Why the Leaning Tower of Pisa has defied gravity for eight centuries

Why doesn’t the Leaning Tower of Pisa fall over? - Alex Gendler · 5:06 · Video: TED-Ed · Watch at the source

In short: The Leaning Tower of Pisa is famous for its tilt, but in 1990, engineers discovered it had actually exceeded the critical angle required to topple.

Alex Gendler examines the 800-year history and architectural causes behind the monument's instability. While many attempts were made to fix the tilt over the centuries, computer modeling in 1990 revealed a crisis: the tower was leaning at 5.5 degrees, surpassing the 5.44-degree threshold that would cause it to fall.

The video explores the urgent stabilization efforts undertaken by the Italian government and top engineers to save the structure.

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