HowStuffWorks_Science

You might be surprised to learn that the creator of modern-day Tabasco sauce was once a banker. Yet when the Civil War wiped his fortunes away, Edmund didn't give up. He hunkered down in his garden and made the Stuff of Genius. Tune in to learn more.

Jonathan Strickland explains the process and risks of LASIK surgery, from preoperative exams, to lasers in your eyes.

What is silica gel, and why do I find little packets of it in everything I buy? Lauren explains it all in this week's episode.

Most people are already familiar with the idea of high and low tides, but where do they come from? What causes this movement and why does it occur with such regularity? Tune in as Josh demystifies the rise and fall of the sea.

Sleeping is frustrating for many of us. So why do we have to do it? Ben and Lauren review several possibilities and reveal all the bad things that can happen if you sleep too much... or not at all.

When New York's leaders contacted John Roebling for help on the Brooklyn Bridge, he was already a well-known engineer -- but was he up to the task? Tune in and learn how Roebling used his cable designs to spin the Stuff of Genius in this episode.

Nowadays milk chocolate is everywhere, but this wasn't always the case. Tune in to learn more about Daniel Peter, who took bitter cocoa tablets and -- with loads of hard work and a neighbor named Nestle -- created the Stuff of (chocolate) Genius.

As a grocer in Oklahoma, Sylvan Goldman had a hunch that he was losing business because customers only bought as much as they could carry. Check out this episode to learn how his Stuff of Genius saved his store and spread throughout the world.

Professor Joshua Silver isn't an optometrist, but his self-adjustable eyeglasses have improved the vision of people across the developing world. Tune in and learn how this Oxford physicist plans to improve the vision of a billion people by 2020.

When Chicago began planning for the World's Columbian Exhibition of 1893, the city's planners asked George Ferris to build something "original, daring, and unique." Tune in to learn more about his invention -- and why it's considered the Stuff of Genius.

If you've ever had a few too many beers at a party, then you've probably encountered the symptoms of a hangover -- the pulsing headache, dry mouth, nausea and more. But what's actually happening to you?

Astronauts left over a hundred items on the moon's surface. But are today's telescopes powerful enough to see what's there?

In this episode, Jonathan Strickland explains how bacteria spoils food and what temperature your refrigerator should be to slow their progress.

Sure, rearview mirrors are cool - but how do they actually work? How can the same piece of glass have two different amounts of reflection? Join Josh as he explains the science behind these handy devices.

At first, it sounds crazy - wouldn't hot water take longer to freeze? Weirdly enough, the opposite is true. Join Lauren to learn more about a mystery that's puzzled humanity for centuries in this episode of BrainStuff.

Ben Bowlin and guest Christian Sager take a look at the fictional history of Captain America's indestructible shield and try to figure out how it might have been forged and how aerodynamic it could be.

The U.S. tax system is notoriously complex, but where did it come from? How did it end up this way, and what sort of alternatives have people proposed? Join Ben Bowlin to learn more about the bizarre evolution of taxes.

Today, revolving doors are a common sight in large buildings across the world -- but how did they get here? This episode ... wait for it ... revolves around Theo Kannel and his astonishing Stuff of Genius.

Norman Borlaug spent most of his life fighting world hunger and led the effort to grow more productive, disease-resistant wheat strains. Learn more about The Stuff of Genius in this video podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

Christopher came from a smart family, and he was no exception to the rule. Tune in to learn how the purchase of a marina inspired this engineer to build something that's not quite a boat, and not quite a plane -- but certainly the Stuff of Genius.

Originally born in Germany, Philip Diehl immigrated to the US in 1868. Although he has several fascinating inventions to his name, the ceiling fan remains his most well-known innovation. Tune in to learn more.

Before 1830, trimming a lawn was time-consuming and difficult. At least, that is, until a fabric-shaving machine inspired Edward Budding to invent the lawnmower -- and save future landscapers from countless hours of hacking at the ground with scythes.

Cristen delves into the euphoric sensations of the autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) and reveals what triggers it and how science has responded so far.

If money is only valuable when we believe in it, how much is a BitCoin actually worth? Jonathan explains the virtual currency as well as how to mine it and the risks involved in investing.

Diesel engines need air to function, so at first glance the idea of putting them into submarines might seem ridiculous. But diesel subs are actually a widespread, time-tested technology. So how do they work? Josh explains the science behind them.