Future Tense Whatever happened to...?
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Dec 18, 2025 
In a fascinating discussion, Sarah Marquardt, a freelance journalist, explores the rise and fall of solar road projects, highlighting their durability issues and poor energy yield. Quinn Myers, author of 'Google Glass,' delves into the product's hype, misreads of the market, and the public's backlash. Andrew Hawkins, a transportation editor, analyzes the Hyperloop’s ambitious promises versus its significant engineering challenges. Astrophysicist Dr. Paul Sutter discusses the dizzying costs and limited access of space tourism, noting its minimal research impact amid billionaires’ enthusiasm.
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Viral Hype That Didn't Scale
- Solar Roadways raised $2.2 million after a viral 2014 video promising hexagonal, impact-resistant solar panels embedded in roads.
- The project claimed huge benefits but largely failed to deliver at scale and remains unrealised a decade later.
Angle And Wear Undermine Road Solar
- Solar roads underperformed because flat panels get far less direct sunlight than angled panels and endure heavy wear.
- Durability, debris, thickness trade-offs and high polymer costs made their ROI far worse than conventional solar farms.
Beta Product Marketed As Finished
- Google Glass was launched as a beta but marketed like a finished product, priced at $1,500 and plagued by overheating batteries.
- Public backlash over privacy and limited utility turned it into a tech cautionary tale and a punchline.