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episode, trains would take 18 minutes to reach top speed, and 18 minutes at the end to come to a halt. During the deceleration phase, the resultant 0.2g acceleration would lead to an unpleasant feeling of tilting downward, and it was proposed that the seats would individually rotate to face backwards
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about 160 feet (49 m) below the ocean surface, in order to avoid ships, bad weather, and the high pressure associated with a much deeper tunnel near the sea bed. It would consist of 54,000 prefabricated sections held in place by 100,000 tethering cables. Each section would consist of a layer of
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suggests that a transatlantic tunnel is more feasible than previously thought, and without major engineering challenges. It compares it favorably with laying transatlantic pipes and cables, but with a cost of 88 to 175 billion dollars. In 2003, the
Discovery Channel's show
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The main barriers to constructing such a tunnel are cost (first estimated $ 88–175 billion, now updated to $ 1–20 trillion) as well as limits of current
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in 1895, where it was incorrectly attributed to Jules Verne, a mistake frequently repeated today. 1913 saw the publication of the novel
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train, which could travel at speeds up to 5,000 miles per hour (8,000 km/h). At this speed, the travel-time between
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aired a program, titled "Transatlantic Tunnel", which discussed the proposed tunnel concept in detail.
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foam sandwiched between concentric steel tubes, and the tunnel would also have reduced air pressure.
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would be less than one hour. Another modern variation, intended to reduce costs, is a
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versions released in 1933 and 1935. The German and French versions were directed by
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at the midpoint of the journey, in order to make the deceleration more pleasant.
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This article is about a theoretical transatlantic tunnel. For the 1935 film, see
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YouTube - Extreme
Engineering Transatlantic Tunnel London to New York
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Joseph Giotta (Narrator), Powderhouse
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Many variations of the concept exist, including a tube above the
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A 1960s proposal has a 3,100 miles (5,000 km)-long near-
505:"Part I: Chemical Propulsion and the Dawn of Rocket Science"
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mentioned intercontinental tunnels in his 1946 short story
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Proposals for a tunnel between Europe and North
America
535:"Harry Harrison: A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah!"
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509:The Past and Future of Rocket Engine Propulsion
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180:Suggestions for such a structure go back to
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282:Tunnel Through the Deeps
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598:Science fiction themes
339:"Transatlantic Tunnel"
276:The City and the Stars
190:Un Express de l'avenir
21:The Tunnel (1935 film)
355:on 27 September 2011.
250:Transatlantic Tunnel
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38:that would span the
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285:(also published as
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439:2007-09-12
411:2008-08-02
318:References
205:Der Tunnel
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150:rocket
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