Many questions (complex question)

Biological Parallel

'Have you stopped overgrazing the commons?' assumes overgrazing occurred—a complex question packing multiple claims. In ecology: 'Why did this species' population crash?' assumes the crash wasn't measurement error, natural fluctuation, or migration. Complex questions smuggle assumptions. The proper response: unpack the question. Did the population actually crash? If yes, what changed—resources, predators, disease, climate? Biology is multifactorial; simple questions rarely have simple answers. Decompose the question before answering.