Big Questions Answered, How and Why

Are Elephants Actually Scared of Mice?

Is there truth to the cartoon trope?

What Are Those Dark-Green Mailboxes That Don't Accept Mail?

Your mail carrier relies on these boxes (and thieves love them).

What Does Prince Charles Do All Day?

Here's how the Prince of Wales keeps busy.

Why Do British Pubs Have Illustrated Signs Outside?

"Let's meet at the sign of the Hung, Drawn and Quartered..."

Why Do Sports Teams Give Out Bobbleheads?

Why Don't You Have to Put "WWW" Before URLs?

In 1991 the World Wide Web became open to the public and ushered in a new era of consumer Internet use.

What Is a Confidential Marriage License and Why Does California Offer Them?

California is the only state that offers both a regular public marriage license and a confidential marriage license. Here's why.

Why Does Radio Static Go Away Whenever You Touch the Dial?

Radios, it turns out, are dimwits.

How Can We Feel When People Are Looking at Us?

Everyone has felt like they were being watched before. But how?

How Do Computers Tell Time?

Without the help of the Internet, how do computers do it?

Why Did ‘Disabled’ Replace ‘Handicapped’ As the Preferred Term?

Why Do Some Sounds Make People Sick?

Your ears aren't the only thing you have to worry about.

What Are The Colored Circles on Food Packages?

There's a lot of information crammed onto food packaging these days, and along with all of the helpful stuff (like nutritional data and ingredients), there's also the mysterious, multicolored row of circles or squares that serves a very important purpose

Ttschleuder, Wikimedia Commons // CC-BY-SA 3.0

Can Birds Smell?

Or was Toucan Sam just faking it all these years?

Why Is There An ‘R’ in Mrs.?

Originally it stood for something else.

How Many Trees Are on the Planet?

The answer is much higher than we previously suspected.

What Makes Dogs Tilt Their Heads?

According to one study, dogs tilt their heads when they hear words that are meaningful to them, like the name of their favorite toy.

Do You Use Only 10% of Your Brain?

Don't believe the myth.

Why Are There 60 Seconds in a Minute, 60 Minutes in an Hour but 24 Hours in a Day?

We can thank the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians. Here's how people decided how long an hour, a minute, and a second are.

Are Snakes Immune to Their Own Venom?

Venomous bites can paralyze and kill prey. But what happens when a snake is exposed to its own toxins?

Why Does Light Help Some People Sneeze?

Up to 35 percent of the population experience this sneezy reaction to bright light.

Why Are Car Air Fresheners Shaped Like Trees?

Their inventor originally wanted them in the shape of a curvaceous, kneeling woman.

Why Are They Called Gummy Bears?

The Haribo gummy bears were right on trend in the 1920s.

Why Do We Take Coffee Breaks?

How timeouts for the humble caffeinated beverage became a workplace mainstay.

BIG QUESTIONS