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The Big Why: Gadgets & Gizmos Edition

The Big Why: Gadgets & Gizmos Edition

The Hidden Magic of How Things Work

We use technology every second, but it often feels like magic. We’re taking apart the world’s coolest inventions—from the smartphone in your pocket to the massive planes in the sky—to reveal the science hiding inside the circuits and gears.

For kidsQuizEducationalReal Science

Completed • Science • 20 Topics • 76 min

by Papyrly

Topics

The Wing Trick: How Do Heavy Planes Stay in the Air?

Aerodynamics4 min

The Wing Trick: How Do Heavy Planes Stay in the Air?

Solve the riddle of how massive metal birds use invisible air 'cushions' and speed to fly.

The Binary Brain: How Does a Computer 'Think' With Just 1s and 0s?

Computer Science5 min

The Binary Brain: How Does a Computer 'Think' With Just 1s and 0s?

Learn the secret language of computers and how they turn electricity into video games and movies.

The Heat Thief: How Does a Refrigerator Stay Chilly?

Thermodynamics5 min

The Heat Thief: How Does a Refrigerator Stay Chilly?

Explore the strange technology that pulls warmth out of your milk to keep it fresh.

The Sky-High Skeleton: How Do Skyscrapers Stand Up in the Wind?

Civil Engineering4 min

The Sky-High Skeleton: How Do Skyscrapers Stand Up in the Wind?

See the architectural tricks that keep the world's tallest buildings from tipping over during a storm.

The Captured Moment: How Does a Camera Take a Picture?

The Captured Moment: How Does a Camera Take a Picture?

Discover how a tiny lens 'traps' light and freezes a second of time forever.

The Magic String: How Do Headphones Make Music?

Physics of Sound4 min

The Magic String: How Do Headphones Make Music?

Find out how magnets and wiggling paper turn electrical signals into your favorite songs.

The Tiny Explosions: How Does a Car Engine Move Wheels?

Automotive Engineering4 min

The Tiny Explosions: How Does a Car Engine Move Wheels?

Peek inside the metal heart of a car to see how a series of small pops creates enough power to zoom down the highway.

The Glow Box: How Does a TV Screen Show Colors?

The Glow Box: How Does a TV Screen Show Colors?

Meet the millions of tiny red, green, and blue 'dots' that dance together to make the pictures you see.

The Space Map: How Does GPS Know Where I Am?

Satellite Technology5 min

The Space Map: How Does GPS Know Where I Am?

Learn how four satellites in space talk to your phone to make sure you never get lost.

The Portable Power: How Do Batteries Store Electricity?

The Portable Power: How Do Batteries Store Electricity?

Investigate the chemical 'soup' inside a battery that keeps your gadgets running on the go.

The Magic Finger: How Does a Touchscreen Feel Your Tap?

Touch Technology5 min

The Magic Finger: How Does a Touchscreen Feel Your Tap?

Discover the invisible electrical field on your screen that reacts when your skin touches it.

The Molecule Dance: How Do Microwaves Cook Food So Fast?

Microwave Physics4 min

The Molecule Dance: How Do Microwaves Cook Food So Fast?

Watch as invisible waves make the water in your pizza vibrate until it gets steaming hot.

Floating Steel: Why Don't Giant Metal Ships Sink?

Marine Engineering4 min

Floating Steel: Why Don't Giant Metal Ships Sink?

Solve the mystery of buoyancy and why a heavy boat is more like a balloon than a rock.

Invisible Airwaves: How Does Wi-Fi Go Through Walls?

Communication5 min

Invisible Airwaves: How Does Wi-Fi Go Through Walls?

Explore the silent radio signals that carry the entire internet through your house.

The Super Strength: How Do Excavators Lift Huge Rocks?

Hydraulics5 min

The Super Strength: How Do Excavators Lift Huge Rocks?

See how squishing liquid through a tube gives a machine the power of a hundred bodybuilders.

The Robot Brain: How Does a Vacuum Cleaner Avoid the Stairs?

The Robot Brain: How Does a Vacuum Cleaner Avoid the Stairs?

Meet the sensors that act like 'eyes' for the machines that help clean your home.

Splitting Atoms: How Do Power Plants Light Up a City?

Nuclear Physics4 min

Splitting Atoms: How Do Power Plants Light Up a City?

Uncover the massive energy hidden inside the tiniest particles in the universe.

The Robotic Limb: How Can a Fake Hand Feel Things?

The Robotic Limb: How Can a Fake Hand Feel Things?

Discover the amazing tech that connects computers directly to human nerves.

The Wind Spinner: How Do Windmills Make Power?

Renewable Energy5 min

The Wind Spinner: How Do Windmills Make Power?

See how a breeze can be turned into the electricity that charges your tablet.

The Clockwork Secret: How Do Gears Make Things Easier to Move?

Mechanical Engineering4 min

The Clockwork Secret: How Do Gears Make Things Easier to Move?

Investigate the toothy wheels that change the speed and strength of almost every machine.