<h2>Neuralink</h2>
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk hinted at what could be the announcement of a brain-machine interface that could one day hook human brains up to computers on Sunday. In response to a question asking for an update on <a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-just-launched-a-company-to-merge-your-brain-with-a-computer">Neuralink</a>, a neurotechnology startup he founded in 2016, Musk <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1119883893392334848">replied that new information would be &#8220;coming soon&#8221;</a>.
A &#8220;direct cortical interface,&#8221; according to Musk, could allow humans to reach higher levels of cognition —and give humans a better shot at competing with artificial intelligence, the Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/elon-musk-launches-neuralink-to-connect-brains-with-computers-1490642652">reported in 2017</a>. It&#8217;s unclear, though, whether Neuralink&#8217;s main objective is to do just that or to connect human brains to computers for consumer applications.
<h2>AI Overlords</h2>
Musk has repeatedly <a href="https://futurism.com/grimes-musk-rococo-basilisk">warned of evil AI overlords</a> in the past, saying that AI could become &#8220;an immortal dictator from which we could never escape&#8221; in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdguhIzftH4">2018 documentary</a> called &#8220;Do You Trust This Computer?&#8221;
Most of what Neuralink is working on, including any plans for a brain computer interface, are still tightly under wraps. In one tantalizing clue, Bloomberg recently <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-11/team-linked-to-elon-musk-neuralink-outline-brain-monitor-system">reported on</a> a <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/sewing-machine-implant-brain-electrodes">still unpublished academic paper</a> by five authors who have been employed by or associated with Neuralink — though it&#8217;s unclear whether Musk&#8217;s tweet referred to their work.
<h2>Sewing Machine for the Brain</h2>
The paper describes a &#8220;sewing machine&#8221; for the brain in the form of a needle-like device that is inserted into a rat&#8217;s skull to implant a bendable polymer electrode in the brain that would read the brain&#8217;s electrical signals.
Of course, human trials are still a long time out. Neuralink has yet to comment on any possible timelines or announcements.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/elon-musk-twitter-neuralink-brain-machine-interface-computer-ai-a8880911.html">Elon Musk says machine to connect human brain to computers is &#8216;coming soon&#8217;</a> [The Independent]
More on Neuralink: <a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-just-launched-a-company-to-merge-your-brain-with-a-computer">Elon Musk Just Launched A Company To Merge Your Brain With A Computer</a>

Musk has repeatedly warned of evil AI overlords in the past, saying that AI could become "an immortal dictator from which we could never escape."

Elon Musk: brain computer interface update "coming soon"

Neuralink

Elon Musk hinted at the announcement by his startup Neuralink, possibly of a brain-machine interface that could one day hook human brains up to computers.

Elon Musk: Brain-Computer Interface Update “Coming Soon”

We might soon get an update from Musk's mysterious neurotech startup.

<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>Wake Up, Neo</h2>
In an interview with MIT researcher Lex Fridman, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reiterated his belief that we&#8217;re all living inside a simulation.
When Fridman <a href="https://youtu.be/dEv99vxKjVI">asked him</a> what his first question would be for the first-ever artificial general intelligence system, Musk replied: &#8220;What&#8217;s outside the simulation?&#8221;
<h2>Pong of my People</h2>
Musk has floated the possibility that we&#8217;re all living in a &#8220;The Matrix&#8221; style simulation for several years. During a 2016 interview at a tech conference, <a href="https://futurism.com/are-we-living-in-a-computer-simulation-elon-musk-thinks-so">Musk asserted that</a> there&#8217;s &#8220;a one in billions chance we’re in base reality.&#8221;
The argument: video games have evolved from a &#8220;Pong, two rectangles and a dot&#8221; he told audiences at the 2016 conference, to &#8220;photorealistic 3D simulations with millions of people playing simultaneously.&#8221; Given enough time, those games would become &#8220;indistinguishable from reality.&#8221;
<h2>Next Level</h2>
For Musk, human reality amounts to a computer simulation created by greater forces — the extent to which he actually prescribes to this theory is hard to tell. But he has voiced concern about all-powerful AI. He has even <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/13/elon-musk-at-sxsw-a-i-is-more-dangerous-than-nuclear-weapons.html">argued</a> that AI is &#8220;far more dangerous than nukes&#8221; at a different tech conference in 2018.
&#8220;The singularity for this level of the simulation is coming soon,&#8221; Musk replied to a tweet by the official Twitter account of the television show <a href="http://www.adultswim.com/videos/rick-and-morty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rick and Morty</a> in 2017. &#8220;I wonder what the levels above us look like.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/54900-elon-musk-reveals-the-one-question-he-would-ask-a-human-level-a-i">Elon Musk Reveals the One Question He Would Ask a Human-Level A.I.</a> [Inverse] 

More on the simulation hypothesis: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/mit-living-simulation-hypothesis">MIT Prof: It&#8217;s More Likely We&#8217;re Living in a Simulation Than Not</a>

"I wonder what the levels above us look like."

Elon Musk's question for super-smart AI: what’s outside the simulation?

I'm In

In an interview with MIT researchers Lex Fridman, Tesla CEO and visionary Elon Musk reiterated his belief that we're all living inside a simulation.

Elon Musk’s Question for Super-Smart AI: What’s Outside the Simulation?

Elon Musk chooses the red pill.

<h2>Dragon Wings</h2>
Sometimes, it&#8217;s easy to tell if space travel visionary and meme reviewer Elon Musk is joking on Twitter. Other times, not so much.
Just before the return of HBO&#8217;s mega-hit &#8220;Game of Thrones,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1117563679099240449">Musk tweeted</a> that he was &#8220;thinking about adding giant stainless steel dragon wings to Starship&#8221; that could allow his eventually-Mars-bound spacecraft to keep cool during re-entry. &#8220;Starship will land on a ring of fire,&#8221; he <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1117571159195668480">added later</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
With steel membrane wings like a Dragon, we may be able to lower Starship’s orbital reentry temp to ~1000 degrees C, which would allow the whole surface to be uncooled bare metal
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1117581094415503360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h2>Winter is Coming</h2>
When asked how serious he was on a scale of one to ten, Musk <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1117565769829818368">gave the plan a 6.5</a>. And, to be fair, we&#8217;ve thought Musk was joking about plenty of things before — leading to his fair share of successes.
He put together a company devoted to digging tunnels called The Boring Company, for instance — and even marketed a <a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-flamethrowers-dumb">novelty flamethrower</a>.
<h2>Shoot for the Moon</h2>
Besides, SpaceX&#8217;s Starship is just as much of a moonshot as Musk&#8217;s other endeavors: a spacecraft that&#8217;s meant to shift the paradigm interplanetary travel, eventually offering up to 100 passengers a trip to the Moon or even Mars. From red-hot, futuristic <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-spacex-starship-hex-tiles">&#8220;heatshield hex tiles&#8221;</a> to a shiny retro-looking <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/starship-image-elon-musk-spacex">stainless steel dome</a>, Starship is already looking like something straight out of science fiction.
So why not throw some high fantasy legendary creature wings on top of the pile?
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/54899-game-of-thrones-elon-musk-proposes-dragon-wings-for-spacex-starship">&#8216;Game of Thrones&#8217;: Elon Musk Proposes Dragon Wings for SpaceX Starship</a> [Inverse]
More on Starship: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-tests-starship-hopper-engine">SpaceX&#8217;s Starship Hopper Completes First Tethered “Hop”</a>

To be fair, we've thought Musk was joking about plenty of things before — leading to his fair share of successes.

Elon Musk suggests adding "dragon wings" to Starship

Dragon Wings

Musk tweeted that he was "thinking about adding giant stainless steel dragon wings to Starship" that could allow it to keep cool during re-entry.

Elon Musk Suggests Adding “Dragon Wings” to Starship

Was it a "Game of Thrones" joke? We're not entirely sure.

<h2>Fast Delivery</h2>
A group of DARPA-funded scientists associated with Elon Musk say they&#8217;ve invented a new way to &#8220;rapidly implant&#8221; brain electrodes into rats — and their &#8220;sewing machine&#8221; implantation system could facilitate the creation of a mind-reading brain-computer interface, as <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-11/team-linked-to-elon-musk-neuralink-outline-brain-monitor-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first reported by Bloomberg</a>.
&#8220;Although more research is needed to refine the overall interface system and better integrate its components, these developments may ultimately open the possibility of bundling next-generation robotics, AI software, and electronics to create alternatives to present-day neurosurgical techniques,&#8221; DARPA biotech director Justin Sanchez told Bloomberg.
<h2>Musk-eteers</h2>
The team&#8217;s paper, <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/578542v1.full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published on</a> the preprint server bioRxiv, is notable because of Musk&#8217;s founding role in Neuralink, a secrecy-shrouded venture that aims to build a brain-computer interface.
All the new paper&#8217;s authors — who declined to comment to Bloomberg — have been employed by or associated with Neuralink, according to the magazine.
The report is especially intriguing, Bloomberg pointed out, in light of <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1116092948343480320" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a tweet</a> this week in which Musk teased a Neuralink update &#8220;in a few months.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-11/team-linked-to-elon-musk-neuralink-outline-brain-monitor-system?srnd=technology-vp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Team Linked to Elon Musk Edges Closer to Brain Computers</a> [Bloomberg]
More on Neuralink: <a href="https://futurism.com/heres-everything-you-need-to-know-about-elon-musks-humanai-brain-merge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Here’s Everything You Need to Know about Elon Musk’s Human/AI Brain Merge</a>

It could facilitate the creation of a mind-reading brain-computer interface.

Scientists invent "sewing machine" to implant brain electrodes

Sew Cool

Scientists associated with Elon Musk say they've invented a "sewing machine" system to implant brain electrodes into rats.

Scientists Invent “Sewing Machine” to Implant Brain Electrodes

The team is tied to Elon Musk, who recently teased an upcoming Neuralink update.

<h2>The Falcons Have Landed</h2>
The second time is apparently the charm for SpaceX.
In February 2018, Elon Musk&#8217;s space company <a href="https://futurism.com/falcon-heavy-launch-whats-next-spacex" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launched a Falcon Heavy rocket</a> for the first time, but it wasn&#8217;t able to recover all three of the rocket&#8217;s boosters — rather than landing on SpaceX&#8217;s autonomous drone ship like it was supposed to, the <a href="https://futurism.com/contest-find-the-falcon-heavys-center-core-because-we-cant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">center core</a> splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean. Whoops.
On Thursday, the company attempted its second Falcon Heavy launch, and this time it <a href="https://phys.org/news/2019-04-spacex-mega-rocket-boosters.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nailed the landing</a> of all three boosters — marking a new milestone in reusable rocketry.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Watch SpaceX&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FalconHeavy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FalconHeavy</a> rocket lands its center core on a ship for the first time 🚀 <a href="https://t.co/VltoKVaAox">pic.twitter.com/VltoKVaAox</a>
&mdash; CNET (@CNET) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNET/status/1116506217239568384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<h2>Democratizing Space</h2>
The Falcon Heavy is currently the <a href="https://www.spacex.com/falcon-heavy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most powerful launch vehicle</a> in operation. Because SpaceX designed the rocket to be reusable, it can keep the <a href="https://futurism.com/spacexs-reusable-rockets-could-save-the-company-a-lot-of-money" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cost of launches</a> lower than would otherwise be possible — and cheaper launches mean <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-rocket-cost/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more launches</a>, thereby advancing humanity&#8217;s efforts to study, explore, and exploit space.
Now that SpaceX has proven it can successfully recover all three Falcon Heavy boosters, it can start looking ahead to the <a href="https://www.spacex.com/missions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">five launches</a> already on the rocket&#8217;s manifest — and the others that will likely follow.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Falcon Heavy’s side boosters land on Landing Zones 1 and 2 <a href="https://t.co/nJCCaVHOeo">pic.twitter.com/nJCCaVHOeo</a>
&mdash; SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1116553298176118784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
READ MORE: <a href="https://phys.org/news/2019-04-spacex-mega-rocket-boosters.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SpaceX launches mega rocket, lands all three boosters</a> [Phys.org]
More on Falcon Heavy: <a href="https://futurism.com/falcon-heavy-launch-whats-next-spacex" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Falcon Heavy Launched. Here’s What’s Next for SpaceX.</a>

The achievement marks a new milestone in reusable rocketry.

SpaceX milestone: Company lands three Falcon Heavy boosters

Heavy Hitter

SpaceX successfully landed all three of its Falcon Heavy boosters during the rocket's second launch ever, marking a new milestone in reusable rocketry.

SpaceX Milestone: Company Lands Three Falcon Heavy Boosters

Elon Musk's company nailed the landing on its second try.

<h2>Musk vs. SEC</h2>
The ongoing war between Elon Musk and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) just wrapped up its latest battle.
The bare bones: On Thursday afternoon, a federal court heard oral arguments related to the SEC&#8217;s recently filed <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5750664-Show-Cause.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">motion</a> asserting that Tesla&#8217;s CEO violated the terms of a 2018 settlement agreement — the most recent drama in an unusual and high-profile spat between a buttoned-up federal agency and a devil-may-care executive.
Here&#8217;s everything you need to know about what led up to the hearing, what actually went down, and what it could mean for the future of Tesla and its tweet-happy CEO.
<h2>The Build-Up</h2>
In August, Musk <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1026872652290379776" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> that he&#8217;d secured funding to take Tesla private. The only problem was that he hadn&#8217;t — and the following month, the SEC filed a <a href="https://futurism.com/sec-lawsuit-elon-musk-highlights" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> against Musk, alleging that his tweet had intentionally mislead Tesla investors.
By mid-October, Musk and Tesla officially <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.501881/gov.uscourts.nysd.501881.14.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">settled the lawsuit</a>, agreeing to pay the SEC a total of $40 million. Musk also agreed to give up his seat as Tesla&#8217;s chairman for three years and allow lawyers to oversee his communications.
Tesla did <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-chair-robyn-denholm-elon-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replace Musk</a> as chairman, but his tweets kept coming, including a Feb. 19 specimen in which Musk claimed that Tesla would make about 500,000 cars in 2019 — contradicting public filings placing that number closer to 400,000 (Musk corrected himself with another tweet four hours later).
The next day, the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/02/26/sec-asks-judge-hold-teslas-elon-musk-contempt-saying-he-violated-settlement-deal/?utm_term=.21c4b6416ab9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SEC asked Tesla</a> if anyone had reviewed the first tweet prior to Musk sending it. Tesla answered in the negative, and on Feb. 25, the SEC <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5750664-Show-Cause.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed a motion</a> claiming Musk violated the terms of the settlement and should therefore be held in contempt of court.
<h2>The Hearing</h2>
That brings us to Thursday, when lawyers for the SEC and Tesla each had 45 minutes to make their case to Manhattan federal judge Alison Nathan as to why Musk should or shouldn&#8217;t be held in contempt of court.
During the SEC&#8217;s time, attorney Cheryl Crumpton said that Musk &#8220;recklessly tweeted out information that has no basis in fact&#8221; and that &#8220;it&#8217;s become pretty clear over the course of the last few weeks&#8221; he doesn&#8217;t intend to comply with the terms of the settlement, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/live-blog/2019-04-03/elon-musk-judge-hears-arguments-in-sec-contempt-fight?srnd=premium" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bloomberg&#8217;s live updates</a> of the hearing.
“Tesla’s conduct is also troubling to the SEC,” Crumpton told the judge. “This court ordered Tesla to implement a mandatory pre-approval process, but they are apparently fine with Mr. Musk making up his own procedure,&#8221; adding that &#8220;Tesla still seems unwilling to exercise any meaningful control over the conduct of its CEO.&#8221;
During his time speaking before Nathan, Tesla&#8217;s lawyer John Hueston argued that the settlement&#8217;s language leaves it up to Musk to decide what information needs to be pre-approved. If he doesn&#8217;t think it&#8217;s &#8220;material,&#8221; he doesn&#8217;t need the pre-approval.
&#8220;[The SEC] agreed to take out language saying that everything has to be approved,&#8221; Hueston said, according to Bloomberg. &#8220;There has to be an oversight process and there is an oversight process. They’re not happy about that today.”
<h2>The Outcome</h2>
After hearing from both sides, Nathan ordered the SEC and Tesla to arrange a meeting between themselves and send the court a letter within two weeks letting it know if they&#8217;ve reached an agreement, according to <a href="https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-elon-musk-vs-sec-hearing-updates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Teslarati&#8217;s coverage</a>, which notes that the SEC and Tesla will hear from the judge &#8220;in due course&#8221; if they can&#8217;t work out their differences on their own.
If that&#8217;s the case, and the judge decides Musk was in contempt, she could decide to fulfill the SEC&#8217;s request that Musk be forced to pay &#8220;a series of escalating fines&#8221; for any future violations of the settlement agreement. She could also insist that Musk provide the SEC with monthly reports showing he is complying with the terms of the settlement.
For now, though, it looks like <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/26/tech/elon-musk-sec-consequences/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speculation</a> that Musk might be forced to step down as CEO of Tesla is unwarranted — if that was the SEC&#8217;s end game, it likely would have made the request during this hearing.
Musk didn&#8217;t speak during the hearing, which wrapped up less than two hours after it began, but afterwards he said he was &#8220;very impressed with Judge Nathan&#8217;s analysis.&#8221;
Nathan, however, doesn&#8217;t appear impressed with the situation between Musk and the SEC, telling the courtroom that she had &#8220;serious concerns that&#8230; the issue will not be finally resolved&#8221; regardless of her decision.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/live-blog/2019-04-03/elon-musk-judge-hears-arguments-in-sec-contempt-fight?srnd=premium" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Live Now: Elon Musk Judge Hears Arguments in SEC Contempt Fight</a> [Bloomberg]
More on the SEC: <a href="https://futurism.com/sec-threatens-elon-musk-with-legal-action-over-new-tweet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SEC Threatens Elon Musk With Legal Action Over New Tweet</a>

"Tesla still seems unwilling to exercise any meaningful control over the conduct of its CEO."

What Elon Musk's SEC hearing could mean for Tesla's future

Courtside Seats

A federal court has heard the case arguing that Elon Musk should be held in contempt of court for violating the terms of a settlement with the SEC.

What Elon Musk’s SEC Hearing Could Mean for Tesla’s Future

Elon Musk's war with the SEC, explained.

<h2>Hop Along</h2>
SpaceX&#8217;s Starship got one tiny hop closer to launch on Wednesday.
At approximately 8:56 p.m. EDT, Elon Musk&#8217;s space company test fired the engine on its Starship Hopper at its Boca Chica, Texas, facility. The craft was tethered during the approximately one-minute-long test, ensuring that its &#8220;hop&#8221; didn&#8217;t take it too far from the ground.
Soon after, Musk tweeted that the mission was a success.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Starhopper completed tethered hop. All systems green. <a href="https://t.co/0m5Bm5slD2">https://t.co/0m5Bm5slD2</a>
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1113613409767964673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h2>Seeing Stars</h2>
The Starship Hopper — or &#8220;Starhopper,&#8221; in Musk&#8217;s lingo — is a prototype for Starship, an in-development craft SpaceX hopes to use to send people to the <a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-moon-base-spacex" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moon</a>, <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-round-trip-mars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mars</a>, and even just on <a href="https://futurism.com/space-travel-disrupt-airlines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quick jaunts</a> to the other side of the Earth.
While this Starhopper boasts just one engine, the final Starship is expected to <a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/53191-spacex-starship-raptor-engine-breaks-record" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have 31</a>.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/54596-spacex-just-fired-starship-hopper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SpaceX Just Completed Its First Starship Hopper Firing: &#8216;All Systems Green&#8217;</a> [Inverse]
More on Starship: <a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-spacex-test-hoppper-starship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk: SpaceX Hopes to Launch Starship “Test Hopper” This Week</a>

The prototype is one step closer to real liftoff.

SpaceX's Starship Hopper completes first tethered "hop"

Passed Test

SpaceX's Starship Hopper successfully completed a tethered hop, putting the company's in-development Starship one step closer to liftoff.

SpaceX’s Starship Hopper Completes First Tethered “Hop”

"All systems green," CEO Elon Musk tweeted.

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.

6 Things Elon Musk Could Be Doing Instead of Denying He’s a Furry

Is it time to log off?

<h2>You&#8217;re Invited (Kinda)</h2>
Tesla is ready to put on a show for its investors — complete with a possible demo of its hotly anticipated &#8220;full self-driving&#8221; feature.
On Wednesday, the company shared a <a href="http://ir.tesla.com/news-releases/news-release-details/tesla-host-autonomy-investor-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> announcing plans to host an &#8220;<a href="https://electrek.co/2019/04/03/tesla-full-self-driving-computer-production-demonstration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Investor Day</a>&#8221; at its headquarters in Palo Alto on the morning of April 19. Tesla&#8217;s reason for the shindig is to &#8220;provide a deep dive into our self-driving technology and road map,&#8221; according to the release.
During the event, which will be webcast, investors will get a chance to take test drives in Teslas equipped with the latest Autopilot features, including some that are still under development, as well as hear from CEO Elon Musk and other company execs.
<h2>Tesla, Take the Wheel</h2>
The release also notes that Tesla&#8217;s <a href="https://electrek.co/2019/03/29/tesla-full-self-driving-computer-retrofit-elon-musk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full Self-Driving computer</a> is now in production. As you might expect from the name, that device will reportedly give Teslas the <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-full-self-driving-hardware-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ability to drive themselves</a> following over-the-air software updates.
Tesla doesn&#8217;t outright say in the press release that it plans to demonstrate that specific ability on April 19, but the fact that the computer that enables full autonomy is now in production means there&#8217;s a solid chance investors — and anyone tuning in to the webcast — will get a chance to see a Tesla drive itself later this month.
READ MORE: <a href="https://electrek.co/2019/04/03/tesla-full-self-driving-computer-production-demonstration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tesla confirms new full self-driving computer is in production, will demonstrate capability this month</a> [Electrek]
More on Tesla: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-full-self-driving-hardware-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tesla Is Now Building Cars With Hardware for &#8220;Full Self-Driving&#8221;</a>

The company is hosting an "Investor Day" to show off its new Autopilot features.

Tesla will demonstrate full self-driving capabilities this month

Hands Free

Tesla will hold an "Investor Day" on April 19 during which it will demonstrate the capabilities of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) computer.

/Elon Musk