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Elon Musk

Elon Musk debates science--with Lisa Simpson

Elizabeth Weise
USA TODAY
Inventor and investor Elon Musk on The Simpson.

SAN FRANCISCO - Billionaire inventor and investor Elon Musk is debating rocket science on Twitter--with Lisa Simpson.

He looks to be winning, though Lisa hasn't weighed in yet.

Musk starred in this week's episode ofThe Simpsons, "The Musk Who Fell to Earth."

He comes to Springfield (in a space ship) looking for new ideas, and finds them in the fertile muckpit that is Homer's mind.

In real life, Musk is the founder of PayPal, CEO of the electric car company Tesla and CEO and Chief Technology Officer of the space company SpaceX.

However Musk's vision of cheap electric power, self-driving cars, peace and prosperity falls afoul of Mr. Burns' desire to actually make money, something Musk's own companies struggle with.

His amazing work causes the Springfield Power Company to lose $50 million per quarter.

"Just remember, our purpose is to show the planet how to save itself," he tells Burns. "We sacrifice now in order to take care of the future."

Burns' response is to hire hit men to kill him. So Musk, who voices his own character, leaves in his spaceship to the sounds of the David Bowie song Starman.

But not before Lisa Simpson has the final word.

"For a man who likes electric cars, he sure burns a lot of rocket fuel," she says.

That's where the Twitter conversation comes in.

"If u saw @TheSimpsons and wonder why @SpaceX doesn't use an electric rocket to reach orbit, it is cuz that is impossible," Musk Tweeted Sunday night.

Musk then launched into an abbreviated physics lesson, via Tweet.

"Reason is Newton's Third Law. In vacuum, there is nothing to "push" against. You must react against ejected mass," he said.

Electric cars use electricity to turn their wheels, which push against the street. In space, there's nothing for an electrically-powered vehicle to push against. Rocket fuel ejects from the rocket, pushing the vehicle forward.

Musk sent out three more Tweets before signing off for the night, knocking down space elevators, ion thrusters and rail guns as possible power sources for spaceships leaving Earth's gravity well.

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