Category Archives: What’s New at Answers

The latest and greatest updates from Answers Corp.

This weekend: Spring Answerthon!

Spring Answerthon 2013How many questions can you answer in 48 hours? Take the challenge and find out. The Spring AnswerThon is coming this weekend, April 20-21. We’ve got $2,000 in Amazon gift cards to award 28 winners! Winners who participate with a Facebook-connect account will receive a bonus gift card and five lucky registrants will be chosen at random to win a gift card just for participating!

Click here to sign up. Good luck!

p.s. Answerthons have been an Answers.com tradition since 2008. Check out our past winners here.

Congratulations to our Wammy winners!

general_Wammy_logoPlease join us in congratulating the 2012 WAmmy award winners! The WAmmy awards (WikiAnswers Awards) are presented annually in recognition of outstanding talent on Answers.com.

Supervisor D4est, this year’s winner of Answer of the Year, is no stranger to the WAmmys, winning eight in her four years on the site! Prolific supervisor 4Jays took home the Most Answers of the Year award, an honor he also won in 2010. It’s no surprise that the Lifetime Achievement Award went to Rudiful2, who has racked up an impressive 3+ million contributions since 2007. Busy bee Stupid Little Genius was honored with the most contributions and the most category changes. See the full list of winners (and honorable mentions) here.

Thank you to all who participated in nominating and voting! Don’t forget, we’ve already begun taking nominations for the 2013 WAmmys in the Community Forum. Nominate yourself or any other registered user all year long.

P.S. As we continue to update and improve this program, we ask for your input. Please leave your feedback on our WAmmy Feedback Survey.

Top March Madness Q&A

ncaalogoThe Big Dance kicks off this week. Have you filled out your bracket? Don’t worry, there are only 147.5 quintillion ways to do it! Whether your team made it to the tourney or not, you’re asking lots of basketball-related questions on Answers.com this week. Here are a few of the most popular:

How did the phrase ‘March Madness’ originate?

Why are the rankings of basketball teams in the NCAA tournament called seeds?

Has anyone ever filled out a perfect NCAA tournament bracket?

What school has won the most NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships?

How much do college teams receive in prize money for attending or winning the NCAA Basketball Tournament?

What is the lowest seed ever to win a NCAA Basketball title?

Let us know in the comments who you think will win it all this year.

Answers to Six Popular Job Interview Questions

jobinterviewJob interviews can be daunting even for the most qualified candidates. It’s easy to iron a shirt, get a haircut and be on time, but the real legwork is prepping for intimidating interview questions. While every company has a different hiring style, many tend to use tried-and-true interview questions (it’s no wonder these questions are among our top content on Answers.com). Are you preparing for an upcoming interview? Check out our answers to six popular job interview questions:

  • Describe yourself. It’s open-ended, yes. But keep it focused on traits that match what the employer is looking for.
  • Why did you leave your last job? Resist the temptation to bash your boss. Instead talk about how this company will give you opportunities your old company couldn’t.
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses? The trick is to talk about your weaknesses so that they can also appear to be a strength. Try to tailor your responses to the job you are applying for.
  • Why should we hire you?  Uncover your interviewer’s greatest wants and needs and then list your achievements and traits that match those needs.

Do you have more tips for job interviews? Share them with us in the comments.

Crowdsource Your Valentine’s Day Plans

valentinesWhat are you giving your Valentine this year?  You might be opting for a traditional gift of chocolate, a sentimental card, or roses (198 million are sold every Valentine’s Day). But if you want to get more creative, our Answers.com contributors have great tips when it comes to planning Valentine’s Day gifts.

Guys take note:  the answer to What should you get your girlfriend for Valentine’s Day?  has plenty of ideas for how to make your lady swoon.

Ladies, you already know that men are simple creatures. This contributor thinks they want only three things. Can you guess what they are? Hint: not flowers.

Still out of ideas? Check out more Valentine’s Day Gift Giving Q&A here.

P.S. The worst Valentine’s Day gifts.

Know Your Super Bowl Trivia?

football browniesWhether you watch it for the game, the commercials or the halftime show, the Super Bowl is must-see TV. Super Bowl Sunday has become a de facto American holiday and chances are you’ll be among the 110+ million sitting around a TV come February 3.

Super Bowl questions reign supreme on Answers.com this time of year. Before you chow down on wings and nachos, brush up on your NFL trivia with these popular questions about Super Bowl 47:

How many people watch the Super Bowl?

Which NFL teams have never played in a Super Bowl?

Has a rookie quarterback ever gone to the Super Bowl?

Which NFL team has won the most Super Bowls?

Which city has hosted the most Super Bowl games?

What NFL player has the most Super Bowl rings?

How much do NFL players get paid for winning the Super Bowl?

Does the losing team of the Super Bowl receive rings?

This year’s big game is a matchup between the San Francisco 49ers (Super Bowl champs five times) and the Baltimore Ravens (one-time Super Bowl winners). Who do you think will take home the Vince Lombardi trophy? Tell us in the comments.

Five facts about Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK Jr.This week the US celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. The civil rights leader is perhaps most famous for his “I have a dream” speech, delivered to more than 200,000 people in Washington on August 28, 1963. That March on Washington was influential in the passing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

In honor of MLK Day (January 21) here are five facts you might not know about the iconic civil rights leader:

  1. Martin was born as Michael King. His father, Martin Luther King, Sr., was also born with the name Michael but changed it to Martin when he was 22. He intended his son to also be Martin but claims that the birth certificate stated the wrong name. MLK Jr. never legally changed his name so he died as Michael King.
  2. Martin was only 26 years old when he led the Montgomery bus boycott.
  3. Martin wrote his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail in the margins of a newspaper because that is the only paper he had.
  4. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee, but did you know five years before that he was stabbed with a letter opener by a homeless woman?
  5. The most well known part of Martin’s celebrated speech, “I have a dream,” were improvised.

Illinois was the first state to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday. Not until 2000 did all 50 states follow suit, with Utah being the last to recognize the holiday. Martin’s birthday was January 15 but the US celebrates the leader on the third Monday of January every year.

Most Anticipated Celebrity Babies of 2013

kimkardashianCelebrity pregnancies are a hot topic on Answers.com. You’re always curious about what stars are expecting and when. Maybe it’s the “they’re just like us” factor that entices us. Is it reassuring to see A-listers suffer from morning sickness and excessive weight gain just like us? Or maybe it’s simpler than that and no one can resist a sweet newborn, celebrity or not. Either way, here’s our list of the most anticipated celeb babies of 2013.

The royal offspring of Prince William and his commoner-turned-duchess wife, Kate Middleton, tops our list of the most highly anticipated celebrity baby due to arrive in 2013. Rockstar progeny are a dime a dozen. A tot heir to the throne? Now that doesn’t happen often. Kate is due in early summer with the child that will be the future king or queen of England.

What do you get when you mix the DNA of Hollywood’s most overexposed reality star and a narcissistic rapper? Kimye, the nickname of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West‘s baby-to-be. Kanye announced the pregnancy at an Atlantic City concert in December and the Internet has been abuzz since. Get this — Kim’s divorce from Kris Humphries (remember their infamous 72-day marriage?) won’t even be finalized by the time the baby is born. Oy. Prepare yourselves for an onslaught of coverage about this babe.

Who else is expecting a bundle of joy in 2013? People Magazine’s sexiest man alive, Channing Tatum, will become a father in 2013. Jenna Bush, daughter of former president George W. Bush, is pregnant with her first baby and due in spring. And Jessica Simpson announced her second pregnancy, only seven months after giving birth to her daughter, Maxwell.

Any other celeb babies we missed that you’re anticipating? Check out more Q&A on Answers.com’s celebrity pregnancy category page.

Are you superstitious about the year 2013?

no_13th_floorHappy New Year! But is it really happy for those superstitious about the number 13? For this week’s featured topic, let’s take a look at triskaidekaphobia — the fear of the number 13.

  • The word triskaidekaphobia has Greek origins — triskaideka is 13 in Greek (treis = three, kai = and, deka = ten) and phobia is, of course, fear of.
  • Many believe the superstition has ancient origins. The Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, dating back to 1780 BC, omits a 13th law. Others credit Judas for the superstition. An apostle, Judas betrayed Jesus at the Last Supper and was the 13th to sit at the table. Read more reasons the number 13 is unlucky in this great answer.
  • Did you know? Many high rise buildings do not have a floor 13, either skipping it altogether or substituting it for 12A.
  • The specific fear of Friday the 13th is known as paraskevidekatriaphobia. Friday the 13th will occur twice in the year 2013 — Friday, September 13 and Friday, December 13. What is the origin of the fear of Friday the 13th? Check out this answer.

Tell us: Are you superstitious about the number 13? If you are, would you delay a wedding or having a baby in 2013?

The Questions and Answers that Defined 2012

2012-132012 was an election year, an Olympics year and the year a superstorm struck the Big Apple. The iPhone 5 was released, Whitney Houston died, and we all heard PSY’s “Gangnam Style” one too many times. Before we ring in 2013, or before the world ends, let’s review some of the top questions you searched for on Answers.com in 2012:

Election coverage dominated the news this year. You were most interested in how the number of electoral votes for each state is determined as well as what Mitt Romney’s real name is. The economy stayed stagnant in 2012, and as a result, job interview questions remained popular on Answers.com. Our top interview question: How do you answer ‘What are your strengths and weaknesses’ in a job interview?
In August, the world tuned into the Summer Olympic Games in London. How much Olympic gold medals are worth piqued your curiosity as did the symbolism of the Olympic rings. In the world of entertainment, you wondered what in the world “Gangnam style” is, how Whitney Houston died, and what the names of the One Direction boys are.

Hurricane Sandy battered the east coast this fall. How many people died from Sandy was one question you wanted answered about the so-called superstorm. On a lighter note, we finally updated our answer to the ever-popular query, Is Kate Middleton pregnant? Next year expect questions about the royal baby to top our list again.

Current events and pop culture aside, are you curious what was our most popular question of the year? Here you go: What is the easiest way to get rid of lower stomach fat? (Clicked more than 650,000 times!) Hmm, look’s like some New Year’s resolutions are in order.

The Newtown Tragedy: When There Are No Answers

holdinghandsHere at Answers.com we would love to believe there is an answer to every question. But why a young man would kill his mother, 20 first graders, six adults and then himself, we don’t know. And we may never know. Our hearts are broken over the senseless loss of life and innocence and our minds yearn for an explanation.

Many of the questions you searched for on Answers.com this past weekend were related to the Newtown, Connecticut tragedy. You wondered how many gun deaths are in the United States every year (around 30,000). You asked how many Americans own guns (nearly half). And you were curious which countries ban firearms (the UK has some of the strictest laws).

But those are just facts. And none of those facts can fully explain the evil that visited Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday, December 14, 2012. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families affected by this tragedy and we hope for a brighter future.

What are the names of Santa’s Reindeer? (and other Holiday Q&A)

xmastreeIf our traffic reports are any indication, you are excited about the holidays. Questions about Santa, Christmas trees and Advent are some of our most popular this month. Here are the holiday questions you’re searching for and clicking on most this season:

And just for fun, here’s one that made us laugh: What is Grinch Mean Time?

Happy holidays from the Answers.com team!

Five Questions about Kate Middleton’s Pregnancy

williamandkateAfter months of tabloid speculation, it’s official — Kate Middleton is pregnant. St. James Palace announced the news on December 3 after the Duchess was hospitalized for morning sickness.

Questions about the highly anticipated announcement have been rolling in to Answers.com. Here are five popular questions about Kate Middleton’s pregnancy:

1. When is Kate Middleton’s due date?

2. Is Kate Middleton having a boy or girl?

3. Will William and Kate’s child be heir to the throne?

4. Can Kate Middleton’s baby inherit the throne if it is a girl?

5. Where will William and Kate live with their baby?

Ask and answer more questions about Kate Middleton in the comments or in our category about the Duchess here.

Can you explain the fiscal cliff in 30 seconds?

For this week’s featured answer, we turn to the sexy topic of US fiscal policy. In between leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches and drafting up your holiday wishlist, you may have heard of our nation’s pending doom on New Year’s Eve, also known as the fiscal cliff.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke coined the term last winter and reporters have latched on. After all, what better way to spice up a snorefest like fiscal policy than to turn it into a doomsday prophecy like careening off a cliff?

You can read hundreds of articles and essays about the topic, but if you want a quick 30-second answer, we’re here:

And now back to that turkey sandwich…

Thanksgiving 101 on Answers.com

Planning a feast for family and friends this Thanksgiving? Or are you opting for a dinner out but are curious about the history of the holiday? Either way, we’ve got answers to your Thanksgiving questions.

Let’s start with the basics: When, where and how did Thanksgiving originate? Plymouth isn’t the unanimous answer to this question. Some believe the first thanksgiving feast was held in sunny Florida of all places. And who do we have to thank for this day off school and work? Which US president made Thanksgiving a national holiday? 

Now onto the meat of the matter: turkey. One of our most popular questions every year is how do you cook a turkey? Hint: it’s pretty easy, but timing is everything so you may want to check out our detailed answer to how long do you cook a turkey? The most frequent question on Butterball’s Turkey talkline is how long a turkey takes to defrost. Here’s our answer.

Thanksgiving traditions don’t end with turkey and potatoes. Many families turn their TVs to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or NFL football on Thanksgiving Day. So, when was the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? Two NFL teams always play on Thanksgiving. Which ones?

And in case you have a lull in dinner table conversation, here’s a few bits of turkey-related trivia to have up your sleeve:

Five Questions about Presidential Elections

On November 6, Americans will elect their next president and we’ve got answers to your questions about elections.

1. Election Day is always held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Which makes us wonder: Why are US elections held on a Tuesday?

2. Alright, so you cast your ballot. Now what? How do elections exactly work? And what is the electoral college all about?

3. Elections are the best example of the democratic process, but were there ever US presidents that weren’t elected by the people?

4. So maybe you have a jaded view of voting. What are two good reasons you should exercise your right to vote?

5. Many Americans have the option to vote early or by mail, but if you’re planning on going to the polls Tuesday, you might be wondering when the polls close in your state.

P.S. Curious who is going to win? Check out these weird ways to predict the presidency. And if you’re not happy with the result, find out when the next presidential election is here.

Hurricane Sandy: Get Your Answers Here

Superstorm Sandy hit the northeastern US on Monday and Tuesday with relentless winds, rain and flooding. Millions of Americans are without power and dozens of coastal towns in New Jersey and New York are under siege. The horrendous hurricane has caused at least 30 deaths. Our thoughts are with those affected by Sandy.

 

Answers.com has a new category for Hurricane Sandy Q&A. Here are a few popular questions related to the storm:

Announcing: Answers App for Windows 8

Windows 8 is here. The bold user interface allows for one-click access to the sites and applications you use most — like Answers.com! Visit the new Windows Store and you’ll see our free app among the mix. Add it to your home screen and you’re just a click or tap away from accessing our database of 60 million questions.

In its first release, the Answers app allows for basic functions — asking, answering and editing questions. Explore our 8,000+ categories and browse featured content based on your interests. The tablet-friendly design enables you to create and consume Answers content easily.

Read more about the app and download it here. Don’t have Windows 8 yet? You can download it here. An upgrade from Windows XP, Vista or 7 will cost between $14.99 and $39.99. Once you’ve checked it out, let us know what you think about our app in the comments!

Answer of the week: Why is it called the World Series if it’s played in the US?

Baseball’s biggest event, the World Series, starts this week. The Detroit Tigers take on the San Francisco Giants to win the title of best team in the world. But wait, all but one team in the MLB is in the US. So why do we call it the World Series?

Some have speculated the name derived from the New York newspaper, The World, which sponsored the game. But this myth was debunked by the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999. Barney Dreyfuss, owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, deserves credit for coining the term. In 1903, he challenged the Red Sox (then known as the Boston Americans) to a “World’s Championship Series.” It has been held every year since except twice (in 1904 and 1994).

Although the league is US-based, players are scouted from around the world. Countries such as Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Japan, Taiwan, and Cuba are all represented in the MLB. In fact, in the 2006 season, players born outside the US represented 27.4 percent of the MLB.

So considering that the MLB is the world’s premier league for baseball and many players are recruited from outside the US, calling the championship series the World Series is not too far-fetched. What do you think? Does the winner of the World Series deserved the title “World Champions”?

Check out more Q&A in our baseball and World Series topic pages.

Baseball, Coffee & Costumes: Weird Ways to Predict the Presidency

Forget the polls, here are some quirky ways to foresee who will be our next commander-in-chief.

1. World Series 

According to baseball researchers, there’s a correlation between the league that wins the World Series and the party that takes the White House. If the American League wins, it’s more likely a Republican will win the election. If the National League takes it, a Democratic win is in the cards.

2. Halloween costumes

Sales of presidential candidate Halloween masks can foretell the winner, according to Spirit Halloween stores. The more masks sold, the more likely a candidate will win.

3. Coffee Cups

Convenience store chain 7-11 claims that their 7-Election coffee cups are a more accurate predictor of the American vote than professional polls. The chain sells blue and red cups to represent the rival parties and whichever sells the most predicts the winner.

4. The Redskin Rule

If the Washington Redskins win the game before Election Day, the incumbent party will win the election.

5. The Kids Vote

Scholastic holds a mock kids vote every year. And since 1940, the results of that election have predicted the winner every time except twice. This week, Scholastic released the results and the kids picked Obama.

Looks like it’s up to sports to determine the winner. In addition to winning the kids vote, Obama has a lead when it comes to Halloween mask and coffee cup sales. Who do you think will win this election?