Have you ever wondered?

[Sweet Brew]

Welcome to the "Have you ever wondered?" threat! (No, not you @Have you ever wondered? )
Basically this thread is just me wanting to get to know the community better.

Post stuff you've wanted to know the answer to for ages!

Why do they put fragile light bulbs in those tiny cardboard cases yet metal scissors in impregnable plastic?
Why is tea illegal to ship over seas in the USA?
What's the point of a pinkie toe?

Who knows, maybe some of the others here might be able to answer them!



Now, what's on your little philosopher minds?
(And for you MH fans out there!)

[Midnight Breeze]

Why this awesome condo is so cheap, my mom's car cost more.

I might just have to buy it if it's not in a god-awful neighborhood.

[McClaw]

Can we also post possible answers?

Why do they put fragile light bulbs in those tiny cardboard cases yet metal scissors in impregnable plastic?
Why is tea illegal to ship over seas in the USA?

Packaging:
Light bulb boxes are designed to be just sturdy enough to prevent casual breakage. If you can't keep them intact like that, you're probably not going to be able to handle them outside of the package, either. Scissors, on the other hand, have sharp points and edges intentionally and can become a hazard from casual handling; the packaging is to prevent them from poking through. (And there have probably been lawsuits over unpackaged scissors...)

Tea (from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website):

As a general rule, condiments, vinegars, oils, packaged spices, honey, coffee and tea are admissible.

Please note that tea or spices containing fruit or vegetable leaves or seeds, including citrus leaves or seeds, are typically prohibited.

So it seems to be not tea in general but materials from specific plants that might be carrying diseases or pests.

My wonder:
Why is it necessary to work for so many hours in a week to make a living that you don't have enough hours left to enjoy the money?

[Sweet Brew]

Can we also post possible answers?

Of course!



Makes me wonder...
Why is it that when we wake up we forget all our dreams? (Usually)
Who is stealing them?

[Jcfraven]

I've always pondered how the nature of love truly is, and when such is actually true, instead of a simple fleeting feeling. It's always been something I've struggled to attempt to understand and completely comprehend, a task of seemingly impossible nature.

[Julius]

I like the idea of this thread! But I don't think I have anything to add to it right now... I'll keep it in mind if something comes up though~

[Sweet Brew]

This is a thing I wonder...

[MarshyMellow]

Why do people think that puking is funny? 

AND WHY ARE KIDS SHOWS SO ANNOYING THESE DAYS?

[Nuserame]

Why do people think that puking is funny? 

Schadenfreude ^^

And have you ever wondered, why isn't there an English word for Schadenfreude?

[Sweet Brew]

I've always wondered what it'd be like if you were in a plane moving as fast as the earth rotates, but going the opposite direction.
It'd always be a specific time, but...time would still pass?

That's a confusing concept.
...
...
...Any pilots here? I have a job for you.

[McSleuthburger]

What was on the other side of the road to entice a chicken to journey across?

[Sweet Brew]

Why do people say "I'm going to fix myself a sandwich" when you're making one from scratch and not fixing it?
Why do people say "I'm taking a poop" when they're giving one?
Why do people say "I don't give a poop"? Sense when does sharing poop show you care?

The English language is weird...

[GuitarBrony]

Gonna answer a bunch. but first, my wonders. (also sorry for the length. I'm kind of a trivia nerd. )

Why DO women's pants have such small pockets?
What actually WAS the deal with airline food that made it such a staple of hack comedy back in the day?
Where does the term "raining cats and dogs" come from...?

What's the point of a pinkie toe?

It's basically vestigial. Assuming we evolved from something similar to modern apes, our feet once resembled hands more. And they were gripping appendages, as well as walking appendages. As we made the transition to full upright movement, the "fingers" became less necessary as gripping digits. and through lack of need as grips, and more need for a fuller foot for balance, they shrunk over the generations to what we now have as toes. And while the pinkie toe was not necessarily vital, it was still there, because it DID help somewhat. and it wasn't detrimental. 

I've always pondered how the nature of love truly is, and when such is actually true, instead of a simple fleeting feeling. It's always been something I've struggled to attempt to understand and completely comprehend, a task of seemingly impossible nature.

that's the struggle of life, eh? By the time you've figured out what love truly means, and its ins and outs, you're too old for the people now asking the question to believe you.

AND WHY ARE KIDS SHOWS SO ANNOYING THESE DAYS?

Because we're no longer kids. and while we remember the shows from our youth fondly because we watched them AS kids, and appreciated them as kids, we don't have that same nostalgia for modern kids shows. I'm sure if i went back and REALLY watched Blues Clues, it'd be just as obnoxious as Dora or Yo Gabba Gabba. Also, there ARE some bad ones out there. there always have been. but nowadays, we have larger access to exposure to all of them, whether we like it or not. so we're more aware of them.

Schadenfreude ^^

And have you ever wondered, why isn't there an English word for Schadenfreude?

There actually is an English word for the concept. Epicaricacy. but Schadenfreude is VASTLY more common in use. They mean the same thing, however.

I've always wondered what it'd be like if you were in a plane moving as fast as the earth rotates, but going the opposite direction.

well, 2 things. 1. you'd be using a LOT of fuel. if you were traveling along the equator, you'd be flying at a mind-boggling 465 m/s (1,674.4 km/h, or 1,040.4mph) that's roughly double the speed of the average commercial airliner.
2. assuming you're going along a higher latitude, thus going slower but still keeping up, or are flying in a fighter jet, you'd basically experience this: time would pass normally for you, but it would always appear the same time of day, as you'd be keeping up with the rotation, and thus, halting the "movement" of the sun from your perspective, so long as you kept your heading in line, and your speed basically constant. so if you left at like... 10am, it'd stay looking like 10am as you went. even after 6 or 7 hours. but for you, time WOULD pass as normal. you'd just land at the same "time." unless you made a full circle or more. then you'd land the next day, but at the same time.

Why do people say "I'm going to fix myself a sandwich" when you're making one from scratch and not fixing it?
Why do people say "I'm taking a poop" when they're giving one?
Why do people say "I don't give a poop"? Sense when does sharing poop show you care?

The English language is weird...

while i can't really answer the second two, the first one might be a case of a saying out-living a word. The word "fix" can mean a number of things. Most commonly, it means either to repair or restore, or it means "to make something ready for a specific purpose, by combining or altering elements of the item. or to prepare." This second use is more used for "fixing" animals (spaying neutering) or to "fix" a fight/race/etc (by making one side garunteed to lose, without this garuntee being known), or to prepare a meal or a specific food item (like a sandwich.)

Its a weird situation. I can imagine that "fix" originally meant to prepare, or ready something, and slowly transitioned to also include repairs. And now its more commonly used for repair, making it weird.

[Sweet Brew]

(also sorry for the length. I'm kind of a trivia nerd. )

Don't apologize for the length! This is exactly what this thread wants. Good, decent questions as well as good, decent answers!

Keep it up! Well...that is if you want to, you don't have to.



With millions of galaxies and millions of stars in each galaxy there has got to be other class 'A' planets out there.
I wonder what's on them...Just water and deserts? Jungles of exotic new plants? Other animals or intelligent life even?!
Hopefully when I die I'll find out instead of being crammed into oblivion.

[Sweet Brew]

People have theorized that blackholes don't exist.
I didn't believe them until I heard the theory myself.
Now I wonder if it's true or not...

[Icy Shield]

How can peoples live normaly in hot countries and deserts? It's really unbareable for me when temperature 35+C and beyond...

I just can't understand how people live,eat, sleep and work in those conditions. In cold countries or at winter you just wear some clothes and you are okay to go! While at hot weather you can only get to the point with no clothes and further it only get worser and worser and there is nothing you can do about it! Air conditioners doesn't counts since you can't take them everywhere (and just imagine holding an air  conditioner above your head 24/7 unlike clothes) and require electricity.

[Lync Volan]

Why does being in a room filled with peeps talking languages i don't understand bother me so much when it usually doesn't bother anyone else?