Strange But True


Euphemisms: Know any synonyms for sober? Published on Jun 9th, 2011 0 comments Q. In a world that gets drunk on euphemisms, what are a few of the favorites? –W.C. FieldsA. The thousands of synonyms for drinking and drunkenness range from the mundane ("tipsy") to the arcane ("...
Suck it up: How cats' tongues work magic Published on Jun 2nd, 2011 0 comments Q. Who's the "smarter" drinker in your household, Fido or Felix? –J. FarielloA. Your cat's famous milk-lapping tongue manages an elegant interplay between the liquid's inertia and gravity that goes...
No tricks: Those Greeks had a word for everything! Published on May 26th, 2011 0 comments Q. When caught up in a truly "hairy" situation, whom might you want to search out? –A. Martin A. An expert in "trichology," or "the study and treatment of hair and its disorders," says Anu Garg in...
Loch neck monster? Computer says giraffes can float Published on May 19th, 2011 0 comments Q. Will a giraffe float? –C. LivingstonA. Although a few rare photographs show giraffes wading into deep rivers when they have to, definite observations have yet to be reported, says Darren Naish in...
Memorable: Great characters make great stories Published on May 12th, 2011 0 comments Q. What's perhaps the truest yardstick for a fictional work's success, going well beyond a hefty advance, rave reviews or sales in the millions? –J. Casey A. Characters from the story are so colorful...
Hand signals: Without gestures, talk is hard Published on May 5th, 2011 0 comments Q. Two friends walked along on a bitterly cold winter day, one chattering away while the other just nodded. Eventually, the first asked, "Robert, why aren't you saying anything?" Can you guess his...
Lip service: Apes like to pucker up, too Published on Apr 28th, 2011 0 comments Q. What's so uniquely human about the way we pucker up to plant a kiss? –A. Jolie A. Our lips are said to be "everted," or pursed outward, says Sheril Kirshenbaum in “The Science of Kissing: What Our...
Surprise! Grapes are more complicated than you! Published on Apr 21st, 2011 0 comments Q. Which has more "protein-coding genes," as geneticists refer to the more important ones? a) a fruit fly, b) a grape, c) a chicken, d) you –G. MarxA. Though the human genome was pretty well...
Feline fix: Catnip helps Fluffy feel groovy, man Published on Apr 14th, 2011 0 comments Q. Elephants have been known to gorge themselves on fermented fruits, parrots become more talkative after sipping alcoholic beverages, and one dog that lived near a brewery would often drink beer...
Man's measure: Why Harvard Bridge is 364 Smoots long Published on Apr 7th, 2011 0 comments Q. How did the Harvard Bridge, connecting the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with its fraternities across the Charles River, come to be 364.4 "Smoots" long? (The local police didn't exactly...
Gotta go: Running water prompts trip to loo Published on Mar 31st, 2011 0 comments Q. Why does hearing the sound of running water make us feel like we need to urinate? –P.W. Herman A. Any time the human bladder senses a buildup, it sends a signal to the lower spinal cord, which...
An earful: Listening while driving as dangerous as talking Published on Mar 24th, 2011 0 comments Q. Even if you're careful to refrain from cell phoning while driving, what allied form of carelessness might develop as you carpool to the office? –A.G. BellA. All it takes is for one of the...
Fire-walking: How it relates to a hot frying pan Published on Mar 17th, 2011 0 comments Q. As any seasoned cook knows, a quick sprinkle of water on a skillet can tell if it's hot enough, as the drops bead up and dance about on a thin cushion of water vapor. What's the name for this...
Tail tale: What give cats their balance Published on Mar 10th, 2011 0 comments Q. Cat lovers, what's the "tale of the tail" that would be most gratifying to physicists, kinesiologists and tightrope walkers carrying a long pole? –J. Fariello A. A cat's tail, eight to...
U R 2 cool: Texting shorthand much older than phones Published on Mar 3rd, 2011 0 comments Q. How did the crazy new language of cell phone texting get its start anyway? –S. M. Garcia A. Textisms may seem hip, streamlined, and clever; but they're hardly new, says David Crystal in A Little...
Flying horses: Twas photoman Muybridge who concluded 'yes' Published on Feb 24th, 2011 0 comments Q. Can a horse fly? Seems like nonsense, yet the question prompted railroad baron and former California governor Leland Stanford to join forces with photographic wizard Eadweard Muybridge to provide...
Elephant can: They avoid the bees at all costs Published on Feb 17th, 2011 0 comments Q. Do you kiss the right way? –J. Frost A. No judgments are intended here as there's really no "wrong" way to do it. Rather, "right" pertains to the right or left tilt of the kissing head. Just as...
Imagination zone: We reach inside for recreation Published on Feb 10th, 2011 0 comments Q. Can you imagine how most of us spend most of our leisure time? – B. Kelly A. No, it's not eating, drinking alcohol, taking drugs, socializing with family or friends, or participating in sports,...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- KooKoo's tale: He liked the storm-water basin Published on May 27th, 2010 0 comments Q. When a domestic cat leaves home and stays away for days at a time, where does it go? What new techno-tool might tell the "tail"? –J. Fariello A. That was the puzzle for cat companion and "...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Purring cat: The noise depends on the household Published on May 20th, 2010 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. What's most "im-purr-fect" about the colorful old saying, "It's the cat's meow"? –J. Fariello A. Ironically, a meowing cat may sound anything but "cool"...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Potato fun: How to deal with broken wipers Published on May 13th, 2010 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. On a drive with your savvy automotive engineering girlfriend, you encounter a light but steady rain when the windshield wipers on her old jalopy suddenly stop....
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Oh, mummy: What you can learn under the wrappings Published on May 6th, 2010 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. What does paleopathologist Frank Ruhli do that doubtless you don't, unless you're fascinated with dead people or their remains? –T. Garrett A. In spite...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Toxin goodness: There's healing in many animal venoms Published on Apr 29th, 2010 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. There are plenty of venomous animal species out there, roughly 100,000 or more, from the rattlesnake to the scorpion to the platypus. Their toxins can paralyze...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Your pet: More calming than you might realize Published on Apr 22nd, 2010 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. You and the rest of the staff at "Math for Women" are tackling some tough problems and have been encouraged to bring along a companion to the sessions for...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Camp Gillette: He paved the way for the 'Brazilian' Published on Apr 15th, 2010 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. Who was the "king" of modern shaving," well known to many a World War I soldier? –J. Stalin A. Make that King Camp Gillette (1855-1932), American...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Sparks fly: Why Wintergreen LifeSavers light up Published on Apr 8th, 2010 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. You're in a romantically darkened room when your girlfriend, who is studying to be a dentist, pulls out a pack of wintergreen LifeSavers and reaches to pop one...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Margaret Knight: She built a better food trap... Published on Apr 1st, 2010 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. "I was famous for the kites I made, and my sleds were the envy ... of all the boys in town." What invention is this woman world famous for today, more than a...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Dirty dogs: Actually, your mouth has more bacteria Published on Mar 25th, 2010 1 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. Is it true there are more germs in the human mouth than around a dog's anus? –R. T. Tin A. The usual comparison is between the human mouth and dog's...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Made cow disease: How bovines and others can kill Published on Mar 18th, 2010 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. Plants can nourish and heal, but what are a few of Mother Nature's truly "wicked plants," such as the weed that killed Abraham Lincoln's mother? –S....
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Quashing twinkling: How to stop a star's shimmer Published on Mar 11th, 2010 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. "Twinkle, twinkle little star..." Stars scintillate because disturbances in the atmosphere bend the points of light erratically. How might you make our sun...