BIG QUESTIONS

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.

What Do the Ms on M&M's Stand For?

It started with the partnership Forrest Mars and Bruce Murrie. Their partnership would lead to the iconic M & M candy that is so beloved to this day.

Can You Really Be Left Brained or Right Brained?

The brain, of course, is split into two hemispheres. But is there such a thing as being right-brained or left-brained?

What is Pine Tar Used for Outside of Baseball?

When it's not slathered on the skin of Major League pitchers, what's the point of pine tar?

What Would a Full Lunar Eclipse Look Like From the Moon?

Eclipses are a pretty amazing sight from our tiny little vantage points on Earth. But what would a lunar eclipse look like from the moon's surface? And what about that strange phenomenon we call a blood moon?

Who Originally Said "I'm Not A Doctor, But I Play One on TV"?

Much like “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!”, “I’m not a _________, but I play one on TV” became a catchphrase that outshone the original product it was designed to promote. Sure, most of us remember hearing the “I’m not a doctor” line, but how many of us

Does Moss Only Grow on the North Side of Trees?

The idea that moss grows on the north side of trees is an old one, says Dan Johnson of the College of Natural Resources at the University of Idaho, "and it makes a lot of sense."

Why Isn't Fish Considered Meat During Lent?

Why do Catholics swap Big Macs for Filet-O-Fish during Lent? According to Saint Thomas Aquinas, the meat/fish divide boiled down to sex, simplicity, and farts.

What Do The Girl Scouts Do With All That Cookie Money?

Whether you prefer Thin Mints or Samoas, the pint-sized entrepreneurs peddling their sweet treats are making an awful lot of dough off of our national obsession with Girl Scout cookies. In fact, all told, the Girl Scout Cookie Program is an $8 million bus

What’s Going on With the Philadelphia Accent?

I have been living in Philadelphia for 9 years now, and while I can tell a Philly accent when I hear one, I cannot figure out how to do it myself.

How Far Does Mario Have to Run (and Swim) in Super Mario Bros.?

In Super Mario Bros., Mario has a pretty rough day. He's forced to rescue a princess completely on his own, which seems suspicious given the fact that most royal families have designated security details at their disposal. What kind of third-rate dynasty

What is the Universal Language of the Skies?

In 2001, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) determined that English would, from then on, be the standardized language of air travel, and issued a directive that stated that all aviation personnel—pilots, flight crews, and air traffic con

Why Do Zebras Have Stripes?

The debate has been raging at least since the 1870s, when our evolutionary theory forefathers Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace disagreed as to how and why the zebra got his stripes.

How Much Pee in a Pool is Too Much Pee?

Last week, a study by Chinese and American scientists revealed another reason to not pee in pools, which had more to do with chemistry than good manners.

What is the Funny Bone, and Why Does Hitting It Hurt So Much?

The funny bone is actually the ulnar nerve, a nerve that runs from the neck all the way to the hand.

What's the Difference Between Flotsam and Jetsam?

Along with serving as the names of two villainous eels in Disney's animated classic The Little Mermaid, the phrase “flotsam and jetsam” is often used to describe the floating debris found in the aftermath of an accident at sea. And while it might initiall

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