This time, Elon Musk’s sights are set on an interplanetary scale – to create a self-sustaining human society on Mars.
Elon Musk has had many business endeavors.
Zip 2
In 1995, Elon, his brother Kimbal, and their friend Greg Kouri founded the company—initially named Global Link—which provided maps and business directories to online publications.
The first X.com
In 1999, he joined forces with Harris Fricker, Christopher Payne, and Ed Ho to create an online bank. After Elon was removed as CEO the following year, Peter Thiel took over and turned it into what is now known as PayPal.
Space X
In 2002, Elon founded the spacecraft manufacturing company with the goal of colonizing Mars and making space travel more accessible.
Starlink
In 2015, SpaceX began operating Starlink, a satellite internet constellation.
Tesla
Elon didn’t found his most popular brand. Instead, he started out in 2004 as the chairman of the board of directors and became the largest shareholder of the company. He became its CEO four years later in 2008.
SolarCity
In 2016, Tesla acquired Elon’s cousins Peter and Lydon Rive, which provides solar power systems.
The Boring Company
In 2017, Elon founded this company to provide tunnel construction services and equipment.
Twitter—now known as X
In April 2023, Elon officially became the owner of Twitter, renaming it X.
But none of these have caused more controversy than Neuralink.
Neuralink’s origins
Founded in 2016 with a team of scientists and engineers, Neuralink is a neurotechnological company that aimed to treat brain diseases and enhance human function.
“A Fitbit for your skull”
In Aug. 2020, Elon gave a product update streamed on YouTube, revealing details of his plans for Neuralink. He announced that the company was working on a brain implant, which would work similarly to a Fitbit, but it would be implanted in your cranium.
The monkey trials
Before it was announced to the public, the implant was tested on monkeys from 2017 until 2020.
The monkey trials reportedly went awry.
In Dec. 2022, the PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) filed a complaint with the USDA against Neuralink for violating the Animal Welfare Act with its experiments. According to Reuters, the report alleged that the company killed over 1,500 animals during the testing period.
Elon Musk unwaveringly stood by Neuralink after the monkeys trial.
On Sept. 10, he tweeted, “No monkey has died as a result of a Neuralink implant.
First our early implants, to minimize risk to healthy monkeys, we chose terminal moneys [sic] (close to death already).”
New allegations of animal abuse came out in Sept. 2023
Veterinary reports obtained by WIRED detailed the many ways that the experiment allegedly harmed the monkeys, including bacterial infections and loss of body coordination.
Despite issues in the animal trials, in Jan. 2022, it was plans of a clinical trial on humans were announced.
Neuralink put out a job ad looking for a clinical trial director.
Neuralink’s human trials were given the green light in May 2023.
The FDA approved the clinical trials after initially rejecting an application to start them in 2022.
The PRIME Study
In Sept., the company announced The PRIME Study. It was described by Neuralink as “a groundbreaking investigational medical device trial for our fully-implantable, wireless brain-computer interface (BCI) – aims to evaluate the safety of our implant and surgical robot, and assess the initial functionality of our BCI for enabling people with quadriplegia to control external devices with their thoughts.”
Neuralink also has controversial qualifications for its human trial volunteers.
The site notes that those interested in volunteer qualify if they’re a United States who “is at least 18 years old and the age of majority in their state, who is able to consent, and who has quadriplegia, paraplegia, vision loss, hearing loss, the inability to speak, and/or major limb amputation (affecting above or below the elbow and/or above or below the knee).”
Surprisingly, it received many volunteering applicants.
Bloomberg reported on Nov. 7 that thousands of people applied to test out the brain implants.
Despite its controversial concept, Neuralink has raised a significant number of funds.
According to a report from TechCrunch published on Nov. 25, the company recently received $43 million from billionaire investor Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund. A total of 32 investors contributed to the hefty funds.
Neuralink has raised over $100 million so far.
The total number is more than $323 million.
But, Elon is known for more than just technology
He’s also known for his controversial opinions.
The Tesla founder recently responded to the rumors that Ayo Edebiri will allegedly be replacing Johnny Depp as the new lead for the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
Ever since Johnny Depp was removed from playing Jack Sparrow in the iconic franchise, people have been wondering who was going to take over.
One front-runner was Barbie star Margot Robbie, but that plan seems to have fizzled out.
It has recently been reported that The Bear actress Ayo Edebiri might be joining the movie a as a replacement Sparrow, playing a character named Anne, who is said to be based on real-life pirate Anne Bonny.
Upon hearing the news, Elon Musk took to X to express his opinion on the matter, making it known that he’s not happy about the decision.
Replying to a tweet of the news, he responded: “Disney sucks.”
Rumors about Edebiri joining the iconic franchise have not yet been confirmed, but a lot of folks–outside of Musk–are excited about the idea.
The ‘Game Plan’ Unveiled
Our favourite billionaire entrepreneur recently unveiled his ambitious game plan for making Mars the second home for humans.
The goal? To establish a million-strong population on the red planet.
Yes, you read that right. One million Martian humans.
Now, that’s a lot of space boots on the ground!
But before you start packing your bags and bidding goodbye to your earthly abode, let’s dive into the specifics.
The Musk Mars Manifesto
Musk’s plan for Mars colonization is not just about getting humans to Mars; it’s about ensuring the survival of civilization.
He believes that the only way to overcome the single-planet ‘Great Filter’ (an existential barrier that every advanced civilization is likely to face) is by making Mars self-sustaining.
Making Mars Self-sustaining: The Lofty Goal
Musk’s idea of a self-sustaining Mars is not just about survival; it’s about thriving.
The vision includes building a local, self-sustained ecological system on Mars that could survive without any support from Earth.
Imagine that, a whole new world, functioning independently, a million miles away!
Musk’s Timeline: A Race Against Time?
While Musk did not provide a specific timeline for achieving the colossal task, he hinted at a date around 2029.
But before you mark your calendars, remember this is Elon Musk we’re talking about. The man who plans to build a city on Mars and make humans a multi-planetary species.
So, let’s take that timeline with a grain of Martian soil, shall we?
The Challenges Ahead: No Walk in the Park
SpaceX’s road to Mars is fraught with challenges.
From achieving full & immediate reusability of both stages of Starship to ensuring its reliable orbit, the task ahead is herculean.
But if there’s one thing we know about Musk, it’s that he loves a good challenge.
The Risk Factor: Not for the Faint-hearted
Musk has always been upfront about the risks involved in the early stages of Mars colonization. He warns that the arduous journey may result in fatalities.
But hey, no one said making history was going to be easy, right?
The Glorious Vision: A Future Worth Fighting For
Despite the risks, Musk remains steadfast in his belief that the journey to Mars will be “glorious.” After all, the idea of creating a whole new world for humans to explore and inhabit is nothing short of extraordinary.