Pressure has an interesting relation to cosmic mysteries. For example, cosmologists and astrophysicists use all sorts of equations involving pressure to try to determine the shape of the universe and what will eventually happen to it. Is the universe going to keep on expanding until we are all torn apart, or will it stop and start to squish back together? The average pressure throughout the universe is a key factor in these questions.
While the astrophysicists are forced to make roundabout observations in their attempts to infer the pressure of the cosmos, we have much more effective ways of measuring pressure in our day-to-day lives. Barometers measure air pressure, crucial for telling the weather, and sphygmomanometers measure blood pressure, though most of us think of them as “those cuff things the doctor puts on you”. Another key device that measures pressure and makes life easier is the tyre pressure monitoring system, which – as the name suggests – measures the pressure inside the tyres of your vehicle.
This might not sound that important. After all, you can see if you’ve got a flat tyre, right? Not so fast – there’s more to tyres than simply being flat or not. Maybe you can still drive, but your tyre might be severely underinflated and still look perfectly fine. Only specialised tyre sensors can detect the pressure deficit, which leads to increased fuel consumption, poorer handling, and greater risk of blowouts. Measuring tyre pressure will save you a lot of money in the long run and make your driving experience much safer, because armed with up-to-date knowledge about your tyre pressure you can then ensure that the pressure is always within the optimum range. That’s why the TPMS is such a good idea for any vehicle, even if it doesn’t unlock the secrets of the universe.