Aerodynamics

Have you ever tossed a paper airplane and watched it glide. Or seen a fluffy seed float on the wind. That's me at work. I am the invisible helper that lets birds soar and kites dance in the sky. I am the gentle push that lifts things up, and the soft whoosh that helps them fly through the air. Before anyone knew my name, they could feel me when the wind blew their hair or when they watched a leaf twirl down from a big, tall tree. I am a secret power, all around you, helping things move through the air like magic. I love to lift things up, up, up.

For a very, very long time, people watched the birds and wondered how they flew so gracefully. They wished they could fly, too. A famous artist named Leonardo da Vinci drew pictures of amazing flying machines over 500 years ago. He tried to understand my secrets, drawing wings that looked like a bat's wings. He was a great dreamer. Much, much later, two brothers named Orville and Wilbur Wright built a special plane. It had big, wide wings. On a chilly December 17th, 1903, they took their airplane, the Wright Flyer, outside. They used my power to lift their airplane into the air for the very first time. It flew. It really flew. Hello. My name is Aerodynamics. I helped them fly.

Today, I am busier than ever. I help big, shiny airplanes carry people across the world to visit family and see new places. Zoom. I help race cars hug the track to go super fast and win the race. Vroom. And I spin the giant, white blades of windmills to make clean, happy energy for our homes. The next time you see a plane streak across the bright blue sky or a little bee buzz by your nose, remember me. I am Aerodynamics, and I'm always here to help you lift your dreams high up into the air. What will you help fly today.