Marshall Brain
M.S., 1989
Somewhere in our youth, most of us passed through a phase
when we questioned everything, when we longed for the answers
to why and how things work the way they do. At some point,
most of simply accept the fact that things just work, and
we stop asking why. This, of course, is not the case with
one very special NC State computer science alumnus, Marshall
Brain, who has made a career from answering the question of
how stuff works.
Brain, whose very name is appropriate for someone consumed
with the eternal search for knowledge, created HowStuffWorks
Inc., a media company that is internationally recognized as
the leading provider of information on how things work. Through
the award winning web site, www.howstuffworks.com,
and a host of other media offerings such as books, videos,
CDs, and magazines, HowStuffWorks offers in-depth articles
that explain the world from the inside out to millions of
readers every month.
Visit the HowStuffWorks web site on any day, and you recognize
it is an ever-changing "work in progress". Inquisitive
minds can satisfy their every conceivable question from "how
do touchscreen monitors know what you are touching" to
less technical topics such as "why do cats have whiskers".
What's the most bizarre topic ever featured on HSW? "We
have featured many non-technical topics," says Brain,
"but the 'sleeper-hit' award has to go to our piece on
'How Nostradamus Works'. This has been especially popular
given the tragic events of 9/11, and people's natural desire
to search for answers to such catastrophic events."
HowStuffWorks is not just a dynamic web site. Realizing that
different people respond to different communications vehicles,
Brain also uses other media such as TV and radio to disperse
knowledge. He adds, "We now produce one minute audio
vignettes on 'how stuff works' topics which are heard by over
1.5M people weekly on over 30 radio stations across the nation."
In addition, Brain recently published HowStuffWorks Express,
a magazine geared towards elementary and middle school students
and their teachers.
Brain, who first became involved in work on the NC State
campus during a project as a high school junior, has seen
first-hand the significant technology changes that have taken
place on campus. "I experienced three major technology
transitions in computer science, from 'punch cards' to first
generation PCs to UNIX workstations." Brain holds a B.S.
in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Poly Tech and an
M.S. in computer science from NC State. While at NCSU, he
served as a member of the computer science faculty, and was
elected to the North Carolina State University Academy of
Outstanding Teachers for taking complex subject matter and
making it come alive. "I really enjoy teaching,"
says Brain. "I have just traded the classroom for another
medium." And who was his favorite teacher? "Easy,"
he says. "That would be my masters sponsor and current
department head, Dr. Alan Tharp. He was not only a great teacher,
he also invited me over to his house to pick blueberries and
have homemade blueberry pie!"
"I also love writing," Brain continues. "Regardless
of where life's journey takes me, I think it will always involve
writing." He is the author of over 10 books including
"The Teenager's Guide to the Real World," (1997,
BYG Publishing), recognized by the New York Public Library
in 1999 as one of the 50 top books for teens. Ernst &
Young LLP/CNN named him one of 1999's top 25 entrepreneurs
in North and South Carolina.
Marshall Brain is a frequent and popular speaker at on-campus
entrepreneurial and executive lecture series. He lives with
his wife, Leigh Ann Brain, and their four children, David,
Irena, John, and Ian, in Raleigh, NC.
UPDATE - Since this feature was originally
written in mid-2002, Brain returned to NC State for a period
to continue pursuit of his first love of teaching. He continues
to play a key front-line spokesperson role for HowStuffWorks
and he remains active on the speaking circuit.
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