This new work may help in the understanding of why some cancer cells are in a form of hibernation, and how they may be attacked.

BBC: Fish in 'suspended animation'

Once young salmon get to the ocean, scientists have only a vague idea where they go, and an incomplete understanding of why some years they thrive and some years they starve.

MSN: Record numbers of sockeye salmon return to Northwest - US news - Environment | NBC News

Our work also contributes to our understanding of ancient history, elucidating why some cities were abandoned or why mature societies suffered decline, and confronting the enduring attraction of fault lines in luring peoples, ancient and modern, to settle along persistent danger zones.

UNESCO: Tales set in Stone: learning from ancient earthquakes

But for some reason, it worked without my understanding why.

FORBES: Steve Wozniak: His Career Challenges, Steve Jobs, Tech Trends and Advice

They suggested some women were having caesarean sections without fully understanding why.

BBC: 'Patchy' maternity services criticised

So then why are some people so good at recognizing, understanding, and even creating future trends and behavior (thinking Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs and Warren Buffett) and others not?

FORBES: To Be A Great Innovator, Start By Changing Your Perspective

And that, in the end, is why the peace process in Northern Ireland was successful, because both sides had some understanding of what the other side needed for some dignity and for some peace.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama & Prime Minister Cameron Joint Press Availability | The White House

Today, the goal of understanding happiness and well-being, beyond philosophical interest, is part of a broad inquiry into aging and why some people avoid early death and disease.

WSJ: University of Wisconsin Study Finds Eudaimonic Happiness Lessens the 'Bite' of Risk Factors for Disease