I, personally, am still holding out for a future filled with Segways :P

I actually didn't notice any big plot holes, could you point them out?

I agree about the acting, especially those two scientists. That was just abysmal.

I think it's an attempt to get more people talking about transport in general. Most people hear "train from LA to SF" and switch off. But if it's a "superfast air tube that shoots you from LA to SF in a pod!", people become interested fast. Then you can introduce the idea of trains or other services as alternatives.

Releasing it at an early stage like this is also a good way to get the government to consider it properly. Once you start getting the general public excited about a transportation system, they're going to sit up and take notice.

I did one term of sewing back at school, I don't think I'll ever forget it. If you can invest a bit of time to learn, it's one of those skills that you never forget.

I find that moving to the smaller, niche subreddits really improved my overall experience. Also, if more in-depth content is what you're after, try /r/askscience, /r/askhistorians and /r/depthhub.