, you know, I was always curious 274 00:15:10,399 --> 00:15:12,159 about space, but I didn't think about that there was 275 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:16,240 anything I could do do in space. And I went 276 00:15:16,279 --> 00:15:18,200 to the NASA website to just see when are we 277 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:18,759 going to Mars? 278 00:15:18,799 --> 00:15:20,120 Speaker 4: And I can find that out. 279 00:15:24,159 --> 00:15:26,360 Speaker 3: I thought maybe it was there, but I well hid 280 00:15:26,399 --> 00:15:32,039 them or something. But so so then I thought, well, 281 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:36,519 perhaps this is a question of will. Is there sufficient 282 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:40,600 will to do this? And the first idea I came 283 00:15:40,679 --> 00:15:43,600 up with was actually to do a philanthropic mission to 284 00:15:43,639 --> 00:15:46,840 send a small greenhouse to the surface of Mars with 285 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:49,759 seats and dehydrated jail that would hydrate upon landing, and 286 00:15:49,879 --> 00:15:52,519 you'd have this cool greenhouse with these green plants on 287 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:57,519 a red background. That'll be the money shot and and 288 00:15:57,519 --> 00:16:01,600 and then you know, people like precedents and superlatives, so 289 00:16:01,639 --> 00:16:04,919 it be the first first life on another planet furthest 290 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:08,759 that life ever traveled, and that would get people excited, 291 00:16:08,759 --> 00:16:10,480 and you also learn about a lot about want to 292 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:12,519 support earth. 293 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 4: Plants and a greenhouse on Mars. 294 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:19,519 Speaker 3: The whole purpose of that was to get people excited 295 00:16:19,519 --> 00:16:24,440 about sending people to Mars and increase NASA's budget. So 296 00:16:24,799 --> 00:16:27,440 that was my whole goal. I was going to basically torch. Yeah, 297 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:34,679 it had nothing to do with competing with NASA. In fact, 298 00:16:34,759 --> 00:16:39,919 my goal was to increase their budget. And I should 299 00:16:39,919 --> 00:16:45,120 say that today NASA is our biggest customer. I mean, 300 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:51,480 we've got almost fifty launchers and about a quarter of 301 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:55,279 those of FANASA, but three quarters three quarters commercial, but. 302 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 4: One quarter NASA. 303 00:16:57,799 --> 00:17:01,000 Speaker 3: And NASA's been incredibly sort of been helpful, and we 304 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:03,000 wouldn't be where we are today without without the help 305 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,119 and NASSA. So it's gonna really got nice too. With 306 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:07,759 competing with NASA. It's really just about what do we 307 00:17:07,759 --> 00:17:10,200 need to do to have an exciting and inspiring future 308 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:10,680 in space. 309 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:13,279 Speaker 4: That's that's what I think really matters. 310 00:17:13,599 --> 00:17:14,279 Speaker 1: At the end of the day. 311 00:17:14,319 --> 00:17:16,519 Speaker 2: You didn't end up raising the fund the money to 312 00:17:16,559 --> 00:17:19,680 pay NASA to the mission. You end up doing building 313 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:23,000 your own company, and ideally to do it cheaper than 314 00:17:23,039 --> 00:17:23,680 government scout. 315 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:30,559 Speaker 3: Yeah. So I was able to figure out how to 316 00:17:30,599 --> 00:17:33,319 get the cost of the spacecraft and the greenhouse and 317 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:37,480 the communications system way less than it normally would cost 318 00:17:37,559 --> 00:17:38,160 for such a thing. 319 00:17:38,559 --> 00:17:41,119 Speaker 4: I got stuck on the rocket and I. 320 00:17:41,119 --> 00:17:45,160 Speaker 3: Went to Russia three times to try to buy a 321 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:46,839 couple of their biggest ICBMs. 322 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:52,920 Speaker 4: This is about. 323 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:54,799 Speaker 3: This is in two thousand and one, late two thousand 324 00:17:54,799 --> 00:17:58,359 and one and two thousand and two. It was definitely 325 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:04,480 an interesting experience, and I sort of got the feeling 326 00:18:04,519 --> 00:18:05,920 I could have bought the Nook too, but. 327 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:07,680 Speaker 4: I don't. 328 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:09,880 Speaker 3: I don't want to go there. 329 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:14,279 Speaker 4: And then when I when I got back from the 330 00:18:14,319 --> 00:18:14,880 third trip to. 331 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:20,839 Speaker 3: Russia, that that's when I thought, Okay, look, even if 332 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:26,480 we do even if we buy these these ICBMs from Russia. 333 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:27,480 Speaker 1: I. 334 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:35,440 Speaker 3: Thought, I thought my initial supposition was wrong. And so 335 00:18:35,599 --> 00:18:38,559 what I thought really was that we'd lost the world 336 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:41,200 to explore, that we'd lost the world to push the boundary, 337 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:44,440 and and and in retrospect, that was actually a very 338 00:18:44,519 --> 00:18:49,480 foolish error. Because the United States is a nation of explorers. 339 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:52,720 United States is a distillation of the humans. 340 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:53,359 Speaker 4: Bird of exploration. 341 00:18:53,519 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 3: It's ludicrous to actually, in retrospect, to have made such 342 00:18:56,960 --> 00:19:02,799 an assumption. But people to believe that it's possible, and 343 00:19:02,839 --> 00:19:04,880 that it's not gonna it's not going to bankrupt them. 344 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:06,440 It's not They're not gonna have to give up something 345 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:10,119 important like healthcare. You know, it's going to be a 346 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:12,599 cost that isn't going to meaningfully affect their their standard 347 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:15,200 of living. And I think the United States would absolutely 348 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:20,839 be super, super excited about sending people to Mars, and people, 349 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:22,440 I think a lot of people really wish that would 350 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:27,480 occur anyway, So that was that was what I came 351 00:19:27,519 --> 00:19:29,920 to conclusion of. And and I thought, well, if if 352 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:32,119 we don't make a difference in the cost of the 353 00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:34,960 rocket of the transport system, it's all, it doesn't matter 354 00:19:35,759 --> 00:19:37,559 it's it's not like I said, it's not a question 355 00:19:37,599 --> 00:19:40,920 of will, it's a question of whey. And so that's 356 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:43,279 when I came back and started the SpaceX. But when 357 00:19:43,279 --> 00:19:46,480 I started SpaceX, it wasn't with the perspective of like 358 00:19:46,559 --> 00:19:50,160 a world just you know, take over the world and 359 00:19:50,519 --> 00:19:50,880 with with. 360 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:52,519 Speaker 4: Or some rockets. I don't know what the book I 361 00:19:52,559 --> 00:19:54,000 was doing. It was like clueless. 362 00:19:55,319 --> 00:19:57,599 Speaker 3: I thought the most likely outcome was that we would fail, 363 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:01,640 and the first three rockets did fail. 364 00:20:01,759 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 2: So and you put all your money into it. 365 00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:11,559 Speaker 3: Between Tesla, SpaceX and Solar City all in. Yeah, that 366 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:13,519 wasn't the plan at the beginning. 367 00:20:13,559 --> 00:20:18,480 Speaker 2: By the way, and Peter Tail says, we don't think 368 00:20:18,519 --> 00:20:19,200 big anymore. 369 00:20:20,039 --> 00:20:22,160 Speaker 1: You must have some conversations with him about that. 370 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:25,400 Speaker 3: Well, you know, Peter's spent a big supporter actually, so 371 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:31,599 he's he invested in SpaceX at a very important time 372 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:35,319 in two thousand and eight before we reached orbit, so 373 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:35,839 after our. 374 00:20:35,839 --> 00:20:38,200 Speaker 4: Third failure of it, before our first success. 375 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:42,240 Speaker 3: So you know, big credit to Peter and Luke Nosik 376 00:20:42,279 --> 00:20:44,200 and the other guys that I found. Respond Basically, my 377 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:47,559 my buddy's great well, my buddies from Papal saved my butt. 378 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:50,079 Speaker 4: You know, it was really really good. 379 00:20:51,119 --> 00:21:00,680 Speaker 2: So so let's talk about cars. Many and the audience 380 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:04,240 may recollect the notorious New York Times review of the 381 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:09,400 Model S, Yes, exactly of the Model S earlier this year, 382 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:14,640 and your reaction to that review, and the Times reaction 383 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:17,960 to your reaction, and the effect on your share price 384 00:21:18,039 --> 00:21:22,200 and on orders and all that, and without rehashing the 385 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:25,799 review or the facts, I'd like it you just to post. 386 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:26,920 Speaker 1: Mortem the entire experience. 387 00:21:27,319 --> 00:21:30,039 Speaker 4: How do I do a post mortem without any facts 388 00:21:30,119 --> 00:21:30,480 or anything? 389 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:34,559 Speaker 1: Post mortem? Post mortem? 390 00:21:34,599 --> 00:21:38,119 Speaker 2: Your reaction to the review and what you know put 391 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:40,119 you on the couch, and what would you do differently today? 392 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:41,440 Speaker 1: Having seen the weight all played out? 393 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:57,039 Speaker 4: Well, I think I think this one thing I didn't do. 394 00:21:58,519 --> 00:22:03,079 Speaker 3: And maybe still should, which is to post the rebuttal 395 00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:06,759 to the rebuttal, because I withheld that and waited for 396 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:10,079 the public editor. I sent that information to the public editor, 397 00:22:10,319 --> 00:22:13,599 waited for her to do her sort of thing, and 398 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:16,359 she came down kind of on the side of Tesla 399 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:19,839 with respect to the fact that the article was in error, 400 00:22:20,279 --> 00:22:22,119 but but disagreed on the motive. 401 00:22:23,039 --> 00:22:29,400 Speaker 1: On the ethics, Yes, and because you impugned both facts and. 402 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:35,319 Speaker 4: Ethics, I did, yes, and and and I think it was. 403 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:36,200 I think it was. 404 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:38,960 Speaker 3: I would call it a low grade ethics violation, not 405 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:41,680 like a big one. I don't think he thought he 406 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:43,519 was doing anything particularly terrible. 407 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:46,960 Speaker 4: But I would call it a low grade, low grade violation. 408 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:49,440 Speaker 3: And not not not of the Jason Blair, you know, 409 00:22:49,759 --> 00:22:51,920 crazy fabrication variety. 410 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:54,640 Speaker 4: But I would call it a low grade. It was 411 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:55,440 not in good faith. 412 00:22:55,519 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 3: If that that's that's that's an important point. And I 413 00:23:01,759 --> 00:23:05,079 probably should have posted that rebuttal to make that clear, 414 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:06,079 but I didn't do it. 415 00:23:07,799 --> 00:23:08,599 Speaker 4: That's what I regret. 416 00:23:09,279 --> 00:23:11,480 Speaker 2: So the only change you would make is that the 417 00:23:11,559 --> 00:23:14,599 very last bit the rebuttal that you wrote but that 418 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:16,119 has not been published, you would get. 419 00:23:16,079 --> 00:23:17,759 Speaker 4: Maybe I should, you would get out there. 420 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:20,319 Speaker 1: Yeah, So you would continue to use the same language 421 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:21,160 in the same way. 422 00:23:21,279 --> 00:23:23,039 Speaker 3: And I don't think the language was inaccurate. 423 00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:24,559 Speaker 4: I really don't. 424 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:29,519 Speaker 1: You've often. 425 00:23:34,319 --> 00:23:36,839 Speaker 2: You've often said that one of your management techniques, one 426 00:23:36,839 --> 00:23:38,599 of the secrets of your successes, that you listen to 427 00:23:38,599 --> 00:23:43,759 negative feedback. Yes was a Times review not didn't fall 428 00:23:43,799 --> 00:23:45,200 into the category of negative feedback. 429 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:48,400 Speaker 3: I have no problem with negative feedback. I have a 430 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:51,359 problem with nor do I have a problem with critical reviews. 431 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:53,559 If I had a problem with critical reviews, I would 432 00:23:53,599 --> 00:23:57,000 spend all my time battling critical reviews. There have been 433 00:23:57,200 --> 00:24:01,640 hundreds of negative articles, hundreds, and yet I've only spoken 434 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:04,240 out a few times. I don't have a problem with 435 00:24:04,319 --> 00:24:06,960 critical reviews. I have a problem with false reviews. 436 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:09,079 Speaker 1: All right. 437 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:15,400 Speaker 2: One of the technologies that you had to you know, 438 00:24:15,519 --> 00:24:18,680 basically developed to near perfection or at least or at 439 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:22,039 least work on hardest with lithium batteries for the electric 440 00:24:22,079 --> 00:24:24,200 cars or run on lithuan batteries. Safety has always been 441 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:30,200 an issue, accidents, et cetera. Recently, Boeing had fires with 442 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:32,720 their lithium batteries, and these and the dreaminers now to 443 00:24:32,759 --> 00:24:37,440 service because of that, you volunteered to help the Boeing executives, 444 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:39,279 I guess, diagnose and redesign. 445 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:41,039 Speaker 1: Can you talk a little bit. 446 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:43,480 Speaker 2: About what they did wrong, what you would have done differently, 447 00:24:43,519 --> 00:24:46,480 and what do you think that the future of you know, 448 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:48,640 Boeing in others, airline batteries are going to. 449 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:52,160 Speaker 3: Be sure well, first of all, on the bowing front, 450 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:54,480 I mean, obviously, even though SpaceX and Going compete on 451 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:56,599 the space side, we have no competition on the commercial 452 00:24:56,640 --> 00:24:58,839 airline a side, and some of the comments that I 453 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:01,480 made about Boeing, somehow I've been interverted as an attack 454 00:25:01,559 --> 00:25:03,359 on Boeing, when it is in fact not an attack 455 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:03,759 on Boeing. 456 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:09,799 Speaker 4: The only reason I actually, I mean, the main. 457 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:11,680 Speaker 3: Reason I should say I offered to help, was that 458 00:25:11,839 --> 00:25:14,640 there's a friend of mine, Richard Branson, who's whose airline 459 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:17,359 is suffering as a result of this with him iron Fire, 460 00:25:17,799 --> 00:25:20,039 and here he was mentioning that, you know, he's losing 461 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:23,400 hundreds of millions he always airline is as a result 462 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:25,400 of this this problem. I said, well, I think we 463 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:27,559 could probably help, and then so he said, oh great, well, 464 00:25:27,599 --> 00:25:31,240 let me connect you with the chief engineer of the 465 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:33,559 seven eight seven. I said, cool, we're happy to help. 466 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:41,759 So provided some advice and hopefully that'll be helpful. And 467 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:44,160 I said, we're also happy to actually do the solution 468 00:25:44,279 --> 00:25:47,359 if you want. And they haven't taken this stuff on 469 00:25:47,359 --> 00:25:51,319 that offer, but we're happy to help, either in an 470 00:25:51,319 --> 00:25:55,480 advisory capacity or to do the solution whatever would result 471 00:25:55,519 --> 00:25:58,279 in the seven eight seven getting back to flight sooner. 472 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:02,160 We're just trying to you know, productive and helpful. So 473 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:06,559 I mean, I think in the case of the battery. 474 00:26:07,519 --> 00:26:09,960 Voeing doesn't have a ton of in house battery expertise, 475 00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:14,759 so that they outsourced the battery and then you had 476 00:26:14,759 --> 00:26:18,599 a whole bunch of kind of nested outsourcing where the 477 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:21,880 outsourced the battery system, and then and then that got 478 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:25,319 outsourced to another company, then to another company, and then 479 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:27,079 to a whole bunch of other companies. 480 00:26:26,839 --> 00:26:29,759 Speaker 4: And you're like four layers deep before you actually got 481 00:26:29,759 --> 00:26:32,519 to any hardware. 482 00:26:33,799 --> 00:26:36,279 Speaker 3: And so that resulted and I think in a kind 483 00:26:36,279 --> 00:26:39,920 of a breakdown of communication. I mean from an architectural standpoint, 484 00:26:40,519 --> 00:26:44,079 The fundamental issue is that the is that I think 485 00:26:45,279 --> 00:26:48,000 is that the cells are too big. The battery cells 486 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:51,119 are too big, and the gaps between the battery cells 487 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:54,920 are are not big enough. And the problem with a 488 00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:59,759 big battery cell is that the thermal pathway is in 489 00:26:59,799 --> 00:27:02,920 a most case scenario is very long. So you say, well, 490 00:27:03,279 --> 00:27:05,160 if there's a hot spot in the battery, can it 491 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:08,160 get its heat out? And if it's deep in a cell, 492 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:11,359 it can't. It can't do that. And it's also hard 493 00:27:11,359 --> 00:27:14,079 to thermally condition the cells. That the life of the 494 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:17,920 pack will be will be dependent upon on the temperature, 495 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:20,559 with the average not the average temperature, but the worst 496 00:27:20,599 --> 00:27:24,240 temperature at any point in any cell. So you want 497 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:26,720 to really even that temperature out. That's why Tesla is 498 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:29,559 a fan of having lots of small cells and then 499 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:33,400 actively cooling each cell to keep the temperature even and 500 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:37,119 make sure that if if hotspot does developed, it's a 501 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:40,640 very short pathway to the cooling system and it can 502 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:42,640 you know, take care of it. Then you also want 503 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:45,880 to make sure that it's again quite technical here, sorry, 504 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:52,480 it's it's passive propagation proof. So so if you even 505 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:55,319 if your active cooling system fails and you get them 506 00:27:55,359 --> 00:27:57,519 more on away in a cell, that therm we're on 507 00:27:57,599 --> 00:28:00,759 an event can't cascade into a neighboring cell, and you 508 00:28:00,759 --> 00:28:03,480 get the thermal domino effect, right, I mean, it's it's 509 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:05,279 not it's not super complicated. 510 00:28:06,519 --> 00:28:07,079 Speaker 4: So so. 511 00:28:11,519 --> 00:28:16,279 Speaker 3: It just if if you have big cells, you want 512 00:28:16,319 --> 00:28:19,680 big gaps, and ideally you want you don't want big cells. 513 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:22,599 If you do, you want big gaps, small cells, small gaps. 514 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:25,039 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, so. 515 00:28:25,079 --> 00:28:27,640 Speaker 2: I mean this is this is really important because because 516 00:28:28,119 --> 00:28:30,079 the whole thing about this new generation of aeroplanes that 517 00:28:30,079 --> 00:28:33,319 they're light, they use composites, they use electronics rather than 518 00:28:33,319 --> 00:28:35,880 mechanical systems, and so electricity drives the whole thing. 519 00:28:36,319 --> 00:28:38,400 Speaker 1: So basically my understanding is that. 520 00:28:38,519 --> 00:28:40,799 Speaker 2: You need lithium batteries in the sky. It just doesn't 521 00:28:40,839 --> 00:28:42,279 work any other way. And your point is it can 522 00:28:42,319 --> 00:28:42,680 be done. 523 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:44,000 Speaker 4: Oh, totally can be done. 524 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:45,759 Speaker 3: YEA, Like lithium is getting a bit of a bad 525 00:28:45,839 --> 00:28:48,960 name here, Lithium is obviously the way to go. I mean, 526 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:51,319 people have lithium my own batteries and their cell phones 527 00:28:51,359 --> 00:28:53,680 and their laptops. I mean, I don't think anyone's panicking 528 00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:56,440 here with the fact that they go to lithium ion battery. 529 00:28:56,799 --> 00:29:00,480 Speaker 4: You know, next to a sensitive region of probably their body. 530 00:29:00,519 --> 00:29:03,799 You know, got it. 531 00:29:03,839 --> 00:29:07,359 Speaker 2: Well, just staying on on on power for one last 532 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:10,359 set of questions before well, before I returned. 533 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,759 Speaker 1: To your life, which seems insane. 534 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 4: Is the same. 535 00:29:16,119 --> 00:29:19,079 Speaker 2: You're also a chairman of Solar City, which I believe 536 00:29:19,079 --> 00:29:24,240 is America's largest solar installer. You know, so space transportation 537 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:26,759 energy ticking. 538 00:29:26,559 --> 00:29:27,440 Speaker 1: Off the big ones there. 539 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:31,079 Speaker 2: Now, you know, solar got a bad name over the 540 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:33,680 last few years because of the cylinder meltdown, et cetera. 541 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:36,599 But in my sense that people different are not differentiating 542 00:29:36,599 --> 00:29:38,880 between the making of solar cells and the using of 543 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:42,160 solar cells and the Chinese competition and the glutting of 544 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:45,279 the market on the supply side is what solender what 545 00:29:45,319 --> 00:29:46,200 got Cylinder in trouble. 546 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:47,960 Speaker 1: They couldn't compete with the falling prices. But you're a 547 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:52,279 consumer of solar cells, So how do you see you know, 548 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:55,559 the Chinese, Chinese competition and sort of the glut of 549 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:58,279 solar solar cells on the market. What did I do 550 00:29:58,359 --> 00:29:58,519 with you? 551 00:29:59,079 --> 00:30:00,759 Speaker 3: I mean, I think what China is doing in the 552 00:30:00,759 --> 00:30:03,799 solar panel arena is awesome because they're lowering the cost 553 00:30:03,839 --> 00:30:07,039 of solar power for the world, and they have these 554 00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:11,160 huge gigafactories that they created out in the Chinese desert 555 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:15,000 and with a ton of funding from the Chinese government. 556 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:17,480 So it's like a giant donation from the tiny Chinese government. 557 00:30:17,599 --> 00:30:22,319 Like thanks, that's awesome, you know, And you know, people 558 00:30:22,359 --> 00:30:25,079 sort of complain about a Cylinder, but I mean, obviously 559 00:30:25,119 --> 00:30:27,519 anyone who's been involved in the venture world knows that 560 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:28,599 you don't at a thousand. 561 00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:29,799 Speaker 4: There's some companies that die. 562 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:31,759 Speaker 3: The only reason we know about Cylinder is because became 563 00:30:31,759 --> 00:30:35,720 a political football, right, And I mean there are other 564 00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:41,000 sort of panel manufacturers are still doing reasonably well, but 565 00:30:41,559 --> 00:30:44,279 it is tough when you're competing. I mean, I think 566 00:30:44,319 --> 00:30:46,680 a good rule of thumb was don't is, don't compete 567 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:52,880 with China with a commodity product. You know, you're really 568 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:58,400 asking for travel in that scenario. And it's really super 569 00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:02,279 easy to make fifteen percent inefficient or standard efficiency solar panels. 570 00:31:02,319 --> 00:31:04,799 It's super easy. It's like easier of the making freaking 571 00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:08,160 drywall at this point. So it's like, is there everything 572 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:11,559 we should be competing with China in drywall manufacturing? Okay, 573 00:31:11,799 --> 00:31:18,519 probably not so so, so that's the thing. So, and 574 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:22,119 the hard part of solar power is not the panel, 575 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:26,519 it's actually the whole system. It's basically designing something that's 576 00:31:26,519 --> 00:31:29,400 going to fit on particular rooftop because you have all 577 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:33,000 these heterogeneous rooftops. Then you've got to you've got to 578 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:35,640 mount the system, you've got to wire it up, you've 579 00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:38,240 got to connect it with the inverters connected to the grid, 580 00:31:38,519 --> 00:31:40,039 you've got to do all the permitting. I mean, it's 581 00:31:40,039 --> 00:31:43,799 a bunch of like thorny, unglamorous, stupid problems. But if 582 00:31:43,799 --> 00:31:46,160 somebody doesn't optimize them, they're still going to cost a 583 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:49,759 ton of money and a lot of them are really 584 00:31:49,839 --> 00:31:52,920 not they're not fun problems, they're not you know, exciting 585 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:56,240 problems to optimize, but but they are the problems that 586 00:31:56,279 --> 00:31:58,640 actually matter in the cost of solar power. 587 00:31:59,359 --> 00:32:01,839 Speaker 2: So it's really more like you know, like a like 588 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:05,599 a roofing contractor than it is at a company. 589 00:32:05,599 --> 00:32:07,680 Speaker 4: I mean, what you're doing is you're putting a second 590 00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:10,440 roof on a building. Yeah, okay, so. 591 00:32:12,079 --> 00:32:14,039 Speaker 3: And you've got to do it at scale, and then 592 00:32:14,039 --> 00:32:16,160 you've got to manage all these systems because there's still 593 00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:18,519 some I mean, even though the after sales service is small, 594 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:21,920 when you've got like hundreds of thousands of systems, that's 595 00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:26,480 still a lot to manage. And and so what solar 596 00:32:26,519 --> 00:32:32,799 City really is is a giant distributed utility and it's 597 00:32:32,839 --> 00:32:38,599 working in partnership with the house and business and in 598 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:43,759 competition with the big sort of monopoly utility. 599 00:32:44,279 --> 00:32:46,559 Speaker 4: I mean, I think it's like literally power to the people. 600 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:51,160 Speaker 3: Okay, It's like it's literally So I think it's really 601 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:52,880 awesome because utility has just never had. 602 00:32:52,759 --> 00:32:53,799 Speaker 4: Any competition before. 603 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:56,599 Speaker 3: Yeah, and now they're like they have to actually think 604 00:32:56,599 --> 00:32:59,319 about the cost of power and figure out better ways 605 00:32:59,359 --> 00:33:01,160 to do it. And the thing I think it's really great, 606 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:04,880 and the credit there is really due to Lennon and 607 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:07,920 Peter Rye co founders. I mean, I've hearn a few 608 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:10,039 ideas every now and then, but mostly it's just about 609 00:33:10,039 --> 00:33:12,599 showing up at the board meeting to hear the good news. 610 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:14,440 Speaker 4: It's those guys are just think sessional some job. 611 00:33:16,079 --> 00:33:20,640 Speaker 2: So you are CEO and CTO of SpaceX, so not 612 00:33:20,799 --> 00:33:24,720 just running company progression chief technology officers as well. You 613 00:33:24,839 --> 00:33:28,079 are CEO and chief product designer for Tesla, so not 614 00:33:28,079 --> 00:33:30,599 just running the company, but designing the cars. And you're 615 00:33:30,720 --> 00:33:32,039 chairman of Solar City. 616 00:33:32,279 --> 00:33:34,920 Speaker 1: Right, what is your life like. 617 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:41,680 Speaker 3: It's it's very busy, and I'd actually like to take 618 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:46,799 it down just as Scooch, honestly, because there they're always 619 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:50,440 I mean these things that the last few years have 620 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:53,200 been really really great, but then there were a number 621 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:57,920 of years that saw horribly and I'd like to just 622 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:03,680 not have it be so extreme. And like last year 623 00:34:03,759 --> 00:34:06,839 was a year of great achievement, but honestly, I didn't 624 00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:07,559 have that much fun. 625 00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:08,280 Speaker 4: It sucked. 626 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:11,400 Speaker 3: I didn't have that much fun. My US resolution was 627 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:13,639 to have a little bit more fun this year. So hey, 628 00:34:13,639 --> 00:34:14,840 I'm at south By Southwest. 629 00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:23,719 Speaker 1: You know, and you have five children? 630 00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:26,800 Speaker 4: Do They're awesome? Kids are awesome. By the way, you 631 00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:29,679 guys should all have kids. Kids are great. 632 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:32,920 Speaker 1: How much do you see them? 633 00:34:33,440 --> 00:34:35,320 Speaker 4: I don't see them enough, actually, But. 634 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:39,760 Speaker 3: I what I find is that I'm able to be 635 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:42,679 with them and still be on email because I don't 636 00:34:42,679 --> 00:34:45,760 need like constant interaction except when we're talking directly. So 637 00:34:46,719 --> 00:34:48,400 I find I can be with them and still be 638 00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:50,679 you know, working at the same time. 639 00:34:51,639 --> 00:34:53,840 Speaker 1: But wait, are you saying you can do email while 640 00:34:53,840 --> 00:34:54,599 you're with your children? 641 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:56,519 Speaker 4: Yeah? Absolutely sure. 642 00:34:58,519 --> 00:34:58,800 Speaker 1: Wow. 643 00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:01,440 Speaker 3: I mean not all it's time, but a lot of 644 00:35:01,480 --> 00:35:06,199 the time. That's why I tended to have a phone, 645 00:35:06,199 --> 00:35:10,159 and you can sort of you do email in interstitial moments. 646 00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:12,519 In the absence of that, I would not be able 647 00:35:12,559 --> 00:35:13,719 to get my job done. 648 00:35:15,559 --> 00:35:17,559 Speaker 1: Well, that's impressive. 649 00:35:18,159 --> 00:35:18,880 Speaker 3: We are. 650 00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:23,519 Speaker 1: I have five children. I can't do email wine with 651 00:35:23,519 --> 00:35:25,639 my children. It's not good for the children and it's 652 00:35:25,679 --> 00:35:26,599 really not good for the email. 653 00:35:26,880 --> 00:35:29,079 Speaker 3: Well, I do have to have a nanny there otherwise 654 00:35:29,119 --> 00:35:29,880 they'll kill each other. 655 00:35:31,199 --> 00:35:34,039 Speaker 4: So yeah, we. 656 00:35:34,159 --> 00:35:36,360 Speaker 2: Are going to turn to audience questions at this point. 657 00:35:36,760 --> 00:35:40,320 Just a reminder that if you tweet your questions hashtag 658 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:42,960 ask musk there's a team in the back that will 659 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:47,079 be selecting the are the ones that we haven't already covered, 660 00:35:47,119 --> 00:35:49,440 and it seem interesting, and I get them in front, 661 00:35:49,519 --> 00:35:51,000 maybe you can see them as well. So as the 662 00:35:51,039 --> 00:35:54,480 first one from David Solis. Yes, when it comes to 663 00:35:54,519 --> 00:35:58,440 researching analyzing entrepreneurial opportunity, how do you go about qualifying 664 00:35:58,519 --> 00:36:01,719 or legitimizing presumably the idea? 665 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:09,519 Speaker 3: Sure, well, I'm not sure I'm the best guide here 666 00:36:09,559 --> 00:36:16,599 because the things that I've chosen have not been I've 667 00:36:16,639 --> 00:36:19,440 not been trying to optimize on a risk adjusted return basis. 668 00:36:20,079 --> 00:36:23,599 So there are like I would not say that I 669 00:36:23,639 --> 00:36:26,920 went to the rocker business, of the car business or 670 00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:31,079 the solar business thinking that it's a great opportunity. I 671 00:36:31,119 --> 00:36:34,239 just thought that that something needed to be done in 672 00:36:34,639 --> 00:36:39,079 these industries in order to make a difference, and that's 673 00:36:39,079 --> 00:36:44,719 why I did it. So, But in general, I do 674 00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:47,840 think it's worth thinking about, like what whether what you're 675 00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:50,320 doing is going to result in disruptive change or not. 676 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:55,800 If it's just incremental, it's unlikely to be something major. 677 00:36:56,960 --> 00:37:01,599 It's got to be something that's substanti actually better than 678 00:37:01,679 --> 00:37:03,119 what's gone on before. 679 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:06,519 Speaker 2: That cubes up our next question really Well, this is 680 00:37:06,519 --> 00:37:12,199 from a Craig Lagrese space, automotive, finance, energy disrupted major industries. 681 00:37:12,199 --> 00:37:13,599 Speaker 1: What would you do if you had a free reign 682 00:37:13,679 --> 00:37:14,480 over education? 683 00:37:18,960 --> 00:37:20,519 Speaker 4: Well, I think that the way that we current lead 684 00:37:20,519 --> 00:37:22,000 to education is wrong. 685 00:37:22,119 --> 00:37:25,880 Speaker 3: And when you see something like the Kon Academy and 686 00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:27,840 so for I think that's probably going in the right direction. 687 00:37:28,239 --> 00:37:29,360 Speaker 4: I mean, generally, you want. 688 00:37:29,320 --> 00:37:32,480 Speaker 3: Education to be like as close to a video game 689 00:37:32,480 --> 00:37:35,400 as possible, like a good video game, Like you do 690 00:37:35,519 --> 00:37:38,679 not need to tell your kid to play video games. 691 00:37:38,760 --> 00:37:42,199 They will play video games on autopilot all day. So 692 00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:47,400 if you can make it interactive and engaging, then you can. 693 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:51,679 Speaker 4: Make education far more compelling and a far easier to do. 694 00:37:54,119 --> 00:37:56,519 Speaker 3: So I think that's how it should be, and it 695 00:37:56,519 --> 00:37:58,920 shouldn't be that you've got like these grades where people 696 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:03,199 move in lockstep and so everyone goes through, you know, 697 00:38:03,320 --> 00:38:09,360 goes like normally we'll go through English, math, science and 698 00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:11,239 so forth, from like fifth grade to sixth grade to 699 00:38:11,280 --> 00:38:14,519 seventh grade, like it's an assembly line. But people are 700 00:38:14,559 --> 00:38:18,119 not objects on an assembly line. That's a ridiculous notion. 701 00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:23,800 People learn and are interested in different things at different paces. 702 00:38:24,559 --> 00:38:28,280 So you really want to disconnect the whole grade level 703 00:38:28,320 --> 00:38:32,079 three thing from the subjects, allow people to progress at 704 00:38:32,119 --> 00:38:35,920 the fastest pace that they can or interested in each subject. 705 00:38:38,079 --> 00:38:41,559 It seems like a really obvious thing. I mean, I 706 00:38:41,559 --> 00:38:44,480 think like most teaching today is a lot like vaudeville, 707 00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:49,800 where and as a result, just not that compelling. It's 708 00:38:49,840 --> 00:38:52,440 like somebody's standing up there and lecturing to you, and 709 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:53,320 they've done the same. 710 00:38:53,159 --> 00:38:54,239 Speaker 4: Lecture several years in a row. 711 00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:57,679 Speaker 3: They're not necessarily all that engaged or in doing it. 712 00:38:58,840 --> 00:39:03,880 And you compare that to say, Batman the Dark Knight, Okay, 713 00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:05,960 and then you've got like the world's best special effects, 714 00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:10,559 you've got the world's best director, screenwriter, multiple cuts, amazing, 715 00:39:10,639 --> 00:39:15,800 you know, editing and and and and and and that's amazing. 716 00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:18,960 But but like imagine if instead you had like the 717 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:25,320 local town aspiring actor to the one person play version 718 00:39:25,360 --> 00:39:28,039 of that, that would not be compelling. 719 00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:32,599 Speaker 2: Do you agree with Peter Tiel about the unnecessaryness of 720 00:39:33,599 --> 00:39:34,960 university higher education? 721 00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:39,039 Speaker 3: I don't don't. I definitely I do agree with Peter's 722 00:39:39,559 --> 00:39:45,519 point that a university education is often unnecessary. That's not 723 00:39:45,559 --> 00:39:49,760 to say it's unnecessary for all people, But I think 724 00:39:50,480 --> 00:39:53,519 you've probably learned about as much. For the vast majority 725 00:39:53,519 --> 00:39:55,800 of what you're gonna learn there in the first two years, 726 00:39:56,360 --> 00:39:58,679 and most of it is from your classmates. 727 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:01,760 Speaker 4: Because you can always buy the textbooks and just read 728 00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:03,880 them like nobody's stopping you from doing that, or go 729 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:05,119 online or go online. 730 00:40:06,599 --> 00:40:11,199 Speaker 3: So now now, for a lot of companies, they do 731 00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:14,280 want to see the completion of the degree because they're 732 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:17,960 looking for someone who's going to persevere and see it 733 00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:22,039 through to the end, and that's actually what's important to them. 734 00:40:22,199 --> 00:40:24,159 Speaker 4: So it really depends on what somebody's goal is. 735 00:40:24,159 --> 00:40:26,639 Speaker 3: If the goal is to start a company, I would 736 00:40:26,639 --> 00:40:31,360 say no point in finishing college. In my case, I 737 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:35,199 had to otherwise I get kicked out of the country, So. 738 00:40:36,639 --> 00:40:37,360 Speaker 4: That was important. 739 00:40:37,599 --> 00:40:40,719 Speaker 2: But although you went on and got a master's degree 740 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:41,039 as well. 741 00:40:41,119 --> 00:40:43,800 Speaker 3: Right, I came out to look at value to do 742 00:40:43,840 --> 00:40:46,360 a PhD at Stanford and applied physics and material science 743 00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:49,960 to work on ultra capacitors who use in electric cars, 744 00:40:50,559 --> 00:40:52,480 and that's what I was going to do, and then 745 00:40:52,519 --> 00:40:54,559 I started to put that on hold to start a company. 746 00:40:54,679 --> 00:40:57,280 But since I already had my undergrad I couldn't get 747 00:40:57,280 --> 00:40:59,159 an H one BBSA and that kind of thing. So 748 00:40:59,159 --> 00:41:03,559 if the h one BB's requires a degree, but other 749 00:41:03,599 --> 00:41:06,039 than that, I would have if that wasn't the case, 750 00:41:06,119 --> 00:41:08,559 I probably would have stopped education sooner. 751 00:41:08,599 --> 00:41:10,480 Speaker 1: Did you not go to Wharton for Yeah? 752 00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:14,519 Speaker 3: They did dual undergrade in physics and business at Wharton. Yeah, 753 00:41:14,559 --> 00:41:16,519 but it was undergrad not not master's understood. 754 00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:19,440 Speaker 1: Another question for the audience from Dan Griffiths. 755 00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:22,840 Speaker 2: Fill in the blank, you will be disappointed if blank 756 00:41:23,039 --> 00:41:24,480 does not happen in your lifetime. 757 00:41:30,679 --> 00:41:33,599 Speaker 3: Well, probably the most thing I've disappointed is if if 758 00:41:34,599 --> 00:41:37,760 humanity doesn't land on Mars in my lifetime, I'd be 759 00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:41,079 really disappointed. That would be you know that that would 760 00:41:41,159 --> 00:41:47,360 probably be my biggest disappointment. And yeah, I think I 761 00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:50,400 think that's the thing I'm most concerned about because because we're. 762 00:41:50,239 --> 00:41:53,199 Speaker 4: At this and obviously that's what SpaceX is working on. 763 00:41:54,199 --> 00:41:55,719 Speaker 3: So I'm not trying to be self serving here, but 764 00:41:55,760 --> 00:41:59,159 it's just I kind of worry that we've hit this 765 00:41:59,559 --> 00:42:03,880 if I don't know whether technology level will keep going 766 00:42:04,719 --> 00:42:08,599 or subside. And for the first time in four and 767 00:42:08,639 --> 00:42:11,800 a half billion years, the technology level is at the 768 00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:14,440 point where we can extend life to another planet, make 769 00:42:14,480 --> 00:42:19,360 life multiplanetary, and I think it's too easy to take 770 00:42:19,440 --> 00:42:21,400 for granted that it's going to stay above that level. 771 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:25,599 And if it doesn't and it falls blow that will 772 00:42:25,599 --> 00:42:26,079 it return? 773 00:42:27,440 --> 00:42:27,880 Speaker 4: Who knows? 774 00:42:29,840 --> 00:42:32,880 Speaker 3: You know, the sign is gradually expanding, and in about 775 00:42:33,239 --> 00:42:36,719 you know, roughly five hundred million years, maybe a billion 776 00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:42,679 years of the outside the oceans will boil and there 777 00:42:42,719 --> 00:42:44,840 will be no meaningful life on Earth. I mean it 778 00:42:44,920 --> 00:42:49,159 might be like some you know, chemotrophs or or ultra 779 00:42:49,239 --> 00:42:51,880 high temperature bacteria or something, but nothing that can make 780 00:42:51,880 --> 00:42:58,280 a spaceship. And that's like, if you think it's like, 781 00:42:58,320 --> 00:43:00,480 maybe it's a five hundred million your type, for that's 782 00:43:00,519 --> 00:43:02,400 only a ten percent increase in the. 783 00:43:02,320 --> 00:43:05,840 Speaker 4: Life of lifespan of Earth. So if. 784 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:11,159 Speaker 3: If humanity had taken an extra ten percent longer to 785 00:43:11,199 --> 00:43:15,960 get here, it wouldn't have gotten here at all. Yeah, 786 00:43:16,519 --> 00:43:19,639 And so far, we haven't seen any signs of life from. 787 00:43:19,800 --> 00:43:22,159 Speaker 4: Other worlds that we have. We haven't detected anything. 788 00:43:22,400 --> 00:43:24,800 Speaker 3: I hope, you know, hopefully we do, and hopefully it's 789 00:43:24,800 --> 00:43:31,280 not a warship coming towards us. But I just think 790 00:43:31,480 --> 00:43:35,639 that's the thing that really concerns me. We need to 791 00:43:35,679 --> 00:43:41,320 get this done and then that is the best thing 792 00:43:41,360 --> 00:43:44,760 we can do to ensure the continued existence of humanity. 793 00:43:46,280 --> 00:43:48,679 So that's why I would say that's the most important thing. 794 00:43:49,840 --> 00:43:57,599 Speaker 1: Do you personally do you personally want to step foot 795 00:43:57,599 --> 00:43:58,039 on Mars? 796 00:43:59,119 --> 00:44:00,800 Speaker 4: I do personally want to have put on Mars. 797 00:44:01,920 --> 00:44:04,000 Speaker 3: But honestly, I would be doing this even if there 798 00:44:04,039 --> 00:44:05,519 was no even if I knew there was no chance 799 00:44:05,559 --> 00:44:10,039 of me going to Mars, because I think, like I said, 800 00:44:10,119 --> 00:44:12,000 I think it's just important that we are on a 801 00:44:12,039 --> 00:44:16,679 path to getting there, So I would like to go 802 00:44:16,719 --> 00:44:19,639 at some point. I'll go if I'm certain that SpaceX 803 00:44:19,639 --> 00:44:23,039 will be fine without me and that that path will continue. 804 00:44:24,079 --> 00:44:27,559 Because you may have heard me, some people may have 805 00:44:27,559 --> 00:44:30,199 heard the joke I've made before, which is like, you know, 806 00:44:30,280 --> 00:44:33,360 I would I think I would like to die on Mars, 807 00:44:33,440 --> 00:44:34,639 just not on impact, you know. 808 00:44:36,960 --> 00:44:42,519 Speaker 2: So another question from the audience, and we just we 809 00:44:42,599 --> 00:44:44,159 just lost lost that one. There was a I don't 810 00:44:44,199 --> 00:44:49,800 remember who would ask this question, but the question was which, when, 811 00:44:49,840 --> 00:44:51,559 when Which do you think is. 812 00:44:51,559 --> 00:44:54,039 Speaker 1: Going to have more impact on the world, SpaceX or Tesla. 813 00:44:56,360 --> 00:45:01,440 Speaker 3: Well, I think if we look back, or with historians, 814 00:45:01,480 --> 00:45:06,559 if I would look back on the impact of Tesla 815 00:45:06,880 --> 00:45:07,360 in many. 816 00:45:07,280 --> 00:45:13,119 Speaker 4: Years from now, I think it would be that Tesla. 817 00:45:13,360 --> 00:45:19,639 Speaker 3: Hopefully that Tesla advanced the advent of sustainable transport by 818 00:45:19,800 --> 00:45:25,280 something like a decade, maybe maybe two decades. But I 819 00:45:25,320 --> 00:45:28,320 do think electric cars are inevitable. In fact, I think 820 00:45:28,400 --> 00:45:30,400 all modes of transport will go fully electric, with the 821 00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:37,400 ironic exception of rockets. So that's uh, that's what I think. 822 00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:42,639 And then for Solo City, perhaps something similar on the 823 00:45:42,760 --> 00:45:48,159 energy production site, sustainable energy production. Then for SpaceX, hopefully 824 00:45:48,159 --> 00:45:51,719 SpaceX developed develops the technology necessary to transport large numbs 825 00:45:51,760 --> 00:45:52,960 of people in cargo to Mars. 826 00:45:54,159 --> 00:46:00,000 Speaker 4: And I mean I think that's you know, a big 827 00:46:00,119 --> 00:46:00,599 or impact. 828 00:46:00,840 --> 00:46:04,639 Speaker 3: But we're all the the what Solo City and Tesla 829 00:46:04,639 --> 00:46:07,400 are about are solving what I think is the most 830 00:46:07,519 --> 00:46:12,360 pressing terrestrial concern, which is the sustainable production and consumption 831 00:46:12,400 --> 00:46:14,360 of energy. Well helping solve it. I mean, there's many 832 00:46:14,400 --> 00:46:18,199 people solving it. And then what SpaceX is about is 833 00:46:19,159 --> 00:46:22,639 helping solve the biggest non terrestrial problem, which is the 834 00:46:22,639 --> 00:46:23,920 extension of life beyond Earth. 835 00:46:24,599 --> 00:46:26,199 Speaker 4: So those are how I see it. 836 00:46:26,960 --> 00:46:29,159 Speaker 2: We have two related questions, the one that's no longer 837 00:46:29,159 --> 00:46:32,119 on the screen, but and another one that is that 838 00:46:32,199 --> 00:46:35,000 The first was what was the best advice you ever 839 00:46:35,039 --> 00:46:37,599 got and the second and you maybe can join them 840 00:46:37,800 --> 00:46:39,960 in your answer, is you mentioned working with your friends 841 00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:42,800 Peter Teal and RIDRW Branson who influences and inspires you? 842 00:46:44,119 --> 00:46:51,000 Speaker 3: Sure, well, I'm inspired by a lot of historical figures. 843 00:46:51,000 --> 00:46:54,119 Like one of my favorite guys is Ben Franklin. You know, 844 00:46:54,199 --> 00:46:57,199 I just think he's you know, he's a really good guy. 845 00:46:57,199 --> 00:46:59,719 I mean, he was a scientist and he also i 846 00:46:59,719 --> 00:47:03,440 mean worked in obviously publishing and the political sphere, but 847 00:47:03,440 --> 00:47:05,360 he kind of like he's just thought about like what 848 00:47:05,400 --> 00:47:06,920 are the what are the problems that need to get 849 00:47:06,960 --> 00:47:10,079 solved and worked on those. I mean, it's just seems 850 00:47:10,119 --> 00:47:14,480 like a good guy around. So I like him and 851 00:47:14,480 --> 00:47:20,079 the like just historical figures like in science and literature, 852 00:47:20,159 --> 00:47:26,920 and I mean huge fan of Churchill and and obviously 853 00:47:27,000 --> 00:47:27,800 like Tesla. 854 00:47:27,880 --> 00:47:29,159 Speaker 4: We named Tesla after Nikola. 855 00:47:29,239 --> 00:47:34,800 Speaker 3: Tesla better than most motors, you know, and I actually 856 00:47:34,840 --> 00:47:36,679 haven't named any product or company. 857 00:47:36,360 --> 00:47:40,159 Speaker 4: After myself, but. 858 00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:41,599 Speaker 3: Then maybe gives a sense of like I think, like 859 00:47:41,679 --> 00:47:45,559 Tesla is someone who deserves a lot of recognition, and. 860 00:47:48,079 --> 00:47:50,679 Speaker 1: They're all dead. 861 00:47:51,400 --> 00:47:54,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I think there's a friend of mine, 862 00:47:55,920 --> 00:47:59,360 like Larry Page. I think what Larry's doing and and 863 00:47:59,519 --> 00:48:06,039 Serge at Google. I'm really admire what they've done. I think, 864 00:48:06,679 --> 00:48:09,239 obviously he's recently dead, but Steve Jobs here doesn't admire 865 00:48:09,320 --> 00:48:10,000 Steve Jobs. 866 00:48:10,679 --> 00:48:13,119 Speaker 4: I think Bezlis is doing some great. 867 00:48:12,880 --> 00:48:15,280 Speaker 1: Things and among others competing with. 868 00:48:15,239 --> 00:48:18,760 Speaker 3: You, yes, but that's a good thing. In fact, every 869 00:48:18,760 --> 00:48:20,599 time I see Jeff Beslis, I say, why aren't you 870 00:48:20,679 --> 00:48:21,480 doing more in space? 871 00:48:25,519 --> 00:48:27,239 Speaker 1: The other half the question was the best advice you 872 00:48:27,320 --> 00:48:27,719 ever got? 873 00:48:27,960 --> 00:48:34,800 Speaker 4: Best advice I ever got? Well, I think the. 874 00:48:38,000 --> 00:48:40,239 Speaker 3: You know, the physics training is a very good training 875 00:48:40,719 --> 00:48:44,639 where it's a good framework for reasoning where you're trained 876 00:48:44,679 --> 00:48:49,119 to think about first principles and reason from there. And 877 00:48:49,159 --> 00:48:52,719 that means boiling things down to the most fundamental truths 878 00:48:53,119 --> 00:48:56,159 and then connecting those truths in a way to try 879 00:48:56,159 --> 00:49:00,159 to understand how reality is. Because you know, physics has 880 00:49:00,199 --> 00:49:01,679 this problem where they're trying to figure out things that 881 00:49:01,719 --> 00:49:04,480 are totally counterintuitive, and so they had to have a 882 00:49:04,519 --> 00:49:07,840 framework for for for getting there, like quantum mechanics is 883 00:49:08,000 --> 00:49:12,519 incredibly counterintuitive, but it's true, and so you had so 884 00:49:12,840 --> 00:49:15,199 physics developed a framework for for figuring. 885 00:49:14,920 --> 00:49:16,960 Speaker 4: Out things that aren't obvious. 886 00:49:17,440 --> 00:49:19,719 Speaker 3: And that's why I think it's it's not it's it's 887 00:49:19,760 --> 00:49:22,559 a lot of advice, but it's it's it's the right framework. 888 00:49:24,039 --> 00:49:27,679 Speaker 4: And then you know, just in general, critical. 889 00:49:27,320 --> 00:49:30,559 Speaker 3: Thinking is is good, you know, examining whether you have 890 00:49:30,639 --> 00:49:35,079 the correct axioms, are the most applicable axioms, does the 891 00:49:35,159 --> 00:49:39,400 logic necessarily connect? And then what are the what are 892 00:49:39,400 --> 00:49:43,360 the range of probable outcomes? Outcomes are usually not deterministic, 893 00:49:43,400 --> 00:49:47,599 they're they're they're a range, and so you want to 894 00:49:47,599 --> 00:49:52,199 figure out what those probabilities are and make sure ideally. 895 00:49:51,840 --> 00:49:52,679 Speaker 4: That you're the house. 896 00:49:54,360 --> 00:49:56,480 Speaker 3: You know, it's it's fine to take, it's fine to 897 00:49:56,800 --> 00:49:58,559 it's fine to gamble, as long as you're the house, 898 00:50:01,000 --> 00:50:06,920 and you know and say that is is to listen 899 00:50:06,960 --> 00:50:10,639 to critical feedback, which you alluded to earlier. Voice solicit 900 00:50:10,679 --> 00:50:14,840 critical feedback, particularly from friends, because generally they will be 901 00:50:14,880 --> 00:50:16,039 thinking it, but they won't tell you. 902 00:50:16,599 --> 00:50:23,400 Speaker 5: Yeah, the question here from a Gels chance and you 903 00:50:23,559 --> 00:50:25,360 use the development on your hyper loop idea, and you 904 00:50:25,400 --> 00:50:26,960 might be explain what your hyper loop idea is. 905 00:50:27,760 --> 00:50:32,360 Speaker 3: Ha, Well, what I have said is that I'm putting 906 00:50:32,360 --> 00:50:35,199 the hyper loop stuff on hold until I get Tesla 907 00:50:35,239 --> 00:50:40,000 to profitability, because I think if I was an investor 908 00:50:40,000 --> 00:50:42,559 in Tesla, and they heard me sort of spouting off 909 00:50:42,559 --> 00:50:45,559 about the hyperloop before I got the company profitable. They 910 00:50:45,559 --> 00:50:47,840 were like, hey, you know, go do go do your job. 911 00:50:48,679 --> 00:50:49,639 Speaker 4: So that's what I'm doing. 912 00:50:50,599 --> 00:50:53,679 Speaker 3: I think once Tesla isn't it in a has been profitable, 913 00:50:53,679 --> 00:50:56,159 maybe for at least for a quarter, maybe two quarters, 914 00:50:56,559 --> 00:50:57,840 then i'll I'll. 915 00:50:57,719 --> 00:51:00,280 Speaker 4: Talk about the hyper loop. But I think it could 916 00:51:00,280 --> 00:51:01,280 be an interesting way to. 917 00:51:02,760 --> 00:51:05,280 Speaker 3: I mean, it would be an interesting way to travel 918 00:51:05,320 --> 00:51:07,360 really quickly from one city to the next. 919 00:51:07,360 --> 00:51:09,079 Speaker 1: And quickly explain, just in one sense, what a hyper 920 00:51:09,119 --> 00:51:09,519 loop is. 921 00:51:10,679 --> 00:51:15,880 Speaker 3: Well, it would be something that would be i'd say 922 00:51:15,920 --> 00:51:18,400 twice as fast as a plane, at least in terms 923 00:51:18,400 --> 00:51:22,559 of total transit time, maybe a little faster. It would 924 00:51:22,559 --> 00:51:29,719 be immune to whether incapable of crashing pretty much unless 925 00:51:29,719 --> 00:51:35,599 there's like a terrorist attack, and the ticket price would 926 00:51:35,599 --> 00:51:38,159 be like, let's say, half that of a plane, So it. 927 00:51:38,119 --> 00:51:40,800 Speaker 1: Would be better in every way the train of some sort, 928 00:51:40,840 --> 00:51:42,840 though it's kind of it's. 929 00:51:44,239 --> 00:51:45,119 Speaker 4: Not exactly a train. 930 00:51:45,920 --> 00:51:47,119 Speaker 3: It would be a different It would be a new 931 00:51:47,159 --> 00:51:49,119 mode of transportation that doesn't currently exist. 932 00:51:49,400 --> 00:51:52,880 Speaker 4: Terrestrial terrestrial, yeah. 933 00:51:52,239 --> 00:51:57,519 Speaker 1: Okay, underground, above ground could go either a kind of subway. 934 00:51:57,559 --> 00:52:01,000 Speaker 4: Perhaps I think it's I think it's. 935 00:52:01,400 --> 00:52:03,719 Speaker 3: The capital costs will be less if it's mostly above ground, 936 00:52:03,880 --> 00:52:05,199 but you can go underground too. 937 00:52:06,880 --> 00:52:08,000 Speaker 1: All right. 938 00:52:09,639 --> 00:52:13,039 Speaker 2: Maybe last question, what's the biggest mistake you've ever made? 939 00:52:13,079 --> 00:52:15,199 And this is from Lexi Hill. Was the biggest mistake 940 00:52:15,199 --> 00:52:17,599 you've ever made? And how did you move forward looking back? 941 00:52:17,679 --> 00:52:18,719 Was it really that big a deal? 942 00:52:21,960 --> 00:52:22,719 Speaker 4: Biggest mistake? 943 00:52:26,239 --> 00:52:29,760 Speaker 3: I've made lots of mistakes, some of them some are 944 00:52:29,800 --> 00:52:30,280 pretty big. 945 00:52:39,199 --> 00:52:40,800 Speaker 4: I mean, it's hard to say because things have worked 946 00:52:40,800 --> 00:52:41,880 out pretty well in the end. 947 00:52:42,159 --> 00:52:44,239 Speaker 3: So how how big of a mistake could it have been? 948 00:52:44,360 --> 00:52:50,480 As the question is really really asking, you know, I 949 00:52:50,480 --> 00:52:52,599 did lots of dumb things at my first company and 950 00:52:52,639 --> 00:53:02,360 at PayPal, and you know, I think, I think sometimes. 951 00:53:03,920 --> 00:53:05,000 Speaker 4: Yeah, I don't know. 952 00:53:05,000 --> 00:53:07,119 Speaker 3: There's so many I like got I'm hard pressed to 953 00:53:07,119 --> 00:53:09,519 say this is this is the biggest. Thanks for listening. 954 00:53:09,719 --> 00:53:11,159 See you in the next episode.