The "Questions you've always wanted to ask, but you thought it's not worth making a thread for" thread!

[Bones]

Originally Posted by Stefan88

How much money does McDonalds make a minute? That'd be interesting to know.

In 2007 McDonalds made $2.395 billion after tax ie. $4,556.69 per minute.

[Bones]

How many different people do we see in our lifetimes?

[gazzab1990]

Why do men have nipples?

[Dan B]

Originally Posted by GREAT_Britain

Why do men have nipples?

Probably something to do with the fact that all humans are initially or majoritively predestined to be female, and with our different chromosomes the feature is left, but is essentially defunct. However males can lactate apparently, so it's not completely useless, a little estrogen could probably help out there. I don't know, that's probably highly unscientific...

[Octoman]

So Madame Whiplash has somewhere to attach these..

[paulmat]

Is Bird really the Word?

[CharlieP]

Originally Posted by paulmat

Is Bird really the Word?

No, Grease is the Word.

[Butterfield]

Originally Posted by GREAT_Britain

Why do men have nipples?

Because without them mens chests would be very bland.

[Rigadon]

Originally Posted by Stefan88

If we evolved from monkeys or apes then why are there still monkeys and apes on the earth?
Probably sounds like a bit of a stupid question to some.

Briefly

we are apes are therefore so long as we are on the earth apes are on the earth

We didnt evolve from monkeys.

We did evolve from apes but not from any of the non-human apes currently on earth.

All the present great apes (humans, chimps, bonobos, gorillas, orangutans) evolved form a common ancestor to suit different enivronments.

However it is perfectly possible for a species to evolve into a new species but for the old species to still flourish on earth. For example a mammal could be widespread throughout Central America and then spread north. Those that reach the artic circle might struggle to survive and so evolve over time into a polar version with a thick white coat etc, but the original species may continue to prosper in Central America with very little change in its DNA occurring .

[Rigadon]

Originally Posted by future.architect

why are humans almost hairless?

I think its believed to be an example of neoteny http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neotenythe the reason for which is unclear.

Two explanations I have heard, neither of which are widely accepted are:

1. Aquatic ape theory http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquatic_ape_theory


2. Its a by product of other neotenic(?) features which had an evolutionary advantage. According to some mate of Dennis Morris one of these was the extension of the brain's learning phase from childhood when mammals learn how to survive into adulthood when there brain normally get on with surviving. Not read his book but I think that according to him this was the key to humans success, and to invention civilizatoin etc

[Rigadon]

Here's the book by Dennis Morris's mate http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eternal-Chil.../dp/0091885744

Judging by the comments it looks to be further from mainstream thinking than I thought

[Noostairz]

3.25pm here. best uk radio station to listen to for new years GMT? i fancy cracking open the bubbly early and giving the wife a slightly shitfaced Noostairz to come home to. for better for worse, 'till death, etc. she'll understand.

[paulmat]

Whats the reasoning behind all the adverts that say people who don't eat breakfast are fatter? Surely if I don't eat breakfast, i'm eating less, so have less to burn off...

[yoshef]

Originally Posted by paulmat

Whats the reasoning behind all the adverts that say people who don't eat breakfast are fatter? Surely if I don't eat breakfast, i'm eating less, so have less to burn off...

if you don't eat breakfast your metabolism doesn't speed up, so you burn less calories than you would had you eaten brekkie. Your metabolism slows down when you sleep.

[mexico86]

Originally Posted by paulmat

Whats the reasoning behind all the adverts that say people who don't eat breakfast are fatter? Surely if I don't eat breakfast, i'm eating less, so have less to burn off...

beat me to it The reasoning is that eating breakfast speeds up your metabolism, so you burn off your later meals more easily. Fasting puts your body into some kind of famine-mode, which makes your body store more calories as fat, and which is not very useful unless you (a) want to put on weight or (b) are living in North Korea.

[mexico86]

How does the amount of data down- or up-loaded via the internet translate into a cost to the ISP? I'm old enough to remember the golden years of broadband, where our student house had divx film downloads going 24/7 and there were no restrictions, and I am bemused by the recent advent of said restrictions miserly ISP gits.

[paulmat]

Originally Posted by yoshef

if you don't eat breakfast your metabolism doesn't speed up, so you burn less calories than you would had you eaten brekkie. Your metabolism slows down when you sleep.

Originally Posted by mexico86

beat me to it The reasoning is that eating breakfast speeds up your metabolism, so you burn off your later meals more easily. Fasting puts your body into some kind of famine-mode, which makes your body store more calories as fat, and which is not very useful unless you (a) want to put on weight or (b) are living in North Korea.

Ah, interesting... Maybe I will start eating breakfast then!

[Awayo]

Originally Posted by GREAT_Britain

Why do men have nipples?

Speak for yourself, freak boy!

[Saigoneseguy]

Why everyone stands on the right in an escalator and not on the left?

[Gherkin]

On a public road (in Britain); walkers are meant to walk on the right so (if you were walking) you'd overtake another walker by passing them on the left. I guess the same is true with escalators.