Subject: Re: Alphabet, generally
"Others, like flying cars (oops, I mean self-driving) not so much."

It depends on how you view Google's core areas of competence. Self-driving isn't a natural extension of Google Search, but it isn't that far removed from the highly successful Google Maps, the failed venture, Google Glass, and some other ventures of which Google is a part.

My understanding is that the "self-driving" part is the more difficult aspect of the equation, not the "responsive car" part. For that reason I don't think it's a coincidence that both Apple & Google have attempted to make inroads in the nascent industry. I think its money well-spent on both their parts given the potential payoff.