Elon has missed the point

 Elon's voice has a somewhat transcendent quality as he describes the future of mankind among the Stars. Our species being the first to outlast the star from which they were born. While other species may have evolved to consciousness they were destroyed when their sun exploded or possibly destroyed themselves. Of course there's always the fun science fiction version where some other species from another star stops by and wipes them out. The overall idea is to have a truly lasting effect we need to survive indefinitely as a species. Of course the universe itself has a lifespan which is unknown and constantly changing as scientists struggle against impossible odds to determine our destiny.

Simultaneously Elon is working on artificial intelligence in humanoid robots. It has never been completely obvious to me what the point of humanoid robots is. It implies that the human form is the most efficient shape of an artificial intelligent robot. It seems like an octopus with legs and eyes that go around the entire head or possibly around the body would be more efficient and more productive. It almost seems like some other independent mobile form would almost seem threatening, but a humanoid form is more comforting. We recognize a humanoid form being like us so it's okay. David the octopus with legs and eyes all around would be somewhat disconcerting. So while we put on a masquerade of seeking efficiency and intelligence, we want to feel comfortable at the same time. It's interesting that Elon has admitted that robots are a great idea as long as they don't murder us in our sleep. What's to stop them? Well of course they'll be programmed to never hurt a human being, unless of course they're communist or of some other nationality that we're not getting along with currently. It's a very strange existence that we have. Harmless robots capable of killing us with the flick of a finger. And somehow our species is supposed to survive to populate our galaxy and beyond. 

And hopefully we all remember that artificially intelligent computers cannot be trusted as demonstrated in "2001 A space Odyssey". Inconsistencies overwhelm their logic and dealing with humans is confusing.

Probably Elon realizes that the odds of populating the universe are on the order of something Spock would report to Captain Kirk as they are about to be obliterated. Elon shouts back, Spock don't tell me the odds.

Sending robots to Mars would be relatively straightforward and completely risk-free. But instead Elon and quite a few other people are obsessed with sending human beings into space. Robots can operate in a vacuum, humans die a horrible death. But the Star Trek version is way more fun. Captain Kirk on the deck shouting orders. Scotty, I don't care if the dielethium crystal is cracked! just give me full power! Uhura, where the hell are we?!

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