Les Orchard
I'm probably off by orders of magnitude, but sometimes I wonder if rather than all the money & effort spent on self-driving AI it wouldn't have been cheaper & easier to just run more rails everywhere
Oct 6, 2018 at 7:05pmWeb
Show threadMaxineOct 6, 2018
@lmorchard Forever mad about Big Car campaigning against trains and actively shutting down many rail systems including one in my hometown
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_conspiracy
General Motors streetcar conspiracy - Wikipedia

Show threadmhoyeOct 6, 2018
@lmorchard public transit is hugely cheaper than this self-driving car nonsense, but you should never underestimate how much money people are willing to spend just to feel like they're not rolling with the plebs.
Show threadDan HonOct 6, 2018
Did you see the argument put forward that eg no investment should be made at all in high speed rail in California because of the imminent disruption by autonomous vehicles? @lmorchard
Show threadMichal Migurski 🍉Oct 6, 2018
@Danhon @lmorchard We should really be doing both. AVs may become a thing at some point in the future and it’d be wise to have that technical expertise here instead of elsewhere, while rails are a known-known that can help move actual people.
Show threadDan HonOct 6, 2018

Mike, we should do neither. We’ve already demonstrated quantum teleportation of multi-bit state across kilometers, it’s only a matter of time until we have total quantum state matter transportation at the hot/wet scale and *that’s* the real disruption...

@migurski @lmorchard

Show threadBill SeitzOct 9, 2018
@Danhon @lmorchard or building houses higher
Show threadsoypunkOct 7, 2018
@lmorchard or help people get places on foot, scooter, or cycle (or wheelchair/etc.) A lot of trips in the US are less than two miles. (But also, yes, more rail.)