Some MORE of the World's Most Useless Megaprojects

Discover the dark side of ambitious megaprojects, from the sinking of artificial islands to the plumbing problems of the world's tallest building. Explore the practical and safety concerns that have led to the failures of grand designs, including the questionable practicality of the hyperloop system and the tragic story of the Soviet disaster airliner, Tu-104. Join us as we delve into the world of ambitious projects gone wrong and the lessons we can learn from their failures.

[gbennett]

I flew on an Aeroflot passenger jet in 1983 from Moscow to Leningrad. There were people on board with live chickens in baskets. The plane creaked very audibly throughout the flight. I felt lucky to survive the flight.

[scott]

Somebody who works on a particle accelerator here to also dunk on Hyperloop; do you know how difficult it actually is to pump down a small section of tubing to high vacuum and the kind of equipment needed and the energy requirements? Yeah, that on a human scale is stupidly inefficient compared to just using a regular train

[mbarker_lng]

The Hyperloop always felt like Mel Brook's "The Producers": Something designed to fail because the people behind it found a way to make money off that failure.

[anthonyholroyd]

Things like 'Hyperloop' are what we, in the transport industry, would call a 'Gadgetbahn'. A new and complex mode of transit that seems futuristic, and tends to generate alot of excitement because of its futuristic, complex 'high-tech' look and feel . . . But is actually less workable, less effecient and less capable at what it's designed to do than older, simpler and existing technologies.

[johnnyfokzz]

There’s a phrase in Arabic “flus ma tius” - “a donkey with money” which perfectly sums up many of the failed mega projects around the world

[hannahp]

As someone who lives on the West Coast, the Hyperloop was always ridiculous to me because...earthquakes

[bullseyecanada]

The pneumatic subway drawing/schematic you show on Broadway was the one created by Alfred Beach in the late 1800s. He couldn't get a permit from the city of New York (as his competition was thinking of running for mayor and bribed council to not approve Beach's plan) so Alfred dug the tunnel and two stations by hand, at night, in the dark over the course of a year. He then stuck a train in it and showed that pneumatics would work...but he and his invention were buried in political controversy. Beach's memory was immortalized in Canadian band Klaatu's song "Sub Rosa Subway' in 1973.

[ethal]

I'm not an engineer. But I once had one tell me that one of the universal truths of engineering is that EVERYTHING leaks, even without the massive pressure differential required for the Hyperloop.

[LiveFreeOrDieA]

As an HVAC tech who regularly puts lengths of piping under a vacuum I can definitely attest to how impossible this idea is

[mumblbeebee]

Over the last few months Simon has shifted tone quite markedly, and while I can speculate whether it is part of a pub bet, a long planned strategy, a recent epiphany or something far cleverer that for me to comprehend, I don’t mind - I’m here for it 😂

[HealingBlight]

Nothing quite like trusting public transport project to car manufacturers.

[gadaadyn]

What you are saying is that Musk sold Hypertubes to Brockway, Ogdenville and North Haverbrook!😉

[schipperkesandhonoraryschi]

Love the cynicism in this one Simon - very entertaining! And I genuinely mean that

[MTTT]

How ironic that the Palm island is sinking into the ocean, considering that mega hotel on the tip of the tree is called Atlantis.

[iteerrex]

Thunderfoot endlessly made fun of the hyperloop.

[ignitionfrn]

0:40 - Chapter 1 - Hyperloop (still stupid after all these years)
7:35 - Chapter 2 - Tu 104 (The soviet disaster airliner)
10:50 - Chapter 3 - Just dubai

[tonikaihola]

In Finland Tupolev is known as “Putolev” or (roughly translated) “drop-down-olev” 😅

[fm]

"Hyperloop" is the NFT of mass transit.

[helldad]

been getting your videos recommended to me for a while and this is the one that made me subscribe. any channel that will ask "why would anyone want that?" before launching into a detailed explanation of "how did engineers turn this rich moron's fever dream into a shabby reality?" is probably worth hearing from regularly

[JoeCensored]

My biggest safety concern with the hyperloop is decompression of the car itself. A small leak could result in suffocation of the passengers within minutes. Possibly even a condition similar to the bends which divers need to avoid.