Transport
Discover facts about transport. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Transport
Bushings determine the turning resistance of a skateboard
These colorful little urethane donuts dictate exactly how wobbly your ride will be. Nested inside the skateboard trucks, bushings squish when you lean,…
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Drunk cycling can mean a driving violation
Opting to pedal home from the bar because you had too many beers is not the legal loophole you think it is. Cops will absolutely slap you with a devastating…
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Station wagon tailgates frequently split into two sections
Opening the back of a vintage family hauler was a heavily theatrical experience. Unlike modern hatches that simply hinge aggressively upwards, the iconic…
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Volcanic eruptions inject ash into global wind streams
Erupting mountains blast particulate matter so high that stratospheric winds carry it around the entire planet. It is nature's way of ensuring that a violent…
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Why Early Sleeper Trains Put Strangers in One Bed
Nothing builds character quite like spooning a complete stranger. If you bought a ticket on an early sleeper carriage, you didn't get a private bunk; you got…
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The space shuttle hitched rides on a Boeing 747
When you have a reusable spacecraft that lands perfectly in California but needs to launch from Florida, you have a massive logistics headache. Since the…
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The Planes Built to Keep Flying After a Nuclear Blast
These flying bunkers are fully staffed 24/7, just waiting for the literal end of the world. They are built to withstand nuclear blasts and stay airborne for…
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Why cruise ships have a bulb on their bow
If you've ever looked at a modern mega-ship out of the water, it looks like it has a terrifyingly giant tumor on its face. This 'bulbous bow' is actually a…
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Why train travelers wore dark clothes
Brown and dark grey became the absolute peak of fashion simply because trains blasted everyone with coal dust. Wearing white on a journey guaranteed you would…
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Why silent electric cars make fake engine noises
Automakers finally achieved the holy grail of silent transportation, only to realize that pedestrians rely heavily on engine noise to not get run over.…
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Why roundabouts make deadly crashes far less likely
American drivers view roundabouts with an unjustified, deep-seated rage, treating them like confusing circular death traps. In reality, they are a masterclass…
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Your car may have more code than a fighter jet
If you think your laptop is complicated, you should see the bloated supercomputer sitting in your driveway. An F-35 fighter jet operates on roughly 25 million…
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London's first Underground trains had no windows
Because sitting in a dark, claustrophobic box rocketing through a soot-filled subterranean tunnel sounds like a perfectly relaxing way to start your day. When…
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Your cello can get its own airplane seat
Since the fragile instrument is too massive for the overhead bin and too delicate to be thrown into the belly of the plane, musicians simply buy it a ticket.…
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When Alaskan mail traveled by reindeer
Long before next-day shipping was a thing, late 1800s postal workers in frozen wastelands relied on literal reindeer to drag letters across the tundra.…
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Mobility scooter anti-tip wheels prevent flipping
Hook: Accelerating slightly too hard on a slope is a surefire way to end up on your back. Explanation: Rear-heavy mobility scooters have tiny, solid caster…
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Why high beams can blind oncoming drivers
You simply totally blind the person driving rapidly toward you. Attempting to see farther ahead basically completely guarantees the oncoming driver will…
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Why airline pilots avoid full beards
While the hipster aesthetic is trendy in coffee shops, it is actively discouraged in the cockpit. If an aircraft suddenly depressurizes at 35,000 feet, the…
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Why Segways make you lean forward
The absolute pinnacle of looking foolish while remaining completely stationary. These gyroscopic platforms require the rider to literally shift their entire…
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Stomp pads offer grip for an unstrapped snowboard boot
Navigating flat ground with only one foot strapped in is a recipe for an immediate groin stretch. Stomp pads are textured rubber stickers placed right in the…
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When trainspotting became a British obsession
Standing in the freezing cold to write down serial numbers somehow became a national pastime. Entire generations of British youths found immense joy in…
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Tractor cabs feature heavily tinted glass to block the sun
Spending twelve consecutive hours in a giant glass box completely exposed in the middle of a massive field is a great way to accidentally roast yourself.…
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The cruise ship longer than the Eiffel Tower
The 'Icon of the Seas' is essentially a floating apocalyptic city state weighing a quarter-of-a-million tons. By stretching 1,198 feet long, it thoroughly…
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How Ford Model Ts became early snowmobiles
Necessity is the mother of bizarre vehicular mutations. When winter storms stranded rural mailmen in the 1920s, they resorted to ripping the front wheels off…
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