Transport
Discover facts about transport. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Transport
Why cyclists wear those skin-tight suits
Tight fabric lies flat against the body instead of flapping in the wind. At cycling speed, that cuts air resistance—the force that rises quickly as you ride…
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Personal watercraft propel riders swiftly across aquatic surfaces utilizing jet pumps
A jet pump sucks water in beneath the craft, then an impeller blasts it out through a nozzle at the rear. The water shoots backward; the craft gets shoved…
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Teams of specialized canines pull wooden sleds across expansive frozen landscapes
Harnesses connect the dogs to a line that spreads their pull across the sled. Their paws grip the snow while the sled’s runners glide over it, turning many…
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The Gotthard Base Tunnel sends trains under 57 kilometers of Alps
A low-level route avoids much of the climbing and winding of the older mountain railway. That matters especially for heavy freight: geography consumes power…
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Fascinating urban infrastructure design utilizing automated underground vacuum tubes to collect municipal garbage.
A sealed underground network sucks bagged rubbish from street inlets through pipes to a collection station, where trucks take over. The bins disappear from…
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The ships built to carry other ships
The carrier lowers its deck by taking on ballast water, letting another vessel float into position above it. Pump the water back out and the deck rises,…
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Engineers proposed runways that form a giant circle
A circular, banked runway would let aircraft use different sections to meet the wind from a favorable direction. But landing on a curve introduces handling…
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How ships signal danger without radios
A ship blasts five or more short, rapid horn notes when it doubts another vessel understands its move. The pattern means danger: essentially, “I see you, and…
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Dunhuang has traffic lights for camels
A camel symbol tells riders when a crossing is clear, turning a busy road into something a whole caravan can read at a glance. The traffic light has upgraded…
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London once had a railway just for mail
Mail Rail sent small electric trains through narrow tunnels beneath the city, moving post between sorting offices without sharing the road with carts and…
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Hong Kong stacked its tram passengers on two floors
Its tram operator runs the world's largest operating fleet of double-deck trams. A second floor adds passenger space without doubling the strip of street…
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The Magdeburg bridge carries ships above a river
A water-filled channel carries canal traffic across the Elbe without sending vessels down to river level and back up. The bridge supports the waterway itself,…
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Tank treads started on farms
Farm tractors needed to cross soft, muddy fields without sinking. Treads spread the machine’s weight over a long strip of ground, trading a tiny patch of tire…
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A Concorde jet chased an eclipse for 74 minutes
The Moon’s shadow raced across Earth, but Concorde flew fast enough to stay inside it. By following the shadow, the supersonic jet kept the Sun covered for…
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The historic canals still carrying freight in Britain
Barges carry heavy loads such as building materials and waste along canals, keeping them off crowded roads. A single boat moves far more freight than a van,…
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Guoliang's road runs through the cliff that isolated the village
Villagers in China's Taihang Mountains carved a tunnel route through rock in the 1970s. Openings along its side admit light and reveal the drop outside.…
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Treacherous racing circuit winding through Macau
Macau’s Guia circuit squeezes racing cars through narrow city streets lined with barriers. There’s almost no room to correct a mistake, so drivers thread…
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How a train station heats a building with body heat
At Stockholm Central Station, ventilation collects warmth from the crowds and heat exchangers transfer it to water used by the nearby Kungsbrohuset building.…
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The cat who saved a Japanese railway
A tiny rural railway was losing passengers until Tama, a calico cat, became its stationmaster and drew curious visitors. The extra attention brought customers…
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London’s lost-and-found gets flooded with umbrellas
A London downpour sends umbrellas onto buses, trains, and into cafés; the rush home leaves them behind. Then the lost-property office gets a pile of nearly…
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The main Interstate numbers hide a rough compass
On the primary one- and two-digit Interstate network, even numbers generally mark east–west routes and odd numbers north–south ones. Three-digit auxiliary…
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Some cruise ships steer by turning the propeller itself
An Azipod places an electric motor and propeller in a pod that can rotate through 360 degrees. Instead of only deflecting water with a rudder, the ship points…
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Yellow traffic lights must stay on for a minimum time
Yellow gives drivers a timed warning to stop or clear the intersection. The interval accounts for approach speed and the distance across the junction, so it…
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Digital speed limit systems governing German highways
Sensors track traffic and road conditions, then electronic signs change the posted limit to match. The highway gets a speed limit with a thermostat: when the…
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