Wait... Why Do We Do That?
by Steven
Latest episode
Why Do Britain and America Drive on Opposite Sides of the Road?
Why Do Britain and America Drive on Opposite Sides of the Road?
About this podcast
Have you ever stopped in the middle of something completely normal and thought... wait, why do we do that?
Why is the workday eight hours? Why do we change the clocks twice a year? Why is a marathon exactly 26.2 miles? Why do hotels want you out by 11? Why do we tip? And who decided everyone needed a lawn?
Wait... Why Do We Do That? explores the strange, surprising and sometimes ridiculous stories behind the everyday things we rarely stop to question.
Each episode takes one ordinary part of modern life and follows the story of how it got here, who decided it, why it stuck and whether the original reason still makes any sense today.
It's history, psychology, business, culture and a healthy dose of curiosity, without the lecture.
Because apparently, there's a reason for almost everything.
Even if it isn't a particularly good one.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 22 episodes
- Why Do Britain and America Drive on Opposite Sides of the Road? · 11 min · Season 1 Episode 21Britain drives on the left. America drives on the right. And both countries seem convinced that everyone else is doing it wrong. But how did we end up with two completely…
- Why Is It Called English Breakfast Tea If It Doesn't Come From England? · 11 min · Season 1 Episode 20Britain is famous for its tea. We drink it when we're happy, miserable, worried, or when someone says those terrifying words: "We need to talk." But there's something rather…
- Why Do We Put Garden Gnomes in Our Gardens? · 11 min · Season 1 Episode 19There's something suspicious happening in gardens around the world. Tiny bearded men are standing among the flowers. Some carry shovels. Others hold fishing rods. A few appear to…
- Why Do We Have Such Ridiculous Dreams? · 13 min · Season 1 Episode 18Have you ever woken up from a dream and wondered what on earth your brain was thinking? One minute you’re back at school taking an exam you haven’t studied for. The next you’re…
- Why Do Jeans Have That Tiny Pocket? · 13 min · Season 1 Episode 17Have you ever looked at your jeans and wondered why there's a tiny pocket inside the front pocket? It's too small for your phone, practically useless for your wallet, and if you…
- Why Do We Press Pedestrian Crossing Buttons? · 13 min · Season 1 Episode 16Have you ever stood at a pedestrian crossing, pressed the button, waited patiently… and then pressed it again, just in case? And why is it that someone always walks up behind you…
- Why do we shake hands? · 13 min · Season 1 Episode 15Why do we shake hands? It's something we do almost automatically. Meeting someone new? Shake hands. Closing a deal? Shake hands. Congratulations? Another handshake. But have you…
- Why Do We Clink Glasses Before Drinking? · 16 min · Season 1 Episode 14Why do we tap our glasses together before taking a drink? From ancient customs to modern celebrations, Steve explores the stories behind this familiar ritual, sorts plausible…
- Why Do Socks Disappear in the Washing Machine? · 15 min · Season 1 Episode 13Why Do Socks Disappear in the Washing Machine? You put two socks into the washing machine. Two. A perfectly good pair. Forty-five minutes later, you get one back. Where did the…
- Why Do We Blow Out Birthday Candles? · 23 min · Season 1 Episode 12Why Do We Blow Out Birthday Candles?Every year, we gather our friends and family around a perfectly good cake. Then we stick little pieces of wax into it, set them on fire, sing…
- Why Do We Have Hold Music? · 24 min · Season 1 Episode 11Why Do We Have Hold Music?"Your call is very important to us." Is it, though? Because I've been listening to the same twelve seconds of instrumental jazz for forty-three minutes…
- Why Do Houses Have Lawns? · 23 min · Season 1 Episode 10Why Do Houses Have Lawns?We buy grass seed. We water it. We fertilize it. We encourage it to grow. And then, the moment it does... We cut it. Every week. For decades. And if the…
- Why Do Elevators Have a Close Door Button? · 20 min · Season 1 Episode 9Why Do Elevators Have a Close Door Button?You step into an elevator. Press your floor. Then press the Close Door button. Nothing. So you press it again. Still nothing. Naturally…
- Why Do Prices End in .99? · 19 min · Season 1 Episode 8Why does something cost $19.99 instead of $20? It's one cent. We all know it's basically twenty dollars. The retailer knows we know it's basically twenty dollars. We know they…
- Why Do Hotels Kick You Out at 11 AM? · 17 min · Season 1 Episode 7Why do hotels kick you out at 11 AM? And if you can't check in until 3 or 4 in the afternoon... what exactly happened to the other five hours? In this episode of Wait... Why Do…
- Why Do We Change the Clocks? · 18 min · Season 1 Episode 5Why do we change the clocks twice a year? Are we actually saving daylight? And whose idea was this anyway? In this episode of Wait... Why Do We Do That?, we uncover the…
- Why Is a Marathon Exactly 26.2 Miles? · 17 min · Season 1 Episode 6Why do people voluntarily run 26.2 miles, and who decided that the final 385 yards were absolutely necessary? In this episode, Steve explores the strange history of the marathon…
- Why Do We Change the Clocks? · 18 min · Season 1 Episode 5Why do we change the clocks twice a year? Are we actually saving daylight? And whose idea was this anyway? In this episode of Wait... Why Do We Do That?, we uncover the…
- Why is QWERTY Still on Your Keyboard? · 15 min · Season 1 Episode 3Why are the letters on your keyboard arranged Q-W-E-R-T-Y? And why are we still using a layout created in the age of mechanical typewriters? In this episode of Wait... Why Do We…
- Why Do We Tip? · 17 min · Season 1 Episode 4Why do we tip? And how did paying someone extra for doing their job become such a complicated part of everyday life? In this episode of Wait... Why Do We Do That?, we uncover the…
