2021 was a year of innovation and a learning curve for many. From NFTs going mainstream to humans completely skipping the Jetsons flying car era and making commercial space travel a reality, there was a lot to soak in.
Cheddar spent the year speaking to experts to learn the answers to some of the most universal questions like: why America's pipelines are easy targets for hackers, why the NFL hasn't expanded to Europe, and how Times Square became a tourist trap. To close the year, we're highlighting five of our most popular explainers of 2021.
1. The most-watched video this year dove into how the 9/11 terror attacks impacted building design. The Twin Towers were designed by Japanese-American architect Minoru Yamasaki in 1962 and even in a time when masonry and steel were used to construct the city's tallest buildings, the World Trade Center towers were immediately in a league of their own. But after the devastating collapse of the towers in 2001, which happened when jet fuel-ignited fires weakened the steel skeleton, engineers began eyeing concrete as the ideal material for the core of buildings and using steel framing around the perimeter. The reason is simple: concrete is much more fire-resistant than steel. Watch to learn more about how safety has taken on a new focus since the disaster.
2. We wanted to know why New York City streets are always filled with steam. If you've ever been to NYC, or even just watched a movie or television show set in Manhattan, it's likely you caught wind of those huge white clouds coming from manholes. I instinctively hold my breath each time I'm near one, which is often since they're practically part of the landscape of the city, but they are essential: steam provides heating AND cooling to skyscrapers and even helps preserve centuries of old art at museums across the city. Watch to understand what happens when the crucial steam heating system goes awry.
3. Have you ever heard the phrase "paper-thin walls?" If so, chances are you've been in an American home. This year people wanted to know why it's so easy to hear squeaky floors or conversations from the other side of the house. Cost-effective wood from North America's forests is to blame. In contrast, most homes in Europe are built out of stone, largely because it's not too easy to access wood from shriveled forests. Lucky them, those buildings are a much more stable product. Watch to find out what the next trend in homebuilding might be.
4. There were some shocking revelations in our fourth-ranking video this year. Foods, as we know them, don't always look the way nature intends. Grocery staples like Florida oranges, salmon, and yogurt look the way they do at least in part because of government regulations. For instance, ripened oranges growing in warmer climates are actually green, but as people in the U.S. have largely come to know them as bright orange, American farmers can use an FDA-approved food dye to make their product more appealing. Watch to find out what the repercussions are from our desire to eat the most appealing meals.
5. Supply chain issues continue to be a thorn in the side of the global economy and part of the problem is U.S. ports. Off the coast of California, ships were waiting days just to dock and unload, even after president Biden signed off on extending hours of operation. But the issue for our ports starts even before ships are filled with goods. The problem lies with modern container ships — they're just too big. While the number of global goods transported around the world has ballooned to 11 billion, many American ports haven't updated to dock the large vessels carrying all of those goods. Watch to find out what ports can do about it — and what will happen if they don't.
