Free Republic

NASA's X-59 just made history with its first flight, and it could revolutionize the future of air travel by making supersonic flight quieter than ever! On October 29, 2025, NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic jet made its long-awaited first flight, soaring above the Mojave Desert from Palmdale Regional Airport in California. This experimental jet, developed by NASA in collaboration with Lockheed Martin, is designed to break the sound barrier without causing the disruptive sonic booms that have long hindered supersonic travel. The success of this flight is a crucial step towards a future where supersonic flights over land might become commonplace....

Why Were Medieval Europeans So Obsessed With Long, Pointy Shoes? Going to foolish lengths for fashion. by Sabrina ImblerMay 22, 2019 Why Were Medieval Europeans So Obsessed With Long, Pointy Shoes? 32,379 At a royal Parisian wedding the standard footwear was very pointy. Christophel Fine Art/UIG via Getty ImagesIn 1463, London outlawed the shoes of its fanciest men. These dapper lords had grown ridiculous in their dapperness, and had taken to ambling streets shod in long, carrot-shaped shoes that tapered to impish tips, some as long as five inches beyond the toe. These shoes were called “crakows” or “poulaines” (a...