Hyperloopy

Elon Musk is bringing together more than 1,000 college and high school students this weekend to showcase passenger-compartment designs for a hyperloop high-speed transit system.

Two Los Angeles start-ups are already developing hyperloops, starting with test track construction in the Central Valley and North Las Vegas later this year. Driven by a possible mix of electricity, magnetism and air pressure, levitating hyperloop pods would zip fast enough through above-ground tubes to reach San Francisco from Los Angeles in 30 minutes.

You can read the rest @
http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-hyperloop-spacex-competition-20160129-story.html

You may recall that I wrote about Musk's hyperloop before:

http://sainthoward.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-musk-hyperloop-is-99-hype-and-1.html

I don't know which to admire more - Musk's enthusiasm, or his ability to mislead our children into supporting his schemes.

Assuming this thing actually works, here are some additional questions which need to be asked and answered:

1. Is there really a need for this, or will people somehow be forced to use it?

2. Will it be self-supporting, or will it need government subsidies to be constructed and operate?

3. How will people get to the hyperloop station, and once at their destination how will they get from the station to wherever they ultimately are going?

4. Where does the power for all this come from? Coal, oil and gas hydro, nuclear, solar?

5. How much will a ticket cost, and how does that compare to current transportation modalities?

Elon, I wish you well.

America, I hope he's not building you another Amtrak.