Travel
Discover facts about travel. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Travel
Running burns calories faster than walking
For the same distance, running generally uses more energy than walking because each stride propels the body more forcefully.
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Thousands of planes are in the sky right now
Keeping thousands of aircraft from crossing paths takes constant coordination, even when the sky looks empty from the ground.
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A free steak if you can eat it fast enough
A restaurant in Amarillo offers a massive steak for free if diners finish it, a baked potato, and shrimp cocktail before the buzzer.
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Why cars seem to roll uphill in India
The surrounding slopes and blocked horizon make downhill ground look uphill, fooling your eye. A car in neutral is actually rolling downhill.
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Why white airplanes make leaks easier to spot
A white exterior makes dark trails of leaking hydraulic fluid or oil easier for maintenance crews to spot. Colorful patterns could camouflage them.
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Why sleeping pills can be risky on long flights
Sedatives can leave you moving less in a cramped seat, which may raise the risk of blood clots in your legs on a long flight.
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Mexican mole sauces contain ingredients like bitter cocoa
Traditional mole can involve more than 20 ingredients, including dried chilies, toasted nuts, and bitter chocolate, roasted, ground, and simmered into a sauce.
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Atolls are volcanoes wearing rings of sand
Atolls form around the remains of volcanic islands, with reefs tracing a ring around a lagoon.
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Best late night meals always come from random metal carts
At two in the morning, a street-corner vendor can turn a tiny grill into the night's best meal—no dining room required.
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A closed Waffle House can signal a serious disaster
The chain works hard to keep restaurants operating through storms, sometimes with a reduced menu. Emergency officials have used its operating status as a…
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Why crabs walk sideways
Their leg joints bend most easily from side to side, making a sideways scuttle more natural than walking straight ahead.
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The Mexican festival that uses explosive hammers
In San Juan de la Vega, celebrants strap homemade explosives to heavy iron hammers and smash them against the ground, filling the town with smoke.
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Death Valley sand sent a barefoot visitor to hospital
In July 2024, a visitor suffered third-degree burns to his feet at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. The ground had become dangerously hot under the desert sun.…
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Tasman Sea violently separates Australia and New Zealand
Colliding currents can make the crossing feel like a furious washing machine.
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Café du Monde made a tiny menu into a New Orleans landmark
The café is famous for beignets buried in powdered sugar and coffee blended with chicory. Rather than offering a long list of dishes, its identity centers on…
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Antarctica's ice sheet spans up to three miles thick
The ice sheet's weight presses the land beneath it downward, leaving the actual ground miles below the surface.
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Consulates will not loan you money if you go broke abroad
They won’t hand out emergency cash or buy you a flight home, but they can help you contact relatives or find a wire transfer service.
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Suitcase is literally just a portmanteau of suit and case
The name reflects the case’s original use: carrying formal jackets in a rigid, flat-sided box to help keep them from wrinkling.
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Romania's Merry Cemetery lets the dead tell their stories
In Săpânța, blue wooden crosses show scenes from a person's life alongside verses written in their voice. Work, habits, misfortunes, and humor share the space…
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Why embassy asylum can leave you stranded
A host country isn't required to grant safe passage to an airport, so an asylum seeker can remain stuck inside the embassy for years.
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Illuminated taxi roof lights indicate the car is empty
A glowing roof sign tells people the cab is available, so they don’t hail a driver who already has passengers.
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North Carolina judges aggressive loud yelling
Spivey’s Corner celebrates the tradition with contests in which people shout elaborate calls across farm fields.
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Why runway lights turn red
Red lights mark the end of the runway, warning pilots they have little pavement left to take off or stop.
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The conference table split by the Korean border
The border runs through the middle of a conference table in a designated meeting room, letting negotiators face each other without stepping into the other…
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