Packed with superb color illustrations and fascinating facts, this highly informative guide explores all aspects of technology, from ancient artifacts to the latest advances in computer-aided design. Clearly annotated photographs and diagrams give an invaluable insight into the tools, machines, and systems that have shaped the modern world. See how the strength of different materials is measured, the structure of a suspension bridge, how keyhole surgery works, what astronauts eat in space, and how milk bottles have changed shape. Learn which materials pull and which ones push, how engines convert heat into work, how an airplane flies, how instant coffee is created, and how a ring-pull is made. Discover why glass is a liquid, the difference between inventors and designers, what a CD is made from -- and how a CD player works, how science can help protect threatened plant species, and much, much more.