DE Games - Tell Me Why?

Why do we get pins and needles?

Most of us have gone through the phenomenon of legs turning numb as a consequence of sitting in a particular posture for a long time. The sciatic nerve controls and provides sensation to the muscles

of our buttocks, thighs, feet and legs. This nerve runs down from the hips to the legs. Anything that puts pressure on this nerve as with prolonged sitting can hinder the nerve function or sensation of the lower legs. This hindering of the nerve function due to compression leads to the numbness of the feet. When we sit sit for a prolonged period in a particular posture, it leads to the accumulation of blood in the legs and the ankle region restricting the draining away of the deoxygenated blood by the veins. The result is the gradual depletion of oxygen in the legs, which causes a dull aching pain or heavy feeling. Diseases like diabetes
, lumbar spondylitis and acute weakness due to malnutrition may also cause such a problem.

Why do we blink our eyes?

We blink our eyes to lubricate and filter them. Blinking our eyes, to keep them from drying up, and to prevent foreign matter from entering and irritating our eyes. Blinking also coats the eyelid and eyelashes with the lubricant it secretes, to prevent them from drying up. Yet another benefit of blinking is to shield the eye from foreign bodies. Our eyelashes- short, curved, hairs- attached to the eyelids, serve as dust catchers.

Why is Barbie called by that name?

Ruth Handler had noted that her daughter Barbara liked to play with paper dolls that looked like adults rather rather than like children. When in Europe, she noticed a German doll named Lilli and bought it for Barbara. Ruth and Elliott Handler, the co-founders of Mattel, bought the rights to market Lilli: with a hair colour change from blonde to brunette, and a name change to Barbie (after Ruth's daughter Barbara). She was sold in the United States at New York's annual Toy Fair.

Why do doughnuts have holes in them?

Once , Hanson Gregory, a sea captain, was desperately hungry and he was finding it impossible to steer his vessel and eat his fried cake at the same time. Frustrated and hungry, Gregory impaled his cake over one of the spokes of the ship's wheel, creating a finger hold. This way, he managed to get a good grip on the cake. Henceforth, doughnuts have always had a hole.

Why do we yawn?

Yawning is an involuntary action that causes us to open our mouths wide
and breathe in deeply. We yawn when oxygen levels in our lungs

become low. Studies show that during normal breathing we don't use anywhere near lung capacity. The air sacs or alveoli needs fresh air or else they tend to stiffen up a bit. Therefore it is believed that the brain prompts the body to either sigh or take a yawn to get more air into the lungs.

Why is the Mars sky red?

Viking Mars landers and Pathfinder have sent back images which show a red sky seen from the surface of the Mars. This owes to the red iron rich dusts thrown up in frequent dust storms occuring on Mars. With the change in the weather conditions in Mars, the color of the Mars sky will also change. Due to the thin atmosphere of Mars, its sky will remain darker than the earth's daytime sky.

Why does the setting sun appear reddish orange?

The light of the sun on the horizon takes a longer path to reach our eyes through the atmosphere. This does not happen when the sun is directly overhead. By the time the light of the setting sun reaches our eyes, most of the blue light scatters out. The light we finally see is reddish orange. It is the color of white light minus the blue color.

Why is camel called "the ship of the desert"?

Camels are called "the ship of the desert" because of the way they move on the sand. They sway from side to side because they move both legs on one side at the same time, elevating that side. They thus have a ship-like motion which can make the rider feel sick.

Why do you cry while slicing onions?

Onion cells contain a chemical
compound that contains sulfur. When we slice onions the cells rupture and react with the enzyme outside the cells. This reaction produces molecules which react with the moisture in our eyes (forming sulfuric acid ) which in turn causes an irritating sensation. This makes our eyes water.

Why does the chameleon change its color?

The popular belief is that a chameleon changes its color to camouflage itself with its surroundings and evade danger, but in reality chameleons change colour in response to changes in the light, mood or temperature.

Why do flies rub their legs together?

When you see a fly rubbing its legs together, it is just cleaning itself, and scraping off some of the material that has gathered there. But how dangerous that material may be! It may be the bacteria of such diseases as tuberculosis, typhoid fever or dysentery. Flies get such germs from garbage and sewage. If they happen to our food, the germs spread to the food, and if we eat it, we may become infected. You may wonder how the fly carry these germs around. If you notice a fly under a magnifying glass, you would notice that the fly's body, it's claws and its padded feet, are covered with bristling hairs. The fly's tongue is also coated with sticky glue. This means that any place the fly stops for even a moment, it's going to pick up things, that stick to its body, its feet, or its tongue. In fact, each foot on its three pairs of legs has claws and two hairy pads-so that it can pick up plenty of things.

Why do doctors take your temperature?

The body temperature of a human being is an indication of his physical condition. An abnormally high or low temperature is generally a sign that something is wrong. In case of human beings, the normal temperature is usually given as 36.9 degree centigrade (98.4 degree Fahrenheit), but it varies throughout the day. A raised temperature is often the sign of bacterial or viral infection. It may be owing to a heatstroke or a brain injury or disease or even sudden shock.

Why is grass green?

The green color in grass and in most other plants, comes from chloroplast in the cells which contains four different colors. Of these, chlorophyll-a, which is blue-green in color, is the strongest. The colors are yellow-green (chlorophyll-b), yellow (xanthophyll) and orange (carotene). The color of the grass changes from light green in early spring to dark green and brown in summer and autumn because the amount of pigment changes, like paint on a palette.