Transport
Discover facts about transport. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Transport
Dogs once powered butter churns
Before modern appliances, lazy humans outsourced their kitchen labor to the family pet. Small dogs were placed on specialized wooden wheels that connected to…
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Scientists cloned an animal that can't reproduce
In 2003, scientists decided to clone a mule, which is biologically hilarious considering mules cannot naturally reproduce at all. The result was Idaho Gem, a…
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Why wheelbarrow races often end in a face-plant
The human wheelbarrow race turns a perfectly functional person into a wildly unstable piece of yard equipment. The person grabbing the ankles inevitably…
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Why the duck walk can wreck your knees
The duck walk requires a person to crouch entirely down and waddle forward without lifting their hips. It is a wildly famous comedic strut that doubles as a…
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Gymnastic cartwheels are named after actual wagon wheels
The lateral flip looks exactly like the wooden spokes of a rolling wheel, hence the incredibly literal terminology. It is one of the few acrobatic moves named…
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When wealthy Victorians were carried to their doors
The sedan chair was the ultimate enclosed transport for the ridiculously wealthy. You could hire strong men to haul you right up to your front door, ensuring…
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How stirrups let riders fight without falling
Before foot loops were invented, hitting someone with a sword from horseback mostly resulted in the rider falling off their own mount. The invention allowed…
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When soldiers rolled away from sword swings
Before modern combat tactics ruined everything, rolling out of the way of a sword swing was a genuinely taught survival skill. Now, tumbling head over heels…
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Lifting brides over the threshold avoided evil spirits
Ancient superstitions insisted that malicious demons lurked specifically near doorways, just waiting to curse a fresh marriage. The groom physically lifting…
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Why carrying someone over your shoulder works
Slinging an unconscious person over your back looks incredibly dramatic, but it is actually highly calculated. Placing their torso directly over your center…
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How horseback riders inspired the centaur myth
When ancient societies that had never seen horseback riders suddenly encountered nomadic warriors mounted on steeds, they genuinely thought they were looking…
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Some Ulas siblings walked comfortably on all fours
The Ulas family gained worldwide fame because several siblings comfortably walked on their palms and feet. It completely shattered scientific assumptions,…
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The stair machine takes you nowhere on purpose
The stair climbing machine perfectly simulates the utter misery of climbing a massive flight of steps without ever actually getting anywhere. It is a…
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Bill Bailey debuted the moonwalk before Michael Jackson
Bill Bailey first debuted the illusion of gliding backward on film in the 1950s. Michael Jackson just polished the routine, added some sparkly socks, and made…
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Why flying carpets began as Persian folklore
Woven rugs were the ultimate status symbol in the ancient Middle East. Storytellers naturally exaggerated their luxurious nature by giving them the magical…
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How Iggy Pop helped launch stage diving
The wild frontman practically invented the art of throwing himself off a high stage directly onto unsuspecting fans. It transformed concerts from mere…
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Pool noodles began as construction materials
The pool noodle was originally pitched as a generic industrial foam backer rod for construction sites. Someone realized they floated incredibly well, slapped…
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Why crab walking makes your arms burn
The crab walk forces your body into a deeply unnatural inverted arch. While gym teachers love forcing kids to do it, it is functionally useless and mostly…
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Mini foot trampolines reliably cause sprained ankles
Moon shoes were a brilliant nineties marketing ploy that convinced kids they could experience zero gravity. In reality, they were wildly heavy plastic bricks…
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Piggyback has nothing to do with pigs
The term evolved from an old English phrase meaning to carry a pack on your shoulders. Over centuries of terrible pronunciation and lazy slang, the phrase…
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Why gentlemen carried swords inside their canes
Wealthy gentlemen needed a way to defend themselves without looking aggressively hostile. The sword cane was the perfect gentlemanly compromise, allowing a…
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Why humans are bad at swinging through trees
Apes effortlessly glide through the canopy, but human shoulder joints have stiffened up over thousands of years of walking upright. Trying to swing like a…
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Why crowd surfers need a stiff core
If you try to crowd surf while completely limp, you will immediately sink into the mosh pit like a stone. Successful floating requires keeping your core…
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A clockmaker built the first self-propelled wheelchair
Stephan Farfler was a seventeenth-century paraplegic clockmaker who got incredibly sick of needing someone else to push him around. He used his mechanical…
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