NASA & Musk Collaboration, Making Real Connections, and Political Facebook Lies

Why NASA and Elon Musk Working Together is a Big Deal

Despite the long-held belief that NASA and Elon Musk were at odds, the two forces recently came together at a meeting between Musk and Jim Bridenstine, the administrator for NASA. Held at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California, the meeting revolved around NASA astronauts and how Musk and his SpaceX team might be able to help the launch happen sooner - and ensure it goes smoothly.  Unlike previous NASA launches, where the agency built and operated its own ships, this future launch will be on the shoulders of both SpaceX and Boeing, with NASA providing “technical help on aerodynamics as well as test facilities for SpaceX to use”.

Of course, there was tension reported between the two, despite the fact that SpaceX has been a major contractor for NASA since 2011. In fact, the entire meeting might have been more about repairing relationships than “viewing space hardware”, which is how it was publicized to the press.

During press questions, both Musk and Bridenstine managed to remain complimentary and kind, reminding everyone that both NASA and SpaceX share the same goals: “to launch NASA astronauts to the International Space Station on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule as soon as possible.”

At the moment, the main delay in the launch is due to safety. Once the spacecraft, Starship, has cleared all of the needed tests, the launch will be scheduled, something that both Musk and Bridenstine are eager to see happen.

How to Make Social Media Connections Real Connections

Although the conversation about the inevitable elimination of brick-and-mortar retail still echoes in online forums and around the water cooler, the reality is that the “demise” of physical stores has been greatly inflated. Not only are savvy physical stores thriving across the country, but more and more are popping up every day. The difference between those that are proving successful and those that were destined for success a decade ago, however, is that the latest brick-and-mortar stores have the roots in online retail, transitioning to physical locations in order to give their growing audience what they want.

Of course, the brands that are managing to do this have a very focused, very intelligent strategy in mind from the beginning. In order to successfully cross over from digital to physical, or vice versa, there needs to be a comprehensive plan in place. Otherwise, brands end up “throwing money at Facebook and Instagram” without getting the returns they want.

When done correctly, physical retail stores act as another effective marketing channel, working in tandem with, not against, a brand’s online presence. A “feedback loop” in a sense, learning how to capture a potential customer’s attention on social media and then give them an opportunity to interact in person so that they can share about their experience online is how retail success is created in today’s world.

By using the data your brand or business collects and then analyzing it so that you can customize and tailor a physical and digital experience for your audience, you can completely innovate the way you market. In the end, the real secret is finding a way to become more personal and human in the eyes of your audience, whether behind the counter at a physical store or in a post on Instagram.

The Consequence of Allowing Politicians to Lie on Facebook

Facebook has changed our cultural landscape for good. Whether it wanted to, or even understood the power it held, it has become a living entity, making itself present in nearly every single conversation, including, of course, those that lean political. Of course, because of all of the 2016 election drama, Facebook has “cracked down on disinformation flooding its social media platforms”. It hasn’t, however, found a good way to handle this loophole, which was codified by executives just last year.

The loophole basically is this: “Politicians remained free to lie at will — unbound by the rules designed to stop everyday users from peddling viral falsehoods”.

As expected, this loophole has created major backlash among both parties, leaving everyone worried about the disinformation that can quickly spread with just the press of a button. Senator Elizabeth Warren directly attacked Facebook’s political policy, stating that it allows “a candidate to intentionally lie to the American people.”

And while it might seem like we want to live in a world where political candidates aren’t free to lie to the world, the reality of stopping this could be even more dangerous as it would require something like Facebook-owned “truth-squads” to determine what’s true and what isn’t, elevating its own perspectives and biases along with it.