Transportation | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/transportation/RSS feed for TransportationenWed, 08 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000When Germany Built a Flying Train 125 Years Ago, a City Coalesced Beneath It. It Has Moved Royalty, Commuters and Tourists—and One Elephant—Ever Sincehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/when-germany-built-a-flying-train-125-years-ago-a-city-coalesced-beneath-it-it-has-moved-royalty-commuters-and-touristsand-one-elephantever-since-180989072/When there was no room on the ground, towns in the Wupper Valley looked to the skies and built a suspension railway that became a source of pride and connectionWed, 08 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/when-germany-built-a-flying-train-125-years-ago-a-city-coalesced-beneath-it-it-has-moved-royalty-commuters-and-touristsand-one-elephantever-since-180989072/Because of a Mathematician From Rural Virginia’s Work on Global Positioning, You Have No Excuse for Getting Losthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/gladys-west-gives-directions-180988807/Gladys West had an “insatiable thirst for knowledge.” She used computers, radars and satellites to make calculations that led to the GPS technology that allows us to pinpoint any spot on the globeFri, 05 Jun 2026 15:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/gladys-west-gives-directions-180988807/