HowStuffWorks_Science

Although the keys on the original typewriter keyboard were alphabetized, consumers quickly realized the swift taps of typists would inevitably jam the machine. Learn how Christopher Sholes saved the keyboard in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

When Philo Farnsworth was just 14 years old, he had an epiphany that changed his life -- and ours. Tune in and learn how this former sharecropper created the modern television in The Stuff of Genius, a video podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

You've probably seen it in every science classroom you've been in, but what's the story behind the Periodic Table of Elements? Find out in today's Stuff of Genius!

Before Douglas Engelbart invented the mouse, computers received input through typed commands -- but that all changed once this handy pointer hit the scene. Learn more about the Engelbart's Stuff of Genius in this video podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

While nuclear energy has not become the dominant form of energy in the world today, it is still a viable option. See how the process works.

When the German aristocrat Ferdinand Zeppelin traveled to the U.S. during the Civil War, an unexpected encounter with Thaddeus S.C. Lowe's aviation experiments changed his life. Tune in to learn more about the rise and fall of the Zeppelin airship.

Derived from tree sap, the rubber used to make rubber bands is fascinating. See how rubber bands came to be in this episode.

Once we exhausted the ability to magnify objects through the use of light and lenses, we had to look for a new method. We wanted to go smaller. Enter the electron microscope.

While working at the Artificial Organ Institute, William Dobelle came up with the idea for the artificial eye, a device that could potentially bring sight to millions. But what exactly is it and how does it work?

Nowadays it seems that every doctor has a stethoscope. But who invented this nifty device, and how? Tune in to learn more.

Stuff of Genius: Dietrich Nikolaus Winkel: Metronome

Today vacuum cleaners are a commonplace sight in homes and businesses across the planet -- but where do they come from, exactly? Tune in to learn more.

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.

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 contact lenses.

Why did women start wearing high heels? Learn more about the evolution of high heels in this video from Stuff of Genius.

Who invented chewing gum? Learn how this inventor failed at making synthetic rubber and ended up with chewing gum.

How did the walkie-talkie lead to the invention of the cell phone? Learn about the evolution of the walkie-talkie in this video from Stuff of Genius.

Before Bartolomeo Cristofori began tinkering with musical instruments for Ferdinando de Medici, no one had heard of a piano. Tune in to learn how Cristofori's Stuff of Genius changed music -- and history -- in this episode.

John Walson couldn't sell many television sets in Mahanoy City -- the reception was terrible, and no one wanted a television that couldn't pick up any channels. Tune in to learn how John fixed the problem and invented cable TV in the process.

Plastic is a ubiquitous and incredibly useful invention, but it has some serious downsides. But what if plastics were biodegradable? Tune in to learn more about the evolution and advantages of bioplastics.

We've all heard the expression 'the best thing since sliced bread,' but did someone actually invent slicing bread? Tune in to learn how Otto Rohwedder made the world's first bread-slicing machine in this episode.

Nowadays zippers are everywhere -- they're faster than buttons, convenient and reliable. But where did they come from? Tune in and learn more about Whitcomb Judson's stuff of genius in this episode.

Modern TV viewers use remote controls to channel surf from the comfort of their seat -- but it wasn't always this easy. Learn more about the convenience -- and consequence -- of Robert Adler's Stuff of Genius in this video podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

Nowadays, canned food is everywhere -- but how did this industry begin? Tune in to learn how Nicholas Appert discovered the principles used in canning food -- and why we have Napoleon to thank for this Stuff of Genius.

Nowadays it's easy to take the calendar for granted -- nations across the world have agreed that (for business purposes) each year is twelve months long. But how did we get this calendar in the first place? Tune in and find out.