Everyday Innovations
Have you ever wondered how black lights, or mirrors work? This collection of articles will explain the workings of some of the most common inventions and innovations you come into contact with everyday.
Jerry Lawson Forever Changed the Video Game Industry
Eugenics Overshadows the Legacy of Scientific Genius Francis Galton
Jane Goodall: A Global Face for Global Peace
How That Creamy Chocolate Is Made
Barrels and Barrels of Aged Beer
HowStuffWorks: Candyland Comes Alive at Candytopia!
Who Invented the Light Bulb? It Wasn't Just Edison
Meet the Man Who Invented Cool Whip, Tang and Pop Rocks
Louis Pasteur's 19th-century Medical Discoveries Are Still Saving Lives
Video Software System Syncs Lips to Other Languages
How Morse Code Works and Still Lives On in the Digital Age
Fantastic, Freaky and Futuristic: Our Best Stories You Might Have Missed This Week
Revolutionary Camera Captures NASA's Most Powerful Rocket in Amazing Detail
How WISE Works
5 Green NASA Inventions
Graphene: 200 Times Stronger Than Steel, 1,000 Times Lighter Than Paper
New Liquid Magnets Go Places Solid Magnets Can't
Turning Air Pollution Into Ink
The Ultimate Downsize: Living in a Shipping Container Home
McDonald's French Fry Oil Anti-Frothing Agent May Cure Baldness
Recycling Stadium Urine as Turf Fertilizer Could Be a Golden Opportunity
Would Sonic the Hedgehog Be Able to Survive His Own Speed?
Database of 18,000 Retracted Scientific Papers Now Online
Sanctioned, Synthetic, Savory: Our Best Stories You Might Have Missed This Week
Lasers Shed Light on Why You Need to Close the Lid Before You Flush
The 'SnotBot' Drone Is Making Scientific Research Easier on Whales
Three Famous Hypotheses and How They Were Tested
Learn More
Many items enjoyed by people of all abilities were originally designed to help people with disabilities. Here are some inventions you may use every day that were originally for the disabled community.
By Alia Hoyt
Researchers are constantly developing fabrics that can help keep you cool, whether you're working out or trying to get a good night's sleep. But how do they work, and which are the best ones?
They're instantly recognizable — mostly for their color. We're talking about yellow legal pads. So who decided they'd be yellow, anyway?
By Meg Sparwath
Advertisement
The toilet hasn't evolved much in 400 years, but modern science is hoping to change that.
The app aims to make the school cafeteria a kinder and more welcoming place for all students. But will it work?
Paper airplanes are much more than child's play.
As if it weren't enough for the robots to steal human jobs, the era of autonomous furniture is apparently upon us.
Advertisement
Ever wonder what's happening as your hair changes color? Permanent hair dyes physically and chemically change each hair, whether it's mermaid blue or bleach blonde.
Inexpensive hand sanitizer (as well as antifreeze) can preserve insect DNA for several days, helping citizen scientists to easily send specimens to researchers.
Ice sculptures can range from small tabletop pieces to entire buildings. In this fundamentally temporary medium, art and engineering combine to form sparkling, breathtaking effects.
Sure, you've heard about the benefits of standing desks. But what about a "smart desk" that decides when you stand or sit?
By Chris Opfer
Advertisement
You can find porta-potties at festivals, construction sites and concerts across the planet – but how do they work? Get a closer (non-messy) look here.
Using a portable toilet at an outdoor concert or festival might be disgusting. But it sure beats going in a field! Now, imagine if your job were to clean out those suckers.
By Dave Roos
Nothing quite thrills like seeing fireworks light up the night sky. A lot of design and planning goes into creating the awe-inspiring shapes we've come to love.
Whether it's checking your look in a mirror or using a smartphone, we've come to rely on glass so much that it's nearly impossible to imagine life without it. But what exactly is this remarkable material? Solid, liquid or other?
Advertisement
It holds your Skivvies up, secures your ponytail and generally keeps athletes, rock stars and the general public outfitted in stretchy comfort. Ready to learn about the elastic fantastic?
When you think of sports drinks, chances are Gatorade comes to mind. But was it the first one? Or just the beneficiary of clever marketing?
Behold the humble spork! Made of the cheapest plastic and seen mostly at public school cafeterias and fast food chains, it doesn't have an inspiring pedigree. But it's been around for a long time.
Despite a ho-hum name, paper shredders have an extraordinary (and juicy) history featuring the likes of Oliver North, Enron and all sorts of spies. What story will thrust this commonplace technology back in the limelight next?
Advertisement
You probably listen to digitally encoded music on a regular basis, but have you ever wondered who pioneered the tech that allows you to carry thousands of songs in your pocket?
Ahhhh, the good old No. 2 pencil and its oft-used eraser. Have you ever wondered exactly what science is at work when that pink, rubbery lifesaver eradicates your blunders?
In 1925, after an auto paint job gone wrong, a young research assistant was struck by the idea for adhesive tape. But how does tape actually stick, and how are we able to peel it off a roll?
By Julia Layton
Stethoscopes started as a way for 19th-century doctors to put some distance between themselves and grubby patients. Today though, this simple listening tool is one of the best ways to diagnose a range of problems.
By Julia Layton
Advertisement
Next Thanksgiving when you find yourself sleeping on Aunt Martha's pullout sofa, it might cheer you up to know that the convertible bed has a long, illustrious history.
It's one of those age-old dilemmas – who goes through the revolving door first. It probably doesn't matter. Rumor has it that the inventor didn't want to hold a door open for anyone.