Share your "I wonder why"

questions that are never answered

[snowman]

On any episode of Star Trek whenever there is some catastrophic malfuction on the ship, yet the artificial gravity in the ship never fails and people continue to fall down - in interstellar space yet!

Why don't they just make the whole ship out of that same technology they use for artificial gravity? Then they'd never have a break down.

[pmac]

"I wonder why"

People like Star Wars. :)

[Macguru]

"I wonder why"

THEY STILL BUILD KEYBOARDS WITH A CAPS LOCK KEY.

[Sweet Cognac]

"I wonder why..."

They haven't invented something to track a lost cell phone.

[lawman]

Upon transformation, all of the Incredible Hulk's clothes split and fall off except his pants.

[Macguru]

Lawman,

That is the reason why he turns green.

[webnerd]

"I wonder why"
Why when you are a "new user" on webmasterworld the number posts under "posts:?" never gets incremented no matter how many posts you make?

[Macguru]

"I wonder why"

Moderators and administrators spend so much time at writing forum charters and FAQs [webmasterworld.com]. New users almost never read them. :)

[D_Blackwell]

LOL LOL LOL

[Syzygy]

"I wonder why..."

Jars of pure honey bought in a supermarket have a use by date...

Syzygy

[lawman]

Comedian David Brenner wondered:

After the crooks emptied their guns at TV Superman George Reeves with the bullets clearly bouncing off his chest, why did Superman duck when they threw their guns at him.

[graywolf]

I wonder why people will drive around for 30 minutes to getting parking spot within 10 feet of the door to the mall, but will walk great distances back and forth once they are inside the mall.

[iamlost]

Ok, the moment you've all be waiting for:
The answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything ...
Oh you already know that ...
Well then some other equally unimportant answers to questions equally not known:

yet the artificial gravity in the ship never fails

* one: it's gravity ... artificial or real it simply is ...
* two: the budget didn't stretch to special effects.

People like Star Wars.

Shhh. Let that be our dirty little secret.

THEY STILL BUILD KEYBOARDS WITH A CAPS LOCK KEY.

* one: to enable silent shouting, screaming, irritating posts.
* two: the same reason we still use a key layout designed to slow typists to minimise jamming mechanical keys.

They haven't invented something to track a lost cell phone.

* one: "E911 capable" phones can be tracked when on.
* two: manufacturers want you to lose your phone - frequently.

Moderators and administrators spend so much time at writing forum charters and FAQs

* one: to assist their intelligent, competent members.
* two: to supply a wet noodle with which to hit the lazy, impulsive members.
* three: it's not like they have anything better to do ...

Jars of pure honey bought in a supermarket have a use by date

Because pre-packaged foods require production/expiry dates by law/regulation in most countries. Bulk foods(including pure honey) are not pre-packed so no such requirement. Yeesh, some people.

why did Superman duck when they threw their guns at him.

Because he's bullet-proof but gun-shy.

why people will drive around for 30 minutes to getting parking spot within 10 feet of the door

* one: because outside the mall is walking, inside is shopping.
* two: any further and they loose it in the crowd.

[wsp9]

I wonder why the papers on my desk don't organize and start their own little union. They've already got prime real estate, air conditioning, and the freedom to lie around and do nothing all day, so maybe there's no need to organize. Or maybe they are organzied in their own little way - some kind of stealth organization.

[bill]

I wonder why I just read this entire thread.

[Essex_boy]

Why people in the UK drive at 30 in a 60 mile an hour zone then accerlate into a 30 doing 40mph.

This one really has me baffled.

[olwen]

"I wonder why"

THEY STILL BUILD KEYBOARDS WITH A CAPS LOCK KEY.

Because some of us in our telnet to our legacy systems still use all caps.

[Syzygy]

"I wonder why..."

...we didn't realise before that iamlost may be part Vulcan...

;-)

Syzygy

[Debbie_King]

I wonder why...

... you need to make an appointment before visiting a psychic?

[Milamber]

"I wonder why"
Why when you are a "new user" on webmasterworld the number posts under "posts:?" never gets incremented no matter how many posts you make?

Because posts in Foo don't count towards your post count.

[KeithDouglas]

I have always wondered: Why didn't the Titanic and other ships of that era have some sort of spotlights mounted on the front of the ship to illuminate icebergs or other objects in their path?

The whole ship was wired for electric lights. I'm sure that electric spotlights had been invented by 1912. Wouldn't any sort of primitive spotlight have been better than none? If the iceberg had been sighted just a minute earlier, the disaster could have been avoided.

[PyrettaBlaze]

I wonder why...
when you are doing nothing at all, just sitting outside enjoying the breeze and sun...you get attacked and chased away by any of the following: bees, wasps, fire ants, or snakes. I hate living in Texas sometimes...

I know, it's lame...

[Crush]

"I wonder why"

I check my affiliate stats every 2 minutes

[digitalghost]

I wonder why people say "back and forth" instead of "forth and back".

I wonder why they call the bill at a restaurant a "check".

I wonder why no one pronounces "chaps" correctly.

I wonder what that smoke is that appears when you open a bottle of coke. ;)

I wonder why it takes the credit card companies 3 days to credit a payment when debits appear within minutes.

I wonder why my daughter hears everything I say when I'm not talking to her, but can't hear me when I ask her to clean her room.

I wonder what in the hell "irregardless" is supposed to mean.

If "fiction" means "not the truth" does "non-fiction" mean, non, not the truth?

I wonder how the government is so effective at keeping Cuban cigars out of the country, but they can't keep cocaine out of the country...

I wonder why it is legal to make cars that can go 160 miles an hour, when the speed limit is 70. Not that I mind, but I wonder.

I wonder why there's Braille instructions on forklifts.

I wonder why it always rains after I cut the hay.

But mostly I wonder why there's a space for 14 eggs on my refrigerator door when eggs are sold by the dozen.

[monkeythumpa]

Why don't you ever see baby pidgeons?

I have seen baby starlings, baby hawks, baby sparrows, and baby owls, and I don't see that many starlings, hawks, sparrows, or owls. Yet I have seen hundreds of thousands of mature pidgeons, but not one baby pidgeon.

[iamlost]

Welcome to this my second Post of Knowledge.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank those many contributors to the advancement of true widgetry and thought-foo-craft. Please note that sources have been ommitted to protect the guilty.

I wonder why I just read this entire thread.

* Find a Mental Health Professional [dbsalliance.org]

Why people in the UK drive at 30 in a 60 mile an hour zone then accerlate into a 30 doing 40mph.

* one: Bad driving 'linked to hormones' [news.bbc.co.uk]
* two: because they are total idjits.

we didn't realise before that iamlost may be part Vulcan

* That's Hephaestus, Mr. Hephaestus. And a club foot doesn't make me any less a god - I am not part anything: I'm all me. And all lost.

you need to make an appointment before visiting a psychic?

* one: because you have to know when as well as the psychic.
* two: because they aren't. Very. At all.

Why didn't the Titanic and other ships of that era have some sort of spotlights mounted on the front of the ship to illuminate icebergs or other objects in their path?

* because the speed and turning radius of a ship means that a light was unlikely to reach far enough to better the naked eye. Note: a crash stop of a large ship is measured in miles, not feet. In the Titanic instance, a dark but clear night, the nearby Carpathian was viewing bergs at up to 2-nautical miles ahead; one they didn't notice until within a quarter nautical mile. They were going slow to allow maneuver. The Titanic was trying to set a speed record and maintained speed even after passing three icebergs - it was the momentum that sunk the Titanic. Momentum and hubris.

when you are doing nothing at all, just sitting outside enjoying the breeze and sun...you get attacked and chased away

* one: because it isn't nice to fool Mother Nature.
* two: because Mother Nature is bigger than Texas. Tougher too.
* three: because youse so yummy yummy good.

I check my affiliate stats every 2 minutes

* "a watched kettle never boils": wouldn't want those stats to boil over.

Why don't you ever see baby pidgeons?

* one: because old pigeons never die there is no need for baby pigeons.
* two: because baby pigeons remain in the nest until full size and fully feathered. Sort of like your college kids being still under foot.

[iamlost]

This my third Post of Knowledge would not have been possible without the accummulated great thoughts of digitalghost. I fear though at the effect such an effort may have had on his little grey cells. In future, might I suggest more Moderation?

why people say "back and forth" instead of "forth and back".

* back and forth: backward(s) and forward(s): as in "The lawyers argued the point backwards and forwards for an entire week." [c. 1600] Note the involvement of lawyers; this explains why the backwards motion comes prior to any forward.

why they call the bill at a restaurant a "check".

* one: because it is itemised allowing the patron to "check" that charges are correct.
* two: because one often has to "check" to see if one has the means to pay the ransom demanded for food and drink consumed.

why no one pronounces "chaps" correctly.

* one: because the darn "chaparreras" didn't cover my chapped ass when I fell into the darn chaparral.
* two: because anglos mispronounce all foreign words: look what they've done to English.

what that smoke is that appears when you open a bottle of coke.

* one: you are both far too wasted and wasting far too much money if you smoke your coke by the bottle.
* two: because genuine C02 is evaporating from your carbonated beverage. How many containers of coke does it take to generate a smoke and laser show for the average rock concert?

why it takes the credit card companies 3 days to credit a payment when debits appear within minutes.

* one: because they are so very interested in you their valued customer and the sooner they debit you the sooner you can pay them interest ... something wrong here ...
* two: Even the dread Credit Card Companies have to wait on the Banks. It takes two to three days for your bank to wire your/their (hey it's a matter of perspective) money to the cc folks. Isn't it nice to know that the banks are still the biggest bullies on the block?

my daughter hears everything I say when I'm not talking to her, but can't hear me when I ask her to clean her room.

* because Selective Hearing is actually Selective Reacting: by reacting only to fun things she hopes you will simply give up, forget, take your bad idea and go away. Sort of like Selective Bill Paying or Selective Dieting.

what in the hell "irregardless" is supposed to mean

* in the early 1900s two English immigrants irrespective and regardless came out of Ellis Island the newly minted redundant irregardless twins. Only in America you say? I hope so.

If "fiction" means "not the truth" does "non-fiction" mean, non, not the truth?

* one: originally: a double negative was a re-enforced negative so not-not-true meant really-not-true. To school kids everywhere this is still the sense in which they use non-fiction.
* two: logical grammarians: a double negative equals a positive so not-not-true means true. As most librarians are frustrated logical grammarians this is the sense in which they use non-fiction.

how the government is so effective at keeping Cuban cigars out of the country, but they can't keep cocaine out of the country

* Have you missed those photo spreads of celebs in cigar clubs smoking Cuban cigars? If it's a vice it's available. Especially in America. For a price. Especially etc.

why it is legal to make cars that can go 160 miles an hour, when the speed limit is 70

* one: because "it's the driver not the weapon that kills" or because "it's the person not the car that speeds" or because "it's speed that drives the person to kill" or something like that.
* two: because somewhere in the world it is legal to drive that fast.
* three: because in the future just like Mad Max we will really be happy to have the capability.
* four: because slow cars aren't sexy. Fast cars driven slow are sexy. So all cars have speedometers that exceed reality.

why there's Braille instructions on forklifts

* bigot. What have you got against blind people in the workplace?

why it always rains after I cut the hay

* one: for the same reason it rains after you wash the car.
* two: because you believe the weatherperson. Pay more attention to your arthritus.
* three: read Job.

why there's a space for 14 eggs on my refrigerator door when eggs are sold by the dozen

* one: because normal people buy foodstuffs before they run out.
* two: Shh. It's a secret. The Refrigerator Manufacturers of America have learned the Egg Producers of America plan to one-up the Baker's Dozen. Don't tell anyone.

[supermanjnk]

@ macguru about capslock.

Cadd users use capslock all the time.

I wonder why telemarketers always call during dinner.

oh and added to the post about the titantic. If they hadn't tried to go around the iceberg they wouldn't have sunk, they would have just been stuck on it, the titantic was designed to allow for somewhere around 6 chambers to fill up. By trying to avoid the iceberg they ended up having it slice all the way down the side of the boat filling up more chambers then it could handle.

[PyrettaBlaze]

why there's Braille instructions on forklifts

Speaking of that...Why are there Braille letters on ATM Machines? At least, there are in my town and a lot of places I've been to.

[PyrettaBlaze]

And I have one more:
I wonder...
If someone called 911 and ordered a pizza at the same time, which would get to your house faster? The pizza or the cops?