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Has Elon Musk Given Up On Mars?
A recent interview with Peter Thiel revealed some interesting details about Elon Musk's interest in going to Mars; perhaps it's not just about the species being interplanetary.
Thiel: Yeah, but what does Mars mean?
Douthat: What does Mars mean?
Thiel: Well, is it just a scientific project? Or is it like a Heinlein, the moon as a libertarian paradise or something like this?
Douthat: A vision of a new society. Populated by many, many people descended from Elon Musk.
Thiel: Well, I don’t know if it was concretized that specifically, but if you concretize things, then maybe you realize that Mars is supposed to be more than a science project. It’s supposed to be a political project. And then when you concretize it, you have to start thinking through: Well, the woke A.I. will follow you, the socialist government will follow you. And then maybe you have to do something other than just going to Mars.
(Via NYTimes.)
Science fiction fans get the reference to sf writer Robert Heinlein, of course. His 1966 novel The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, describes not just a colony on another world, but a social system that recognizes fact above ideology and strives for justice.
Douthat: But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t believe in Mars. It just means that he decided he had to win some battle over budget deficits or wokeness to get to Mars.
(TANSTAAFL from 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" by Robert Heinlein)
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 6/17/2025)
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