ENGINEERING

8 Fascinating Facts About Toilets

Half of the world’s population—nearly 4 billion people—lack safe and sanitary toilet facilities. Here are a few facts to make you appreciate our lovely loos.

How Much Horsepower Does a Horse Have?

If you thought the answer was "one," we were right there with you. But we'd both be wrong.

This Eco-Friendly Kayak Is Made From More Than 60 Pounds of Recycled Plastic

There’s not much crossover between the lists of best kayaks and eco-friendly products. Osiris Outdoor is trying to change that.

An 1858 cartoon shows Death rowing down the polluted River Thames.

How London's Great Stink Turned the Tide of Victorian Pollution

In 1858, Londoners were overwhelmed with the stench rising from the River Thames. Joseph Bazalgette built an entire sewer system to get rid of of the smell.

DCWater transforms poop into fertilizer with the help of microbes.

5 Surprising Uses for Recycled Poop

People usually want plenty of distance between themselves and their poop, but some engineers argue that all that waste is going to waste.

The Tay Bridge Disaster: William McGonagall and the Worst Poem Ever Written

Is William McGonagall the best poet ever? Absolutely not. Is he the best bad poet ever? Quite possibly yes.

"The Wheels on the Bus" doesn't cover this.

The Clever Reason Behind Those Black Lines on the Sides of School Buses

Yellow school buses look extra eye-catching with black detailing, but the stripes aren’t just for design.