BIG QUESTIONS

When Did Baseball Players Start Chewing Sunflower Seeds?

It’s rare to see a single pitch thrown without at least one emptied shell being orally expelled by someone. But when did players start taking them out to the ballgame?

Should Men Sit Down to Pee?

Some argue that standing to pee helps spread disease and ruins men's sex lives. Is that actually true?

Why Are Countries Feminine?

“Stand beside her, and guide her,” we sing in “God Bless America.” Come to think of it, most nations of the world are referred to in the female gender. Why is that?

Blimp vs. Zeppelin: What's the Difference?

The Dilemma: You're at a football game and there's a large, cigar-shaped object hovering suspiciously close to you. Question: Is it a blimp or a zeppelin? And more important, why didn't you get better seats?

Where Does the Phrase “To Turn the Tables” Come From?

According the Oxford English Dictionary, if you “turn the tables” on someone, it is generally understood that you have reversed the fortunes in your favor to some capacity, so as to “reverse one’s position relative to someone else, especially by turning a

What’s the Origin of “Chinese Fire Drills"?

Why Is Junk Food So Addictive?

Short answer: Because food companies have designed it to be that way.

How Do Astronauts Scratch Their Noses on Space Walks?

Astronauts can use the microphone in their helmet, or sometimes they attach patches of velcro to the inside of their helmets, so they can scratch their nose.

How Many Spaces Should There Be at the End of a Sentence?

The question of whether you should put one or two spaces after the period at the end of a sentence elicits strong reactions on both sides.

What Exactly is Ricin?

Here’s what you need to know about the toxin everyone is talking about.

Why Are They Called "Barbershop Quartets"?

Who Are Harry and David?

If you’ve ever been enrolled in the Fruit-of-the-Month Club or gotten a Tower of Treats as a gift, you’re probably familiar with the names Harry and David, but don’t know much about them. Are they real people? Do they have last names?

Wait, What Does the Fox Say?

If You Fell Into a Volcano, How Would You Die?

Either way, it isn't going to be pleasant.

How Do You Renounce Your Citizenship?

Renouncing your citizenship involves a little more than just saying you’re doing it.

How Does an Exception Prove a Rule?

Wouldn’t it do just the opposite? Doesn’t it prove that the rule does not hold for all cases and is therefore not a rule at all?

Why Does the Road Look Wet on Hot Days?

When this refracted light reaches you, your brain and eye don’t account for all the bending it did along the way. What you see is an inferior mirage where the mirage is under the real object.

Why Do You Hate the Sound of Your Own Voice?

When you speak, vibrations from your vocal cords resonate in your throat and mouth, and some get transmitted and conducted by the bones in your neck and head. The inner ear responds to these just like any other vibrations, turning them into electrical sig

Where Did Tennis Get Its Scoring System?

Love? 15-30...40? What's the deal with tennis scoring? Here are a few theories, with input from Mary Carillo.

Why Do the Chinese Farm Cockroaches?

Why Do Our Best Ideas Come in the Shower?

The shower creates the perfect conditions for a creative flash, coaxing out your inner genius.

How Does a Celebrity Get a Star on the Walk of Fame?

The process of getting a star is actually more complicated than you might think.

Is It True That Elephants Never Forget?

While it may be an exaggeration, there's more truth to the adage than you might realize.

Why Do They Call It Trinidad AND Tobago?

Christopher Columbus did a lot of naming in his day. As it turns out, he had a hand in naming four of the five island-nations with two names. Is that an obscure enough fact for you? Still, this is definitely the kind of fact that shows up on pub trivia ni

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