BIG QUESTIONS

What Exactly is Quicksand?

Quicksand is a staple hazard of adventure movies, TV shows and video games. Whenever a minor character needs to be killed off quickly, the hero needs someone to rescue, or danger needs to be introduced without calling the villain in, quicksand is there to

Why Do Paper Cuts Hurt So Much?

Paper cut image via ShutterstockThere are a couple things at play here, some involving the paper, some involving your skin. For one thing, what part of your body comes in contact with paper the most?

What Do Chickens Have to Do With Chicken Pox?

The birds themselves? Not a whole lot. Chickens don’t even get infected by the virus — varicella zoster, a member of the herpes family — that causes the rash.

Could Humans Hibernate?

Some animals have it made. Their whole day revolves around eating and having sex (and, to be fair, trying not to get eaten themselves). And when winter arrives, they get to curl up somewhere and wait things out until the weather is nice again. Can humans

That "Fresh Cut Grass" Smell Is a Distress Signal

Trauma, that’s what. It’s the smell of chemical defenses and first aid. The fresh, “green” scent of a just-mowed lawn is the lawn trying to save itself from the injury you just inflicted.

Can a Foil Hat Keep People From Reading Your Thoughts?

Let’s say that the conspiracy theorists are right...

What is an Adam's Apple?

Adam's apple photo via ShutterstockTouch your fingers to the front of your throat and start humming. Feel around until you can feel vibration directly under your fingers. That’s your larynx, or voice box. It houses your vocal cords and is involved in brea

Why Don't Cars Come with Ashtrays Anymore?

The other night, I was having a heated discussion with an acquaintance, who happens to be a smoker. I argued that I didn't mind if he smoked in his car, but I did mind if he held the cigarette out the window, and flicked the ashes in the wind, which somet

Why Are Legal Pads Yellow?

The legal pad got its start in 1888, and it's still a best-seller at office supply stores. But why exactly did that yellow tint become popular?

How Does a Fortune Cookie Proposal Work?

Cookie image via ShutterstockMy girlfriend loves a good romantic comedy (to be fair, she’ll watch mediocre and bad ones, too). So on weekend afternoons, our TV is often tuned to whatever quirky love story TNT/TBS/USA is running on a constant loop. Usually

Who Was Murphy and Why Is There a Bed Named After Him?

The Murphy Bed, also known as a wall bed, fold down bed or pull down bed, is a bed that’s hinged at one end so it can be folded up and stored vertically against a wall or in a closet.

Can Gay Discharged Soldiers Get Back Into the Army Now?

© James Berglie/ZUMA Press/Corbis"Don’t Ask, Don't Tell" was the official U.S. policy on homosexuals in the military for the last 18 years. It barred open homosexuals from serving, but prohibited the discrimination, harassing or outing of closeted homosex

Hitler on Ice: Did the Nazis Have a Secret Antarctic Fortress?

Did the Nazis Have a Secret Antarctic Fortress? Like many conspiracy theories, there are some elements of truth to it all. But whether the facts can be woven together into one cohesive narrative without having to make great leaps of logic is another matte

Why Are There Gideon Bibles in Hotel Rooms?

The Gideon Bible is not some special version or translation of the Bible that hotels really like (the books are usually plain old King James Versions); they're named for the group that distributes them.

If You Cannibalize a Person With an Illness, Will You Get Sick?

Reader Sarah wrote in to ask, “If you eat a person who has an infectious disease, will you get the disease too? A morbid question I thought of while sitting in a doctor’s office and was too shy to

Why Is Chocolate Bad for Dogs?

Chocolate is toxic to dogs and a number of other animals because it contains alkaloid chemicals called methylxanthines - namely, theobromine (3,7-dimethylxanthine) and caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine).

What Is Point Blank Range?

Point-blank is the range at which a given weapon/ammunition combination can be fired at the center or vital area of a given target and hit it without the shooter having to adjust the elevation of the weapon to account for the effect of gravity on the proj

Do Immigrants Still Come Through Ellis Island?

Nope. The last immigrant to come through Ellis Island was Arne Peterssen, a 48-year-old merchant seaman from Narvik, Norway.

Why Does the Sound of Running Water Make You Have to Pee?

Reader Bill wrote in to ask, “Why does the sound of running water make me want to pee—and sometimes

What Makes a Grand Jury So Grand?

You hear the term all the time, but is there really anything special about grand juries? Not on the surface. Like a regular trial jury, a grand jury is selected and sworn in by a court, and are often, in fact, pulled from the same pool of people as trial

What Makes Bloodhounds Such Great Tracking Dogs?

Reader rccola20 wrote in to ask, "Are bloodhounds really that much better at tracking than other dog

Do Little Half and Half Creamers Ever Go Bad?

So I'm up in Seattle this week, staying at a hotel some blocks from the original Starbucks (which, it turns out, isn't REALLY the original, but rather the second location, which was situated better for marketing purposes, but who's counting).

Why Do Drive-Up ATMs Have Braille on the Buttons?

This question was submitted by reader Lindsey. It also may have been part of a Starburst advertising campaign in the

Where Did the Term "Pink Slip" Originate?

The Short Answer: No one knows, but the search has been interesting.The Long Answer: Getting a pink slip usually means you're fired.

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