Big Questions Answered, How and Why

Why Do We Take Coffee Breaks?

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

The Reason You Can't Smell Your Own House

Your house smells. Don’t feel bad—everyone's abode has a distinctive odor. But not one of you could pick your own home’s aroma out of a scent lineup.

Does Blotting Pizza With a Napkin Really Do Anything?

A little grease goes a long way.

What Is the Multiverse?

According to theories, everything that could occur or exist does exist in at least one universe...whoa.

How Does Deodorant Work?

A chemist's guide to smelling good.

Can You Smell All The Smell Out of Something?

Technically? Yes. But your nose probably doesn't have the power to steal an entire smell.

What Purpose Did the Appendix Once Serve?

Why Do Dogs Play Fetch?

It's in their DNA.

Why Does Everyone Else's Skin Feel Softer Than Mine?

Touching another person’s skin and thinking it’s super soft is an illusion that may help cement social bonds, one study finds.

Where Did the Phrase "Goody Two-Shoes" Come From?

“Goody Two-Shoes” was a real person—or at least, a real fictional character. It was the nickname of the title character in a nursery tale called "The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes," published anonymously around 1765 by John Newbery.

What Makes Curly Hair Curly?

It all comes down to the root of the matter.

Chris 73 via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

Why Do All Zippers Have the Letters YKK on Them?

A single company makes more than 7 billion zippers a year.

What is Animal Magnetism?

Why Do Americans Say ‘Uh’ and ‘Um’ and British People Say ‘Er’ and ‘Erm’?

British people do not read 'er' and 'erm' in the way that Americans would read those words.

Why Do I See Stars When I Sneeze Too Hard?

You really do get stars in your eyes.

What's Happening When We Hear the Voice in Our Head?

The answer says a lot about language, mental illness, and ourselves

Why Do I Gag When Someone Else Barfs?

The reality behind the reflex.

What Are the Oldest Words in English?

You might be surprised what's stood the test of time.

Why Does the Airplane Oxygen Mask Have a Bag That “May Not Inflate”?

Why tell us, “although the bag on the oxygen mask may not inflate, oxygen is flowing to the mask”?

Why Does the Left Knob Control Hot Water and the Right Knob Control Cold?

In olden days, most sinks had a single pump for cold water on the right—to accommodate the right-handed majority.

4 Burning Questions We Just Can’t Answer

Despite all of the incredible things humans have figured out, we don’t know everything.

How Does Hawaii Have Interstate Highways?

Reader Jane writes: "How is it that Hawaii, which obviously borders no other states, has interstate highways?"

How Much Money Has Rick Astley Made From Rickrolling?

Have you ever clicked on an exciting link or potentially explosive news story, only to find yourself watching the video for Rick Astley's 1987 hit 'Never Gonna Give You Up'? Then you’ve been rickrolled, my friend.

What Is It Like To Be Invisible?

Discover the surprising (and very real) benefit of feeling like you're going unseen.

BIG QUESTIONS