Science »
Why Doesn’t Wood Melt
Jesse asks: Why doesn’t wood melt? Jesse, I love this question. It seems like everyone knows things are solid at certain temperatures. If you heat them up, they will become a liquid. Heating it
Read More »
Why is Nicotine Addictive
Ken asks: Why is nicotine so addictive? When someone says a substance is addictive, they can mean two separate things. Physically addictive, more accurately physically dependent, is when your body begins to depend on
Read More »
What Do Tonsils Do?
Dale asks: What do tonsils actually do? What most people refer to as “tonsils” are known as Palatine tonsils. These are the two large protruding tissues that reside on the sides of the back
Read More »
How the Human Body Generates Electricity
Lee Swanson asks: How does the human body create electricity? Fantastic question Lee. The shortest and most simple answer is- chemical reactions between different atoms and molecules within the body. If all that seems
Read More »
Is Cellulite Different From Regular Fat?
Ally asks: Is cellulite different from regular fat? In a sense, yes, but your question is a tad like comparing orange juice to the texture of an orange peel. While cellulite, also known as
Read More »
The Truth Behind Truth Serum Drugs
B.Nice26 asks: Is there really such a thing as a truth serum? It sounds like something taken directly from the pages of Harry Potter—truth serum, or drugs that “make people tell the truth.” Somewhat
Read More »
How Blood Works and the Difference Between Blood Types
Mark asks: How does blood actually function, like how exactly does it nourish the body and what’s the difference between the different blood types? There are several different types of blood. Contained within them
Read More »
What Causes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Gina asks: What causes SIDS and how can it be prevented? Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is every new parent’s fear. It’s defined as “the sudden death of an infant under age 1 that
Read More »
How Your Body Detects When It’s Low On or has Too Much Oxygen
James asks: Is it true that your body has no mechanism for detecting oxygen levels directly and instead measures carbon dioxide levels? That’s not entirely correct, but the human body does care more about
Read More »
The Curious Case of Alien Hand Syndrome
Although modern medicine has made tremendous advances in many areas, even mapping the human genome, there remain aspects of human health that continue to elude our full understanding. Alien hand syndrome is one of
Read More »
Why People Breathe Into a Paper Bag When Hyperventilating
Hunter asks: Why do people breathe into a paper bag when they get really excited? It’s all about pH balance. No, not the skin pH that keeps some deodorants “strong enough for a man
Read More »
Myth or Fact: The Human Body Craves Foods That Have Nutrients It Currently is Short On
Rick A. asks: Is it true that your body craves foods that have things in it your body currently needs? Have you ever gotten up in the middle of the night and absolutely had
Read More »
Fingers Don’t Contain Muscles
We all have pet-peeves that occasionally happen around us- windshield wipers on when there isn’t enough rain to support lubrication, your husband leaving his dirty laundry on the floor, etc. One of mine is
Read More »
How Urine Can Be Used to Make Gunpowder (and Other Interesting Pee Facts)
It turns out that something that is (usually) flushed down the toilet can actually be recycled into a number of useful products. Comprised of water, calcium, chloride, potassium, sodium, magnesium, urea, creatinine, nitrogen, uric
Read More »
What Causes Will-o’-the-Wisps
Ron asks: What causes the “Will O the Wisps”? For those who don’t know, Will-o’-the-Wisps, also called “ignis fatuus,” Latin for “foolish fire”, are balls of light that are seen hovering over swamps at
Read More »
What Causes Acne
Jen asks: What causes pimples? Ah, acne! The facial blemish that powers many a pubescent date request rejection. Like millions of people worldwide, in my youth I waged a war with this aesthetic foe,
Read More »
How Erections Work
Amanda asks: How exactly do penises become erect? Well Amanda, the physical response causing a flaccid penis to become hard can be mediated by both physical stimulation (known as somatic) or autonomic (involuntary) processes
Read More »
Why Testosterone Affects Body Hair Growth
Michael S. asks: Why does testosterone cause more body hair? Testosterone is a steroid hormone from a group called androgen. Androgen affects many characteristics in our bodies, like the development of the male sex
Read More »
