Brick roads, yellow or otherwise, tend to be very labor-intensive projects. But now, thanks to an ingenious Dutch machine, paving a new road with bricks could be just as easy as rolling out the red carpet.
The invention, called the Tiger Stone, can lay out an incredible 437 square yards (at 4 yards wide, that’s almost the length of an entire football field!) of road in a day. How is this possible? Well, it’s all about getting gravity on your side: First, a forklift places loads of bricks into the trough, which workers then place along an inclined plane (see below).
This clip from the Science Channel show How It’s Made provides a fascinating look at the complex processes and machinery behind everyone’s favorite coloring tools.
This year, the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing (a.k.a the “money factory”) is all about the Benjamins. The new $100 bill was unveiled this April, and it looks to be much flashier than its predecessors. But this bill, the most technologically advanced the country has ever printed, was specially engineered not only to look cool but also to discourage criminal copycats.
Brazilian midfielder Kaka heads the Jabulani ball (Shine 2010/Flickr)
While the whole world was anticipating the 2010 World Cup tournament in South Africa, a team of scientists and engineers were busy crafting one of its most crucial pieces of equipment: the soccer ball. This year’s ball, made by Adidas, is named Jabulani, which means “celebrate” in the Zulu language.
Jabulani boasts many technical improvements, such as a specially engineered surface texture for better grip, shock-absorbing polymer material, and a more aerodynamic shape.
