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Really cool! I like it that the Japan generally is not given to the BS-till-you-make-it attitude of SV. The spiritual successor to the 60s pioneering project,
by throwawsay32434 8y ago
Really cool! I like it that the Japan generally is not given to the BS-till-you-make-it attitude of SV.
The spiritual successor to the 60s pioneering project, the Chuo Shinkansen, which is the result of proven technology developed over 30-40y continues to chugging away slowly and silently, at an estimated cost of $80B to connect Tokyo with Osaka (in '2037).
Musk's Hyperloop's on the otherhand is what you get from SV. BS vaporware, which would magically connect LA and SF at a mere $6B, with technology which hasn't even been invented yet! Even the current Shinkansen costs twice as much as this valuation (in India!).
- innocenat 8y agoThe Chuo is Tokyo-Nagoya in 2027 and Tokyo-Osaka in 2045. Could they make it earlier? Of course yes, but the amazing thing about Chuo Shinkansen is that it's 100% private (JR Central) money. The government did offer no-string-attached money to make it to Nagoya in time for 2020 Olympic and Osaka in 2025 [Expo] (this was back in '13), but JR Central declined. Japan population is declining so I guess nobody want to invest too much in case the return isn't as expected.
- JKCalhoun 8y agoAgree that Hyperloop is ... hype. But you otherwise paint SV with too broad a brush with your "BS-till-you-make-it" comment.
- dear 8y agoI would go even further to say it's not even broad enough to reflect the general culture in the US.