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Yes, hurricanes can have a dramatic effect on sea life. Hurricanes form when a low-pressure area moves across tropical waters, picking up moisture. Warm air rises, forming another low-pressure area, which causes more air to rush in. That air rises, forming clouds and thunderstorms. The storm is officially categorized as a hurricane when wind speeds reach 74 mph. A hurricane can create waves as high as 18.3 meters (60 feet), and its raging winds can…

According to urban legend, daddy long-legs produce the most potent venom of any spider, but their fangs aren’t strong enough to penetrate human skin. This isn’t true. The name "daddy long-legs" is used to refer to several species, including some spiders, but none of them are particularly venomous. When you think of "daddy long-legs," you’re probably thinking of one of these creatures: Pholcidae - Spiders in the Pholcidae family are found throughout the world, and…

It is no great secret that what we put into our bodies affects our overall well-being, from brain health to our ability to fight infection, heart health, weight management and even physical performance. But, did you know that there are specific food factors that can lead you to your happy place and let you live there for all eternity? Of course, everyone wears cranky pants occasionally, but wouldn't it be nice to sport them much…

She-Hulk is a Marvel character introduced in February 1980. She’s also the star of an upcoming Disney+ series. In Marvel lore, She-Hulk is lawyer Jennifer Walters, the shy cousin of Bruce Banner (the original Hulk). After an accident, Walters receives a blood transfusion from Banner, which gives her his powers, albeit in a milder form. Marvel’s official character description notes that “while she gained massive strength, she never lost her passion for justice.” In addition…

Moon Knight is a Marvel comic book character and the protagonist of the upcoming Disney+ television series of the same name. He was created by writer Doug Moench and artist Don Perlin for the comic book Werewolf by Night #32 in August 1975. He has been compared to D.C. Comics character Batman, as both of the heroes rely on their mastery of martial arts and extensive tactical knowledge rather than superpowers (Moench also worked on…

Both devices provide non-volatile storage, which means they’re capable of storing data even when a computer loses power (as opposed to something like random access memory, which requires a constant source of electricity). Hard disk drives (HDDs) use mechanical components to store data using magnets, while solid-state drives (SSDs) store data electronically. SSDs do not contain moving parts, which is advantageous for several reasons. To understand the benefits of each technology, we need to understand…

We probably won’t get the next game in the Elder Scrolls series until at least 2021. The game series, which has spawned massive hits including Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim is notorious for long development times. Skyrim, the fifth game in the main series, was released in 2011. It quickly broke sales records, and soon after, fans started clamoring for a sequel. Bethesda, the series’ publisher, teased The Elder Scrolls VI at their E3 2018 press…

While we’re not especially superstitious, Friday the 13th has certainly held bad luck for some people. Here are a few of our favorite coincidences: An author’s ship suffered a strange fate. Author Thomas William Lawson was a businessman and author, and he might have helped popularize the Friday the 13th superstition. In 1907, he wrote Friday, the Thirteenth, a popular novel about a stock broker who brings down the markets on the eponymous date. Lawson…

Nobody knows for sure, but we’ve got some pretty good theories. It’s likely that Friday the 13th is seen as unlucky for multiple reasons. While the number 13 has been seen as unlucky for centuries (at least in the Western world), the specific superstition of Friday the 13th is much more recent. Here are a few facts that help to explain the origins of the idea that Friday the 13th is the unluckiest date on…

Many scientists believe the Amazon rainforest plays a crucial role in moderating global temperatures. That’s the primary reason to be concerned about deforestation efforts, but here’s a more detailed breakdown of the Amazon’s importance: 1. It removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Each year, the Amazon rainforest absorbs about a quarter of the carbon dioxide generated by the burning of fossil fuels, so it’s one of the most effective tools we have in the fight…

Marvel owns the rights to the character, but intellectual property rights get complicated quickly. Print rights are different than film rights, for instance—Marvel can still produce Spider-Man comics, but the character Spider-Man can no longer appear in Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films. Here’s why: In 1998, Marvel had just left bankruptcy, and the company began licensing rights to Marvel characters for film. Sony Pictures approached the company to purchase the film rights for Spider-Man. Marvel…

Most science resources focus on four main steps of the water cycle—evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection—but some resources get more granular. Here’s a breakdown: 1. Evaporation - Heat from the sun (or another source) comes into contact with water. The heat excites the molecules of water, spreading them out; as a result, the water loses density and evaporates, rising into the air as vapor. This can happen at any temperature between water’s freezing and boiling…

Disney’s new streaming service, Disney+, will debut Nov. 12, 2019, and the studio is busy whipping up tons of original content. That’s a major development in the entertainment world, since, in addition to their historical stranglehold on animated children’s fare, Disney now owns some of the most beloved properties in Hollywood. That includes the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Star Wars franchise. Disney+ will hit the market at an initial price point of $6.99 per…

Chip cards are generally considered to be more secure than magnetic strip cards. To understand why, we need to understand how the two technologies work. A magnetic strip holds information about the card and the cardholder’s account. This is static information—it doesn’t change. Every time you use the card, it sends the same information to the card reader to authorize the purchase. Chip cards use an EMV chip. EMV stands for Europay, Mastercard, and Visa…

Nothing is 100 percent guaranteed in astronomy, but scientists don’t expect the asteroid 99942-Apophis to come into contact with the Earth (or any other celestial bodies in our solar system, for that matter). A blog post from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at the California Institute of Technology notes that on Friday, April 13, 2029, 99942-Apophis will “cruise harmlessly by Earth, about 19,000 miles (31,000 kilometers) above the surface.” You read that right: An asteroid…

“I went to school with someone who found out on the honeymoon [that] her new husband had been having a long-term affair,” wrote PhantomTireBuyer. “She was surprisingly cool with everything and never seemed upset.” “She even said she was happy she found out then rather than five years down the line, or when they had children.”

Modern astronomers break the sky into 88 designated star groups known as constellations. Here’s a quick breakdown of the five largest. Constellations are typically measured in square degrees of the night sky; for comparison, a full moon covers about 0.2 square degrees. HydraMeasuring at 1,303 square degrees, Hydra is the largest of the modern constellations. It’s visible in the Northern Hemisphere from January to May, but it’s best seen in the Southern Hemisphere. Hydra It’s…

Amelia Earhart, the first woman to pilot a non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean, disappeared on July 2, 1937, during her attempt to fly around the globe. She was legally declared dead on Jan. 5, 1939, but nobody knows precisely what happened to her. In the years since her disappearance, researchers have posited a number of theories, some of which are more credible than others. Let’s look at a few possible explanations: 1. She ran…

Here are a few of the most interesting facts about lefties (and by the way, this answer was written by a lefty): Four of the last six U.S. presidents were lefties. Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama were left-handed. George W. Bush and Donald Trump are righties. Overall, eight of the 45 American presidents have been lefties (the others are James Garfield, Herbert Hoover, Harry Truman, and Gerald Ford). Lefties make…

We all know by now—or at least we should—that what our history textbooks told us in school is not exactly the gospel truth. Time and centuries’ worth of oral and written tradition tend to distort and reshape the facts to the sensibilities of modern audiences, so one person’s intrepid discoverer of the Americas becomes another person’s

You might say the books you read when you were a child are some of your fondest memories growing up. You may even go on to say these tales you enjoyed with loved ones or by yourself contributed to the person you became as an adult. It’s a solid truth that reading to children and spending time with them creates a bond that can last for a lifetime. When you’re ready to begin your literary…

Dog farts are no joke. Canine flatulence can clear out a room and ruin a sweet, cuddly moment in an instant. Your pet might not seem to be bothered by their gas, but if you're reading this, you probably are. And there's a good reason to take doggie gas seriously: Along with other symptoms that we'll get into in a little bit, excessive gas could indicate gastrointestinal issues or a food allergy, according to PetMD…

Emma Lazarus wrote the sonnet “The New Colossus” on Nov. 2, 1883 as part of a fundraising effort for the construction of the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal. Lazarus was born on July 22, 1849, into a wealthy Sephardic Jewish family (Sephardic Jews descend from people who were expelled from Spain during the Inquisition in the 15th century). While her Jewish heritage played a minor role in her early work, it eventually became a major part…

Tourists adventuring in America are losing their appetites over conversations about tipping. After all, what's the fun of facing off against an absurdly-sized triple cheeseburger that could feed a family of four if you're focused on remembering the guidelines of gratuity. Oh wait; that's right, there are no guidelines! Instead, there are only arguments about percentages for tourists to contemplate as they chew and that's enough to put a bad taste in their mouths that…

The exact origins of the phrase are difficult to pin down, but it’s generally attributed to the practice of biting on a bullet during warfare to deal with pain or discomfort. According to one theory, soldiers would bite bullets during field amputations during the Civil War. Patients would either die or “bite the bullet" and undergo a horrific operation. The lead balls, while not exactly nutritious, would absorb the bite without damaging their teeth. While…

There’s really only one way to fold a fitted sheet without succumbing to the frustration that usually accompanies the task. The elastic bands do present an issue, see, and most of us end up shoving unfolded linens into our closets. That wastes space, and it’s completely unnecessary—folding a fitted sheet is fairly simple, once you’ve mastered the technique. Here’s the best method: Start by holding the sheet lengthwise by the top two corners (the short…

It comes from a tradition followed by some Native American tribes. At the end of a war, the tribes' chiefs would literally bury a hatchet as a symbolic gesture of their new peace. Not all tribes followed this tradition. However, it likely predated the European settlement of the Americas, and it was seen as a solemn and important ceremony. One 1664 account describes the Iriquois proposing peace as “proclaim[ing] that they wish to unite all…

It’s based on a musical notation system used in the Middle Ages. First, let’s look at Merriam-Webster’s definition of the phrase: “To encompass an entire range of something. Ex: Her emotions ran the gamut from joy to despair.” To put that another way, “run the gamut" means to go from the start of something to the ending, and this meaning has an origin in medieval music theory. The monk Guido of Arezzo developed a system…

If prepared well, they taste similar to shrimp. And yes, they’re edible. Contrary to popular belief, roly polies (also known as pill bugs, doodle bugs, potato bugs, and by their scientific order name, Armadillidiidae) aren’t insects or arachnids. They’re land crustaceans, and as such, they’re more closely related to lobsters, crayfish, and shrimp. As a general disclaimer, you shouldn’t eat random crustaceans you find walking across your basement, but if you decide to eat roly…

Here’s the basic process. After you’ve got this down, we’ll look at a few ways to influence the outcome of the coin flip. Step One - Make your hand into a fist, wedging your thumb against your index finger or in the crease between your index finger and middle finger. Point the thumb side up. Step Two - Place the coin on top of your fist on the space between your thumb and index finger…

Sometimes, but not typically. The film’s producer makes that decision. Many film productions outsource it to a motion graphics company like Scarlet Letters, which claims to be the number one company in the world specializing in end titles. The company might receive a credit for that work, but the specific person who types the names into the end credits won’t usually receive their own individual credit. That’s because they’re not doing a ton of work—the…

The answer depends on the type of shuffle you use. With a bit of math, we can determine that a brand-new deck will be effectively randomized after seven traditional (or “riffle") shuffles. First, a quick definition of a riffle shuffle: Divide the deck into two roughly equal halves, then use your thumbs to pull up (or down) on the ends of each stack. Allow the halves to fall so that the cards alternate. If you’re…

Apple’s position is that the headphone jack is an old technology, and that its removal allows the company to produce better phones with more features. Specifically, the removal of the headphone jack allows Apple engineers to do more with the iPhone’s architecture. “It was holding us back from a number of things we wanted to put into the iPhone,” Apple executive Dan Riccio told BuzzFeed News. “It was fighting for space with camera technologies and…

We’re not here to talk about your Windsors, Half-Windsors, Prince Alberts, or Kelvins. No, we’re here to show off some of the craziest necktie fastenings out there so you can really step up your tie game. Check out this diverse collection of unconventional knots. Eldredge Knot. This unorthodox and ostentatious knot involving 15 separate steps is named after its creator, Jeffrey Eldredge, who invented this complex procedure in 2007. Unlike the majority of necktie knots…

You can eat most foods after their expiration date, but dozens of factors can affect food spoilage. Contrary to popular belief, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t require manufacturers to list an “expiration,” “use by,” or “sell by" date, with one notable exception that we’ll cover in a moment. Some states require the labels on some foods, but for the most part, manufacturers apply them at their own discretion. Manufacturers want consumers to have…

Imagine a world where drought-ridden areas can get the rain they need, on demand. A place where airports can eliminate dangerous fog that could potentially lock thousands of passengers on land and compromise the safety of those in the air. Think about having the ability to reduce the size of hail during thunderstorms, especially in areas that see frozen pellets the size of softballs wreak havoc on homes and property. Although these scenarios sound like…

To put it simply, you want lemonade mixes to taste good, and you want furniture polish to actually clean your stuff. First, one issue with the question: Some furniture polishes don’t use lemon, even if they’re advertised as “lemon scented.” Likewise, some lemonade mixes use real lemon flavoring, but many use natural flavors like citric acid to provide the tart flavor that consumers expect. That citric acid can come from citrus fruits, although it can…

Yes, you can be friends with an ex. Whether or not that's a good idea depends on your personality, your ex's personality, the nature of your relationship, and a host of other factors. For many people, the idea of staying friends is untenable. After all, that's why breaking up is called "ending a relationship." In most cases, the relationship...ends. Scientists have looked into post-breakup friendships, and some of the research has interesting implications for these…

No. Equifax will issue payouts to those affected by the company’s 2017 data breach who file a claim, but the amount of those payouts will be much, much less than $125. Here’s the deal: In July 2019, Equifax reached a $700 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other government entities. As part of that settlement, the company agreed to pay up to $125 to each American affected by the breach. The FTC…

If you hold your face like that, it’ll get stuck that way. At least, that’s what your elementary school teacher probably told you. (Also, why were you pulling so many goofy faces when you were supposed to be focusing on the math lesson?) As an adult, of course, you see how ridiculous that claim turned out to be—unless you’re one of the few people whose faces did stay that way, in which case we are…

You can call them whatever you’d like, as all three names are acceptable. However, if you’re trying to order them from a bakery, you might have better luck with one of these names, depending on where you’re at. First, a brief description of the treat so that we all know what we’re talking about: They’re small, fried balls of dough, identical in taste to a donut. They might be sprinkled with sugar, cinnamon, sprinkles, or…

Not officially. While the United States planted a flag on the moon, the astronauts' intention wasn’t to claim ownership, and there’s actually an international treaty that forbids any country from claiming the moon (or other celestial bodies) as its own. Back in the late 1950s, there was significant global concern that a country would eventually try to weaponize outer space. After the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik in 1957, the United Nations General Assembly formed…

The short answer: Probably not, but most people still get the same emotional experience from looking at the same colors. To really address this question in detail, however, we need to consider two factors that affect how we see color. The first factor is the rods and cones in the retina of our eyes—the “hardware” that detects light. Rods detect light and dark, and cones detect color. There are three types of cones, which individually…

Much like the question of whether or not a hot dog is a sandwich (it isn’t, really), the answer here depends on how you define the terms. Here’s the Merriam-Webster definition of soup: “A liquid food especially with a meat, fish, or vegetable stock as a base and often containing pieces of solid food.” While you could make the case that a cereal qualifies as a “liquid food,” it’s not made with any sort of…

Can you believe it’s been nine years since the last Indiana Jones film came out? As much as we might wish to forget Shia LaBeouf swinging from vines amidst a family of monkeys, the reality is that Harrison Ford’s scruffy-faced adventurer made archaeology cool for generations of young boys and girls. Now, a similarly exciting first look at the rebooted Tomb Raider franchise proves Alicia Vikander’s Lara Croft is set to become Jones’ worthy successor…

Ever wonder where “brain freeze” comes from? What about the hiccups? How about goose bumps? While you might not spend much time thinking about these strange body phenomena, they’re fairly complex neurological events. In some cases, they serve important biological functions (or they did at one time). James Giordano, PhD, is a professor in neurology and biochemistry at Georgetown University Medical Center. We spoke with him to discuss some of these strange neurological phenomenon—and to…

First of all, understand that your risk of a shark attack is incredibly small unless you purposely swim around sharks. Beaches can be dangerous places, but sharks aren’t a serious risk at most of them; according to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), your chances of drowning are 1 in 2 million, while your chances of a shark attack are 1 in 11.5 million. Shark attack fatalities are even more rare. In 2018, four people…

As of 2019, an F1 pit stop typically involves a tire change and a front wing adjustment. Up to 20 team members perform a perfectly choreographed set of actions to get the car back onto the track as quickly as possible, often completing their work in two seconds or less. Currently, Red Bull Racing holds the record for the fastest pit stop at 1.88 seconds. For pit crews, consistency is more important than breaking records—but…

The Brady Bunch In the episode "The Cincinnati Kids," the script called for the cast to be filmed riding a rollercoaster. However, the camera that was mounted at the front of the coaster looked loose to Robert Reed (aka Mike Brady), and he ordered a test run of the coaster to ensure safety. Reed's gut proved to be right as the camera flew off its mount, and it would have potentially killed the cast had…