Growing up, Katherine was constantly curious and loved to investigate things, be it taking apart small household appliances (and putting them back together — most of the time they still worked!) or delving into a new topic for school or simply her own edification.
When she realized she could make a career out of researching things as a librarian, she couldn't sign up for graduate school fast enough. After working with a few special collections — including North Carolina History, Design, Forestry, and Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences — Katherine joined the world of HowStuffWorks. Although her time as the corporate librarian lasted only a few months, she put her MLS to very good use as a former writer and editor for the site. She edited and wrote her way through a series of books, a newspaper column, Express magazine and various corners of HowStuffWorks.com and Discovery sites, including a stint as managing editor of special editorial projects.
Recent Contributions
The Chupacabra is a vampire-like creature that has been gaining notoriety. Learn about the legend of El Chupacabra and Chupacabra incidents and sightings.
The big move is only a few months away. As you look around your home, you can't help but wonder how you accumulated so much stuff. You don't have to take it all with you -- you can have a yard sale.
You stay behind at work and agree to close up alone. You go into the walk-in freezer to put away some food, and the door shuts behind you. You do everything you can think of, but you can't get it open. Now what?
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There's a certain mystique to fine bone china - have you ever wondered why? Lenox is the only manufacturer of bone china in the United States and they've even produced china for five U.S. presidents. Take a trip inside the Lenox factory with HowStuffWorks.
There's actually an equation to figure it out!
You've probably heard that staring at the sun is bad - even a few seconds can damage your eyes. But what if you looked at a solar eclipse?
Being struck by lightning is a little more complicated than a sudden collision with a flash of light from the sky, and not all strikes are equally lethal.
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While peanut butter does contain a lot of the components you need in your daily diet, it doesn't have all of them. What would happen to your body if you only ate peanut butter?
Each year, approximately 4,000 people go to the emergency room for injuries caused by accidents involving electrical outlets. While this number seems high, even more people never make it to the hospital. They die.
Yom Kippur is marks the end of a 10-day period during which Jews seek forgiveness for their sins so they can make a fresh start. It's considered to be the holiest day of the Jewish year.
Silica packets most likely contain silica gel or some other desiccant -- something that absorbs (collects) and holds water vapor. What would happen if you put that gel in your mouth?
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If you never cut your hair, would you end up looking like Cousin It from the Adams Family? It's possible, but unlikely. So what would happen if you never visited the barber or beauty shop again?
You've accepted the promotion and narrowed down the list of potential new homes, and you'll be moving soon. Now comes the hardest part -- planning the move and telling the kids. What can you do to make the move as anxiety-free as possible?
It's time to unpack the ornaments, string up the popcorn, and yes -- untangle those lights. Plan on piling it all on a fresh Christmas tree? Learn about the different types and how to pick the perfect one.
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. But what's the real story?
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Twins are unique people who are also eerily similar to each other. Do twins really have ESP? Learn how twinning happens and what types of twins are out there.
Your friends are meeting you to help unload the truck and arrange furniture. But what else do you need to do when you arrive at your new home?
All your stuff is finally at the new house and most of it is unpacked. So your house is starting to feel homey, but you're not quite as at home in your new town. What can you do to fix that?
An increasing number of grocery stores and restaurants are responding to the needs of the low-carb consumer. Find out what this low-carbing lifestyle is all about.
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The magnets found in an MRI machine are incredibly powerful. It can pull a stethoscope right out of a doctor's lab coat. So what would happen if you forgot to take out an earring? Ouch!
The American tax system is a huge machine with a tax code that seems more complex than rocket science. Many of us have come to dread April 15th: Tax Day. So what if you just didn't file them?
If you miss a monthly payment to your credit card company, your credit score will drop and your credit report will show it. What else would happen if you stopped paying your bills completely?
People expel gas by either burping or flatulating. Although it's an embarrassing thing to have happen, it's also a necessity. But what would happen if you just couldn't pass the gas?
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Your initial reaction to the thought of no more baths may be "gross!" But there also could be more serious ramifications than an unpleasant layer of grime.
Just about every U.S. president of the past 80 years has released his memoirs. But they don't all take the same format. We'll look at the variations and why -- apart from historical record -- former presidents feel compelled to put pen to paper.