# A tube train? That's IT?!! (Elon Musk's Hyperloop) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 12, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085 "2013-08-12T23:26:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/1 "2013-08-12T23:26:33Z")
Like many others, I was awaiting Elon Musk’s announcement of what his “Hyperloop” transport system would be. To my somewhat disappointment, it’s a [tube train](http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2013/08/12/technology-hyperloop-travel-elon-musk.html): vehicles running in a semi-evacuated tube. A worthy goal, to be sure, but with his background in both electric cars and space transport, I was expecting something midway between the [launch loop](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Launch_loop) and the [space fountain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_fountain). Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/2 "2013-08-12T23:32:50Z")
I like it. I think it’s a pretty good first start. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/3 "2013-08-12T23:33:14Z")
Particularly disappointing since he said it wasn’t going to be a tube train… ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/4 "2013-08-12T23:41:09Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > I like it. I think it’s a pretty good first start. I’m tempted to agree with you. If we in North America, with our underdeveloped high-speed railway infrastructure, can leapfrog past existing HSR with something like Musk’s tube train, all the better. It’s just that… that… the name “Hyperloop” led me to expect something more like the launch loop or space fountain. Definitely not what I expected. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/5 "2013-08-12T23:46:28Z")
Elon Musk sounds like a Harry Potter character. All I could think when reading the article was how horrific a crash would be in a train going that fast. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/6 "2013-08-12T23:56:39Z")
> [@April\_R](#): > > All I could think when reading the article was how horrific a crash would be in a train going that fast. Depending on the method of the crash, the people on the train aren’t likely to notice. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/7 "2013-08-13T00:03:22Z")
> [@April\_R](#): > > All I could think when reading the article was how horrific a crash would be in a train going that fast. There’s nothing to crash into- the capsule is in an evacuated tunnel. But if there’s some reason to stop, there are brakes. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/8 "2013-08-13T00:33:13Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > There’s nothing to crash into- the capsule is in an evacuated tunnel. > But if there’s some reason to stop, there are brakes. Anything built by man has the capacity to fail. And a train traveling at 1G which suddenly loses it function is a pretty scary thought. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/9 "2013-08-13T00:40:21Z")
I get motion-sick just thinking about something that fast. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/10 "2013-08-13T00:41:41Z")
[Sounds vaguely familiar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_Pneumatic_Transit). 😉😛 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/11 "2013-08-13T00:43:44Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Particularly disappointing since he said it wasn’t going to be a tube train… He said it wouldn’t be a vacuum tube, which it isn’t. Vacuum tubes require maglev and other expensive stuff; this idea is a lot cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/12 "2013-08-13T00:50:34Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > A worthy goal, to be sure, but with his background in both electric cars and space transport, I was expecting something midway between the [launch loop](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Launch_loop) and the [space fountain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_fountain). I would love to see someone build an active megastructure, but frankly I think we’re decades off from it. Musk’s proposal easily fits within the bounds of current technology. It fits in the pattern of his other projects–take existing technology and build something that hasn’t been done before. Tesla uses laptop batteries, and SpaceX uses rocket systems that are almost indistinguishable from what NASA did in the 60’s. It’s the implementation that’s special, not the technology itself. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/13 "2013-08-13T00:52:40Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > I get motion-sick just thinking about something that fast. Speed doesn’t cause motion sickness; acceleration does. The Hyperloop is highly isolated from the environment and the ride will be smoother than any train, car, or plane. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/14 "2013-08-13T12:55:25Z")
The first reports of this thing were talking coast to coast travel in 45 minutes. Now I see they are talking about LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes. Two very different things. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/15 "2013-08-13T13:13:36Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Speed doesn’t cause motion sickness; acceleration does. The Hyperloop is highly isolated from the environment and the ride will be smoother than any train, car, or plane. I’ll go on to add (as a motion sickness sufferer) that it’s caused ‘uneven’ acceleration, a smooth straight boost won’t bother people. And as you are inside the tube, there’s no disturbing background motion to upset your balance systems. But no windows is a huge psychological barrier- people like to see out of things they are in. Lots of potential solutions, I guess. But definitely needs to be addressed to create a marketable product. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/16 "2013-08-13T14:00:16Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > But no windows is a huge psychological barrier- people like to see out of things they are in. Would putting “virtual reality” windows on the walls of the pod help or aggravate claustrophobia sufferers? By that I mean, essentially display screens that look like windows and either pipe in images from cameras outside the tube or just show a recording of the outside world synchronized with the speed of the pod? ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/17 "2013-08-13T14:09:34Z")
Oh sure. You wouldn’t even need a lot of them, or very big ones. A few VR portholes would go a long way. eta- some people still won’t like it. But more with vr windows than without. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/18 "2013-08-13T14:27:01Z")
I understould it to be built like the large electronic rail guns. These can produce speeds of 4,000 mph. I can’t imagine the cost of building something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/19 "2013-08-13T14:39:52Z")
Exactly how many series of tubes does this country need? We need to move to a 1 tube standard, before it’s too late. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085/20 "2013-08-13T15:33:03Z")
> [@April\_R](#): > > Anything built by man has the capacity to fail. And a train traveling at 1G which suddenly loses it function is a pretty scary thought. I think it would just coast to a stop. In that way, its probably less scary then airplanes, where a serious mid-flight malfunction is really bad news. A crash would certainly be horrific, but again, humans tolerate plenty of transportation methods that involve occasional fatal malfunctions. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tube-train-thats-it-elon-musks-hyperloop/666085.md?page=2)