Everyday Life
Exploring "Why" questions about Everyday Life
479 articles
Why do I feel like smoking about 13 cigarettes a minute when I’m drinking alcohol?
Alcohol gives you very poor impulse control. Nicotine is highly addictive, which means it gives you a strong impulse to smoke.
Why are latches on airplane seat belts so much different than in automobiles?
There's a few reasons: They're less expensive to produce, meaning that when it's time to replace them, it can be done more cheaply. They're also more reliable in that they have a very simple design. A
Why do bridges ice before the road?
I may be wrong about this, but I was always told it's because of cold air movement above/below causes it to freeze much quicker, whereas regular road is partially insulated by the ground
Why do we need car dealerships?
Same reason we need any store, some people like to try things out before they buy it.
Why does every car have a different type of battery when every car takes a 12-Volt battery?
different sizes. the bigger the engine, the bigger the amperage is needed for the electric starter motor to turn the engine. the bigger the amp requirement, the bigger battery you need.
Why does almost everyone who drives think it’s ok to go up to 5 miles per hour OVER the speed limit?
The most likely reason is that 5 mph is within the speedometer's and radar gun's margin of error, so pulling people that are going 5mph over would result in a ton of legal headaches for everybody.
Why does some food get freezer-burned while others don’t?
Packaging. I wrap my stuff in plastic wrap, then foil, then a ziplock baggie and I never get it.
Why does shampoo made in the US have English and French translations as opposed to English and Spanish?
Canada has laws that products must be labeled in English and in French. Most US manufacturers also want to sell their items in Canada, so they just make one label for both countries. Most US manufactu
Why does semen turn hard when exposed to hot water?
The same reason eggs get more solid when they cook, I believe. The heat causes some of the proteins to denature. Proteins are kind of like balled-up organic strings.
Why is it “Ladies and Gentlemen” and “Boys and Girls”? Is there a reason for the order and the difference in order when addressing different ages?
They're called frozen binomials; like how we say "pots and pans" not "pans and pots". It has to do with syllables (smallest to largest), complexity of the word, and what just rolls off the tongue easi