April 2010: How It Works

Features

How It Works

Our annual look inside some of the world’s most amazing machines and gadgets.

• The Next-Gen Wind Turbine By Rena Marie Pacella
• The Most Advanced R/C Car By Eric Adams
• The Deepest Drill By Rena Marie Pacella
• The Lab That Fits In Your Hand By Amber Angelle
• The Homemade Lunar Lander By Corey Binns
• The Shock Bullet By Nicole Dyer
• A Lean, Mean Nail Gun By Max Fischer
• Everyday Gadgets Exposed By Corinne Iozzio

How Time Flies

Why does time seem to slow down during a life-threatening situation? Our reporter falls 15 stories to find out. **By Steven Kotler
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The 10 Worst Jobs in Science (and the One Best!)

Armpit smellers, snot hunters, poop transplanters… By Jason Daley

Headlines

• Does Geothermal Power Cause Earthquakes?
• Rescue Workers Can Prevent Brain Damage with Icy Nasal Spray
• A Mariner’s Tool Could Help Astronauts Navigate Alien Worlds
• A Naked Engine For Cleaner Flights
• 30-Second Science: Using Scents to Restore Old Books, Fight Infestation, and Improve Behavior

What’s New

• An MP3 Player With the World’s First Translucent Screen
• Mercedes’ Weatherized Convertible Outwits the Four Seasons
• A Bicycle Suspension with Sensors Built In Automatically Adapts to Changing Terrain
• Power Players: Gaming Gear as Fast as Your Reflexes
• Timeline: Simpler Solar

How 2.0

• You Built What?! The Electronic Didgeridoo
• Build a DIY Clock that Uses Ultra-Precise Atomic Timekeeping
• Gray Matter: How to Start a Fire with Just Compressed Air
• Theme Building: More Than Meets the Eye
• Ask a Geek: What are Virtual PCs, and What Can I Do With Them?

FYI

• Should I Be Worried About Electromagnetic Pulses Destroying My Electronics?
• If I Ate Lab-Grown Human Tissue or Organs, Would I Be Considered a Cannibal?