Today’s roller coasters are engineering marvels, taller and faster than ever. Kingda Ka in New Jersey (left) has a 418-foot drop and races to speeds of 128 mph. Its hydraulic launch system catapults riders to maximum velocity in just 3.5 seconds. In 2002, the top speed of the world’s fastest ride was “only” 106.9 mph.
When Apple’s engineers created the iPhone (right) a few years ago, it was an immediate hit, despite a fat price tag. Not only was it a cell phone but an iPod-like music and video player, too. It could surf the Web, handle e-mails, and receive GPS signals. Plus, it looked great and had touch-screen control.
Virtual reality allows us to experience other worlds, both real and make-believe. Engineers use complex algorithms to build 3-D virtual spaces that fool our senses and make us feel as if we’re really there.
The Solar Decathlon is held every two years on the National Mall and is a competition in which 20 teams of college and university students compete to design, build, and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar-powered house.
The Discovery Channel show Build it Bigger launches headlong into scream engineering — building, designing and riding some of the greatest roller coasters on the planet.
Today’s roller coasters are engineering marvels, taller and faster than ever. Kingda Ka in New Jersey (left) has a 418-foot drop and races to speeds of 128 mph. Its hydraulic launch system catapults riders to maximum velocity in just 3.5 seconds. In 2002, the top speed of the world’s fastest ride was “only” 106.9 mph.
