Yet it's the latest idea to spring from the paripatetic mind of Elon Musk, who just demonstrated his flamethrower by rushing a camera with one on social media. And, branded with the name of Musk's Boring Co., it's something you can preorder for $500.
OK, for starters, it's not a real flamethrower, which as the name implies, throws flame and is a terrifying weapon of war. The term conjures images of U.S. Marines using the devices to ravage dug-in Japanese soldiers on Iwo Jima during World War II. Military flamethrowers could throw fire at distances of 20 meters or more. It's not even like other flamethrowers you can actually buy for civilian uses like agricultural burns (never mind that in this example, a commercial flamethrower is being used to set fire to cars and living-room furniture.)
Instead, Elon Musk's flamethrower is something like a big Bic lighter, or a propane torch you'd use to caramelize a creme brulee. A really big creme brulee.
