Transport
Discover facts about transport. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Transport
How pilots signal a hijacking without speaking
Rather than trying to subtly whisper into a radio while someone is actively storming the cockpit, flight crews punch a specific four-digit number into the…
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Why lowered cars make potholes feel enormous
To achieve that low-profile aesthetic, enthusiasts completely sacrifice shock absorption. Suddenly, hitting a mild dip in the road sounds like the entire…
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Trimaran fast ferries slice through waves using three hulls
A single boat hull is wobbly, so designers just glued three of them together for maximum stability. These massive, spider-like vessels carry hundreds of…
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Sperm cells rely entirely on flagella for fluid transport
Half of your initial genetic code was carried by a microscopic tadpole aggressively whipping its tail. It navigated a hostile, acidic environment completely…
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Drone gimbal stabilizers actively fight movement
Keeping a camera perfectly still on a violently buzzing aircraft is an exercise in microscopic aggression. Gimbals use brushless motors that detect the exact…
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Some bar bikes need customers to pedal
A massive bar on wheels driven entirely by patrons turning cranks below their stools. The sober steering operator constantly shouts encouragement because…
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Rickshaw pullers once ran barefoot through ice and heat
Pulled by humans who somehow defied the limits of physical endurance. Early rickshaw pullers regularly ran completely barefoot on boiling summer dirt and…
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Henry Ford once built a flying car
Because mastering terrestrial traffic jams wasn't enough; we needed fender benders in the stratosphere. Henry Ford developed the 'Ford Flivver,' a single-seat…
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High speed rail systems strictly eliminate level crossings
Bullet trains move so impossibly fast that trusting pedestrians or street traffic to look both ways is a guaranteed tragedy. Consequently, every single inch…
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Why airport lounges serve champagne at dawn
While the rest of the city is strictly forbidden from serving martinis at six in the morning, terminal clubs operate in a hazy legal gray area. They proudly…
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Why parts of the German autobahn have no speed limit
While Americans get pulled over for doing 75, large stretches of the German highway system trust drivers enough to not mandate a limit. You can legally blast…
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Early passenger flights stopped at sunset
Early commercial pilots were so deeply terrified of the dark that they just landed at sunset. Passengers would simply sleep in a local hotel and wait for…
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Crawling is hilariously inefficient for anyone over age one
Once you master standing on two legs, dragging your knees across the carpet becomes an excruciatingly slow ordeal. Your body proportions literally outgrow the…
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Some boats ride on a cushion of air
Halfway between a hovercraft and a normal boat, these vessels trap a massive bubble of air under their rigid hulls. It allows them to aggressively skim over…
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The train that hit 357 mph
While American trains struggle to outpace a moderately motivated jogger, the French decided the landscape should simply be a blurred smear out the window. In…
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Presta valves rely on internal air pressure
Because springs are for amateurs, the Presta valve demands that the very air trying to escape is what forces the valve shut. It’s a beautifully cynical piece…
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Honda's first big break began with a rejection
Every great rivalry usually starts with a miserable failure. Before becoming a global titan of reliable automobiles, Soichiro Honda started a company making…
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Why hospitals still use pneumatic tubes
While we imagine the future is entirely digital, massive modern clinics still rely on vacuum tubes to violently suck samples and vital medicine through the…
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Why diplomatic cars weigh more than a ton
When an entire geopolitical conflict can hinge on a single commute, you do not rely on standard aluminum doors. Diplomatic limousines appear perfectly normal…
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Headwinds drastically alter high altitude flight times
Slamming directly into a massive jet stream is nature’s best way of holding an airplane hostage. A severe high-altitude headwind can force a plane to…
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Why flying exposes you to more cosmic radiation
Every time you casually fly across the globe, you are getting bombarded by cosmic radiation. Leaving the protective blanket of the lower atmosphere means your…
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Toboggans slide directly on snow without runners
Unlike typical sleds lifted by metal blades, these are just curved planks of wood resting flat on the ground. They are incredibly inefficient on hard ice but…
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Trimarans employ three hulls for maximum deck room
Adding a third float completely alters the vessel's layout, turning it into a massive floating triangle. While they slice through waves beautifully, trying to…
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Digital radar signs simply flash numbers at passing drivers
Municipalities put up flashing signs to tell you exactly how fast you are going, but secretly, drivers just view them as an arcade high-score screen. Nothing…
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