If you have travelled to a country other than America, or you have watched Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, you may have noticed that the number of blades in a ceiling fan vary from place to place. Even if you didn’t notice it before, the Monkey bets you will now, and here’s an explanation.

We sing carols every year (at least around here we do), and most of them are quite old. Being old, they often contain archaic words and phrases. A listener wanted me to explain/interpret some of them, so there you are.

Sure, we all know that cakes are eggs, flour, sugar, salt, and all kinds of stuff that comes together to make wonderful deliciousness. But how does it turn from batter into wonderful deliciousness? Is it some secret chemical whatchamacallits? The Monkey was dying to know, so we found out. 

Also, paint by numbers - what a concept, right? You can take anyone, without any training at all, and turn them into Leonardo Da Vinci or Van Gogh. Literally. Where did these kits come from and how did they get to be as popular as they are among all age groups. The Monkey loves a good paint by numbers, and will tell you all about it.

You may know that your weight fluctuates from day to day, but did you know it fluctuates from place to place on Earth? In fact, it might fluctuate slightly from location to location in your house. Gravitational mass concentrations or mascons are all around us. What the heck are they and what causes them?

You probably think you know all the vampire legends but there’s probably a whole slew of them that you’ve never heard of. Like, did you know they have an irrepressible desire to count? Actually, lots of mythical monsters have been punished with arithmomania among other things. The monkey checks into it!

The traditional Thanksgiving story and Black Friday are ingrained into the American culture. But how accurate is that story? Is there more to history than we’re taught in elementary school? There’s an answer, as always, and the Monkey found it enlightening.

Also, everyone has their own favorite household recipe for roasting the Thanksgiving turkey (unless your family is one of those ham eating types). We look at some historical recipes, the granddaddy of all recipes, and round it out with some from modern day celebrity chefs. Maybe you’ll find your new family favorite here.

As always, everything I used for research is linked at the bottom of the page in section 7. Don’t miss clicking on some of these fascinating sites.

The Bermuda Triangle is a mystery writer’s dream. A place in the ocean where ships and planes vanish without a trace, the Bermuda Triangle or the Devil’s Triangle captures the imagination. But what is really going on? Are all disappearances in the distant chef, or are they still happening? And does anyone know what really happens to those planes and ships? Listen and find out.

Natural food – so expensive! Is it all marketing? There is actually a great reason why organic/natural foods cost more than conventionally farmed foods. You might be surprised at the reason!

On television, the crab fishermen hunt for two different kinds of crab in the same area of water. How do they only catch the ones they are looking for? Same boats, same traps, same water – different crab? That’s a mystery for the Monkey!

And – cats do weird stuff. A lot of weird stuff. When they’re jumping on your foot under a blanket, do they know that’s your foot under a blanket? Or do they live in a fantasy world (or a world without object permanence) and think that your foot or hand has suddenly transmuted into the biggest mouse in the world? Find out the real skinny on your furry buddy.

Dr. Spencer Reid takes a nap, but not really. However, he assures us that it would be perfectly normal if he did. References to biphasic of polyphasic sleep go back as far as 70BC. In fact, we only started sleeping eight hours a night straight through in the early 1920’s. Why would it change and is there any benefit to going back to that pattern of sleep? The Monkey finds out.

Also, Criminal Minds follows the exploits of a wacky group of behavioral analysts. Kind of – it’s a procedural that explores how the FBI’s real Behavioral Analysis Unit works. The Monkey finds out if learning to read microexpressions is difficult and what it takes to become a real body language expert.

We know that science classifies humans as primates and that humans are omnivorous. Is a diet that includes vegetables, fruit, and protein something only found in humans, or do other primates share this trait. The Monkey always wants to know about other monkeys, and is on the case. The answers we found might well surprise you. 

Also, when you move your arms and legs, you’re not aware of your brain sending a signal to the muscles to contract, but you know it does. When do we learn how to do that? Is it something that was a conscious action at some point but we’ve forgotten when that was and what it felt like? This answer was a long time coming, but the Monkey found it!

Oh no, you cut your hand! Pour some hydrogen peroxide on it and get it bandaged up! What does hydrogen peroxide do while it’s making all those cleansing bubbles in your wound? Is it helping? Is it actually harmful? The Monkey was really surprised to find out the truth behind this medicine cabinet staple.

Cashew milk, coconut milk, almond milk – plants don’t have nipples so how can all these things be milk? Is there a way to get milk that doesn’t involve a mammal? You’ll be amazed at how many things are called milk and the startling reason why! 

Bonus: Stay tuned, because at the end of this week's episode I am going to make you an offer you can't refuse.

Of all the improbabilities that the Monkey wonders about throughout the week, perhaps the oddest are from local laws in America and beyond. This week, the Monkey finds  out why in the world you can't eat watermelons in Brazil. It's absolutely true and you won't believe the reason why. 

Also, we paint them, shine them, cut them, and grow them. Fingernails are more than fancy hand decorations. The Monkey was positive there were reasons why, and now you'll know too. As a bonus, you can find out what other creatures besides us and monkeys have them!