BIG QUESTIONS

Who Cracked the Liberty Bell?

Chalk the Philly landmark’s famous blemish up to faulty building materials from across the pond.

What Does Your Flight Number Mean?

While they might seem trivial to some degree in today’s world of technological check-ins, the numbers aren’t entirely random, and they aren’t meaningless. In fact, you can presume a lot about a flight just by its number.

What Causes Morning Breath?

Possibly the only thing worse than morning breath is the alarm clock itself, but no amount of brushing, flossing, or stinging mouthwash rinsing the night before seem capable of saving you from the stinking scourge. What gives?

Why Do Canadian Contestants Have to Answer a Skill-Testing Question?

Why do those living above the 49th parallel have to jump through hoops to win a prize?

Londoners undergo a gas exercise for civilians, using tear gas, in 1941.

(Almost) Everything You Need to Know About Tear Gas

Militaries have been messing around with tear gas—a chemical weapon that dates back to the early 20th century—since World War I.

Why Aren't Bidets Common in the U.S.?

When there is a porcelain toilet-side wash station installed in a U.S. bathroom, it is often an unexpected extra.

Why is Y Sometimes a Vowel?

A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y. Why is that?

Who Invented the Little Black Dress?

The “little black dress,” quintessential staple of any woman’s wardrobe, isn’t as timeless as most people think.

Why Would Ecuador Appeal to Edward Snowden?

On Sunday it was reported that Edward Snowden, the whistleblower and former National Security Agency contractor, would seek asylum in Ecuador.

Why Are We Still Looking for Jimmy Hoffa?

One of America's most intriguing cold cases heated up this week when a tip from a retired mobster sent FBI and Michigan law enforcement officials wielding shovels and bulldozers to a suburban Detroit field in search of the decades-old remains of former Te

How Do Whales Hold Their Breath for Such a Long Time?

It's not only because they have huge lungs.

What's the Origin of "Kilroy Was Here"?

Kilroy can be found all over the world, and went viral long before social media or the Internet were around.

Can We Determine the Sex of a Dinosaur?

How Can Bodies of Water Be Different Colors?

When I saw the Caribbean Sea in person for the first time, my eyes metaphorically popped out of my head. As a kid who grew up in South Jersey, I was used to the dirty, almost brown, kinda-sorta blue color of the coastal Atlantic Ocean. But this was differ

Why Do Bands Still Perform Encores?

Encores have become concert standard issue. Artists pencil in a big hit or two at the back end of their set list, walk off stage, wait for fans to shout for the encore, act surprised, play aforementioned hit songs in all their encore glory, rinse, repeat.

Why Do Athletes Slap Each Others’ Butts?

Unfortunately, the first athlete to playfully slap a teammate on the butt didn’t record his reasoning for history, but it’s become common practice among professionals and amateurs alike, and many have their own take on it.

Why Is It So Easy to Slip Someone Antifreeze?

Ethylene glycol is syrupy, odorless, and sweet-tasting, which makes it easy to mix into coffee, tea, soda, and juice drinks undetected.

Do Lemmings Really Run Off Cliffs to Their Death?

This long-lived myth actually has its roots in Hollywood trickery.

Why is this Style of Facial Hair Called Sideburns?

Despite the fact that this particular facial hair style had been around since at least 100 BC (one of the earliest known depictions is a mosaic of Alexander the Great), sideburns were named after a specific man in the late 19th century.

How Many Spiders Do You Really Swallow in Your Sleep?

Depending on who you ask, ingested creepy crawlies can vary from three, to eight, and even zero.

UPDATE: Does Being Cold Make You More Susceptible to Getting a Cold?

Last year, we talked about whether or not Grandma is right when she tells you to bundle up when you go outside, lest you catch a cold. We went over the fact that the cold and flu are caused by viruses, but that there was a little bit of evidence suggestin

What Are the Dangers of Blood Doping?

It worked for Lance, so why wouldn’t it work for you?

Why Do Tornados Frequently Hit Oklahoma City?

Oklahoma City holds the dubious distinction of being the unofficial Tornado Capital of the United States. The U.S. city and its suburbs have endured more tornados than any other city—100 since 1890, as far back as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administ

Why Do Worms Surface After Rain?

Reader Bruce wrote in to ask, “When there is a heavy rain, worms climb out on the pavement, only to die when the rain stops. Why do worms commit suicide?”

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