We finally have an answer to why traffic jams happen for no reason. Apparently “If there are enough cars on a highway, any minor disruptions to the flow of traffic can cause a self-reinforcing chain reaction: one car brakes slightly, and the ones behind it brake just a bit more to avoid hitting it, with the braking eventually amplifying until it produces a wave of stopped or slowed traffic.” Here’s a video (run time 0:39) to show you exactly how that happens. So how do we stop it? “If people anticipate higher traffic densities ahead, and take their feet off the gas earlier and leave more room in front of them — instead of waiting until they have to brake — that can prevent traffic jams from arising,” says Benjamin Seibold, a mathematician who’s worked on the problem. Which would be a literal impossibility in Egypt as we all suffer from a mass allergy to leaving space between cars. We’re like sharks, if we stop moving, we die. Another solution? Smoother roads. To which we say this.