Good Questions: Metereologists, Coins & Paper Cuts
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Every Friday, Heather Brown answers a few of our viewers' burning questions. This week, she gets to the bottom of the title "meteorologist," finds out why nickels are bigger than dimes, and why a little paper cut can cause so much pain.
Liam from Minneapolis asks: Why are dimes smaller than nickels?
It didn't always used to be that way. Back in the 1700s, nickels -- or half dimes, as they were called -- were half the weight of a dime -- very small.
So, when we started using nickel in coins in the mid-1800s, the five-cent nickel was created. And the U.S. Mint eventually got rid of the half-dime because it was just too impractically tiny.
Flora from Bovey wants to know: Why do paper cuts hurt so much?
Here's the story straight from a dermatologist: Fingers are a very sensitive place on the body with lots of nerve endings. And unlike a sharp knife, the edges of paper are rough and make some very jagged cuts.
We also use our hands all the time, so those cuts have a harder time settling down.
Noah from White Bear Lake was wondering: Why are weather people called meteorologists?
Meteor is actually an ancient Greek word which refers to anything that was in or fell from the atmosphere or the sky.
"That can mean anything, it can be raindrops, drizzle, fog, dust particles," WCCO meterologist Chris Shaffer said.
