Transport
Discover facts about transport. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Transport
Most people aboard the Hindenburg survived
Pop culture remembers it as an absolute apocalypse, but most people managed to just casually stroll out of the fiery blimp. Despite the iconic 'Oh, the…
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A cruise ship produces thousands of gallons of sewage
That all-you-can-eat midnight buffet eventually has to go somewhere. A massive modern cruise ship acts as a floating city for thousands of vacationers,…
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Spinning pulsars continuously blast intense radiation
Dead stars rotate furiously, shooting beams of electromagnetic doom out of their poles. They function like the universe's most dangerous lighthouses, sweeping…
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Industrial sweeper side brooms spin inward
The giant, bristly discs on the side of a massive warehouse sweeper aren't there to actually clean anything directly. Their sole purpose is to aggressively…
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Submarine sonar is loud enough to create cavitation
If you are ever swimming near a military submarine, you might get cooked. Active sonar pings exceed 235 decibels, which is so loud it creates cavitation…
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Why a pebble can stop a kick scooter
A massive tire simply absorbs minor debris and keeps rolling. However, when your polyurethane wheel is smaller than an apple, striking a single misplaced…
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Moving walkway floor pallets feature interlocking grooves
Those deep metal lines cut into the floor of an airport walkway aren't just for traction. They perfectly interlock with the comb plate at the end of the path,…
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The simple line that stops ships from overloading
To prevent greedy captains from overloading their vessels until they inevitably sink, a clever politician mandated painting a specific marking on the hull. If…
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Why a container ship can take miles to stop
Because braking is more of an abstract concept when you weigh two hundred thousand tons. Massive modern cargo vessels possess so much forward momentum and…
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Dogsleds rely on teflon coated plastic runner blades
You might picture rugged, old-school wooden sleds sliding purely on traditional craftsmanship. In the modern era, the wooden runners are entirely coated in…
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Why passengers steal airplane life vests
Despite the utter lack of situations where you would ever need one in daily life, passengers relentlessly steal emergency life vests from under their seats.…
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One in five Americans never flies
Despite literally inventing the airplane and commercializing global travel, a shocking chunk of the US nation remains aggressively grounded. Whether due to…
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Why your gas cap clicks at the pump
That satisfying ratcheting noise you hear at the pump isn't just a friendly audio cue that you're done twisting. The cap contains a built-in torque-limiting…
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Food on airplanes is reheated in convection ovens
Microwaves are way too demanding on an aircraft power grid. Caterers completely cook the meals on the ground, freeze them solid, and simply blast them with…
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Bobtailing means driving without a trailer
Because driving a massively overpowered truck cab all by its lonesome just looks inherently silly. Stripped of its massive rectangular burden, a bobtailing…
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Alcantara looks like suede but isn't
Automakers have successfully convinced the public to pay a premium price for what is essentially highly stylized plastic. Alcantara sounds like an exotic,…
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Viruses hijack cellular transport to replicate themselves
A virus is basically a highly motivated hitchhiker. It sneaks into your cell, commandeers the internal biological highways, and turns your own biological…
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Telescoping handles rely on internal friction locks
Pulling a heavy suitcase depends on a remarkably flimsy piece of plastic hidden inside a hollow tube. Pressing the button on a telescoping handle retracts…
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Your body is shaped like a very complicated donut
From a topological standpoint, you are just a highly complicated donut. Food enters one end of the biological pipe and exits the other, meaning your breakfast…
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Rumble strips carved into highway shoulders reduce run-off-road collisions by aggressively shaking sleepy drivers
It’s a deceptively simple invention: carve a series of loud, violently bumpy corrugations into the asphalt on the edge of the highway. When an exhausted truck…
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How submarines turn seawater into breathable air
Trapped underwater for months, submariners can't just open a window. Instead, massive onboard generators violently electrocute raw seawater to separate the…
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Anti-fouling paint stops barnacle hitchhikers
A ship's massive hull is basically a free luxury cruise for barnacles. To stop these aquatic freeloaders from ruining their glide and burning extra fuel,…
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Why hot-air balloonists carried champagne
Alcoholic bribery is surprisingly recognized as a fundamental cornerstone of early aeronautics. In the late 18th century, early French balloonists kept…
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Early prams sent babies into intersections first
The first prams were completely reversed, meaning parents pushed from behind while the baby led the way. This conveniently meant the infant was the very first…
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