Technology
Exploring "Why" questions about Technology
491 articles
Why do the desktop computers (Dell Optiplex 9010) that I get on at my university run so fast and smooth while the 6-month-old netbook laptop I use runs so slowly?
A base model (which is what I assume your school has) Optiplex 9010 has much better specs than your average netbook. It's actually a very good computer for school/office work, I'm surprised your schoo
Why do robotic arms for amputees move so slowly? How can we make them faster/more responsive?
We could, but the problem isn't the mechanical part, it's controlling the limb. There are a lot of different ways a prosthesis can interface with humans. Most of them are not accurate enough to allow
Why doesn’t the FBI (or any criminal investigative service) immediately shut down any illegal streaming service (or pirating) upon finding it?
Most of the time these sites originate outside of the US, therefore outside their jurisdictional area.
Why do websites need to ask for your city, country, and state, when they can figure it all out through your zipcode?
That pretty much is a thing of "laziness" (also known as "costs"): Its much cheaper to put multiple inputs there instead of maintaining (or at least buying) a catalogue of all zips mapping to the requ
Why can’t I build a custom cellphone when I can build a superior laptop or computer for cheaper than most name-brand equipment?
You CAN actually. Good luck figuring out how to get the OS on there though.
Why do we use hand gestures while on the phone?
Because we are used to face to face interaction, it's a habit that's hard to shake. Why smile if no one is watching?
Why are there so many coding languages?
Because someone didn't like the way some particular limitation of the existing programming language they were using so they decided to make their own. * C was made to be extremely fast, but not tied t
Why are MRI’s so huge? why didn’t they get smaller in size like computers did?.
MRI's require a strong magnetic field around your body. Making a strong magnetic field requires a large magnet. In some cases, the technology has gotten better and there are "open MRI" machines where
Why we get shocked when we lick the top of a 9v Battery
It works because you're completing the circuit, allowing electrons to pass from the positive terminal, through your tongue, to the negative terminal. As far as it being cruel, I've stuck my tongue to
Why does Java want to make changes to my computer so often? And what are those changes?
Java, like Flash, has the extremely difficult task of "run arbitrary un-trusted commands off of the Internet but don't let it do anything bad" for some nebulous definition of bad. Every time they find