A-Z index
Last updated: November 16, 2009.
Explain that Stuff is a collection of about 360 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!
Most read
Our top ten articles:
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!
A-Z 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:
- 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 (general introduction)
- Bicycle helmets
- Electric bicycles
- 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 capture and storage (CCS)
- 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 HSDPAworks)
- 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
- Clean coal and CCS
- Cleaning cloths, microfiber
- Climate change and global warming
- Clocks:
- Clothes, biomimetic
- Clothes washers (washing machines)
- Cloud computing
- Coffee (pod) makers
- Cogeneration
- Combine harvesters
- Combined heat and power (CHP)
- Composite materials
- 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
- Cycle helmets
D
- d3o and energy-absorbing plastics
- Data-matrix codes
- Decibel sound level meters
- Defibrillators
- Dehumidifiers
- Detectors, smoke
- Detective work and criminalinvestigation
- 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:
- Introduction
- 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
- Electrolysis
- Electrolyzers
- Electronic books (E-books)
- Electronics:
- Electron microscopes
- Electroplating
- Electrostatic smoke precipitators
- Elevators (lifts)
- Encryption
- Endoscopes
- Energy:
- Energy-absorbing plastics
- 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:
- 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
- Helmets, bicycle
- 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
- Hydrogen electrolyzers
- Hydrogen fuel cells
- 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:
- 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-cancellingheadphones
- 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
- Paper and papermaking
- Parametric loudspeakers
- Pasteurization
- Pens, digital
- Personal Water Craft (PWC)—JetSki® 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:
- Plastics (ordinary petrochemical plastics)
- Bioplastics and biodegradable plastics
- Energy-absorbing 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
