Videos
Podcasts
Blogs
Quizzes
GamesPosts Tagged: ‘cars’
It was a concept car in 2009, and now it is a real car being manufactured in California. It’s called the Fisker Karma and it is a plug-in hybrid that should be able to compete with cars like the Chevy Volt and Tesla Roadster. Here’s a look: More info: First Drive: 2012 Fisker Karma And [...]
The Spark Plugs used in an internal combustion engine have been nearly unchanged since the beginning. The design is very simple – a high-voltage spark jumps a tiny gap and this spark ignites gasoline. Spark plugs are a relatively cheap, reliable way to get the job done. But spark plugs are not perfect, so now [...]
Anyone who has ever played with Hot Wheel cars knows that there are two staples in the track layout arena: There is the loop, and there is the jump. At the Indy 500 this year, they are scaling the jump up to real life: World-Record Jump Attempt Set for Indianapolis 500 A dedicated crew of [...]
Baja SAE is a competition for college students – the goal is to design, build and race a Baja-style car, as shown here: Power comes from a 10 HP overhead valve Briggs&Stratton engine Building a typical Baja SAE car from the frame up: Why is Baja SAE important? This video is a long explanation of [...]
The video is funny because of the events and the outcomes… But it also makes you ask – what can you do with a rental car? For example, if you do burnouts for two days and return the car with bald tires, what happens? If you enter a rental car in a 24-hour race, what [...]
We have talked about Google’s self driving cars on a couple of previous occasions: – How self-driving cars work – Google’s self-driving cars Now Google has a version that can drive like a bat out of hell (in case you are wondering where that expression originated, this page can help): This does look impressive, but [...]
Supercar – The Priapism – Featuring two 450 HP V8 engines
by Marshall Brain | March 2, 2011
What if you can’t get all the horsepower you want from a single v8 engine? One option is to combine two V8s in a single car. That is the design idea behind the Priapism from Sire Custom Performance. You can see the car and hear about its design philosophy here: These videos show the car [...]
Our modern world would not be possible without aluminum. It is a metal that is both lightweight and strong. Aluminum is the primary metal used in all modern passenger jets in the air today. The same is true of the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station – they would not be possible without aluminum. [...]
How Formula SAE Racing Works – Students build and race 100+ MPH cars
by Marshall Brain | February 24, 2011
Imagine that you are a mechanical engineering student in college. Being a MechE, you would probably want to get your hands dirty making something mechanical. And what better thing to make than a car? Cars are the most complicated mechanical objects that people come into contact with on a daily basis. To ratchet it up [...]
Why are there dots around the edges of some car windshields?
by Marshall Brain | February 18, 2011
You Asked:
Why are there dots around the edges of some car windshields? — Jim, Annandale, Va.
Marshall Brain Answers…
Recent Postings by Category
BrainStuff
- Thank You and Best Wishes to Marshall Brain
- Contest – Design a $300 house and win $25,000
- How the Philtrum works – the place under your nose where your face comes together
The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
Keep Asking
- Why can a 5 foot 8 inch man dunk a basketball on a 10 foot rim while some people of taller stature can’t?
- What happens to our sun once it runs out of fuel?
- How do we know the age of the universe?
Stuff Mom Never Told You
- Who invented the Christmas card?
- How the Kinsey Report Fueled Whiskey Sales
- How to Get Your Wedding Announcement into The New York Times
Stuff to Blow Your Mind
- Blow Your Mind: In the Lair of the Rat King
- Mandala: Memory Palace, Inception and Simulated Worlds
- Virgin Galactic: $200,000 Ticket to Ride
Stuff You Should Know
- The Southern Death Cult, the Maya and Georgia
- Deformed Baby Spider Brains
- Amazing Medical Conditions: Maple Syrup Urine Disorder
The Stuff of Genius
CarStuff
- Was Chrysler’s “It’s Halftime in America” Super Bowl commercial a little too political?
- Why is NASA studying car safety?
- Tips for in-car Navigation Systems
How-to Stuff
- How to Make the Most of a Gallery Crawl (When You’re on a Shoestring Budget)
- How to Swim with Dolphins (When Deep Water Terrifies You)
- How to Cure a Homemade Cookie Craving Without Turning on the Oven
PopStuff
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 40: Did movies ruin love?
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 39: Urban Legends
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 38: Defending Disney Princesses?
Stuff They Don't Want You To Know
Stuff to Change the World
- Who will own the Arctic?
- Obesity: The New Global Crisis
- Bill Gates Makes For A Pretty Decent Cartoon
Stuff You Missed in History Class
- Butch Cassidy: Should we read between the lines?
- Are we rooting for D.B. Cooper?
- Party Time: A Look at Unconventional Politics
