Department Index
Explainer 2009:
Answers to your questions about the news.
If you'd like to sort this department listing by headline, author or date, please use the Slate search.
- How Many Times Can You Shoot a Handgun in Seven Minutes? More than a thousand.
Nov. 9, 2009 - What's the Deal With "Cat Ladies"? Are there "cat gentlemen," too?
Nov. 8, 2009 - One Lost Job, Two Lost Jobs, Three Lost Jobs … How does the government keep track of employment numbers?
Nov. 7, 2009 - Fort Hood FAQ Can you carry a concealed weapon on military bases? And other questions answered.
Nov. 6, 2009 - What Does "Stable" Condition Mean? How can someone be "critical but stable"?
Nov. 6, 2009 - Is There a Lot of Crime on Military Bases? Not as much as you'd think.
Nov. 6, 2009 - Do Wolves Kill for Sport? No, but sometimes they hunt down more than they can eat.
Nov. 5, 2009 - Dirty Beef … and other alimentary concerns. An Explainer roundup.
Nov. 5, 2009 - Good Cop, Bad Cop? How do we make sure Afghan police officers aren't Taliban?
Nov. 4, 2009 - No Ligaments, No Problem How can DeJuan Blair play without an anterior cruciate ligament in either knee?
Nov. 3, 2009 - Why Do So Many Baseball Players Chew Tobacco? Because it's dusty out there.
Nov. 2, 2009 - Hellish Copters Why are choppers always crashing?
Oct. 30, 2009 - Why Won't They Just Drag Karadzic to Court? It's not like the guy has anything else to do.
Oct. 29, 2009 - Cult Busters How governments decide whether a religion is real or not.
Oct. 28, 2009 - Why Is It Called The Hague? And why is it in the Netherlands?
Oct. 27, 2009 - Time To Wake Up, Over How did those Northwest pilots manage to ignore an hour of radio calls?
Oct. 26, 2009 - Deliver to: David Rohde, c/o the Taliban, South Waziristan How does the Red Cross send letters to hostages?
Oct. 23, 2009 - Bootleg Nation How strict are Chinese copyright laws?
Oct. 22, 2009 - Spare a Dime for the Times? Can needy newspapers accept donations?
Oct. 21, 2009 - What's a Nuclear Secret? And why would Israel need one?
Oct. 20, 2009 - Let's See, That's Two Choppers at $5,000 Per Hour ... Can government rescuers send you a bill?
Oct. 19, 2009 - "Mona Linda? Nah. How About Mona Lisa?" Who decides what to call an old painting?
Oct. 16, 2009 - Balloon Boy FAQ Is it legal to make a homemade gas balloon? How much helium do you need? How do you steer?
Oct. 15, 2009 - Do I have a "Cadillac Plan"? An Explainer health care FAQ.
Oct. 14, 2009 - Hot and Holy What's so spiritual about sweat lodges?
Oct. 13, 2009 - Double Trouble What are the risks of having twins?
Oct. 12, 2009 - The Audacity of $1.4 Million What will President Obama do with his Nobel winnings?
Oct. 9, 2009 - Avast, That Thar's a Battleship! Why are Somali pirates mistaking warships for cargo vessels?
Oct. 8, 2009 - Holy Cow What's so good about Angus beef?
Oct. 7, 2009 - How Do I Get in Touch With a Terrorist? Call his cell.
Oct. 6, 2009 - Can Ahmadinejad Invoke the Right of Return? They say his mother was Jewish …
Oct. 5, 2009 - Up Your Nose or Down Your Throat? How doctors decide what form a drug will take.
Oct. 2, 2009 - This Means War How do inspectors know whether a nuclear facility is being used for peaceful purposes?
Oct. 1, 2009 - My City Is Under a Tsunami Advisory. Should I Run for My Life? No. But you might want to avoid the beach.
Sept. 30, 2009 - Voice in the Machine How GPS voice-over recording works.
Sept. 29, 2009 - What's "Unlawful Sexual Intercourse"? And other questions from the Explainer's Roman Polanski roundup.
Sept. 28, 2009 - Red Squares Why are the Russians so good at chess?
Sept. 25, 2009 - Lost in Translation How does interpretation work at the United Nations?
Sept. 24, 2009 - Red Sky in Morning, Aussie's Warning How can orange dust turn the sky red?
Sept. 23, 2009 - How Mean Are Drill Sergeants? Sir! Not that mean, sir!
Sept. 22, 2009 - How Do Prostitutes Pay Their Taxes? With 1040 Schedule C, of course.
Sept. 21, 2009 - American Indian Exceptionalism Max Baucus' bill makes you pay a fine if you don't have health insurance—unless you're American Indian.
Sept. 18, 2009 - The Tantrum Index How do you measure aggression in a 2-year-old?
Sept. 17, 2009 - For Shame How many ways can Congress punish its members?
Sept. 16, 2009 - Serena Williams Swears to God What do the Jehovah's Witnesses make of the tennis champion's tirade on the court?
Sept. 15, 2009 - Can You Really Be a Professor of Symbology? No, but you can study symbols all you want.
Sept. 14, 2009 - Trapped in the Closet Is it ever legal to detain someone against her will?
Sept. 11, 2009 - The First Heckler Is Obama the first president to get heckled during an address to Congress?
Sept. 10, 2009 - Double-O Syv Does Norway engage in international espionage?
Sept. 9, 2009 - Service Job How good does a tennis pro have to be to make a living?
Sept. 8, 2009 - And Now for a Word From Our President Why do news networks cover presidential addresses?
Sept. 4, 2009 - How Does the Government Count Lost Jobs? And why are there so many different estimates?
Sept. 3, 2009 - How Did the Station Fire Start? And other questions about the disaster in Southern California, with answers from our archives.
Sept. 3, 2009 - Gfail Can I sue Gmail for going off-line?
Sept. 2, 2009 - What's a High Ankle Sprain? The history of a sports-injury trend.
Sept. 1, 2009 - What Do Parole Officers Do? And why didn't one notice that Phillip Garrido had a kidnapped teenager living in his backyard?
Aug. 31, 2009 - Bone Dry Will we ever run out of dinosaur bones?
Aug. 28, 2009 - Early Deadlines How far in advance do newspapers write obituaries?
Aug. 27, 2009 - Ted Kennedy, RIP Are the Kennedys still rich? Does anyone still talk like Teddy?
Aug. 26, 2009 - What Do Prison Consultants Do? Plaxico Burress gets a new coach.
Aug. 25, 2009 - What Can You Learn From a Fake Breast? The secrets of a silicone serial number.
Aug. 24, 2009 - Your Money Is Covered With Cocaine Can our tainted bills be used to track drug use?
Aug. 21, 2009 - Paper Weight The health care bill is more than 1,000 pages. Is that a lot?
Aug. 20, 2009 - Why Do We Call Galileo Galilei by His First Name? We don't go around saying "Albert" discovered relativity.
Aug. 19, 2009 - The Brits Have Taken Over Turks and Caicos. Is Canada Next? Only if the Queen is feeling imperial.
Aug. 18, 2009 - How Accurate Is Pre-Election Polling in Afghanistan? More accurate than it was the last time around.
Aug. 17, 2009 - Sweet Is Low Could America run out of sugar?
Aug. 14, 2009 - 7 Billion Carbon Sinks How much does breathing contribute to climate change?
Aug. 13, 2009 - Can We Stop Saying Retarded Yet? Yes, it's "intellectually disabled."
Aug. 12, 2009 - The Half-Million-Dollar Wiener How can New York City hot dog vendors afford a monthly rent of $53,558?
Aug. 12, 2009 - Oldies but Baddies Can someone be too old for jail?
Aug. 11, 2009 - Why Would Billy Mays Take Three Kinds of Painkillers? Because two kinds weren't enough.
Aug. 10, 2009 - Step Away From the Microphone Do political "town hall" meetings have rules?
Aug. 7, 2009 - What Do Submarines Do on Patrol? Watch other ships, or just look intimidating?
Aug. 6, 2009 - Dear Trip Leader Bill Clinton traveled to North Korea as a "private citizen." Can I?
Aug. 5, 2009 - Farewell to the Unknown Soldier Only one soldier was listed as missing in action from the entire first Gulf War. How can that be?
Aug. 4, 2009 - What If Obama Really Were Born in Kenya? An Explainer thought experiment.
Aug. 3, 2009 - Do Guinea Pigs Exist in the Wild? Plus, why do they die so easily?
July 31, 2009 - Unshreddable How to reassemble a shredded document.
July 31, 2009 - How Do We Know Health Care Reform Will Cost $1 Trillion? The Congressional Budget Office keeps score.
July 30, 2009 - Recess! Why does Congress get so much vacation?
July 29, 2009 - The Explainer Gets Hit by a Bus The origins of the catastrophic cliché.
July 28, 2009 - Do I Really Need My Biceps Tendon? Brett Favre just had one detached, and he can still play football …
July 27, 2009 - Somebody Call Officer Crumb! How much cash can a corrupt politician cram into a cereal box?
July 24, 2009 - Does Soda Taste Different in a Bottle Than a Can? Only if it's been sitting around for a while.
July 23, 2009 - Do Police Officers Have To Identify Themselves? And other Henry Louis Gates Jr. arrest questions, answered by the Explainer.
July 22, 2009 - A Nuclear Power Plant With a View How do energy companies decide where to build new reactors?
July 21, 2009 - How Does a Terrorist Group Get "Ties" to Al-Qaida? Here's one way: Make a video.
July 20, 2009 - Was Cronkite Really the First "Anchorman"? How we came to use the term.
July 18, 2009 - The Sequence of Sequencing How do we decide which genome to map next?
July 17, 2009 - Do Judges Really Have To Follow Precedent? Not unless they mind being reversed.
July 16, 2009 - Fry Your Brain Who came up with the idea of electroshock therapy?
July 15, 2009 - Are Assassinations Ever Legal? It depends on who you ask.
July 14, 2009 - Can Stress Really Make Your Hair Fall Out? You betcha!
July 13, 2009 - Vienna Sausage Is Brüno really representative of Austria's gay community?
July 10, 2009 - Keep It in the Closet Can the kid who settled his child-abuse claim with Michael Jackson speak out about his case?
July 9, 2009 - The Penis Mightier How does porn screenwriting work?
July 8, 2009 - If Senators Play Hooky, Do They Still Get Paid? The ins and outs of government salaries.
July 7, 2009 - How Many Nukes Does It Take To Defend America? Presidents Obama and Medvedev have agreed to a limit of between 1,500 and 1,675 nuclear warheads. Who picked those numbers?
July 6, 2009 - Un-American Independence Day What are Fourth of July celebrations like abroad?
July 3, 2009 - You Survived a Plane Crash! Now What? Don't move.
July 2, 2009 - Grave Concerns Is it legal to bury Michael Jackson at Neverland Ranch?
July 1, 2009 - Roommates for Life How do prisons deal with overcrowding?
June 30, 2009 - Gov. Sanford Is a Cheater. Is He Also a Criminal? Technically, yes.
June 30, 2009 - Is It Easier To Grow Poppy Than Wheat? Yes, but it's a pain to harvest.
June 29, 2009 - Michael Jackson, RIP, FAQ Lunar moonwalking, child custody, and made-up words.
June 26, 2009 - Will Sarah Jessica Parker's Surrogate Get Visitation Rights? No.
June 25, 2009 - They Know It When They See It Is all pornography banned in China?
June 24, 2009 - Is the Emergency Room More Expensive Than the Doctor's Office? It depends on whom you ask.
June 23, 2009 - No News Is Good News Is it ever a smart idea to publicize a kidnapping?
June 22, 2009 - Why Do Doctors Wear White Coats? Because they say "science."
June 19, 2009 - How Long Can You Keep a Deadly Virus on Ice? Until the end of human civilization, probably.
June 18, 2009 - Prints of Persia Why are Iranian police markings written in English?
June 17, 2009 - What's With All the Prayer Breakfasts? Why can't they do a prayer lunch instead?
June 16, 2009 - Beautiful Two-Bedroom on One Disputed Acre How much does an Israeli-settlement home cost?
June 15, 2009 - The Iranian Baby Boom Why the Islamic republic has such a youthful population.
June 12, 2009 - Do Judges Get To Look at Classified Documents? Only if they promise to store them in a safe.
June 11, 2009 - After Gitmo What happens when the Uighurs get to Palau?
June 10, 2009 - Islamic Greenwashing Why is the color green so important in the Muslim world?
June 9, 2009 - Why Would Lebanon's Christians Side With Iran? Because they're afraid of Saudi Arabia.
June 8, 2009 - Strangle With Care David Carradine may have died attempting autoerotic asphyxiation. Is there a safe way to do that?
June 5, 2009 - How Many Balloons Would It Take To Lift a House? The physics of Pixar's Up.
June 4, 2009 - Tussle in Tiananmen Square What does the Chinese government say happened on June 4, 1989?
June 3, 2009 - How Do You Find a Missing Plane? With lots more planes.
June 2, 2009 - What Made George Tiller So Special? He did the abortion procedures that other doctors couldn't or wouldn't do.
June 1, 2009 - Once More, With Less Pixelation! What does the director of an animated movie do?
May 29, 2009 - How Do They Pick the Words for the National Spelling Bee? By looking in shopping catalogs.
May 28, 2009 - Is Hispanic the Same Thing as Latina? Not quite.
May 27, 2009 - Are We at War With North Korea? Um, sort of, in a way …
May 26, 2009 - The Devil You Know Are Tasmanian devils really as aggressive as the Looney Tunes character?
May 22, 2009 - How Many Times Will Paleontologists Find the "Missing Link"? The fossil hunter's favorite phrase.
May 21, 2009 - Deal or No Dealership Why is Chrysler closing 789 car dealerships?
May 20, 2009 - Do Aviators Wear Aviators? Pilots and their sunglasses.
May 19, 2009 - Life on $2 a Day How far does two bucks take you in India?
May 18, 2009 - Old and Fat Were there obese people 35,000 years ago?
May 15, 2009 - Objection, Dear Leader! How do court trials work in North Korea?
May 14, 2009 - Hands Off My Garbage! Once you put something in the trash, do you still own it?
May 13, 2009 - Do Jockeys Matter in Horse Races? Just a little bit.
May 12, 2009 - Can You Die From Lack of Sleep? The dangers of being really, really tired.
May 11, 2009 - Manny Being Woman-y Why might a doctor prescribe HCG to a guy?
May 8, 2009 - A Dog's Life How do you really calculate dog years?
May 7, 2009 - The Rise of Yeast Why do scientists always experiment on this fungus?
May 6, 2009 - The Six Flavors of White Supremacy Do you have to pick just one?
May 5, 2009 - Sneezes on a Plane When do they divert a flight for a health reasons?
May 4, 2009 - Swine Flu FAQ Will getting swine flu now protect me later? Why is winter flu season? Why do vaccines take so long?
May 1, 2009 - How Strong Is a Wolverine? It's the toughest weasel on earth.
April 30, 2009 - Ooh, Is That a Hitler? Do Adolf Hitler's descendants get a cut of his painting profits?
April 29, 2009 - Where Have All the Doctors Gone? They're retired.
April 28, 2009 - Does Every Animal Have Its Own Kind of Flu? No, but whales and seals do.
April 27, 2009 - Why Are Some Countries Banning Pork Imports? Do they know something about swine flu that we don't?
April 27, 2009 - Are Pigs Dying of Swine Flu, Too? No, it's just another day in the sty.
April 27, 2009 - How Does a Pandemic Ever End? It runs out of victims.
April 27, 2009 - Pandemic Alert! What happens during a "public health emergency," and what's a "pandemic alert level"?
April 27, 2009 - The Fake Sheikh Are reporters allowed to misrepresent themselves?
April 24, 2009 - Can You Get Used to Being Water-Boarded? Or is it still scary after you've been through it 182 times before?
April 23, 2009 - How Old Are Ye, Matey? Can science determine the age of a Somali pirate?
April 23, 2009 - What's a High-Seas Truce? Was it against the rules of maritime warfare to nab that Somali pirate?
April 22, 2009 - Payback Time What happens to returned TARP money?
April 21, 2009 - Hey, Mongolia, Can You Get My Mail While I'm Gone? What happens to an embassy when the ambassador leaves?
April 20, 2009 - Iiiiiiiiiieeeeaaaaaayyyyeeee Can anyone sing with vibrato like Susan Boyle?
April 17, 2009 - Is It Really Illegal To Put Boogers in a Sandwich? Food tampering laws, explained.
April 16, 2009 - Taxes, Schmaxes What happens if I don't file my tax return?
April 14, 2009 - An Explainer Exclusive Why would the White House offer news to just one reporter?
April 14, 2009 - Open Sea Sniping How hard is it to shoot someone in a lifeboat 100 feet away?
April 13, 2009 - Let Him Go! Please? How hostage negotiations work.
April 10, 2009 - Getting High by Going Down Can oral sex make you fail a drug test?
April 9, 2009 - Heated Controversy Do firefighters believe 9/11 conspiracy theories?
April 8, 2009 - Why Is Gmail Still in Beta? It's been around for five years already!
April 7, 2009 - It's 11:48 a.m. Do You Know Where Your Missile Is? Do the North Koreans have more information about their test launch than we do?
April 6, 2009 - World Wad What would a new global reserve currency look like?
April 3, 2009 - The Executive Gift Exchange Have U.S. presidents always traded tchotchkes with foreign leaders?
April 2, 2009 - The Undemocratic People's Republic of Korea Why do the most totalitarian countries always have the most democratic-sounding names?
April 1, 2009 - Could My iPhone Really Crash My Airplane? What about an onboard Wi-Fi network?
March 31, 2009 - Why Does Obama Want To Combine Chrysler and Fiat? Because their products and markets are complementary.
March 30, 2009 - What's So Great About White Phosphorus? Why an army might use a weapon that gets human rights groups upset.
March 27, 2009 - Murder, She Wrote How forensic handwriting identification works.
March 26, 2009 - Jailhouse Doc What's the health care system like in prison?
March 25, 2009 - States' Rights Why can't governors spend stimulus money however they want?
March 24, 2009 - Have Prostate Exams Been Discredited? Not quite yet.
March 23, 2009 - Is Barack Obama Good Enough To Bowl at the Special Olympics? Yes, but he's not good enough to win.
March 20, 2009 - How Does Blood Money Work? What an arm and a leg will cost you.
March 20, 2009 - When Did Drunks Start Wearing Lampshades? A history of tipsy tomfoolery.
March 18, 2009 - What Happens to the Archives of Defunct Newspapers? They end up in a library.
March 17, 2009 - The Bonus Explainer How did the AIG executive "bonuses" become a legal obligation?
March 16, 2009 - Cosmic Lifeboats How do you escape a sinking space station?
March 13, 2009 - Global Motherf*ckers Does every culture use the suggestion of maternal incest as an insult?
March 12, 2009 - The Mile High Club How aerial refueling works.
March 11, 2009 - Madoff's "Information" Why didn't the Ponzi schemer get indicted instead?
March 11, 2009 - Elf Detection 101 How to find the hidden folk of Iceland.
March 10, 2009 - Break a Leg! What's the best way to fracture your own tibia?
March 9, 2009 - Man's First Friend What was the original domesticated animal?
March 6, 2009 - Do Psychologists Still Use Rorschach Tests? Plus: Are the inkblots on Rorschach's mask in Watchmen the real deal?
March 5, 2009 - Party's Over How does the Coast Guard decide when to call off a search-and-rescue mission?
March 4, 2009 - Philatelists' Republic of China Why are the Chinese such incorrigible stamp collectors?
March 3, 2009 - Were There Sex Shops in the Time of George Washington? No, but there were plenty of brothels.
March 2, 2009 - Blood Mail Are you allowed to send your bodily fluids through the post?
Feb. 27, 2009 - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap How much does it cost to put a hit on someone?
Feb. 26, 2009 - They Shoot Horses, Don't They? No, they put a bolt through their brain.
Feb. 25, 2009 - Financial Gangster's Paradise I got busted by the SEC. Where should I flee to?
Feb. 24, 2009 - Can You Shoot Down a Helicopter With a Pistol? Yes—try to aim for the tail or the pilot.
Feb. 23, 2009 - Monaco Is the New Switzerland My Swiss bank got busted. Where do I hide my money now?
Feb. 21, 2009 - What Does a Hollywood Producer Do, Exactly? Everything—or nothing.
Feb. 20, 2009 - Decapitation and the Muslim World Is there any special significance to beheading in Islam?
Feb. 20, 2009 - Late Model What will happen to Hummer dealers when GM stops making Hummers?
Feb. 18, 2009 - Sub Standard Why are submarines always bumping into things?
Feb. 17, 2009 - Purgatory Parole How Catholic "indulgences" work.
Feb. 13, 2009 - Un-Guilty! Do corrupt judges get their decisions erased?
Feb. 12, 2009 - When Sharks Don't Attack The science of shark repellants.
Feb. 11, 2009 - What Can You Open With a Key to the City? Capt. Sully Sullenberger just got a key to New York. Can I call him if I lock myself out?
Feb. 10, 2009 - Why Do Americans Love Peanut Butter? They fell for it during World War II.
Feb. 9, 2009 - Adolf Who? What makes someone a Holocaust denier?
Feb. 6, 2009 - A Snake the Size of a Plane How did prehistoric animals get so big?
Feb. 5, 2009 - You're Trashing My Scene! Was Christian Bale's Terminator tirade illegal?
Feb. 4, 2009 - Olympic-Size Bong Hits Michael Phelps has extraordinary lung capacity. Does that mean he can get extraordinarily stoned?
Feb. 3, 2009 - Who Decides Which Drugs Athletes Can Take? Why Olympians can't get high.
Feb. 2, 2009 - Total Recall I just ate salmonella-tainted peanut butter. What do I do now?
Jan. 30, 2009 - Debbie Does Salad Do vegetarians really have better sex?
Jan. 29, 2009 - You're Grounded! How do you qualify for house arrest?
Jan. 28, 2009 - Womb for More How many babies can fit inside one woman?
Jan. 27, 2009 - Why Do Cellos Sound Lousy in Cold Weather? The optimal climate for musical instruments.
Jan. 27, 2009 - Jihadis Anonymous What happens in terrorist rehab?
Jan. 23, 2009 - Microsoft Oval Office Will President Obama have a personal computer?
Jan. 22, 2009 - One Ecstatic Inauguration Attendee, Two Ecstatic Inauguration Attendees How do you measure a crowd?
Jan. 21, 2009 - Does the Kevlar Number Come in a French Cuff? Obama was wearing "bullet-resistant clothing." What's that?
Jan. 20, 2009 - Why Doesn't Every President Use the Lincoln Bible? And other tidbits about the Inauguration Day scripture.
Jan. 19, 2009 - How Not To Get Trampled at the Inauguration Don't go with the flow.
Jan. 19, 2009 - It's a Bird, It's a Plane … Everything you need to know about bird strikes, water landings, and other airplane emergencies.
Jan. 16, 2009 - Aren't These Confirmation Hearings a Bit Early? Why is the Senate approving Cabinet members when Obama isn't even president yet?
Jan. 15, 2009 - Big Bird What are the rules for flipping someone off on network television?
Jan. 13, 2009 - Why Don't Indonesians Know How To Swim? Plus, why are their ferries always sinking?
Jan. 12, 2009 - First Movers How exactly will Obama get all his stuff into the White House?
Jan. 9, 2009 - Dry Pumping How do you shut off a gas pipeline?
Jan. 8, 2009 - Self-Mutilation for Dummies Is there a right way for Shiites to lash themselves on Ashura?
Jan. 7, 2009 - What Is the Most Disloyal Dog Breed? An answer to the Explainer's 2008 Question of the Year.
Jan. 7, 2009 - How Many Albinos Are in Tanzania? More than you might think.
Jan. 7, 2009 - Uh … Mind if I Sit Here? What's going to happen to the Minnesota and Illinois Senate seats?
Jan. 5, 2009
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