3 ms·

I read that as there is a lot of money that wants to piggyback on the success of SpaceX instead of fundamentally developing anything via their own investments.

by dv_dt 8y ago

IshKebab 8y ago
What do you think investment is exactly?
- dv_dt 8y ago
  I think that systemic interest in investment in fundamental economic improvements has declined while systemic investment in financial vehicles (pardon the pun) is rampant. This would be ok if the financial vehicles were connected to economic well being, but that link is increasingly tenuous. It basically takes a crazy, put it all on the line billionaire to assemble technologies, but why doesn't the economic system regularly do this? Musk is great, but I think his skill, much like Jobs, is excellent integration of a number of existing technological possibilities. Why is Musk, as an individual, the one of the few that can do that at scale, vs industries that have in actuality more resources than Musk.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - pcr0 8y ago
    I think salesmanship and being able to sell a daring vision is key. Why else would anyone invest in risky long term projects like space travel when they could just buy an ETF instead?
notimetorelax 8y ago
Which is fine, if there’s someone who can create it’s amazing if we can support them.
- HarryHirsch 8y ago
  Back then the rocket scientists from JPL and MIT had dozens of aerospace contractors where they could go, and science would be moved forward. Nowadays, the rocket scientists join any of the dozens of hedge funds, but some go work for SpaceX. This is the stagnation of outsourcing.
  - bsder 8y ago
    > This is the stagnation of outsourcing. This is the stagnation of paying your scientists poorly. One of the reasons for so many microbreweries in San Diego was paying microbiology types so poorly. More than one microbrewer here has said: "Well, I was getting paid kinda crappy in biology. So, I started a microbrewery. Now I get paid about the same, don't have to put up with managers, and get to drink beer."
    - HarryHirsch 8y ago
      This is the stagnation of paying your scientists poorly. All the same. If there are no jobs for scientists, salaries drop, the oversupply isn't going to go away anytime soon. What's this STEM shortage they are talking about in Washington?

I read that as there is a lot of money that wants to piggyback on the success of SpaceX instead of fundamentally developing anything via their own investments.

by dv_dt 8y ago

I read that as there is a lot of money that wants to piggyback on the success of SpaceX instead of fundamentally developing anything via their own investments.

IshKebab 8y ago

What do you think investment is exactly?

dv_dt 8y ago
I think that systemic interest in investment in fundamental economic improvements has declined while systemic investment in financial vehicles (pardon the pun) is rampant. This would be ok if the financial vehicles were connected to economic well being, but that link is increasingly tenuous. It basically takes a crazy, put it all on the line billionaire to assemble technologies, but why doesn't the economic system regularly do this? Musk is great, but I think his skill, much like Jobs, is excellent integration of a number of existing technological possibilities. Why is Musk, as an individual, the one of the few that can do that at scale, vs industries that have in actuality more resources than Musk.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- pcr0 8y ago
  I think salesmanship and being able to sell a daring vision is key. Why else would anyone invest in risky long term projects like space travel when they could just buy an ETF instead?

notimetorelax 8y ago

Which is fine, if there’s someone who can create it’s amazing if we can support them.

HarryHirsch 8y ago
Back then the rocket scientists from JPL and MIT had dozens of aerospace contractors where they could go, and science would be moved forward. Nowadays, the rocket scientists join any of the dozens of hedge funds, but some go work for SpaceX. This is the stagnation of outsourcing.
- bsder 8y ago
  > This is the stagnation of outsourcing. This is the stagnation of paying your scientists poorly. One of the reasons for so many microbreweries in San Diego was paying microbiology types so poorly. More than one microbrewer here has said: "Well, I was getting paid kinda crappy in biology. So, I started a microbrewery. Now I get paid about the same, don't have to put up with managers, and get to drink beer."
  - HarryHirsch 8y ago
    This is the stagnation of paying your scientists poorly. All the same. If there are no jobs for scientists, salaries drop, the oversupply isn't going to go away anytime soon. What's this STEM shortage they are talking about in Washington?