Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink… What is Elon Musk’s real ambition?
It’s fascinating as far as concerns go. With his projects constantly pushing the limits of science, Elon Musk is now the entrepreneur who arouses the most curiosity in the world. And for good reason, the American billionaire is undertaking several projects that are likely to destroy the future of humanity. Build electric cars with Tesla, go into space and colonize Mars with SpaceX, build a global internet network thanks to a mega-constellation of satellites with Starlink, connect the human brain to computers with Neuralink, or eliminate city traffic jams and change the global financial system with a decentralized approach… here is a mix of projects that have given rise to a kind of 21st century myth around Elon Musk.
However, if this character is now known to the general public, his ambitions remain unclear. In this context, journalist Olivier Lascar, editor-in-chief of the digital division of Science and the Future – Research, decided to look at the various scientific projects carried out by Elon Musk to understand them. From this reflection, a book was born: Investigating Elon Musk, the man who fights science (Alisio editions). “I realized that Elon Musk fell into another universe. He went from a universe of science and technology to people. Everyone knew him, without knowing what was behind this name”he explained, highlighting the “artfully blurred around him” which is necessary, in his eyes, a “practice of scientific popularization and pedagogy”.
By looking at Elon Musk’s vision, Olivier Lascar dramatically realized the weight of science fiction in his scientific thinking. “If there is a relationship between all of Elon Musk’s projects, it is first and foremost science fiction. He sucks the milk of science fiction, he reads comics that we all know and love, he reads science fiction literature, such as Douglas Adams. and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, he says. Before adding: “He created an imaginary world, he created a mental universe with his science fiction codes. And now that he can do it, he wants to fulfill his dreams and his visions. .” It all comes down to a simple belief: “Elon Musk truly believes that technology is the answer to all our problems.”
With this strategy, the American billionaire clearly leaves no one indifferent. “He was a game-changer for better and for worse. His approach was to shoot first and issue warnings later”, studying Olivier Lascar. However, thanks to the narrative he developed, he managed to make many people around the world dream and to start them on his adventures, including the most eccentric. “Elon Musk made a story in which he mentioned the end of the century, of Martian cities on the horizon of 2050… Paradoxically, this is a breath of fresh air, while these projects are highly questionable -doubtful. ‘We have to go to Mars for example?asked the journalist. “SpaceX’s heart is to go to Mars to make humans an extra-planetary species. He wants us to spread elsewhere in the solar system”He added.
However, should we be afraid of such a visionary entrepreneur, who seems to have no limits? If Olivier Lascar is not so categorical, he nevertheless believes that we should no longer laugh at Elon Musk, as many specialists did at the time when he assured that he would succeed in creating usable rockets. using SpaceX. “It’s easier for Elon Musk to promote his story and his business because the people in front of him don’t take him seriously”, he explains. Before the warning: “In 2022, you don’t have to do that anymore. When you’re a politician, industrialist or player in space, health or automobile, you have to take Elon Musk seriously to possibly give the right answer, the good one. against fire and make sure he doesn’t impose his vision of the community. He truly believed that his vision was positive and going in the direction of the betterment of mankind. But was he right? Nothing was more certain.” One thing is certain, however, the American billionaire is not done talking about him.
