What do you do when you're on an elevator and you're in a rush? Or if you want to selfishly take the elevator by yourself? Of course, you go for the ol' "close door" button.
Those "close door" buttons on elevators are always the butt of small jokes people make: "I bet that doesn't even do anything."
But for most people (or at least for me), I always had just assumed that it did, in fact, make the elevator door close faster.
However, according to a recent article in the New Yorkers, that button is just a placebo:
"...elevator manufacturers have sought to trick the passengers into thinking they’re driving the conveyance. In most elevators, at least in any built or installed since the early nineties, the door-close button doesn’t work. It is there mainly to make you think it works. (It does work if, say, a fireman needs to take control. But you need a key, and a fire, to do that.)" (Emphasis added; Link)
I haven't tested this for myself, but the more I think about it, those doors never did seem to close in a hurry after I would push the buttons.
So next time you're in an elevator, don't even bother with that button... and laugh at those who try.
Have you ever walked away from your car only to forget whether or not you’ve locked your car? Or how about being in a parking lot but forgetting where you’ve parked?
In both these cases, you’ve probably wanted to use your car alarm remote to lock your door or find your car. But if you’re too far away for the remote to reach, there’s a neat little trick you can do.
If you put the key fob under your chin, it will increase the range by a couple of yards.
There is no question of whether this is a myth or not. It is definitely true. Not only is there plenty of videoevidence on the web, but it’s a simple enough experiment that you can try on your own car.
However, figuring out why this works is something there is less agreement on.... Some people say that it “has nothing to do with your head” but that since the remote gets lifted higher up and positioned vertically, it has fewer barriers to pass.
New Scientific’s explanation is corroborated with Varipose’s colorful diagrams of how a body reacts to a car alarm remote.
Now, I don’t claim to understand the science behind any of this, and maybe my sources are wrong and it doesn’t have anything to do with your head. However, if I had to choose between believing a blog commenter or a fact-checked magazine and a scientific product, I would always choose the latter.
PS. Thanks to ask.metafilter.com for the New Scientific link. Metafilter: the only place where people consistently back up their anecdotal observations with citations.
These days, gas prices are ridiculous. Personally, I've spent $240.00 on gas in the last month, so I really try my best to avoid getting screwed over at the pump.
One question I've always struggled with is whether I should be filling up at Exxon, or saving an extra 5-25 cents at the generic "Gas-n-Go" down the street. As a consumer whore, it seemed to me that the brand-name company would be better for my car; whether it's making it run better or the gas lasting longer. Logic would follow that since you're paying more, you're getting better product.
Is it true? As it turns out, that's almost completely false.
ABC News did research by examining the contents of Mobil brand gas and a generic station, finding that, "By and large, it's one and the same. … You will find results will almost mirror each other."
Granted, the brand-names may add some better additives and detergents to their fuel, but the EPA requires a minimum amount of detergent in all gas, which all gas companies follow. The requirements set by the EPA are more than enough for most cars to run safely.
The only exception might be with higher-end cars that specifically recommend high-octane fuel. And even then, it is disputed.
In short, brand-name gas and generic gas are the same, except maybe if you drive a luxury car. And if that's the case, you shouldn't be driving a Benz or Jaguar unless you can afford the gas for it.
**Bonus Mythbusting** The same rule of thumb applies for the difference between regular gas and premium gas. Unless your car recommends premium gas, you are wasting your money by purchasing it. Your car will run just as well on regular gas as it will on premium gas.
And again, even if your car recommends premium gas, some people still say it's not necessary.
Ah, the classic Asian conundrum: You drink and all of a sudden you're as red as a tomato. You talk to one friend, David Kim, and he says to you, "Ah, you're red! That means you have a healthy liver since it is working to process all that soju you just drank!"
But then another friend, John Park, approaches you and says, "That David Kim you just talked to is crazy! Chili-face, you're red because your liver can't handle all that alcohol and this is a nasty side effect!"
So which one of our generic Korean friends is right? As it turns out John Park is correct. The so-called "Asian Blush" is medically known as Alcohol Flush Reaction.
"[It] is a condition where the body cannot break down ingested alcohol completely, due to a missense polymorphism that encodes the enzyme, acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, normally responsible for breaking down acetaldehyde, a product of the metabolism of alcohol." Basically, you (kool-aid-man-face) have an inactive enzyme that isn't doing it's job of breaking a certain toxin down. That toxim builds up and makes you red.
Other side effects of Alcohol Flush Reaction can include dizziness, nausea, headaches, and an increased pulse.
But don't fret too much about it, tomato-face. About 50% of all Asians have this condition. And on the up side, since it's kind of embarrassing to turn red every time you have a sip of beer, you're probably not going to fall into alcoholism! So your lazy enzyme is trying to tell you to not be such an alcoholic.
What do you do when you're on an elevator and you're in a rush? Or if you want to selfishly take the elevator by yourself? Of course, you go for the ol' "close door" button.
