Patrick Kiger
Patrick J. Kiger has written for HowStuffWorks since 2008 covering a wide array of topics, from history and politics to pop culture and technology. He worked as a newspaper reporter for the Pittsburgh Press, and the Orange County Register in California, where he covered one of the biggest serial murder cases in U.S. history, and also as a staff writer at Baltimore Magazine. As a freelancer, Patrick has written for print publications such as GQ, Mother Jones and the Los Angeles Times, and on the web for National Geographic Channel, Discovery News, Science Channel and Fast Company, among others. In recent years, he's become increasingly interested in how technological advances are altering urban life and the design of cities, and has written extensively on that subject for Urban Land magazine. In his spare time, Patrick is a longtime martial arts student and a fan of crime fiction, punk rock and classic Hollywood films.
RECENT CONTRIBUTIONS
The increasing interest in autonomous weapons around the world is alarming scientists, and there's a growing movement to halt the development of these weapons before the technology has a chance to proliferate.
He might be the most important scientist you've never heard of, but the ocean current that bears his name helped shape the development of evolutionary theory.
In 2000, a document called a military testamentary instrument was recognized by Congress to provide some clear-cut basic requirements for a military will, exempt from individual states' varying laws.
A popular meme says that the U.S. Constitution notion of democracy really came from the Iroquois Great Law of Peace, except that the Native Americans' version was more inclusive. How true is this?
We may be able to capture carbon emitted from fossil fuel-burning power plants and convert it to fuel for storing energy generated by wind turbines and solar panels.
Could a tiny creature called a tardigrade hold the key to slowing biological time, giving soldiers more opportunity to recover from life-threatening injuries?
Cutting nicotine out of cigarettes altogether may be the only way to end smoking addiction for good.
The SpaceX mission to the International Space Station, scheduled for liftoff on April 2, will enable research on everything from thunderstorms to wound healing.
3-D-printed homes can be completely and cheaply built on site with energy-efficient and resilient materials.
Wine pomace — the portion of grapes left over from winemaking — has a variety of uses, from fertilizer to a nutrition-enhancing ingredient in foods.
Diplomatic staffers in Havana, Cuba, recently began to suffer from a series of health problems. Were they sound-related?
The EB-1 visa is intended for immigrants who have extraordinary abilities or achievements. So who gets them?
Australia hasn't had a mass shooting in 22 years; the U.S. has had dozens during that same time.
A massive solar-powered clock being constructed inside a mountain in Texas is designed to keep time for 10,000 years.
With so much public outcry and concern over the rash of gun violence in the U.S., why would Congress cut federal funding for research into causes and solutions?
Been together for years and assume you are common-law married? Better check the law in your state.
Twitter bots seem to be with us to stay, but how do they work? And are they all bad?
New Horizons takes photo from 3.79 billion miles (6.12 billion kilometers) away from Earth.
LiDAR scanning technology reveals huge Mayan civilization lost beneath the jungles of Guatemala.
Why are we still performing scientific tests on live animals?
