BIG QUESTIONS

What’s the Difference Between Pigeons and Doves?

What’s the actual scientific difference between the birds we call 'doves' and those we label 'pigeons'? The answer might surprise you.

What Does ‘Military Grade’ Really Mean?

Is calling something ‘military grade’ legit? Find out the truth behind this marketing strategy and how it's applied to products.

Is It Safe to Eat Snow?

Fresh snow might look tasty, but just because it looks clean doesn’t mean it actually is.

Your dog's adorable brown eyes were no mistake.

Why Do Most Dogs Have Brown Eyes?

The "buy her brown contacts pls" meme is backed up by evolutionary science.

The Reason Why You Can’t Drink Airplane Bathroom Water

Glugging tap water on a plane is a terrible idea.

What Happened to the Physical Copy of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech?

For two decades, the original copy of Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic speech was stashed inside a Harry Truman biography for safekeeping.

Why Do We Use the Word ‘Mug’ as a Synonym for ‘Face’?

How a love of drinking and Britain’s 18th-century Toby jugs might have inspired the slang word for ‘face.’

Why Is Australia Both a Country And a Continent?

The definition of a continent isn't as concrete as you might expect, but a few qualities help earn Australia that distinction.

Fire trucks are a common sight at ambulance calls.

Why Do Fire Trucks Come When You Call for an Ambulance?

Why does the fire department show up for emergency calls if nothing is on fire?

Why Don’t We Want to ‘Open a Can of Worms’?

Opening a can of worms, metaphorically speaking, is trying to solve a problem and ending up in more trouble. And the idiom really does refer to actual worms.

Disc vs. Disk: What’s the Difference?

Deciding to write 'disc' or 'disk' depends on what kind of disc it is. Sometimes.

Why Does the New Year Start on January 1?

Ever wonder why the new year officially starts on January 1? Turns out, you can thank Pope Gregory XIII—and Julius Caesar.

Why Is the Space Needle Shaped Like That?

Seattle’s iconic Space Needle debuted at the 1962 World’s Fair—and was inspired by America's Space Race with the Soviet Union.

What did Scrooge mean when he said “Bah! Humbug!” anyway?

What Does “Bah, Humbug!” Actually Mean?

The meaning of ‘Bah, humbug!’ is a little more layered than what people normally attribute to Ebenezer Scrooge of ‘A Christmas Carol.’

It wasn't always associated with the holidays.

Why Is Holly a Symbol of Christmas?

The hardy plant’s ability to stay vibrant through the winter made it a natural choice for pre-Christian winter festivals, but why is holly now associated with Christmas?

Can You Bring Knitting Needles On a Plane?

Traveling with two sharp sticks can get a little tricky.

HSAs and FSAs don’t work in exactly the same ways.

HSA vs. FSA: What’s the Difference?

The differences between HSAs and FSAs include how they’re set up, how much you can contribute, and who qualifies.

Where the ‘nog’ came from is a bit of a mystery.

How Did Eggnog Get Its Name?

The ‘egg’ part of ‘eggnog’ is obvious. The ‘nog’ is a little more mysterious—possibly involving noggins and/or grog.

That sound you hear isn't just in your head.

Why Does Snow Squeak When You Step On It?

Snow crunches underneath your feet during the winter months and makes a loud sound. Turns out, science is the reason why it does.

Prunes are a constipated person’s friend.

Why Do Prunes Make You Poop?

Prunes—the shiny, sweet dried fruits—are both exploited and ridiculed for their laxative properties. But do they really make you poop?

What Are Frankincense and Myrrh, Anyway?

Frankincense and myrrh are a fragrant part of traditional Christmas celebrations, but what exactly are these pebble-like perfumes?

What Are Urinal Cakes, Anyway?

Don't let the name fool you: Urinal cakes are most definitely not meant to be eaten. So what are they, and what do they do?

These barriers weren’t born in New Jersey.

Why Are Road Partitions Called “Jersey Barriers”?

They might be called “Jersey barriers,” but they weren’t born in the Garden State.

Even a pair of siblings might not really know the difference.

Eldest vs. Oldest: What’s the Difference?

We often use ‘eldest’ and ‘oldest’ interchangeably, but the words shouldn’t be swapped out so easily. Here's how to use each.

PREV NEXT