Elon Musk offers to help Thai cave rescue (opens in new tab)

I don't really care even if he's doing this partly for pro-Tesla/Boring PR, it is nice to see such a prominent CEO take a public interest in this and other humanitarian problems (e.g. Puerto Rico disaster relief). Given his general tendency to speak out (for better or worse) about things having nothing to do with his work or business, I'm inclined to think his interest is personally genuine.

Off-topic: I really like the BBC's illustrated map of the cave. For a static image, really gives a lot of info about the scale and severity of the situation: https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/146FC/production...

Cynics will say this is a PR move, but I don't think that's how Musk operates. I think he sees a problem, thinks it's being solved inefficiently, has ideas he considers better, and wants to act quickly. It's the foundation of all his companies. It's a bit of a renegade/cowboy mentality, and some caution is warranted, but he thinks outside the box and acts on it more than most people.

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.

I'm not a big fan of this. If he wants to help, he knows who to ask, I'm sure they'd take his calls. If he wants to act like a big man on twitter... well he's doing a good job- and that's not really very impressive.

As easy as it is to find hidden motives, PR, advertising, etc.

The truth is it also carries a huge risk. He is putting himself out there if they accept, and willing to take a shot. That has to be respected.

It's OK to offer help and make a statement that you are offering help.

It's bad idea to pitch solutions publicly on Twitter. Musk could contact the rescuers and provide solution options privately. It's very easy to create chaos and political pressure when politicians, relatives and others are demanding why are you not doing like Musk says.

If he can make something happen, it'd be a huge win-win for everyone, not to mention insanely good PR for Tesla.

Why is this thread flagged?

Partly PR (like everything he does) and such unflattering things, but also partly an exercise of the ability (read "ubiquitous nerd dream" if you like) of thinking up outrageous solutions to pressing problems (e.g. inflatable "bouncy castle" air tunnel), which in this case differs from the usual in that said nerd is very rich (and also owns technology and employs people with skills appropriate to the problem) so the outrageous solution has some chance of actually being implemented in the real world

This differs from the option mentioned by someone else of "calling the right people" (perhaps by donating a chunk of money to send conventional rescue personnel/equipment) instead of flashily taking matters into his own hands: this is a display of ingenuity/out-of-the-box thinking/"a tunnel-making company that everyone says is a bad idea saved actual lives, see?" first (again, read something like "nerd saviourism" or a restricted form of "tech solutionism" if you like) and philanthropy second.

Similar idea to pushing his batteries in Puerto Rico, and also explains his lack of interest in Flint (often mentioned on Twitter) or similar humanitarian concerns, and hence his difference from a certain "philanthropic billionaire" stereotype exemplified by Gates and Buffett: he doesn't own a company that claims it can purify water in a way everyone thinks is either overpriced or stupid, so "those things would prove nothing". (A silly prediction along these lines: if there ever is some sort of emergency in the near future that requires transporting something very quickly from A to B, faster than a cargo airplane (and insert other wildly improbable things here), I'd expect him to offer to do the "NYC to Tokyo in 30 min" thing for free.)

It is great that he is volunteering to help, but him publicly presenting himself as a savior prior to actually accomplishing the solutions makes me just roll my eyes and think less of him for doing anything for the limelight. Sure if he does go out and solves the problem, then afterwards is the proper time to put out a press release and brag.

I'm still waiting for him to work out the kinks with his cars' autopilot and get his promised "hyperloop" that he loves talking about finally deployed.

Speaking as a caving hobbyist, I think it's rather stupid. Yes you can tweet about your ideas but that doesn't make you actually helped because there's no sign of you being a speleology specialist or any other expertises of wilderness rescue. Those are prior requirements to differ you from a normal guy in the web. Here's a proper rescue case [0], althought there's no cave diving involved.

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riesending_cave_rescue

I like the engineering side of the problem. if I understand it properly, the greatest danger is that even when two professional divers will accompany each boy through the passage, if that child panicks in a narrow underwater section, there is risk both three may get drown. I imagine that they can try to infuse each child with some calm-down preparate to prevent panick, in such a manner that child will be still able to use his own muscles to walk.

Its really good that he can and wants to help, I can almost picture him shouting "Thunderbirds are go!"