This effect can be seen right back to the domestication of the horse.

這種影響的方式可以追溯到我們對馬的馴化過程中。

It allows civilizations to expand and spread information and resources faster than ever.

它使文明比以往任何時候都能更快地擴展，並和傳播資訊與資源。

So where is the next great innovation in commercial travel?

那麼，下一個偉大的商業旅行界的重大革新會是什麼？

The fastest civilian vehicle, the Concorde, had a top speed of Mach 2, but it needed to fly at 18,000 meters.

世界上最快的民用載具是協和飛機，它的最高速度為 2 馬赫，但需要在 18,000 公尺的高空飛行。

If it flew lower, the drag and heat generated from aerodynamic friction would've limited its top speed.

如果它飛得更低，因為與空氣摩擦所產生的阻力和熱量將會限制它的最高速度。

Consider this: the outside temperature at this altitude is -57 degrees Celsius.

想想看吧：這個海拔高度下的外部溫度為零下 57 攝氏度。

Yet the nose of the Concorde could reach 127 °C.

然而，協和號的機頭可以達到 127 度。

Naturally, if we want to move faster, closer to the Earth's surface, we need a way to limit the friction our vehicles experience.

因此如果我們想要在接近地球面的同時以更快的速度移動，我們自然需要一種方法來減少載具與空氣間的摩擦。

This is exactly what the hyperloop aims to do.

而這正是超迴路列車計畫的目標。

So how does it work?

那麼它的運作原理是什麼呢？

The pressure inside the Hyperloop tube would be lowered to a fraction of the normal atmospheric pressure.

在超迴路列車的真空管道內，空氣壓力會被縮減到與正常大氣壓力比起來相當微小的程度。

This minimizes the friction the vehicle will experience due to air.

這能大幅減少車廂與空氣間的摩擦。

But even having a small amount of air in the tube can cause some serious issues.

但在管子中僅存有少量的空氣可能會造成一些嚴重的問題。

Due to something called the Kantrowitz Limit, at lower speeds, there is enough space between the pod and the tube for air to get by.

由於一種叫做坎托維茲極限的現象，在較低速度的時候，車廂與管壁之間還有足夠的空間可以讓空氣通過。

But as the speed increases, this reaches a limit, and the pod begins to push large volumes of air ahead of it.

但是隨著速度的提升，便會漸漸抵達一個極限，讓車廂必須推動行進方向前面的大量空氣。

This limits the speed immensely.

這會大幅地限制其速度。

We can fix this by installing a compressor fan on the front of the pad, that removes the air from the front and redirects it to the back for additional thrust.

我們能藉由在車廂最前方裝上一個能將前方的空氣移除，並導流到尾部來提供推進力的壓縮風扇來解決這個問題。

Or it can be used to levitate the pod on a cushion of air.

或是也可以用它導流的空氣來製造出氣墊，讓車廂能懸浮起來。

To help make this idea a reality, a competition sponsored by SpaceX was created.

為了實現這個點子，SpcaeX 贊助並發起了一場競賽。

One team called rLoop formed on Reddit, and has recently started their crowdfunding campaign to build their prototype.

一個叫做 rLoop 的團隊在社群平台 Reddit 上集結，並開始進行募資活動來打造他們的原型機。

The prototype model has a target speed of 480 km/h.

這個原型機的目標極速為每小時 480 公里。

At this speed, there is no counter its choking, so their design does not need a compressor fan.

在這個速度下尚不會受到空氣擠壓限制的影響，因此不需要使用壓縮機風扇。

Most teams have opted to forgo the compressor fan, as a short test track prohibits high speed runs.

大部分的團隊也都放棄了壓縮機風扇，因為測試的軌道太短，不足以進行高速測試。

rLoop have also moved away from Elon Musk's original idea of levitating the pod using an air cushion.

rLoop 也放棄了本來伊隆·馬斯克要用氣墊來將車廂抬起來的想法。

Their calculation showed that it would be difficult to achieve adequate lift with this method.

他們在計算過後認為，要用這個方法來把車廂抬升至適當的高度實在太過困難。

They have instead opted to use eight Arx Pax magnetic levitation engines.

於是他們改用了八具由 Arx Pax 公司製造的電磁抬升引擎。

They will be competing against 29 other teams, most of whom are backed by university funding.

他們將會與其他 29 個隊伍競爭，其中大部分背後都有大學出資贊助。

They rely on the on the supportive communities like Reddit.

他們正仰賴著像是 Reddit 這樣的社群支持。

If you'd like to support their project, I provided a link in the description.

如果你想要支持他們的計畫，我會在影片資訊欄中提供連結。

With your assistance, their work may help assuring a new era of transportation.

有了你的幫助，他們的作品或許能為我們帶來運輸業界的新時代。