Feldman answers questions you didn't know you had

Feldman says he receives thousands of letters and e-mails from people asking him to solve their imponderables. If he knows the answer, he says he writes back. If he doesn't, the letters go into a database of thousands of questions he draws on for his books.

Craig Kirkland of New Haven, Conn., first wrote to Feldman 13 years ago after reading an "Imponderables" book in high school. Feldman replied with a hand-written note. Later, one of Mr. Kirkland's imponderables (Why is decaffeinated coffee served in orange-rimmed coffee pots?) appeared in Feldman's "When Did Wild Poodles Roam the Earth?" (1992).

"What I particularly liked was Dave's style," Kirkland says. "Dave is able to present his information while also instilling it with a great deal of humor."

Among the other imponderables Feldman has solved: Why are certain parts of our bodies more ticklish than others? Why do doughnuts have holes? and Why do fire stations have Dalmatians?

It can take months of research to solve an imponderable, Feldman says. Calling people and discussing the answers is his favorite part of the process. When he gets conflicting answers, he either writes what he has or tosses the question back into a database of unsolved questions.

"I have to judge ... how much I trust the expertness of someone who is answering," Feldman says. "Sometimes it's really easy." But the imponderables that are toughest to answer are the most satisfying, he says.

David Feldman says he looks for questions that have to do with everyday life, but that most people don't have the time or determination to figure out. Here is a sample of Feldman's best imponderables:

Why don't we see baby pigeons?

Pigeons' nests are perched on building ledges that are difficult to see. Once the young pigeons are old enough to fly down to the street, they are already full-size.

When do fish sleep?

Fish don't have eyelids. When it gets dark, they slow down and might appear to be sleeping. But they dart away as soon as they feel the vibrations from the approach of a potential predator.

How do they keep raisins from falling to the bottom of cereal boxes?

Raisins are not added to the box until it's half-filled with cereal. The cereal creates a barrier, preventing the raisins from falling to the bottom. As the cereal is shipped and consumed, the raisins distribute themselves throughout the box.

Why do doughnuts have holes?

The hot oil used to cook doughnuts couldn't easily reach the center of a solid doughnut. Without the hole, the middle of the doughnut might be ... doughy. "The hole helps even out the process," Feldman says.

He may have been answering life's riddles for nearly 20 years, but David Feldman has a few imponderables he's never been able to solve.

For example, Mr. Feldman says he has been trying to find out why snooze alarms on clock radios are set for nine minutes ever since his second book was published in 1988.

"It's just ridiculous," Feldman says. "It's not like I devote an hour a day to it, but every time I start a new book, I say, 'Let's try this one again,' and nothing ever happens."

Other imponderables that are still imponderable to Feldman:

• Why don't we sneeze when we're asleep?

• Why are salad forks shorter than dinner forks?

• Why does a nod of the head mean "yes" and a shake mean "no"?

Feldman's advice to anyone trying to answer them: Don't believe the first answer you are given - especially if it's the conventional wisdom.

"When I get three people who make sense [and] agree on something, that's a good sign," Feldman says. He also recommends calling experts rather than searching online or in books.

If you think you've solved an imponderable - or have one you'd like Feldman to try to answer - you're invited to e-mail Feldman at: feldman@imponderables.com

Page: 1 | 2