Lists and Stories

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  Why Do Bees Buzz? Most of what we hear as buzzing from bees is due to the rapid beating of their tiny wings. Some bees beat their wings a mind-blowing 230 times a second, generating quite the buzz. This is also mostly why we hear buzzing sounds from flies, wasps, and various other fast-flying insects. In addition,...
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  Why Do Brides Wear White? In many societies the color white has long been associated with purity and virtue, and that is one reason why some brides choose to wear white, especially in the West. More often than not, though, you will hear claims that brides wear white because “it’s tradition.” But, historically, white was not...
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  Why Do Cats Hate Water? An aversion to water is one of the most well-known characteristics of household cats. However, this isn’t true of all felines. Some large cats, such as tigers, commonly take a dip to cool off or hunt prey, and even some domesticated breeds are known to enjoy a swim when the opportunity arises. In...
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  Why Do Cats Sleep So Much? Cat person? How many pictures of your cat sleeping have you got on your phone? A lot, right? They are so cute when they sleep…so cute. But then they are always asleep. Okay, not always, but a lot of the time. Why is that? The truth is that cats sleep an average of 15 hours per day. Some of them...
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  Why Do Dogs Circle Before They Lie Down? There may be several reasons why dogs turn around several times before they lie down. Since dogs are intelligent mammals with varying emotional states and levels of awareness, the behavior of circling before lying down may depend on the individual dog and its situation. According to many sources,...
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  Why Do Dogs Eat Poop? Though poop is certainly not a staple food for any human, it may come as no surprise that poop is a common part of many a dog’s diet. While a dog eating poop may not be entirely shocking—in fact, an estimated 16 percent of domesticated dogs eat poop—it may still be puzzling. And though dogs can...
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  Why Do Flamingos Stand on One Leg? Resplendent in bright pink feathers (the result of a diet rich in larvae, algae, and shrimp), flamingos are among nature’s most beautiful birds—and the strangest. They eat with their heads upside down, sleep with their heads on their backs, and often rest by standing for long periods on one leg....
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  Why Do Gray Hairs Have a Different Texture? Gray hairs are indeed unusual, and not only because of their color. Gray hair is stiffer and more wiry than hair rich in pigment. Exactly why this is the case is not fully understood. Gray hair has reduced levels of melanin, which is the pigment that gives hair and skin its color. Within the hair...
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  Why Do Horses Sleep Standing Up? Some consider this a trick question. That’s because horses actually doze while on their feet and lie down for REM sleep. So, the better question is: Why do horses nap while standing? Mainly because sleeping while lying down can be dangerous. It takes a bit of work for horses to get up, which makes...
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  Why Do Jeans Have That Tiny Pocket? Coins? Matches? Lipstick? Flash drives? Gold nuggets? The tiny pocket on jeans likely has been used for all of these, even the last (more on that in minute). But, as designed by Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis in 1873 as a feature of the original “waist overalls,” the small pocket was intended to hold...
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  Why Do Languages Die? How would it feel to be the last person on Earth who speaks your language? For those of us whose native languages have millions of speakers, it’s almost impossible to imagine. And yet languages have come and gone throughout human history, and they continue to do so. Linguists estimate that of the...
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  Why do leaves change colors in the fall? In many places around the world, autumn is marked by the slow, beautiful change of green foliage to vibrant reds, oranges, yellows, and purples. Green leaves appear green because of the presence of the pigment chlorophyll, which is key to photosynthesis. In temperate regions, cold winters pose a...
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  Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall? Green leaves get their color from the photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll. When deciduous leaves are preparing to separate from the tree in autumn, that green pigment begins to break down. This can then reveal other leaf pigments that were masked by the green, such as yellow and orange carotenoids....
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  Why Do Leaves Fall in Autumn? In temperate regions of the world, autumn is marked by the brightly colored foliage that slowly drops from trees and shrubs to carpet the ground. But why do some plants shed their leaves before winter? It turns out autumnal leaf drop is a form of self-protection. While evergreen plants in cold...
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  Why Do Movie Theaters Serve Popcorn? The savory smell. The crunchy bite. The salty kick. The buttery finish. Americans will recognize the smell and flavor of their favorite moviegoing snack anywhere. Why is it that we feast our taste buds on these crisp kernels while our eyes feast on the big screen? A few converging aspects made...
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  Why Do Onions Make You Cry? You’re happily chopping onions for your dinner when BAM! Your eyes are stinging, and tears are running down your face. Maybe the burning gets so bad you have to step away! Why are onions such jerks sometimes? Well, it actually comes down to some pretty fascinating biochemistry. Before it found its...
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  Why Do Our Noses Have Two Nostrils? When it comes to eyes and ears, pairs make sense. Paired eyes give us stereo vision, which allows us to see objects in depth, and paired ears give us stereo hearing, which allows us to detect the direction a sound is coming from. The reason for paired nostrils, however, is a little less obvious....
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  Why Do People Eat Cereal with Milk? According to what seems to have become a somewhat standardized history, the collision of milk and cereal dates to about the 1860s (or perhaps the 1870s), when a breakfast cereal predecessor called granula came into being. Eating granula dry, as Mental Floss succinctly describes it, “was like trying...
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  Why Do People Say “Amen” at the End of a Prayer? According to Merriam-Webster, the interjection amen is "used to express solemn ratification (as of an expression of faith) or hearty approval (as of an assertion)." It is often interchanged with phrases such as so be it. The original word in Hebrew bears relation to other words denoting security...
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  Why Do Plants Wilt? You leave for work in the morning and your plant looks perfectly happy, but by the time you come home, it’s sad and droopy. So why do plants wilt? Usually because they are thirsty! Many nonwoody plants rely almost exclusively on water pressure, or turgor, within their cells to keep them erect....