MF Explains It All

The inviting green stuff is supposed to bring us closer to nature. Instead, grass creates a stinging, itchy sensation. What gives?

Those wooden utensils in the corner are eyeing this situation nervously.

Pasta water is notorious for frothing up and over the sides of your pot. Here’s why a wooden spoon helps prevent that.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for sunscreen.

Sunblock and sunscreen aren’t the same thing, but the lines get pretty blurred on product labels these days.

Bare feet and driving don't always go together.

Going for a summer drive while barefoot can be tempting, but is it safe and legal? Here's the answer.

Your iPhone does a lot when you're not looking—Low Power Mode makes it do less.

Sure, you know it’s a great way to save the battery on your iPhone, but do you know how it actually works?

You can call the fire department if you see a cat stuck in a tree, but they might decline your plea for help.

Bureaucratic red tape is a tale as old as time. Or, to be a little more precise, roughly 400 years old.

Changing street names can be a problem for drivers.

Driving directions can get confusing when the same street has two different names. There's a reason for it.

You might think drinking seawater would be better than drinking no water at all. Your kidneys would beg to differ.

You set your washing machine for a 50-minute cycle. Sixty minutes later, it's still spinning. Here's why it lies to you.

Grocery stores don't like to let in natural light.

Supermarkets don't let in much—if any—natural light. It's another example of how retailers mess with your mind.

Hotels like to use white sheets and towels.

Hotel guests are almost always treated to vibrant white sheets. And no, it's not because it's easier to see bedbugs.

It’s not that your parents are bad at remembering names, it’s that they’re storing all your names in the same place.

Self-cleaning ovens are meant to spare users the hassle of manual cleaning.

You may not use the self-cleaning feature on your oven. If you do, be aware that it gets very, very hot and can kill your pet bird. (Seriously.)

If your bone china dinnerware is what it claims to be, it probably contains more than a little powdered cow.

Transplants from other parts of the country may notice that basements are uncommon in many Texas homes. The reason for the real estate quirk has to do with the state's unique terrain.

The iconic brass pole has been a fixture of fire departments for more than a century, but it might be more dangerous than it's worth.

A 19th-century illustration of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island. Or are they emigrants?

Understanding the difference between ‘immigrate’ and ‘emigrate’ requires a fun little dive into the world of Latin prefixes.

Retail stores want to give you plenty of overhead space. There's a scientific reason why.

There's a surprising reason stores like consumers to have plenty of space above their heads. According to science, it's giving them room to think.

Jeans sometimes have a fake pocket. There are reasons for that, but not they're not necessarily good ones.

The illusion of a pocket has a lot to do with gender biases, fitting rooms, and the habits of the fashion industry.

Cats can often be found munching on plastic items, especially bags. Here's why they do it, and why they shouldn't.

A post-vaccine thumbs up is recommended.

Can you take Tylenol after your COVID-19 vaccine? What should you do with your vaccination card? Answers to those and more burning questions.

The origins of phrases aren’t always very clear, but this one is—and it all started with carnival barkers.

Being called a 'guest' of a retail business is not really grammatically correct.

Step into a Target or Walgreens and you might be labeled a 'guest.' The practice probably started for a very Goofy reason.

Why Does Grass Make Us Itch?

How a Wooden Spoon Prevents Your Pot of Water From Boiling Over, According to Science

Sunscreen vs. Sunblock: What’s the Difference?

Is It Illegal to Drive Barefoot?

What Does Your iPhone’s Low Power Mode Really Do?

Do Firefighters Really Rescue Cats From Trees?

Why Are Lengthy Bureaucratic Processes Known As Red Tape?

The Reason One Street Can Have Two Different Names

What Would Actually Happen If You Drank Saltwater?

Why Washing Machine Timers Get It Wrong

The Reason You Rarely See Windows in Grocery Stores

The Reason Hotel Sheets and Towels Are Almost Always White

When Your Mom Mistakenly Calls You By Your Sibling’s Name, It’s Because She Loves You

How Do Self-Cleaning Ovens Work?

Does Bone China Contain Any Actual Bone? The Answer Might Unnerve You

Why Many Houses in Texas Don't Have Basements

Why the Fire Pole Is Beginning to Disappear

Immigrate vs. Emigrate: What’s the Difference?

The Reason Retail Stores Have Such High Ceilings

The Reason Dresses and Jeans Have Fake Pockets

Why Cats Like to Chew on Plastic—and How to Stop Them

5 Important Dos and Don’ts When You’ve Gotten Your COVID-19 Vaccine

Why Do We Say 'Close, But No Cigar'?

The Reason Some Businesses Refer to Customers as Guests