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Comment by toomanybeersies | Hacker News Reader

Is it really helpful for Elon Musk to spitball pie in the sky ideas on Twitter?

What does this actually achieve beyond generating PR hype for Elon and his companies?

If making a giant inflatable tunnel is a serious possibility, there are better ways to float the idea than throwing it out on Twitter.

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To be quiet frank, I don't like Twitter, but it Musk doesn't know who to ask, this is hands down the easiest way to get someone on the phone. He literally writes this down and can get a network of people talking to get back to him. This might actually be one thing Twitter is useful for.

There are other ways, but why are they better? He says it out loud, other people can chime in and improve the idea, the Thai gov't sees it without him having to work his way up through a bureaucracy to find someone who can do something about it, etc.

This seems as good a way as any to do it to me.

I think that his twitter-hype did help in Australia's case.

I'm annoyed by musk being all over the place touting technology. But as long as he doesn't impede the actual rescue why not.

Also the tube idea is probably the fastest and easiest to sustain the group survival.

> Also the tube idea is probably the fastest and easiest to sustain the group survival.

Is it? How much experience do you have in cave rescues? How much experience does Elon have in cave rescues?

What if they go with his suggestion, due to pressure from the publicity, and it turns into a disaster?

First keep calm.

Second diagrams showed they were thinking about drilling down (1/4 of a mile deep).

I can't imagine drilling being safer than passing a tube to the chamber.

I have no experience nor knowledge. I still claim that.

ps: I don't think Thai government is stupid to just follow some random celebrity. They have educated people there too. Musk is only saying he has drilling machines and powerbanks... that's all.

I think he is also offering to ship powerpacks and pumps, in case pumping is limited by available power and equipment.

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