Would you feel safe sleeping in a gigantic flying hotel that never lands?
What if we told you it was piloted by an artificial intelligence, fuelled by an onboard nuclear reactor and reliant on a bunch of made-up science?
Designers Hashem Al-Ghaili and Tony Holmsten just floated their futuristic concept for a "sky cruise" that could accommodate 5,000 guests, and it's either a stroke of genius or the aircraft version of the Titanic.
Al-Ghaili posted a demo video of the flying hotel on YouTube recently, and the internet has since blown up with thoughts -- and so many questions -- about the ambitious sci-fi design.
According to the demo video, the aircraft would be like a cruise ship in the sky, with in-flight dining, a gym, shops, pools, playgrounds, bars and movie theatres, all under a gigantic glass dome that would give you a view of the sky while you travel.
It would also feature a tower with a 360-degree view, so you can stroll around and get a look at all the sights above the clouds.
Of course, there are just one two many problems with the idea, as internet users have been pointing out.
"If physics and aerodynamics didn't exist, then this vessel might actually be able to take off," said the top comment on the aircraft's YouTube video.
He didn't call out any specifics, but the video does suggest that the sky hotel would somehow avoid all turbulence using AI and "noise-cancelling technology" similar to modern headphones.
Several other critics pointed out that in order to lift such a beefy vessel, you'd need more than just 20 nuclear-powered jets; you'd need some absolutely gigantic wings, too.
The demo also suggests that "electric" planes would deliver passengers and supplies to the sky hotel and that all maintenance would somehow be conducted above the clouds.
The window-covered dome aboard the Sky Hotel.Hashen Al-Ghaili | YouTube
"That thing is massive," added another user. "I can't even imagine the maintenance something this massive would need."
"I like the part where they are flying in the middle of Aurora Borealis at 100 km with the landing gear down," joked another user.
Side view of the Sky Hotel.Hashen Al-Ghaili | YouTube
Others were more than a little concerned about the idea of gigantic nuclear reactor doing laps around the world with a few thousand people onboard -- and what might happen if that thing crashed over a city.
"I am pro-nuclear, as almost all of you know by now," Canadian columnist David Staples tweeted. "But I'm uncertain if I'm pro-nuclear flying hotel."
"Feels like the opening to an action thriller movie that does not end well for the giant flying luxury hotel," tweeted another.
Another user put a finer point on it. "So it's a giant flying hotel Nuke?" he tweeted. "Don't see that getting shot down lol."
So when are we getting this flying hotel nuke?
Not anytime soon, from the looks of it.
No one has actually signed up to build the thing at this point -- and given the challenges of science, maybe it's better that this thing never gets off the ground.