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Elon's "BFR"


Mallette

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5 hours ago, oldtimer said:

The universe as we know it should not exist, scientists working at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, have said.

Hardly a new idea.  "Things are too perfect..." is the heart of the anthropic cosmological principles.  Not surprised to see there is new evidence of an old idea.  

 

Dave

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On 10/25/2017 at 3:41 PM, Jeff Matthews said:

Cool!  Still waiting on my autopiloted car.

Its pretty much here. My wife drives a Tesla and the autopilot is pretty incredible. Technology for Fully autonomous is pretty much here - just waiting for regulations to catch up. 

 

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It is truly a remarkable car.  Incredible technology and it is a joy to drive. Bought it for the range and the ability to use the diamond lanes for a very long commutees it was expensive but when you factor in no gas bills - with her commute can really add up. Nothing really to maintain - brakes last for ever due to the electric motors providing braking. No oil changes etc. Once a year you pretty much just change the cabin air filter and that's it.

 

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1 minute ago, Jeff Matthews said:

What's she use it for?  Parking?  Or is there other functionality?

She can set it on auto pilot when she is commuting in traffic and it stays in the lane and maintains a timed distance from the car in front of her. During her commute she has international conference calls and she can take notes etc. The feature has been very useful for her. I use it sometimes just for kicks. But you are correct I would not find it very useful for me!

I personally like driving a car. I have only owned one non truck that wasnt a stick. I would not have own the Tesla for my primary car. But that is just me.

 

 

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21 minutes ago, joshnich said:

I personally like driving a car. I have only owned one non truck that wasnt a stick. I would not have own the Tesla for my primary car. But that is just me.

Hard to calculate the danger of you or any human driving even a Tesla, where the automation is not yet perfect, compared to the autopilot.  But probably at LEAST a hundred times more dangerous even now.  Once certified, likelihood of accident will be close to zero just like airliners.  There was a lot of strong resistance to this in the other thread I started...but the fact is no matter how much you like driving most here will live to see the time when it is illegal to do it on the vast majority of public highways and causing damage or death by interfering with a AV will become a criminal act.  It makes sense and will save over 30k lives, untold injuries, billions in legal and property costs...and insurance.  

 

Dave

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3 hours ago, Mallette said:

Hard to calculate the danger of you or any human driving even a Tesla, where the automation is not yet perfect, compared to the autopilot.  But probably at LEAST a hundred times more dangerous even now.  Once certified, likelihood of accident will be close to zero just like airliners.  There was a lot of strong resistance to this in the other thread I started...but the fact is no matter how much you like driving most here will live to see the time when it is illegal to do it on the vast majority of public highways and causing damage or death by interfering with a AV will become a criminal act.  It makes sense and will save over 30k lives, untold injuries, billions in legal and property costs...and insurance.  

 

Dave

 

I wonder if the autonomous programs  have some code to protect you from an airplane landing on your car on a freeway, a semi truck sailing off an overpass onto your car,  a mortar shell from a serial killer,  an earthquake fissure in the road, an earthquake, a tornado,  a red light crasher, a stop sign crasher,  a malfunctioning train crossing system, and the blue screen of death?

JJK

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7 minutes ago, JJkizak said:

I wonder if the autonomous programs  have some code to protect you from an airplane landing on your car on a freeway, a semi truck sailing off an overpass onto your car,  a mortar shell from a serial killer,  an earthquake fissure in the road, an earthquake, a tornado,  a red light crasher, a stop sign crasher,  a malfunctioning train crossing system, and the blue screen of death?

Far more likely to survive all of those than under human control.  That is not opinion, but proven science.  Even the blue screen...there will be redundancy (unlike a human) and if only a single CPU is left it will pull over safely and stop.  Shuttles had 4 CPU backups and never had more than one fail.  

Dave

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5 hours ago, Mallette said:

Hard to calculate the danger of you or any human driving even a Tesla, where the automation is not yet perfect, compared to the autopilot.  But probably at LEAST a hundred times more dangerous even now.  Once certified, likelihood of accident will be close to zero just like airliners.  There was a lot of strong resistance to this in the other thread I started...but the fact is no matter how much you like driving most here will live to see the time when it is illegal to do it on the vast majority of public highways and causing damage or death by interfering with a AV will become a criminal act.  It makes sense and will save over 30k lives, untold injuries, billions in legal and property costs...and insurance.  

 

Dave

Whatever. I still like driving. 

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5 minutes ago, joshnich said:

Whatever. I still like driving. 

I am sure there will be places for it.  The only driving I ever totally enjoyed was 4WD off road.  I was pretty good at it.  But even there it would be nice if I got in a jam to know the computer could either get me out, or tell me right away best call for help. 

 

No question there'll be places for people to relive the old days, but they just won't be allowed to endanger others while enjoying themselves.  I suspect that there will be a demand for a hybrid that allows you to control the vehicle...unless you start to do something dumb and common like change lands with motorcycle or car in your blind spot.  Certainly not a difficult programming problem.

 

Dave

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Actually, in both the first time I posted this with the poll and in this one, the objections raised are identical to those of devoted horse lovers in the 1903 to 1915 or so period who said they loved their horses and the machines were without souls, etc.  Your children and all who follow will shiver at the thought of the slaughter and cost of "the old days" before AVs even more than the generations who heard tales of a horse centered civilization with tons of manure to be removed daily from city streets,  and from the incredible length of time it took to get from one place to another.  Of course, AVs won't compare to a human driven vehicle in speed compared to the change from horse speed to cars in general, but certainly will in allowing even LA, Houston, Atlanta and such rush hour traffic at far greater speeds than today and out of city speeds at the limits of the machine.  Speed limits are pointless for AVs.   

 

Dave

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On 9/30/2017 at 5:41 PM, wvu80 said:

Uh, no to being "the greatest mind of the 21st century."  Yes to being proven completely wrong.

 

 

 

Looks cool, but his  statement "Will Generates More Power Than It Consumes", goes directly against the 1st law of thermodynamics.

 

I am skeptical, I think ole Elon is being a salesman.

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13 hours ago, Gilbert said:

Looks cool, but his  statement "Will Generates More Power Than It Consumes", goes directly against the 1st law of thermodynamics.

 

If that "quote" came from this site it's like BS.  Find it elsewhere, Gil, and point me to it.  As to being a "salesman," if Elon really is interested in this it is because it will be even more useful in the thin Martian atmosphere.  He's more interested in Mars than earth surface transport.  

 

Dave

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1 hour ago, Mallette said:

If that "quote" came from this site it's like BS.  Find it elsewhere, Gil, and point me to it.  As to being a "salesman," if Elon really is interested in this it is because it will be even more useful in the thin Martian atmosphere. 

 

He's more interested in Mars than earth surface transport.  

 

Elon Musk has a GREAT idea.... why not use a space craft designed for going to mars for transporting people around Earth!  The spaceship, dubbed the BFR, would carry about 100 people into outer space, but at the end of his presentation Elon Musk floated the idea of using it to fly anywhere around the world in less than 60 minutes. 

 

 

 

Just hop on your rocket and be anywhere on earth in 60 minutes.  What could go wrong with that idea?

 

 

 

 

 

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