Unanswered questions, the kind you stare at the person you’re talking to with the look of a UFO passing by. Stupid questions do not always have a possible answer, since many times they are born from the supine ignorance of the one who asks them.

But, what do we really mean when we refer to a stupid question? These are basic misconceptions that lack a minimum of coherence.

Stupid questions that few people will be able to answer

In this article we have set out to collect 25 great examples of incoherent questions that are difficult to rephrase correctly .
Sometimes this is a gross play on words, in other cases the approach is simply curiously wrong.

1. Why is “separate” written all together and “all together” written separately?

A linguistic curiosity that results in a paradox.

2. If the black box of planes is indestructible, why don’t they make whole planes from the same material?

Probably because the material in the black boxes is very dense or highly expensive. One might also ask why we call them black boxes, if they are usually orange (in order to make them more visible in case of disaster).

3. Why is it that at “open bar” parties the only thing that is not free is the bar?

Another lousy pun.

4. If “ordinary” is synonymous with vulgar, why does “extraordinary” not mean very vulgar?

Another fancy language game with little philosophical background.

5. Why do we press the buttons on the remote control hard when it is not working properly?

The most sensible thing would be to change the batteries, but we hold on to the hope that squeezing harder will finally work.

6. Why are we more attracted to those people who tend not to give in to relationships?

Maybe it’s not a stupid question… rather it’s us humans who act stupidly and incoherently. We tend to appreciate potential partners more who don’t give themselves to the relationship, precisely because uncertainty and emotional instability make us feel more dependent on that attention. That’s who we are.

7. Why do we give more value to things that have a higher price?

Our judgment of the value of material goods is quite confusing and we are usually guided by parameters as relative as price.

8. If the champagne is liquid, how can it be called “dry”?

The term “dry” refers only to the amount of sugar added to the champagne during one of its manufacturing processes.

9. Why did we wake up a few minutes before the alarm went off?

It’s a matter of psychological habituation. We are animals of habit, and there comes a time when our brain senses when there are only a few minutes left for the alarm clock to make its strident act of presence.

10. For a masochist, wouldn’t it be a prize to go to jail or be abused and tortured by the police?

It’s possible.

11. If three out of four geniuses have no friends, and I have no friends, can I be considered an official genius?

A kind of fallacy that can make us believe things that aren’t real.

12. If love is blind, why do attractive people have it so much easier?

Logically, there is an important part of mating that has to do with the beauty we perceive in the other person. “Love is blind” is just a saying that can be applied to whatever circumstances, but not to the letter.

13. Wouldn’t it be appropriate to stop showering and drinking water to save water and help the environment?

There are priorities in life, and the amount of water we actually waste comes from other vices in our society.

14. Why are we still looking for a partner even though our previous experiences have been disastrous?

Because our instincts and social pressure lead us to make mistakes again and again.

15. Why do we call it “Planet Earth” if more than 70% of the surface is water?

There is a fairly coherent answer to this astronomical question.

16. Why can’t a psychologist be sad?

Can’t a doctor get sick? This is one of those stupid questions that concern our guild.

17. What have Lepe’s people done to deserve to be the target of ridicule?

The jokes of Lepe (a small town in the province of Huelva, Spain) have been a source of laughter for many generations. It is not known where this tradition of making fun of the Lepeños comes from, but they have certainly earned a bad reputation that is totally undeserved.

18. Where do the jokes come from?

Maybe a question not as dumb as the others. It is often said that jokes mainly arise in prisons, where the time for thinking nonsense is long. They are also born from the popular heritage, since they are usually linguistic turns and word games.

19. Why is it impossible to sneeze with your eyes open?

It’s a physiological curiosity. When we push through the airways, the eyes close even though we try to keep them open.

What color will a chameleon be looking in the mirror?

You’ll still be wearing the same color you had just before.

21. Why is it said that the law of gravity was “invented”?

Certainly, it was already there long before… but it is usually expressed in this way since, although gravity already had its effect in the world of physics, the phenomenon could not be explained concretely, until Sir Isaac Newton arrived.

22. Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Although it seems like an unanswered question, the truth is that any biologist will tell you clearly that the egg came first.

23. Is there any possibility, however remote, that someone physically like you exists in another part of the planet?

Science doesn’t have a clear answer.

24. Why do people look at their cell phones so much while life goes by?

A reflection that is not so absurd anyway.

25. Why do people watch weather summaries on TV? Isn’t it easier to look out the window?

Weather has its phorophytes, too.