BIG QUESTIONS

How Did Pabst Win Its Blue Ribbon?

Before it was called PBR or even Pabst, the official beer of hipsters, old blue collar Wisconsinites and Frank Booth was brewed under the name Best Select, starting in 1875.

Why Are Whole Foods Typically More Expensive Than Processed?

Close perusal of a Wonder loaf’s list of ingredients reveals some 29 tongue-tying components, while the whole grain loaf has five or six, none over two syllables. So why are more heavily processed foods and those with more ingredients typically less expen

Why is Chicago Called the "Windy City"?

Travelers to Chicago may experience the wind gusts that come off Lake Michigan, get tossed around a bit and think, “So this is why it’s called the Windy City.” The nickname, which dates back to the late 1870s, is deceiving because, literally, Chicago is a

What's the Difference Between Table Salt and Kosher Salt?

In truth, not much. The primary ingredient to both, not surprisingly, is sodium chloride. In fact, the U.S. government requires that any food-grade salt be a minimum of 97.5 percent pure, so any type of salt you consume in the U.S. (and most developed cou

Why Do Cicadas Spend So Much Time Underground?

In 1996, the cicadas of Brood II (the “East Coast Brood”) swarmed the northeastern United States and then disappeared almost as quickly as they came, leaving only their eggs and molted exoskeletons behind. Once the eggs hatched, the new generation of cica

Can You Fire the Pope?

Reader Gabrielle wrote in to ask: “Can a pope be ousted? And has it happened before?”

Is There Such a Thing as Photographic Memory?

The best early ‘90s children’s bookshelves were full of books about child detectives, including Cam Jansen, the fifth grade super-sleuth with a photographic memory. She was called “Cam,” short for “camera,” because she would close her eyes and say, “cli

Why Don’t Big Dogs Live as Long as Small Dogs?

Large animals tend to live longer than smaller ones. But this isn't the case for most breeds of dog. What gives?

Why Do Women Tend to Talk More Than Men?

Why Don’t Bats Get Disoriented By Each Other's Sonar?

Why is Charles Schulz in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

He wasn’t a Star or a Blackhawk or a Bruin, but the cartoonist did make some important contributions to the American sport of ice hockey.

Why Does Poop Stink?

What's the Difference between Churches, Chapels, and Cathedrals?

For every world religion, there is a place to worship. For Christianity, there are a confusing variety of names for these places, which are frequently—but incorrectly—used interchangeably. Church, chapel, and cathedral are the trio of terms most commonly

Where Exactly Did the Russian Meteor Come From?

A scientific team from Colombia was able to trace back the explosive space rock's origins using "simple trigonometry."

Why Did Eating Horsemeat Become Taboo?

Despite the notion of horses as pets and companions, horsemeat is widely and willingly consumed in countries ranging from Mexico to China to Italy. So how, exactly, did eating horsemeat become taboo for the rest of us?

How Many Languages is it Possible to Know?

There are millions of people, even in the mostly monolingual US, who speak more than one language at home. Competence in three languages is not unusual. But what about 10, 20, 30, 100 languages? What's the upper limit on the number of languages a person c

Why Aren't You Supposed to Wake a Sleepwalker?

Despite urban legends claiming that waking a sleepwalker will send them into shock or give them a heart attack, it’s pretty much harmless. While you can wake them up, you probably shouldn’t, and that’s for both your benefit.

What Did People Use Before Toilet Paper?

Using the bathroom has come a long way from when ancient Greeks used stones and pieces of clay as toilet paper.

How Was the Top-Secret Coke Formula Determined to Be Kosher?

Few products in civilized history can match the mythology and ubiquity of Coca-Cola. In the 1930s, Coke’s inscrutability found itself at odds with a niche, but rapidly growing consumer base: Orthodox Jewish immigrants whose dietary restrictions prevented

Why Don't We Celebrate Washington's Birthday On His Birthday?

Happy Washington's Birthday! Oh, did you think we were celebrating Presidents' Day? In fact, the federal holiday on the third Monday in February is officially known as Washington's Day to celebrate the birthday of the first president.

Are Snails Born With Shells?

Snails are objects of fascination for kids playing outside. Lucky for the snails, they have their hard shells to protect them from children and predators alike. But are they born with that natural armor, or do they have to find it or grow it for themselve

What Happens to Your Brain When You Fall in Love?

Falling in love is one of the best feelings in the world. The tools available to biologists have advanced immensely in the last few decades, and they're using that technology to decipher the physiology involved in falling in love.

How Long Does DNA Last?

What Do the Words of the Mardi Gras Song Mean?

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