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@otte_homan @mekkaokereke @14mission Yeah, there are a bunch of companies of various levels of seriousness trying to build this, but they focus on solving the easiest bit (the capsule) and not the hardest bit (the civil engineering).
@mekkaokereke@hachyderm.ioThey're silly.
Maglev exists today. It's expensive, but not "how much to keep hundreds of miles of tunnel near complete vacuum?" 
expensive.
We could have Sacramento to SF in 20 minutes.
We could have LA to SF in 1hr 20 minutes.
I want a train that goes faster than a formula one car. Like China has had for the past 25 years.
@mekkaokereke @Alon @otte_homan @14mission What do you think this is, a first world country?
@mekkaokereke @otte_homan @14mission Yeah, and China made a decision to invest in conventional high-speed rail tech instead, in order to maintain some compatibility with its existing rail system and its rights-of-way. Quite a lot of techy and libertarian hate for trains is that the technology is mature so they think it's bad; we have the same problem with (right-)liberals in Germany, who look at gadgets like hydrogen trains (cost: around 4 times regular electric trains).
@Alon @mekkaokereke @otte_homan @14mission “the technology is mature so they think it’s bad” is horrifyingly on-point
@luis_in_brief @mekkaokereke @otte_homan @14mission Yeah, there are exciting technological innovations in trains, but a) you need to be the right kind of train autist to appreciate them, b) the big push remains implementing them at scale (e.g. ETCS signals for the entire EU + EFTA), and c) they're still trains.
@Alon @mekkaokereke @otte_homan @14mission yup. And captures so succinctly the same vibe about solar+batteries v. nuclear, self-driving v. busses/ebikes… I’m sure others I’m not thinking about.
@mekkaokereke @Alon @otte_homan @14mission like most of these emotionally stunted man-children it is all from some harm that befell them in their youth and they never got over or resolved. This is what the Boring Company is based on: https://amoktime.com/mego-micronauts-rocket-tubes-playset/