Split (3)

train · 273k rows

title stringlengths 0 299	text list
Why are some movies not rated?	[ "MPAA (motion picture association of America) is a private non governmental entity that rates movies based on their content. Their ratings are nonbinding, but pretty much all movie theaters observe them to appease public desire for decency, and to avoid govt censorship. \n\nMost movies that are released in theate...
How do TV and radio ratings work?	[ "They sample a portion of general audiences mostly.\n\nThey may use surveys or viewer/listener diaries. \n\nSometimes they use electronic trackers. For TV, it is the Neilsen box (although cable boxes can report necessary viewing statistics). For radio, it is a device called a People Meter, which a listener carries ...
Why do so many people need glasses?	[ "Our eyesight is generally good enough to survive in the wild, but the demands of modern life make better eyesight desirable. Reading and driving cars is so new as to be unaffected by evolution.", "Our eyes are evolved to look at things at a fair distance and not a 2 or 3 feet. We also use our eyes constantly for...
what is Google cardboard?	[ "_URL_0_ (scroll down for animation)\n\nIt's a low cost DIY head-mounted VR display (think Oculus Rift) that uses a smartphone as the brains." ]
How come streaming services like Netflix have limited libraries but Blockbuster could rent out any movie it wanted?	[ "Because of the [first sale doctrine](_URL_0_). The original purchaser of a VHS tape or DVD can legally resell it, or lend it to others -- as long as they are doing it with the original copy. They cannot legally make copies. \"Streaming\" is considered a reperformance of a work, similar to copying, and therefore th...
When you get a short, sharp, shooting pain, what causes it?	[ "By no means is this meant to be medical advice, but I often get the sharp headaches that are of a very short duration. I've been told they are [ice pick heachaches](_URL_2_). Everything I've read though says you should probably not just decide this is what it is for yourself though, and make sure to get checked ou...
How a conventional battery stores power.	[ "Technically the batteries don't store electricity, if you pull them apart you won't find it, they produce it as the result of chemical reaction happening in them. It doesn't release all at once because chemical reaction happen relatively slowly. Capacitors are the things that can store electricity and can release ...
What is the difference between DNA sequencing and Genome sequencing?	[ "A genome is comprised of the complete genetic material within an organism. In a human, that includes all of our DNA, both coding and noncoding. When you sequence the genome of an organism, you sequence ALL of the genetic information, and can compare organisms to each other with this genomic map that you have compr...
What causes muscle cramps?	[ "There can be a few causes of muscle cramps. Muscles rely quite heavily on salts like sodium and potassium; when you're working out and sweating heavily these salt levels can get disturbed and result in cramp.\n\nMuscles have a mechanism (over short bursts eg 100m sprint) where they can generate the energy they nee...
In theory what are the major risks associated with harnessing nuclear fusion power?	[ "Hydrogen fusion occurs naturally only in the cores of stars. If we want to create fusion power plant, we just have to recreate those conditions. The cores of stars are really really hot and really really pressurized. This in itself is not such a hard problem, with enough engineering we can probably get around it. ...
Why can't we divide 0 by 0?	[ "Start with the division problem, and define y as the answer: 0/0 = y\n\nTurn that into a multiplication problem, as in algebra: 0 = y times 0\n\nSo, it boils down to the question, \"What number, when multiplied by 0, gives a product of 0?\"\n\nThe answer, of course, is ANY number! The possibilities are infinite, a...
How to understand wattage and impedance measurements in amplifiers and speakers when setting up an audio/speaker system	[ "I'm no expert, but I sold A/V equipment for quite some time, so I'll take a crack at this for you: \n\nWe'll start with how a speaker works. There's a cone that vibrates to make sound. This cone is controlled by a wrapped up piece of copper called a voice-coil. The voice-coil can have a positive or negative charge...
When people say that corporations are people and that they have human rights, what do they mean?	[ "People are confused. Corporations are not people and don't have \"human rights\". However corporations are legal entities. They can own property and enter into contracts. For example if a corporation opens a bank account, money in that account belongs to the corporation, and not to the owners of that corporation. ...
Why does cold water from the sink feel warm if my hands are freezing cold from snow?	[ "It's all because you are incapable of feeling temperature. You can only feel a change in temperature.\n\nHeat always flows from warmer things to colder things. If something feels hot, it's because you are getting heat from it. If something feels cold, its because you are loosing heat to it.\n\nIf the skin of your ...
Why is gigabit internet useful? Most hard dives can’t write information that fast so why would Someone need Internet that monumentally fast?	[ "Gifatbit = 125 megabytes per second, which quite a few hard drives, and nearly any solid state drive, could sustain for a sequential write. And this assumes a single device is completely the entire 1000 megabit per second link. \n\nThat being said, a gigabit connection far exceeds what most residential users w...
Obscene startup valuations	[ "On an actuarial basis, companies are typically valued at 1.5-5x revenue. A billion dollar company likely makes a quarter to a half billion in revenues. Keep in mind, even small startups need $1-10million to get off the ground these days, and it's not uncommon for a connected entrepreneur to dump $50-100 million of...
Where does the word "girder" in "I am Bender. Please insert girder" come from?	[ "A girder is a metal support beam. He is asking for someone to hand him something to bend. As he is programmed to bend things, like girders.", "A girder is a [steel beam](_URL_0_). Bender was built to bend steel beams in a factory. You'll notice he has his arms out ready for work, bending steel... \"please insert...
How are they turning astronaut urine into drinking water?	[ "Distillation, they boil the urine, the water evaporates into vapor and that vapor is captured and recondensed to water. Then the water is filtered through membranes to remove any remaining impurities.\n\n_URL_0_" ]
Why is Jewish and Muslim more of an identity than Christian or Catholic.	[ "It probably just seems that way in Europe and North America where Christianity is so ubiquitous.\n\nIn places like the Middle East and Asia, where Christians are a minority, they constitute a very distinct identity.", "That statement is only true in some parts of the world. In countries with a Christian majorit...
Why do launched missiles often fail?	[ "Try making something weighing several tons travel thousands of miles at hundreds of miles an hour and attempt to make sure it doesn't stray anymore than a dozen feet from its target. \n\nIf you have little experience in physics, programming, and rocketry it's not going to be easy. Hell a large part of much of mode...
Why is standardized testing still the norm when a lot of studies say that it is negative for the learning system?	[ "First, its hard to drop a system that appears to be doing its job just fine. We've built our educational systems around it and its not that simple to just make it go away. Universities like it because it lets them evaluate candidates much more smoothly. What will replace it?\n\nSecondly, politics.", "At some poi...
If I was hearing a sound through the other side of a sealed tight door, am I hearing the original sound waves, or are the original sound waves just vibrating the door to "repeat" the sound on the other side?	[ "Well, when you say sound waves what do you mean? I think you mean the vibration of a medium, be it air, door, water, etc. So I guess looking at your question, it's never the original sound once it's left your throat. Or it's always the original sound, because that causes everything to vibrate, regardless whether t...
Why is listening to a song in my head not as satisfying as actually listening to it?	[ "Humans have great potential... not perfect. Mind mimics some sounds, not all. Can recall melodies... maybe not harmonies... not all at once. Actual recordings clearer, more precise. Can better produce fuller, more intricate, complex sounds. Pleasing to the ear, like a complex dish. Memory of food not as satisfying...
If there is life after death, why do we value our lives here on earth?	[ "Because it's permanent. Whether there is life after death or not, whether it's better or worse, one thing we all know for sure, we can never ever come back to living this life this way. When it's over it's over. And that's something that makes us want to get the most out of it." ]
What does it mean when they say the Oakland Dept is now "civilian run"	[ "Typically when a PD is \"Civilian Run,\" it is administered by someone outside of the department. In Oaklands case, because they currently have no Chief, the department is being run by the City Manager, Mayor, City Council, or an appointee thereof." ]
Why aren't we changing the routine of human lives for the better?	[ "I think we are! It's just a very long term process.\n\nNot that long ago, most people were peasants. You go out into the field, toil with backbreaking work all day, and hope you don't get catch plague. Not a very good life.\n\nTime passed, and industrialization happened. People had become more productive. A portio...
Feudalism.	[ "Feudalism was a system of government during the Middle Ages. Here's the general outline.\n\n- Kings held the most power, and they granted land to Barons in exchange for soldiers. They would conquer other countries and protect the provinces.\n\n- Barons allowed Knights to own land if they swore an oath of loyalty a...
Why are the terms for Mom and Dad so similar across all languages?	[ "Those syllables are the easiest for babies to say.", "It's believed that the \"m\" sound is associated with \"mom\" because it's like an imitation of breastfeeding. Roman Jakobson's idea. With \"dad\", no idea. Interestingly, in Estonian, it's also \"ema\", dad can be \"taat\" (T in \"dad\" is also common). And ...
how do choreographers write out choreography?	[ "There have been multiple choreographic notations throughout history. One of the most famous is Labanotation, but in my experience, choreographers use anything from stick figures, to shorthand, to coded words for movements. Movements stay in people's bodies for a long time, even after years of not doing it. So they...
Will the economy ever recover to the point where it was 20-30 years ago when our parents would work 40 hours a week and be able to buy a house and support a family?	[ "Being able to afford a home on a single income doesn't really have anything to do with a strong economy. Our economy today is much better than 20-30 years ago.\n\nThe reason it takes two incomes now is two fold.\n\n1) Increased demand for housing. With two working incomes and very low interest rates, it's easier f...
When someone dies, why do the headlines say "dead" instead of "has died"?	[ "Headlines use active voice instead of passive voice to convey the message, mostly because it has greater economy of words. You can get the message across in fewer words, and that's important for a headline.", "Takes up less space, allows for bigger print, and is more abrasive.\n\nIf the headline read \"Muhammad ...
Can the language you learn growing up affect the way you think and problem solve?	[ "This is known as the [Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis](_URL_2_ \"Darmok and Jalad, at Tanagra\"). It was pursued for a while, then fell extremely out of fashion. But now it's back and many linguists admit it is at least partially true, and there are a few linguists, such as [Lera Boroditsky](_URL_0_), who strongly arg...
Why did the naming convention go from 720p, 1080p, 1440p, to 2k, 4k 8k and so on?	[ "While it might seem like they are just buzzwords or that it is easier to market, the naming convention of 2K, 4K, 8K, etc. is actually a holdover from the original professional formats that have already been around for many years. The difference is quite simple, really. 720p, 1080p, etc. all refer to a vertical ...
The Socratic Method.	[ "The simplest way to understand the Socratic Method is to contrast it with what people generally think of when they think of teaching. In a \"normal\" classroom, the teacher/professor stands at the front of the room and tells you information. They are the expert, and their job is to tell you information, which you ...
why i eye squint	[ "When you squint, you are limiting the amount of light entering your eye which allows you to focus on specific objects." ]
Why are there no 'B' batteries?	[ "there were. and A batteries (as opposed to AA or AAA)\n\nAA and AAA came along later as devices shrunk, and before long, no one needed the middle of the road batteries anymore, you either wanted them small, or big. So A and B fell out of favor.\n\nThey DO exist though...", "[Here](_URL_0_) is a picture of a B ...
Why are some sounds more piercing than others?	[ "Frequency of the sound waves. Some frequencies get picked up better than others." ]
Why is the "eye" of the storm so calm. Why isnt it the worst part because its in the centre	[ "It's like when water's going down a plughole. When it spins, there's no water in the middle. If you stood in that vortex, you wouldn't get wet or spun around.\n\nOr another way of looking at it - it's standing on something that is spinning. At the edges, you're moving much faster than if you just stand in the midd...
The science behind why I have the strong urge to yank the steering wheel, jump off high places and other stupid and dangerous things	[ "This effect, called the High Place Phenomenon (HPP), is not entirely understood. A recent study(linked at the bottom of this comment) has found that the urge may be the brain's way of forming an \"escape plan\" in the event that we need to flee. In this way, it actually reinforces our will to live. \n\n_URL_0_", ...
how do big retail companies control/impose regulations on manufacturers and producers?	[ "Big retailers can order 20,000 units of something, and all the other retailers combined might only make up 10,000 units. \n\nso when the big retailer says they want the product to be made 2cm shorter of last 10% longer or whatever. It is worth them setting up all the machines/procedures ect to make two thirds of t...
What came of the Occupy Wallstreet movement? Why did it end seemingly so fast and descrete?	[ "Basically, because it had no coherent goals, and no ideological consistency. There were libertarians, anarchists, socialists, communists, (and some moderates jumping on the bandwagon) all getting together to protest. Many of these disparate groups can hardly find a single issue to agree upon, other than to say, ...
Why do I smell like garlic for a few days after eating it?	[ "You actually do sweat garlic. Your body releases some of the chemicals in the garlic through your sweat." ]
privatization of Medicare and Social Security and possible impacts.	[ "They are supposed to be social safety nets, but unfortunately their design isn't exactly on mark. Social Security, for example, may as well be called \"Retirement Insurance/Welfare + Disability.\" Think about how a welfare program and an insurance program works. In insurance, the more you pay in the more you get. ...
What makes eggs so essential to a lot of baking recipes?	[ "Eggs have lots of functionality in baking. \n\nOne of the main functions in many recipes calling for eggs is to add structure to the product. Eggs contain lots of proteins wich will coagulate once they reach a certain temperature. Once the proteins \"set\" they hold their shape therefore adding structure to cakes ...
What are the implications in "Miley, what's good?"	[ "When you've got an open conflict with somebody, being casual and friendly in addressing them is insulting & a show of dominance.\n\nIt's like \"u mad bro?\"", "There's a social dialect issue at play here as well, which often gets overlooked. \"What's good\" is a phrase that in the area in which Nicki grew up i...
Why websites like Facebook and Youtube update their interfaces less user friendly?	[ "They are probably tested designs and are probably more streamlined, meaning that - you just think they're less user friendly because you're resistant to change. It's only human nature.", "User friendly is bit subjective matter.\n\nLess user friendly sometimes really means I was used to do it like that, but newco...
Do yellow jackets, hornets, or wasps have a purpose on our planet?	[ "Nothing has a \"purpose\", like something bestowed upon them by some celestial third party. Their purpose is to live, and they do. \n\nSome wasps play a role in pollination of plants. Wasps are the only pollinators of many species of figs. Without wasps, those figs would be gone. \n\nMany insects and birds ea...
Why does oil fry things but water boils things?	[ "The oil can be heated to a higher temperature before it vaporizes, meaning that you can drop food into it and have the water boil in the food while the oil isn't boiling itself. This forces the water out, forming crispy bubbles frozen in cooked starches and allowing the oil to soak into the food.", "Crucially, o...
Why are some NFL teams generally better than others over extended periods of time? Aren't new teams drafted every season?	[ "New players are drafted not teams. The teams with the best draft strategy over several years normally end up being better. Many players that are drafted are not as good as hoped and others are better than expected. Basically it's a crap shoot. The best teams have good front office management (drafting, hiring staf...
Evolutionary-wise, why did humans develop a fully functional language, whereas animals didn't?	[ "Short answer. Brain.\n\nLong answer. They're doing fine without one and evolution can't plan so it can't go, \"Wow, language is working great in humans so let's develop that in cats.\"" ]
Why is it impossible to film something in real life for virtual reality?	[ "It would be possible, but you yould need a ton of 360° cameras and software that allows you to switch between each feed or even a super advanced program that stitched the feeds together, meaning you have a full 3D rendering of the room. \n \nTo explain to your brother, you can only film something that you can se...
Why do thrash/speed metal bands tend to slow down their sound after a few albums?	[ "Most (all?) Bands change their style as time goes on. When u start out playing fast I think the natural progression would be to slow down a bit.", "I think as you age, you lose your youthful aggression and things just become mellower. Every band that I love from the 70s prog era makes horrible music now, they're...
What is Agenda 21?	[ "Agenda 21 is a non-binding, voluntarily implemented action plan of the United Nations with regard to sustainable development.[1] It is a product of the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. It is an action agenda for the UN, other multilateral organizations, ...
Why do the currency exchange rates change everyday?	[ "Everyday? Try every nanosecond. Just like other items in the market you can trade, such as stock or bonds, currency operates in a very similar manner, there are a trillion and one factors that go into how much a currency is worth compared to others, and these factors are changing non-stop." ]
in America, why is traveling by train more expensive than traveling by air or bus?	[ "From an energy perspective if all three modes of transportation were going from the same point A to point B via the same route the train should be cheaper as it's more energy efficient. One huge perk that planes have is that they can fly in a straight line to their destination where the trains can only follow the...
How does your body know that you want to just fart and not just crap in your pants?	[ "Your bowels can feel gas versus a solid log. But sometimes when poo decides to enter the third in between state of matter known as liquid, your ass gets confused. Hence the term 'sharting, ( mixture of shit + farting). This is the result of your colon and spincter sensors (nerves) think there is a gas build up (...
are all people with the same last name related? Why are some last names so common?	[ "Because last names are a more recent development. Back in the day, people were largely known as ______, son of _______. In a small village, that was enough to identify who's who. But then, when populations grew, you needed a better way to identify people, especially through generations. So instead of being John, s...
Why does water taste so cold when I'm chewing mint gum?	[ "Minty products contain menthol which causes the same \"hey it's cold in here!\" signal to be sent to the brain, even though menthol doesn't actually cause the temperature in the mouth to change. Water just causes this to happen due to the mint in the gum." ]
Why does a steamy shower help clear your nose when you are sick?	[ "The increased humidity and heat allows the mucus to loosen and flow similar to warming up a thick sauce for a stir fry. You increase the molecular speed and as a result it flows out." ]
Why is it that their is a clear accent among the black population in the United States but there isn't one in other countries that have black populations such as Britain?	[ "African Americans sometimes speak a dialect known academically as [African American Vernacular English](_URL_1_). This is what you're referring to, and in fact there is a british equivalent: [Multicultural London English](_URL_0_). The reason you as an American can't tell the difference is simply because you aren'...
What is net neutrality? And why it is good or bad.	[ "Net neutrality was the concept that said that every website, regardless of the content or bandwidth requirements would allow the same amount of bandwidth and speed for every other site. It's good because it's a \"free internet\". In a system without it, ISPs can artificially limit the speed to said websites, or ch...
How come it's so easy to tell the difference between games made in different engines	[ "Jimmy has a bunch of legos. Timmy has megablocks. Why are they not the same?\n\nMost simplified explanation i could come up with. Different styles from creator's produce different results.", "> How can our brains detect so many minute details and process them like this?\n\nOur brains are very good at this. Prett...
How can my prescription cost $400 at my local pharmacy, yet the same prescription cost $0 from a mail order pharmacy located in a different state?	[ "It's how your plan is structured. Even if the cash price of the drug were the same (which is unlikely) your plan will pay less of that cost for going to your neighborhood pharmacy. Many insurance companies own their own mail order, basically paying themselves to dispense to you. \nTL;DR: the insurance covera...
Why does string theory matter?	[ "Physics, right now, is divided into two sections: general relativity and the standard model.\n\nTo simplify it drastically, general relativity basically discusses the physics of really big things and the standard model describes really small things. \n\nThe problem is, general relativity takes gravity into conside...
Why does Americans associate Liberalism with Socialism?	[ "The shortest answer possible is that in North America, the word \"liberal\" became associated with the liberal application and/or proliferation of legislation. To support a liberal governmental policy is to support greater powers of law and more laws and regulations. The word \"conservative\" became the opposite, ...
is it possible to calculate the probability that a predicted probability is wrong?	[ "Yes it called the confidence of the statistic. Based on various aspects of the math going into the figure you can figure out how confident you can be in how accurate the statistic is.", "The answers mentioning confidence and p values are right - but not very eli5. This is a pretty complicated topic, though.\n\nY...
Why does it feel like you can't breathe when you get a gust of wind in the face?	[ "When a fluid moves rapidly, its pressure decreases, thus sucking things into it. You may have observed this when your shower curtain clings to the stream of water from your shower. Similar effect happens here and makes it harder to breathe in air.", "According to [Bernoulli's principle](_URL_0_), the faster a fl...
How can I, as an individual, exploit the same tax havens mega-corps use to pay no US taxes? What is the actual financial cutoff/rule that allows corporations to pay nothing, while me to pay ~40% in aggregate taxes.	[ "One way is to 'buy a part'. If your a rug dealer and you made 100,000 in profit last year selling rugs you will need to pay that in taxes. To get around this buy a 90,000 golden magic needle from Iran, now you only made 10,000 in profit. The company in Iran (which you also own) now has to pay licensing fees to a c...
Why is it that after you say or type a word many times in a row, you'll begin to question yourself as to whether it's correct	[ "It's called [Semantic satiation](_URL_0_).\n\nQuoting wikipedia:\n > The explanation for the phenomenon was that verbal repetition repeatedly aroused a specific neural pattern in the cortex which corresponds to the meaning of the word. Rapid repetition causes both the peripheral sensorimotor activity and the centr...
Why do people use AskReddit and eli5 subreddits when Google can usually answer their question?	[ "I don't know, maybe you should Google that.", "AskReddit generally has more community input. Questions like \"Cashiers of Reddit, what products do you silently judge people for buying?\" or \"If your SO lost their memory, what would you not tell them about yourself?\" don't have a single answer, it's about a co...
Why are sellers allowed to post items at an insane markup to appear that they are on "sale" on Amazons deals of the day, or sales events?	[ "There is no real regulation, outside of price gouging, utilities, or fixing, that mandates the price a seller can provide. Price gouging refers to taking advantage of people in need during an emergency (summarily speaking, it's a bit more nuanced in detail), and then there is also public utilities where the gover...
Why does Apple iOS8 require 5.8 GB of space to be downloaded?	[ "Because the entire operating system must be downloaded before implemented. If it wasnt there would be no os to finish the download. Once the download is complete the os writes and is no longer taking up hd space, besides most of what the old os took up itself." ]
Why do cops who abuse their powers get 'punished' with paid leave?	[ "Here's an explanation from /u/thatsnotminesir over at P & S of what happens when an officer is put on Administrative Leave:\n\n\"The myth I see the most of reddit is that when officers get in trouble, they just get \"paid vacation.\"\n\nWhen an accusation of misconduct comes up, especially criminal misconduct, the...
NSFW How do people have anal sex without poop getting involved?	[ "You can do a preliminary clean beforehand.\n\nHowever, that's more a product of modern porn than anything. Our anatomy does seem to work in favour of those who don't mind a bit of that kind of experimentation, but there are a couple of provisos.\n\nTake it easy, and use lubricant. Although the pelvic floor and the...
Why are contests in Canada always open to "legal residents of Canada (excluding Quebec)"?	[ "Quebec has a bunch of policies about sweepstakes that the rest of Canada does not. Rather than spending a bunch of money to make sure all the rules are followed, companies prefer to just not run the contest in Quebec.", "They are a rogue state. \n\nSource: I am from Vancouver.", "No research. Might be wrong. C...
Why is there 360 degrees in a circle, not something like 500?	[ "There are 360 degrees in a circle because the Assyrians were the first ones to do geometry and write it down. The used the base-6 (senary) system. They are also responsible for 24 hours in a day, 60 seconds in a min., and 60 minutes in an hour. And supposedly the only word we get in English from that long ago peop...
the POW-MIA dilemma from the Vietnam War era?	[ "It was basically an issue of trust.\n\nAt the end of the war, about 600 POWs were returned to the US. But there were about 2,500 men unaccounted for, most presumed dead, but without proof. Because of bad relations with Vietnam and surrounding countries, the US could not easily investigate whether any of these me...
If I buy something from a store that's supposed to support a cause, how does it work? Are poor children actually getting a pair of shoes if I buy a pair myself?	[ "Ask the store. It could be anything from \"1% of the profits we make (after recuperating cost) to \"We buy from independent makers from poorer countries, and then sell on to you\". The range is massive." ]
Seriously, what's the actual go with the crappy "I make this much in a week", "Hot chicks in your area", and other assorted ads. What type of people are making them, what are they actually trying to achieve, and does anybody really take them at face value?	[ "As a rule, scammy things target stupid people. They don't want smart people to respond because smart people are more likely to realise what's going on and cause trouble. So they deliberately make these dead-obvious ads/emails so that only the dense apply." ]
How is it possible to sleep for a few minutes, yet dream for what feels like hours?	[ "Odd, for me, I sleep for hours, and it's lucky if I remember more than a couple of minutes of dreaming.", "The apparent passage of time from one's perspective is very subjective and dynamic. Time flows faster when we're happy, and slower when we are bored. If our brain is capable of creating the entire dream wor...
why were zeppelins ever used in warzones in WW1? Weren't they really easy to shoot down, killing everyone on board?	[ "They were easy to shoot down if you could get a plane up there to do it, which was not easy back then. Keep in mind, the whole \"using planes as weapons\" thing was still a new idea. At the start of the war, planes were mostly used to spot enemy troupes and didn't bother attacking each other. When they did st...
When government officials say that cuts to medicaid will cause people to die. Can someone break down how that happens?	[ "I have diabetes. I need to go to the doctor. The doctor prescribes medicine. My insurance pays for it. I take the medicine and I live.\n\nI am poor. I have diabetes. I need to go to the doctor. The doctor prescribes medicine. Medicaid pays for it. I take the medicine and I live.\n\nI am poor, but I'm not on medica...
What would happen if the Earth's rotation changed. For example the sun rises in the north and sets in the south.	[ "The Arctic and Antarctic circles would expand to the equator. Summer and winter would be the same as day and night. The polar icecaps would be constantly shifting." ]
If we could drill through the earth...and then jump in it...what would happen?	[ "_URL_0_\n\nThis pretty much explains what you're asking.", "I have read about this a while back. Basically (if you were to survive the heat) you would jump straight through and speed up all the way (due to gravitational attraction), and once you reach halfway you would gradually slow down again until you reach t...
Why does pop-corn pop?	[ "Popcorn is a specific variety of corn - most corn will not pop. What causes it to pop when heated is that there's a drop or two of water inside. It turns into steam and cracks the shell to escape.", "Popcorn pops because water inside the kernel is heated to the point where it turns into steam. The steam occupie...
If I have 20 mb/s download speed, why do files generally download at only a fraction of that speed?	[ "Make sure you are not confusing MB/s (MegaBytes per second) with Mb/s (Megabits per second).\n\nMost speed tests and Internet Service Providers measure bandwidth in Mb/s (aka \"Mbps\" or \"mbps\"), however some file downloads are measured in MB/s (aka \"MBps\") depending on what software you use.\n\nThere are 8 Me...
Whenever I get drunk and I crave human interaction?	[ "Congratulations! You are a friendly drunk. You also likely an affectionate drunk so take care with that. Like others have said, alcohol lowers your inhibitions and generally dissolves whatever filter people have between brain and mouth.\n\nSince your other choices are \"Angry/bitter drunk\" and \"Sad/whiny drun...
Was scurvy actually particular to sailors? It seems like citrus wouldn't have been available to most of the lower classes	[ "Scurvy is caused by a lack of vitamin C. \nVitamin C can be found in peppers, turnip greens, cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes, peas, and other foods. \nA lot of those would be available to the lower classes at least some of the time.", "Citrus isn't the only source of vitamin C, it just happened to be a good one fo...
when one eye gets irritated, why is the body's reaction to blink both eyes instead of winking the irritated one? Is there a reason winking is a manual function?	[ "Without going TOO deep it’s just an innate, automatic, “consensual reflex” to protect your eyes. When one eye blinks the other should too. \n\nWhen someone has an eye injury we usually patch it/cover it to protect it, that way your body’s (other eye’s) automatic response to “flip out” and over-blink to remove the ...
How do inventors search through the enormous patent database to make sure their new invention doesn't infringe on prior art?	[ "It is difficult. The bottom line is you do your best to find prior art and then apply.\n\nLonger answer: searching has become pretty good these days. There are a lot of search strategies. You can search for key words that you think anybody would use when they applied for their patents. You can look for other produ...
Internet network speed: What's the difference between "kbps" and "KB/s" transfer rate?	[ "Little b, big B. Big difference.\n\nLittle b = bit. Big B = byte. 8 bits in a byte.\n\n10370 / 8 = 1296.25", "Capital letters are important here. \"mb/s\" should never be used, because it's ambiguous. KB, MB, GB, means kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte, respectively. Kb, Mb, Gb, means kilobit, megabit, gigabit. \"kbp...
how are movies pirated?	[ "theres several methods depending on the stage the movie is in.\n\n- prerelease leaks : someone in the production company leaks a copy, thats why prints are usualy watermarked to signal out the origin of the copy, this also happens during oscar season where many academy members are sent DVD quality copies of movies...
How can a decrease in the global price per barrel of oil create a negative affect on local, national or global economies?	[ "Plenty of industrialized/first-world nations produce oil, so lowered oil prices means less profits for those industries.", "If the return on money spent getting oil dips too low, thousands of people (the ones that go out there and drill holes) loose their jobs. \n\nAs an aside, those people make ALOT of money d...
How does basic universal income work?	[ "The basic idea is to give everyone a set income that they would first spend on housing/food/basic amenities, guaranteeing them their livelihood. They would be able to spend their time how they chose without being bogged down with a 40 hr/week job (because most of those jobs will be taken by robots anyways). People...
How stocks/shares work	[ "Stocks represent a partial ownership in a company. If the company decides to pay out some of its profits to its owners, anyone holding stock gets some. Also, most stock lets you vote on business related to the company (some companies have a non-voting class of stock, like GOOG vs GOOGL for Google).\n\nBut mostly, ...
Can Private Military Companies be used to fight IS?	[ "We dont \"send\" them like we send troops.\n\nWe ask how much to go to Isis territories and fight the locals. They give a price on a man per month basis. We say Ok. They pack up and go.", "Can they - yes.\n\nCould the US afford to pay them to do it - also yes\n\nAre they willing to do it - probably not\n\nWill t...
How Did Baby Boomers ruin the economy and housing market?	[ "Well blaming it on ONLY them isn't necessarily true. Long story short: someone approved giving big loans to people buying houses. More people bought houses and kept making money (in equity) by selling their previous home(s) and buying more houses. As long as the market kept increasing in value through inflation th...
Why is it that you only remember details of your dreams right after waking up, but as minutes go by you forget them?	[ "I'm afraid I don't have much of an answer for your question as it's still not that widely understood why, but I can point you in a general direction about how to better remember your dreams. There's a lot of complicated stuff that happens in the brain during REM sleep and some scientists estimate it's a similar ...
When an episode of a series require several flashback scenes e.g. all scenes where people get slapped, do editors go back and scan all the previous episodes or do they keep some list beforehand?	[ "To create a montage of clips where character A gets slapped, an organized editor could reference episode summaries or other tools to quickly locate those scenes. A disorganized editor might rely on memory and miss/forget a few. A truly awful editor might need to re-watch great swaths of the show to find the scenes...
Is a fat muffin top at your belly caused because humans wear clothes around their waistline?	[ "Yes, but not by much. Your fat stores are all located in/around your hips/pelvic region, they swell and become distended due to an increase in volume of fat storage. Squeezing into tighter clothing does cause certain shapes (i.e. muffin top) to form, but it has no impact on the overall volume. \n\nSo if you are ca...

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.