Kathryn Whitbourne

Kathryn Whitbourne

Kathryn was a senior editor and writer with HowStuffWorks. She has written on a variety of topics, ranging from Oprah to squirrels to the winter solstice. She has also worked as a magazine editor, a radio reporter and an editorial supervisor at PR Newswire. She holds a communications degree from Cornell University and was born in Jamaica.

Recent Contributions

You may have noticed signs on the highway that warn "Bridge Ices Before Road." What causes this to happen?

By Kathryn Whitbourne

Ever seen a movie where the hero gets in an elevator, but the evil villain cuts the cables? Elevators in the real world have so many safety features, it's not as horrible a situation as the films make out.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

For centuries, ancient cultures celebrated the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, as the "day the sun came back." Here are five enlightening facts about the winter solstice.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

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Register for Toys for Tots, and make the holidays a time your children will never forget. We'll show you how to register for Toys for Tots.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

We humans aren't complete slaves to time. We've devised ways to pack an extra hour of sunshine into our day, thanks to daylight saving time. But who came up with this idea and why do so many people loathe it?

By William Harris, Kathryn Whitbourne & Desiree Bowie

Even though it's tiny compared to the rest of the universe, Earth is a complex planet that, so far, is the only one we know of that sustains life.

By Kathryn Whitbourne & Mark Mancini

Every Halloween, bags of triangle-shaped, yellow, orange and white candies fill trick-or-treat bags all over the U.S. But what exactly is candy corn?

By Stephanie Watson & Kathryn Whitbourne

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The autumnal equinox is the day Earth is perfectly angled to the sun, so the day and night are of equal length. Well, almost.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

There's often a strong, quite pleasant, smell right after a rain shower. What accounts for petrichor, the 'smell of rain'?

By Kathryn Whitbourne & Desiree Bowie

Surprisingly, the gentle, loafing moose could be more threatening than a grizzly bear. Find out what you should do if that looming moose barrels at you like a bull.

By Cristen Conger & Kathryn Whitbourne

The money tree has long been a symbol of good fortune in Asia. But how did the plant get its name?

By Alia Hoyt & Kathryn Whitbourne

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How does 24-karat gold relate to a 1-carat diamond in an engagement ring? It turns out there's a difference between these identically sounding measurements.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

Gliese 581c was one of the first "Earth-like" planets found, back in 2007. It generated a lot of excitement then but what about now?

By Kathryn Whitbourne

Exoplanets, planets beyond our solar system, have been found in their thousands in the last two decades. Before that, we barely knew about the variety in outer space.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

Thousands of years ago, the Babylonians created the zodiac and dropped a constellation when it didn't quite fit into their schematic. Its name? Ophiuchus. Should it be part of our horoscope?

By Kate Kershner & Kathryn Whitbourne

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Why was a peanut butter sandwich originally a high-class meal? Do Americans prefer crunchy or smooth? Find out these and other tasty peanut butter facts.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

Woodstock is possibly the most famous concert of all time and the capstone of an era. See our list of all 32 bands that performed, including Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin and Sly and the Family Stone.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

Cinco de Mayo is more than margaritas. Learn how the first Cinco de Mayo celebration in the U.S. was in 1863, as a show of solidarity with Mexico against French rule.

By Julia Layton & Kathryn Whitbourne

You've prudently pinched pennies to build your nest egg. But with the recent failures of First Republic and Silicon Valley banks, should you worry about losing your money if your bank goes bust?

By Jane McGrath & Kathryn Whitbourne

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When did the Valentine's Day frenzy begin? Was there really a saint named "Valentine"? And why all the flowers and chocolate? Learn all about the origins and symbols of Valentine's Day.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

Who invented the toilet? While we wish it were so, it wasn't Thomas Crapper. Surprisingly, toilet design hasn't changed much since the first "water closet" patent in the 1500s.

By Kathryn Whitbourne & Jesslyn Shields

Emancipate yourself from mental slavery by learning more about this reggae superstar.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

If we took all the U.S. dollars, British pounds and every other currency out there and added them up, how much would it come to? Find out why it's so hard to figure out how much money there is in the world.

By Kathryn Whitbourne & Francisco Guzman

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You and your kids may have grown up watching "Sesame Street" so you may think you know all there is to know about Big Bird at friends. But not so fast. There are lots of surprising things about the Sesame universe.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

Voting on a Tuesday in November has been a U.S. tradition since the 1840s, but the timing makes it difficult for many people to exercise their right to vote. What are states doing about it?

By Patrick J. Kiger & Kathryn Whitbourne