Neil asks: Why do we call some alcoholic drinks cocktails? Typically some type of hard liquor mixed with any of a variety of ingredients, although the idea of the cocktail is likely as old as the hills, its name is a relatively recent invention. Early Use There is debate about when the term was first used. According the The London […]
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Damien asks: Is Double Jeopardy a true thing or is it just a TV/movie invention? Although generally in Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Scotland, the U.S. and New Zealand you cannot be subjected to a second trial after a first has been completed, there are exceptions. What is Double Jeopardy? Generally speaking, double jeopardy prohibits a second trial where a […]
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Austin asks: Why are continental breakfasts called that? Many hotels offer guests a free breakfast consisting of muffin, coffee, cereal and milk, toast, juice, bagel, and, at some, even scrambled eggs and make-your-own waffles. Born in the Gilded Age, today’s continental breakfasts reflect the West’s transition from a mostly agrarian culture to an industrial (and today, service) society. Luckily, however, […]
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This is a weekly wrap of our Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. How Honey Bees Keep Their Hives Warm Given That They are Cold Blooded Up until only a few years ago, it was thought by many scientists that Honey bee hives were kept warm by pupae in the brood and that the bees […]
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Matt asks: Why do men’s and women’s shirts and pants have the buttons on the opposite sides? When did this start? As with so many things in history, we can’t know with 100% accuracy why men’s and women’s clothes button up the opposite way. (Even something relatively recent like who invented Buffalo Wings is up for debate despite being invented […]
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Hannah asks: Why do we kiss? Is this something built in or do we just do it because we see others do it our whole lives? Making Out. Snogging. Canoodling. Kissing. An activity that is teetering on the edge of gross when viewed objectively, but one that most everyone enjoys in practice. But why do we kiss? What compels us […]
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Barbara Baker’s earliest recollections of John Lennon were of little John perching up in a tree and shooting arrows at her and all the other girls passing by. Later, she also recalled encountering Lennon’s youthful “charm” one day as she was walking home, her hair done up in a ponytail. “Oh there’s horseface! Horse’s tail and horse’s face!” He was […]
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Robert N. asks: What ever happened to the flags and other things left on the moon? On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 touched down on the moon. At 10:56 pm eastern standard time, Neil Armstrong accomplished another first. With the immortal words, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind,” (or something like that) Neil Armstrong […]
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This is a weekly wrap of our Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. The Curious Case of Sun Sneezing Have you ever been in a dark place, say a movie theatre or a room with all the blinds close, and walked outside into the daylight when, all of a sudden, you begin to sneeze uncontrollably? […]
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Jeremy R. asks: Why do people look more attractive when you’re drunk? Anyone who has been in a crowded bar around closing time would agree that the higher your alcohol consumption, the more attractive you seem to find whoever you happen to be flirting with at last call. Their smile is radiant; their eyes are sparkling- everything about them is […]
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Aaron asks: Why is Rhode Island called an island when it is not? Most think the history of Rhode Island starts with Roger Williams, but the state’s “discovery” (at least by Europeans) dates back about hundred years before that to approximately 1524 and the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano (though he did most of his exploring in the name of […]
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Where a unique combination of strong currents and geography meet, maelstroms, enormous and powerful areas of swirling water, dangerous currents and whirlpools, can be found across the globe. Although many form (and die) in a relatively short period of time in response to catastrophic events (like a tsunami), others have existed for centuries. Asia Naruto Found in the strait between […]
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Karla asks: Why do graduates wear caps and gowns? Also, why do we throw our caps in the air when we graduate? Inquiring minds want to know!!! Wearing academic robes is a tradition that dates back to at least the 12th century, around the time when the first universities were being founded in Europe. During this time, most scholars were […]
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In Venezuela’s northwest state of Zulia, where the Catatumbo River empties into the southwest corner of Lake Maracaibo, a spectacular light show can be seen most nights of the year. Known alternately as the Catatumbo lightning, river of fire in the sky, Beacon of Maracaibo, everlasting lightning, the Lighthouse of Catatumbo and Relámpago del Catatumbo, this fixed lightning storm has […]
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Carl asks: What happens if you are sleep walking and you kill someone? Anyone who has ever tried to reason with a sleepwalker knows they can seem to be awake, yet have bizarre and irrational behaviors. Stubborn during the best of episodes, and inconsolable, unreasonable and intense in the worst, it is not hard to imagine these walking dreamers acting […]
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Stefan asks: Why do we still have pubic and armpit hair when we lost most of the rest of the hair on our bodies? What purpose does it serve? It’s a biological mystery that has perplexed humanity through the ages – especially in recent times when so many of us go to such great lengths to remove it. What useful […]
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On August 15, 1977, in Delaware, Ohio, SETI researchers from the Ohio State University detected a 72 second radio signal originating from somewhere around the constellation of Sagittarius. Because of the signal’s location, frequency and unique signature, it was quickly dubbed the “Wow!” signal, and since its discovery, speculation has run rampant that it was a message from an extra-terrestrial […]
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Have you ever been in a dark place, say a movie theatre or a room with all the blinds close, and walked outside into the daylight when, all of a sudden, you begin to sneeze uncontrollably? You had no runny nose or desire to sneeze prior to this exposure to sunlight, but you just can’t help that big achoo? If […]
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