Friday, January 22, 2016

The world's richest people are meeting at Davos again and they're talking about the hyperloop


I think I've said this before, but Elon Musk (the C.E.O. of Tesla) is Iron Man. I say that because 1) he's super rich, 2) he's a genius, and 3) he basically brings into reality whatever he wants to envision. A few years ago, it was this thing called the hyperloop. Imagine a space age glass tube that runs from Los Angeles to San Francisco and can transport passengers inside it back and forth in 30 minutes. Well CNBC (source of all things stock market and well...Davos...) has said that this thing is going to become a reality within two years.

According to the news release on CNBC, the hyperloop works by "transporting a number of passengers in capsules that would be propelled by magnets up to a speed of 750 miles per hour." Basically, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies has filed for the first building permit for an eight mile long test track that will be completed within two years at the cost of about $100 million. Elon probably carries that around in his wallet.

I love that so many of the things that I saw in early science fiction films is becoming a reality. Those tablets that people typed on in Star Trek: the Next Generation got realized with the iPad. The smartphone is basically better than any communicator we've seen in James Bond films. And now the Logan's Run hyperloops that we saw ferrying people back and forth to domed cities is totally coming true. When will we be getting androids that look like humans via Blade Runner? I'm sure it's in the works.

To learn more, just watch the video below:

8 comments:

  1. It sort of looks like a ride at an amusement park. I think in the future we are going to see more mass transportation, but it would have to be done gradually because too many jobs depend on the auto industry.

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  2. Have you see the latest androids in Japan? They have a hotel in the works that will have no human service personnel.

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  3. Very interesting. Since I don't drive it would be a nice way to get around. But I am curious as to the price tag traveling hyperloop will have once it's completed, tested and approved.

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  4. We seem to be good at creating all of these gadgets, but are we really making our lives better? I wonder.

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  5. I am definitely an Elon Musk fan. I want a Tesla, and I want very few things.

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  6. I hope it works--and yes it really does seem straight out of Star Trek. Yet if this tech is ready in two years, I'll be stunned; at the same time I hope it is very green and replaces a whole lotta polluting planes and cars.

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