HowStuffWorks NOW
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
Why We're Not Sex Zombies, Wednesday's Pronunciation, and British Lawyers' Wigs
31 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Since sexual contact can transmit disease, why don't any diseases increase our sex drive? Why is Wednesday pronounced differently than it's spelled? W...
Reheated Coffee, More Comfortable Mammograms, and the Chemist Who Created Home Ec
23 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
There's science behind why reheated coffee is terrible. In the incredible future, we may have better ways to mammogram. Plus, the woman who founded ho...
Missing Limbs, Naked Mole Rats, and a Blood-Red Waterfall
16 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Research into missing limbs indicates that our brains control function differently than we thought. Underground mole rats can live without oxygen. Plu...
Gender Bias in the Supreme Court, Stair Climbing vs. Caffeine, and Teens Are OK, Really
09 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Female Supreme Court justices get interrupted three times as often as male justices. Climbing stairs may be as effective as caffeine at perking you up...
Cannibalism Nutrition, a Border Wall Hyperloop, and the FBI's Facial Recognition
01 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Are humans nutritous enough to make cannibalism feasible? Could Trump's proposed border wall be improved with a Hyperloop?. Plus: Should the FBI be ab...
Thought Experiment: Transhumanism and Space Exploration
25 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Humans are ill-suited to the rigors of space, but augmenting ourselves with technology may create opportunities to explore and colonize worlds beyond ...
A U.S. Space Force, Why the Weather's Getting Stuck, and Maple Syrup Medicine
18 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Is it time for the United States to have a military Space Force? Weather patterns are getting stuck in place - climate change is to blame. Plus, resea...
Scattering Ashes, Circular Airport Runways, and the TSA's Power Over Electronics
10 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Is scattering ashes technically littering? Will circular runways be the future of airports? Can the TSA search the data in your electronic devices? In...
Bird Poop Politics, Double Pregnancies, and How 'Citizens' Became 'Consumers'
03 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Bird excrement was once so valuable to farmers that the U.S. government tried to claim all of it. It's possible to get pregnant a second time when you...
The Psychology of Picky Eating, the Secret Service's Services, and a Self-Driving Car Kit
27 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers are working to improve the lives of adult picky eaters. We break down who the Secret Service protects, and at what costs to taxpayers. Plu...
What Happens When You Swallow a Leech?
20 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Although cases are rare, a non-zero number of patients have gone to doctors with a leech stuck in their throat over the years. In this special episode...
Stealing Sand, Communicating via Poop, and Clinical Trial Participation
13 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
and is in such high demand that tons of it are being stolen from beaches. White rhinos use middens as a complex communal message board. Plus, clinical...
Hallucinogenic Honey, Squid Brains, and Why Hot Food Is So Satisfying
06 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Ancient armies sometimes used hallucinogenic honey as a bioweapon. New research shows how different squid brains are from human brains. Plus, we break...
Face Punching Legality, Misophonia, and Ties Between Honesty and Profanity
28 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Morality aside, is it ever legal to punch someone in the face? Unrelated: Researchers have identified the brain bits responsible for finding certain s...
The Danger Episode: Solar Flares, Cosmic Rays, and App Terms of Service
21 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Solar flares may be responsible for deadly whale beachings. New research clarifies cosmic radiation exposure for frequent fliers. Plus, purposefully c...
Virgin Shark Births, Weighted Anxiety Blankets, and a Border Wall's Impact on Wildlife
14 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A zebra shark has given birth to viable babies without a mate. Weighted blankets may help people battle anxiety and insomnia. Plus: How much damage wo...
The Blood of the Young, Crustacean Bioweapons, and Our Oldest Ancestor
06 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A proposed anti-aging treatment transfuses young people's plasma into old people's blood. A species of boxer crab clones and carries sea anemones as w...
Tornadoes Demystified, Global Medicine, and Why the President's First 100 Days Matter
31 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tornadoes' centers leave you cold and breathless; now we know how. Underuse and overuse of particular medical treatments is a global problem. Plus, th...
Wonder Woman's Creator, School Suspensions' Effects, and Charging in Airplane Mode
23 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Wonder Woman's iconic themes of truth, matriarchy, and bondage reflect on her fascinating creator. Schools are suspending more students than ever, wit...
Gun Violence Contagion, Pregnancy Brain, and Dirty Towels
17 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Research indicates that gun violence is contagious like a disease. Pregnancy causes measurable changes in the brain. Plus, science tells us how freque...
Lunar Lava Caves, Letting Kids Lose, and Air-Seat Shrinkage
09 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Future moon settlers could live in caves carved by ancient lunar lava flows. Letting kids lose games can actually help them in the long run. Plus, you...
Asparagus Pee Science, Tardigrades' Weird Mating Habits, and Criminal Software
02 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
You have some specific genes to thank if you can smell asparagus in urine. Tardigrades were finally observed mating and it's suitably strange. Plus, a...
The Bees of the Sea, Tasting Garlic Via Skin, and Probing Alpha Centauri
26 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Tiny invertebrates pollinate underwater flowers like bees. Fun party trick: How to taste garlic through your feet. Plus, Stephen Hawking is helping se...
When Christmas Was Illegal, and Why 2016 Will Be One Second Longer
19 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
christmas, puritans, history, culture, holidays, celebration, 2016, leap second, timekeeping, new years eve, time Learn more about your ad-choices at...
Space Poop, Contact Congress and Elf on the Shelf
12 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How can we better deal with waste in space? Should we rise up against the panopticonic Elf on the Shelf? Plus: Is the internet actually an effective w...
Conversational Eye Contact, Presidential Housing, and Samoan Solar Energy
05 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers may have pinpointed why it's hard to maintain eye contact while we speak. If Trump declined to live in the White House, it would be unprec...
A Hot Tub of Despair, Fast Bats, and Teen Tech Creators
28 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A warm, salty area deep in the Gulf of Mexico kills everything it touches. Bats can fly faster than anyone thought, beating out even the fastest birds...
Whether California Could Secede, Spotify's Destructive Bug, and Ambient Music Therapy
21 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Increasingly, Californians are considering a campaign to secede from the union. An error in Spotify's desktop app could damage your computer -- update...
A Sweating Robot, the Best Way to Merge, and What Your Phone Battery Wants
14 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A new humanoid robot keeps its components cool by sweating, just like you and me. Drivers who wait until the last second to merge are scientifically c...
History’s Worst Coffee, Learning Without Concentrating, and Why America Votes on Tuesdays
07 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Demand for coffee during the American Civil War lead to a noxious innovation. Haptic feedback may let you learn certain skills without concentrating. ...
Robots that Live in Your Clothes, the Life of Jack Chick, and the Smell of Water
31 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In the future, tiny personal-assistant robots may crawl all over your clothing. We look back at the life of the infamous evangelical cartoonist Jack C...
A Weird Keystone Species, Julian Assange's Internet Access, and a Vicious Facebook Cycle
24 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The spiny, egg-laying echidna has been identified as one of Australia's keystone species. The Ecuadorian embassy that harbors Wikileaks' founder has c...
A Driver with Quadriplegia, A Chair to Help You Wait, and Who The Joneses Were, Anyway
17 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The first semi-autonomous driver's license now belongs to a man with quadriplegia. Autonomous driving tech has also brought us self-driving chairs for...
What Your Walk Says, How Horses Communicate, and Whether Airbag Helmets Are Safer
10 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The way you walk can predict your personality and behavior. Horses can be taught to communicate using symbols. Plus, the advantages (and disadvantages...
A Secret Nuclear Base, A Rosetta Retrospective, and A Petition for Saudi Women’s Rights
03 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Global warming may reveal a secret U.S. nuclear base buried under Greenland’s icecap. Now that the Rosetta spacecraft is offline, we take a look bac...
Outlawing Sarcasm, an Antikythera Skeleton, and a Falling Space Station
27 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
North Korean authorities are attempting to ban some types of sarcastic speech. A set of human remains was found at the site of the Antikythera Mechani...
Your Cat Is Bored, Robots Will Eliminate Jobs, and China Has Ancient Superhero Myths
19 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Indoor cats are healthier (and less likely to be jerks) when you let them hunt. Market research predicts that robots will take 6 percent of U.S. jobs ...
Cuttlefish Can Count, Catfish Catch Mice, and China Wants a Sea Lab
12 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It seems that cuttlefish have the number sense to rival human babies. Some catfish have added small land mammals to their diets. Plus, China is lookin...
Spiders Overshare, Women’s Autism Is Underdiagnosed, and Earth’s in a New Epoch
05 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Some spiders live in colonies with thousands of neighbors and share themselves to death. Autism in women is often misunderstood and undiagnosed, but n...
A Squishy Octobot, A Legal Heroin Safe House, and MS Excel vs. Genetics
29 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The first completely soft-bodied robot is an octopus. Seattle plans to experiment with lowering heroin risks by providing safe drug houses. Plus, a de...
Venus May Have Been Habitable, Chemtrail Theories Are Bunk, and Dogs Love Us More Than Food
22 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Just 715 million years ago, Venus might have supported life as we know it. According to atmospheric chemistry experts, fringe theories about chemtrail...
Vigilante Humpback Whales, Parasitic Guinea Worms, and Your Musical Personality
15 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Humpback whales save other sea creatures from orca attacks. The parasitic Guinea worm, faced with extinction, has jumped from human hosts to a new spe...
Geology Confirms a Myth, Private Industry Shoots for the Moon, and Ontario Plans to Give Away Money
08 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Geological evidence may prove that a legendary flood really happened in ancient China. A private company now has permission to land on the Moon. Plus,...
Crash-Proof Humans, GMO Mosquitoes, and CEO Pay vs. Stock Performance
01 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers created a (hypothetical) human body evolved to withstand car crashes. Genetically modified mosquitoes could save millions of lives. Plus, ...
Lab-Grown Human Leather, Minesweeping Drones, and Acoustic LEGOs
25 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
An artist proposes making human-leather fashion grown from Alexander McQueen’s DNA, raising genetic ownership questions. Drones might dismantle land...
Bread Materials Science, Painted Cow Rumps, and Police Violence Rates
18 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers are making aerospace insulation out of bread. Saving both cows and lions from harm may be as simple as painting eyes on the cows’ rumps....
Transhumanism, Tesla’s Car Accident, and Your Brain on Weed
11 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. has a Transhumanist Party presidential candidate: What IS transhumanism? A car accident is raising questions about the safety and responsibil...
Chatbot Fixes Tickets, Moving Hurts Kids, and Man Marries Smartphone
04 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A chatbot has helped people save $4 million in unfair parking tickets. A comprehensive study linked moving during adolescence to adverse life outcomes...
Shocking Chocolate, Flowing Shampoo, and Illegal Evidence
27 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Applying an electric charge to chocolate makes it flow easier and removes fat. New research may end the eternal struggle to get that last bit of shamp...
Black Market Avocados, Exercise-Enhanced Memory, and a Heat-Powered Polymer
20 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A crime wave in New Zealand is targeting avocados. Exercise a few hours after studying may enhance memory recall. Plus, heating this polymer to human ...
Cancer-Killing Vaccines, Light Linked to Obesity, and Digital Can't Kill Print Comics
13 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A vaccine that destroys tumors is being tested in cancer patients. Exposure to artificial lighting has been linked to childhood obesity. Plus, comics ...
King Tut’s Space Dagger, Nukes Controlled by 8-inch Floppies, and Heavy Industry in Orbit
06 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The blade of one of King Tutankhamun’s ceremonial daggers came from outer space. The U.S. Department of Defense’s nuclear weapons systems run on 5...
Depressed Fish, Nile Crocs in Florida, and Robots Versus Minimum Wage
30 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Some farmed salmon may be deeply depressed. Nile crocodiles have been found thriving in Florida. Plus, a former fast food CEO says that raising the U....
Edible Electronics, Penis Transplants, and Your Right to Internet Access
23 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A food-based supercapacitor could make medical diagnoses easier (and cheesier). The world’s second-ever penis transplant is a success. Plus, dead fi...
Bacteria’s Vision, Netflix Viewers’ Ad Savings, and Your Sleeping Brain’s Watchdog
16 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Some bacteria can see by using their bodies like a camera lens to focus light. Netflix subscribers may be saving themselves from seeing over 6 days’...
Star Wars Drone Security, VR Therapy, and Shocking Bad Habits
09 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Disney may be using a fleet of drones to protect "Star Wars" sets from spies. Virtual reality is proving a hugely successful therapeutic tool for trea...
Textalyzer, Future of Oil, Musk to Mars
02 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
New 'textalyzer' tech aims to catch distracted drivers and Saudi Arabia will attempt to lessen its addiction to oil. Plus, Elon Musk steers Dragon 2 t...
Chernobyl’s Wildlife, “Game of Thrones” Deaths, and Hydras’ Wound Mouths
25 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A computer might have just predicted who will survive in “Game of Thrones.” Researchers have figured out how tiny, mouthless hydras use wounds to ...
Microbots, Babies’ Trust, and Lead Contamination
25 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Tiny, reusable robots could help remove lead from our water supply, and we explain why lead contamination is happening in the first place. Plus, very ...