From: Slate V on Mon, Sep 28 2009 6:44 PM

Explainer: The ski mask has long been a staple of Palestinian militants. Chris Beam asks: Where do you come by ski masks in such a hot climate, and do different factions favor different garb?

From: Slate V on Mon, Sep 28 2009 6:44 PM

Explainer: Whenever journalists need an easy way to describe something really big, they often use the nation’s smallest state as a convenient yardstick. Michelle Tsai answers the question: Just how big is Rhode Island, anyway?

From: Slate V on Mon, Sep 28 2009 6:44 PM

Explainer: In the thick of another mosquito season, Michelle Tsai asks, "What good are mosquitoes, anyway?" and wonders why we can’t seem to get rid of these bloodsucking pests.

From: Slate V on Mon, Sep 28 2009 6:44 PM

Explainer: Samantha Henig asks, "Why is it taking so long to build the International Space Station?"

From: Slate V on Mon, Sep 28 2009 6:44 PM

Explainer: George W. Bush has sunk to a near-record low in public approval. How far would he have to drop to become the least popular president? And how would he stack up against unpopular presidents from the pre-polling era? Chris Beam investigates.

From: Slate V on Mon, Sep 28 2009 6:44 PM

Explainer: Being the U.S. chief executive carries a lot of perks. Does the president bother carrying cash? And how much does he make, anyway? Samantha Henig has the answers.