Questions for the scientists......

[Frank Gallagher]

.....why do biscuits/cookies stay fresh in an air-tight container?  I mean, there's still air inside the container.....and why does bread stay fresh for longer in a bread bin, it's just a container with a slidey-down door thing, it's not even air tight?

[poorlulu]

Bread does not stay fresh in a bread bin, but the bin does keep the flies off.
 
 There is very little air inside an airtight container. And only 20% of air is oxygen.
 
 That is the best I can do.
 
 Couldn't you have asked something more tricksy like, why is the sky blue? Or what is the difference between a crocodile and a alligator?

[ggw]

What kind of animal is Goofy anyway?

[poorlulu]

A fictitious one?

[Jaguär]

Markie, did you steal Lulu's password again?
 
 The other reason some foods stay fresher in air tight containers is that the moistures don't evaporate out of the foods as easily.
 
 I agree about the bread bins/boxes. In fact, I almost bought one years ago until I noticed that my bread just got moldy much faster. That's when I decided, it's back to the refrigorater for mine. I don't go through bread fast enough to keep it out for more than a day or two and I can't stand that horrid white bread that is tasteless and loaded with lots of extra preservatives.

[beetsnotbeats]

Originally posted by O'Mankie:
  .....why do biscuits/cookies stay fresh in an air-tight container?

Why do hard cookies get soft and soft cookies get hard when they go stale?

[Sir HC]

I thought it was the moisture getting into the bread and cookies that causes the problems.  In a closed space there is limited moisture so you can only get limited problems from moisture.  Will still go bad for other reasons, but moisture will usually not be the culprit.
 
 The Straight Dope had something on this a long time back.

[thirsty moore]

Why does Mommy drink?

[Jaguär]

Originally posted by Sir HC:
  I thought it was the moisture getting into the bread and cookies that causes the problems.  In a closed space there is limited moisture so you can only get limited problems from moisture.  Will still go bad for other reasons, but moisture will usually not be the culprit.
 

Yeah, that's what I thought until I noticed that my bread was going bad by getting moldy much faster in the damned bread box. Can't swear to exactly why but that's when I gave up and went back to the fridge. You see, I was thinking that the air wasn't circulating in the box and drying it up like it was just on the counter. It seemed that the box tended to hold onto the moisture longer. It was kind of a cold and sometimes damp apartment that had a bread box built into the counter, so who knows for sure. I certainly don't.

[Frank Gallagher]

Okay, answer me this....
 
 Why do bath towels get dirty? We only ever use them when we've just got out of the bath/shower so squeaky clean.

[Jaguär]

Originally posted by O'Mankie:
  Okay, answer me this....
 
 Why do bath towels get dirty? We only ever use them when we've just got out of the bath/shower so squeaky clean.

You aren't sterilized in the bath or shower so there are still some degree of germs and such. The towels collect some body oils and exfoliated skin. Plus, they become damp and then will mildew if the conditions are right to do so.

Why does SPECTRE have better success rates than NASA?

[RatBastard]

Hot liquids stay hot and cool liquids stay cool in a thermos.  How does it know?

[Guiny]

What makes an ocean wave wave?

[godsshoeshine]

Originally posted by econo:
  Why does Mommy drink?

because you ruined her life