Sara M asks: Why are Boeing planes so randomly numbered for their names? Although it may seem as if Boeing planes are randomly numbered, there actually is a method to their madness. Founded in July 1916 as the Pacific Aero Products Co, but changing into Boeing Airplane Company in 1917, Boeing was re-tooling and adapting to the end of World […]
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C. Lani asks: What are those little black spots on some kinds of chips? Corn and tortilla chips are speckled with black spots, but what exactly are they? The staple ingredient for both corn and tortilla chips is, of course, corn. An ear of corn is made up of individual rows of kernels, and each kernel is attached to the […]
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Leigh H. asks: Why do we call pennies, nickels, and dimes those names? The Penny Prior to the United States minting their own coins, it relied on foreign currency. However, that all changed with the passing of the Coinage Act of 1792, which provided the framework for regulating money produced in the United States, as well as established the United […]
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Simon asks: Who invented the Konami code? The Konami Code, also known as the Konami Command and sometimes the Contra Command is among the most enduring Easter eggs in video game history. For those of you who aren’t familiar, there are a number of video games released by Konami over the years in which entering up, up, down, down, left, right, […]
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Maria D. asks: Why do fluorescent lights buzz? Comprised of a sealed tube coated on the inside with a phosphor powder and filled with (usually) argon and a tiny bit of mercury, the way in which fluorescent bulbs produce light is extremely fascinating. While the underlying physical mechanisms in the fixture and bulb can vary a bit in design, in […]
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Blain F. asks: What function does natural aspirin serve in the plants that produce it? Salicylic acid is found in varying degrees in a wide range of plants including potatoes, tobacco, unripe fruits (including blackberries and blueberries, cantaloupe, kiwi, green pepper, tomato and olives), mushrooms, and, of course, willow. A phenolic compound, together with cytokinins, auxins, gibberellins, ethylene and abscisic […]
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Will K. asks: Is it true that some people are born with tails? To some extent the answer to the question of whether some humans are born with tails and how prevalent it is depends on your definition of “tail.” For instance, a variety of things may protrude from the tailbone of a newborn, including cysts, tumors and even a […]
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John T. asks Why do keyboard keypads number 7,8,9 on down and phone keypads number 1,2,3 on down? It’s not clear why numbering pads designed for calculation have 7-8-9 at the top, although the practice of placing the larger numbers above the smaller can be seen as far back as the late 19th century on early mechanical cash registers, often […]
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Kyle S. asks: Why didn’t Chewie get a medal at the end of the original Star Wars movie? For years fans of the Star Wars franchise have expressed frustration with the fact that Chewbacca didn’t get a medal at the close of Star Wars: A New Hope despite playing a pivotal role in the destruction of the Death Star. Since then, George Lucas constantly […]
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Adam S. asks: How do the ghosts in Pac Man move? It seems mostly random, but is it really? The ghosts in Pac-Man are among some of the most enduring enemies in video game history, thanks in part to their surprisingly difficult to predict movements which make the game a constant challenge for new and seasoned players alike. However, as […]
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M. Kirkpatrick asks: Why did men used to stick one of their hands in their jackets in old photographs? Conveying calm assurance, the practice of placing one hand inside of a top garment is ancient, dating back to before people even wore jackets, at least as we think of them. In the 6th century B.C., it was considered rude in […]
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Alex S. asks: Why doesn’t oil and water mix? Made of different elements, and with distinct structures, densities and even dissimilar polarities, it’s no wonder oil and water don’t get along. They can be forced to cooperate, however, and there are several examples of this that are likely currently sitting in your pantry or refrigerator. But why don’t oil and […]
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Darren S. asks: Why does standing in one place for a long time make my legs and feet sorer than walking the same amount of time? Working retail, waiting tables, standing in line at the amusement park or just shopping with mom, anyone who’s ever been stuck on their feet for a long time more or less standing still knows […]
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Alli G. asks: Why do people today always start sentences with so? The word so has been in English pretty much as long as there has been English (derived from the Old English swæ). It is alternately an adverb (it’s so hot), a conjunction (eat your dinner so you can have dessert), an adjective (Jim is dead, isn’t that so?) […]
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Alex P. asks: Why are baseball dugouts built below ground? Imagine attending a game with no stadium seating where you have great tickets right near the action on the infield. The pitcher winds up, releases the ball, and as it speeds toward the batter, the runner on third makes an attempt to steal home. When the ball and the runner […]
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Janet W. asks: Is it really possible to tip over a cow? For the uninitiated, cow tipping is a prank where a person sneaks up on a sleeping cow and pushes the animal over onto its side. Ask around and you can probably hear about a friend of a friend who successfully tipped a cow while out in the country late […]
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Jeff G. asks: How do they get the M on M&Ms without breaking it or missing any? Most of us have probably wondered how each M&M is so perfectly marked with that signature white m. The production of the candy that “melts in your mouth and not in your hand” includes many different steps. First, the chocolate concoction is made […]
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Tumarux asks: Why aren’t our fingers all the same length? The human hand is remarkably different from that of other primates, with shorter fingers, a smaller palm and a significantly stronger thumb; of course, the most notable feature of our hands is the ability of the thumb to perfectly and comfortably oppose (come into square contact at the tips) each […]
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