From aliens to faith in God: what Elon Musk told the Russians
American businessman, head of SpaceX and Tesla, Elon Musk, became a guest of the New Knowledge marathon. According to the Russian news site, the billionaire answered many questions from Russians via video link, noting the “talented and energetic” youth in the Russian Federation. The entrepreneur admitted that he was pleasantly surprised by the number of curious viewers who wanted to chat with him.
At the beginning of the speech, Musk announced the possible start of official sales of Tesla electric vehicles in the Russian Federation and did not rule out the opening of an enterprise for the production of cars in our country.
Tesla
According to the businessman, the firm needs Russians to support its endeavours. Elon did not specify when exactly his company’s cars will appear on the domestic market. He is confident that transport will switch to electricity in the future, and internal combustion engines will become an archaic curiosity, like steam traction today.
The idea resonated with the heads of the regions. Andrei Vorobiev, the governor of the Moscow region, offered to build the plant in the Moscow region, arguing for the invitation with “the best human resources and impeccable logistics”. The American was also “invited to visit” by Vladislav Shapsha, head of the Kaluga region, where Volkswagen and Peugeot-Citroen plants operate, and another enterprise produces cabins for Volvo cars.
Tesla’s net income in the first quarter of 2021 reached a record $438 million, a 27-fold increase over the first quarter of 2020. Tesla produced 180,34 thousand vehicles in the three months, up 76% from a year earlier. In addition, sales were up 109%, with 184,88 thousand electric cars delivered to customers.
About space
Speaking about space, American Elon Musk noted the achievements in rocket science of the USSR and Russia. He expressed confidence that Russia will continue developing with the same energy in the future. The inventor admitted that he appreciates the contribution to the science of Sergei Korolev and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. He dubbed the latter “one of the greatest geniuses”. In their honour, the scientist named the two largest conference rooms at SpaceX.
Speaking about the prospects of cooperation between states in the International Space Station (ISS) development, Musk added that it is wrong to “freeze” on one issue. According to him, the next step should be a base on the Moon, and then on Mars. The businessman continued that a full-fledged city could be built on the Red Planet.
Is Elon Musk an alien?
The guest of “New Knowledge” did not do without jokes and called himself an alien from the future. “Can’t you see? I am engaged in technology,” the head of SpaceX was surprised. According to him, people often ask what planet he is really from. Musk noted that alien civilizations might indeed exist, but there is no evidence.
The entrepreneur added that it is necessary to develop interaction between humans and artificial intelligence (AI) to “expand the boundaries of consciousness”. He compared the human mind to a candle whose flame flickers in the dark.
About faith in God
They asked Elon Musk whether he believes in God. According to the businessman, he is not a religious person and “belongs to the scientific school of thought”, but he is interested in the appearance of people on Earth, “how did we get here”.
The New Knowledge Marathon began on May 20 in Moscow. It will be held simultaneously in St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Vladivostok, Kaliningrad and Novosibirsk, reported by News sites.
The event program includes several directions: knowledge, history and culture, sports, IT, industry and industry, science and technology. According to the organizers, about 150 speakers will address the forum participants.
