Why oh, Why?
I frequently wonder why. Don’t you?
Why is the notorious chant of the two year old, but it is not always a whine like; why do I have to do that? Sometimes a why is the spark of inquiry that leads to scientific discovery as in; why did that apple fall on my head? Legally, it is the speculation about motive; now, why did he do that? You would think that I have heard a lot of whys while working at the reference desk, but I honestly haven’t. Here are a few for consideration.
Why is the sky blue?
Occasionally posed as a rhetorical question, this has to be the most frequently asked why. I don’t know if you have ever heard the answer, but there is one in the World Book Encyclopedia. Apparently, colours of the sky result from the scattering of sunlight by the gas molecules and dust particles in the atmosphere. Different wavelengths of sunlight reveal different colours. Because the colour blue is among the shorter wavelengths, the blue light waves are more readily scattered when they hit small particles in the atmosphere. By contrast, longer wavelengths travel further until they are struck by larger particles. When the sky is full of dense clouds or smoke, more and different light waves can be scattered, causing the sky to appear grey.
Why does turkey make me sleepy?
Turkey contains tryptophan, an amino acid that works like a sedative when consumed with carbohydrates. So don’t just blame the bird! Your post turkey fatigue was generated with help from the mashed potatoes and the great desserts you consumed over the holiday season.
Tuft’s University Health and Nutrition Letter, Dec 2004. Gale. Health and Wellness Resource Centre Database.
Why do we dream?
Dreaming is associated with REM sleep - A period in which the brain is active metabolically and there are plenty of active neurons. REM sleep is when you experience twitching movements of the eyes or the extremities and it is common for people to have bizarre or illogical thoughts. One popular theory is that dreaming is required for the consolidation of memories, but because this kind of dream research is based on subjective reports, findings vary. Brain imaging studies at Harvard Medical school seem to indicate that the part of the brain involved in memory is deactivated during sleep so the relationship between dreams and memory is about as enigmatic as dreams themselves.
Article from The Economist, Oct 2005. General One File Database
Why do dogs smell when they are wet?
Dr Seymore Katz, writes a vet column for National Geographic Kids. He says that dogs have glands that secrete oils into the hair and when that oil is wet, it smells stronger. Inquisitive kids and their parents will find National Geographic Kids online through the Library’s Virtual collection in a database called E-Library, elementary.
The flip side of why there is the tired parent’s answer, “because”. Since answering why is not always just for fun, “because” is a great word that handles the big questions where what we really need to learn is acceptance and it is a handy commodity when Christmas is gone, schoolwork is back, and there is still a lot of winter to get through. But before this succession of why’s gets me too philosophical or downright whiny, I will end with a positive thought for 2008; Ask, answer, and accept the questions of the New Year, but don’t always ask “Why?” In the hope that this year’s answers are full of possibility, think “Why Not?”
Tracey Zurich, Reference Librarian
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