As I was laying in the sunshine attempting to plan my next column, I started thinking about all the things that make me curious. Life passes us by so quickly. We never really take a moment to stop and notice what’s going on around us, and ponder why things are the way they are. Here are my top 15 musings:

1. Nature versus nurture – I always wonder about this. Picture a cute little fluffy shih tzu. If it was out in the wild would it turn vicious and hunt for food? Or would it remain pathetic and die? Just how far does nature versus nurture extend? Do we use it as an excuse?
2. Hairy legs – why is it disgusting on girls, but not guys? It seems like we’re all simply a product of the media and have been shaped to conform to an ideal ‘look’ without actually thinking about the reason behind it.
3. Handwriting – as we lead ourselves into a technological revolution I can’t help but wonder if pens and paper will exist in 50 years time. Will people lose the ability to write?
4. The environment – when it comes to being environmentally friendly, we’re all talk and no action. People always whinge about the use of plastic bags, so wouldn’t it just be easier to get rid of them?
5. Volvo drivers – why is it true?
6. Fear – think about all the phobias that exist. The most common fears are of spiders and snakes. Out of all the things in life, we fear the things we’re bigger than. We’re far more likely to suffer from cancer than have a run-in with a critter, yet we’re not openly afraid of illness.
7. How I Met Your Mother – how many seasons will it take to find out who Ted marries?
8. Structure ­– considering everyone is individual and unique, it seems strange that we follow a limited number of paths in our life – uni, tafe, travel, work, family – in various orders, and we think we’re being original. How boring and ridiculous is it that 22 million people are all doing roughly the same thing? I don’t understand how we haven’t created more options for ourselves.
9. Aphrodisiacs – how can boiled asparagus possibly be considered an aphrodisiac? Which opens up another can of worms – just how powerful are placebos?
10. Australian history – is the average Australian interested in our history?
11. Generosity – why does everyone shout drinks at a bar but hardly at a cafe? I’ve noticed that we’re more inclined to be generous when we’re intoxicated – sad but true.
12. Red heads – if we’re a dying breed then why isn’t an effort being made to protect us from going extinct, like they do with Pandas?
13. Lists – why do people feel compelled to finish a list on an even number?
14. Sunbaking – we place so much emphasis on a slip slop slap policy and fail to notice that 1 in 3 people have a vitamin D deficiency.
15. Pet cemeteries – do they even exist? Vets offer to bury your pet for you…but have you ever actually seen a pet cemetery.

This list could go on forever. Spend a day taking in all of your surroundings instead of speeding past them in a blur – it’s pretty fascinating. Although maybe it’s best if some things are left unanswered.

What makes you curious?

Cat Brooke is a final-year Bachelor of Creative Arts student at La Trobe University and is part of upstart‘s editorial team. You can follow her on Twitter: @CathrynBrooke