May 1, 2074
SEATTLE–In a local showroom, officials from Boeing and General Motors today demonstrated a Cadillac concept car equipped with a Quantum Matter Compression Drive based on the same compression technology currently used in Boeing’s commercial aircraft. “We’ve been shrinking passengers and cargo for a while now,” notes Boeing representative Peter Shimp, “Our goal now is to extend compression technologies to other industries. Our work here, with GM, is a fist big step towards that goal.”
Built on Boeing’s proprietary ZipTopia compression platform, the Cadillac prototype, currently known as the “Houdini,” can be compressed up to 70% in both volume and weight. “It’s the ideal car for use in a crowded, urban environment” explains a GM spokesmodel. “You can find adequate parking space almost anywhere. When fully compressed, the Houdini can be easily wheeled about by one person, and conveniently stowed for later use.”
Boeing’s ZipTopia technology enables users to compress physical objects up to 80% in both volume and weight. Exploiting a quantum uncertainty phenomenon known as “superposition,” the ZipTopia device encodes “adjacent, homologous matter units” as a single “unit” of the same type in multiple “superpositions.” Boeing’s Shimp explains: “Imagine you have something very simple, say a thread, one atom thick, made entirely of carbon atoms. There’s a lot of redundancy in an object like that. What ZipTopia does is take that thread, and, ideally, shrink it down to one carbon atom superposited with itself multiple times along a line in the shape of the thread. That’s the basic idea.”
The degree of available compression varies with the complexity of the object, with simple objects made of a single, purified material subject to the greatest compression. For more complex objects, ZipTopia employs industry-standard and FDA approved compression protocols, including HPEG and BPEG for people and other biological objects. To prevent the loss of objects due to excessive compression, the ZipTopia specification employs volumetric micro-sonar to keep objects to a manageable size.
While the initial Houdini prototype uses ZipTopia to facilitate vehicle parking and storage, future models will make use of the technology to improve fuel efficiency. “The Cadillac Houdini is not currently equipped for passenger compression,” explains the GM spokesmodel. “A dash-mounted scanner disables ZipTopia when passengers are present. But, at GM, the environment is a top priority. Future models will enable fuel efficiency through drive-time compression. You’ll be able to enjoy the roomy luxury of a Cadillac and experience the fuel efficiency of a compact or mini.”
In addition to development agreements with GM and Samsonite, Boeing has also recently announced the availability of customized, industrial strength implementations of the technology for the commercial and residential real estate markets. “We’ve already had some serious inquiries from major developers in space-constricted markets like New York, Tokyo, and San Francisco,” notes Shimp. “Developers can really leverage their square footage. A 900 sq. ft. studio apartment can, in many cases, be fit into a 500 sq. ft. space. The same goes for office space. Even storefronts, using a ZipTopia Threshold or Lintel, can easily fit more customers into their existing space. This will be the biggest thing to hit real estate since the door.”