Innovation

You want to make a battery powered light bulb, but you're not sure how to do it. Learn about how to make a battery powered light bulb in this article.

No really, can you? Sure, there are lots of chairs out there. Some rock. Some roll. Some recline. Some remain so crazy modern that we're afraid to direct our keisters onto their serious coolness. How you would change this staple of sedentary life?

By Robert Lamb

Algae represents big money to some investors and could provide protein to help solve the problem of world hunger.

By Stell Simonton

Salt is something most of us use without thinking about it. But with so many options available, how do we know what's best?

By Shaun Chavis

You've seen them. Those iconic, mesmerizing liquid sculptures that dance inside a glass bottle, casting a warm and nostalgic glow. Yes, we're talking about the lava lamp. But, how do lava lamps work?

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors & Austin Henderson

In her legendary 60-year career, Jane Goodall has made being an intrepid scientist, environmentalist, writer and teacher look easy.

By Jesslyn Shields

Paper airplanes are much more than child's play.

By Laurie L. Dove

Researchers develop a gadget that lets winemakers hasten the fermentation process, experiment more.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

In 1915, the great physicist predicted the existence of ripples in space-time called gravitational waves. A century later, scientists finally have detected them on Earth.

By Patrick J. Kiger

People have been making (and drinking) wine for 8,000 years -- which means lots of innovations both now and in the past, from creating Champagne to quirky wine labels.

By Becky Striepe

It bends to your will, it has nifty ridges, and it allows patients and little kids alike to slurp along with everyone else. How did the flexible straw begin its days?

By Kate Kershner

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

Seven million (and counting) YouTube viewers can't be wrong. Nano quadrotors are tiny, autonomous flying machines that have the Internet buzzing.

By Chris Opfer

Bend but don't break: That's the idea behind many of these temblor-thwarting technologies. They may even allow a building's inhabitants to walk out unharmed and start picking up the pieces after the earthquake subsides.

By William Harris

Most loss of life in earthquakes comes from people being trapped inside crumbling buildings. And engineers have come up with many techniques to lessen the structural damage. But is there a way to make a building completely earthquake-proof?

By Laurie L. Dove

We humans aren't complete slaves to time. We've devised ways to pack an extra hour of sunshine into our day, thanks to daylight saving time. But who came up with this idea and why do so many people loathe it?

By William Harris, Kathryn Whitbourne & Desiree Bowie

Many people consider caviar, unfertilized sturgeon eggs, to be a delicious delicacy. But how exactly is this luxury harvested, and what is the proper way to eat it?

By Laurie L. Dove & Austin Henderson

Gravity dictates the structure of the universe, from the way cosmic bodies form to the way they orbit more massive planets or stars. Has it always played such a starring role in our cosmic history?

By Robert Lamb

Gravity is great, but if we could figure out how to selectively reduce its effects, we could cut the energy demands of travel and transportation. Don't cheaper airline tickets sound pretty good?

By Robert Lamb

As the result of a happy accident, scientists have created a sustainable paint that's lighter, longer-lasting and more cooling than traditional paint.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

The light bulb literally brightened the whole world and Thomas Edison generally gets the credit for inventing it. But did he?

By Dylan Ris & Yara Simón

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?

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.