Imagine you’re standing at the side of a river full of crocodiles. You really want to cross it. But you really don’t want to swim with crocodiles! Walking around the river could take days.
What should you do? Aha! Build a bridge!
From the earliest footbridges, built with a fallen tree trunk or flat stones, to structures made with steel cables, bridges have been important. They have gotten us “to the other side.” They have protected us from enemies. They also have made it easier to trade and travel. Bridges are beautiful and useful. But why are some curved and others straight? Why are some made of stone, others of wood, and others of steel and aluminum? Read on to find out.