Transport
Discover facts about transport. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Transport
Lowboy trailers feature two deck drops
When you need to move a giant bulldozer, a standard trailer is way too tall. The deck aggressively drops down right after the truck hitch and dips again…
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Why some buses arrive with booming bass
Forget boring printed bus schedules. The most effective way to alert the neighborhood that your transit vehicle has arrived is by blasting incredibly loud,…
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How electric scooters took over sidewalks overnight
Venture capital basically decided to treat public sidewalks as their personal dumping ground. Companies like Bird and Lime dropped thousands of dockless…
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A five-mile-per-hour drive wrecked Ohio's first car
Humanity's relationship with horrible driving started shockingly early. John Lambert created a gasoline-powered buggy and took it for a spin with a friend.…
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Snowmobile helmets secretly heat their visors
Heavy breathing inside a helmet during sub-zero temperatures instantly coats the glass in thick, blinding frost. To prevent riders from aggressively hitting…
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Apollo 11 astronauts spent three weeks in a trailer
Returning from the moon sounds glamorous until you realize you get locked in a camper van. NASA was terrified the Apollo 11 crew might bring back apocalyptic…
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Shunters assemble trains in the railyard
These tiny, over-torqued locomotives will never get to pull an express line across the country. Their miserable fate is to perpetually push uncooperative…
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Victorian train passengers feared rides could paralyze them
Before we had modern travel anxiety, Victorians had 'railway spine.' Passengers claimed the mere vibration of early train carriages shattered their nervous…
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Your car dashboard began as a shield from horse manure
Because apparently, eating actual street dirt was where humanity finally drew the line. Before engines were even a glimmer in an industrialist's eye, the…
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Your car's name comes from an ancient war chariot
Next time you're stuck in your Prius, just pretend you're a fearsome Celtic warrior. The word 'car' is derived from the Latin 'carrus,' which itself was…
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Why a passport is called a passport
The word itself is aggressively literal. Originating in medieval Europe, a "passe port" was exactly what it sounded like: a document giving you permission to…
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The subway that blew passengers through a tube
Why take the stairs when you could be blasted through a subterranean pipe like a giant, fleshy bank deposit? Back in 1870, inventor Alfred Ely Beach built a…
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Smuggling macromolecules straight through cells
Sometimes there is no way around a biological barrier, so molecules just go straight through the living guard. Transcytosis is a specialized process where a…
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BMX headsets allow complete handlebar spins
Hook: Twisting your handlebars all the way around should tangle the brake cables, but it somehow doesn't. Explanation: A detangler, or gyro, replaces standard…
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Cement mixer discharge chutes pivot for targeting
Pouring thousands of pounds of liquid rock is a messy affair, so the back of the truck features a desperately needed aiming device. The discharge chute swings…
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Proteins dragging cargo backward constantly
While other molecules handle outbound shipping, dynein proteins are strictly employed for the returns department. These motor proteins trudge along cellular…
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Car mirrors were once a luxury add-on
Because staring at your own reflection in a moving metal box used to be considered peak extravagance. For a large portion of automotive history, sun visors…
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Bluetooth devices are banned during takeoff phases
Despite living in a wireless utopia, many international carriers strictly mandate you rip those expensive earbuds out during ascent. They desperately want…
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When train carriages were rolling mansions
Before standardization ruined the fun, trains were basically rolling mansions. Early broad-gauge tracks allowed for absurdly wide carriages that felt more…
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Jumbo jets weighing four hundred tons routinely float through the sky like metallic magic tricks
Physics starts to feel like a poorly written suggestion when you look closely at commercial aviation. A fully loaded Boeing 747 weighs almost a million…
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Kick scooters utilize rear fender brakes
Hook: Slowing down on a metal scooter involves aggressively stomping on a piece of plastic. Explanation: Most recreational kick scooters lack complex hand…
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The banker who invented the jet ski
Every annoying thing roaring past your peaceful lake vacation owes its existence to a bored guy with a loan portfolio. Clayton Jacobson II was a banker with a…
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A bus journey across South America takes 102 hours
Hope you brought a very good book and a high tolerance for leg cramps. The Transoceanic bus route covers 3,800 miles across South America, navigating through…
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Your airplane wing is a giant fuel tank
Those massive metal wings are not completely solid. They are largely hollow and act as gigantic storage tanks holding thousands of gallons of explosive…
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