Mental Floss

ENGINEERING

Ittiz at en.wikipedia, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 3.0

The story of Herman Sörgel, the man who wanted to create a new super-continent called Atlantropa.

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His invention saved <em>Titanic</em> passengers.

Senior drivers have special needs with cars—and these designers are trying to help.

The Third Age Simulation Suit allows young car designers to step inside the skin of an older driver.

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Zoom in on every detail of Leonardo da Vinci's sketches in Codex Forster I, which is now available online.

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One was moved halfway across the world, brick by brick.

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It's a marvel of poop-related engineering.

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There's a lot going on under the felt.

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Four major earthquakes have hit Pisa since the tower was completed.

LLPA

Rock on.

Brooklyn Museum, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

With her husband bedridden, Emily Roebling helped keep the dream of the Brooklyn Bridge alive.

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Many of the world's richest people studied engineering in college.

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It's not you—it's your water heater.

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Scientists say butt-studded asphalt could be the wave of the future.

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They power everything from off-grid rural facilities to your neighbor's home. Here's how they do it.

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For 61 years, no one could breach Joseph Bramah's legendary lock. Then Alfred C. Hobbs showed up and did it.

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There's a new way to recycle aluminum, even if it has food on it.

IA Collaborative

A design agency launched a Kickstarter to get the landmark Humanscale Manuals, first published in 1974, back in the hands of everyday designers.

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Is the secret to building an unsinkable aircraft carrier hiding in your ice cube tray?

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This Wonkavator-style machine can go up, down, or sideways.

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It's not just to make your flight even more uncomfortable.