MF Explains It All

Ice machines can be found in virtually every American hotel.

Ice machines have become as pervasive in hotels as ironing boards. While they've always been there, the ice hasn't always been free.

If scientists can't develop a vaccine for a new virus quickly enough, an epidemic can turn into a pandemic.

Definitions of 'pandemic' and 'epidemic' differ, but it’s not always clear which one best describes a disease outbreak like the new coronavirus.

It's a question that Americans have been arguing about for decades: How exactly do you pronounce Nevada?

Prince George with his mother, Kate Middleton, and sister, Princess Charlotte, during a 2016 trip to Canada.

Prince George’s combinations of knee socks and shorts have made him a royal family fashion icon just like his mother, Kate Middleton.

In lieu of hanging shower curtains or providing full shower doors, many newer hotels are opting for glass panels that cover only half the length of the shower. Why?

Washing your hands is the best protection against germs.

Washing your hands might be the most repetitive activity any of us will ever do. So why do so many of us get it wrong?

This woman's tooth pain is actually helping her avoid further damage.

If your tooth enamel is worn down, the path is clear for your sensitive tooth to feel pain like no other.

A toddler in action with a miniature grocery shopping cart.

Mini shopping carts keep kids busy on shopping trips, but that’s not the only reason grocery stores have them.

Thanks to the escalator stairs' grooves, these feet are not in danger.

Those thin metal grooves may look dangerous, but they actually help prevent escalator accidents from happening.

IKEA, the beloved Swedish home furnishings chain, has a coherent naming strategy that its non-swedophone customers are missing out on.

The Iowa caucus doesn’t always predict the presidential nominee, but it’s been an important part of the process since the 1970s.

ALDI would rather have you look up weekly ads, store hours, and FAQs on its website—which benefits customers in the long run.

Tetiana Garkusha/iStock via Getty Images

Dogs dream during the REM cycle of sleep just like humans do, and the results can be quite adorable.

Rostislav_Sedlacek/iStock via Getty Images

It seems like detail-oriented people would have good handwriting, but doctors don’t always have the time to spend on it.

Loose batteries—especially 9-volt batteries—can become a fire hazard in the catch-all chaos of a junk drawer.

Those strange loops on the back of your dress shirts actually serve a purpose, though it might not be the one you think.

Traffic lights have origins on the railways, but they weren't always red, yellow, and green. There was once a white light, and that was not such a great idea.

Blue might be a soothing color, but there are a few other reasons so many airlines opt for the shade when selecting their seat fabric.

Luckily for all of us, especially during flu season, bartenders aren’t counting on glass rinsers for a thorough clean.

It’s a clever trick that retailers use to make consumers think items cost less than they actually do.

Allan warren, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

At 133 words long, Prince Philip’s full title included the words 'duke,' 'earl,' 'baron,' 'royal knight,' and just about every other noble designation you can think of. But the highest and perhaps most obvious moniker that was conspicuously missing: king.