Chad Conrad

@Cmdr_Hadfield Thanks for bringing this excellent @hankgreen video to my attention. This is one of my new favourite things! It aligns perfectly with a journey that I’ve been on the last couple of years. I don’t want to believe; I want to know.

"Do you believe in aliens?" It's one of the top 10 astronaut questions. My answer: - belief is easy, real proof and understanding are hard - there's life on Earth and there are at least a septillion planets, so odds are there's life elsewhere too - we're incapable of visualising immense numbers, so time and distance fool us - we want to believe, so it biases our thinking - no one has conclusive evidence yet An excellent video - thanks @hankgreen for answering so well!

@mark_adam @willfleming Hey now, his Tesla isn’t ugly. I just don’t love all the FSD worship I’m seeing.

@willfleming @ceconrad if your profile pic an ugly tesla the odds are you’re cultist dude

Tonight, on a long-ass five-hour work drive, I truly realised the power of FSD. Tired and listening to a podcast, a car around a corner had broken down and suddenly appeared but before I could take over, FSD glided around the car and we continued on… In my spike of adrenaline, I pushed save clip and lived to share another day. Maybe on a full ‘tank’ I’d have been quick enough to do the same manoeuvre, but this was literally at the end of my day and I was pretty low energy. Phew for FSD.

@ChrissGPT But if you’re going to get that engaged at that point, why not just grab the wheel and do that bit yourself? How does being able to tell it to do it make it twice as useful? Unless you’re thinking forward to full autonomy and use by passengers who don’t have a driver’s license?

FSD would be twice as useful in neighborhoods if I could actually talk to the car and tell it which driveway to pull into, the same way I would with a person driving me home. Right now, there isn’t really an input for telling Tesla what color the house is or giving it specific context like that. Google Maps is also notorious for putting pins on houses that aren’t actually yours. It would be so cool if I could talk to the car while going down my street and say something like, “It’s the white house on the left, just past that SUV,” and then have FSD remember that for next time.

@willfleming @mark_adam Well, maybe it’s just what the algorithm is showing me, but lately I’ve been seeing an awful lot (it feels like over half my X feed?) of overly gushing praise for FSD and how it’s changing the world and saving so many lives, and, well, it really does feel over the top.

@ceconrad @mark_adam What the fuck you guys talking about? Cult going a bit far. Can’t we share good stuff when it happens? Bloody hell.

@mark_adam @willfleming I mean, I love my Tesla and I think FSD V14 is amazing, but yes, the cultish promotion is getting to be a bit much for me too. Many years past when autonomy was promised, FSD still requires supervision, and they ask people to pay $100 a month for it, which is outrageous to me.

@willfleming cultism is a disease

@PaulHPowell13 @Teslaconomics YMMV, but it’s worth shopping around. Full coverage (comprehensive, collision, liability, etc.) on my Model 3 is C$2,421 (about U$1,700) per year with Intact Insurance. Middle-aged, good driving and claims records.

@ceconrad @Teslaconomics I may need to see what I can find for other insurance options. When I got the Model 3, word was that non-Tesla insurance companies were too expensive.

I genuinely feel bad for anyone who hasn’t experienced Tesla FSD yet… Bc once you do, road trips are never the same. Instead of spending every second of a long drive focused on the repetitive parts of driving, I can actually take in the world around me. It’s completely changed the way I experience the journey. Tesla FSD is truly a steal at $99 per month, this technology is priceless.

@PaulHPowell13 @Teslaconomics Maybe? The insurance on my Model 3 is pretty inexpensive (considerably less than what someone I know pays for Tesla insurance) and my insurance company doesn’t offer any discounts for FSD that I’m aware of.

@ceconrad @Teslaconomics The other potential offset is insurance savings, but I don't think that's enough to make up for it.

@MintVelour @Teslaconomics I guess I’m a mystery to you. I don’t pay $25 a week to have my Tesla drive me around. I like driving (especially a Tesla!), and when I’m on the highway on long stretches where fatigue and concentration are a factor, the included Autosteer works well. Now make it free/included—🤷🏻‍♂️

@Teslaconomics The real mystery is the people in Teslas who don’t pay 25$ a week to have their car drive them around

@PaulHPowell13 @Teslaconomics I don’t even think it adds enough value in my HW4 car, because it’s still supervised. Now, if it gets to the point where I can safely and legally take a nap, work on email, etc., while it drives (and somehow all the liability stuff is worked out), then maybe it would be worth it.

@Teslaconomics Do you believe it still adds that much value for a HW3 car? I have a 2021 Model 3 for commuting and it's hard to see getting $99 of value in Supervised FSD mode.

@rstreets01 @Teslaconomics If it were free/included, I’d probably use it more. Because it IS good. But even then I worry generally about the degradation of cognitive skills that AI might cause. Not just driving, but generative AI in the workplace, etc. too.

@rstreets01 @Teslaconomics So am I a moron if I agree that V14 is amazing but just don’t feel like it’s worth $100 per month to me? It adds a significant amount to the overall cost of operating the car, kind of detracting from the low TCO arguments made for EVs.

@Teslaconomics But the included Autosteer works well enough for road trips. I’ve had the two long FSD V14 trials and another recent week-long one in a loaner, and I agree that FSD V14 is amazing, but so far I haven’t felt like it’s worth $100 per month, so I have resisted subscribing. 🤷🏻‍♂️

@RichRichg99 @Teslaconomics I refuse to pay $4 for a Coke too. I think FSD V14 is amazing, but not worth $100 per month to me (and I’ve tried it several times).

@Teslaconomics Yep. People will pay $4.00 for a coke, but won't pay $3.33 a day for a 24/7 chauffeur.

@S100Dfan @DavidMoss Completely agree. I’m also annoyed with the gamification of Supercharging in the latest versions of the Tesla app. They’ve cluttered up what used to be a great stats screen. I hate it so much now, especially since I rarely use Superchargers.

@DavidMoss Tesla should NEVER HAVE gamified FSD 🤦🏻‍♂️

Uh Oh 😬 The Tesla FSD v14.3.4 streak is in massive jeopardy

@starnevs @DevinOlsenn But that doesn’t describe me. I always used to be an early adopter. I was sending SMSes in the late 90s before most people, used email before most people, still always have the latest iPhone, etc. But I’m having a hard time coming to terms with paying $100/month for this. 🤷🏻‍♂️

@ceconrad @DevinOlsenn Some people still like to use flip phones with keyboards and ride horses … to each their own

FSD V14 is catching on I just passed a car on the highway and we made eye contact with each-other and both lifted our hands up to show we weren’t driving, and had a quick laugh. A few minutes later a different Tesla passed me and the guy was very clearly using FSD and looked relaxed as he drove by. It’s honestly so great seeing more people use this tech. Curious how often y’all see people using FSD when you’re out driving

@starnevs @DevinOlsenn But I confess I’d use it occasionally if it were free, or maybe like $15–$20 per month. Or maybe included with a bundle with the Premium Connectivity subscription or something. (But in general I hate this modern subscription age, and the C$11K to buy it outright was outrageous.)

@starnevs @DevinOlsenn FSD V14 is amazing. But am I the only person who doesn’t think it’s worth $100/month? If that’s going to be Tesla’s key differentiator, just include it free with the car. Besides, I like driving. And when I’m on long highway stretches, the included Autosteer works well enough.

@audiophil33 @DevinOlsenn @wholemars See, things like this (and other similar replies like eating ramen, dealing with kids, on the phone, etc.) are concerning, given that FSD is still SUPERVISED. Pushing it beyond its limits will only contribute to reputation issues when there is an incident.

@DevinOlsenn @wholemars Saw a girl doing makeup with her mirror down while making a turn both hands in her face

@Arpe_DK The Model S is clearly more luxurious in many ways (e.g., adjustable air suspension, more roomy rear seats, big lift gate, better performance and range, battery longevity, etc.) But I didn’t like the ergonomics and dynamics, and it had a lot more interior rattles than my Model 3.

@ceconrad Tesla never managed to perfect the Model S. 3/Y are better vehicles.

I am really surprised Tesla still haven't solved my main problems with my old 2020 Model 3. Solved: Noise Missing: 1) Turning radius is still poor 2) Trunk width at 95cm is too small - should be +100cm Tesla replaced their batteries with even worse than my 7 years ago so list is longer today, 3) Charge to 80% in 25 min or less 4) +650 km WLTP (no longer possible with Model Y) 5) As it being 2026, my new addition to the list is all EVs should have V2L in 2026. My wife is still missing isofix on passenger side. Buying an EV in 2026 should mean no compromise, yet Tesla does not want to give us the battery technology we expect from an EV in 2026. We are ready to buy when there is no compromise, until then I will drive my lovely 2020 Model 3. @teslaeurope

@macrurdn @Annmb3141 @MarkJCarney @Astro_Jeremy There is no dark side of the moon. There is a near side and a far side. I wish the PMO had run the statement past someone sciency before releasing it. Alas, it’s pretty common usage, but it’s misleading and grates on many people; @Annmb3141 is not a “moron” for raising it.

@Annmb3141 @MarkJCarney @Astro_Jeremy They went around the dark side of the moon what is it you don't get about that moron?

When Colonel Jermey Hansen ventured to the dark side of the Moon on Artemis II, he reminded us all that when we take risks and work together, we can push the boundaries of what we believed was possible. As he announces his retirement from his full-time role at the Canadian Space Agency, I extend my gratitude to Colonel Hansen for his extraordinary service to our country.