Introducing a new Britannica Newsletter

How Everything Works is the daily newsletter for endlessly curious readers. Each edition dives into the science, history, and hidden mechanics behind the everyday things we rarely stop to think about — from technology and nature to the strange phenomena that make the world so fascinating.

Tears are one of the most universal human responses. Emphasis on the “human.” Though animals may shed tears for various biological reasons, humans are the only creatures on Earth that cry for emotional reasons, like sadness or frustration. But for something so universal, tears are still surprisingly mysterious.

Human engineering has produced marvelously complicated wonders. However, these impressive feats of ingenuity aren’t just found in advanced laboratories — they’re all around you. Inside your home, the objects you use every day, often without a second thought, are quietly doing their own complex work. Here are a few objects you use every day that were once considered scientific miracles.

"It’s better on vinyl." You've probably heard an audiophile extol the virtues of a vinyl record. Whether the quality really improves or not, the music produced via a record player is certainly different.