3 ms·

Not to mention all of the logistical problems with building and maintaining a low pressure tube. People think high speed rail is expensive? Wait until you see

Not to mention all of the logistical problems with building and maintaining a low pressure tube. People think high speed rail is expensive? Wait until you see how expensive Hyperloop is going to be per mile. PS - And I haven't even touched on safety/evacuation problems with the concept. That quadupled the cost and size of the Eurotunnel for comparison, how can we assume it won't bloat the Hyperloop's size/cost/complexity?

komali2 10y ago
And so it does? However you feel about the executives and history of Hyperloop, I think it's important that companies like this exist and try things like this. You know what's expensive and was once unfeasible? Strapping thousands of tons of fuel to a rocket and launching it into space. And yet...
- masklinn 10y ago
  > I think it's important that companies like this exist and try things like this. They're not trying anything at this point, they've raised enough money for at most 5km worth of high-speed tracks (proper 350km/h graded tracks) and no rolling stock.
  - komali2 10y ago
    What about R&D output? Even if the company goes broke, they / their research can be purchased and used in the future. They might only produce new materials that they sell the patents for upon going bankrupt. Their engineers and scientists will develop and learn, and move on to other firms if Hyperloop becomes insolvement, and take that knowledge with them.
jklinger410 10y ago
That Musk sure is one big dummy!
- UnoriginalGuy 10y ago
  That's a rather offensive thing to claim. He has actually accomplished a lot and pushed two or three industries forward. Personally I don't think Musk is a "dummy" as you do, but I do feel sometimes his passion doesn't always address real world civil engineering limitations. The Hyperloop is technically very possible, thus isn't "dumb," it is just building it at scale (and addressing consumer safety, etc) that may be a challenge.
  - Razengan 10y ago
    I think GP was being sarcastic to the GGP's comment.
djsumdog 10y ago
But those problems can be solved. Maybe. Even if they're not, the research is important to tell us what does and doesn't work. We build massive dams to stop rivers and invest billions into complex rockets that need to carefully control explosions in order to get people and cargo into space. If one company can build a simple 10 ~ 20km tube between two major travel points in some country, it will be an invaluable proof of concept worth way more than the initial investment. Just because something is hard doesn't me we shouldn't try.
- UnoriginalGuy 10y ago
  Any problem can be solved with unlimited funds. The question isn't if it is possible, it is how much good can be done with that same money elsewhere (opportunity cost). For example, one mile of Hyperloop or five miles of conventional high speed rail? One mile of Hyperloop or two miles of Monorail? One mile of Hyperloop or investments into more efficient aircraft?

komali2 10y ago

And so it does? However you feel about the executives and history of Hyperloop, I think it's important that companies like this exist and try things like this. You know what's expensive and was once unfeasible? Strapping thousands of tons of fuel to a rocket and launching it into space. And yet...

masklinn 10y ago
> I think it's important that companies like this exist and try things like this. They're not trying anything at this point, they've raised enough money for at most 5km worth of high-speed tracks (proper 350km/h graded tracks) and no rolling stock.
- komali2 10y ago
  What about R&D output? Even if the company goes broke, they / their research can be purchased and used in the future. They might only produce new materials that they sell the patents for upon going bankrupt. Their engineers and scientists will develop and learn, and move on to other firms if Hyperloop becomes insolvement, and take that knowledge with them.

jklinger410 10y ago

That Musk sure is one big dummy!

UnoriginalGuy 10y ago
That's a rather offensive thing to claim. He has actually accomplished a lot and pushed two or three industries forward. Personally I don't think Musk is a "dummy" as you do, but I do feel sometimes his passion doesn't always address real world civil engineering limitations. The Hyperloop is technically very possible, thus isn't "dumb," it is just building it at scale (and addressing consumer safety, etc) that may be a challenge.
- Razengan 10y ago
  I think GP was being sarcastic to the GGP's comment.

djsumdog 10y ago

But those problems can be solved. Maybe. Even if they're not, the research is important to tell us what does and doesn't work. We build massive dams to stop rivers and invest billions into complex rockets that need to carefully control explosions in order to get people and cargo into space. If one company can build a simple 10 ~ 20km tube between two major travel points in some country, it will be an invaluable proof of concept worth way more than the initial investment. Just because something is hard doesn't me we shouldn't try.

UnoriginalGuy 10y ago
Any problem can be solved with unlimited funds. The question isn't if it is possible, it is how much good can be done with that same money elsewhere (opportunity cost). For example, one mile of Hyperloop or five miles of conventional high speed rail? One mile of Hyperloop or two miles of Monorail? One mile of Hyperloop or investments into more efficient aircraft?