CULTURE Archives

CULTURE

How Does Morse Code Work?

On May 24, 1844, inventor Samuel F.B. Morse tapped out the first telegraph message. Instead of using the English alphabet directly, he used a series of short and long taps — his eponymous Morse code — combining the two into patterns that represented each letter of the alphabet. Derived from the Bible, the message was […]

Why Do You Wake Up Earlier As You Age?

When you were in your 20s, you probably could stay out late, fall asleep the minute you got home, and stay that way for at least eight hours (unless the alarm went off earlier for work). But as you age, this long, uninterrupted slumber seems harder to come by. For the average adult, seven to […]

HEALTH
Why Do Ice Cubes Stick to Your Fingers?

While we hope you’ve never gotten your tongue stuck to a frozen flagpole in winter, the same science behind that embarrassment explains why ice cubes stick to your fingers. It’s a concept known as thermal conductivity, and it explains why frozen water can be as sticky as molasses. Stuck On You Thermal conductivity is a […]

SCIENCE
Why Is the Eye of a Hurricane Calm?

“The eye of the storm” is a phrase commonly used to describe an unnerving sense of calm in the middle of a stretch of chaos. It means more trouble is coming — not that the worst is over — and it’s borrowed from meteorology. At the center of a real hurricane, known as the “eye,” […]

NATURE
Why Do Onions Make You Cry?

Any chef will tell you there’s no crying in the kitchen — unless you’re chopping onions. The seemingly normal task can reduce even the most stoic cooks to tears in seconds. The phenomenon can’t be explained by the veggie’s strong smell. If that were the case, other pungent foods (think stinky cheeses) would also make […]

HEALTH