Smart Friends The Book of Elon - Part 4
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Apr 7, 2026 
Eric Jorgensen, author and curator of The Book of Elon, offers a concise guide to Musk’s priorities. He covers companies-as-philanthropy, tunneling into genetics and synthetic RNA, and the push to take risks early in life. Topics include urgency in innovation, Neuralink and brain interfaces, autonomy replacing driving, Mars colonization logistics, and civilizational risks like AI and population decline.
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Tunneling Went From Joke To Operational Tunnels
- Tunneling was dismissed for years until The Boring Company built a test tunnel in LA and an operational tunnel in Vegas.
- Elon recommended tunneling as a neglected opportunity and personally started the company after it was originally a joke.
RNA Is The Digitization Of Medicine
- Synthetic RNA represents a digital shift in medicine, treating genetic code like software to program cells.
- Elon compares mRNA to synthetic viruses encapsulated in lipid shells and suggests RNA can enable dramatic therapies, from curing diseases to novel biological effects.
Deploy Autonomy Early To Save Lives
- Prioritize deploying autonomy because it will save lives and increase vehicle utility manyfold.
- Elon explains Tesla's focus on miles per intervention and argues delaying safer autonomy for PR or liability is morally wrong.
