Impossible EngineeringWW

Impossible Engineering

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Nikola Tesla Harnessed the Power of Niagara Falls

3,160 tons of water per second pour over Niagara Falls. As the water crashes over the top, all the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy and comes down with tremendous force.

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The innovative Maglev train can move up to 431 kilometers/267 miles per hour using magnetic levitation.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

A Train that Levitates

Chicago engineers took railway innovations to new heights when they created some of the first elevated train stations in the early 1890s.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

Chicago’s Historic L Train

Kansai International Airport was Japan’s first ever 24 hour airport and, at the time, was the longest building in the world. Check out the cool innovations engineers added to make it withstand an earthquake.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

Earthquake Proofing an Airport

This building may not look like much, but back in 1796 it was an innovative skyscraper in comparison to the rest of the world. This was the first time an iron frame was used in a multi-story building, paving the way for modern day architecture.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

The World’s First Skyscraper

The architects that built these pagodas hundreds of years ago made each floor flexible enough to survive earthquakes.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

The Secret Behind the Pagoda’s Design

The Netherlands has always fought to keep the North Sea at bay. As the country’s population began to expand, there were fewer and fewer dry places for people to live and farm on.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

How Windmills Saved the Dutch

NASA’s Orion Spacecraft will travel farther than any other crew exploration vehicle in history. Its destination? Mars.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

5 Incredible Facts About The Orion Spacecraft

As we travel farther up through the atmosphere, air gets harder to breath because pressure goes down and the oxygen molecules are more spread out.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

How Do High Altitudes Affect Your Body?

Robert Goddard built his rockets using liquid propulsion, a mixture of gasoline and oxygen. The higher the temperature, the greater the thrust.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

Goddard’s Rocket Innovations

Orion’s ginormous solid rocket motor generates 3.6 million pounds of thrust! That’s the equivalent of 14 jumbo jets operating at maximum power.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

Orion’s Space Launch System is the Most Powerful Yet

The Severn Bridge is one of Britain’s most iconic engineering marvels. Its key to combating high winds is its unique bridge deck shape.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

How Do Bridges Withstand High Winds

Polytetrafluoroethylene also known as PTFE is the non-stick coating used on pans. This demonstration shows how PTFE can help reduce friction.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

How Does PTFE Make Things Slippery?

The Millau Viaduct was built over one of the deepest, widest, and windiest canyons in the world. The two ginormous bridge deck pieces were slid together and assembled like a giant jigsaw puzzle.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

Assembling the World's Tallest Bridge

The Millau Viaduct is the tallest bridge on Earth. It measures 1,125 feet tall, 1.5 miles long, and the bridge deck sits nearly 900 feet above the ground.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

Top 3 Facts About the World's Tallest Bridge

Engineer Gustave Eiffel completely revolutionized bridges when he proposed an arch that sat underneath the bridge deck. The design was later a key part of his most famous creation, the Eiffel Tower.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

This is the Innovation that Changed Bridges Forever

The stadium’s twin arches soar over 300 ft above the playing field. Together, they distribute 19 million pounds of thrust into four concrete abutments.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

How was this Incredible Football Stadium Constructed?

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Using advanced robotics and 6,000 workers, Tesla's factory can produce 2,000 electric cars per week.WWW

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Tesla Gives the Factory Assembly Line a 21st Century Upgrade

The number one rule of submarine escape is "never ever hold your breath."WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

Training to Escape a Submarine

The "Tortoise" was built by William Grey Walter in 1948 and used sensors for light and movement to form a simple nervous system.WWW

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The World's First Decision-Making Robot

Modern submarines can dive up to 240 meters underwater. When the crew is ready to submerge, external tanks that are normally filled with air, open to receive water. This makes the ship slightly negatively buoyant.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

This is how Submarines Work

Kevlar's strands form hydrogen bonds that stick like glue.WWW

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Why Kevlar is Stronger than Steel

The "Turtle" was the first submersible used in underwater combat. Even though it wasn't completely successful, it did set the precedent for submersible combat.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

The First Submarine Used in Combat

Special chemicals give even water what looks like magical properties.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

How Fiber Optic Cable Bends Light

The Shard is the tallest building in Western Europe at 309.6 meters. It has enough glass panels to cover 130 basketball courts!WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

Facts About the Shard Skyscraper

A hidden catapult launch system propels the 10-ton coaster up a 90-degree incline.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

How Kingda Ka Catapulted to the Title of World's Tallest Roller Coaster

The Shard skyscraper in London is taller than the Eiffel Tower. In order to construct this beastly building, engineers used a giant slipform rig.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

Constructing the Shard

Upstop wheels apply friction under the tracks to prevent roller coasters from derailing during zero-G drops and turns.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

Why Don't Roller Coasters Fly Off the Tracks?

In the 1880's, Minneapolis was known as the flour capitol of the world. To keep up with production needs, engineers designed the ultimate silo.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

The World's First Concrete Silo

Harmony of the Seas is as tall as a bridge and as wide as a football field. It required 50 thousand tons of steel to build!WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

This Ship is as Long as 5 Jumbo Jets

A safe’s lock has 1.2 million possible combinations to choose from. Good luck cracking that code!WWW

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Machines: How They WorkW

Cracking Open a Safe

Over 100 precision components help this wristwatch keep time.WWW

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Machines: How They WorkW

What Makes a Wristwatch Tick?

With just a little over 40 components, toilets are able to flush and reset in four seconds flat.WWW

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Machines: How They WorkW

Toilets: Behind the Flush