Transport
Discover facts about transport. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Transport
Penny boards are named entirely for their small size
Despite the name, they cost significantly more than pocket change. These tiny, flexible plastic skateboards were designed to be stuffed into backpacks,…
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Why heated car seats can feel like a fever
In the dead of January, turning on the seat warmers feels like a luxury. Within ten minutes, however, it rapidly escalates into a sweaty, uncomfortable…
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America has enough roads to circle Earth 160 times
If you ever doubt the American commitment to the automobile, just look at a satellite map. The US has enough paved roads to wrap around the Earth at the…
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Why Sydney ferries were forced to use giant horns
Before strict maritime regulations, morning commutes frequently involved playing bumper cars with multi-ton ships. In the early 20th century, the heavy fog in…
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That seatbelt light is more than a suggestion
That little illuminated icon above your head is not just a polite corporate suggestion. Ignoring the chime and casually walking to the lavatory while the…
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Boston water transit moves downtown crowds across the bay
The city streets are a tangled nightmare dating back centuries. Modern commuters avoid the mess by simply taking a boat directly across the harbor, proving…
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Ocean navigation buoys rely on massive concrete sinkers
Those cheerful floating markers preventing shipwrecks are chained to the abyss. To stop violent ocean currents from dragging them away, buoys are tethered to…
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Why speeding can make you hit every red light
Trying to beat the system by heavily accelerating away from an intersection is mathematically doomed. Planners program the urban grid progression assuming…
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Why delivery trucks avoid left turns
Turning left across opposing lanes takes significantly too long and burns precious fuel. Route planners violently enforce a strict policy of endlessly looping…
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Your car’s start button is older than you think
Everything old is aggressively marketed as new again. That fancy button on your modern dashboard that makes you feel like a fighter pilot is actually a…
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Postal sorting centers utilize complex overhead track systems
Delivering endless paper parcels requires frantic behind-the-scenes movement. Massive sorting centers employ dizzying arrays of automated overhead rails…
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An attack helicopter gun follows your gaze
Looking directly at a problem and having it instantly vanish is the ultimate power trip. The devastating chain guns mounted directly underneath the nose of an…
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Paraglider harnesses double as protective seats
Hook: Jumping off a cliff with a fabric wing requires something a bit more robust than a simple belt. Explanation: The harness worn by a paraglider is a…
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Steam trains came before the modern bicycle
It turns out harnessing the explosive power of boiling water to move heavy metal was somehow easier than putting two wheels in a line. While early steam…
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Alaskan Malamutes pull heavy freight over speed
While Huskies get all the glory for sprinting across the ice, Malamutes are the slow, muscular tractors of the canine world. They were bred explicitly to drag…
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A ferry powered by the river it crosses
Why pay for fuel when the river is already flowing? By angling a tethered boat against the current, the operator lets the river's own brute force shove…
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Why bother with the horrors of public airports when you can just turn your driveway into a runway? Actor John Travolta literally built a private airport…
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Jungle elephants physically bulldoze dense pathways
Rather than walking around obstacles, massive pachyderms simply crush thick vegetation to force their own direct lines. They are incredibly efficient natural…
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Jetskis operate essentially like water motorcycles
Personal watercraft utilize the exact same aggressive steering column and thumb-throttle mechanics as a two-wheeled dirt tracker. The core difference is that…
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Why airports replaced the tarmac baggage scramble
Because trusting the general public to wander aimlessly around spinning aircraft propellers was predictably a terrible idea. Before the 1950s, airline…
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Why wealthy passengers once demanded open-air seats
Why enjoy a comfortable roof when you can flex your wealth? Early wealthy transit riders demanded open-air seating so commoners could see them, happily…
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Maglev trains beat track friction—then hit an invisible wall
Because even when you defeat the friction of the earth, the very atmosphere itself becomes your enemy. Maglev trains float gracefully above their tracks,…
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Louis XVI wanted prisoners to test the first balloon
The French monarchy was completely terrified that high altitudes would instantly kill humans. King Louis XVI originally demanded that condemned prisoners be…
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When surfers turned roller skates into skateboards
When the ocean refused to cooperate, bored Californian surfers decided the concrete pavement was a suitable alternative to water. In the 1950s, they…
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