HowStuffWorks got its start in 1998 at a college professor’s kitchen table. From there, it quickly grew into an award-winning source of ‘unbiased’, ‘reliable’, easy-to-understand answers and explanations of how the world actually works.
Today, its writers, editors, podcasters and video hosts share all the things people are most excited to learn about.
An estimated 30 million visitors go to HowStuffWorks site each month, and the company claims that HowStuffWorks creates content that can live on just about any platform.
It’s always a good idea to evaluate online sources before using them for research. That said, this website says, “Science, verifiable data, peer-reviewed study and expert sources are at the heart of our work.”
Originally founded in 1998 as a reference site, HowStuffWorks pioneered the podcast space and was one of the first companies to turn podcasting into a revenue-generating business, bringing the medium to a mainstream audience with its informative, easy-to-understand explanations of how the world works.
Technically, HowStuffWorks is a commercial educational website founded by Marshall Brain to provide its target audience an insight into the way many things work.
The site uses various media to explain complex concepts, terminology, and mechanisms—including photographs, diagrams, videos, animations, and articles.
Ownership
The website was acquired by Discovery Communications in 2007, but sold it to different owners in 2014.
The site has since expanded out into podcasting, focusing on factual topics.
In 2018, the company, which had since been spun-off by System1 under the name Stuff Media, was acquired by iHeartMedia.
iHeartMedia is a leading global media and entertainment company specializing in radio, digital, outdoor, mobile, social, live events and on-demand entertainment.
