# Elon Musk **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 29, 2018, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765 "2018-01-29T23:24:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/21 "2018-01-30T01:28:31Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Yeah, I’ve been a Elon Musk fanboy, but it’s increasingly clear that Tesla is a money pit. Sure. It is now as he makes the shift to mass production. The problem is that it was always going to be a money pit for the first person to try it out. Economy of scale will kick in now that there’s financial incentive to look for it. He had the money to look for it. And I can’t wait for the solar roofing tiles to reach the same point. Elon’s a flake, but dammit, he’s got style! ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/22 "2018-01-30T01:48:23Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Musk sometimes just does daft stuff on twitter. That’s it really. Cmon he names the landing ships in the style of Culture vessels. The man has absolutely zero gravitas whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/23 "2018-01-30T02:17:47Z")
Well, maybe micro-gravitas. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/24 "2018-01-30T02:20:24Z")
Very little gravitas indeed. ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/25 "2018-01-30T02:44:49Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > You can get them cheaper than $500, apparently. Also available as a DIY project. > > [7 Items You Won't Believe Are Actually Legal | Cracked.com](http://www.cracked.com/article_17016_7-items-you-wont-believe-are-actually-legal.html) Any idiot can make one, its astonishingly easy. A visit to a local hardware store or harbor freight tools or possibly your own garage and you can create one, probably much better quality than the $500 one, for about 50 bucks. It makes me wonder why people haven’t used them more for nefarious purposes outside of war. Thankfully they haven’t. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/26 "2018-01-30T03:01:15Z")
> [@anomalous1](#): > > Any idiot can make one, its astonishingly easy. A visit to a local hardware store or harbor freight tools or possibly your own garage and you can create one, probably much better quality than the $500 one, for about 50 bucks. It makes me wonder why people haven’t used them more for nefarious purposes outside of war. Thankfully they haven’t. I wondered the same thing many years ago, then I read accounts and actually met some people who had used them in Vietnam, and nearly everyone had the same “they’re dangerous as hell just to wear, let alone use” attitude. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/27 "2018-01-30T03:06:48Z")
It looks like Musk has sold over 10,000 units in under 48 hours. At $500 apiece, that’s US$5M his company just raked in in 2 days. > **[Elon Musk sells 10,000 flamethrowers in 48 hours \[Updated\]](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/01/elon-musk-is-selling-a-boring-company-flamethrower-because-why-not/)** > > The official Boring Company flamethrower “starts shipping in spring.” And he plans to make 20,000, so that’d be a cool $10M. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/28 "2018-01-30T03:13:31Z")
Again, that thing is _not_ a flamethrower. It is a lighter for a really big bong. Or that thing you use to finish the creme brûlée. Not even particularly useful for fighting off the undead. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/29 "2018-01-30T03:21:53Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > [Dude](http://i.imgur.com/yC2fHES.jpg), he HAD to make the flamethrower to complete the [Hank Scorpio](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/simpsons/images/3/39/Hank_Scorpio.png/revision/latest?cb=20170620075113) transition. When the zombies come, then you won’t be laughing, WILL YA?!?!?!?!? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/30 "2018-01-30T03:58:47Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I wondered the same thing many years ago, then I read accounts and actually met some people who had used them in Vietnam, and nearly everyone had the same “they’re dangerous as hell just to wear, let alone use” attitude. It’s astounding and not in a good way. I’ve heard about them exploding because of a leak and soldier’s/marines smoking around them. Anecdotal of course. It seems reasonable that it could happen, did the accounts you read have something to do with bullets hitting them and exploding? I may have read something similar. If so, you’d think they’d armor the tank or something… sheesh. **eschereal** I know. It just made me think of the dangers. I mean it obviously has to be a really terrible (or hilarious) idea to have a bunch of stoned people playing with a mini-flamethrower. Imagine it in an afterschool special video. “We got literally burned out, thanks to pot.” ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/31 "2018-01-30T03:59:55Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > It looks like Musk has sold over 10,000 units in under 48 hours. At $500 apiece, that’s US$5M his company just raked in in 2 days. > > [https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/01/elon-musk-is-selling-a-boring-company-flamethrower-because-why-not/](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/01/elon-musk-is-selling-a-boring-company-flamethrower-because-why-not/) > > And he plans to make 20,000, so that’d be a cool $10M. Pocket change… I’d say gas money, but you know…Tesla. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/32 "2018-01-30T04:13:09Z")
> [@anomalous1](#): > > It’s astounding and not in a good way. I’ve heard about them exploding because of a leak and soldier’s/marines smoking around them. Anecdotal of course. It seems reasonable that it could happen, did the accounts you read have something to do with bullets hitting them and exploding? I may have read something similar. If so, you’d think they’d armor the tank or something… sheesh [Wikipedia has a list (which debunks the “hit by rounds” movie trope, btw)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamethrower): > [@](#): > > Flamethrowers pose many risks to the operator. > > [ul]The first disadvantage was the weapon’s weight and length, which impairs the soldier’s mobility[/ul] > [ul]The weapon is limited to only a few seconds of burn time since it uses fuel very quickly, requiring the operator to be precise and conservative[/ul] > [ul]The weapon was very visible on the battlefield, which caused operators to become immediately singled out as prominent targets, especially for snipers[/ul] > [ul]Flamethrower operators were rarely taken prisoner, especially when their target survived an attack by the weapon; captured flamethrower users were in some cases summarily executed[1][/ul] > [ul]The flamethrower’s effective range is short in comparison with that of other battlefield weapons of similar size. To be effective, flamethrower soldiers must approach their target, risking exposure to enemy fire. Vehicular flamethrowers also have this problem; they may have considerably greater range than a man-portable flamethrower, but their range is still short compared with that of other infantry weapons.[/ul] > > The risk of a flamethrower operator being caught in the explosion of their weapon due to enemy hits on the tanks is exaggerated in films.[2] However, there are cases where the pressure tanks have exploded and killed the operator when hit by bullets or grenade shrapnel. In the documentary Vietnam in HD, platoon sergeant Charles Brown tells of how one of his men was killed when his flamethrower was hit by grenade shrapnel during the battle for Hill 875. > > “ Flame thrower operators did not usually face a fiery death from the slightest spark or even from having their tank hit by a normal bullet as often depicted in modern war films. The Gas Container [i.e. the pressurizer] is filled with a non-flammable gas that is under high pressure. If this tank were ruptured, it might knock the operator forward as it was expended in the same way a pressurized aerosol can bursts outward when punctured. The fuel mixture in the Fuel Containers is difficult to light which is why magnesium filled igniters are required when the weapon is fired. Fire a bullet into a metal can filled with diesel or napalm and it will merely leak out the hole unless the round was an incendiary type that could possibly ignite the mixture inside. This also applies to the flame thrower Fuel Container." ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/33 "2018-01-30T04:54:14Z")
He’s selling the flamethrowers to finance the Boring Company, because, who knew, boring holes underground is expensive. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/34 "2018-01-30T05:45:39Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > When the zombies come, then you won’t be laughing, WILL YA?!?!?!?!? 😃 If Max Brooks taught me anything, it’s that flame is a deeply stupid choice against zeds. ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/35 "2018-01-30T07:00:59Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > [Wikipedia has a list (which debunks the “hit by rounds” movie trope, btw)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamethrower): Fascinating stuff, thanks for sharing it. I would have likely never have looked up a flamethrower in wikipedia otherwise 🙂 Crazy stuff, I’d rather be shot than burned with one of those… ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/36 "2018-01-30T07:04:39Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > He’s selling the flamethrowers to finance the Boring Company, because, who knew, boring holes underground is expensive. I suppose its better than layering freeways, aesthetically, maybe maintenance costs too. From what I hear, traffic in L.A. is delightful so it may not be a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/37 "2018-01-30T07:06:32Z")
> [@andros](#): > > If Max Brooks taught me anything, it’s that flame is a deeply stupid choice against zeds. Yeah, instead of a filthy undead grabbing and biting, its now on fire, grabbing and biting. I vote for a potato launcher filled with dremel blades. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/38 "2018-01-30T12:29:35Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Sure. It is now as he makes the shift to mass production. The problem is that it was always going to be a money pit for the first person to try it out. Economy of scale will kick in now that there’s financial incentive to look for it. He had the money to look for it. > > And I can’t wait for the solar roofing tiles to reach the same point. > > Elon’s a flake, but dammit, he’s got style! TIL Tesla is the first company trying to mass produce cars. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/39 "2018-01-30T12:41:39Z")
Anyone know what they’re using for fuel? I regularly play with 15,000,000 BTU propane [flames](https://www.google.com/search?q=hot+air+balloon+flame&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X), & even when on their side, the flame & heat tend to rise up before the end of the flame. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/40 "2018-01-30T17:55:07Z")
Let me get this straight…you’re, uh…flaming him? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765.md?page=3)