MF Explains It All

It's not just about pelvic pain or bad periods.

There’s a lot of confusion about endometriosis symptoms, treatment, and other basics. We spoke to a specialist to set the record straight.

Naming a cat "Whiskers" is like naming a baby "Fingertips."

Apart from being the feline equivalent of a fancy mustache, what are cat whiskers for? As it turns out, multiple things.

“Cut to the chase” is a slightly friendlier way of telling someone to get to the point, but old Hollywood filmmakers meant it literally.

Are you making doll clothing after every wash? Here's how to prevent the dreaded shrinkage in your laundry piles.

If you're a human of average size, taking a bath isn't always as relaxing as it sounds—especially when your legs are sticking halfway out of the water. The problem? Bathtubs are too small. But why?

As far as dog toys go, tennis balls aren’t exactly the safest kind. Here are the risks (and how to avoid them).

Empathy’s definition originally described the relationship between humans and objects. Now, it’s much less straightforward.

Deserts either want to broil you alive or force you to put on layers. It's a fascinating ecological condition with a simple explanation.

It wasn't a product of your young imagination: Chalky, white dog poop really was everywhere in the 1970s and '80s. Here's why it went away.

Greeters can mean increased profits for stores.

Having a person stand at attention at the entrance to a store makes shoppers feel welcome, but there's also a financial benefit for retailers.

Carpeting in cars provides a real benefit.

They collect dirt, grime, snow, and assorted gunk. They stain. So why do car manufacturers insist on carpeting floors?

Honey can spend years in a pantry without spoiling because bees are very diligent when it comes to food safety.

Rock salt can damage concrete driveways.

Millions of people treat slippery surfaces with rock salt, but it can wind up doing your driveway a lot more harm than good.

Public bathrooms are uncomfortable for a reason.

The design of public restrooms guarantees you'll never be all that comfortable. Blame Frank Lloyd Wright.

If they're not sitting at a desk all day, they might be a blue-collar worker.

White collar jobs are purportedly better paying and more respectable than blue collar jobs—here’s how that came to be.

JLGutierrez/iStock via Getty Images Plus

When you have a great idea, do you copyright, trademark, or patent it? Well, it all depends on what kind of idea it is.

As potholes go, this one is pretty photogenic.

Potholes are the bane of drivers everywhere. Unfortunately, not much can be done to prevent them from forming.

A hissing or noisy throne is usually an easy fix if you know what to look for. Here's how to stop a running toilet.

National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), NOAA

Nor’easters have earned their reputation for wreaking havoc on land. But what qualifies a storm as a nor’easter?

If you call a buzzard a vulture in the UK, be prepared to get some strange looks. There is a difference between the two birds of prey.

Chains hanging from service vehicles serve a purpose.

Like a cat on a perch, the chains on school buses and ambulances seem to dangle with no apparent purpose. Their true mission is actually pretty clever.