Transport
Discover facts about transport. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Transport
Clear skies can still throw an airplane into turbulence
Turbulence doesn't require a storm cloud: fast-moving air around jet streams and mountain regions can disturb an aircraft in apparently clear conditions. That…
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Apollo 10 sent Snoopy to scout the Moon
The lunar module was named Snoopy because it would inspect the landing area ahead of Apollo 11, while the command module was Charlie Brown. The character also…
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High altitude air density severely alters aerodynamics
Thin air pushes back less, which cuts drag—but it also gives wings less air to bite. An aircraft needs more speed through that sparse air to make the same…
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Combination locks on briefcases replaced easily lost keys
Each dial turns an internal wheel until its gate lines up with the others and the lock opens. Losing a key stops being the problem; remembering the numbers…
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Maglev trains let you ride on invisible magnetic force
Magnets lift the train above the guideway, while changing magnetic fields along the track pull it forward. With no wheels clattering on rails, the ride feels…
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Trailer jockey wheels collapse for transit
The jockey wheel supports the trailer tongue while the trailer is unhitched; once it’s ready for the road, the wheel swings up and locks out of the way.…
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Why choppy seas can sink amphibious assault vehicles
A floating assault vehicle has limited freeboard—the height between the water and its top edge. Choppy waves wash over that low rim, adding water and weight…
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Modern blimps mostly use nonflammable helium for buoyancy
A blimp rises because helium weighs less than the surrounding air. Unlike hydrogen, helium is nonflammable, trading some lifting power for a far less…
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Why a battery can set a garbage truck on fire
A discarded lithium-ion battery gets crushed in the truck’s load, its cells short out, and heat triggers a fire that spreads through packed garbage. One tiny…
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Nizhny Novgorod cable car swings commuters over the river
The gondolas hang beneath cables stretched high over the Volga, so wind makes them sway like pendulums instead of jolting them like rigid boxes. The commute…
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Atmospheric drag aggressively pulls satellites downward
Low Earth orbit still has wisps of atmosphere. At orbital speed, those stray molecules drag on a satellite, stealing energy until its orbit shrinks and it…
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Submersible trash management prevents detection
Crew members seal and stow trash until the submarine reaches port, rather than tossing it into the sea. The ocean keeps evidence; even a floating wrapper can…
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Longitude Act of 1714 offered a massive cash prize
At sea, sailors could work out latitude from the Sun but had no dependable clock for longitude. The 1714 Act offered a huge prize for a way to keep time…
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Your car dashboard texture hides manufacturing flaws
A smooth dashboard would show every ripple and scuff like a courtroom exhibit. The molded texture breaks up the light and hides small flaws, turning…
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Bhutan’s capital directs traffic with people instead of lights
At a prominent junction in Thimphu, an officer’s hand signals guide vehicles from a decorated booth. Drivers watch a person rather than a red or green lamp.…
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Snowshoes spread body weight to float on deep snow
Snowshoes spread your weight over a much larger patch of snow, so each square inch has less work to do holding you up. You still sink a little; you just stop…
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Why World War I pilots were denied parachutes
A parachute took up precious space in an early cockpit, and military leaders worried that an easy exit would tempt pilots to abandon the fight. They kept…
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A hot-air balloon has an aircraft registration too
Its marked registration identifies the aircraft, linking a balloon in the sky with an official record. The lettering does the job of a vehicle identifier…
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Piggyback trains carry highway trailers
The trailer rides piggyback on a railcar, so trucks handle the road ends and a train handles the long haul. It is a clever division of labor: the trailer…
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Canal towpaths let draft animals pull barges from the shore
A horse walks along the towpath while a long rope links it to the barge. Pulling from shore moves the boat without an onboard engine, turning a canal bank…
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Steam trains used far more water than coal
A steam engine used water as its working fluid, boiling it and sending the steam out through the exhaust instead of condensing it for reuse. Coal supplied the…
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Fifth wheel connects trucks to trailers
The trailer’s kingpin locks into a plate on the truck called the fifth wheel. The joint carries the trailer’s weight while pivoting through turns, so the two…
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Why Jeepney passengers bang on the roof
Jeepney passengers tap the metal roof to signal a stop, sending a thump through the vehicle to the driver. No reaching for a cord at the front; just a quick…
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Plant seeds evolved hooks to hitchhike on passersby
Hooks on burrs snag fur or clothing, hitching seeds onto an animal or passerby. The ride carries them away from the parent plant before they drop—botany’s…
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