Information Generator

[Arra]

This thread has the potential to be educational and fun if it catches on. Sadly, I doubt it will. But I'll try anyway. I've had this idea simmering in my mind for a few days and it keeps seeming better and better. Reason I often find myself asking questions about the world. Things that, for some reason, just never occurred to me before to ask. I'll usually Google for the answer and then my curiosity is quenched. It's occurred to me that there might be additional benefit to answering questions that others have come up with, because you may end up seeking answers to interesting questions that never would have normally crossed your mind. It might also be fun to ask a question and have it answered concisely in one place, without having to do any work. Rules Ask a question about the world. It should be something you don't already know the answer to. Valid questions might be: Why is the sky blue? How many languages are there in the world? What are house cats descended from? What raw materials is plastic made out of? The next person to reply must answer the question, and then post a question of his or her own. If you already know the answer to someone's question, feel free to answer based on it. If you don't, find the answer with the magical answer-generating device called the internet. Two final rules The question should not deal with subject matter in any extremely specialized area. The average person needs to know what it is you're asking. The answers should be relatively short, maybe 1-10 sentences long. Don't ask a question that you think an extremely long answer will be required for. If the answer to a question you wish to respond to is complicated, provide a simplified version of the answer, or simply explain that the question is too complicated. EDIT: It seems everyone is including a source, and that's a good idea, so it might as well be made a rule. My question: Why do deserts have sand?