Nature
Exploring "Why" questions about Nature
487 articles
Why are masking/duct tape used on windows during hurricane?
It's so if the glass breaks it stays together in large chunks instead of breaking into a thousand tiny pieces.
Why are we still unable to reliably and accurately predict the weather?
Have you ever seen a double pendulum before? If you drop it twice from pretty much the exact same height, due to extremely tiny differences that add up over time, the outcomes turn out completely diff
Why does ‘Reporters Without Borders’ say the United States has some restraint on press freedom, while Canada does not?
The USA has been cracking down on those caught stealing and leaking secret documents, including reporters not involved in the theft itself. In other words if someone violates their security clearance
Why do most Americans have an ingrained dislike for the French?
The British and the French don't have the best history. America is like the runaway child of the British. As much as we act like we dislike our parents, we usually turn out quite similar to them.
Why aren’t the oceans getting saltier?
They are getting saltier. The reason we do not notice is that there is a very small percentage change even over millions of years. The dead sea is a very small body of water compared to the rest of th
Why can Windows delete a large number of files almost instantly but it takes a much longer time to restore them from the recycle bin?
Resorting files from the bin has some additional overhead in dealing with conflicts (e.g. Checking that a file with that exact name isn't already in the same folder as the original file.)
Why is it snowing in Cairo?
Water precipitates into the air and fathers on particles higher up in our atmosphere forming clouds. At some point they become so heavy they start to rain, if it's cold enough, bam! Snow!
Why doesn’t the IOC just buy an island somewhere and hold the Olympics there every time.
For one, the Olympics are about international community, and isolating the games goes against that. The Olympics are also a huge draw for tourists. Cities that host the games are counting on the idea
Why do ripe apples fall from the tree, but ripe berries don’t fall from the bush?
Both apples and berries have evolved to be eaten by animals who carry them long distances in the digestive system. Berries are mostly eaten by birds who can sit on branches. It is even preferred for t
Why can’t we process ocean water so it’s drinkable, instead of relying on rivers/lakes for our drinking water?
We can. And in some areas we even do. It is incredibly expensive though.