ski_power

Even I think it would be far safer (both for the general public, and for security purposes) just to automate transport and enclose it. Like said above, if enclosed there is nothing stopping an enclosed system running seamlessly at high speeds. There isn't actually a need for a general flying system of vehicles.The problem that needs to be solved is of safety, and congestion. Both of which automated systems can solve. But then again there isn't need of nuclear warheads either...

This. The parents must seriously be checked into an asylum. I mean or else charged (directly/indirectly) for "Assist to Inflict Psychological Trauma in a non-adult" atleast till he can change his name (if it hasn't done enough damage to him already)

Well, I thought I'd not threadjack... But I'm back too... * drum roll * after 4 years(LOLzwut??!!?) Completed Engineering (Mechanical), and I'm planning to study further - Aerospace. I still remember oldies like swansont, Capnrefsmat, and the very resourceful yt2095. I'd remember more gradually once I start being here more regularly.

Correct me, but doesn't the intake of a gas turbine have to be subsonic?

I too believe that it is the practical barriers rather than technological barriers that would impede flying cars from becoming common. Firstly would be the fuel usage that has been said by you guys. They would have to come up with some kind of highly efficient method for converting fuel source energy into power. Also, there would be an issue of compactness. A flying car would quickly lose it's charm if you are going to run out of fuel before returning back from the grocery store. The other obstacle would be the driving license. Now apart from normal training, you'd have to teach everyone concepts of roll, pitch, & yaw. These being only the basics. I mean, you would have to practically teach a pilot training course to all individuals (flying cars are normal remember?). That would be very difficult. Accidents could be far less forgiving, and there would be very little left to luck. A slight graze puts you off balance. You lose control of the vehicle and now you don't just have to worry about slamming into a building or another vehicle, but also need to remember the Z-Axis. You will definitely fall down too. Remember, gravity at its very best. I'm not trying to dissuade or discourage anyone, but unless they start teaching aerospac engineering level science at school level, it would be a long long time that we would see flying cars become common.

oh, well i've not used any *nix before, so this is new to me and I'm quite impressed by it... Atleast I know that my system won't "Crash and Burn" because of some stupid virus... It may not be long before the hackers try to bypass this also, but I hope it doesnt happen that way...

Well actually I dual boot vista(Evaluation) and XP, just for checking it out... I dont install programs twice, ie on each OS... In XP, one file that I ran had a virus, and because of it, literally every system file in XP had a virus. I ran this McAfee, and like atleast 150-200 files infected in the C:\WINDOWS folder alone. Now in Vista, the same program was run, and when I run McAfee, only 1 file infected, that too it's the virus file which I originally took. No other system file, game, office file, no nothing was infected...oh and BTW that virus was called W32.Sality/x Isn't that cool?

The training one is good.... Any idea on how I can fit the "super conductive" within limits of the Mechanical engineering? THanks for your replies man...Today I recommended insane alien's quote and everybody loved it, tomorrow I'll tell these ones too...

Hey isn't there anyone else...? Please?

That's cool man.... :notes it down:

Our class is creating(umm...no making) a T-shirt... We just don't know what quote or line to give to our T-Shirt. We're doing mechanical engineering in the third year(<=year irrelevant) Any of you creative guys care to help with giving a good line...

true swansont... if we did want to be THAT foolish, we could as well make 1 meter = 1/10^6 distance travelled by light and change the definition of a second as well.....

yeah. Every measurement would have to be re done. Scales, callipers, speedometers, etc etc......zzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZ....... You get the magnitude of the change right?

Is there any difference between todays USB flash drives and the then Carts... If there isn't couldn't todays flash drives take as much abuse that herme3 has subjected the carts to...

But normal paper isn't exactly what you would call waterproof and fireproof...