[dragonwriter]

> Is public money going toward this?

Pretty much all the private investment in hyperloops is to get to the point of selling it for public infrastructure projects (it was originally proposed as an alternative specifically to California High Speed Rail), so, while the answer is mostly “no” in the strict present sense of “is”, it's also “yes” in the sense of the intended goal of the projects.

[mixedCase]

That just sounds like risk-free R&D, where the people's money only goes there once the idea has been proven by someone else, with no loss for the state if it goes nowhere near our interests.

[dragonwriter]

Except in the real world, the “getting ready” from day one isn't just R&D but also propaganda. You counter the propaganda so it doesn't soften the ground for waste of public funds.