Flying Cars

[SicEmBaylor]

I saw a promo for that Discovery Channel show 2025, and they were showing flying cars. This idea has been around for long enough now, but I don't think it's ever going to happen. People can't freaking drive on land (especially TX and MA drivers) let alone put them up in the skies with a 3rd dimension to contend with.

[jacru]

http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/9484/be6792dc4a46422889bea17vf1.jpg

[GottaHavePride]

I saw a promo for that Discovery Channel show 2025, and they were showing flying cars. This idea has been around for long enough now, but I don't think it's ever going to happen. People can't freaking drive on land (especially TX and MA drivers) let alone put them up in the skies with a 3rd dimension to contend with.

That's why the first thing I'm doing when I get my flying car is mounting laser cannons on it.

[royalfan5]

That's why the first thing I'm doing when I get my flying car is mounting laser cannons on it.
I hope we can just jump straight to TIE fighters. Now that'd be sweet.

[Ike]

flying cars will happen at about the same time as flying pigs.



TIE fighters however...

[afs]

http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-1960-1969/1969-Dodge-Charger-General-Lee-DOH-Jump-Swamp-1600x1200.jpg

[yermom]

http://www.worldrally.net/photos/97oz/mcrae4.jpg

[12]

http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-1960-1969/1969-Dodge-Charger-General-Lee-DOH-Jump-Swamp-1600x1200.jpg

F'n A.

These kids and their anti-flying car theories...:rolleyes:

[tbl]

I still say the future of transportation should be a rail system operated by magnets (similar to those used on some of the newer roller coasters and trains). Individual cars with small electric engines for when you get to a parking lot, driveway, or anything else where the rails are not necessary. Otherwise, all roads and especially interstates would be automated. ~80-90 MPH with programmable routes so that it automatically exits, turns, everything. If you have to make an emergency stop, just type it in and it automatically takes you to the nearest place (bathroom, restaurant, hospital, etc).

[SoonerInKCMO]

I saw a promo for that Discovery Channel show 2025, and they were showing flying cars. This idea has been around for long enough now, but I don't think it's ever going to happen. People can't freaking drive on land (especially me) let alone put them up in the skies with a 3rd dimension to contend with.

Fixed. :texan:

[yermom]

you're just not thinking 4th dimensionally

[Viking Kitten]

you're just not thinking 4th dimensionally

If you're the guy who makes teleportation possible, I guarantee nobody'll make fun of your wee Ipod ever again.

[Ike]

If you're the guy who makes teleportation possible, I guarantee nobody'll make fun of your wee Ipod ever again.

technically...teleportation IS already possible.


it's just that in order to do so, you have to completely destroy the original object (by which, each atom must be individually destroyed), and then re-assemble it at the new location.


It's that reassembly that makes just a bit problematic.

[Viking Kitten]

technically...teleportation IS already possible.


it's just that in order to do so, you have to completely destroy the original object (by which, each atom must be individually destroyed), and then re-assemble it at the new location.


It's that reassembly that makes just a bit problematic.

Well forgive the **** outta me... I usually only watch the Discovery Channel during Shark Week. :D

But seriously, I remember reading where, though it's possible, you'd have to be able to harness the energy of the sun to do it at this point. Am I remembering that correctly?

[Ike]

Well forgive the **** outta me... I usually only watch the Discovery Channel during Shark Week. :D

But seriously, I remember reading where, though it's possible, you'd have to be able to harness the energy of the sun to do it at this point. Am I remembering that correctly?
maybe...I don't know how much energy it takes.

at this point, the only things that have been teleported are massless photons, which as particles go are about as simple as one can get.

there are other interesting questions that go along with teleportation too (supposing you solve the energy and re-assembly problems). Like this:
assuming that humans posess a "soul" (whatever that really means in the physical sense), if you destroy the body in which that soul exists, and create an exact copy of that body somewhere else, what happens to the soul? does it get copied too, or does it escape, never to be seen again? In other words, if we teleport VK, is the thing that comes out the other end really VK, or just a very good replica? And if the soul gets copied too, what of the original soul. It must have been destroyed. Does it go to wherever our souls would go in the after life? If you did it enough, could you exist simultaneously in Heaven, Hell, and on Earth?

of course, nobody will ever have a good answer for that one.

[yermom]

seems you'd need to understand the way the brain stores information before taking one apart and putting it back together at the atomic level

good luck with that ;)

[Viking Kitten]

Never assume I have a soul.

[Ike]

seems you'd need to understand the way the brain stores information before taking one apart and putting it back together at the atomic level

good luck with that ;)


it's actually even worse than that. Just for simplification, imagine that you are a single hydrogen atom. which means that you consist of a proton and an electron. well, we'd have to teleport the electron and the proton separately. When we re-assemble them, we have to put the electron back in it's original orbital. If it is in some excited state, we also have to get the polarization exactly right.

Extending this to complex molecules can make this very difficult.

[Ike]

Never assume I have a soul.
heh.

spek to you.

[tbl]

Rails... magnets... computers... GPS...

[SicEmBaylor]

I still say the future of transportation should be a rail system operated by magnets (similar to those used on some of the newer roller coasters and trains). Individual cars with small electric engines for when you get to a parking lot, driveway, or anything else where the rails are not necessary. Otherwise, all roads and especially interstates would be automated. ~80-90 MPH with programmable routes so that it automatically exits, turns, everything. If you have to make an emergency stop, just type it in and it automatically takes you to the nearest place (bathroom, restaurant, hospital, etc).

You know that's strange, because I've had pretty much the same exact thoughts. Everyone would have their own little "pod" and when they want to go somewhere they plug in where they want to go and they're transported there.

[silverwheels]

I still say the future of transportation should be a rail system operated by magnets (similar to those used on some of the newer roller coasters and trains). Individual cars with small electric engines for when you get to a parking lot, driveway, or anything else where the rails are not necessary. Otherwise, all roads and especially interstates would be automated. ~80-90 MPH with programmable routes so that it automatically exits, turns, everything. If you have to make an emergency stop, just type it in and it automatically takes you to the nearest place (bathroom, restaurant, hospital, etc).

Sounds kinda like Minority Report.

[tbl]

Exactly. I originally thought about it with "tubes", but it's just not practical. With kids and everything, it would have to be similar to a car. Essentially it would be a car with a small engine (gas, electric, or hybrid) that would only be required to go very short distances. No more traffic jams, no more wrecks, no more drunk drivers (or for the drunkytown residents no more worries), no more women drivers ;), no more changing tires or jumpstarting :D... the list goes on.

Of course there would still need to be off road vehicles for all the country boys. The amount of people that actually drive in places off road is extremely small in comparison to the rest of the people, so it wouldn't be that big of a deal.

[tbl]

Sounds kinda like Minority Report.
That's pretty much what it is. When I saw that movie, I was thinking they were ripping my idea off. ;)

It would be a huge undertaking, but we built the huge interstate system we have today, so I really think it's feasible.

[Chuck Bao]

I remember one Discovery Channel show that said that the power of the sun or actually many suns would be necessary to open a worm hole for space travel. Maybe I'm mistaken.

I'm wondering if anti-gravity (and flying cars) is that much out of the realm of possibilities, given that we haven't figured out dark energy or matter that seems to be driving the universe apart at accelerating speeds.

Space travel with an anti-gravity drive should speed up space travel a bit too.

Until then, I'll continue to ride my bike.

[OUinFLA]

at this point, the only things that have been teleported are massless photons, which as particles go are about as simple as one can get.

.

You've teleported whorns?:eek:

[OUstud]

:rolleyes: Weren't we supposed to be in flying cars and living on the moon by 1991?

[Mongo]

SicEm, if you cant change a tire or jump start an older Dodge truck, I really dont think flying car maintanance is going to be any easier.

[VeeJay]

http://atuleirus.weblog.com.pt/arquivo/the%20jetsons.jpg

[SoonerInKCMO]

:rolleyes: Weren't we supposed to be in flying cars and living on the moon by 1991?

Heh. I was paging through the mid-'60s edition of Encyclopedia International that is in my old room at my parents' house while there over Christmas and came across an article about computers. They were all over the 'paperless office' idea and how it would come around by 1970-something.

Stupid in the past people. :rolleyes:

[SicEmBaylor]

Heh. I was paging through the mid-'60s edition of Encyclopedia International that is in my old room at my parents' house while there over Christmas and came across an article about computers. They were all over the 'paperless office' idea and how it would come around by 1970-something.

Stupid in the past people. :rolleyes:

A paperless office isn't the challenge; a moronless office is the ultimate goal.

[SoonerInKCMO]

What kind of work are you going to do then? :confused:



HAHAHA!! :D

[Ike]

A paperless office isn't the challenge; a moronless office is the ultimate goal.

This is an oxymoron. an office without morons would have no reason to exist.

[SicEmBaylor]

What kind of work are you going to do then? :confused:



HAHAHA!! :D

Automotive repair.

[KABOOKIE]

I saw a promo for that Discovery Channel show 2025, and they were showing flying cars. This idea has been around for long enough now, but I don't think it's ever going to happen. People can't freaking drive on land (especially TX and MA drivers) let alone put them up in the skies with a 3rd dimension to contend with.


Flying cars won't come about because of stupid people. Sue happy lawyers and the legal system in this country are happy to give stupid people money for hurting themselves in perfectly good products.

No sir, flying cars won't come about becasue the FAA wouldn't have a clue on how to certify them! :mad:

[GottaHavePride]

When I get my X-wing (TIE fighters are for suckers) first thing I'll do is tell the FAA "Hey! Certify THIS!"