Big Questions Answered, How and Why

Volleyball doesn’t have goalkeepers, but it does have liberos—and the rules are a little different for them.

Léon Marchand at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

There are several reasons why a host country might see a boost in the Olympics medal count.

Some Olympic athletes still sport paper bibs.

The big paper tags seen on Olympic track and field athletes are both high-tech tracking devices and sentimental souvenirs.

Tourists will notice something different about their soda cans when visiting Hawaii.

Sodas in the Aloha State look a little different from what you’re probably used to.

The expression—which can be used for all things adorable—dates back to the early 20th century.

Olympic individual neutral athlete Daniil Medvedev is one of the Russian competitors at the Paris Games.

No, they can’t pick their own anthem for their medal ceremony.

Red eyes are a hallmark of many albino creatures.

It has nothing to do with red pigment.

An athlete holds up a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Games.

The amount of gold in Olympic medals is regulated, and there’s a lot less than there used to be.

Deodorant sticks often come with one outer cap and one inner cap, but the purpose of that extra inner cap isn’t really clear.

Italy's Laura Bruschini at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

Beach volleyball's hand signals are a handy way for a blocker to clue their teammate into their next move.

There's a reason why two caps are better than one.

You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? It may have actually been a different type of palm tree.

French fencer Auriane Mallo-Breton at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Fencing body cords aren't a safety measure.

The sophisticated cephalopods have highly evolved vision and can use jet propulsion to escape predators, but there are a few key differences between squid and cuttlefish.

A few yards of clear air means the difference between a tornado and a funnel cloud.

People often confuse funnel clouds with tornadoes, but they're not the same. Learn how to tell the two apart.

Great Britain's Kieran Bird at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

It's to get the blood flowing—or is it?

An Olympic swimmer sports circular bruises from cupping therapy.

In events where success or failure can be measured in tiny increments, it’s not surprising athletes will turn to any potential advantage. But does cupping actually work?