NASA pundits launch debate over space flight

TalkBack 3 of 5:

Next »

« Previous

• Thread View
• Flat View

Flying Cars and such...

What do I mean by this? Well, we've had cars around for about as long, and that industry has flourished. And yet its the issue of technical complexity that is the core problem. Why is it, that with all the advances made, we dont yet have flying cars, for example?

Several reasons. The most prominent reason as you said - the technology just ain't here yet. But the 2nd biggest reason - we only have to look in a mirror. If the All State Insurance guy is to be believed, we're subject to being in an accident 1 in 8 times we're behind the wheel. Now, personally, I don't quite buy that figure - I've gotten in the car a LOT more than 8 times in a row and haven't been in an accident. But I digress...

If you do look at the reality of the situation, there are an awful lot of accidents. Just listen to radio traffic reports and you're likely to hear at least one accident reported on each report.

Now imagine, if you will, how it would be if we all had flying cars - Jetsons style... Minor fenderbenders up there become nasty fatal accidents when two or more vehicles crash into each other at 2000 feet, and drop from the sky. Not only that but the flaming debris comes down over a house and crashes through the roof and kills a family of 4, innocently sitting down for dinner and the house they live in becomes a raging inferno as the fuel in the sky car's tanks goes up in smoke.

Somehow, I don't see our governments being willing to put it's citizens at that much risk - no matter how bad the traffic gets. There are just too many id-10-Ts on the road, reading newspapers, applying makeup, changing clothes, and god only knows what else.

It can be therefore argued that the complexity of flying a car or a plane is beyond the ability of most ordinary people. Heck, they can't master the relatively simple skills of navigating on the ground.

Then there's the issue of energy... It takes more energy to put an object up in the air - AND most importantly, keep it up there - than it does to keep a vehicle moving on the ground. Given our current state of energy consumption that's something that's another barrier that's going to keep us literally grounded.

Given all of that, the Jetsons/Star Wars style air cars are just not something that will be around any time soon.

Posted by: Wolfie2K3   Posted on: 09/21/07 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

• Three Steps You Need to Know to Stop Data Loss Varonis Sensitive data exposed to misuse or loss... it is the stuff of nightmares ... Download Now
• The True Costs of Virtual Server Solutions VMware In an economic environment that is repeatedly heralding the message "do ... Download Now
• Building the Virtualized Enterprise with VMware Infrastructure VMware VMware virtualization software has been adopted by over 120,000 enterprise ... Download Now