Explainer

UPS is all about time efficiency, right down to the doors.

Mercedes-Benz took away the title of the world's top-selling luxury vehicle from the German auto company back in 2016. Why has BMW been in decline?

Every time a new decade rolls around, people get in arguments about whether it begins in the 0 year or the 1 year. Here's why it makes sense to start in the 0 year.

A YouTuber demonstrates what would happen to the Earth if it was struck by multiple sized objects.

The Warped Perception YouTube demonstrates the science of what's happening inside a exhaust emission control device.

There are so many Airpod knockoffs. YouTuber Unbox Therapy tests all of them out.

Don't let the 2010s fool you.

On rare occasions, pilots will dump fuel in mid-air. Why do they do this?

Steven Rinella breaks down how realistic Hollywood depicts hunting in major feature films.

There are only 3 independent city-states in the world: Singapore, Monaco and Vatican City. Why are city-states so rare?

WSJ's Joanna Stern attempts to maneuver around the town of Hell, Michigan with only products from 2010. How far can she go?

People are purchasing high-end vehicles and registering them in Montana? What is the benefit of doing that?

People get more stressed out from short flights than long ones. What's the explanation for that?

People who purchased this Honeywell lock box should be demanding their money back because, as this YouTuber demonstrates, it's completely defective.

Bacon continues to be one of America's favorite foods — here are seemingly every way to cook or prepare it.

How "The Mandalorian" does a better job of laying out its story than "The Last Jedi" can be summed up in the difference between showing and telling.

Why does Whitehorse in the Yukon offer a transatlantic flight to Germany?

Justine Calma breaks down the controversy over light bulbs in America.

Two Lucasfilm creative directors go over every starfighter that whizzed through space throughout the Star Wars saga.

Do Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Liam Payne get along? Here's where each One Direction member currently stands on the other four boys.

TikTok's parent company ByteDance's ties to China are prompting US politicians to launch a national security investigation.

It might not seem like a big deal but you could put the entire plane at risk.

Electric cars are more ubiquitous than ever before but why are they still so gosh darn hard to buy?

Americans visiting Île aux Cygnes in Paris might be surprised to see a Statue of Liberty replica. Why is it there?

Wine connoisseurs might get sticker shock when they go to a restaurant. Why do restaurants jack up the price on the vino?

In 1989, all of United Airlines Flight 232's hydraulic systems failed, a highly improbable scenario that led to disaster.

These days, we roll our eyes at Cats. But from the moment it opened, it was a smash.

The comedian explains how he looks at abstract art and how he contextualizes it at the Modern Museum of Art.

Americans are eating more chicken than ever before. How are fast food chains catering to our changing tastes?

YouTuber Half As Interesting sets out to find the most expensive thing in the world and it's not a boat, building or jet.

Ever wonder why you can't access the torch of the Statue of Liberty anymore? Historian Coleman Lowndes explains the little-known terror attack in Jersey City in 1916.

The Tesla Valve was invented by Nikola Tesla, but you (like us) probably hadn't heard of it. Turns out, it's pretty cool!

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz is testifying about his report on the origins of the Russia investigation Wednesday. Here are some key takeaways.

The planet is a magnet for stuff: space dust, dead leaves, old refrigerators. Is all that mass adding up?

Nicholas Britell explains how his theme song conveys information about what viewers are about to watch.

It's probably not your neighbor's fault that you're so uncomfortable during a flight.

If you get busted in Japan, 9 times out of 10, you're going to be put away. How did Japan's criminal justice system become so draconian?

Despite having a ton of sand, the kind of sand that Saudi Arabia has is not the right kind of sand for building.

In 1978, Soviet geologists prospecting in the wilderness of Siberia discovered a family that had never encountered other humans.

Just because a plastic product says its recyclable doesn't mean it will actually get recycled.

Elevators always tend to have mirrors. Is it for safety and monitoring reasons — or something else entirely?

The Tata Nano was the cheapest car you could buy brand new. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.

Google Maps looks different based on your location due to disputed borders and other complicated diplomatic issues.

YouTuber David Bennett demonstrates how some of the most popular music utilize "word painting" to make a song pop.

Tesla's electric fleet have a lot going for them, but what if you want to tow something? A YouTuber does the math about why Teslas struggle with carrying heavy loads.

A tire expert tests out how well different season tires perform as temperatures go down.

A Harry Potter-style invisibility cloak is still a ways off, but this is pretty impressive.

Solid-state drives are replacing mechanical hard drives in most consumer PCs. Will mechanical hard drives survive the march of time?

Here's what the science says about marijuana's effect on the brain.

In advance of the 2020 election, a guide to fighting viral fake news, disinformation and simple misunderstandings across Twitter, Facebook and the web.

Early animation was stiff and stilted — until Max Fleischer's breakthrough technique changed everything.

What would happen to you if you received a draft notice and didn't respond?

A big tax cut, unprecedented environmental degradation, Wall Street unleashed and a whole lot of judges.

Believe it or not, it's not actually changing the pitch of your voice.

Learn to straddle that delicate line between "considerate partner" and "oblivious idiot" this festive season.

Time contracts, expands, swallows and spits you out into this instant, which can feel either impossibly remote from where you were two years ago or barely removed from it at all. Why?

In a world where camera phones are more ubiquitous than ever, why have television cameras stayed expensive and enormous?

Lilly Singh is tremendously successful and talented — why is her talk show so awful?

A YouTuber tests whether old motor oil performs as well as new motor oil.

A Youtuber with a very refined sense of taste sees if there's a difference between the cheapest bottled water on the market and the champagne of bottled water.