Nature
Exploring "Why" questions about Nature
487 articles
Why is our current world map, the Mercator Map, not to scale? It represents the US as gigantic is reference to South America and Africa. In reality both of continents dwarf the US in size.
There is no way to accurately project a spherical surface onto a two-dimensional map. Something has to be inaccurate, size, shape, distance, and or direction. The advantage of the Mercator projection
Why do the colors of a sunrise and sunset look different?
The heat from the sun cause air currents that kick up dust and haze. More stuff in the air means a more colorful sunset, while the sunrise, with cool still air, is less interesting.
Why are some of my car windows fogged in the morning but not others?
Is your car parked outdoors? fog/condensation is usually caused by a temperature difference between the inside/outside glass, so if the sun is hitting the car at a certain angle this may explain why.
Why do we place our arms akimbo when we’re winded?
[it's my understanding that certain "power poses" increase testosterone levels and decrease cortisol, so that may play a factor](_URL_0_). [standing up straight also seems to provide increased lung ca
Why isn’t there enough emphasis into exploring our oceans? 90-95% is still undiscovered.
I'm assuming your talking about ocean depths and the problem is technology isn't 100% there yet. We're close to having ridiculously good submarine units and rovs to go down to depths and stay down in
Why did television show seasons use to have 20-24 episodes, while most seasons nowadays contain 10-13 episodes?
I suspect you're comparing major network shows, which still typically have 20-24 episodes, with the more recent influx of popular shows from other sources: HBO and other premium channels, Hulu/Netflix
Why can 64-bit Windows run 32-bit programs, but not 32-bit drivers?
A computer can run 64-bit programs and 32-bit programs at the same time, but a single program can't run both 64-bit and 32-bit code because the way they store information in memory isn't compatible. D
Why are elderly people more likely to fall for scams? (“You’ve won the lottery of monaco, congrats!” Etc.)
A couple of factors. Elderly people often come from times where scams like this weren't as popular. There were still scams then, as all history, but in vastly different ways that didn't utilize modern
Why are Mountain Dew and Doritos associated with gamer culture?
Long before Red Bull and the other energy drinks, Mountain Dew was well-known as the soft drink with the highest caffeine concentration (among the nationally available brands). As for the Doritos, I d
why is there no thunder or lightning during a snowstorm?
I've seen and heard lightning in a snowstorm. Worked at a ski resort as a lift operator, nothing more scary than lightning when you're sitting in a metal shack at the top of a mountain. The weather pe