10 Questions Everyone Has but Few Can Answer

The beginning of the universe and the meaning of life are not the only questions that can keep many of us awake thinking the whole night. How do birds sleep when they fly across the ocean? Why do mushrooms grow in circles? And why do we start hating our favorite songs after binge-listening to them? Reddit users asked these and other burning questions in the r/explainlikeimfive community and the answers were found.

We at Bright Side selected 10 questions and answers from this community that expanded our knowledge of the world around us, and we wonder if you’ve been asking yourselves the same questions.

1.

Answer: Many types of fungi form a vast network of roots or so-called mycelium. This network grows underground, absorbing all the nutrients, and at some point, they use the stored up nutrients to grow above ground to spread their spores with the wind. So if you see a bunch of mushrooms clustered together, those things are all just like the tips of a giant iceberg growing beneath the ground. This network will grow outward as long as there are more nutrients to be found. The reason that they form these circles is that the mycelium dies off once there are no more nutrients in the soil. So while it grows outward, it dies off in the center. If the conditions are just right, it’ll form a nearly perfect circle in the process. © NuftiMcDuffin / reddit

2.

Answer: When you open it, it fills with warm air. Once you close it, that warm air rapidly cools and, therefore, contracts, causing vacuum pressure inside. © eatredmeat / reddit

You may have noticed it too: re-opening the door of your refrigerator can be really hard immediately after you close it. The door seems to be sucked in. This happens because the warmth that gets inside the refrigerator while the door is open shrinks and creates a vacuum effect.

3.

Answer: For cheeses that you are meant to eat moldy, like bleu cheese, they are very specific kinds of mold that are grown and cultivated like other foods then mixed in/added with the cheese. It isn’t just random mold growing on it. These are known to be safe and are used to enhance the smell/flavor. © tmahfan117 / reddit

4.

Answer: When you blink, your eyelids push out dried tears, mucus, oils, dirt, and dead cells. When you sleep, you don’t blink, so these substances build up in the corners of your eye and form a crust. © says-nice-toT***PMs / reddit

Sand (also called crust or gunk) that you can find in your eyes after you wake up is part of your normal bodily functions. This is actually a mix of skin cells, mucus, and oils that are washed away by blinking in the daytime.

5.

Answer: So this is called caudal autotomy. It differs among species, but the basic idea is that a lizard’s tail will be grabbed by a predator and the tail will rip off, allowing the lizard to escape. © davemcdave8888 / reddit

Depending on the species, the detached tails of some lizards may continue to wiggle, distracting the predator. Some species of lizards are able to partially regenerate their lost tails over several weeks or months.

6.

Answer: The body does not kill bacteria with a fever. The body kills bacteria with leukocytes (white blood cells). The fever is there to slow down the reproduction process of the bacteria so your initial response has a better chance to be sufficient. © iulyyy / reddit

Most viruses and bacteria feel alright at our normal body temperature. This is why our body increases its own temperature to make it harder for viruses and bacteria to survive.

7.

Answer: Some birds essentially sleep with half their brain at a time. Like, they literally keep flying on autopilot while the left half or right half of the brain sleeps, then they switch sleeping to the other side. © stueh / reddit

According to experts, some birds can fly non-stop for more than a month. During these incredibly long journeys, they can shut down half their brains and have rest for a couple of minutes.

8.

Answer: Many cameras (including, until very recently, basically all mobile phone cameras) are very wide-angle. This is great for fitting in all of your friends from just an arm’s length. It’s also absolutely awful at capturing things at a distance since such a tremendously large area is in-frame. © FreshEclairs / reddit

9.

Answer: Our brain loves trying to predict the next note, next verse, when the chorus will hit, etc., and the brain releases endorphins (feel-good signals) every time it either guesses a new pattern correctly or is pleasantly surprised by a brand new sound. The more we listen to a song, especially on repeat, the fewer surprises the song will hold and the easier the patterns are to predict or remember. © Gerbil-Space-Program / reddit

10.

Answer: Flies have little hairs all over their body that they use to basically see and feel their way around the world. Because these hairs are so small, and the flies are always moving through the air, they get dirty easily, making it hard for the fly to “see.” When flies land, they will rub all the dirt off of their hairs and brush them off their hands so they can sense the world more clearly again. © Charliedapig / reddit

Did you know the answers to all of these questions before reading the article? What other questions could keep you up all night?

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