About Us
OkButWhy is a non-profit, volunteer-run publication founded by Mete Esencan on February 1, 2023. One idea holds it together: most of the world is busy handing you answers — we would rather follow the question.
We take the things you pass every day without a second thought — why the sky is blue, why an empire fell, why a 400-year-old painting can still stop you — and we ask, “…ok, but why?” Then we answer carefully, leaning on science as the most reliable guide we have rather than on myths of unknown origin. But we were never only a science site. Curiosity doesn’t respect subject borders, so neither do we: you’ll find science, philosophy, art, history and literature here, and in our “On Living” section, personal essays that look at life from the author’s own point of view (clearly marked as opinion).
If we had to describe philosophy in a single word, it would be “questioning.” Since our whole purpose is to question the world, we think philosophy belongs in every subject — it’s no accident that the highest academic degree, the Ph.D., is a Doctor of Philosophy. Whatever the field, becoming a researcher means learning to question it deeply.
We treat science and art as two wings of the same bird: a mind that learns to use both can truly take flight, while working with only one is like a one-winged bird that can only spin in circles. So we question nature with the curiosity of art and the guidance of science — and we share what we find in whatever form fits it best: articles, a podcast, and short videos.
Everything here is free, sourced, and made by volunteers. Pick a question that pulls you in, and follow it.
Learn more about how we work: