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"... I was going downhill north of houston, and I was skimming the updraft from huge convoys of 18 wheelers...."

If you're getting dragged along by a bunch of 18 wheelers, then you're really only in the running for an assisted human-powered land speed record. Currently held by John Howard at around 152mph.

They can now, it's called motor pacing, and doing 70 MPH is achievable by mere mortals in good shape the world record is at least 152.2 Miles per Hour. Riding at 70 MPH without a motor paced bicycle happens a lot in pro events on decents, on a flat it's just shy of the record.

The difference is the same as cycling and going 100mph. You can't go 100mph on a bike!

How does 152 MPH strike you?

...if they can do it at 55MPH. Getting insane milage at 15MPH, while cool, doesnt seem very useful as a route toward replacing the current gas guzzlers in use. What ever happend to tinkering with things like the California Commuter ???

The inventor of Robosaurous is Doug Malewicki.
His website has details of other things he has worked on or invented, including a rocket belt, Evil Knievil's SkyCycle, 248 mph electric car, flying can cooler, jet bikes, and the "build your own hovercraft" that used to be advertised in comic books.

Yep, it could be a great way of powering anything, including a hopper.

Maybe a James Bond style hopper. It looks like it might be possible to build something that is not thermodynamically efficient, but has an insane thrust to weight ratio. If fuel is easy to come by, who cares about efficiency?

While I lack any real idea of how to build a spacecraft, maybe a small rig couldn't afford the overhead of a system that could refine H202 into something more potent. Would catalytic decomposition be enough? Would it be possible using the stuff on Europa?

According to our wiki friends, H202 can be some nasty stuff, which makes it fit right in on Europa!

In my opinion going to Europa would be a waste of resources. If we have X available to do space exploration, we can do a lot better than going to some hell hole in a bad neighborhood.

10. Hacker the deluxe edition (until recently oop)
9. Wizwar
8. Nuclear War (which someone made into a silly computer game of a similar name.)
7. Settlers of Catan/Seafarers of Catan (you can find this at nearly every game store)
6. Eurorails/Empire Builder
5. Family Business
4. Risk and/or the NEW risk (of course)
3. Chess
2. Checkers
1. A set of these

Bill Suitor should get some extra life insurance and some bodyguards...

Here in Phoenix, there was an initiative passed called Transit 2000. That link is now dead, but here is one that gives the information about it in more detail. Notice the cost. Notice where it is being put. I live here in Phoenix, and I honestly don't know where they plan on getting space along the roads and freeways they plan this thing to follow - it isn't there. That last site says construction is supposed to begin in 2003. I tend to doubt it. Likely the money will be pocketed by our "illustrious" government.

That is system picked. Want to see what we could have had, for far less money, had our government had more vision, and taken a chance on a proven inventor?

The SkyTran System

This is a system invented by Douglas J. Malewicki, an independent inventor.

Read about SkyTran. I am sure there are a few drawbacks, but I would say the majority of them have been seen to by Mr. Malewicki. His reasoning is sound, and fully documented.

Unfortunately I won't get to see my tax dollars go toward this system...

...is SkyTran. Brought to you by Doug Malewicki, inventor of Robosaurus(tm) (the 4 story tall car-eating, fire-breating monster) and the "California Commuter" (a two person vehicle capable of getting over 150MPG on regular petrol).

Personally, I hope this stuff takes off. I'm getting tired of putting up with traffic.

Howard rode a special biclcle that used a compound chainwheel setup to achieve the necessary gear ratios to reach the high speeds. Here is an article about Howard's effort, which has a nice picture of him pedalling along behind the car that was used to cut air resistance. Looks pretty hairy.

You beat me to it! But, the article you point out is actually about the SpringWalker device, and not the Hardiman.

For those of you who don't know, the Hardiman was built by GE researchers (one is actually pretty famous, though I can't remember his name off the top of my head right now) looking into body amplification techniques for the Navy. The suit they created was IMMENSE. I haven't been able to find any pictures on the net of this suit, but I do have a book or two that shows it (along with the four legged truck that was also built). Wait - maybe the guy's name was Ralph Mosser, or something like that. Anyhow, you have to see pictures of this device to believe it. It looks as good as the exoskeletons depicted in Aliens. I might just take a scan from my book and post it here later...

This device was a good first step. The SpringWalker is another.

We can also see exoskeleton features in the technology and design that went into Robosaurus, as well as in the devices (and controls) used by Survival Research Laboratories (SRL).

I figure we'll see privately developed exoskeletons (or mobile armor, or mechs, or whatever you want to call 'em) long before the military versions (and I bet SRL beats them all!).