A World Without Chernobyl

[Reliant121]

To be quite honest, I would never drive anything that ostentatious and...flat.

[Sionnach Glic]

I like it. It's nice and sleek.
Unless you mean the Ford Nucleon. In which case I agree completely that it's hideous.

I'm curious, are nuclear-powered cars a realistic possibility? You always hear about people suggesting biofuels and hydrogen as alternative ways of powering cars, but can we not harness the power of the atom for such a task?

And while we're on vehicles, could a nuke-powered plane be a possibility?

[Reliant121]

I think its just about making it efficient at that small size.

[Nickswitz]

Not really a problem to make it smaller, I think the problem would be people walking around in lead suits worried about growing an extra head.

I think it would be a perfectly reasonable idea, I mean they need to use something more than just gas sooner or later, ok later, but still.

Also we have to worry about people who will start blaming everything that goes wrong in the world on the nuclear cars. (they get a too)

But I do think it would be possible, at this day and age, I would strongly advise against it, because no one in the world but us would buy it. Plus the problem with nuclear waste, I mean we would have to put the spent nuclear rods(or whatever they use) somewhere.

[Sionnach Glic]

Well, again I was talking about a hypothetical world where anti-nuclear hysteria didn't exist. Would nuclear cars exist, or perhaps even be common, by now in such a world?

But I do think it would be possible, at this day and age, I would strongly advise against it, because no one in the world but us would buy it. Plus the problem with nuclear waste, I mean we would have to put the spent nuclear rods(or whatever they use) somewhere.

We could always use something like these for power. They're pretty safe. And I can't imagine they'd produce all that much nuclear waste.

[Tyyr]

The car thing isn't really workable. The shielding will weigh a ton and greatly hinder performance not to mention with the way American's drive I don't really think you want every one of them having a nuclear reactor in the back seat. Nuclear powered aircraft are possible and considered from time to time by the military and NASA.

[Aaron]

Yeah a car is pretty unlikely given the need for shielding. IIRC the B-29 (or was it the B-36) they built with a reactor proved to be impractical as well because of the shielding.

[Tyyr]

B-36, though it only carried a reactor aloft, it wasn't set up to power the aircraft.

[Lighthawk]

Actually, it's a Cadillac. And it's pretty sexy.

...why are the wheels made of a series of hoops?

[Sionnach Glic]

There are actually 16 wheels in total. Four per "wheel". I've no idea why.

[Tsukiyumi]

If one pops, the other ones will keep the car going?

[Lighthawk]

There are actually 16 wheels in total. Four per "wheel". I've no idea why.

Style? It certainly can't be a performance thing.

If one pops, the other ones will keep the car going?

The only place that car is going is in a straight line on a flat stretch. The traction on those wheels has to be shit.

[Mikey]

This is only a guess, but it's probably for the same reason why typical car wheels aren't solid - weight savings. For whatever reason - weight imbalance, lack of overall weight, whatever - it was probably deemed preferrable to have a fairly wide footprint where the rubber meets the road. Wider wheel = heavier wheel.

[Lighthawk]

This is only a guess, but it's probably for the same reason why typical car wheels aren't solid - weight savings. For whatever reason - weight imbalance, lack of overall weight, whatever - it was probably deemed preferrable to have a fairly wide footprint where the rubber meets the road. Wider wheel = heavier wheel.

I guess. I can't claim to be a car expert, so it certainly could be something like that.

It would be a bitch trying to find replacements at your local shop though.

[Mikey]

It would be a bitch trying to find replacements at your local shop though.

Trying to find chromed out rizzies with spinners, maybe - if the car goes into production, Cadillac will be happy to make wheels (and everything else) readily available. The margin in OEM car parts if far higher than the margin in selling the car. In fact, cars have some of the lowest margins (as a percentage of price) of any retail item.

Yet, for some reason, the dickheads who would never think of trying to haggle for toilet paper or televisions think they have some G-d-given right to get ridiculous discounts off of MRP on a car...