Big Questions Answered, How and Why

Sneezing is gross, but it’s also normal.

Many people underestimate the damage that suppressing a sneeze can cause.

“And then, yada yada yada, I made a movie about Pop Tarts.”

The ’90s catchphrase was made famous by ‘Seinfeld,’ but Jerry and company didn’t coin it.

Roborock has teamed up with Mental Floss to explain why space is a vacuum—all while pushing the boundaries of smart cleaning technology back on Earth.

Presented by Roborock

Beryl, Helene, Milton—recent hurricane monikers aren’t exactly the most popular girls’ and boys’ names.

'Knotty muscles' can be a real pain in the neck.

The nagging pain in your neck may feel tight, but it's knot what you think.

Both are places where we bury the dearly departed, and the words are often used interchangeably. But that hasn’t always been the case.

Some of these presidents were well versed in October surprises.

Its political legacy began during the Iran hostage crisis, but other kinds of October surprises had been happening for decades.

Looks like she's reading a novel, not a novella.

As Stephen King once said, novellas are “too long to be short and too short to be really long.”

Gourds (left) and squash (right) are similar, but one shouldn’t be eaten.

Matters become more confusing when you add pumpkins to the mix.

If you ever freeze after hearing something go ‘bump’ in the night, you’re not alone.

You’ve likely heard of fight or flight, but a third reaction—to freeze—is misunderstood by many.

The answer depends on where you hope to live.

They may look weird, but they are perfectly fine to eat.

Some gourds are bred to have a bumpy appearance.

A face no one with coulrophobia wants to see.

Clowns have a long and spooky history.

The three types of pasta are all long, but when and how you use them will make all the difference for your meals.

The first jack-o'-lanterns were made with turnips, not pumpkins.

Old age may precede dying, but it doesn’t directly cause it.

Can an octogenarian really just collapse from the wear and tear of life?

The crescent wrench has helped DIYers for decades.

A Swedish immigrant changed the face of wrenches forever.

Not everyone experiences funny-smelling urine after eating asparagus, but it's common enough that it poses one very big question: why does it happen in the first place?

According to experts, this behavior has a few explanations, but being a bully probably isn’t one of them. We also offer a few solutions for how to stop cats from knocking things over.

Stainless steel is rust-resistant, but not quite rust-proof.

Stainless steel has a secret ingredient that makes it highly resistant to rust.

These days, we use ‘GOP’ to refer to Republicans—but that wasn’t always the case.

What ‘GOP’ means isn’t complicated—but its history is.

Like all great things, this classic snack doesn't last forever.

Discover whether or not popcorn expires, plus how long you can keep that bag you took home from the movie theater before it’s time to toss it out.

He wants you to learn about the symbol’s history.

Uncle Sam is an easily recognizable piece of wartime propaganda. And legend says he was based off a real person—though that may not actually be the case.

Legionella in a Petri dish under UV light.

The unusual respiratory illness was named for a 1976 outbreak among attendees of an American Legion conference.

BIG QUESTIONS

Is Holding in a Sneeze Bad for You?

Where Did ‘Yada Yada Yada’ Come From?

Why Is Space a Vacuum?

How Do Hurricanes Get Their Names?

Are ‘Muscle Knots’ Actually Knots?

Graveyard vs. Cemetery: What’s the Difference?

Where Did the Term ‘October Surprise’ Originate?

Novella vs. Short Story: What’s the Difference?

Gourd vs. Squash: What’s the Difference?

Why Do We Freeze When We’re Scared?

Does a Realtor Have to Disclose That a House Is Supposedly Haunted?

Why Do Some Pumpkins Have Warts?

Why Are We So Scared of Clowns?

Linguine vs. Fettuccine vs. Spaghetti: What’s the Difference?

What’s the Origin of the Jack-O’-Lantern?

Do People Really Die of ‘Old Age’?

Why Is It Called a “Crescent Wrench”?

Why Does Asparagus Make Your Pee Smell Funny?

Why Do Cats Knock Things Over?

What Stops Stainless Steel From Rusting?

What Does ‘GOP’ Stand For?

Does Popcorn Ever Go Bad?

Who Was Uncle Sam, and Why Did He ‘Want’ You?

What Is Legionnaires’ Disease?