MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What’s The Human Body’s Smallest Bone?
We humans are basically just a pile of bones filled with gooey bits & tied together in a skin sack. But it’s good to know what goes into making us humans the creatures that we are. So, when someone asked me this question the other day I thought, “Now that’s something everyone should know”. The question was: what is the smallest bone in the human body?
The home of the smallest bone in your body belongs to…your ear. While the first thoughts you might have of your ear involve the fleshy lobe & the cartilaginous ridges, there are, in fact, bones in your ear. Your ear actually houses the three smallest bones in your body, which are called “ossicles”, from a Latin word that means “small bone”. Their individual names also come from Latin: the malleus, or “hammer”; the incus, or “anvil”; and the stapes, or “stirrup”. They’re all connected in a chain & vaguely shaped like what their names suggest. Altogether, the ossicles come to about the size of an orange seed; and of the three, the stapes is the smallest.
Of the three sections of your ear (the outer, middle, and inner ear), your ossicles can be found in your middle ear, between the eardrum & the inner ear area, where they transmit sound vibrations from one place to another. Once vibrations have passed through the middle ear, they hit the cochlea, which turns them into neural signals that your brain receives as auditory information, or sound.
Small or large, if you’ve got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved, send me a message via Twitter (@AndyWebbRadio), or shoot me an email at [email protected].
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MUNDANE MYSTERIES: The Difference Between Stock & Broth
Whenever you need to make a soup or stew, what do you go with: broth or stock? What even is the difference between stock & broth? Well, if you’re like me & you’ve thought stock & broth were pretty much interchangeable…we’re all technically wrong.
Both broth & stock are made from meat-and-veggie simmered water to give them their flavor. The primary difference is that stock is typically simmered with chicken or beef bones, because the gelatin in those bones generates a thicker, more savory liquid. In fact, by definition, “vegetable stock” is a misnomer. But even chefs will call broth stock & stock broth interchangeably. So, you actually can totally substitute one for the other.
If you want to be 100% accurate, though, you need to think about whether the liquid has added flavorings. Stock is generally left unflavored to serve as a neutral base, meaning it’s more watery, while broth is usually made with herbs and spices, including salt and pepper, so it’s more savory & flavorful.
So, if you’re thinking of making your own broth or stock at home, but the process seems too daunting, don’t get discouraged. You can always just use Julia Child’s shortcut: just buy a can of broth at the store, simmer the liquid for 15 to 20 minutes with a handful of minced carrots, onions, and celery, then add some dry white French vermouth (or just some dry white wine), and then boom! You’re all set, mission accomplished. Just don’t forget to invite me to dinner!
Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via Twitter (@AndyWebbRadio), or shoot me an email at [email protected].
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MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What Do The Colored Exam Room Flags At Your Doctor’s Office Really Mean?
Ever noticed those colored flags on the wall next to the door of the exam room at your doctor’s office? They look a lot like the colored tabs on file folder edges, but they’re different in that, while you can usually write on a slip of paper & insert it inside a file folder tab, those colored exam room flags at your doctor’s office don’t usually say what they’re for. So, what do they mean?
Well, their actual meanings depend on the doctor’s office you’re in. There’s no universal standardized flag color index, so each facility determines their own system. The flags could signify the status of the room (whether it’s occupied or open), what type of care a patient needs, or possibly a combination of the two.
Medical suppliers carry a plethora of variations that offices can order depending on their chosen color-coding system. There are products with just two flags, muted colors, and more. And customizable sets are also available, too. So, what do they mean? Well, one medical supply company, Pyramid Medical Management Services, says: red means the room is empty; green means the patient is waiting on the doctor; yellow means the patient needs a nurse. But that’s just one potential system. Medicus Health, another medical supply company, says: green signifies the room is ready to be occupied; red means the room is currently occupied; blue indicates that a nurse is needed; yellow means the person inside is a fall risk; black means the patient needs an X-ray; and white means the patient needs a physical exam.
But those are just the suggestions of two different companies that make the flags. As for how your doctor’s office actually utilizes them, you’d really have to ask them to know for sure. You could make some educated guesses, though, just based on your own observations while there in the office. For instance, if the nurse were to say, “The doctor will be with you shortly,” and then puts out the green flag, it’d be a safe assumption that green means “the patient is waiting to see the doctor.”
The most reliable way to know what each colored flag means at your doctor’s office, however, would be to simply just ask. It’ll help you learn more about your healthcare provider. But if nothing else, it’d at least be a good conversation starter.
Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via Twitter (@AndyWebbRadio), or shoot me an email at [email protected].