A-Z index
Last updated: November 6, 2009.
Explain that Stuff is a collection of about 350 completely free, easy-to-understand articles (plus something like 1700 photos and artworks), covering all kinds of cutting-edge science and technology, cool gadgets and inventions, and how things work. We try to explain things simply and clearly so you understand them completely!
A word of explanation...
Our articles are designed for a variety of readers. Each one has a colored dot next to the title showing who it's intended for:
A
short,
simple introduction, particularly suitable for young readers.
A
longer and more detailed
article, suitable for most readers.
A more academic
piece. Younger readers may find these articles too detailed and
complex.
Obviously this is a very crude system. Don't let it put you off reading anything!
List of articles
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
- Accelerometers
- Acidity (pH) meters
- Adhesives (glues)
- Advertising, do-it-yourself
- Aerosol cans
- Aerials (antennas and transmitters)
- Airbags
- Air conditioners
- Airplanes
- Airplane jet engines
- Air pollution
- Alarms, burglar/intruder
- Alarms, smoke
- Alarms, anti-shoplifting (RFID tags)
- Alcoholism and Winston Churchill
- Alloys
- Aluminum
- Amplifiers
- Ammeters
- Analog radio
- Anemometers (wind-speed meters)
- Antennas and transmitters
- Anti-static coatings
- Anti-theft security marking devices
- Arc lamps (includes xenon lamps)
- Atoms:
- Introduction
- "Atomic" (radio-controlled) clocks and watches
- Atomic energy (how nuclear power plants work)
- Autoclaves
- Automobiles, history of
- Axles and wheels
- Aztec codes (2D barcodes, data-matrix codes)
B
- Baby-monitors and intercoms
- Balances and weights
- Barcodes and barcode scanners
- Barcodes, 2D (data-matrix codes)
- Barometers (pressure measuring instruments)
- Batteries:
- Beepers (radio pagers)
- Bicycles
- Bicycles, electric
- Binoculars and field glasses
- Biofuels
- Biomimetic clothing
- Bioplastics and biodegradable plastics
- BitTorrent
- Blister plasters
- Blood-pressure monitors
- Bluetooth
- Blu-ray discs
- Boilers, gas central heating
- Books, electronic
- Brakes
- Brakes, regenerative
- Breadmaking machines
- Bricks
- Bridges
- Broadband Internet:
- Building a website
- Buildings
- Bulletproof glass
- Bullets
- Burglar alarms
- Burgundy
- Burning rainforests
C
- Calculators
- Camcorders
- Cameras and digital cameras
- Cams, web
- Candles
- Capacitors
- Capacitors (supercapacitors)
- Carbon monoxide detectors
- Carbon offsets
- Cardiac arrest treatment (defibrillators)
- Careers in science and technology
- Carburetors
- Cars:
- Catalytic converters
- CCDs (charge-coupled devices)
- CDs and DVDs
- CDs and DVDs, Blu-ray
- Cellphones (Mobile phones)
- Cellphone broadband (how HSDPA
works)
- Center of gravity
- Central heating and gas boilers
- Centrifuges
- Ceramics
- Cermets
- Charge-coupled devices (CCDs)
- Chargers, induction
- Chocolate science
- CHP cogeneration
- Chromium
- Churchill, Winston
- Circuit breakers, RCD
- Circuits, integrated
- Cleaning cloths, microfiber
- Climate change and global warming
- Clocks:
- Clothes, biomimetic
- Cloud computing
- Clothes washers (washing machines)
- Coffee (pod) makers
- Cogeneration
- Combine harvesters
- Combined heat and power (CHP)
- Composites
- Compressors and pumps
- Computers:
- Beginner's guide
- Buyer's guide
- Cloud computing
- History of computers
- How computers work
- Keyboards
- Memory (flash memory)
- Mice
- Networks
- Printers
- Computer screens, touch-sensitive
- Concrete, reinforced
- Converters, catalytic
- Cookers:
- Copiers (photocopiers)
- Copper
- Criminal investigation
- Cryptography
- Cycles
D
- Data-matrix codes
- Decibel sound level meters
- Defibrillators
- Dehumidifiers
- Detectors, smoke
- Detective work and criminal
investigation
- Detergents and soaps
- Dictation (speech recognition)
software
- Digital cameras:
- Diesel engines
- Digital pens
- Digital radio
- Diodes and light-emitting diodes (LEDs)
- Diodes, laser
- Directional loudspeakers
- Dishwashers
- Diving, scuba
- DLP® television projectors
- Dry-stone walls
- DVDs and CDs
- Dynamometers
E
- Earbud headphones
- Earthquakes
- E-books (electronic books)
- Eco-homes
- Efficiency, driving
- e-commerce
- Electricity:
- Electricity
- Electrical energy monitors
- Electric cars
- Electric bikes
- Electric hub motors
- Electric motors
- Electric showers
- Electric toasters
- Electric toothbrushes
- Electric guitars
- Electricity generators
- Electricity transformers
- Electric surge protectors
- Piezoelectricity
- Electronic books (E-books)
- Electronics
- Electron microscopes
- Electroplating
- Electrostatic smoke precipitators
- Elevators (lifts)
- Encryption
- Endoscopes
- Energy:
- Engines:
- Environment, public attitudes to
- Essays, how to write them
- Ethernet (computer networks)
- Exams, how to pass
- External sound cards
- Eyeglasses, photochromic
- Eye surgery, laser
F
- Fair trade
- Fax machines
- Fiber optics
- Field glasses and binoculars
- Filament (incandescent) lamps
- Filters, HEPA
- Fingerprint scanners
- Fire:
- Candle flames
- Fire blankets
- Fire extinguishers
- Fire fighting
- Fire hydrants
- Fire sprinklers
- Fire-retardant fabrics (Nomex®)
- Smoke detectors
- Fireworks
- Flames, candles
- Flash memory
- Flatscreen television
- Flight (airplanes)
- Flush toilets
- Flywheels (regenerative brakes)
- Foam mattresses
- Forensic science
- Fresnel lenses
- Fridges (refrigerators)
- Fuel cells
- Fuel efficiency
- Fuels, biofuels
- Fuses
- Fuses and surge protectors
G
- Galvanometers
- Gas central heating boilers
- Gases, liquids, and solids
- Gas, liquified petroleum (LPG)
- Gasoline engines
- Gas springs
- Gauges, strain
- Gears
- Geiger counters
- Geoengineering
- Generators, electricity
- Glass
- Glass, bulletproof
- Glasses, photochromic
- Global warming and climate change
- Glues (adhesives)
- Goggles, night vision
- Gold
- GORE-TEX® waterproof clothing
- GPS satellite navigation
- Gramophone
- Gravity, center of
- Green eco-homes
- Greywater
- Green energy (renewable energy)
- Griffin iMic external sound cards
- Guitars, electric
H
- Hall-effect sensors
- Halogen cooking hobs
- Happiness:
- Hard drives
- Harvesters, combine
- HDTV (high-definition television)
- Headphones:
- Hearing aids
- Heat:
- Helicopters
- HEPA filters
- History:
- Home automation and smart homes
- Home insulation
- Holograms
- Hosting web, buyer's guide
- Hot-water systems, solar
- Hovercraft
- HSDPA and mobile (cellphone)
broadband Internet
- Hub motors
- Humidity meters (hygrometers)
- HVAC air conditioners
- Hybrid and electric cars
- Hydrants, fire
- Hydraulics
- Hydrocolloidal plasters and wound
dressings
- Hydrofoils
- Hydroponics
- Hygrometers
I
- Incandescent (filament) lamps
- Induction chargers
- Induction motors (Linear motors)
- Infrared remote control
- Injection lasers (semiconductor laser diodes)
- Inkjet printers
- Insulation, heat
- Integrated circuits
- Intercoms and baby-monitors
- Interferometers
- Internet
- Internet, broadband
- Internet, wireless
- Intruder alarms
- Inverters
- Ionization smoke detectors
- Iris scanners
- Iron and steel
J
- Jackhammers/pneumatic drills
- Jet engines (airplane engines)
- Jet Ski® and Sea-Doo®
- Jobs in science and technology
K
L
- Laminates
- Lamps:
- Energy-saving fluorescent lamps
- Incandescent lamps
- Lasers
- Light-emitting diodes (LEDs)
- Neon lamps
- Strobe lights
- Xenon lamps
- Lasers:
- How lasers work
- Laser interferometers
- LASIK laser eye surgery
- Laser printers
- Semiconductor laser diodes
- Laws of motion
- Lead
- LCD television
- LEDs (light-emitting diodes)
- LEDs, organic (OLEDs) and LEPs (light-emitting polymers)
- Lenses:
- Lenticular printing
- LEPs (light-emitting polymers)
- Lifts
- Light
- Light-emitting diodes (LEDs)
- Lights:
- Energy-saving fluorescent lamps
- Incandescent lamps
- Lasers
- Light-emitting diodes (LEDs)
- Neon lamps
- Organic (OLEDs) and LEPs (light-emitting polymers)
- Strobe lights
- Xenon lamps
- Linear motors (induction motors)
- Linux (computer operating system)
- Liquids, solids, and gases
- Liquid-crystal displays (LCD televisions)
- Lithium-ion batteries
- LPG (liquified petroleum gas)
- Locks
- Locomotives, steam
- Logic gates
- Loudspeakers
- Loudspeakers, directional/parametric
- LP records and cassette tapes:
converting to MP3 files
- LP record players
- Lubricants
- Luminescence
M
- Machines, simple
- Magnetism
- Magnetrons
- Matter, states of
- Mattresses, visco-elastic (memory-foam)
- Media players (streaming media)
- Memory chips, flash
- Memory-foam mattresses
- Metals:
- Metal detectors
- Meters, moving-coil
- Microfiber cleaning cloths
- Microphones
- Microscopes, optical
- Microscopes, electron
- Microwave ovens
- Micro-wind turbines
- Milk pasteurization
- Mirrors
- Misters and aerosol cans
- Mobile phones
- Modems
- Molecular beam epitaxy
- Molecular manufacturing
(nanotechnology)
- Motion
- Motors:
- Mouse, computer
- Moving-coil meters
- MP3 players
- Musical instruments:
N
- Nabaztag Wi-Fi rabbits
- Nanotechnology
- Navigation, satellite
- Neon lamps
- Neoprene wetsuits
- Networks, computer
- Nickel
- Newton's laws of motion
- Night vision goggles
- Noise-cancelling
headphones
- Noise-reduction (soundproofing)
- Nomex®
- Nonstick cooking pans(Teflon® and PTFE)
- Nuclear power:
O
- Obesity and orson Welles
- Ohmmeters
- Office photocopiers
- OLPC: One laptop per child
- Optical fibers
- Optical scanners
- Optical smoke detectors
- Organic food and farming
- Organic LEDs and LEPs (light-emitting polymers)
- Orson Welles and obesity
- Oscilloscopes
- Outboard motors
P
- Padlocks
- Paint
- Pagers
- Parametric loudspeakers
- Pasteurization
- Pens, digital
- Personal Water Craft (PWC)—Jet
Ski® and Sea-Doo®
- pH meters
- Phones (Cellphones/cellular
phones/mobile phones)
- Phones (landlines)
- Phonograph
- Phosphorescence
- Photochromic lenses
- Photocopiers
- Photovoltaic (PV) cells
- Pianos
- Piezoelectricity
- Planes (how they fly)
- Plasma flatscreen televisions
- Plasters, hydrocolloidal
- Plastics:
- Platinum
- Pneumatic drills/jackhammers
- Pocket calculators
- Pod coffee makers
- Point-of-sale scanners, barcode
- Pollution:
- Power plants (power stations)
- Power plants, CHP cogeneration
- Power, solar electric
- Power, solar thermal
- Pressure cookers
- Pressure washers
- Printers, inkjet
- Printers, laser
- Printing, lenticular
- Probes, Hall-effect
- Projection television
- Projection television, DLP®
- Protective materials
- Pulleys
- Pumps and compressors
- Pyranometers
- Pyrometers
Q
R
- Radar
- Radiation detectors (Geiger counters)
- Radio:
- Rainforests
- RCD circuit breakers
- Rechargeable batteries
- Record players
- Recycling
- Reed switches
- Refrigerators
- Regenerative brakes
- Relays
- Remote control
- Renewable energy
- Residual-current device (RCD) circuit breakers
- Resistors
- RFID tags
- Rivers
- Robots
- Rockets (space)
- Rollercoasters
- RSS
- Rubber
S
- Satellite navigation, GPS
- Satellites
- Saving fuel and energy
- Science of buildings
- Scanners:
- Science of chocolate
- Science of happiness
- Scuba diving
- Sea-Doo® and Jet Ski®
- Security marking
- Semiconductors (integrated circuits)
- Semiconductor laser diodes
- Seismometers and seismographs (covered under Earthquakes)
- Sensors, Hall-effect
- Showers, electric
- Silver
- Simple machines
- Smart homes
- Smoke detectors
- Smoke scrubbers, electrostatic
- Soaps and detergents
- Solar cells and solar-electric panels
- Solar hot-water panels
- Soldering and welding
- Solids, liquids, and gases
- Sound:
- Space rockets
- Space Shuttle
- Space telescopes
- Spam—how to block it
- Speech recognition software
- Speedometers
- Sphygmomanometers (blood-pressure meters/monitors)
- Split-testing websites
- Springs
- Springs, gas
- States of matter
- Static, anti-static-electricity coatings
- Steam engines
- Steel and concrete (reinforced concrete)
- Steel and iron
- Sterilizing with autoclaves
- Stone (dry-stone) walls
- Strain gauges
- Streaming media
- Strobe lights
- Submarines
- Subway stations
- Suicide in young people
- Sunglasses, photochromic
- Sunscreen
- Supercapacitors
- Superconductors
- Surfing
- Surge protectors
- Surgery, laser eye
- Switches, reed
- Synthesizers
T
- Tapes, magnetic, and LP records:
converting to MP3 files
- Teflon® and PTFE nonstick cooking
pans
- Telescopes in space
- Telephones
- Television
- Television (general principles and
cathode-ray tube TVs)
- DLP® television projectors
- LCD televisions
- HDTV (high-definition television)
- Plasma televisions
- Projection televisions
- Thermal insulation
- Thermocouples
- Thermometers
- Thermometers, infrared (pyrometers)
- Thermostats
- Thermos® flasks
- Thin-film deposition, molecular beam epitaxy
- Tin
- Titanium
- Toasters
- Toilets
- Tools and machines
- Toothbrushes, electric
- Touchscreens
- Transformers (electricity)
- Transistors
- Transmitters and antennas
- Trash recycling
- Tungsten
- Tunnels
- Turbines
- Turbines, wind
- Turbines, micro-wind
- TV remote control
- Typewriters
U
V
- Vacuum cleaners
- Vacuum flasks
- Valves
- Vehicles, electric
- Virtual reality
- Visco-elastic, memory-foam mattresses
- Vision, night
- Voice recognition software
- Voltmeters
- Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing (VSTOL) aircraft
W
- Walls:
- Washing machines:
- Waste recycling
- Watches and clocks (quartz)
- Watches and clocks, radio-controlled
- Water
- Waterproof GORE-TEX® clothing
- Water pollution
- Water filters
- Weather stations
- Webcams
- Websites:
- Weights and balances
- Welding and soldering
- Wetsuits
- Wind-speed meters (anemometers)
- Wheels and axles
- Wi-Fi rabbits, Nabaztag
- Wind tunnels
- Wind turbines
- Wind turbines (micro)
- Winston Churchill
- Wireless Internet
- Wireless remote control
- World Wide Web (WWW)
- Wound dressings, hydrocolloidal
