In 1883, the eruption of Krakatau (also called Krakatoa) shook the world, sending shock waves and tsunamis ricocheting across the globe. Some of the smaller waves hit shorelines in the Keep reading
Tag: history
Dead Water
In the days before motorized propulsion, sailors would sometimes find themselves slowed nearly to a stop by what they called ‘dead water‘. As discovered in laboratory experiments over a century Keep reading
The Boston Molasses Flood
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the Boston Molasses Flood, and to commemorate this bizarre disaster, I’ve made a video about the key findings from my research with colleagues at Keep reading
The Great Smog of London
Our atmosphere is active and ever-changing – except when it isn’t. Some areas, including many cities, are prone to what’s known as a temperature inversion, where a layer of cooler Keep reading
Reader Question: Rudders
Reader le-mec writes: My question involves “fenestrated rudders”, a Chinese invention that involved cutting diamond-shaped holes in the rudders of ancient Chinese sailing ships (known as Junks). According to several Keep reading
Reader Question: Submarines
Reader elimik asks: Why do modern submarines have round bows instead of pointy ones, like the early WWII ones? Interestingly, there are more factors that affect this design choice than Keep reading