Elon Musk: A physicist who think big

By THOMAS HUKAHU
IN a previous article in Weekender(April 20), I spent time discussing the lives of three physicists over a period of over2000 years, starting with Archimedes(200 BC) and ending with Marie Sklodowska Curie (1934),who passed away before the start of World War II.
They are scientists who studied the subject called physics, which is said to be the natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through space and time,along with related concepts such as energy and force.
Matter is defined as anything that has mass and takes up space. Energy– like light and heat – is not matter but since the days of Albert Einstein and his now famous equation it has been shown can one can affect the other. The gravity of massive bodies like the sun can attract light from other stars and causing it to bend,while light can also be described at times to act like particles – which are matter.
This article is the last in the series of articles I have shared with you on the subjects of physics, astronomy and related subjects.Applied physicist or theoretical physicist?
Many people may have the perception that physicists are usually found in laboratories beside a number of dials and noting values over a period of time to formulate or verify new theories.
Others may think of a physicist based in a university and teaching undergraduate students courses in electromagnetism, energy physics or quantum mechanics.
That may be the case for some physicists who are researchers and academics, however not all physicists make a living like that.
Theoretical physicists are usually the kind described as academics and or researchers. The late Stephen Hawking, the cosmologist,Einstein and Prof Neil Turok, formerly a researcher at Cambridge,are theoretical physicists.Their work is often purely for research purposes. They spend most of the time working with equations and data that is available to formulate new theories.
As Turok said in a video, the tools that physicists use include “logic,experimental data and mathematical models”.
A good theoretical physicist can formulate a theory, or verify an existing one, without experimentation.(Einstein proposed his theories of relativity in that manner. He examined existing theories and came up with ideas of his own, as well as finding the suitable type of mathematics to support his ideas.)
The other type of physicist we have in the field is the applied physicist.Such a person is practical and(with the help of engineers and technicians) uses physics and related principles or concepts that are known to create, innovate or invent things that are used in everyday life– things like measuring instruments(thermometers, bathroom scales,barometers), engines, solar panels,car jacks and even electric toys.This article discusses the life of an applied physicist who is futuristic -thinking about the future as well as inventing new stuff to help lives in the future.
It is interesting to note that many physicists of past eras – like Archimedes,Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton – did work as both theoretical and applied physicists in that they were known as physicists,mathematicians, engineers and inventors.Elon Musk, the applied physicist As I was thinking about the study of physics earlier in the year, I had a look at a video of an interview of Elon Musk (1971-), the entrepreneur and researcher. The video was recorded in an interview at the Stanford Graduate School of Business(GSB).
Musk who is the CEO of Tesla Motors (or Tesla Inc) was awarded the Stanford GSB 2013 Entrepreneurial Company of the Year for the things that the firm is doing – among other things, shaping the future as in building electric vehicles that are safe and promoted the use of sustainable energy.
Musk, who is a physics and economics graduate, and founder and lead designer of SpaceX, an aerospace manufacturer, originally decided to pursue a PhD in applied physics at Stanford, but opted instead to leave and start firms that were in line with his interests as a student.
When asked how he got into his current projects, Musk said while he was doing his degree, he asked himself the question: “What would most affect the future in a positive way.”
“The three areas where I was quite sure would be positive were sustainable energy, internet and making life multi-planetary.”
It seems all the firms Musk has started and leading research in are heading towards achieving objectives in those three areas.Musk, who has taught himself computer programming at a young age, started firms like zip2, a software provider, and x.dot.com, which later became PayPal and was purchased by EBay.
He started Tesla to build electric cars like the Model S and Mode lT, vehicles that do not add to the Greenhouse Effect, as cars that run on petrol or diesel do.And in 2002, he founded SpaceX,which is researching in space transportation.Musk is also an investor in Solar-City, which specialises in providing solar energy services.It seems what he thought about as an undergraduate student is
slowly taking form.Things learned from Einstein and Musk Physics graduates have also found their place in shaping the politics and future of a nation.
Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel (1954-), the “most powerful woman in the world”, studied physics as an undergraduate student.However, she obtained her PhD in quantum chemistry in 1986 and worked as a researcher for sometime.In her political career, she was also in charge of the ministry of environment and nuclear safety in the
1990s.While thinking about the field of physics, and the lives of Einstein and Musk, I have noted some lessons.Firstly, Einstein was a genius in the sense that he did not conduct an experiment in the laboratory to come up with his theories – he examined data, the existing laws in physics and accepted concepts in mathematics as well as good scientific logic to propose new theories.That is what theoretical physicists are good at.
Secondly, Einstein always did his homework – he did not just cook up something to gain attention.It was not easy work and I am sure Einstein did his checks and rechecks countless times to develop his theories over a number of years.When he was sure everything was okay from all conceivable angles,he shared that with the world and was not moved when established physicists did not believe the novel concepts he was proposing.Because he did his homework meticulously and thoroughly, he did not budge an inch despite what the sceptics said.
Theoretical physicists are usually researchers and academics – they can be found in universities and schools.
On the other hand, Musk teaches us that physics can be exciting and very practical in shaping the future for the best. He is more of an applied physicist.Firstly, Musk’s study of physics enabled him to look into the future and help in shaping it. The subject enabled him to study the existing technologies and the possibilities of coming up with new ones.Secondly, the passion for something is often more important in making money.
In the Stanford interview, Musk said when he started his first internet company with his brother and another person, it was not with the aim of becoming rich.“It was not the thought of being wealthy. It was from the standpoint of wanting to be part of the internet,”Musk said.“And I figured that if we could make enough money to just get by that would be okay.”Thirdly, despite Musk’s point about making money, a combination of the best scientific knowledge and the will to make a positive impact in the world can bring in a lot of
money.It was reported that Tesla struggled and was about to go bankrupt a number of times, however now it is a runaway success story and is setting the pace for other established car-manufacturing firms to follow in building environmentally-friendly vehicles that use sustainable energy like electricity.It was mentioned in the interview that despite not having a good profit-making plan as in other existing industries, investors are supporting SpaceX, a firm working on interplanetary transportation,among other projects.Fourthly, reading about Musk’s SolarCity and its services reminded me of something that an energy physics lecturer said in my class in the 1990s.
“The most developed economies in the world have the best power -generating plants – as in hydropower stations,” the physicist said.
The thought that was clear to most of us then was: In Papua New Guinea we have fast-flowing rivers and solar energy aplenty. The sunrises and sets with almost the same intensity for 12 months of the year,unlike those in temperate regions where the sun could be hidden for a number of months in the year.Can we build more hydro as well as solar power plants to generate electricity and cut down on use of fossil fuels (like diesel) in trying to power our factories, light up our houses, or even power a train system?Well, I guess we need a PNG Elon Musk to make those become reality.

• Thomas Hukahu is a freelancejournalist.