[Beskargam]

After becoming fed up with California's plan to build a high speed rail between San Fran and LA for 70 billion, Elon Musk decides he can do it better and cheaper using magic space tech. He released his design documents today, showing how it would work, which is similar in design to a pneumatic tube.

Just an interesting tidbit in the science/tech category.

npr's story: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/08/12/211353065/after-much-hype-elon-musk-to-unveil-his-supersonic-hyperloop

Musks's design document: http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/blog_images/hyperloop-alpha.pdf

You only need to read the first few pages of the document to get the general idea.

[The E]

Yeah, and just like that other proposal that combined low-pressure tubes with maglev, I am kinda doubtful about this one too. Don't get me wrong, the idea is great and I hope it gets built, but the thought of sealing myself and a couple of other monkeys into a windowless bullet for an appreciable amount of time does not actually thrill me.

[Black Wolf]

Yeah, and just like that other proposal that combined low-pressure tubes with maglev, I am kinda doubtful about this one too. Don't get me wrong, the idea is great and I hope it gets built, but the thought of sealing myself and a couple of other monkeys into a windowless bullet for an appreciable amount of time does not actually thrill me.

You don't think people thought this same way about trains, planes and automobiles back in the day?

The idea of sealing myself and a couple of other monkeys into a horseless carriage and going at 100 kilometers per hour does not actually thrill me.

It's the Future*! Get involved! I personally wish both these projects all the luck in the world - and if he's right about his costs... wow! 1/10th the cost of high speed rail? Yes please!



* With a capital F!

[Phantom Hoover]

They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.

[Dragon]

Well, that looks good, and the cost seems reasonable. But the technology does raise some questions. We'll see what comes out of it.

[MP-Ryan]

Interesting concept.

[Nuke]

so its essentially a hovercraft in a low pressure tube and accelerated by magnets.

[StarSlayer]

Yeah, and just like that other proposal that combined low-pressure tubes with maglev, I am kinda doubtful about this one too. Don't get me wrong, the idea is great and I hope it gets built, but the thought of sealing myself and a couple of other monkeys into a windowless bullet for an appreciable amount of time does not actually thrill me.

You don't think people thought this same way about trains, planes and automobiles back in the day?

The idea of sealing myself and a couple of other monkeys into a horseless carriage and going at 100 kilometers per hour does not actually thrill me.

It's the Future*! Get involved! I personally wish both these projects all the luck in the world - and if he's right about his costs... wow! 1/10th the cost of high speed rail? Yes please!



* With a capital F!

The E is right, the windowless bullet is the key part.  Planes, trains and automobiles have the advantage of windows and or the space to move around.  Quite a few folks are going to balk at being strapped into such a device.  I'm not even claustrophobic and that thing would give me pause.

[swashmebuckle]

Definitely a neat concept, but I kinda doubt that you could even cover the Bay Area part of the project on that budget (and that's ignoring the cost of actually developing the technology). Also if you look at the maps, the Southern terminus of the system isn't actually LA, so you have to add on considerable extra travel time for that. Building through the central valley is easy, getting people from downtown SF to downtown LA is hard

I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a deliberate attempt to torpedo high speed rail and plug the Model S, but I will say welcome to California politics everybody!

[SypheDMar]

Yeah, and just like that other proposal that combined low-pressure tubes with maglev, I am kinda doubtful about this one too. Don't get me wrong, the idea is great and I hope it gets built, but the thought of sealing myself and a couple of other monkeys into a windowless bullet for an appreciable amount of time does not actually thrill me.

You don't think people thought this same way about trains, planes and automobiles back in the day?

The idea of sealing myself and a couple of other monkeys into a horseless carriage and going at 100 kilometers per hour does not actually thrill me.

It's the Future*! Get involved! I personally wish both these projects all the luck in the world - and if he's right about his costs... wow! 1/10th the cost of high speed rail? Yes please!



* With a capital F!

The E is right, the windowless bullet is the key part.  Planes, trains and automobiles have the advantage of windows and or the space to move around.  Quite a few folks are going to balk at being strapped into such a device.  I'm not even claustrophobic and that thing would give me pause.

Thats only because we are applying today's standards to a future mode of transportation. People back in the day have other worries that now became a norm. Yet some folks are still afraid of the highway!

[Drogoth]

Risks aside I really want to see this tech developed, if only because it's cool as hell

[blowfish]

Please read this to understand why Musk's proposal isn't viable (warning: it's long and technical, but unlike the Tesla paper it actually cites sources).  There really isn't anything to Musk's claims about cost, safety, or comfort.

[StarSlayer]

Yeah, and just like that other proposal that combined low-pressure tubes with maglev, I am kinda doubtful about this one too. Don't get me wrong, the idea is great and I hope it gets built, but the thought of sealing myself and a couple of other monkeys into a windowless bullet for an appreciable amount of time does not actually thrill me.

You don't think people thought this same way about trains, planes and automobiles back in the day?

The idea of sealing myself and a couple of other monkeys into a horseless carriage and going at 100 kilometers per hour does not actually thrill me.

It's the Future*! Get involved! I personally wish both these projects all the luck in the world - and if he's right about his costs... wow! 1/10th the cost of high speed rail? Yes please!



* With a capital F!

The E is right, the windowless bullet is the key part.  Planes, trains and automobiles have the advantage of windows and or the space to move around.  Quite a few folks are going to balk at being strapped into such a device.  I'm not even claustrophobic and that thing would give me pause.

Thats only because we are applying today's standards to a future mode of transportation. People back in the day have other worries that now became a norm. Yet some folks are still afraid of the highway!

Actually I'm applying a very basic standard from time immemorial.  The issue I see with the concept vehicle isn't really some esoteric fear like "my god the galleon is going to fall off the edge of the earth" or "its powered by a barely contained steam explosion, we're doomed" but a fundamental fear of being enclosed in a tiny space.  Now granted by the time its ready they might be able to correct all that phobia **** in the womb or there will be a pill you can take but if not there will be plenty of folks who simply won't be able to stuff themselves in an enclosed space the size of a Fiat 500.

tldr:  This isn't some neobarb fear of technology, the vehicle is tailor made to kick folks' anxiety disorders straight into panic attack.   

[Mongoose]

Don't get me wrong, the idea is great and I hope it gets built, but the thought of sealing myself and a couple of other monkeys into a windowless bullet for an appreciable amount of time does not actually thrill me.

Hell, minus the windowless bit, this is pretty much how I feel about airliners.

[The E]

Please read this to understand why Musk's proposal isn't viable (warning: it's long and technical, but unlike the Tesla paper it actually cites sources).  There really isn't anything to Musk's claims about cost, safety, or comfort.

That's certainly an eye-opener. I retract my previous statement re: I hope this gets built. If even half of what is said there is true, this is just snake oil once more.

[blowfish]

Honestly I'm disappointed that this has been given as much attention as it has.  All it guarantees is that nothing gets built.  If people believe his claims about cost, regular high speed rail won't get funded.  And then they'll discover that his cost estimated are off and the technology for this is still at least a few decades from being viable.  This kind of proposal is irresponsible and Musk should know better.

[The E]

The article you linked to makes a good point about why proposals like Musks' will be swallowed whole by media outlets and the public. For those who didn't read it, the problem is one of assumed competence; Musk was a successful entrepreneur with Paypal, spaceX and whatever he did before that, and is very successful at marketing Tesla as a another success story, and so we're kinda predisposed towards seeing this new idea in a positive light, especially since it hits all the snake oil marketing high points ("It's going to be faster, more comfortable, and cheaper than comparable HSR ventures!") by making superficially valid claims that need professional expertise in order to be evaluated.