Good Question 'Reply All': Hiccups, Away Games & QWERTY
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Toni asked: What causes hiccups?
The diaphragm, the muscle just below the rib, gets irritated and starts to spasm. That causes a person to take in air quickly.
When that air hits our vocal cords, out comes the hiccups. Eating and drinking too quickly, excitement, swallowing too much or smoking can be common causes of hiccups.
Tami from Farmington wanted to know: How do Twins players travel to away games?
According to Minnesota Twins spokesman Kevin Smith, the Twins fly a Delta Airlines charter to accommodate all the players, coaches, equipment and gear.
Many times, they'll leave a city right after the game and won't arrive til the next city until 4:30 the following morning. Players generally sleep in the morning before heading to the ballpark in the early afternoon.
Rick from Bloomington asked: Why is the computer keyboard laid out via the QWERTY system?
Before we used computers, we used typewriters. The theory goes that back in the 1870s, newspaper editor Christopher Sholes patented this pattern to prevent typewriters from jamming.
He put common letter combinations - like "st" or "th" - further from each to encourage typists to move their hands all over the keyboard.
But, a more recent theory tries to debunk that one. That theory suggests this layout came about due to telegraph operators because it was easier to type out Morse code.