How It Actually Works

We Tested / We Tried It

Things we investigated, tested, built, and experimented with — so you don't have to.

Microwave control panel close-up — what the mute setting actually silences, from button beeps to end-of-cycle alerts
We Tested Microwave Mute Settings: What Do They Actually Silence? Daniel S. I. · 9 min read
A phone showing a Google Messages conversation with a custom photo chat theme background, illustrating how personal photos look behind message bubbles
We Tested Google Messages' New Chat Themes With Real Photos. Here's What Actually Happens Daniel S. I. · 9 min read
A home Wi-Fi router with blinking lights beside a laptop showing a browser error, illustrating whether changing DNS can fix an internet outage
Does Changing DNS Actually Fix an Internet Outage? Daniel S. I. · 10 min read
A bottle of orange juice with a thicker pulp layer settled at the bottom and a clearer layer above it
Does Shaking Orange Juice Really Put the Good Stuff Back In? Here's What Actually Settles Daniel S. I. · 12 min read
Slices of bread in a freezer bag with frost visible, ready for freezer storage
Does Freezing Bread Really Keep It Fresher? Daniel S. I. · 14 min read
A television with a black screen glowing in a dim living room while a remote points at it, illustrating a TV that plays sound but shows no picture
Why Does Your TV Have Sound but No Picture? What Failed Inside the Signal Chain? Daniel S. I. · 13 min read
A person adjusting a wireless earbud in one ear outdoors, illustrating why earbuds can fall out of ears that differ in shape and size
Why Do Your Earbuds Keep Falling Out? It's Not Always the Earbuds' Fault Daniel S. I. · 12 min read
An open microwave oven with a plate of food inside, illustrating the standing-wave field patterns that make microwave heating uneven
Why Does Your Microwave Heat Food Unevenly? What's Actually Happening Inside the Oven Daniel S. I. · 14 min read
A smartphone showing a weather app rain forecast held up against a bright, still-dry sky, illustrating how weather apps predict rain before clouds arrive
How Does My Weather App Know Rain Is Coming? What It's Actually Looking At Daniel S. I. · 15 min read
A smartphone charging on a table with the airplane mode icon visible on its screen, illustrating whether airplane mode makes charging faster
Does Airplane Mode Really Charge Your Phone Faster? Daniel S. I. · 11 min read
A steaming pot of hot soup beside an open refrigerator, illustrating whether hot food should go straight into the fridge or cool on the counter first
Does Putting Hot Food in the Fridge Really Make It Work Harder? Daniel S. I. · 13 min read
A measuring cap of liquid laundry detergent over a washing machine drum, illustrating whether using more detergent actually makes clothes cleaner
Does More Laundry Detergent Actually Make Clothes Cleaner? Daniel S. I. · 13 min read
A shirt being turned inside out over a laundry basket, illustrating whether washing clothes inside out really protects fabric, prints and colors
Does Washing Clothes Inside Out Really Protect Them? Daniel S. I. · 12 min read
Hands scrubbing a greasy pan under a stream of hot water in a kitchen sink, illustrating whether hot water cleans dishes better than cold water
Does Hot Water Clean Dishes Better Than Cold Water? Daniel S. I. · 13 min read
Illustration of a person pinching their nose while tasting a jellybean, showing how blocking your nose removes the smell information that creates flavor
Why Does Food Taste Different When Your Nose Is Blocked? Daniel S. I. · 8 min read
Illustration of a person chopping an onion with tears streaming down their face, with a molecular diagram of the tear-producing lachrymatory factor nearby
Why Do Onions Make You Cry, and Can You Actually Stop It? Daniel S. I. · 12 min read
Smartphone showing battery, dark mode toggle, VPN switch, and charging cable representing eight tested tech myths
We Tested 8 of the Internet's Most Popular Tech Myths. Here's What Actually Happens Daniel S. I. · 11 min read
Recent apps screen on a smartphone showing multiple apps open in the background
Do Closing Apps on Your Phone Actually Save Battery Life? Daniel S. I. · 7 min read