General Knowledge
Exploring "Why" questions about General Knowledge
481 articles
Why is pencil graphite referred to as Lead instead of graphite?
Before chemistry was really a thing, everyone thought that graphite was a type of lead, probably because it's so soft.
Why don’t we pronounce the name of a country like the natives do?
We don't speak the same language they do! The English name is often simply different from the native name. The idea that things should be rendered precisely as in the language of origin is very modern
Why are certain types of plastic non-recyclable?
In addition to economics, there are two main types of polymers. [Thermosets](_URL_1_) are irreversibly cured: once they are formed they can't be re-formed. While these can't be recycled into new plast
Why does it hurt more to get an IV put in your hand than in the crook of your arm?
The hand has more nerve endings (sensors) because you need to feel what you're doing with your hand while doing complex tasks (typing for example). The high density of "useful" nerves to sense touch,
Why is it okay to say racist things about white people and sexist things about men but not the other way around?
If you want the actual explanation for why some people say this, it is the following: People *claim* that it isn't actually racism because racism = prejudice + power. So if you are a historically disa
Why are 7 and 13 considered lucky and unlucky respectively?
this is a cultural thing and if you travel to various parts of the world you'll find the same does not hold true for them. for instance, Chinese and Japanese consider 4 to be unlucky and not 13. The r
Why does the US have so many mattress stores?
That's like asking why there are so many brands of toilet paper. Given the sheer number of people who use them, multiplied by how often you replace them, there is definitely room for profit. Also matt
Why do those “pan-tilt” photos make things look like models?
I'll try and actually explain this as easily as possible. The quickest reason for this miniature illusion is depth-of-field, which is the blurry background or foreground effect you see in photography
Why are there ashtrays on planes?
The average lifespan of a commercial jet is 30 years. Smoking was banned on planes in the US in 1988, 24 years ago.
Why do some commercials play for a split second and then get skipped? Wouldn’t the advertiser get upset?
Those flashes of commercials occur in situations where your local station is showing different commercials than the national broadcast that they're receiving. Sometimes the timing gets off, and you ge