ChillerBaggins Live space: How do things work ..

How did the Internet start?

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 17:53:37 GMT

How did the Internet start? - We may take it for granted today, but the Internet wasn't always a part of our lives. How did the Cold War give rise to the Internet as we know it? And what does Sputnik have to do with it?

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How to Hook Up All of Your Electronics - Watch this video featuring a Philips electronics expert explaining how to hook up all of your video components. In this video he shows how to hook up a DVD player, cable box, PS3 and an analog gaming system.

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How Hackers Work - Without hackers, we'd have no PCs or iPods. Yet, hackers have gotten a bad reputation as criminals of the computer age. What exactly are hackers, and are they friends or foes?

How CD Burners Work - CDs have become one of the most widely adopted data-storage mechanisms, and high-tech, lower-cost CD burners are part of the reason why. Find out how CD burners write (and rewrite) data to a compact disc.

How Caching Works - Caching is an important computer-science process that appears on every computer in a variety of forms. There are memory caches, hardware and software disk caches, page caches and more. Learn about how caching works.

Coming Soon:
-How the Google-Apple Cloud Computer Will Work — (your data :) Hey Microsoft could upload their take-over strategy for Yahoo! Be safe online ...

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invented or discovered by accident

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 19:35:42 GMT

How Animal Migration Works - Caribou travel 2,000 miles to migrate. The annual migration of monarch butterflies lasts longer than a typical monarch's lifespan. What makes animals so determined to move?

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Do stars actually move? - Learn why stars move throughout the universe. We used to believe that everything orbits the Earth and then the sun, but now we know the sun and Earth are in a larger orbit within our galaxy, the Milky Way. Find out more in this video.

Is there a 400 pound lobster out there? - Although no one can yet tell how old lobsters get, they show no apparent signs of aging. Learn why lobsters live so long and get so big, and what this means for other animals, including humans.

How Rainbows Work - Rainbows are easily one of nature's most beautiful effects. Have you ever wondered how the colors end up in seemingly perfect bands? Find out exactly how a rainbow is produced.

9 Things Invented or Discovered by Accident - From potato chips to corn flakes, many of the things we consume today were an accident. The inventors are often held in high regard, but their inventions were a strange twist of fate. See our list of 9 things invented or discovered by accident.

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Google algorithm among world's best-kept secrets

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:36:28 GMT

Why is the Google algorithm so important? - The Google algorithm ranks high among the world's best-kept secrets. It involves a complex formula, the patented PageRank system and some pretty picky spiders. How might it work?

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What does 1080p mean? - Ever had questions about high definition TVs and what all the numbers and resolutions mean? Watch this video from Medialink to see what 1080p means, and learn why you want a 1080p HDTV instead of 1080i or 720p for the best viewing experience.

How Remote Controls Work - The world's first remote controls were radio-frequency devices that directed German naval vessels to crash into Allied boats during WWI. In WWII, remote controls detonated bombs for the first time.

How ROM Works - Read-only memory (ROM), also known as firmware, is an integrated circuit programmed with specific data when it's manufactured. ROM chips are used in computers and in most other electronic items, as well.

How Search Engine Optimization Works - If you want your Web site to get noticed, there are search engine optimization (SEO) techniques you can use to boost its visibility. But there's a dark side to this practice, too.

Coming Soon:
-How did the Internet start?

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a woman they call Mitochondrial Eve

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 18:46:28 GMT

Are we all descended from a common female ancestor? - Some researchers believe that we may all have a common ancestor, a woman they call Mitochondrial Eve who lived in Africa thousands of years ago. Could it be possible?

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How Kryptos Works - Kryptos is a sculpture installed at the CIA complex in Washington, D.C. On it is one of the most famous unsolved codes. Learn about Kryptos and code breaking in this video from HowStuffWorks.

Why do people blush? - Blushing comes from the same system that your fight-or-flight response does. Why does embarrassment cause your cheeks to flush?

How the Scientific Method Works - Scientists have used the scientific method for centuries to make groundbreaking discoveries. But you don't have to wear a white coat and goggles to observe the world and solve problems with the scientific method.

How Stars Work - It's a dark, clear, moonless night. You look up into the sky. You see thousands of stars arranged in patterns or constellations. The light from these stars has travelled great distances to reach Earth. But what are stars? How far away are they? Are they all the same?

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gossip link farm

It's been another busy week in the bedrooms of your favorite celebrities. Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale are expecting, Ethan Hawke impregnated his former nanny, and rumor has it that Angelina Jolie could be carrying Brad Pitt's twins

Is Angelina Jolie Pregnant With Twins?

Ethan Hawke's Former Nanny is Pregnant

Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale Expecting

Marlon Brando's Son Dies at 49

High-definition television (HDTV)

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 07:02:14 GMT

video:

How HDTV Works - High-definition television (HDTV) has revolutionized the quality of your TV picture. But for a lot of people, HDTV hasn't delivered a ready-made source for transcendent experiences in front of the tube. Instead, people have gone shopping for a TV and found themselves surrounded by confusing abbreviations and too many choices. Learn how HDTV works in this video from HowStuffWorks.

How Google Works - In less than a decade, Google evolved from a two-man enterprise to a multibillion-dollar corporation. How did a school project become the most influential search engine on the Web?

How HDMI Works - HDMI is more than a port on the back of a TV (and the often expensive cable that fits inside). It's a set of rules for allowing high-definition electronic devices to communicate.

How Zombie Computers Work - What's a zombie computer? Think "The Manchurian Candidate." A hacker secretly infiltrates an unsuspecting victim's computer and uses it to conduct illegal activities.