Jonathan Strickland has always loved technology. As a kid, Jonathan spent countless hours playing games like River Raid and Pitfall on his Atari 2600. He grew up during the early years of the personal computer era and cut his teeth on an Apple IIe and the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A computers. He earned his bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of Georgia. He focused primarily on medieval and Renaissance literature and can still rattle off several Shakespearean monologues (and he'll do so unless you stop him).
Jonathan is a former staff writer and eventually senior writer for the HowStuffWorks electronics and computer channels. He currently hosts the podcast TechStuff. He lives in a funky part of Atlanta filled with poets, artists, actors and assorted crazy people — he fits right in. His hobbies include writing fiction, acting and learning to play the ukulele and mandolin.
Recent Contributions
Why are governments, private businesses, and academic institutions collaborating to research develop and produce fuel cells? Learn how fuel cells work and how efficient they really are.
By Karim Nice, Jonathan Strickland, Talon Homer & Yara Simón
Welcome to the wonderful and weird world of nanowires. Scientists can adapt this incredibly thin material for a number of uses, whether as a fiber-optic nanowire or to build increasingly smaller microprocessors. They're even used in medical implants.
Nanotechnology is one of the hot buzzwords of the 21st century. You know that it has to do with things that are very small, but just what are the implications of technology on the molecular scale, anyway?
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Science-fiction movies like "Minority Report" show people taking individual public transportation to get around the city. Would people ever give up their cars for a less-convenient mode of travel?
The occasional sunspot can interrupt communications here on Earth. But major solar flares have the potential to cause more havoc. Could a flare-up wipe out all our electronics?
Winning wars sometimes requires innovative new tools, so it seems possible that new technologies are developed in the heat of battle. But is all technology born from conflict?
Ever wonder why your computer works the way it does? We did, too. So we took one apart to see what all of it does. So what's inside a computer?
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Advances in technology have allowed microprocessor manufacturers to double the number of transistors on a CPU chip every two years. How long can they keep this up?
The days of the cell phone are numbered. Superior technology has already surpassed it and is now moving on to the next level. Which cutting-edge technologies are here to stay and which are flashes in a pan?
And his name Is Robert Newton.
Parasites are creepy to begin with. They live on or in a host, including humans. Some even lay eggs in our skin!
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Yes, it's still around. Second Life is a 3D virtual world where you can live in a castle, fly to dance clubs and change your appearance with a click of your mouse. So what's up with it now?
Electronic books have been out for years, though none of them met with much success — until the Amazon Kindle. What's so special about this little device?
We've heard a lot about Web 2.0 and Web 3.0. But what Web 1.0, the one that started it all?
Thanks to improvements in manufacturing, computer processors are constantly getting faster and smaller. These days, it seems like computers are just about everywhere. What kinds of machines will we be using in 2050?
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Cloud storage sounds like a meteorological phenomenon, but it's a method of keeping computer files on a networked drive. It's very convenient, but are your files safe?
American Sign Language (ASL) is one of the fastest growing languages of study in the United States. Learn about the history of ASL, how it's used and how it differs from other sign languages in the United States and around the world.
The Internet lets you transfer information around the world in seconds. But the pieces of your file may not all get there the same way. How does all that data get where it's supposed to go without getting lost?
Now that the Internet has become such an important part of our everyday lives, it's hard to imagine what life would be like without it. Could the Internet collapse? What would happen if it did?
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Have you ever considered working at the White House? Before you get a job working for the presidential administration, you'll have some questions to answer.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bills itself as the premier Mixed Martial Arts organization in the world. Learn what the Ultimate Fighting Championship is, how the organization began, and where it is today.
He awaits the time when he will arise from his watery city to wreak havoc. Cthulhu made his first official appearance in the short story "The Call of Cthulhu," written by H.P. Lovecraft in 1926. Read all about the legendary monster known as the Old One.
According to sci-fi lore, if you've read the "Necronomicon," then you might just be teetering on the brink of insanity. Featured in popular culture in TV, film and comics, the book is a fictional creation of author H.P. Lovecraft. Learn more about the mystery behind the "Necronomicon."
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While many people are comfortable using just soap and water to wash their faces, others rely on the use of a washcloth. Do washcloths clean any better? And are there any disadvantages you should be aware of?
The big bang theory is well-known, but there are many misconceptions about it. Like what? Let's start with this one: There was no bang.