Life's Little Mysteries

Life's Little Mysteries answers fascinating questions about the world around you and the stuff in it, from things in the news and on your mind to crazy questions you didn't even know you had.

Filter by Type

Your Selection All Articles Countdowns Image Albums Infographics Quizzes References Wallpapers Videos

Why Are There 9 Supreme Court Justices?

February 02, 2017 | Article

The ninth justice may be the swing vote in future court cases.
Read More
How Accurate Are Punxsutawney Phil's Groundhog Day Forecasts?

February 02, 2017 | Article

As legend goes, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow on Groundhog Day, you should expect six more weeks of winter; if he doesn't, plan for spring. Life's Little Mysteries investigates the accuracy of Phil's predictions.
Read More
Big, Red and Tasteless: Why Tomatoes Lost Their Flavor

January 26, 2017 | Article

Ever wonder why most store-bought tomatoes are so tasteless? The answer (surprise, surprise) has to do with revenue: Tomato farmers care about yield, and the genetic variants associated with yield are not associated with tasty tomato flavors, a new study
Read More
Why Do Men Gain Weight in Their Bellies?

January 24, 2017 | Article

Why is it that when men gain weight, they tend to develop potbellies?
Read More
Why Are Bananas Berries, But Strawberries Aren't?

January 12, 2017 | Article

Despite its name, the strawberry isn't a true berry. Neither is the raspberry or the blackberry. But the banana is a berry, scientifically speaking, as are eggplants, grapes and oranges. So what's the deal? Why are berries so very hard to define?
Read More
Why Are Most People Right-Handed?

January 11, 2017 | Article

Interestingly, the answer may be found not in our ancient hands, but in our ancient teeth, a researcher says..
Read More
Why Does the Sun Have Spots?

December 30, 2016 | Article

Explaining the source of sunspots is a pretty tough nut to crack.
Read More
Why Do My Eyes Close When I Sneeze?

December 22, 2016 | Article

Is it a foregone conclusion that we can't help closing our eyes during a sneeze? Not quite, researchers say.
Read More
Do Hair and Nails Keep Growing After a Person Dies?

December 15, 2016 | Article

It's all just one morbid optical illusion.
Read More
Forget About the Road. Why Are Chickens So Bad at Flying?

December 08, 2016 | Article

Chickens may have wings and fluffy feathers, but they're fairly dismal fliers, often going airborne for only a few yards before landing.
Read More