#179, Hyperloop
Elon Musk is an entrepreneur known for his out-of-the-box thinking and ambition to push society into the future. One of his most ambitious projects is the Hyperloop. The Hyperloop is futuristic system of tubes through which a pod may travel free of air resistance or friction. It is hypothesized to be able to reach speeds of 1,200 km/h (this would get you from Seoul to Busan in just over 15 minutes!).
Read this recent update on this fascinating new technology.
New Super-Fast Transport System Powered By Passengers’ Screams
By NICK CUMMINGS-BRUCE | April 1, 2018
SAN FRANCISCO—Entrepreneur Elon Musk unveiled his plans Monday for a revolutionary Hyperloop transportation system, which would seat riders in vacuum-like tubes, launch them from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and would be powered solely by the screams of its terrified passengers. “With zero negative effects on the environment, the Hyperloop could cut travel times in half, or even by two thirds, depending on how loud passengers’ shrieks and pleas for help are,” said Musk, adding that special turbines will convert the horrified screams of its riders into kinetic energy, which would then propel the capsule at record speeds toward its final destination.
“If passengers are terrified enough to scream in abject terror the entire duration of the ride—and they probably will, knowing that even the slightest malfunction will cause their flesh to peel off their bodies—an hour-and-a-half trip from New York City to San Francisco could be a reality.”
Musk added that his team is still working on technology that would power the rapid transportation tubes with both crying and silently praying to God for the trip to be over.
SOURCE: http://www.nytimes.com/articles/new-super-fast-transport-system-powered-by-passengers'-screams
To complete this Journal response,
What is your reaction to the Hyperloop technology? Would you personally use it if it were available in Korea?
Comment on a peer's response.
-Brenden Lee Teacher