Notwithstanding all of the previously posted opinions, facts, feelings, predictions, and arguments (including my own) … I think it just may be equally likely to see an alternative form of “transportation” to the kind of “automatic piloted,” 500+ passenger airplane equipped with one or more sophisticated computer systems, similar to or more advanced than those described in the 1966-era “Star Trek” television series, that so many here seem to believe is inevitable. This “alternative” system would mirror a transportation mode also first envisioned in that same iconic television/movie series, that would be more convenient and at least equally safe … and would be based on the “transporter” system that allowed transfer of animate and inanimate objects between orbiting space ships and virtually any location on the planet below … or to other space ships. Transportation time would be impervious to any climatic or physical barriers and transfer time would be almost immediate!
