Focus: Aerodynamics

The Sound So Loud That It Circled the Earth Four Times

The 1883 eruption on Krakatoa may be the loudest noise the Earth has ever made.

From Issue 038 Chapter Two by Aatish Bhatia

On August 27, 1883, the Earth let out a noise louder than any it has made since. It was 10:02 a.m. local time when the sound emerged from the island of Krakatoa, which sits between…

Fish School Us on Wind Power

Record-efficiency turbine farms are being inspired by sealife.

From Issue 015 Chapter Five by Alex Riley

As they drove on featureless dirt roads on the first Tuesday of 2010, John Dabiri, professor of aeronautics and bioengineering at the California Institute of Technology, and his then-student…

Why the World Cup Suddenly Has So Many Goals

NASA engineer Rabindra Mehta explains the aerodynamics of the World Cup soccer ball.

From Issue 015 Chapter Two by Danielle Elliot

You know the star players’ names of this World Cup: Brazilian forward Neymar, United States goalkeeper Tim Howard, Argentinian forward Lionel Messi. But there is one star that you…