Demystifying World: 70 Reasons Why Things Are the Way They Are

The main reason why pigeons are abundant in cities is that this environment resembles their place of origin, the seaside cliffs of the Mediterranean, as modern-day pigeons are descendants of birds that escaped captivity when kept as pets.

27. One of the reasons why Sikhs began carrying a ceremonial dagger called a Kirpan was to defend themselves and others against forced conversions to Islam by Muslim rulers in India during the 1600s.

28. The reason why medicine bottles are often orange or light brown in color is because they prevent ultraviolet light from degrading the contents through photochemical reactions while still allowing enough visible light for the contents to be seen.

29. The reason why olive oil bottles are dark is because they protect the oil from light exposure, which can cause the oil to degrade and spoil.

30. The primary reason why breakfast is not served all day at McDonald's is because the grill temperature required to cook beef patties is significantly different from the temperature needed to cook eggs.

The reason why it hurts to eat pineapple is due to the presence of an enzyme called bromelain, which digests proteins. It literally starts digesting tissues in your mouth, and grilling the fruit can prevent this from happening.

32. Snow is an excellent insulator, as it contains approximately 90-95 percent trapped air, making igloos warmer inside than outside. This is also why animals in colder regions build snow caves for hibernation.

33. Titanium can osseointegrate, which means that it can fuse with bones, and this is one of the reasons why it is used extensively in biomedical implants.

34. The reason why action figures shrank from 11 inches in the 1960s to 4 inches in the 1970s was due to the oil shortage.

35. The reason why businesses use "The Big Game" instead of "Super Bowl" in their advertisements is that the NFL owns the trademark to "Super Bowl" and enforces licensing strictly.

The reason why caffeine is found in many different plants is because it acts as a naturally occurring insecticide.

37. The reason why 1 horsepower seems small compared to the actual power of a horse is because it factors in the time that a horse needs to rest.

38. The reason why taking Pepto Bismol can cause black tongue and poop is due to the active ingredient, Bismuth, reacting with the trace amounts of sulfur found in saliva and the gastrointestinal tract.

39. The reason why people drive on the left in Britain dates back to medieval times when people walked or rode their horses on the left side to ensure their protective sword arm was between them and the person passing them.

40. One of the main reasons why police use horses is due to the added height they provide, increasing visibility over large crowds and areas.

The reason why your singing sounds better in the shower is due to the reflective surfaces of the shower walls and the enclosed space, which create a reverb effect that enhances the sound of your voice.

42. The American cheetah, Miracinonyx trumani, is thought to be the main reason why pronghorn are the fastest mammals in the Western Hemisphere, as they are much faster than any extant predator.

43. Heat shock, caused by the intense heat of Mount Vesuvius' eruption, led to a quick and gruesome death for the people of Pompeii, with the high temperature causing their blood to boil and their skulls to fracture rather than explode.

44. The reason why bad moonshine can make you go blind is that it may contain methanol, which can cause blindness and brain damage when metabolized into formic acid in the body.

45. The reason why squirrels run across the road and then straight into your car in a suicidal manner is because of their survival instinct to run erratically in order to escape an attack from a predator.

The reason why cleaning your ears with Q-tips might trigger a cough reflex is that accidentally stimulating the Arnold's nerve or the vagus nerve can trigger a cough.

47. The reason why the US currency has quarters instead of fifths of a dollar is because it was based on the Spanish Dollar, which had eight reals per peso, or "pieces of eight."

48. The reason why cats rapidly kick their hind legs while playing with a toy on their backs is that it's a natural instinct to grab and dismember their prey, even if it's just a toy.

49. The reason why we can feel hungry is due to the drop in the level of nutrients in the blood stream, which can trigger a stress response in the brain and lower our inhibitions to different emotions.

50. The reason why cashew nuts are more expensive than most other nuts is due to their toxic shell, which requires special processing to remove and makes the harvesting process more labor-intensive.