He and the Web site he founded (HowStuffWorks.com) inspired the magazine you’re reading right now. He writes many of the articles you read here and online at the Express Web site and the HowStuffWorks Web site. In fact, you see his face on page three of every issue of Express. And you might have even seen him appearing on television on CNN Headline News, Modern Marvels, the National Geographic Channel and Oprah. But why is that?
To start the New Year, we’ve looked in our very own backyard to bring you one of our favorite extraordinary people -- Marshall Brain. Now you can find out how he works!
Not only is Marshall an extraordinary person, he’s done some pretty incredible things while investigating stuff for HowStuffWorks. For example, when we were writing about hot air balloons, Marshall went for a ride in one. He learned how they’re set up, how they lift off and how they land. Another time, Marshall took to the air again – this time it was for an article on skydiving. Yes, he actually jumped out of an airplane so that he could really learn how skydiving works. Now that’s what we call commitment!
A published author, notable national speaker and all-round great – and incredibly busy – guy, Marshall took time between lectures, articles and dismantling robots for an interview. Yeah, we were going to say something about him letting us pick his brain, but then that pun felt a little too obvious, so…without further ado, here’s what he had to say.
When did you become interested in how stuff works?
I was always the kid who would take things apart and drove his parents crazy. When I was a teenager, I liked to work on cars, build electronic stuff, things like that. But I got really obsessed with it for some reason in 1998, and that's when HowStuffWorks was born.
What was the first thing you ever dismantled to see how it worked?
It's hard to say what the first thing was. But I have clear memories of taking my bike all the way apart when I was a kid. I can remember opening the coaster brake and having about a hundred parts fall out (it was probably actually five parts, but it seemed like a hundred, and I was shocked). I can remember taking the lawn mower apart. When I was a kid, lots of things still had tubes in them, and my dad and I were always taking apart things like TVs and radios to replace the tubes.
What's the most interesting thing you've taken apart?
Pendulum clocks are very cool inside. On an old Volkswagen, you can take the engine ALL the way apart, and that is very cool. I once got to spend a day with a mechanic rebuilding a manual transmission, and transmissions are absolutely amazing inside.
What's your favorite article you've ever written? Favorite Express article?
"How Cells Work" taught me so much when I wrote it. Our bodies are absolutely amazing at the molecular level. The article on the Global positioning system was amazing too - the people who designed that system were absolute geniuses. For Express, the article on pirates was a lot of fun to work on. I got to go visit some boats in Jamestown, VA that are the same size and rigging as pirate ships would have been. It's unbelievable to think about how people lived back then.
Besides writing, what else do you do with HowStuffWorks?
I get to do a lot of different things. I work on a lot of video/TV stuff, both for HSW and beyond. This year I have gotten to be on the History Channel, the National Geographic Channel, CNN, Fox news, and more. I do a lot of publicity work. For example, there are three or four radio interviews every week. I get to work on special projects. It's a lot of fun.
What are the most interesting interviews/appearances you've made?
Actually, every interview is interesting because people ask really good questions and they make you think. I do a weekly radio segment with KMOX in St. Louis. The hosts are named Jon and John, and they REALLY make me think sometimes.
What was it like to be on the Oprah show?
Being on the Oprah Winfrey show was amazing. There are hundreds of people working together to create the show - artists, editors, directors, camera people, technicians… - and they are some of the nicest people in the world.
What is the coolest thing you’ve ever done?
Leigh and I have four kids (David (9), Irena (6), and the twins John and Ian (4)), and being able to be with Leigh when they were born was probably the coolest thing I've ever done. The twins especially - that was just unbelievable. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be in Leigh's place.
What's the most terrifying thing?
I was in a house fire in college. The smoke alarm woke me up about 6AM, and when I got out of my room, there was a huge fire roaring out of control in the kitchen. Getting everyone out of the house, calling the fire department, and then watching the whole house burn down. That was a very strange day. It makes you very thankful for things like smoke detectors though…
Where is the coolest place you’ve ever been?
Maybe soaring in a glider is the coolest. I don't know why, but every time I've gone gliding, it has been very peaceful and beautiful. Riding in a hot air balloon is similar.
What's an average day like for you?
In an average day, I normally write something -- an article, a script, something. I normally have an interview of some sort, or I am getting ready for an interview. I travel a lot, so many days are spent hanging out at airports and going to different cities. I answer lots of questions and reply to a lot of e-mail. I get to do appearances at schools, work in TV and voice studios, go to meetings… Every day is a different mix and it's a lot of fun.
What was your favorite subject in grade school?
Grade school, high school - science classes were my favorite. And science teachers - at least all the science teachers I ever had - were always cool teachers for some reason.
As a parent, do you explain how stuff works a lot at home? Has there been a time where something one of your children asked about inspired you to write an article?
We talk about how stuff works all the time, but I think that's true of all kids. Kids are naturally curious. Everyone at some point wonders why the sky is blue, or where electricity comes from or how bees make honey. We talk about that kind of stuff constantly. Last weekend the car battery went dead, so we talked about how batteries work, how alternators recharge them, stuff like that.
In your spare time, what do you like to do?
I like to ride my bike. We have a little garden and I love gardening. We have two aquariums and for some reason I like taking care of the fish. As a family, we do a lot of walking, and we love spending time at the beach. Saturday we all went roller-skating together. I also love writing. It seems like I write something every day.
What are some of your favorite things -- favorite food, favorite movie, favorite music?
Food - bananas, lasagna, ice cream. This explains why I need to lose some weight. Movie - The Incredibles is a great movie. I have seen it about 20 times because the kids like it so much, and even after 20 times it is interesting. Music - I have never been a huge music fan. But I like Bluegrass music.
If you had the chance to interview anyone about an invention he/she has created, who would it be (the person can be living or deceased)?
I love talking to people. Just about everyone has really interesting stories to tell. If I could pick anyone… I would love to talk to someone like Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson, for like a week. I’d like to understand how Franklin and Jefferson viewed the world and what they hoped the United States would become. What would they think about all of the technology we have today?
