To Matmail: I couldn’t help but notice that all products bearing the official endorsement of the 1996 Olympics have a notation that reads “36 USC 380.” What kind of subtle transmission are they trying to …
March 28, 1997
Straight from the Hip
Archived articles
Olympics will sue you down to your boxers
Where helium for balloons comes from, where cows get their calcium
Okay, Matt: Where do they get the helium from that they compress for making helium balloons? I took some general chemistry and seem to remember that helium is a noble gas and therefore very unreactive, …
March 27, 1997
Trap doors inside freeway overpasses
Matt: While navigating through myriad “seismic retrofit” hazards on area freeways, I've noticed several trap doors on overpasses, with ladders leading inside. I've always assumed overpasses to be solid concrete. I've heard that in Switzerland, …
March 20, 1997
I hope they don't hurt bees when taking their pollen
Matt: Bee-ing a concerned smoothie drinker, me and a few colleagues were wondering what the actual process was in collecting bee pollen. Most juice consumers use this product in our smoothies from the local juice …
March 20, 1997
Carl Stalling and Raymond Scott — composers of Looney Tunes music
Matmail: We've all heard the theme music for “Loony Tunes” cartoons on TV and at the movies. Was this music composed for “Looney Tunes,” or was it taken from a classic piece of music (excerpted)? …
March 20, 1997
How chicks breathe inside their eggshells
Matmail: I was getting ready to cook up some eggs the other day, and I started wondering...how do the little chickens breathe inside the shells before they’ve hatched? It seems like a long time for …
March 13, 1997
An out-of-control ticktacktoe game
Dear Matthew Alice: A large, white, official-looking X has been painted in the bike lane on northbound 101 in Encinitas, in front of D.B. Hacker’s restaurant (101 North Highway 101). Who painted this X, and …
March 13, 1997
The Chouest ship dynasty
Dear Matt: Who/what are the “Chouest” ships (the Laney Chouest, Dolores Chouest, Cory Chouest, Amy Chouest) — red and brown, with mini-subs on board, which go in and out of the bay? What do they …
March 13, 1997
The truth about ostriches' heads in the sand
Mattster: Where did the idea come from that ostriches stick their heads in the sand when they’re frightened? Do they really do that? How do they keep from inhaling the sand? — Curious Person, San …
March 13, 1997
Random toilet flushing
Dear Matthew Alice: This morning I heard a rumbling sound in my unoccupied bathroom and went there to find that the noise emanated from the toilet bowl. The water in the bowl was trembling, the …
March 6, 1997
Pets and their ability to watch TV
Matt: I swore my cat Pete watched the movie Balto with me. My friend denied the possibility, saying, “Cats have only the ability to see three-dimensional images” I've seen lots of dogs watch TV, why …
March 6, 1997