Category: Technology

What is wearable technology?

From watches to hairclips, discover the accessories monitoring our bodies (Image source: Pixabay) Today, the gadgets we carry are becoming less an extension of ourselves, and more and more a part of us. “Wearables”...

How do fishing rods work?

How rods, reels, lines and lures help us catch fish Image source: Pixabay Fishing is an ancient practice at least 40,000 years old, with archaeological finds including hooks made from bone dated as far...

How are deep-sea cables laid?

It’s a serious undertaking to connect each country to the internet across thousands of kilometres of ocean (Image source: Future PLC/ Ed Crooks) We often think we’re living in an increasingly wireless world. We...

The invention of Polaroid cameras

Discover the instant camera that inspired generations of photographers (Image source: Eniko Kis/ Unsplash) The invention of Polaroid cameras marked the beginning of a new era for photography. Today, we may take for granted...

How does a Taser gun work?

How these weapons use electricity to bring suspects down Typically tucked away in a police officer’s holster, Taser guns have the power to bring criminals crashing to their knees. Once triggered, these weapons deliver...

How do contactless cards work?

The original aircraft-tracking technology has evolved to change the way we pay In the UK, when you tap your contactless card you can spend up to £30 in the space of a second. Some...

What’s inside a waste incinerator?

These hulking machines burn hot enough to melt metal and send rubbish up in smoke Image source: Pexels The UK alone produces approximately 220 million tons of waste annually, a figure that contributes to...

How is money made?

From workshop to wallet, how does the world’s money reach our back pockets (Image source: Pixabay) As online banking and contactless cards continue to grow as our preferred method of payment, physical money may...

The science of lie detectors

Do polygraphs really reveal the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? (Image credit: Federal Bureau of Investigation) Since the early 1920s ‘lie detectors’ have been used to evaluate whether or not...