Wait... Why Do We Do That?
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.
Wait... Why Do We Do That?
Latest Episodes
Why Do Elevators Have a Close Door Button?
Why 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, you press it another six times. ...
Why Do Prices End in .99?
Why 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 know we know.And yet... $19.99 survives.In...
Why Do Hotels Kick You Out at 11 AM?
Why 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 We Do That?, we investigate one of those travel rules ...
Why Do We Change the Clocks?
Why 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 surprisingly complicated history behind daylight saving time.<...
Why Is a Marathon Exactly 26.2 Miles?
Why 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, from an ancient Greek legend and the early Olympic Games to...