I couldn’t believe Elon’s reply…
Musing
In my recent tête-à-tête on X, formerly Twitter live space with Elon Musk, I didn’t just want to shoot the breeze with him; assuming I might never get the chance again, I dove into the kind of questions that make nerds like us sit up in our seats. First off, I took aim at Starlink — Musk’s constellation of internet satellites — and its potential to photobomb the universe’s ancient selfie, the cosmic microwave background radiation. my suggestion? A cosmic “Do Not Disturb” sign over key observatories, allowing astronomers to peer into the universe’s infancy without Starlink photo-bombing the view.
Then, shifting gears to the realm of artificial intelligence, I prodded Musk on whether a machine could ever get the chills from a cold breeze or ponder the mysteries of the cosmos. Musk, ever the maverick, didn’t shy away, entertaining the possibility that AI could one day not only mimic our human quirks but also conjure up new laws of physics.
But Musk’s musings didn’t stop there. He touched on the sobering limitations of simulations as if the world is one big version of The Sims
In closing, I got serious and asked him about the gritty reality of colonizing Mars — a venture not for the faint of heart, as it involves bidding adieu to everything familiar. Yet, in a twist, Musk hinted at a less lonesome journey to the Red Planet, suggesting that Mars colonization might not mean a permanent goodbye to Earth and its dwellers. But before he could get emotional, his mommy, Maye Musk, jumped in to save him from answering my final, toughest question- how could he be a good dad from Mars?
The conversation wasn’t just a casual chat but a deep dive into humanity’s future, both in the cosmos and within the circuitry of AI. Musk’s visionary responses reminded me of the boundless possibilities that lie ahead, as long as we dare to ask the right questions.
Appearance
Please support me in speaking on the TEDxSanDiego stage Wed. April 10 at 7pm at the commUNITY show featuring 12 amazing presenters.
Discount tickets are $40 for students, faculty, and staff of educational institutions.
To learn more and buy tickets, visit https://www.tedxsandiego.com/
Genius
“I like it that we have such a good reservoir of ignorance. It means that there’s a lot more to be learned!”
- Robert Kirshner
Image
The Hubble picture of the week shows LEDA 42160, a galaxy about 52 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo.
Conversation
What if I told you that you could be more productive… by doing less?
Sounds crazy, but as per today’s extraordinary guest, it’s true! Meet Cal Newport, associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University and bestselling author of Deep Work, Digital Minimalism, and other books that offer a refreshing departure from the hustle culture that pervades modern society.
Instead of advocating for endless multitasking and shallow engagement, Newport champions the art of deep work — the ability to focus intensely on cognitively demanding tasks, producing results that are not only profound but also deeply satisfying.
Today, he presents his newest book, Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout.
Join us as we explore the potential beyond the constant hustle and bustle of modern life and discover what you can accomplish by doing not more but fewer things!
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