BIG QUESTIONS

Don't believe the myth.

We can thank the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians. Here's how people decided how long an hour, a minute, and a second are.

Venomous bites can paralyze and kill prey. But what happens when a snake is exposed to its own toxins?

Up to 35 percent of the population experience this sneezy reaction to bright light.

Your house smells. Don’t feel bad—everyone's abode has a distinctive odor. But not one of you could pick your own home’s aroma out of a scent lineup.

A little grease goes a long way.

According to theories, everything that could occur or exist does exist in at least one universe...whoa.

A chemist's guide to smelling good.

Touching another person’s skin and thinking it’s super soft is an illusion that may help cement social bonds, one study finds.

“Goody Two-Shoes” was a real person—or at least, a real fictional character. It was the nickname of the title character in a nursery tale called "The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes," published anonymously around 1765 by John Newbery.

It all comes down to the root of the matter.

A single company makes more than 7 billion zippers a year.