Hyperloop One shows off super-speed propulsion technology

(AP) — A low-profile block of aluminum zipped across a short stretch of what looked like railroad tracks Wednesday before crashing into a tuft of sand and sending a small cloud into the clear skies of the desert north of Las Vegas.

The seconds-long demonstration by startup Hyperloop One marked the first public glimpse of a propulsion system that its creators hope will rocket people and cargo through tubes at the speed of sound in five years.

Musk was busy building his electric car and rooftop solar companies at the time, and offered the idea to whoever wanted to try it out.

[...] I doubt this specific piece of technology will have a dramatic effect on how we move people and goods in the near term.