Why Isn't The World Made of Lego Blocks?

In the summer of 2009, more than 4,000 volunteers flocked to Dorking, England, to help former Top Gear cohost James May realize his childhood dream of building a real house out of Lego bricks. Over roughly one month, more than 3.5 million plastic blocks were transformed into a two-story home complete with Lego furnishings. Guinness World Records dubbed May’s structure the largest “life-sized house made from interlocking bricks.” May’s house wasn’t alone as a life-sized Lego build. In 2016, Land Rover built a 5.8-million-brick model of London’s Tower Bridge sturdy enough to drive its SUVs across. And in 2018, an Australian team built a full-size Lego camping trailer. Such accomplishments beg the question: If we can build a Lego house or bridge or camper, why isn’t more of our world made of Lego blocks? [View in Browser]( [Popular Mechanics]( [SHOP]( [EXCLUSIVE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [Why Isn't The World Made of Lego Blocks?]( [Why Isn't The World Made of Lego Blocks?]( In the summer of 2009, more than 4,000 volunteers flocked to Dorking, England, to help former Top Gear cohost James May realize his childhood dream of building a real house out of Lego bricks. Over roughly one month, more than 3.5 million plastic blocks were transformed into a two-story home complete with Lego furnishings. Guinness World Records dubbed May’s structure the largest “life-sized house made from interlocking bricks.” May’s house wasn’t alone as a life-sized Lego build. In 2016, Land Rover built a 5.8-million-brick model of London’s Tower Bridge sturdy enough to drive its SUVs across. And in 2018, an Australian team built a full-size Lego camping trailer. Such accomplishments beg the question: If we can build a Lego house or bridge or camper, why isn’t more of our world made of Lego blocks? [Read More]( [Here’s How Close We Are to Having Murderous Robots Like 'M3GAN']( [Here’s How Close We Are to Having Murderous Robots Like 'M3GAN']( The new movie depicts the bloody consequences of AI gone awry. Is it more fact than fiction? [Read More]( [Alternate text] [Alternate text] [Scientists Want to Use People As Antennas to Power 6G]( [Scientists Want to Use People As Antennas to Power 6G]( Why? Because your body is pretty great at harvesting wasted energy. [Read More]( [The Bradley Fighting Vehicle, Developed During the Cold War, Will Fight Russia After All]( The Bradley Fighting Vehicle, Developed During the Cold War, Will Fight Russia After All]( The U.S. is sending roughly 50 of the heavily-armed troop carriers to aid Ukraine. [Read More]( [Alternate text] [Alternate text] [Humans Can Start Living Longer—Once the FDA Does This]( [Humans Can Start Living Longer—Once the FDA Does This]( The reversal of aging could hinge on one huge decision. [Read More]( [Could You Actually Live in an Aircraft Hangar Like Top Gun's Maverick?]( [Could You Actually Live in an Aircraft Hangar Like Top Gun's Maverick?]( Yes—if you pay close attention to rules and regulations. [Read More]( [Alternate text] [90-Day Transformation Challenge: Abs]( Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice/Notice at Collection]( PopularMechanics.com ©2023 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019