Would I Weigh Less at the Equator? By Ben Mauk published 27 February 13 Amazingly, you would experience less gravity at Earth's equator. An object's gravitational pull on another object depends upon both objects' masses and their mutual distance.
Why Is Yawning Contagious? By Ben Mauk published 25 February 13 Some current theories focus on yawning as a social cue (like laughing) that communicates information and helps organize group behavior.
Why Is Ice Slippery? By Ben Mauk published 21 February 13 A century and a half of scientific inquiry has yet to solve this one.
Why Is Hair Parted? By Ben Mauk published 20 February 13 The function of body and head hair, and why it grows the way it does.
Why is Cow's Milk White? By Ben Mauk published 15 February 13 A combination of calcium-rich casein and certain fats give bovine juice its color.
Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze on Ice? By Ben Mauk published 14 February 13 Actually, bare feet prevent these stately ice emperors from burning up in their suits.
Why Does the Body Tan? By Ben Mauk published 13 February 13 An explanation of the purpose of melanin in humans and other animals.
Why Does My Arm Fall Asleep? By Ben Mauk published 12 February 13 An explanation of limb numbness and paresthesia.
Why Does Pain Make People Scream? By Ben Mauk published 12 February 13 Screaming is an evolutionarily useful tool becuase it lets others know something is wrong.
Why Do You Stink? By Ben Mauk published 9 February 13 Don't get offended! You could be hyper-hygienic and you'd still ooze odors. Even grosser, bacteria's to blame.
Why Do We Love Music? By Ben Mauk published 8 February 13 It's clear that a human brain knows a good tune when it hears one.
Why Can't We Reach the End of the Rainbow? By Ben Mauk published 28 January 13 You'll never swim out to the horizon, and you'll never reach a rainbow's end. The visibility of both requires distance between object and observer.
Why are Ears Shaped So Strangely? By Ben Mauk published 25 January 13 Those external folds of cartilage and skin, called the pinna, have important resonant properties that modify high-frequency sound waves entering the ear before funneling them to the middle ear.
When Was Beer Invented? By Ben Mauk published 18 January 13 Beer likely dates back to the dawn of cereal agriculture.
What Makes My Ears Ring? By Ben Mauk published 10 January 13 That ringing or buzzing in the ear is a symptom of hearing loss resulting from excessively loud noises.
What Makes Wheels Appear to Spin Backward? By Ben Mauk published 10 January 13 Two competing theories are currently rolling around the academic journals for acceptance.
What's the Doppler Effect? By Ben Mauk published 7 January 13 The Doppler effect describes the difference between a sound and its source.
What is Fire? By Ben Mauk published 3 January 13 Prometheus stole fire from the gods and bequeathed it to humans. Aristotle defined it as one of the four essential elements.
What is Amnesia? By Ben Mauk published 31 December 12 Amnesia can occur as a result of head trauma, drug toxicity, stroke, Alzheimer disease, infection or even emotional shock.
What's a Species? By Ben Mauk published 28 December 12 Determining which categories an organism falls into is no easy matter. In general, physical characteristics determine grouping.
What is a Sonic Boom? Can I See One? By Ben Mauk published 28 December 12 The sound barrier is just a certain velocity relative to the surrounding environment, not an actual membrane to be penetrated by a jet's nose. Yet we have photos.
What Causes Hunger Pangs? By Ben Mauk published 18 December 12 Hunger speaks not from the belly but from the brain.
What Causes a Charlie Horse? By Ben Mauk published 17 December 12 Expect cramps during states of exercise and dehydration.
