How does a Maglev train work? They use magnets to move the train forwards and to reduce friction. Maglev is the shortened form of magnetic levitation, and it is a train based on the principle of magnetic attraction and repulsion. We all know that when you have two magnets, the opposite poles attract each other […]
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Where and when did language originate? This is an impossible question to answer, but, probably, in and around Africa between 150,000 and 50,000 years ago. Our ability to communicate is obviously one of the things that sets us apart from animals. Nearly all animals have the ability to make sounds, but their communication is limited
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Why does the Leaning Tower of Pisa lean? It leans because the ground under the tower is not hard enough and has settled. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is 55.86 meters tall, and it leaned by 5.5 degrees off center at its peak. It was stabilized in the 1990s and its lean was reduced to
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How fast could an electric car go? The current top speed achieved is 412 km/h. They could potentially go faster than that. Electric cars have the potential to be faster than combustion engine cars because of the way they apply power to their wheels. A combustion engine works by burning gasoline to make pistons move
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Could telekinesis be possible? It depends on how you define telekinesis. Moving things with just brain power could not be possible, but using technology to accomplish it certainly could be possible. “Telekinesis” comes from the Greek “tele” meaning “far off” and “kinesis” meaning “movement”. It is the idea that distant objects can be moved merely
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How do night vision goggles work? There are two types: the old style and the new style. The old-style goggles work by detecting and enhancing infrared light. The newer ones work by digitally enhancing the image. We cannot see well in the dark. Our eyes work by collecting reflected light radiation and transmitting it to
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What is a speakeasy? It was a bar where alcoholic drinks were illegally sold during the era of prohibition. From 1920 to 1933, alcohol was illegal in the United States of America. This was brought into law by the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. The amendment says, “After one year from the ratification of this
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Why does time go forward not backward? Because of entropy. Entropy is the measure of how random and dispersed the energy and mass in a system are distributed. It is described by the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which says that the entropy of a closed system increases over time. The system has to be closed
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How have sea levels changed over time? Over the last 542 million years they have varied from 130 m lower than their level today to a theoretical 300 m higher than they are today. It is theoretical because the continents move around a lot, and it is difficult to find evidence for where the seas
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How much height does a parachute need? It completely depends on the type of parachute. We need to think about how long it takes a packed parachute to be released and inflate. Parachutes are packed into the backpack they are carried in and they are usually made of nylon these days. They used to be
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