Reader’s Digest
120 september 2019
SSo-called ‘funny cars’ have several
thousand horsepower under the bonnet
when they line up for a drag race. Some of
the drivers in these races cross the line at
over 500 kilometres per hour. At that speed,
only a braking parachute secures a safe end
to the thrilling ride.WUsain Bolt could end up with a speeding
ticket if he goes sprinting in areas with traffic-
calming measures. The Jamaican athlete
broke the world record at the 2009 World
Championships by running the 100 metres
in 9.58 seconds, reaching speeds of more
than 44 kilometres per hour in the process.XHummingbirds aren’t the fastest
birds in the animal kingdom, but these
diminutive aerial acrobats can beat their
wings up to 200 times per second, faster
than any other bird. This skill combined
with the rest of their anatomy enables
them to hover in mid-air like a helicopter
and even fly backwards. photos:^ (clockwisefromleft)^ ©steve^ christo/fairfax^ mediavia^getty^images;^ ©marc^ sanchez/corbisvia^ gettyimages;^ ©gettyimages/"larry^keller,^ lititzpa."