General Knowledge
Exploring "Why" questions about General Knowledge
481 articles
Why are all videos not available on mobile youtube?
Uploaders can choose for each of their videos whether or not to enable mobile viewing. Google implemented this choice because the mobile Youtube apps used to not be able to display ads, and some uploa
Why is it that Russians are never (or barely ever) referred to as Asians, even though Russia is technically part of the continent Asia?
Most Russians live in what is considered by most maps to be Europe. However, far more importantly than that, most Russians are ethnic Slavs and are far, far more culturally connected to Europe than an
Why do crickets get quiet around humans, considering we aren’t one of their predators?
When a lumbering monstrosity twenty thousand times your size clomps past, you may want to hush for a second and let the beast pass without trouble. Sure a human is unlikely to stoop down and eat a cri
Why are actors/directors/crews not employees of major studios (or are they)?
Movie studios used to operate this way many decades ago. It was referred to as the star system. The decline of this method of operating came about largely because studios became notorious for exploiti
Why is gmail (or most email service) free?
It allows google to collect a shit ton of data about you & charge more for advertising directed at you online. If you are not the customer you are the product
Why are states on the east coast so much smaller than the states on the west coast?
The states on the east coast were populated first (European population that is...). State lines (colony lines initially) were devised in various ways, but all dependent on much of the east coast being
Why is American Express widely not accepted at many retail stores?
Merchants have to pay more to accept American Express. While they may only pay 2%-3% for that Visa purchase you made, it would be closer to 5% for Amex.
Why do pigs go through a big transformation if they’re introduced into the wild?
That's not how it works... Well, Kind of. Pigs become "Feral pigs" which may look similar to boar( And will breed with boar).
Why has the fasces symbol, which is often associated with fascism, been incorporated by so many official offices and institutions in the United States?
You've got it backwards. The fasces was a symbol of power which the fascists adopted later, just like how the swastika was a symbols before it was adopted by the Nazis. It was a symbol of government p
Why can’t you prevent injury in a falling elevator by jumping at the last second?
Let's say that you and the elevator are moving downward at a velocity of about 100 meters/second just before impact. You jump upwards at about 10 m/s. This means that your final velocity at impact is