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Wandering Adventure Party

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  3. Because a LOT of people are missing the point:

Because a LOT of people are missing the point:

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  • Charlie StrossC Charlie Stross

    Because a LOT of people are missing the point:

    No, Elon Musk is NOT serious about putting a million data centres into orbit. It can't work: laws of physics say "nope".

    But SpaceX is expected to go public this year.

    Elon is talking up his company's future prospects in front of gullible investors because he needs a growth narrative beyond Starlink, which is already priced in. Something to justify the Starship proram beyond NASA's lunar ambitions.

    So it's salesman's bullshit, lies for fools.

    Nicole ParsonsN This user is from outside of this forum
    Nicole ParsonsN This user is from outside of this forum
    Nicole Parsons
    wrote last edited by
    #104

    @cstross

    Elon Musk very rarely actually builds what he promotes.

    He is a traitorous money laundering conduit for petrostate despots.
    https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/25/elon-musk-has-been-in-regular-contact-with-putin-for-two-years-say-reports

    Link Preview Image
    Photos show Elon Musk hanging out with Jared Kushner at the World Cup final

    Elon Musk was spotted with Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, at the World Cup final Sunday. This comes as Congress is investigating Kushner.

    favicon

    Business Insider (www.businessinsider.com)

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/05/13/trump-tech-execs-riyadh/

    https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/19/tech/saudi-arabia-us-chips-ai-race

    Link Preview Image
    Why top tech CEOs joined Trump on his trip to Saudi Arabia

    Several major tech CEOs joined President Trump on his trip to Saudi Arabia this week. It's part of a thaw in the once-strained relationship between Big Tech and the oil-rich state.

    favicon

    NPR (www.npr.org)

    Even his investors like Larry Ellison, Putin, & Alwaleed bin Talal recognize his utility in corrupting elections for the richest fascists on the planet.

    Musk facilitates mass financial frauds.

    That's it, that's all he does, defraud.

    1/

    Nicole ParsonsN Jim FlanaganJ 2 Replies Last reply
    0
    • Nicole ParsonsN Nicole Parsons

      @cstross

      Elon Musk very rarely actually builds what he promotes.

      He is a traitorous money laundering conduit for petrostate despots.
      https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/25/elon-musk-has-been-in-regular-contact-with-putin-for-two-years-say-reports

      Link Preview Image
      Photos show Elon Musk hanging out with Jared Kushner at the World Cup final

      Elon Musk was spotted with Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, at the World Cup final Sunday. This comes as Congress is investigating Kushner.

      favicon

      Business Insider (www.businessinsider.com)

      https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/05/13/trump-tech-execs-riyadh/

      https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/19/tech/saudi-arabia-us-chips-ai-race

      Link Preview Image
      Why top tech CEOs joined Trump on his trip to Saudi Arabia

      Several major tech CEOs joined President Trump on his trip to Saudi Arabia this week. It's part of a thaw in the once-strained relationship between Big Tech and the oil-rich state.

      favicon

      NPR (www.npr.org)

      Even his investors like Larry Ellison, Putin, & Alwaleed bin Talal recognize his utility in corrupting elections for the richest fascists on the planet.

      Musk facilitates mass financial frauds.

      That's it, that's all he does, defraud.

      1/

      Nicole ParsonsN This user is from outside of this forum
      Nicole ParsonsN This user is from outside of this forum
      Nicole Parsons
      wrote last edited by
      #105

      2/

      Musk's List of "Failure to Deliver" frauds:

      1. Man on Mars
      2. Hyperloop train
      3. Robotics
      4. xAI achieving AGI
      5. Flying cars
      6. DOGE 'efficiencies'
      7. Lunar tourism
      8. No covid
      9. Candy

      Attention Required! | Cloudflare

      favicon

      (qz.com)

      Link Preview Image
      Everything Elon Musk promised in 2025, but didn't deliver

      Elon Musk made many 2025 promises that he couldn't keep.

      favicon

      Mashable (mashable.com)

      Musk's actually delivered:
      1. The largest data breaches in US history
      2. Joined the military industrial complex
      3. A fossil fuel funded fascist alliance
      4. Kleptocracy
      5. Can foment far right riots with a single tweet
      6. Mass hate campaigns for Nazis

      Nasher 🦓N Petr SkálaP 2 Replies Last reply
      0
      • Charlie StrossC Charlie Stross

        Because a LOT of people are missing the point:

        No, Elon Musk is NOT serious about putting a million data centres into orbit. It can't work: laws of physics say "nope".

        But SpaceX is expected to go public this year.

        Elon is talking up his company's future prospects in front of gullible investors because he needs a growth narrative beyond Starlink, which is already priced in. Something to justify the Starship proram beyond NASA's lunar ambitions.

        So it's salesman's bullshit, lies for fools.

        Richard W. Woodley ELBOWS UP    🇨🇦🌹🚴‍♂️📷 🗺️T This user is from outside of this forum
        Richard W. Woodley ELBOWS UP    🇨🇦🌹🚴‍♂️📷 🗺️T This user is from outside of this forum
        Richard W. Woodley ELBOWS UP 🇨🇦🌹🚴‍♂️📷 🗺️
        wrote last edited by
        #106

        @cstross

        About as brilliant idea as the Cybertruck was.

        1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • Nicole ParsonsN Nicole Parsons

          2/

          Musk's List of "Failure to Deliver" frauds:

          1. Man on Mars
          2. Hyperloop train
          3. Robotics
          4. xAI achieving AGI
          5. Flying cars
          6. DOGE 'efficiencies'
          7. Lunar tourism
          8. No covid
          9. Candy

          Attention Required! | Cloudflare

          favicon

          (qz.com)

          Link Preview Image
          Everything Elon Musk promised in 2025, but didn't deliver

          Elon Musk made many 2025 promises that he couldn't keep.

          favicon

          Mashable (mashable.com)

          Musk's actually delivered:
          1. The largest data breaches in US history
          2. Joined the military industrial complex
          3. A fossil fuel funded fascist alliance
          4. Kleptocracy
          5. Can foment far right riots with a single tweet
          6. Mass hate campaigns for Nazis

          Nasher 🦓N This user is from outside of this forum
          Nasher 🦓N This user is from outside of this forum
          Nasher 🦓
          wrote last edited by
          #107

          @Npars01 You forgot the traffic-less tunnels in your "failure to deliver" list 🤭

          1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • Nicole ParsonsN Nicole Parsons

            @cstross

            Elon Musk very rarely actually builds what he promotes.

            He is a traitorous money laundering conduit for petrostate despots.
            https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/25/elon-musk-has-been-in-regular-contact-with-putin-for-two-years-say-reports

            Link Preview Image
            Photos show Elon Musk hanging out with Jared Kushner at the World Cup final

            Elon Musk was spotted with Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, at the World Cup final Sunday. This comes as Congress is investigating Kushner.

            favicon

            Business Insider (www.businessinsider.com)

            https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/05/13/trump-tech-execs-riyadh/

            https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/19/tech/saudi-arabia-us-chips-ai-race

            Link Preview Image
            Why top tech CEOs joined Trump on his trip to Saudi Arabia

            Several major tech CEOs joined President Trump on his trip to Saudi Arabia this week. It's part of a thaw in the once-strained relationship between Big Tech and the oil-rich state.

            favicon

            NPR (www.npr.org)

            Even his investors like Larry Ellison, Putin, & Alwaleed bin Talal recognize his utility in corrupting elections for the richest fascists on the planet.

            Musk facilitates mass financial frauds.

            That's it, that's all he does, defraud.

            1/

            Jim FlanaganJ This user is from outside of this forum
            Jim FlanaganJ This user is from outside of this forum
            Jim Flanagan
            wrote last edited by
            #108

            @Npars01 @cstross And if it somehow manages to get built, it was despite Musk, not because of. They literally have to wall shit off from him in order to get things accomplished

            1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • Nicole ParsonsN Nicole Parsons

              2/

              Musk's List of "Failure to Deliver" frauds:

              1. Man on Mars
              2. Hyperloop train
              3. Robotics
              4. xAI achieving AGI
              5. Flying cars
              6. DOGE 'efficiencies'
              7. Lunar tourism
              8. No covid
              9. Candy

              Attention Required! | Cloudflare

              favicon

              (qz.com)

              Link Preview Image
              Everything Elon Musk promised in 2025, but didn't deliver

              Elon Musk made many 2025 promises that he couldn't keep.

              favicon

              Mashable (mashable.com)

              Musk's actually delivered:
              1. The largest data breaches in US history
              2. Joined the military industrial complex
              3. A fossil fuel funded fascist alliance
              4. Kleptocracy
              5. Can foment far right riots with a single tweet
              6. Mass hate campaigns for Nazis

              Petr SkálaP This user is from outside of this forum
              Petr SkálaP This user is from outside of this forum
              Petr Skála
              wrote last edited by
              #109

              @Npars01 👍👍👍

              1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • D'Arcy Norman 🇨🇦D D'Arcy Norman 🇨🇦

                @bornach @bellegraylane @cstross just waiting for The Boring Company to pivot to AI…

                bellegraylaneB This user is from outside of this forum
                bellegraylaneB This user is from outside of this forum
                bellegraylane
                wrote last edited by
                #110

                @dnorman @bornach @cstross AI tunnels should be interesting. Hallucinating into bedrock sounds expensive.

                1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • Bruno NicolettiB Bruno Nicoletti

                  @cstross It was obvious bollocks (just like hyperloop, the boring company etc…), just I didn’t know why he was boosting it as I didn’t realise he was planning an IPO this year. Tosser.

                  David SP This user is from outside of this forum
                  David SP This user is from outside of this forum
                  David S
                  wrote last edited by
                  #111

                  @bjn @cstross and despite being shown to repeatedly over promise and under delivery, the markets will no doubt lap it up anyway.

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • Cadbury MooseC Cadbury Moose

                    @Uilebheist @cstross

                    (Some) lawyers can (and will, if paid enough) argue against physics, but their chance of winning (other than the money you're paying them) is less than infinitesimal. (They're hoping they will be paid more than they get sanctioned for.)

                    Arnd LayerI This user is from outside of this forum
                    Arnd LayerI This user is from outside of this forum
                    Arnd Layer
                    wrote last edited by
                    #112

                    @Cadbury_Moose
                    In my experience, those lawyers are called politicians 😉

                    @Uilebheist @cstross

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • Charlie StrossC Charlie Stross

                      Because a LOT of people are missing the point:

                      No, Elon Musk is NOT serious about putting a million data centres into orbit. It can't work: laws of physics say "nope".

                      But SpaceX is expected to go public this year.

                      Elon is talking up his company's future prospects in front of gullible investors because he needs a growth narrative beyond Starlink, which is already priced in. Something to justify the Starship proram beyond NASA's lunar ambitions.

                      So it's salesman's bullshit, lies for fools.

                      DaveyD This user is from outside of this forum
                      DaveyD This user is from outside of this forum
                      Davey
                      wrote last edited by
                      #113

                      @cstross this applies to every company that mentions data centres in space.

                      Most tech "journalists" seem hesitant to ask basic questions about this shit because what if they start having to ask basic questions about everything. Sounds like a lot of work!

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • Charlie StrossC Charlie Stross

                        Because a LOT of people are missing the point:

                        No, Elon Musk is NOT serious about putting a million data centres into orbit. It can't work: laws of physics say "nope".

                        But SpaceX is expected to go public this year.

                        Elon is talking up his company's future prospects in front of gullible investors because he needs a growth narrative beyond Starlink, which is already priced in. Something to justify the Starship proram beyond NASA's lunar ambitions.

                        So it's salesman's bullshit, lies for fools.

                        Mark T. TomczakM This user is from outside of this forum
                        Mark T. TomczakM This user is from outside of this forum
                        Mark T. Tomczak
                        wrote last edited by
                        #114

                        @cstross The most compelling argument I've heard for putting datacenters in space (in the "didn't immediately discount it as a stupid idea but took some time to engage with it" sense) was from Scott Manley, notorious fan of everything space-related, and even he concluded that it only makes sense as an end-run around terrestrial regulation (i.e. it's a stupid and expensive idea but in the grand scheme of markets it may be cheaper than "buying enough politicians to steal a community's water rights out from under them so you can get the permits to build on land").

                        Which... Yeah, when that's the forcing function, maybe we tech folk should sit and have a think about the entire project.

                        rk: could be an enumR ghost boomannB 2 Replies Last reply
                        0
                        • Mark T. TomczakM Mark T. Tomczak

                          @cstross The most compelling argument I've heard for putting datacenters in space (in the "didn't immediately discount it as a stupid idea but took some time to engage with it" sense) was from Scott Manley, notorious fan of everything space-related, and even he concluded that it only makes sense as an end-run around terrestrial regulation (i.e. it's a stupid and expensive idea but in the grand scheme of markets it may be cheaper than "buying enough politicians to steal a community's water rights out from under them so you can get the permits to build on land").

                          Which... Yeah, when that's the forcing function, maybe we tech folk should sit and have a think about the entire project.

                          rk: could be an enumR This user is from outside of this forum
                          rk: could be an enumR This user is from outside of this forum
                          rk: could be an enum
                          wrote last edited by
                          #115

                          @mark @cstross

                          Like, we already have trouble keeping things cool in space and there’s also the whole “space is a deadly laser” radiation thing. I really can’t imagine how there’d be any benefit to putting a data center in space. Like, at all.

                          Mark T. TomczakM 1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • rk: could be an enumR rk: could be an enum

                            @mark @cstross

                            Like, we already have trouble keeping things cool in space and there’s also the whole “space is a deadly laser” radiation thing. I really can’t imagine how there’d be any benefit to putting a data center in space. Like, at all.

                            Mark T. TomczakM This user is from outside of this forum
                            Mark T. TomczakM This user is from outside of this forum
                            Mark T. Tomczak
                            wrote last edited by
                            #116

                            @rk @cstross Exactly. It's literally a "This is a stupid idea and the only reason we do it is we were forbidden from putting it on Earth" kinda thing.

                            As I said at one point or other, to paraphrase myself, "Sure, there's no convenient cooling and radiation will scramble your data, but just think how much CSAM you can store out of reach of any terrestrial law... Until you try and download it and they bust your ass the moment it hits a radio dish!"

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • Charlie StrossC Charlie Stross

                              Because a LOT of people are missing the point:

                              No, Elon Musk is NOT serious about putting a million data centres into orbit. It can't work: laws of physics say "nope".

                              But SpaceX is expected to go public this year.

                              Elon is talking up his company's future prospects in front of gullible investors because he needs a growth narrative beyond Starlink, which is already priced in. Something to justify the Starship proram beyond NASA's lunar ambitions.

                              So it's salesman's bullshit, lies for fools.

                              retechR This user is from outside of this forum
                              retechR This user is from outside of this forum
                              retech
                              wrote last edited by
                              #117

                              @cstross I'm going to start a betting squares pool on the looming Kessler event. We've already got enough shit in orbit, it's time to bet on it crashing.

                              Side Note:

                              Do you remember when McDonald's and some start up company planned on putting a LEO 1 sq mile billboard up? It was an unfolding mylar advert that would degrade and burnup within 3 months. But during that time, everyone in the Northern Hemisphere would get the sun blotted out at least 1x day.

                              Batshit crazy, space, and billionaires just seem to gravitate together like blackholes.

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • Mark T. TomczakM Mark T. Tomczak

                                @cstross The most compelling argument I've heard for putting datacenters in space (in the "didn't immediately discount it as a stupid idea but took some time to engage with it" sense) was from Scott Manley, notorious fan of everything space-related, and even he concluded that it only makes sense as an end-run around terrestrial regulation (i.e. it's a stupid and expensive idea but in the grand scheme of markets it may be cheaper than "buying enough politicians to steal a community's water rights out from under them so you can get the permits to build on land").

                                Which... Yeah, when that's the forcing function, maybe we tech folk should sit and have a think about the entire project.

                                ghost boomannB This user is from outside of this forum
                                ghost boomannB This user is from outside of this forum
                                ghost boomann
                                wrote last edited by
                                #118

                                @mark @cstross

                                Any idea where I can find the figure for how much radiator mass needs to be accelerated into orbit per 400W of tensor core resistance heater?

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • Charlie StrossC Charlie Stross

                                  Because a LOT of people are missing the point:

                                  No, Elon Musk is NOT serious about putting a million data centres into orbit. It can't work: laws of physics say "nope".

                                  But SpaceX is expected to go public this year.

                                  Elon is talking up his company's future prospects in front of gullible investors because he needs a growth narrative beyond Starlink, which is already priced in. Something to justify the Starship proram beyond NASA's lunar ambitions.

                                  So it's salesman's bullshit, lies for fools.

                                  VHG 🇪🇺🇺🇦V This user is from outside of this forum
                                  VHG 🇪🇺🇺🇦V This user is from outside of this forum
                                  VHG 🇪🇺🇺🇦
                                  wrote last edited by
                                  #119

                                  @cstross Markets eat all his sf shit without hesitation. No checking of facts or realism. They are driven by one thought, and one thought only: what if he knows more than we and he actually pull it off - and we have not invested!!

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • Charlie StrossC Charlie Stross

                                    @ApostateEnglishman You ask about failed SpaceX launches: turns out Falcon 9 has launched 606 times with 603 mission successes. 3 launch failures total, none in the past 11 years. It's *ridiculously* reliable compared to any of its rivals.

                                    (Falcon 1—discontinued—was a buggy prototype; Starship is trying to get past that.)

                                    (Tesla is not going to give us humanoid robots, not beyond showroom rigged demos targeting the investors' wallets. And I'm NOT having one of those brain implants, no way!)

                                    Jack William BellJ This user is from outside of this forum
                                    Jack William BellJ This user is from outside of this forum
                                    Jack William Bell
                                    wrote last edited by
                                    #120

                                    @cstross @ApostateEnglishman

                                    My rules for brain implants:

                                    1. I will not alpha or beta test; in fact I think waiting for v3.25 is probably for the best

                                    2. Must run Open Source software *not using any dependencies requiring a Package Manager*

                                    3. Must not require *any* kind of 'cloud' to operate, must work fine without a network connection, and must be locally configurable

                                    4. You know what? Even if it meets rules 1 to 3 I'm still not too hot on the idea…

                                    Jack William BellJ Emma Loves ☕️E Lazarou Monkey Terror 🚀💙🌈L JohnJ frogF 9 Replies Last reply
                                    1
                                    0
                                    • Jack William BellJ Jack William Bell

                                      @cstross @ApostateEnglishman

                                      My rules for brain implants:

                                      1. I will not alpha or beta test; in fact I think waiting for v3.25 is probably for the best

                                      2. Must run Open Source software *not using any dependencies requiring a Package Manager*

                                      3. Must not require *any* kind of 'cloud' to operate, must work fine without a network connection, and must be locally configurable

                                      4. You know what? Even if it meets rules 1 to 3 I'm still not too hot on the idea…

                                      Jack William BellJ This user is from outside of this forum
                                      Jack William BellJ This user is from outside of this forum
                                      Jack William Bell
                                      wrote last edited by
                                      #121

                                      @cstross @ApostateEnglishman

                                      NOTE: Those rules used to be much simpler. More along the lines of, "Not anything using Microsoft or Oracle software."

                                      ETA: Insert joke about, "Blue Screen of Death."

                                      TubemeisterT 1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • Charlie StrossC Charlie Stross

                                        Because a LOT of people are missing the point:

                                        No, Elon Musk is NOT serious about putting a million data centres into orbit. It can't work: laws of physics say "nope".

                                        But SpaceX is expected to go public this year.

                                        Elon is talking up his company's future prospects in front of gullible investors because he needs a growth narrative beyond Starlink, which is already priced in. Something to justify the Starship proram beyond NASA's lunar ambitions.

                                        So it's salesman's bullshit, lies for fools.

                                        Erik BosmanB This user is from outside of this forum
                                        Erik BosmanB This user is from outside of this forum
                                        Erik Bosman
                                        wrote last edited by
                                        #122

                                        @cstross When Kessler syndrome happens, do I get fractional shares?

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • Jack William BellJ Jack William Bell

                                          @cstross @ApostateEnglishman

                                          My rules for brain implants:

                                          1. I will not alpha or beta test; in fact I think waiting for v3.25 is probably for the best

                                          2. Must run Open Source software *not using any dependencies requiring a Package Manager*

                                          3. Must not require *any* kind of 'cloud' to operate, must work fine without a network connection, and must be locally configurable

                                          4. You know what? Even if it meets rules 1 to 3 I'm still not too hot on the idea…

                                          Emma Loves ☕️E This user is from outside of this forum
                                          Emma Loves ☕️E This user is from outside of this forum
                                          Emma Loves ☕️
                                          wrote last edited by
                                          #123

                                          @jackwilliambell @cstross @ApostateEnglishman

                                          A few years back, Bruce Sterling was doing his thing on stage and talking about how fucked anyone with an implant would be under the DMCA and planned obsolescence.

                                          Jack William BellJ 1 Reply Last reply
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