Elon Musk went full-on epistemological at Recode's Codecon conference, suggesting that we might be in a videogame kind of simulation! Wow! This, you might know, is a theory originally posited by Descartes, then by the Matrix, and most recently, by some dude in a dorm room down the hall who just took an aggressive bong rip.

Here's the quote, per Recode:

The strongest argument for us being in a simulation is the following: 40 years ago, we had Pong. Two rectangles and a dot. Now, 40 years later, we have photorealistic 3D with millions playing simultaneously. If you assume any rate of improvement at all, then the games will become indistinguishable from reality, even if that rate of advancement drops by 1000 from what it is now. It's a given that we’re clearly on a trajectory that we’re going to have games that are indistinguishable from reality. It would seem to follow that the odds that we’re in base reality is 1 in millions.

Elon wasn't done. Assuming, for the moment, that this isn't all some simulation, Musk said of his company SpaceX that he's "going to send a mission to Mars with every Mars opportunity from 2018 onwards," an event, based on the relative orbits of Earth and Mars, that occurs every 26 months. That means people on Mars starting in 2024 or so, a plan that he has elaborated on before and which involves nuking the planet to make it habitable.

“I believe [it] is important to the future, ultimately be out there among the stars,” TechCrunch quotes Musk from the talk, “It’s not being a single planet species and moving planets, it’s about being a multi-planet species and have life extend beyond the solar system and ultimately to other star systems. That’s the future that’s exciting. You need things like that to be glad to wake up in the morning. Life can’t just be about solving problems, they have to be inspiring and make you glad to be alive.”

Or simulated! Being simulated is fun too.

The whole Recode ramble-sesh is here:

Previously: Video: New Werner Herzog Doc About Tech Features Elon Musk, Other Luminaries

"The fast way is to drop thermonuclear weapons over the poles," Elon Musk told James Bond Stephen Colbert in an appearance on The Late Show last night. That's the quickest way to make it livable, of course — this isn't just for fun.

Musk, of Tesla, SpaceX, and Solar City, is a man seemingly unburdened by concern of any kind. For him, money is no object, and neither is propriety or seeming insane.

At this point, it's possible that Musk is just trolling us really hard. And if so, well played! Tomorrow night, Colbert will be joined by Uber CEO Travis Kalanick — what's he going to want to nuke, we wonder?

All SFist coverage of Elon Musk.

If you can't wait until 2026 — the year SpaceX founder Elon Musk says he'll have humans on Mars (or won't be able to afford it when the time comes) — take a trip now via Google Maps.

As TechCrunch explains, you can zoom out of the Earth view in the latest version of Google Maps into a frame of stars that clicks into shots of the moon and Mars.

Here are the instructions via TechCrunch:

1. Go to Google Maps.

2. Click the Google Earth option.

3. Wait for the map to load in 3D and start zooming out as far as you can.

4. Make sure the Explore tab is open.

5. Once you've zoomed out, options for the moon and Mars should appear at the bottom of your screen.

You can also check out an annotated version of the map complete with Apollo missions here.

[TechCrunch]

Rejoice, interlocking block enthusiasts and fans of infamous NASA mohawk guy: LEGO has just announced that it will be producing a Mars Curiosity Rover replica that children and lovable nerds can erect in the comfort of their own homes.

The LEGO model was created by Stephen Pakbaz, a mechanical engineer who worked on Curiosity at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab and is a LEGO enthusiast. The design reached the final round of LEGO's fan-backed vote and beat out a Portal project and a pretty rad UCS Sandcrawler to get the green light for production.

Pakbaz combined his first-hand experience with his LEGO hobby to create a LEGO model that was as faithful to the actual rover as possible in terms of accuracy, details, and mechanical function, all in the civic-minded name of science:

The primary purpose of this effort has been to contribute to the educational outreach for this incredible mission. It is my hope that this model encourages the public support that is integral to the continued development and exploration of outer space.

No word yet on cost or when the LEGO rover will be available, but we're hoping it'll be here by the holidays so we can win the which-relative-gives-the-coolest-gifts prize from various nieces, nephews and eccentric uncles.

[PC Mag]

Our sister site LAist informs us, via the Mars Phoenix Lander's Twitter, that water ice has been found on the planet Mars today. At around 5:15 p.m., NASA folks exclaimed, "Are you ready to celebrate? Well, get ready: We have ICE!!!!! Yes, ICE, *WATER ICE* on Mars! w00t!!! Best day ever!!"

Martian discoveries soon to follow. Presumably. Read more about today's icy, outer space discovery here.

In case any slimy, green Maritans appear, brandishing pointy laser guns--and all experts agree that there will be--keep track of them and the Mars Phoenix Lander on Twitter. It's scheduled to land on Mars this evening at 4:53 p.m. (PDT). Or so.

For those of you not outside getting ripped at a barbecue today, you can also check out Mars Phoenix Lander coverage live on NASA TV.

Via Laughing Squid.