Explore Technology

Technology facts.
A closer look.

Devices, tools and inventions explained through the science behind how they work. Start with a question below, then follow the evidence and further reading.

Heat-pump diagram labels outdoor coil, compressor, indoor coil, and refrigerant flow, with arrows showing heating in winter and reversed cooling in summer.

Technology

How Does a Heat Pump Work? Moving Heat Instead of Making It

A heat pump uses a refrigerant cycle to move heat between indoors and outdoors. Reversing the cycle lets many systems cool a building in summer.

2 min read·Sources included

QR code schematic highlights three corner finder patterns, a grid of data modules, and an obscured area that error correction may recover.

Technology

How Do QR Codes Work? The Squares Your Phone Can Read

A QR code stores data in a grid of dark and light modules. Corner finder patterns help a scanner orient the image, and error correction can recover some damaged data.

2 min read·Sources included

Solar storms can disturb Earth’s upper atmosphere and magnetic environment, adding errors or interruptions to GPS and some radio links.

Technology

How Can a Solar Storm Affect GPS and Radio Signals?

Solar storms can disturb Earth’s upper atmosphere and magnetic environment, adding errors or interruptions to GPS and some radio links.

2 min read·Sources included

Reusable rocket boosters use carefully timed engine burns, aerodynamic control and landing legs to return to a planned spot. Here is how the sequence works.

Technology

How Do Reusable Rockets Land Upright?

Reusable rocket boosters use carefully timed engine burns, aerodynamic control and landing legs to return to a planned spot. Here is how the sequence works.

2 min read·Sources included

Smoke alarms use sensors to detect particles in air. Photoelectric alarms sense light scattering; ionization models detect changes in a tiny electrical current.

Technology

How Does a Smoke Alarm Detect Smoke?

Smoke alarms use sensors to detect particles in air. Photoelectric alarms sense light scattering; ionization models detect changes in a tiny electrical current.

2 min read·Sources included

Turbulence is irregular air movement caused by weather fronts, mountains, storms or wind shear. It can occur in clear skies when nearby air moves at different speeds.

Technology

Why Does Airplane Turbulence Happen on Clear Days?

Turbulence is irregular air movement caused by weather fronts, mountains, storms or wind shear. It can occur in clear skies when nearby air moves at different speeds.

2 min read·Sources included