Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 290 All-Out Attack: Musk
Musk is a madman, and this madness is not only due to his upbringing, but also related to his increasingly serious drug use in recent years.

The interaction between his physical and mental state made him increasingly prone to losing control.

Seeing that NASA remains bloated and directionless, and that despite Chinese companies posing a significant threat to NASA, NASA has made no changes and only knows how to ask Congress for budgets to solve problems, Musk is utterly disappointed.

He knew very well that increasing the budget wouldn't solve anything, because their problem lay within NASA itself, where there had been too many Smiths for decades, omnipresent from top to bottom.

Everyone has lofty goals, and various plans are emerging one after another, each with a brighter future than the last.

Why did NASA give Allen a project to study Venus and allocate funds to her research institution? It was to prepare for NASA's future mission to Venus.

As for when we can go? I don't know. By the time we get there, the project to study the geology of Venus will have long been forgotten, and the congressional budget will have simply vanished without a trace.

In the 60s, investing $100 in NASA could immediately generate $30 in returns, and in the future, these research projects could even generate returns far exceeding $100.

What about now? Investing $100 now might not have the same effect as investing $5 in China's aerospace industry.

Musk has visited China and is very familiar with the efficiency of China's entire ecosystem, from systems to enterprises, as well as the vitality of its manufacturing industry.

Now it seems that Randolph Lin, the young man who leads Apollo Technology, has extraordinary talent, and the other party's weakness of lacking top geniuses has been made up.

Musk sensed an unprecedented crisis.

At this point, they're still thinking about taking the conventional route.

In his view, China's lunar strategy should be thwarted by any means necessary.

At the same time, we should try every means to figure out how the other party did it and the technical details of the other party.

Instead of initiating a project, first producing a research report to study how Apollo technology was achieved, then funding aerospace consulting firms to provide solutions, and then optimizing the Artemis program according to the solutions provided by the consulting firms.

In his view, every single one of those aerospace consulting firms in Washington is a scam. If they were truly useful, Silicon Valley wouldn't be the only place where SpaceX has built reusable rockets.

“NASA has serious overspending issues. They are filled with all sorts of meaningless and unnecessary scientific projects, 99 percent of which could be cut.”

On the way back, he started tweeting in the car.

"The Artemis framework is extremely inefficient because it's an employment-maximizing plan, not an outcome-maximizing plan. We need something entirely new to compete with China!"

Musk felt that this wasn't enough, not enough to cause a sensation.

The fact that NASA is bloated and wasteful is almost an unspoken truth to the American people.

Everyone knows.

He needs a topic that can spark more discussion to incite a nationwide attack on NASA.

what?
LGBT community.

“I don’t understand why NASA would spend $1400 million to create a system to showcase the LGBT community, just so that these people can be searched for on Outlook or Teams. Instead of showing their gender, they are shown by code names.”

Yes, netizens, you heard right. This online LGBT community display system alone cost NASA $1400 million, or maybe more. Last year, NASA allocated $1400 million to the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity (ODEO), and they, or rather, whoever they are in this office, did just this one thing.

More importantly, this $1400 million does not include the salaries of ODEO's 74 full-time employees. If their salaries were included, this LGBT community showcase system might have cost even more!

I don't believe there are any sexual minorities in the world. There are only two kinds of people in the world: men and women. Even homosexuals are either men or women. I don't know what the point of doing this is.

And most importantly, something that could have been done by Stanford students for $5000 cost NASA a budget of $1400 million.

NASA is utterly rotten!

If the previous tweets weren't anything special, then this tweet, once posted, was a true nuclear bomb in the current situation in America.

The same question remains: the midterm elections in November 2022. We are currently in mid-July, and all parties are preparing for these elections.

Musk has publicly supported the Democratic Party, at least so far. He has openly attacked the Democratic Party's consensus on LGBT issues, which is like a timely rain for the Elephant Party, which experienced the Tumu Crisis in January 20201.

For the Donald Party, regardless of whether Musk's accusations are right or wrong, they must be wrong.

What? You still dare to be defiant? You dare to attack the LGBT community, the very foundation of the pro-democracy movement? Are you out of your mind?
Senator Elizabeth Warren from the Democratic Party immediately issued a statement:
“We are deeply disappointed by Elon Musk’s recent remarks attacking NASA’s diversity efforts.”

At a time when we should be thanking all Americans for their contributions to the space program, Musk has chosen to spread misleading and divisive messages.

NASA’s Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity (ODEO) plays a key role in ensuring that the agency is a place where people from all backgrounds can thrive.

The $1400 million budget allocated to the office supports a wide range of initiatives to promote equal opportunities, rather than the single system that Musk falsely claims.

Furthermore, his statements about gender and sexual orientation are not only scientifically inaccurate, but have also harmed the LGTB community.

We stand with our LGTB colleagues to reaffirm our commitment to creating an inclusive environment that respects and values ​​all individuals.

We urge Musk to recognize the importance of these issues and support efforts to make our society more equitable.

The New York Times published an editorial titled "Elon Musk's Wrong Attack on NASA's Diversity Efforts," which stated:

Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur known for his ambitious space program, has once again sparked controversy.

This time, he targeted NASA's diversity initiatives, specifically criticizing what he called the wasted $1400 million allocated to the LGTB demonstration system. However, Musk's criticism is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of NASA's budget and the purpose of its diversity programs. The $1400 million allocated to the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunities (ODEO) was not solely for the LGTB demonstration system.

Instead of following Musk's suggestion, NASA should support comprehensive initiatives aimed at fostering inclusive workplaces. Diversity and inclusion are not just buzzwords; they are essential components of successful organizations. By ensuring that people from all backgrounds feel welcomed and valued, NASA is able to attract top talent and foster the creativity and innovation needed to solve the complex challenges of space exploration.

Furthermore, Musk's comments on gender and sexual orientation reveal disturbing ignorance. He claims there are only two genders: men and women, ignoring the scientific consensus that gender is a spectrum and the experiences of transgender and non-binary individuals.

As a leader in the technology and space industries, Musk has a responsibility to promote understanding and acceptance, rather than spreading harmful stereotypes and misleading information. We hope Musk will use this opportunity to learn more about the importance of diversity and inclusion and support efforts to make our society more equitable.

Have you noticed that both Democratic lawmakers and their affiliated media outlets have offered such weak rebuttals, failing to provide concrete examples to demonstrate what NASA's Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunities has done beyond its online LGBT community showcase system?

When asked what exactly ODEO has done, they simply say that ODEO has done a lot of work, and that this work has been very effective. But when asked what exactly that work is, they either can't answer or they just repeat themselves verbatim. In short, they say they've done it!

Meanwhile, Musk's remarks sparked marches and protests by the LGBT community, who marched outside SpaceX headquarters to protest, arguing that Musk's behavior was dangerous and ignored the tragic experiences of LGTB individuals.

Of course, for every person who opposes something, there is someone who supports it.

For example, an old man who was defeated in the Tumu Crisis in 2020 and banished from mainstream social media, who used to post 20 tweets a day, now has to hide in the Truth Social Network to speak to his die-hard supporters. He posted on the Truth Social Network:
"Elon is a true patriot; he has pointed out the problems in our country very well!"

This is a perfect encounter, like a golden breeze and jade dew meeting, surpassing countless other encounters in the mortal world.

Musk immediately arranged a meeting, and the two hit it off immediately after meeting in person, almost to the point of becoming sworn brothers.

The turmoil in America has kept Chinese netizens thoroughly entertained.

Everyone remembers the last command module launch, which wiped out half of NASA's top brass. This time, Apollo Technologies' lunar south pole landing has caused a rift between Musk and the Democrats. The most upvoted comment under the news of Musk's split with the Democrats is: "I suggest Musk fly straight to Shanghai to escape. Look at what happened to Epstein. Coming to Shanghai would be perfect for teaming up with the 'Burning God' (a nickname for a tech company). Making this Mars mission a success is more important than anything else."

Chinese netizens are too kind; they're already helping Musk figure out a way to offend the Democrats.

Secondly, there's Apollo Technology.

"Apollo Technology is really too bad. Every time you launch a mission, you make such a big fuss on the other side of the earth, which has caused Musk, a general under the Democratic Party, to break with you. Although each launch is not aimed at the White House, the blow to the White House is really real."

"I feel like if the lunar base is really built, will America go completely crazy? It's already like this after just a soft landing on the lunar south pole."

Today, Apollo Technology is so bad that it has become a meme on the Simplified Chinese internet, with related emojis appearing endlessly under news related to Lin Ran.

So much so that when Pony and Lin Ran discuss work, they always mention:

"Mr. Lin, after coming to work at Apollo Technology, I didn't expect that the fast pace of progress would also be a sweet trouble."

After I arrived, all my old friends came to ask when we would raise funds, saying that no matter how much, they wouldn't think our valuation was too high, and that no amount was too much.

After the Antarctic landing, they harassed me on WeChat every day, saying that even if Apollo Technology's valuation reached 100 billion US dollars in this round of financing, they would still invest.

They'll invest no matter the amount; if the valuation is high, they'll invest less; if the valuation is low, they'll invest more.

Hear the strings and know the elegant meaning.

Lin Ran knew that Pony was asking him about Apollo Technology's financing.

“Pony, I talked to the people at Yanjing about financing when I went there last time.”

As you probably know, we are becoming increasingly important. In other words, in the past, we showcased the replication of technology, demonstrating the strength of the technical team led by me.

Ultimately, it's still about replicating other people's technology. Starting with the soft landing on the lunar south pole, we've gone from being imitators to now being imitated by others.

Therefore, seeking financing in the market is not really appropriate. Ultimately, our technology, the things we do, and even the returns are not suitable for reporting to our shareholders.

Simply put, our operations will be a black box, with only a faint glimmer of light appearing when carrying out space missions.

Even our shareholders may not know what we have done or what we are doing.

After communicating with Yanjing, we both agreed that this situation was not suitable for financing.

Therefore, regarding financing, Huaguo Investment Group will conduct a round of financing, which will raise 50 billion yuan based on a valuation of 500 billion RMB.

To ensure an incentive effect on employees, we will allocate 10% of our shares as an option pool, and each year, based on the company's performance, we will provide employees with the opportunity to repurchase their options.

We have no plans to go public anytime soon.

After listening, Pony understood and didn't say anything more about it, because he completely understood and it was pretty much what he expected.

Apollo technology is now a crucial national asset, and its importance will continue to rise in the future.
There's absolutely no need to raise funds in the market, let alone go public.

Companies like Huawei and ByteDance are giants even though they are not publicly listed, and their every move can stir up a storm.

“Okay, I understand,” Pony said.
Lin Ran continued, "So in terms of stock options, there's actually very little you need to do; it's simply a matter of designing the employee stock option structure."

Pony nodded and said, "I understand, Mr. Lin. Isn't 10% a bit too much?"
Even with the financing round from Huaguo Investment, a 10% stake is worth 500 billion RMB, and I believe its value will only increase in the future.

Could we give out a smaller amount in the first round and then gradually expand the pool later?
ByteDance, for example, plans to spend $30 billion this year to buy back shares from shareholders and then allocate 1% of its total shares to expand its employee stock option pool.

This was news that was originally scheduled to be announced in September, but Pony already knew about it in advance.

Lin Ran shook his head: "Let's keep it at 10%. We're just putting the pool here first so we can recruit people."

Pony, we are now starting to recruit a large number of people with combined expertise in computer science, materials science, and physics, and we only want the top-tier talent.

Let me also take this opportunity to explain in detail my top-level design and planning for Apollo Technology.

Pony said seriously, "Mr. Lin, please speak."

Lin Ran said, "Before you joined the company, I mentioned to you that we were going to build a lunar base. Now that Wu Gang 0001 has gone to the lunar south pole, you should have no more doubts about this."

And you should think our launch went exceptionally smoothly, with almost no hiccups.

Pony remarked, "Yes, from my perspective, Apollo technology's mission launches seem particularly easy, with almost no setbacks."

Lin Ran explained: "In the eyes of mathematicians, the world is mathematical, so when something can be solved mathematically, it is essentially not difficult."

Whether it's going to the moon or expanding outwards, these are all goals. What I'm talking to you today is the means, how we should do it, and how to achieve this goal.

The essence of all methods is mathematics; navigation, control systems, and communication are all software.

We've been hiring people for this, but fundamentally we still need to solve the problem of materials.

Materials are the core of the problem, and I hope to incorporate them into the realm of mathematics to solve it.

Therefore, we need to develop an industrial software for predicting materials using artificial intelligence. The general idea is that by inputting the physical properties of elements, it can deduce the properties of the material and its synthesis route, etc.

Pony, as the former CEO of Tencent, you must be very familiar with game physics engines. We can use physics engines to simulate the texture of real-world elements on a computer, and different elements can even interact to create new effects.

Even the texture of a skirt being blown by the wind can be directly simulated by the engine.

Similarly, the simulation of material properties is based on a similar concept.

After listening, Pony asked, "I completely understand, but I have a few questions. First of all, isn't this too difficult?"
Everyone knows that materials are key. 654SMO stainless steel is comparable to nickel-based alloys, and super austenitic stainless steel is still widely used by SpaceX today.

The question is how to do it.
"Of course it's difficult. We may have to persevere for a very long time before we can achieve results."

(An article in Science Advances on May 6, 2022, titled "Machine Learning for Materials Properties: Predictable and Interpretable Multilinear Models," Science Advances is a subsidiary journal of Science, used to demonstrate that there has been ongoing research into using artificial intelligence for predicting materials properties.)
When Lin Ran got to this point, he seemed a little dazed, mainly because he had always thought that GraphAI, which he had chosen during his doctoral studies, was a huge pitfall. Now, he was about to plunge headlong into artificial intelligence materials prediction, which was an even bigger pitfall than GraphAI.

This is also an unprecedented challenge for Lin Ran himself.

The space program had NASA as its backing in the 60s. They were the backup research and development force for Apollo technology, and also a super-enhanced version of NASA led by professors.

Materials artificial intelligence, on the other hand, needs to rely entirely on itself.

If you wanted to do this in 1960, you'd need a graphics card and computing power. Back then, no one even knew what deep learning was, so it was simply unrealistic.

"It's extremely difficult. There are many challenges in building this artificial intelligence. In terms of computing power, we can only cooperate with Huawei, which is an even greater challenge."

(End of this chapter)