Oxygen is a necessary component of the air we breathe; but in its pure form, it can be hazardous to one's health. Marshall Brain explains how breathing pure oxygen harms the human body in this episode.

An automobile's catalytic converter uses a catalyst to convert harmful exhaust fumes into harmless ones. Find out what happens when your catalytic converter stops working properly -- and how you can tell -- in this episode.

Tune in to this episode of BrainStuff to learn more about blimps, from how they work to why they're a popular medium for advertisin

If you've ever put gas in a car, you've probably noticed how the gas pump shuts off when your tank is full. But how does it know to do that? Learn more about the clever mechanism that keeps your gas tank from overflowing in this episode of BrainStuff.

Nobel Prizes are highly prestigious, valuable awards that have been given out to visionaries and pioneers in select fields since 1901. Tune in to find out more about the Nobel Prize in this episode of BrainStuff.

In this episode of BrainStuff, Marshall explains the physics behind satellites and orbits.

Sea level is an important measurement, but it's also a complicated one. Find out why in this episode of BrainStuff.

Herbicides like Roundup are products that inhibit plant and weed growth in a very specific way. Explore the biochemistry behind glyphosphate-based herbicides in this episode of HowStuffWorks.com.

Lots of people like to grill their meat, but this popular cooking method has been linked to cancer. Discover how chemical reactions make grilled meat potentially carcinogenic in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

How long can a germ last outside the body? It depends. Tune in to this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com to find out how different germs fare outside the body.

There are several types of fog machines, each with specific advantages and disadvantages. Listen in to learn more about fog machines.

Customers are increasingly choosing long-lasting alternatives to traditional incandescent lights. But are florescent lightbulbs really more efficient than traditional lightbulbs? Listen in and find out in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

Any liquid-cooled car engine has a thermostat that blocks the flow of coolant to the radiator. Learn how the thermostat works to reduce wear, deposits and emissions in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

If a boat weighs 1,000 pounds, it will sink into the water until it displaces 1,000 pounds of water. Tune in to learn how the shape of a boat allows it to displace enough water to float in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

Virtual first down lines are used to indicate where play resumes in football -- but how do they work? Listen in as Marshall Brain explains how the technology superimposes a virtual line in this podcast on HowStuffWorks.com.

Dioxin is an organic chemical that consists of benzene, oxygen and chlorine. This chemical is also toxic. Tune in to learn more about dioxin and Agent Orange in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

If you look on the label of a water filter, you'll often see the filter contains activated charcoal -- but what exactly is this stuff? Tune in as Marshall Brain explains the nature of activated charcoal in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

SETI -- the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence -- is an enormous, global undertaking meant to detect signs of life beyond our solar system. Learn how you can help from home in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.

Everyone's familiar with those little packets of silicate gel, found in thousands of products -- but what exactly do they do? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast and learn more about silica gel.

It's often said that "nature abhores a vacuum." If that's true, then why doesn't the vacuum of space suck away our atmosphere? Tune in as Marshall Brain explains the science behind vacuums in this HowStuffWorks podcast.

If a balloon was filled by a vacuum -- rather than helium or air -- would it float? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn the science behind balloons and vacuum.

An MRE -- or meal ready to eat -- contains precooked, sterilized food originally made to nourish soldiers. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about the retort packaging that makes MREs possible.

Also known as 'lie detectors,' polygraphs are used to record an individual's vital signs, such as breathing rate, pulse, and so forth. Check out this podcast from HowStuffWorks to learn more about polygraphs and the art of lie detection.

A Boeing 747 uses approximately one galloon of fuel per second -- over the course of a ten hour flight, it might burn 36,00 galloons of fuel. How does this compare to a car? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about airplane mileage.

CDs store music using 44,100 16-bit digital samples per second, adding up to about 10 megabytes per minute -- and that's too large to move easily move across the internet. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn how MP3 files solve this problem.