What causes the weird throbbing sound when you drive with only one window down? This question came from a reader submission (thanks Roger!). Has a curious question stumped you lately? Feel free to submit your own question here: Submit your question ๐ The short answer When wind blows over just one open window, it pushes air into and out of the cabin in a rhythmic pattern, which produces a super low frequency sound. It's the same principle that produces a sound when you blow across the top of a...
8 days agoย โขย 4 min read
What happens in your body when you sneeze? This question came from a reader submission (thanks Meg!). Has a curious question stumped you lately? Feel free to submit your own question here: Submit your question ๐ The short answer A sneeze begins when irritants in your nose trigger immune cells to release histamine, which stimulates nerve endings that send a signal to the brainstemโs โsneeze center.โ In response, you take a deep breath, tense your chest and abdominal muscles with your vocal...
15 days agoย โขย 6 min read
Where does "hunky-dory" come from? This question came from a reader submission (thanks Miguel!). Has a curious question stumped you lately? Feel free to submit your own question here: Submit your question ๐ The short answer โHunky-doryโ likely stems from Frisian honcke (โhomeโ), later paired with a playful โ-doryโ suffix, and it entered everyday speech with the rise of 19th-century blackface minstrel shows. ๐ The long answer If you're not familiar with the Americanism, to say something is...
22 days agoย โขย 7 min read
Why does glass break so easily? This question came from a reader submission (thanks anonymous!). Has a curious question stumped you lately? Feel free to submit your own question here: Submit your question ๐ The short answer Glass breaks easily because its atoms form a rigid, disordered network rather than an ordered crystal lattice. When under stress, there's no way for planes of atoms to slip past each other, so its molecular bonds break easily and form cracks. ๐ The long answer Glass is...
29 days agoย โขย 4 min read
Do you need to wash dishes with hot water? This question came from a reader submission (thanks anonymous!). Has a curious question stumped you lately? Feel free to submit your own question here: Submit your question ๐ The short answer Cold water with soap and scrubbing removes most grease and germs, but hot water makes cleaning easier by better dissolving oils. You would need to use water hotter than your hands can comfortably tolerate to kill germs, which is one reason why dishwashers are so...
about 1 month agoย โขย 5 min read
Can we build full-size buildings using LEGO-like bricks? This question came from a reader submission (thanks Stephen's daughter!). Has a curious question stumped you lately? Feel free to submit your own question here: Submit your question ๐ The short answer While actual LEGO bricks are too precise, weak, and expensive for real buildings, several modern construction methods use interlocking, LEGO-like blocks made from earth, foam, or composites to build strong, efficient structures faster and...
about 1 month agoย โขย 5 min read
Why does a tire company rate restaurants? ๐ The short answer The Michelin tire company started rating restaurants to encourage more people to drive (and buy car tires). Today, the Michelin Guide lives on as a powerful branding tool that keeps Michelin top of mind for premium customers. ๐ The long answer Fine-dining chefs push themselves to the limits of culinary excellence โ in the hopes of impressing a tire company. I still can't believe this parody image of The Last Supper exists. It's not...
about 2 months agoย โขย 4 min read
How will 3D printing organs work? This question came from a reader submission (thanks Gary!). Has a curious question stumped you lately? Feel free to submit your own question here: Submit your question ๐ The short answer 3D printing organs uses bioinksโmaterials made from living cells and gel-like substances that act as scaffolds, giving cells a structure to grow on. Simple tissues have already been printed, but printing complex organs like hearts or kidneys is still a work in progress due to...
about 2 months agoย โขย 6 min read
Why do we scratch our heads when we think? This question came from a reader submission (thanks Adish!). Has a curious question stumped you lately? Feel free to submit your own question here: Submit your question ๐ The short answer We scratch our heads when we think because itโs a form of self-soothing, a way to non-verbally show confusion, and possibly a suppressed primal impulse to attack the question-asker when frustrated. ๐ The long answer Search for a stock photo of someone thinking, and...
2 months agoย โขย 4 min read