Big Questions Answered, How and Why

Is it really not the heat, but the humidity? With temperatures spiking around the world, it's a good time to answer some questions about the heat index.

The Gold Star Family license plate has its roots in a custom that began during World War I.

Butter storage is the most talked about issue of modern times.

A room temperature stick of butter is easier to spread. But is it safe?

Yes, they’re synonyms. But there’s a little more to the semantic story of ‘recur’ vs. ’reoccur’ than that.

Norma McCorvey and lawyer Gloria Allred attend a rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court Building in 1989.

The woman known as "Jane Roe" left an enormous mark on the nation’s political landscape—one that’s still at the fore a half-century later.

‘Chicken’ is such a common synonym for ‘coward’ that it probably doesn’t even seem weird. But it is.

It's a warning put out by waitstaff and parents everywhere. But what does 'piping' have to do with it?

Truck signage highlights the dangers of right turns over left turns for a good reason.

According to Guinness World Records, Marilyn vos Savant's IQ of 228 is the highest ever recorded.

Your credit card probably has a return address in Delaware. That's because the second smallest state in the country has some of the biggest corporate perks.

Infants are typically born with 52 teeth, but it’s not an even split between baby teeth and adult teeth.

You might think your cat puts toys in his water bowl just to be a jerk. We can’t exactly prove that wrong—but there might be another explanation.

The plastic arrows on the wheels of trucks and buses serve an important purpose.

It may have something to do with Julius Caesar, but the story isn’t that straightforward.

A little lad relieving himself is the Renaissance-era version of the peeing Calvin bumper sticker.

Modern guidebooks offer nearly a dozen different explanations for why Brussels' 'Mannekin Pis' statue is relieving himself.

Answering “When is Pride Month?” takes one word: June. Why it’s June, on the other hand, is more of a short story.

The difference between light and dark brown sugar boils down to one simple factor: molasses content.

A female elephant goes with the flow in South Africa's Addo Elephant National Park.

Voyeuristic scientists discovered a “golden” rule when it comes to how—and for how long—animals urinate.

UPS trucks carry many secrets. And lots of socks.

It's not a satellite, it's not GPS, and it's not a camera.

The Blue Plate Special has been a diner staple for decades.

Diners love to highlight their blue plate special. But what's so special about it?

She's dreaming about a giant insect melting into goo.

The meaning of your fever dream is probably just this: You have a fever.

Estimates vary widely—but it’s generally agreed that your words-per-minute rate for a speech should be lower.

White and black pepper both start as berries from the same plant.

The specifics of each EMS job vary by state—but the job titles aren’t interchangeable.

BIG QUESTIONS

Why Does Humidity Make Us Feel Hotter?

Why Do Some License Plates Feature a Gold Star?

Does Butter Really Need to Be Refrigerated?

Recurring vs. Reoccurring: What’s the Difference, and When Should I Use Each?

Who Is the 'Roe' in Roe v. Wade?

Why Are Cowards Called “Chickens”?

Why Do We Say Things Are 'Piping Hot'?

Why Do Trucks Warn That They Make Wide Right Turns, But Not Wide Left Turns?

What Is the Highest IQ Ever Recorded?

The Reason So Many Credit Card Companies Are Based in Delaware

How Many Teeth Do Humans Have?

Why Do Some Cats Like to Drown Their Toys in Their Water Bowls?

What Are Those Plastic Arrows You Sometimes See on the Wheels of Trucks and Buses?

Why Is It Called a Cesarean Section?

Why Are There So Many Ancient Fountains Featuring Little Boys Peeing?

Why Was June Chosen As LGBTQ Pride Month?

Light Brown Sugar vs. Dark Brown Sugar: What’s the Difference?

Do Larger Animals Take Longer to Pee?

What Are Those Spinning Things on Top of UPS Trucks?

What Is the Blue Plate Special, and How Did It Get Started?

What Exactly Is a Fever Dream?

How Many Words Per Minute Does the Average Person Speak?

What's the Difference Between White Pepper and Black Pepper?

Paramedic vs. EMT vs. EMR: What’s the Difference?