<h2>R-Rated App</h2>
The electric scooter company Lime&#8217;s ongoing trial period in Brisbane, Australia isn&#8217;t going so great, <a href="https://gizmodo.com/lime-scooters-hacked-to-say-sexual-things-to-riders-in-1834264534">according to Gizmodo</a> — at least eight scooters have been pulled from the streets because hackers replaced the usual audio messages with sexually explicit comments.
All things considered, hacking scooters to make sexual comments is a fairly benign, if insensitive, prank compared to other hacks that can cause bodily harm. But the prevalence of e-scooter hacks in Brisbane around the world points to security flaws in vehicles that are becoming ubiquitous in many large cities.
<h2>Okay Fine, Here:</h2>
&#8220;Okay, if you&#8217;re going to ride my ass then please pull my hair, okay?&#8221; said one scooter when unlocked, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxrdj9JU-Mk&amp;feature=youtu.be">according to YouTube footage</a> uploaded Monday.
Other <a href="https://twitter.com/7newsbrisbane/status/1120464091406057472">video footage</a> captured by 7News Brisbane shows some of the other lewd comments.
<iframe width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Uxrdj9JU-Mk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Security Considerations</h2>
This isn&#8217;t the biggest problem Lime has faced in Brisbane — the company had to patch its software last month after reports that people were getting hurt riding scooters that suddenly locked up, <a href="https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/decision-day-for-brisbane-s-lime-scooters-after-glitch-throws-riders-20190318-p5150z.html">according to the Brisbane Times</a>. Lime has also been forced to recall scooters elsewhere in the world because they <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/report-lime-recalling-scooters-catching-fire">spontaneously combusted</a>.
For now, Lime has responded to the hacks by calling them disappointing in a <a href="https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/hacked-lime-scooters-play-offensive-voice-messages-20190423-p51ghx.html">statement to the Brisbane Times</a>.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not smart, it&#8217;s not funny and is akin to changing a ringtone,&#8221; said the representative.
READ MORE: <a href="https://gizmodo.com/lime-scooters-hacked-to-say-sexual-things-to-riders-in-1834264534">Lime Scooters Hacked to Say Sexual Things to Riders in Australia</a> [Gizmodo]
More on e-scooter hacks: <a href="https://futurism.com/hackers-remotely-access-electric-scooter">Hackers Can Access Your Electric Scooter While You’re Riding It</a>

The insensitive prank speaks to the vulnerability of rentable scooters.

Hackers are reprogramming Lime scooters to make sexual comments

Wild Ride

Several Lime scooters had to be pulled off the streets of Brisbane after hackers made them play sexually explicit audio recordings.

Hackers Are Reprogramming Lime Scooters to Make Sexual Comments

Jokes aside, this points to serious vulnerabilities in electric scooters.

<h2>Fire in Shanghai</h2>
A <a href="https://www.weibo.com/6069454448/HqI5yo6p9?from=page_1005056069454448_profile&amp;wvr=6&amp;mod=weibotime&amp;type=comment">CCTV video</a> has been making its rounds on Chinese media since the weekend that shows a Tesla Model S catching fire in a Shanghai parking lot.
The car in question first starts to heavily smoke from below, before catching fire in a big ball of light and flame. The exact cause of the fire is still unknown — but the incident illustrates the perils that ubiquitous cameras pose for prominent brands.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Good or bad, negative or positive I will post anything about Tesla or EVs in China. This happened today in Shanghai, China 🇨🇳 1st generation Tesla Model S caught Fire 🔥 underground car park.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tesla?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tesla</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeslaChina?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeslaChina</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ModelS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ModelS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Fire?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Fire</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/China?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#China</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shanghai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Shanghai</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E7%89%B9%E6%96%AF%E6%8B%89?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#特斯拉</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#中国</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24TSLA&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$TSLA</a> <a href="https://t.co/HOwMcvulV1">pic.twitter.com/HOwMcvulV1</a>
&mdash; Jay in Shanghai (@ShanghaiJayin) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShanghaiJayin/status/1119997229530406913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h2>Fire Watch</h2>
It&#8217;s not the first Tesla fire Futurism has reported on. Most recently, a man died after crashing a 2016 Tesla Model S into a tree in Miami, Florida in February, <a href="https://www.local10.com/news/florida/broward/tesla-that-burned-in-fatal-crash-in-davie-catches-fire-again-at-tow-yard">according to local news</a>.
In an <a href="https://www.weibo.com/teslaofficial?is_hot=1#1556037160307">official response</a> on Chinese social media site Weibo, Tesla wrote that &#8220;after learning about the accident that occurred in Shanghai, we sent the team to the scene last night. We are actively contacting relevant departments and supporting the verification.&#8221;
<h2>Bad Timing</h2>
The timing of the video couldn&#8217;t come at a worse time.
Tesla has been betting billions of dollars on expanding sales to the Chinese market — construction of Tesla&#8217;s $2 billion Gigafactory in Shanghai, for instance, started <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/shanghai-gigafactory-tesla-elon-musk">earlier this year</a>.
READ MORE: <a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/xwnzbz/it-looks-like-a-tesla-model-s-just-exploded-in-a-chinese-parking-garage">It Looks Like a Tesla Model S Just Exploded in a Chinese Parking Garage</a> [Motherboard] 

More on Tesla fires: <a href="https://futurism.com/tesla-driver-killed-burning-model-s">Report: In Fatal Crash, Door Handles Fail on Burning Tesla</a>

"We are actively contacting relevant departments and supporting the verification."

Watch a Tesla Model S explode in a parking garage

Tesla Fire

A CCTV video has been making its rounds on Chinese media since Sunday that shows a Tesla Model S catching fire in a Shanghai parking lot.

Watch a Tesla Model S Burst Into Flames in a Parking Garage

Luckily, nobody got hurt.

<h2>Elon Being Elon</h2>
During Monday&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-demo-full-self-driving" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Autonomy Investor Day</a>,&#8221; Elon Musk said he expects Tesla to have more than 1 million autonomous robotaxis on the road in 2020.
Wall Street&#8217;s response: Yeah, right.
&#8220;The Tesla Network robotaxi plans seemed half baked,&#8221; Cowen’s analyst Jeffrey Osborne wrote in a note to investors, according to a <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/23/wall-street-calls-teslas-autonomous-plan-half-baked.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNBC report</a>, &#8220;with the company appearing to either not have answers to or not even considered pretty basic question[s] on the pricing, insurance liability, or regulatory and legal requirements.&#8221;
<h2>Wishful Thinking</h2>
Musk has been floating the idea of <a href="https://futurism.com/ready-for-edit-7-ways-tesla-is-changing-everything" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tesla robotaxis</a> for several years, arguing that the company&#8217;s cars could one day serve the same purpose as Ubers or Lyfts, but without the need for a driver — just summon a Tesla from an app, and it&#8217;ll drive itself to you.
The investors quoted in the CNBC piece don&#8217;t seem to take issue with this plan directly — just Musk&#8217;s recent assertions about its execution.
&#8220;Tesla’s autonomy investor presentations conveyed impressive technological leadership but, in our view, left big questions around time-to-market and did not change our views on the impediments to removing the human driver in a commercial service at scale,&#8221; Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas told investors, per CNBC.
He later added, &#8220;We still think removing the safety driver will take many years (if not decades) to achieve at high scale.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/23/wall-street-calls-teslas-autonomous-plan-half-baked.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wall Street calls Tesla’s autonomous plan ‘half-baked,’ doubts it can beat Lyft, Nvidia and Google</a> [CNBC]
More on Tesla: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-demo-full-self-driving" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tesla Will Demonstrate Full Self-Driving Capabilities This Month</a>

"We still think removing the safety driver will take many years (if not decades) to achieve at high scale."

Experts: Tesla's plans to launch a robotaxi network are nonsense

Not Happening

Wall Street is not buying Elon Musk's assertion that Tesla will have a million autonomous robotaxis on the road by the end of 2020.

Experts: Tesla’s Plans to Launch a Robotaxi Network Are Nonsense

One million autonomous robotaxis on the road in 2020? A prominent analyst called the idea "half baked."

<h2>Loop-the-Loop</h2>
Nearly two years after Elon Musk first claimed his Boring Company <a href="https://futurism.com/musk-reveals-that-verbal-permission-for-the-hyperloop-was-given-from-federal-official/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had permission</a> to build an East Coast hyperloop, the project is finally starting to come to fruition.
Sort of, anyway.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) shared a <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/dot-completes-review-draft-environmental-assessment-proposed-%E2%80%9Cloop%E2%80%9D-tunnel-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">draft environmental assessment</a> for the Washington D.C. to Baltimore Loop Project, a scaled-down version of Musk&#8217;s initial vision. This marks the first step in a joint federal-state review of the project — and it brings a new kind of transportation system incrementally closer to reality.
<h2>Not a Hyperloop</h2>
The Loop project differs from the hyperloop system Musk initially envisioned. For one thing, it&#8217;s technically not a hyperloop at all.
Instead of shuttling passengers around at speeds in excess of 965 kilometers per hour in partial-vacuum tubes, the Loop project would see them ride in autonomous electric vehicles at speeds up to 241 kilometers per hour.
The route is also considerably shorter, connecting just D.C. and Baltimore and not New York City and Philadelphia.
<h2>Baby Steps</h2>
Still, the Boring Company hasn&#8217;t given up on the idea of an East Coast hyperloop altogether.
It has already <a href="https://www.boringcompany.com/eastcoast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced plans</a> to design the Loop project tunnels to be compatible with hyperloop technology so they could possibly be upgraded — and extended to other cities — in the future.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-tunnel-musk/u-s-advances-review-of-musks-baltimore-washington-tunnel-project-idUSKCN1RT28Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. advances review of Musk&#8217;s Baltimore-Washington tunnel project</a> [Reuters]
More on the hyperloop: <a href="https://futurism.com/musk-reveals-that-verbal-permission-for-the-hyperloop-was-given-from-federal-official/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk Reveals that “Verbal Permission” for the Hyperloop Was Given From Federal Official</a>

The twin tunnels would connect D.C. and Baltimore.

Elon Musk’s “Loop project” is one step closer to breaking ground

Loop Scoop

The Boring Company's Loop project connecting Washington, D.C., and Baltimore has moved one step closer to breaking ground.

Elon Musk’s “Loop Project” Is One Step Closer to Breaking Ground

It's not the East Coast hyperloop Musk envisioned, but it's a start.

<h2>Powerful Plane</h2>
An airplane with a wingspan greater than the length of a football field just flew for the first time — putting us one step closer to more affordable spaceflight.
The largest airplane in the world, the Stratolaunch, took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, Calif., on Saturday for its first test flight. According to a <a href="https://www.stratolaunch.com/2019/04/13/stratolaunch-completes-historic-first-flight-of-aircraft/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>, it reached a maximum speed of 304 kilometers per hour (189 miles per hour) over the course of the 2.5-hour-long flight, soaring as high as 17,000 feet before landing safely.
&#8220;The flight itself was smooth, which is exactly what you want a first flight to be,&#8221; test pilot Evan Thomas <a href="https://www.theverge.com/transportation/2019/4/13/18309129/stratolaunch-worlds-biggest-airplane-first-flight-rockets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Verge</a>, later adding, &#8220;It flew very much like we had simulated and like we predicted.&#8221;
<iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VFHAz4AG-no?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Air Launch</h2>
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen started Stratolaunch Systems in 2011 with the goal of building an airplane massive enough to carry rockets and other spacecraft to low-earth orbit.
This way of reaching space, known as air launch to orbit, has numerous benefits over traditional spacecraft launches. Because the plane takes off from a runway, it &#8220;can circumvent bad weather, air traffic, and other variables that cause delays with traditional ground launches,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.stratolaunch.com/how-we-launch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stratolaunch&#8217;s website</a>.
And because the Stratolaunch is reusable — it lands after each launch — the company doesn&#8217;t need to charge as much for its launch services, further democratizing access to space.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.stratolaunch.com/2019/04/13/stratolaunch-completes-historic-first-flight-of-aircraft/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stratolaunch Completes Historic First Flight of Aircraft</a> [Stratolaunch]
More on the Stratolaunch: <a href="https://futurism.com/microsoft-co-founder-just-revealed-the-worlds-largest-plane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Microsoft’s Co-Founder Just Revealed the Largest Plane in the World</a>

"The flight itself was smooth, which is exactly what you want a first flight to be."

See the world’s biggest airplane nail its first test flight

Dry Run

The Stratolaunch, the world's biggest airplane, just completed its first test flight, putting us one step closer to cheaper launches into space.

See the World’s Biggest Airplane Nail Its First Test Flight

Its wingspan is greater than the length of a football field.

<h2>Keep Left</h2>
In a bid to lead the race to fully-autonomous vehicles, China is building highways with dedicated lanes for self-driving cars.
A new 62-mile stretch of freeway will have two lanes dedicated to autonomous vehicles (AVs), <a href="https://www.futurecar.com/3114/China-Building-a-Highway-with-Dedicated-Lanes-for-Autonomous-Vehicles">according to FutureCar</a>. The idea is that the infrastructure investment will give AVs access to real-world traffic conditions — but also that the separate lanes will ensure that the still-limited AV tech is tested in a way that minimizes risk for human drivers.
<h2>Laying The Groundwork</h2>
The new highway, expected to be one of many, will run between Beijing and the Xiongan New Area in the Hebei province, FutureCar reports.
The road, slated for completion sometime next year, is expected to halve the travel time between the two areas and, thanks to integrated sensors running the length of the highway, support the AVs on their journey.
Ultimately, building new infrastructure from the ground up may be what it takes to actually jumpstart <a href="https://futurism.com/chip-maker-nvidia-bringing-ai-driving-chip-china">functional and useful AVs</a>.
READ MORE: <a href="https://thenextweb.com/cars/2019/04/15/how-chinas-new-highway-for-self-driving-cars-will-boost-its-av-ambitions/">How China’s new highway for self-driving cars will boost its AV ambitions</a> [The Next Web]
More on AVs: <a href="https://futurism.com/tesla-china-ev-track-citizens">China Forces Tesla and Other EV Makers to Turn Over Driver Data</a>

China is building AV infrastructure from the ground up.

China's rolling out dedicated highway lanes for self-driving cars

Share The Road

China is building new highways with dedicated self-driving car lanes to help usher in widespread autonomous technology. The first will be done next year.

China’s Rolling Out Dedicated Highway Lanes for Self-Driving Cars

Can’t get self-driving cars on the road without building infrastructure.

<h2>Out Run</h2>
Right now, almost all self-driving cars are supervised by a human safety driver sitting behind the wheel. Futurism <a href="https://futurism.com/waymo-one-early-rider-autonomous-vehicle">previously reported</a> that drivers working for Waymo One, the autonomous ride-hailing service, are told to stay quiet.
But now, Joe VanOflen, the operations lead at self-driving car startup Drive.ai, <a href="https://www.popsci.com/safety-driver-self-driving-car?dom=rss-default&amp;src=syn">told Popular Science</a> how he approaches working as a safety driver, sharing a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the industry — and highlighting the strange dynamics of babysitting an imperfect artificial intelligence.
<h2>Rad Racer</h2>
VanOflen said that when he cedes control to the autonomous vehicle&#8217;s AI, he still mimes driving just in case he needs to rush in and take over again.
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t want to waste a second getting to the controls, so I would keep a hand on the steering wheel and hover a foot over the pedals, mimicking manual driving,&#8221; VanOflen told PopSci. &#8220;They moved just as they would if I were using them — first-time passengers would peek up at me to see if I was touching anything.&#8221;
<h2>Pole Position</h2>
But when he does reclaim control over the car, it&#8217;s rarely to avoid a crash. More often than not, VanOflen says he&#8217;ll grab the wheel when a passenger gets tired of waiting for the car to switch lanes or do other things that the cars <a href="https://futurism.com/tesla-dropped-full-self-driving-mode">struggle to do</a> on their own.
&#8220;People climb into the shuttle with all kinds of wild expectations, but after their first ride — or sometimes even halfway through — they realize it’s really just another bus ride,&#8221; VanOflen said. &#8220;Then they usually go back to their activities. In most cases, that means they get buried in their cellphones.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.popsci.com/safety-driver-self-driving-car?dom=rss-default&amp;src=syn">What it&#8217;s really like working as a safety driver in a self-driving car</a> [Popular Science]
More on self-driving cars: <a href="https://futurism.com/florida-law-self-driving-cars">Florida Law Would Allow Self-Driving Cars With No Safety Drivers</a>

A self-driving car's human operator says he takes over when passengers get impatient

Hands-Free Conversation

A self-driving car company's operations lead shared what it's like to be the safety driver keeping an eye on an autonomous vehicle.

A Self-Driving Car’s Human Operator Says He Takes Over When Passengers Get Impatient

"I would keep a hand on the steering wheel and hover a foot over the pedals, mimicking manual driving."

<h2>Good News/Bad News</h2>
Tesla&#8217;s latest <a href="https://www.tesla.com/VehicleSafetyReport" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quarterly safety data report</a> is a mixed bag of good and bad news.
According to the report, which Tesla released this week, crashes involving the company&#8217;s vehicles are on the rise. Not great.
However, when <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-teslas-full-self-driving-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Autopilot</a> is engaged, Teslas are less likely to get into crashes, signaling that human drivers may benefit from an artificial intelligence safety boost. And even with Autopilot switched off, the likelihood of a Tesla getting into a crash is still less than the national average — a sign that Tesla&#8217;s efforts to make its cars the <a href="https://www.tesla.com/blog/q3-2018-vehicle-safety-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">safest in the world</a> appear to be paying off.
<h2>Crunched Number</h2>
In the fourth quarter of 2018, Tesla reported one accident for every 2.91 million miles driven with Autopilot engaged. The first Tesla safety report of 2019 shows that rate increasing slightly, to one accident every 2.87 million miles.
However, both of those figures are better than the statistics for Teslas without Autopilot engaged: one accident for every 1.76 million miles driven in Q4 2018 and one every 1.58 million miles driven in Q1 2019.
Teslas with or without Autopilot engaged also appear substantially safer than the average car, based on the new Tesla data. According to the <a href="https://cdan.nhtsa.gov/tsftables/National%20Statistics.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s most recent data</a>, there&#8217;s an auto crash every 436,000 miles driven in the United States.
READ MORE: <a href="https://electrek.co/2019/04/09/tesla-autopilot-safety-report-q1-2019/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tesla releases new Autopilot safety report: more crashes but still fewer than when humans drive</a> [Electrek]
More on Autopilot: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-teslas-full-self-driving-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk: Teslas Should Have “Full Self-Driving” by End of 2019</a>

The company's latest safety data report is now available.

Tesla says Autopilot is statistically safer than a human driver

Safety First

A new Tesla safety report reveals an increase in Tesla crashes, but engaging Autopilot cuts the likelihood of a fender bender.

Tesla Says Autopilot Is Statistically Safer Than a Human Driver

And Teslas driven by humans are still safer than other cars.

<h2>Drivers Wanted</h2>
The general consensus among experts is we&#8217;re headed toward a future in which humans driving cars will <a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-compares-driving-a-non-autonomous-vehicle-in-2037-to-riding-a-horse-today" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seem downright archaic</a>.
In a new <a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/3/27/18194715/self-driving-cars-uber-lyft">Vox essay</a>, New York University data journalism professor Meredith Broussard disagrees.
She thinks the era of the autonomous car is far from inevitable, and not because researchers won&#8217;t be able to perfect the tech — she argues that it&#8217;s the role drivers currently play in society that we won&#8217;t be able to live without.
<h2>Safety First</h2>
On Wednesday, Vox published <a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/3/27/18226563/50-years-wrong-side-of-history-future-prediction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hindsight 2070</a>, a series of 15 articles penned by experts in various fields, each answering the same question: &#8220;What do we do now that will be considered unthinkable in 50 years?&#8221;
Broussard was one of those experts, and she believes the existence of &#8220;unspoken social contracts&#8221; between riders and drivers will make driverless cars seem &#8220;unthinkable&#8221; to future generations.
In Vox, she describes an incident in which she witnessed a Manhattan bus driver calm an agitated passenger.
&#8220;The simple explanation for why this situation didn’t escalate: the unspoken social contract of the bus driver’s authority in this space,&#8221; she wrote.
Essentially, she argues that having someone &#8220;in charge&#8221; makes public transportation feel safer, especially for marginalized groups.
&#8220;It doesn’t feel safe to imagine riding in a shared driverless vehicle&#8230; because it doesn’t feel safe to be alone in a small, enclosed space with strange men,&#8221; she wrote.
<h2>Just Say No</h2>
Broussard&#8217;s Vox piece doesn&#8217;t cite any studies establishing the role drivers play in keeping shared transportation safe or at least safe-feeling, but her anecdotal evidence is thought-provoking.
Today, much of the autonomous car conversation is focused on when we&#8217;ll <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-demo-full-self-driving" target="_blank" rel="noopener">perfect the tech</a>, with occasional diversions to discuss how the vehicles might <a href="https://futurism.com/expert-self-driving-cars-will-eliminate-traffic-jams-by-2030" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impact traffic</a>, <a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-people-skeptical-of-autonomous-cars-are-essentially-killing-people" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decrease accidents</a>, or <a href="https://futurism.com/futurist-by-2030-autonomous-cars-will-destroy-a-host-of-jobs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increase unemployment</a>.
The idea that a driverless future will make passengers feel less safe from the threat of other people isn&#8217;t talked about much, if at all —  but Broussard thinks we&#8217;ll soon realize that it&#8217;s a discussion we should have been having all along.
&#8220;In 50 years, we’ll likely regret spending so much on this futile, antisocial endeavor,&#8221; she wrote for Vox. &#8220;It’s time to collectively say no to the fantasy of the driverless car and invest in making our existing transportation systems better.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/3/27/18194715/self-driving-cars-uber-lyft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Self-driving cars will be considered unthinkable 50 years from now</a> [Vox]
More on self-driving cars: <a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-compares-driving-a-non-autonomous-vehicle-in-2037-to-riding-a-horse-today" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk Compares Driving a Non-Autonomous Vehicle in 2037 to Riding a Horse Today</a>

We need drivers to be in charge, she claims.

Expert: In 50 years, self-driving cars will be "unthinkable"

Road Regrets

Self-driving cars will disrupt carefully constructed social contracts, claims New York University data journalism professor Meredith Broussard.

Expert: In 50 Years, Self-Driving Cars Will Be “Unthinkable”

"It doesn’t feel safe to imagine riding in a shared driverless vehicle."

Today, Elon Musk took to Twitter to <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1113543460710039553">deny he was a furry</a>. Minutes later, he added to the mystery by <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1113545297311948803">clarifying that</a> he might identify as &#8220;fur-curious.&#8221;
Here are six other things Musk could be dealing with.
<ol>
<li>Running SpaceX, Tesla, and several other prominent future-facing companies.</li>
<li>Focusing on SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch, scheduled for <a href="https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2019/04/03/falcon-heavy-roadways-avoid-during-weekend-launch/3355502002/">this coming Sunday</a>.</li>
<li>Preparing for a court battle with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is working to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/03/business/sec-elon-musk-hearing-walkup/index.html">hold him in contempt</a> for Tweeting.</li>
<li>Getting Teslas to &#8220;full self-driving&#8221; by the end of 2020, <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-demo-full-self-driving">as promised</a> a month ago.</li>
<li>The constant strain of being held to account by the <a href="http://futurism.com">cruel and capricious media industry who hold him to the impossibly high standard that could only be fairly applied to someone capable of changing the universe&#8217;s technological paradigms </a>.</li>
<li>Reaching the Moon, <a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-reach-moon-starship-raptor">in his own words</a>, &#8220;as fast as possible.&#8221;</li>
</ol>
More on Elon Musk: <a href="https://futurism.com/sec-lawsuit-elon-musk-highlights">The Five Funniest Things about the SEC’s Lawsuit against Elon Musk</a>

Don't get us wrong: there's nothing wrong with being a furry. But here are five things Musk could be working on instead.

Fursona Report

Don't get us wrong: there's nothing wrong with being a furry. But here are five things Musk could be working on instead of tweeting.

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