How Stuff Works
The Ultimate Mel Brooks Movies Quiz Mel Brooks is the master of satire and parody, mocking everything from wild westerns to wacky space flicks. All that comedy gold has won him Tonys, Emmys, Oscars, Grammys and the right to say "It is good to be the King."
The Super-Backstory Quiz: How well do you know your irradiated orphans from outer space? You may have seen the latest versions of Batman, Spider-man, Captain America and their super-bretheren, but how much do you know about their backstories? Test your super-knowledge with this quiz about the origins of some of these larger-than-life good guys (and a few bad ones, too).
Assignment Discovery: Creation of Crew Rescue Vehicle The creation of the Crew Return Vehicle (X-38) is an international effort. Learn more about contributions to the CRV on Discovery Channel's "Assignment Discovery."
Surfnet Kids
Human Heart Your heart is located in the upper left-hand side of your chest and if you place your hand there, you can feel it beating. The heart continually pumps blood to all parts of the body, and never stops beating, even when you are asleep. Because of its importance, many complex surgeries (and even artificial hearts) have been developed to keep one's heart going thump, thump, thump.
Great Wall of China The Great Wall of China is actually not just one wall, but a series of walls built in Northern China to protect against intruders. The total length of the wall, including trenches and other natural barriers, is 5500 miles. Construction started in 5th century BC with stamped earth and wooden board frames. Although some parts of the wall have been renovated (including sections in Beijing that host many tourists) many other parts are disappearing due to erosion.
Prohibition Prohibition (1920 - 1933) was a period of American history in which the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol was illegal. The 18th Amendment (which created Prohibition) was ratified on January 16, 1919 and was the first amendment to address a social issue. It later became the first and only amendment to be repealed, when the 21st Amendment ended "The Noble Experiment" on December 6, 1933.
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (1935-1977) was a rock and roll pioneer, with fans worldwide that refuse to forget him. His unique sound was influenced by country music, gospel singing, and rhythm and blues (R&B). Find out why he's still the King of Rock and Roll at the following sites.
The Euro The euro (or EUR) entered circulation on January 1, 2002 and is the official currency of some, but not all European Union countries. The seventeen countries that use the euro are known as the eurozone: Austria, Belgium, Cypress, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. Since 2009, the euro has been making headlines because of the European debt crisis.