Showing titles in How Things Work

If you’re looking for a great invention, look no further than your bathroom or kitchen! Did you know that the first flushing toilet was invented four thousand years ago? Or that a melted chocolate bar sparked the discovery of the microwave? Learn about these great inventions and more!

Auto racing is all about aerodynamics. Racecars use two different forces, lift and drag, to fly around the track. Find out how the cars use these forces, and then “fly” your own racecar with a fun experiment!

In medicine, machines can be used to take detailed pictures of bones and even to save people’s lives. Listen to learn about the marvelous machines of modern medicine, like the defibrillator, the x-ray machine, and more!

Have you ever wondered how tall and long bridges are built? Learn about three different bridges and try the activities to learn about how strong bridges, like the Golden Gate Bridge, are made.

Gears are simple machines that can make up an even bigger machine, like a robot or a clock! Listen to learn about how gears make work easier.

¿Cómo funciona el airbag? ¿Por qué lloramos cuando cortamos cebollas? ¿Qué tienen de especial las telas deportivas? Acompaña a Silvana y Marina en su "día a pura química" y descubre esta disciplina apasionante.

Este libro tiene como objetivo la divulgación científica de forma comprensible para cualquier persona, independientemente de su formación previa. Está especialmente pensado para niños y jóvenes de edades comprendidas entre los 10 y 16 años y recoge un amplio espectro de temas de interés, como son la Tierra, el cuerpo humano, la biología, la física y química, la tecnología o las matemáticas.

See how the science of physics is utilized not only in the kitchen, but also around the house on a daily basis. Simple machines are everywhere! From brooms and rolling pins to lightbulbs and window blinds, basic everyday kitchen items transform into scientific concepts such as screws, levers, ramps, and wedges!

A bicycle is a fun and efficient way to get from one place to another. But have you ever wondered what parts make up a bike? Some bikes have hand lever brakes while others do not. Riders with more experience usually set their seats a bit higher than those with less experience.

Do your shoes fasten with Velcro straps? Have you ever wondered where this strange invention comes from? Sometimes nature provides excellent inspiration for new solutions! Plant burs stuck in his dog's fur gave Swiss engineer George de Mestral a good idea.

Did you know hot air balloons were dreamed up by a French boy in the 1700s? Joseph Montgolfier devoted his life to experiments that he hoped would allow him to fly. With the help of his little brother, his invention allowed humans to fly for the first time in history!

Have you ever wondered how the Hoover Dam was built? Follow along as the Colorado River itself tells you its story! A lot of work went into the construction of this giant dam, but it was worth it—we now have Lake Mead and a way of converting the river’s energy into electricity!

Kaboom! Find out how explosions are used to demolish large buildings. Demolition experts say it's the safest way. Learn why!

Tugboats are tiny boats that fill a big role. Kids will discover how tugboat push and pull larger boats, like barges, through narrow waterways. Using a thick, strong rope, the tugboat guides big cargo boats through the harbor by helping to turn them.

Ever wonder why a smoke alarm goes off? A battery, siren, and metal can work together to detect smoke and sound the alarm when catching a whiff of smoke.

Follow the construction workers as they move from the ground up to build a skyscraper.

Have you ever wondered how fireworks work? This article gives you information about how these spectacular shows are created.

A bioengineer at Tel Aviv University in Israel explains how to extract renewable energy from a potato.

Mad about marvellous vehicles? Hit the road with writer and broadcaster James May to discover incredible human-powered vehicles – from bicycles and submarines to amphibious vehicles and even a helicopter.

In January 1776, George Washington had a problem: the British army controlled the city of Boston. The colonial army needed to force the British to leave. But how? Washington had a solution: ask his engineer Rufus Putnam to solve the problem. They needed to take control of the high ground, Dorchester Heights, just south of Boston. They could place cannons there to bombard the British army.