Was ‘The Jetsons’ in your list of favourite cartoons ever? Mine too!If you are a 90’s kid like me (yes, that generation that saw Cartoon Network rise and fall), “The Jetsons” probably fueled a lot of your thoughts. Video phone calls, flat screen televisions, space travel, robot maids, the cartoon had it all! While the cartoon seemingly hinted towards the future, what’s awesome is how many of those technologies actually exist today! Business tycoon Elon Musk is possibly someone who watched a lot of the series too. At age 44, Musk is the CEO and CTO of SpaceX, and CEO and Product Architect at Tesla Motors. As brilliant and out of the world as that sounds by itself, it’s Musk’s biggest project that grabbed everyone’s attention everywhere: the “fifth mode of transportation, the Hyperloop”. If you are wondering who this “real life Tony Stark” is, t his here is him.
Now, for the unacquainted, the Hyperloop is a high-speed transportation system, similar in form and function to a high-speed train system. Except these babies are FAST, and how! The Hyperloop is basically made of reduced-pressure tubes in which pressurized capsules travel upon an air cushion driven by air compressors and linear induction motors. Think of it as a person spitting paper balls through a straw at great force, and you are IN the paper ball . The Hyperloop has a potential high speed of 760 mph (1223 kmph), which is a good 185 kilometers faster than a passenger plane ! The video below explains in entirety what the Hyperloop is, what it is capable of, and how it makes life that much more awesome.
The video states that the travel time from Los Angeles to San Francisco is about 30 minutes, which is a fantastic time to cover 614 kilometers. That’s a minimum of an hour lesser than a flight covering the same distance, which is simply phenomenal! Quite obviously, our first thought then was India could do well with a Hyperloop in place.
So, if we really had a hyperloop system in India, what would it be like? We decided to figure out. After intense mathematical processing and computation, we had calculations of the time it would take to travel across the country’s major cities. First thoughts? SO MUCH FREE TIME!
Things you could do with the extra time: a) Figure out where to get the best street food in town. Go there. b) Endlessly drive down the Bandra Worli Sea Link, the SCLR and the Eastern Freeway. c) Enjoy the passive-aggressive evening crowds at the Gateway of India.
Things you could do with the extra time:a) Catch breakfast at Terreti Market. b) Do some leisure shopping at New Market, Lindsay Street. c) Chill out at Belur Math.
Things you could do with the extra time: a) Gawk in awe at the Vidhan Soudha. b) Spend time at HAL Aerospace Museum. c) Make a day trip to Mysore.
Things you could do with the extra time: a) Go midnight binge-eating at Manek Chowk. b) Emulate Teen Darwaja in any favourite form of art. c) Go click happy at Dada Hari Vav.
Things you could do with the extra time: a) Visit the Katraj Snake Farm. b) Explore the Shaniwar Wada Fort Complex. c) Lose yourself in Koregaon Park.
Things you could do with the extra time: a) Visit Broken Bridge. Learn why it is haunted. b) Learn about Olive Ridley Turtles on Besant Nagar Beach. c) Go street shopping at Pondy Bazaar.
Things you could do with the extra time: a) Visit a spice plantation. b) Roll on a sandy beach. c) Party some more!
Things you could do with the extra time: a) Visit the Paigah Tombs. b) Spend the day at Golconda Fort. c) Enjoy the evening at Necklace Road.
That the Hyperloop will open up a world of beautiful possibilities is sure. The ability to travel across the country seamlessly and in such little time could be a game changer not only on an individual level, but would also add to national growth as well. The opportunity to learn much more about all the natural and man-made wonders that this country has to offer is extremely exciting. I know I could totally do with a super quick trip to the Northeast, and a quick visit to the Rann of Kutch festival would be superb too. The thought of eating spicy M isal Pav in Mumbai, followed by Butter Chicken and Parathas in New Delhi, and an extensive seafood meal and chill session in Goa, all in one day sounds like the stuff my dreams are made of!
The Hyperloop being in its initial stages of planning and execution, our calculations are way, way into the future. But hey, dreaming doesn’t hurt right? This article is based deep in speculation and wishful thinking. In the truest sense of the term, any thought of a Hyperloop system in India is a figment of imagination. At least for a good decade and a half more.
To answer the question in the headline, I’m not kidding you. But existence is, in a sick, demented way. *awkward silence follows*