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The metal used to construct buildings resists all sorts of damage, making it a very reliable material -- and very difficult to manipulate into the appropriate form. Enter the plasma cutter. Learn all about the amazing device that cuts through metal like a knife through warm butter. More »
> How strong are the magnets in an MRI machine?
> I've heard of bank robbers being foiled by a "dye pack" put in their money stash. What is a "dye pack"?
Lance Armstrong has won yet another Tour de France, breaking the cycling record for consecutive victories in that race. Bicycles are incredibly simple machines, and the "inner" workings are right out in the open for you to see. Find out how all those parts work together.
With the help of Q, James Bond can breeze through a security system that requires the villain's irises, voice and handprint. Biometrics isn’t just for the movies. Real-life businesses and governments are using it. Check it out.
Learn all about BrainPort, a device for sensory substitution by electrotactile stimulation.
How can someone control a machine with her thoughts?
The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago introduced a new bionic arm that can be controlled by reading a person's thoughts. How does this technology work? Can you control a machine with thoughts? Learn about the bionic arm in this article.
Long before GPS satellites and other high-tech navigational aids, people used the Earth's natural magnetism to navigate the unknown. Learn how a compass works and how to create your own!
The crossbow, a weapon popular with Wookiees, vampire slayers and some modern hunters, looks like a cross between a bow and a rifle. Read about it’s fascinating history and uses.
Electromagnets are found in motors, tape decks, hard drives, VCRs and tons of other devices. Find out what makes an electromagnet "electro" and learn how to make one at home.
Did you know that airplanes and space shuttles use the utterly low-tech gyroscope for navigation? Discover the secret behind gyroscopic motion!
The metal used to construct buildings resists all sorts of damage, making it a very reliable material -- and very difficult to manipulate into the appropriate form. Enter the plasma cutter. Learn all about the amazing device that cuts through metal like a knife through warm butter.
Rail guns leave gunpowder-based weapons in the dust (one can hit a target 250 miles away in six minutes). So why isn't the military using them? Find out how rail guns can be used and learn about the limitations of this technology.
How strong are the magnets in an MRI machine?
A friend of mine told me that his watch flew off his arm and was sucked into the MRI machine at the hospital. Could this really happen? How strong are the magnets in an MRI machine?
Why are lobsters being used in new X-ray technologies?
Lobsters possess one of the most unique vision systems in the animal world. Researchers are working on adapting that system to X-ray scanners that will make steel walls about as opaque as tissue paper. How will they do it?
Unlike a regular SCUBA regulator which creates bubbles when the person wearing the apparatus exhales, a rebreather produces no bubbles when someone exhales. What exactly is a rebreather and how does it work? Find out in this article from HowStuffWorks.
See "Back to the Future 2"? Drool much over those hoverboards? Find out how these devices will work and see one that already does!
Can bug zappers help transmit diseases?
I've heard that bug zappers can actually help transmit diseases -- how does that happen? Once the mosquito dies, how can a disease it was carrying be transmitted?
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