Scientific Experiments

HowStuffWorks explains the secrets of static electricity.

Since we're trying to figure out what makes Ted tick (or makes Ted's ticker stop ticking), why not cut out the middle mouse? It's complicated.

By Kate Kershner

Mice are small and reproduce quickly, but they're more than just an animal of convenient size and libido. Mice have some truly special genetic gifts that it doesn't take a scientist to appreciate.

By Kate Kershner

Scientists like rats a lot more than the general population. But when they need a good bunch of them to test some hypotheses, they don't lurk in alleyways or around trashcans with a burlap sack.

By Kate Kershner

Compared to dogs, cats, guinea pigs and rabbits, rats and mice are by far voted Most Popular in research labs. (Dogs and cats are tied for Best Looking.) What's the attraction for scientists?

By Kate Kershner

Believe it or not, potatoes make more than a great side dish -- they can even power a digital clock! Read this article to learn how to make a potato clock.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Making a model of an atom is a good way to learn about the physical world. Read this article to learn how to make a model of an atom.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Science projects, like making a 3-D model for oxygen, are not only interesting; they offer a hands-on approach to learning. Learn about how to make a 3-D model for oxygen in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Even if you don't operate a scanning electron microscope all that frequently, you might want to brush up on these 10 scientific laws and theories. After all, they're some of our best tools for describing how the universe works.

By Jacob Silverman

Like any quality-control system, peer review was designed to scrutinize all new scientific discoveries, ideas and implications. So how does flawed research still slip through the system of checks and balances?

By William Harris

Newton's iconic laws of motion are at work all around you, whether you're watching an Olympic swimmer push off a pool wall or a batter hit a baseball. So what are they?

By William Harris

You don't have to be a scientist in a white coat to use the scientific method. We all use it every day to make observations and solve problems.

By William Harris

Ah, the pride of leaving your name on a discovery as a lasting legacy of your time here on Earth. As the 10 discoveries on this list demonstrate, you probably won't get to revel in that pride while you're still alive.

By Maria Trimarchi

We have science to thank for mind-blowing discoveries like DNA and the Higgs boson. And, sometimes, for ones that are mind-numbingly obvious. Here's one of our 10 shockers: It's nice to have friends around.

By Jessika Toothman

People donate their bodies to science all the time, usually after death. Here, we highlight 10 scientists who experimented on themselves while they were still alive. Not always such a good idea, eh Dr. Jekyll?

By Josh Clark

We might not be able to reanimate a corpse, but Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' has influenced the research and ethics of scientists for 200 years.

By Jesslyn Shields

From cornflakes to Silly Putty, many of the things we consume today were created unintentionally. Here are the stories behind eight well-known inventions.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

The simplest explanation is usually the correct one. Or is it? Learn how detectives, doctors, scientists, mathematicians, skeptics and theologians all use the principles of Occam's Razor to slice through data and arrive at a particular worldview or theory.

By Shannon Cicero

You might argue we have scientists to thank for our own survival. What breakthroughs have kept the human race from dying out?

By Patrick J. Kiger, Colleen Cancio & Kate Kershner

These days, we're busy hacking everything from our lives to our brains. Why should our bodies or our biological information be any different?

By Nicholas Gerbis

From a centenarian brain expert to a mistress of Voltaire, each of these female scientists has an incredible story. Do you want to meet them?

By Cristen Conger

Before the scientific method came along, science dabbled in some pretty far-out ideas in its youth. Remember miasmas? And spontaneous generation? And the four elements?

By Nicholas Gerbis

The occasional oddball research premise slips past the people who review government grant applications. What are some of the craziest instances of your tax dollars at work?

By Robert Lamb

Since the dawn of cartoons and comic books, kids have imagined themselves endowed with superpowers. What extraordinary abilities are scientists working to bring to you right now?

By Chris Jones

Some truly bizarre and troubling things have been done through the ages in the quest for scientific knowledge. The 10 experiments on this list all made humans into lab rats.

By Maria Trimarchi