--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Underhill had an idea for much safer…" description: "\"“Underhill had an idea for much safer, faster transport than autos or even aircraft. “Ten minutes from Princeton to Lands Command, twenty minutes acros..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/vernor-vinge-4357_air-travel_underhill-had-an-idea-for-much-safer-fas_1612057.png" --- # Underhill had an idea for much safer, faster transport… ![“Underhill had an idea for much safer, faster transport than autos or even aircraft. “Ten minutes from Princeton to Lands Command, twenty minutes across the continent. See, you dig these tunnels along minimum-time arcs, evacuate the air from them, and just let gravity do the work.” By Unnerby’s…” quote by Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/vernor-vinge-4357_air-travel_underhill-had-an-idea-for-much-safer-fas_1612057.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/vernor-vinge-4357_air-travel_underhill-had-an-idea-for-much-safer-fas_1612057.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/vernor-vinge-4357_air-travel_underhill-had-an-idea-for-much-safer-fas_1612057.png) > ““Underhill had an idea for much safer, faster transport than autos or even aircraft. “Ten minutes from Princeton to Lands Command, twenty minutes across the continent. See, you dig these tunnels along minimum-time arcs, evacuate the air from them, and just let gravity do the work.” By Unnerby’s watch, there was a five-second pause. Then: “Oops, little problem there. The minimum-time solution for Princeton to Lands Command would go down kinda deep…like six hundred miles. I probably couldn’t convince even the General to finance it.” “You are right about that!” And the two were off in an extended argument about less-than-optimal tunnel arcs and trade-offs against air travel. The deep tunnel idea was really dumb, it turned out.”” [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A speculative discussion about ultra-fast gravity-driven tunnels, highlighting impracticality. **In simple terms:** Idea of fast tunnels using gravity, but unrealistic. Key Takeaway Consider feasibility before pursuing ambitious projects. Themes innovation transport physics Mood critical skeptical Type analytical cautionary When to use this quote - urban planning - transportation - engineering research - budgeting - policy making Key Concepts gravity tunnel design logistics cost risk Questions to Reflect On - What are the main obstacles to such tunnels? - Are there alternative efficient transport methods? A Different Perspective Technical challenges may outweigh benefits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Air travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air-travel/) ## Related quotes > [If the Wright brother were alive today Wilbur would have to fire Orville to reduce costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-kelleher/if-the-wright-brother-were-alive-today-wilbur-would-have-to-fire/) [Herb Kelleher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-kelleher/) > [Sailboats are the slowest form of transportation on Earth with the possible exeption of airline flights that go through O'Hare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/sailboats-are-the-slowest-form-of-transportation-on-earth-with-the/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [We have long had emigration in Ireland. But the nature of emigration has changed. With ferries to Britain and the continent, as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/we-have-long-had-emigration-in-ireland-but-the-nature-of-emigration/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [Air travel efficiency would improve if more travelers started going to less popular places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/air-travel-efficiency-would-improve-if-more-travelers-started-going/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) > [A century ago the Spanish flu confounded scientists and devastated whole regions, but while today's society has air travel and an enormous, heterogeneous population,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/a-century-ago-the-spanish-flu-confounded-scientists-and-devastated/) [Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/) > [My Christmas present to myself each year is to see how much air travel can open up the world and take me to places…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/my-christmas-present-to-myself-each-year-is-to-see-how-much-air/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [The captain has just turned on the fasten-seat-belt-sign. He didn't mean to, but the joint he was smoking fell in his lap, and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/the-captain-has-just-turned-on-the-fasten-seat-belt-sign-he-didn-t/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [The glamour of air travel - its aspirational meaning in the public imagination - disappeared before its luxury did, dissipating as flying gradually became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/the-glamour-of-air-travel-its-aspirational-meaning-in-the-public/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [Airline food is not intended for human consumption. It's intended as a form of in-flight entertainment, wherein the object is to guess what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/airline-food-is-not-intended-for-human-consumption-it-s-intended-as-a/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Despite living in this post-9/11 age of transnational terrorism, the risk of death during air travel has plummeted to the point where we now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-p-m-barnett/despite-living-in-this-post-9-11-age-of-transnational-terrorism-the/) [Thomas P.M. Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-p-m-barnett/) > [There are only two reasons to sit in the back row of an airplane: Either you have diarrhea, or you're anxious to meet people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/there-are-only-two-reasons-to-sit-in-the-back-row-of-an-airplane/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [Funny, isn't it? The airlines go to all that trouble to keep you from taking a gun on board, then they just hand you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/funny-isn-t-it-the-airlines-go-to-all-that-trouble-to-keep-you-from/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [I don't mind flying. I always pass out before the plane leaves the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-campbell/i-don-t-mind-flying-i-always-pass-out-before-the-plane-leaves-the/) [Naomi Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-campbell/) > [There's another problem," Percy said. "I'm not good with air travel. It's dangerous for a son of Neptune." "You'll have to risk it...and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/there-s-another-problem-percy-said-i-m-not-good-with-air-travel-it-s/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [There is no reason why we shouldn't be able to split an infinitive, any more than we should forsake instant coffee and air travel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/there-is-no-reason-why-we-shouldn-t-be-able-to-split-an-infinitive/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) ## More by Vernor Vinge > [I have come to kill you."The death's heads shrugged. "You have come to try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/i-have-come-to-kill-you-the-death-s-heads-shrugged-you-have-come-to/) [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) > [“From this era on, I think invention will be the parent of necessity – and not the other way around.’ That was easy for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/from-this-era-on-i-think-invention-will-be-the-parent-of-necessity/) [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) > [How to explain? How to describe? Even the omniscient viewpoint quails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/how-to-explain-how-to-describe-even-the-omniscient-viewpoint-quails/) [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) > [All his life he had lived by the law. Often his job had been to stop acts of revenge…And now revenge was all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/all-his-life-he-had-lived-by-the-law-often-his-job-had-been-to-stop/) [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) > [Animals can adapt to problems and make inventions, but often no faster than natural selection can do its work - the world acts as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/animals-can-adapt-to-problems-and-make-inventions-but-often-no-faster/) [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) > [Within thirty years, we will have the technological means to create superhuman intelligence. Shortly after, the human era will be ended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/within-thirty-years-we-will-have-the-technological-means-to-create/) [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) > [“Tycoon had a peddler's talent for using words to redefine reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/tycoon-had-a-peddler-s-talent-for-using-words-to-redefine-reality/) [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) > [It is a point where our old models must be discarded and a new reality rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/it-is-a-point-where-our-old-models-must-be-discarded-and-a-new/) [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) > [The heart of manipulation is to empathize without being touched.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/the-heart-of-manipulation-is-to-empathize-without-being-touched/) [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) > [“I’m a librarian, not a leader.” “You’re both! Librarians and archeologists have always been the ones to bring civilization back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/i-m-a-librarian-not-a-leader-you-re-both-librarians-and-archeologists/) [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) > [“While We are out of Touch or How to Survive and Prosper during the Next Thirty Minutes by Your Friend, the Mysterious Stranger”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/while-we-are-out-of-touch-or-how-to-survive-and-prosper-during-the/) [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) > [If there be only hours, at least learn what there is time to learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/if-there-be-only-hours-at-least-learn-what-there-is-time-to-learn/) [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) > [“Over the last few weeks, some newsgroups have been full of tales of war and battle fleets, of billions dying in the clash of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/over-the-last-few-weeks-some-newsgroups-have-been-full-of-tales-of/) [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) > [Hexapodia as the key insight...I haven't had a chance to see the famous video from Straumli Realm, except as an evocation. (My only gateway…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/hexapodia-as-the-key-insight-i-haven-t-had-a-chance-to-see-the-famous/) [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) > [“Nau had been very careful that enough nukes remained. If necessary, he could play the old, old game of total disaster management. So what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/nau-had-been-very-careful-that-enough-nukes-remained-if-necessary-he/) [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) [Explore all 111 Vernor Vinge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) ## More Air travel quotes > [If the Wright brother were alive today Wilbur would have to fire Orville to reduce costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-kelleher/if-the-wright-brother-were-alive-today-wilbur-would-have-to-fire/) [Herb Kelleher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-kelleher/) > [There's another problem," Percy said. "I'm not good with air travel. It's dangerous for a son of Neptune." "You'll have to risk it...and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/there-s-another-problem-percy-said-i-m-not-good-with-air-travel-it-s/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [I don't mind flying. I always pass out before the plane leaves the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-campbell/i-don-t-mind-flying-i-always-pass-out-before-the-plane-leaves-the/) [Naomi Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-campbell/) > [Funny, isn't it? The airlines go to all that trouble to keep you from taking a gun on board, then they just hand you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/funny-isn-t-it-the-airlines-go-to-all-that-trouble-to-keep-you-from/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [There are only two reasons to sit in the back row of an airplane: Either you have diarrhea, or you're anxious to meet people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/there-are-only-two-reasons-to-sit-in-the-back-row-of-an-airplane/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [Despite living in this post-9/11 age of transnational terrorism, the risk of death during air travel has plummeted to the point where we now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-p-m-barnett/despite-living-in-this-post-9-11-age-of-transnational-terrorism-the/) [Thomas P.M. Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-p-m-barnett/) > [Airline food is not intended for human consumption. It's intended as a form of in-flight entertainment, wherein the object is to guess what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/airline-food-is-not-intended-for-human-consumption-it-s-intended-as-a/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [The glamour of air travel - its aspirational meaning in the public imagination - disappeared before its luxury did, dissipating as flying gradually became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/the-glamour-of-air-travel-its-aspirational-meaning-in-the-public/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [The captain has just turned on the fasten-seat-belt-sign. He didn't mean to, but the joint he was smoking fell in his lap, and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/the-captain-has-just-turned-on-the-fasten-seat-belt-sign-he-didn-t/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [My Christmas present to myself each year is to see how much air travel can open up the world and take me to places…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/my-christmas-present-to-myself-each-year-is-to-see-how-much-air/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [A century ago the Spanish flu confounded scientists and devastated whole regions, but while today's society has air travel and an enormous, heterogeneous population,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/a-century-ago-the-spanish-flu-confounded-scientists-and-devastated/) [Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/) > [Air travel efficiency would improve if more travelers started going to less popular places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/air-travel-efficiency-would-improve-if-more-travelers-started-going/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) > [We have long had emigration in Ireland. But the nature of emigration has changed. With ferries to Britain and the continent, as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/we-have-long-had-emigration-in-ireland-but-the-nature-of-emigration/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [Sailboats are the slowest form of transportation on Earth with the possible exeption of airline flights that go through O'Hare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/sailboats-are-the-slowest-form-of-transportation-on-earth-with-the/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [There is no reason why we shouldn't be able to split an infinitive, any more than we should forsake instant coffee and air travel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/there-is-no-reason-why-we-shouldn-t-be-able-to-split-an-infinitive/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) [Browse all 107 Air travel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air-travel/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Underhill had an idea for much safer, faster transport than autos or even aircraft. “Ten minutes from Princeton to Lands Command, twenty minutes across the continent. See, you dig these tunnels along minimum-time arcs, evacuate the air from them, and just let gravity do the work.” By Unnerby’s watch, there was a five-second pause. Then: “Oops, little problem there. The minimum-time solution for Princeton to Lands Command would go down kinda deep…like six hundred miles. I probably couldn’t convince even the General to finance it.” “You are right about that!” And the two were off in an extended argument about less-than-optimal tunnel arcs and trade-offs against air travel. The deep tunnel idea was really dumb, it turned out.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Vernor Vinge" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/underhill-had-an-idea-for-much-safer-faster-transport-than-autos-or/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Air travel" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/underhill-had-an-idea-for-much-safer-faster-transport-than-autos-or/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/vernor-vinge-4357_air-travel_underhill-had-an-idea-for-much-safer-fas_1612057.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/vernor-vinge-4357_air-travel_underhill-had-an-idea-for-much-safer-fas_1612057.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/vernor-vinge-4357_air-travel_underhill-had-an-idea-for-much-safer-fas_1612057.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Underhill had an idea for much safer, faster transport than autos or even aircraft. “Ten minutes from…” — Vernor Vinge", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Vernor Vinge", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Underhill had an idea for much...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/underhill-had-an-idea-for-much-safer-faster-transport-than-autos-or/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/underhill-had-an-idea-for-much-safer-faster-transport-than-autos-or/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```