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warm fronts | Warm air moves to an area where there is already cold air.
As the warm air moves into the new area, it gets pushed up on top of the cold air.
Unlike cold fronts, the weather at warm fronts tends to be stable. In other words, as the warm air rises and cools, it becomes dense enough that it's not going to continue risi... | [
"A warm front is a density discontinuity located at the leading edge of a homogeneous warm air mass, and is typically located on the equator-facing edge of an isotherm gradient. Warm fronts lie within broader troughs of low pressure than cold fronts, and move more slowly than the cold fronts which usually follow be... |
How did Einstein 'discover' time-dilation? | It was pretty well established by then that light acts like a wave. Now any other wave that we know about needs a medium to propagate through: ocean waves need water, sound waves need air. It was natural to assume that light needed a medium too, which they called the 'ether', but every experimental attempt to prove it... | [
"Einstein subsequently (1907) suggested an experiment based on the measurement of the relative frequencies of light perceived as arriving from a light source in motion with respect to the observer, and he calculated the additional Doppler shift due to time dilation. This effect was later called \"transverse Doppler... |
why does a weak am/fm radio signal result in a consistent static/fuzzy sound while a weak satellite radio signal results in intermittent high quality sound? | The simple answer is that AM/FM is an analog signal, which you can "kind of" pick up. Think of analog as a scale of 100-0 with the quality increasing or decreasing as you move from the transmitter.
Satellite radio is a digital signal. Think 1 or 0. It's either there, or it's not. The same holds true for satellite TV, ... | [
"Reception of RF signals is sensitive to the size of obstruction in the path between the transmitter and the receiver. Generally speaking, if the size exceeds the wavelength the reception is interrupted. Since the wavelength is inversely proportional to frequency, it follows than that the higher frequency broadcast... |
why are anarchists and nihilists put on the same political wing as socialist and communists? | If you look at it economically, anarchism has strong ties to socialist/communist theory. Anarchists are pretty misunderstood, it's not all about no rules and complete chaos. Early anarchists believed that you should grow food, and whatever extra you had you should give to your neighbours for free, and vice versa. Th... | [
"Some forms of anarcho-communism such as insurrectionary anarchism are strongly influenced by egoism and radical individualism, believing anarcho-communism is the best social system for the realisation of individual freedom. Hence, most anarcho-communists view anarcho-communism itself as a way of reconciling the op... |
How long does it take for plant cells to grow? | This varies greatly from plant to plant, and it will vary based on the conditions. You also need to define 'grow' because cells can expand or divide to grow.
Plants that perform C4 photosynthesis (like grasses) tend to expand and divide rapidly under the right conditions, while plants that perform CAM photosynthesis ... | [
"Growing cells require synthesis of new nucleotides, membranes and protein components. These materials can be obtained from carbon metabolism (e.g. glucose metabolism) or from peripheral metabolism. The enhanced flux observed in abnormally growing cells is brought about by high glucose uptake.\n",
"Plants grow fr... |
How thin is the surface of a bubble? | Short Answer: Somewhere around 50-500 nano meters, depending on where you measure the bubble's thickness.
Long Answer: This can be measured using a very clever natural phenomenon, [thin-flim interference](_URL_0_).
So a bubble has two sides, the outside and the inside. Light coming from the sun hits the outside laye... | [
"A 1 mm bubble has negligible extra pressure. Yet when the diameter is ~3 µm, the bubble has an extra atmosphere inside than outside. When the bubble is only several hundred nanometers, the pressure inside can be several atmospheres. One should bear in mind that the surface tension in the numerator can be much smal... |
Did Romans really have those feathered things on top of their helmets? If so, why? | The "feathered thing" is called a crest and its usage depends on the time period:
In the days of the early republic, it was not common.
During the late republic (post 3rd century B.C.) it was very common among legionaries.
After the reforms by Augustus, only centurions were wearing crests.
In the later empire, they... | [
"The origin of these very elaborate helmets is uncertain but appears not to have been Rome. Various origins have been suggested, including a theory that they came from Rome's eastern provinces. They were produced from the early 1st century AD through to the mid-3rd century. Although they are relatively light, they ... |
how is something scientifically proven to be a fact? | Scientists don't tend to use the word "fact" for any generalized statement.
I dropped a ball from the top of a 100-meter building and I measured that it took 4.9 seconds to reach the ground. That's a *fact*. It's evidence consistent with the theory objects on Earth fall with an acceleration of approximately 9.8 meters... | [
"In science, a \"fact\" is a repeatable careful observation or measurement (by experimentation or other means), also called empirical evidence. Facts are central to building scientific theories. Various forms of observation and measurement lead to fundamental questions about the scientific method, and the scope and... |
feces being a major source of harmful germs,how is it the lower intestine isn't chronically infected. | The vast majority of the bacteria in your colon are (mostly) harmless organisms that have evolved to live with us. The high populations of these bacteria tend to suppress the growth of other, harmful bacteria. Think of an apartment building with 100 units. 98 of them are already occupied by quiet residents. Even if... | [
"An infarcted or dead intestinal segment is a serious medical problem because of the fact that intestines contain non-sterile contents within the lumen. Although the fecal content and high bacterial loads of the intestine are normally safely contained, progressive ischemia causes tissue breakdown and inevitably lea... |
What led to Sulla's retirement after being declared dictator for life? | The sources are particularly lousy for this: the wretched Appian on the one hand, and on the other Plutarch, more interested in the morbid details of his wasting disease than any politics. Scullard and Keaveney both argued that Sulla simply got tired and decided that he'd done enough to ensure a return to Republican f... | [
"In 79 BC, Sulla resigned his dictatorship, re-established consular government and, after serving as consul in 80 BC, retired to private life. In a manner that the historian Suetonius thought arrogant, Julius Caesar would later mock Sulla for resigning the Dictatorship—\"Sulla did not know his political ABC's\". He... |
Did the Romans ever face armies of horseback archers from the steppes or elsewhere? How did they fair? Did they ever experiment with or adopt the strategy? | Yes, Roman armies faced armies primarily composed of horse archers more than once. The fellow under me has referenced Attila the Hun. The Romans did technically defeat him at Chalons, but I'll admit to a small working knowledge of the late Roman army, so I'll focus on the earlier armies of the Republic and the Princi... | [
"There were also horse archers, who had the ability to shoot on horseback – the Parthians, Scythians, Mongols, and other various steppe people were especially fearsome with this tactic. By the 3rd–4th century AD, heavily armored cavalry became widely adopted by the Parthians, Sasanians, Byzantines, Eastern Han dyna... |
what are ghz and what do they mean when it comes to computer specs? | Hz is a measure of frequency- the number of times something happens per second. If something has a frequency of 3GHz, it means that it happens three billion times per second.
In the case of computers, that's the speed of its internal clock. A single operation in a computer can take multiple steps, and the clock speed... | [
"BULLET::::- On August 31, 2011, in Austin, Texas, AMD achieved a Guinness World Record for the \"Highest frequency of a computer processor\": 8.429 GHz. The company ran an 8-core FX-8150 processor with only one active module (two cores), and cooled with liquid helium. The previous record was 8.308 GHz, with an Int... |
Do rockets use fossil fuels? Is there danger of running out of rocket fuel as we deplete oil reserves in the next 50-200 years? If so, are there alternative fuels that have the necessary power to take us into space? | We are in no danger of running out of liquid oxygen or liquid hydrogen, as they can be extracted from water. You can make a workable rocket with just those fuels, although a big fat first stage full of low density hydrogen has penalties.
Realistically, if absolute supply of kerosene or methane is an issue, we'll be t... | [
"energy). In chemical rockets, unburned fuel or oxidizer represents the loss of chemical potential energy, which reduces the specific energy. However, most rockets run fuel-rich mixtures, which result in lower theoretical exhaust velocities.\n",
"Since solid-fuel rockets can remain in storage for a long time with... |
when a hard drive sets aside space for a download, what is it filled with before it actually receives the data that takes up the space? | Logically, the filesystem is told to reserve the physical space for the new file.
Physically, the space of a hard drive that are reserved still contain whatever data was last in that space. | [
"When data is deleted from storage devices, the references to the data are removed from the directory structure. The space can then be used, or overwritten, with data from other files or computer functions. The deleted data itself is not immediately removed from the physical drive and often exists as a number of di... |
subjective vs. objective | Subjective is a judgement or experience. Objective is a reliably reproducible measurement. Both can be scientific. A good example is flavor versus chemistry.
A cherry is tangy, sweet. That's a subjective statement because everyone experiences flavor in a different way, but it's still important to science to characteri... | [
"Some have argued that the distinction between objective and subjective assessments is neither useful nor accurate because, in reality, there is no such thing as \"objective\" assessment. In fact, all assessments are created with inherent biases built into decisions about relevant subject matter and content, as wel... |
Do we have any concept of "infinite" I terms of time and space? | _URL_0_
> We now know (as of 2013) that the universe is flat with only a 0.4% margin of error. This suggests that the Universe is infinite in extent; [...] All we can truly conclude is that the Universe is much larger than the volume we can directly observe.
_URL_1_
> The size of the Universe is unknown; it may ... | [
"Aristotle also distinguished \"things infinite in respect of divisibility\" (such as a unit of space that can be mentally divided into ever smaller units while remaining spatially the same) from things (or distances) that are infinite in extension (\"with respect to their extremities\").\n",
"The basic premise p... |
how does trade between countries work in terms of currency? if country a buys millions of dollars worth of commodities from country b, how do they pay? do they give them cash? gold? bank transfer? | Think of countries as regular companies for this case.
Countries don't really buy things - it's state companies that are run (more or less) like private companies, think of train networks requiring trains, power grids require generators, water networks needing pumps, etc. - when they buy something - and it doesn't ma... | [
"By an accounting identity, Country A's NCO is always equal to A's Net Exports, because the value of net exports is equal to the amount of capital spent abroad (i.e. outflow) for goods that are imported in A. It is also equal to the net amount of A's currency traded in the foreign exchange market over that time per... |
counterfeit vs fake vs forgery for items | A forgery usually refers to a *specific* item, like a signature or an original painting. If you were two see two identical copies of the same original painting, you could conclude that forgery has occurred merely from the fact that there are two of them. You still might need an expert to tell which one is the forgery, ... | [
"Sometimes, forgery is the method of choice in defrauding a bank. There are three main types of cheque forgery: (a) Counterfeit. This is a cheque that has been created on non-bank paper to look genuine. It relates to a genuine account. (b) Forged signature. The cheque is genuine, but the signature is not that of th... |
How do you defend the purpose of Medieval History? | I don't actually feel as if I need to defend medieval history for its social relevance - the fact that I enjoy studying it is really enough for me. It should be obvious that medieval history presents special problems of understanding, in particular in relation to the number of sources, and I have always liked grappling... | [
"Medieval period oriented living history groups and reenactors focus on recreating civilian or military life in period of the Middle Ages. It is very popular in Eastern Europe. The goal of the reenactor and their group is to portray an accurate interpretation of a person who credibly could exist at a specific place... |
why do we still need sunscreen? why haven't we as humans adapted to the heat of the sun after all this time? | > Why haven't we as humans adapted to the heat of the sun after all this time?
It's not the heat that's the problem. It's ultraviolet light, which damages cells and can lead to skin cancer. And we *have* adapted. Tanning is our body's response to excess sunlight, and it helps reduce (but does *not* eliminate) sun-... | [
"Sunlight has been shown to be beneficial in some skin conditions and enables the body to make vitamin D, but with the increased awareness of skin cancer, wearing of sunscreen is now part of the culture. Sun exposure prompts the body to produce nitric oxide that helps support the cardiovascular system and the feelg... |
Why did America develop a stable republic while most of Latin America developed weak, unstable republic? | I don't know that I can answer the question as written for "most of Latin America, from what appears to be independence to the present day", but I think I can point to some important differences that might help you think about the question you're asking. For the sake of brevity I'll stick to Spanish America, because Br... | [
"Latin America's political independence proved irreversible, but weak governments in Spanish American nation-states could not replicate the generally peaceful conditions of the colonial era. Although the United States was not a world power, it claimed authority over the hemisphere in the Monroe Doctrine (1823). Bri... |
Why does water turn yellow when electric current passes through it for some time? | It's a physical reaction, not chemical, the electricity is causing it not an interaction of chemicals. Ions (atoms missing bits) come off the anode (positive side). If you leave wires connected to a battery in water for long enough you'll see one of them will eventually disintegrate. That's why you see metal for out... | [
"Water attenuates light due to absorption which varies as a function of frequency. In other words, as light passes through a greater distance of water color is selectively absorbed by the water. Color absorption is also affected by turbidity of the water and dissolved material.\n",
"BULLET::::- Pure water is near... |
if i keep the calories down but it's all mtn dew & chocolate & chips, will i lose weight or stay fat from all the sugar? | If you eat fewer calories than you use, you lose weight.
If all those calories come from soda, chocolate, and chips, you lose other things. Like muscle mass, hair, and vital signs. | [
"While you don't need to limit the sugars found naturally in whole, unprocessed foods like fresh fruit, eating too much added sugar found in many processed foods can increase your risk for heart disease, obesity, cavities and Type 2 diabetes. The American Heart Association recommends women limit added sugars to no ... |
Let's be honest: Is interstellar/intergallactic space travel possible at all? | You are pretty much correct in your analysis.
Long-term generation ships using nuclear pulse propulsion (or similar) could perhaps reach another star, but that technology is too far away to even say how far away it is. | [
"Intergalactic travel is hypothetical manned or unmanned travel between galaxies. Due to the enormous distances between our own galaxy the Milky Way and even its closest neighbors—hundreds of thousands to millions of light-years—any such venture would be far more technologically demanding than even interstellar tra... |
If we never see objects fall into black holes due to time dilation, how do black holes gain mass? | It's a somewhat tricky question, actually.
From the point of view of the infalling particle, time doesn't slow down at all as it approaches the horizon; in fact, it doesn't feel anything special at the horizon at all, and it continues to fall in as normal.
To the outside, however, it's true that infalling matter appe... | [
"As predicted by general relativity, the presence of a mass deforms spacetime in such a way that the paths taken by particles bend towards the mass. At the event horizon of a black hole, this deformation becomes so strong that there are no paths that lead away from the black hole.\n",
"To a distant observer, cloc... |
why does traveling to new places generally make people happy? | 1. Humans have an instinctive desire to explore. Following our instincts feels good.
2. It distracts us from our usual daily concerns, which aren't visible there.
3. We don't have so many chores or work to do when on vacation. | [
"The new travelers have traveled the world, they have seen the classic sites. Staying at a Western hotel is not attractive enough, and they are excited by the prospect of experiencing the authentic local way of life: to go fishing with a local fisherman, to eat the fish with his family, to sleep in a typical villag... |
how the conversion rates between currencies are decided. who, or what, decides these? | It works kind of like the stock market. Look up forex trading for details.
But basically a bunch of people make and take offers to trade one currency for another, and the rates those people are willing to trade at determine the exchange rate. | [
"Convertibility of a currency determines the ability of an individual, corporation or government to convert its local currency to another currency or vice versa with or without central bank/government intervention. Based on the above restrictions or free and readily conversion features, currencies are classified as... |
how does alka-seltzer work? | Stomach acid isn't there to break down your food, its primary role is to destroy bacteria in anything you just ate. The enzymes in your small intestine are responsible for most of the digestion.
Heartburn is caused by stomach acid finding its way up, and out of your stomach where it attacks the lining of your esophag... | [
"It was developed by head chemist Maurice Treneer. Alka-Seltzer is marketed for relief of minor aches, pains, inflammation, fever, headache, heartburn, stomachache, indigestion, acid reflux and hangovers, while neutralizing excess stomach acid. It was launched in 1931.\n",
"Alka-Seltzer is an effervescent antacid... |
how does the opening bottle of wine in a shoe work? | Liquids don't compress. Holding the bottle upside down and striking the heel sends shockwaves through the bottle, which terminate in the spongey cork, causing it to move. Since it can't move into the liquids, it moves out of the neck. | [
"Wine bottle openers are required to open wine bottles that are stoppered with a cork. They are slowly being supplanted by the screwcap closure. There are many different inceptions of the wine bottle opener ranging from the simple corkscrew, the screwpull lever, to complicated carbon dioxide driven openers. The mos... |
Why are many diseases that are potentially lethal to animals harmless to humans (and vice versa)? | A couple points:
1) yes, the tree of life contains a wide spectrum of immune systems. The innate immune system (macrophages, granulocytes e.g. neutrophils, complement proteins, etc) varies across the animal clade. The adaptive immune system (T and B lymphocytes and the lymphoid organs) also become increasingly complex... | [
"Susceptible animals include cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, pigs, antelope, deer, and bison. It has also been known to infect hedgehogs and elephants; llamas and alpacas may develop mild symptoms, but are resistant to the disease and do not pass it on to others of the same species. In laboratory experiments, ... |
How can exoplanets in systems whose planes do not allow transits visible to earth be detected? | There's a lot more methods to detect exoplanets. I'll summarize them :
1. Transit Photometry as you said. This detects only a tiny fraction of the exoplanets since you need aligned systems there could be tens of thousands of planets not seen because of misalignment. However this is the most successful technique right... | [
"The transit method of discovering exoplanets relies upon carefully monitoring the brightness of a star. If a planet is present and crosses the line of sight between Earth and the star, the star will dim at a regular interval by an amount that depends upon the radius of the transiting planet. In order to measure th... |
Why do we as humans often times feel he need to feed wild animals such as birds and fish when we get nothing in return? | Bear with me on this:
When our ancestors moved down from the trees and started to live in social groups out in the open this put selective pressure towards developing altruistic behavior. Some evolutionary biologists such as Robert Trivers argue that in humans this altruistic system is regulated by emotional dispositi... | [
"It is common for animals (even those like hummingbirds that have high energy needs) to forage for food until satiated, and then spend most of their time doing nothing, or at least nothing in particular. They seek to \"satisfice\" their needs rather than obtaining an optimal diet or habitat. Even diurnal animals, w... |
Can animals really predict disaster ahead? | The seizure sniffing dogs are a legit thing. They're a form of service animal that are *very* highly trained. I saw one assisting his "owner" (for lack of a better word in this context). About a minute before the guy started to seize, the dog did something (I didn't notice the signal, but apparently the guy did) to ... | [
"For centuries there have been anecdotal accounts of anomalous animal behavior preceding and associated with earthquakes. In cases where animals display unusual behavior some tens of seconds prior to a quake, it has been suggested they are responding to the P-wave. These travel through the ground about twice as fas... |
What is the correlation between decibels and sound waves? | I believe your confusion comes from thinking of decibels as being units used to measure sound waves. They aren't. The units typically used to measure sound waves are either micropascals RMS (for amplitude/pressure) or watts/meter^2 (for intensity). Decibels are, in general, just a convenient way to represent *ratios... | [
"Sound is measured based on the amplitude and frequency of a sound wave. Amplitude measures how forceful the wave is. The energy in a sound wave is measured in decibels (dB), the measure of loudness, or intensity of a sound; this measurement describes the amplitude of a sound wave. Decibels (dB) are expressed in a ... |
Why does a wood stove burn more vigorously when the door is slightly ajar than when fully open? | It's air pressure. When the stove is completely open, air pressure is roughly equalized so oxygen being burned is immediately replenished. When the door is only slightly open, the fire is using up the oxygen in the oven causing an area of low pressure, so the atmosphere outside of the oven "rushes in" to attempt to equ... | [
"The wood is very dense and produces a hot flame when burned, which functions as an excellent source of heat for barbecues and wood-burning stoves. However, the wood is not desirable for wood fireplaces because the heat causes popping, thereby increasing the risk of house fires.\n",
"The system is more efficient ... |
Did any ancient civilisation ever actually build the kinds of complex mechanical puzzles you see in popular fiction like Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, Uncharted, National Treasure etc? | Hi, you may be interested in a couple of posts from [the FAQ](_URL_2_):
* [Were the tombs of South American civilizations the booby-trapped nightmare we see in entertainment?](_URL_1_) - South & amp; Central America, Egypt
* [Many fantasy/historical computer games and RPGs feature "dungeons", ie a large labyrinthian... | [
"The oldest known mechanical puzzle also comes from Greece and appeared in the 3rd century BCE. The game consisted of a square divided into 14 parts, and the aim was to create different shapes from these pieces. In Iran \"puzzle-locks\" were made as early as the 17th century (AD).\n",
"Eblong likened the game's p... |
What can we make using the 6 elements in the /r/askscience logo? | Pretty much none. Neon is a noble gas which won't form compounds with much and definitely not with all of these at any reasonable energy. You might be able to squeeze everything but Ne onto some long molecule all as substituted atoms, but even that would be a stretch. The only compound that sticks out containing two... | [
"The company takes its name from scandium, the 21st element of the periodic table, alloys of which are used to make golf clubs and fishing rods. Element 21 claims that their use of scandium improves performance compared with that of other commonly used metals.\n",
"The symbols of chemical elements are evenly spac... |
When 'unlikely' animals tolerate the company of each other, what is happening at a psychological level? | A polite reminder. This is AskScience. No layman speculation, no guessing, no anecdotes, no jokes. Please check the sidebar if you're unsure whether your answer should be here or not. | [
"In real life situations, animals (including humans) have to cope with stresses generated within their own species, during their interactions with conspecifics, especially due to recurrent struggles over the control of limited resources, mates and social positions (Bjorkqvist, 2001; Rohde, 2001; Allen & Badcock, 20... |
Before their double-helixed DNA model, Watson and Crick made a "failed" model. What did this model look like? | Apparently it was a triple helix with three sugar-phosphate backbones in the middle with the Nitrogen bases sticking out.
_URL_0_
That is my google fu however not my expertise. I would not be a good person to describe what that would actually look like. | [
"Late in 1951, Francis Crick started working with James Watson at the Cavendish Laboratory within the University of Cambridge. In 1953, Watson and Crick suggested what is now accepted as the first correct double-helix model of DNA structure in the journal \"Nature\". Their double-helix, molecular model of DNA was t... |
Is remembering a dream the same mechanism as remembering something in real life? | Memory isn't as perfect as we'd like to think it is to begin with. Then, on top of that, the altered state of consciousness the brain is in during sleep can (essentially) shut down parts of the brain, particularly the prefrontal cortex. Since memory requires many neurons firing in concert, having fewer neurons function... | [
"For some people, sensations from the previous night's dreams are sometimes spontaneously experienced in falling asleep. However they are usually too slight and fleeting to allow dream recall. At least 95% of all dreams are not remembered. Certain brain chemicals necessary for converting short-term memories into lo... |
If I shoot a car with an EMP gun, what would happen? | Devices like this exist and are being marketed to police departments around the world as a means for terminating dangerous car chases. I believe there is some safety cost/benefit calculation at work. The burning out of all electronics will effectively destroy/total the car. The driver may in fact lose control of the v... | [
"BULLET::::- In the 2008 series \"Knight Rider\" the co-protagonist—a Ford Shelby GT500KR named KITT which is capable of driving itself, talking, and firing all sorts of offensive and defensive weapons—has a small EMP device on board. The car is most often seen deploying this weapon to disable vehicles that it purs... |
why when there is a silent we often hear a beep sound? | Yer not alone in askin', and kind strangers have explained that this is *tinnitus:*
1. [ELI5: what is the ringing noise we hear when there's silence? ](_URL_3_) ^(_ > 100 comments_)
1. [ELI5: Why do my ears ring in a quiet room? ](_URL_2_) ^(_12 comments_)
1. [ELI5: What is the beeping sound I hear sometimes when it'... | [
"Beeps are also used as a warning when a truck, lorry or bus is reversing. It can also be used to define the sound produced by a car horn. Colloquially, beep is also used to refer to the action of honking the car horn at someone, (e.g., \"Why did that guy beep at me?\"), and is more likely to be used with vehicles ... |
how does the amazon go store figure out what you are purchasing exactly? | Holy crud, this is a neat idea. Here's some speculation, until we can get a concrete answer from Ol' Amazon themselves.
* since you need the app, and need to apparently launch it when walking in, that's probably how the store determines that you in particular are the person who just entered. Bluetooth might also be in... | [
"Amazon announced in June 2019, that Amazon shoppers will be able to pick up their purchases at designated counters inside more than 100 Rite Aid stores across the US. The new service is called Counter and launches in the US after finding success in the UK with the Next clothing chain and in Italy with Giunti Al Pu... |
how was the dnc primary "rigged"? | The DNC is supposed to be neutral. The e-mails released by wikileaks from the DNC showed that they were actively trying to help Hilary's nomination and hurt Bernie's. That was a violation of their charter. In addition, after the leaks and subsequent calls for her resignation, the head of the DNC, Debbie Wasserm... | [
"The Democratic National Committee (DNC) proposed a new schedule and a new rule set for the 2008 Presidential primary elections. Among the changes: the primary election cycle would start nearly a year earlier than in previous cycles, states from the West and the South would be included in the earlier part of the sc... |
why did slave owners/ traders feel it was necessary to convert slaves to christianity? if slaves were considered nothing more than property why was their salvation important? | All the answers here are correct for a certain historical period. However, it's important to remember that for the majority of the time the Atlantic slave trade was in operation, religious conversion was not a priority. There were a number of reasons for this:
1. In many colonies the average slave lived only 5-10 year... | [
"Slave-owners weren’t keen to have their slaves baptised as Christian converts could not be sold. Mostly freed slaves were therefore baptised and could then become members of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NGK). This led to the directors of SA Mission Society establishing their own congregation. It was ... |
why there is a difference in the way medication is administered. specifically, what is the difference between pills and injections. | Injections, if through an IV, go straight into the bloodstream. Pills have to be digested before entering the bloodstream, so generally less gets in (or if something is meant to work in the gastrointestinal tract it would be taken as a pill.)
Certain injections might only have a local effect (like a corticosteroid inj... | [
"A wide variety of drugs are injected, often opioids: these may include legally prescribed medicines and medication such as morphine, as well as stronger compounds often favored in recreational drug use, which are often illegal. Although there are various methods of taking drugs, injection is favoured by some peopl... |
What happens to the blood in an uterus during missed periods? | Tl;dr the lining usually doesn't thicken in these cases
The causes of frequently irregular periods (oligomenorrhoea) or complete lack of them (amenorrhoea) are normally always hormones.
To put this into context with an example, breastfeeding results in high levels of the hormone prolactin, which then inhibits rel... | [
"Couvelaire uterus is a phenomenon wherein the retroplacental blood may penetrate through the thickness of the wall of the uterus into the peritoneal cavity. This may occur after abruptio placentae. The hemorrhage that gets into the decidua basalis ultimately splits the decidua, and the haematoma may remain within ... |
Why do some cameras get really grainy when taking photos or videos in low-light/no-light? | Various kinds of noise. As the light goes down, you get less light (signal) but not less noise.
But what is the noise? One type of noise is read noise. Read noise is a constant caused by imperfections in the technology used to detect the light. For example, an amplifier might accidentally amplify stray currents and m... | [
"Because the effect is caused by the relative motion between the camera, and the objects and scene, motion blur may be avoided by panning the camera to track those moving objects. In this case, even with long exposure times, the objects will appear sharper, and the background more blurred.\n",
"Some still camera ... |
the phrase 'have your cake and eat it, too.' | Once you eat the cake, it's gone. You don't have it anymore. You cannot have both | [
"The phrase \"Let them eat cake\" is often attributed to Marie Antoinette, but there is no evidence she ever uttered it, and it is now generally regarded as a \"journalistic cliché\". It may have been a rumor started by angry French peasants as a form of libel. This phrase originally appeared in Book VI of the firs... |
How do large batteries work (like the Tesla house unit)? and What are the barriers around efficient large scale energy storage? |
The tesla house battery is a basically a lithium Ion battery,same as yor phone just in Large. Here's a pretty good [link](_URL_0_) to how they work.
Barriers are :the low engie density in these types of. I think the Tesla battery weighs 100KG an can store up to 13.5 Kw/H. That equates to ~4KG of diesel.
Also the cha... | [
"Contrary to electric vehicle applications, batteries for stationary storage do not suffer from mass or volume constraints. However, due to the large amounts of energy and power implied, the cost per power or energy unit is crucial. The relevant metrics to assess the interest of a technology for grid-scale storage ... |
why is testosterone legally prescribed for transgender but not bodybuilding/muscle gain? | Because the trans man has a recognized medical condition and the dude just trying to bulk up doesn't. And because the trans man is only going to normal male levels of testosterone - which are relatively safe - not pushing it to dangerously high levels by adding more on top of typical male production. | [
"Transgender women, known as \"kathoeys\", have access to hormones through non-prescription sources. This kind of access is a result of the low availability and expense of transgender health care clinics. However, transgender men have difficulty gaining access to hormones such as testosterone in Thailand because it... |
Are there other cultures that have a long tradition of personal names appropriated from languages other than the ones primarily spoken by that culture? | Late Ancient Hebrew did this a ton. Many names were Greek. Variants of "Alexander" were especially popular. Other names were Aramaic, but the two languages are so similar that distinguishing them in names is often difficult. Yiddish does this two. Many of the names are Hebrew names or Hebrew words, and though some... | [
"However, in some areas of the world, many people are known by a single name, and so are said to be mononymous. Still other cultures lack the concept of specific, fixed names designating people, either individually or collectively. Certain isolated tribes, such as the Machiguenga of the Amazon, do not use personal ... |
Why didn't any Ottoman Sultans perform Hajj when they declared themselves Caliphs of Islam? | It's mostly logistical issues. A sultan traveling from Istanbul to Mekka would need a huge army for protection. Traveling there and back would take months even years with a massive entourage which would destabilize the government back home and probably any province they pass through. | [
"When the Ottomans conquered Mamluk territory in 1517, the role of the Ottoman sultan in the Hijaz was first and foremost to take care of the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina, and provide safe passage for the many Muslims from various regions who travelled to Mecca in order to perform the Hajj. The Sultan was someti... |
if the sun is on the other side of the earth at night, how does it stay so warm during the summer? | Okay, the only difference between summer and winter as far as heat goes is the angle that the sun hits the earth. With the axis, the sun hits at a steeper angle (ie. Straight up/down) which means greater concentration of energy, think: smaller area, same heat energy. That being said, the world and atmosphere absorb a... | [
"During winter in either hemisphere, the lower altitude of the Sun causes the sunlight to hit the Earth at an oblique angle. Thus a lower amount of solar radiation strikes the Earth per unit of surface area. Furthermore, the light must travel a longer distance through the atmosphere, allowing the atmosphere to diss... |
how does the fourth amendment prevent government reach into government cell phones? | Your quote provides the answer.
The constitution including the bill of rights defines what the government can, and can't, do. (It does not apply directly to private employers, of course.)
You don't automatically lose rights as a result of becoming a government employee; but you may waive those rights at times in e... | [
"The bill then states: \"The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution shall not be construed to allow any agency of the United States Government to search the phone records of Americans without a warrant based on probable cause.\"\n",
"In November 2017, the United States Supreme Court ruled in \"Carpenter v. United S... |
why, in the event a hurricane or super storm heading for a vulnerable area, can't we launch and detonate explosives within the storm to disperse it? | I think you've been watching too much Sharknado. It doesn't work that way in real life.
Besides, hurricanes can be hundreds of miles across. There's no way enough explosives could be launched to affect that, especially without causing massive environmental damage. | [
"Certain targets, such as bridges, historically could be attacked only by manually placed explosives. With the advent of precision-guided munitions, the destructive part of the raid may involve the SF unit controlling air strikes. Air strikes, however, are practical only when U.S. involvement is not hidden.\n",
"... |
Why is the star in the "star and crescent" symbol of Ottoman Empire/Islam not exactly upright geometrically? | The design is specified by a 1930s law. The alignment of the star is such that one of the points of the star points directly left. So it's aligned "exactly" on a horizontal axis -- relative to the crescent -- rather than a vertical axis. See _URL_0_ and the sources cited therein. | [
"The star and crescent symbol became strongly associated with the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, a symbol that had been used throughout the Middle East extending back to pre-Islamic times, especially in the Byzantine Empire and Crusader States which occupied the lands later assumed by the Ottoman Empire. By ex... |
what makes soda taste so bad when you leave it out for some time? | It doesn't taste bad at all, you're just losing the carbonation so there isn't that stimulating feeling. If soda was made without carbonation I'm sure there would be a lot less soda drinkers in the world | [
"A large number of soda pops are acidic as are many fruits, sauces and other foods. Drinking acidic drinks over a long period and continuous sipping may erode the tooth enamel. A 2007 study determined that some flavored sparkling waters are as erosive or more so than orange juice.\n",
"OK Soda had a more \"citric... |
why is it worthwhile to separate colors from whites in laundry? | In the past, you would often add bleach to whites to help clean them. However, it would destroy colored dyes, so you would need to separate them first. | [
"White fabrics acquire a slight color cast after use (usually grey or yellow). Since blue and yellow are complementary colors in the subtractive color model of color perception, adding a trace of blue color to the slightly off-white color of these fabrics makes them appear whiter. Laundry detergents may also use fl... |
why does peanut butter turn shiny after being spread? | The oil is more visible when the peanut butter is spread thin | [
"Peanut butter is a food paste or spread made from ground dry roasted peanuts. It often contains additional ingredients that modify the taste or texture, such as salt, sweeteners or emulsifiers. Peanut butter is served as a spread on bread, toast or crackers, and used to make sandwiches (notably the peanut butter a... |
i saw a commercial for a car dealership offering you a car for $88 down and $88 per month even if you have bad or no credit. what's the catch? how can they do this? | You will be paying interest on that car for decades. | [
"Depending on the type of car purchased and \"the difference in fuel economy between the purchased vehicle and the trade-in vehicle\", the amount of the credit given in the form of vouchers to eligible customers is either $3,500 or $4,500. New car dealers will be able to reduce the purchase price by the amount of t... |
Do dissolved solids (I.E. sugar in coffee) have the same volume as their constituents? | Generally, no. Archimedes does not apply when you're dissolving a solid.
Depending on the nature of coordination in solution, a solid can dissolve and displace more or less volume than the solid would. If everything behaved like an ideal solution, this wouldn't be the case, but mixtures involve [partial molar properti... | [
"When a sugar solution is measured by refractometer or density meter, the °Bx or °P value obtained by entry into the appropriate table only represents the amount of dry solids dissolved in the sample if the dry solids are exclusively sucrose. This is seldom the case. Grape juice (must), for example, contains little... |
When light is reflected off a surface, is that same photon being bounced back or is that photon absorbed and then another one emitted? | To the extent I understand it, photons don't have an "identity", there is no way to know, and use whatever assumption works for the problem you are solving.
It is a very unsatisfying answer, but physics has a lot of that. | [
"Total external reflection is the situation where the light starts in air and vacuum (refractive index 1), and bounces off a material with index of refraction less than 1. For example, in X-rays, the refractive index is frequently slightly less than 1, and therefore total external reflection can happen at a glancin... |
- if deadly viruses, like ebola, ultimately kill the host, how do they evolve, or persist to an epidemic level? | It isn't a good way to spread a virus strain.
That's precisely why these epidemic diseases kill thousands and then burn out. They massacre their food supply and host by accident and die with them.
The most successful viruses have no symptoms. They live in you and transfer among humanity without alarming our immune ... | [
"Generally, if a virus kills its host too quickly, the host will not have a chance to come in contact with other hosts and transmit the virus before dying. However, in serial passage, when a virus was being transmitted from host to host regardless of its virulence, such as Subbaro’s experiment, the viruses that gro... |
In my high school history classes, the fate of the USS Maine is usually described as a boiler-room accident or a deliberate "false-flag attack" to provoke war with Spain. What is the current academic consensus on the disaster? | **The current academic consensus is that there is no consensus.**
Let's review.
[There have been four major investigations into the sinking of the *Maine*:](_URL_0_)
* The first took place in 1898, immediately after the sinking. The McKinley administration created a naval board of inquiry that concluded unanimously ... | [
"USS \"Maine\" (ACR-1) was a United States Navy ship that sank in Havana Harbor in February 1898, contributing to the outbreak of the Spanish–American War in April. American newspapers, engaging in yellow journalism to boost circulation, claimed that the Spanish were responsible for the ship's destruction. The phra... |
why do tech manufacturers region lock their devices? | It's pretty simple, depending on the region you sell your product the highest price people are ready to pay for your device can differ quite significantly. If you have the same price all over the world you wont sell in some regions. If you have different prices and don't region lock people will just buy from the cheape... | [
"Adapters (sometimes called \"dongles\") allow connecting a peripheral device with one plug to a different jack on the computer. They are often used to connect modern devices to a legacy port on an old system, or legacy devices to a modern port. Such adapters may be entirely passive, or contain active circuitry.\n"... |
What are some unsolved problems in Computer Science? | The biggest and probably the most famous problem is the P-NP problem. It concerns decision problems (problems that can be answered with a "yes" or a "no"). There are two important classes of decision problems - P and NP. P problems are those which can be decided in polynomial time. NP problems are those whose solutions... | [
"This article is a list of unsolved problems in computer science. A problem in computer science is considered unsolved when no solution is known, or when experts in the field disagree about proposed solutions.\n",
"Perhaps the most important open problem in all of computer science is the question of whether a cer... |
why did saber-tooth cats have such big fangs? | I'm just guessing here, but maybe it preyed on larger animals. Those fangs would have sunk deep into flesh. | [
"The different groups of saber-toothed cats evolved their saber-toothed characteristics entirely independently. They are most known for having maxillary canines which extended down from the mouth even when the mouth was closed. Saber-toothed cats were generally more robust than today's cats and were quite bear-like... |
when people say how fast something in space is moving what reference point are they using? | It is usually going to be with reference to the body that exerts the dominant gravitational force in the region.
The speed of a probe sent to orbit Europa would first be expressed with reference to the earth, then the sun, then Jupiter, then finally Europa. Possibly other planets or moons if a gravitational assist wa... | [
"Alternatively, we could choose a frame of reference \"S′\" situated in the first car. In this case, the first car is stationary and the second car is approaching from behind at a speed of . In order to catch up to the first car, it will take a time of , that is, 25 seconds, as before. Note how much easier the prob... |
how do countries pay for maternity leave? | In France it is payed by the Social security (healthcare etc..), not the employer. | [
"Paid maternity leave is important for women to take time away from work to bond with a child without financial pressures. Of the 193 United Nations countries, only a handful do not have a paid-parental-leave policy: New Guinea, Suriname, the United States and a few South Pacific island nations. The international h... |
What is the Eastern Front known as in Russia? | This can be a bit confusing, so I will use *italics for Latinized Russian* and **bold for English translations**
If you're asking about the Eastern Front of WWII, the single massive continuous front (geographic area) is known by Russians as Великая Отечественная Война (*Velikaya Otechestvennaya Voyna*), meaning **Grea... | [
"\"Eastern Front\" is a corps-level simulation of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. The player controls the Germans, in white, while the computer plays the Russians, in red. Units are represented as boxes for armored corps or cavalry, and crosses for infantry, an attempt to repl... |
How are new stars born following the death of old stars? Surely all the hydrogen has gone- or the previous star wouldn't have died? | Stars can only fuse hydrogen (and in the latter stages other elements) in their cores, where the temperature is high enough to start fusion. The vast majority of the hydrogen is outside the core (90% orso) and gets blown away when the star is dieing. This forms the material for the next generation of stars | [
"According to theories of stellar formation, as in other stellar nurseries, the stars in Henize 206 were created after a dying star, or supernova, exploded, sending intense shockwaves through clouds of cosmic gas and dust. The gas and dust were subsequently compressed into large groups, then gravity further condens... |
When did "Right by conquest" stop being a thing? | Actually way later, up until WW2 right by conquest was recognized as international law. "War of aggression" as a crime was only codified in the Nuermberg Principles after WW2 and made a UN resolution in 1974 (UN resolution 3314).
The principle of Right by Conquest was first diminished in the Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928... | [
"The right of conquest is the right of a conqueror to territory taken by force of arms. It was traditionally a principle of international law that has gradually given way in modern times until its proscription after World War II when the crime of war of aggression was first codified in the Nuremberg Principles. In ... |
It is said that Benedict Arnold died wishing to wear his Continental Army uniform, expressing regret at his betrayal. This may be legend, but do we know how he really felt in his later years about what he did, or his attitude towards the United States? | Not to discourage further discussion, but see /u/uncovered-history's answer in [this post](_URL_0_). He also addresses the Continental Army uniform question a little further down the comment chain. | [
"Benedict Arnold (June 14, 1801) was an American military officer who served as a general during the American Revolutionary War, fighting for the American Continental Army before defecting to the British in 1780. George Washington had given him his fullest trust and placed him in command of the fortifications at We... |
What is the relationship between C-reactive proteins and inflammation with depression? | Some cytokines can cross/be actively transported across the blood brain barrier. There are also cytokine receptors that stimulate the vagus nerve, providing feedback to the brain. There was a study specifically investigating the use of an anti-inflammatory drug, infliximab, which antagonizes tumor necrosis factor alpha... | [
"Various review have found that general inflammation may play a role in depression. One meta analysis of cytokines in people with MDD found increased IL-6 and TNF-a levels relative to controls. The first theories came about when it was noticed that interferon therapy caused depression in a large number of people re... |
What Slows a Computer Down? | This is a complicated question to answer.
First and foremost -- Did you upgrade OS versions in the meantime or are you running the same OS and exact same software as before?
If you upgraded the OS, then that could be part of the problem. Newer versions of Windows and OSX often are designed around newer computers... | [
"It was possible to increase the speed of the computer by using POKE 65495,0 which accelerates the ROM-resident BASIC interpreter, but temporarily disables correct functioning of the cassette/printer ports. Manufacturing variances mean that not all Dragons are able to function at this higher speed, and use of this ... |
Are any mammals as sexually dimorphic as humans? | Male gorillas are over twice the size of female gorillas, probably the largest sexual dimorphism among primates. The big [silverbacks](_URL_0_) you see in zoos are all males. Big differences like this are also seen in orangutans, mandrills, baboons, proboscis monkeys, hamadryas.
Sperm whale males weigh about 3 times a... | [
"The reduced degree of sexual dimorphism is primarily visible in the reduction of the male canine tooth relative to other ape species (except gibbons). Another important physiological change related to sexuality in humans was the evolution of hidden estrus. Humans are the only ape in which the female is intermitten... |
how do jets that are taxiing stop and start moving without trying their engines up or down ? | To get moving again, they DO spin up their engines.... modern high bypass turbofans have ridiculous thrust, just bumping them up a little from idle is enough to get an airliner moving again. To stop, they have brakes. These brakes are ridiculously powerful, more than enough to stop an airliner moving along a taxiway.... | [
"When taxiing, aircraft travel slowly. This ensures that they can be stopped quickly and do not risk wheel damage on larger aircraft if they accidentally turn off the paved surface. Taxi speeds are typically .\n",
"An airplane uses taxiways to taxi from one place on an airport to another; for example, when moving... |
How were crimes by ordinary people punished in Ancient Rome? | Roman law during the late Republic and most of the Principate made no distinction in punishment between free people of different social rank. By Roman law all Roman citizens were guaranteed the same legal rights, and the only important distinction in court was whether one was a Roman citizen or not. In cases of civil l... | [
"In ancient Rome, executed criminals were thrown into the Tiber. People executed at the Gemonian stairs were thrown in the Tiber during the later part of the reign of the emperor Tiberius. This practice continued over the centuries. For example, the corpse of Pope Formosus was thrown into the Tiber after the infamo... |
Can fish see color? And if not, why are they so colorful? | I know for a fact that at least some fish do. Some fish have a trade-off feature where they have a red belly which females finds attractive, but they are more visible to predators. Some marine animals also get their color from their diet, so maybe it has something to do with that? | [
"Mesopelagic fish are adapted to a low-light environment. Many fish are black or red, because these colors appear dark due to the limited light penetration at depth. Some fish have rows of photophores, small light-producing organs, on their underside to mimic the surrounding environment. Other fish have mirrored bo... |
How did the heavier metals on Earth end up in the Earth's crust and not all towards the Core? | Here's a [recent post where I answered a very similar question](_URL_0_). Basically it comes down to two things: solubility in different materials (silicates versus metals, which is why there are Uranium ores on the surface of Earth) and meteor bombardment during the early history of the solar system (which is why ther... | [
"In early stages of Earth's formation about 4.6 billion years ago, melting would have caused denser substances to sink toward the center in a process called planetary differentiation (see also the iron catastrophe), while less-dense materials would have migrated to the crust. The core is thus believed to largely be... |
Was there any indication for a genocide in the Bosnia war from 1992-1995? | Oh, there's absolutely indication that they intentionally committed genocide.
In fact, it's internationally recognized as such today.
If you'd like background on the conflict itself, please check [this thread here](_URL_0_).
Edit: I realized it might be helpful to give you the account of what actually happened in Sr... | [
"In 2001, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) judged that the 1995 Srebrenica massacre was an act of genocide. On 26 February 2007, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in the \"Bosnian Genocide Case\" upheld the ICTY's earlier finding that the massacre in Srebrenica and Zepa c... |
How did the Allies supply their armies in France in WWII in 1944 and 1945? | Logistics were always a key factor in the planning of Overlord. Prior experience showed that capturing ports was difficult as they were a natural focus for defensive efforts, and once captured extensive work would likely be needed to repair sabotage and demolitions carried out by the defenders. Supplies would therefore... | [
"Conducted strategic bombardment of Axis targets in Europe. Between 29 August 1944 and 2 October 1944 division aircraft dropped food to the French population in liberated areas. It also airdropped food, equipment, and supplies to Allied forces engaged in the airborne attack on the Netherlands (September 1944), as w... |
Was there any study of economics pre-consumerism? | Yes.
Consumerism is generally linked to the rise of industrial production and wasn't a phenomenon (at least outside the upper class) until the late 19th century. Before then you had such figures as Adam Smith, David Hume, Ricardo, Marx, Quesnay, Colbert etc all writing on economics. Adam Smith is considered the defini... | [
"In the late 20th century, areas of study that produced change in economic thinking were: risk-based (rather than price-based models), imperfect economic actors, and treating economics as a biological science (based on evolutionary norms rather than abstract exchange).\n",
"Consumer economics concludes the family... |
What properties of charcoal cause it to be so useful in absorbing toxic compounds? | Can anyone actually explain this though! Yes it becomes more porous, yes it has active binding sites. But what is actually occurring here. Are particulates getting trapped? Are aldehyde/ketones groups protonating with particulates? Or what is the actual chemical manipulation of this? | [
"Activated charcoal is used to treat many types of oral poisonings such as phenobarbital and carbamazepine. It is not effective for a number of poisonings including: strong acids or bases, iron, lithium, arsenic, methanol, ethanol or ethylene glycol.\n",
"Activated carbon is used to treat poisonings and overdoses... |
Are Neutrino's really faster than light? | Because photons are light. To pass from the source to the detector, they are travelling through the earth. Light won't do that. | [
"Neutrino speeds \"consistent\" with the speed of light are expected given the limited accuracy of experiments to date. Neutrinos have small but nonzero mass, and so special relativity predicts that they must propagate at speeds slower than light. Nonetheless, known neutrino production processes impart energies far... |
why are there patterns and fractals in nature? | > Why are there patterns and fractals in nature?
Patterns and fractals are just the large scale result of simple repeating behaviors. Suppose you have a stem that will grow for a bit and then split, then those stems grow for a bit and split, etc. You end up with a branching pattern from simple base behaviors.
> I... | [
"Some mathematical rule-patterns can be visualised, and among these are those that explain patterns in nature including the mathematics of symmetry, waves, meanders, and fractals. Fractals are mathematical patterns that are scale invariant. This means that the shape of the pattern does not depend on how closely you... |
What was President William McKinley's reasoning for his views on the issue of the annexation of the Philippines? | My understanding is he was sort of painted into a geopolitical corner. He hadn't really intended on taking the Phillipines, but now that he had them he couldn't give them to anyone else (because they'd just use them as a base for competition in China), couldn't give them back to Spain (because we had just beat the pant... | [
"A controversial aspect of McKinley's presidency is territorial expansion and the question of imperialism—with the exception of the Philippines, granted independence in 1946, the United States retains the territories taken under McKinley. The territorial expansion of 1898 is often seen by historians as the beginnin... |
Good books/movies/documentaries/websites/podcasts about Roman British history | British History Podcast. | [
"The History of Byzantium podcast by Robin Pierson is explicitly modelled after The History of Rome in style, length and quality; Pierson intended the podcast as a sequel to The History of Rome in order to complete the story. David Crowther of The History of England podcast has mentioned Duncan as an influence. as ... |
why do the ends of escalators and moving walkways have the blue or green light that shines through the cracks? | I may be wrong but I think it's a light from a sensor that stops the escalator, moving sidewalk, etc. when it sees that there is something caught in the treads e.g. a pantleg, or a shoelace | [
"Multi-coloured spherical lights in the trees were installed in 2005 by the Elephant Impacts project. The project has repainted and added feature lighting to a number of bridges and buildings in the area, including the adjoining railway bridges on Walworth Road and Newington Causeway, and to London College of Commu... |
will we ever see the national debt start going down or will it keep raising forever? | We'll likely see the national debt fluctuate up and down as this century goes on. The American economy is pretty robust and very very good at generating income. Without multi-trillion dollar wars to fight, and [hopefully] an upcoming rationalization of our economic, tax and social policies the debt will start to drif... | [
"According to the Treasury, \"failing to increase the debt limit would . . . cause the government to default on its legal obligations – an unprecedented event in American history\". These legal obligations include paying Social Security and Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on the debt, and many other ... |
What are some examples of small disciplined forces defeating larger forces? | The winter war perhaps? _URL_0_
Little Finland beating off the might of Soviet Russia. 70k casualties against soviet 323k. | [
"Regular forces, in turn, may act in order to invite such attacks by concentrations of enemy guerrillas, in order to bring an otherwise elusive enemy to battle, relying on its own superior training and firepower to win such battles. This was successfully practiced by the French during the First Indochina War at the... |
why some, but not all, acquisition prices are disclosed . | In the USA, if a publicly traded company is acquired, the purchase price will have to be reported publicly in reports to the SEC. Acquisition of a private company won't have to be, although if it is bought by a public company then it will often show up in their SEC reports, although it may be obfuscated. In the case ... | [
"An acquisition/takeover is the purchase of one business or company by another company or other business entity. Specific acquisition targets can be identified through myriad avenues including market research, trade expos, sent up from internal business units, or supply chain analysis. Such purchase may be of 100%,... |
How do you feel about John Brown? Terrorist or freedom fighter? | He's both technically but in my biased opinion he's a freedom fighter. Though he could have planned the rebellion slightly more I believe, like asking a local slave in the dead of night on what he thought the slaves would do perhaps, but really Brown was never going to achieve the full liberation of the slaves as he wa... | [
"Brown claims to be a Muslim and jihadi who believed his actions were \"just kills\", or justified shootings, of adult males in retaliation for actions by the U.S. government in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. As he stated to authorities: \"All those lives are taken every single day by America, by this government. So ... |
how does my computer know how much time is remaining for a program to be installed? | It's an estimate based on how much data there is left to transfer and how fast it is currently getting done. | [
"Time Machine creates incremental backups of files that can be restored at a later date. It allows the user to restore the whole system or specific files from the Recovery HD or the macOS Install DVD. It works within Mail, iWork, iLife, and several other compatible programs, making it possible to restore individual... |
what does a company do with funds generated from selling stocks? | The go to various things, depending on the company and its business... the money does literally go into the company's bank accounts, minus fees paid to investment bank doing the underwriter, etc. They may use it to pay back debt, invest in expansion (factories, new stores, inventory), make acquisitions, pay bonuses to ... | [
"In a primary market, companies, governments or public sector institutions can raise funds through bond issues and corporations can raise capital through the sale of new stock through an initial public offering (IPO). This is often done through an investment bank or finance syndicate of securities dealers. The proc... |
why old film clips, like ones of ww2 almost always seems sped up faster than 1x? | As you probably know, the speed at which motion picture film runs through the camera determines its frame rate, given in frames per second (fps). When run through a projector (which you can think of as a backwards camera) at the same speed, the movement looks natural to us. If turned more slowly or quickly, however, it... | [
"So a film recorded at 12 frames per second will appear to move twice as fast. Shooting at camera speeds between 8 and 22 frames per second usually falls into the undercranked fast motion category, with images shot at slower speeds more closely falling into the realm of time-lapse, although these distinctions of te... |
why doesn't north america see protests similar in size to other continents and countries? | [We took part in the largest protest in human history](_URL_0_), in 1995 the Million Man March had between 400,000 and 837,000 people, in 1993 the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation had between 300,000 and 1,000,000 people, in 1992 the "Save our Cities! Save our Children!" protest h... | [
"Some potentially vulnerable states that have not yet seen such protests have taken a variety of preemptive measures to avoid such displays occurring in their own countries; some of these states and others have experienced political fallout as a result of their own governmental actions and reactions to events which... |
What is the best way to determine if an exoplanet is suitable to sustain human life? | Part of the problem is we have a sample size of 1. Basically impossible to draw hard conclusions from.
One key metric I've seen talked about is the presence of free oxygen. Oxygen is very reactive, if it is present in large quantities in molecular form it seems reasonable to infer that a process like life is creating... | [
"The discovery of exoplanets has intensified interest in the search for extraterrestrial life. There is special interest in planets that orbit in a star's habitable zone, where it is possible for liquid water, a prerequisite for life on Earth, to exist on the surface. The study of planetary habitability also consid... |
why do dogs like the smell of cheese so much? | Cheese, that is, REAL, unprocessed cheese (although some types of pasteurized cheese included as well,) is naturally very pungent. Cut up a bit of Brie or aged white cheddar and tell me this isn't so. If we humans think cheese is very pungent, imagine how much more so dogs would be able to smell it. Dogs tend to have a... | [
"Dogs have around 1,700 taste buds compared to humans with around 9,000. The sweet taste buds in dogs respond to a chemical called furaneol which is found in many fruits and in tomatoes. It appears that dogs do like this flavor and it probably evolved because in a natural environment dogs frequently supplement thei... |
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