Flight Turbulence Is Actually Getting Worse
The culprit is a lesser-known kind of turbulence that’s been increasing since 1979. So how does it work, and what’s causing the rise?
Building Stuff: Change It! Preview
Humans have been altering Earth’s environment for thousands of years. And now, from electric planes to artificial noses, engineers are inventing new ways to preserve our planet.
The $8 Billion Overhaul of LaGuardia Airport: Engineering a New Era
The redevelopment of LaGuardia was nothing short of remarkable: almost every aspect of the airport was renovated while flights were still coming and going, and architects took special care to future-proof their work through innovative and forward-thinking designs. Over the course of 8 years, engineers rebuilt Terminals B&C, constructed two massive pedestrian walkways, and made key improvements.
Extreme Airport Engineering Preview
In New York City, a team of elite engineers and construction workers are on a mission to build the ultimate airport. Follow their ups and downs as they race to build a new, world-class LaGuardia on the site of one of America’s busiest aviation hubs.
What Happens to Your Checked Bag at the Airport?
Have you ever wondered what happens to your checked bag at an airport? At LaGuardia Airport, their new, state-of-the-art tracking system was designed to process 40 million bags a year— up to 6,000 bags every hour. Discover how this ingenious system works.
Building Stuff: Reach It! Preview
Born to explore, we’re constantly inventing new ways to go beyond our comfort zones. From deep sea subs to next-gen space habitats, see how engineers are building the tools humans need to go where we’ve never gone before.
Creating a Robotic Double Dutch Machine
Double Dutch is a jump rope game that requires two people spinning ropes in opposite directions and at least one person to jump. Engineers Tahira Reid Smith and Sky Leilani are building a machine that would allow a single person to play whenever they wanted.
Building Stuff: Boost It! Preview
How are leading innovators supercharging our natural abilities? From slingshots that can throw rockets into space to the latest in artificial sight, see how engineers are amplifying the human body’s powers.
Decoding the Universe: Quantum Preview
When we look at the world at the tiniest scales, things get very weird. Take a wild ride through the quantum world, from the discoveries that reveal its strange rules to the amazing technologies it unlocks – with more powerful possibilities to come.
How Atomic Clocks Keep Perfect Time
Modern timekeeping relies on the accuracy of atomic clocks, which revolutionized timekeeping by using the quantum behavior of atoms to measure time. Discover how these incredibly precise clocks work, and how they ensure global synchronization in everything from GPS to scientific research.
The Most Baffling Idea in Physics, Explained
Quantum entanglement is one of the strangest and most fascinating phenomena in physics. Even Einstein didn’t believe it - he called it “spooky action at a distance” - but science has proven it true. Here’s a simple explanation of the most baffling concept in physics.
Sir Arthur C. Clarke's Vision of the Computer-Dominated Future
Sir Arthur C. Clarke was a British science-fiction author who co-wrote the screenplay for 2001: A Space Odyssey.
How Medieval Armorers Made Knights Bulletproof
A select few suits of armor were crafted with secret techniques that made them stronger than others, possibly even bulletproof. Historians and ballistics experts reconstructed the amor of an elite knight and tested its strength by shooting it with a musket.
How Do Hurricanes Form?
Scientists predict that our increasingly warmer atmosphere and oceans will feed these hurricanes — we may not see more of them that we used to, but the ones we do see are likely to get more and more intense.
Could Mars Have a Ring Around It One Day?
Phobos, one of Mars' moons, has an uncertain origin, but its surface grooves show that tidal forces are pulling it apart. In time, Mars' gravity will shatter it entirely, creating a ring of debris around the planet.
Cameras Capture Earthbound Meteorite
In 2021, cameras recorded the fall of the Winchcombe meteorite, allowing scientists to trace its cosmic origin.
Solar System: Wandering Worlds Preview
From meteorites that impact Earth, to a moon that orbits backwards, to an imposter lurking in the asteroid belt, a variety of strange, wandering worlds are rewriting what we know – and even how we think about – our solar system.
This Moon May Have the Ingredients for Life
Europa is such a strong candidate for life that NASA launched a mission to explore the moon.
Why Do Comets Have Tails?
Worlds that exist close to the warmth of the sun, like the rocky worlds of Mars, Earth and our moon, have relatively little ice, because they lie inside what is known as the ice line.
Solar System: Icy Worlds Preview
Out in the solar system, ice can get bizarre. Visit strange, frozen worlds – from Uranus’s ultra-hot superionic ice, to glaciers of nitrogen ice on Pluto, to carbon dioxide snow on Mars – and discover why the ice here on Earth is so unique.
Supported by
