Some cool and enormous gadgets

Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope

Hidden in the green hills of West Virginia, the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (also known as the Great Big Telescope) stands 485 feet tall — almost 200 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty and just 70 feet shorter than the Washington monument. Unlike conventional telescopes, which have metal structures supporting the middle of their surface, the GBT’s aperture is completely unblocked. That increases the GBT’s useful area and sensitivity to get a stellar view of our universe.

 

Falkirk Wheel

Resembling a double-headed ax, the Falkirk Wheel is an enormous rotating boat lift located in Scotland. It was built to transfer canal boats from the Union Canal to the Forth and Clyde Canal. The wheel measures 110 feet in diameter and consists of two arms spaced 80 feet apart. The coolest part is that it’s self-balancing: The end of each arm holds a water-filled caisson (a water-tight bucket, basically) with a capacity of 96,000 gallons. The combined weight of each caisson plus the water and ship inside it is always the same, regardless of whether or not it’s carrying its full capacity. How? It’s Archimedes’ principle, baby!

Singapore Flyer

If skydiving isn’t your cup of tea, the Singapore Flyer — the world’s largest Ferris wheel — should bring you pretty close to the clouds with a bit more decorum. Located on top of a three-story terminal building in Singapore, the Flyer measures 492 feet in diameter. Tickets for rides cost between $20 to $30. Not too shabby: Riders get a 30-mile view of the city and beyond. Plus, each capsule has free air conditioning!

Antonov AN-225

Another questions arises: How do spacecraft even make it to their launch sites? The largest aircraft in the world, the Antonov An-225 was built in Ukraine with a uniquely sized cargo deck to transport the Buran orbiter during the Soviet era. The An-225 measures 276 feet in length and 290 feet in wingspan, weighing in at 1.3 million pounds.

Taisun

Living in the Yantai Raffles Shipyard in China, the Taisun is the world’s largest (and perhaps ugliest) crane. Though its looks aren’t impressive, the Taisun holds the world record for holding the heaviest lift of all time at 20,133 tons. The Taisun stands 436 feet tall and can lift loads as high as 262 feet. Its main duty is installing enormous modules on top of vessels’ hulls

Microsoft Surface

Though it’s not one of the biggest machines in the world, the Microsoft Surface will probably be the largest gadget you ever own, if Microsoft ever begins selling this “big ass table” to consumers. Most often found in hotels, restaurants and AT&T stores, the surface recognizes multi-touch gestures and even real world objects. The parody video above sums up the idea even better than Microsoft