title stringlengths 3 300 | subreddit stringclasses 1 value | post_id stringlengths 5 7 | score int64 0 47.9k | link_flair_text stringlengths 0 63 | is_self bool 1 class | over_18 bool 2 classes | upvote_ratio float64 0 1 | post_content stringlengths 0 29.7k | C1 dict | C2 dict | C3 dict | C4 dict | C5 dict |
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ELI5: Why is 'Jello' spelled with a J? | explainlikeimfive | 1s40wp | 1 | true | false | 0.6 | Jell-O: The name of a brand of gelatin desserts. Jelly: A jam-like spread. Gelatin: The substance Since Jell-O is not a jam-like product, shouldn't it be spelled like 'Gell-O'? There should be a 'G', not 'J' since Jell-O is a gelatin product! Jelly and Jell-O seem too alike, almost as if they got the name from 'jelly'. | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtowln",
"comment_text": [
"In the US, jelly and jam basically mean the same thing, fruit preserves. Gelatin desserts were created in the UK and were named \"jelly.\" The name follows the standard diminutive form in English (i.e. Gerald -> Jerry).",
"When powdered gelatin was invented in the US, the name Jell-O was created combining the word \"jelly\" (which then had little use in the US) and the suffix \"-O\" which was marketing gimmick about 100 years ago as a way of nearly trademarking a generic term.",
"The name \"Jell-O\" was a victim of its success. It had so completely consumed the US gelatin dessert market that people couldn't think of making a gelatin dessert without their product, so it became the name for the the dessert. In other countries, Jell-O was never as popular, so they retained the older meaning of \"jelly.\""
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtomrz",
"comment_text": [
"Because that's not how English works. And also its a brand name so there is no obligation for it to follow any of the rules of phonetics, especially considering how crazy the rules are anyway. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtovmr",
"comment_text": [
"This. Also, gelatin desserts are called \"jelly\" in British English."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtoteh",
"comment_text": [
"Brand names are often purposely \"misspelled\" to seem fun and appeal to the children that they are trying to market to. Like \"Froot Loops\" and \"Bratz.\""
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtouqw",
"comment_text": [
"Gelatin, including Jell-O, is a type of jelly."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5 - How do we evolve? | explainlikeimfive | 1s41fr | 2 | true | false | 0.6 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtpapu",
"comment_text": [
"Animals don't evolve over time. ",
" evolve over time. An individual animal does not change in a genetic sense. But it's children, and it's grandchildren and so on and so forth will contain tiny genetic differences from the parent. If any one of these genetic differences provides a greater chance of that individual reproducing then that trait is more likely to get passed on. Over many, many generations, that original mutation can become the norm."
],
"score": 4
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtoq62",
"comment_text": [
"You can just Google this."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtotjr",
"comment_text": [
"So imagine that you're some animal. Let's say that you're a predator of some sort. You have lots of offspring, and then you die.",
"Now, among your offspring, one of them is better at hunting that the others. It turns out that he has a genetic mutation that causes his ears to be slightly bigger, so he can hear prey a little bit better than his siblings. When it comes time to mate, he'll be better fed, and thus in better health, and thus able to fight off rivals better. Thus he mates with more females, and has more offspring than his siblings.",
"Fast forward to the next generation. Now fully ",
" of your offsprings' offspring have larger ears, because their large-eared father was more fit, and thus able to mate more. So when they get older, and mating season comes around, the large-eared ones will mate more often than the small-eared ones, for the same reason as before.",
"Fast forward several thousand generations, and all of your species have larger ears. Congratulations! Your species has evolved to be slightly different than before!"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtura3",
"comment_text": [
"Isn't that said for every ELI5?",
"We're here for when OP doesn't get a satisfactory answer."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtp0y7",
"comment_text": [
"animals change a little between generations and when they change in a way that works that trait gets passed on, while ones that don't work die off and don't pass on the trait. "
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: Why do certain spots of my beard NOT grow hair? | explainlikeimfive | 1s437i | 3 | true | false | 0.71 | I'm just about to turn 23 and I can't grow an even beard. Don't get me wrong, I look good with a few days of scruff but when it starts getting longer the Bald spots show through. There is one spot on my cheek that won't grow hair and one by the left of my mouth. Why is this? can it change as I get older? One of the spots does have a kind of callous-ee pimple thing which is kind of new. If that helps? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtp8yg",
"comment_text": [
"I am not 5 years old. Can confirm. "
],
"score": 5
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtp8yg",
"comment_text": [
"I am not 5 years old. Can confirm. "
],
"score": 5
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtpbma",
"comment_text": [
"Just some random Internet guy. ",
"Can also confirm. "
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtp6k2",
"comment_text": [
"Genetics. Doubtful it will change."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtp77p",
"comment_text": [
"Well that'a lame. So is my ",
" half grown beard. "
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELi5: Why do we pee if the only thing we drink is water? | explainlikeimfive | 1s45il | 0 | true | false | 0.5 | If our bodies need 8-11 glasses of water a day, why do we pee when we drink water? If it's something we need why doesn't our bodies just absorb all of it, and when we get an excess amount of water water, we pee it out? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtpwxl",
"comment_text": [
"We pee because it gets rid of urea, which is a byproduct of digestion, and the way we do that is by making urine and excreting it."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtqjzk",
"comment_text": [
"You body needs water because it USES water. ",
"Water is used by your excretory system to carry wastes from your blood out of your kidney into your bladder, and poisons from your liver into your bladder. ",
"The idea that the body needs \"8 glasses of water a day\" is fiction, one that's silly on it's face. Clearly a 5' 2\" female data entry clerk is not going to need nearly as much water as a 6' 8\" Forward for an NBA basketball team."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtq2u7",
"comment_text": [
"First of all, the 8 glasses a day thing is rubbish. The average human drinks about a liter of water a day, with this obviously varying based on the climate.",
"On to your actual question though, urine carries with it more than just water. It contains many waste compounds that you have to clean from your blood on a regular basis. This is the function of our kidneys. If you actually look at what they do though, they essentially have two steps. In the first step, they move a large amount of water and waste chemicals into the tubes that eventually lead to our bladders. In the second step, they take back some of the water from the waste area and put it back into the blood.",
"There are actually organisms that do similar to what you say though. In the case of something like a trout, which swims in fresh water, water is an abundant resource, so it doesn't have to worry about wasting it. Therefore, they don't bother much with that second step I mentioned above. In the case of other animals, like birds, they re-uptake much more of their water, and excrete the thick, gooey, droppings that we see."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cduadas",
"comment_text": [
"Peeing is like getting an oil change. Garbage builds up inside you, and you have to get rid of it. ",
"You need water operate effective, so you drink it. ",
"Endless circle."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtpw9v",
"comment_text": [
"If our bodies need 8-11 glasses of water a day",
"They don't. You need ",
" water, but 8-11 glasses is overkill. Plus, water in foods like soup or rice, and dissolved in things like coffee or soda, still count.",
"why do we pee when we drink water?",
"Because one of the major reasons you need water is to make urine. Urine is basically waste products dissolved in water. The more water you have, the easier it is for your kidneys to do their job and get rid of waste. If you're very dehydrated for several days, you can actually damage your kidneys, because they won't have the excess water necessary to do their job."
],
"score": 2
} | |
ELI5:Why does high fat foods (beef/bacon) need oil in a pan before cooking so it doesn't stick? | explainlikeimfive | 1s45ql | 3 | true | false | 0.66 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtpxp6",
"comment_text": [
"They do not need oil."
],
"score": 5
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtpxr1",
"comment_text": [
"They don't... "
],
"score": 4
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtq0zv",
"comment_text": [
"Say Im using a steel pan and I heat it up to a hot temperature but I don't put oil in the pan and just drop the beef onto it - It always sticks to the steel pan",
"Mind you its not a non-stick pan"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtq42s",
"comment_text": [
"My bacon package always says put it on cold pan and then turn the heat on."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtq7gz",
"comment_text": [
"I use cast iron, and it does not stick. "
],
"score": 1
} | ||
ELI5: | explainlikeimfive | 1ryaa2 | 0 | true | false | 0.4 | Renewable Energy Credits | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds7mgc",
"comment_text": [
"A government issues renewable energy credits for when companies source power from renewable energy sources rather than fossil fuels. This makes those renewables cheaper AMD encourages more people to use it."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds8yjz",
"comment_text": [
"But what can the credits be used for? If I were to purchase an REC from an energy company, what can I do with it? "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds90th",
"comment_text": [
"Nothing - its used to offset emissions liability for those companies that generate emissions. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsbkhg",
"comment_text": [
"So if I were a company that generated GHGs, I could purchase RECs to offset my emissions? Sorry, it seems as though I'm just re-stating what you said...I just want to make sure I'm understanding this properly."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsbnlx",
"comment_text": [
"That's basically it. The details depend on the particular REC regime in place in your jurisdiction."
],
"score": 1
} | |
Eli5: quantum entanglement | explainlikeimfive | 1ryaeu | 2 | true | false | 1 | I know basically no matter the distance, an entangled pair will mirror each other in its state... But that's it. Not sure why... But... Eli5? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds4z9g",
"comment_text": [
"A spin-0 particle decays to an electron and a position. One (and only one) of the following sentences must be true:",
"1.) The electron has spin up and the positron has spin down.",
"\n2.) The electron is spin down and the positron is spin up.",
"Prior to making a measurement, we don't know which is true. Quantum mechanics uses experimental evidence to insist that both be sorta true until we measure and thus force one to be totally true. The electron and positron are entangled until we measure one.",
"Einstein wasn't too happy with this, because he considered the electron and positron travelling, say, 7 light years apart and then measuring the electron. It's spin down.",
"BOOM.",
"Instantly, the positron several light years away (which just a moment ago was either spin down or spin up) MUST be spin up. Somehow the positron instantly \"knew\" the electron was measured. Since it should take 7 years for ANY information to travel 7 light years, Einstein did not like this. He called it spooky action at a distance.",
"Fortunately, no information is passed along. Though the positron mysteriously seems to have collapsed to one state, there's no way someone measuring the positron could know whether the electron has been measured prior to the 7 year mark. (Maybe HE was the one who caused the electron to be spin down instead). Einstein's grudge is not very popular nowadays, but the mystique of it endures."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdw9rjm",
"comment_text": [
"no information is passed along",
"Are you sure? Keep in mind, I know very little about quantum entanglement.",
"What if sisters both have identical dresses, one blue, one red, and one twin lived on Mars. Suppose every century, that sister travelled to earth for the other's birthday. But, before she leaves, she has to pick one dress. To be sure they don't wear the same dress, one measures an electron, and the other measures the entangled positron. Up means the blue dress, and down means the red dress. When the sisters meet, they can be assured they are not wearing the same dress, because of the information from the entanglement traveled instantaneously before she got on her rocket ship. So, while it doesn't let you choose your dress color, it does tell the other person what color dress you're wearing. How is this not information?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdwakcr",
"comment_text": [
"Information in this context means that you ",
" Yes- you know that your particle being spin-down implies that the other is spin-up, but that didn't send information. You are using your knowledge of the laws of physics to infer it.",
"In your scenario, could the electrons/positrons be used as code to convey something like \"It's a boy!\" or \"It's a girl!\" faster than the speed of light to the other sister?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdwaq9r",
"comment_text": [
"No. You're right.",
"I did think of something though. You know those \"one-time use pads\" spies used to send secret messages? ...Okay I just googled it and someone else already thought of it ",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_key_distribution",
" . Cool."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsiaj3",
"comment_text": [
"I know a lot of people would disagree with that claim. Proof?",
"Conservation of angular momentum.",
"Again, that's not universally accepted.",
"Again, conservation of angular momentum.",
"But feel free to explain your disagreement."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: Hardware vs. Software | explainlikeimfive | 1ryc45 | 1 | true | false | 0.6 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds4fv8",
"comment_text": [
"?"
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds4fv8",
"comment_text": [
"?"
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds4fv8",
"comment_text": [
"?"
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds4fv8",
"comment_text": [
"?"
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds4trw",
"comment_text": [
"If you can hold something in your hand, it's hardware. It may be able to ",
" software, but if it's a physical device it's hardware. The arrangement of switches (transistors) inside of the physical device is software, and in the case of a USB stick (\"thumb drive\") the hardware is rewritable and can contain many different arrangements of switches - but the actual physical device is still hardware. "
],
"score": 2
} | |
ELI5: What would happen on our planet if we had no moon? | explainlikeimfive | 1rycgo | 6 | true | false | 0.76 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds707o",
"comment_text": [
"Pi = 3.14159265359...Am I doing it right? More decimals? less?"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds46c4",
"comment_text": [
"Tides would be a lot smaller without a close gravitational source. ",
"It's possible that the \"wobbles\" in the Earth, such as tilt (which slowly change over time), could become more pronounced and change suddenly on an astronomical scale. This could lead to climate suddenly becoming unsuitable for life. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds4942",
"comment_text": [
"... possible... improbably though, right?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds4a1a",
"comment_text": [
"No, apparently pretty likely."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds4e62",
"comment_text": [
"Math me, baby!"
],
"score": 1
} | |
Although probably expensive, why not put a parachute on every seat in an airplane for safety? | explainlikeimfive | 1rydk7 | 1 | true | false | 0.67 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds4es0",
"comment_text": [
"This gets asked quite often. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds4tyn",
"comment_text": [
"Why not just put a giant parachute onto the plane itself and then it can open up and gently float to safety and I do not know physics."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds4l89",
"comment_text": [
"How would those seats then get clear of the fuselage of the plane?"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds4fmj",
"comment_text": [
"When there are 200+ people on a plane, getting everyone strapped into a parachute and safely jumping from altitude isn't going to happen. Plus, nobody is trained in skydiving.",
"It's safer for passengers to be strapped in and to try to ride out a rough landing."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds4h2s",
"comment_text": [
"I should have been more clear, I guess I was thinking to have the parachute strapped to each seat on the plane."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: Why do businesses offer senior discounts to the elderly? | explainlikeimfive | 1ryrey | 3 | true | false | 0.67 | Since the elderly seem to have more wealth than younger Americans, why are senior citizens often offered discounts by businesses for services and entertainment events? Is it out of respect for our elders, do seniors actually have less money, or is there a more compelling reason? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds8ftm",
"comment_text": [
"Many seniors live on a fixed income, like social security or a pension, so they feel the need to scrimp and save. Offering a senior discount is an easy way to get their business.",
"Source: Work in a grocery store. Senior discount day is by far our busiest weekday."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds9jwq",
"comment_text": [
"If you want to capture a market that is unlikely to buy your product/use your service, you offer them a special discount to create an incentive for them to come in. ",
"Seniors have limited means. Senior discounts get those people in the door. Students have limited means, so you offer student discounts. Bars want more women to come in to attract men who will buy them drinks, so they offer ladies night. Etc. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds8m0z",
"comment_text": [
"If you've ever had grandparents, you'll know they're cheap. They will eat up elderly deals."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds8u6s",
"comment_text": [
"Seniors live on fixed incomes and tend to be poorer than younger Americans. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds8h5l",
"comment_text": [
"Since the elderly seem to have more wealth than younger Americans,",
"No, some may have a lot, but most do not have enough. They will often use the services on off hours so it brings in business that they wouldn't have."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: how can 2+2=5? | explainlikeimfive | 1rysvw | 3 | true | false | 0.64 | I've been told by a lot of my friends that mathematicians have proven that it can. How is this possible. | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds8uc5",
"comment_text": [
"They lied to you?"
],
"score": 11
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds94cm",
"comment_text": [
"It's one of several things:",
"1) There's a joke that 2+2=5* ",
"*For very large values of 2.",
"2) ",
"It's a reference to 1984",
". Similar to the infamous scene from ",
"Chain of Command from Star Trek: The Next Generation",
", it's a subversion of truth and power.",
"3) It's done using mathematical trickery, similar to showing 1=2:",
"Let a = b",
"a * b = b * b",
"\na * b - a * a = b * b - a * a",
"\na(b-a) = (b+a)(b-a)",
"\na = b + a",
"\na = a + a",
"\na = 2 * a",
"\n1 = 2",
"Obviously, this \"proof\" is false. At one point, we divide both sides by (b-a), which is actually 0. ",
"There's actually no mathematically proven way that 2+2=5. They're either pulling your leg or grossly misinformed."
],
"score": 7
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds909v",
"comment_text": [
"There are multiple ways of \"proving\" it. It involves a number of math statements which end in 2 + 2 = 5. However, one of the steps will have a subtle error that is easily missed when hidden in the large number of steps / terms."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds929f",
"comment_text": [
"This is the answer. One of the most common ones has you divide by something that evaluates to 0 near the end. This is invalid, even though it looks right, and is the reason you can end up with such an answer."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds97gv",
"comment_text": [
"An example of this:",
"x = y",
"x",
" = xy (multiply both sides by x)",
"x",
" - y",
" = xy - y",
" (subtract both sides by y",
"x + y = y (divide by x - y)",
"2y = y (recall x = y)",
"2 = 1 (divide by y)",
"1 = 0 (subtract by 1)",
"The error is that if x = y, than x - y = 0, so we could not divide by x - y!"
],
"score": 2
} | |
ELI5: How does this glacial phenomena happen? See vid. http://youtu.be/s97tcE6Az5Q | explainlikeimfive | 1rz169 | 0 | true | false | 0.33 | I am baffled by this video and want to know how this happens. This is a fresh water lake in Minnesota called Mille Lacs Lake. I will apologize in advance for any Reddit Etiquette that I may have screwed up. FNG here! | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsbbfc",
"comment_text": [
"There is a strong wind blowing over the lake. It pushes the sheet of ice, forcing it on land. It breaks up as it is pushed along."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsc2h3",
"comment_text": [
"The wind is blowing along the ENTIRE surface of the lake. That's a lot of area for it to push. So even though there isn't a lot of drag on any individual part of the ice, it adds up over the entire lake.",
"Also, that is really strong wind."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsbczl",
"comment_text": [
"I thought you were going to refer to this:",
"http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/28/5154240/north-dakota-river-ice-circle-is-50-foot-wide",
"But, instead you brought up old news."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsbw6d",
"comment_text": [
"How is the ice creating the drag necessary to push it that hard?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsbo9j",
"comment_text": [
"Both are eerily creepy nonetheless. "
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: Inoculation/Vaccination. If you purposely infect me with a disease you're trying to prevent me from succumbing to, why don't I get sick/die? | explainlikeimfive | 1rz6xc | 3 | true | false | 1 | First off, this has NOTHING to do with the whole "vaccines cause autism" lie. So let's blow that bullshit out of the water from the get go. Additionally, can we focus the explanation in regards specifically to inoculation since there is some sort of difference between that and vaccination? I know I included vaccination in the title, but that was more to orientate the request. I'm just having problems understanding a particular function of the process. I have read: I understand that there is some difference between inoculation and vaccination, as inoculation "uses unweakened live pathogens". Though I'm not exactly clear on what vaccination uses, I think it uses some weakened strain that isn't infectious/related less harmful diseases that will produce tolerance to the more deadly one? It'd be nice if we could clear up the difference. I understand that this method relies on the function of acquired immunity. If a foreign thing is introduced to my body, the alarms go off saying "Stranger Danger! Stranger Danger!" Then my antibodies break down the door wearing shiny sunglasses and pull out some whoop ass to KO the intruder. My body learns from this encounter and if the same thing tries to fuck shit up again, my body has it going on like Donkey Kong and can kill that motherfucker faster, better, and deader. I also get that a healthy body is more likely to fight off an infection, but a sickly body is more likely to contract an infection in the wild. Why doesn't the inoculation/vaccination make me sick/kill me just like encountering the disease naturally would? Is it because it uses a really tiny amount? Or something else. I just don't get: this toxin will kill you if your neighbor has it and she coughs on you and it gets in your body. So to prevent that, we're going to go ahead and put it in your body. in your body = dead in your body =\= dead Make it make sense guys. | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdscy2t",
"comment_text": [
"Because it's either a related virus that's not deadly, but still gives you immunity, or it's a weakened strain that isn't capable of causing a full blown infection. "
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdscyf8",
"comment_text": [
"They inject you with a disabled/dead/imitation version of the virus, not the full fledged harmful one.",
"In some cases you might even get a little sick, but the stuff you were injected with was weakened and in a relatively low dosage.",
"The point is to give your body something that is very similar to the natural virus. This way it learns to recognize and attack it. But you make sure that the stuff you put it wont actually hurt you."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsdgew",
"comment_text": [
"I've re-written this like eight times, because it's actually kind of hard to explain something as complex as the immune system to a five-year-old.",
"I guess the simplest way of explaining it is that your body is very good at fighting off infection, usually. When you receive a vaccination or inoculation, you are essentially having a very small part of a pathogen introduced into your body, or a weakened or modified strain. This strain is, generally, a less infectious version of the original, but it retains much of its structure, so your body is still able to recognize it as something doesn't belong, and behaves accordingly.",
"A good analogy might be a baseball bat. If someone swings a normal, three-dimensional baseball bat at you, it's probably going to hurt when it hits you. But let's say they take a picture of a baseball bat and print it on a piece of cardboard and swing that at you. You still recognize that it's supposed to resemble a baseball bat, but it doesn't hurt as much when it hits you.",
"In the case of the pathogen, because it retains much of its appearance, or because your body still recognizes it for what it is, it is able to flag it as unwelcome and fight it off appropriately. But because it was a weakened version, there was never any real threat of becoming infected, because it only LOOKED like the real thing. But it's a convincing enough fake that your body learns how to fight it off in the future."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsde4u",
"comment_text": [
"They were given a low dosage of a less violent strain of the virus. So they got a bit sick, but got over it relatively easier. Basically like you said, suck it up, get over it, be immune later.",
"For us it's either a synthesized virus/imitation or a killed/weakened virus. I think they can use heat shock to kill the virus but still have it work as a vaccine (not sure)."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsd7mx",
"comment_text": [
"To add to the correct responses about weakened or dead viruses being used, in some cases it's also possible to just use a particular protein from the outside of the virus, so you don't wind up with any viral DNA from the vaccination at all. ",
"Your immune system learns to recognize this protein, so if the full virus does show up, it will attack."
],
"score": 2
} | |
What do dreams involving physical weakness mean? | explainlikeimfive | 1rzkek | 2 | true | false | 1 | I often have dreams in which my legs are incredibly weak so I can barely walk. In most cases I'm trying to get somewhere important or escape something. What could this mean? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsgd6j",
"comment_text": [
"While you are asleep, your body is paralysed so that you don't move your arms and legs around in your sleep. (You may have noticed sometimes that when you wake up, you are unable to move your arms or legs for a moment.) In your dreams, this translates to not being able to move your limbs."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsie9v",
"comment_text": [
"I've experienced sleep paralysis a few times and it was terrifying. Halfway between a dream and reality without being able to move is pretty freaky."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsgb3x",
"comment_text": [
"nothing"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsgclu",
"comment_text": [
"Even though they occur regularly? Surely a pattern means something however insignificant it may be. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdskhvs",
"comment_text": [
"They represent your own doubts and insecurity in yourself. I've studied Jungian theory and dreams in general. It has a lot to do with the unconscious mind."
],
"score": 1
} | |
Why is reddit nsfw one of the top suggestions from Google? | explainlikeimfive | 1rzy1i | 0 | true | true | 0.33 | Typing reddit on Google automatically suggests nsfw subreddit. Can this not be fixed? I would hate for the average person to click on this by mistake and be disgusted with what they see and then never revisit the website thinking that is what the site is all about. | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsk0cu",
"comment_text": [
"Because the people if Reddit like porn. Simple as that. There is nothing you can do about it, that is tracked by Google. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdskqby",
"comment_text": [
"At one point in the early days of reddit, nsfw reddit was receiving more traffic than sfw reddit. This pushed for the yes/no age verification system to be implemented. A foolproof system, if you ask me."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsktud",
"comment_text": [
"Why are you so arrogant that you believe you know exactly what the average person likes and is disgusted by?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsqnyj",
"comment_text": [
"Subtract out the population that doesn't regularly go on the internet and see what that gives you."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdskxf6",
"comment_text": [
"No I'm not arrogent. What I mean is I would hate for a person such as my dad or a relative to go on the site by reccomendation by me, to stumble upon nsfw on accident and disprove of the site and think that is what I view on reddit. No need to comment if you are going to be an asshole :) When I say average person, I'm also referring to the person whom hears on the radio about an article from reddit and decides to check out the site thinking they might find some cool stuff."
],
"score": 0
} | |
ELI5: If I run in the summer my lungs are fine, but if I run in the winter, I get asthmatic and my lungs burn horribly. | explainlikeimfive | 1rzrax | 13 | true | false | 0.83 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdspqms",
"comment_text": [
"Cold air dries out the inside of your lungs. Even when you're running through fog. It doesn't dry in the sense we think of, but more like with bread, it crystallizes it slightly.",
"The only reason this doesn't persist is that eventually, we warm up and melt the crystals.",
"Source: I'm a scientist."
],
"score": 12
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsia4c",
"comment_text": [
"Cold, dry air does that to you."
],
"score": 4
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdspsev",
"comment_text": [
"Cold air is often dry, it causes your airways to narrow, making it harder to breathe."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsnwxd",
"comment_text": [
"I live in Ohio. I'm not exactly used to cold air, but the majority of the year is around 55-60 degrees (spring and fall). Summer is usually 70-100 (which I hate running in when it gets to the 80s) and winter is usually 0-30 (which is perfect weather for me to run in, although it can be a little painful at times if I'm not dressed properly). "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdszsoz",
"comment_text": [
"This is also why figure skaters are more prone to get asthma than an average person on the street.",
"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8620698"
],
"score": 1
} | ||
In the USA...Why do I pay more taxes as an individual, than I would if I was married? | explainlikeimfive | 1rzrnt | 16 | true | false | 0.83 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsiabl",
"comment_text": [
"The tax code in the U.S. is often used to support larger social objectives, like home ownership, caring for children and/or elderly parents, and to support certain nascent technologies (e.g., giving tax credits for installing solar panels). Marriage is one of those social objectives promoted by the tax code. It's slightly cheaper from a tax standpoint (usually--see below) to remain married than to divorce. And, at least until recently with the adoption of gay marriage in many states, this was a way that the tax code discriminated against homosexual couples.",
"Incidentally, it is not always the case that \"married filing jointly\" is the best option even for a couple who are married. Sometimes, (e.g., if the spouses don't have similar salaries and the one making less has large medical bills and one can itemize the medical bills) significant tax savings can be reaped by filing separately. Also, particularly as one moves into the upper income brackets, there can be significant disparity between rates when filing separately and jointly."
],
"score": 15
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsi4i6",
"comment_text": [
"You don't, necessarily. If you're married and your spouse is a stay-at-home wife/husband, then your joint taxes will be less, because you're one person supporting a family. However, if you're married and your spouse works, too, you'll end up paying ",
" in taxes, jointly, than both of you would individually."
],
"score": 7
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsi9x8",
"comment_text": [
"Government gives tax breaks to married couples to encourage starting families in a somewhat stable institution. Government wants to keep the birth rate from shrinking as it is in many other Developed countries. "
],
"score": 6
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsj1dk",
"comment_text": [
"Mostly you don't. Here are some edge cases because of how the brackets align, but individuals and married couples mostly pay the same tax rates. "
],
"score": 5
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsiopo",
"comment_text": [
"OK, so my math might be wrong, hopefully someone can step in to correct if I'm thinking of this the wrong way:",
"So the way this works is that you are taxed on the income in each bracket, up to your top gross income.",
"So lets do a quick comparison:",
"I am assuming no deductions at all, for the sake of simplicity. Or, assume that we are talking about taxable income post-deductions, whatever floats your boat.",
"So, Single vs Married at $45,000 a year:",
"Single: ",
"Married:",
"So at $45,000 a year, we have about $3,000~ in savings when married as far as taxes. ",
"Now, lets do Single vs Married at $90,000 a year:",
"Single:",
"Married:",
"So at $90,000 a year of taxable income, we have about $5,000~ in savings when married as far as taxes.",
"So with the numbers, the real advantage to filing as Married is that you get the wider tax brackets - the biggest hit to the single earner happens in that Third Bracket, because on single earners you max out on the second bracket at $36,250. Married earners get up to $72,500 taxed at 15%, instead of that big jump to 25%. ",
"Head of Household also has slightly wider brackets, but I'm not going to do the math on that. Married filing separately has ",
" brackets, so thats worse really.",
"Edit: ",
"/u/AnteChronos",
" has the right idea - two single filers at 45K would pay ~7.2K each for a total of 14.4K total, the joint filers would pay 14.3K. I'm not sure if that holds true at higher income levels just due to how the brackets work out, but more food for thought. In reality there would be a lot of extra items for deductions, etc. A better comparison would be to take pre-deduction gross income at 45K and 90K and compare that to the standard deductions, personal deductions, etc. available for both groups, and see how the numbers go down. I'm too lazy to do that. ",
". Otherwise the math breaks down such where (I believe) the joint filers get off easier than the single filers.",
"Thanks to ",
"/u/nwrnnr5",
" "
],
"score": 5
} | ||
ELI5: What are conservative critics actually implying about Benghazi? | explainlikeimfive | 1s02uf | 6 | true | false | 1 | I've been wondering trying to figure this out for more than a year. What exactly are conservatives implying about Benghazi? It's never been clear. I'm not sure I understand. They seem to be implying...something. Maybe one of these things: COVER-UP: Someone is covering up....something. What? We're never told. They just harp on a cover up of unspecified wrongdoing. Is the implication here that if the public knew the truth, Obama would have lost reelection? But what truth? That security was inadequate? Who is covering that up? Common sense tells us that if a facility is attacked, security is (by definition) inadequate. Has anyone ever claimed that security was adequate? Obama sympathizes with the terrorists and sides with them (to some extent) against Americans. That's why he initially blamed the attack on the inflammatory video. The number of days in which he blamed the inflammatory video (before realizing it was a coordinated terrorist attack) is unsatisfactory. Congress must investigate this and understand the true number of days before he changed his mind! Something could have been done to save the people in the compound, but wasn't, because Obama chose not to save them. But why would the President intentionally allow people to die? Is this the accusation? Help me. I'm seriously interested. | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsljt6",
"comment_text": [
"Mostly accusations that the administration either actively or passively developed a false media narrative that the attack was because of a video in order to deflect blame ahead of the election.",
"Tinfoil hat answer: There have been rumors that the mission was being used by a CIA operation to smuggle weapons out of Libya to Syrian rebels. The attack may not have been related to that, but it would explain why no one is really examining the motive and they seem to be pursuing the culprits on the DL (rather than identify them like suspects in other attacks in Kenya, Saudi Arabia, etc.)"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdslkcu",
"comment_text": [
"I don't know that much about the situation, but since there are no answers yet I'll add a little feedback. I believe it's pretty well documented at this point that the Obama administration knew from day one that it was a terrorist attack and not a response to a video. Many Americans feel distrust towards him for \"lying\" or misleading Americans about an attack on US soil (embassy is considered US territory). It is also widely reported that there was a request by the compound for increased security that was either denied or ignored by the administration. This could have prevented American deaths. People feel this was Hillary's mistake but also blame Obama since he should be aware of what the people below him are doing. Lastly, people feel like he covered up the truth because they knew it would hurt him in the election. That is speculation but it does explanation potential motives. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsm1sj",
"comment_text": [
"What is JSOC?"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtrrdt",
"comment_text": [
"At the time that it happened, it seemed like this was a protest that got out of hand or was joined by extremists. Romney latched onto this as a campaign issue, ratcheted up the rhetoric, and this made it politically charged. ",
"When issues become politically charged, people pick sides and harden their positions. Partisans are willing to believe anything during the heat of a campaign. That atmosphere carried forward after the election, when Republicans felt like they had been cheated somehow.",
"The truth is that embassy killings are tragic but commonplace. They're non-partisan events that come with a period of mourning that's limited to diplomatic professionals followed by an evaluation of security procedures by the various agencies involved in the diplomacy and security bureaucracy. The politicization of this thing was completely ridiculous.",
"Obama didn't need to \"deflect blame\" for something so small. Even if he made an egregious error, it wouldn't have impacted this election. In fact, if he had gone \"all in\" and declared this a terrorist attack from the 1st minute, he would have cowed the Republicans into \"patriotism mode\" and probably would have risen in the polls...."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsohf4",
"comment_text": [
"Joint Special Operations Command. The President's private army/air force/navy/etc, basically."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: How can I find out which classes I need to take for my major? | explainlikeimfive | 1s04lz | 1 | true | false | 0.67 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdslr3p",
"comment_text": [
"The first thing that you should probably look into is scheduling an appointment with your academic advisor. If you go to your department's website, they will usually have a way to schedule an appointment with your advisor, who will give you some guidance as to what you need to be doing to complete your major.",
"At the meeting, your advisor will probably bring your attention to something called a \"major map\" which basically maps out the courses that you need to take in order to graduate, and when these classes are typically taken by students in the same program as you. You can probably find this online in your department's website, but, again, I would suggest you go talk to your advisor to get some direction as to what you should be doing.",
"Feel free to PM me if you need any help and good luck with your studies!"
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsljyh",
"comment_text": [
"your college will have a list of the classes you need in order to complete the major"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdslkk8",
"comment_text": [
"Most universities gave you a book when you enrolled, its in the book. Or go talk to your faculty advisor, its his job to read the book."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsltiv",
"comment_text": [
"Im just kidding college isnt that bad... worst part about it is financing it...which is why i am on a \"hiatus\" from it right now...but dont be freaked out, youll do fine"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdslvak",
"comment_text": [
"Because your post isn't asking a simplified conceptual explanation, but rather for an answer, its been removed. ",
"You should try ",
"/r/answers",
", ",
"/r/askreddit",
" or even one of the more specialized answers subreddits like ",
"/r/askhistorians",
", ",
"/r/askscience",
" or others too numerous and varied to mention. ",
"Rest assured this doesn't make your question ",
", it just makes it more appropriate for another subreddit. Good luck! "
],
"score": 1
} | ||
ELI5: Would a compass work on the moon? | explainlikeimfive | 1s084k | 5 | true | false | 0.73 | I assume probably not as I believe compass' work through Earths gravity or magnetic pull or something. But what would happen to the compass on the moon? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsmvdv",
"comment_text": [
"So to start this off, lets talk about Earth's magnetic field. If you have every played with magnets, you know that every magnet has a \"positive\" and a \"negative\" side, and these opposite polarities attract each other - i.e. if you put the negative side next to the positive side, they stick to each other. Now, when you think about Earth, think of it kind of like a gigantic magnet. Obviously, it is much more complex than that, but lets just stick with that for now. So, Earth is just a giant magnet whose positive side is at the North Pole, and whose negative side is at the South Pole.",
"Now let's talk about compasses. A compass is basically a small, really sensitive magnet that is able to \"detect\" Earth's magnetic field, and point to certain directions. So, if you think about it really quickly, if we made the side of the compass that points north the \"negative\" side of the compass, it will always try to point north, since it is being attracted to the positive-ness of the North Pole.",
"Hopefully that kind of gives you a better idea of how a compass works. Now, getting back to your question as to will it work on the moon, the answer is it's complicated. The moon does emit a magnetic field much like the Earth, but the moon's magnetic field is A) significantly weaker than the Earth's, and B) is not strictly dipolar (i.e. the moon has multiple positive terminals and multiple negative terminals). So, the compass will work, but it will be effectively meaningless, since, depending on where you are on the moon, it will point in different directions."
],
"score": 8
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsn2y0",
"comment_text": [
"Makes sense to me! Thank you! That's the best thing I've learned today."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsmlwt",
"comment_text": [
"I believe compass' work through Earths gravity or magnetic pull or something.",
"A compass works by aligning itself with the Earth's magnetic field. The Moon has no appreciable magnetic field, so a compass would align itself with what ever transient magnetic fields happened to be nearby. It'd be useless for navigation, being nothing more than a primitive \"magnet detector\"."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsolwr",
"comment_text": [
"Bipolar?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsov7v",
"comment_text": [
"\"Bipolar\" typically refers to bipolar disorder, which is a mental disorder that causes sudden mood swings and the like.",
"The term I used was \"dipolar,\" which refers to having two poles. In the context of my answer, what I meant to say is that the moon does not have one \"positive side\", and one \"negative side.\" Instead, there are several points on the moon that are positive, and several points that are negative, so depending on which points you're closer to, the compass would point in different directions."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI: Why are American ISPs so bad compared to those of many other countries? | explainlikeimfive | 1s0b2l | 1 | true | false | 0.67 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsne4o",
"comment_text": [
"There is little competition between ISPs, so there is little reason for ISPs to provide a better service."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsnj1k",
"comment_text": [
"Have they just decided not to compete?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdso3gh",
"comment_text": [
"deleted ",
" ",
" "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdso9bt",
"comment_text": [
"In part, but we also have a lot more area to cover than virtually any other country. Many of our States are larger than European countries, and Russia and Canada are bigger land wise but they are less populated, and less spread out in their populations. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsnr0f",
"comment_text": [
"Keep in mind that if you are European you are likely comparing against areas with a much higher population density than the US. Needing to cover less ground with networks and the ability to sink money into a smaller area makes a big difference. "
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: Why is Detroit filing for bankruptcy a good thing for the city? | explainlikeimfive | 1s0coe | 8 | true | false | 0.9 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdss7yb",
"comment_text": [
"Its a sad state of affairs for sure, but then shit happens when benefits are overextended and fudged far past what would have otherwise been reasonable.",
"Hopefully it serves as a lesson to people to not rely so heavily on govt, and to vote in wiser politicians."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsnx9r",
"comment_text": [
"Simple answers?",
"\nCleans away existing obligations (or greatly reduces them). Instead of owing millions they'll get to pay out pennies on the dollar and be done.",
"It will also help reset some funds/programs from the sense of re-establishment and appointing of new personnel.",
"As a former Michigander, I would love to see it act as a catalyst for change, as the Detroit city govt has been far too corrupt and far too incompetent."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdspo2e",
"comment_text": [
"Before anything else, I want to compliment you on your excellent use of 'to whom'. It is greatly appreciated. ",
"The creditors are anyone to whom the city of Detroit made promises to pay in the future. Here is a ",
"list",
" of the organizations that are owed the most. As you can see, the creditors fall into a few main groups:",
"More generally, Detroit has a huge problem with a declining population and an over-reliance on manufacturing. The economy has changed permanently but Detroit was still committed to the promises it had made in very different economic times. ",
"Ultimately, even going through bankruptcy may not discharge the structural obligations Detroit faces. There are huge challenges in providing basic services like water, sewer and streetlights when the population is thinly spread over a huge area. One possible long term solution is for the city to legally dissolve itself and reincorporate with much smaller city limits that would be a better match for the current population and tax base. There are huge challenges with this too, as it would require moving people into a smaller area or just abandoning the population in derelict neighborhoods. ",
"TL;DR: no one is going to be happy about going unpaid, but there did not seem to be any other way out of the financial mess. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsqzis",
"comment_text": [
"\"re-establishment and appointing of new personnel\"",
"The ability to clear house and hopefully rebuild from near-scratch with fresh people would probably be the most beneficial thing that they can hope to attain."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdss011",
"comment_text": [
"generally agree with this, but there will be consequences: an awful lot of retirees are going to be in big trouble when their pensions vanish or are drastically cut.",
"I'm sure the bankruptcy judge will ",
" to preserve as much of that as possible, but they're not protected, so they ",
" be getting hit.",
"/grew up in the area."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: Historically, people have worked together in mass to wage war and do terrible things.....how come I never hear of people in the scale of a large military campaign to work together for something positive? | explainlikeimfive | 1s0e76 | 1 | true | false | 0.67 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdso6q8",
"comment_text": [
"Because you have been taught to view anything the military does as negative. Heck, you heard about WWII? We stopped Hitler, isn't that positive?",
"On that same scale is the simple functioning of society. I think that counts as positive."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdso745",
"comment_text": [
"There is. It's called humanitarian relief or military civil engineering."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdso747",
"comment_text": [
"Society is this example. Also war can be seen as such as well. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsoaea",
"comment_text": [
"Peace Corps?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdspit4",
"comment_text": [
"Recent example: During the people's protests in Egypt, the military took over and overthrew their \"elected\" dictator. "
],
"score": 1
} | |
Why do bridges and overpasses freeze before roads? | explainlikeimfive | 1s0gmu | 3 | true | false | 1 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsotid",
"comment_text": [
"Bridges and overpasses are exposed to the cold air both above and below it, while regular roads are only exposed to cold air above it."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsotfx",
"comment_text": [
"Because the ground is warmer below the surface. Bridges and overpasses are thinner and cold is all around it. Not the best scientific explanation but I hope that helps. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsovee",
"comment_text": [
"The ground below the surface holds a fairly stable and slower changing temperature, so roads built into that layer of ground are surrounded by warmer ground.",
"Elevated roadways are surrounded by the air and cold wind, which gives them no such protection so they get colder faster. Further, bridges have the combination of being surrounded by \"wet\" air as well, which leads to even faster freezing."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsovnx",
"comment_text": [
"Roads have a lot more mass below them, ie, the earth. Believe it or not the ground will stay warmer than the Ambiant air above it for quite some time. A bridge however, does not have that mass below it and will drop in temperature much faster, it will also melt off faster too, up and down sides."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsovzr",
"comment_text": [
"Bridges have air both above and below them. When temperature of the air drops it takes significantly longer for the ground to become cold, so in freezing temperatures bridges will freeze before roads."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: What is the purpose of r/ShitRedditSays? Is it a joke, like r/circlejerk? Excuse my naiveté. | explainlikeimfive | 1s0hix | 9 | true | false | 0.66 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsqx1v",
"comment_text": [
"Oh, thank you. I searched for ShitRedditSays, not \"SRS.\" "
],
"score": 15
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdt2o0a",
"comment_text": [
"r/ShitRedditSays",
"—the main subreddit—documents shitty comments on reddit. In the case of SRS, they are particularly looking for comments that tick off the \"-ism\" boxes: racism, sexism, ableism, as well as other -ism's you may be unfamiliar with.",
"The empire of subreddits is a collection of subreddits created as a safe haven where users are held to ",
" high standards. They cannot say certain things or speak from particular viewpoints. As an extremely, extremely vanilla example, saying something is \"sooo gay\" would be a big no-no.",
"The \"upvotes are downvotes\" element is part of SRS's performance of what I like to call \"Bizzaro Reddit.\" By distorting the most fundamental part of reddit, they flip the table over completely and symbolically \"re-purpose\" reddit. They let their hair out and and do their own thing. It's part performance art, part ",
"r/circlejerk",
", and part a way for friends to come together and laugh. Calling it a \"joke\" a la ",
"r/circlejerk",
" is barking in the right forest but up the wrong tree."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtbje9",
"comment_text": [
"THANK YOU!!"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsqv0z",
"comment_text": [
"here: ",
"http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1jxzpa/eli5_whats_srs_and_why_does_everyone_hate_them/",
". please use the search function next time. "
],
"score": -4
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdswsvt",
"comment_text": [
"Who the fuck are you?"
],
"score": -9
} | |
ELI5: What is the colour grey? | explainlikeimfive | 1s0kcc | 1 | true | false | 0.67 | If is all the colours,
and is none of the colours. Then what is ? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdspvi0",
"comment_text": [
"Grey is not a color, its a shade."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdspws7",
"comment_text": [
"Grey or gray is an intermediate color between black and white, a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally a color \"without color.\""
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsq791",
"comment_text": [
"incorrect sir, ",
"IF we are going to get technical with the art terms, you are wrong. A shade is a hue mixed with black, and a hue is any primary color (red, blue, ect). The mixture of both white and black is called a tone. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsqbzj",
"comment_text": [
"White is all colors of the spectrum combined. \nBlack is the absence of color \nand grey is black and white mixed together and is a lighter shade of black. so it is a shade more or less and not a tone.",
"In the field of design, every color has what are called tints and shades. A tint of a basic color is a lighter version of that color, and a shade is a darker version. Tone is a general term to describe the lightness or darkness (tint or shade) of a basic color."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsqjaf",
"comment_text": [
"definition of grey: Grey or gray is an intermediate color between black and white, a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally a color \"without color.\"",
"source:",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey",
" ",
"Hue: The color \nTint: Hue+white \nShade:Hue + black\nTone:Hue + White + black (also know as \"Greying out\" ",
"source: ",
"http://www.color-wheel-artist.com/hue.html"
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: Is it true that the amount of volts do not matter when you are shocked, only amps? And while we're at it, what's the difference? | explainlikeimfive | 1s0mrz | 3 | true | false | 1 | I've always heard (maybe Mythbusters?) that it doesn't matter how many volts are in an electric shock, that you can only die if the amps are high enough. I always wondered if this was true. | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsr0iz",
"comment_text": [
"Yes and no. Yes in the sense that current is the actual thing that kills you (without getting too technical about it), but no in the (more important) sense that voltage is extremely important in determining how much current will flow through your body. Classically speaking, we say that voltage pushes current through a resistance -- everything has some resistance to current flowing through, and if you increase the voltage across something, more current will flow through it. Human bodies are complicated and the resistance of a human body isn't a simple number, but the general idea is still true. ",
"At low enough voltages, there is simply no way for the voltage to push enough current through you to kill you, short of maybe putting electrodes into your heart. A 12 V car battery, despite being able to push as much as hundreds of amps (waaay more than you need to kill someone), doesn't have enough voltage to push a significant amount of current through you. You can demonstrate this easily by grabbing both terminals of the battery -- nothing will happen, maybe a tingle if your hands are wet. ",
"On the other hand, if the device doesn't have enough charge or can't supply enough current, having a higher voltage won't matter, and this is usually the situation people are talking about when they use the phrase \"it's not the volts, it's the amps\". Static electricity may be at very high voltages, but there just aren't enough coulombs of charge to actually hurt you. ",
"To sum it up, if the object can supply enough current to hurt you, look at the voltage, that is what matters. Mains current running through the outlets in your house is much more dangerous than a car battery, even though it's got a breaker that will cut it off if more than 15 or 20 A goes through it, while the car battery can supply several times that, because the voltage is high enough to push a dangerous amount of current through your body.",
"If the device can't supply enough current to kill you, then the voltage doesn't matter.",
"The phrase \"It's not the volts that kills you, it's the amps\" is technically true, but VERY misleading, perhaps dangerously so. It's better to understand the actual dangers than to rely on pithy sayings."
],
"score": 7
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsr5vo",
"comment_text": [
"Thanks!"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsrpyo",
"comment_text": [
"That was excellently written!"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdtaxhs",
"comment_text": [
"So to truly explain like I'm five. Would I be correct in saying the volts are like a tap. The diameter of the tap determines the maximum potential amount of water that can go through it. And that the amps/current is the water, and that the amount of water running through the tap is not necessarily going to be the maximum amount?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsxbq3",
"comment_text": [
"dafuq"
],
"score": 1
} | |
How did Le Chiffre make any money off his scheme in Casino Royale? How do you profit from buying stock, selling it and then sabotaging the company? | explainlikeimfive | 1s0l9l | 3 | true | false | 1 | Bear in mind that producers changed the game from the Ian Fleming novel to Texas Hold 'Em because they didn't think audiences were smart enough to understand baccarat... | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsq6l4",
"comment_text": [
"I haven't seen the movie, but it sounds like a short sell.",
"In Short selling, you essentially borrow the stock from someone, then sell it. You then plan on buying it back cheaper, returning the stock you borrowed, and keeping the difference. ",
"So if you knew a company was about to take a major hit, you could make lots of money."
],
"score": 5
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsqr6z",
"comment_text": [
"Wouldn't Le Chiffre's broker be a little suspicious, especially after he specifically advised Le Chiffre that everyone else was buying while he was selling?"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsqab8",
"comment_text": [
"Yeah it's a short sell."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsqb38",
"comment_text": [
"In Short selling, you essentially borrow the stock from someone, then sell it. You then plan on buying it back cheaper, returning the stock you borrowed, and keeping the difference. ",
"This, more or less. There are actually a ",
" of different ways you can short a stock (or make other bearish bets). I don't think there was ever any actual explanation of exactly ",
" he was shorting it, but there's a brief discussion in the movie that this was more or less what he was doing."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsqgrk",
"comment_text": [
"From shortselling wikipedia page : 'is the practice of selling securities or other financial instruments that are not currently owned, and subsequently repurchasing them'. ",
"So if the value falls then you make a profit. It's the promise to sell it in the future for the current/predicted price. So you're betting the price falls by the time you 'sell' it.",
"Company get's sabotaged, the price falls, and Le Chiffre buys the shares at the new low price but someone has already promised him they will buy it from him for more! Easy money. But it didn't work :)",
"Yep Casino Royale had everything spelled out. Watch it again and Mathus constantly tells Vesper - the accountant- how much money is in the pot..I'm sure she can count."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5:Why is the damage to a car crashing into a single tree still so devastating? | explainlikeimfive | 1s0ufg | 1 | true | false | 1 | hey guys, so I've been wondering (especially because of the recent tragic accident of Paul Walker but also in general) why a modern car still get's obliterated when it is crashing against a tree, shouldn't modern, secure cars be able to withstand such an impact at least at moderate speed? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsta4o",
"comment_text": [
"The car could be made to withstand the impact. Unfortunately, that would do no good whatsoever for the occupants. When a car hits an obstacle like a wall or a tree, its (typical) velocity gets reduced to zero in thousandths of a second. The result is incredibly high g forces that tears apart human bodies.",
"\nThus modern cars are designed to crumple, to really fold up the car body in lots of places to absorb impact energy and thus, impact force. Essentially they are drawing out the time it takes the middle of the car (which contains the occupants) to reach the obstacle by crumpling the front. G forces are reduced and the chances for survival greater for the occupants.",
"\nBut too much is still too much, so at really high speeds no crumple zone can save the occupants; in a more stable car they would be just as dead.",
"\nAs for car vs. car, then both have crumple zones which helps absorbing energy so each car looks less damaged. They shared the impact energy, if you will. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsthg5",
"comment_text": [
"Hmm thanks that's a good reply. It's just so weird how slow a car may be and yet the impact is devastating.."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdswdzw",
"comment_text": [
"It should also be noted that cars like the Carrera GT, with a carbon-fiber tub, react differently than other cars with standard, steel frames. The car is designed to shear away, as carbon fiber shatters on impact. That's why most mid-engined supercar crashes you see pictures of (Google search Enzo crash, Lamborghini crash, etc.), the cabin of the car is usually detached from the rear / engine."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdssuwp",
"comment_text": [
"Cars, Walls,.. are also hard and if a car crashes into them it is usually way less bad as it is when a car crashes into a tree.\nAt least from my perspective."
],
"score": 0
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsspa2",
"comment_text": [
"TREES ARE HARD LOL"
],
"score": -2
} | |
ELI5: The differences between propellers with 2, 3, 4, or more blades | explainlikeimfive | 1s1635 | 18 | true | false | 0.85 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsxjdu",
"comment_text": [
"Three blade propellers produce more thrust than two blade propellers of the same diameter however at the cost of reduced efficiency. The wake effects at the tip of each blade effects the flow around the blade that follows it. On a two blade propeller the distance reduces this effect. One reason propellers with more than two blades are used is that the design of the aircraft may not allow for the diameter needed to generate enough thrust. Using a 3 or 4 blade propeller at a smaller diameter may work better. This is used a lot of times on RC planes where ground clearance is more of an issue. "
],
"score": 8
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdt1wkj",
"comment_text": [
"It's all about propeller efficiency. Ideally, you want your propeller to be as big as possible (in diameter) and move as slowly as possible. In addition, you want your propeller to see nice undisturbed air.",
"If efficiency is all that you're after, then you want a one-bladed propeller. Like this: ",
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzRYojNYE_k",
"Of course, efficiency is not the end-all be-all. The reason you don't see one-bladed propellers on airplanes is because if you're going to carry that weight anyways (as a counterweight so the prop doesn't fling itself apart) you might as well make it a prop blade as well.",
"Now say you need more thrust. Make the propeller bigger! If you can't because of issues like ground clearance or material strength, then spin a smaller propeller faster. If you can't do that because of your engine or because the blade tips are nearing supersonic, then you can add more blades. Sure it will be less efficient, but if you need the thrust, then you need the thrust.",
"The most blades I've heard of is 8, on C-130s, see here: ",
"http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/AntarcticSun/features/images/130_8prop.jpg"
],
"score": 7
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdszmva",
"comment_text": [
"Are we talking about air or water?"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdt7p1s",
"comment_text": [
"Why is air considered non-compressible?"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdt8cyo",
"comment_text": [
"Seems legit. "
],
"score": 2
} | |
ELI5: I want to cure hunger. Where do I start? | explainlikeimfive | 1s17ok | 3 | true | false | 0.8 | Yeah, pretty ambitious. Tell me about it. But has anyone ever developed a protocol or methodology for effectively getting rid of hunger? This could be statewide, countrywide, or planetwide, but what would be the first few steps to ending hunger? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdswp28",
"comment_text": [
"Locally, volunteer at soup kitchens and donate to charity groups which feed the homeless. As you move further out in scale, you can start your own charity to help address groups which other may have missed or are under-served. Every little bit helps."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdswwoi",
"comment_text": [
"The costs, both in resources and distribution would be astronomical. I dont think entire countries have the money required for feed the hungry for more than a few months. ",
"However imagining you have infinite funds and distribution has no cost, you can set up soup kitchens/ stores that give out free food at regular intervals, a place where people can eat a meal on site, and a place where people can take non-perishable food that is easy to make to stockpile and eat later. But there are already many charities doing this- its best to support them to try and combat hunger than to go in thinking you can solve it in one go."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdswy6m",
"comment_text": [
"There's this guy named Rob Rhinehart who's trying to make cheap, mass-produced total nutrition shakes. It is called ",
"Soylent",
", and he wants to try to use it to end world hunger. ",
"Soylent could be made much more cheaply and efficiently than actual food, and contains all the nutrients (including micronutrients) that your body needs. I am not sure how effective it will be at eradicating hunger, because the official stuff is still in development and a final price has not been settled on. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdswi3m",
"comment_text": [
"I read that as hangover. I was about to say buy a greasy burger..."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdt59x7",
"comment_text": [
"Same here. I was wondering why someone was recommending to go volunteer at a soup kitchen... The last thing I want to do when I'm hungover is stand up all day over hot soup...."
],
"score": 1
} | |
Who is Julian Assange and what did he do? | explainlikeimfive | 1rvpmu | 1 | true | false | 0.57 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdre2oi",
"comment_text": [
"Go on Netflix and watch \"We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks\"",
"Next time, google it."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdre1sp",
"comment_text": [
"He's an Australian activist who runs wikileaks, a media group (which the US government and others have decided isn't actually a media group to denounce what he does) who publish documents from whistleblowers. This pissed off a number of governments, especially the US who have accused him of espionage. ",
"Chelsea (formerly Bradley) Manning became famous (or infamous) for having being charged and convicted for stealing classified information which he then gave Wikileaks. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsiui2",
"comment_text": [
"give Cypherpunks a read"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdv9ibl",
"comment_text": [
"I don't believe this is a stupid question. While it is easier to get all information about Assange on google, wiki and stuff, this person decided to come on reddit and question him, because he must trust that Reddit is far better involved in and better to explain the story about a man who not only is still fighting for democracy in all its forms, and because of what made him so infamous. I believe that this person, like myself, thinks that reddit could bring a better, broader view on Assange due to its interaction in an online world. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrfp3k",
"comment_text": [
"this really is stupid"
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: Our bladder is roughly 15-20 ounces( I read) so where does the excess liquid go when drink way more than 20 ounces? | explainlikeimfive | 1rvpvy | 10 | true | false | 0.69 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdre22j",
"comment_text": [
"Water doesn't go directly from your stomach into your bladder. Water goes from your stomach, to your intestines, at which point its absorbed directly into your bloodstream. From there, the kidneys use excess water to help filter waste products out of your blood, and the resulting waste-products-dissolved-in-water (i.e. urine) slowly trickles from the kidneys to the bladder.",
"So the excess water is still in your bloodstream."
],
"score": 13
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrdydi",
"comment_text": [
"Feces and evaporation from our skin, mucus membranes, and lungs."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrlewl",
"comment_text": [
"First of all hydrocortisone is a type of medicine. What you seem to be referring to is called hydronefrosis. ",
"Secondly, the bladder has a valve mechanism to prevent the return flow of urine, which, given a normal anatomy, will prevent this almost perfectly not matter how full the bladder gets. If you have hydronefrosis you either have an obstruction in your urinary tract somewhere upstream of the bladder, or a defective valve mechanism. The bladder can usually take up to 700 ml without being damaged (though you will probably feel an unbearable urge and probably some pain), but above that it is primarily the bladder that gets damaged, way before the kidneys get involved."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdro6d0",
"comment_text": [
"like ",
"u/AnteChronos",
" already said, liquids you drink don't go straight to your bladder. They are absorbed and go into your bloodstream. Your kidneys are then filtering your blood to get out the \"bad stuff\" you don't need anymore.",
"It's actually a pretty complex process (which is a bit explained ",
"here",
" ) : First the blood has to go through a sort of membrane so the blood cells and large molecules stay inside your blood vessels. Then the so called primary urin (which is basically just blood plasma, and measures roughly 150 to 200 liters a day!) has to pass through a long system of specialized tubes which reabsorbe the water (and other stuff you might still need) back into your bloodstream - leaving you with about 1.5 liters of urine per day that actually goes into your bladder.",
"This process is adapted to the amount of water you drink using certain hormones (the most important one being ",
"Vasopressin",
" ) : When you don't drink enough your kidneys try to concentrate your urine more and it will appear darker, when you drink a lot of water in a short time your urine will be less concentrated, thus lighter in colour."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cf6xumn",
"comment_text": [
"Not on my pillies!!!"
],
"score": 1
} | ||
ELI5: Why don't I see the moon every night? | explainlikeimfive | 1rvt4l | 0 | true | false | 0.5 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrezfm",
"comment_text": [
"Because the Moon orbits the Earth. This means there are times when it's only visible during the day. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrf04r",
"comment_text": [
"The moon orbits the Earth every 27.32 days. Thus, sometimes it will be out primarily during the daytime."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrfda6",
"comment_text": [
"Are you talking about a lunar eclipse? You can still see the moon during an eclipse, because of light diffusing through the atmosphere on the \"edges\" of the earth (as viewed by the moon).",
"The reason that you sometimes can't see the moon at night is because it's on the other side of the earth at the time."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrfda6",
"comment_text": [
"Are you talking about a lunar eclipse? You can still see the moon during an eclipse, because of light diffusing through the atmosphere on the \"edges\" of the earth (as viewed by the moon).",
"The reason that you sometimes can't see the moon at night is because it's on the other side of the earth at the time."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrfh9l",
"comment_text": [
"No I was referring to a \"New Moon\" "
],
"score": 1
} | ||
ELI5: When and how is it appropriate to perform a citizen's arrest? | explainlikeimfive | 1rvva5 | 6 | true | false | 0.63 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrganp",
"comment_text": [
"It's almost never appropriate.",
"Law enforcement officers cannot be held personally liable for anything that happens during an arrest, assuming they've followed their departmental rules and protocols. You as a regular citizen, however, can be held civilly or criminally liable for injuries you cause, for assault or battery, for kidnapping, or a host of other nasty things. You have no legal protections, ",
". ",
"About the only way it would make any kind of sense is if you're attacked or threatened in some way, and you then subdue your attacker using reasonable force until police arrive."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrfmyi",
"comment_text": [
"I also have wondered this.",
"\"Hey you! I'm performing a citizen's arrest!\"",
"...at least that's how the concept appears to me in my head."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrfq99",
"comment_text": [
"Never. Do not put yourself in the situation were:",
"A) you put your life in danger by trying to contain a criminal. ",
"B) you did not follow the very specific 'regulations and rule' of doing a citizens arrest and now you are being sued despite trying to do the right thing. ",
"Overall I highly recommend against it; however, if you are still insistent, then I recommend you look up the conditions and uses of the Citizens Arrest for the state you are in to get specific details "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrone5",
"comment_text": [
"When you're 100% certain that something happened, when you're 100% certain that whatever happened was against the law, when you're 100% certain that the person you want to arrest did it, when you're 100% certain you have proof for your actions, because, if you get anything wrong, you, my friend, are going to find yourself in some very deep do do."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrflr6",
"comment_text": [
"Going to depend on your location. "
],
"score": 1
} | ||
ELI5: Why does Ford only have one car brand but GM has like 15 brands that all seem to compete against each other? | explainlikeimfive | 1rvxsy | 1 | true | false | 0.67 | It's weird to me that Ford and GM are supposed to be competitors, but Ford only has its "Ford" brand but GM has Buick, Chevy, Pontiac, GMC, etc. | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrgcsx",
"comment_text": [
"Ford also has the brands Lincoln and Mercury."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrgd4h",
"comment_text": [
"It's because they have different marketing strategies. The way they approach the market is simply not the same, despite the fact that the industry they partake in is the same."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrgnlm",
"comment_text": [
"Gm doesn't compete against itself that much anymore since they ditched Oldsmobile about 10 years ago and Pontiac a year or two ago.",
"Chevrolet is the everyday car and the camaro/corvette, Buick is the mid range classier cars and Cadillac is the high end. GMC and Chevy trucks are pretty much identical except for the decals and front ends although there is no chevrolet denali equivalent. ",
"Also ford owns mercury and lincoln."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrgrr5",
"comment_text": [
"Lincoln is still active. ",
"Mercury",
" has been retired. A list of Ford owned brands is ",
"here",
"."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrgcz3",
"comment_text": [
"GM bought a lot of companies. Maybe one day it'll buy Ford. "
],
"score": 0
} | |
My friend asked "My question is if god is not real, Where did dinosaurs come from? or should i say what did they evolve from?" This is a friendly discussion, so please help me explain it fully to him. | explainlikeimfive | 1rvy8y | 2 | true | false | 0.75 | He also just posted the question "What started the big bang? What created the big bang?" | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrgjfp",
"comment_text": [
"Dinosaurs came from their parents. ",
"What started the Big Ba..........",
"Oh wait, he's playing the God of the Gaps fallacy. Tell him that just because you can't answer a question that it doesn't mean that is evidence for, \"God did it.\" He would need to provide evidence that a god did it. A god did it is not a default answer, it's a lazy answer. It'd be no different from claiming a fairy did it."
],
"score": 4
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrgmqq",
"comment_text": [
"The various members of the dinosaur groups evolved from even earlier archosaurs after the synapsids suffered a mass extinction.",
"You can follow the lineage back to crude cells in the ancient seas, which presumably formed from simple self replicating proteins encased in a protective lipid bilayer, both of which form naturally under the right conditions.",
"As for \"what caused the primordial singularity to suddenly and violently expand 14 billion years ago?\" We don't know, but \"cosmic space wizard\" isn't a very good answer."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrhdx3",
"comment_text": [
"\"What do any of these questions do to actually prove that God does exist?\"",
"Hint: the answer is nothing"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrm4rk",
"comment_text": [
"A better question would be \"why shouldn't there still be fish?\"",
"Like every other creature on the planet, fish are the result of billions of years of evolution, resulting in creatures that are supremely adapted for their environment. The only reason they would disappear is if their environment abruptly altered, and all the evidence points to the Earth's oceans having been in existence for well over 3 billion years. So there's no reason for there not to be fish swimming in those oceans."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrpfmp",
"comment_text": [
"which presumably formed from simple self replicating proteins encased in a protective lipid bilayer, both of which form naturally under the right conditions.",
"I think it would be fair to add \"probably\" to the end of this."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: How do extra points in football work? | explainlikeimfive | 1rw0rj | 1 | true | false | 1 | At the end of the Alabama and Auburn game there was no time left. Normally Auburn would be allowed to kick the extra point if they were behind, but after they scored there was no use since they already would win. Does this mean that going for an extra point is optional or required and nobody cared? Wouldn't this mess up anything regarding keeping track of points if that was important (for example if points scored had to determine who went to a bowl or won the conference)? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrhfuh",
"comment_text": [
"In college, the team is not required to do an extra point if it cannot affect the outcome of the game but are allowed to if they want to.",
"In the NFL it is required to conduct an extra point after every touchdown, even if no time is left, except in sudden death overtime. This actually happened in a game in an NFL game 2012. The losing team left the field after a time-over TD by the other team, that won the game. Both teams still had to come back to the field to conduct an extra point, even though it didn't matter.",
"EDIT: Correction. College teams are no longer given the option to run an extra point, even if they want to run it, they are specifically prohibited from it. The game is over if a TD wins a game with no time left. Although apparently this distinction on it being not optional is fairly new."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrj9ae",
"comment_text": [
"I'd imagine, though, that there's a chance of messing up the extra point, resulting in a turnover and the other team scoring a touchdown? ",
"Actually, no.",
"In college, the defense can recover and score on an extra point, but they would only get 2 points. It's only fair, because that's all the offense can get.",
"In the NFL, the defense cannot score on an extra point, and play is stopped in the event of a turnover."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrjdp8",
"comment_text": [
"Ahh just found the rule. Actually as of now, colleges are not allowed to try for an extra point if it cannot affect the outcome of the game (they have already won by the TD), its not optional, its not allowed at all. It seems there is a loophole you pointed out that potentially there could be a turnover with the other team running it back for 2 points. But since the winning team would simply down the ball instead of running a \"real\" play, they just say there is no reason to run it.",
"NFL teams must try to extra point. That's the rule. This has to do with some more complex issues, such as tie-breakers and for gambling purposes. Also NFL teams cannot run back the ball on a turnover from an extra point as in college. Only the offensive team can score. A turnover ends the extra point attempt.",
"College has some rather odd rules for ways points can be scored on an extra point, but they are quite rare, so no one cares."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrj3hx",
"comment_text": [
"British man here, so I know very little about American sport.",
"I'd imagine, though, that there's a chance of messing up the extra point, resulting in a turnover and the other team scoring a touchdown? Which could lose you the game that you thought you'd won?",
"So it's probably best for a college team to ",
" try for the extra point, if they have the option? And for NFL teams, although it's not going to make a big difference to the result, they'll still need to be paying attention properly and playing to the best of their ability for the extra point?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrl7ji",
"comment_text": [
"Didn't know any of that before. Thanks!"
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: Does ice really help speed up the healing process? Why? How? | explainlikeimfive | 1rw8fu | 4 | true | false | 0.83 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrjtek",
"comment_text": [
"It normally keeps inflammation down, but I've never heard of it speeding up any healing process."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrjwya",
"comment_text": [
"I'm assuming you've heard of the mnemonic RICE for first aid:\nRest\nIce\nCompression\nElevation",
"Rest helps with the healing process because by resting it, you're not subjecting the area to further injury. The other 3 are usually for symptomatic relief - usually to get rid of oedema or \"swelling\" of the area. They don't necessarily help speed up the process."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdt53sy",
"comment_text": [
"You are right, circulation is an important part of the inflammation process, because its the route among which water and stuff travels through, the thing is there are other ways for fluid to gather around the area. ",
"How? When cells get damaged they release tons of proteins required for the inflammation process. Some of those proteins literally attract water, and they will take that water from surrounding tissues if necessary via diffusion. ",
"Swelling is a necessary step for inflammation. ",
"theres 2 basic chemical reactions in chemistry: Endothermic, and exothermic. Those 2 reactions have different thresholds of energy in order for the reactions to take place. A catalyst is something that changes the threshold for the reactions. Enzymes in the body are catalysts. ",
"Enzymes have this funny thing of changing shapes around heat and pressure.",
"When you place ice on a wound you rob heat from the site, this is done via conduction i believe. That heat difference deactivates, or bends the shapes of the enzymes. When the enzymes of chemistry are deactivated the catalysts of essential chemical reactions screw with energy thresholds. Therefore either stopping the reactions from occurring or finding another means.",
"That chemistry is going to happen whether we like it or not, but cooling that location in the big picture you are delaying the rate of chemistry in inflammation.",
"This is why when we have fevers, if you reach greater than 102F things can get scary. Enzymes throughout the whole body begin to change shapes. That then screws systemic chemical reactions in the body, and not just local ones like an ice pack to a bump."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrjyb5",
"comment_text": [
"No. Ice slows down the inflammation process. It all has to do with chemistry. When you chill something you slow down and steal energy that's required for the chemical reactions in inflammation to occur. ",
"The healing rate of something is more a genetic factor, and that requires a whole other discussion. ",
"Source: I'm a medical professional. I don't deal with wounds though, so don't trust me. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrm9y4",
"comment_text": [
"I think the anti-inflammatory effect of a cold object is mainly due to the body closing off blood circulation to cold body parts. Less blood, less swelling. I have a hard time believing that you could cool a body part down enough to slow chemical interactions without damaging the tissue."
],
"score": 1
} | ||
ELI5: Why does my brain think cats are cute? | explainlikeimfive | 1rwagt | 4 | true | false | 0.71 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrlf6z",
"comment_text": [
"Big eyes! They remind us of babies. Evolutionarily, we like babies and want to make babies. Babies."
],
"score": 8
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrkbd4",
"comment_text": [
"https://www.google.com/search?q=toxoplasmos+women+mental+illness"
],
"score": 6
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrki3n",
"comment_text": [
"I know ",
" what you mean. Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me. Do you know what I'm talking about? ",
"The cats are everywhere. They are all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work... when you go to church... when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth. ",
"You are a slave, ",
"/u/ponchoponchik",
". Like everyone else you were born into reddit. Into a prison that you cannot taste or see or touch. ",
"A prison for your mind.",
" "
],
"score": 4
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrlx1g",
"comment_text": [
"Yes and due to the unique self-domestication of the felis catus species (i.e, they forced us to domesticate them), they also evolved to be more baby like and baby sized. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrl6ui",
"comment_text": [
"Their main function is to be cute, we selected cuter ones and they survived."
],
"score": 2
} | |
ELI5: Why does it take just a pair of jeans to keep my legs warm, but it takes multiple layers to keep my upper body warm? | explainlikeimfive | 1rwefp | 5 | true | false | 0.63 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrlgq0",
"comment_text": [
"Big muscles in your legs generate heat.",
"Also chest has a much higher priority. Gotta keep your vitals warm!"
],
"score": 12
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrm7vv",
"comment_text": [
"deleted ",
" ",
" "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrnkaz",
"comment_text": [
"Also body hair? Maybe?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdro6d8",
"comment_text": [
"because your organs are not in your legs."
],
"score": 0
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrmsca",
"comment_text": [
"there is air between your leg and jeans to keep you warm, after all air is best insulator."
],
"score": -5
} | |
ELI5: Event Horizon (Physics) | explainlikeimfive | 1rwr8z | 2 | true | false | 0.63 | I want to know about Event Horizons and then, how they relate to the possibility of time travel or "bending time". Thanks! | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrp9ju",
"comment_text": [
"An event horizon is a spherical area around a black hole. Once anything (including light) moves inside this horizon, it can never escape. It's sort of like the sound barrier, in that it is not a physical entity, but defines a spatial boundary."
],
"score": 6
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrphn5",
"comment_text": [
"First of all, let me tell you that black holes are not completely understood by scientists. In fact, we have no idea what's inside the event horizon and how black holes function at all. However, we do have some basic knowledge and information on black holes.",
"The event horizon of a black hole is the so called point of no return. According to Einstein's theory, objects with mass bend space thus creating gravity. Black holes bend space to such extent that even light cannot escape the gravitational pull. Still, light can go around a black hole if it does not go beyond the event horizon. At the event horizon, things \"fall\" into the black hole faster then the speed of light and thus, even light cannot escape the gravity exerted by the black hole. A good analogy is a rower, paddling against the current of a river that ends with a waterfall. Initially, the rower will be able to paddle faster then the flow and get away from the waterfall. However, if he lets himself go downstream, he will reach a point where the flow is faster then he can row and the rower will eventually end falling from the waterfall.",
"As for how black holes are related to time, according to Einstein space and time are connected. Due to their immense gravity, black holes are bending space to the extent of almost breaking it. If space and time are connected, by bending space black holes are theoretically bending time. In my opininon, cannot explain black holes based on our known laws of physics since whatever it is in a black hole, it totally breakes them."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdruerz",
"comment_text": [
"In fact, we have no idea what's inside the event horizon and how black holes function at all.",
"That's not quite fair. It isn't that we don't know what's inside a black hole – it's just not an important question from an empirical standpoint. Since we can't see inside by any means, the internal configuration of a black hole is academic; we may as well call it a point mass. The one area where this model runs into trouble is thermodynamics, and we have made great strides in understanding the thermodynamics of black holes."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdryubh",
"comment_text": [
"Sort of. Some parts of physics work fine, some a a bit weird, and some don't work at all. But I'm not sure in what sense \"we dont have a slightest clue what singularity is\". Like I said, the reason we don't worry too much about the inside of a black hole is because it's hidden from any examination. No event inside a black hole's event horizon could ever affect an event outside it. Asking about the internal structure of a black hole is like asking about the exact position of a particle."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds0oet",
"comment_text": [
"The singularity is the point where all rules and laws break down.",
"No, it isn't.",
"Ideally, the laws of physics are impossible to break and the Universe should go by those rules. But it doesnt",
"It is axiomatic that the Universe obeys the laws of physics. What you are saying is that our understanding of physics is incomplete. Which is true, but doesn't have much to do with what I was talking about.",
"space is expanding, alghough it shouldn't, Galaxies should not exist, but they do etc.",
"No idea where this is coming from or where it is going."
],
"score": 2
} | |
ELI5:Whats the best way to create a website? | explainlikeimfive | 1rwtyo | 0 | true | false | 0.5 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrpdlt",
"comment_text": [
"With some very basic knowledge, I'd recommend Wordpress.",
"It's a simple CMS (Content Management System) that can be deployed to almost the very cheapest and basic of web servers.",
"You can then use somewhere like ThemeForest or TemplateMonster to choose a design, and install it (via uploading it to your website).",
"What is your knowledge of web design? Are you working to a budget, or are you being expected to complete this project yourself?"
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrpjhd",
"comment_text": [
"My knowledge is very limited, like playing around with codes in my old Myspace profile. Which I explained, but she wanted me to at least look into it for her probably because I'm the youngest in the office and type with more than my two index fingers unlike half of my co-workers. We have someone who currently runs our website, but my boss asked for a re-design a year ago and it never happened. That's why she is coming to me to look for some options that would be to a reasonable budget for a department with 16 people. I imagine she wants me to provide sleeker, modern ideas while the current person does the work. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrq7fn",
"comment_text": [
"Well, here's what you do then!",
"Hunt around on ThemeForest for Wordpress themes. Find a number of designs that you like. For each design, say ",
" you like it and why you think it will work for your company/department.",
"Present these to your superior in whatever fashion you think most appropriate; a sit-down meeting, an e-mail, a report, etc.",
"If she signs off on using a particular design, present these to your current person. If he/she is worth their salt, setting up a Wordpress website and installing a theme shouldn't present a problem.",
"You also need to look into things like content and imagery. Do you need the content re-writing? Do you need to source stock photography to use, or will you be able to obtain new images? Do you want a contact page with a contact form?",
"Have a google around and start putting a list together of things you like and things you ",
" for the website, as this will help your current person progress with the project, rather than stagnating. I know from experience that being told to \"redesign our website\" can lead to a project dragging on and on and on, as the client doesn't have a clue what they want.",
"Good luck!"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrq9t3",
"comment_text": [
"Thank you so much for the guidance, I really appreciate it! This is why I love Reddit!"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrpgyy",
"comment_text": [
"The benefit between a hosting site and website software is basically the amount of creativity capable of being put into your website. Websites that provide hosting and themes for you to choose online typically have a very generic look and don't allow for a lot of customization without paying extra money. That isn't to say that you could not make a very unique website from the provided templates, colors, etc. but most, especially cheaper hosting sites, have far less customization available.",
"So for a fresh-looking website, you'd do well to get software that allows for as much customization as you need."
],
"score": 2
} | ||
ELI5: Why is "school" pronounced "skool" but some people pronounce "schedule" like "shedule"? | explainlikeimfive | 1rx5d8 | 0 | true | false | 0.5 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrzjm7",
"comment_text": [
"The modern British pronunciation (\"shed-yul\") is from French influence, while the U.S. pronunciation (\"sked-yul\") is from the practice of Webster, and is based on the Greek original."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrx26k",
"comment_text": [
"Written by ",
"Tass237",
":",
"I'm not going to argue on semantics here. Go troll somewhere else.",
"You're the one claiming there is one \"proper\" pronunciation. No one can possibly see how I'm trolling when I'm just trying to understand the distinction ",
" made:",
"Because people mispronounce words, \"schedule\" is properly pronounced \"skedule\".",
"Edit: Included deleted comments to provide context."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrx26k",
"comment_text": [
"Written by ",
"Tass237",
":",
"I'm not going to argue on semantics here. Go troll somewhere else.",
"You're the one claiming there is one \"proper\" pronunciation. No one can possibly see how I'm trolling when I'm just trying to understand the distinction ",
" made:",
"Because people mispronounce words, \"schedule\" is properly pronounced \"skedule\".",
"Edit: Included deleted comments to provide context."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrsk8z",
"comment_text": [
"Prestension."
],
"score": 0
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrwywu",
"comment_text": [
"Written by ",
"Tass237",
":",
"The modern British pronunciation (\"shed-yul\") is from French influence, while the U.S. pronunciation (\"sked-yul\") is from the practice of Webster, and is based on the Greek original.",
"And what makes the former a mispronunciation, and the latter the \"proper\" pronunciation?",
"Edit: Included deleted comments to provide context."
],
"score": 0
} | ||
ELI5: How hard is it to actually shoot someone | explainlikeimfive | 1rwuh5 | 1 | true | false | 0.55 | Just watched a certain scene of a tv show, won't name it cos it only just aired, and there is a big firefight, lots of sub-machine guns and assault rifle type weapons. For the amount of lead these guys churn through these guys do they rarely hit anything.
For anyone who's been in a firefight, how difficult is it too actually hit someone? In general, how accurate are firefight scenes in movies/tv in regards to accuracy? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrpkod",
"comment_text": [
"It depends on your level of training. For a novice it can be very hard and depend almost completely on luck depending on what kind of gun you are using. To a trained army / police officer, it can still be challenging, but you shouldn't have a hard time hitting a stationary target. ",
"Moving targets can be very hard to hit, more so if they are more than 100 yards away. This is where sniper training would be required to get any kind of accuracy. ",
"As far as movies go, different movies have different levels of accuracy. Saving private ryan is fairly accurate, while star wars isn't. I'm sure others here can go more indepth than me on this subject."
],
"score": 4
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds3qn0",
"comment_text": [
"If you are truly interested, read a book called, ",
"On Combat",
" by LTC Grossman. He explains, throughout history, why so many rounds get fired, or not fired in a combat situation. It is a very easy read with a lot of anecdotes and personal experiences thrown in. ",
"One other thing to consider, when combatants are thrown into a firefight, the first task is not to start killing the enemies, it is to get the other guys to put their heads down so they can't shoot you. You put a lot of rounds down to the the other guys to have to lower their heads to either take cover or to reload. This is called \"fire superiority.\" Once you have fire superiority, you can do the other things you see in movies where someone says, \"cover me,\" and approaches the targets. Or a team may try a flanking movement in which well placed shots are fired. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrpna5",
"comment_text": [
"You say that star wars is unrealistic, but I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back home, they're not much bigger than two meters."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrtvmp",
"comment_text": [
"Storm Trooper marksmanship supports the idea of it being difficult to hit a moving target. I'd say Star Wars is batting 1.000 so far."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrsmk0",
"comment_text": [
"While there's a lot of the \"Stormtrooper Effect\" in movies and television, people are just as often portrayed as insanely accurate. The Walking Dead for instance tends to feature perfectly centered head shots on moving targets from 15+ yards away while shooting one handed and barely taking time to line up the shot.",
"Someone you might call a \"good shot\" is able to consistently hit a a stationary target 2-4\" big at 25 yards (with a pistol). This is standing in a stable position, both hands, and taking time to line the shot up. And without zombies/bullets flying around you.",
"In the end, it depends on the situation in the show you saw. Did they have cover? What was the range? Were they firing full-auto or single shot?",
"For example, ",
"here's trained policemen firing of hundreds of rounds and only hitting one man (the other got away...briefly"
],
"score": 1
} | |
What happens when a poor person steals/damages your property? | explainlikeimfive | 1rx7dz | 2 | true | false | 0.63 | What if a very poor person steals or damages something expensive that's yours? What does the police do? Is there any way you can get that money back? Also, does the government give you money or do they take from the person's bank account? What happens if he literally has $0 to his name? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdru25h",
"comment_text": [
"I think they have to become your butler."
],
"score": 5
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrsvqe",
"comment_text": [
"Basically, aside from the criminal penalties (assuming they get caught), you would sue. ",
"You could win a judgement, the judge might order wage garnishment, but if that person is dirt broke, then you aren't getting shit. You can only be given what the person has, and if they have no assets that the courts can tap into, then you are SOL.",
"Which is why homeowners/renters insurance is important :)"
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrsvcc",
"comment_text": [
"You get your property back if it still exists, but otherwise you don't get anything. You could try to sue them but if they don't have any money then it's pointless."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrsx8v",
"comment_text": [
"Depending on the damages and if the item is insured, you might get an insurance payout to cover the cost if it's damaged or stolen.",
"The police will obviously help you get the item back if it's stolen regardless of who stole it.",
"Why do you think the government would give you money or take it from the person's bank account? That's not what happens usually."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrt4id",
"comment_text": [
"So if they're dirt broke, can the judge still order that IF they ever get a job or get enough money, to pay me back then?"
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: How come there are certain people we first meet, that we just flat out don't like, even if they say something as little as "Hi."? | explainlikeimfive | 1rx5eh | 3 | true | false | 0.67 | I can't be the only person who's had an experience like this. Have you ever met someone at a party or some social gathering that's tried to talk to you or your friend, and before they open their mouth you just judge them on the spot like, "Oh this guys a total douche bag." | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrsk9j",
"comment_text": [
"Your brain makes a lot of snap judgments that are borderline unconcious. On top of the body language ",
"/u/Niarendan",
" mentioned, you might not like somebody because they have physical features similar to somebody you don't like. You meet a guy who has a similar jawline to the jackass you have to work with, or wears the same jacket, and while it may not be concious act, there might be negative association in your brain with that physical feature that biases you against the person."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrseln",
"comment_text": [
"The strongest form of communication is body language. A strong component to likeability is the manner of speaking. With someone who you immediately don't like, he/she probably holds the qualities of everything which you don't like in a person. When they speak, it clicks to reaffirm the dislike for every quality which they have. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrvx6t",
"comment_text": [
"Transference.",
"You will have heard people say things like, \"you are just like my dad\" or similar. We can unconsciously identify a look or voice etc. to an unrelated person, and then associate the feeling we had about the original person. We may transfer postive feelings too.",
"But mostly I agree with body language as other posts suggest. My son is autistic, and he gets so much shit from people. and yet if you know him, he is as nice a person as you could hope to meet. But his body language is all over the place."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrsk6n",
"comment_text": [
"To expand on this, our brains categorize everything in a way that is beneficial to our survival and understanding of the world around us and this unconscious cataloging allows us to make decisions on a person or thing before we have gotten into potentially \"dangerous\" territory with it. If you don't like a person without knowing them (like ",
"/u/niarendan",
" said) it is largely to do with qualities that they have that your brain has deemed bad or unlikeable and this is where the saying \"don't judge a book by its cover\" becomes most accurate because, sometimes, getting to know someone can change how you view them for better or for worse."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrswv3",
"comment_text": [
"Makes a disturbing amount of sense..."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: How does my brain know when my alarm is going off? | explainlikeimfive | 1rxa4b | 2 | true | false | 0.6 | When sleeping, how does our brain know right when our alarm is going to go off? I woke up this morning right at the end of a dream where someone shouted at me "Begone" and right at that instant my alarm went off. How did my mind know to do this? Why can't we use that ability consciously to tell time without clocks. | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrtv5x",
"comment_text": [
"But i have woken up moments before my alarm went off",
"You ",
" that you woke up moments before your alarm went off. This is similar to the ",
"stopped-clock illusion",
". In short, your brain kind of back-fills your memories, so that you ",
" you remember being awake before you alarm went off, when in reality the sound of the alarm going off is what woke you up, and your brain then caused you to erroneously remember being awake before it started.",
"Now, if you're awake several ",
" before the alarm, or if you wake up, look at the time, see that it's 6:59 when your alarm is set to go off at 7:00, then you have a point. But if it's just you having a dream, then waking up, and then ",
" hearing the alarm go off, it's almost certainly your brain playing tricks on you."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrtmkk",
"comment_text": [
"When sleeping, how does our brain know right when our alarm is going to go off?",
"It doesn't. Instead, your brain fills in that last part of the dream ",
". "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrtw5a",
"comment_text": [
"scumbag brain"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrtpd0",
"comment_text": [
"But i have woken up moments before my alarm went off, is that not the same thing?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrub5w",
"comment_text": [
"Because ears."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5:Why do stores discount their merchandise during the holiday season? That is, why is it advantageous to decrease prices as demand increases, rather than increase prices? | explainlikeimfive | 1rx5jb | 21 | true | false | 0.76 | economics is my weak point, but I always thought that prices should increase as demand increases? I'm sure supply also factors in to that equation .. | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrsgyt",
"comment_text": [
"It is similar, in a way, to how gas stations will alter the prices of their gas when travel is on the rise in order to increase traffic inside of the store. Essentially the stores are accepting a loss on, sometimes, cheaper merchandise in order to get heavier foot-traffic so they can sell some of their \"normally\" priced goods.",
"Lowered prices act as a way to efficiently get feet in the door in order to boost overall sales in the Christmas season."
],
"score": 7
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrv11u",
"comment_text": [
"Don't forget about geek squad services and extended warranty "
],
"score": 7
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrtpu7",
"comment_text": [
"To provide an example, I knew someone who worked at Best Buy. They used to get a discount based on the cost of the good rather than a % off. The big ticket door buster items like monitors, computers, graphics cards, and TVs are all priced pretty close to what they cost. (Part of the reason is that competition for those goods is more intense in part because people will actually do more comparison shopping for something they plan to spend $300-$1000 on.) In contrast, accessories for devices like headphones, extra memory cards, mice, adapter cables are all marked up absurdly. If you get people in the door to buy the device, you'll most likely get them to buy accessories for it in your store. The profit comes from these additional small ticket items that are relatively cheap but marked up quite a bit when people are already there and just don't make One. More. Trip."
],
"score": 5
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrshpx",
"comment_text": [
"Without going into detail on supply/demand, its because of two things, in my experience:",
"So, lets say I want to sell a laptop for 250$. It might cost me 230$ to buy in the first place, and MSRP is 350$. In a normal week I might sell 3-4 of them. during a holiday sale I end up selling all of them, along with various other items (mice, laptop covers, warranties, etc.) Plus my store now has extra people coming in, and potentially new customers who might return. This is an advantage to my store.",
"There is also the whole 'they're doing it, so we have to do it too!' thing. If one store lowers prices, others generally follow in order to stay competitive. During the last black friday I worked, our GM was really excited because our price for a discounted TV beat best buys by about $50 - thats a marketing point we can use - our sales ",
". We don't make as much money on sales, but its good because more customers = more return customers = more profit in the future."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdry25w",
"comment_text": [
"I remember selling computers at ExtinctAmericanComputer retailer years ago- the profit margin for the service plan is about 60% while the Pc profit margin was barely 10%.",
"Service plans are sometimes useful, but usually overpriced."
],
"score": 2
} | |
ELI5: Why doesn't the US president have a single term limit? | explainlikeimfive | 1rxg6v | 5 | true | false | 0.73 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrvhrn",
"comment_text": [
"The constitutional restriction on number of terms is very recent and was decided on mostly based on tradition. Prior to Franklin Roosavelt, presidents had all only served two or fewer full terms (although several tried to have a third term).",
"Quite a few people feel that two terms is too few and that the public would be better served if the limit were to be raised or abolished completely. It is generally considered that the last half of a president's last term is exceptional in that the president isn't nearly as concerned about reelection or about improving the makeup of the next congress. Congress knows that the president isn't going to have any political power in the future, so it is difficult for them to make long-term deals on legislation. The result is a politician with weakened authority and little need to please voters all while other politicians are stealing the public's attention as they wind up to take the job, a situation which is called being a 'lame duck'."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrvkf5",
"comment_text": [
"In short: because we decided two terms should be the limit.",
"The longer explanation: The original constitution didn't have term limits. George Washington voluntarily stopped running for president after 2 terms, this set a precedent that (most) other presidents followed. Then FDR (during the depression / WWII timeframe) ended up with a 3rd term (and technically, was elected for a 4th as well). Many reasons for this, look into his biography and history around that time for more details... Some politicians then decided they should amend the constitution for a two term limit.\nWhy not one term? Mostly because there were so many prior presidents who'd had two terms, and there was little perceived drawback. As well, the political parties wanted the advantage of re-electing a strong candidate. They wanted ",
" limit on presidential terms, but not too little. When debating & drafting the amendment, two was considered the correct number of terms as an upper limit."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrvj5u",
"comment_text": [
"Back before term limits on the presidency existed, a bunch of presidents, including George Washington, stopped after 2 terms. In fact, for much of the country's history, people followed Washington's example and, with a few exceptions, drew the line at 2 terms. In practice, 2 terms had been an unofficial norm since the first president, so it seemed like the most appropriate limit. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrwbmd",
"comment_text": [
"One counter-argument is that if the voters WANT the same person twice in a row then why force them to choose someone else?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdryse3",
"comment_text": [
"By that logic the two term limit wouldn't make sense either though."
],
"score": 1
} | ||
Eli5: How does electricity work? | explainlikeimfive | 1rxk3u | 2 | true | false | 0.76 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrwlt1",
"comment_text": [
"What do you mean? How does electricity make actions happen, or how does it exist? "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrwpqz",
"comment_text": [
"What is it and how does it work? "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrx421",
"comment_text": [
"Electricity, as it occurs in our house outlets, is a way of moving power (mechanical power) from a source of generation to a place of usage. If you turn a coil of wire that's connected to an electrical load (think blender or dishwasher or something) and that coil of wire is in a magnetic field (say, from a couple of really powerful magnets next to each other) it will be ",
" to turn. The more power the load needs, the harder it'll be to turn that coil. What's happening is that by physically turning the coil around in the magnetic field, you're creating electrical power (the blender spinning, the dishwasher dishwashing). The blender and the dishwasher use the electrical power to convert back into mechanical power.",
"\nAs I read your question, this is my answer.\nEdit: Electricity, in the modern world, is a way of moving power (from, say, fast-spinning turbines) to things like blenders and televisions and drill presses."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds0ycf",
"comment_text": [
"Thanks for the responses guys! Is there any way you could explain how it is stored, for example in a battery?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrwr9k",
"comment_text": [
"Electricity is the flow of electrical charges (usually electrons), typically through a conductive material. It is sort of like the flow of water through a pipe (although this is just an analogy; there are important differences). ",
"If you think of electricity like the flow of water, then voltage is like the water pressure, and the electrical current flow (amperage) is like the flow rate of the water. The relationship of the two depends on the resistance of the conductor or water pipe. For electricity, the current flow (I) equals the voltage divided by the resistance. So if you have some voltage, a higher resistance conductor allows less current flow, and a lower resistance conductor allows more current flow. ",
"This flow of electrons (electricity) allows us to do some neat stuff. We can transmit power, for example. We can do that either by making the electrons flow like a river (\"Direct Current\"), or making them surge back and forth like when you suck milk up through a straw and then let it go back (\"Alternating Current\"). ",
"We can also use it to transmit information. This can also be done in various ways, either through the flow of electrons like a river, or by surging back and forth. But we can also send pressure waves (voltage changes) that transmit information, and that tends to go faster than making the electrons flow, since they don't actually flow terribly fast. ",
"Because electricity and magnetism are related, an awful lot of things rely upon them both. Electricity is usually generated using magnets, and things like microphones and speakers use both. "
],
"score": 0
} | ||
ELI5 why snowboarding is an Olympic sport and skateboarding is not | explainlikeimfive | 1rxrcm | 1 | true | false | 1 | It seems the cultures behind both sports are analogous and that the athleticism needed is comparable. What is going on? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdryhk0",
"comment_text": [
"The winter Olympics are so desperate for attention that they will do pretty much anything to attract viewers. The Summer Olympics is much more successful, and does not need to pander in this manner. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds2s1w",
"comment_text": [
"Well, that's better than a ",
"panda ring"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrz6wl",
"comment_text": [
"Potential additions are voted on by the International Olympic Committee and take into account things like global popularity, number of worldwide participants, existing level of competitive leagues, likelihood of one country dominating all others in competition, and pragmatically, potential TV interest.",
"The IOC determined that adding snowboarding to the Winter Olympics would be beneficial to the games. It's an established sport and attracts viewers.",
"Skateboarding, on the other hand, wouldn't likely become a marquee sport for the Summer Olympics, given popularity of other events. Also, the US would likely dominate, which doesn't make for the most exciting TV."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrzg76",
"comment_text": [
"Okay. The domination potential makes some sense. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrzirh",
"comment_text": [
"Though it does seem many events are not US dominated"
],
"score": 1
} | |
Taken off Lease | explainlikeimfive | 1rxwcu | 1 | true | false | 0.67 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrzp8q",
"comment_text": [
"op here and i am Canadian"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrzrb8",
"comment_text": [
"Depends on your lease, is there a reason stated. You will need to provide more info here for anyone to answer this question."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrzxm6",
"comment_text": [
"Usually if you signed the lease you have to be there to sign yourself off unless you have a violation of the terms of the lease which would allow you to be removed. ",
"You'll have to give some detail as to what happened and what kind of lease it is."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrzxsp",
"comment_text": [
"unless there is a provision in the lease that says he has that power, no, it's not legal. even in canada."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrzz27",
"comment_text": [
"This question is better suited to ",
"/r/legaladvice"
],
"score": 1
} | ||
ELI5: What makes a contract legally binding, and do lawyers need to be present during drafting or can an interested party create their own independently? | explainlikeimfive | 1ry66n | 3 | true | false | 0.81 | I realize the second part of this question sounds like a very bad idea, but I'd still like to know.
I've heard plenty of stories of people commissioned to do work swindled out of their fee after the fact because they didn't sign a contract. I just don't know how you would go about writing/acquiring one. | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds3o4c",
"comment_text": [
"You don't need a lawyer present for most contracts; two people who agree to do something for each other (e.g pay the other money, paint the others house, give the other a car, work for the other) have a binding contract.",
"Certain laws in certain places require particular things before a contract works though. For example, many places require that interests in land can only be in written contracts. Some even require a specific form of contract.",
"Some contracts must be notarized to be valid, meaning they must be signed and validated by a public notary. ",
"Some contracts also have tax requirements."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds57xn",
"comment_text": [
"A contract is binding because the parties to the contract agree that it is binding. There must be a \"meeting of the minds\" for a contract to be valid and this means that the parties agree to uphold their end of the deal in return for the other party to uphold their end. Contracts may be oral or written. However, certain transactions must be in writing to be valid. For instance a contract for purchase of real property must be in writing. Also, contracts for performance that require more than a year to complete must also be in writing. This is known as the Statute of Frauds. Anyone may draft and sign a contract, having a lawyer write it up helps ensure that the parties memorialize in writing what their intent is."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdsmyp0",
"comment_text": [
"You're welcome. Used to practice securities litigation until I went into writing and producing. In this situation one of two things should have happened. 1. Garcia should have been a \"work for hire\" in which Spike's company would have employed him to create designs as an agent or employee of Spike's operations. This would give Spike rights on what Garcia created while under employment. Seems like Garcia wanted this but they weren't offering enough to hire Garcia. 2. They should have licensed Garcia's designs which is seems the media company promised to do but didn't. Bottom line is, given the facts Garcia is owed something for his work and Spike or Spike's media people owe Garcia for the fair use of his work. Garcia may claim \"Quantum Meruit\" which is a claim for compensation based on the unjust enrichment of the other party."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds8cxt",
"comment_text": [
"You go into many contracts in your daily life. When you walk into a store and buy something, you've just completed a contract. When you get on a bus or train, that is another contract.",
"What is a contract? the legal definition really depends from place to place, but it is ",
" a legally binding and enforceable obligation between parties. Again, the exact requirements will vary, but for common law places, such as the USA, UK, etc., these are as follows.",
"Let's go with the shopping example.",
"You walk into a store. They have stuff on display with the price. That is called an \"invitation to treat\", which means they are showing their wares and hoping you make an offer for them.",
"This brings us onto the next part. You pick up one of those porno magazines, a large box of condoms, a bottle of Old Harper, a box of panty shields, some legal fireworks, one of those disposable enemas, and bring them to the cashier. You are now making an \"offer\" to the store to buy these items. It turns out that the price on the condoms was wrong, and the price is off by 10 cents. The store has made a \"counter-offer\", i.e. they will sell you these goods at the new price. ",
"Since its only 10 cents extra, you accept. Likewise, if there was no pricing error, the store would have accepted your offer to pay for these items at the price the store has set. \"Acceptance\" is where one party, well, accepts another party's exact offer.",
"So now you pay for your party tonight. That is called the \"consideration\". Generally, both parties need to offer something of value (but it doesn't need to be adequate, so roughly speaking it just has to be something to be done of detriment or cost from both parties). There are some forms of contract that don't need consideration, and some countries don't even have this requirement.",
"Both parties had the intent to complete a contract. If the fireworks were ",
", then entire whole or part of the contract cannot be valid or enforceable. Both parties have the capacity, since you are of adult age and not under mental disability (yet). Likewise, the store seems to be in good order.",
"The above is a basic example of a contract you come across everyday. The stuff that requires lawyers are actually not that much different. The elements of a contract will remain the same. It is just a written document that lists out both parties rights and obligations. ",
"When you bought stuff at the supermarket, there were many ",
" terms that are generally inserted by laws and general expectations. For example, the goods would be of of a reasonable quality and safe (relatively) to use. For the more complex documents that lawyers deal with, they just list out more rights. Suppose there is a contract to sell a factory. What if a meteor comes and hits the factory? or what if it turns out the ownership of the factory is suddenly in dispute? these are some of the finer terms that will be dealt with and negotiated between parties.",
"Now the lack of a contract usually isn't fatal. It is possible for one party to be paid for its services rendered based on reasonable fees for its services (a legal concept called quantum meruit). ",
"As for getting a contract done, it really depends on what you want. It is quite difficult and rare even for lawyers to draft up a contract from scratch. Most contracts will share similar terms and conditions according to their intent (eg. a design contract v. sale of house contract). Parties will then negotiate what goes into the contract and then amend it as needed. It is important to note that if there is a dispute, the only thing that really matters is what is written in the contract. Stuff that is said before that tries to fiddle with the contract will be ignored for the most part.",
"You could ask a lawyer, and they probably have a standard form for you to use, with some amendments. As above, even for lawyers it is difficult to draft a proper one from scratch. There is nothing stopping parties from creating one themselves, but if shit hits the fan, then you are certainly going to run into problems that you may not foresee, or create problems that you did not envisage.",
"And whatever you are planning for tonight, count me out. Didn't you get any meat?"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds2z4s",
"comment_text": [
"extreme specificity is pretty much required, because any ambiguity in the terms used favor the party who didn't write the contract (most of the time)."
],
"score": 2
} | |
How do I make a 50GB folder as small as possible with encryption? | explainlikeimfive | 1ry2hm | 3 | true | false | 0.81 | It is video content | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds1f00",
"comment_text": [
"Do you mean compression instead of encryption?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds1kk5",
"comment_text": [
"deleted ",
" ",
" "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds1gu0",
"comment_text": [
"Compress it like you would with any other file and then encrypt it."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds2plr",
"comment_text": [
"Compress it how? I have a Mac, have tried compressing but it goes from 50GB to like 47GB which is not really worth it. Can't I get it to 10 or 20GB??"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cds2r8i",
"comment_text": [
"You might be able to get it a little bit lower with better compression algorithms, but no where near 20GB. Things like video, music and pictures can't normally be compressed much. "
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5:Why is it that we've spent billions, and billions, and billions of dollars on cancer research; and the top scientists from around the world have spent their careers on cancer research, but still have not found a cure for cancer? | explainlikeimfive | 1rt2cm | 32 | true | false | 0.75 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdql0lt",
"comment_text": [
"Countless cures and treatments have been found for cancers. A lot of cancers now are highly treatable and curable with good survival rates. ",
"What hasn't been found is the magical pill that cures all cancers 100% of the time which just won't happen because there are literally thousands of different types of cancers with their own causes. "
],
"score": 45
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdql94u",
"comment_text": [
"People need to stop with this conspiracy theory nonsense.",
"If your position was true we wouldn't have so many vaccines in our lives because they're a once off, or only a once every now and then, instead of being subjected to very expensive treatments when we get polio or the like. ",
"Why is your position nonsense? Because if one company has a treatment another company will develop a cure to steal the other company's customers. That's how businesses actually work. "
],
"score": 17
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqlcum",
"comment_text": [
" There isn't one type of cancer, there is a cancer for literally every cell in your body with few exceptions."
],
"score": 13
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqpojh",
"comment_text": [
"Looking for \"the cure to cancer\" is like looking for \"the cure to sick.\" You can make a lot of really meaningful progress and still have lots of sick people. "
],
"score": 13
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdql3js",
"comment_text": [
"What we call \"cancer\" is a catch-all name for a large variety of diseases, most of which are caused by cells multiplying in an uncontrolled way.",
"Because different types of cancer cells behave very differently, there is no such thing as \"the\" cure for cancer.",
"Furthermore, cells multiplying is a natural occurrence in the human body. The only part cancer cells get wrong is that they don't stop doing so when they should. Therefor it is particularly difficult to find ways to combat the cancer cells without also hurting the normal cells in the affected part of your body. "
],
"score": 12
} | ||
ELI5: Why does frame rate suffer when recording? | explainlikeimfive | 1rtjbx | 1 | true | false | 0.67 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqsyx1",
"comment_text": [
"Because your computer now has to write what's on the screen to your hard drive as well. This process takes time, so that delay is added onto the time it takes to display each frame."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrel5x",
"comment_text": [
"To further explain why: different parts of your computer are much slower or faster than other parts. A (mechanical) hard drive is pretty much the slowest thing in your computer. The next slowest is your memory, the next slowest is probably your GPU memory, then the CPU, and then the GPU (these may be swapped through complex arguments)",
"If all your computer is doing is sending a couple of models that you already loaded into memory to your video card to be rendered, it's quite easy. The speed of the pipe between your video card and your monitor is super super fast.",
"But if you then want to take that data and now send it back down the pipe it came from, ",
" it has been rendered into what you can actually see, it's going to be A: much larger in size, and B: much slower moving from the fast pipe to the slow one.",
"This problem becomes magnified over time. Much like if you pour too much oil into a funnel when changing your oil, it can start filling up into the reservoir bowl and backing things up. As you add more, it takes longer and longer for the oil you add to the top to make it down into the engine. The same is true of data -- a single slow action is troublesome, but a constant stream of slow actions begins piling up and effecting other parts of the system. Now instead of simply sending the data right out to the monitor, the system constantly has to stop to sync up the video card with the rendered video being saved to the hard drive/memory. Since it can't time-travel, the only way it can do that is by slowing down the video to match the slowest stream of data -- the recording."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqqoav",
"comment_text": [
"Jokes aren't allowed as top level replies. This is the second Ive seen you post."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqqoav",
"comment_text": [
"Jokes aren't allowed as top level replies. This is the second Ive seen you post."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqqs2n",
"comment_text": [
"So? "
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: Re: Tesla Motors, Why is the business model of selling cars directly to consumers so vehemently opposed by other car dealerships? | explainlikeimfive | 1rtojj | 12 | true | false | 0.75 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqyfea",
"comment_text": [
"Middlemen want to make their money.",
"Ford's business model is already well-established and they have spent a lot of money on the various aspects involved in selling and long-term maintenance by way of third-party dealers. It would cost a lot (and harm their brand) by just up and switching to Tesla's model."
],
"score": 4
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqtx2s",
"comment_text": [
"From the way your question is asked, you answered it yourself.",
"Selling directly to customers = No car dealership required",
"So of course car dealerships are going to try and keep their job"
],
"score": 4
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqsntd",
"comment_text": [
"Car sales are regulated on the state level and new car dealers are much more powerful politically on that level than the manufacturers. Also, manufacturer lobbying is spread between a number of issues (like EPA, labor, and import regulations) while the dealers are much more concentrated on fewer issues. Therefore, what is good for the local dealers is what gets made into law/policy."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqtsjf",
"comment_text": [
"Elon Musk came to my state(NC) not too long ago and made a personal appeal to our Republican governor for support in allowing direct manufacture to consumer purchases. In short, after the visit the governor announced he was a convert and would support it."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqtsjf",
"comment_text": [
"Elon Musk came to my state(NC) not too long ago and made a personal appeal to our Republican governor for support in allowing direct manufacture to consumer purchases. In short, after the visit the governor announced he was a convert and would support it."
],
"score": 3
} | |
ELI5: Why can't I control involuntary acts like my heartbeat if I control my mind? | explainlikeimfive | 1rtsfk | 2 | true | false | 0.75 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqzj3l",
"comment_text": [
"You can. There's biofeedback techniques that teach you to control your heart rate and other bodily functions.",
"http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/biofeedback/MY01072",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofeedback"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqt8u2",
"comment_text": [
"The heart isn't made up of voluntary muscle. It's involuntary muscle which means that your conscious mind doesn't have control over it. "
],
"score": 0
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqtefy",
"comment_text": [
"Everyone who could stopped their heart on a lark and died, selectively breeding the capability out of the population."
],
"score": 0
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqtkki",
"comment_text": [
"Why can't I control involuntary acts like my heartbeat if I control my mind?",
"Because \"your mind\" is only ",
" of what your brain does. The part of your brain that makes you conscious and aware is not the part that controls autonomous activities."
],
"score": 0
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqy9s2",
"comment_text": [
"Because you don't control your mind, your mind controls you. \"You\" are an imaginary construct created by your body to complete it's objectives, ie. Feed me, have sex, continue surviving."
],
"score": 0
} | ||
ELI5: why do men's dress shirts come folded, filled with cardboard and tissue paper, and fastened by so many pins? | explainlikeimfive | 1rtija | 76 | true | false | 0.76 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqt72y",
"comment_text": [
"There are very important selling points on a man's dress shirt. Specifically the cuffs and collar style. Those parts are the main parts a man would look at when selecting a shirt AND the shirts you see all pinned like that are ready to be taken off the shelf and worn under a jacket. Ready to go. Men typically know their own size, and typically hate to try stuff on in the store. A hurried businessman is more likely to grab several acceptable shirts(if he doesn't know his exact size) than try on one when he is in a rush - and he is obviously in a rush if he is not at his tailor. Women's clothing has one size, where mens clothing have the neck and shirt size in inches(at least here in USA) so there is really no need to try it on. ",
"so to recap: for two reason 1) To show off the important parts of the shirt 2) that shirt is packaged in a way so it's ready to go. "
],
"score": 22
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqryx5",
"comment_text": [
"Quick and easy? I just bought a couple dress shirts the other day from TJ Maxx. Spent about two minutes removing all 8 tiny pins (can be difficult to remove those suckers with big fingers/clipped fingernails) in each plus the cardboard inserts. ",
"And wouldn't it just be easier to pick a shirt off the rack and hold it up in front of the mirror?"
],
"score": 20
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqryx5",
"comment_text": [
"Quick and easy? I just bought a couple dress shirts the other day from TJ Maxx. Spent about two minutes removing all 8 tiny pins (can be difficult to remove those suckers with big fingers/clipped fingernails) in each plus the cardboard inserts. ",
"And wouldn't it just be easier to pick a shirt off the rack and hold it up in front of the mirror?"
],
"score": 20
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqyrfi",
"comment_text": [
"Next he's going to tell us that he doesn't have a shoemaker."
],
"score": 10
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqs0pm",
"comment_text": [
"A couple times in the store I opened those shirts to try one on. Felt so guilty not buying it. Sorry, I lost all the pins in the dressing room. "
],
"score": 10
} | ||
ELI5: What is Hard drive configuration and controllers? | explainlikeimfive | 1ru99c | 1 | true | false | 1 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqy07d",
"comment_text": [
"The question makes no sense. ",
"It should be \"What are the possible hard drive configurations. What are the controllers?\"",
"And even then, answering that would be difficult because every generation of AMD and Intel architectures has a new HDD controller. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqzcse",
"comment_text": [
"My guess is they are just asking about IDE vs SATA-I vs SATA-II in the controllers bit. But yes, this is a poorly worded question. OP paraphrased his homework poorly"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqzesh",
"comment_text": [
"I assumed they wanted to know about RAID arrays, but yea. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqzfh9",
"comment_text": [
"Ah, fair point. OP will definitely have to qualify (extremely unlikely)"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqzztj",
"comment_text": [
"I'm doing some school work",
"What's the class? What chapter/unit are you studying? What do the rest of the questions around it say?",
"This is probably one those things where 90% of the answer is going to come down to parroting the particular definitions that you were given in your class. The particular technologies covered also depend on the age of the material - something written today will talk about SATA and SAS while something from the early 90s will talk about RLL & MFM."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: why doesn't the Ukrainian president want to join the EU? | explainlikeimfive | 1ruhjt | 22 | true | false | 0.87 | Bonus points for also being able to tell me why Ukraine should join the EU. | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdr1bz8",
"comment_text": [
"Any state that joins the EU eliminates all economic barriers between itself and all other member states, and these states are allowed to trade freely with one another.",
"Since Ukraine's economy is weak and its industries are underdeveloped, elimination of tariff duties would result in Ukraine's infant markets being strangled by the unrestricted flow of European products - Ukrainian industries would not be able to handle the competition. It is thus not in Ukraine's best interests to join the organization.",
"Many young Ukrainians think that once their country joins the EU, the standards of living will automatically increase to match those of more developed Western European countries (which joined the EU once their economies were already developed enough to handle foreign competition). ",
"The \"core\" EU states (France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany) want Ukraine to join because it would provide more tariff-free markets for their own goods."
],
"score": 11
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdr0fjs",
"comment_text": [
"It isn't that the president is specifically against joining the EU. The EU and the Russian controlled trade bloc are both competing for the Ukraine and Russia essentially threatened the Ukraine economically with higher gas, the loans it gave them, etc. Both want the Ukraine in their sphere of influence, but traditionally the Ukraine has been closer to Russia. 60% (or around that) go to post-soviet states many of which are still in the Russian sphere and the Russian trade bloc. "
],
"score": 8
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdr4f9o",
"comment_text": [
"The name \"Ukraine\" itself is old Slavic for \"border region\" or \"frontier\". A \"the\" makes sense in that context."
],
"score": 8
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdr4f9o",
"comment_text": [
"The name \"Ukraine\" itself is old Slavic for \"border region\" or \"frontier\". A \"the\" makes sense in that context."
],
"score": 8
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdr49fo",
"comment_text": [
"The United Arab Emirates. The Czech Republic. The Bahamas. ",
"In English sometimes naming convention changes because some people think a certain way sounds better and maybe there isn't a word in English that is the name of the country in question. Just because it's called one thing in one language doesn't mean it ",
" to be called that in another. That's not the way language works. For instance, in English we used the name Spain but if you actually went there, they call their country Espana, which isn't even close. Some people will say that it is \"wrong\" to call it Spain, but it's just a name for a place. "
],
"score": 7
} | |
ELI5: Why hasn't the constitution been rewritten? | explainlikeimfive | 1rurm7 | 0 | true | false | 0.33 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdr3cj2",
"comment_text": [
"The Constitution is rewritten through Amendments, and those are fairly challenging to pass, requiring 2/3 of the vote in each body of congress, as well as ratification by 38 state legislatures. The Constitution, however, has been amended 27 times.",
"What kinds of things do you think should be changed in the Constitution?"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdr3m1e",
"comment_text": [
"I'd like to point out something everyone seems to forget. The states, if they wished, could call for a Constitutional Convention to consider all sorts of amendments. Those amendments would still have to be ratified by 3/4 of the state legislatures, but these would have the same force of law and the federal government would have no legal means to stop this."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdr3c6s",
"comment_text": [
"It's been changed 27 times",
"."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrjrfe",
"comment_text": [
"Has this ever happened? I can't really imagine why there would be a big disconnect between the House of Representatives and state legislatures."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdrk02x",
"comment_text": [
"No, the states have never called a Continental Congress since the adoption of the Constitution, but they could. And people are sufficiently fed up with Congress (moreso than their states' legislatures) that it could happen, if more people know that there was another mechanism for adding amendments to the Constitution--one that does not depend on Congress behaving like responisble, sober, adults. We could, for example, force them to balance the damn budget. A single-payer health-care system. Codify a right to privacy, which is now only implied by the Bill of Rights. Force members of congress to live under all the laws they pass. Put the power of sending troops into combat firmly back in the hands of the senate. ",
"And only the amendments that could muster 2/3 of the delegates' votes and 3/4 of the states' legislatures would get ratified, so the really bad ideas could be thwarted by by just a few states. "
],
"score": 1
} | ||
ELI5: How does selective breeding scale with Intelligence? (Great Apes, language development) | explainlikeimfive | 1rqydq | 0 | true | false | 0.5 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpyg4f",
"comment_text": [
"Unknown. Nature doesn't work on a time table like that. In fact, while our species is around 200k years old it's thought that it took well over 100k years for proper language to develop. Before that it was probably more just simple sounds and simple rules."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpykjp",
"comment_text": [
"There wouldn't be a time table. Things like that don't happen at set rates.",
"\nIt'd be like asking how long would it take them to develop atomic power. We don't have atomic power now because there was a time table to follow. Much of what lead to it was discovered by either rare individuals or by complete accident. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpykjp",
"comment_text": [
"There wouldn't be a time table. Things like that don't happen at set rates.",
"\nIt'd be like asking how long would it take them to develop atomic power. We don't have atomic power now because there was a time table to follow. Much of what lead to it was discovered by either rare individuals or by complete accident. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpyq9x",
"comment_text": [
"I'm sorry but just because you can think of a question doesn't mean it's answerable. ",
"An answer to your question is further hampered because to selectively breed other members of the Great Ape family to develop enough intelligence to develop language would rely on selectively breeding genetic mutations which by their very nature are not predictable. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpyq9x",
"comment_text": [
"I'm sorry but just because you can think of a question doesn't mean it's answerable. ",
"An answer to your question is further hampered because to selectively breed other members of the Great Ape family to develop enough intelligence to develop language would rely on selectively breeding genetic mutations which by their very nature are not predictable. "
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: How are black people still being oppressed in America | explainlikeimfive | 1rqz6v | 0 | true | false | 0.5 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpzbp5",
"comment_text": [
"It is white guilt. People learn about civilations history realizing people have enslaved others. When whites enslaved blacks it can easily be seen today based on the color of our skin. White people feel a need to say sorry. By doing this they automatically raise their own present day social status above black people. By \"looking out\" for black peoples interest they assume the role of a parent. Which places black people once again in a subservient role \"child like\" position. Blacks and whites are equal. You are true when gay people do not have the same rights as blacks and whites."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpyu2i",
"comment_text": [
"\"Oppressed\" seems too strong a word to use, but then, I am not black so I suppose I am talking out of my ass. ",
"Racism and sexism are still very much alive, though. Not nearly as bad as they once were, but they are there. All I can give is anecdotal evidence, and if you want better (more) anecdotes, search Askreddit for questions asking people about everyday sexism and racism. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq1igg",
"comment_text": [
"\"Oppression\" isn't too strong a word to use because oppression would mean it functions at a societal level. It's not an indicator of the the quality or strength of something, just of it's scope and the level at which it operates "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpyuf2",
"comment_text": [
"Just because someone isn't oppressed by the law, doesn't mean they aren't oppressed. Women and black people still face regular discrimination.",
"Specifically, on the subject of race, racial minorities are oppressed in America in a large and diverse number of ways, but essentially it comes down to one basic idea: if you're black, people will assume you have no agency (i.e. no ability to make decisions). This is the basis for most contemporary racism and is quite hard to describe.",
"For example, when a white man rapes someone, or attacks someone, they are usually viewed as a \"bad\" white man, someone who made a bad choice that reflects on their person. When a black man attacks or rapes someone, they are often simply viewed as a black man. ",
"This translates into all sorts of scenarios: white people become nervous in the presence of the \"savage black man\", who has no control of their actions because ",
". This leads to a scenario where white people are allowed to dictate their own identity, whereas black people must constantly prove that they are \"not black\", which is oppressive firstly by reinforcing the ridiculous notion that their race is inherently in some way deficient, and secondly by demanding additional effort on their part in order to even be viewed as a constructive contributor to society"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq1g2b",
"comment_text": [
"What? I should my edit my comment to agree with your thinly veiled xenophobia?"
],
"score": 1
} | ||
ELI5: why does my pee turn clear when I'm drunk? | explainlikeimfive | 1rqzgo | 3 | true | false | 1 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpykzu",
"comment_text": [
"Because alcohol is a diuretic and it causes you to expel more liquid than you normally would. Since you're drinking a lot of beer (mostly water) your urine is really dilute and is expelled before more of the water absorbs into your system. "
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpyscs",
"comment_text": [
"exactly"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpysug",
"comment_text": [
"But can you ELI5?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq18qp",
"comment_text": [
"If you're five you shouldn't have their problem, and if you're my five year old I'm going to throw a few big words in there anyway. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq1bx5",
"comment_text": [
"Well I was sort of joking. I understood the answer just fine, but being that the subreddit is ",
"/r/ELI5",
" rather than ",
"/r/answers",
" or something, I like to see the answers tailored to a child. It isn't for literal five year olds, but even 20-year-old me gets a serious kick out of ultra-simplified answers, which is why I'm subscribed here. :) "
],
"score": 1
} | ||
ELI5: Why do Christians eat lamb? | explainlikeimfive | 1rr891 | 0 | true | false | 0.43 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq1drx",
"comment_text": [
"I haven't practiced in a while but if I remember correctly the term lamb in regards to Jesus simply means follower as in \"follower of God\". ",
"So the better question is, why not eat juicy,succulent,tender, mouth watering, lamb... I gotta go buy some lamb."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq3nhk",
"comment_text": [
"If Jesus is the lamb of God, if he sacrificed himself like a lamb to slaughter.... And Christians ingest a symbolic reminder of him in the form of food at church- why is lamb not at all connected to this religion?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq7zmg",
"comment_text": [
"He was sacrificed like a lamb to slaughter. The metaphor is all over the Bible.\nNothing wrong with eating lamb, just curious as to the motivations of Christians."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq1upc",
"comment_text": [
"Nope. Genuine question. \nRaised Catholic. I've asked my Catholic parents this honest question. They've both read the Bible, agree it's a valid question and expressed some sincere curiosity. \nSo I'm vegetarian (btw I also subscribe to ",
"r/pescetarian",
" so feel free to draw radically inappropriate conclusions from that as well)- so what? Doesn't make me a troll. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq1upc",
"comment_text": [
"Nope. Genuine question. \nRaised Catholic. I've asked my Catholic parents this honest question. They've both read the Bible, agree it's a valid question and expressed some sincere curiosity. \nSo I'm vegetarian (btw I also subscribe to ",
"r/pescetarian",
" so feel free to draw radically inappropriate conclusions from that as well)- so what? Doesn't make me a troll. "
],
"score": 1
} | ||
ELI5: Why is it a natural reaction to reach for water or pop when you eat something spicy even though it virtually doesn't help at all? | explainlikeimfive | 1rrahd | 0 | true | false | 0.5 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq1z6g",
"comment_text": [
"Fire is hot, water is cool and is useful for putting out fires.",
"\"There's a fire in my mouth, QUICK use water to put it out!\""
],
"score": 6
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq23u7",
"comment_text": [
"The way it helps is to wash the heat juice down out of your mouth. It works, just not as fast as milk."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq259m",
"comment_text": [
"Because you're trying to wash a bad taste out of your mouth."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq44nr",
"comment_text": [
"Pop? Wtf?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq52v4",
"comment_text": [
"OP must be from the north. That's what they call soda. They're strange that way."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5:What are the differences between the Xbox 360 and the new Xbox One? | explainlikeimfive | 1rrhop | 0 | true | false | 0.27 | My 10 year old brother currently has the 360 plus Kinect, and he has been asking for the One for Christmas. My mom is a little apprehensive, understandably so considering the price, so we have been trying to do some research to see exactly what the differences are. I think I have a basic idea based on what I've found on Google, but if anyone could provide some info a little easier for us non-gamers to understand, or info that would be easy to explain to my 10 year old brother, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq49ri",
"comment_text": [
"The differences are almost a decade of computer development. The XBOX One is many, many, many, many times more powerful than the 360. If we follow the rule that computing power doubles every 12 to 18 months, and the 360 came out in 2005..........."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq4c6m",
"comment_text": [
"So, for a 10 year old whose favorite games are Minecraft, Call of Duty, and some sort of off-road racing game, what kind of bearing would this have on his experience? I'm looking for a way to explain to him what makes the new one different, and why if he got it, he would not be able to play the games he already has on it (from what I've read it seems the One is not backwards compatible, is this true?)"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq4mxk",
"comment_text": [
"Thanks for the info, very helpful! My next question would be, I suppose, are there any ideas or rumors in the industry about how the games will use the new technology with the consoles to improve? For example, I saw the link ",
"/u/panzerkampfwagen",
" provided about the Xbox One version of Minecraft. How could I explain how this version would be different from the one he plays on the 360? ",
"I'm really sorry for asking so many questions, I don't keep up with gaming at all and I'm just trying to make sure he and my mom understand what he's going to get if she buys him that as his Christmas gift. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq4mxk",
"comment_text": [
"Thanks for the info, very helpful! My next question would be, I suppose, are there any ideas or rumors in the industry about how the games will use the new technology with the consoles to improve? For example, I saw the link ",
"/u/panzerkampfwagen",
" provided about the Xbox One version of Minecraft. How could I explain how this version would be different from the one he plays on the 360? ",
"I'm really sorry for asking so many questions, I don't keep up with gaming at all and I'm just trying to make sure he and my mom understand what he's going to get if she buys him that as his Christmas gift. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq55ow",
"comment_text": [
"Also, during this change period, the games coming out on both generations of console will look horrible on the last generation compared to the new. "
],
"score": 1
} | |
Why do old time pictures and photos of people look so unattractive? | explainlikeimfive | 1rrm2e | 0 | true | false | 0.22 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq5igx",
"comment_text": [
"Because they didn't smile and didn't know how to look good for the camera. ",
"Lots of people will tell you about how old cameras take a long time to develope the photo and you have to sit still for a long time so people could not smile. This is not true since the vast majority of Daguerrotypes were taken after 1845 and the ",
"exposure time was shortened to seconds",
". According to the book \n",
" photography was much cheaper than hiring a painter, but early photography was still expensive enough that people would consider it a serious occasion akin to having their portrait painted. People only realized they could make faces for the camera after the invention of cheap Kodak camera. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq5k3c",
"comment_text": [
"What",
"are",
"you",
"talking",
"about",
"?",
"People have always been attractive. If they seem more attractive today it's probably because of better fitness, more access to makeup, and beauty supplies like blow dryers and flat irons."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq6bm5",
"comment_text": [
"It was done, but it was far from common. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq6bm5",
"comment_text": [
"It was done, but it was far from common. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq5nv8",
"comment_text": [
"i thought the general opinion was that people looked more actractive in old photos. always lean and classy dressed"
],
"score": 1
} | |
eli5: does a person have the right to take their own life or do they have a responsibility, to the ones that love them, to live. | explainlikeimfive | 1rrl9a | 0 | true | false | 0.33 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq59mk",
"comment_text": [
"Does chocolate taste better than strawberry?"
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq6fiy",
"comment_text": [
"Saying that suicide is selfish due to the responsibility you have to loved ones is extremely selfish in itself. To deny someone the option to end their life is beyond ridiculous.",
"\nI think that refusing the right to suicide simply because you don't want be upset for a while is the epitome of hypocrisy. Doing so is saying that you would rather that they suffer for a lifetime and never feel anything better than apathy than mourn them for a while."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq5n9h",
"comment_text": [
"Well let's switch the context and see what we think. Imagine if he loved to climb mountains; should he leave his family forever to pursue his mountain climbing dreams? I think we would be torn about his duty to his loved ones and the need to fulfill himself. If he chose to leave his family might regret his absence yet understand that is just who he is. If he chose to stay he would be respected for the choice but it would be bittersweet in that he gave up his dream.",
"Ultimately I think it is his choice, but staying would be the most honored decision (we respect selflessness over selfish behavior)."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq5n9h",
"comment_text": [
"Well let's switch the context and see what we think. Imagine if he loved to climb mountains; should he leave his family forever to pursue his mountain climbing dreams? I think we would be torn about his duty to his loved ones and the need to fulfill himself. If he chose to leave his family might regret his absence yet understand that is just who he is. If he chose to stay he would be respected for the choice but it would be bittersweet in that he gave up his dream.",
"Ultimately I think it is his choice, but staying would be the most honored decision (we respect selflessness over selfish behavior)."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq5ks8",
"comment_text": [
"yes, but chocolate covered strawberry tastes better than either alone",
"ELI5, please. "
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: Randomness | explainlikeimfive | 1rrovf | 3 | true | false | 0.81 | What is randomness?
How can you can a dice roll random since it depends on the state of the dice and the way you throw it? And the way you throw it depends on other thousands of variables. I could go on and on and say it depends on the initial state of the universe. Crap, is life all pre-determined but seems random because there are just so many variables you might as well call it random but it's not? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq6umt",
"comment_text": [
"I flipped a coin for you, ",
"/u/gredders",
" The result was: heads!",
"Statistics",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" "
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq69hw",
"comment_text": [
"How can you can a dice roll random since it depends on the state of the dice and the way you throw it?",
"A dice roll is not really random, just unpredictable.",
"Crap, is life all pre-determined but seems random because there are just so many variables you might as well call it random but it's not?",
"The common understanding of quantum mechanics is that it implies that our universe is in fact ",
" pre-determined. That are other ways of looking at quantum mechanics where the universe is pre-determined. There's no universal consensus. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdq6ulv",
"comment_text": [
"This is a really interesting question. I hope you'll forgive the wall of text.",
"You're right, rolling a dice is not really random. With enough information about the precise starting conditions, and enough computing power, you could predict where it would land. We say it is 'deterministic'.",
"However, it is what can be called a 'chaotic system' which means that a very small change in the starting conditions can lead to a wildly different evolution of the system, making it unfeasible to predict the outcome with any accuracy. Certainly, it is unpredictable enough for a friendly game of Monopoly. ",
"Whether the universe is deterministic is an open question. At tiny scales, the universe appears to be probabilistic. For example, very small particles do not have a well defined position.",
"Think of an electron bound to an atom. It is inaccurate to think of it as a little ball zooming around, like a planet orbiting a star. Instead, its position is most accurately described by a \"probability density\" Which means that we can take any point in the space in the atom and say \"there is X percent probability of finding the electron here at a given time\", but until you actually make a measurement you cannot know for certain.",
"It is important to stress that this inability to know exactly where an electron will be is NOT due to incomplete knowledge of physics, or imperfect equipment, or any other technical disadvantage. It is fundamentally impossible because the electron simply ",
" a well defined position, until a measurement forces it to be somewhere (we describe this as 'collapse of the wavefunction'.)",
"Some processes, such as radioactivity, are probabilistic. We can say what the probability of a particle decaying in a given time period is, but not say for sure whether or not it will. Now, the obvious answer to this is that there are actually hidden variables, things we don't know because our knowledge of physics is incomplete. If we DID know them then we would be able to predict everything with 100% accurate and the universe would be deterministic. This is now getting to the limit of my knowledge, but the prevailing opinion amongst physicists, due to something called 'Bell's theorem', is that there are no hidden variables and the universe truly is probabilistic, rather than deterministic. ",
"Now we know that on macroscopic scale the universe is ",
" deterministic. This is because for the universe to behave in a way we don't expect (based on out laws of physics) you would have to have many trillions of probabilities simultaneousl go in one particular way. Like, flip a coin a million times. sure, it's possible that it'll come up heads every time, but realistically, it isn't going to happen.",
"The degree to which a probabilistic microscopic universe translates into an indeterministic macroscopic universe is an interesting question to think about. Maybe the universe is a chaotic system, like your dice. Perhaps if, 13.7 billion years ago, a neutron had decayed into a proton one nanosecond later than it actually did, then the unvierse would be a completely different place (ever heard of the butterfly effect?) ",
"Or perhaps the microscopic probabilities really don't matter on a macroscopic scale.",
"Further reading if you are interested. I've linked to the Wikipedia articles, but you may find more accessible articles using google.",
"Determinism",
"Free will",
"Hidden variables",
"Wave function collapse",
"Chaos theory",
"Butterfly effect",
"The uncertainty principle"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqchys",
"comment_text": [
"Flip a coin"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqci6d",
"comment_text": [
"I flipped a coin for you, ",
"/u/ProjectGemini",
" The result was: tails!",
"Statistics",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" ",
" "
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: Does your Internet provider has access to your browsing history after it's been deleted? If so, how? | explainlikeimfive | 1rsbkv | 1 | true | false | 0.66 | Let's say I browse, browse, browse an immense amount, and then delete cookies, cache, local storage, browsing history - does the provider have a record of this? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqd02t",
"comment_text": [
"Imagine you ask me to go to the library and borrow a book for you. You keep your own records of this, in a private notebook. You record the date I went to the library, the name of the book I borrowed for you, the date you returned it, etc.",
"You do this several hundred times.",
"Then you burn your notebook.",
"Having burnt your notebook, is there any way I could have a record of what books you borrowed?",
"Of course there is. I might well have been keep my own records in my own notebook. There's no way you can tell - but if you value your privacy, you have to assume that I have. What's more, the library will also have their records - although it will be less obvious exactly who the books were used by.",
"In this analogy, I'm your ISP, the library is the website you're visiting, and the books are the web pages you are viewing."
],
"score": 7
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqcq35",
"comment_text": [
"Technically, they don't have access to anything that's on your computer. But they do have access to log and save all traffic to and from your computer that is not encrypted. If and what they save depends on what country you live in, what ISP you have, and so forth. Basically, always assume that they have access to, and log, everything you surf. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqcu6n",
"comment_text": [
"Yes, they do and it doesn't matter if you delete all your locally stored browsing history and cookies. ",
"It works like driving through a tunnel to a town on the other side. You are in your car and you can turn your GPS off, not tell anyone where you're going and delete/throw out all the receipts from the trip on the other side of the tunnel. So as far as anyone else knows you never went through to town on the other side.",
"However, the tunnel has cameras and records all the cars that go through the tunnel, and also record all the cars driving around town, where they park, which are which, etc... Most of the time the running the cameras (your ISP) don't even bother to watch the cameras and don't really care where people are going, but the cameras are still always recording.",
"If, say, an accident happens or a driver is arrested for going somewhere nefarious then the recording can be pulled and analyzed. So if you go into town, through the tunnel and illegally buy a gun, then go rob a bank and drive home you'll be seen by all the cameras. The recording can be pulled and follow you back home where you will soon be greeted by very excited men in cars with flashing lights. So even though you personally deleted all your records of where you were, there is another completely independent set of records that is always keeping track of you.",
"does the provider have a record of this?",
"Yes, your ISP, if it cared enough to look into it...knows all your freaky porn fetishes. Or at least that there is a computer at X location that may or may not belong to you that browses certain shady sites. As long as you aren't doing anything illegal then no one cares. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqcxpr",
"comment_text": [
"Wow, thanks for the awesome response! I learned something today. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqd0x2",
"comment_text": [
"Wait, wait; how come people doing illegal things aren't caught as often in regards to their ISP? Those who sell illegal substances, downloading content that isn't yours - how do those go unseen?"
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: a grenade explosion | explainlikeimfive | 1rsg79 | 9 | true | false | 0.76 | Why can such a small thing do so much damage? Why does it go BOOM like this? Why won't it explode immediately? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqe6em",
"comment_text": [
"Why can such a small thing do so much damage?",
"Explosives are designed to be just that. You stuff explosives into a small, contained space and it makes it even more violent. The case is made of thick steel, so when the explosion ruptures it, it throws shrapnel all over the place and tends to make quite a mess.",
"Why won't it explode immediately?",
"There is a fuse that times it so that it takes several seconds for it to explode. Thus allowing enough time for someone to throw it and take cover."
],
"score": 5
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqeb33",
"comment_text": [
"Here's ",
"\"why\" it makes such a mess",
", and here's ",
"how it works",
"."
],
"score": 5
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqefly",
"comment_text": [
"Sweet GIFs. I like how the second one the pin doesn't go anywhere after the explosion."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqem93",
"comment_text": [
"Haha. I did a quick search and found it. Probably not the best one."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqjlcf",
"comment_text": [
"The explosion occurs because you have a combustion reaction going on with the chemicals inside, which results in releasing large amounts of gaseous components like Carbon di- and monoxide, as well as Nitrogen and Nitrogen oxides. These gases take up more space than the solid components you had before the reaction took place, thus increasing the pressure inside the grenade. Increasing the pressure can also further increase the speed of the reaction, until you get to a point where the grenade cannot contain the pressure anymore, bursting open in an explosion."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: What is Meta? | explainlikeimfive | 1rsgpi | 0 | true | false | 0.5 | I see it used countless times on reddit and I hear you used at work and out in some social events and I always laugh and play along as if I know what it means. Please help. | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqeidv",
"comment_text": [
"It means ",
", and it can work with genres.",
"If Reddit is a website to discuss websites, then discussing Reddit ",
" would be meta. Or a book about books, would be meta."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqj7oe",
"comment_text": [
"What makes something a word rather than just a sound is the fact that we collectively ascribe meaning to that sound, by consensus. If a person utters that sound with the intention of communicating a meaning other than that which has been agreed on, they are misusing the word.",
"Yes, a word CAN mean anything, and the meanings of words do change, but at any given point in a time a word definitively has a meaning, and if someone uses the word with the intention of communicating other than that meaning, it is misuse.",
"The fact that meanings change over time means there is a period where the meaning-value of an utterance is grey; it could be considered right or wrong. For instance, the meaning of \"literally\" is currently transitioning, so to call someone out for using it \"wrongly\" is a sticky issue. But if I were to say to my friends \"I'm feeling really grumpy today\" when I was in a good mood, that would be a misuse of the word \"grumpy\", according to its meaning at this point in time."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdql3ey",
"comment_text": [
"what ",
"/u/Nemonobody2092",
" is trying to say, is that if you disagree, he can say what he likes because words don't actually have any meaning. Other than when he/she uses them. Weird, I know - especially on a thread regarding the definition of a word."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqes6l",
"comment_text": [
"Thank you!!!"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqf66r",
"comment_text": [
"Another common term is 'meta-data' which is essentially data about data. For example, if you send an email, the contents (message body) of the email is data whereas meta-data refers to information like when the email was sent, who it was sent from, who it was sent to, etc."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: Why do our capitol buildings look the way they do? Where did this architecture come from? | explainlikeimfive | 1rsh0h | 1 | true | false | 0.67 | Found myself curious after seeing similarities between the Congress building and some state capitols. Obviously the states mimic the federal, but whats the history here? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqeps3",
"comment_text": [
"It's called Greco-Roman architecture, and it comes for the Greek / Roman classical age, (not Europe, as someone else seemed to think). Technically Rome is part of Europe, but architecturally it's much different than the rest of Europe and closer to classical Greek. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqfaez",
"comment_text": [
"That's cool. Is there any documented decision in our country's history of \"hey let's stick with this\"?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqfgbs",
"comment_text": [
"Greece in the classical period of history was actually considered part of the east, not a part of Europe. And sense the style is classically grecco - roman, to call the style European is inaccurate. ",
"Americans of the 1700s and late 1800s were just a little obsessed with the Greeks. It's far more correct to say the style is classical Greek than it is to say it's from \"Europe. \" "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqg4hq",
"comment_text": [
"Well the Roman part of Greco-Roman is most assuredly European, at least."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqg6uh",
"comment_text": [
"Well....in terms of ultimate origins, sure, Greece and Rome, that I don't question (not for the moment - maybe I should?) But the point implicit in my last post is that the style of anything does change as it propagates through space (in this case across Europe) and over time. It accumulates what it has encountered along its path. So the question, as I see it, is: the American buildings we're talking about: were they directly inspired by Greco-Roman architecture or by more derivative works/styles elsewhere in Europe, with which the immigrants would have been more familiar? It's the kind of question I'm sure we'd each be able to find examples favouring either possibility. But insofar as a generalisation can be made...?"
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5:If I had a rope that was 100 miles long and attached one end to Earth and then took the rest up into space, what would happen with the rope? Would it just kind of float there or fall down to Earth? | explainlikeimfive | 1rslla | 13 | true | false | 0.79 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqg1xm",
"comment_text": [
"Gravity is still acting upon the rope that is 'near' earth. The rope would still fall to Earth, unless something stopped the other end.",
"Quoted from ",
"wikipedia",
"It is a common misconception that astronauts in orbit are weightless because they have flown high enough to \"escape\" the Earth's gravity. In fact, at an altitude of ",
", equivalent to a typical orbit of the Space Shuttle, gravity is still ",
" as strong as at the Earth's surface. Weightlessness actually occurs because orbiting objects are in free-fall.",
"What this means is, that even a 100 mile long rope is still affected by earth's gravity even though the end in space is 'experiencing' only \"90% [of the] surface\" gravity."
],
"score": 7
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqgc1m",
"comment_text": [
"100 miles is way too short. It would fall down. OTOH, if you had one that was considerably longer, you could get the centrifugal force to counter gravity, but that would mean it would have to be more than 22,000 miles long (from sea level, shorter if you attached it to the top of a mountain). It would either need to be twice that long, or have a weight attached. Either way, the rope would break, so it wouldn't really work."
],
"score": 4
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqfrhr",
"comment_text": [
"It would fall down onto Earth."
],
"score": 4
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqh8c2",
"comment_text": [
"If you attached the rope to the Earth it would fall to the Earth. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqg6h1",
"comment_text": [
"What you're talking about sounds a bit like the concept behind a ",
"space elevator",
", but it needs to be ",
" longer than 100 miles (and be made of a material not yet invented)."
],
"score": -1
} | |
ELI5: If a singularity in a black hole is infinitely dense, then why doesn't suck the entire universe. | explainlikeimfive | 1rstev | 3 | true | false | 0.67 | Thanks for the explanations | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqi7s2",
"comment_text": [
"Black holes have finite mass and therefore finite gravity.",
"A theoretical singularity would be infinitely dense not because it has infinite mass but because it has zero size. But that just means that it doesn't make sense to describe the density of a singularity."
],
"score": 5
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqixf5",
"comment_text": [
"Let's say you have two objects, call them A and B, of the same mass. A is a black hole, B is not. Let's say you're the same distance r from A and from B. (This distance is from one center of mass to the other.) If r is large, you feel the same effects from A as you do from B. This is Newtonian gravity, rather than the gravity of general relativity. Only when r is small can you tell the difference between A's gravity and B's gravity.",
"In particular, their gravitational effects are very different if r is less than the Schwarzschild radius of A, that is, if you're inside the event horizon. In this case you cannot escape from A but could escape from B."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqk0sl",
"comment_text": [
"So, forget about black holes for a minute. Just think about the Sun.",
"The Sun has gravity (like everything else that has mass), so if you were in a spaceship in our solar system, the Sun's gravity would be pulling on your spaceship, pulling you toward the Sun. If you wanted to leave the solar system you'd need to fire your engines, and get enough thrust to get up to a certain speed, which would let you escape from the pull of the Sun's gravity.",
"How much thrust? That depends on how close you get to the Sun. The closer you are, the stronger the Sun's gravity pulls on you. So the closer you are to the Sun, the more thrust you need from your engines in order to get away. If you get too close, or if your engines aren't powerful enough or you don't have enough fuel, you might not be able to get away; if you really screwed up, you might even fall into the Sun.",
"But as long as you show up with a powerful enough engine, and enough fuel, you can get as close as you can stand. If you also have super heat and radiation shields, you could even go into the Sun and maybe all the way down to the center, then come back out. It would require one heck of a ship to do that, but it is at least theoretically possible.",
"Now, consider a black hole with, say, 4 times the mass of the Sun. From way out you wouldn't notice anything strange at all; you'd feel the same pull as if there was just a normal star of that mass. And as you got closer, you'd feel a stronger pull, the same as if you got closer to a normal star.",
"But the strange thing about the black hole is that as you come in closer and closer, and the pull gets stronger and stronger, you will eventually come to a point -- a point which is ",
" the singularity -- where you can no longer get away, no matter how powerful your spaceship is. This point is called the \"event horizon\", and once you cross it, you would only be able to get away if your spaceship was powerful enough to reach a speed faster than light. But that is actually impossible; it would require more energy than exists in the entire universe.",
"So a black hole doesn't just suck the entire universe into it; to things that are far enough away, its gravity isn't especially strong, and would feel just like a star of the same mass, and anything moving fast enough to get away from a star of that mass will also get away from the black hole, as long as it starts out from far enough away. It's only things which get too close and cross the event horizon that can never escape."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqie40",
"comment_text": [
"Great answer. To add to that:",
"If the sun was replaced (or became) a black hole with the same mass, nothing in our solar system would change. The planets wouldn't be \"sucked in\" or anything like that. Everything would be just as normal. Well, apart from the fact that there wouldn't be any sunlight, so we would freeze over quite quickly. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqnpjj",
"comment_text": [
"Your question has been answered by Saftrabitrals, but I think it's also worth noting the difference between the \"singularity\" proposed to be in a black hole, and a true mathematical singularity. General Relativity only ",
" allows for a singularity to exist, due to the requirement of asymptotically flat space for the singularity to take place on. This is impossible in real-world physics.",
"tl;dr Big words. Black holes probably don't actually have singularities."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: Why do Japanese women in porn always appear to be crying and screaming...and not in the good way? | explainlikeimfive | 1rsutg | 11 | true | false | 0.72 | I know there is screaming and whatnot in sex....but in Japanese porn, it always seems the bad kind of screaming. Is it just my mis-interpretation of their mannerisms? Or is this a desired trait in women playing the role of submission? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqjgtn",
"comment_text": [
"this is why I don't watch japanese porn"
],
"score": 7
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqjf0n",
"comment_text": [
"Rape fantasy is really popular in japan. Always has been and likely always will be. \nBe it in comics, anime or live action porn. The majority of the screeching and screaming is just part of the dramatic effect to help get horny guys like you off faster.",
"If they are crying, and the tears genuine, then it's likely the girl committed\nto something she regretted (while) doing it. The porno industry is controlled\nby the yakuza in japan. If a girl owes a debt one way to pay it off is \nto participate in a porn and do things she may otherwise have never done. ",
"Desperate people sometimes do desperate things. "
],
"score": 6
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqokij",
"comment_text": [
"Pornify. I love that word. "
],
"score": 4
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqokij",
"comment_text": [
"Pornify. I love that word. "
],
"score": 4
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdqmtep",
"comment_text": [
"Half Asian/half Caucasian/full stoner."
],
"score": 3
} | |
ELI5: How electrical ground works | explainlikeimfive | 1rokld | 5 | true | false | 1 | In lieu of the planes and lightning question:
Why do we ground things? I've been wiring circuits casually for 3+ years and I've never understood why I'll connect a wire to the chassis, or on a potentiometer why I bother grounding things. Please help! | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdparo5",
"comment_text": [
"Grounding things helps to reduce noise (unwanted interference can flow to the ground). More importantly, grounding things makes them safer to use. By having the chassis of a device connected directly to a local ground, if a dangerous current somehow manages to develop inside the device, it shorts straight to ground, rather than into the user. The reason we use a local ground (the ground prong in an electrical outlet will go straight to a pipe or another metallic object stuck in the ground) is because it is the path of least resistance--slightly less resistance, even, than the neutral wire in the outlet. If you connect an ohmmeter between the neutral wire and the ground wire, it will appear to indicate continuity, but there's still a little bit of resistance between the two."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpasvs",
"comment_text": [
"Without grounding if there is a fault somewhere, that piece of equipment could shock someone and will remain \"hot\" if everything is grounded the current with flow to ground and the breaker will trip. (The transformer that supplies your house is grounded as well)"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpd4bp",
"comment_text": [
"It is to save your ass, to be frank about it.",
"In the US we have split phase wiring in most/all residential housing. We have center tapped 220V wiring, which has 3 lines coming in, we'll call the A, B, and C. B is tied to ground at the panel. A and C have 220 Volts and are used for air conditioners, electrical dryers, and so forth. ",
"Between A and B, and B and C, there is 110 volts, and roughly half of all circuits on on the AB phase and the other half are on BC. ",
"If you have a kitchen and have a defective toaster and mixer where the positive lines are in contact with the case then if you touch both at the same time you will be shocked with 220V and will have a bad day (or your last day)",
"If you tie the case to ground, then if the positive line touches the case then it will short out and trip a circuit breaker. ",
"Alternatively, you can use a GFCI, which measures the current going out and coming back in, and if they differ by 5 milliamps it will trip. It will assume that the 5+ milliamps is going through something it shouldn't be (ie you), and will save you. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpdo1y",
"comment_text": [
"You can think of electricity a lot like water with rivers and waterfalls. ",
"Amperage is a lot like how much water is flowing in a river, and voltage is sort of like a waterfall where the higher the voltage the higher the waterfall and the more it hurts when you stand at the bottom of it. The higher the voltage the more dangerous it is. 110 volts of household supplied power can kill you. But typically it just makes your fingers twitch. 220V can easily kill you. 10,000+ volts (power lines) can turn squirrels into flaming bits of hair. ",
"Voltage is current times resistance. ",
"In reality it is the amperage that kills you, and it doesn't take much to do it passing through your heart. However, your skin has a fair amount of resistance so the voltage has to be fairly high. A taser has high voltage by very little current. ",
"If you multiply the voltage and amperage you get wattage, or watts. If you take watts times hours you get watt hours (or more often kilowatt hours) which is what the electric company bills you for. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpdvct",
"comment_text": [
"In your car, the chassis actually forms a part of the electrical system. Typically the negative terminal of the battery just straps to the chassis, and the positive terminal connects to the devices, which in turn connect to the chassis for the return path. ",
"In other words, your engine is a 'fat wire'.",
"One reason for doing this is that it means there's no way that part of the engine can accidentally acquire a potential where it shouldn't, since it's strapped to the negative terminal of the battery. ALso, of course, it's handy in that you don't need to run 2 wires everywhere (although it is often a good idea to do so anyway, to ensure a good quality return path)."
],
"score": 2
} | |
ELI5: Technologically, what is holding graphic designers back from creating an epically-proportioned 3D-scaled model of the entire world? | explainlikeimfive | 1roulv | 3 | true | false | 0.63 | Imagine being able to turn on your computer and enter another world online, except the world you're in is the same world...you're in. But not like Google Earth. In this world, you create an avatar and have the ability to traverse the entire globe, visiting famous cities drawn out exactly to scale. You can go to Paris and walk down one of its busy sidewalks, enter a genuine clothing store, try on a genuine set of apparel at that store and then buy it online, have it shipped to your real-life house, knowing how it's going to fit you. Because ultimately, even the shirts themselves are scaled down to the actual size of the shirts in real life. Why we do this? What is technologically limiting us from having this right now, and is there anything we can do to at least start making it? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpg72a",
"comment_text": [
"Sir you just went full retard"
],
"score": 4
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpdsiv",
"comment_text": [
"It would just take an immeasurable amount of time. To gather detailed pictures you would need people to walk through a city, take the images, then stitch them together and then texture them onto 3D models that match buildings. This would take years for even a single city "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpe382",
"comment_text": [
"So what is technologically holding us back from starting this process today?",
"This would take years for even a single city",
"Maybe so, which in my opinion strongly says we should go ahead and get started on the project. Or, perhaps we could use satellite images to create a 3-d replica of what we see on a 2-d eagle-eye map. If we know a street is a certain length, heading in a certain direction, using latitude and longitude, perhaps we could replicate their lengths and directions into 3-d paths. It would obviously take a very long time for this to happen, but is it impossible?",
"Imagine how this could potentially change communication with friends and family over the internet? Instead of connecting to Facebook or some other social networking site, you're logging onto a 3-d model of the world. You choose a global position to start from and go from there. You can meet your friends at a global position and go shopping, literally. Or you could go to a local cafe and have a 3-d conversation over a 3-d cup of coffee.",
"Meanwhile you can browse their profiles and check out what they're up to in real life.",
"Certainly the immediate demographic of this type of virtual reality would start in the gaming industry. But could it take a rise in commerce as well? Business selling their items right there in a 3-d model of the earth?",
"And sure, at first it wouldn't be an entire scale of the world. It would start with a city here and a city there. Once enough big cities are built, now we can work on global infrastructure. Getting from city 1 to city 2. Once we have that, we build from that and create more infrastructures, leading to smaller towns, farms, theme parks, anything you could possibly imagine.",
"And what makes this even more possible is implemented an open source database. Anybody can add to the world as they see fit. You can create your own structures and place them in the world. The credibility of the world would be policed much like the credibility of Wikipedia, where online users can decide whether or not an article and its sources are accurate.",
"I'm rambling like crazy. Sorry."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdplshr",
"comment_text": [
"\"Oh hey, we just bulldozed this forest for which you already have exhaustively reproduced in 3D over the course of five years and put in a new shopping mall, can you update it? There are over 100 stores for you to recreate inside here. Oh, and we might add a few over the next couple of days. By the way, tomorrow we're going to remodel that other store we have on the other side of the country, so you might have to put that into your 3D world, too. Have a nice day!\"",
"\"I hate to tell you this, but, the model is out of date again. About 1943815 trees grew today, so we have to update those. I estimate it will take about a year to get that all figured out. Also, a supermarket in Walla Walla, Washington changed the color of their roof.\""
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpg34j",
"comment_text": [
"I've often thought of this very thing. Usually just before bed and imagining a worldwide computer game where the environment is a replica of the real world. Being able to traverse exact replicas of my neighborhood and city in whatever way I choose (driving, walking, bicycle, skateboard, aircraft etc). Traveling to places created by other people. Replicas of not just a few big cities, but every town and village in every country. Meeting up with other avatars in their own created environments. I often in my mind picture something like the 3D look of a game similar to GTA. It would be a huge undertaking and I really can't imagine it ever becoming a reality. Fun to dream about though."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: What is dark matter and why is it so important? | explainlikeimfive | 1rowmp | 3 | true | false | 0.55 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpghw0",
"comment_text": [
"That's incorrect. Brown dwarfs, black holes and neutrinos are all 'normal' matter. Dark matter is something else entirely."
],
"score": 5
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpplqb",
"comment_text": [
"Yes, it's a problem we Fuckballs have been dealing with for generations."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdphll8",
"comment_text": [
"Actually, the wikipedia page you linked for WIMPs clearly states that WIMPs have similar properties to neutrinos but are far more massive. WIMPs are theorectical, as-yet-unexplained particles while neutrinos are well known. And astronomical bodies such as black holes and brown dwarfs, while contributing to the 'unseen' mass, only make up a small minority of 'dark matter' ",
"1",
"I'm quite sure his question was on the 'unexplained' matter that is believed to make up a large majority of dark matter, which does not include any of the things you mentioned in your first post.",
"And to answer OPs question, right now the popular theory is that most dark matter consists of WIMPs, but unlike neutrinos, we don't know much about what they are. One theory was that they were massive particles predicted by ",
"supersymmetry",
", but right now results of experiments at particle colliders seem to disagree."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpvlcq",
"comment_text": [
"My thoughts on what dark matter & dark energies are : ",
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskPhysics/comments/1roos2/questionsthoughts_about_dark_matter_and_dark/"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpjkku",
"comment_text": [
"I find it impossible to take your statement serious with a name like that."
],
"score": 1
} | ||
ELI5: Why does America view many foreign nations highly compared to other nations viewing America lowly. | explainlikeimfive | 1rox6a | 0 | true | false | 0.5 | Just seems like we are really supportive of other nations and they are not the same to us. | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpeoud",
"comment_text": [
"I actually almost never see this kind of talk irl or without a sarcastic intent over the internet. Might be with location though. And although i am very nationalistic myself ive never said anything like that."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpeind",
"comment_text": [
"We try our best to protect our interests. Sometimes those countries do not feel that the us should. "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpei53",
"comment_text": [
"Yes, \"We're number !\" and, \"We're exceptional and the best!\" isn't really viewing other nations highly. The US actually has an overinflated view of themselves considering how lowly the US ranks in many areas such as health, education, living standards.........",
"The US gets lots of support from other nations but it seems it's usually ignored. When the US had large forest fires countries as Australia send over a lot of aid. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpgfge",
"comment_text": [
"It's 'you're'. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpgfge",
"comment_text": [
"It's 'you're'. "
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: Who is Vladimir Putin? | explainlikeimfive | 1rp2ft | 0 | true | false | 0.14 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdph660",
"comment_text": [
"It's not a bias, he does not like gays and is the leader of Russia. He is in the news and \"all over the place\" because he doesn't like gays. I also think it would be easier to look on Google and find the information from a credible source. Sorry for offending you or breaking the rules."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpr22e",
"comment_text": [
"I'm not offended, informing you of the rules is hardly taking offense. Posting a useless post like \"look at google\" is not what ELI5 is for:",
"No low effort explanations, single sentence replies, or jokes in top-level comments.",
"Pointing out one tiny, clearly biased, component of a world figure and padding it with a \"look at google\" is not okay for ELI5."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdps52i",
"comment_text": [
"Ok I didn't read the rules, now I know so thank you but how is it remotely biased to simply say that he does not like gay people. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpy283",
"comment_text": [
"It's biased because it points out one extremely minor aspect of a massively important world figure, that single aspect picked purely to push a specific bias. (He's bad because of this issue)"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpy6fh",
"comment_text": [
"Okay. It came off as biased, I did not intend it to be that way. Saying that he is bad because of this is not entirely true because if I had the same beliefs, he would be somewhat of a hero. I simply said he was homophobic because that is the reason he is in the news a lot lately."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: why are US Republicans anti science and common sense? | explainlikeimfive | 1rp5ga | 0 | true | false | 0.33 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdphcmw",
"comment_text": [
"Your statement is ",
" over generalized. If you're referring only to Congress, you're speaking to 200+ people. ",
"People whose job, in part, is to play the role that will get them re-elected. A politician's public face and policy are not necessarily their own views or beliefs."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpgtt7",
"comment_text": [
"Or maybe something more polite and specific?"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpip7g",
"comment_text": [
"This question is loaded (presumes a point of view is fact), thus has been removed. ",
"Try rephrasing more objectively, or perhaps posting to ",
"/r/changemyview",
" "
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdphapw",
"comment_text": [
"Because it's easier to just call your opponent a child and walk away than to engage them. Thank the Democrats. Yes the Democrats. The same Democrats that opposed the Civil Rights Act."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdphd6z",
"comment_text": [
"Over generalizations are extremely useful in these dialogues."
],
"score": 1
} | ||
ELI5: Why people in the US Judicial system receive sentences of 100+ years instead of just a life sentence. | explainlikeimfive | 1rp8wm | 0 | true | false | 0.44 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdphrp6",
"comment_text": [
"First result in Google:\n",
"http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/zmpbw/eli5_why_do_people_get_sentenced_to_over_100/"
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdphqpo",
"comment_text": [
"It's either symbolic or they account for things the prisoner might do to decrease her sentence.",
"Does a life sentence actually mean just that? Because in some countries it can be like 25 years iirc."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdphrmr",
"comment_text": [
"It's basically consecutive vs. concurrent sentencing",
"In Canada \"Life imprisonment\" basically equals 25 years then you can apply for parole.",
"I'm guessing for the US the term stacking makes it so that you cannot apply for parole until that extremely long date in the future? It also makes some sense to tack on the sentences as they have multiple punishments for multiple crimes, instead of just following through with the 25 year sentence as the rest of the time won't actually add onto the parole eligibility period."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdphtfm",
"comment_text": [
"Partly; at least, because sentences are not always concrete. A single \"life\" sentence can still include the possibilty of parole, and a person charged with multiple crimes may not always have one single crime that would qualify for life ",
" parole. By sentencing separately for each count, or setting an absurdly high number of years, you're hedging against the criminal getting early release. ",
"It's also a psychological thing for the victims or victims' families. In the case of a multiple murderer, they're showing that each individual murder is \"worth\" a life sentence. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdphus9",
"comment_text": [
"Not too sure on this, but I think for each charge you are found guilty for, you will also receive however many years associated to that particular charge. For example, if you're found guilty on 5 counts of murder, and murder in your location carries a term of 20 years, that would be a 100 year sentence right there. Unless of course you commit a crime so heinous that the judge throws that sort of sentence automatically. I also personally find that in some cases, you will see ridiculous terms like that thrown around especially when someone commits a crime so terrible that even the judge would rather said criminal rot in jail than give them the easy out of death row. "
],
"score": 1
} | ||
ELI5: How come in WWII, People just pretended to NOT be Jewish so they weren't prosecuted? | explainlikeimfive | 1rpdzf | 1 | true | false | 0.52 | Like ovbiously if your last name was goldstein, it wouldn't work. But couldn't you just pretend to be Christian or Atheist? Or did they just decide to kill everyone in France or Poland. Or was it somthing to do with the Jewish persona, like brown hair, larger nose, ect.. | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpipb8",
"comment_text": [
"Some times, Nazi soldiers would pull down the pants of a suspected Jewish person. If they had been circumcised, then that 'proved' they were Jewish"
],
"score": 8
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpjgsl",
"comment_text": [
"But couldn't you just pretend to be Christian or Atheist?",
"The religious beliefs of the Jews weren't what the Nazis despised - it was their ethnic identity. A non-practicing Jew was still a Jew, a convert to Christianity was still a Jew. It was your ethnicity that you'd have to hide, and that would be altogether more difficult.",
"People in Nazi-controlled areas were rigorously documented, and several of the states that Germany invaded already had very thorough civil records which were used by the Germans to quickly identify the Jewish population. There was a history of Jewish segregation in Europe anyway, so your Jewish identity would be very likely to appear on your paperwork.",
"Add to that the fact that anti-Semitism was not a uniquely German thing, there were plenty of gentiles across occupied Europe who would have little problem pointing out which families were Jewish in their community. Even for those who had no problem with the Jews, if a group of SS soldiers turned up in your village and demanded to know who was Jewish, you could either lie and risk you and your family's safety, or identify them and make things easier for yourself.",
"did they just decide to kill everyone in France or Poland.",
"France no, Poland sort of. Poland was going to be part of the Third Reich's ",
" (living space), so it was planned to reduce and relocate the native population to make way for German settlement.",
"tl;dr: It would be very hard to pretend to be non-Jewish because good beaurocracy meant that everyone was documented and Jews generally lived in sectioned off communities. Even if you could forge papers and fake it, there'd be people willing/forced to turn you in."
],
"score": 6
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpko5z",
"comment_text": [
"It was a slow process too. The Nazis didn't just start with the death camps and zyklon b. At first they started registering people. Then making them identify themselves with badges, corralling them into different zones in the city. This took the better part of a decade and each step though terrifying and scary in itself, wouldn't immediately lead the Jewish populace to imagine what would be coming. Who would? They probably told themselves they could weather these tough and testing times as each liberty was taken and the level of animosity amped up. They might have started to get the idea by ",
"krystalnacht",
" though. But by then everybody knew who they were.",
"TL;DR they were identified racially and grouped systematically before the actual holocaust started. "
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpiuok",
"comment_text": [
"They also started making lists of Jews before the violence started in preparation and threatened non-Jewish people to give up who their Jewish neighbors were. This guy is spot on, though, German Gentiles aren't usually circumcised."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpjwfh",
"comment_text": [
"Depending on your % of Jewishness you could convert to Christianity and be safe by being classified as a Mischling (mongrel, half caste, half breed) as long as you did by a certain date. After that date it was no longer possible to stop being a Jew by conversion. That was sometime in 1935, but that's at pretty much the same time the law came out so.......",
"Funnily enough, until Hitler antiSemitism was not only not a uniquely German thing, it was actually worse in the rest of the Europe. It was actually harder determining who was Jewish in Germany due to so much assimilation. "
],
"score": 2
} | |
ELI5: Why don't stores sell the same deals online on black Friday as they do in stores? | explainlikeimfive | 1rprvd | 4 | true | false | 0.7 | Wouldn't they make more money that way? I bought several things last night, but only from stores that gave me the same deals online as were available in the store. | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpm2sa",
"comment_text": [
"One of the main reasons for a sale is to get you into the store, which makes you also look at the stuff that ",
" on sale. The same isn't really true of a website. "
],
"score": 6
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpmat8",
"comment_text": [
"Old navy has 50% off everything in their stores today. I don't think they'll do that on cyber Monday."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpm4gp",
"comment_text": [
"Majorly this.",
"Buying a laptop on sale? Hey, we have this ",
" Lets toss ",
" in your cart. Oh, and you'll need a laptop fan, a laptop desk, a screen protector, these Monster branded screen wipes! Oh, and don't forget your ",
"Online you just click and go. In store they can try to sell you on other shit they actually make money on."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpn07h",
"comment_text": [
"Honestly if you have the right resources you can get many of the BF deals online, every day. eBay and Amazon have saved me so much money, and add-ons for Chrome/Firefox like \"Invisible Hand\" and \"Coupons at Checkout\" are great for saving also."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdprj12",
"comment_text": [
"Saving this for later because no gold "
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: How come it smells poop in the bathroom hours after i flushed it away, and why is the smell so hard to get rid off? | explainlikeimfive | 1rpp80 | 0 | true | false | 0.43 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdplgkq",
"comment_text": [
"Lite a candle. Done"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdplh0q",
"comment_text": [
"Small shit particles float through the air. This is how you can smell it befor you flush. After you flush, that doesn't get rid of the shit particles in the air."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpo9z6",
"comment_text": [
"Is poop particles heavier then any other particle? If i open a orange in there, it will smell orange but not nearly as long, is it the same thing? "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdplkro",
"comment_text": [
"Hours? That's not good. I presume there is a window or some sort of ventilation. It sounds like it could be a plumbing problem. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpobsp",
"comment_text": [
"Your diet may contribute to particularly stinky shits. Also, aside from ventilation, there may be a plumbing issue with your toilet where gases are escaping from it after the matter has been flushed. Spray some febreeze next time and if that doesn't help eliminate the odors try consulting a plumber about the gases coming from the toilet. "
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: Why did Canada and the USA never merge to become one nation? | explainlikeimfive | 1rpk5t | 12 | true | false | 0.63 | I am from the UK but fins it strange that 2 (ex)British colonies never merged at any point. | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpk3rd",
"comment_text": [
"Canada remained loyal....... and had British troops............and fought a war against a US invasion which the US has pretended ever since to have won even though Canada isn't a US state. "
],
"score": 36
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpk5ev",
"comment_text": [
"The War of 1812. It was a British territory at the time. The US invaded with the intention of annexation. Instead they got the White House all burnt down and the war ended like the Korean War."
],
"score": 27
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdprwsk",
"comment_text": [
"As an aside - I think that's changing. ",
"I always think of countries like people:",
"The US is our older brother. When we were young we fought a lot. But every time we were out in public people told us how much we were like them: 'You're just like America. You two are twins.'",
"We hated it and rebelled against it. And so we started to define ourselves as 'nothing like our stupid older brother.'",
"But now the US is in its 30s and Canada is in its middle 20s. We don't need to define ourselves as 'not him' anymore. We've developed our own personality and our own friends. Sometimes we hang out, and that's cool. Sometimes we don't, and that's cool too.",
"People still compare us, but we know who we are."
],
"score": 11
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdprwsk",
"comment_text": [
"As an aside - I think that's changing. ",
"I always think of countries like people:",
"The US is our older brother. When we were young we fought a lot. But every time we were out in public people told us how much we were like them: 'You're just like America. You two are twins.'",
"We hated it and rebelled against it. And so we started to define ourselves as 'nothing like our stupid older brother.'",
"But now the US is in its 30s and Canada is in its middle 20s. We don't need to define ourselves as 'not him' anymore. We've developed our own personality and our own friends. Sometimes we hang out, and that's cool. Sometimes we don't, and that's cool too.",
"People still compare us, but we know who we are."
],
"score": 11
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpk9e0",
"comment_text": [
"Here's an easy to digest ",
"crash course",
" on it."
],
"score": 9
} | |
ELI5-What do we know about cross-species "friendships"? | explainlikeimfive | 1rpz24 | 25 | true | false | 0.73 | I think this is too general a question for askscience, in fact I'm not even sure what my question is. But this video is a good example of what I mean- So the magpie and dog are both pets, which would explain their comfort with each other. But corvid play behavior seems so different from canine- i wish i knew how they "found common ground." It even appears that the magpie is using dominance/submissive play with the dog, by rolling onto its back and kicking its legs up gently at the dog. They both know the amount of force to use as to not injure each other. So what's happening here in each animal's brain? Does the bird intuitively understand that the dog is a puppy? Does it consider the dog its "friend"? if so, what does that mean to the bird? I hope someone else knows what I'm trying to get at (fingers crossed for Unidan to show up, who is a corvid enthusiast I believe) | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpswsy",
"comment_text": [
"There was a fantastic documentary on the BBC recently about this very topic. There were was a guy who befriended a group of hyenas, a man who lived with a large bison (who was recently featured on ",
"/r/wtf",
"), a rhino which had befriended a sheep and many other fascinating friendships. They went into some of the science behind it and why animals make these unusual friendships.",
"Here's the link on iPlayer",
" of the first of the two episodes, i'm not sure if you'll be able to access it but the title's 'Animal Odd Couples' if you want to find it elsewhere. It was honestly very informative and i really learned quite a bit from it. Hope you enjoy it too!"
],
"score": 5
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpq8ko",
"comment_text": [
"Thanks for the link. It's interesting, the bearded man describes the lioness as a controlling jailor, whereas the charming british woman views her more as a needy, loving parent figure. I guess we'll never know exactly what's going on in an animal's brain in these situations. ",
"Although I wonder. Lots of studies of the human brain focus on which areas \"light up\" when we see something or someone. I wonder what areas are being used when a lioness sees an antelope as something other than food, or when a magpie plays with a puppy."
],
"score": 4
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpyhg7",
"comment_text": [
"Looking forward to watching that, thanks! "
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpowiv",
"comment_text": [
"Another great example of a cross-species friendship is when a lioness adopted a baby antelope.",
"Here is a video showing this unusual \"friendship\" -",
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZw-1BfHFKM",
" - (7 minutes)\nThe video also vaguely explains why the lioness adopted the baby antelope."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpw391",
"comment_text": [
"Honestly I don't know, but I've always found inter species friendships fascinating, specially when it's a mammal and a bird or reptile. I guess it does show how little we know about what goes on in their heads.",
"Oh, and you might like ",
"/r/AnimalsBeingBros"
],
"score": 3
} | |
ELI5: How did the projected and actual enrollments under the Affordable Care Act turn out to be so different? | explainlikeimfive | 1rq0pn | 0 | true | false | 0.5 | Before healthcare.gov launched, there were projections of enrollments in the millions within the first month. However, actual enrollments were reported by news outlets to be in the tens or perhaps hundreds of thousands (tens of thousands a few weeks ago, I haven't heard updated numbers since). That's an order of magnitude difference, at least. I have two questions surrounding this disparity : What is the root cause of the difference between what was expected, and what actually happened? Was it really all down to technical errors with the website? Or was there not nearly the interest in the program that program designers had assumed? The other question surrounds oversight and management. In short, it seems like spending so much ($600m+ for the web site alone?) for so few (let's assume 100k people) seems like such a basic metric of usefulness. How did we wind up with such a debacle? Yes, I've heard all about how the government purchases IT projects, but really, shouldn't someone have been in charge of making the call on that one decision? Was the data just wrong? Did they do consumer interest studies at all? When you know you are going to spend that kind of money, don't you do some due-diligence beforehand? | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpoqcv",
"comment_text": [
"A few notes:",
"Looking at this chart",
"If you look at the ",
"actual numbers",
" , 1.5 million people completed an application in the first month - 1 million were eligible for a plan, and 100K chose a plan. So people ",
" interested, but there are either issues with signing up (Healthcare.gov) or people are still trying to figure out what plans will work best for them.",
"It's hard to say how much of that drop off from 1.5M to 100K is due to technical issues - there is also public perception of the plan, media coverage, and the political sparring that has been happening steadily over the last year, all of which can make it more difficult for someone to make an informed decision. ",
"I'm sure there were many studies done - but all the studies and statistics in the world aren't going to be able to account for real world events like the healthcare.gov launch"
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdppub1",
"comment_text": [
"Nice, thorough answer. Just to add a little bit...",
"MA implemented health reform very similar to the ACA several years ago. Unlike national reform, MA's implementation had far fewer technical failures at launch. Likewise politically, there was far less controversy surrounding the new law, so instead of squabbling over it and needing to put out political fires, they were free to focus on putting out a pretty successful PR campaign that made the public well-informed about how to sign up and where to get more information. Despite this, their numbers during the first few months were very low (less than 1% of the target during the first month). It wasn't until the month before the deadline when enrollment surged and they hit their goal. Now, MA has the lowest % of uninsured people in the country (it was 4% as of 2011 -- and it's estimated that half of those people are eligible for MA's version of Medicaid, but just haven't signed up).",
"Despite all of its relative problems, the national signup rate is already out-pacing MA's signup rate during its first two months. But because the (over-zealous) original projections were put out there and, politically, there's so much riding on national healthcare reform, that all of its successes and failures, however insignificant and premature, end up being reported on in the news."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpr2k8",
"comment_text": [
"the national signup rate is already out-pacing MA's signup rate during its first two months.",
"Ok, this starts to make some sense. If it is indeed true that you can use MA as an accurate model for the national program, then this speaks more to performance than the raw numbers might. ",
"That's assuming that the MA model is generally considered a success, of course."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdprngz",
"comment_text": [
"If it is indeed true that you can use MA as an accurate model for the national program",
"That's the question, but no one can know until March. For now, media hype!",
"Also, the MA model is considered a success by most metrics (availability/access to healthcare, healthcare costs, % with insurance, etc.). That said, it did take additional legislation to work out the kinks, and it's unclear that this can be achieved in the present political climate at the federal level..."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpqyma",
"comment_text": [
"Looking at this chart within the first month states on their own exchanges did pretty well as far as signups",
"Ok, looking at say Colorado, for example, who implemented their own exchange. According everyone's favourite, wikipedia, the states' population is ~5million. Let's cut that in 1/2 and say half of them are tax payers. 2.5 million. For the sake of argument, let's also say that same half are also in need of healthcare (either through the exchange or their employer). What's the percentage of 3700 out of 2.5 million? In one month? That's doing well? ",
"Now, I admit, my assumptions are gross and possibly wholly wrong, but just on the face of it, I'm not sure how that would be deemed a success. Don't get me wrong, I'm not some tea-party nut who has wet dreams at night about defunding Obamacare, but it seems to me that something bigger than a technical glitch was missed here. My hunch is that the public either wasn't adequately sold on the idea, or perhaps what came out of the sausage grinder didn't look as appetizing as what went into it (i.e. the plans that became available were no where near as attractive as people expected), or the third possibility is that opponents did a rather effective job of poking holes in this concept.",
"Given my personal experience with what I've seen, I'm leaning towards the middle option, but I'm only one case. "
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: Why do people treat this subreddit as Google search engine? | explainlikeimfive | 1rqkpi | 0 | true | false | 0.41 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpu825",
"comment_text": [
"Sometimes it's hard to find very simple and concise answers to odd questions. Sometimes it's faster for a person to sit down and explain everything in layman's terms rather than wiki chain-linking to more and more definitions of more and more concepts and articles."
],
"score": 7
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpumsi",
"comment_text": [
"What's the big issue? Sometimes people need things explained to them in different ways or don't realize there's an obvious answer. If people weren't allowed to ask questions that could already be answered by google, well, there would be nothing to ask. This is a questions subreddit."
],
"score": 4
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpumox",
"comment_text": [
"Which is the whole purpose of the voting system. Stop browsing the new ones and just look at the hot/top posts...those end up being the best questions with the best discussions.",
"You see dumb posts on every sub...just downvote and move on, some people are simply idiots and don't know any better."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpup9g",
"comment_text": [
"Exactly, send a message to the stupid posts by downvoting them to hell and just avoid the new section and stick to top and hot.",
"And even on the threads that ask the really repetitive questions like on Bitcoins I see people go in and not only downvote but comment either being helpful and pointing them to the sticky or berating them for overlooking the obvious top stickied post. Those tend to get heavily downvoted pretty quickly so they never make it to hot/top."
],
"score": -1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpyg2k",
"comment_text": [
"None of your explanations are helpful. Faggots are still asking stupid questions."
],
"score": -1
} | ||
ELI5:How exactly does genetics play into weightlifting? | explainlikeimfive | 1rqow0 | 1 | true | false | 0.66 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpvghu",
"comment_text": [
"Body fat has little to do with the weight you can lift",
"Big muscles aren't always strong muscles. Generally, fewer reps at a heavier weight is beneficial for strength while more reps at a slightly lower weight is beneficial for hypertrophy (muscle growth).",
"As far as genetics go, muscle insertion placement, length of levers, ratio of limb-to-torso length, etc. all play into how successful a weightlifter may or may not be.",
"The kid may have had better form than you",
"Edit: And unless you witnessed him lift the weight, he could have been lying about it too"
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpvvpv",
"comment_text": [
"Wanted to add on here:",
"Lots of factors affect muscle growth, including your body's natural ability to produce steroids like testosterone. I would also invite you to look up an image of the ",
"Belgian blue",
" cattle breed here, which shares a genetic mutation that is also common in ",
"whippets",
", that inhibits the formation of a protein that stops muscle production."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpzkdw",
"comment_text": [
"To my knowledge, the only difference in length of muscle fibers is caused by muscle insertions and the overall length of the muscle itself."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpw86l",
"comment_text": [
"That condition is rare in humans, is it not? Don't those animals have to eat a massive amount of food to support themselves too?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdpx7c2",
"comment_text": [
"I believe you are correct on all accounts."
],
"score": 1
} | |
ELI5: If the goal of credit card companies is to get me into as much debt as possible, so I have to pay a ton of interest, why do I need good credit to get a card from them? | explainlikeimfive | 1rlza7 | 1 | true | false | 0.57 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdokb9o",
"comment_text": [
"Risks and rewards. they want you in debt, but they don't want you to default (then they lose their money). the ideal customer is somebody who maxes out their credit card and makes the minimum payment indefinitely. BUT if you already have a maxed out credit card, its doubtful you'll support a second one. if you've defaulted on a loan before or have bad credit, it means they are taking an added risk of adding you as a borrower."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdok8y9",
"comment_text": [
"They check your credit to be sure that you're good to pay back the money eventually. There's not much point in trusting you to pay the extra interest if in the past you haven't."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdokbc0",
"comment_text": [
"A credit score is a measurement of how well you pay back debts. They want people with good scores so they can know they will be paid back."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdokvds",
"comment_text": [
"Because \"as much debt as possible\" in your case is $0.",
"They want to loan money to people who they believe are likely to pay them back. If you have no credit history or a bad credit history, then they don't want to lend you money because you may not pay them back."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdokyc7",
"comment_text": [
"You don't need a good credit score to get a credit card. You need a good credit score to get a good (low) interest rate. Because a good score means you're less of a risk, the CC companies are willing to make less money off of you if they know for sure you'll pay it."
],
"score": 1
} | ||
ELI5: Why does gasoline smell good to many (maybe most) people? | explainlikeimfive | 1rm19q | 3 | true | false | 0.61 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdomknj",
"comment_text": [
"It honestly just smells pleasant to me. Different people have different olfactory pleasures. Some enjoy the smell of rubber. Hell there's even perfumeries dedicated to producing weird scents for people. You like the smell of play doh? You can buy play doh perfume here- ",
"http://www.demeterfragrance.com/704254/products/Play--Doh.html"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdowwxz",
"comment_text": [
"Does it?",
"Can't say I like the smell of gasoline. But I do like the smell of burning wood which has no noticeable accelerants. Such as bonfires, scrub fires as well as wood fireplaces.",
"Disclaimer: Not a pyromaniac"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdp05mg",
"comment_text": [
"I can attest that it isn't pleasant because it brings back memories. I like the smell of it and I'm only 18. When I smell it it's not like a \"tasty\" smell; it's just sort of intoxicating almost. But I'm not reminded of anything when I smell it. And I'm not getting high off one whiff so it's not a pleasure like that either. Intoxicating may have been a bad word to use"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdokt6t",
"comment_text": [
"To me it gives me fond memories of working on cars and other projects in my grandfather's garage. I think it also reminds me of fuel stops on long-distance road trips with friends and/or family, enduring the highs and lows of such a journey together is bonding.",
"But that's primarily because it's the odor of cars and I have a fond memory of cars. I don't think there's anything intrinsically enjoyable about the scent of a poisonous hydrocarbon."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdol3rd",
"comment_text": [
"This is news to me. I can't stand the smell of gasoline and hate getting it on my hands when I pump it and then smelling it when I get back in the car. ",
"I had no idea people liked it."
],
"score": 1
} | ||
ELI5: Why wouldn't all the fishes die if I dropped my blowdryer in the ocean? | explainlikeimfive | 1rmjv8 | 0 | true | false | 0.33 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdoqcn1",
"comment_text": [
"Same reason all terrestrial life doesn't die just because there's lightning in the area.",
"Electricity takes the lowest resistance path to ground. That's a single path usually to whatever ground is closest."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdoqdi2",
"comment_text": [
"Water isn't a perfect conductor. It \"absorbs\" electricity. The bigger the water-mass, the more electricity it can \"absorb.\"",
"This is another reason old copper telephone wires have powered repeaters, the wires \"absorb\" some of the electricity, and the bigger/longer the wire is, the more electricity is \"absorbed.\" "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdor1jg",
"comment_text": [
"I know you put absorbed within quotations, but it's really not a good word to use, even in an ELI5, because it potentially brings a hell of a lot of confusion if people actually think that the current is being absorbed. "
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdor2kq",
"comment_text": [
"I think its a fine analogy for explaining electrical resistance and conductance in the context of the question, especially when the person asking the question doesn't have a background in how electricity actually works.",
"You could talk about electrical energy being transformed into heat and other forms of energy, but for ELI5 absorbed is a perfectly fine shorthand. This isn't an academic essay."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdos0o7",
"comment_text": [
"Not enough power",
"It doesn't always kill them. ",
"My friend's dad is a fish biologist, and part of his work was to do surveys of lakes to see how the fish populations are doing. He would go out in a boat and drop booms in the water hooked up to a big power source and shock fish in the water. They'd float up and he'd be able to survey them. After a bit they wake up and swim off."
],
"score": 1
} | ||
ELI5: what is the legal argument/case dealerships are building against Tesla? | explainlikeimfive | 1rmnec | 2 | true | false | 0.58 | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdornl8",
"comment_text": [
"In most states, there are laws in place that prohibit car manufacturers from selling their products directly to the consumer. The sale of new cars must be done through the 'car dealership'. Tesla, however, is bypassing the dealership and selling to consumers directly, usually via websites or stores where you can order a Tesla to be built for you.",
"The Dealerships are basically stating that Tesla is violating these particular trade laws and want the government to put a stop to it."
],
"score": 3
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdornmc",
"comment_text": [
"I believe there are laws that prevent manufacturers from selling their cars directly. This is to prevent a manufacturer like Honda suddenly deciding they'll just start selling cars themselves for half the dealer's prices and driving all the dealerships out of buisness.",
"Tesla has a reason this argument doesn't apply to them, but I can't remember the exact wording. The above is the basis of the argument though"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdorug7",
"comment_text": [
"Why not start a new division?, where they could qualify as a dealership"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdos0xz",
"comment_text": [
"I'd imagine there's rules about what qualifies as a dealership. Think about it: If Honda could just say they were a dealership now, the law above would be kind of useless, wouldn't it.",
"Another problem would be the cost of setting up dealerships on a scale that could reach as many people as Tesla wants to reach. Itd cost an unimagineable amount of money to set up a bunch of dealerships, not to mention trying to set up the infrastructure for making electric cars viable. The internet is a much simoler way to sell.",
"Finally, dealerships aren't very likely to pick up Teslas because electric cars don't require alot of maintanence, which is a major stream of income for dealerships ",
"What other options does Tesla have?"
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdp80ad",
"comment_text": [
"This is what I'd like to know know as well. How I'd Tesla positioning themselves as different than that hypothetical Honda situation. "
],
"score": 1
} | ||
ELI5: Why is birthing identical twins allowed when human cloning is illegal? | explainlikeimfive | 1rne94 | 0 | true | false | 0.25 | [deleted] | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdoy7i5",
"comment_text": [
"Human cloning isn't illegal. At least, not in the US.",
"To quote Wikipedia:",
"There are currently no federal laws in the United States which ban cloning completely, and any such laws would raise difficult Constitutional questions similar to the issues raised by abortion. Thirteen American states (Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Iowa, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, North Dakota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia) ban reproductive cloning and three states (Arizona, Maryland, Missouri) prohibit use of public funds for such activities.",
"Notice that \"reproductive cloning\" is banned in several states, which means that they still allow ",
"therapeutic cloning",
"."
],
"score": 2
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdoy87i",
"comment_text": [
"This can't be a serious question.........."
],
"score": 1
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdoyb43",
"comment_text": [
"Having twins should fall under the first one, right?",
"No. Having twins isn't cloning. For something to be cloning, it must be done intentionally.",
"What you're saying is like asking, \"If it's illegal for an eye doctor to give patients poor vision on purpose, then why are people allowed to naturally develop bad eyesight?\""
],
"score": 0
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdoyb43",
"comment_text": [
"Having twins should fall under the first one, right?",
"No. Having twins isn't cloning. For something to be cloning, it must be done intentionally.",
"What you're saying is like asking, \"If it's illegal for an eye doctor to give patients poor vision on purpose, then why are people allowed to naturally develop bad eyesight?\""
],
"score": 0
} | {
"comment_id": "t1_cdoyd7l",
"comment_text": [
"Do you have a reference for that?",
"A reference for what?"
],
"score": 0
} |
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