BIG QUESTIONS

If Oxygen Masks on Airlines Have Empty Bags, Where is the Oxygen Stored?

Humans and airplanes both need oxygen, but high speed airliners operate much more efficiently at high altitudes where the air is thinner.

Few follicles cause as much stress as a synophrys, the medical term for a unibrow.

What Is a Unibrow? (And What's the Best Way to Remove It?)

Ever wonder why some people manage to rock a unibrow and some don't? Or what you can do to alleviate a unibrow making you look perpetually annoyed? We have answers.

Who Wrote History's First Blurb?

And how did they get that name?

Why Does "K" Stand For "Strikeout" In Baseball?

The use of K as a shorthand for strikeouts dates back to the earliest days of America's pastime.

What's the Difference Between Fuel and Propellant?

Is It Legal to Shoot Bigfoot?

Sasquatch might want to steer clear of Texas.

What Happens if the Electoral College Ties?

While it would be a political crisis if the Electoral College completely disregarded the will of the people, it’s not impossible.

Why Do Chimpanzees Have Such Wrinkled Faces?

Even as babies, they have a lot of wrinkles.

What’s the Difference Between a Psychopath and a Sociopath?

There’s no real consensus.

Why Do We Call General Knowledge “Trivia”?

Pull apart the word "trivia," and you’ll be left with two fairly familiar Latin roots.

How Does a Breathalyzer Work?

There's no way to trick these smart little devices.

What Makes Sulfur Smell So Bad?

Researchers set out to find which of the nose’s olfactory receptors are responsible for the stench.

Why Do We Close Our Eyes When We Sneeze?

The answer is just as disgusting as you'd hope for.

What Are Those Tiny Bits of Rubber That Stick Out of Tires?

They're called "nubbins."

What's the Difference Between the Yeti, the Abominable Snowman, and Bigfoot?

How you define the Yeti, the Abominable Snowman, and Bigfoot has less to do with the creatures themselves than their country of origin.

Is It Possible to Have Lightning But No Thunder?

Forget everything you thought you knew about "heat lightning."

Why Do Alligators Fall Asleep if You Rub Their Bellies?

Don't try this at home.

What Are Toxins?

More often than not, detoxing is a job best left to your organs.

Why Don't Airlines Have Parachutes for Passengers?

Passengers aren't trained to use them, for starters.

Why Are Inferior Things Referred to as “Chopped Liver”?

The Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang pinpoints comedian Jimmy Durante as the first person to use this meaty metaphor.

Uberprutser via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0 NL

What Are Those Picturesque Dutch Windmills Actually For?

What goes on inside a windmill?

How Many Books Have Ever Been Published?

When Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1440, he couldn’t have foreseen how his humble creation would eventually lead to a global industry churning out millions of books each year.

Why Are Planets Round?

Can you have a planet that isn't round? And what do potatoes have to do with it?

Why Do We Crave Greasy Food When We’re Hungover?

The answer may have something to do with your brain's chemistry.

PREV NEXT