
Let's talk about Elon Musk launching his Tesla into space - JoeDaDude
http://www.planetary.org/blogs/jason-davis/2018/20180205-space-tesla.html
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King-Aaron
Some of those twitter comments make me shake my head... Seems like a case of
sour grapes to me.

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mc32
The car is a bit Dadaist. Some people think it's a waste to send a car up into
space --sure, from some perspectives it might be. He could have sent compacted
garbage instead.

But he's an entrepreneur and also a showman (among other things) and this
excites people (in multiple dimensions).

The Twitter stuff though, well, I think we've learned that there is this
insidious aspect where largely average people people (people who otherwise
have contributed around average to humanity, let's say) will try to one up
each other into virtue-signaling who can think more virtuously.

All of that [outrage] Tweeting itself probably generates more waste (CPU
cycles, network traffic, phone battery consumption, etc) than will be "wasted"
by sending this roadster into space. But at least they'll get to feel smug.

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cup
>Tweeting itself probably generates more waste (CPU cycles, network traffic,
phone battery consumption, etc) than will be "wasted" by sending this roadster
into space. But at least they'll get to feel smug.

What a bizarre and highly inaccurate thing to say.

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mc32
You're right, it is exaggerated. I accept that. I'm reacting to the
unnecessary negativity for the sake of "looking better" while what's being
tested has enormous implications for human achievement. So, sure, he's wasting
a roadster. There is so much other waste in the world, even by these concerned
people. To focus on this is being self-important and petty.

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lathiat
There is an episode of Star Trek Voyager (The 37's) where they come across a
Red Ford Pickup floating through space.

I can't find a YouTube version of the floating part but here it is in the
cargo bay:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD39p7cVS9g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD39p7cVS9g)

Would be great to VFX the Tesla into the episode.

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mcv
Is sending a car into space wasteful? I suppose it is, but then so are most
art projects and publicity stunts. We're wasting far more resources on much
stupider things than a single car (with Space Oddity on and a Hitchhiker's
Guide on board) in space.

It's a statement, and I can appreciate it.

