Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — How will "The Walking Dead" end? What is twerking? These are two of the most frequently Googled questions. I'm guessing, "Can zombies twerk?" is a close third. I don't have an answer for those questions, but if you'd like to add to your knowledge of random trivia and kill five minutes of your workday, then read on!
Why are movie trailers called that?
It may seem odd to you that trailers don't actually trail anything, but instead appear at the beginning of a film. If it's never seemed odd to you, then skip ahead to the next question.
Travis Poppleton from flickjunkies.com breaks it down. "In a nutshell, trailers started out as clips played at the end of a film," explained Poppleton. "There are some interesting theories as to why, including an idea that early movie theaters let patrons stay as long as they'd like, and advertisements after a movie could drive lingering viewers out the door. Regardless, the practice didn't last long and while other words like 'previews' have been introduced, 'trailer' remains the favorite."
What causes deja vu?
Does it feel like you've read this question before? Dr. Russell Poldrack, professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Texas at Austin, has an explanation for that eerie feeling of having experienced something previously.
"The brain has a system that detects when things are familiar, which is at least partially separate from the brain's systems for actually remembering what happened in the past. This is why we sometimes have the experience of knowing that we have seen someone before, but not remembering where we have seen them or who they are. We think that deja vu happens when this familiarity system gets turned on but we don't actually remember the past event that must have triggered it," explained Poldrack.
The brain has a system that detects when things are familiar, which is at least partially separate from the brain's systems for actually remembering what happened in the past. This is why we sometimes have the experience of knowing that we have seen someone before, but not remembering where we have seen them or who they are. We think that deja vu happens when this familiarity system gets turned on but we don't actually remember the past event that must have triggered it.
–Dr. Russell Poldrack
"This probably occurs because there is some kind of overlap between the situation that causes the deja vu and some past situation that was similar in some respects, but it might also be the case that the familiarity system just gets accidentally turned on due to random firing of neurons in the brain."
Why do we hide eggs at Easter? Rabbits don't lay eggs!
What once had humble beginnings is now a full-blown Pinterest holiday, complete with jelly beans that if planted sprout lollipop gardens, and decorative wreaths made from Peeps.
The good people at theholidayspot.com believe there's a long and symbolic history behind those decorative eggs. "At the Passover Seder, a hard-boiled egg dipped in saltwater symbolizes both new life and the Passover sacrifice offered at the temple in Jerusalem. The ancient Persians painted eggs for their New Year celebration falling on the spring equinox," they explained. "It was also during Easter that the consumption of eggs resumed after the strict Lenten fast. Eggs were thus a mainstay of Easter meals, and a prized Easter gift for children and servants. And this is probably the reason why eggs came to be associated with Easter."
The tale of the Easter Bunny was brought to America by German immigrants. Children would make a nest for an egg-laying hare named "Osterhase." The rabbit was said to leave colored eggs, which eventually evolved into the tradition of Easter baskets.
If man is the most intelligent species, then what species is the second most intelligent?
First off, men are probably second in intelligence, right ladies? As far as the animal kingdom goes though, there are a few species vying for the top spot behind humans. However, since there isn't an SAT by which to judge the animals with, we may never actually know the answer.
"The question is not a valid one because there is no objective way to evaluate intelligence across species," said Dr. Jonathan Clark from Weber State University. "I would argue that all species are equally intelligent because they are persistent, adapted to the environment, and are able to respond with appropriate behavior to changing situations. Humans undoubtedly have the best-developed brain. If that is the criterion for intelligence, then I would say that chimps are the second most intelligent species, because human and chimp genomes differ by only 1.5 percent at the nucleotide level. Since there is strong genetic component to neural networks that are associated with higher brain functions, chimp neural networks are likely the most similar to our own."
However, he believes there's a contender most people don't consider. "Pound-for-pound, I would say that the smartest animals are not humans, but the crow family (Corvidae) of birds. Considering their relatively small brains, their numerous adaptations, including the use of tools, are astonishing. Also, I routinely observe them in our backyard outwitting all other birds, as well as squirrels and rabbits, and even the stupid human who feeds them because he is fascinated by their behavior."
Why am I thirsty after I eat ice cream?
Eating ice cream and eating popcorn both leave you feeling thirsty for the very same reason. They're both heavy in salt content, and too much sodium throws off the salt to water ratio within your body. When there's too much salt and not enough water within your cells, your brain sends you the message that it's time to grab something to drink. But to rid that thirsty sensation it's better to grab water than soda, as soda is also very high in sodium.
What other questions have you always wanted answered? Ask them in the comment section and you might get your question in our next article.
Nicole Pollard has been writing for KSL and Deseret Connect since 2011. She can be reached at nicolemariepollard@gmail.com.
