Transport
Discover facts about transport. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Transport
Your train may rely on Victorian-era signaling
The basic trick is to divide track into blocks and keep trains separated: a signal tells the driver whether the next stretch is clear. That idea dates back to…
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Freight container corner castings bear all the weight
Stacked containers transfer their weight down the strong corner posts into metal corner castings, where locks and lifting gear grip them. The thin walls keep…
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Why early steamships still carried sails
Early engines were hungry, unreliable coal burners, so ships kept sails for extra push and emergency power. The sails also cut fuel use when the wind…
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The squirrel-hair brush behind Rolls-Royce's pinstripes
A squirrel-hair brush holds a fine line of paint and flexes smoothly across the bodywork, letting an artist draw a pinstripe in one steady stroke. The brush…
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Why cleats ruin hard floors
Cleats concentrate your weight onto hard studs that dig into floors and scrape their finish. On grass, those points grip the ground; on a gym floor, they…
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Why helicopters can't fly through the Lincoln Tunnel
A helicopter’s rotor sweeps far wider than a traffic lane, while the tunnel roof leaves no room for its blades. The Lincoln Tunnel is built for cars, not a…
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Equatorial air density changes atmospheric lift
Hot equatorial air expands, leaving fewer air molecules packed into each breath of atmosphere. Wings get less to push against, so an aircraft needs more speed…
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Chicago water taxis bypass gridlock by using the local river
Water taxis use the Chicago River as a route while cars queue on the streets beside it. The boat skips the traffic jam by taking the one lane the cars cannot…
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Earth has more than a billion cars—and counting
The global vehicle fleet is a stock, not just one year's sales. A new car joins vehicles built across many previous years, and the total changes as older ones…
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Why an astronaut threw his silver pin on the Moon
On the Moon, gravity is about one-sixth as strong as on Earth, and there is no air to slow a tossed object. A silver pin follows a long, clean arc before…
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When carpool lanes make traffic worse
A carpool lane reserves road space for vehicles with multiple riders. When traffic pours into fewer general lanes while the reserved lane carries less, the…
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Upward angled airplane wings automatically stabilize flight
Those upward-tilted wings help the plane resist rolling: in a sideslip, the lower wing meets the airflow at a steeper angle and gains lift. The aircraft gets…
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Spinning dust devils lift surface particulates upward
Sun-warmed ground heats the air above it, and that rising air starts a spinning column. The whirlwind grabs loose dust and carries it upward—an elaborate…
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Asymmetric thrust violently yaws twin engine aircraft
If one engine quits, the other keeps pushing from off to the side of the plane’s centerline. That sideways leverage yaws the nose toward the dead engine,…
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The Smart car began as a Swatch CEO's idea
Nicolas Hayek imagined a car as compact and personal as a Swatch watch. Mercedes supplied the automotive engineering, and the name Smart fused Swatch,…
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Subway doors always make that annoying beep before closing. It’s not just a polite warning for rushing commuters.
Subway doors always make that annoying beep before closing. It’s not just a polite warning for rushing commuters.
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Have you ever noticed that tiny hole in airplane windows? It’s not a defect.
Have you ever noticed that tiny hole in airplane windows? It’s not a defect.
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In most four-door cars, the rear windows refuse to roll down all the way. It’s totally not a child safety feature.
In most four-door cars, the rear windows refuse to roll down all the way. It’s totally not a child safety feature.
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When it comes to buying a new vehicle, choosing this specific paint color statistically reduces your crash risk.
When it comes to buying a new vehicle, choosing this specific paint color statistically reduces your crash risk.
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Almost every car has those handles above the passenger doors. But they weren't originally designed for off-roading.
Almost every car has those handles above the passenger doors. But they weren't originally designed for off-roading.
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You’ve probably never noticed, but the windows on commercial airplanes rarely align perfectly with the seats. Why?
You’ve probably never noticed, but the windows on commercial airplanes rarely align perfectly with the seats. Why?
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Rudolf Diesel invented his world-changing engine in the 1890s. What shocking fuel did he originally design it to run on?
Rudolf Diesel invented his world-changing engine in the 1890s. What shocking fuel did he originally design it to run on?
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The US Interstate system isn't randomly numbered. What does it mean if a highway ends in an odd number, like I-95?
The US Interstate system isn't randomly numbered. What does it mean if a highway ends in an odd number, like I-95?
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Why are almost all massive highway exit and mileage signs painted that specific shade of reflective green?
Why are almost all massive highway exit and mileage signs painted that specific shade of reflective green?
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