Like the bristles on a dog-collar, they keep an enemy from biting him. (Vol. 6, p. 733.)
Why do you twist yourself into an uncomfortable position when you have a pain?
Because instinct teaches you that discomfort will help you by partially taking your attention away from the pain. (Vol. 22, p. 587.)
What warm-blooded creature has the longest average life?
Man, except possibly the whale; but not the elephant, as is generally believed. The article Longevity tells how long all kinds of animals live.
What mistake about American history is caused in our minds by the celebration of the Fourth of July?
The belief that the Declaration of Independence was signed on the 4th of July. Congress did not order it to be engrossed for signature until July 19th. The article Independence, Declaration of, also shows that the most important day was July 2nd, when Congress adopted the Resolution of Independence.
If you look up the answers to these questions, in the Britannica, you will incidentally learn, from the articles to which you turn, a great many things that will be of practical use to you in every-day life. For whether you turn to the volumes because you want only a single fact, or because you want to learn all about some important subject—or even because you merely want to pass a pleasant hour—you always get from them far more than you had hoped to find.