In "Questions", philosopher Pia Lauritzen explores the philosophy behind questions and probes how they function as both a development tool and a bridge to understanding. She speculates that the question is the essential characteristic that distinguishes human beings from animals and that it is the key to understanding why we think and act as we do. Basic human phenomena like surprise and doubt, ignorance and curiosity—which all articulate a questioning mode of dealing with the world—may well be the reason why human beings developed language.