Charles Bryant

Charles Bryant

HowStuffWorks

Charles W.(Chuck) Bryant co-hosts the Stuff You Should Know podcast along with his trusty sidekick, Josh Clark. Bryant also wrote articles for the site, touching on a potpourri of subjects. He was born in Atlanta in the early 1970s under the sign of Pisces. Twenty-four years later, he earned an English degree at the University of Georgia. He spent the next decade traveling, pursuing creative endeavors and getting street smart. He and his wife-to-be moved back to Atlanta in 2004, with four pets in tow. He hooked up with HowStuffWorks shortly after co-host Josh was hired, and the pair bonded immediately over their love of Hunter S. Thompson, the fight-or-flight response and dive bars. In his off time, Chuck enjoys hanging out with his wife, cooking and playing in his old-man band. He loves his neti pot and hates cold bathroom floors.

Recent Contributions

Hammerheads have itty-bitty mouths, a tall dorsal fin and an impressively odd noggin. Why do these creatures of the deep look so strange?

By Charles W. Bryant

Alien hand syndrome sounds like something from a B-grade horror movie, but it's a real condition. You could be completely at the mercy of your own renegade hand -- it could keep your other hand from functioning, punch you or even choke you.

By Charles W. Bryant

The human brain is a mysterious little ball of gray matter, and so is that recurring dream that you're an elf. Have scientists determined why we have dreams?

By Charles W. Bryant

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In "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," Dr. Jones battles the Nazis for the Holy Grail. Did the Nazis really have an interest in archaeology? And if so, what fueled it?

By Charles W. Bryant

A catalytic converter is one of the most important parts of a car's emissions control system. It treats the exhaust before it leaves the car and removes a lot of the pollution. Learn how they work.

By Karim Nice, Charles W. Bryant & Sascha Bos

It's not cool when a ghost drags you out of your hotel bed. Unless, of course, you're into that kind of thing. What hotels provide such fright?

By Charles W. Bryant & Jessika Toothman

Have you ever seen an "oversize load" sign ahead of you in traffic? Here's what you need to know about how oversize loads work and regulations.

By Charles W. Bryant

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Anyone with a manual transmission knows that a clutch connects and disconnects the engine and transmission. But did you know that automatics have clutches, too? Read on to discover how a clutch car works!

By Karim Nice, Charles W. Bryant & Kristen Hall-Geisler

It's been preferred in Europe since the 1970s, but can radiant floor heating help with your allergies and get you a good night's sleep? Why would it make you toss your snow shovel?

By Charles W. Bryant

The human brain has a great capacity to adapt, rewire and grow. How can you help your noggin reach its ultimate potential?

By Charles W. Bryant

No one likes paying bills. But you wouldn't have quite so many if you lived off the grid. How do you create enough energy to ditch public utilities?

By Charles W. Bryant

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Batteries power all sorts of things - they're in our cars, our PCs, our cameras, our cell phones. How do these tiny cans of chemicals provide power for so many of our daily conveniences?

By Marshall Brain, Charles W. Bryant, Clint Pumphrey & Yara Simón

Each country and each region within each country has its own laws regarding the right to cultural property. So, how do you know which artifacts belong to the government and which are "finders keepers"?

By Charles W. Bryant

It's not so much about time as it is about money. What dictates how long an archeological team is permitted to dig at a particular site?

By Charles W. Bryant

Long before sonnets, sestinas and short stories were historical accounts of kings carved onto clay tablets. Who were the first writers and what did they scribble?

By Charles W. Bryant

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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.

By Charles W. Bryant & Jane McGrath

Let's assume that long ago Homo sapiens communicated by grunting at one another. How and when did all those grunting sounds evolve into a verb tenses, clauses and proper nouns?

By Charles W. Bryant

A tornado can turn a house into toothpicks, but when you think about it, it's really just a funnel of air. What's it like on the inside?

By Charles W. Bryant

Don't think the cameramen who film "Deadliest Catch" aren't as gritty and daring as the show's subjects. When 800-pound crab pots are swinging onto a tilting and slippery deck, there's no time to baby-sit the Hollywood rookie.

By Charles W. Bryant

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The 2020 presidential election is expected to be the most expensive ever, with President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden having raised $3.2 billion by October 2020. Where does this money come from, and where does it all go?

By Charles W. Bryant & Melanie Radzicki McManus

How can the government just take over and destroy property and buildings? And why do we let them? It's called eminent domain - and it's in the Constitution.

By Charles W. Bryant & John Donovan

Air conditioning has fundamentally changed how people experience the world. When it's hot outside, walking into an air-conditioned house is like walking into another season. How do air conditioners keep us cool?

By Marshall Brain, Charles W. Bryant & Sara Elliott

It's time to put on makeup; it's time to dress up right. It's time to raise the curtain on the Muppet quiz tonight!

By Charles W. Bryant

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Scooby, Scooby-Doo - where are you? He's probably chowing down on some Scooby-Snacks with Shaggy and the gang. Let's see what you know about everybody's favorite Great Dane cartoon.

By Charles W. Bryant

Along with motion pictures, Hollywood has a knack for creating other things: controversy and scandal. So which scandals are the juiciest -- and why?

By Charles W. Bryant & Allison Wachtel