History
Exploring "Why" questions about History
491 articles
Why did medieval people write in such ridiculous scripts? Did gothic or other letters have any advantages I don’t know about?
It was considered an art, the monks would primarily write what you've seen, and that was their only job, they were well aware that they would become historic texts so wanted to Present their culture i
Why cheap cars always have to look ugly, it’s just a shape of the metal, producing Ferrari looking bumper shouldn’t be that more expensive or challenging.
Well because the exterior has to fit around the interior. With a car like a Ferrari, it's all about performance and flash. The shape of the body helps generate downforce to keep the car on the road at
Why is a reflection in a mirror that’s right in front of you just as blurry without glasses on as if you were really looking at the same thing far away without the mirror?
A mirror preserves angles as the light is reflected, so the light reaching your eyes is just the same as if object was behind the mirror [like this](_URL_0_). If your eye couldn't focus the light comi
why does army have to march instead of just walking normally?
If they don't all keep the same pace, they will fall out of step, and the line of march will become what you see when kindergarten children walk in a group to the park. Also it trains and reinforces d
Why isn’t humanity freaking out about the fate of the ocean moreso than it already is?
It's a problem that occurs on a larger scale than a human lifetime...and we're tragically short sighted.
Why do we make that “ahhhh” sound after drinking something hot or refreshing?
Just a supposition here: When you drink something GOOD, you take multiple gulps in a row. While doing it, you don't breathe. The "ahhhh" comes out of the deeper/longer exhale after that "apnea".
Why, especially when looking at the night sky, are objects sometimes more in focus in our periphery then if we look directly at them?
There are two kinds of receptor cells in your eyes, called rods and cones. The cones are for colour, but need more light, while the rods are for black and white and need less light. They're also not e
Why must a country “declare war” before attacking?
It's part of an agreed treaty from the Hauge convention > The Contracting Powers recognize that hostilities between themselves must not commence without previous and explicit warning, in the form
Why is the Titanic so well known? Why is it the first thing to come to mind when we think sinking ship?
Titanic was a state of the set cruise ship of its time, 1912. It was dubbed "the unsinkable ship" and ironically it sunk on its first trip.
Why in ancient times anything but a pure wife was rejected, but some men married widows?
Men didn't prefer virgins because they got to be the first. It was about legacy. Everything they had and were would be passed on to a son, and they wanted to make sure that boy really was his son.