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MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why “Objects In Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear”

Anyone who’s ever driven a car has seen the little warning on basically every passenger-side mirror: “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.” But, why can’t objects be displayed accurately in those mirrors?

It’s actually a careful design choice made with safety in mind.

The way we see things depends on how light reflects off the objects around us. An object’s shape, color, texture, other characteristics, all factor into the direction & intensity of the light which bounces off of them. If the objects are reflected off an intermediate object, like a mirror, then the way we perceive the original object could be distorted.

Our perception is also affected by the shape of the mirror. Here in America, passenger-side mirrors are convex, or curved slightly outward, while driver-side mirrors are flat. A convex mirror placed on the passenger side reduces the driver’s blind spots on that side of the vehicle by presenting a wider field of view. But, it also makes other cars appear farther away due to the slight distortion caused by the shape. The flatter mirror on the driver’s side gives you a more accurate depiction of what’s behind your car using a more narrow field of view, since light is bouncing off in the same direction that it’s hitting the mirror, so that it doesn’t distort the reflection of the object.

When the reflections of the two mirrors are combined into the driver’s point of view, you have the ability to see wider areas of the passenger side of the vehicle while also being able to keep your eyes mostly on the road. That flat-convex combo has been the U.S. standard for years. However, the Department of Transportation’s looking into the safety benefits of two convex mirrors, which are what most European cars usually have.

For now, though, you should always remember to check your mirrors frequently, and always look over your shoulder before you change lanes. Oh, and please, please, please…don’t forget to use your turn signal!

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

Life Hacks Worth Using!

You can find a million Life Hacks all over the internet. However, some of them are a little extra and call for even more effort. Here are a few that I’ve found I think are worth using!

Cutting Cherry Tomatoes:

Neatly Folding Hoodies:

Out of Chip Clips?:

@rafaelariotReupload with captions ##lifehack ##foryou ##fyp♬ Ultimate life hacks – Kelly – The Life Bath

Pasta Straining:

@athomewithshannonHow was I doing this wrong my whole life? This was one of those LIFE HACKS that I use EVERY DAY! ##hack ##lifehacks ##learnontiktok ##hacks ##lifehack♬ Ultimate life hacks – Kelly – The Life Bath

 

{Katie’s Baby Blog} Wild Pregnancy Emotions!

We talked about this this morning with the Wake Up Crew; Dianah and I discussed how wild pregnancy emotions can be before and after you have the baby.

This time around, my pregnancy itself feels about the same as last time, but emotionally…a little different! The first time you are pregnant is scary and exciting all in one! A very overwhelming feeling and not knowing what is ahead with the big changes that are not only happening to your body, but life in general. So, understandably, I feel like while I was pregnant with Lily,  I was more emotional in a way where I was nervous or would just cry over random things!

This time, I am soooo tired all of the time. Drained from chasing around a two year old and I just feel like my body is more exhausted than the first time. Naps are key to get me through the day or else I am grouchy by 4/5:00 in the evenings. Waking up early and not sleeping a full 8 hours each night also doesn’t help during the week; so I try to get extra sleep on the weekends where I can. Making dinner during the week is few and far between…coming up with something to cook, cooking it and then the clean up after…yeah, not interested! Which is strange for me…I normally love to cook!

I’m also gearing up for the crazy hormones that come AFTER baby is born…that is when it really gets emotional. Totally normal though, hormones trying to get back in the swing of things, learning about your new baby, getting a new schedule together, it’s a lot!!

 

<3 Katie Ryan

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What Are Those Big Red Balls At Target For?

Target’s got some of the strongest brand recognition going in the retail world. Their name is reinforced by their red & white logo (literally a target), which also happens to be painted around the eye of their mascot, a Bull Terrier named (appropriately enough) “Bullseye”. So, it would seem like those giant red concrete spheres out in front of Target’s brick-&-mortar stores are just another form of Target making itself easily recognizable (since they look like the dot at the center of their logo). But, they’re actually there for your safety (as well as for branding).

Those red balls are called “bollards”. The word bollards mainly refers to the metal or wooden posts along the edge of a wharf on a harbor for sailors to have something around which they could tie their mooring lines. These days, though, bollards can also describe similar posts in front of buildings, which help with keeping distracted drivers from rolling right into the doors. Most places install more traditionally shaped bollards, but Target isn’t most business. They went with giant red balls. They’re not the only business, however, that got creative with their bollards; some baseball stadiums also feature spherical bollards, painted to look like baseballs.

While Target’s bollards are meant to keep shoppers safe from parking lot car accidents, thosee bright red spheres can actually be dangerous on their own, albeit in a different way. Back in May of 2016, a mom in New Jersey sued Target for $1.6 million after her 5-year-old son fell off of one of the bollards there, which shattered his elbow & required surgery in the hopes of stemming long-term damage to his range of motion. The following year, another woman filed a lawsuit after one of the 2-ton bollards broke loose and hit her car.

For the most part, though, when used correctly they’re both safe & safety-encouraging. But, things can go wrong sometimes. The road to you-know-where is paved with good intentions…and rogue bollards, apparently.

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Does Delicious Food Make Your Mouth Water?

Imagine: you’ve just removed a luscious bundt cake out of the oven & placed it on a cooling rack. Slowly but surely, your kitchen fills with the distinctive, diet-smashing aroma of baked vanilla, and your mouth fills with watery saliva. Why does that happen? Why do our mouths water at the sight/thought of, well, “mouth-watering” food?

Our saliva has a variety of purposes, but the relevant one here is that it helps us eat. Saliva lubricates the food we’re eating, which helps us work it around our mouths as we chew & taste it. That saliva also contains enzymes which start the digestion process prior to swallowing.

The phrase “mouth-watering” is actually pretty accurate. There are 2 types of saliva: mucous & serous. Mucous saliva is exactly what it sounds like: thick, tacky, and full of mucus. Serous saliva, on the other hand, is nearly all water, and that’s what flooding your mouth at the smell, sight, or even thought, of exceptionally delicious foods.

Saliva production is your body’s way of enthusiastically hollering about the food in front of you. It’s your brain shouting, “Yay! We’re about to get our grub on!”, and your salivary glands excitedly agreeing, “Yes! Gimme that cake!”, before eagerly pumping saliva into your mouth to prepare for the imminent feast.

Of course, what happens next & how you deal with that is entirely up to you.

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Shirt Loops

What’s the deal with that odd loop on the back of a button-down shirt?

The loop, seen on many dress shirts for both men & women, is a small piece of fabric typically between the shoulder blades, where the upper back of the shirt meets the pleat. While it’s great for annoying someone when you tug on it, it initially had a much more practical function. The loops first became popular among sailors in the Navy, who usually didn’t have much closet space available for their uniforms. So, to make putting away & drying their shirts easier, the loops were included so they could be hung from a hook.

The loops wouldn’t remain exclusive to the Navy for long. In the 1960s, the clothing manufacturer GANT added the “locker loop” to their dress shirts so that customers, who were often Ivy League college students, could hang the shirts in their lockers without getting them wrinkled. The locker loop, however, was originally found on the back of the collar. Later, students repurposed the loops to show their relationship status: if a guy’s loop was missing, that meant he was dating someone (while ladies implemented their own garment-related signal, too, by wearing their boyfriend’s scarf to show they were taken).

Especially enthusiastic romantic partners would often rip the loop off spontaneously, which became something of a trend in the ‘60s. At the time, women who had crushes wearing Moss brand shirts complained that their loops were so strong & secure that they couldn’t tear it off.

For folks who wanted to have a loop without ruining a shirt, there was even one particular mail-order company that would send just the loops to folks in the mail.

You’ll still find those loops on dress shirts nowadays, however they don’t seem to have any social significance. So, if you happen to see one that’s torn, it’s probably just due to wear, not someone’s relationship status.

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

Luke Combs Opens Up About His Battle with Anxiety

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues. Fact is you never know what someone is dealing with regardless of how they may seem on the surface. Luke Combs always seems super chill, calm and laidback. Here he opens up about dealing with anxiety since middle school. But now, he’s never felt more free.

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