How could EMAS save planes? EMAS systems can bring planes that overshoot the runway to a safe and rapid stop. EMAS stands for Engineered Materials Arresting System, and they are being introduced into some airports. Runways around the world come in a variety of lengths, and planes need different lengths depending on a whole variety […]
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How does an elevator emergency brake work? Modern elevators have an electromagnetic brake that is open when the power is off and the magnet pulls it in so the elevator can move. That way, if the power fails, the brakes will come on and the elevator will stop. Elevators need brakes to stop on each
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How do ball bearings reduce friction? They reduce friction by turning sliding motion into rolling motion. If you have ever used a fidget spinner, you know that once you give it a spin and let go, it will keep spinning for far longer than you would expect. This is all down to the ball bearings
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What is vulcanization? Vulcanization is a process that changes natural rubber into a stronger and more durable material. This makes rubber far more useful, but is terrible for the environment. Humans have used natural rubber for thousands of years. There are over 2,500 different trees that produce rubber, but the main one is called Hevea
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How does facial recognition work? There are different types, but they basically break the face down into a digital map and then compare those digital maps. It is similar to the way software like Shazam works out what a song is. All of the notes from all of the instruments are translated into a digital
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What was the problem with Concorde? Concorde was far too expensive, was not very environmentally friendly, couldn’t carry many people, and it wasn’t allowed to go supersonic over land because of the sonic boom. Concorde first flew with Air France and British Airways in 1976. The supersonic plane flew continuously for 27 years before being
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Why is an atomic clock so accurate? Atomic clocks are accurate because atoms oscillate at a stable and predictable frequency. All clocks work by using the number of movements of something to calculate the passage of time. They do this by knowing how many movements of something equal a second and working from that. Mechanical
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How could a whistle get free phone calls? Old telephone routing equipment worked on sound at a specific frequency. Some whistles blew at exactly the same frequency and could be used to trick the phone equipment. The people who were cheating the phone system called themselves “phreaks”, which was a combination of “phone” and “freak”.
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How do drones hover? Drones hover by using a mix of sensors to adjust their rotor blades. The majority of commercially available drones have four sets of rotor blades, one on each corner. This makes them much easier to control at low speeds and much more stable. The military have drones like this, but they
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How does an iron lung work? An iron lung works by creating a space of negative pressure to inflate the lungs. You have probably seen images of people in an iron lung. It was typically a cylindrical contraption, slightly longer then the height of the patient. It had a hole for the head to stick
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