Big Questions Answered, How and Why

There’s no doubt about it—rotting food is gross.

The word ‘gross,’ which came to English from French, took on a variety of senses in English related to size. But the ‘gross of today is different from the ‘gross’ of the past thanks to teens.

Ever wondered if yams and sweet potatoes are the same thing? Read this before sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner.

The face that launched a thousand memes.

The word predates social media.

There are a few reasons—including a little something to do with the horse and buggy. Find out more about the history of Election Day.

The "Ty" on the iconic heart-shaped Beanie Babies tag isn't an abbreviation. It's the name of the toy brand and its notorious founder.

Some male lions simply don’t have manes. What’s up with that?

Climate can cause a big difference in how much hair a lion grows.

Pigeons aren’t known to be particularly talkative birds.

The ‘tow’ in ‘towhead’ doesn't refer to transporting a vehicle with a flat tire.

The origin of ‘towhead’ has roots in 14th-century England, when ‘tow’ often referred to textile fibers.

Cleaning a porta potty is no walk in the park.

To keep porta potties (relatively) clean, sanitation workers require special equipment and a strong stomach.

When it comes to superstitions about bad luck, indoor umbrellas are right up there with broken mirrors and black cats.

Getting a concept onto the big screen is a difficult process, and the pilot episode is what can make—or, more often, break—a series. By why is it called that?

Modern office machines are made to fit a certain size of paper.

The letter-sized standard actually has roots in the 1660s, when paper was made by hand—and Herbert Hoover had something to do with it, too.

Use of the word ‘placebo’ in a medical context is more recent than you might think.

What is a placebo? Technically, a Latin phrase meaning ‘I will please.’ It’s also a Catholic prayer and a clever insult.

Hawaii is home to a number of lava tubes.

Caves and volcanoes don’t often go hand-in-hand in our imaginations, but the second most common type of cave in the world is made from the power of volcanoes.

Scare crows may deter crows and blackbirds, but you'll have to make some modifications for them to really work.

The "creme" in Oreo cookies isn't really cream at all, but does that make Oreos vegan? The answer is complicated.

The ancient art of sword swallowing may seem like some sort of elaborate trick—but it’s very, very real (and very, very dangerous).

Watching a scary movie can definitely send shivers down your spine—but why?

You’re watching a scary movie or the music swells during your favorite song—the shiver up and down your spine is your body responding to a range of emotions.