For some reason I find myself thinking of the famous quote by Italian Holocaust survivor Primo Levi: “there is no why here“. This was told to him as a child by an Auschwitz guard. Of course it was also a lie. There is always a “why” and often it is purposely hidden. Levi spent the rest of his life studying this “why”.

Levi was a scientist, and that is what scientists do. Unfortunately it is often the source of trouble for those asking the question. Science has always been under attack from people who dont like people who question their story and their rules. Science usually wins out, because the real world is the real world and the facts don’t go away. In non-scientific areas, the “why” becomes more difficult. No mathematical formula or repeatable experiment can answer these questions. But it is always important to ask “why?”. Even when the answer is a lie. Especially when the answer is a lie.