From the alphabet to the Internet, enjoy a 10,000-year, whistle-stop tour through the whole history of human communication!

What makes supercomputers millions of times better than the one on your desk? Here's our quick introduction to supercomputers and massively parallel processing...

Old-style telephones are giving way to Internet phones - or Skype-style VoIP. What is it and how exactly does it work?

The Ancient Greeks knew about static electricity but, surprisingly enough, 2600 years later, we still don't understand it completely. What really causes it, how can it help us, and how can we keep dangerous static properly in check?

Noble gases used to be called "inert gases" because people thought they were so un-reactive and boring. In this week's episode, we discover how they provide the secret atomic power behind neon lamps, xenon lamps, and the brightest lights in our otherwise dark and dingy world!

Why can't you blow all the dust off a bookshelf? Why are wind turbines so high? Why does coffee spill when you pour it and barges bang together? Find the answers in our easy-to-understand intro to aerodynamics!

Are electronic books (ebooks) really the future? For those of you who've yet to discover them, here's a quick guide to ebook readers, ebooks, eink - and how all that stuff works.

What are earthquakes and why do they cause so much destruction? Following the offshore quake and tsunami warning in northern California a few days ago, here's a timely 15-minute introduction!