Did Nero really play the fiddle while Rome burned?
In A.D. 64, a great fire consumed Rome for six days and seven nights. Some rumors speculated that Nero set the fire, and even played [Read more]
Podcast
How Video Game Systems Work
Get a console-by-console update on the developments of the 2008 E3 exposition in this HowStuffWorks podcast, including news on improved online features and expanded memory. [Read more]
Why was Davy Crockett king of the wild frontier?
Davy Crockett is one of America’s great real-life legends. With a little help from Walt Disney, Crockett experienced a resurgence in popularity more than 100 [Read more]
Do I Really Need a Digital Converter Box For My TV?
In an effort to free up radio spectrum for emergency broadcasting and wireless service, the US will switch from analog to digital television on Feb. [Read more]
What was the Christmas Truce?
Amid the bloodshed of World War I, the Pope pled for a truce on Christmas Day. The commanding powers refused the truce, but soldiers across [Read more]
How the First Olympics Worked
The first Olympics took place in the sixth century in order to build diplomacy across the Greek world. Learn more about the history of the [Read more]
How Open Source Works
Open source is a way of developing software in which the original developer makes all of the source code available for modification. Learn more about [Read more]
What was in Peter the Great’s cabinet of curiosities?
Peter the Great was a feared leader but also an intellectual. Learn about Peter the Great and Peter the Great’s love of academia and collectibles [Read more]
How Moore’s Law Works
Each year, manufacturers bring out the next great computer chip that boosts bigger and better computing power. Intel founder Gordon Moore predicted this technology phenomenon [Read more]
The Cursed Tomb of King Tut
An inscription above King Tutankhamen’s burial chamber reads: ‘Death will come on swift pinions to those who disturb the rest of the Pharaoh.’ This was [Read more]