XPost: rec.arts.sf.written, rec.arts.sf.science   
   From: jclarkeusenet@cox.net   
      
   In article ,   
   ddfr@daviddfriedman.nopsam.com says...   
   >   
   > In article ,   
   >  Greg Goss  wrote:   
   >   
   > > "Leszek Karlik"  wrote:   
   > >   
   > > >On Sun, 12 Jan 2014 18:47:42 +0100, Doc O'Leary   
   > > > wrote:   
   > > >   
   > > >[...]   
   > > >> I don't even understand the analogy you're trying to make.  Self-driving   
   > > >> cars *are* a virtual train.   
   > > >   
   > > >No, self-driving cars are, basically, taxis with robot drivers instead of   
   > > >human drivers, which makes them cheaper, so people will be better able   
   > > >to afford them.   
   > > >   
   > > >A limousine with a driver is a self-driving car from the point of view   
   > > >of a CEO and it's nothing like a virtual train.   
   > >   
   > > That's because the limo driver cannot see out the window five cars   
   > > ahead.  Linking the cars and the computing power into a networked unit   
   > > provides the ability to reach much higher densities than simple taxis.   
   >   
   > That was the old idea of intelligent highways, which I gather proved   
   > unworkable.   
      
   Not so much unworkable as that nobody wanted to build one without cars   
   to run on them and nobody wanted to build the cars without a road to run   
   them on.   
      
   > The current model is decentralized, with a computer instead   
   > of a human driver.   
      
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