History
Exploring "Why" questions about History
491 articles
Why do companies make wild-looking ‘concept cars?’
It is a mixture of both. These companies are showing off their creative genius blah blah. But as an engineer it forces you to design differently.
Why do Americans refer to microwaving as nuking?
A misunderstanding from the 50's. Someone referred to "microwave radiation" meaning it gives off microwaves to heat food. The general public took the radiation bit and ran with it.
Why is it more difficult to drown out the sound of people talking around you when they’re speaking in a foreign language?
maybe because it's such a distinct sound you cant really ignore it. If someone is talking in English you can completely understand them, you'll only listen to them if they have something that catches
Why is the United States drinking age at 21, as opposed to all other countries?
If I remember correctly (I could be wrong) it actually had to do with the federal government strongarming the state government. In 1984, there was a National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which basically
Why are some parking lots angled?
Angled spaces are easier to turn into and back out of, but require that you go down the aisle a specific direction.
Why do ancient Roman and Grecian sculptures have small penises?
As far as I know during Greek and Roman times, small penises were considered more appealing and larger penises were saved for barbarians and other undesirables.
Why is Mao Zedong not talked about as much as Hitler, yet it is shown that he has killed more people than any other dictator and ruler in history?
Germany at the time was a hotbed of culture, art, and technology. Hitler took control of the nation using the new medium of film, and perfected the art of propaganda. China was not a 1st world country
Why is it that when I walk for 30 minutes, it only burns 80 calories, but other people seem to burn 200+ from walking the same amount?
> Does it have to do with my height/weight? You got it, well actually it normally is based on weight and age. It has everything to do with height and weight.
Why hasn’t here been a new Age Of Empires game after AOE III?
Ensemble Studios, the makers of the Age of Empires games, was shut down in 2009 after completing Halo Wars. Probably because of under performing sales and around that time, the RTS genre wasn't that p
Why is the ‘War on Drugs’ considered a failure when the crime rate in the U.S. is at an all-time low?
The drug war hasn't impacted drug use at all. The threat of jail time has almost exactly zero impact on whether people use drugs or not. What it did do is force drug sales underground.