Transport
Discover facts about transport. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Transport
Staggering logistics of transporting massive wind turbine blades across the country require specialized trucks and expert drivers.
Moving a single blade, which can be longer than a football field, involves coordinating police escorts, modifying traffic lights, and precise steering from…
Discover moreModern commercial airplanes are engineered to be entirely capable of flying upside down, but the critical fuel pumps rely strictly on gravity to feed the engines, meaning an…
While the aerodynamic structure of a Boeing or Airbus can theoretically handle inverted flight, commercial jets lack the specialized pressurized fuel systems…
Discover moreCommercial airplanes are equipped with a tiny, incredibly powerful hidden turbine called the Ram Air Turbine that automatically drops from the belly of the aircraft to generate…
The RAT is essentially a high-tech windmill. If a plane loses power—like the famous Miracle on the Hudson flight—this crucial backup system deploys into the…
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Classic automobile restoration brilliantly perfectly preserves the magnificent mechanical artistry of entirely forgotten early industrial eras.
Classic automobile restoration brilliantly perfectly preserves the magnificent mechanical artistry of entirely forgotten early industrial eras. Bringing these…
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A railway's wooden ties do more than hold the rails apart
The ties spread loads from the rails into the ballast underneath and help keep the track aligned. Timber also has some give, rather than acting like a…
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Why modern cars still have giant grilles
Engines and air-conditioning systems dump heat through radiators and condensers, so air has to reach them as the car moves. The grille is the car’s mouth,…
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What cruise ships hide below the decks
A cruise ship hides the machinery that keeps the holiday afloat: engines, generators, food stores and the crew spaces that make the whole operation run. The…
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How autonomous trucks are changing freight delivery
A self-driving truck’s easiest assignment is the long, steady haul between freight hubs. People still handle the complicated stops and local streets, so the…
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Real truth about self-driving cars
A self-driving car doesn’t understand the road like a person; it builds a live picture from cameras and other sensors, then software picks a path around what…
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One failing EV battery cell can heat its neighbors
A damaged lithium-ion cell can enter thermal runaway: internal reactions release heat faster than it can escape. That heat can push adjacent cells into the…
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Can reflective roads cool down cities
Pale, reflective pavement sends more sunlight back instead of absorbing it as heat, so the road surface stays cooler. But the light has to go somewhere: it…
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Incredible supply chain of electric vehicles
A battery starts as minerals dug from the ground, then passes through refining and cell-making before it reaches a car assembled with motors and electronics.…
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Engineering miracle of modern car tires
A tire’s tread and flexible rubber grip the road through a contact patch only about the size of a hand. Grooves channel water away so that small patch stays…
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Why cargo ships are bringing back giant sails
Modern cargo ships use towering rigid sails or rotor sails to turn wind into extra push, cutting the fuel their engines need. The engines still do the…
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Why flight attendants sometimes move passengers
On a small aircraft, where people sit changes how the plane balances. Flight attendants move passengers to keep the center of gravity within its safe range,…
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Where retired airliners go to wait in the desert
Dry desert air slows corrosion, so airlines park retired planes there while they decide whether to preserve them, sell them, or strip them for parts. The…
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Why speed limits are set for most drivers
At higher speed, a car covers more ground before its driver reacts, then needs more road to stop. Limits give ordinary drivers room for both steps—because the…
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Why high-speed rail networks are so expensive
Fast trains need gentle curves and shallow grades, so their tracks cut through hills, cross valleys on bridges, and claim a lot of land. The train is quick;…
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How autonomous driving software actually works
Self-driving software turns sensor readings into a repeating three-step job: map what’s nearby, predict where it’s heading, then steer or brake. The car isn’t…
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A cargo ship can turn its own water supply into a boarding barrier
Anti-piracy guidance describes fixed water jets and curtains of water along a ship's side. They make it harder for a small boat to stay alongside and for…
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Wind tunnels keep giving car designers the same answer
Cars converge on similar shapes because air pushes back harder as speed rises. A smooth, sloping body cuts drag, while safety rules and crash structures shape…
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How speed cameras catch you braking late
A speed camera measures your speed as you pass; braking after the measurement changes nothing. The photo is the receipt, not the moment the camera starts…
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Why cities are giving traffic lights cameras
Cameras spot approaching cars and waiting queues, then feed that information to the traffic signal. The light can give a longer green to the crowded direction…
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A hydrogen fuel-cell car is an electric car with a different power supply
It carries hydrogen and converts it into electricity onboard to run a motor. A battery car instead carries electricity stored earlier. Hydrogen therefore adds…
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