BIG QUESTIONS

Can We Determine the Sex of a Dinosaur?

How Can Bodies of Water Be Different Colors?

When I saw the Caribbean Sea in person for the first time, my eyes metaphorically popped out of my head. As a kid who grew up in South Jersey, I was used to the dirty, almost brown, kinda-sorta blue color of the coastal Atlantic Ocean. But this was differ

Why Do Bands Still Perform Encores?

Encores have become concert standard issue. Artists pencil in a big hit or two at the back end of their set list, walk off stage, wait for fans to shout for the encore, act surprised, play aforementioned hit songs in all their encore glory, rinse, repeat.

Why Do Athletes Slap Each Others’ Butts?

Unfortunately, the first athlete to playfully slap a teammate on the butt didn’t record his reasoning for history, but it’s become common practice among professionals and amateurs alike, and many have their own take on it.

Why Is It So Easy to Slip Someone Antifreeze?

Ethylene glycol is syrupy, odorless, and sweet-tasting, which makes it easy to mix into coffee, tea, soda, and juice drinks undetected.

Do Lemmings Really Run Off Cliffs to Their Death?

This long-lived myth actually has its roots in Hollywood trickery.

Why is this Style of Facial Hair Called Sideburns?

Despite the fact that this particular facial hair style had been around since at least 100 BC (one of the earliest known depictions is a mosaic of Alexander the Great), sideburns were named after a specific man in the late 19th century.

How Many Spiders Do You Really Swallow in Your Sleep?

Depending on who you ask, ingested creepy crawlies can vary from three, to eight, and even zero.

What Are the Dangers of Blood Doping?

It worked for Lance, so why wouldn’t it work for you?

Why Do Tornados Frequently Hit Oklahoma City?

Oklahoma City holds the dubious distinction of being the unofficial Tornado Capital of the United States. The U.S. city and its suburbs have endured more tornados than any other city—100 since 1890, as far back as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administ

Why Do Worms Surface After Rain?

Reader Bruce wrote in to ask, “When there is a heavy rain, worms climb out on the pavement, only to die when the rain stops. Why do worms commit suicide?”

What Causes Late Night Snack Cravings?

What is it that makes a “midnight snack” so irresistible? Short answer: blame your ancestors.

Why Do We Tan?

Luckily for us, our bodies have procedures to counter the sun our bodies absorb.

Why Are There Two Pronunciations for 'G'?

Why Do We Say "The Butler Did It"?

After making the butler the culprit in her book, Rinehart would later be almost killed by one of her own servants who wanted to be promoted to her butler.

Can Animals Really Anticipate Natural Disasters?

For centuries, anecdotal stories have circulated about animals possessing some primal sixth sense that alerts them to an imminent natural disaster, but does science back it up?

Why Do Black Shirts Get Hot in the Sun?

No doubt most of us have heard that black and other dark objects are more absorbant and white and light objects are more reflective, but let’s start out by clarifying just what’s being absorbed and reflected.

What is the Most Complex Chinese Character?

Chinese characters are made up of strokes. Learning to write them involves not only learning where all the strokes go, but also the order in which they are supposed to be written and the direction of each individual stroke (left to right, up to down, etc.

How Would Carnies Rig "Tubs of Fun"?

Why Do Students Dissect Frogs?

There are many surgeons who say that they first discovered their life’s passion standing over a dissected frog in a middle or high school biology class. But, apart from inspiring the medical professionals of tomorrow, what is the purpose of dissection? An

How Can You Get Better at Remembering Names?

Everyone has heard people say that they are “bad at remembering names,” or maybe you are one who claims it. If so, you're not alone. “Most people are bad at remembering names,” says Joshua Foer, author of Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of

How Do Noise-Canceling Headphones Work?

Noise-canceling headphones seem like an oxymoron: a piece of audio technology that creates silence, rather than noise. They’re useful on planes, in crowded offices, and for light sleepers trying to catch some shut-eye in a thin-walled apartment, but how c

Why Do We Feel Hot in Temperatures Lower Than Our Body Temp?

There's a major difference between your body and your environment.

What is the Origin of the Phrase "Come Out of the Closet"?

This week, NBA center Jason Collins announced he was gay in a cover story for Sports Illustrated. In other words, he "came out of the closet." This expression for revealing one's homosexuality seems natural. Being in the closet implies hiding from the out

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