Science
Exploring "Why" questions about Science
483 articles
Why chemical weapons considered more indiscriminate than conventional weapons?
Well, any large-scale ordinance is indiscriminate. The problem particularly with Chemical weapons is that, especially with those that are gas based, is that the actual range of the weapon is much larg
Why aren’t germicidal ultraviolet lights used everywhere, to prevent the spread of disease?
They use a wavelength of light that is cancer causing. Do you want to sit under a cancer causing light? Plus, they aren't all that effective to stop, say a sneeze from transmitting to another person.
Why can we (USA) claim a no flight zone in a foreign country?
Because we have big guns and fighter jets. All we need is a UN Security Council resolution to be able to do whatever we want where ever we want. In this case, Russia will veto any resolution like that
Why can I always see the moon? During the day, why can I still see it, though slightly faded?
Because it's there. The moon is a big ball of rock and dust about a quarter of a million miles above us. At night, the part that the sun shines on is easily visible to us, but the rest of the moon is
Why were the passengers on 9/11 hijacked flights able to call their loved ones on cell phones in the air before the crashes, but my modern cell phone loses all service pretty much instantly after t…
I believe the passengers were using those clunky old airplane phones in the seat backs. You'd just slide your credit card through and get a few minutes of not-especially-great service.
Why does a cold feel worse in the morning when you wake up?
Mucus pooling in your head. Once you're upright it will start to drain out and your symptoms will diminish. Try sleeping on an incline (e.g.
Why do electronics which have gotten wet, stop working even when they completely dry?
In addition to the damage being done on contact (i.e. creating short circuits leading to immediate or near-immediate failure); tap water, rain/flood water, etc contain a lot of impurities. The evapora
Why is it that when it’s a really cold night outside, the sky is so much clearer & crisper to see the stars more clearly? [Serious]
The sky isn't clear because it's cold, it's cold because the sky is clear. Clouds act like a blanket that keep the warmth radiating from the earth's surface escaping into the upper atmosphere so easil
Why are some of my dino nuggets ice cold and the others lava hot, even when I place them in a circle?
A microwave produces [standing microwave waves](_URL_0_) inside it to vibrate certain molecules in food to heat it up. The issue is that the wavelength of the microwave is about 12 cm long. Due to the
Why do airlines ask you to turn off/airplane mode your phone during a flight when? Does it actually affect the flight?
I'm a pilot. While usually cell phones don't affect our instrumentation (anymore, this wasn't always the case), I can definitely tell if someone in first class (or in the cockpit haha) has their phone