Life's Little Mysteries Home Archives
Thunderstruck: How a Lightning Rod Works
February 22, 2013, Elizabeth Howell, LiveScience Contributor
Just one more great invention from Ben Franklin.
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Arthritic Sea Otter Plays Hoops to Stay Active
February 22, 2013, Nina Sen, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Handlers at the Oregon Zoo have Eddie the sea otter dunking a little ball.
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What Are Fainting Goats?
February 22, 2013, Elizabeth Howell, LiveScience Contributor
Humans can have the same condition.
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Why Is It Called Labor Day?
February 21, 2013, Heather Whipps, Life’s Little Mysteries Contributor
The first Labor Day took place in New York City on Sept. 5, 1882, with picnics organized by the city's Central Labor Union.
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Why Is Ice Slippery?
February 21, 2013, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
A century and a half of scientific inquiry has yet to solve this one.
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Why Is Quartz Used in Watches?
February 21, 2013, Benjamin Radford, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
It's also used in radios, microprocessors and other technologies.
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Why Do People Crave Sweets After a Meal?
February 21, 2013, Marc Lallanilla, Life's Little Mysteries Assistant Editor
Sugar cravings might be in the blood.
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Researchers Create Indoor Hailstorm
February 20, 2013, Nina Sen, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Engineers from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) designed and built multi-barreled hail cannons.
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Why Is Humidity So Uncomfortable?
February 20, 2013, Andrea Thompson, OurAmazingPlanet Managing Editor
Humid air makes sweat stick to the skin.
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Why is Grass Green?
February 20, 2013, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Like many plants, most species of grass produce a bright pigment called chlorophyll.
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Why Is Hair Parted?
February 20, 2013, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
The function of body and head hair, and why it grows the way it does.
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What's The Difference Between a Frog and a Toad?
February 20, 2013, Elizabeth Howell, LiveScience Contributor
The difference is only skin-deep.
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Smart Trash Can Moves by Itself to Catch Your Trash
February 20, 2013, Nina Sen, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
A sensor in the can detects which direction the trash is coming from.
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Why is Earth Mostly Crater-Free Compared to the Moon?
February 19, 2013, Life's Little Mysteries Staff
Find out why the moon is such a pizza-face.
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Why is Fecal Matter Brown?
February 19, 2013, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
The end product of the digestive process and the secret of its chief visual property.
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Why is Friday the 13th Considered Unlucky?
February 19, 2013, Heather Whipps, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Folklorists think the dread goes back at least a few centuries.
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Squeaky Frog's Mating Call Captured on Video
February 19, 2013, Nina Sen, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Watch this rare video of a Namaqua rain frog and its mating call.
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Cute Penguin Has Confidence Crisis
February 18, 2013, Nina Sen, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
The length and depth of a penguin dive depends on how far the food source is located.
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Robo Sally Locates, Disables IED
February 17, 2013, Nina Sen, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
The robot also checks the perimeter, reviews IDs and performs at a security checkpoint.
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What Color Is a Mirror?
February 15, 2013, Nina Sen, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
A perfect mirror has specular reflection, meaning it reflects all light in a single direction equal to what it receives.
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What's the Difference Between Dark and White Turkey Meat?
February 15, 2013, George Frederick, Life's Little Mysteies Contributor
Turkey meat is turkey muscle. Whether it's dark or white simply depends on how much the bird uses it.
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Why is August So Batty?
February 15, 2013, Robert Roy Britt
Every August, the Bat Phone starts ringing at the Humane Society. Callers are surprised by bats in the house.
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Why is Cow's Milk White?
February 15, 2013, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
A combination of calcium-rich casein and certain fats give bovine juice its color.
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What is a Bolide? Video of Russian Fireball
February 15, 2013, Nina Sen, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
The impact was was most likely an exploding fireball known as a bolide.
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Why Does the Moon Look Bigger on the Horizon?
February 14, 2013, Robert Roy Britt
You might have heard it is magnified by the atmosphere just as it rises. Not so. Instead, it's your brain on Moon drugs.
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