BIG QUESTIONS

What Was the First-Ever Tweet?

On March 21, 2006, the tweet that launched a 140-characters-or-less empire was sent.

Why Does Seeing Food Make Your Mouth Water?

The phrase “mouth-watering” is actually pretty accurate. Prepare to become acutely aware of how much spit is in your mouth right now.

How Much Land in Los Angeles Is Dedicated to Parking Spaces?

In a city where everyone drives, how much parking is needed?

How Does Casting Work When it Comes to Finding Specific Body Types?

From Quora.

What Do Those Symbols on the iPhone Mean?

The truth is out there. Here’s what you’re really looking at.

Why Are Social Security Cards So Flimsy?

A super-important piece of your identity is about as durable as toilet paper.

Why Are the Majority of U.S. Companies Incorporated in Delaware?

Why the First State is number one when it comes to business leniency.

iStock / Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

Why Are Graphing Calculators So Expensive?

You'd think the old things are carved from gold.

Why Am I Left-Handed?

Only about 10 percent of people are left-handed. If you’re one of them, you're part of a rare and special group.

What's the Oldest Object Ever Found?

Hint: It wasn't made by humans.

Why Does New York City Have Five Boroughs?

A brief history of how the Big Apple's most prominent divisions came to be.

Who Answers Sherlock Holmes's Fan Mail?

Podcaster and YouTuber Simon Whistler has cracked the case of who responds to Sherlock Holmes’s fan mail. (Spoiler: It's not Dr. Watson.)

Why Don't We Ride Zebras Like Horses?

Why didn't humans tame zebras and ride them across the savanna?

At What Point Does a Novel Become Literature?

To understand the concept of literature, we have to travel back to the 18th century.

Why Is White Noise 'White'?

White noise is just one part of the auditory rainbow.

How Do Birds Know How to Migrate?

Sometimes, they follow their noses.

Why Is It 'Eleven, Twelve' Instead of 'Oneteen, Twoteen'?

English number words are pretty logical for the most part, but eleven and twelve really don’t fit in at all.

Why Do Late-Night Talk Shows Start at 11:35 p.m.?

Blame Saddam Hussein.

What Happens to Leftover Campaign Funds When a Candidate Drops Out?

The Federal Election Commission has strict rules about what federal candidates can and can't do with leftover campaign money, and the biggest directive is that they can't pocket it for personal use.

Who Invented the Sidewalk?

Life without them would be dangerous, harried, and slimy.

Who Was the "Gerry" of Gerrymandering?

Elbridge Gerry might have gone down in history as the “Father of the Bill of Rights.” Instead, he’s remembered first and foremost for another, less admirable claim to fame.

Why Do We Say That the Broken-Hearted “Carry A Torch” for Someone?

While it’s endearing to imagine that in the olden days people kept literal torches burning for their past loves, fanning the flames of their rejection, this isn’t exactly the case.

Can Drinking Cranberry Juice Really Help a UTI?

Many women turn to cranberry juice to ease the awful symptoms of urinary tract infections. But does it actually work?

What's the Purpose of the Teeny Pocket In a Pair of Blue Jeans?

Spoiler alert: It was not designed to hold loose change.

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