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Pathfinder: How Things Work

Are you curious about how machines, computers, and other technologies around us work? Do you just have to know how water gets to the 100th floor of an apartment building, how chameleons change color, or how the compass on your grandfather's dashboard works? If you do, then this page will help you find the resources that can answer these questions.

Internet Resources || Print Resources || Newsgroups

Internet Resources

There are several resources available on the Internet. Listed below are several sites that can answer your questions about science and technology:

• How Stuff Works: (http://www.howstuffworks.com/) It is hard to effectively summarize How Stuff Works, but I will try. This is a huge site that contains information about engines, electronics, household appliances, computers, and even food. All sorts of technologies are covered. The main page has a huge list that links to previously asked questions and specific subject areas. You can also ask your own question or search the site for information about a subject. It offers information about books that deal with the same kind of subject matter and a guide to citing "How Stuff Works" in your papers. Finally, at the bottom of the page is the How Stuff Works Power Panel which allows you to go to specific areas of the site.
• The MAD Scientists Network: (http://www.madsci.org/) If you have any questions about science this is the place to go. It covers all subject areas while providing a question answering service, an archive of previously asked questions, and a search engine. However, there is much more to this site. You can also visit the MADSci Library for other sources of information. It offers tips on searching the World Wide Web, careers in science, information on museums, and even more.
• How Things Work: (http://Landau1.phys.Virginia.EDU/Education/Teaching/HowThingsWork/) The main purpose of this site is to answer questions about physics, and science in general. It allows you to search previous questions or to search questions grouped under a specific subject heading. There is also a link to a page where questions can be asked.
• Complete Computer Solutions (CCS)-"How Things Work": (http://www.iao.com/howthing/Default.htm) This site has a list of about 90 appliances, machines, and processes. Each entry is linked to a page that gives a detailed description of how that particular technology or natural phenomenon works. It is also searchable with the results of each search weighted with the best matches shown first.
• The Astronomy Cafe: (http://www.theastronomycafe.net/) This site has several links to sites for information about Astronomy, including "Ask the Astronomer" and "Ask the Space Scientist". "Ask the Astronomer" is an archive of answered questions while "Ask the Space Scientist" is the site where questions can be asked.
• Ask A+ Locator (http://www.vrd.org/locator/subject.html) This site is part of the Virtual Reference Desk and allows you to ask questions about anything. But more importantly, it has links to sites about specific subjects areas. Often they link to an expert in a particular field so you know that the information is reliable.
• Ask the Experts at Scientific American: (http://www.sciam.com/askexpert/) The Scientific American-Ask the Experts site archives questions and provides users with the chance to ask new questions. The archives are divided into 9 different categories: Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Computers, Environment, Geology, Mathematics, Medicine, and Physics.
• The PZone: (http://library.advanced.org/12632/intromap1.html) The PZone is source that can be consulted in order to gain an understandting of some of the underlying principles of physics. The number #1 purpose is to help young people gain a better understanding of physics. The site is divided into four different sub-categories of physics with a link to a library of definitions and terms.

Print Resources

There are many print resources available that provide similar information to the Internet Resources above. To find these resources you can use the following list of Library of Congress Subject Headings:

• Astronomy--Miscellanea
• Chemistry--Miscellanea
• Computers--Miscellanea
• Engineering--Miscellanea
• Household Appliances--Miscellanea
• Physics--Miscellanea
• Questions and Answers
• Science--Miscellanea
• Technology--Miscellanea

Here are some of the books that can answer questions that you have about technology and science.

• Everyday Things and How They Work by Mary Jane Wilkins (New York: A Warwick Press, 1991) Ordinary appliances and gadgets get a new look, with a view to understanding their origin, purpose, and function. Readers learn how to think up ideas for new and special tools and appliances. LC Call No.: TX 298 .W54 /Dewey No.: 643.6
• How Things Work (Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International, 1992) Brief one-paragraph explanations of how a wide variety of things work or are made, from airplanes and boomerangs to VCRs and wine. LC Call No.: T 48 .H75/ Dewey No. 600
• How Things Work: The Physics of Everyday Life by Louis Bloomfield (New York: J. Wiley, c1997) LC Call No.: QC 21.2 .B59 Dewey No.: 530
• Question and Answer Encyclopedia--Why is it? ed. by Lesley Firth (London: Kingfisher Books, 1983) Provides both short and long answers to hundreds of questions in such areas as biology, physics, transportation, outer space, geology, ethnic customs, history, and sports. LC Call No.: Q 163 .Q47 Dewey No.: 500
• Questions and Answers Book of Science Facts by Ian Graham (New York: Facts of File, c1997) A book of facts with illustrations and an index. LC Call No.: Q 173 .G73/Dewey No. 500 21
• Science and Technology Desk Reference (Detroit: Gale Research, 1996) 1,700 answers to frequently-asked or difficult-to-answer questions with a bibliography and index. LC Call No.: Q 173 .S397/Dewey No.: 500
• Sky and Earth (Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1998) This book is part of the "A Child's First Library of Learning" series. It provides answers to questions about the seasons, rivers, deserts, volcanoes, oceans, icebergs, moon, stars, planets, and space. There is also an activities section. LC Call No.: Q B46 . S58/Dewey No.: 520
• The Illustrated Book of Questions and Answers by Andrew Langley (New York: Facts on File, 1996) This source covers science, technology, natural history, outer space, and history and includes an index. LC Call No.: Q 173 .L26/ Dewey No.: 500
• Why in the World?(Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1985) Questions and answers on a wide range of subjects, including geophysical sciences, physiology, natural history, physics, and technology with an index. LC Call No.: Q 163 .W493/Dewey No.: 500
• 101 Questions and Answers About the Universe by Roy A. Gallant (New York: Collier Macmillen, 1984) An introduction to astronomy using questions actually asked by children a the Southwworth Planetarium in Maine with an index.

Newsgroups

Liszt's Usenet Newsgroups Directory (http://www.liszt.com/news/) and Deja News (http://www.dejanews.com/) are good web-based sources for Internet newsgroups. At each of these sites you can contact groups with similar interests, while coming into contact with people who may have more expertise in that subject area. Newsgroups allow you the opportunity to ask questions of these experts or to add your own comments. The Liszt page is easier to use because it allows you to browse large subject areas like science, computers, or recreation. It also explains what some of the abbreviations mean. But, you can also use the power search on DejaNews to search in your area of interest. Please keep in mind that it pays to be specific. A search for "science" or "technology" is going to return thousands and thousands of hits using the Deja News search.

Below is a list of some of the newsgroups that will answer science and technology questions.

• sci.astronomy
• uk.sci.astronomy
• sci.astro.amateur
• nctu.club.astronomy
• sci.bio
• sci.chem
• sci.chem.organomet
• sci.materials
• sci.physics
• sci.physics.research
• sci.electronics.basic
• sci.geo.geology

This pathfinder was created by Jeffrey T. Bradley

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