How do birds navigate during migration? This question came from a reader submission (thanks Tej!). Has a curious question stumped you lately? Feel free to submit your own question here: Submit your question π The short answer Birds navigate by developing an internal map of visual and scent landmarks. Also birds rely on sun and star positions to orient themselves. Additionally, birds use Earthβs magnetic field, which they can possibly sense through tiny magnetic particles in their beaks or...
10 days agoΒ β’Β 5 min read
How does carbon dating work? This question came from a reader submission (thanks to my brother Matt!). Has a curious question stumped you lately? Feel free to submit your own question here: Submit your question π The short answer Carbon dating estimates the age of organic matter by comparing the ratio of carbon-12, a stable atom, to carbon-14, an unstable atom which decays with a half-life of 5,730 years. π The long answer You've probably read science headlines like these: But how in the...
17 days agoΒ β’Β 5 min read
Why do we eat cake on birthdays? This question came from a reader submission (thanks Lisa!). Has a curious question stumped you lately? Feel free to submit your own question here: Submit your question π The short answer We eat cake on birthdays because the tradition is deeply rooted in Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and German history. The practice of celebrating birthdays with a cake became far more accessible to common people thanks to key innovations during the Industrial Revolution. π The long...
24 days agoΒ β’Β 5 min read
Hey Reader! I've got a special edition of the newsletter for you today. Last week marked the 100th edition of Today You Should Know. That's 100 questions about how the world works and 100 answers that I've researched and written for you and me. Wow! π Some stats for the nerds I got ChatGPT to write some Python scripts for me to get some interesting stats on this milestone of 100 newsletters: Total word count: 79,392 Shortest newsletter: Why do stars twinkle? And do stars actually twinkle?...
about 1 month agoΒ β’Β 5 min read
Why do clean sheets feel so good? This question came from a reader submission (thanks Justine!). Has a curious question stumped you lately? Feel free to submit your own question here: Submit your question π The short answer Clean sheets feel good because the fabric is softer, cooler in temperature, better smelling, and gives you the psychological satisfaction that comes with a clean environment. π The long answer Crawling into bed after you've changed your sheets is a top-tier feeling in...
about 1 month agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
Why are most people right-handed? This question came from a reader submission (thanks Kritika!). Has a curious question stumped you lately? Feel free to submit your own question here: Submit your question π The short answer While we don't know for sure, it's theorized that humans predominantly became right-handed due to the development of the left brain hemisphere associated with language and tool use. Additionally, right-handedness may have offered advantages in fighting and soothing...
about 1 month agoΒ β’Β 4 min read
Why do dogs stick their head out the window? This question came from a reader submission (thanks David!). Has a curious question stumped you lately? Feel free to submit your own question here: Submit your question π The short answer Dogs may be sticking their head out the window in order to capture all the smells, get a sense for their surroundings, and simply because they may enjoy the sensory overload of it all. π The long answer Is it the wind in their fur? The thrill of moving at top...
about 2 months agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
Why do we get muscle cramps after heavy exercise? This question came from a reader submission (thanks Aaron!). Has a curious question stumped you lately? Feel free to submit your own question here: Submit your question P.S. Aaron runs Piggins and Banks, a fantastic nonprofit that provides a forever home to unwanted pigs and other surrendered animals. Learn more here. π The short answer The two most common reasons for muscle cramps after heavy exercise are overworking the muscles, which...
about 2 months agoΒ β’Β 4 min read
Does soap need bubbles to clean? This question came from a reader submission (thanks Steve!). Has a curious question stumped you lately? Feel free to submit your own question here: Submit your question π The short answer No. Soap bubbles are merely a byproduct of the cleaning process. You don't need bubbles to know that the soap is cleaning effectively. π The long answer Scrub-a-dub-bub? It's a pertinent question for those on dish duty: Do bubbles indicate that soap is cleaning effectively?...
2 months agoΒ β’Β 3 min read