TechnologyWorths

Forging steel is significant for several reasons. It's one of the oldest metal-forming operations in existence. Blacksmiths throughout history have (and continue to) forge steel to create things ranging from practical to beautiful and everywhere in between. Industrial processes often involve forging not only for the efficiency with which it forms metal, but also for the way in which it strengthens the part by aligning the grains in the steel along the lines of its shape. Did you know that you could be doing this same time-tested technique at home? Here is how I built my own propane forge. At my old shop, I had a talented blacksmith as a neighbor (check out his work: www.andyuprightmetalworks.com) who got me interested enough to take a stab at forging on my own. I did some interwebs research and came upon a few Web sites on which people documented their own forge builds. Almost all of them used a burner design called the "Reil Burner," which has the distinct DIY...

Next time you wash your face, think of the sludge that you've just dumped in the rivers and ocean. Not from your skin. From microbeads. Microbeads are tiny bits of plastic found in exfoliating body washes and facial scrubs. Since their introduction in 1972, they have made their way into more than 100 personal care products sold by companies such as Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and L'Oréal. But there's mounting evidence that these beads—while great at scraping dead dermis—are equally adept at killing marine life and bringing harmful chemicals into the food chain. Since 2012, when researchers searched the Great Lakes for small pieces of plastic and found high concentrations of microbeads, environmentalists have campaigned to ban them. Last week, Congress finally agreed. It booted microbeads from the consumer supply line. Aware that microbeads act as environmental pollutants, several leading companies in the personal care industry have pledged to stop...

As television shows become available online, audiences are no longer watching their favorites on a set schedule. But if you choose to cut the cord entirely, you'll miss out on live TV, such as news and sports. Luckily, you can still view live television on your computer. You have two options: Plug a TV tuner device, which catches broadcasts like an antenna does, into a USB port, or stream shows through your web browser. Plug in a TV tuner Network channels, including NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, PBS, and local stations, air for free. All you need to watch them is an antenna to catch the broadcasts and a device to share them with your computer. The latter, called a TV tuner, can come in the form of a dongle or a larger box that plugs into any spare USB port. Tuners come with bundled software that helps you navigate. When you're getting started, these built-in applications will install the necessary drivers, scan for available channels, and display them on your laptop scre...

While cats may feel effects from marijuana—no word on whether Sir Harry Paus actually likes the experience—"kitty pot" does not have a reciprocal effect on humans. In the late 1960s, some researchers reported catnip gave people a marijuana-like high, but it turned out they had simply mixed up the two plants. As veterinarian Arnold Plotnick of Manhattan Cat Specialists in New York wrote to me in an email, "Think about it… catnip is cheap and legal. If it had a significant effect on people, everyone would be smoking it." Meanwhile, cats do feel effects from marijuana, but it may be scary for them. "Animals can't understand they're being intoxicated, therefore it can cause considerable anxiety," says Bruce Kornreich, associate director of the Cornell Feline Health Center in upstate New York. It's not clear why the active chemical in catnip, nepetalactone, doesn't affect humans, Kornreich says. Pot affects cats because like m...

Everyone loves baths. Bath bombs—those delightful chunks of good-smelling stuff that explode into colorful fizz in your bathtub—are therefore an awesome gift on any occasion. But they can get a little pricy. If you buy ingredients in bulk and make a mess of bath bombs yourself, you can get a lot more bang for your buck. Plus, you can customize color, scent, and shape to perfectly suit the holiday—or the lucky bath bomb recipient. And no one will know if you save a couple dozen for yourself. This recipe makes about 12 bath bombs, but the exact count will depend on the size of the silicone molds you use. Stats: Time: 10 minutes of work, several hours of drying time Cost: About $2 per bomb if you make a dozen and more if you add biodegradable glitter—but prices drop if you make a big batch Difficulty: Easy Read More at https://www.popsci.com/how-to-make-your-own-bath-bombs#page-2