The AnswerBank Articles

Tell me about this new electronic lifeguard system

It's a new artificial intelligence (AI) system that can alert lifeguards to swimmers in difficulty, even in busy pools. Q. What is the system called A. The Poseidon System. It has been developed00:00 Mon 26th Mar 2001

How does scuba diving equipment work

Lucky Oliverg2 is off on a scuba-diving holiday, and wants to know how the equipment he will use works. Q. What does SCUBA stand for A. The acronym stands for Self Contained Underwater Breathing00:00 Mon 26th Mar 2001

How do nicotine patches work

A. The patch is self-adhesive and looks like a large plaster. The outer ring sticks to the skin, while the inner portion presses against the skin and slowly releases nicotine into the skin. Unlike00:00 Mon 26th Mar 2001

How your tongue could help you 'see'

A. Researchers in America have developed a device that transmits visual clues to the brain via the tongue. Its developers call it a 'tongue display unit' (TDU). Q. How does the tongue display unit00:00 Mon 19th Mar 2001

How do smoke alarms work asked Sabrinah

A. In a smoke alarm there are two small and parallel plates, about one centimetre apart, wired up to a battery. Radioactive americium 241 is in the centre of one of the plates, emitting alpha00:00 Mon 19th Mar 2001

What does DVD mean

A. DVD stands for Digital Versatile Discs. Q. How does a DVD store data A. Like a CD, the data on a DVD is encoded in the form of small bumps in the track of the disc. Q. How do DVDs differ00:00 Mon 19th Mar 2001

How do batteries work

Q. How do batteries work asked riley. Thanks to CrankSPL for a very detailed answer. Here The AnswerBank looks at the subject even further. Q. When were batteries first invented A. The00:00 Mon 12th Mar 2001

When was alcohol discovered and why does it alter our state of mind

A. Alcoholic beverages were probably discovered accidentally when people tasted alcohol in rotten, fermenting fruit. Scenes showing the process of fermentation appear on Mesopotamian pottery as00:00 Mon 12th Mar 2001

Who invented the photocopier and when

A. Chester F. Carlson began experimenting with producing a prototype photocopier in New York in the late 1930s. Q. How do photocopiers work A. Photocopier works on a basic physical principle:00:00 Mon 12th Mar 2001

What is so special about a computer programme called Hal

A new computer programme, called Hal, is the first artificial intelligence program to 'understand' everyday language. It has the potential to revolutionise the interaction of humans and machines,00:00 Mon 05th Mar 2001

Aspirin: How does it work

by Lisa Cardy RILEY posted a question asking how aspirin works. To save you all from the headache of working it out, here's an article on the subject. What is aspirin used for Mainly headaches.00:00 Mon 05th Mar 2001

Cable modems: how do they work

A. Cable modems are devices that allow high-speed access to the Internet via a cable television network. They are similar to a traditional analogue modems, which connect to the Internet via an00:00 Mon 05th Mar 2001

Burglar alarms: How do they work

by Lisa Cardy BURGLAR alarms are found in banks, shops and private homes. A wide variety of systems are available, but they're all based on the same basic design principles. How does a basic00:00 Mon 26th Feb 2001

Umbilical cords: how can they repair brain damage

by Lisa Cardy Scientists say stem cells from umbilical cord blood could be used to repair the brain damage suffered as a result of a stroke and many other conditions. Who is claiming stem cells00:00 Mon 26th Feb 2001

Antiperspirants: How do they work

by Lisa Cardy RILEY recently posted a question on how cosmetic products save us from body odour. So here's a whole article on why we sweat and what deodorants and anti-perspirants do to save us00:00 Mon 26th Feb 2001

The filmless camera: How digital cameras store images

by Lisa Cardy PEOPLE have been using cameras and film for over 100 years. When you click the button to take a picture, either digitally or with conventional film, the camera lets light pass through00:00 Mon 19th Feb 2001

Mobile phone vouchers: How they work

by Lisa Cardy THERE are a multitude of different brands of mobile phone as well as various ways of paying for the calls you make. Vouchers, also known as pay as you talk (PAYT) and pay as you go00:00 Mon 19th Feb 2001

Airbags: How do they work

by Lisa Cardy AIRBAGS are relatively new and very effective car safety devices, but how exactly do they work When a car crashes into another object anything inside continues moving at the same00:00 Mon 19th Feb 2001

Concorde: How it works

by Lisa Cardy FOLLOWING recent safety checks, it's hoped that Concorde will take to the air again in the spring of this year. Passengers will once again be able to travel from London to New York in00:00 Mon 12th Feb 2001

Heavy earth moving equipment

by Lisa Cardy IN A billion years or so the Sun will have become so bright that we will be fried to oblivion. But scientists have come up with an alarmingly simple solution to save planet Earth;00:00 Mon 12th Feb 2001