Alright, so it looks like self-driving cars are going to happen whether we like it or not, the only real question now being when, rather than if. For now, the only satisfactory answer to that question is "sooner rather than later," but that's still as vague as some people's signs of intelligence.
Speaking of intelligence, why don't we talk a little about traffic? What is traffic? Or, more to the point, what is it made of? Cars? Nope, they're just the vessel. Traffic is made of people - it is made out of you and I. Like that famous quote used to say: "Don't complain about the traffic; you ARE the traffic."
Believe it or not, the driving test is not exactly the best tool to discern who should be allowed to drive and who shouldn't, and so a lot of people get their license even though they lack the most basic notions of road etiquette. Granted, it shouldn't all be taught in driving school as some of it is nothing more than common sense, but the fact of the matter is that all around the world we've got people driving who don't have a clue about what they're doing.
But let's not be too hasty to judge. A lot of us think of ourselves as pretty decent drivers, and yet we probably make plenty of mistakes that lead to the worsening of traffic. Have you ever driven faster than the car in front of you, only to come up to its rear and brake? Well, believe it or not, that could have caused a ripple effect behind you that resulted in a jam.
This video made by Audible, an Amazon division, explains why humans aren't the best form of intelligence that should be in control of vehicles. Don't be offended, we're all in this together. Plus, it's hard to argue against it given all the (theoretical) evidence this video provides.
We might not like the sound of it, but it turns out the only real solution to our heavy traffic issues isn't building more roads, but getting rid of the people driving the cars. Autonomous cars wouldn't just give carpooling that much more sense thus freeing up the roads, they would also drive better. No, they wouldn't corner faster, but they would get everybody more quickly to their destination. Why? Well, to put it into one word, because of mathematics. Watch the video: it's short, it's funny, and it's true.
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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