The annals of history offer many perspectives on the Cold War's victor. Some say the U.S. won; others claim there was no winner. And some assert that the former USSR brought itself down.
How Communism Works | How the Nuclear Arms Race Works

When you spy your slim self in the mirror, you probably wonder where that lost weight went. As you've exercised and dieted, your body has been rearranging molecules for a sleeker physique.
How Body Mass Index Works | Is a lack of sleep making me fat?

Somewhere along the way, most of us have heard that we're not supposed to remove the tags from our mattresses or pillows because it violates some kind of law. What gives?
How Sleep Works | How Sleepwalking Works

The National Neighborhood Watch Association tells you to deter, detect and delay burglars from entering your home. There are lots of things you can do to keep your home safe.
How Burglar Alarms Work | How Lock Picking Works

So much for artists being sensitive -- one Impressionist painter has been fingered as Jack the Ripper. But do the brutalized nudes on his canvases hint at actual murders?
How Serial Killers Work | Nine of History's Coldest Cases

Great whites are the flashy man-eaters of the silver screen. But bull sharks may be the most dangerous, feasting on sloths, dogs and cows. What can you say? They're opportunists.
How Shark Attacks Work | How Tiger Sharks Work

Everything new is old again in the world of steampunk. Steampunk artists overhaul tech gadgets with their neo-Victorian style. But what makes the gadgets so expensive?
How Cthulhu Works | How Science Fiction Musicals Work

A nebula is a cloud of dust and gas in space that provides the raw materials to make a star. Can you pick out the Horsehead Nebula in this picture?
Space Dust Image Gallery | Black Hole Image Gallery

Near-death experiences (NDEs) are seemingly supernatural events that some people have when they're at the brink of death. Why does your whole life flash before your eyes?
How Dreams Work | How Deja Vu Works

Does your neighbor regularly display appallingly bad taste? Would you rather not live next door to a tacky new strip mall? Historic districts could be the answer to your neighborhood woes.
National Historic Sites | How Charleston Works

Marshall Brain, the original brain behind HowStuffWorks, discusses how the hang drum and the French healthcare system work, and speculates on how time machines might be built.
Podcast: How Red Eyes in Photographs Work