Did Romans really purge their bellies in vomitoria?

Oh, the hallowed Roman vomitorium -- a disgusting symbol of the Romans' wealth and excess. When they discovered that their bellies had become too full to eat another bite, they could simply excuse themselves from the table, visit a nearby vomitorium to purge and then return to the feast. The vomitorium, far from being gross, was common in polite Roman society.

How can you tell if you're mentally ill?

Mental illness is a term that comprises many different conditions, from anxietyand mood issues to addictions and psychotic disorders. We may think that these illnesses are rare, or things that simply happen to other people. We may think that they'll be easy to spot, thanks to dramatized depictions of them in film and television. We might not be willing to consider that we could have a mental disorder ourselves.

What will Earth look like in 500 years?

If you could travel back in time five centuries, you'd encounter a thriving Aztec empire in Central Mexico, a freshly painted "Mona Lisa" in Renaissance Europe and cooler temperatures across the Northern Hemisphere. This was a world in the midst of the Little Ice Age (A.D. 1300 to 1850) and a period of vast European exploration now known as the Age of Discovery.

What if you never aged?

Flamboyant pop music icon Prince celebrated his 53rd birthday in 2011. Yep, you read that right. Our planet has experienced decades of "Purple Rain," and no matter how old and busted that makes you feel, it's clear that Prince's genes didn't get the memo. The man looks as youthful as ever. Will he ever age? And if he does, will he ever die?

Do dire wolves exist?

Confession: When I was somewhere north of 20 years old, I was on a beach somewhere in Virginia, attempting to explain to my brother and sister-in-law why it was so weird that the University of Michigan's mascot was the wolverine. It was like having a unicorn for a mascot, I said. Or a jackalope -- that mythical half-rabbit/half-antelope that adorns stupid postcards in the West. They weren't getting it and kept on insisting it really wasn't like that at all. Finally, I had to ask point-blank: Were they saying that wolverines were ... real?

Do daddy longlegs really have powerful venom?

A lot of us were taught to be kind to daddy longlegs. The gangly spiders that hung out around the house and seemed to mind their own business didn't do much to warrant shrieking or stomping on, in general. But others heard a much more pernicious tale: Daddy longlegs actually possess powerful venom. Often, it was said that the only thing stopping them from killing us all in our sleep was that their short little fangs couldn't properly puncture skin. Seem unbelievable?

Why can't we convert salt water into drinking water?

It seems strange that water should be such a scarce resource when our planet is drenched in 326 million trillion gallons of the stuff. But it turns out that less than one-half of 1 percent of it is drinkable. Out of the rest, 98 percent is oceanic salt water and 1.5 percent remains locked up in icecaps and glaciers. The stark irony of Samuel Coleridge's immortal line "Water, water, everywhere / Nor any drop to drink" is manifest each year in coastal disasters around the world, like Hurricane Katrina, the 2004 Indonesian tsunami and the 2010 Haiti earthquake, as people within sight of entire oceans are threatened with dehydration.

Why do girls wear pink and boys wear blue?

Surely you've done it before. You see a small baby and, based on the color of the baby's blanket, decide whether it's a boy or a girl. It's common knowledge that pink is for girls and blue is for boys. But have you ever wondered why? Why is it that boys prefer blue and girls pink? Is it a cultural phenomenon, as many assume? Or does this distinction between color preferences occur on a different level?

Did people in the past really only live to be 30?

Start talking about retirement and life expectancies and no doubt someone will remind you of the notion that our ancestors rarely lived past age 30. Sure, saber-toothed tigers ate Neolithic humans. Even more recent generations still had to contend with plague, famine and disease. But were their life expectancies really that short?

Did George Washington really have wooden teeth?

Six-year-old George Washington had a shiny, new hatchet and couldn't wait to use it. He chopped a couple of small branches that had fallen to the ground near the family's stand of fruit trees and, feeling a surge of purpose, began hacking at a nearby cherry tree. Within a few minutes, little George's battle was over. He'd managed to chop down the tree, but as he wiped the sweat from his brow he realized the error of his ways. Not long after, he confessed that he'd cut down his father's favorite cherry tree.

Did Einstein really fail math?

In 1905, Theodore Roosevelt was inaugurated as the 26th president of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt married Eleanor and the World Series matched the New York Giants against the Philadelphia Athletics. And, for four glorious months, Albert Einstein authored four papers that changed our understanding of the way the universe works. He was only 26 years old.

What if we had no moon?

It's easy to think of the moon as our affable neighbor who keeps to himself. We like him well enough, but if he moved, our main concern wouldn't be that he had left -- it would be the fear of someone taking his place.

Let's keep in mind that the moon is partly made from the foundation of our own planet. It happened when Earth was a molten lava infant at just 30 million years old. A giant impactor hit Earth, taking some of its mantle with it when it ricocheted off into space. This impactor merged with the hot mantle to form the moon. A billion years ago, the moon stopped being geologically active [source:Lunar and Planetary Institute]. But that's not to say that the moon is doing nothing for us. Take a look at a few things that we would miss if our moon decamped to another neighborhood -- or never moved to our 'hood in the first place.

What if I looked straight at an eclipse of the sun?

You've probably heard that staring at the sun is bad for your eyes. The reason you've heard this is that people who stare at the sun can go blind. Here's why. When you were a kid, you may have performed the trick where you lit paper on fire using the sun and a magnifying glass. The light of the sun is so strong that, if you concentrate it with a lens, you can actually start a fire.

What are chemtrails, and should you be scared of them?

The trail of clouds that billow from anairplane streaking across the sky can be mesmerizing for children and adults alike. Jet engine traffic has become so common that it's not unusual to see several lingering streaks in the afternoon. And though many consider the streaks beautiful against a bright blue sky, others are alarmed about them. Concerns range from the idea that these streaks could exacerbate global warming to more elaborate theories that the government has secretly been dumping harmful substances on the land.

Do fish ever really rain from the sky?

When studying weather phenomena, it's a good idea to assume -- at least at the outset -- that whatever bizarre event has been reported is probably real. Because although it seems hard to embrace the idea of, say, St. Elmo's fire or crimson rains, the truth is that they exist. As do balls of lighting. And blue moons. And pigs flying [source: Thompson].

What are the Nazca lines?

Let's start with the bad news. When we ask what the Nazca lines are -- those light, colored etchings that mark the desert soil of southern Peru -- we are not going to receive an entirely satisfying answer. The Nazca lines (sometimes spelled "Nasca") are still a mystery, and Peruvian anthropologists only have some strong guesses about why the Nazca lines exist and what purpose they serve.

What is theory of mind?

Back when you were a child of 2 or so, you were virtually mindless, at least compared to how you are now. In the first few years of life, your primary focus was you: You wanted food, comfort, a colorful toy -- and you were willing to cry very loudly to get it. In return, you offered nothing but potential quiet. You were egocentric. You can hardly be blamed for this, however; you hadn't developed to a point where you could look past your own needs.

What was man's first attempt to fly?

Today­, the sight of condensation trails crisscrossing the sky oraircraft lights blinkin­g against thestars are common occurrences. In fact, many parts of the world experience a near-constant ebb and flow of air traffic. This, however, is a recent phen­omenon in human history. For thousands of years, only birds took wing and all man could do was stand stranded beneath the vaulted heavens --dreaming of one ­day taking to the skies as well.

How long is the longest existing family tree?

The "longest family tree" claim is obviously a prestigious one, and many clans — mostly of the royal variety, because they're the most obsessively documented — have laid claim to it over the years. But only one tribe has been able to make it stick, and its members have gone to great lengths to do so. In 2005, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized the Confucius genealogical line as the longest family tree in history, with 86 recorded generations over 2,500 years. The Chinese philosopher (551 to 479 BCE) is thought to have 3 million descendants all over the world [source: Zhou].

What are some common vehicle tax deductions?

I have often wondered: If you are a race car driver, can you write off your personal car as a business expense? Surely you're "practicing" when you're driving, right? Of course, that's not very realistic. While you might be able to depreciate the cost of the race car and equipment, you're going to have a hard time convincing the IRS that your personal vehicle counts for work [source: Szabo].

Why is it rude to stare?

Let's just settle one point before we get into the hows and whys of staring. Regardless of intent, context or even the facial expression of the person staring, it makes most people -- in most cultures -- uncomfortable to be steadily gazed upon. Unless you are a person that assumes everyone is in awe of you, being gaped at is rude because it makes people feel self-conscious. Etiquette and manners dictate that we should make those around us feel at ease. Anytime you're giving someone the impression that they're standing out, the gesture is usually going to come as unwelcome.

Is April the most violent month?

"April is the cruellest month."

At least that's what T.S. Eliot said when he penned "The Waste Land" all the way back in 1922. Maybe the guy wasn't a fan of rain. Or spring. Perhaps the old fella just didn't like paying taxes. Or maybe Eliot had his finger on the pulse of something more sinister that tends to rear its head this time of year.

How Narco Tanks Work

Drugs are big business, and in Mexico in particular, the drug economy is having a devastating impact. Narcotics trafficking brings in nearly $40 billion to Mexico annually and the country is the gateway for 95 percent of the cocaine that finds its way to America [source: Department of Justice]. The drug game is so lucrative that in 2009, Forbes put narco kingpin Joaquin Guzman, head of the Sinaloa cartel, on its annual list of The World's Billionaires [source: Forbes]. The magazine also placed him at No.41 in its ranking of The World's Most Powerful People [source: Forbes].

Can a felon own a gun in the United States?

The idea that society's vilest criminals should not only suffer punishment but also forfeit civil rights enjoys a long pedigree. In pre-1870 England, a declaration of civiliter mortuus, or civil death, meant exactly what it sounded like: Certain criminals -- including traitors, felons, exiles and outlaws -- were, in the eyes of the law, as good as dead [sources: Black's Law Dictionary;Encyclopaedia Britannica].

Could a planet exist without a host star?

We in our snug little solar system can be forgiven for thinking that everything revolves around our sun. (Mostly because everything in our own little corner of the universe does, in fact, revolve around the sun.) But does that mean that every planet in the universe needs a warm body to snuggle up to? Can a planet just wander aimlessly through the universe without a star to orbit?

How Xbox Works !

The game consoles that are available today are never enough for video gamers; their attention is always focused on what the next great thing will be. In 2000, it was the PlayStation 2. The game console wars heated up as Nintendo unveiled its latest console, called GameCube. But the big news was that the computer software giant Microsoftentered the multi-billion dollar game console market with the Xbox.

How WiFi Detectors Work

Hotspot: This trendy term has taken the Internet-addicted population by storm. If you're not very tech-savvy and aren't familiar with it, take a look when you stroll by cafes and restaurants or the next time you go to the airport. You'll probably see signs letting people know that the location is aWiFi hotspot. You'll also probably notice several preoccupied people with noses buried in their laptops. A WiFi hotspot is simply a place where you can access wireless Internet. In the past few years, WiFi access has seeped into more and more places and facilities.

Why do CDs reflect rainbow colors?

It is very common to see rainbow patterns when you look at the surface of a CD, and also when you look at soap bubbles or a thin film of oil floating on still water. All three of these effects are created by constructive and destructiveinterference of the light hitting the film.

How could a laser pointer take down a plane?

It may sound like the stuff of urban legends, but it's true: The same laser pointer you've used in business presentations or to entertain your cat for hours on end could actually take down a plane. How can this be?

According to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, the beam of light from a handheld laser pointer aimed at an aircraft from the ground can travel more than a mile [source: FBI]. Pilots who have experienced laser attacks from the cockpit compare the experience to having a camera flash go off in a pitch black car at night [source: FBI].

Can companies beam advertisements into my brain?

Most futuristic, dystopian science fiction movies have their share of problems. Common themes often include, but aren't limited to, tyrannical robot armies, apocalyptic natural disasters and oppressive, dictatorial governments. Science fiction doesn't always provide simple, escapist entertainment with no connection to our world -- some of the best and most prescient look at the issues of the present and craft an imaginary future.

What causes that howling sound in PA systems?

A simple PA (public address) system consists of amicrophone, an amplifier and one or morespeakers. Whenever you have those three components, you have the potential for feedback. Feedback occurs when the sound from the speakers makes it back into the microphone and is re-amplified and sent through the speakers again, like this:

Imagine, for example, that you place the microphone in front of the speaker as shown. Now you tap on the microphone. The sound of the tap goes through the amplifier, comes out the speaker, re-enters the microphone, etc. This loop happens so quickly that it creates its own frequency, which we hear as a howling sound. The distance between the mike and the speakers has a lot to do with the frequency of the howling, because that distance controls how quickly the sound can loop through the system.

How does Google Maps predict traffic?

The green, yellow and red routes that Google Maps uses to indicate clear, slow-moving, or heavily congested traffic are a great help when you're trying to determine the fastest way to your destination, but how does Google know the traffic conditions between where you are and where you're trying to go?

Google Maps bases its traffic views and faster-route recommendations on two different kinds of information: historical data about the average time it takes to travel a particular section of road at specific times on specific days and real-time data sent by sensors andsmartphones that report how fast cars are moving right then [source: Barth].

How could Google Glass detect people's emotions?

We humans mask our intentions with lies, misdirection and misinformation. But one of the most telling aspects of interpersonal communication isn't words. It's body language. Some researchers say that more than half of our communication happens through body language; tone of voice and spoken words were a distant second and third, respectively [source: Thompson].

These days, it's not just people reading body language. Machines are picking up on those nonverbal cues, too, to the point where some can even read our emotions.

How does my iPhone know when the person texting me is typing?

If you're an iPhone user, this scenario probably sounds familiar: You send someone a message, notice that it's been delivered and read, and then watch three little dots hover in a conversation bubble as you wait expectantly for a reply. But how does your iPhone know when the person texting you is typing?

How the Pebble Watch Works

As tech gadgets go, it's not very geeky. It's smooth, shiny and has an almost Zenlike appearance. That calming exterior isn't just a façade for the Pebble smart watch. Compared to so many adrenaline-jolting high-tech devices, the Pebble is meant to be more serene and more harmonious, designed to tie together fast-paced modern life into a simple (yet smart) low-key wristwatch experience that's both fashion conscious and fun to use.

The Pebble smart watch links to yoursmartphone, tablet or other portable device via wireless Bluetooth signals. It doesn't matter whether you're devoted to Apple or Android; Pebble works with devices that run either operating system. Once connected, the Pebble becomes a wrist-mounted technological hub of sorts, providing notifications for calls, texts and emails, in addition to updates from Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts.

How to Make Money Without a Job ?

Jobs are so 20th century. Welcome to the "gig" economy, where more than 20 million Americans are full-time "freelancers," "consultants," "independent contractors" and other code names for not having a "real" job [source: Greenhouse]. True, the Great Recession forced a lot of workers into the freelance ranks, but more than half of "solopreneurs" actively choose the jobless lifestyle [source:Florida]. No time clocks, no cubicles, and best of all, no bosses.

But how much money can you make without a traditional job? That depends on your skills, experience and flair for self-promotion. There are wildly popularbloggers who pull in six figures a month, but the general trend is that freelance workers earn slightly less than their cubicle-bound colleagues – about $15.60 per hour versus $20 per hour 

Of the more than 200,000 members of the Freelancers Union — one of America's fastest-growing labor organizations — 58 percent earn less than $50,000 a year and 29 percent earn less than $25,000 

How Diamond Thieves Work ?

It was February 2008, and a woman in Milan had com­plained to police about early-morning noise in her neighborhood. But there was a construction project going on nearby, and the police assumed the noise must be coming from there. No one thought much about the fact that the woman lived near the world-famous Dam­iani jewelry showroom until four masked thieves showed up in the store, apparently out of nowhere. The building was secure, with a high-techalarm system and an armed guard at the front door. None of that really mattered, though, since the thieves had been drilling a hole every morning through the four-foot wall that separated the showroom basement from the basement next door.

The timing was nearly perfect. Damiani had been preparing for a private showing, so there were no customers in the showroom but enough staff on hand to open the vault. The thieves were in and out in half an hour, making off with millions of dollars worth of diamondjewelry. But why was the heist just nearly perfect? They would have made off with much, much more had it not been February -- Oscartime. Some of the most valuable pieces were on loan to Hollywood's A-list stars, including Oscar winner Tilda Swinton, who wore Damiani's one-of-a-kind "Sahara Bracelet," bearing 1,865 diamonds totaling more than 47 carats, and the 4.21-carat "Mimosa Ring" [source: Reuters]. The thieves missed out on those, although such famous pieces probably would have been nearly impossible to unload.

Diamond thieves (or at least the ones who succeed) are smart. Stealing diamonds isn't like stealing cars. The security that protects high-value jewels is hard to bypass, even for the experts, and selling the booty is almost as difficult as stealing it.

In this article, we'll look at some of the largest and most famous diamond heists, including one in which the thief made off with $28 million in diamonds using nothing but charm. We'll talk about the smaller and more common types of diamond theft that seldom make it into the news. And we'll see what it takes the convert stolen diamonds into cash. How does someone sell a stolen 33-carat diamond, anyway?

In 1959, two men tried to do just that.

Is chocolate addictive?

Are you one of the millions of people who call themselves a chocoholic? Do you get weak in the knees when you walk past a chocolate shop? Keep emergency chocolate hidden in your drawer so no one will find it? Fall victim to midnight chocolate cravings? Don't worry, no judgment here.

Chocolate does indeed feel addictive, and here's why: When we eat sweet or high-fat foods, our brains get as happy as our taste buds. Sugary and fatty foods cause the brain to release serotonin, which helps stabilize our moods and ward off depression. And because these foods activate the pleasure centers in the brain, studies show that people can become dependent on sugar and fat in their food. Some chocolate addicts even exhibit traits similar to those of drug addicts, such as cravings, irregular eating, anxiety, and abnormal moods [source:Collingwood].

But doess chocolate fit the true definition of addictive? You might joke around and say you're addicted to chocolate and simply can't live without it. But let's look at the science.

Three fundamental components make up addiction:

1. An intense craving
2. A loss of control over the object of that craving
3. The continued use of that object despite negative consequences

These components describe drug addiction, but studies show people can exhibit these behaviors with certain foods, as well. The studies even showed similar brain activity between drug addicts and participants presented with chocolate milkshakes [source: Miller]. However, these situations are extreme and don't account for the majority of the population.

Do plants feel pain?

Few moments evoke a sense of summer like catching a whiff of freshly cut grass. For many people, it's a pleasant sign that warmer temperatures are here to stay. For the grass, however, this scent signals an entirely different story.

The smell we associate with freshly cut grass is actually a chemical distress call, one used by plants to beg nearby critters to save them from attack (usually it's an affront by insects, but in this case, it's lawnmower blades). After all, when danger strikes -- whether it's landscaping equipment or a hungry caterpillar -- plants can't lift their roots and run. They must fight where they stand.

What is the Baltic Sea anomaly?

Let's start off with a modicum of generosity and humor the idea that a gigantic, interesting man-made object could be hanging out somewhere in the ocean.

Did you know that less than 5 percent ofthe ocean has been explored [source:NOAA]? And while the world has sent a handful of astronauts to the moon, did you know there have only been two manned missions to the deepest part of the ocean [source: Thar]? The first took place in 1960, when two aquanauts made the journey. The second didn't happen until 2012 -- and that's only because director James Cameron threw his own "Titanic" money down to make the first solo dive, since he's always been known for humility and modesty [source: National Geographic].

Point being, one could totally make an argument that the deep sea is a mysterious place, primed to throw some amazing curveballs our way. After all, we're constantly finding weird squid withvampire teeth and translucent neon-green eels we didn't know existed. (Source not cited because I made both those up. But seriously, what are the chances they don't exist, with all the crazy stuff down there?)

How the Sony SmartBand Works

Notice a lot more people sporting what appear to be those rubbery, multi-hued "awareness" bracelets, a la the once-omnipresent yellow Livestrong bands? It's not awareness wristbands you're likely seeing, but fitness trackers. These monitors are aimed at measuring your physical efforts (like walking, running and calorie consumption) so you can better keep tabs on your health.

The first such health-tracking device was the heart-rate monitor, which debuted in stores in 1978 [source Polar]. It wasn't until 2013, though, that fitness bands were launched. A 2015 study showed that 10 percent of Americans owned one.

Is it bad luck to give knives as a gift?

 

Sometimes it's difficult to find the perfect gift for a friend. You wrack your brain, trying to come up with a thoughtful gift that will be appreciated and defy the cookie-cutter mold. Better still? The gift will be affordable, too.

Enter the knife. A knife is a timeless and useful gift. A knife or a set of knives can be engraved, intricately tooled and selected to fit the receiver. There are knives for outdoor enthusiasts, culinary aficionados and survivalists for any number of occasions, ranging from birthdays to weddings and anniversaries. Before you give one, however, there's something you need to know: Gifting knives has long been considered bad luck.

According to one superstition, a knife presented as a gift will sever the friendship between the giver and the recipient. The only way around this unfortunate outcome is to tape a penny to the knife. The coin must be promptly removed and returned to the giver as a form of symbolic payment. This transaction prevents the relationship from being cut and, because the knife was "purchased," releases the giver from any injuries that might result from its use.

How the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit Works

One of the many aims of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 was to make health coverage more accessible to a wide range of people. Employees of small businesses are often uninsured or underinsured because their employers, for financial or other reasons, don't provide health coverage. So a small business health care tax credit program was created as part of the ACA to encourage more small-business owners to buy health insurance for their workers.

To be eligible for the tax credit, a business can have the equivalent of no more than 25 full-time employees. ("Equivalent" means that part-time employees count as a fraction of a full-time employee. A business could have up to 50 half-time employees and still qualify for the program.) The average yearly salary of the full-time employees must be no more than $50,000, and the employer must be responsible for at least half of its employees' health premiums. The credit works on a sliding scale and is designed to help smaller businesses by providing them with bigger credits.

The small business health care tax credit is refundable, meaning that an employer can collect a refund if the credit exceeds the business's tax obligation. For the tax years 2010 through 2013, an employer could take a maximum credit of 35 percent through the program. Small tax-exempt businesses could receive at most a 25 percent credit. In 2014, these percentages increased to 50 percent and 35 percent, respectively. Employers can claim a business expense deduction for any premiums they pay in excess of the credit, allowing them to take advantage of both deductions and credits on health care expenses for their employees. Starting in 2014, the credit is available only for two consecutive years -- but employers do have the option of amending their tax returns to claim the credit. This option is good for three years after a return was filed, or two years after a payment was made for that year.

Another change for 2014 is that the employer's health plan must be offered through the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) marketplace, which was established through the Affordable Care Act. For more information on how SHOP works, keep on going to the next page.

How long does alcohol stay in your system?

Most of us have been there before: You've had a few (OK, maybe more than a few) cocktails, and you're wondering -- either out of curiosity or for practical purposes -- when you'll be totally sober again. How long does alcohol stay in your system, anyway? And can you do anything to speed up the process?

The answer obviously depends on how much you've had to drink. The more drinks, the higher your blood alcohol content (BAC) and the longer it takes to clear out your system. But although some people -- because of their sex, body type and a number of other factors -- get drunkfaster than others, we all sober up at the same rate. The liver does the lion's share (about 90 percent) of the work in metabolizing alcohol -- detoxifying it, breaking it down and removing it from your blood. And everyone's liver metabolizes alcohol at the same basic rate: 1 ounce (29 milliliters) an hour.

A standard alcoholic drink is a 12-ounce (355-milliliter) beer, a 6-ounce (177-milliliter) glass of wine or a 1.5-ounce (44-milliliter) shot of 80-proof liquor. They all contain 1 ounce (29 milliliters) of alcohol, which is pretty convenient for our calculation purposes: One drink, then, will stay in your system for one hour. If you happen to have your own Breathalyzer, you can even look at a handy chart that'll tell you how long it'll take you to sober up. If you're at the legal limit for driving in the United States (.08 percent), for example, your blood alcohol content will be back to zero in about five hours [source: GWU]. Contrary to popular belief, there's really nothing you can do to make it go faster. No amount of black coffee, cold showers or vomiting will change it or shorten your waiting time.

It isn't always that simple, of course. If you're holding steady at one drink per hour, you should have it made in the shade -- your liver will be able to keep up with the workload and flush all that alcohol out as it comes in. But you'll screw up the equation the more (and the faster) you drink. If you're downing shot after shot, making exceptionally strong cocktails or playing some sadistic beer-chugging game, you'll cause a backup at the plant, so to speak. As your liver keeps working at the 1-ounce-per-hour rate, all that extra alcohol will have nothing better to do but circulate through your body and wait to be processed. As it floats around, having its way with your brain and the rest of your tissues, your blood alcohol content stays elevated.

So the next time you're out on the town, try the one-drink-an-hour experiment. You never know -- it might be nice to know exactly when you'll be back to normal again. You won't waste time searching for black coffee, and it'll definitely save your liver from working overtime.

Do red cars cost more to insure?

 

                           

If you drive a red car, it might seem like the world is out to get you. You're less likely to escape the notice of the highway patrol (or so people say) and you pay higher auto insurance rates (again, so people say). Why should you get penalized, just because you chose a bright color instead of the muted beiges and silvers that car companies insist on making? Well, chances are, no one else actually cares what color your car is, including your insurance company. Insurance companies don't even ask about the car's color when they're gathering information for a rate quote — although they may find out at some point or another, for example, in a police report about a crash. Instead, insurance companies say, they're primarily interested in the car's make, model, year, body type and engine. The owner of a fast sports car is going to pay more for insurance than the owner of a low-power compact, all other factors being equal. But how often is everything equal? They're not, and insurance companies account for that, too. They also want to know about the background of the car's primary driver, and anyone else that might be driving it. If a driver has a history of getting speeding tickets on a regular basis, in other words, that person just likes to drive fast, the car's exterior color doesn't have anything to do with it. There are a lot of variables when it comes to calculating car insurance rates, and the car's exterior color just doesn't factor into the equation.

So why is this myth so persistent? Well, it's closely tied to the widespread belief that drivers of red cars are pulled over for speeding more often than the other cars on the road, and that the driver of a red car is more likely to actually get a ticket after being pulled over. Insurance companies are pretty forthcoming about the fact that, yes, they will absolutely raise rates because of excessive speeding, because it's an indication of irresponsible or dangerous driving behavior. Some insurers say rates won't increase until after the second speeding ticket, but others will come looking for more money soon after the first one. If this happens to you, it isn't because your car is red. It's because you got nailed for speeding (probably more than once) in a car that just so happens to be red. And if you still believe you're being unfairly penalized by your insurance company for having a red car (you're not), it might be worth shopping around for rate comparisons. Although to be fair, it might be a waste of time if you've recently gotten a reputation for having a lead foot. That said, if a shiny candy apple red car excites you and somehow subconsciously makes you more likely to show off, then resist temptation and don't be your own worst enemy. Maybe you should stick with something in a nice beige?

What is the rarest weather phenomenon?

OK, let's get one thing straight first: We probably can't establish the "most rare" weather phenomenon, because if it's so rare, how can we know it's even happened yet? Maybe the rarest weather phenomenon happened when the dinosaurs ruled the earth. Maybe the rarest weather phenomenon made the dinosaurs extinct! Maybe humans did see Earth's rarest weather phenomenon, and because we saw it even just one time -- or heck, even two or three times -- we just assumed it wasn't that rare. So, high fives all around for getting out of answering the question!

Probably not going to cut it, huh? While we might not be able to objectively answer the absolute rarest weather phenomenon, we can at least explore a few weather occurrences that can legitimately count as pretty freaking out of the ordinary. And besides, why stop at one rare weather phenomenon when we can talk about tons of different rare weather phenomena? So let's take a look at a few contenders and start with every film student's favorite: raining frogs.

Yup, it's no joke. Amphibians can and do rain from the sky, and it happens when frogs (or fish or whatever small waterborne animal you wish) are caught in a waterspout (the hydrologic equivalent of a terrestrial tornado). The frogs are picked up and unceremoniously dropped off on land, assuming the waterspout ventures to shore [source: Thompson]. But we've tricked you: While raining frogs is a little hard to believe, it's not as rare as a weather phenomenon can get.

Is there an app to monitor your IRS refund status?

While wading through W-2s and 401(k) paperwork may seem daunting, there are plenty of resources to help -- including us! And there is, after all, often a reward at the end: the celebrated refund -- that nice check the government sends when you've gotten a bit too much withheld from your paycheck, or if you earned some other tax credit.

You might be surprised to realize that most people get a refund. In 2012, more than 80 percent of returns resulted in cash back from the government [source: NPR]. Unfortunately, refunds aren't instant. Because magic isn't real, you still have to wait for the government to process your return and either deposit money into your bank account or mail you a check.

Can you die if you don’t sleep?

Lack of sleep may leave you feeling like death, but can it actually kill you? While too little sleep can eventually contribute to your death, there's little evidence to suggest you'd kick the bucket right away.

If an extended period of non-sleep were to kill you immediately, it would likely be due to an indirect cause, like a car crash or an accident on the job. That's because staying awake for too long alters perception and judgment, leaving you more prone to errors and accidents [source: Harvard Medical School]. After just 18 hours without sleep – say you woke up at 6 am for work and stayed out with friends until midnight – your level of impairment is equal to that of someone with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 percent. By 24 hours of no sleep, you're operating at the same level as someone with a BAC of 0.10 percent [source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]. At this level of impairment, it's certainly possible to run into trouble on the road or in the workplace.

Does sleeping after learning make you smarter?

Sleeping after learning won't necessarily make you smarter, but it does help boost memory and allow the brain to process information more efficiently. In 2008, researchers in Germany asked participants to memorize a list of 30 words as part of a study on sleep and learning. After some time spent memorizing the list, some of the students were given a chance to nap while others were asked to stay awake. When the students were quizzed on how many of the words they could remember from the list, those who hadn't napped remembered fewer than seven words on average. Those who slept for just six minutes remembered an average of eight words, while those who napped for 36 minutes remembered nine or more. Not only did napping provide a memory boost, but it only took a brief snooze to make a difference in recall [source: Harvard Medical School].