Are Lobsters Ambidextrous? (2 page)

Why
does rinsing with hot water “set” a stain? Why is rinsing with cold water more effective in eliminating the stain?

Why
is the bark of a tree darker than the wood inside?

Why
do seven-layer cakes usually have fewer than seven layers?

Why
is the part of bills that needs to be sent back by customers often too large for the envelope it is to be sent back in, forcing customers to fold the bill stub?

Why
are men’s neckties tapered at the bottom?

Why
do stripes on neckties always run in the same direction? And why do American ties run in the opposite direction from English ties?

What
is the purpose of the oil found in the head of sperm whales?

Why
do women put perfume on their wrists?

Why
do pretzels have their strange shape?

Why
do disposable lighters have two separate fluid chambers even though the fluid can flow between the two?

What
ingredient in diet drinks provides the one calorie? Why do some diet drinks have one calorie and some have no calories?

Why
do diet colas, but not sugared colas, contain phenylalanine? Isn’t phenylalanine the same substance found in chocolate?

What
is brominated vegetable oil, and why is it found only in orange soda?

How
do they put the pockets in pita bread?

Why
do we wear caps and gowns at graduations? Why are the caps flat and square? What does the color of gowns signify?

Why
aren’t skyscrapers ever made out of brick?

Why
are nine-volt batteries rectangular?

Why
do most mailboxes say “Approved by the Postmaster General” on them? How do they differ from mailboxes without the approval?

Why
does a ball tend to veer toward the ocean when one putts on a golf course?

Why
do dishwashers have two compartments for detergent? And why does only one compartment close?

Is
it true that horses cannot vomit?

Why
does the tax stamp on a pack of cigarettes say “20
CLASS A
CIGARETTES
”?

What
are the small, light-colored spots on a brown cigarette filter? Do they have any function?

In
movies and television dramas, what is the purpose of boiling water when babies are delivered at home?

Why
do frogs close their eyes when swallowing?

Why
do the paper bags/sacks in supermarkets have jagged edges where you open them?

How
and why do hotel amenities (such as turndown service and bathrobes) spread so quickly among different hotel chains?

Is
there any difference between men’s and women’s razors?

What
are the numbers on the bottom right of my canceled checks? Why aren’t those numbers there before the check is canceled?

Why
do banks sometimes attach a white piece of paper to the bottom of canceled checks?

Why
do the clearest days seem to follow storms?

Why
are paper and plastic drinking cups wider at the top than the bottom?

Why
do steak houses always serve such huge baked potatoes?

Since
computer paper is longer than it is wide, why are computer monitors wider than they are long?

Why
are all calico cats female?

Why
do ditto masters come in purple rather than blue ink?

Why
are the interior walls of tunnels usually finished with ceramic tiles? Are they tiled for practical or aesthetic reasons?

Why
does heat make us sleepy in the afternoon when we’re trying to work but restless when we’re trying to sleep at night?

Why
do we feel drowsy after a big meal?

What’s
the difference between jams, jellies, preserves, marmalades, and conserves?

Why
don’t trees on a slope grow perpendicular to the ground as they do on a level surface?

On
nutrition labels, why does the total number of grams of fat often far exceed the sum of saturated and polyunsaturated fats?

Why
do ambulances have the emblem of a snake wrapped around a pole painted on them?

What’s
the difference between “super” and ordinary glues?

In
what direction are our eyes facing when we are asleep?

Why
do weather thermometers use red chemical instead of the silver mercury found in medical thermometers?

How
do they measure the vitamin content of foods?

Why
doesn’t the water in fire hydrants freeze during the winter?

Why
do baked goods straight from the oven often taste (sickeningly) richer than after they are cooled?

Why
is gravel often placed on flat roofs?

There
are many miniature dogs. Why aren’t there any miniature house cats?

What
is the meaning of the numbers inside the arrows of the triangle on recyclable plastics? And what do the letters below the triangle mean?

Why
are there no public bathrooms in most supermarkets?

Why
do babies blink less often than adults?

Why
do your eyes hurt when you are tired?

Why
does after-shave lotion have to sting? What causes the sting, and could it be replaced by a nonsting ingredient?

Why
do you often see tires on top of mobile homes in trailer parks?

Why
do cows stick their tongues up their nostrils?

Why
don’t banks return canceled checks in numerical order?

What
makes cotton shrink more when washed than wool when cleaned?

Why
are powdered laundry detergents sold in such odd weights?

What
are we smelling when it “smells like rain is coming”?

Why
do unopened jars of mayonnaise, salad dressing, fruit, and many other foods stay fresh indefinitely on the shelf but require refrigeration after being opened?

Why
are matchbooks assembled so that the sharp side of the staple is on the striking side, risking injury to the fingers?

Why
are paper (book) matches dark on one side and light on the other?

How
can the blades of electric can openers be sharp enough to cut through metal yet not sharp enough to cut our fingers when touched?

Why
do most retail establishments with double doors usually lock one of the two leaves?

In
large enclosed shopping malls, why is the last door on both sides of the main entrance often closed?

Why
are there two red stripes around the thinnest part of bowling pins?

Does
catnip “work” on big cats like lions and tigers?