markers, here are some of the people that were entertainingly scathing: kalebhorton, quartzcity, tcarmody, mikesonn
― eris bueller (lukas), Monday, August 12, 2013 11:24 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I'm generally contemptuous of futurists, primarily because they seem to think energy and climate change problems will just sort themselves out, but a mass transit system that relies on solar power and transports people across one of the busiest stretches of highway in America is a good thing. I looked at the first two feeds you suggested and they seemed to just be saying this is just a toy for rich people, which is afaict completely unsupported by his proposal. He's not suggesting a magic carpet for billionaires; it's mass transit that uses solar power. This is a good thing! Maybe it's completely impossible hogwash, but I'd like to see actual engineering criticism of it instead of casual dismissals based on suspicion of ideas from rich people.
― Matt Armstrong, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 16:41 (eleven years ago) link
the main challenges are not engineering-related, their political
― joe schmoladoo from 7-11 (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 16:43 (eleven years ago) link
anybody who is over the age of 25, has lived in a city for any length of time, and paid a modicum of attention to the world around them knows that these kinds of massive public works projects tend to be underbid by shady contractors and then they go wildly over the original schedule and budget. so the fact that he's coming in saying he can do it so much cheaper with a totally new and untested technology is a huge red flag. to me it immediately suggests that the whole thing is not serious.
if he honestly thinks this is a feasible plan he should raise some funding and build a private line from LA to Vegas.
― wk, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 16:54 (eleven years ago) link
It's transparently unserious in that he doesn't want to do it himself and "regrets even mentioning it"
― Philip Nunez, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:08 (eleven years ago) link
right, that aspect has been p funny
― BIG HOOS aka the denigrated boogeyman (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:10 (eleven years ago) link
haha, I missed that part
― wk, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:11 (eleven years ago) link
ya seems like he said something offhandedly then realized abt his celebrity
― lag∞n, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:12 (eleven years ago) link
a mass transit system that relies on solar power and transports people across one of the busiest stretches of highway in America is a good thing.
people don't commute the LA to SF corridor though. i have a hard time believing a transit system would fill the role of the 5 freeway. it's mostly trucks anyway.
― the late great, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:13 (eleven years ago) link
You know what would do really well in transportation corridors like that? Plain old freight trains.
I swear, the interstate highway system and the fact it's mostly used for semi truck freight is the biggest money hole in our post-WW2 car-dependent wonderland
― carlos danger zone (mh), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:15 (eleven years ago) link
there already are freight trains
― wk, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:16 (eleven years ago) link
people don't commute the LA to SF corridor though.
?! they most certainly do. there are these things called commuter flights, they are booked solid all the time.
― joe schmoladoo from 7-11 (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:17 (eleven years ago) link
there are a lot more trucks xp
― carlos danger zone (mh), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:17 (eleven years ago) link
what exactly are you proposing?
― wk, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:20 (eleven years ago) link
a solar powered superhighway paved with bitcoins duh
― BIG HOOS aka the denigrated boogeyman (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:21 (eleven years ago) link
that we subsidize more public transport of freight in addition to passengers? or at least reallocate money away from interstate highways
idk, iatee and his ideas about gas prices to thread
― carlos danger zone (mh), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:21 (eleven years ago) link
HOOS otm
ah, ok. I thought maybe there was a problem with CA's existing freight lines. I don't really know anything about them but I do see freight trains going up and down the state all the time.
― wk, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:24 (eleven years ago) link
If this thing actually worked the political will would develop pretty quickly. If the Acela line was shipping people 400 miles in 30 minutes every state would want one.
Which is why yeah, he should just fucking build one. I wonder what a good demonstration distance would be.
― Matt Armstrong, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:30 (eleven years ago) link
L.A. to S.D.?
― cops on horse (WilliamC), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:52 (eleven years ago) link
http://www.humancannonball.us/IMAGES/photos/017.jpg
― HOOS next aka won't get steened again (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:53 (eleven years ago) link
what are the possible operating failure modes on one these loops
― you're better off in a supersonic jet (Hunt3r), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:56 (eleven years ago) link
giant pillow deployment
― joe schmoladoo from 7-11 (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:57 (eleven years ago) link
halp im stuck in a tube inside of a tube
― you're better off in a supersonic jet (Hunt3r), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:58 (eleven years ago) link
*giant sucking sound*
― joe schmoladoo from 7-11 (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:59 (eleven years ago) link
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj176/rsjem23/HomerWaterslide.jpg
― joe schmoladoo from 7-11 (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:01 (eleven years ago) link
homerloop
― BIG HOOS aka the denigrated boogeyman (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:14 (eleven years ago) link
i don't understand why this would be a good alternative to commuter flights
I'd rather see the money spent on suburb-to-city trolley lines
― the late great, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:18 (eleven years ago) link
commuter flights are very carbon-intensive, for one thing
― joe schmoladoo from 7-11 (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:23 (eleven years ago) link
There are ways.
http://opinion-forum.com/index/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/airplane_hybrid.jpg
― Here's the storify, of a lovely ladify (Phil D.), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:25 (eleven years ago) link
wouldn't even a dependable normal rail line be comparable to commuter flights by the time you figure in airport screening and boarding times and shit?
― carlos danger zone (mh), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:33 (eleven years ago) link
n/m, I am being way optimistic about rail speeds
there is a rail line that runs the California coast, it's called Amtrak
― joe schmoladoo from 7-11 (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:34 (eleven years ago) link
http://www.amtrak.com/coast-starlight-train
― joe schmoladoo from 7-11 (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:35 (eleven years ago) link
best described as "leisurely"
kind of forget the massive size of California, from now on I'll think of the distance from LA to SF being about the same as the distance from me to Chicago
― carlos danger zone (mh), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:38 (eleven years ago) link
about distance from the border to austin! i didn't realize it was that far.
― BIG HOOS aka the denigrated boogeyman (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:40 (eleven years ago) link
now we've got some common terms here
― carlos danger zone (mh), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:41 (eleven years ago) link
mostly slow because they have to give freight trains the right of way or something like that iirc
― wk, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:41 (eleven years ago) link
yep. it's an enjoyable ride, but not for commuters, it's way too slow. granted I haven't ridden it in 25 years
― OH MY GOD HE'S GOOGLY (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:41 (eleven years ago) link
so the freight lines are pretty congested, you're saying
― carlos danger zone (mh), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:43 (eleven years ago) link
they're full of hobos
― wk, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:44 (eleven years ago) link
if planes are carbon intensive why not build solar planes? about as doable as a solar rail vacuum tube
― the late great, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:46 (eleven years ago) link
I agree that the major problems with implementing his proposal are political, but that doesn't mean it's a bad idea!
― schwantz, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:47 (eleven years ago) link
Invent a solar plane that generates as much thrust as burning a bunch of jet fuel and you'll have everything solved. xp
― cops on horse (WilliamC), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:50 (eleven years ago) link
why not build wind powered planes with propellers that are also windmills?
― wk, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:51 (eleven years ago) link
http://trollscience.com/image/f/full/3778286b17bf40dc45d98c31c99ba016.jpg
― Here's the storify, of a lovely ladify (Phil D.), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:54 (eleven years ago) link
Guys we'll have nuclear fusion by 2025 chillax
― darraghmac, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:55 (eleven years ago) link
http://trollscience.com/image/f/full/8dff6ab64e09451e30476175170f9ec0.jpg
― Here's the storify, of a lovely ladify (Phil D.), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:56 (eleven years ago) link
i've always lived the idea of giant solar-power helium dirigibles for freight transport
― the late great, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:56 (eleven years ago) link
LOLLLLLL