Nature
Exploring "Why" questions about Nature
487 articles
Why mixing all colours of the rainbow creates white but mixing lots of paints creates brown
Subtractive vs additive light. Paint absorbs all light but the color they emit (red paint absorbs all light but red), light emits only the color (red light emits red light). When you mix two lights, y
why are some states completely paralyzed by 1-2 inches of snow? Is their infrastructure really that unprepared for it?
Yes, their infrastructure really is that unprepared for it. Places like Alabama get snow so infrequently--and when they do it is almost always all melted by the mid afternoon--that it doesn't make fin
Why does CNN have such a low reputation currently?
They were caught giving Clinton debate questions. They lie blatantly on air and selectively edit their videos. Most notably from this past election, they told viewers not to read wiki leaks bc it was
Why aren’t the windshields of newer cars tinted at the top?
It's ineffective, increases the cost of making the windshield, and the car looks better without it.
Why are people mad about Microsoft’s Windows “spying” but not Google’s same “spying” in Android?
Everyone knows Google is spying on them. It is part of their business model, and Google is up front about it. They even give you web pages that show you how much they are spying on you.
Why does time seem slower through the front windshield of a car as opposed to the side windows?
You are seeing the difference in *angular motion.* An object approaching from 100m away moves across your vision slowly. An object you are currently passing from 10m away moves across your vision much
why can we fly and land planes in rain and generally bad weather, but shooting a rocket into space can be delayed by minor weather/rain?
Try keeping a broomstick vertical on your finger, you need a lot of corrections to keep it steady, right? Now go outside and try to do it on a windy day. How much do you have to move your arm to keep
Why does not every rain storm have lightning and thunder?
Lightning only occurs in high energy storms. This means they have a lot of CAPE (convective available potential energy, often weathermen will say instability). It can rain with low CAPE, but it doesn'
Why isn’t the insurance industry lobbying heavily to stop climate change?
NPR reported yesterday on the fact that many insurance agencies are, in fact, doing just this.
Why in the middle of winter, it’s usually colder when it’s sunny and warmer when it’s cloudy but in the middle of summer, it’s usually the opposite ?
Not an expert, but IIRC The clouds in the winter hold in the heat from the sun creating a greenhouse effect increasing the temperature a small amount. The clouds in the summer (depending on how humidi