How Do Sailboats Sail Against the Wind?
A sailboat reaches an upwind destination by combining aerodynamic and hydrodynamic forces. Follow the sail, keel and zigzag route that make it possible.
Nov 8, 2026 • 7 min readExplore how engineers turn physical principles into working systems, balancing materials, measurements, design constraints and testing.

Behind the doors, an elevator coordinates forces, position sensing and controlled motion. Follow a trip from the call button to a level landing.
Nov 8, 2026 • 6 min readRead the discovery →New stories, explanations and research from Engineering.
A sailboat reaches an upwind destination by combining aerodynamic and hydrodynamic forces. Follow the sail, keel and zigzag route that make it possible.
Nov 8, 2026 • 7 min read
Submarines dive by opening vents so seawater floods main ballast tanks, increasing the vessel’s average density and reducing buoyancy. They surface by forcing that…
Oct 10, 2026 • 3 min read
An airplane stays aloft when motion through the air and the shape and angle of its wings create enough aerodynamic lift to balance its…
Sep 25, 2026 • 4 min read
A sailboat reaches an upwind destination by combining aerodynamic and hydrodynamic forces. Follow the sail, keel and zigzag route that make it possible.
Nov 8, 2026 • 7 min read
Submarines dive by opening vents so seawater floods main ballast tanks, increasing the vessel’s average density and reducing buoyancy. They surface by forcing that…
Oct 10, 2026 • 3 min read
An airplane stays aloft when motion through the air and the shape and angle of its wings create enough aerodynamic lift to balance its…
Sep 25, 2026 • 4 min readOne remarkable idea at a time—nature, science, history and beyond.