Many of the most important scientific achievements throughout history seem obvious in retrospect. It is easy to overlook how much time and effort went into developing a scientific discovery before someone finally found a way to make it work. Of course, there were many times when an inventor or scientist spent years trying to find a solution that was never discovered. The … [Read more...] about How Does Fusion Energy Work?
Physics
What Makes a Water Wheel Work
A water wheel is a device that uses the gravitational pull of water to turn gears and make things move. It was invented in ancient China around 500 B.C., although they were not put into practical use until much later (around A.D. 100). The reason why such a device didn't become popular at that time is that nobody knew about using water for power. The first person who … [Read more...] about What Makes a Water Wheel Work
How do We Get Oil From the Ground
No one really knows how oil is formed, but geologists have many theories. They believe that it comes from the remains of tiny plants and animals which have been buried under sediments for millions of years. Heat and pressure slowly convert these remains into oil before they are again exposed to the surface by tectonic activity. The equipment used for drilling oil wells is … [Read more...] about How do We Get Oil From the Ground
How do Pellet Stoves Work
Pellet Stoves are gaining in popularity as people become more concerned about reducing their carbon footprint. The Pellet Stove was first patented in England by David E. Mayer in the late 1970s, but it has only gained widespread use over the last decade or so. The pellet stove is designed to hold compressed sawdust pellets, and they burn exactly like wood pellets. They … [Read more...] about How do Pellet Stoves Work
What’s the Honest Science and Physics Behind Climate Change?
There is a hot debate on climate change, but there needs to be more honesty from both sides. In the global warming bandwagon, it's been presented as an either/or proposition: If you believe in man-made climate change, then you'll obviously believe everything proposed by Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). But what if you're not convinced … [Read more...] about What’s the Honest Science and Physics Behind Climate Change?