hyperloop

ZyyzYzzy doing work

And Haast with the assist

Actually, on the topic of cramped spaces, has anyone ever seen the original capsules used in early US spaceflight? I was touring a NASA facility and saw a miniature model of one hanging in an exhibit. Then I read the exhibit plaque and realized it wasn't a miniature model, it was the real f'ing capsule. Tiny doesn't begin to describe it. The entire thing is ~11' tall x 6' wide. And those are the outside dimensions. There is a shitload of instrumentation, shielding, life support, etc in there. Meaning there was just enough room to shoehorn an adult in there.. sort of. I think the quote on the plaque from one of the astronauts read "You don't really get into the Mercury capsule, you put it on." Classic.

EDIT: Here's a visual aid.

ZyyzYzzy_sl said:

Because starring out of the subway car window at a concrete wall 6inches away from it is comforting.

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You point at something interesting that defeats your own argument (on top of the fact a subway car is a big public space). Why do you think there are windows in subway cars? Even in subways that do not have a single line that goes over ground? It's to create a sense of space and movement, a visual trick that diminishes the claustrophobic feeling one would have without the windows.

Szlia_sl said:

The problem is not having someone next to you or not, the problem is the confined space, the low ceiling, the lack of windows.

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Szlia, you're focused on the claustrophobic aspects of this. You keep coming back with reasons why a claustrophobic person wouldn't want to get on this particular form of travel. I understand the thought process and I can empathize but that's where it stops. People afraid of water get on the boat or they don't. People afraid of heights get on the plane or they don't. People afraid of enclosed spaces get on the elevator or they don't.
Yes, there will be people who can't ride the hyperloop because it's too long of a time in an enclosed space. Those people will be a handful out of one hundred. Progress didn't stop before and it's not going to stop now.

I am claustrophobic, but if I was shoved into a cramped space with enough ventilation and a simulated view of the outside world via LCD screens or whatnot, I would be ok. I think.

Let me nuance my point now that its core seems somewhat clearer than at the beginning. I don't think it is a boolean proposition (as in: claustrophobic people don't use it, others use it), every user will weight the discomfort of the service against the benefits of the service (others made that point earlier, but took a rather extreme stance, saying basically that commute time trumps all). I think the discomfort is very high for a big chunk of potential users (and high for many others) and I feel a slower, less energy efficient, but user-friendlier solution should be the target (make it a 45min or 1 hour trip and it's still a commute while the 3h high speed train ride is still a journey).

All that Szlia conversation makes me think about the Louis CK bit on the inventors of commercial flight, "Hey don't invent it, they make you wait for 40 minutes, doesn't seems worth it".

If it was really that fast and efficient then yeah, I can see it. But it does sound half nightmarish in a way. I agree, it would be comforting to know that if you did end up stopped unexpectedly there would be hatches on the car and the tube to get out of it instead of being stuck in it for who knows how long. Other than that I'm sure any of us could handle it for a half hour if it offered the kind of convenient travel times they are talking about. But it is still a little creepy.

Tuco_sl said:

Bottom line is if people can pay $20 for a 30minute 600 mile journey with reasonable safety assurances they will.

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South Park did it best.



"Well, it beats going to the airport."

Tuco_sl said:

I think Szilia just jumped the gun and picked a bad horse to ride before thinking about it but he'll be damned if he gets off it.

Bottom line is if people can pay $20 for a 30minute 600 mile journey with reasonable safety assurances they will.

And that doesn't even get into the potential future of the technology if the above is the first iteration.

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I'll confess I did not realize it currently takes 5+ hours to travel by train from San Francisco to Los Angeles, so the service provided is outstanding. I'll maintain though that the design of the vehicle is very poor and that the volume of passengers makes me scratch my head


EDIT: they target 840 passengers an hour, which is basically nothing as far as commuting numbers are concerned. Between two swiss cities (10 times smaller than Los Angeles and San Francisco) 40 min apart, trains are able to move about 2k people per hour and let me tell you you have to be lucky to be able to sit down during the morning trips).

I don't think commuting hours would necessarily be more busy. At first at least. Not many people live in SF or LA and commute to the other. If people get used to the 30 min trip and this ends up being successful, I could see that start happening.

Even if they build the thing cheaply and it does everything as advertised its still going to be just a novelty. Imagine you live in la and get a job in frisco. You cant use the hyperloop to get to work reliably every day. Imagine the waiting list to use the damned thing. Besides once you get to your destination you still gotta take a bus near your place of business.

Maester Chuk_sl said:

Besides once you get to your destination you still gotta take a bus near your place of business.

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That's no different than taking an airplane or a train.

exactly.

Szlia_sl said:

I'll confess I did not realize it currently takes 5+ hours to travel by train from San Francisco to Los Angeles, so the service provided is outstanding. I'll maintain though that the design of the vehicle is very poor and that the volume of passengers makes me scratch my head


EDIT: they target 840 passengers an hour, which is basically nothing as far as commuting numbers are concerned. Between two swiss cities (10 times smaller than Los Angeles and San Francisco) 40 min apart, trains are able to move about 2k people per hour and let me tell you you have to be lucky to be able to sit down during the morning trips).

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I'm not sure that comparing this to commuter trains is fair. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they may be aimed at serving different purposes even though the hyperloop does look like an evolution of train technology. What I think is a more appropriate comparison is: How many people are able to fly from LA to SF per hour?

Well your options are planes, soon a train (slow), and cars (slower). People would crap themselves if they could cut what is typically a 5+ hour car ride into 30minutes.