In 2013, billionaire eccentric inventor Elon Musk announced an idea called the Hyperloop: a super-fast, low-friction transportation system that looked like the prom photo for a subway tunnel and a bullet-train. Musk made the Hyperloop an open-sourced project, inviting thinkers, scientists, and fellow inventors — no matter their age — to help make the potentially revolutionary concept into a reality.

This year, we're seeing some of the early steps from the theoretical sketch room to a real world groundbreaking ceremony. In January, students participated in a design contest for the pods that would travel inside the Hyperloop's tube, and later this year, a piece of test track will be constructed by global construction firm Aecom. For many folks, though, the specifics behind the Hyperloop remain vague. So naturally, I've invited my friend and colleague Andy Hawkins to explain.

Subscribe to What's Tech? on iTunes, listen on SoundCloud, or subscribe via RSS. And be sure to follow us on Twitter. You can also find the entire collection of What's Tech? stories right here on the The Verge Dot Com.