Big Questions Answered, How and Why

Many of us burst into tears when we cut into one, too. It's the price we pay for onion-y goodness. So why and how can we make it stop?

In the 1700s, unlawful assemblies were forced to listen as the Riot Act was read aloud. If they didn't disperse, the punishment was—quite reasonably—death.

Bureaucracy works in mysterious ways.

Once upon a time, the "gh" did stand for a specific sound—one we don’t have in English today.

It's OK, we all confuse them sometimes.

The answer has quite a lot to do with crushed insects.

It all comes down to star power, tradition, and perhaps even a relationship between the presenter and the recipient.

Soft soil is only the beginning of the story.

There's a strategy to all that shouting.

Sometimes, always, never. If you’re a man wearing a three-button blazer, those are the only three words you need to know. But where did this fashion edict originate?

Hint: It doesn't happen in the snow.

And how can you get in on the action?

Figure skater Mirai Nagasu just became the first American woman to land a triple axel in Olympic competition.

Team Canada's Laura Stacey of takes a bite of her gold medal after the Women's Ice Hockey Gold Medal match between Team Canada and Team United States at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

Watch the Olympics and you might notice a number of medalists gnawing on their gold or silver prize like an old-time prospector. They already know it tastes like victory, so what's the deal?

Here's a quick, stripped-down primer on everyone's favorite icy alternative to shuffleboard.

Athletes in the Winter Games who win big might need to have a talk with their accountants: It's considered income.

Images of two-lobed hearts are all over everything this month: candy, cards, decorations, etc. But why does the ubiquitous heart symbol not look anything like an actual human heart?

Listen closely ...

In Wilt Chamberlain's 1991 book, 'A View From Above,' the basketball great claimed to have slept with 20,000 different women during his life. Let's check his math on the basketball legend's most famous statistic.

If you attend a Super Bowl party on Sunday, you’ll probably hear at least one casual football viewer ask, “How do they get that yellow first-down line on the field?”

We often hear about the plights of the Third World, and most of us have our share of First World problems. But is there something in between—a Second World?

Those tiny candies pack a lot of pressure.

It cannot be reasoned with. It cannot be bargained with. It's coming for you.

The earthquake-triggered waves are both destructive and unpredictable.

BIG QUESTIONS

Why Do Onions Make You Cry?

What is the Riot Act, and Why Don't I Want It Read to Me?

Why Do Radio Stations Begin With 'K' or 'W'?

What Is ‘gh’ Doing in So Many English Words?

How Did English End Up With There/They're/Their?

Why Do Awards Shows Have a Red Carpet?

How Are Each Year's Oscar Presenters Chosen?

Why Does the Leaning Tower of Pisa Lean?

What Are Curlers Yelling About?

What's the Origin of the “Sometimes, Always, Never” Rule?

How Do Aerial Skiers Perfect Their Jumps?

Who Gets to Ride on Mardi Gras Floats?

Just How Hard Is It to Execute a Triple Axel in Figure Skating?

Why Do Olympians Bite Their Medals?

What Exactly Is Curling?

Do Olympians Have to Pay Tax on Their Medals?

Why Don't Valentine Hearts Look Like Real Hearts?

What's the Difference Between an Orchestra, a Symphony, and a Philharmonic?

Did Wilt Chamberlain Really Sleep With 20,000 Women?

How Does the Magic Yellow First-Down Line Work?

There's a First World. There's a Third World. What's the Second World?

What Makes Pop Rocks Pop?

Why Does My Shower Curtain Liner Attack Me?

How Do Tsunamis Work?