# The greatest mystery of the human condition finally solved.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-mystery-of-the-human-condition-finally-solved/717820>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 16, 2015, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-mystery-of-the-human-condition-finally-solved/717820 "2015-04-16T10:50:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![blue\_infinity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_infinity/32/2817_2.png) [@blue\_infinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blue_infinity)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-mystery-of-the-human-condition-finally-solved/717820/1 "2015-04-16T10:50:48Z")

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That cracking noise. When you crack your knuckles?

It’s caused by a bubble forming (rather than collapsing) inside the fluid between the joints.

[Article.](http://www.realclearscience.com/journal_club/2015/04/15/the_first_ever_video_of_a_cracking_joint_109172.html)

[Cecil’s column](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/531/whats-actually-cracking-when-you-crack-your-knuckles) on this weighty matter.

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**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-mystery-of-the-human-condition-finally-solved/717820/2 "2015-04-16T11:40:50Z")

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You should ask the mods to update your Title to include the phrase “knuckle-cracking” so we have a sense of what you are referring to.

Yeah, inveterate knuckle cracker here - passed it on to my kids, for better or worse. Good to see we have clarity on the origin of the sound, if only because I am also hearing that, based on this, there is a better sense that knuckle cracking is not harmful at all. w00t! (Well, I still think doing a hard torque to get a knuckle to crack is still a bad idea…)

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**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-mystery-of-the-human-condition-finally-solved/717820/3 "2015-04-16T13:15:50Z")

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Finally solved, over 30 years ago?