Department Index
Explainer 2010:
Answers to your questions about the news.
If you'd like to sort this department listing by headline, author or date, please use the Slate search.
- Obama Says Theodore Roosevelt Lobbied for Health Care Reform ... Did health insurance even exist back then?
March 9, 2010 - Can California Declare Bankruptcy? What about Greece?
March 8, 2010 - When Can You Sue a Filmmaker for Defamation? A real-life soldier says The Hurt Locker is based on his life and makes him look bad, too.
March 4, 2010 - Cool Whip What does a congressional "whip" actually do?
March 3, 2010 - Pinochet and Bachelet What's with all the French-sounding names in Chile?
March 2, 2010 - Why Is Chile So Long and Skinny? Natural boundaries and military conquest.
March 2, 2010 - Are the Haitian and Chilean Earthquakes Related? They're like brothers.
March 1, 2010 - When Animals Attack ... Twice Can animals really develop "a taste for human blood"?
Feb. 26, 2010 - Can Bariatric Surgery Be Reversed? Yes—but should it be?
Feb. 24, 2010 - Class Warfare Do you qualify for the class-action lawsuit against Google?
Feb. 23, 2010 - Spin, Dance, Jump, Repeat! Why don't figure skaters get dizzy?
Feb. 23, 2010 - Dropping the H-Bomb How dangerous is a "herpes bomb"?
Feb. 22, 2010 - Can Lil Wayne Bring His Teeth to Prison? Grills behind bars, explained.
Feb. 22, 2010 - Why Do All National Anthems Sound the Same? Shouldn't the one for Iraq sound a little more "Arab-y"?
Feb. 19, 2010 - Out, Out Damn'd Residue Can terrorists wash off trace amounts of explosive with soap and water?
Feb. 18, 2010 - Go Go Gadget Beard! Do spies and assassins really wear fake beards?
Feb. 17, 2010 - Does Afghanistan Have Phone Books? Telecommunications after the Taliban.
Feb. 12, 2010 - Why Isn't Tear Gas Illegal? It's a chemical weapon, isn't it?
Feb. 11, 2010 - Death by Driveway Can shoveling snow kill you?
Feb. 9, 2010 - Heads of Lettuce When did we start describing comatose patients as "vegetative"?
Feb. 9, 2010 - How Many Ways Can You Bow in Japan? Plus, why is the head of Toyota named Toyoda?
Feb. 8, 2010 - Is "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Only Half-True? Thousands of soldiers have been fired for telling. What happens to the ones who ask?
Feb. 4, 2010 - Over the Moon What happens when a space program gets canceled?
Feb. 3, 2010 - Burn After Viewing How to destroy a sex tape.
Feb. 2, 2010 - Uncle Sam Wants You ... … to loan him a few bucks.
Feb. 1, 2010 - How Do You Convert a Flat Movie Into 3-D? With a trained artist and a fast computer.
Jan. 30, 2010 - Why Do Late-Night Hosts Always Keep Their Desks on the Right? Because the left is so gauche.
Jan. 28, 2010 - How Would the Pope Self-Flagellate? Mortification and the Catholic Church.
Jan. 27, 2010 - How Long Have Politicians Wanted To "Change the Culture of Washington"? Did George Washington promise to change Philadelphia?
Jan. 26, 2010 - Are These 3-D Glasses Dirty? What happens to your plastic frames when the movie ends.
Jan. 25, 2010 - Cash on Hand What happens when a charity receives too many donations?
Jan. 22, 2010 - Does Haiti Have Enough Can Openers? No, but there are plenty of machetes to go around.
Jan. 21, 2010 - Life or Limb What happens when your leg gets trapped under a building?
Jan. 21, 2010 - Seat Him When? How long will it take for Scott Brown to arrive in the Senate?
Jan. 20, 2010 - Do the Reporters in Haiti Have Their Own Food and Shelter? Plus: Why don't earthquakes get names, like hurricanes do?
Jan. 19, 2010 - Avatar in Spanish, or French, or German How dubbing works.
Jan. 15, 2010 - What's the Best Way To Dig Through Rubble? Hire a robot and a dog.
Jan. 14, 2010 - How Do You Measure an Earthquake From 250 Years Ago? Just use the Mercalli scale.
Jan. 14, 2010 - Are There More Big Earthquakes Than There Used To Be? How human activity affects the tectonic plates.
Jan. 14, 2010 - Haiti Earthquake FAQ Do buildings in Haiti have earthquake codes? Why do some quakes cause tsunamis and others don't? And what's a "hospital ship," anyway?
Jan. 13, 2010 - How Many Iranian Nuclear Physicists Are There? Would assassinating one or two of them stop a weapons program?
Jan. 12, 2010 - When Did the Word Negro Become Taboo? In 1966 or soon thereafter.
Jan. 11, 2010 - This Pint of Ben & Jerry's Is Four Servings? How do food companies determine "serving size"?
Jan. 8, 2010 - Getting the Ax From George Clooney Do firing consultants really exist?
Jan. 7, 2010 - Closed for Jihad What happens to an embassy's staff when the building closes?
Jan. 6, 2010 - If a Siamese Twin Commits Murder, Does His Brother Get Punished, Too? An answer to the Explainer's 2009 question of the year.
Jan. 6, 2010 - Why Is Yemen So Poor? Conflict, corruption, and qat.
Jan. 4, 2010
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