Elon Musk's proposed 'Hyperloop' to take passengers from LA to SF in 30 minutes (San Francisco: movies, cost)

[nslander]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

What does the oil industry have to do with this thread?

High Speed Rail will be obsolete before it's even built if something like the hyperloop ever came to friuition, so advocates for that frivoulously expensive and unnecessary mode of transportation are of course, going to shoot down an idea that would effectively put them out of business.

Well, you raised the 19th century specter of the railroad lobby pushing HSR. Its only appropriate to acknowledge the most powerful economic interests and their public opinion machine opposing it.

Have you bothered to read the analyses critical of Musk's curiously time report? What on Earth causes you to think this can make HSR "obsolete before its even built"? You've had what, 5 days(?) to digest the viability of a completely theoretical mode of mass transportation, and you want me to allow your existing opposition to HSR has nothing to do with that hasty decision?

But let's assume all this is not a cynical scam, the practical and financial barriers can somehow be overcome and the loop is an imminent reality. Why aren't you heralding or promoting the end of public subsidization of highways? Domestic air carriers are going the way of newspapers, so why not demand we start diverting the billions of public dollars spent on airports into development of hyperloops?

Before you can expect anybody of good faith to take this seriously, a prototype would be nice. Elon beer-bonging a Pabst with goldfish in it. Anything. In the spirit of Hyerhype, I will start holding my breath...now.

[CarawayDJ]

I kinda think Elon Musk has done enough to be given the benefit of the doubt and be taken seriously. At what point do people recognize someone as a "get it done visionary"? I'm more confident in a far-fetched idea championed by Musk than a less ambitious undertaking being led by a bunch of bumbling fools displaying the ingenuity of a gnat. Musk's attitude can be summed up like this: "We're great, so let's act like it and do something great."

[ryanst530]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

This is called vision. Suck it High Speed Rail .


USA TODAY

Slow down, turbo...

It's easy for the everyday guy on the street to say the hyperloop should replace the HSR. This project will appeal to many simple minded folks, who more concerned about shortening their commute times than looking at the bigger picture.

The hyperloop has the potential of distrupting a huge portion of our economy, nationwide. Aerospace, conventional trains, automobiles... all of these industries could be significantly impacted if the hyperloop becomes the expected way of travel without responsible planning.

It will take many years, perhaps a decade or more of planning, not just plans to build the hyperloop, but to figure out how to integrate affected industries, and minimize loss of employment. This is, as you might imagine, is very high level planning, rife with politics.

I'm all for the hyperloop... it is a fantastic evolution in transportation, but it needs to be implemented responsibly.

[HockeyMac18]

As a futurist (and one who is upset that we STILL don't have flying cars), I'm actually in favor of both. I don't see how they both couldn't co-exist.

[nslander]

Originally Posted by CarawayDJ

I kinda think Elon Musk has done enough to be given the benefit of the doubt and be taken seriously. At what point do people recognize someone as a "get it done visionary"? I'm more confident in a far-fetched idea championed by Musk than a less ambitious undertaking being led by a bunch of bumbling fools displaying the ingenuity of a gnat. Musk's attitude can be summed up like this: "We're great, so let's act like it and do something great."

At what point do people begin to read beyond headlines and stop ignoring the self-interests of superstars? Assuming as true all the assumptions of an unproven technology in favor of Musk, the terms of the report and, more importantly, its staggering omissions, describe a single line carrying a higher cost, longer door-to-door time, with far less capacity than HSR. For what it purports to be, the report is fraudulent.

The eagerness with which so many HSR concern trolls have glommed onto this false promise is revealing.

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

Maybe Mr. Musk could launch a men's cologne.

[jm1982]

Elon Musk is quite an amazing guy. For anyone with Netflix there is a really interesting documentary on him.

We made a lot of his money with PayPal ( he was a cofounder) which I didn't realize until I saw the documentary.

He's almost gone out of business and gambled it all on his ideas/businesses.

Regarding a hyperloop..I think that would be cool. But I think I'd rather for it to go to Vegas than SF.

[krudmonk]

Originally Posted by CarawayDJ

I kinda think Elon Musk has done enough to be given the benefit of the doubt and be taken seriously. At what point do people recognize someone as a "get it done visionary"? I'm more confident in a far-fetched idea championed by Musk than a less ambitious undertaking being led by a bunch of bumbling fools displaying the ingenuity of a gnat. Musk's attitude can be summed up like this: "We're great, so let's act like it and do something great."

He has followed through on other ideas to make them fully fleshed and practical. This is an idea he has thrown out and said "it'd be pretty cool if someone did something like this some day."

[tickyul]

Ridiculous......expect Californians to give a BIG thumbs up. Even better than slow-speed HSR.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by tickyul

Ridiculous......expect Californians to give a BIG thumbs up. Even better than slow-speed HSR.

Ridiculous as in unfeasable, or ridiculous to have the thing built and actually work? For those of us who frequently go between NorCal and SoCal, it would be pretty gosh darned neato.