Science & Space

Rockets, engines, weather and the way things work, explained for the curious and not the specialist.

Bake your first sandwich loaf by the dough, not the clock

A soft, sliceable sandwich loaf takes flour, yeast and a free afternoon. The trick is knowing when the dough is ready, whatever the recipe says.

GuideGarden & YardWes Dunbar5 Oct 20267 min

Build the Chicken Coop for the Raccoon, Not the Hen

A small backyard flock is a great idea. Just check your city code, wire the coop against what's hungry, and do the honest egg math first.

Ask BRO

Rewrite my CV so it actually gets read

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StoryHistoryWes Dunbar4 Oct 20267 min

Before Paul Bunyan Was an Ad, He Was a Few Thousand Real Men

The north woods camps ran on pine, pancakes and nerve. They built the Midwest, nearly burned it down, and left a lesson in how to clean up after yourself.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

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Home7 min read

Caulk a tub and a window so nobody can tell you did it

A pro-looking caulk line has almost nothing to do with a steady hand. It comes down to what you do before the gun ever comes out.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideGarden & YardWes Dunbar5 Oct 20266 min

Buy the Skinny Fruit Tree and Pick Off the First Apples

The bare-root stick beats the big potted tree with fruit on it. Here's how to choose, space and raise fruit trees through the first three years.

StoryHistoryDean Shaw4 Oct 20267 min

The Wright Brothers Flew for Five Years Before the World Believed It

Kitty Hawk was the easy part. The hard part was the cow pasture, the newspapers that yawned, and the years they chose not to fly at all.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

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GuideSurvival & Self-DefenseWes Dunbar3 Oct 20267 min

Fire Without Matches Is a Tinder Problem, Not a Spark Problem

A ferro rod, a bow drill and a 9-volt battery will all make fire. Only one should be your plan, and none of them work without the boring part.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next fortnight.

GuideGarden & YardSam Ortiz5 Oct 20266 min

A Kid's Garden Needs a Win by Week Four

Tomatoes and pumpkins lose kids by July. Radishes, bush beans and one giant sunflower keep them coming back out the door.

StoryHistoryMarcus Vale4 Oct 20266 min

The Railway Canada Couldn't Afford and Built Anyway

A young country promised a train to the Pacific, nearly went broke keeping its word, and finished five years early. Not everyone was thanked.

Ask BRO

Give me something to do with my kids this weekend

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GuideCan You Fix ItWes Dunbar3 Oct 20267 min

Hang a Pre-Hung Door So It Doesn't Drift Open at 2 a.m.

Most bad door installs get decided before the first nail. Diagnose the opening, set the hinge side first, and the latch takes care of itself.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

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GuideGarden & YardNina Castellan5 Oct 20266 min

Water-Bath Canning Lives or Dies on the Acid

Jam, pickles and tomatoes are the safe starting point for home canning, but only if you get the acid right. Grandma's method won't cover it.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

StoryHistoryMarcus Vale3 Oct 20267 min

The Pony Express Went Broke Delivering the Mail on Time

For eighteen months, kids on fast horses beat the clock across 1,900 miles of open country. The company lost a fortune doing it. The ride was worth it.