BIG QUESTIONS

How Are Each Year's Oscar Presenters Chosen?

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

Why Does the Leaning Tower of Pisa Lean?

Soft soil is only the beginning of the story.

How Do Hummingbirds Sleep?

A little shut-eye comes with some risk.

What Are Curlers Yelling About?

There's a strategy to all that shouting.

Why You Should Never Take Your Shoes Off On an Airplane

First: Eww!

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

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?

How Do You Steer a Bobsled?

Spoiler alert: It's not easy.

How Do Aerial Skiers Perfect Their Jumps?

Hint: It doesn't happen in the snow.

Is There Really Such Thing As 'Muscle Memory'?

The thing people call “muscle memory” exists, but the name is a misnomer.

How Finland's Snowboarding Coach Knits His Nerves Away

Antti Koskinen has a crafty technique when it comes to keeping his cool.

Who Gets to Ride on Mardi Gras Floats?

And how can you get in on the action?

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

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.

Why Do Olympians Bite Their Medals?

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?

What Exactly Is Curling?

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

Do Olympians Have to Pay Tax on Their Medals?

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

Why Don't Valentine Hearts Look Like Real Hearts?

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?

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

Listen closely ...

Did Wilt Chamberlain Really Sleep With 20,000 Women?

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.

What Are Antibiotics Made Of?

Dek

How Does the Magic Yellow First-Down Line Work?

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?”

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

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?

Why Are the Keys On a QWERTY Keyboard Laid Out As They Are?

The answer involves Morse code.

What Makes Pop Rocks Pop?

Those tiny candies pack a lot of pressure.

Why Does My Shower Curtain Liner Attack Me?

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

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