Showing results for "Make" in How Things Work

Plastic is in lots of items you use every day. Find out about different types of plastic, what they are used for, and if you could really make a toaster from it.

A coat is made from different types of fabric, but could it be made with wood? It seems impossible, but wood has many advantages, and is used for everything from building houses to making toys. Learn more about different types of wood and their many uses. Could it really be used to make a coat?

Books are made with paper. But what if we tried to make a book with metal? Copper, tin, gold, silver—would any of those materials work to make a book? Find out more about metal, its properties, and how it is produced. Then decide if you really could make a book out of metal.

In science fiction, jet packs let people zoom through the air at high speeds. Discover the science and technology behind what it would take to make a real-life jet pack!

In science fiction, energy blades are weapons or tools that look like glowing swords. How could one of these powerful devices work? Scientists have some ideas, which include using plasma. Discover the science and technology behind what it would take to make a real-life energy blade!

In science fiction, hoverboard users glide above sidewalks on machines that look like skateboards with no wheels. How could one of these floating boards be created? Scientists have some ideas, which include using powerful magnets. Discover the science and technology behind what it would take to make a real-life hoverboard!

In science fiction, invisibility cloaks let their users vanish from sight and sneak around unnoticed. How could one of these stealthy pieces of clothing work? Scientists have some ideas, which involve bending light. Discover the science and technology behind what it would take to make a real-life invisibility cloak!

In science fiction, flying cars let people soar over traffic jams and get to where they're going quickly. How could a vehicle that both flies and drives be created? Scientists' ideas for this involve futuristic materials and technology from drones. Discover the science and technology behind what it would take to make a real-life flying car!

Can cats code? These cats sure can! Computer bugs come to life with playful rhyming verse. Listeners will learn about types of errors that can bring a computer to a crawl. And they'll discover these bugs aren't so scary - all thanks to debugging!