TWO new cool things

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

/. occasionally has something worth reading on it. Today it has two.

First, apparently a new land speed record has been set. The USAF has developed a rail vehicle that can travel at Mach 8.6 Woot! Maybe I'll finally get to work on time.

Second, multiple companies have developed a wireless phone in the size and shape of a wrist watch. Now, if they can just fuse that with the PDA wrist watch that Fossil now sells, we can be all Dick Tracy. Woot! I love the future.

[Entsuropi]

The japanese are currently building a railway that goes at 500 miles an hour, using magnets.

The germans have built a maglev railway that connects the three terminals of (i think) frankfurt airport - they are 40 miles apart.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

We prefer to use things like rocket fuel. Which is why we're not going 500mph, we're going mach 8.6 (nearly 13 times that). Also, it means it's not terribly useable as it reaches that speed in 6 seconds.

[Tage]

Now, I could be way off-base here, but wouldn't going from 0 to Mach 8.6 in 6 seconds basically KILL you?

[Spriggan]

depends on what the G-force is.  if it's over 200 (I think) then yes

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

I think 0-6400mph in 6 seconds is probably a stressful accelleration, whether or not you survive it.

Call in Gene Roddenberry. All we need are some inertial dampeners.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

Hey, its cool if your shipping arms and equipment from one side of the country to the other on a robot train though.

Woot our tanks are here!!!! Now we just need 1300 tank crews.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

pffft. That's easy. We just need to build a barracks and some Supply Depots....

Wait, maybe that's Starcraft....