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Blind optimism is just as obnoxious as blind pessimism - both are based on ignorance. Boom still hasn't solved the 2 hardest problems after nearly a decade. C

Blind optimism is just as obnoxious as blind pessimism - both are based on ignorance. Boom still hasn't solved the 2 hardest problems after nearly a decade. Currently regulations prohibit supersonic flight over land. It's a total guess whether or not they'll be able to overcome this, but I remain skeptical both of their noise claims and their ability to overturn legislation. Also they don't have a real plan for an engine...9 fucking years later (because all the big engine manufacturers refuse to work with them). If anything the pessimists are being proven right.

kaonwarb 2y ago
Disagree that blind optimism is just as obnoxious. Blind pessimists are much less likely to reach beyond what's currently considered possible. We need irrationally optimistic folks.
- OnlineGladiator 2y ago
  Irrationally optimistic people will tell you they have a device that defies the laws of physics (I mean hard laws, like conservation of energy or the speed of light), and investors will give them money. I have seen this happen enough times I'd actually have to stop to think of the correct number. The point is both are disconnected from reality. What we need are people that aren't full of shit. There is a place between "everything is impossible" and "everything is possible" that works better for getting things done.
  - noisy_boy 2y ago
    > There is a place between "everything is impossible" and "everything is possible" that works better for getting things done. Exactly, and we know for sure that Boom are definitely NOT in that place, how?
    - OnlineGladiator 2y ago
      Well, it's hard to fly a plane without an engine. Just a minor detail though. How hard can the hardest part really be? Also you should always save the hardest part for last if you want to be sure you'll succeed. It's only been a decade, they're only behind by an order of magnitude on their timeline, and they don't even have a concept of a plan for the critical component. It's fine.
jimjimjim 2y ago
"Over land" in this case is just the US. and that was driven more to hamstring the uk/euro Concord. Sell this to rich playboys in the mediterranean or middle east.
pembrook 2y ago
Yes, I'm sure for the rest of human history we're never going to break supersonic flight commercially, after having done it already for many decades. Because "regulation." It's not like we'd have the power to change that if we wanted. Now let us chant the HN pessimists rejoinder in unison. LLMs are a fad. Bitcoin is a fad. Saas is a fad. Dropbox will never work as it can be trivially replicated on Linux using FTP, curlftpfs, and SVN...
- beeflet 2y ago
  The regulation exists because of the sonic boom sound
  - Judgmentality 2y ago
    [flagged]
yard2010 2y ago
How about non-judgmental, down to earth pragmatism?
- pembrook 2y ago
  There is no such thing. Humans are giant bags of emotion and pain avoidance. Pessimists get the warm satisfaction of knowing their choice to not try anything interesting and never take risks in life was correct…most of the time. They cheer on failure from the sidelines so as not to suffer the ego-death of comparison. Optimists…as the saying goes…they don’t get to be right most of the time. But they do get rich.

kaonwarb 2y ago

Disagree that blind optimism is just as obnoxious. Blind pessimists are much less likely to reach beyond what's currently considered possible. We need irrationally optimistic folks.

OnlineGladiator 2y ago
Irrationally optimistic people will tell you they have a device that defies the laws of physics (I mean hard laws, like conservation of energy or the speed of light), and investors will give them money. I have seen this happen enough times I'd actually have to stop to think of the correct number. The point is both are disconnected from reality. What we need are people that aren't full of shit. There is a place between "everything is impossible" and "everything is possible" that works better for getting things done.
- noisy_boy 2y ago
  > There is a place between "everything is impossible" and "everything is possible" that works better for getting things done. Exactly, and we know for sure that Boom are definitely NOT in that place, how?
  - OnlineGladiator 2y ago
    Well, it's hard to fly a plane without an engine. Just a minor detail though. How hard can the hardest part really be? Also you should always save the hardest part for last if you want to be sure you'll succeed. It's only been a decade, they're only behind by an order of magnitude on their timeline, and they don't even have a concept of a plan for the critical component. It's fine.

jimjimjim 2y ago

"Over land" in this case is just the US. and that was driven more to hamstring the uk/euro Concord. Sell this to rich playboys in the mediterranean or middle east.

pembrook 2y ago

Yes, I'm sure for the rest of human history we're never going to break supersonic flight commercially, after having done it already for many decades. Because "regulation." It's not like we'd have the power to change that if we wanted. Now let us chant the HN pessimists rejoinder in unison. LLMs are a fad. Bitcoin is a fad. Saas is a fad. Dropbox will never work as it can be trivially replicated on Linux using FTP, curlftpfs, and SVN...

beeflet 2y ago
The regulation exists because of the sonic boom sound
- Judgmentality 2y ago
  [flagged]

yard2010 2y ago

How about non-judgmental, down to earth pragmatism?

pembrook 2y ago
There is no such thing. Humans are giant bags of emotion and pain avoidance. Pessimists get the warm satisfaction of knowing their choice to not try anything interesting and never take risks in life was correct…most of the time. They cheer on failure from the sidelines so as not to suffer the ego-death of comparison. Optimists…as the saying goes…they don’t get to be right most of the time. But they do get rich.