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Engines, Motors, & Automotive
- How Car Engines Work - Ever wonder what happens to the gasoline once you fill the tank?
- How Gas Turbine Engines Work - What's going on inside a large jet engine as you are cruising along at 30,000 feet? Now you'll know!
- How Diesel Engines Work - Why do Diesel engines get better mileage than gasoline engines? Here's the answer!
- How Two-Stroke Engines Work - Discover the differences between the engine in your car and the engine in your chain saw!
- How Diesel Two-Stroke Engines Work - Huge Diesel Two-Stroke Engines power everything from locomotives to cruise ships!
- How Steam Engines Work - Learn about the steam engines that drive a steam locomotive!
- How Rocket Engines Work - Learn all about both solid-fuel and liquid-fuel rocket engines and explore a ton of rocketry links!
- How Gasoline Engines Work - Ever wonder what happens to the gasoline once you fill the tank?
- How Horsepower Works - You see horsepower ratings on everything from your car to your lawn mower - Now you can understand what horsepower means!
- How Electric Motors Work - Electric motors are everywhere so it's fun to know how they work!
- Inside an Electric Motor - We take apart a small electric motor and see what's inside!
- How Manual Transmissions Work - What is really happening inside the transmission as you move the shifter through that funny "H" pattern?
- How Air Bags Work - Learn the science behind the air bag, how the device works, what its problems are and where the technology goes from here!
- How a Tire Pressure Gauge Works - Admit it -- every time you use your little pen-shaped tire pressure gauge you wonder how it works. Now you'll know!
- How Air Conditioners Work - Understand what your car's air conditioner is doing!
- Inside a Competition Tractor - We look inside a competition tractor at a tractor pull!
- How Champ Cars Work - Champ Cars have carbon fiber bodies, amazing 900 HP engines and top speeds of over 230 MPH! With the help of the Motorola PacWest Racing Team and CART, you can go behind the scenes to learn about the car, the team and the driver!
- How Caterpillar® Equipment Works - Caterpillar equipment is always amazing! There is the size of it, the brute power, and the ability it has to literally "move mountains" -- everything about it is larger-than-life! Go behind the scenes on a factory tour and learn how they create these incredible machines!
- How Hybrid Cars Work - Hybrid cars offer great mileage and lower emissions -- they combine different technologies to get the best of both worlds! Learn all about the secrets behind these amazing vehicles, plus two real-world examples!
- How Differentials Work - Differentials are important in any vehicle, and they are incredibly interesting mechanical devices -- learn about both standard and different "limited slip" differential systems!
Electronics
- How Television Works - It's nearly guaranteed that your house has one or more TVs -- now you can understand how they work! Also learn about digital TV and computer monitors!
- How a VCR Works - A look deep inside your VCR that helps you to understand how two hours of video data can fit onto a $2 tape! You will be amazed at everything packed inside a VCR!
- How Cell Phones Work - Cell phones are amazing devices -- click here to find out why!
- How a GPS Receiver Works - GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers tell you where you are anywhere on the planet. Click here to learn what they do and how they work!
- How the Radio Spectrum Works - You've heard of AM radio, FM radio and CB radio -- learn what it all means!
- How Ham Radio Works - Ham radio is a great hobby and is also very useful during natural disasters -- learn all about it in this great article!
- How Analog and Digital Recording Works - Learn all about the differences between analog and digital recording techniques!
- How Compact Discs (CDs) Work - You probably own a CD player and 50 CDs - now understand how they work!
- How DVDs Work - Learn all about the latest storage medium for digital video!
- How Tape Recorders Work - This article talks about cassette tapes and recorders, and also helps you understand how magnetic recording works in everything from VCRs to floppy disks!
- How HDTV Works - Learn all about the emerging standards and products in the HDTV arena!
- How Radio Scanners Work - Find out how you can listen in on the thousands of conversations whizzing past you on the airwaves right now!
- How Chess Computers Work - If you have ever wondered how a little $30 program can beat you at chess, then this article will be fascinating!
- How Invisible Pet Fences Work - Learn all about the technology of invisible pet fence systems, as well as their advantages and disadvantages!
- How Auto-Focus Cameras Work - Understand how your autofocus camera locks on to the object you are photographing!
- How Satellites Work - Thousands of satellites fly overhead every day, helping us with things like weather forecasts, scientific research, communications, TV broadcasts, etc. This new article helps you understand how satellites work, what they contain and how they get into orbit!
- How the Bluetooth Short Range Radio System Works - Bluetooth is a new wireless way for handheld devices to communicate with one another, and you will start seeing it in all sorts of products! Learn how Bluetooth works and what it will do for you!
- How Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) Work - Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) adorn everything from digital watches to high-end laptop computers -- learn all about the technology behind these amazing displays!
Music & Entertainment
Audio
- How Compact Discs (CDs) Work - You probably own a CD player and 50 CDs -- now understand how they work!
- How Analog and Digital Recording Works - Learn all about the differences between analog and digital recording techniques!
- How MP3 Files Work - Learn about the MP3 file format and the tools you can use to download, listen to and create MP3 files!
- How a Guitar Works - The guitar is one of the most popular musical instruments in use today. Now you can understand how both acoustic and electric guitars work, from the soundbox to the frets!
- How Tape Recorders Work - This article talks about cassette tapes and recorders, and also helps you understand how magnetic recording works in everything from VCRs to floppy disks!
- How the Singing Fish Works - Singing fish are everywhere -- at the mall, on TV and in catalogs! They are silly, but it turns out that there is an amazing amount of technology inside them -- they are really simple robots! Find out exactly how they work!
Video
- How Blue Screen Special Effects Work - We have all seen movies where actors and actresses fly in spaceships or dangle dangerously over river gorges. We even see the weather person standing in front of an animated map every night on the news. All of these shots use a technique called blue screen photography to make it look real. Now you can learn how the blue screen technique works and why it looks so convincing!
- How Television Works - It's nearly guaranteed that your house has one or more TVs - now you can understand how they work! Also learn about digital TV and computer monitors!
- How a VCR Works - A look deep inside your VCR that helps you to understand how two hours of video data can fit onto a $2 tape! You will be amazed at everything packed inside a VCR!
- How DVDs Work - Learn all about the latest storage medium for digital video!
- How HDTV Works - Understand everything about the emerging DTV and HDTV standards and products!
- How Centropolis FX Creates Visual Effects - A movie like "The Patriot" contains an amazing range of visual effects -- Centropolis FX created everything from new towns to virtual soldiers for this movie! Go behind-the-scenes and learn exactly how CFX makes the imaginary look completely real!
- How 3-D Graphics Work - 3-D graphics are essential to realistic computer games, simulators and object modeling -- they can make computer images look totally life-like! Learn how a computer model gets transformed into a moving color image!
- How Screensavers Work - Screen savers are a source of entertainment and can also be amazing tools. Learn how they work, and also to download your free How Stuff Works screen saver!
Aviation
- How Airplanes Work - Have you ever seen a 500,000 pound jet fly overhead and wondered how it is able to get off the ground? Now you'll know!
- How Helicopters Work - Watching a helicopter hover seems almost like magic! Now learn how they do it, along with a number of other tricks that helicopters can perform!
- How Helium Balloons Work - Learn what makes a helium balloon fly!
- How Gas Turbine Engines Work - What's going on inside a large jet engine as you are cruising along at 30,000 feet? Now you'll know!
- How Cruise Missiles Work - A cruise missile is a small, jet-powered airplane -- now you
can understand what a cruise missile is and how it works!
- How Rocket Engines Work - Learn all about both solid-fuel and liquid-fuel rocket engines and explore a ton of rocketry links!
- How Satellites Work - Thousands of satellites fly overhead every day, helping us with things like weather forecasts, scientific research, communications, TV broadcasts, etc. This new article helps you understand how satellites work, what they contain and how they get into orbit!
- How Becoming an Airline Pilot Works - Airline Pilots have an amazing job with amazing responsibilities. Learn about a career as a pilot as well as all the training that goes into this amazing profession!
Around the House
- How Refrigerators Work - Learn the real secrets behind your home refrigerator! This page also discusses propane refrigerators found in RVs, electric coolers and cold packs!
- How Drip Coffee Makers Work - Look at your old friend the coffee maker in a new light!
- How a Microwave Oven Works - Learn all about microwave ovens!
- How a Thermos Works - How does it know to keep the hot stuff hot and the cold stuff cold?
- How Telephones Work - The telephone in your house is an amazingly simple device! Learn how it and the telephone network work to let you call anyone on the planet!
- How Air Conditioners Work - You see (and hear) air conditioners all around you - now understand what they- are doing!
- How Thermometers Work - You see thermometers everywhere - now learn how to make your own!
- How Christmas Lights Work - It's a whole lot easier to fix your Christmas lights if you know how they work!
- How Pendulum Clocks Work - Explains what makes a pendulum clock tick!
- How Smoke Detectors Work - Many smoke detectors use nuclear radiation -- click here to learn all about both types of smoke detectors found in your home!
- How a Gas Lantern Works - You've always wondered how those funky mantles work -- now you can learn the secret!
- How Toilets Work - Put aside your mental block for a moment and learn about this amazing water-handling device!
- How Water Heaters Work - Learn about the device that makes hot showers possible!
- How a Tire Pressure Gauge Works - Admit it -- every time you use your little pen-shaped tire pressure gauge you wonder how it works. Now you'll know!
- How Bicycles Work - Now you'll know what bicycle's gears do and how they work!
- How Batteries Work - Learn all about batteries!
- How Three-way Switches work - In your house or apartment you probably have at least one light that is controlled by two separate switches. If you flip either switch the light turns on or off. Learn how the light knows what it should do!
- How a See N' Say Works - Learn about the indestructible toy that makes sounds without batteries!
- How Air Conditioners Work - You see (and hear) air conditioners all around you -- now understand what they are doing!
- How Photographic Film Works - A roll of film is an amazing chemical structure with a history that goes back over 100 years - discover exactly how both color and B&W film works!
- How Auto-Focus Cameras Work - Understand how your autofocus camera locks on to the object you are photographing!
- How Emergency Power Systems Works - Learn all about gasoline powered generators and inverters so that you can make power failures a thing of the past!
- How Christmas Lights Work - It's a whole lot easier to fix your Christmas lights if you know how they work!
- How Quartz Watches Work - Why do they call them "quartz," and why are they so accurate? Now you'll know!
- How Ballpoint Pens Work - You can learn all about the secret behind the ballpoint pen in this article!
- How Drip Coffee Makers Work - Look at your old friend the coffee maker in a new light!
- How Invisible Pet Fences Work - Learn all about the technology of invisible pet fence systems, as well as their advantages and disadvantages!
- How a Chain Saw Works - A chain saw is a great example of a two-stroke engine at its best -- learn exactly how a chain saw works and also learn about centrifugal clutches, magnetos and carburetors in the process!
- How a Toaster Works - Understand how a toaster makes the bread pop up automatically!
- How a Sprinkler Works - Every summer there comes a time to pull out the oscillating sprinklers. If you've ever wondered about the mechanism that oscillates the spray arm back and forth, here is your chance to solve the mystery!
- How Solar Yard Lights Works - Solar-powered yard lights are complete little power plants that produce, store and use energy from the sun! This article shows you what's going on inside!
- How Sunglasses Work - Sunglasses are an integral part of summer, but what kind of sunglasses do you need and are $200 sunglasses really better than a $10 pair? Read this article to find out!
- How Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) Work - Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) adorn everything from digital watches to high-end laptop computers -- learn all about the technology behind these amazing displays!
- How Home Networking Works - Home networks make it easy for multiple computers in your house to communicate with one another to share files, printers and Internet connections! Learn about home networking in general plus Ethernet wiring, phone wiring, powerline wiring and wireless networking solutions for your home!
- How DSLs Work - DSL modems are one of the fastest home Internet connections you can get for a reasonable amount of money. Learn all about how DSL works and if you can get a DSL connection at your place!
Things You See in Public
Question of the Day
Each weekday Marshall Brain answers questions submitted by the readers of How Stuff Works
in the Question of the Day section of HSW. Click Here
to see the Question of the Day, to browse questions in
the question archive and to submit your own questions to HSW!
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- How Water Towers Work - It is impossible to miss your town's water tower. Now you can understand why it's there!
- How Airplanes Work - Have you ever seen a 500,000 pound jet fly overhead and wondered how it is able to get off the ground? Now you'll know!
- How Helicopters Work - Watching a helicopter hover seems almost like magic! Now learn how they do it, along with a number of other tricks that helicopters can perform!
- How Hydraulic Machines Work - If you have ever gazed in awe at the huge bulldozers, loaders, cranes and shovels on a construction site, you will love this page! It explains how hydraulic machines work, from backyard log splitters to giant construction equipment!
- How Newspapers Work - Your newspaper arrives every day -- now find out how!
- How Art Works - You see it every day, but what, exactly, is art? Learn about art and explore the huge collection of art now becoming available on the Web!
- How the Power Distribution Grid Works - The next time you see power lines, you will know how they work!
- How Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) Work - Learn about the magic machines that give you money, as well as the network that approves the transactions!
- How Air Conditioners Work - You see (and hear) air conditioners all around you -- now understand what they are doing!
- How Radar Works - Radar is everywhere - see how it works!
- How Tower Cranes Work - Tower cranes are a common site on any city skyline -- now you can understand how they work!
- How Bridges Work - We all cross bridges every day -- now you can understand how the three major types of bridges work!
- How Flintlock Guns Work - Flintlock guns were extremely important tools during the time of the American Revolution and also are the foundation of all modern guns -- read this article to learn all about them!
- How Tattoos Work - Anytime you go to the mall you see tattoos. This article will show you exactly what's involved! See also the article on Tattoo Removal!
- How Ad Slogans Work - Learn about the ad slogans you see every day!
- How Dry Cleaning Works - Take a behind-the-scenes look at the dry cleaning process so that you can understand what happens to your clothes after you drop them off at the cleaners!
- How Anti-shoplifting Devices Work - Learn about all the different techniques that merchants use to protect their merchandise!
- How Caterpillar® Equipment Works - Caterpillar equipment is always amazing! There is the size of it, the brute power, and the ability it has to literally "move mountains" -- everything about it is larger-than-life! Go behind the scenes on a factory tour and learn how they create these incredible machines!
- How PocketCard Works - A PocketCard is a fascinating combination of a credit card and a debit card, and it can be perfect for giving cash to a teenage son or daughter or to employees of a business -- find out more!
Everyday Science, Technology, & Telecommunication
- How Horsepower Works - You see horsepower ratings on everything from your car to your lawn mower - Now you can understand what horsepower means!
- How Electromagnets Work - Includes a collection of neat experiments!
- How Gears Work - Explains what all the gears you see are doing!
- How Gyroscopes Work - Learn why gyroscopes behave in such strange ways!
- How Relays Work - Relays show up in all sorts of unexpected places - learn how they work and what they are doing!
- How a Block and Tackle Works - Learn about a block and tackle and also explore how gears, levers and hydraulic systems let you trade force for distance!
- How Helium Balloons Work - Learn what makes a helium balloon fly!
- How a Compass Works - See how a compass works, plus create your own!
- How Van de Graaff Generators Work - You've probably seen a Van de Graaff generator in a science demonstration somewhere - it looks like a big aluminum sphere on a pedestal. This article shows you how static electricity works, explains how a Van de Graaff generator produces static electricity and contains complete assembly instructions if you want to build your own!
you can understand what it means!
- How a Laser Works - Learn all about how lasers generate powerful, coherent light!
- How Iron and Steel Work - Understand how industry produces inexpensive iron and steel for everything from flatware to cruise ships!
- How UPC Bar Codes Work - You see them all over, but what do those UPC bar codes really mean? Click here to find out!
- How Lightning Works - Learn all about the amazing forces that create thunder and lightning!
- How Special Relativity Works - You hear about relativity both in science and science fiction. Now you can begin to understand the details of this fascinating theory!
- How Nuclear Radiation Works - An in-depth look designed to help you understand nuclear radiation, its benefits and its dangers.
- How Time Works - In the same way that Christmas is surrounded by extraordinary traditions, our clocks and calendars come from totally unexpected origins! Why are there seven days in a week? 24 hours in a day? Thirty days in September? And what is daylight-saving time? Now you'll know!
- How Telephones Work - The telephone in your house is an amazingly simple device! Learn how it and the telephone network work to let you call anyone on the planet!
- How Cell Phones Work - Cell phones are amazing devices - click here to find out why!
- Inside a Digital Cell Phone - We take apart a digital cell phone and find a complete computer system!
- How the Radio Spectrum Works - You've heard of AM radio, FM radio and CB radio -- learn what it all means!
- How Radio Scanners Work - Learn about scanners so you can listen to the thousands of conversations streaming past you on the air waves every day!
- How Satellites Work - Thousands of satellites fly overhead every day, helping us with things like weather forecasts, scientific research, communications, TV broadcasts, etc. This new article helps you understand how satellites work, what they contain and how they get into orbit!
- How a Sprinkler Works - Every summer there comes a time to pull out the oscillating sprinklers. If you've ever wondered about the mechanism that oscillates the spray arm back and forth, here is your chance to solve the mystery!
- How Solar Yard Lights Works - Solar-powered yard lights are complete little power plants that produce, store and use energy from the sun! This article shows you what's going on inside!
- How a Computer Monitor Works - If you are reading How Stuff Works, chances are you use a computer monitor every day! Learn all about your monitor, including dot pitch, refresh rates and even the signals flowing on the VGA cable!
- How the Bluetooth Short Range Radio System Works - Bluetooth is a new wireless way for handheld devices to communicate with one another, and you will start seeing it in all sorts of products! Learn how Bluetooth works and what it will do for you!
- How Light Works - Light is so common that we don't even think about it, but it is essential for vision and it is the energy source that keeps planet Earth alive -- learn how light works and how photons are generated!
- How 3-D Graphics Work - 3-D Graphics are essential to realistic computer games, simulators and object modeling -- they can make computer images look totally life-like! Learn how a computer model gets transformed into a moving color image!
- How Sunglasses Work - Sunglasses are an integral part of summer, but what kind of sunglasses do you need and are $200 sunglasses really better than a $10 pair? Read this article to find out!
- How Hybrid Cars Work - Hybrid cars offer great mileage and lower emissions -- they combine different technologies to get the best of both worlds! Learn all about the secrets behind these amazing vehicles, plus two real-world examples!
- How Golf Clubs Work - Golf clubs incorporate an amazing amount of technology, but what are the real factors that influence golf club design? Find out what makes a golf club tick!
- How Home Networking Works - Home networks make it easy for multiple computers in your house to communicate with one another to share files, printers and Internet connections! Learn about home networking in general plus Ethernet wiring, phone wiring, powerline wiring and wireless networking solutions for your home!
- How Differentials Work - Differentials are important in any vehicle, and they are incredibly interesting mechanical devices -- learn about both standard and different "limited slip" differential systems!
- How Operating Systems Work - Your computer's operating system is the central piece of software that controls everything your computer does. It lets you run all of your applications like word processors, games and drawing programs. Learn how your operating system works and why it is so important to your computer!
Computers, the Internet, & Digital Technology
Computer
- How a Computer Monitor Works - If you are reading How Stuff Works, chances are you use a computer monitor every day! Learn all about your monitor, including dot pitch, refresh rates and even the signals flowing on the VGA cable!
- How Microprocessors Work -
The heart of any desktop or laptop computer is a microprocessor - learn what makes your machine tick!
- How Caching Works - Learn about all of the different caches your computer contains!
- How Hard Disks Work - Your hard disk is an incredibly precise mechanism that stores all of the information available on your computer - now you can take a look inside!
- How Modems Work - Your modem allows your computer to connect to the Internet -- now you can see how it works!
- How a Computer Mouse Works - Get inside this important part of the human-machine interface and see what makes it tick!
- How USB Ports Work - Learn all about the Universal Serial Bus!
- How Ethernet Works - Learn all about Ethernet!
- How Computer Viruses Work - Learn all about mysterious and surprising computer viruses!
- How Computer Programs Work - Whether you are 16 or 60 you can learn to program in Java -- click here to learn how computer programs work from the inside out using the Java programming language!
- How C Programming Works - The C programming language is probably the most popular and widely used language on the planet - this series of articles teaches you how to write programs in C!
- How PERL Works - A nice, quick intro to the PERL scripting language.
- How Chess Computers Work - If you have ever wondered how a little $30 program can beat you at chess, then this article will be fascinating!
- How the Bluetooth Short Range Radio System Works - Bluetooth is a new wireless way for handheld devices to communicate with one another, and you will start seeing it in all sorts of products! Learn how Bluetooth works and what it will do for you!
- How 3-D Graphics Work - 3-D Graphics are essential to realistic computer games, simulators and object modeling -- they can make computer images look totally life-like! Learn how a computer model gets transformed into a moving color image!
- How Home Networking Works - Home networks make it easy for multiple computers in your house to communicate with one another to share files, printers and Internet connections! Learn about home networking in general plus Ethernet wiring, phone wiring, powerline wiring and wireless networking solutions for your home!
- How Routers Work - Routers are such a vital component of the Internet that the Internet literally could not exist without them! Find out exactly how routers work and why they are so important!
- How DSLs Work - DSL modems are one of the fastest home Internet connections you can get for a reasonable amount of money. Learn all about how DSL works and if you can get a DSL connection at your place!
- How Screensavers Work - Screen savers are a source of entertainment and can also be amazing tools. Learn how they work, and also to download your free How Stuff Works screen saver!
- How Affiliate Programs Work - If you have your own Web site, affiliate programs can be a great way to earn some extra money or to advertise your site. Learn how affiliate networks and affiliate programs work!
- How Operating Systems Work - Your computer's operating system is the central piece of software that controls everything your computer does. It lets you run all of your applications like word processors, games and drawing programs. Learn how your operating system works and why it is so important to your computer!
The Internet
- How 'How Stuff Works' Works - If you have ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at How Stuff Works, now is your chance to find out! Learn all about How 'How Stuff Works' Works, including the people, the technology and the future!
- How Internet Cookies Work - Internet cookies are causing a huge uproar in the media right now, but they provide some amazing convenience features on almost every modern Web site -- learn exactly how cookies work, what they can and cannot do and even see an example!
- How a Web Page Works - You are reading a Web page right now -- learn how they work so you can create your own!
- How Web Servers and the Internet Work - How do Web servers and the Internet deliver Web pages from anywhere in the world to your computer? Now you'll know!
- How Email Works - Learn all about the system that routes billions of messages each day!
- How DNS Works - You may use the Internet's DNS servers hundreds of times a day without even realizing it -- now you can understand this amazing system!
- How CGI Scripts Work - CGI scripts are pieces of code that allow you to create dynamic HTML pages. They are
the foundation of everything from guest books to search engines. This article will show you how to get started creating your own CGI scripts!
- How E-commerce Works - A fascinating look into the world of e-commerce!
- How MP3 Files Work - Learn about the MP3 file format and the tools you can use to download, listen to and create MP3 files!
- How Webcams Work - If you have ever thought about setting up your own Webcam, this article shows you how!
- How Ethernet Works - Learn all about how Ethernet works!
- How ASPs (Application Service Providers) Work - The Web has spawned all sorts of unique business models and one of the most interesting is the ASP (Application Service Provider) model -- learn the secrets of this innovative, Internet-based software publishing model!
- How Routers Work - Routers are such a vital component of the Internet that the Internet literally could not exist without them! Find out exactly how routers work and why they are so important!
- How DSLs Work - DSL modems are one of the fastest home Internet connections you can get for a reasonable amount of money. Learn all about how DSL works and if you can get a DSL connection at your place!
- How Affiliate Programs Work - If you have your own Web site, affiliate programs can be a great way to earn some extra money or to advertise your site. Learn how affiliate networks and affiliate programs work!
Understanding Digital Technology
- How Bytes and Bits Work - If you've ever wondered about bits, bytes, mega and giga, this article will explain it all!
- How Boolean Logic Works - Boolean logic lies at the heart of the digital revolution -- learn all about gates and logical components!
- How Electronic Gates Work - Shows you how to get started with your own experiments using 7400 series TTL gates!
- How a Digital Clock Works - Learn all about what makes digital clocks and wristwatches tick, plus learn how to create your own!
- How Microcontrollers Work - Most modern electronic devices (TVs, VCRs, cell phones, etc.) contain an embedded microcontroller -- learn how they work, plus experiment with one of your own!
- How Centropolis FX Creates Visual Effects - A movie like "The Patriot" contains an amazing range of visual effects -- Centropolis FX created everything from new towns to virtual soldiers for this movie! Go behind-the-scenes and learn exactly how CFX makes the imaginary look completely real!
- How 3-D Graphics Work - 3-D Graphics are essential to realistic computer games, simulators and object modeling -- they can make computer images look totally life-like! Learn how a computer model gets transformed into a moving color image!
- How Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) Work - Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) adorn everything from digital watches to high-end laptop computers -- learn all about the technology behind these amazing displays!
In the News
- How the Nature Conservancy Works - Learn what's being done to rebuild the populations of endangered plants and animals!
- How Philanthropy Works - What does it mean to give money away for charitable reasons -- learn all about philanthropy!
- How Cruise Missiles Work - Every so often it seems that a salvo of cruise missiles ends up in the news. Now you can understand what a cruise missile is and how it works!
- How Stocks and the Stock Market Work - You hear about Stocks on the news every day - now you can understand what they are talking about!
- How Computer Viruses Work - Learn all about mysterious and surprising computer viruses, including the recent Melissa Virus!
- How NATO Works - You hear something about NATO in the news just about every day - now you can know what NATO stands for!
- How Hurricanes Work - Hurricanes are in the news between July and November every year - learn
why these storms are so destructive!
- How Tornadoes Work - Tornadoes are in the news every spring - learn why they form!
- How Election Campaigns Work - If you have ever wondered about election campaigns or the political process in America, this article will be amazing to you! Use it to learn about the process, or to find out about running for office yourself!
- How the Oscars Work - Learn all about these prestigious awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences!
- How the Census Works - Learn all about the $6.5 billion project that is Census 2000!
- How the Year 2000 Problem Works - You will hear a lot about the Year 2000 Problem this year. Now you can understand exactly what is happening!
- How Social Security Numbers Work - Learn what those numbers on your U.S. Social Security card mean!
- How Centropolis FX Creates Visual Effects - A movie like "The Patriot" contains an amazing range of visual effects -- Centropolis FX created everything from new towns to virtual soldiers for this movie! Go behind-the-scenes and learn exactly how CFX makes the imaginary look completely real!
- How Golf Clubs Work - Golf clubs incorporate an amazing amount of technology, but what are the real factors that influence golf club design? Find out what makes a golf club tick!
Energy & Electrical Power
- How the Power Distribution Grid Works - The next time you see power lines, you will know how they work!
- How Solar Cells Work - Learn all about solar cells and how your house might some day be powered by them!
- How Emergency Power Systems Works - Learn all about gasoline powered generators and inverters so that you can make power failures a thing of the past!
- Inside a "Power Cube" Transformer - We take apart one of those "power cube" transformers you find all around the house!
- How Nuclear Power Works - An in-depth look designed to help you understand nuclear power, its benefits and its dangers.
- How Solar Yard Lights Works - Solar-powered yard lights are complete little power plants that produce, store and use energy from the sun! This article shows you what's going on inside!
- How Light Works - Light is so common that we don't even think about it, but it is essential for vision and it is the energy source that keeps planet Earth alive -- learn how light works and how photons are generated!
- How Hybrid Cars Work - Hybrid cars offer great mileage and lower emissions -- they combine different technologies to get the best of both worlds! Learn all about the secrets behind these amazing vehicles, plus two real-world examples!
Food
Health & Your Body
Organs & Systems
- How Cells Work - Inside your body there are about 100 trillion cells. Have you ever wondered what they do all day? Have you ever been curious about biotechnology and genetic engineering? You'll be amazed!
- How Your Immune System Works - You will not believe all of the different things your immune system can do!
- How Your Heart Works - Your heart is one of your most vital organs and it is also one of nature's miracles of design!
- How Blood Works - Learn all about the amazing red fluid that keeps you alive!
Nutrition
- How Fats Work - If you are tired of hearing about things like monounsaturated fats, partially hydrogenated oils and trans fatty acids and not knowing a thing about any of them, you will love this article! You will understand it all when you get done!
- How Vitamin C Works - Vitamin C is something you hear about all the time -- learn the real scoop on this important nutrient!
- How the B Vitamins Work - The B vitamins are essential to health -- find out how important they really are!
- How Cholesterol Works - Find out why your body needs cholesterol, but not too much!
Drugs
- How Aspirin Works - Learn how Aspirin and other pain relievers find the pain and make it go away!
- How Caffeine Works -
You probably drank something with caffeine in it today - 90% of Americans do. Learn why caffeine is America's
most popular drug and what it does inside your body.
- How Anesthesia Works - Learn all about what happens while you are sleeping through surgery!
Dental Health
- How Cavities and Fillings Work - Ever wonder how it is that something as incredibly hard as a tooth can get a hole in it? Learn how cavities form and how dentists create fillings to rebuild teeth! Then learn how to prevent cavities in the first place! PLUS -- learn cool dental jargon so you know what your dentist is saying behind your back!
- How Cosmetic Dentistry Works - Learn about the many procedures that are available to improve your smile!
- How Gum Disease Works - Gum disease affects an estimated 56 million Americans and is about as widespread as the common cold! Unlike the common cold, gum disease can cause you to lose all your teeth if left untreated. Learn all about gum disease and how to prevent it in this amazing article!
- How a Root Canal Works - Although the words "root canal" can make you shiver, a root canal is simply a dental procedure designed to eliminate an infection. Learn all about the reasons for a root canal and the techniques involved!
- How Dental Implants Work - If this article doesn't encourage you to brush and floss every day, nothing will! If you are considering implants, this article will teach you all about how they work!
- How Dental Fears Work - Learn all about why you fear your next dental visit and how to feel better about it!
- How Dental School Works - A great article for high school and college students considering dentistry as a career!
Looking Your Best
- How Verbal Self Defense Works - You interact with people in public all the time -- now learn how to handle the sticky situations!
- How Hair Coloring Works - Many folks color their hair without knowing what's happening -- find out all about it with this article!
- How Sunburns and Tans Work - The next time you get a sunburn, read this to find out what happened - your skin is an amazing organ!
- How Sunscreen Works - There is something mysterious about the sun and skin -- read this article to learn if the sun is right for you!
- How Cosmetic Dentistry Works - Read this article to learn more about veneers, whitening, fillings, bridges and gum lifts!
- How Sleep Works - Read this article and be amazed at the benefits of sleep!
- How Hair Replacement Works - Your complete guide to hair replacement medications and procedures!
- How Tattoos Work - Anytime you go to the mall you see tattoos. This article will show you exactly what's involved!
- How Tattoo Removal Works - Find out how new laser tattoo removal techniques are helping people remove tattoos!
- How Laughter Works - Learn why we laugh and how laughter helps you look your best!
- How Sunglasses Work - Sunglasses are an integral part of summer, but what kind of sunglasses do you need and are $200 sunglasses really better than a $10 pair? Read this article to find out!
Tell a Friend!
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Holidays
- How Christmas Works - And now, for something completely different... You will be amazed at what you learn in this article!
- How Christmas Lights Work - It's a whole lot easier to fix your Christmas lights if you know how they work!
- How Easter Works - Like Christmas, Easter has its own interesting set of customs and traditions!
- How Valentine's Day Works - When did the Valentine's Day frenzy begin? Learn all about Valentine's Day in this article!
- How Mardi-Gras Works - A great tour of this New Orleans Tradition!
- How Saint Patrick's Day Works - Learn all about Saint Patrick, some popular legends and how the holiday is celebrated!
- How Fireworks Work - Learn all about the fireworks that create the beautiful aerial displays at ball games, amusement parks and Fourth of July celebrations!
Sports
- How NFL Equipment Works - Step inside the Carolina Panthers to learn how the NFL's football equipment protects players!
- How a Minor League Baseball Team Works - The Durham Bulls are one of the most popular minor league teams in the country -- learn all about the minor leagues and this great team!
- How Ice Rinks Work - Learn all about the science and technology behind indoor ice rinks with the Carolina Hurricanes!
- How the Physics of Football Works - Did you know that there's a science to football? This article will teach you all about it!
- How Champ Cars Work - Champ Cars have carbon fiber bodies, amazing 900 HP engines and top speeds of over 230 MPH! With the help of the Motorola PacWest Racing Team and CART, you can go behind the scenes to learn about the car, the team and the driver! Part 1 of this article is available today.
- How Golf Clubs Work - Golf clubs incorporate an amazing amount of technology, but what are the real factors that influence golf club design? Find out what makes a golf club tick!
Travel
- How the U.S. Customs Service Works - If you've ever traveled outside or into the U.S., you've experienced the U.S. Customs Service. Read this article to learn what they do!
- How a Safari Works - Learn about safaris, the animals you're likely to see and how to find a good one in this article!
- How Cruises Work - Ever wanted to go on a cruise? This article may just be the motivation you need!
- How Passports Work - Why do you need a passport? Read this article and learn the wheres, whys and hows of passports!
- How a GPS Receiver Works - Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers tell you where you are anywhere on the planet. Click here to learn what they do and how they work!
- How Airplanes Work - Large jets are one of the most common ways of traveling today. If you have ever wondered how they are able to get off the ground, Now you'll know!
Time
- How Time Works - In the same way that Christmas is surrounded by extraordinary traditions, our clocks and calendars come from totally unexpected origins! Why are there seven days in a week? 24 hours in a day? 30 days in September? And what is daylight-saving time? Now you'll know!
- How Atomic Clocks Work - Learn all about atomic clocks and how they keep the world ticking!
- How Pendulum Clocks Work - Explains what makes a pendulum clock tick!
- How Quartz Watches Work - Why do they call them "quartz," and why are they so accurate? Now you'll know!
- How a Digital Clock Works - Learn all about what makes digital clocks and wristwatches tick, plus learn how to create your own!
Weather
- How Hurricanes Work - Hurricanes are in the news between July and November every year -- learn
why these storms are so destructive!
- How Tornadoes Work - Tornadoes are in the news every spring -- learn why they form!
- How Lightning Works - Learn all about the amazing forces that create thunder and lightning!
Money
- How Stocks and the Stock Market Work - Understand how corporations sell stock and how people trade stock on the stock market!
- How Credit Cards Work - Learn all about credit cards, from the magnetic stripe to the techniques you can use to erase credit card debt!
- How Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) Work - Learn about the magic machines that give you money, as well as the network that approves the transactions!
- How Social Security Numbers Work - Learn what those numbers on your U.S. Social Security card mean!
- How PocketCard Works - A PocketCard is a fascinating combination of a credit card and a debit card, and it can be perfect for giving cash to a teenage son or daughter or to employees of a business -- find out more!
- How Affiliate Programs Work - If you have your own Web site, affiliate programs can be a great way to earn some extra money or to advertise your site. Learn how affiliate networks and affiliate programs work!
Home Improvement
- How House Construction Works - You probably live in a house, but do you know how it was built? This huge article shows you everything!
- How Sewer Systems and Septic Tanks Work - Now you'll know what happens after you flush!
- How Solar Cells Work - Learn all about solar cells and how your house might some day be powered by them
- How Smoke Detectors Work - Many smoke detectors use nuclear radiation - click here to learn all about both types of smoke detectors found in your home!
- How Water Heaters Work - Learn about the device that makes hot showers possible!
- How Three-way Switches work - In your house or apartment you probably have at least one light that is controlled by two separate switches. If you flip either switch the light turns on or off. Learn how the light knows what it should do!
- How Air Conditioners Work - You see (and hear) air conditioners all around you -- now understand what they are doing!
- How Emergency Power Systems Works - Learn all about gasoline powered generators and inverters so that you can make power failures a thing of the past!
- How a Chain Saw Works - A chain saw is a great example of a two-stroke engine at its best -- learn exactly how a chain saw works and also learn about centrifugal clutches, magnetos and carburetors in the process!
- How Toilets Work - Put aside your mental block for a moment and learn about this amazing water-handling device!
- How a Sprinkler Works - Every summer there comes a time to pull out the oscillating sprinklers. If you've ever wondered about the mechanism that oscillates the spray arm back and forth, here is your chance to solve the mystery!
The Inside Series
The Inside Series takes you inside real devices that you find around your house!
Employment & Education
Other Articles by Marshall Brain
If you enjoy How Stuff Works, Marshall Brain has written extensively on several other topics. You may find these multi-part articles extremely interesting:
- How Personal Finance Works - Learn how to gain control of your finances and get your money working for you!
- How Bluebird Houses Work - Easy-to-follow instructions for creating a bluebird house kit that you can use at a cub scout meeting, give away as gifts or assemble yourself!
- How the World Works - A complete guide to how the world really works, specially designed for teenagers who want to understand the world and be successful!
Answers to Questions
- In baseball, how does a pitcher throw a curveball?
- How do mood rings work, and do they really tell your mood?
- What is the Chandler Wobble?
- Could I see a flashlight beam from Earth on the moon?
- How does the pesticide Dursban work?
- Where does the color in purple cabbage come from?
- Who are the Duke of York, Duke of Kent, etc., and how did they get their titles? Are they related to the queen?
- What makes your knuckles pop, and is it really bad for you?
- How do stock options work, and why are they better than cash compensation?
- What does "open source" mean?
- How can I burn MP3s from my computer onto CD-Rs?
- How do television ratings work? How do they figure out how many people are watching a show?
- How do stabilizer bars work?
- How are the Voyager spacecraft able to transmit radio messages so far?
- Why do I need an electrical adapter when I travel overseas?
- Is it true that a diesel engine can operate under water while a gasoline engine cannot?
- How can the grass on the greens at a golf course be so perfect? What are they doing that's different from a normal lawn? Could my lawn look like this?
- On television, how does closed captioning work?
- How do store coupons work? How does the store get its money back?
- Why is it called a "hamburger" when there is no ham in it?
- If daytime running lights were mandatory in the U.S., and all vehicles had them, how much extra gasoline would that use each year?
- How do the battery testers on battery packages work?
- Where are all the Internet domain names registered and maintained?
- How do one-way mirrors work?
- How do trick birthday candles work -- the kind that re-light themselves after you blow them out?
- Since a torpedo cannot have an air-breathing engine like a boat, how is it propelled through the water?
- How many solar cells would I need in order to provide all of the electricity that my house needs?
- How much gasoline does the United States consume in one year?
- When a food package says "Kosher" or "Pareve," what does it really mean? How
do Kosher foods work?
- Why does a mirror exchange left and right but not up and down?
- What is the black and white board with a strip on top that movie directors use?
- How is sound recorded on motion picture film?
- How can my glasses change from transparent, when I'm inside, to dark when I go outdoors?
- How do you start a gas turbine engine? What is the mechanism to begin the rotation of the large fan blades?
- Can two cans and a string really be used to communicate? If so, why does it work?
- How does caller ID work on a telephone?
- Why are there so many different image formats on the Web? What, for example, is the difference between a GIF and a JPG image?
- Why doesn't gasoline burn cleanly in an engine and form pure carbon dioxide and water?
- What causes the faint horizontal lines I can see on my monitor?
- Can I have more than one monitor on my Windows 98 machine?
- What makes glass transparent?
- When someone wins the Nobel Peace Prize or the Nobel Prize in physics, what are they winning and why? Why is it such a big deal to win the Nobel Prize?
- Many How Stuff Works articles talk about "fiber optic cables," and I have heard about them for a long time. How do they work? How far can a signal travel through a fiber optic cable?
- I'm looking for a new computer monitor. What does the salesperson mean when he says I need a monitor with a .28 dot pitch or better?
- In my front yard there is a little green box with a phone company sticker on it. You see these little boxes all over the neighborhood. What do these boxes do?
- If diesel engines are more efficient, why do most cars have gasoline engines?
- How does Venture Capital work?
- What is dynamite and how does it work?
- How does a laser speed gun work to measure a car's speed compared to normal police radar?
- I would like to increase the horsepower of my car's engine. What's the best way to do this?
- How does a cat's purring work? How do cats make the purring noise?
- What is a Rice Krispy? What is it made out of and how do they make it?
- How does Napster work and why is there such a huge fight around it right now?
- How do artificial flavorings work?
- Why do batteries seem to go dead and then come back to life if you let them rest?
- Will we ever have spaceships parked in our garage so that we can fly to the moon whenever we feel like it?
- How do glow-in-the-dark toys and other products work?
- I notice that there are certain cars whose headlights seem to have a blue-ish or green-ish tint. A lot of times these headlights are on expensive cars. Are these headlights different from normal headlights?
- If water is made of hydrogen and oxygen, then why can't we breathe under water?
- How does the Social Security system work? When I pay into the system, where is my money held?
- Is there a way to see the satellites that are orbiting overhead?
- How does the lighter in a BBQ grill work?
- How does homeschooling work?
- Why do big diesel engines and race car engines have such different horsepower ratings?
- On a mountain road, what does the "percent grade" mean? If the road has a 10 percent grade, what does that mean?
- Is there an easy way to measure the height of a cell phone tower in my neighborhood?
- How do satellites orbit the earth? Why don't they fall straight to the ground like everything else?
- How does a carburetor in a gasoline engine work?
- What is drop forging and why do so many tools have "drop forged" stamped on the handle?
- How does a magneto work?
- How do afterburners on a jet engine work?
- What would happen if I jumped into a tunnel bored through the center of the Earth?
- How does a T1 line work?
- How does a FireWire (IEEE-1394) connection work?
- How much sugar do they really put in soft drinks?
- I am wondering what JavaScript is and how I can use it. I've been told I can use it to build simple calculators for my class. How does JavaScript work?
- I have both a pager and a cell phone that vibrate instead of ringing when I get a call. How does that work?
- Why do they put iodine in table salt?
- What is the difference between an "inline" and a "V" engine?
- How do you make a fortune cookie?
- How do they make hollow chocolate Easter eggs?
- How do the streetlights turn on automatically at night?
- What is the difference between a CMOS image sensor and a CCD image sensor in a digital camera?
- My computer has only one USB socket but I have two devices -- how do I connect both?
- How do 3-D glasses work like they have at Disney World?
- Why are there so many broken links in search engines?
- My mother wants me to take my mattress outside to "air it out" -- what good does that do?
- How does Roundup (glyphosphate) work to kill weeds?
- How is sea level determined?
- How does lettuce in a bag last longer than a head of lettuce?
- How does a long-distance call work? What happens behind the scenes?
- How can I network the computers in my home together?
- What are the "bumps" on many computer cables?
- How does an EPIRB distress radio work?
- What's the best way to mow a lawn?
- How do seedless grapes reproduce?
- Can chocolate kill a dog?
- Why do they add MTBE to gasoline?
- How do dry chemical fire extinguishers work?
- What happens if I don't fill out my census form?
- How does DVD audio work?
- What is PEZ and how long has it been around?
- How do the big web sites handle so many visitors?
- How do carbide-tipped tools work?
- How does tear gas work?
- How do email viruses spread?
- Why are circular saws and vacuum cleaners so noisy while refrigerators and ceiling fans are not?
- How does a fluorescent starter work?
- Why does my TV screen flicker when I try to tape it on my camcorder?
- How am I able to burn calories on a stair machine?
- What is MIME in an email message?
- How does a baby monitor work?
- What is a smart card?
- What is a dry sump oil system in a race car?
- What is low Power FM (LPFM) and how do I get a station from the FCC?
- What does the weight mean in "20-pound bond paper"?
- Is it better to leave my computer on all the time, or should I turn it off when I'm not using it?
- What do the big signs shaped like red, blue and yellow diamonds posted on many buildings mean?
- What does Digital Spread Spectrum mean in cordless phones?
- What gives Harley-Davidson Motorcycles their unique sound?
- The battery light in my car comes on whenever I am driving my car. How serious is this?
- How is my radio able to show the call sign of the station on the display?
- How does silk-screening work?
- What is a blue print?
- What does "900 MHz" mean in a cordless phone?
- What does the battery in my computer do?
- How does a hydraulic ram pump work?
- How does an Etch-a-Sketch Work?
- Given that stars are so far away, how do astronomers detect "wobble" in a star caused by a planet?
- What is carrageenan and why is it added to food?
- How does the toilet in a commercial airplane work?
- How does copy protection of a video tape work? How does the TV play the tape file, but another VCR cannot record the same signal?
- How do ear thermometers work?
- Do jumbo jets have locks on the door or ignition keys? I have never seen one, so why don't they get stolen?
- Why does a deck of cards come with Jokers?
- Why are there so many different types of microphones -- dynamic, condenser, crystal, etc. -- and how do they work?
- Why doesn't the space shuttle burn up when it re-enters the atmosphere?
- What prevents you from clocking a microprocessor at 1,000 MHz?
- How much ice would I have to store up in the winter if I wanted to cool my house with it all summer?
- How does a "time of use" program from the power company work? Why would the power company want to save me money?
- How can you vitamin enrich a chicken egg?
- Why does catnip drive some cats nuts?
- What is the difference between sleet, freezing rain and snow?
- Why do the flat prong of just about any U.S. electrical appliance have holes in them?
- How do bees make honey?
- Is it true that a Mac G4 processor is twice as fast as a Pentium III?
- What exactly is pastrami?
- What is the big deal about milk - why do people treat it like some kind of miracle drink?
- How do Indiglo watches work?
- How do they create the special effects in movies like "The Matrix" where the camera rotates around a frozen actor?
- How do they make the cars that can "hop" on their front wheels up to six feet in the air?
- What is the difference between a neon light and a fluorescent light?
- How do things like electric toothbrushes that have no metal contacts work?
- How much electricity do small plug-in transformers consume?
- How do the clear sodium acetate heat pads work?
- Why do news sites like CNN and BBC have such small image files but my scanner produces 2 megabyte files?
- What do the computer error messages "fatal exception error," "invalid page fault," and "illegal operation" mean? What causes them?
- How does a CD-R disk work?
- How does a diesel submarine run when it is submerged?
- How does a self-winding watch work?
- How does a MagnaDoodle work?
- What are frankincense and myrrh?
- How do automobile ignition keys with the chips embedded in them work?
- Two questions about bullet trajectories.
- Which place on earth will be the very first to experience January 1, 2000?
- What do the words "Auld Lang Syne" really mean in the New Year's song everyone sings?
- How does pressure treated lumber work?
- Why are Zip disks able to hold so much more data than floppy disks?
- How do I add icons to the "Quick Launch" area in Windows 98?
- Why is Thomas the Tank Engine called a "tank engine"?
- How do "Scratch and Sniff" stickers work? And why do they last so long?
- How do the light guns on video games work? How do they know when you hit the target?
- What is causing my power bill to be so high? Which appliances use the most power?
- How do stud finders work?
- How do the proximity-type Christmas light testers work?
- How do dollar bill changers work -- like the ones you see at arcades that accept a bill and return coins? How do they verify the bill and detect its denomination?
- What is the difference between a Pentium III and a Celeron?
- How do candles work?
- What does the Alt-F4 key do in Windows?
- How do Mexican jumping beans work?
- How does dry ice work?
- How does feedback work in a PA system to cause that howling sound?
- How do hybrid vehicles work?
- Why does a room full of only 25 people have a very good chance of having two people with the same birthday?
- How is bullet caliber, wire gauge and nail length measured?
- How does nitrous oxide help an engine perform better?
- How does an oxygen canister in an airplane or a space station work?
- How does the oxygen sensor in a car work?
- What is this bumpy stuff on my ceiling that looks like popcorn or cottage cheese?
- How does popcorn work?
- How are huge multi-ton cruise ships able to float?
- I have heard that grilling or broiling meat can cause it to become cancerous. Is this true, and if so how does it work?
- When a plane flies upside down, how does the fuel get to the engine?
- How fast does hair grow?
- Is it possible for other people to connect their phones to my phone line?
- Why is it that some web sites seem to trap me so that I cannot get out of them?
- How does the thermostat in a car's cooling system work?
- What are some of the other techniques used to store energy besides a battery?
- How does Linux work and why has it become so popular?
- Could you spin a carousel fast enough to reach the speed of light?
- How does a Fresnel lens work?
- What is the "churning" sound I hear from my hard drive whenever it is retrieving data?
- How many senses does a human being have?
- If all the money in the U.S. only totals $6 trillion, how can the NY Stock Exchange have stocks valued at $15 trillion?
- How does a fog machine work?
- How does a Crookes's radiometer work (those funny little vanes inside a glass bulb that spin in the sunlight)?
- How does a "motion sensing" light work?
- If I had "all the money in the world," how much money would that be?
- Are fluorescent bulbs really more efficient than normal light bulbs? If they are, why?
- If someone coughs in my house, how long can his germs remain contagious?
- How do traffic lights detect that a car is waiting?
- What is sodium nitrate? Is it in any way harmful?
- How does gravity work?
- How does a chicken wrap the shell around an egg?
- Why can't I use a cell phone on an airplane or in the hospital?
- What does the VTEC system in a Honda engine do?
- In a kitchen oven, what is the difference between the "bake" setting and
the "broil" setting?
- What causes me to gain two or three pounds during the day and then lose two or three pounds when I sleep?
- Do you know why some Web pages end in "htm", others end in "html", still others end in "asp" and so on? Why all the different extensions?
- How do they superimpose the first down line onto the field on televised football games?
- How are astronomers able to measure how far away a star is?
- Do you know what causes me to get cramps in my legs when I exercise, or even worse in my sleep?
- If I want to get started creating my own Web site, what do I have to do?
- If you were to move all of the matter in the universe into one corner of the universe, how much space would it take up?
- What is dioxin?
- What is the difference between a regular car battery and a "deep cycle" battery?
- What does the UL symbol stamped onto the bottom of many products mean?
- What do the little recycling symbols that you see on some plastic products mean?
- What causes hurricanes to follow such odd paths?
- Where are all of these funny looking quarters coming from?
- How does botulism work? Is it true that babies can get botulism from honey?
- What is the total amount of gold that man has mined since 3,000 B.C.? How much is it worth?
- How do the counterfeit detector pens that you see at convenience stores work?
- How does hemp work?
- What is in moth balls? Is it harmful to people?
- What is "activated charcoal" and why is it used in filters?
- How many teaspoons are there in a cubic light year?
- What are the crystals that you find in disposable diapers?
- What is silica gel and why do I find little packets of it in everything I buy?
- How do I make clear ice like they have in restaurants?
- How can I use my computer to search for extra-terrestrials?
- Do race cars use gasoline like normal cars do, or do they use something else?
- Can water go bad?
- If "nature abhors a vacuum", then why doesn't the vacuum of space suck away all of the Earth's atmosphere?
- In baseball, what does it mean for someone to pitch a "perfect game"?
- When I stand at the water's edge and look out over the ocean, how far away is the horizon?
- When buying gas appliances, why do you always have to specify whether you are using LPG or natural gas? What happens if you hook a natural gas appliance up to LPG?
- What does it mean when you "case harden" metal?
- Why do those long white clouds form behind jets flying high overhead?
- Would a balloon filled with vacuum instead of helium float?
- Why do my ears hurt when I dive in the deep end of a swimming pool?
- How much fuel does an international plane use for a trip?
- How do Sea Monkeys (brine shrimp) work?
- Why is carbon monoxide so poisonous?
- How does bleach and chlorine work?
- Is it possible to see (with a telescope) the stuff left behind on the moon by the Apollo astronauts to prove/disprove whether the missions were real or hoaxes?
- Please go to The Cave of Magic and tell me how this can possibly work!
- Why is it colder at the top of a mountain than it is at sea level? Heat rises and the top of the mountains is closer to the sun, so shouldn't it be hotter at the top of a mountain?
- How many regular sized helium filled balloons would lift someone? What is the equation to figure it out?
- How do they color old black and white films?
- Why are they replacing all of the toilets in my apartment?
- Can you calculate how far away lightning struck by how long it takes for the thunder to arrive?
- What is fertilizer and why do plants need it? What is in fertilizer? What do the three numbers on most bags of fertilizer mean?
- What is the difference between sites that do and don't require the "www" in the URL?
- Someone started controlling my computer over the Internet - what happened?
- Why are they replacing all of the traffic lights in my town?
- What do they put in hot dogs?
- What do the yellow and black wires in a home telephone jack do?
- Will adding more RAM to a computer make it faster?
- Why is southern exposure so sought after when searching for an apartment in the city?
- What is the "heat index" that the weather person talks about during the summer?
- How do exhaust headers work to improve engine performance?
- How do the lightsabers in the Star Wars movies work?
- What causes poison ivy?
- What can I do to make a Pinewood Derby car go faster?
- What causes fresh apples and potatoes to turn brown after you slice them?
- How does a V-chip work in a television?
- What does an anti-siphon valve do?
- What causes the seasons? What is it that causes there to be summer and winter?
- What does the "weight" of motor oil (e.g., 10W-40) mean?
- How does a bubble jet printer work?
- Why is the ozone layer "good", but ozone in a city is "bad"
- How does snoring work?
- What does the UV index mean and how is it calculated?
- Is it possible to make a rocket motor using hydrogen peroxide and silver?
- How do the new yo-yos that have a clutch work?
- How much water is there on planet Earth?
- How do they make cotton candy?
- What does the name "WD-40" stand for?
- What is plywood and how do they make it?
- Why is a squeaking door so loud? How do I fix the squeak?
- How do ice skating rinks work?
- How do halogen bulbs work? Why are they sometimes called "quartz halogen"?
- Is it true that flour can explode?
- Can you tell me about the Starshine satellite NASA launched?
- What are GM ("Genetically Modified") foods?
- What does homogenization and pasteurization mean in milk?
- how does blood pressure and a blood pressure gauge work?
- What keeps the exhaust in a jet engine from blowing back out the front of the engine?
- How does the freezer of the modern refrigerator stay frost-free?
- Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?
- How does a seismograph work? What is the Richter scale?
- How does my appendix work? What does it do?
- Why do prescription drugs have such funny names?
- How does the sense of smell work?
- What is lymph?
- What is root beer and how is it made?
- Is it possible to generate electricity directly from heat?
- What does the "CE" logo stamped on the bottom of many electronic devices mean?
- How does a "Jake Brake" work on a big rig?
- Could you create a pollution-free car that runs off of compressed air?
- How does a miller-cycle engine work?
- How does a pinhole camera work?
- How does an air bag in a car work?
- What are vitamins and why do I have to take them every day?
- What are marshmallows and how do they make them?
- How does a catapult work?
- What does it mean when someone has 20/20 vision?
- How can I tell if the light in my refrigerator turns off or not when the door is closed?
- What is a decibel and what is the loudest sound I can listen to before it hurts my ears?
- How does a lie detector (a polygraph) work?
- What is the difference between a supercharger and a turbocharger?
- What is the right temperature for a refrigerator?
- What is a heart bypass operation? What are they bypassing?
- What is an MRE and how do they taste?
- What is an MP3 file and how does it work?
- How does a GFCI outlet (the ones with the funny test and reset buttons) work?
- How does an Alka Seltzer tablet work? Why does it fizz?
- Why does Hydrogen Peroxide fizz in a cut but not on your skin?
- How does "Pop Rocks" candy work?
- What does the computer in a car do? Will cars start on January 1, 2000?
- How do silencers on guns work?
- How do genes and genetic engineering work?
- Why do some appliances have two prongs on their outlets and some have three?
- Is your name really Marshall Brain, or did you make that name up?
- Why does normal paper dissolve in the washer but dollar bills remain intact?
- Why do the lids of most spray cans have small holes in them?
- What is a cavity? If it is a hole in a tooth, why do they drill the hole even bigger?
- What is the difference between gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, etc.?
- Does a camel's hump really hold water?
- What is this Melissa virus and what are computer viruses in general?
- What is the "gravity boost" technique that interplanetary satellites use?
- In SCUBA diving, what causes "the bends"?
- Why is the hair on my arms so short, while the hair on my head can grow so long?
- How does a water softener work?
- How much oxygen does a person use in a day?
- What causes an "ice cream headache"?
- Could anti-lock brakes be used to detect a flat tire?
- Time and date questions:
- Why are there 24 hours in a day or 60 minutes in an hour?
- Why do the days of the week have such funny names?
- Why are there 12 months in a year?
- Why does a leap day get added to February rather than at the end of the year?
- Why do the number of days in the months follow no pattern?
- Why do we have leap years?
- What does AM and PM mean and why do we have them?
- What does AD and BC mean?
- What year was Jesus really born in?
- What is daylight-saving time?
- Why do we have time zones?
- What does GMT mean?
- What is a light year?
- Where does corn oil and corn syrup come from?
- Why do the children of two parents look so different when they all come from exactly the same DNA?
- How much does it cost to run an electric blanket overnight?
- What does the octane rating of gasoline mean? Why is it called octane?
- What causes the pipes in my house to bang, especially when I run the washer?
- How do antibiotics work?
- What is spider web made of?
- What is chewing gum made of?
- Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
- What is the difference between jelly, jam and preserves?
- How are people able to breathe inside a submarine?
- What are Internet cookies?
- Why are boogers sticky?
- How do they determine what day Easter will occur on?
- What is a nautical mile and how does it differ from a normal mile and a kilometer?
- Why do all FM radio stations end in an odd number, e.g. 105.7, 93.3, 96.9, etc...?
- What are the standard top-level domain names and who controls them?
- How does a dehumidifier work?
- What is the year 2038 Problem?
- Why is it so hard to start a car in the winter?
- What causes a sonic boom?
- What causes high tide and low tide? Why are there two tides each day?
- How do they make maple syrup?
- What is wind chill and does it have any effect on inanimate objects?
- What is "stealth technology" and how does it work?
- Marshall, where do you go when YOU have a question?
- How does dry cleaning work? What is "dry" about it?
- What is a catalytic converter and how does one work?
- Is it possible to tell that the earth is round?
- What is a carat (as in diamonds) and a karat (as in gold)?
- Why do many foods have "High Altitude Cooking Instructions"?
- Why, when the electricity goes out, does the phone still work?
- How does a DVD work?
- What does it mean when a Hard Disk has a Head Crash?
- How does black light work?
- Why do they use salt to melt ice on the road in the winter?
- What is baking powder and how does it work?
- Why don't water towers freeze solid in the winter?
- What is a MiniDisc and how does it differ from a CD?
- What is the world's fastest computer?
- At night, why does it take my eyes several minutes to get used to darkness?
- Why do CDs reflect rainbow colors?
- Why do some people have red eyes in flash photographs?
- How many days will February have in the year 2000?
- How does a heat pump work?
- How does the pop-up timer on a turkey work?
- What is white noise?
- What causes flatulence?
- Why does your body temperature rise when you have a virus such as the flu?
- What is the "Dow Jones Industrial Average" and why do I hear about it on the news every day?
- Why does smoke come from a fire?
- How do touch lamps (lamps that turn on when you touch them) work?
- What causes a rainbow?
- What are atomic clocks and how do they work?
- Why is the sky blue?
- What causes the common cold?
- Why do golf balls have dimples?
- How does a lava lamp work?
- How does a rice cooker know when to turn off?
- Can grass grow in a lava rock as well as it does in soil?
- How did public fountains, like those in Rome, work without any type of motor to pump the water?
- Why are the coils on the backs of refrigerators always painted black?
- What is the difference between analog and digital cell phones?
- How much does planet earth weigh?
- How does reverse osmosis work to filter water?
- How does an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) work on a personal computer?
- What exactly are the "Twelve Days of Christmas"? When do they start and end?
- Why do some dump trucks have extra axles?
- How does the a gas pump know when the tank is full so it can turn itself off automatically?
- How does a three-way light bulb work?
- What happens if I touch the surface of a CD?
- Why does a fan make you feel cooler?
- How do digital answering machines work?
- How does a car's rearview mirror work when it's set on the upwards, "glare resistant," setting?
- How far does ultraviolet light penetrate into the body?
- How does an X-Ray machine work?
- How does a kidney dialysis machine work?
- How many sheets of paper can be produced from a single tree?
- Can you explain pressurized airplane cabins?
- How does a water cooled air conditioner work?
- What actually does it mean when a barometer is rising or falling?
- How do they make helium?
- How does a computer's parallel port work and how can I design things to attach to a parallel port?
- What causes helium balloons to lose their lift after a day or two?
- What is a glacier?
- What is the oscilloscope used to measure?
- Can you explain the basic difference between analog and digital technology?
- What is the function of the fan within the refrigerator?
- How do you write the chemical reaction that takes place in the smoke detector?
- Do certain radio wave frequencies pose health risks?
- What force causes a three-pole motor to spin one way and not the other?
- How can I make my own battery to win a contest at school?
- Why do you hear some radio stations better at night than in the day?
Link of the Day
- Enature.com
- Mayo Clinic's Health Oasis site
- HouseNet.com
- Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera 27,500-Image Gallery
- California Polytechnic State University's "Digital Toolbox"
- Visual Basic Gaming Central
- Interactive Weather Information Network
- Nature Science Update
- American Physical Society's "A Century of Physics"
- "Gray’s Anatomy of the Human Body" Online
- AUTOSHOP-Online
- NOVA Online's "Build a Bridge"
- Cosmiverse, the site for space and science
- Cookie Central, the latest about Internet cookies
- ABC News' Science Summary
- International Carnivorous Plant Society's "Carnivorous Plant FAQ"
- Today's Homeowner
- Desktop Video's "Video Handbook Online"
- Canada's ScienceWeb
- Internet Language Dictionary
- Curt's High Speed Modem Page
- Molecular Expressions: Images from the Microscope
- "Philip's and Alex's Guide to Web Publishing"
- NASA's Observatorium for Earth and space data
- A science site with over 40 home demos
- Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) Mission
- U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) "Understanding our Planet Through Chemistry"
- 800 online computer-related manuals
- CNN's technology news page
- Tips on PC problems and PC care
- Information about buying and maintaining a car
- Non-auto transportation designs of the future
- Berkeley Digital Library Photo Collection
- Illustrated guide to satellite reception
- Online biology textbook from the Experimental Study Group at MIT
- Frostburg (MD) State University's "General Chemistry Online"
- United States Geological Survey (USGS) Geologic Division's "Earthquake Information"
- The Electronic Workshop
- Huge FAQ from NASA
- Amateur laser construction
- Over 163,000 free, full-text articles in this huge science archive
- A Global View From Space
- Nando Times Technology News
- "Using The Internet" workshop
- Weird stories and bizarre facts behind many consumer products
- Great information on lightning
- Over 60 fascinating true stories
- A great collection of optical illusions
- A very interesting demonstration of text-to-speech translation
- NASA's Robot of the Week
- A well-written FAQ for HTML and creating Web sites
- A way to get newsletters about a variety of subjects, written by experts delivered to you daily
- Live radio on the Internet, with more than 10,000 interesting stations online
- A collection of news, resources and tips about Windows 95/98, Windows NT and Windows 2000
- Great information for do-it-yourselfers
- A great way to get free help for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and more
- The Virtual Smithsonian has over 360 items from its museum
- An amazing site that lets you track and measure almost every part of your life
- A great collection of tutorials all about light and optics
- All about building and experimenting with electronics
- Great info on food allergies
- Today's link points to an IBM site that helps you spot an Internet hoax
- An interesting site that is all about trivia facts, words, quotes and history
- Information on how to build a Web site
- A place that explains all the new Internet terminology and computer technology
- Learn about all sorts of manufacturing techniques
- Learn how knives are made
- Construct a two-dimensional object with mass, muscles and springs. You'll see your creation in action via your browser!
- Learn about science while assembling the variety of items
- A collection of 189 free JavaScripts you can copy and paste
- An interesting online way to learn about electronics
- Learn about the common causes for many VCR problems, and how to fix the problems yourself
- Learn about the forces behind the fun on roller coasters, carousels, bumper cars, free fall and the pendulum
- Understand cable TV, answer your connection and wiring questions, and interactively solve cable TV problems
- An online resource of satellite, space station and space shuttle information
- Lots of information about Holographic Optical Storage of Digital Data
- Animated tutorial about the basics of DNA, genes and heredity
- Free online video tutorials about many computer subjects
- Online exploration of the heart
- Ride along on expeditions to the ocean floor
- Answers to a lot of interesting questions
- A science site with lots of hands-on, interactive science activities
- The Web's virtual newscaster reads the news of the day
- An incredible collection of information about space, space missions and space science
- Take a video ride on five different roller coasters
- A Complete Guide to Networking Windows
- Visibility predictions for the Russian space station Mir
- Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century
- Electronics made easy
- An Internet Guide and Tutorial
- The fastest human-powered boat
- The Cable Modem and DSL Tuning Guide
- Fascinating stories about the great pyramids and the Washington Monument
- The Internet drug index
- Astronautics, spacecraft design and systems
- Archaeology at Crow Canyon -- A nice introduction to Indian pueblo dwellings
- Lots of information about alligators and alligator farms
- A great encyclopedia of musical instruments
- Watch eagles on a live Webcam and learn about them with some great online resources
- Learn French with this online tutorial
- A fascinating personal computer collection from the 1970s
- Information on asteroids
- A great travel resource containing 15,000 maps, guides and brochures
- Origami
- Hubble space telescope images
- Free online training
- A Solution to Chemical Mysteries
- The DLL Archive
- Online music lessons
- Encyclopedia Astronautica
- Lots of science links
- Extreme weather guide
- Home networking tips
- Home improvement projects
- Bubbles
- Writing and grammar guide
- Create great images on your Web pages
- Invention facts and myths
- Nice Schematic collection
- Huge collection of tips for better scanning
- How IR Photography Works
- Huge assortment of Webcams
- Huge law library
- Big list of sayings and proverbs
- Giant electronic opinion site
- Crash ratings for all cars
- Learn about features hidden in search engines
- Lots of information about cells
- Big amateur sport site
- Find big sales on e-Commerce sites
- Humor and health
- Huge library of consumer info
- The Space Place
- Learn about crime rates in your city
- Free Internet phone calls
- Streaming video of building implosions
- Learn CPR
- Top-secret recipes
- Word of the day
- Cool science explanations
- A great guide to steel manufacturing
- Great astronomy picture every day
- The most popular government publication
- Kids search engine
- Test the speed of your Internet connection
- A great rhyming dictionary
- Nice travel deals
- Tune up your web site
- See the FBI's 10 most wanted criminals
- Visit Monticello online
- Learn how people may one day get to Mars
- See how much information about you is available to a Web server
- Insight into the science behind the headlines
- Librarian links
- A complete list of all three-letter file extensions
- Compare home prices in your neighborhood
- Learn how to correct common English errors
- Track your dollar bills by serial number all across the country
- Big database of automobile recall notices
- The ultimate list of white pages, books, etc.
- Find nearly any out-of-print book
- Great info on quack medicines and scams
- Learn about UI design by looking at bad interfaces
- Online statistics resources
- A great online science museum
- Science News
- Fantastic movie database
- Lots of space information and news
- A great collection of wacky destinations
- Internet Technology talk shows
- A look at technology and its impact
- Lots of information about the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions
- Everything you ever wanted to know about touch screens
- Great info on the sun and stars
- A great presentation of how a child develops in the womb
- Lots of Patent info
- The origins of hundreds of English phrases
- An amazing timeline of historical people and events
- Interesting cardboard cutouts to print and try at home
- An unbelievable collection of info on wind, wind power and windmills
- An incredible engineering resource -- formulas and explanations galore
- Answers to lots of questions
- A gigantic project under the streets of New York City
- A huge grab bag of hundreds of free reports
- Learn how to make all kinds of stuff
- A huge collection of FAQs
- Information on gold prospecting
- Answers to questions about Win95/98 and Macintosh operating systems
- Lots of information on solar electric systems for your home or RV
- A nice look at the infrastructure beneath New York city
- In-depth info on the human brain
- Cool experiments and projects
- Lots of info on repairing appliances
- Learn how to build your own PC
- "The Way Things Work" Web site
- A fantastic collection of "Easter eggs" in programs, movies, etc.
- A great moon phase calculator
- A nice globe showing which parts of the earth currently have sunlight
- Learn all about making speakers and sub-woofers
- Great question archives
- See if your computer is ready for Y2K
- Learn about radio controlled helicopters
- Water cool your CPU
- Learn about zinc-powered fuel cells
- View a catalog of the world's top 1,500 Web sites
- Glimpse the possible future of Web-based applications
- Great in-depth info on prime numbers
- Take great pictures of holiday lights
- The official Web site for NASA's ill-fated Mars Polar Explorer
- Learn all about bugs (small radio transmitters) and bugging
- Details about the Hoover Dam
- Learn about Stirling Engines
- Find out how they remove tower cranes from tall buildings
- Learn everything about gasoline
- Save your CD collection
- Learn how to protect your PC from Internet intruders
- Why leaves change color in the Fall
- Lots of car parts information
- All kinds of info on undersea cables
- Online home improvement project book
- Learn all about different glues
- Great animations of steam engines and blast furnaces
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For example:
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About the Author
Marshall Brain is the author of ten books
(including his most popular - The
Teenager's Guide to the Real World), and is
nationally recognized for his ability to communicate complex ideas
clearly. Mr. Brain formerly taught in the Computer Science Department
at North Carolina State University, where he was elected to the
prestigious Academy of Outstanding Teachers for his work in the classroom.
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