Have you ever had that burning question your curious brain would just love to know the answer? Like how many stars are there in the sky? We’ve all had questions like that, and usually got answers from books and teachings as we grew up. However, our brains aren’t always satisfied with the answers. There are questions our curious minds would still love to know the answers. In this post, we have explained answers to such 10 curious questions which will blow your mind.

1 Why do we lose our baby teeth?

Getting rid of baby teeth is not funny at all. But, in the long run, the baby teeth must go. We all know that shortly after babies are born, they begin to acquire baby teeth. These teeth emerge on average at six months. The baby teeth help the baby with their dental structure, biting and chewing, the pronunciation of words and speaking, and overall face structure. However, baby teeth can’t sustain them in adulthood. As the baby grows, the jawbones grow demanding a set of larger teeth. The baby teeth pave the way for the permanent teeth.

At around ages five and six, the permanent teeth start pushing at the roots of the baby teeth, making them loose. The loose teeth will fall after a certain period. The little blood you see when the baby teeth fall is caused by the bleeding of the gums that were holding the teeth. Humans lose all the first 20 teeth, also called ‘milk teeth,’ and gain a total of 32 permanent teeth. However, some people retain their baby teeth for life and never get permanent teeth. This condition is known as a “congenital” issue. (1, 2)

2 What makes the wind?

No matter what learned, we are still wondering about wind. What the force is behind the wind, and what exactly makes the wind, baffles many. The wind starts when the heat from the Sun creates a difference in atmospheric pressure. The wind is generated from differences in atmospheric pressure that is made up of billions of tiny particles that are in the air. Examples of these small particles are nitrogen and oxygen.

When the Sun heats the Earth’s surface, the tiny particles tend to move upwards, while the cold small particles up the atmosphere move downwards. This movement of air particles from cold to warm regions and vice versa is what causes the wind. Technically, when the Sun heats the Earth’s surface, it creates a difference in atmospheric pressure. As the air moves from cold to warm areas, it establishes winds of varying speeds. The intensity of the wind’s force is measured using the Beaufort Wind Force Scale and is denoted in knots. (1, 2, 3)

3 What makes a shooting star fall?

Did you know that a shooting star is not a star? The shooting star you see falling towards the Earth’s surface at night is a meteorite made up of dust and tiny rocks. As the meteor falls, it glows due to friction. Meteors are small particles from comets and asteroids and mostly come from the Asteroid Belt. Others form when a collision occurs in other Solar System bodies like the Moon and Mars.

When the object enters the Earth’s atmosphere and burns up in the sky, it is called a “meteor.” When it survives the burning and hits the Earth’s surface, it is called a “meteorite.” Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through a comet’s debris stream. During this time, the meteors appear a few minutes or seconds apart and originate from the same spot. It is estimated that 25 million debris, meteorites, and other fragments enter the Earth’s atmosphere every day. (1, 2)

4 How do remote controls work?

You’ve probably handled a remote control device all your life. A “remote” is a hand-held device used to control other electronic devices like the TV and a DVD. A remote was first developed in 1950 by Zenith Radio Corporation. The remote was connected to a TV using a wire. In 1955, Eugene Polly developed a wireless remote control. Over time, the remote control has been applied to other electronic devices like video games, cameras, vehicles, etc.

The remote control uses infrared light and radio waves to send commands to devices. The remote control that uses infrared light is used to control devices within a short distance like the TV in the living room. The infrared light is not visible to the naked eye. However, you can see them through a camera. When a user presses a button on the remote control, it sends a pattern of infrared light using the light-emitting diode, usually at the end of the remote control. The device being controlled will interpret the message and execute the commands accordingly.

Remote control using radio waves is used to control devices at long distance. A remote control is made up of a communication channel, a protocol, and an interface. When you press the button on this remote control, it sends the message through a protocol. The protocol is in binary numbers of 1s and 0s indicated by bits being on or off. The electronic device being controlled will interpret the numbers and execute the commands. (1, 2)

5 Why do clouds float when they have tons of water in them?

Clouds are a collection of billions of water droplets and/or ice crystals. These water droplets and/or ice crystals are widely spread up the sky, giving it a floating look. Clouds form when the Sun heats the Earth’s surface, including the oceans and seas. Water in these water bodies evaporates and rises as warm air. At some heights high above, the warm air cools to form tiny water droplets. When illuminated by light, the small droplets appear as though floating. It is the same as the small particles you see in a dark room when the sun comes through the window.

The reason why clouds do not fall despite vast volumes of water in them is that the water droplets are lightweight and dispersed in the atmosphere. Also, the upward motions (updrafts) counteract the falling tendencies of particles in the atmosphere, causing the clouds to form, grow, and survive in air moving upwards. As the air rises, the pressure decreases, and at high altitudes, the wind causes cooling and the survival and growth of clouds. As the water droplets cool, they clump together to big sizes, big enough to finally give in to gravity and fall as rain. (1, 2)