I saw MiB:I last night. It was so much fun; probably helped by how excited we got every time Les Twins (YouTube, Instagram) were on screen (which was often, but not often enough IMHO).
If they can make these happen, then we would be able to travel to the other side of the world in approximately 3-4 hours, and it would cost ~$50.
Possible problems with Intercontinental Travel
Shifting tectonic plates – even a micrometre could shift these tubes out of alignment, and at the speeds that the “cars” inside would be travelling, the results could be disastrous.
Forces of nature – hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, etc could damage the exterior, and possibly even remove entire sections of the tubing
Is there any other problems that the engineers would have to account for? Leave your answer in the comments!
Pros
If these do become our reality, then the possibilities are endless for travel. You would be able to see parts of the world that you didn’t think you’d ever be able to see due to costs or time constraints.
On top of travel benefits, the number of job opportunities for engineers and mechanics would increase. I’m sure the plans would include the need for “tube attendants” during the travel, and security would have to be as strict as at airports, so it wouldn’t be removing jobs from the airline industry. Follow this link to find out more on travel options in the future.