Today's Tidbit: The Reason Why Women Buy Anti-Aging Creams and Face Lifts
Roughly five million years ago, humans split off from chimpanzees, who had in turn split off from gorillas five million years earlier.
Heat Retention Search Results
How To: DIY Rocket Propellant! How to Cook Solid Rocket Fuels Using Common Household Ingredients
Cooking isn't something that interests me much, unless it results in a fast burning fuel and a successful rocket launch!
How To: Make Your Own Glowing Green Fluorescein (Fluorescent Dye)
Fluorescent dye can be a great addition for decorating around the house for Halloween, especially for a haunted one. Creating your own fluorescent dye is a simple experiment, as long as you've got the proper chemicals and safety gear. Nurd Rage details the chemical process of creating your own fluorescein below.
Today's Tidbit: Sea Otters Help Us Fight Global Warming
Sea otters are the largest members of the weasel family. When people started hunting sea otters for their fur, their population fell from roughly 225,000 to about 1,500, until the International Fur Seal Treaty took effect in 1911. Since the international ban on otter hunting, the population has rebounded back to roughly 107,000.
How To: Make Your Own Halloween Masks by Modding Your Shop Vac into a Vacuum Forming Machine
You may have never heard of vacuum forming, but you use products made with the technique all the time. The lid on your coffee cup, the plastic bowls you used at last week's barbeque, and the blister packs your prescriptions come in are all made with a vacuum forming machine.
How To: Melt Metal with a Modified Microwave Oven Transformer
In a previous project, I showed how to build an electrical Jacob's ladder using an old microwave oven transformer (MOT). In this project, I modified the secondary coil on the MOT, which converts it from a high voltage/low current device into a low voltage/high current metal melter!
Meet the Steam Ant: A Steampunk-Inspired Hexapod Robot That's Actually Powered by Steam!
So you've made a somersaulting robot, one that delivers your beer, and even a robot you can ride, but you want to try out something really different. Why not add a steam engine?
How To: There's Metal Hiding in Your Pepto-Bismol and Here's How You Extract It
Got an upset stomach or a little heartburn? America's favorite pink pill will cure it right up. But did you know that there's actually metal hiding in those chewable Pepto-Bismol tablets? Yes, metal. Technically, it's a poor metal, but metal's metal, right? Well, we do tend to eat a lot of iron in our diets, because it carries oxygen throughout our bodies, so consuming metallic minerals isn't anything abnormal. But you'd never think that Pepto-Bismol is actually made up of metal.
News: This Chinese "Noah's Ark" Can Survive Earthquakes, Fire, 350-Ton Impacts—Even the Zombie Apocalypse!
No one likes to think about the possibility of natural disasters, but we all know they could happen at any time. Some of us are a little more paranoid than others, but wouldn't it be nice to know that you'd be protected if anything really crazy ever happened? Like the zombie apocalypse?
How To: Hack Your Spray Bottles to Spray at Any Angle—Even Upside Down!
There's nothing more annoying than that last little bit of Windex that won't come. Most spray bottles are horribly designed, with the suction tube usually the culprit, but you can replace it and have a spray bottle that works in any position in about five minutes.
News: This Levitating Light Bulb Defies Gravity (And Ditches Unsightly Power Cords)
Helping to prove that science is way awesome, an 18-year old electrical engineering student has successfully made a light bulb float. His name is Chris Rieger, and he's been working on his "LevLight" project for about six months now, with pretty amazing results. This feat of ingenuity was accomplished by using magnetic levitation, although that over-simplification masks how considerably difficult this undertaking was.
How To: Cook Korean style breaded cod filets (Jeon)
Forget the takeout food tonight, watch this how to video and learn how to cook a delicious Korean cod fish recipe. Make a cook "Jeon," a traditional Korean food breaded with flour and eggs. There are many kinds of Jeon, but this one is made with cod fish.
How To: Boil eggs
Boiling eggs isn’t as simple as boiling water but it almost is. This videos shows you how to use a nifty little egg boiling device that seems to quickly steam the eggs when put in the microwave. This is a handy kitchen counter top tool.
How To: Turn pennies into silver and gold coins with zinc
One of the most famous and repeated chemistry experiments involves money. Some would say this is more of a trick than an experiment, but you can be the judge of that. No one can just turn pennies into silver or gold coins, but someone with a few chemicals can. So, if you want to cooler cents in your pocket, try out this chemistry trick yourself. Nurd Rage (Dr. Lithium) shows you how to turn pennies into silver and gold coins using zinc.
How To: Make a simple cheese and onion pie
In this edition of Titli's Busy Kitchen, Titli Nihaan shows us how to make a cheese and onion pie. This is a great comfort food and it's really quick and easy to make. Here's what you'll need: 400 grams sliced onions, 400 grams grated cheese, 500 grams of pastry (we're using ready-made pastry), and 2 eggs. Put the onions in a pot and add just enough water to cover them. Bring that to a boil. When it comes to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer gently for 10 minutes. This softens the onions ...
How To: Wax and scrape your snowboard
In this video by 585 Productions, Jake teaches you how to wax and scrape your snowboard. You will need an iron, a plastic, scraper, and a Scotch-Brite pad. Before you begin, loosen the bindings because heating the board with the screws tight can warp the base. First take the Scotch-Brite pad and wipe down the entire board in order to get all the grime, dirt, and old wax off of it. Next, using an iron that has temperature control, set it to get hot enough to melt the wax, but not so hot that t...
How To: Make Southern cornbread-sage dressing with Betty
No Southern Thanksgiving is complete without cornbread dressing! In this tutorial, Betty shows us the famous Southern cornbread-sage dressing that has turned her into her family's designated 'dressing-maker' every year! This delicious gravy can be spread over turkey, veggies, potatoes or even used as a dip! However you choose to serve it, you will definitely love this delicious recipe! Enjoy!
How To: Make oven-baked tomato macaroni and cheese with Betty
Maybe you get bored with plain old mac & cheese once in a while. Why not spice it up with a bit of an Italian flair? Betty adds a hint of tomato to your traditional family dish; try it out! You won't be disappointed.
How To: Make easy Southern spaghetti with homemade meat sauce
Have a big family dinner and not much time to prepare for it? Betty shows us how to make a traditional spaghetti dish with a Southern flair that is incredibly easy and equally tasty. You will impress your guests and they will think you slaved all day, when you really cooked it in less than an hour!
How To: Cook braised lamb shanks
Lamb shanks are very easy to cook. Take 6 lamb shanks and put them in a bowl. Put some olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme on them. Make sure you coat every shank with the seasoning as you turn the shank in the bowl several times. Put them in the oven for 30 minutes at 450 degrees. While the lamb shanks are cooking. Use a saucepan on medium to medium-high setting and heat 2 tablespoons of butter in it. Put some diced celery, carrots, and onions into the pan and saute them in the butt...
How To: Build a barrel rocket stove
A rocket stove is a "rocket" combustion approach to preparing meals, which provides high combustion efficiency and efficient heat transfer to the cooking pot. Research suggests (through practical experience) that by using a rocket stove, you could save at least 50% of fuelwood, which is a significant savings for anyone's financial situation.
How To: Make a Mermaid Tail Costume
Make your underwater dreams come true by turning yourself into a bona fide swimming mermaid. If mermaids did exist, you would be the perfect candidate to transform into the mythical creature. So check out this video tutorial form Little Orca to learn how to make your own mermaid tail costume.
How To: Make TCPO (for making glow sticks)
How to make TCPO or bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl) oxalate, used in glow stick reactions. WARNING: This procedure should only be performed by, or under the direct supervision of, an experienced chemist. Please refer to the material safety data sheets of all chemicals for their hazards. Synthesis must be performed in a fumehood.
How To: Clean the mass air flow sensor in a Toyota FJ Cruiser
Watch this automotive video tutorial to see how to clean the mass air flow sensor in a Toyota FJ Cruiser. These detailed instructions will show you exactly how to remove and clean the MAF (mass air flow) sensor in the FJ Crusier, to ensure that your engine runs at peak performance.
How To: Remove and Install Tires on a Remote-Controlled Car
If you call yourself a hobbyist or a kid at heart, you know that remote-controlled vehicles are more than just fun. If you're a serious R/C man, you'll know all about doing everything to your model truck or car, like fixing wheels, vamping the pinion gears, waterproofing, troubleshooting, electronic diagnostics, setting up, programming, and finally... racing. As much as you know about these remote-controlled vehicles, it will never be enough; you'll always be looking for more...
How To: Make corn tortillas with a tortilla press
In this tutorial, we learn how to make tortillas with a tortilla press. First, you will need masa, which is corn flour with lime juice in it. Pour out some masa into a bowl, then add in warm water to the bowl to make a dough. After this, mix the masa and the water until you have a dough. It should feel like warm clay or play dough. Now, heat up a cast iron skillet and while that is heating up, grab your dough and place it into the tortilla press. Make your fresh tortilla, then place it into t...
How To: Iron a blazer on a PRIMULA Flex 1242 ironing table
In this video tutorial, you'll find a video demonstration of ironing a suit jacket with the PRIMULA Flex 1242 table and a Vapormat steam generator.The PRIMULA Flex 1242 ironing table has a working surface 120x42cm with a sleeve ironing buck. The board also features suction and blowing with stepless adjustment of air flowing, automatic interchange suction or blowing from the working surface to the buck in addition to heating of the working surface and buck. The technical parameters are as foll...
How To: Protect yourself from power outages with a generator
Long term power outages can be an inconvenience. It means that you no longer can heat or cool things. This how to video talks about how to protect your home from a long term power outage, or how to protect your valuables from power loss with a generator.
How To: Do an insulation experiment
In the video we experiment with several different types of insulation, including paper towels, newspaper and aluminum foil to see which one keeps the heat in the best.
How To: How to throw a 2-seam fastball
Bring the heat! Speed and lateral motion makes this bad boy a tough pitch to hit. Learn the proper technique for throwing a 2-seam fastball here.
How To: Hard boil eggs for beginners
The egg is an incredible compact, nutrition, protein and fat all in one prepackaged unit. This video will show you how to boil an egg using a strainer basket in your boiling water to heat steam your eggs as an alternative to regular boiling.
How To: Sew in a Weave Yourself
Ready to try and sew-in your own weave? It's a big decision. As with everything that concerns our hair, we struggle with the pros and cons and often dwell on what could go wrong. Pixie cut. Perm or not? New shade (of pink, purple, or blue). These are all major decisions because ... well, it's our hair, and hair is such a big part of our style. To get a weave or not calls for careful consideration, and to sew one in yourself, that's an even bigger internal debate.
News: Ancient Fungus Gives Trees a Better Chance at Surviving Hotter Temperatures
A 6,000-year-old forest inhabitant awakens to find life in the forest around it in crisis. Plants, trees, animals, and birds are moving north to escape increasingly heated air, even as mass extinctions take place around the world. The inhabitant stirs and remembers it has lived this before and knows what to do.
News: How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs Using Less Pesticide
Bed bugs are parasites not yet known to spread disease — but they cause plenty of irritation. As scientists and landlords search for new ways to deal with the pests, a new study examines how we can deter bed bugs without so many chemicals.
News: Even Bees Need Probiotics Now
Most people are familiar with the decline of honeybee colonies around the world. Among other threats, Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is eroding the capability of honeybees to maintain their hives and provide their services to human farmers.
News: Microbial Conversations Lead Trees Uphill to Escape Warming Climates
The future of forests looks dreary in the face of a warming climate, but scientists are exploring the relationship between soil microbes and the ability of trees to move to higher altitudes, a key component of their survival.
How To: The Trick to Keeping Your Home Warm During Winter for Cheap
When temperatures drop and hit new lows during the cold, winter months, it's hard not to crank the heat up. That means increased energy bills each month, no matter if you rely on gas, electric, or another fuel for heating.
How To: 10 Absolutely Ingenious Ways to Open Wine Without a Corkscrew
Unless you like boxed wine, your wine bottles are going to either be sealed with a cork or a screw cap, the latter of which should not be frowned upon, especially if it's white wine. However, most wineries still prefer corks over screw caps, and that means you'll need a corkscrew.
How To: No-Stress Thanksgiving Desserts That Don't Require an Oven
Oven space is scarce on that fated fourth Thursday of November. Even if you can find a spare space for pumpkin pie on the bottom shelf, you risk turkey drippings overflowing from above and ruining your beautiful dessert — not to mention a burnt crust from different temperature requirements. The bottom line is: oven real estate is valuable, and it's tough to multitask cooking for Thanksgiving when every dish requires baking or roasting.
Coffee Mugs: They're Not Just for Coffee
Coffee mugs: nothing proliferates more quickly in my kitchen cabinets. People are always handing them out as gifts or as swag, plus I always seem to find a vintage model or two at a garage sale that I'm compelled to buy. I used to do a yearly purge of my excess muggage, but it turns out it's a good idea to hold on to one or two extras.