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Jun 26, 2009 11:11 pm US/Central
Good Question: 'Reply All' To Your Good Questions
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
From the life span of a mosquito to the sound of thunder, WCCO-TV viewers are getting answers to some of their Good Questions.
• What's the story with TMZ.com? Mike in New Brighton
TMZ was the first to report that Michael Jackson was dead, and has been first on many stories related to Hollywood celebrities. On a daily basis, TMZ is a site with celebrity paparazzi pictures and gossipy stories. But when big things happen, TMZ is getting the major tip calls helping it break big stories.
TMZ stands for Thirty-Mile Zone, the area where Hollywood Celebrities tend to operate. It's owned by AOL, and operated by Harvey Levin, an attorney. The site has a good track record of breaking celebrity stories and digging up documents.
Many news organizations cited TMZ as the source for the news that Michael Jackson was in the hospital, and had died.
• What makes the sound of thunder? Cheryl in Monticello
The sound comes from lightning piercing the air. Lightning can be up to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit hot. As it passes through the air, it quickly heats the air. As air is heated, it expands, and this heated air bumps into the air nearby that isn't heated. That creates sound waves, which creates the sound of thunder.
• How long does a mosquito live? Marlys in Verndale
Mosquitoes don't live very long lives, although females live longer than males. Female mosquitoes are the only ones who bite humans, since male mosquitoes don't lay eggs, they do not require protein.
Male mosquitoes live 10-20 days, on average. Female mosquitoes can live up to 100 days, although they also generally live only a couple weeks.
• Why do TV shows end with roman numerals? Harlan from Wayzata
It is not required by copyright laws, we could just write 2009 on the screen. The Roman numeral thing is a tradition that goes back to the early days of film, and the idea was to confuse people. The movie industry would often distribute the movie years after it was produced, either in the U.S. or overseas. Because most people don't know how to decipher Roman numerals, most people didn't know the movie was a couple years old.
Broadcast television has really only been around since MCML (1950), and for whatever reason, TV adopted the tradition of film. Some speculate that it's because Roman numerals add an element of class.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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