HowStuffWorks

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  • The Surprising Origins of Sudoku

    The Stuff of Genius
    2 May 2013 | 3:33 pm
    Math-based puzzles have been around for centuries, but how did modern Sudoku get its start? Tune in to learn more about Sudoku in this episode.

  • Did bank robbers really write fan mail to Henry Ford?

    CarStuff
    7 May 2013 | 2:20 pm
    Did notorious bank robbers Clyde Barrow and John Dillinger really write letters to Henry Ford, thanking him for building fast, reliable getaway cars? Join Scott and Ben as they delve into the facts behind the legend of Henry Ford’s criminal fans.

  • Why does my hard drive make that churning sound?

    BrainStuff
    20 May 2013 | 1:09 pm
    Inside the hard drive of many computers, a small arm moves across the face of the hard disk. Tune in to this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com to discover how the movement of this arm produces sound -- and why the arm must move to load files.

  • Romantic Road Trips: St. Michaels on the Chesapeake Bay

    The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
    17 May 2013 | 10:16 am
    How did this 400 year old shipbuilding and fishing town reinvent itself as a tourist haven? How can you stay overnight in a lighthouse? What’s the connection with Frederick Douglass?

  • The Andretti Curse

    CarStuff
    21 May 2013 | 11:04 am
    With numerous wins in multiple competitions, the legendary Andretti family is one of racing's most prominent dynasties -- but, also, apparently, cursed. So what is the Andretti curse, exactly? Join Scott and Ben to learn more.
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    BrainStuff

  • Why does my hard drive make that churning sound?

    20 May 2013 | 1:09 pm
    Inside the hard drive of many computers, a small arm moves across the face of the hard disk. Tune in to this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com to discover how the movement of this arm produces sound -- and why the arm must move to load files.

  • How do big city shell and three-card monte games work?

    17 May 2013 | 9:39 am
    Shell games and three-card monte games are common sights in big cities, but did you know they're scams? Marshall explains the similar principles and tricks behind these "games" -- and why you can't win them -- in this episode.

  • How is wire measured?

    15 May 2013 | 8:21 am
    In the United States, wires are measured by diameter using a standard called AWG, or American Wire Gauge. Discover how the AWG system works -- and where it came from -- in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

  • How can I make artificial snow in my backyard?

    13 May 2013 | 4:05 pm
    If you live in a cold enough climate, you can make fake snow just like they do for ski resorts. In this episode, Marshall shares two techniques for creating artificial snow in your own backyard -- and what to do if you live in a warm climate.

  • What would happen on a carousel moving at the speed of light?

    10 May 2013 | 9:31 am
    If you could spin a carousel fast enough, would time stand still for the people on the carousel? Theoretically, it's a reasonable assumption. Join Marshall Brain as he breaks down the speed of light and time in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.
 
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    The Coolest Stuff on the Planet

  • Romantic Road Trips: St. Michaels on the Chesapeake Bay

    17 May 2013 | 10:16 am
    How did this 400 year old shipbuilding and fishing town reinvent itself as a tourist haven? How can you stay overnight in a lighthouse? What’s the connection with Frederick Douglass?

  • Romantic Road Trips: Cumberland Island, Georgia

    10 May 2013 | 9:33 am
    Cumberland Island is about the size of Manhattan but has hardly any residents. How did it manage to retain its natural beauty? How did the wild horses get there? What is its connection to the family of Thomas Carnegie and to John F. Kennedy, Jr.?

  • Romantic Road Trips: The Mansions of Newport

    3 May 2013 | 1:20 pm
    Back in the Gilded Age, Newport was the hub of the summer social season for the rich and famous. People like the Vanderbilts and the Astors built some magnificent mansions which are now open to the public. Join us as we take a tour.

  • Romantic Road Trips: The Spiritual Mecca of Sedona

    26 Apr 2013 | 11:05 am
    Why do some many new-agers flock to Sedona, Arizona? What is a vortex and what does it have to do with spirituality? What are some of Sedona’s other attractions? Tune in to learn more about Sedona.

  • Romantic Road Trips: South Beach Beyond the Bacchanal

    19 Apr 2013 | 11:44 am
    Miami's South Beach is a great place to catch some rays and party to the max. But did you also know there are lots of museums, memorials and cultural activities going on? South Beach is home to the largest collection of art deco buildings in the world.
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    CarStuff

  • The Andretti Curse

    21 May 2013 | 11:04 am
    With numerous wins in multiple competitions, the legendary Andretti family is one of racing's most prominent dynasties -- but, also, apparently, cursed. So what is the Andretti curse, exactly? Join Scott and Ben to learn more.

  • How Swedish A-traktors Work

    16 May 2013 | 1:55 pm
    When is a tractor not a tractor? When it's an A-traktor, of course. Join Scott and Ben as they explore the history of these unique vehicles (and the legal loopholes that make them so popular).

  • How Formula One Works, Part 2

    14 May 2013 | 11:45 am
    Formula One is one the world's most prestigious racing events -- but where did it come from? What is this 'formula,' exactly? Join Scott and Ben as they explore the past, present and future of Formula One.

  • How Formula One Works, Part 1

    9 May 2013 | 12:57 pm
    Formula One is one the world's most prestigious racing events -- but where did it come from? What is this 'formula,' exactly? Join Scott and Ben as they explore the past, present and future of Formula One.

  • Did bank robbers really write fan mail to Henry Ford?

    7 May 2013 | 2:20 pm
    Did notorious bank robbers Clyde Barrow and John Dillinger really write letters to Henry Ford, thanking him for building fast, reliable getaway cars? Join Scott and Ben as they delve into the facts behind the legend of Henry Ford’s criminal fans.
 
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    Stuff Mom Never Told You

  • Are female politicians better for women?

    20 May 2013 | 7:46 am
    As Margaret Thatcher's legacy demonstrates, female politicians don't always support women's issues, feminism or other women in leadership. Caroline and Cristen discuss the effectiveness of female politicians, surrogate representation and more.

  • Are Chinese children more loyal to their parents?

    15 May 2013 | 9:11 am
    Are Chinese children raised with a greater sense of family loyalty than kids in the West? Join Caroline and Cristen as they discuss Eastern parenting practices, the Chinese principle of filial piety and how family devotion affects Chinese kids' success.

  • Are women less financially literate than men?

    13 May 2013 | 8:30 am
    Women tend to score much lower than men on financial literacy tests. Why? Is money management a man thing? Does financial planning pander to women? Listen in to learn more.

  • Why do we celebrate Mother’s Day?

    8 May 2013 | 11:15 am
    On Sunday, Americans will spend more than $16 billion dollars celebrating Mother’s Day. Cristen and Caroline discuss why we treat moms to brunch and flowers every second Sunday in May, and why the founder of Mother’s Day regretted how popular it became.

  • A Snapshot of Women in Photography

    6 May 2013 | 2:47 pm
    Why is photography still a male-dominated industry? Listen in to learn more about women’s roles in the history of photography, including the work of Frances Benjamin Johnston, Margaret Bourke-White, Diane Arbus and other notable female photographers.
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    The Stuff of Genius

  • Thomas Adams, Santa Anna and Chewing Gum

    16 May 2013 | 2:22 pm
    Before his Stuff of Genius struck, Thomas Adams had already lived a very interesting life -- in fact, he even spent time with the infamous Santa Anna. Tune in to learn how Thomas failed at making synthetic rubber and ended up with chewing gum.

  • Living the High Life: The Evolution of High Heels

    14 May 2013 | 1:10 pm
    Unlike many modern inventions, high heels can't be traced to a single inventor. In fact, this unique form of footware dates back into antiquity. Listen in and learn more about the evolution of high heels.

  • Adolf Fick: Envisioning the Contact Lens

    9 May 2013 | 1:17 pm
    Today, contact lenses are used by people across the world. But how did this billion-dollar industry get started? Tune in to learn how a German ophthalmologist created the Stuff of (Optical) Genius.

  • Esperanto: The L.L. Zamenhof Story

    7 May 2013 | 3:02 pm
    L.L. Zamenhof was fascinated by language from a young age. He also believed the majority of human conflict arose from miscommunication. Tune in to learn how Zamenhof used his Stuff of Genius to build a universal language.

  • The Surprising Origins of Sudoku

    2 May 2013 | 3:33 pm
    Math-based puzzles have been around for centuries, but how did modern Sudoku get its start? Tune in to learn more about Sudoku in this episode.
 
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    Stuff You Missed in History Class

  • India’s Karni Mata Rat Temple

    20 May 2013 | 8:00 am
    Though it's most famous for its rats, the story of this temple starts with Hindu goddess Durga and Karni Mata, a 15th-century mystic believed to be her incarnation. The reason for the rats in Karni Mata's temple is a combination of legend and devotion.

  • China’s Empress Dowager Cixi

    15 May 2013 | 8:51 am
    After becoming a concubine for Emperor Xianfeng at the age of 16, Cixi rose to power when he died and her young son inherited the throne. She governed China from behind a screen for more than 45 years, and eventually sealed the fate of the Qing Dynasty.

  • Cannibalism at Jamestown

    13 May 2013 | 8:38 am
    On May 1, 2013, forensic evidence confirmed what survivors had reported: Colonists at Jamestown resorted to cannibalism during the winter of 1609-1610, known as the Starving Time. But the colony of Jamestown was troubled from the start.

  • Here, Kitty Kitty: The Domestication of the Cat

    8 May 2013 | 1:35 pm
    The human culture shift to an agricultural lifestyle started the domestication of animals. Cats naturally moved in to help with rodents. Today, there are 600 million cats living with humans, and another estimated 600 million living independent of people.

  • The Hindenburg Disaster

    6 May 2013 | 2:55 pm
    The Hindenburg tragedy is one of the world’s most infamous air disasters, but the dirigible had many successful flights prior to its final voyage, including 10 round trips between Germany and the U.S. Tune in to learn more.
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    Stuff You Should Know

  • How Cicadas Work

    21 May 2013 | 1:05 pm
    Cicadas are crawling out from underground, where they have been hiding in the darkness for almost two decades. As of May 2013, they're invading the East Coast From North Carolina to New York. But why? Learn more about cicadas with Josh and Chuck.

  • How Aerosol Cans Work

    16 May 2013 | 8:24 am
    In the 87 years since they were invented aerosol cans have protected soldiers, temporarily fixed flat tires, killed a boy who used too much deodorant and had their contents banned by most countries for wrecking the ozone layer. Tune in to learn more.

  • How Electroconvulsive Therapy Works

    14 May 2013 | 12:58 pm
    With the exception of lobotomies, no other psychological treatment has a worse reputation. But thanks to some thoughtful tweaks, ECT has lately emerged from the dark ages and toward the respectable forefront of treatment for major depression.

  • How Foot Binding Worked

    9 May 2013 | 12:33 pm
    Once in a while, all the necessary factors converge to produce a peculiar nationalized sexual fetish. In China, that fetish was foot binding and over a millennia three billion Chinese women’s feet were brutally disfigured for men’s pleasure.

  • How Fair Trade Works

    7 May 2013 | 8:18 am
    The West has gotten rich off the backs of underpaid labor living elsewhere; people who are dedicated to Fair Trade feel it’s time people at a disadvantage should stop being exploited. The concept is simple – just pay workers fairly for their labor.
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    TechStuff

  • TechStuff Gets Fit

    20 May 2013 | 8:07 am
    What are fitness trackers? What sort of sensors does a typical tracker contain? Do fitness trackers really help you lose weight or get fit? Tune in to learn more.

  • TechStuff Gets Fit

    20 May 2013 | 8:07 am
    What are fitness trackers? What sort of sensors does a typical tracker contain? Do fitness trackers really help you lose weight or get fit? Tune in to learn more.

  • We Don't Need No Online Scams

    15 May 2013 | 9:14 am
    Are online universities the real deal? What about online job offers? What are the red flags of a scam? Tune in and learn more with Jonathan and Lauren.

  • The Big Deal About Little Generators

    13 May 2013 | 11:47 am
    What are nanogenerators? How do nanowires generate electricity? How could nanogenerators change electronics forever? Tune in to learn more with Jonathan and Lauren.

  • What about (Microsoft) Bob?

    8 May 2013 | 5:55 pm
    What was Microsoft Bob? What was the major security flaw in Bob? Why did Bob flop? Join Jonathan and Lauren as they explore the rise and fall of Microsoft Bob.
 
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