This picture of a Virgin Hyperloop One XP-1 pod showcases a design that would be suitable for human transport through a Hyperloop-style infrastructure. However, the constraints on a human being traveling in one render most of the proposed specifications unfeasible. (Credit: Z22/Wikimedia Commons)

Elon Musk’s proposed Hyperloop is all smoke and mirrors

The hyperloop would be a great idea for a completely flat planet. With topography and infrastructure, it’s a very different story.

It’s always exciting when there’s a potential new development in transportation. No one likes airports or airplanes, and let’s face it, cars and trains are slow, particularly when it comes to traversing the large distances between most major cities in countries with large land areas like the United States. The plan for a new, rapid type of transport is simple, and in theory only involves two things:

1. the ability to accelerate yourself to go fast, minimizing both friction due to moving parts as well as air resistance, and
2. the ability to counteract the gravitational pull of the Earth.

While rapid air transport and bullet trains have already been implemented in many places, their limitations and associated costs are also severe. If we could develop a new system of transportation that was low-cost, accessible, comfortable, and as fast as (or faster than) air travel, all without the gross inconveniences and high carbon-costs associated with air travel. One such proposal is Elon Musk’s Hyperloop, which aims to apply pneumatic tube technology to human-scale interstate…