Cathey Nachmanoff

“How’s it going?” is interesting because it doesn’t always literally mean “How’s your life?” In fact, linguists call this type of phrase a phatic expression — language used for social bonding rather than for exchanging information. Think of it this way: - When someone asks you “How’s it going?”, they are showing politeness. - Your reply doesn’t have to be deep; something like “Not bad” or “Going well” is enough. In short, it’s less about the words and more about keeping the social flow smooth.

In science, when we say “why is it so?” we’re often looking for a cause. For example: Why does the apple fall? Because of gravity. Why does the sky look blue? Because of Rayleigh scattering. So in a scientific context, the “why” always has a measurable explanation. In a philosophical context, however, “why” could mean purpose, which science doesn’t really answer. So the answer is—it depends on what “it” is!