Jane McGrath has written over 200 articles for HowStuffWorks on topics ranging from Besty Ross to the 10 biggest lies in history to Stonehenge. She holds a B.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of Maryland.
Recent Contributions
It's hard to look up in the sky on a clear day and not see a "cloud" trailing from an airplane. They're called contrails, though some refer to them as "chemtrails" and have odd explanations for their existence.
The Code of Hammurabi is a 7-foot-tall piece of basalt with more than 300 laws engraved on it. According to the code, if you strike your father, then your hands will be cut off. Why would our modern society care about studying such inhumane mandates?
By Jane McGrath
Maybe you've heard about drinking the Kool-Aid or listening to The Family Jams - but what do you really know about some of the world's most infamous cults?
By Alia Hoyt & Jane McGrath
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If you study a brick wall, it looks simple enough. It's just a stack of bricks and some mortar to hold everything together, right? The job takes a bit more experience than you'd think.
By Jane McGrath
How much water does a rock need to grow? That's a trick question. If your thumb isn't exactly green but you love the idea of having a manicured outdoor space, a rock garden might fit the bill.
By Jane McGrath
The deck is the perfect outdoor entertaining space in any home. But what happens when furniture and house guests take up too much space? It's time to stretch that deck out a little.
By Jane McGrath
Decades of fossil discoveries have revealed much about the extinct members of our hominid family tree, but we're far from having all the answers. What have we learned from some of these fascinating finds?
By Jane McGrath
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Oil drilling has been around for more than a century. But because of the numerous developments in the technology, it has grown leaps and bounds in that time.
By Jane McGrath
Why would a pilot ever want to eject an airplane's fuel intentionally? And why would it happen during a flight? Although it sounds alarming, a fuel dump is a safe procedure.
By Jane McGrath
The automobile is one of the most important inventions of the past 150 years. This is not only because it provides convenient personal transport and great independence through mobility, but also because of the problems it can cause.
By Jane McGrath
Blasting a spacecraft into space is one thing. Bringing it back in one piece is another. Spacecraft are likely to burn up into bits if they aren't specially insulated and designed for the ride.
By Jane McGrath
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If you've ever walked the New York City streets in July, you've experienced the misery of this phenomenon. Why do cities heat up like furnaces while surrounding rural areas remain cooler?
By Jane McGrath
He was born exactly 300 years after Galileo died. He never won a Nobel Prize, although he was awarded a guest spot on "The Simpsons." What else do you know (or not know) about this acclaimed physicist?
By Jane McGrath
People with schizophrenia can experience delusions, hallucinations and paranoia. But they don't have to suffer social isolation. Find out what successful treatments can help people with the disorder.
By Jane McGrath
We see buildings pop up and get torn down all the time, but some structures (and the architects who designed them) were built to last. These 16 are some of the most famous.
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You've prudently pinched pennies to build your nest egg. But with the recent failures of First Republic and Silicon Valley banks, should you worry about losing your money if your bank goes bust?
Wouldn't it be great if you never had to pay for dry cleaning again? A steam dryer could make that wish a reality for you. And its washer companion could cleanse mildew, cat dander and other allergens out of your clothes.
By Jane McGrath
Are multipurpose plastic bags or those throwback brown paper bags more environmentally friendly? That question could leave you speechless on your next trip to the grocery store.
By Jane McGrath
Subprime mortgages allow people with a weak or limited credit history to purchase a house. Some people say that subprime lenders prey on minorities, while others claim that subprime lending is why the housing bubble has burst.
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Classic American lore would have us believe that Betsy Ross made the first U.S. flag, but some historians dismiss this as just a tale. So, who's right? If not Betsy, then who made the first flag?
June 6, 2022, marks the 78th anniversary of what some call one of the gutsiest battles in WWII history: D-Day, aka the Invasion of Normandy.
By Jane McGrath & Sarah Gleim
How do you slow down a fire? These six building materials are particularly resistant to fire and intense heat, reducing the possibility of fatalities.
By Jane McGrath & Talon Homer
You don't look fat in those pants. I am not a crook. I never met her. Lots of us lie, but some lies are more detrimental than others. What are some of the biggest whoppers ever told?
By Alia Hoyt & Jane McGrath
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The Victorians were many things, but simple and straightforward in their social dealings they were not. While their rules for behavior might strike us as overly rigid today, those rules formed the backbone of Victorian society.
By Jane McGrath
Leave your house for five minutes or eight hours and your dog will probably have the same wiggly response to your return. Do dogs sense the passing of time?
By Jane McGrath