For example , LSBCI distinguishes direct and indirect links . This distinction , which is particularly relevant , is lost in the index .
What would it be like to travel by hyperloop ( World Bank )
Our fascination with high-speed travel has resulted in the development of some incredibly fast machines . The Concorde , once the world ’ s fastest commercial passenger jet , travelled at speeds of over 2,000kph – more than twice the speed of sound . When the magnetic-levitation bullet train was introduced in Japan , it became the world ’ s fastest train , reaching speeds of 600kph .
Now we are awaiting the hyperloop , the futuristic , high-speed ground travel system first proposed by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk in 2012 . One of its developers , Virgin Hyperloop One , says it can travel at speeds of up to 1,200kph .
The hyperloop uses an electromagnetic propulsion system to accelerate through a vacuum tube . The vehicle is designed to float above a track and glides at high speeds for long distances due to low aerodynamic drag . Hyperloop will also be fully autonomous and enclosed , eliminating pilot error and weather hazards .
Passengers travelling on the Dubai hyperloop would be able to get from the city to Abu Dhabi , a distance of around 140km , in 12 minutes . Currently , this trip takes about two hours . The system would be able to carry about 10,000 people per hour in both directions .
Submarine Telecom Cables enhance Climate Monitoring and Tsunami Forecasts ( ITU )
Over 1.3 million km of submarine telecommunications cables now span the world ’ s oceans . As the network grows and old cables are replaced , the next generation of cables could form a real-time ocean observation network able to provide accurate early warnings of tsunamis and a wealth of valuable data for climate science .
A standard SMART cable , meaning a telecom cable upgraded for “ Scientific Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications ”, will include climate and hazard‐monitoring sensors designed to co-exist with telecom components and to last for the same 25-year lifespan as any commercial cable .
Two new standards now under development at the International Telecommunication Union ( ITU ) will support this aim , providing for both SMART cables and cables dedicated exclusively to scientific sensing . This standards effort builds on minimum requirements established by the Joint Task Force on SMART Cable Systems , formed in 2012 with the support of ITU , the UNESCO‐Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission ( UNESCO‐IOC ) and the World Meteorological Organisation ( WMO ).
SMART cables include tried‐and‐tested environmental and hazard‐monitoring sensors in cable repeaters , which house devices amplifying the optical communication signals at intervals along a submarine cable .
Three sensors measure ocean‐bottom temperature as an indicator for climate trends ; pressure for sea‐level rise , ocean currents , and tsunamis ; and seismic acceleration for earthquake detection and tsunami alerts . Sensors should be operational at all times , and all detected data will be transmitted to cable landing stations at the speed of light .
Rail Transport ( World Bank )
Rail transport can have an advantage over road transport on long-distance or high-volume corridors . It offers potential benefits in the form of lower transport costs and shorter transit times ,
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