HowStuffWorks Newsletter
Outdoor activities such as biking, climbing and hiking keep you active during the warmer months. Learn more about snow sports like bobsledding and the Iditarod to keep you moving this winter.
Topics to Explore:
If you've been on a biking trail in the last few years, you've probably seen all kinds of crazy-looking bikes. Mountain bikes just keep accumulating more gears. Today, some bikes have as many as 27 gear ratios. What do they all do?
By Karim Nice
Imagine soaring like a hawk thousands of feet above the ground. You search for updrafts of air to keep you aloft so that you can enjoy this feeling for hours. Although the air is somewhat chilly, the view is tremendous and the solitude is relaxing.
Advances in SCUBA gear have opened up the underwater world to more people than ever before. With some equipment and a little training, you can explore it all. Find out how SCUBA works.
Advertisement
Think you need to depend on mother nature for snow? Think again. With cool temperatures and a good supply of water, snow makers can cover the ground in the fluffy white stuff in no time.
By Tom Harris
'The bends' is a dangerous condition based on water pressure. Find out how you can get -- and prevent -- the bends.
Lance Armstrong has won yet another Tour de France, breaking the cycling record for consecutive victories in that race. Bicycles are incredibly simple machines, and the "inner" workings are right out in the open for you to see. Find out how all those
Long before GPS satellites and other high-tech navigational aids, people used the Earth's natural magnetism to navigate the unknown. Learn how a compass works and how to create your own!