USA Burn Notice

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HowStuffWorks Presents: USA Burn Notice

How Spies Work

Real-world espionage rarely resembles the on-screen exploits of Hollywood secret agents. Still, spying is a useful and often dangerous way for governments to gather secret information from their enemies. The successes and failures of spies have shaped foreign policy, altered the course of wars and left a deep (though usually hidden) impression on world history. Read More

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How Spy Gadgets Work

Spy films like those starring James Bond are full of special gadgets like lipstick guns, hubcap lasers, turbo hovercraft, cyanide cigarettes, missile launcher leg casts and rocket-launching radios. But which of these amazing tools actually have real-life counterparts, and which ones only exist in the realm of fictional spies like 007? Read More

Be Informed

How the CIA Works
Despite plenty of Hollywood films about the CIA and its spies, many people still don�t know what the agency actually does. What do CIA agents really do? Who do they answer to? And what kind of trouble have they gotten in? Read More

How the FBI Works
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the most powerful government agency in the United States. Some call it the largest law enforcement agency in the world. What�s behind this mega-agency? And does it really deserve all the hype? Read More

How Lock Picking Works
Most people carry five to 10 keys with them whenever they go out. On your key ring you might have several keys for the house, one or two more for the car and a few for the office or a friend's house. Read More

How a U.S. Spy Plane Works
It shouldn't surprise us that countries routinely keep an eye on what other countries are doing. Normally, these surveillance activities go unnoticed by the general public -- by definition, reconnaissance missions are not highly publicized. Read More

How James Bond Works
With his dry wit and impeccable style, James Bond has been defying death and ruining the plans of megalomaniacal madmen in service of queen and country for more than 50 years. Where did this dashing character come from? Read More

How Wiretapping Works
Wiretapping occurs all the time in espionage and crime movies. Spies and gangsters know the enemy is listening, so they speak in code over the phone and keep an eye out for bugs. That�s where recording equipment and surveillance teams come in.. Read More

How Conspiracy Theories Work
Are you the kind of person who likes to hear to a good conspiracy theory? Some people simply do not like the discomfort that a conspiracy theory creates. But for others, conspiracy theories are intriguing. Read More