David Feldman - Are Lobsters Ambidextrous?: An Imponderables Book (Imponderables Books)

An Imponderables

(Previously published as When Did Wild Poodles Roam the Earth? )

For Kassie Schwan

Preface

Are lobsters ambidextrous?

Why is there no Betty Rubble character in Flintstones Multivitamins?

What in the heck is a tumbleweed? Why does it tumble? And how can it reproduce if it doesnt stay in one place?

When a body is laid out at a funeral home, why is the head always on the left side from the viewers vantage point?

Has anyone ever seen a live Cornish game hen?

Why do boxer shorts have straight frontal slits and briefs have complicated trap doors?

Why have auto manufacturers eliminated the side vents from front door windows?

Why do the Oakland Athletics uniforms have elephant patches on their sleeves?

Why is the imperial gallon bigger than its American counterpart?

Why do painters wear white uniforms?

Why do roaches run away when a light is turned on in a darkened room?

If moths are attracted to light, why dont they fly toward the sun?

Why are moths attracted to light? And what are they trying to do when they fly around light bulbs?

Why do some nineteen-inch televisions say on the box: 20 IN CANADA ?

Why does an old persons voice sound different from a middle-aged persons?

Why is there usually no organization in the shelving of soup cans in supermarkets?

Why has Swanson stopped putting vent holes on the top of its pot pies?

Why do TWIX cookie bars have holes in them?

What are those wavy marks on the bottom of Snickers bars?

What is one hearing when one hears a house settling or creaking?

Why do dogs drool? And why do some dogs drool much more than other dogs?

Why do dogs eat cat feces? Why do they sometimes eat their own feces?

How do they keep the water in water towers from freezing in the wintertime?

Why do quarterbacks call the snap with the exclamation hut?

Why are elections in the United States held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November rather than on the first Tuesday in November?

How do dehumidifiers sense the humidity level in the air and know when to shut off automatically?

What do you call that little groove in the center of our upper lips?

What is the purpose of the little indentation in the center of our upper lips?

What happens to an ant that gets separated from its colony? Does it try to relocate the colony? Can it survive if it cant find the colony?

Why is the color purple associated with royalty?

Was Ben Gay?

Why are haystacks increasingly round rather than rectangular?

What are the little white particles found on the bottom half of English muffins?

How do they assemble tall cranes without using another crane?

What is single-needle stitching, and why do we have to pay more for shirts that feature it?

Why do dogs wiggle their rear legs when scratched on their belly or chest?

Why do so many sundials have Robert Brownings lines Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be inscribed on them?

Why do babies sleep so much? Why do they sleep so much more soundly than adults or older children?

What causes the film that forms on the top of the chocolate pudding I cook? Does this film appear on any kind of pudding?

Why does milk obtain a skin when heated, while thicker liquids, like gravy, lose their skin when heated?

Why do the tags on the left side of the right back pocket of Levis jeans come in different colors? What is the code?

How did Levis 501 jeans get their number?

Why do the bricks used in constructing houses come with three holes in them?

Why do dogs eat standing up, while cats often eat sitting down?

Why do all the Christmas tree lights burn out when one burns out?

Why are Yellow Freight System trucks painted orange?

Why has the orange-colored coffee pot become the symbol for decaffeinated coffee in restaurants?

Why are contemporary or slightly risqu greeting cards invariably long and narrow in shape?

What good does a Falling Rock sign do? How are we supposed to adjust our driving when we see a Falling Rock sign?

Why is there no apostrophe on the flashing DONT WALK traffic signal?

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 mens 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? Isnt 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 arent 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 mens and womens razors?

What are the numbers on the bottom right of my canceled checks? Why arent 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?