Space & Astronomy
Exploring "Why" questions about Space & Astronomy
479 articles
Why when you stare at a moving pattern for an extended period of time and then look up, why everything’s wavy.
This is due to how the movement is processed in the brain. Very basically, there are certain neurons that are firing in response to the moving pattern. The moving pattern is constant, so they are firi
Why do many large companies lease their office/retail space instead of owning it?
There are a couple of reasons I can think of. 1. A lease is nearly a 100% write off as it is an expense.
Why does a word look unfamiliar if we stare at it for a long time?
A word written down is on its own just meaningless symbols to represent an idea, emotion, place etc. The longer you just stare at the word itself the meaning is peeled away leaving you with the symbol
Why do we expect alien life to have formed in earth like conditions? Is it scientifically possible for there to be other forms of life that don’t require the same environment to thrive as earth lif…
Absolutely, but right now our best bet is to look for conditions that we know are able to support life.
Why are earthquakes with a high magnitude appearing frequently?
They're not? Earthquake frequency has not noticeably increased. Here's [all 7.0+ earthquakes in the last 5 years](_URL_0_).
Why can’t Palau, Marshall Islands, and Micronesia provide for themselves and not be in Free Association with the United States?
Ever since WWII ended, there has been a strong decolonization movement throughout the world, and many countries are either granting their overseas possessions independence, or giving them full status
Why is it hottest when the sun begins to set instead of when the sun is at its highest point?
The atmosphere takes time to heat up and cool down. While the sunlight may be more indirect in the afternoon, the atmosphere overall has been exposed to more sunlight at that point than it has at noon
Why does water left in bottles start to smell bad after a few days?
It goes off. Water isn't sterile, it has bacteria in it like just about every other foodstuff. A few days at room temperature and you have a bacteria field-day.
Why does the spicy mustard in Chinese restaurants burn the back of my head?
Because it's made to be put on your food, not on the back of your head.
Why we are trying to colonize Mars when we haven’t colonized the Moon yet
Mars has abundant water near the caps if you needed it. Temperature extremes are far smaller than the Moon. Radiation due to thin atomosphere is still better than the moon, which is twice as close and