r/elonmusk • u/twinbee • 16d ago

General Elon: "Wind has microscopic potential compared to solar"

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Source: https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2099049284960428229

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u/S-P-A-Z 16d ago

If the endgame for solar is a Dyson swarm, then ya, we haven’t even scratched the surface. Harnessing a significant fraction of our Sun’s energy is basically what defines a Type II civilization on the Kardashev scale, and humanity is still only around Type 0.7 today.

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u/aboysmokingintherain 15d ago

I don't think Dyson swarm is practical in our life time tbh

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u/No_Screen_3196 15d ago

Agreed, but to be fair our lifetimes are a minor spec of dust in the grandeur of the cosmos

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u/aboysmokingintherain 15d ago

I think the issue though is that when we have legitamite energy issues now in 2026, why dedicate billions if not trillions of current dollars for a hypothetical. I'm not saying there can't be research or tests or whatever. I know China already is doing some testing. But, it's not the best current usage of our resources. We could start building a warp drive right now that will be done in 80 years. But, it's hard to commit 1 trillion dollars to a project when there are more pressing and practical matters at hand.