Aerodynamics

An exploration of the Tupolev Tu-104, a Soviet jet airliner that was essentially a bomber with a new coat of paint.

The 'car of the future' arrived in 1934—and flopped spectacularly. Here's why the shapes on our roads are really a mirror of our collective dreams, crises, and anxieties.

How biomimicry solved Japan's Shinkansen tunnel noise crisis by redesigning train noses after kingfisher beaks, demonstrating how natural constraints can reshape technological evolution.

Explore how high-velocity transportation systems balance on the edge of stability, where minute imperfections can trigger catastrophic failure.

Engineers spent decades trying to make wind turbine blades smoother. Then a marine biologist noticed that humpback whales had bumpy fins—and outperformed anything smooth. The discovery is reshaping renewable energy.

Japan's bullet train had a sonic boom problem. The solution came from an unlikely source: a birdwatcher who noticed how kingfishers dive into water without a splash.