Everyday Life
Exploring "Why" questions about Everyday Life
479 articles
Why do we sound different to ourselves on camera or audio recording?
Sound reverberates around inside our head through numerous large sinuses before we "hear" it. This distorts what our voices actually sound like. Assuming proper recording tools, what you hear on an au
why isn’t single serve coffee sold in tea bags?
Didn’t Folgers used to make “coffee singles” in the past? I’m not sure if it was instant or supposed to act like a brew, but I’m almost positive I’ve seen something like it.
Why can animals drink dirty water where as humans cannot?
Humans can drink dirty water. Until the last century dirty water was just about the only kind of water anyone could get. People often died from waterborne pathogens and pretty much everyone had parasi
Why do so many people believe that if your urine isn’t clear you aren’t drinking enough water and is there any truth to it?
Clearer urine is a sign of hydration but it doesnt need to be that clear, just not very dark. Side note, caffeine and alcohol are diuretics so they pull extra water into urine in the kidneys. So if yo
Why is swimming freestyle underwater so much less effective than swimming breaststroke, yet above the water it’s the opposite?
Each swimming stroke can be broken down into two parts - the pulling phase, which propels you through the water, and the recovery phase, which "resets" your arms so you can pull again. The difference
Why can’t/don’t we use salt water in our toilets?
This would require running two separate water lines into your house, one containing salt water specifically for your toilets, and keeping that water separate from the rest. It would also require towns
Why does mint or peppermint flavour make water taste colder?
It activates the wrong neurons (the ones that detect a loss of heat, AKA cold) by lowering their activation threshold. When the cold water touches your tongue, it makes the oversensitive neurons react
Why does ice cream taste sweeter after melting?
Your tongue is better able to taste sweetness when the taste buds are not cold. So letting the ice cream melt somewhat prevents it suppressing your tongue's response.
Why do we continue drinking alcohol, when it continually causes problems for everyone?
Prohibition caused even more problems so they had to give the booze back. Meanwhile, special interests have been pressuring the government to control alternative intoxicants to protect their various i
Why do some drinks seem to pass right through you whereas plain water is retained?
The sugar and electrolytes in Gatorade and other sports drinks actually increase how much water you absorb into your blood stream. This can be perceived as too much fluid and your body will try to get