MF Explains It All

The number may seem random, but there's a clever reason why so many charity commercials list $19 a month as the default donation amount.

Paper bags let in more air than plastic, but supermarkets still use the material to sell fresh bread for a good reason.

You’re not really wishing someone a good ‘bye.’ ‘Bye’ is just an abbreviation—and ‘good’ is sort of a mistake.

Nathan Chen won gold against a backdrop of Elton John songs. But who shelled out for the music license?

Whether you automatically press the 87 button at the gas pump or opt for a higher grade, this is what your fuel's octane rating measures.

Olympic curling stones are pretty self-policing—here's what those green and red lights can tell you.

Freeskiers have been making their own rules since the inception of their sport. Here’s the skinny on why some choose to forgo the poles.

Skiers and snowboarders have to contend with sun and snow—speed skaters don’t. So what are their glasses for?

It’s kinesiology tape, usually used to relieve muscle pain. But Olympic athletes co-opted it for another purpose.

Figure skaters have the same neurological processes that cause dizziness in the rest of us. Here’s how they counteract them.

Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu probably has enough plush Winnie the Poohs to open a store. But he’s not the only skater who gets stuffed animals—here’s why.

It's warm, sunny, and nearly spring. Giant piles of nasty, filthy snow are still lining your streets. What gives?

If you think it’s weird that this year’s Super Bowl is set for the day before Valentine’s Day, you’re right. Here’s what happened.

The time period that inspired HBO’s ‘The Gilded Age’ was opulent—but its golden veneer masked something less glamorous.

Plenty of poems are love poems. Why aren’t all of them considered sonnets? In short, rhyme scheme, length, and structure.

Amazon’s original name was actually ‘Cadabra.’ And that was far from the only moniker that Jeff Bezos considered.

FDA approval and FDA clearance aren’t used for the same products—but they’re both valid messages to see on packaging.

Learning how to stop a ring from turning your finger green is easy. So is understanding why it happens in the first place.

The five- to nine-digit code that gets letters to their destinations started with a man who would become known as "Mr. Zip."

Where do camels store water? The humps may be the most obvious answer—but that doesn’t mean it’s correct.

Grocery chain Aldi has inspired devotion for one specific section of its stores that shoppers obsess over and make bird sounds in. Really.

When Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot, she didn’t become “Princess Kate.” Here’s why not.

Embrace your inner ursine and learn how to foul the Adirondacks like a pro, courtesy of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

You might call anything you use to shoot down a snow-covered hill a sled, but there are some things that separate the two. Like reindeer.