From the world's tallest mobile crane to NASA's new escape system for the Orion crew capsule, from the meanest drill to the Army's new Blackhawk upgrades, in this episode of Cocktail Party Science, host Chuck Cage sits down with Popular Science's Sr. Associate Editor Seth Fletcher to find out How it Works.

Download the episode here, or subscribe to the iTunes feed.

Riding your bike to work? That's old school. Human powered transport options are expanding dramatically! In this episode of Cocktail Party Science, host Chuck Cage sits down with Bruce Grierson, author of Power From the People in the current issue of Popular Science magazine, taking on the concepts of negawatts, bullet bikes, and cars you can row.

Download the episode here, or subscribe to the iTunes feed.

In the newest episode of the PopSci podcast, Chuck Cage and "Shock to the System" author, Eric Hagerman discuss the new and unsettling breed of injuries plaguing recent vets.

Think battery power and regenerative braking are only for granola-eating hippies? Think again. GM was kind enough to give us a little time with their new-for-2009 (read: available in the first half of next year) Silverado hybrid. And we tried something you can’t do with a Prius: We tooled around town with three people onboard — and a 20′ SeaRay boat out back.

But is this an option for which you’ll ante up a couple grand next year? Read on past the jump for our hands-on experiences and video footage.

The next time you catch crap from your tool buddies for carrying such a gadget-geeky cell, tell them to kiss your iPhone-carrying ass. Then point them here to see how handy Apple’s finest can be in the hands of a Toolmonger. I’ve found dozens of shop-friendly uses for my phone. Launch the gallery here to see five.

On this week's podcast, host Chuck Cage leads the Invention Awards roundup. The editors and writers of the special feature join the party to discuss the seemingly-impossible tumor killing machine, the mold-breaking rocket engine, the zero-emissions motor unicycle and more.

On this week's episode of Cocktail Party Science, host Chuck Cage and articles editor Michael Moyer sit down with Mara Hvistendahl, author of "The Space Archaeologists" to find out why archeology has gone high-tech and how the future might save the past.

They're not just chock-a-block with action. This summer's biggest blockbusters are backed by some of the most advanced technology on the planet. On this week's Cocktail Party Science, Chuck Cage sits down with writer Corey Binns and editor Martha Harbison to discuss the art and science of Speed Racer and its implications for the future of film.