History
Exploring "Why" questions about History
491 articles
Why do people have to send a message saying that they are going in war instead of just directly attacking?
This might not directly answer what you are asking, but countries simply don't declare war anymore. There are definitely still many conflicts, but most involve "unofficial" organizations such as terro
Why is the Vietnam war mostly used to refer to PTSD?
Vietnam was a war characterized by wandering around in the woods/jungle getting ambushed. Combine that with a large number of conscripts and a country finally getting ready to talk about mental illnes
Why, when you’re drinking, can you hold your urge to pee for a long time and then when you pee for the first time, you suddenly gotta go once every five minutes after?
It takes a while for your body to register the alteration in hydration/water levels, so it takes a while for the first pee to come. After you body has caught up, it needs to then keep on top of the si
Why are Americans so much stricter about drinking laws than any other country?
Because we are, largely, a superficially puritan group. Because of this, we withold things completely causing a "dog off the leash" reaction to them when exposed. Sure, alcoholics happen in more open
Why does everything you bake require a pinch of salt, regardless of how much you’re baking
Salt helps to allow certain molecules from food to release into the air. This basically makes things smell better, and when something smells better, it tastes better. I remember reading a book when I
Why can I control my breathing, but I also just breathe automatically when not thinking about it? Usually it’s one or the other.
Evolution doesn't just give you every ability that could ever help you survive - if it did that, no species would ever die out. Instead, our ancestors got lucky and developed the abilities that we hav
Why is “drinking alone” stigmatized?
I often drink, to get drunk, alone ,and don't care if it's stigmatized or celebrated. I would prefer to be drunk in my own home, with my own soundtrack, my own volume, and the comfort of my own couch.
Why is horizontal head-shaking an expression of saying ‘No’ while the vertical head-shaking is for ‘Yes’?
It's arbitrary. Most of the world uses this system, but there are actually a few countries and cultures that do the opposite, as well as some that have neither system.
Why do so many people unintentionally make the noises ‘erm’ and ‘uhm’ when making speeches or presentations?
It comes from two conflicting things within a persons mind. The belief that silence is a bad thing at a time when people should be talking, and the fact that the mind takes time to think. Thus when so
Why do people always land a perfect high five when looking at the other person’s elbow
The elbow stays relatively fixed and can accurately predict where the hand will be (a lower arms length above the hand) when you strike. Extrapolating the position of the hand based on it's movement a