Reading While Eating for June 25: The Real Questions

TIME.com's final installment of links for your lunch break features a bizarre moving statue and bizarre names for U.S. cities

  • Share
  • Read Later
Reuters / Beawiharta

A lone tree stands out amongst a patch of burnt land, in the haze hit Bangko Pusako district in Rokan Hilir, on Indonesia's Riau province, June 24, 2013.

Ya Got Me, Doc. Forget the Higgs Boson and theoretical physics gobbledygook. Scientists are still scratching their heads over these universally appreciated questions, like why people spontaneously combust, or what’s the deal with gravity. (Mental Floss)

Why Did the Panda Cross the Road? Rusty, the Smithsonian National Zoo’s red panda, attracted national attention after he escaped his habitat yesterday.  To his keepers’ relief, Rusty was found in D.C.’s Adams Morgan neighborhood, which is known for its happening night life. Panda just wants to party. (TIME.com)

What’s in a Name? The new North American version of the Atlas of True Names reveals what your hometown really means. Chicago should be grateful for the nickname “Windy City” — the alternative is Stinky Onions. (The Daily What)

Ready For Your Close Up? This gallery of National Geographic Photo Contest winners is playful but breathtaking. (Buzzfeed)

The Case of the Disappearing Karaoke Tracks. Adele and Bon Jovi, among other artists, declined to license their work for karaoke production. They might actually be doing all of us a favor. (Flavorwire)

Night at the Museum. An ancient statue located in the Manchester Museum of Great Britain has swivelled 180 degrees on its own, prompting widespread speculation about what made the statue turn. Guesses range from the practical and friction-related to the otherworldly. (TIME.com)

This is the last installment of Reading While Eating. If you’d like a daily roundup of links, please check out Dave Pell’s NextDraft Newsletter, which we post around 5 p.m. Eastern Time each weekday in Newsfeed.