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I grew up thinking that turning off your engine for a short stop only uses more fuel. How are the current start-stop functions a good idea if this is true?
[ "This is still true.\n\nCars with automatic start-stop function won't stop again if the last start was not long enough ago.", "The drivers handbook for my car suggests that you don't allow the engine to auto-stop if you expect it to restart after a very short wait, for exactly that reason.\n\n(I can't remember ho...
Why isn't the insurance industry lobbying heavily to stop climate change?
[ "First a brief review about how the insurance industry works:\n\n* If I'm an insurance company, and you are purchasing property insurance from me, then I need to calculate how much I'm going to charge you for this insurance.\n* This calculation involves certain variables, but it basically boils down to this: How l...
Why are houses in older communities so spaced out in age, compared to newer neighborhoods?(US)
[ "Most neighborhoods built after the 1950s, ie subdivisions in the suburbs, are built all at once. Meaning they will all be built within a year of each other and use 1-5 building plans. Homes built in cities or on privately owned lots outside the city limits that are not a part of a subdivision are built as the owne...
If every other human was immediately killed, how long would it take for me to lose electricity, water, internet, cell signal etc.
[ "Electricity cell and internet very quickly. Electrical plants require a lot of human intervention to function and many have failsafes that will automatically shut them down. So days, and electricity takes the internet and cell phones down with it.\n\n Water depends on location. Water pressure comes from a large wa...
What is stopping any one from dropping another A bomb?
[ "The knowledge that if they do, an A-bomb will be dropped on them.\n\nIt's called MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) and it's actually kind of worked so far. When many of the world's largest countries can fire within a few minutes, there's no guarantee that the person who orders a nuke won't be nuked themselves be...
why are ad videos shown without problem on my phone but when the video starts the internet becomes slow?
[ "Because ads are cached, because they are smaller and loaded more frequently than videos.\n\nMoreover, they doesn't come from the targeted site but from an API that is [probably geographically closer to you than the site server](_URL_0_)." ]
What's actually happening within a standard computer as it's booting up?
[ "### First Stage Boot Loader (Your Motherboard's Firmware)\n\n1. Power comes on. Motherboard chip is physically programmed to go to a known location where it expects to find a boot loader.\n2. The motherboard chip executes the boot loader, which tells it put some instructions into memory for the CPU. The instructio...
Why isn't America's massive debt being considered a larger problem?
[ "US debt is not the same as personal debt. US debt is sold as a point of investment in the form of government bonds. It is also one of the safest forms of investment as the US has never defaulted on any of its bonds when they have come due, and they do not all come due at once. \n\nWe also have a better debt to GDP...
why does being upset mentally cause physical symptoms of sickness?
[ "Mental upset causes your body to release stress hormone. Prolonged presence of stress hormone triggers shut down of digestive functions which causes the diarrhoea, loss of appetite, inappropriate reaction to certain foods, ect. It also alters brain functions which can cause headaches, brain fog, ect. The immune sy...
Why is there such a lack of the color blue in nature?
[ "Simply put:\nIt's quite expensive, biologically speaking.\n\nThis will probably get removed for not being specific enough or something, but that sums it up.", "Are all the oceans, and the entire sky not included in this nature you speak of?", "Part of the explanation for this is how most plants convert sunligh...
When animals appear to be smiling, are they really doing so out of joy or is it just a human misinterpretation?
[ "Animal body language and signals are very different from ours. Apes for example, can be taught to smile as we do, but in the wild, displaying your teeth is a threat or sign of aggression. Their \"happy\" smile is an open mouth with no teeth showing.", "When you see a primate engaging in what looks like a smile...
Why insane persons cannot be executed via capital punishment when the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) prohibits discrimination?
[ "That's a hell of a cross-connection!\n\nThe ADA prohibits _situational_ discrimination. It is not a thing that says \"you can't treat people differently\". So..thats part of it. There are five titled areas of the ADA, each covering these specific circumstances. The application of criminal justice isn't one of ...
How do gas turbine engines work?
[ "All internal combustion engines work on a very simple principle. Suck, squeeze, bang, blow. Turbine engines suck in air, squeeze it between spinning blades, ignite fuel, and then blow it out of the back. \n\nThe spinning blades compress the air between stationary blades. When air is compressed, it gets hot. With e...
Have there been any good Dictatorships in the past? If not, why is the idea of a country ran by a dictator usually condemned? (in other words, why are pretty much all Dictatorships bad?)
[ "Augustus Caesar and come of the later Roman emperors ran highly effective states (if without much in the way of political freedoms). Dictatorships tend to be bad as a rule because (a) bad rulers can't tolerant dissent, so a bad leader is more likely to move towards dictatorship, (b) most dictators came to power mi...
What is a 401K?
[ "Tax-deferred retirement account. Your depoit is taken from your pay before taxes are figured. You pay taxes when you take the money (typically at or after 59.5 years old). Many people have a lower income in returement, so the 401k money is taxed at a lower rate. Also, as a benefit, many employers match some or all...
What is this whole trend about bashing game developers for "unfinished games"?
[ "Traditionally, this is for console games (it happens on PC gaming too, but most of what you'll find out there on this topic comes from consoles). Basically, console games nearly always enter a pre-order phase well in advance of release. This is to give the developers more money, so they can give you more content...
how does the Pythagorean theorem work?
[ "The proof that I find easiest is [this one](_URL_1_).\n\nThere are two big squares, with sides equal to a+b. Inside the big a+b squares, there are four identical right triangles of sides a, b, c. We can arrange those four triangles in two different ways. On the left side, we arrange the four triangles so that ther...
Why are aquariums lit by blue lights?
[ "Fish store manager and avid aquarist here! There are several reasons! Side note, that blue color is called \"actinic\".\n\nFirst of all, it's more \"natural\" [for saltwater tanks]. Lower frequency light, the red side of the visible spectrum, is absorbed pretty quickly in water. That leaves more high frequency...
Why can't you divide a number by 0?
[ "Algebraic reason for this is that, division is just multiplication. If you're dividing by 2, you're actually multiplying by half.\n\nIf you're dividing by 4, you're actually multiplying by a quarter, or 1/4.\n\nIf you're dividing by 0, you're actually multiplying by 1/0.\n\nSo if you have 0 x 1/0, that should equa...
What is an RPG (role-playing game)?
[ "No, Call of Duty isn't seen as a role playing game. The big reason is because those playing a role playing game have at least some decision making in the direction the game takes even if it has a predefined end point. In Call of Duty you just have separate missions to take part in and the games are basically on ...
How does a choke on a carburetor work, and why is it necessary?
[ "A carburetor is a calibrated device that delivers a set amount of fuel per unit of air passing through it. Cold engines need a richer mix (more fuel per unit of air) to start up. The choke closes to block some of the air from entering the engine to richen the mix and allow the engine to start.", "Your carburetor...
Is there a reason when I'm about to go to sleep and start thinking about things I want to do I get the feeling I can do it but you wake up and don't have the courage to?
[ "Your brain relaxes and you enter a semi-conscious state of thought that allows for greater neuron connections to be made between areas of the brain that don't normally connect to each other. This results in fleeting moments of inspiration." ]
What are the legal/tax differences between civil unions and marriage?
[ "Some states have civil unions that are marriages in all but name; others have differences that vary by state, and still others have limited domestic partner benefits/protections.\n\nThe main constant is that - because of DOMA - all federal taxes (income, estate, etc.) are assessed as a non-married couple. You can ...
What is the purpose of punishing a company/corporation with new laws/regulations/fines if the company is going to find new ways around them? [Elaboration inside.]
[ "A regulation - let's say, to tie max wages to wages of lowest paid employee - has various effects. Some companies might pay lower wage workers more, others pay higher wage workers less, others try to have their lower paid employees not technically be 'employees', etc. If this regulation is enforced, then changes...
Why do critic reviews and fan reviews tend to differ so greatly in media such as TV, movies, and games?
[ "Because they're reviewing different things. \n\nIt's basically the difference between a professional and a layperson. This *is* simplified, but you can apply it to, say, cars. A regular person will see a car and go \"Wow, that thing's so sleek and shiny and goes fast!\" and a professional mechanic will say \"That ...
If Android is just an OS on the Hardware that is my phone, how is it possible to 'brick' it?
[ "In your PC, you have two operating systems; the one you are familiar with and work with every day (Windows, OSX, Linux), and then there is the BIOS. The BIOS handles computing before your main OS loads. It shows the boot screen and tells you if a hard drive is unplugged or something. If you want to load a diffe...
why do people sleepwalk?
[ "There's a part of your brain that paralyzes you when you fall asleep. It blocks every signal that your brain tries to send to your muscles. That part is unsynced or damaged in people who sleepwalk.\n\nOftentimes the person is also able to look around, espond to stimuli and do complex tasks like talking or making t...
Why does it feel faster traveling home then traveling to a certain location?
[ "I'm from Long Island NY. A month ago I went to visit my friend at American University (which is in Washington D.C). The ride there felt pretty long. The ride back didn't seem nearly as time consuming. I think it's because on the way there I didn't know any of the places we were passing. On the way back I would see...
Why do movie studios opt for CGI when it seems like practical affects would be cheaper, easier for actors to work with, and preferred by audiences?
[ "Because CGI generally does look better the reason alot of people think practical effects are better is because we only notice bad CGI", "Practical effects are generally not cheaper. At least not in modernity. They are also very difficult on the actors. You are looking at hours of time applying the practical and...
Why does acupuncture work?
[ "There is no sound evidence suggesting that acupuncture works for anything other than as a placebo.", "Because when the needles are removed, you no longer have hundreds of tiny swords stabbing you all over your naked body, which tends to feel pretty nice.\n\nI joke, I joke." ]
How come we can multiply by zero, but we can't divide by it?
[ "It helps to think about what division actually means. If I write, say, 6 ÷ 3 = 2, what do I mean by that? Well, I mean that, if you multiply 2 by 3, you'll get 6. In other words, 6 ÷ 3 represents \"the number that, when multiplied by 3, gives you 6\". Obviously there is only one such number.\n\nBut with zero, you ...
Title ll of net neutrality. How could ISP's benefit from having control of internet speed on certain websites and apps?
[ "They would get the power to censor as they see fit (we don't want you to visit site X, so we'll just restrict all data flow to and from it) and they would get the opportunity to add extra fees - an example would be to limit data speeds to the point where streaming becomes impossible, and then they'd charge you ext...
Why do we get the feeling that someone is watching us?
[ "Couple of things.\n\nFirst our brain isn't 1 thing. It is multitude of processes that works together. Sometimes brain gets confused resulting in your having \"supernatural\" experiences. One of the minor being feeling of being watched. \n\nIf your brain can't rationalize your senses, you get those feelings.", "I...
Why and how does physical pain manifest when one is sleep deprived?
[ "The pain in this case is motivating the organism to find a quiet, closed space to sleep. When sleep deprived, global bodily inflammation rates are higher due to overburdening of the stress system and the protective immune responses. The brain, cardiovascular and the immune system are some the main biological pro...
What does k-theory (subbranch of math) consist of? what is its main question? does it have applications?
[ "There's no easy way to ELI5 something as abstract and complex as K-theory. But I can at least try to give some background on the concepts it uses.\n\nA *topological space* is the most general type of mathematical space. Examples include ordinary 3D space (called R^(3)), the surface of a sphere (S^(2)), and the rea...
what actually goes on in clown school. All I know is it's hard to get into, but what is the benefit, and what do the clowns learn?
[ "Circus clowns perform a variety of functions, including comedy, filler between major acts, incorporating and communicating with the audience, slapstick routines, stunts, improv, prop comedy, etc.\n\nIt's like a mixture of improv school and circus school.", "I wonder if in Clown School when the teacher catc...
Why can children sleep through being lifted out of a car and carried inside, whereas I would wake up immediately if someone lifted me out of bed?
[ "Maybe because the person picking you up isn't 10 times your size so it wont go with the same ease?" ]
The science behind a tandoori oven
[ "the structure is basically a chimney. the heat from the coals creates an upward draft which adds more air and basically makes the coal burn even hotter. the heat is concentrated in the small space and insulated by the vermiculite so it doesn't escape sideways but only upwards." ]
What will result from the 'Farm Bill' Obama signed?
[ "I don't claim to be an expert on the issue. The below is taken directly from an article in the current issue of The Economist.\n\nAfter a delay of two years the Senate passed the farm bill, a strange piece of legislation which costs nearly a trillion dollars. It mixes benefits that mostly go to the poor (food stam...
Why does the Madeleine's case had and still has so much attention from the media and Scotland Yard?
[ "I assume you are talking about Madeleine McCann? It still gets coverage because for one, it's still an open case. New suspects were entered into the case after Madeleine was reported to have been seen abroad over the last few years. There is no conclusive evidence that she's dead. Also, it was a very interesting c...
How come I can't downvote comments in some subreddits?
[ "In a subreddit, the admins can change what it looks like. Some subreddits want to promote a positive environment by getting rid of the down arrow. However, this doesn't mean the ability to use it is gone. If you do some fancy computer stuff you can still use it. (Using your browser's JavaScript console, and maybe...
How are older shows, such as Seinfeld and That '70s Show, which were originally aired in 4:3 able to be upgraded to 16:9 for HD?
[ "It depends on the source material and how much effort goes into the transfer.\n\nFor a show like \"That 70s Show\", the only source material available is SD video, since the show was shot on inexpensive video. In that case, the video can be upconverted, which is basically an enlargement and sharpening process. It...
How does a Nuclear Submarine operate for decades using nuclear material that is the size of a human fist according to the Captain of a Nuclear Submarine?
[ "That's the amazing thing about nuclear power; energy density. You can extract tremendous energy from a very small amount of material because you are literally converting mass to energy. Unlike most forms of power generation that just rearrange atoms, nuclear power rips them apart and uses the resulting energy to d...
What is a memristor?
[ "A memristor is a piece of an electrical circuit that remembers how much current has passed through it, and in which direction (within limits).\n\nIn the future, we might be able to use memristors to make switches and memory for computers that are better than the kinds of switches and memory that we have at the mom...
does temperature effect how long a smell lingers? If so what causes it to linger in the cold/heat longer than the opposite?
[ "Yes. Temperature has an effect on the existence and motion of smells, the warmer the temperature, the more \"active\" smell molecules are (smell molecules are basically a gas given off by the smelly object).\n\nThis means that smelly things are smellier when they are warmer.\n\nAs for lingering, that is impacted ...
Why do apples turn brown so quickly where the inside is exposed?
[ "When an apple is cut (or bruised), oxygen is introduced into the injured plant tissue. When oxygen is present in cells, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzymes in the chloroplasts rapidly oxidize phenolic compounds naturally present in the apple tissues to o-quinones, colorless precursors to brown-colored secondary produ...
Can someone explain Common Core (loaded, I know)
[ "The Common Core is a series of optional standards suggested for determining school curricula. 45 states have adopted it. The standards for math and English are [summarized here](_URL_0_) if you want to read about it in more detail. The idea is to make sure students are better prepared when they finish high scho...
Is kissing a natural or learned behavior?
[ "Of 168 studied cultures around the world, less than half practice kissing in a romantic-sexual way. It is definitely not a natural universal behavior. There are numerous cultures that find it utterly disgusting. \n_URL_0_" ]
Can black holes close off and stop being what we know of as black holes?
[ "They can in fact!\n\nIt's due to a cool thing called Hawking Radiation which black holes emit. It's the only thing they give off, meaning they aren't totally black. \n\nRight so what happens at a super sub atomic level, like really fucking tiny there are two little things of which I forgot the name. \n\nLets call ...
Why do Republicans only require 1,237 delegates for a nomination while Democrats require 2,383?
[ "Because there are 2,475 delegates at the GOP convention and 4,766 at the Democratic convention. The number of delegates really isn't important -- what's important is the percentage of the total delegates they get, because both parties require a majority of the delegates to become a nominee.", "Each party makes i...
What exactly does "dying of natural causes" mean?
[ "Its just a saying really. \"Old Age\" is not the killer, Pneumonia or heart failure is usually what does the guy in.\n\nHowever, as we get older our bodies get less and less able to fight off things like that. Our hearts get weaker, our bodies get less efficient and so on.\n\nSo really \"dying of old age\" is a ...
Why would a twin at sea level age faster than a twin on a tall mountaintop?
[ "Time is relative to speed. The faster you go the slower time appears to go from your perspective. That's why there's a universal speed limit of the speed of light, because the closer to the speed of light you travel the slower time seems to pass.\n\nIf someone is at the top of a tall mountain then as the world spi...
Why don't all cars have roll cages installed?
[ "Roll cages are generally reserved for vehicles with a [high center of gravity](_URL_0_). Take the difference between a [jeep](_URL_3_) versus a [corvette](_URL_2_). A corvette has a very low center of gravity because of it's wide wheel base and how close to the ground the engine and chassis are. The [rolling point...
Can someone explain the principle and or workings of entropy ?
[ "Take an egg. Throw it at the ground. It broke. Now, put it back together.\n\nMake a fire. Don't add any more wood. Let it burn forever.\n\nWere you able to do either of those things? Do you think anyone can? Do those things sound reasonable? Entropy is all around us. We're all familiar with it, it happens all the ...
How do reflex sights work?
[ "Reflexes work by reflecting light off of a curve lens. In relation to the shooters view point the reflected light would always provide and accurate area of target. Basically, if you are looking at the sight from an angle, as long you can still see your target in the sight, the curved nature of the lens would still...
What did old movies mean when they said "[this movie] has been formatted to fit this screen."
[ "Movie screens where always wider than the normal home television. They have to alter the film in order to correctly fit your television screen. \"Full Screen\" versions of movies have black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. What many people don't realize is that the black bars aren't covering anything beca...
Why do I have to worry about how much data I'm using on my phone but not on my desktop? And why can't I get the same deal for my phone?
[ "Your phone's data is coming from an expensive cellular network.\n\nYour desktop or laptop is using your inexpensive home network, probably DSL or cable.\n\n\n\nYou can't get the same deal for both because they are two different delivery systems. I don't know what a good analogy is -- maybe restaurant prices vs ro...
Why do eyes have color?
[ "Our skin, hair, and eye colour are determined by melanin levels. Melanin is pigment that is also responsible for tanning.\n\n\n For example, lighter-skinned people have less melanin than darker-skinned people. People with Albinism, however, have no melanin/pigment. Freckles are an example of concentrated melanin i...
With Snowden revealing all of this compromising information why does it seem as if nothing really is being done about it? And if something was, who would be to blame?
[ "Because no matter how much we hate the NSA spying on us, it doesn't affect our lives in any meaningful way. \n\nI have food on my table, a roof over my head and a pay check ( also many guns) \n\nUntil most or all these things are taken from me, my life isn't affected", "Because Americans are to comfortable and l...
How does an atomic bomb work, and why does it release so much energy/explosive power?
[ "First let's understand what fission and fusion are. In the sun, Hydrogen fuses together with other Hydrogen atoms to form Helium, which fuses with more Hydrogen and Helium atoms to create Lithium, Beriliym, Nitrogen, Carbon, oxygen, all the way up to Iron. When these elements fuse together they release energy in t...
Why does it seem like there is so many cases of police brutality/abuse/misbehaviour in the US compared to other developed countries?
[ "Well nobody's mentioned the war on drugs, so I will. \n\nThe answers given by others so far are correct, but the war on drugs has also contributed to the level of violence in this country. By criminalizing behavior that would be much better treated as a mental health issue, we have created an industry of gangs and...
How does Euler's formula actually work?
[ "This is a bit like magic trick and when all the moving parts and behind the scenes preparation are revealed the result is clear, magic evaporates, and, in this case, follows from the uniqueness of the complex function f(z) satisfying f'(z) = f(z) and f(0) = 1 but that fact is often obscured by our intuition regard...
How come you never see any jacked golf players?
[ "No, the opposite. Hitting the ball far comes from flexibility and technique. Basically the longer your back swing, the faster your head (golf club head) speed, and assuming you contact the ball square, that will result in wicked length. If you're all jacked with muscle, you can't rotate enough to get the needed...
Why is Palestine seeking statehood through the UN such a bad idea?
[ "I'd be happy to answer this, though I don't actually think their UN campaign is a poor idea. I do know what the general argument is against the UN statehood push.\n\nFirst, the Palestinian push for statehood in the eyes of the UN would simply create two states (Israel and Palestine), rather than a two-state soluti...
Why does buying stuff (non-essential) make us happy?
[ "It depends on what kind of stuff you're buying, but essentially, it's because products are advertised as lifestyle components rather than things. E.G. You're not buying a Mercedes Benz, you're prestigious and the envy of others. You're not buying Prada sunglasses, you're chic and classy. You're not buying TOMS sho...
Why do predictive text/autocorrect seem hell-bent on using typos you made one time a month ago?
[ "If it doesn't catch the typo, or if you make the same typo multiple times, it will add a new word to your phones dictionary (which is designed as a way to always be improving your autocorrects).\n\nMost phones will let you access the dictionary of new words that have been added, so you can go in, find the typo, an...
Do fat people keep eating because they are still hungry, or do they eat past their natural hunger-level?
[ "As a physician's perspective, it is because they are still hungry. When you continue eating past your natural hunger level, stomach adapts to the change by increasing its size, thus capable of eating more food, = more calories. this cycle goes on until the eating capacity is so big that they get easily hungry. (Pl...
People say prostitution is "recession-proof." How is this true?
[ "I was living in Las Vegas, working in a casino during the 2007 crash and subsequent recession years. Prostitution is not recession proof. I worked the night shift and saw plenty of hookers getting desperate for business over that three year period. Dropping prices, dropping standards, and worst of all, dropping...
Why is it that a high-calore meal doesn't keep me satisfied any longer than a low-calorie meal?
[ "Generally what you eat has little impact on the amount of sugars in your blood, otherwise you would be in hyperglycemic state after every meal. Hunger and satiety are just feelings that are connected to certain hormones in your body, when you eat you are starting to produce leptin, high enough level of leptin in y...
Why is depression a thing, but the opposite isn't? In other words, why is it chemically possible to be depressed, but you never hear of people who are chemically so happy that basically nothing bad can get them out of the state of euphoria?
[ "That would be [mania] (_URL_0_). It is not an exact mirror image, but states of heightened emotions, energy, decreased need for sleep and hyperactivity do exist and they present with several different disorders. (Bipolar tends to be the best known one)", "The opposite is a thing. It is called being manic. People...
Before we saw the Earth for the first time in space, how did we know what our continents and lands looked like?
[ "Let's say that it is 1920 (so, no GPS other satellites). You have just found a island in the Pacific and want to know where it goes on the map. There are two things you would need to figure out to do that: how far north or south is the island, and how far east or west it is. One way to do this is by sighting the s...
Where do the profits from pro american/armed services bumper stickers go? If The One Fund's helped out the victims from the Boston Marathon, do those profits from bumper stickers like "America no. 1" help out veterans/army/navy/ect?
[ "Unless stated specifically when you buy it that profits go to some cause, the profits go to the person or company selling the bumper sticker. \n\nIt's no different if you buy a shirt with an American flag on it from Walmart, Walmart has no intention of giving away the profits.", "There are lots of bumper sticker...
why are cell phone bills so expensive? What are we actually paying for?
[ "You're paying what the market will bear. That's basically the answer.\n\nSometimes people complain about the markup on cell service (\"it costs almost nothing to transmit my texts, but I have to pay $10 a month\"), but this kind of thinking forgets (1) the service provider has very, very large capital expenses abo...
Why are treats so effective with dogs? Aren't they made of the same ingredients as regular food?
[ "You can use anything as a treat, even his regular food. It's not the food that's important to your dog, it's that it's a reward. I knew of a dog trainer who use cheese squares, to train this giant Russian whatever the fuck/tiny horse of a dog. He'd get 100 bits out of one slice.", "Eat a bite of baked potato, an...
The different types of mathematics.
[ "We can go into more detail if you want, but here's the executive summary of a few kinds of math. Some of these descriptions below are so oversimplified that they're almost wrong, but I'm trying to give you the general flavor. Most of these cover a *vastly* larger set of (related) topics than I'm giving.\n\n* **Tri...
If almost every country on Earth is in debt, who are we all borrowing from?
[ "This is a great question. In fact, it's been asked many times. Check out some of the answers that exist so far, and if you still have questions, feel free to ask:\n\n_URL_3_\n\n_URL_2_\n\n_URL_0_\n\n_URL_1_", "Even though it's a few years old, this chart (from wikipedia) sums it up nicely.\n[Chart](_URL_4_)\n\nF...
What is a limit in calculus?
[ "I am not sure what you mean by \"exactly\", but there are many ways to thing of a limit, some are more mathematically rigorous than others, some are more general than others. \n\nIf you think of the graph of nice function (like x^3 or sin(x) or (x^2 - 1)/(x^2 + 1) ) then take out one point leaving a hole... then t...
How does salt water from the sea turn into fresh water like in rivers and so on?
[ "When seawater evaporates, the salt does not evaporate with it. Hence, the rain is freshwater.", "Salt is not air soluble, water is. When water evaporates, it becomes humidity in air. When air (a combination of nitrogen, oxygen and other gasses) is warm, the molecules are spaced farther apart, leaving space for...
what determines hangover severity?
[ "Easy answer is hydration level. You could have drank more water before or after. Food intake before drinking comes in. Sugar content of your drinks.", "Some of the other ingredients in alcoholic beverages contribute. Whiskey is 40% alcohol, the other 60% is? \n \nYou want an easier hangover, drink vodka, vodka...
Why is it called music 'theory?' Is there actually anything theoretical about it?
[ "Theory != guess.\n \nThink of theory in it's scientific terms, where it means something more akin to \"describing how/why things work they way they do\"", "Music theory is the study of the structure of music. For example, if you listen to pop songs from the past 5 years, you'll notice that a lot of them sound s...
Why can I see IR light on my phone camera, but not with my eyes?
[ "The phone camera's sensor can detect IR light, but your eyes cannot. The phone sensor reports everything it picks up as visible light though, so your display shifts the IR into the range visible to humans for display." ]
From a very young age, I've only been able to see out of one eye. What is depth perception?
[ "Depth perception is a much more complex and interesting concept than I expected, so thanks for asking. It's essentially the idea of seeing the world in 3-D and understanding how far away things are.\n\nThere are two different types of visual cues for depth. Monocular, which means you can recognize them with one ey...
I've read over and over again that adults cats only meow at humans, so why do my cats meow at eachother when they are playing?
[ "The Internet is wrong about this cat fact. Cats meow and make other vocalizations at each other when humans are not present. The Internet is also wrong that wild cat species do not meow and wild wolves do not bark. Kittens and pups of these species do make these noises often, but not so often as adults. In the...
Why do banks get to charge 20% for credit cards and I only get 0.01% for a savings account?
[ "how exactly is that unfair? it is *their* services that *they* are providing for *their* price. they are allowed to do it because they are a business and are allowed to make profit and charge their customers for their services", "Interest rates on loans are in large part a measure of the risk involved -- part of...
How was it decided that Leap Year was necessary?
[ "The earth circles the sun in 365 days and six hours. The extra time could be calculated by using star positions relative to the earth, or by tracking the earth's position over time. Because the extra six hours was (basically) annoying, it was stashed until enough six hour units were stored to add another day.", ...
How do firefighters discover the cause of the fire?
[ "Through having fought a lot of fires themselves, often. Dogs and sniffer machines that can detect an accelerant are frequently used. Fire char from where it began helps them locate the starting point. Also, police type interviews of witnesses and looking at the history of a building ( and it's owner) all are thing...
Why is the perspective in Russian animation so different from Westernized animation?
[ "This style is paper cut out animation. The characters are cut out of paper and laid flat on sheets for each frame of animation. Generally, Disney or HB painted the characters on clear celluloid laid flat over a glass or card background. _URL_0_" ]
Why do so many people lack the discipline to follow through with things like new years resolutions?
[ "Usually resolutions are very vague, or general. \"I'm going to lose 50 lbs this year!\" isn't as concrete as \"I'm going to walk a mile every day\". Those who make the latter resolutions probably stick with them more often.", "If it's something you actually care about, then it's not something you typically wait ...
Why is brown bread considered healthier than white bread? Is it healthier?
[ "White bread is heavily processed, and isn't very good for you. Brown bread varies, some are essentially dyed white bread but the kind with all the seeds in it are very good for you." ]
I work in analytics, my cousin is getting a PhD in philosophy. I say the answer to this question is #2, and she says the answer is #5. Using logic, who is correct, and why?
[ "It can't be 2, because then 4's \"one of the above\" would be a valid answer, but 2 says that none of the below are correct answers.\n\n5 works.", "So first let’s look at the question, it asks us to identify an answer in “this list” that is “the correct answer.” From that we know that we are looking for: \n\n...
why aren't anti vaccine parents held liable when they cause outbreaks of preventable desieses?
[ "One of the first obstacles to overcome would be proving that the outbreak wouldn't have happened at all had it not been for the negligence of these parents. Because the infection could have started with or spread through vaccinated kids, its impossible to prove beyond a reasonable doubt.\n\nFurthermore, holding pe...
how does Apple get away with their proprietary charging plugs and ornery connections?
[ "Apple introduced Thunderbolt connectors on its computers because, like Firewire before it, Thunderbolt promises to enable some incredibly fast transfer rates between the computer and external hard drives. Thunderbolt also incorporates the Displayport standard, so one connector can move around data at a seriously ...
Why do many men enjoy watching porn where the male actors have gigantic penises? (NSFW)
[ "Because I can relate to them. It helps if they are handsome and athletic too.\n\nMost porns are to my liking because of this.", "Well, without going into too much weirdness, there's a few practical reasons that this works: \n\na larger organ means more motion is possible, which films well. It also allows for mo...
How are photons their own antiparticle? (Without they annihilating other photons or self-annihilating)
[ "A photon is has no charge which is why you could consider a photon its own antiparticle. They can annihilate each other and create an electron-positron-pair, or even more massive particle pairs if energetic enough (remember that energy and momentum must be conserved). \n\nUsually photons just go past each other an...
If we need UV-blocking sunglasses/sunblock to protect ourselves from the sun, why wouldn't leaving a clear bottle of water in the sun sterilize the water?
[ "It does. The SODIS method is a way to use clear 2-liter bottles and sunlight to make water safe(r) to drink, very useful in third world countries.", "our skin cells are damaged by UV.\n\nmold on the other hand thrives on light in the presence of water. as do alot of other algae. blue and green algae spores ar...
Why won't the US fight a War on Mental Illness a la drugs/poverty when such an effort is sorely needed?
[ "We did in the 70s and the program was gutted over time. Probably to make room in the budget for the war on drugs.", "Because a \"War on\" anything always results in catastrophe." ]
Why do companies 'throw away' good food as opposed to give it away for free?
[ "If people knew they could get food for free simply by waiting, not a lot of people would pay for food.", "My brother used to be the night manager at a pizza place.\n\nAt the end of the shift, there were always a few mistake pizzas left over, and if none of the employees wanted them, he'd give them away. \n\nHow...
What is a Social Security Number?
[ "It's a unique ID number assigned to every person when they are born, it's the number by which the government keeps track of you as an individual since things like names are not very unique at all (John Smith, etc)." ]
Finnish Education System Success?
[ "* Homogeneous society. This is actually pretty important. Having students from many different backgrounds makes it tricky to teach effectively. By homogeneous, I mean white, middle class (Finland has a very strong middle class), and Lutheran.\n\n\n* Extremely-well trained teachers. Teachers in Finland are cream of...
What's the difference between dopamine and serotonin? Is there a difference?
[ "Short answer, yes, they are different but they have many similar functions.\n\nWhile both are neurotransmitters (or more specifically, neuromodulators), dopamine is more involved in movements and thinking, while serotonin is more involved in emotions." ]