Biology
Exploring "Why" questions about Biology
483 articles
Why do we not (generally) have control of what happens in our dreams?
Best answer I got: Dreams come generally speaking from random thoughts in your brain. Your brain's thoughts are based on what your brain does for most of the day. Well, it so happens that most of the
Why did dinosaurs not re-evolve after their extinction?
Evolution is dependent on the pre-conditions and the current pressures on life. After the extinction of the dinosaurs, both were changed. A number of animals survived (including our mammal ancestors),
Why are human races like Asian and Caucasian not considered as a subspecies but animal’s like cats (example) say Persian and Maine Coon are considered subspecies?
They're not. Persian cats and Maine coon cats are *breeds* - all of them are *Felis catus*. Asian people and Caucasian people are *races* - all of them are *Homo sapiens sapiens.*
Why are bugs so creepy to us? Genetics or something we learn?
It's definitely a social construct. Why it exists is hard to say but insects have killed ore than 50 percent of all humans (malaria) so it make sense to be afraid of such things.
Why do people refer to flu season as a seasonal time of year? Does the flu usually pick up around Jan/Feb? If so, how is a virus seasonal?
Communicable diseases *do* spread more during the cold part of the year because people spend more time indoors in closer proximity to others, but that's not the only reason for the flu season. Birds p
Why a doctor would prescribe the name brand for a drug over the generic.
Perhaps the doctor is more familiar with the brand name. But the pharmacist will be familiar with both names, and you can save some money (sometimes, a *lot* of money) by asking the pharmacist to fill
Why do some parts of your body turn brown (Genetals, Butthole)?
**[Actual serious answer]** Sex hormones can activate melanin production on your genitals, armpits, etc. This is why those parts of you darken as you undergo puberty.
Why aren’t half dollar and dollar coins in greater circulation in the US, and why don’t we have larger coin denominations in general (i.e. a $2 coin)?
No one I know likes to carry around coins, especially 20 dollars worth of larger dollar-sized coins. Bills are lighter and take up less space.
Why do cell phones and radios still have such crappy audio quality?
Lower-quality audio doesn't require as much bandwidth (like an audiobook recorded at 32 kilobits per second rather than 128 kbps or greater, such as we use for music). Unlike a web page or a Youtube v
why don’t we put all the severely endangered species in captivity where they are safe from bad guys and can make babies
For some species, this is being attempted. I think there are a few really, really endangered tortoise species that are extinct in the wild, but still alive due to successful captive breeding programs.