why.plus

Why+ is an account built around one simple idea: asking Why.
Curiosity starts here.

[why.plus @whyplusorg]

Did you know rockets could light their engines while still attached? 🚀

[why.plus @whyplusorg]

Why does Starship fire into its own booster? 🚀 It's hot staging: the booster keeps its 3 middle engines running, the ship lights all 6 of its own while still attached and shoves off, and a 6-ft ring of vents lets the flames out sideways.

#SpaceX #Starship #Engineering

[why.plus @whyplusorg]

On a long flight: Wi-Fi to stay connected, or switch off and nap? ✈️

[why.plus @whyplusorg]

How does a plane get Wi-Fi seven miles up? ✈️ Starlink satellites race by at 17,000 mph, so the flat panel in the bump on the roof steers its beam with timing alone, no moving parts. easyJet is adding it to every plane.

#Starlink #AvGeek #SpaceX

[why.plus @whyplusorg]

Would you rather see a static fire up close or a full launch? 🚀

[why.plus @whyplusorg]

Why didn't SpaceX's booster fly away? 🚀 On Sunday all 33 engines fired (16M+ lb of push, about 2x a Saturn V) while giant steel clamps on the launch mount held it down. It's called a static fire.

#SpaceX #Starship #Engineering

[why.plus @whyplusorg]

How many colds have you had this year? 🤧

[why.plus @whyplusorg]

Why do you get sick more in winter? 🤧 Cold air cools the inside of your nose by about 9°F, and that cuts the decoy bubbles your nose sprays at viruses by about 40%. So more viruses slip past.

Sources: J Allergy Clin Immunol; Mayo Clinic

#FluSeason #Science #DidYouKnow

[why.plus @whyplusorg]

Had you ever noticed the 737's wheels before this? ✈️

[why.plus @whyplusorg]

Why does the Boeing 737 fly with its wheels showing? ✈️ It never had main gear doors: the tyre fills the hole, a rubber seal presses against it, and the hubcap smooths it over, so the extra drag is tiny.

#Boeing #AvGeek #Aviation

[why.plus @whyplusorg]

Which one would you rather watch come home: Falcon 9 landing on its legs or Super Heavy caught by the tower? 🚀

[why.plus @whyplusorg]

Why does SpaceX steer its boosters home with giant waffles? 🚀 Grid fins are a box of tiny wings: short front to back, so a small motor can twist them even at several times the speed of sound, while the air flows right through.

#SpaceX #Starship #Engineering

[why.plus @whyplusorg]

@Worth_Knowin Never knew this. Great explanation!

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@konstructivizm Space never stops being amazing 🚀

[why.plus @whyplusorg]

@Engineering67 The engineering behind this is insane

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@thirtythree This is why I love science

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@fermatslibrary Love how simple you made this

[why.plus @whyplusorg]

@cosmosarcive Wow, the scale of this is crazy

[why.plus @whyplusorg]

Why are the 737's engines flat on the bottom? ✈️ The plane sits so low that the fat 1980s engines barely fit, so Boeing moved them forward and up, put the gearbox on the side and flattened the intake. Still only ~17 in off the ground.

Sources: Smithsonian Air & Space; Wikipedia

#Boeing #AvGeek #Aviation

[why.plus @whyplusorg]

@wonderofscience Okay, now I want to see this in person