Laurie L. Dove is an award-winning journalist who covers timely topics for HowStuffWorks. She is the author of six books and the former owner of a newspaper and magazine. When not reporting on the latest tech breakthrough, health advance or economic development, Dove is tracking down hidden history, science innovations and biologic discoveries. As the Honorable Laurie Dove, Mayor, she has brought multi-million-dollar improvements to the small Midwest town where she lives with her husband, five children and two Akitas.
Recent Contributions
We love our power drill, but for some jobs, nothing beats a good old hand tool. What are some of the must-haves for your toolbox?
Whether you like to pile them up and jump in with abandon or rue the time of year when they fall, leaves are at the center of a heated debate.
Both white vinegar and cleaning vinegar can be used to clean, but the two are definitely not interchangeable. So, what's the difference?
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He is famous for a phrase he never said, for wearing turtlenecks and for hosting the original 'Cosmos' TV series. As enthusiastic about the stars as he was about marijuana, Carl Sagan led a very surprising life.
We may finally know how the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids.
Scientists have found that ancient fossilized chlorophyll was dark red and purple in its concentrated form, which means that when diluted by water or soil, it would have lent a pink cast to earth and sea.
Relief wells made the news as a possible method to cut off the Gulf Coast oil leak, but that's not all they're used for. How do these wells prevent and stop dangerous overflows?
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Imagine going outside in the summer and not being eaten alive by mosquitoes. Yeah, no mosquitoes! Well, don't celebrate just yet, because a world with no mosquitoes might have a radically different food chain.
After 2035 it will be extremely unlikely we can stop Earth's temperature from rising enough to kick off a dangerous medley of global disasters.
If mental strain caused a bloody nose, academic testing sites would be awash in crimson. So why do we still see psychic nosebleeds from "Stranger Things" to "Scanners"?
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You might have heard of George Washington Carver and Neil deGrasse Tyson. But what about Patricia Bath? Or Percy Julian? Meet 10 African American scientists who have made the world a better place for everyone.
Dragon fire is an awe-inspiring thing, but exactly how would it happen? Real-world clues from nature point the way.
Tetragametic chimerism occurs when a single organism has two genetically distinct types of DNA.
Hefting a sofa up a flight of stairs can take a lot of logistics. So what does moving thousand-ton buildings across cities -- or even oceans -- entail?
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Why are blueprints blue and not some other color? There's a specific chemical process behind it, and its discovery has all the elements of a dark fairy tale.
Yuo cna raed thsi rgiht? Probably, but that doesn't mean a popular internet meme on the topic is totally accurate.
It's a force of habit to shake spray canisters, but when it comes to canned air, that inclination could cause frostbite.
Farming technologies have allowed the world to be fed, even though most people no longer farm. Only 2 percent of Americans are farmers, versus 90 percent in the 1700s. Which tools and technologies have had the most impact on farming and why?
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It's a strange thing to think about, but have you ever wondered what would happen if the ozone layer suddenly wasn't there? Here's a hint: Getting a bad sunburn would be the least of your problems.
The age of a beer can dramatically influence its flavor, and usually not for the better. But what about its alcohol content? Does a decade-old barley pop still pack the same wallop as one bottled the week before?
Split as if by a laser, the Al Naslaa rock in Saudi Arabia's Tayma Oasis baffles scientists and amateur geologists alike. How did this perfect split happen?
The ancients were able to devise a mix for concrete that actually gets stronger over time thanks to chemical reactions. If only we could rediscover the recipe...
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Not to be confused with sleet, graupel is actually an interesting mix of snow and ice. But it's not hail. Graupel, get to know it.
The Lazy Susan is a circular tray that spins to make food service easier, but the origins of the name are a bit murky. What is a Lazy Susan, exactly, and why did it earn that disparaging name? Let's find out!