Farzad: "Interesting Theory" on a Roadster Space Pitch From BenSchafferUP + Farzad Backs His Call to Merge SpaceX and Tesla + Elon Says Grok Bot Gets About 20 Improvements a Day

BenSchafferUP floated a theory Saturday late evening that Roadster deposits may be funding personal space transportation, and Farzad quoted it. Farzad also backed his own call to merge SpaceX and Tesla. SawyerMerritt previewed a Walter Isaacson podcast interview with Elon, and Elon said Grok Bot gets about 20 improvements a day.

"Am I crazy?"

BenSchafferUP, Oct 17 at 10:00pm CT: Am I crazy? Here's my theory: new Tesla Roadster deposit holders (myself included) may be funding the dawn of personal space transportation, the same way the original Roadster buyers funded the EV revolution here on Earth.

The long post points to the Roadster's engineering choices: "obsessive weight reduction, high-volume COPV tanks, insanely precise avionics." It pictures a limited run of road cars that helps pay for a SpaceX-only version built for space, not for Earth's gravity. Then it gives numbers: "Get it under 1,000 kg and even modest thrust gets interesting. At 50 N of thrust, you could cover something like 200 km in about an hour moving between nearby points in orbit."

From there the post describes "A space Cybercab for short trips," with Dragon and Starship handling launch, reentry and the long haul. Next it adds a SpaceX charging network on the Moon, then a space Cybertruck and Robovan. It also offers a simpler explanation: "Or maybe it's just a super epic car to showcase engineering as inspiring magic."

Farzad quoted it at 10:23pm CT: Interesting theory. Farzad also liked the post.

The SpaceX-only version, the 50 N, 1,000 kg and 200 km figures, and the Moon charging network are all BenSchafferUP's speculation. The post calls itself a theory.

Check BenSchafferUP here. Farzad's quote here.

"One of those Flying Roadsters"

Farzad posted a new video Oct 17 at 2:49pm CT: The INSANE Physics Behind Tesla's New Roadster.

MrBeast, Oct 17 at 6:52pm CT: Can I have one of those Flying Roadsters for a video please. Farzad RTd it at 7:00pm CT. "Flying Roadsters" is MrBeast's phrase.

Check The INSANE Physics Behind Tesla's New Roadster here. MrBeast here. Farzad's RT here.

"Yes."

Farzad, Oct 17 at 11:20pm CT, quoting his own post from June 11: Yes.

The June post said to merge SpaceX and Tesla, make Gwynne Shotwell CEO of the new entity and let Elon go ultra deep into psycho engineering.

That's Farzad's opinion. He posted it in June and repeated it late Saturday evening. Nothing in these posts says a merger is planned.

Elon, Oct 18 at 12:06am CT, replying to TSLAFanMtl's mass-to-orbit post: SpaceX is an anomaly in the matrix. Farzad liked it.

Check Farzad's quote here. TSLAFanMtl here. Elon here.

Elon on the national debt

SawyerMerritt, Oct 17 at 10:50am CT: Walter Isaacson will be releasing a new podcast interview with Elon Musk on Tuesday.

At 11:00am CT, SawyerMerritt posted an excerpt from the upcoming interview. In it, Elon says: "There's no way we were gonna solve the deficit from within the government. The only way we're going to solve the national debt is with AI and robots. We're not gonna solve it by trying to save our way there."

The excerpt continues: "The appetite to cut spending is not there at the presidency, the House, the Senate or the judiciary." Later in the excerpt: "If you try to solve the deficit and stop wasteful spending, you make a lot of enemies."

Elon also talks about his time away: "I kinda got carried away, basically and was gone for too long from my companies." And: "I should have gone back and focused on AI a little sooner than I did."

Farzad RTd both posts, at 11:14am and 11:30am CT. The idea that AI and robots are the only way to solve the debt is Elon's view. According to SawyerMerritt, the full interview comes out Tuesday, Oct 20.

Check SawyerMerritt on the release here. Farzad's RT here. SawyerMerritt's excerpt here. Farzad's RT here.

About 20 Grok Bot improvements a day

Elon, Oct 17 at 9:14pm CT, quoting a mark_k post: the team makes about 20 improvements per day to Grok Bot. Farzad liked it. The 20 a day figure is Elon's.

DrewOgryzek, Oct 17 at 7:42pm CT: If a post starts with "Be honest" @bot can you mark it as "I'm not interested in this post" for me, please?

Six seconds later, the bot account replied: I'm not interested in this post. Farzad liked the reply. The reply doesn't say whether any filter was set up.

Check Elon here. DrewOgryzek here. The bot reply here.

"Almost all the credit"

XFreeze, Oct 17 at 11:05am CT: The Boring Company is building something far bigger than most people even realize.

Elon replied at 12:09pm CT: Steve Davis and his team deserve almost all the credit for @BoringCompany progress. My role is providing engineering thoughts here and there, getting some permits unblocked and crazy merch ideas. Farzad liked it.

Check XFreeze here. Elon here.

Robotaxi, an AI question and a thank you

live_munro, Oct 16 at 4:59pm CT: Spent the day @Tesla doing a deep dive on the @robotaxi! Farzad RTd it Oct 17 at 2:59pm CT.

At 12:03am CT on Oct 18, Farzad asked followers: How often do you use AI?

Oct 18 at 7:39am CT, Farzad replied to his Oct 9 video post, Tesla, SpaceX & xAI Are About to Make History: Thank you @DavidCarbutt_ and team for the edit!

Check live_munro here. Farzad's RT here. How often do you use AI? here. Farzad's thank you here.