Split (3)

train · 273k rows

title stringlengths 0 299	text list
Should I really stop drinking milk? Are Silk/Almond Milk suitable "replacements"?	[ "> I've been seeing a lot more evidence that humans are not designed to continue to drink milk after infancy.\n\nAnd yet here we are, drinking milk, as impossible as a bumblebee's flight.\n\nDon't pay too much attention to this \"evidence\". It is true that most mammals stop being able to process lactose after i...
Why isn't everyone using hypnosis sessions or recordings to unlock languages stored in your brain, weight loss tricks, etc?	[ "Anything can work for quitting smoking, because the trick is just to somehow convince yourself that you do not want to want to smoke anymore. A hypnosis session might work just because you think it will.\n\nHypnosis sessions cannot give you knowledge you never had (like how to speak a language), and there are no...
How/what is starting the heart when in uterus. What initiates that very first heartbeat?	[ "In human embryos the heart begins to beat at about 22-23 days, with blood flow beginning in the 4th week when the nutritional and oxygen requirements of the growing embryo can no longer be met by diffusion from the placenta. The heart is therefore one of the earliest differentiating and functioning organs^[1](_URL...
How is body damage on a car (dents, scratches, etc) repaired?	[ "- Most scratches can be fixed with touch-up paint.\n\n- Minor, non-creased dents can be fixed with a dent puller, basically a suction cup.\n\n- Larger dents, or creases, can be fixed with something called body puddy, or bondo-o. Essentially you fill in the dent with the puddy until it approximates the original cur...
What makes hypoallergenic dogs/cats hypoallergenic?	[ "The part that makes people allergic to cats is actually a protein (FEL D1) found in their saliva. When a cat licks herself, she deposits the protein on her skin, and when it dries off, the flakes become airborne and trigger symptoms of allergy in people. So, it's not the fur that's the issue, it's the dead skin.\n...
why can’t gravity be unified with other forces?	[ "Oooh good one. I don't have an answer but...I really hope someone does. This is gonna be interesting AF" ]
Why is it that when I am standing I get tired easily, but when I am walking I can walk for much longer	[ "I'm just here to say great question. But then sometimes i stand (and do something eg stand and play guitar) and its not as tiring as just standing." ]
Why does not every rain storm have lightning and thunder?	[ "Lightning only occurs in high energy storms. This means they have a lot of CAPE (convective available potential energy, often weathermen will say instability). It can rain with low CAPE, but it doesn't necessarily come with lightning. High CAPE results in storms with considerably more energy. Areas like the West C...
Batteries - Generic Vs. Name Brand	[ "Check for an expiration date on the Kroger batteries. Sometimes the no-name batteries have been sitting in a warehouse for years before they get put on a shelf and someone buys them.\n\nFrom my experiences buying batteries from Amazon, I've seen the big names usually put an expiration date on the pack, as if to sh...
Why is it when someone eats a piece of sharp cheddar cheese, they get the sensation like their forehead and cheeks are sweating?	[ "I have never encountered this and I eat sharp cheddar often, some weeks daily. I have also never heard of anyone encountering this. \n\nIf you get a flushed or sweating sensation when eating a food and it is not overly spicy then you are likely having some kind of allergic reaction or intolerance reaction and you ...
What exactly has Hillary done over the years to not make her trustworthy? I am 17 and want to get educated for the primaries.	[ "Hillary Clinton is what some people call a Sailor. She goes wherever the wind blows. In this case the wind is public opinion polls. If people say they dont like the trans pacific pipeline she is going to say she doesnt like it. If people say we need campaign finance reform and regulate wallstreet, she is gonna say...
If employer applications state they will not discriminate against you based on your race or gender, why do they still ask for that information?	[ "It's usually kept separate from the application, so the recruiter doesn't read it.\nThey will use it if someone tries to claim discrimination to prove they aren't discriminating.", "Many employers are required by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to collect race and gender information.", "Theoretical...
Why are the cooking estimates on Frozen Foods always wrong even if you directly follow the instructions?	[ "Cooking times vary due to the variance in appliances.\n\nHowever, I've noticed that with my particular oven, stovetop, and microwave, the estimated cooking times are pretty much spot-on.\n\nPerhaps you have equipment that either cooks too hot or not hot enough to match the expected cooking time. Adjust as necessa...
Why are South Koreans protesting and demanding their president resigns?	[ "Basically, the South Korean President has admitted to being heavily influenced by a group of women who have no place in politics. They are the mostly the wives of large South Korean business-owners who have used her power to profit and further their own agendas. Tinfoil hat aside, it's more of a cult of personalit...
why is oil "slippery" ?	[ "The defining property of oils is that they are [hydrophobic](_URL_0_). Hydrophobic molecules are non-polar. That means that the molecules don't really stick to anything. So when you push down on liquid oil, the the molecules just slide around." ]
Pokemon cards. How are they made?	[ "Are you asking how are they physically printed, or how do the legal rights to make them operate, or who decides what pictures and text go on each card?" ]
Why is it so much easier to set our biological clocks one hour back than it is to set them one hour forward?	[ "Most people are some level of sleep deprived, and can easily \"catch up\" on an hour of sleep.\n\nMissing an hour of sleep is rough, and it's still pretty rough trying to get to bed an hour earlier." ]
How come when I log in correctly, my computer instantly let's me in, but when I type it in wrong it takes 2 seconds before telling me it was incorrect?	[ "This is actually a security feature - it slows down attackers. If they're trying a bunch of different passwords that might be yours (this is called a \"brute force attack\"), then making it take a couple of seconds to fail means it will take the attacker a *LONG* time to try a significant number of passwords....
Why doesn't McDonald's food decompose?	[ "It does. Those videos are very misleading, and involve fast food that appears to decompose very little only because it is kept in dry conditions (meaning that it dehydrates and essentially mummifies), and then opposed to food kept in more humid conditions that decomposes very rapidly. \n\nIt's complete BS." ]
How do we know that ancient languages are interpreted correctly? Same for making first contact with secluded tribes. Is it based on assumption?	[ "Yarr! Yer not alone in askin', and kind strangers have explained:\n\n1. [ELI5:How do historians or linguists decode and translate an ancient language that hasn't been spoken in a long time? ](_URL_3_) ^(_23 comments_)\n1. [ELI5: How do we know that our translations of hieroglyphics are correct? ](_URL_1_) ^(_ > 10...
Why does TV shoot in 16:9 and movies shoot in 2.39:1	[ "Former Movies theater projectionist here, Movies are shot in 1.85:1 (flat) and 2.39:1(scope/Anamorphic). During the days of actual film in movies theaters, 35mm film size was the standard in all theaters. They were marked scoped or flat which told the theater projectionist to use a standard lens for flat(16:9) o...
As a 27M who has smoked since the age of 16, how much of a recovery can my body make from quitting, how long will it take?	[ "When you quit smoking, the inflammation in the airways goes down. The little hair-like projections in the airways that we call cilia begin to work again. So the lungs will get better in weeks to months. Breathing will get better. Exercise capacity will get better. Paradoxically, people find that they cough a littl...
Why do governments allow car makers to advertise diesel cars as CO2 friendly (less than 100 g/km) if they pollute far more than similar petrol engines?	[ "Diesel engines are generally more energy efficient than petrol engines, i.e., they are \"CO2 friendly\" as you put it and so contribute less to global warming. What's wrong with being able to advertise that?\n\nDiesels do have more of a problem with some types of pollution but that's in many ways a separate issue...
if traits like Hypertrichosis (werewolf syndrome) or Polydactyly (extra fingers) are dominant traits, why aren't they more common in the general population?	[ "Just because something is a dominant trait doesn't mean it will end up spreading to everyone thanks to our old friend natural selection.\n\nIf having a trait, even a dominant trait, causes you to be less likely to survive and pass on your genes, it will eventually be weeded out of the gene pool." ]
Is there any way to find the curve of the earth using Geometry, if so, how?	[ "Early calculations used the sun and shadows to help calculate the curvature of the Earth. Eratosthenes did this calculation using the shadows cast by the sun to find the angle of the earth's curvature, then he used the distance between those points to estimate the circumference of the Earth. He was fairly close,...
Why do we still use gunpowder in ammunition instead of other explosives that have a much greater energy to volume ratio?	[ "No matter what explosive we use in guns, we'll still call it \"gunpowder\" even if it's not a powder. It's just a name that stuck.\n\nBut we've actually changed the formula several times. With small arms, you actually want to limit the speed at which the agent explodes, if you can believe it. Too much energy to...
What is a broadcast domain?	[ "Each network has a broadcast address - if packets are sent to that address, they will be sent to all hosts on the network. The broadcast domain is simply the set of all hosts that will be reached by a broadcast on the network." ]
If human skin 'regenerates' itself within ~35 days, why don't tattoos disappear along with it?	[ "Tattoo ink penetrates through the first layer of skin, the epidermis, into the deeper layer - the dermis. The epidermis is the layer that routinely sloughs off old skin cells. The cells of the dermis are far more stable and does not shed like the epidermis leaving the tattoo intact." ]
Hydroplaining	[ "Hydroplaning refers to when your car basically starts surfing.\n\nSometimes in the wet, an amount of water can build up under your tire and actually prevent the tire from coming into contact with the ground; it's sort of the same thing that happens, as I said above, when someone goes surfing on the ocean.\n\nBlack...
If a supersonic jet has a flattened "nose", will the sonic boom be louder?	[ "The loudness of the sonic boom is essentially proportional to the amount of air the aircraft displaces at or above the speed of sound. If the nose affects how much air the plane is actually displacing, then it will change how loud the boom is." ]
Why is it easier to balance on a moving bike than one at rest?	[ "So, everyone so far has mentioned inertia and the gyroscopic effect. While these do have an effect, they aren't what keeps the bike from falling over. Simply put, the mass and speeds of the bike aren't enough to counter act you falling over.\n\nThe true reason why you don't fall over is centrifugal force. If you w...
What determines how fast a person metabolizes alcohol?	[ "The average male metabolizes .015%-.020% of their BAC every hour. Three pints of 4.5% ABV beer would put you at .086, or just over the legal limit to drive. 3 hours later would put you at a BAC of .041-.026, the lower end of that estimate being not only well under the legal driving limit, but under the BAC that ...
how did el Chapo and his helpers dig the hole into the prison without anyone noticing? And how did they get such a perfect accuracy on where to come up (precisely into the hidden part of his cell)?	[ "I watched a documentary about El Chapo and the consensus seems to be that Mexico is so corrupt that he surely bought off people. It was an inside job.", "Because giving him the key and having him walk out the front door would have been too obvious", "I think the tunnel is just a diversion. He walked out of the...
What are those jets for in the sky, and why do they leave behind a trail of white behind them?	[ "The airplanes are for transportation of goods and people. They fly very high to reduce drag with less-dense air and to avoid other planes.\n\nThe trails are kind of like little clouds made from the stuff in the air swirling around as the airplane moves through it. These are called contrails.\n\nThis is kind of the...
Why have all the 'big' animals and creatures gone extinct? Megalodon, the Dire Wolf? All these creatures were huge, top of the food chain predators but now don't exist? Yet the sloth; slow, dumb and effectively defenceless has somehow managed to survive?	[ "As per your example, a sloth survives on plants. It uses no energy because it virtually doesn't move. A sloth goes SO slow it actually can have moss grow on its fur. When predators hunt they go for sounds and sights. A piece of moss isn't that inviting. These animals survive because they're specialized to survive....
What would happen if a country cut the value of its currency?	[ "it's happened alot with countries with out of control inflation. Iran did did it. they just dropped 3 zero's. i think congo did it too. dropped like 6 zeros.", "The denomination of the currency is basically irrelevant to its value. So if you could change the denomination instantly including on legal con...
How galaxies can be hundreds of light years away, and yet we can still photograph them from earth?	[ "First, it is important to level set on the distance. The closest galaxy to the Milky Way is the Andromeda galaxy. It is around 2.5 million light years away. A light year is the distance that light travels in a year. Since light travels at roughly 300,000,000 meters per second, a light year is a very far distance. ...
Can i kill someone when shooting an AK or similar in the air and the bullets drop lets say in a big crowd?	[ "yes, but it's not the most efficient way to do it. You are much more likely to be successful if you aim directly at your target.", "Yes, there have been many injuries related to celebratory gunfire.\n\n_URL_0_", "[Mythbusters answered this](_URL_1_). Basically yes, you can kill someone if you fire a bullet up,...
Why is the pain of having sore muscles somewhat enjoyable?	[ "If I tell you that the pain you feel in your muscles after a workout is the pain of your body tearing itself down to rebuild itself better, how does that make you feel?\n\nIf I tell you that the pain you feel in your muscles after a workout is your body developing cancer, how does that make you feel?\n\nAnd there'...
Why do companies pay dividends to stockholders?	[ "You pay dividends to make your shares attracive to own. Many people buy shares hoping they will increase in value others want an income from owning the shares in addition.", "When you buy a stock in a company, you become a partial owner of that company. At the end of each quarter, the company must report their e...
Why is bottled water more popular than canned water? Why are cans of soda more popular than bottled soda?	[ "Can't say for sure. My guess is that it is mostly a marketing tactic. A clear bottle gives the impression that the water is purer (and healthier) than a can. With soda, it doesn't matter really. Both bottled and canned soda sell, so they make both. Canned water probably doesn't sell nearly as well as bottled. \n...
Why can't we make computers that use regular English (or just a human language at all) to do things instead of all this code like Java or C+?	[ "Step 1: place the cup on the table\n Step 2: move it 1 inch to the left\n\nDid you just move the cup 1 inch to the left? Or the table?\n\nAmbiguity like that is common in \"natural\" languages, but is no good for a computer language.\n\nThis is just one of many reasons why computers have such a hard time unders...
Why do I hear so much about censorship in Australia? How did they get to be so strict about what they censor?	[ "1. Why do you hear so much about it?\n\nBecause your journalists had a slow news week.\n\n2. How did they get to be so strict about what they censor?\n\nHonestly, age. We have a large baby boomer population that votes again and again to keep the status quo. For the longest time we weren't actually censoring video ...
What is RAW picture format and why is it useful?	[ "RAW is a direct dump of the information coming off the image sensor of your camera with no processing being done to it at all. The main benefit is that you can do a lot of image processing on RAW that you wouldn't be able to do with JPEG files. A [picture like this](_URL_0_) will show you what's capable.", "ELI5...
If copper is self sterilizing, why doesn't every hospital make door handles, and other frequently touched objects, with it?	[ "A couple of reasons.\n\n1. Copper is very expensive compared to other materials.\n\n2. Sanitizing cleaning solutions are relatively inexpensive, and even with self sterilizing surfaces, these areas would still be cleaned regularly.\n\n3. In order to properly self sanitize, it usually takes a minimum of around 2 h...
How will Netflix use data to determine if they should do a Punisher spin off or not?	[ "How many people watch multiple Netflix originals of other Marvel shows. \n \nIf many people who watch DareDevil also watch Jessica Jones, and will also watch the upcoming Luke Cage/Iron Fist/The Defenders, that is a good indication they will also watch Punisher." ]
Why does the expression "... like it's going out of style" mean that you're doing it a lot? Don't people do/use things LESS as they're fading in popularity?	[ "It's implying that they know that X will be unpopular soon so the person is basically trying to get the most out of whatever X is while its still considered acceptable.", "It's a confusing phrase. But here is the logic: if it's indeed going out of style, you better use up what you have now before it goes complet...
What are the responsibilities of movie directors and producers and what differences do they make?	[ "The director is responsible for maintaining the vision of the production. This person generally works as a creative bridge between the writer and the performers/production crew. Sometimes there are several more specific directors who are sort of sub-managers for different aspects such as visual effects or sound.\n...
How can the Sandy Hook victim families sue Remington for manufacturing a product?	[ "> I get suing the shop if they failed to run all required background tests but I just don't understand how they're able to do this?\n\nHere's the thing. The shop ran all the background checks they were supposed to on Lanza's mother.\n\nThe shop couldn't do a thing in the world to stop Lanza from murdering her and ...
High School student, how does college work?	[ "Major- Primary area of study. Often 40-60 credits taken in this area.\n\nMinor- You've taken enough credits to have an idea of the field, but did not heavily concentrate in it. Usually 18-24 core credits.\n\nTechnical School- Typically offers vocational and trade programs; mechanic, nurse, IT, etc\n\nAssociates ...
When I'm passing urine, why does it froth some of the time but not others? This is into water without any cleaning products in it.	[ "The froth is from the amount of protein in your urine. The times you will most notice this is in the morning when the content is highest.", "The timing of the froth will probably coincide with any meals you have eaten which are high in protein. Occasional froth in the urine is nothing unusual and nothing to wor...
why is math (statistics, calculus, etc) so important for a strong programmer?	[ "There are lots of areas of programming that require only basic math. If you're doing development for a moderate-sized web site or app, it's quite possible you'll almost never use any math, and never anything beyond things taught in high-school algebra.\n\nMore generally, some programmers use a lot of math all the ...
Why is diesel more expensive than gasoline?	[ "Diesel is used to power a large number of critical industries - trucking, farming, etc. Also, fuels very, very similar to diesel are used for heating in the winter and for lots of other purposes. So even though a minority of passenger cars burns diesel in the US, there's significant demand for diesel both year-rou...
Why are English words phonetically explained with strange symbols? Why not just include those symbols in the alphabet?	[ "First, they're not an English alphabet — each symbol in IPA is meant to represent a distinct and unambiguous sound that humans make to communicate. There are some sounds used by humans that aren't represented in IPA yet — so, it isn't complete. \n\nSecond: there are hundreds of symbols in IPA — far more than t...
why do I run out of gas faster when the a/c is on in my car	[ "Because you are using gas to power your car and power the motor on the air conditioner instead of just using gas to power your car." ]
Common Ancestor theory. Does the thought that different early life forming on different parts of the planet seperate from the first organism completely disprove this theory, or is there evidence against multiple sources lineage?	[ "Evidence of parallel abiogenesis would damage the common ancesstor theory.\n\nThe thought doesn't prove or disprove anything.\n\nFossil record of life in multiple locations isn't necessarily evidence of parallel abiogenesis, as life can and does spread and become isolated.\n\nGenetic similarities provide evidenc...
How birth defects happen	[ "There are many causes and many different situations.\n\nSome defects are chemically triggered, a perfectly normal fetus exposed to thalidomide at the wrong point in its development will turn out with a defect.\n\nSome defects are genetic, through a copying error or expression of a recessive trait a fetus will deve...
Why did humans develop in Africa when there's so much more water/food in the Northern Hemisphere?	[ "Evolution needs some sort of selective pressure. Let me try to tone it down to ELI5: If food is plentiful, a species may not evolve. For example, bison have roamed the great plains of North America for thousands of years, and they have no reason to evolve any further (ignoring the problem of humans hunting them...
why do some sites have highly annoying add's to hinder your experience, do these sites or people that make the adds honestly believe that annoying people will increase the chances of that product being bought?	[ "Most of these ads are not actually for the websites you see them on. The web sites displaying the ads don't really care if you buy the products being advertised. They get paid for the number of times the ad is viewed and/or the number of times someone clicks on the ad.", "There are a number of factors to these a...
Can animals commit suicide ?	[ "I've heard of two cases where they have. One was a [dolphin](_URL_1_), which stopped breathing intentionally. \n\nThe other was a bear that was having its bile drained for some eastern medicine thing. Not just once, that was basically the bear's life, being a perpetually wounded source. One day, she killed her cub...
What is happening when my desktop tower is making (assumedly) calculating noises?	[ "If you can hear calculating noises from your CPU, that's mighty fine hearing you have. The noise is most likely from your hard drive, moving the read/write heads back and forth on the platter.", "Stop right now and make sure that your data backups are current.\n\nThose aren't \"calculating\" noises. That's prob...
American Curfew Laws, What Are They?	[ "Yeah, it is. It happened to me once. From what I can tell, how seriously they take this law depends on the area. For instance I used to live ain a very safe suburb, so I'd go walking at night as a kid, and nobody cared. But when I moved to a dense area with more crime and went out, I got the curfew violation.\n\nA...
Why can the brain recall trivial things it was exposed to once, but when intentionally trying to learn something, requires repeat exposure and concentrated effort?	[ "It all has to do with novelty and priority. If someone says something strange, it piques your curiosity and doesn't require much effort to retain. It can potentially also threaten your existence much more than can, say, memorizing chords on the guitar. And learning a skill, you're blatantly aware of the insignific...
When a stock price drops fast in a short amount of time, who are the stockholders selling to?	[ "There is always people willing to buy stocks at low prices: for example with a stock at $80. You would have:\n\nI'll buy 200 stocks for $77 ea\n\nI'll buy 100 stocks for $76 ea\n\nI'll buy 400 stocks for $75 ea\n\nI'll buy 200 stocks for $74 ea\n\nI'll buy 300 stocks for $73 ea\n\n...\n\nI'll buy 300 stocks for $5...
if a communist country has a centrally planned economy, how is a country with a central bank that sets interest rates not communist?	[ "Communist states typically disavow any notion of personal property either partially or totally. They call for a wide range of state action, covering every industry and business and so on. So they represent an extreme end of a spectrum. The other end might be the free market, or perhaps perfect anarchy (which is wh...
Why is the US president elected to a 4 year term, but members of the senate get unlimited 6 year terms?	[ "It is worth pointing out that the 2-4-6 year term system (House of Representatives, President, Senators) was put in place to prevent what the Founding Fathers feared most: tyranny. On any given election cycle, only 1/3 of the Senate is up for re-election so that one botched/rigged election cannot completely take ...
how does nonsurgical cool sculpting work to reduce fat?	[ "Basically they freeze your fat cells to death, nothing really more complicated than that. The dead cells are then absorbed by your body. Viola, less fat. \n\nCalling it \"nonsurgical\" I think is a bit of a stretch. \"Non-invasive\" certainly, but it is an hour long medical procedure during which a local anestheti...
apparently you cant die from holding your breath, explain	[ "If you're able to hold your breath long enough, you pass out and then involuntary breathing begins.", "You have very, very strong instincts that won't let you do it usually. You'll give up in your panic and catch a breath.\n\nEven if you don't you'll pass out, and immediately start breathing again.\n\nYou need a...
Why do my eyes hurt after looking at a screen too long?	[ "This is due to how the human eye focuses. It doesn't work like a camera wich gets set to a focus distance and then stays there. Breaking it down to eli5 level: If the responsible muscles rest, your focus is on the very distant setting. Looking at very close things is muscle exercise, and while your eye muscles c...
Why can't people drink the water in Mexico but fruit that was grown in Mexico and watered with non filtered water is ok to eat?	[ "The water is a problem because of bacteria. Bacteria will not survive being absorbed by the roots of a plant and turned into fruit. Water sprayed on the surface of fruit could potentially be a problem, but the bacteria that live in water wouldn't survive long out in the air and sun." ]
Why do you get so hungry when you are high?	[ "In your body you have an Endocannabinoid system which has a role in appetite, pain-sensation, mood, and memory. \n\nIt's suggested that THC the psycoactive compound in cannabis activates a receptor called CB1 which directly increases appetite when fired.", "So, what happens if you never feel that way? I have nev...
what happens to credit card debt when people die?	[ "The balance will be taken from the estate of the deceased. If the estate does not have enough to cover the balance, the debt is written off as a loss. I have heard anecdotes of debt collectors chasing after descendants for the debt, but unless they have signed as legally obligated to paying it, there is no legal s...
How can math equations be depicted through stories such as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland?	[ "The book AFAIK doesn't really depict math equations, but general mathematical ideas. \n\nFor example, the Cheshire cat disappears, leaving only its grin. This is analogous to the type of abstraction that often occurs in mathematics; one will take a familiar concept, like integers, and then forget about everything ...
If we have never seen or been to the planet's core. How do we know what it looks like or how it works?	[ "We used a lot different methods. The waves of the earthquakes act differently when moving through different materials. Measuring large earthquakes allowed us to get a good idea of what was going on in the earth just passed the mantle. The rest was speculation constructed from what we knew of the outer layers of th...
What is this CE symbol I'm seeing on everything?	[ "In addition to what /u/StrangelyTyped and /u/energymisdirected said, it's important to note there is another almost identical CE symbol that does not mean the product meets European regulatory compliance.\n\nSome Chinese manufacturers allegedly print a very similar CE logo on their products that is supposed to ind...
While watching late-night TV, I see ads for buying gold and silver. Why should/shouldn't I do that? What's the deal?	[ "Generally, commodities like gold and silver can be a less volatile market than stocks or currency.\n\nHowever, most of these commercials are scams. Especially for buying coins. The amount of gold they have in them is tiny. like less than $1 worth of gold in a coin that costs $20.", "If it's on TV, that usuall...
Character and letter Alphabets.	[ "You're making a distinction where there is none. \"Character\" and \"letter\" are pretty much synonymous. \"A\" is a character just as much as \"字\" is a letter. They just represent different things.\n\nIt's necessary though to distinguish between different forms of writing. You have…\n\n- Alphabets, which bas...
How does a can of whipped cream work?	[ "Liquid cream is held in the can along with nitrous oxide, under pressure. This pressure keeps the nitrous oxide liquid too.\n\nWhen you press the nozzle, it releases the pressure. This causes the nitrous oxide to boil - turn into a gas - which has the dual effect of both aerating the cream and pushing it out of th...
How do we take photos of the universe that aren't from Earth's perspective	[ "The photos either are taken from our perspective or are artist renderings based on data we've collected." ]
How does lithium control the moods of a bipolar person?	[ "Bipolar is where ones dopamine receptors (pleasure center of the brain) go up and down irregularly, where a normal person's brain their dopamine receptors go up or down based on stimulation from the outside world. Like, listening to a catchy toon or wanting to dance can be considered addictive because it increases...
How does exercise benefit a human physiologically?	[ "A lot of hormonal stuff happens that I don't know enough about to explain, but basically, you damage your body and your body goes \"well shit, I gotta be stronger if this is gonna keep happening.\" \n\nSo then it gets stronger. \n\nNote that if you do the same exercises forever, you won't keep getting stronger, yo...
Why is an introductory class to something referred to as '101'?	[ "Because in American colleges, every course is given a 3 digit number. The first digit represents the year that most students are expected to take the course. Most of the first classes an American college student will encounter is Whatever 101.", "It comes from one method of numbering courses in college. Typical...
Why are gas prices so high even though the US is producing the most it has in over two decades?	[ "That's a loaded question, but on an ELI5 level:\n\nHigher domestic production is just one small piece of the supply and demand curves that dictate gas pricing. Other factors, particularly supply of imported crude (which accounts for a very large percentage - 40-70% depeneding on who you want to cite - of petroleu...
Why does corporate technology seem to cost way more than the consumer equivalent?	[ "If you kept your data on a single $75 SATA drive, don't be surprised if it just disappears one day due to a crash.\n\nEnterprise level storage arrays are much more expensive. That $23,000 is likely for solid state storage (aka flash) and not SATA. It's in an array that is fault tolerant and probably has software...
How does a Transistor work and why is it so important?	[ "I'll tackle the \"why first\". So, a computer needs to be able to take input and give you output. Whether that's deciding what is 2+2 or what it should display on screen. Thus, we need a device that translates input to output automatically using electricity.\n\nI'll use a MOSFET transistor as an example, as i...
why does Obama have a high approval rate among foreigners	[ "When people aren't subjected to the day-to-day politics of a particular country, it's easier to see a foreign leader favorably. For instance, Francois Hollande most certainly has a higher approval rating in America than he does in France. His policies wouldn't make for a viable candidate in the United States, but ...
TTIP vs TTP	[ "TTIP - Transatlantic trade and investment partnership (free trade deal with EU)\n\nTPP - Trans-Pacific Partnership (free trade deal with countries around the pacific rim that aren't China)\n\nTTP - Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (a rare blood clotting disorder)" ]
- How a bill becomes law	[ "I will let School House Rock handle this one:\n\n_URL_0_" ]
What is nymphomania and how does one become one.	[ "It can be like a drug addiction because of the chemical reactions that occur in the brain. You just wouldn't develop any type of dependency. However the craving, and desire is just as strong in all addictions." ]
What is it about swimming that allows Michael Phelps to win so many medals? Why aren't there similar repeating winners in other sports, such as track and field that has multiple races with various distances?	[ "There are four different types of swimming strokes as well. If there were separate 100m and 200m dashes for regular sprinting, running backwards, crawling on all fours and hopping like a rabbit as well as relays for each type of running you'd eventually see a sprinter win a mountain of gold like Phelps'.", "I th...
How do Kickstarter payments work? What prevents the receiver from just running away with the money?	[ "To my knowledge, nothing stops them. In fact there have been numerous complaints of people never getting what they order off of Kickstarter. It's very much buyer beware.", "Nothing. You have no claim to anything when you donate. You aren't pre-ordering, you aren't buying it, you are donating money and you may (o...
Why we get shocked when we lick the top of a 9v Battery	[ "It works because you're completing the circuit, allowing electrons to pass from the positive terminal, through your tongue, to the negative terminal. As far as it being cruel, I've stuck my tongue to a fair share of 9v batts in my time and never felt anything more than a tickle or vibration feeling.", "/u/MikeHu...
What exactly is happening when we suddenly don't need to use the bathroom anymore?	[ "That never happens to me with poop, but rather urine quite frequently when I'm active. Maybe it sweats out? Pissing your pants by sweating? ha" ]
How is NASA 100% sure microbes aren't attached to the rovers and similar probes? When 99.99% sure means we're possibly spreading our alien microbes to other worlds.	[ "They aren't, and in fact, they're quite sure there _are_ microbes. They just get all of them they can.", "They aren't 100% sure, and in fact we've found microbes that have survived into space. Simply put, it's hard to be 100% sure of anything. Sometimes you've got to risk it.", "One feature of biology atleast ...
Why do sentences only rhyme when the rhyming word is in the back of the sentence instead of the front?	[ "A word is divided up into two parts. The first part is called the onset, the second part is called the rime. The onset is everything before the rime. The rime is what is used to make a rhyme." ]
So is there an available fluid that could substitute blood flowing in our system? Like what's so special about blood?	[ "What makes it special is that it has red blood cells, white blood cells\nand platelets in it. The red blood cells carry oxygen . White blood cells\nfight disease and I believe platelets cause the blood to clot. The liquid\npart of the blood is called plasma." ]
Why are our pupils more sensitive than the white around it?	[ "The white part of your eye (called the [sclera](_URL_0_)) is opaque, and is what primarily holds in the [eyeball juice](_URL_1_) that fills up your eyeball. \nThe iris is the muscular stuff that can constrict and change the size of your pupil. Your pupil isn't a structure: it's a hole whose size is changed by the...
How does the umbilical cord attach itself to the child/mother?	[ "Conceived in the fallopian tubes or top of uterus.\n \nFertilized egg drops down into uterus, where it lands in a 'bed' of what is essentially blood*. \n\nBecause the egg is fertilized, it gives off chemical messengers that it will be sticking around, so it doesn't get flushed out when it's time for her period.\n\...
What's going on in Texas with planned parenthood and medicaid	[ "The government gives money to various programs. One of which is Woman's Health. The Woman's Health program gives 40 million dollar to Texas for Woman's Health clinics. One of the largest Woman's health clinic is Planned Parenthood group which does Pap smears, gynecological exams, and mammograms. Planned Parenthoo...
Why do we impose 'tougher' sanctions against N.Korea each time they do something instead of throwing every we can against them all at once?	[ "For a long time, any action against North Korea was forestalled because they were allied with the Soviet Union and China and no one wanted a war with them. In fact we'd had a war, the Korean War, and fought it to a standstill. After the Soviet Union collapsed, North Korea still had an ally in China. However, as ti...

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