BIG QUESTIONS

How Do Soccer Referees Determine Stoppage Time?

Toward the end of each half of a soccer match, the fourth official on the sideline hoists an illuminated sign over his or her head that displays a number.

Why Did We Invent Pants?

These days, pants are our garment of choice. But for years, our ancestors draped themselves in tunics, robes, and gowns, until someone decided they were tired of having the wind up their skirt. So, what prompted the change? When, exactly, did two-legged t

How Does an Anti-Gravity Treadmill Work?

The "anti-gravity treadmill" was originally invented by Robert Whalen, a biomechanics researcher at NASA Ames Research Center, in the 1990s. Hint: It *doesn't* defy the laws of physics.

Why Have Baby Names Become Increasingly Female-Sounding?

The overarching drive in naming practices over time seems not to be toward giving names pre-determined masculine or feminine properties, but toward keeping them different.

How Does Counting Cards in Blackjack Work?

Owning a casino isn't much of a gamble. In almost every game, the casino has a statistical advantage—so for every one gambler raking it in, there’s more than enough people leaving with empty pockets to net an enormous profit. But between the rolling dice

Why Do So Many Churches Have "First Church of" in their Names?

And why do we rarely see 'second' or 'third' churches?

Where Do U.S. Coin Names Come From?

A little fiscal etymology.

How Do Tornadoes Form?

The science of twisters

Why Does Bacon Smell So Good?

It is an immutable fact that nothing will get a person's mouth watering like the smell of bacon cooking.

Why Does “Terrible” Mean Bad and “Terrific” Mean Good?

Terrible and terrific are both formed off the same root: terror. Both started out a few hundred years ago with the meaning of terror-inducing. But terrific took a strange turn at the beginning of the 20th century and ended up meaning really great, not ter

What Is El Niño?

Climate models are predicting that this fall, there's a 75 percent chance that an El Niño will occur. But just what is this weather phenomenon, and how does it affect us?

Why Don't Octopuses Get Stuck to Themselves?

Life can't be easy for octopuses. Sure, they're universally loved for changing color, opening jars from the inside, and predicting the winners of World Cup games. But they have eight very flexible arms to keep track of, which aren't even under their full

Why Did MAS*H Have A Laugh Track?

What's the Difference Between Seals and Sea Lions?

There's a good reason seals and sea lions look so similar—they're both members of the pinniped taxonomic group, a name which refers in Latin to their "fin feet." Walruses are also a part of the clade but while their prominent tusks set them apart, seals a

How Did the New York Rangers Get Their Name?

Reader Meghan writes, "Why is New York's hockey team called the Rangers?"

What’s the Difference Between “O” and “Oh”?

How Do Dolphins Sleep Without Drowning?

Having to come to the surface regularly for oxygen makes dolphins great for reliable viewing. But doesn't it sound a little exhausting? As humans understand it, sleep tends to involve a level of unconsciousness that would seem dangerous to aquatic mammals

Do Big Cats Bury Their Poop?

In the feline world, a poop is not just a poop.

How Can a Butterfly, Weighing No More Than a Feather, Fly Into the Wind?

Does Eating Yeast Before Boozing Mitigate Drunkenness?

Food scientists are skeptical.

Why Are “Rhyme” and “Rhythm” Spelled Like That?

English spelling is a crazy mess, but it’s a mess that makes sense if you look at how it got that way.

Why is it Called a "Radio Flyer"?

To figure out the story behind one of America’s classic childhood toys, we have to start in Venice, Italy.

Why Do Some Pitchers Throw Submarine Style? Why Don't More?

If you're even a casual baseball fan, that second question—why don't more pitchers throw submarine style?—might seem preposterous. Submarine pitchers, whose release point is so low their knuckles practically scrape the ground, are a rare breed in Major Le

Why Do I Sometimes Scratch One Body Part and Feel It on Another?

The phenomenon has been studied for centuries.

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