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n9adt
Is there enough food for everyone in the world?
I have heard that only political issues prevent us from feeding everyone in the world. Is this true?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/n9adt/is_there_enough_food_for_everyone_in_the_world/
{ "a_id": [ "c37avfb", "c37avfb" ], "score": [ 4, 4 ], "text": [ "There's more to this complex topic than politics. There's also transportation issues, more people in the world having access to meat which is less efficient for feeding people, people honestly not caring and the like. Hunger...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_security", "http://dieoff.org/page36.htm", "http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/11/17/italy.food.summit/" ], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_security", "http://dieoff.org/page36.htm", "http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/11/17/italy.foo...
2ajgtu
What is the maximum frame rate and resolution on a computer monitor or TV before it makes no difference to the human eye?
Is the answer different depending on whether it is a progressive or interlaced format? Does it even make sense for an 8k camera to exist?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2ajgtu/what_is_the_maximum_frame_rate_and_resolution_on/
{ "a_id": [ "civt9ys", "civvscw" ], "score": [ 6, 3 ], "text": [ " > Does it even make sense for an 8k camera to exist?\n\nEven if the resolution of an image is indiscernable at lifesize, that doesn't mean higher resolutions are useless. To take a simple example, imagine you make a very l...
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[ [], [ "http://wolfcrow.com/blog/notes-by-dr-optoglass-the-resolution-of-the-human-eye/" ] ]
2bf9wv
What are some good resources for translating Mesopotamian cuneiform into English? (xpost r/cuneiform)
I have started a project that will employ an ancient symbol(s) relating to water, Gods, and slumber. Can someone help me out? Thanks a bunch!
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2bf9wv/what_are_some_good_resources_for_translating/
{ "a_id": [ "cj4sl2o", "cj4tyb8" ], "score": [ 3, 7 ], "text": [ "First, you should probably get a good grammar and dictionary of the underlying languages so you don't produce unintelligible nonsense or at least make the english _vorlage_ marginally less visible. The standard grammar for A...
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[ [ "http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/projectlist.html", "http://psd.museum.upenn.edu/epsd/nepsd-frame.html" ], [ "http://www.livius.org/ct-cz/cyrus_I/cyrus_cylinder2.html", "http://www.livius.org/a/1/mesopotamia/cyrus_cylinder_scan.pdf", "http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/...
30xc0l
if i play sports that are challenging for my joints, will they get stronger from the work out, or will they get bad (especially if pain shows up when i get older)?
Thanks!
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/30xc0l/eli5_if_i_play_sports_that_are_challenging_for_my/
{ "a_id": [ "cpwn0ak", "cpwn34c", "cpwrhpe" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 3 ], "text": [ "I don't know of an overall answer, or if it's different for different sports, but my wife rowed crew in college, and the first day the coach told everyone, \"This sport is going to ruin your knees.\"", ...
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[ [], [], [] ]
5t276f
how do the autonomous regions of spain work in relation to the national government?
I am specifically interested in the Basque region. I know that they have their own parliament and even their own police force, but I am having trouble grasping how this works in relation to Spain's monarchy. Is it like the states and the federal government? Are there national laws and then regional laws or do regions d...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5t276f/eli5_how_do_the_autonomous_regions_of_spain_work/
{ "a_id": [ "ddjs3l8", "ddk4mfn" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "It is similar to states, in that autonomous regions can enact their own laws if those laws mesh with national laws.\n\nSpain's monarchy doesnt matter much, as it is primarily lead by a Prime Minister (not the King).\n\nAll a...
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[ [], [] ]
dc78n7
"eli5" how is the flame shaped behind a rocket.
how is it that when the flaming gas comes out of the exhaust, narrows down in the beginning and then after a bit it becomes wider and the goes back down to be narrow again? & #x200B; I draw a few lines, in the screenshot, I got to show what I mean. & #x200B; [_URL_0_](_URL_0_)
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/dc78n7/eli5_eli5_how_is_the_flame_shaped_behind_a_rocket/
{ "a_id": [ "f26dwpn", "f26e63t" ], "score": [ 10, 3 ], "text": [ "These cones are commonly called shock diamonds and is present in all jet engines not only rocket engines. A jet engines nozzle is designed to output an exhaust at a specific velocity and pressure. Ideally the pressure would...
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[ "https://imgur.com/SrYAq2d" ]
[ [], [] ]
bbkmkh
why would a beverage have both sucrose and sucralose in it?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bbkmkh/eli5why_would_a_beverage_have_both_sucrose_and/
{ "a_id": [ "ekjfnwl" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "It's likely related to the well-known \"sugar tax\" being levied by various governments, US included. Drinks with sugar levels above a certain limit are subject to additional taxation.\n\nRemoval of X% sugar, and replacement with sucralose, will ...
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[ [] ]
2fzzws
Did the Vikings really perform the "Blood Eagle" on christians, or is it just a myth?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2fzzws/did_the_vikings_really_perform_the_blood_eagle_on/
{ "a_id": [ "ckeif1h", "ckeney0" ], "score": [ 13, 7 ], "text": [ "[Here is a previous thread](_URL_0_) that answers this question. The answer is probably not.", "Not what you are asking, but at the end of 15th century Joan de Canyamars, a peasant, a squatter, tried to kill the Catalan...
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[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1jvoye/did\\_the\\_scandinavians\\_actually\\_use\\_the\\_blood/" ], [ "http://books.google.cat/books?id=kuk3JG3DL0gC&pg=PA678#v=onepage&q&f=false" ] ]
281qxt
does marijuana have side-effects/withdrawal symptoms like controlled-substance medications such as xanax? if not, why is the latter available legally in every state (with prescription)?
I'm not an expert, but it seems like Xanax and marijuana both have the same effect for the user-- to slow down depression/anxiety and make a person feel better, to put it simply. However, most, if not all physicians won't allow a patient to take Xanax indefinitely, because of inevitable dependency issues. Does marijua...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/281qxt/eli5_does_marijuana_have_sideeffectswithdrawal/
{ "a_id": [ "ci6k6bh", "ci6ky4i", "ci6lw5n", "ci6lwnm", "ci6lzcv", "ci6mvg2", "ci6n24f", "ci6omuq", "ci6pfbv", "ci6pj9a", "ci6qwod" ], "score": [ 10, 4, 3, 4, 8, 3, 2, 29, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ " > Yes, marijuana has s...
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
gjpsg
A question or two on Jellyfish
Hello /r/science! I've got a question: So I understand that Jellyfish are one of the more basic forms of life on our planet, but I don't understand how basic. I get that they swim, but do they control, or know their direction? do they only have the one muscle? They are sometimes carnivorous, but do they eat discrim...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/gjpsg/a_question_or_two_on_jellyfish/
{ "a_id": [ "c1o2wl7", "c1o3qbf" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Hmmm I wish someone answered these questions. They seem quite interesting! ", "wow, lots of questions, I'll do my best.\n\nJellyfish are some of the most basic animals but not life forms. They have two cell layers unlike...
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[ [], [] ]
4krbt1
In High School I was taught WW2 began because of the Treaty of Versailles. However on /r/warcollege and /r/shitwehraboossay the users often point out the Germans not only came out of WW1 economicly strong but that the Germans sabatoged their economy. Can someone expand?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4krbt1/in_high_school_i_was_taught_ww2_began_because_of/
{ "a_id": [ "d3hhzde", "d3it0e9" ], "score": [ 3, 4 ], "text": [ "I must refer you to this post by /u/EvanHarper\nwhich should explain your questions. - > \n_URL_0_\nThe only thing i wish to add is to keep germany's ww1 money creation (the war had inflationary tendencies because consumer ...
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/23g1px/in_your_opinion_which_was_a_bigger_cause_for_wwii/cgwod8b?context=3" ], [] ]
5clnxo
why are pesticides meant to kill insects and rodents also poisonous to humans?
Humans, rodents, and (especially) insects have very different physiology, so why is it so hard to find a poison that only kills pests, but doesn't affect humans?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5clnxo/eli5_why_are_pesticides_meant_to_kill_insects_and/
{ "a_id": [ "d9xfdsk", "d9xgbmj", "d9xktqu" ], "score": [ 5, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Because we are very close relatively speaking in terms of evolution. We are, in a broad sense, not \"very\" different to each other. That's why it's hard. For example, Nicotine (and caffeine) were creat...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
42guu9
suppose you live in Italy in 90 BCE. would you (likely) think of yourself as entirely Roman, or would you still identify as whatever culture (etruscan, latin, ect) your ancestors had belonged to before the romans conquered them?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/42guu9/suppose_you_live_in_italy_in_90_bce_would_you/
{ "a_id": [ "czaabiu" ], "score": [ 82 ], "text": [ "In 90 BCE most likely (it is a current debate among historians what actually was going on, and when I finish my dissertation I'll tell you what actually was going on) didn't consider themselves Roman citizens - certainly not in a legal sense, an...
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[ [] ]
8xlh6y
Post Roman Britain ruins
After the Romans left Britain (and their relics remained) did the people who lived there centuries later (after 410AD) ever leave any preserved letters/writing questioning who built the previous structures (like Hadrian's Wall)?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8xlh6y/post_roman_britain_ruins/
{ "a_id": [ "e24ck0v" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Hi there. /u/itsallfolklore and I discussed what is essentially your question [here](_URL_0_). \n\nThe TL/DR of that is that the Anglo-Saxons were extremely aware of *who* built the Roman sites around England, and often *how*, and lamented the fa...
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[]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/72f794/in_the_tv_show_vikings_both_common_and_noble/dnim2vu" ] ]
4nvli6
why is the 5-pointed star so prevalant on flags & in militaries
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4nvli6/eli5_why_is_the_5pointed_star_so_prevalant_on/
{ "a_id": [ "d47auc5" ], "score": [ 10 ], "text": [ "The pentagram has been a popular symbol since ancient times. There are a few theories about why this might have happened:\n\n* It is possible to draw a pentagram in one go. It might have been a symbol of continuity or endlessness, much like a ci...
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[ [] ]
2wtm3e
Why did the Germanic word France replace the Latin name Gaul, but the Latin name Germany survive against the German name Deutschland?
I hope the title makes sense; it was hard to figure out how to write what I wanted to ask. Obviously the 'survive' part of the question refers to the word surviving in many Western European languages, including English. I know it's not easy to answer a "why didn't X happen" question, so here are a couple of other ques...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2wtm3e/why_did_the_germanic_word_france_replace_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cou1znt", "cou6l3h", "cou9lqa", "coucdfx", "couijrn" ], "score": [ 77, 537, 3, 11, 2 ], "text": [ "As you seem to be aware, you are asking several different questions here, some of which are hard to answer. It is not unusual to have a country go by diff...
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[ [ "http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=dutch&searchmode=none", "http://www.woerterbuchnetz.de/DWB?lemma=deutschland" ], [ "http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/caesar/gall1.shtml", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallia_Narbonensis" ], [], [], [] ]
1dsc9j
Why has the Colombian armed conflict lasted so long?
I know Latin America has a long history of internal conflicts, and I know the reasons why the Colombian conflict started (La violencia, the National Front power sharing arrangement, inequality etc.), but these kind of issues were not unique to Colombia and other countries managed to end their conflicts during the 1970s...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1dsc9j/why_has_the_colombian_armed_conflict_lasted_so/
{ "a_id": [ "c9th71f" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Because is has ceased to be a political conflict and is about power and destabilization to protect drug interests. [This article](_URL_0_) discusses the FARC involvement in the trade from 13 years ago. It is now a financial life line for FARC. ...
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[ [ "http://www.tni.org/briefing/revolutionary-armed-forces-colombia-farc-and-illicit-drug-trade" ] ]
66rhc1
Eli5 has asked where the term "Russian Roulette" comes from, but the answers are a mess. Historians, is there any historical explanation for the term?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/66rhc1/eli5_has_asked_where_the_term_russian_roulette/
{ "a_id": [ "dgkyvix", "dgla5pj", "dglnnak", "dgm08lw" ], "score": [ 39, 151, 9, 3 ], "text": [ "Hi, more discussion is welcome here, but do check out this earlier thread \n\n* [Russian roulette - what is the origin? Has it actually been played? Are there testimonials from ...
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2mnn6f/russian_roulette_what_is_the_origin_has_it/" ], [ "http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199990009.001.0001/acref-9780199990009", "https://books.google.ca/books/about/Suicides.html?id=rGDo_ydDJUEC&redir_esc=y", "http:/...
n9dwc
If I had an electric chain saw, and then accidentally sawed the electric cord, would I get shocked?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/n9dwc/if_i_had_an_electric_chain_saw_and_then/
{ "a_id": [ "c37av6p", "c37av6p" ], "score": [ 3, 3 ], "text": [ "The short answer is yes, it is possible. In order to disable the chainsaw, you have to cut through either the live or neutral line. So there may be a brief or sustained period where the chainsaw housing becomes live.\n\nHowe...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
7lzvm1
How did Scandinavians shift from being plundering Vikings to the seemingly sensible folk they are perceived as today?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7lzvm1/how_did_scandinavians_shift_from_being_plundering/
{ "a_id": [ "drr7l19" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "First, it is important to note that all Scandinavians was not plundering Vikings, most of them was in fact farmers, fishers and hunters. Furthermore, those that actually travelled was not only raiders, they were traders, explorers, colonizers and...
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6sf5d9/why_do_the_norse_begin_to_expandconduct_viking/" ] ]
6uyhxy
Is there any cost increase for ISP's in increasing download speeds ?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/6uyhxy/is_there_any_cost_increase_for_isps_in_increasing/
{ "a_id": [ "dlwrlm4" ], "score": [ 13 ], "text": [ "That's entirely based on whether they have to invest in infrastructure ( routers, switches, cabling, etc ) or if the structure is already there. \n\nExample. I worked for Comcast in 2007. Their entire network up until the last mile before your ...
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[ [] ]
3yd784
trading 'futures' in the stock market
Recently read an article where two people in the 50's cornered 98% of the onion market by trading futures. What does this mean and how would this affect the price of onions?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3yd784/eli5_trading_futures_in_the_stock_market/
{ "a_id": [ "cych16n", "cych9k5" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "\"Futures\" are contracts for the future delivery of an item. Instead of buying a farmer's onions that he just harvested, I invest in the onions that he has yet to grow. The farmer can use the investment on his farm right aw...
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[ [], [] ]
sl29o
If I have two insulated bottles one contains water that is 10 degrees c lower than room temp. The other 10 degrees warmer. Which will become room temp faster / slower.
I guess I'm wondering which takes more energy?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/sl29o/if_i_have_two_insulated_bottles_one_contains/
{ "a_id": [ "c4euwet", "c4eve6d" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Practically, both will reach room temperature at the same time.\n\nTheoretically, the warmer one might reach it slightly faster because it starts out less dense, and therefore starts with less mass, but the difference is lik...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
3ukt4z
Historians, how do you deal with sad moments of History? (written records, images, films, etc)
Learning the world wars during school is totally different. They become glorified because of ideology, and there's little to no mention of people's suffering. Let me explain this better. I'm currently watching [The Great War channel](_URL_0_), which follows the action in-depth during World War I. But Indy, the host of...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3ukt4z/historians_how_do_you_deal_with_sad_moments_of/
{ "a_id": [ "cxfns0a", "cxfpdak", "cxfrsw2" ], "score": [ 4, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "I often end up crying during my research. Due to the area I study I focus specifically on the 'lighter' topics within it, and even those can be very distressing. However, I think I'd be extremely worrie...
[]
[ "https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGreatWar/videos" ]
[ [], [], [] ]
92t2ld
will my teeth move after braces are removed?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/92t2ld/eli5_will_my_teeth_move_after_braces_are_removed/
{ "a_id": [ "e386aii", "e386aov", "e386bpq", "e386g3h" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Nah, at least not significantly in 10 days. Putting the retainer on the first time might be uncomfortable because of the minute movement, but if you wear it properly afterwards it ...
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[ [], [], [], [] ]
ugtjb
Is the production of bio-fuels viable?
Since bio-fuels are synthesized by using food crops, is it viable to depend on this source of energy? I have two issues: 1) It takes a lot of energy to cultivate and process these crops. Will the amount of energy released be greater than this? 2) An increasing population will require more food and that in turn, require...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/ugtjb/is_the_production_of_biofuels_viable/
{ "a_id": [ "c4vavo0" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Some biofuels use [waste vegetable oil](_URL_1_) from restaurants although this is a smaller niche market.\n\nI've seen [these people](_URL_0_) at fast food restaurants." ] }
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[]
[ [ "http://generalbiodiesel.com/index.php/used_cooking_oil_collection/", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_oil_fuel" ] ]
5l3unr
how do they determine what age group of kids is safe for a specific toy? does the administration just say what they think is right or is there actually a scientific way to determine this?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5l3unr/eli5_how_do_they_determine_what_age_group_of_kids/
{ "a_id": [ "dbsoo84", "dbsre2x" ], "score": [ 10, 3 ], "text": [ "In the United States there are regulations that spell out how toys for children need to be tested and how the safe age range should be determined. Most toy manufacturers have to submit toys for third party testing and then ...
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[ [ "https://www.cpsc.gov/Business--Manufacturing/Business-Education/Toy-Safety" ], [] ]
57dyyx
How much ammo did the typical Napoleonic era musket man have?
_URL_0_ The above video mentions that only 1 in 200 shots would kill - even in the era of line infantry, there were very few kills relative to the amount of shooting going on. So my question is, just how much ammo did a musketman need to carry and how much could he quickly retrieve in the middle of battle if he ran o...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/57dyyx/how_much_ammo_did_the_typical_napoleonic_era/
{ "a_id": [ "d8rewzx" ], "score": [ 13 ], "text": [ "Amendment: My original calculations on rate of fire were based on a company and then incorrectly widened to a battalion. A company fires 108 shots a minute on average, with a battalion firing 648. \n\nHello There, \n\nI am going to use my knowl...
[]
[ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zViyZGmBhvs" ]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4jzavd/is_the_youtube_historian_lindybeige_reliable/" ] ]
48jltd
Can DNA be made using L-sugars?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/48jltd/can_dna_be_made_using_lsugars/
{ "a_id": [ "d0kdwv1" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "Yes you can! It is called L-DNA, as opposed to naturally occurring D-DNA. You can even [buy it](_URL_1_). It retains all of the base pairing rules, but the helix chirality is reversed. As a result, L-DNA will not hybridize with a complementary st...
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[]
[ [ "http://nass.oxfordjournals.org/content/49/1/261", "http://www.biosyn.com/l-dna-oligonucleotide-synthesis.aspx" ] ]
3i4svt
How did medieval Islamic historians write about/conceptualise the history of their religion? Please also tell me about who wrote history in the medieval Islamic world, why, and what written history was used for in medieval Islamic society.
I'm curious about how medieval Islam dealt with its religious history - e.g. in comparison to how the historical books of the Bible, Josephus, Eusebius etc. dealt with parts of the history of Judaism and Christianity. I'm thinking from the time of Muhammad up to around the time of Ibn Khaldun as the period in question....
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3i4svt/how_did_medieval_islamic_historians_write/
{ "a_id": [ "cudinzu", "cudzudi" ], "score": [ 4, 10 ], "text": [ "How does askhistorians feel about doing peoples assignments for them?", "Islamic history was, like Jewish and Christian history, originally preserved orally. As these oral histories were passed on, early Muslims attache...
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[ [], [ "http://www.darwinpress.com/Books%20SLAEI/SLAEI-14-Narratives%20%28978-0-87850-127-4%29/main.html", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ummah", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadith", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kutub_al-Sittah", "http://sunnah.com/" ] ]
zpvf1
What is the white thread-like substance found under a scab?
EDIT: adding a bit to the question, What is the purpose of it?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/zpvf1/what_is_the_white_threadlike_substance_found/
{ "a_id": [ "c66pwbl" ], "score": [ 25 ], "text": [ "[Fibrin](_URL_0_).\n\nIt's a fibrous matrix protein that polymerizes to cover open wounds as part of the clotting response." ] }
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibrin" ] ]
48g7tw
why do humans find it necessary to try and control how others live their lives even when it doesn't affect them personally?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/48g7tw/eli5_why_do_humans_find_it_necessary_to_try_and/
{ "a_id": [ "d0jakie", "d0jbhky" ], "score": [ 8, 3 ], "text": [ "We are a social species that evolved to live in villages of under 300 people. So we have evolved instincts designed to ensure our place in the hierarchy, and to regulate and stabilize the group. When you live in a small vill...
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[ [], [] ]
3eq9zm
why when you look sideways at a moniter it looks like a picture negative?
Does it happen on anything other than lcd monitors? Why does it only happen to certain colors?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3eq9zm/eli5_why_when_you_look_sideways_at_a_moniter_it/
{ "a_id": [ "cthecfv" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Nope, it's just LCD monitors. LCD stands for \"liquid crystal display\", because there is a layer of an electrically reactive liquid, enclosed in tiny little cells, over the top of the screen. When the liquid is activated, it turns dark, blocki...
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[ [] ]
5onwec
why won't companies like valve make games such as half life 3 which would pretty much guarantee them unimaginable profits? is there another reason for not doing it apart from the risk of it not being that good?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5onwec/eli5_why_wont_companies_like_valve_make_games/
{ "a_id": [ "dcktn5d" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Valve is making money hand over fist with Steam. Half Life 3 has impossible expectations to live up to so I'm sure they'll wait until the risk doesn't outweigh the reward. Why risk messing things up right now when they're doing really well?\n\n...
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[ [] ]
6qsakb
Why is the American West of the 1800s portrayed as a desert?
A lot of movies, books, and games have led me, and probably others, to believe that much of the American West was tiny settlements in the desert. Why is this the stereotypical image of Western expansion? As a side question, how did these settlements and settlers find water and survive the journey out west? A lot of th...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6qsakb/why_is_the_american_west_of_the_1800s_portrayed/
{ "a_id": [ "dkznoyq", "dl2wpc5" ], "score": [ 325, 7 ], "text": [ "The vast majority of the American West cannot support agriculture without irrigation - often involving water from wells. It is a dry place, and this reality sets it apart from the other North American regions. It is depict...
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[ [], [] ]
626noz
why do you always need a resistance in front of a led even if the voltage is lower than the max the led can handle?
Essentially the title. (Newbie here, sorry for any errors)
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/626noz/eli5_why_do_you_always_need_a_resistance_in_front/
{ "a_id": [ "dfk4z72" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "The issue is that for an LED a small change in voltage can mean a very large change in current. For the resistor a change in voltage produces an equivalent change in current, different from an LED. You can't really know how much current is going ...
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[ [] ]
22yynr
What is the particle physics behind the triple point of a substance?
Hope that wasnt worded too terribly..
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/22yynr/what_is_the_particle_physics_behind_the_triple/
{ "a_id": [ "cgry0ba" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "From the point of view of thermodynamics (basically, looking at the system as a whole) the triple point is the point at which 3 phases of matter all have the same energy so matter can freely change between the 3 states.\n\nOn the scale of a singl...
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[ [] ]
8bzkzw
Is heterochromia the result of transposoable elements?
I'm just now reading about transposable* elements in my genetics textbook. The way Ds and Ac works in maize seems like it might possibly work similarly in human eye color (not necessarily spotted pigmentation, but the formation of a new phenotype).
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/8bzkzw/is_heterochromia_the_result_of_transposoable/
{ "a_id": [ "dxom6an" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "I wouldn't apply that concept to humans right away. We are much more complex than corn and have mechanisms in place in our DNA to combat things like this since this could be death to us if we had random genes jumping around willy nilly in us. Het...
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[ [] ]
rrru9
Is there any scientific basis for the claims of "r/nofap" on their FAQ page?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/rrru9/is_there_any_scientific_basis_for_the_claims_of/
{ "a_id": [ "c485o9m" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "There is such thing as numbed pleasure response, it occurs when dopamine releasing behaviour happens, it usually only occurs after an excess." ] }
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[ [] ]
39li8r
why doesn't gravity have an opposite, like the other fundamental forces?
Electromagnetism has positive and negative charges. Strong and Weak nuclear forces seem to come in pairs, as well. It seems strange to me that gravity works only one direction (pulling objects together). Why doesn't anti-gravity exist? [Obligatory XKCD link]( _URL_0_) (Sorry if that title winds up in r/titlegore; I ...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/39li8r/eli5_why_doesnt_gravity_have_an_opposite_like_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cs4cf79", "cs4depa", "cs4n3wb" ], "score": [ 3, 14, 2 ], "text": [ "Because we have never found a particle with a negative gravitational mass.\n\nCould there be an entire galaxy of negatively charged gravitationally charged particles that repel our matter. Conceivably,...
[]
[ "http://m.xkcd.com/1489/" ]
[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_mass" ], [], [] ]
i3k96
Can animals become friends?
_URL_0_ Better asked, can stories like this can be true? If yes, then how the hell does this work and why? EDIT: As arquebus pointed out, I was refering to animals of different species becoming "friends" with eachother.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/i3k96/can_animals_become_friends/
{ "a_id": [ "c20luk0", "c20lw0o", "c20lyfw", "c20lyg1", "c20m2mx", "c20mgyl", "c20mr5c", "c20mt5x", "c20mv4s", "c20mv57", "c20ndzl", "c20o4hm" ], "score": [ 13, 27, 5, 6, 26, 3, 2, 2, 17, 3, 5, 2 ], "text": [ "...
[]
[ "http://www.sfpnn.com/Misty/Fuzzy2008/ft110408_image002.jpg" ]
[ [], [], [ "http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/unlikely-animal-friends-4317/Videos/07217_00" ], [ "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4OD8dxIry8" ], [ "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBtFTF2ii7U" ], [], [], [ "http://www.koko.org/friends/kokomart_bkvid.html" ], [ "...
2p1s7v
why do videos playback/appear smoother on my phone when the brightness is all the way down and the lights are off?
For example. I'll watch a video with lights on, normal brightness. Video appears normally. I watch a video in the dark with normal brightness. Plays normally. Low brightness and lights off, it appears very smooth. Is it something to do with my phone, because my last phone did this as well. Curious, that's all
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2p1s7v/eli5_why_do_videos_playbackappear_smoother_on_my/
{ "a_id": [ "cmsp41c" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "It has more to do with how your brain interprets visual data. The low brightness makes it harder to notice small little hiccups in playback, so you have an easier time perceiving it as smooth motion." ] }
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3o9ic3
what's wrong with developing downtowns?
[deleted]
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3o9ic3/eli5whats_wrong_with_developing_downtowns/
{ "a_id": [ "cvv6d2m" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "You'll have to give more details.\n\nWho is saying there is a problem developing downtowns? What are their arguments?\n\nMost people involved in urban design and development would argue that developing downtowns is the best thing that a city or...
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1q636n
why military forces use standard-capacity magazines for their rifles if there are magazines with much higher capacity?
For example, why military forces use a 30-round STANAG magazine if there's a BETA C-Mag 100-round magazine? Not only limited to rifles, can also be pistols, machine pistols/submachine guns or basically any magazine-fed military-issue firearms.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1q636n/eli5_why_military_forces_use_standardcapacity/
{ "a_id": [ "cd9k8yq", "cd9kbjh", "cd9ke6s", "cd9q4wz", "cd9tzh0", "cd9www6" ], "score": [ 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Simplicity, low cost and, often overlooked, the means to carry, exchange and manage magazines in the heat of battle would be my guesses....
[]
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
23nlxg
Are sociopaths born that way, or "formed" through dramatic childhoods/experiences?
It's portrayed that sociopaths experience emotions "differently" or not at all. What does that mean?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/23nlxg/are_sociopaths_born_that_way_or_formed_through/
{ "a_id": [ "cgzdolz", "cgzmmlz" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Both. There is a genetic predilection towards whether someone is a sociopath but the genes responsible (those we suspect based on genome wide association studies) are neither perfectly predictive nor required. That unpredi...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/123/6/1122.full.pdf+html", "http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3085837/" ] ]
4a5u91
[Math][Physics]How can the Many-World Interpretation make meaningful statements about probability when infinity is involved?
If we have a barrel containing 5 red apples and 5 green apples, then there's a 50% chance of randomly drawing a red apple from that barrel. But if we have a barrel containing 5 red apples, and infinitely many green apples, it doesn't seem like anything meaningful can be said about the probability of drawing a red apple...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4a5u91/mathphysicshow_can_the_manyworld_interpretation/
{ "a_id": [ "d0xvgrd" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "Your main question is really a math one: if we have an uncountably infinite number of possible outcomes x, how do we define probabilities? This is done using a [probability density function](_URL_0_) p(x). Then the probability that x will be betw...
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[]
[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probability_density_function" ] ]
3godyn
why is artificial light used to grow plants on iss instead of the sun?
Many of you may have watched a video today of astronauts eating lettuce that they had grown on the International Space Station. Why is it that these plants were grown under artificial LED lights rather than using sunlight?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3godyn/eli5why_is_artificial_light_used_to_grow_plants/
{ "a_id": [ "ctzylvl" ], "score": [ 9 ], "text": [ "If you leave the window shades up all the time, you will heat the inside of the ship up a lot. Additionally, you'd only get light on the plants half the time since you're going around the earth every 90 minutes. Finally, with LEDs you can control...
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bz4jtf
how do movies go from the raw footage (film or digital) to 4k?
I’m mostly curious about the process of converting it from its raw form into ultra high quality, especially if the movie is older. But the question also probably applies to DVD and Blu-ray as well.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bz4jtf/eli5_how_do_movies_go_from_the_raw_footage_film/
{ "a_id": [ "eqpz57q", "eqq03vw" ], "score": [ 7, 3 ], "text": [ "With digital recordings, the raw footage is usually higher quality than 4K (IIRC, 8K is fairly common). For final release, you just render the video in the release quality and write it to the DVD or blu-ray (or digital downl...
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[ [], [] ]
58txje
if fish are cold blooded, how do some species function at depths of over 900 meters where the temperatures are 0-3 degrees celsius?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/58txje/eli5_if_fish_are_cold_blooded_how_do_some_species/
{ "a_id": [ "d936qb5", "d93hjw8", "d93hxri", "d93k0rp" ], "score": [ 71, 9, 53, 3 ], "text": [ "Fish have a unique chemistry. It has been determined that often their blood is similar to antifreeze. This makes them able to function at colder temperatures than a lake trout or...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://www.arctic.uoguelph.ca/cpl/organisms/fish/adaptations/coldwatchem.htm" ], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoregulation" ], [] ]
21thry
how did the pdf format become so popular?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/21thry/eli5how_did_the_pdf_format_become_so_popular/
{ "a_id": [ "cggde83", "cggg8ua" ], "score": [ 28, 3 ], "text": [ "First, there was a need for a way to represent paper online. A PDF is a decent approximation of a paper document as it will print to actual paper without any issues. The PDF is an early example of \"What You See Is What You...
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[ [], [] ]
2odx7r
What was the Russian reaction to the finding of gold in Alaska?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2odx7r/what_was_the_russian_reaction_to_the_finding_of/
{ "a_id": [ "cmnoghd" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Hey there, /u/usaf2222. There wasn't any \"oh, damn\" moment, if that's what you're asking. From the perspective of the Russian-American Company, gold was actually a headache.\n\nRussian officials were aware of traces of gold on the Kenai Peninsu...
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[]
[ [ "http://alaskamininghalloffame.org/inductees/doroshin.php" ] ]
rvebu
explain to me how stocks work, what makes the price go up/down?
I know this question has likely been asked before, but I'm curious: What determines a stocks price, and how does it rise/fall? I want to start investing in some low-cost stocks to get a feel for it, but I'm curious what actually impacts the change, and rise/fall of the price. thank you in advance!
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/rvebu/eli5_explain_to_me_how_stocks_work_what_makes_the/
{ "a_id": [ "c48znvz", "c490aqn", "c493p7c", "c4945yd" ], "score": [ 30, 4, 2, 4 ], "text": [ "Also, you can think about companies like cows, and buying stock like buying part of a cow (and buying part not in the sense of the tail of the hooves, but owning a certain portion...
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[ [], [], [], [] ]
3dhhc2
Were there any signs of the native American tribes moving towards unification before the arrival of Europeans?
From what I understand, the native American tribes were often at war with each other. As with most continents, somebody starts winning and before you know it there's a unified civilisation (the Roman Empire, Chinese empires throughout the different dynasties). Is there any historical proof that the native Americans of...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3dhhc2/were_there_any_signs_of_the_native_american/
{ "a_id": [ "ct57tvj", "ct5gh0d", "ct5n2go" ], "score": [ 12, 6, 4 ], "text": [ "Well, first you'll want to consider that the indigenous people of the Americas are nowhere near a homogenous unit. The differences in culture, language and societal structure between a Pequot village i...
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[ [ "http://Wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenskwatawa", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iroquois", "http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Tecumseh", "http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popé" ], [], [] ]
163c6d
Will a mixture of two different liquids, distributed into two beakers in a closed system, eventually separate into pure liquids in each beaker via vapour?
I realize my question is confusing, here is an example of my thought process: One beaker is filled with a 1:3 hexane to water mixture (Beaker A), and another beaker is filled with a 3:1 hexane to water mixture (Beaker B). The two beakers are then placed in a closed system, and left for any period of time. Eventually...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/163c6d/will_a_mixture_of_two_different_liquids/
{ "a_id": [ "c7sdsao", "c7sehwr" ], "score": [ 7, 3 ], "text": [ "A fully separated mixture is a very low entropy state. If the system is being driven by thermal fluctuations, it is very unlikely that it will evolve to such a state. For that to occur, there has to be an internal energy ben...
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[ [], [] ]
ctnk0j
Ok so this might be a dumb question but in WW1 why didnt the americans use Winchester lever actions instead of the bolt actions they used?
I feel like lever actioms shoot faster and carry more bullets than the Springfields. Winchester was also a pretty big company (I think)
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ctnk0j/ok_so_this_might_be_a_dumb_question_but_in_ww1/
{ "a_id": [ "exmhd6k", "exo5go8" ], "score": [ 28, 4 ], "text": [ "The lack of lever actions in frontline service prior to WW1 by most Great Powers is due to a variety of factors largely relating to doctrine. The US in particular had a lot of driving reasons that paralleled concerns of mos...
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[ [], [] ]
3w8nq0
why do all big music artist's youtube channel's names end with vevo?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3w8nq0/eli5_why_do_all_big_music_artists_youtube/
{ "a_id": [ "cxu7yk4" ], "score": [ 46 ], "text": [ "\"Youtube/Google was in danger of being sued by Sony Music/UMG music. To prevent a potentially devastating lawsuit, Google's CEO (at the time) Eric Schmidt made a deal with Doug Morris, CEO of Sony Music, to build a parallel video platform based...
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[ [] ]
tnju9
] what is the volcker rule, and how does it operate?
I understand its made to make speculative banking harder to do, and separate the "consumer" and "investment" banking. But.. how, and what exactly does this rule do?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/tnju9/elif_what_is_the_volcker_rule_and_how_does_it/
{ "a_id": [ "c4o5qku" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "So, it's actually really simple but the formal legislation is so complicated because of politicians.\n\nIt means that banks that take deposits (Like JPMorganChase) cant participate in proprietary trading. What is prop trading? It's basically trad...
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[ [] ]
75zegh
Does There Exist A Series Smaller than the Harmonic Series that STILL Diverges?
Is there such a thing, or is the Harmonic series the smallest series we know of that still diverges? I'm not exactly sure if I'm phrasing the question properly, in the sense that it may not be exactly clear what "a series smaller than the harmonic series" even *means*, right? I mean, there's an argument to be made th...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/75zegh/does_there_exist_a_series_smaller_than_the/
{ "a_id": [ "doa69qs", "doamp18" ], "score": [ 6, 10 ], "text": [ "The Nth term in the Harmonic Series is approximately equal to log(N) (where this is the natural log). In fact, the difference between 1+1/2+1/3+...+1/N and log(N) is pretty small and measured by the [Euler-Mascheroni Consta...
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[]
[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler%E2%80%93Mascheroni_constant?scrlybrkr", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meissel%E2%80%93Mertens_constant?scrlybrkr", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler%E2%80%93Maclaurin_formula?scrlybrkr" ], [] ]
6oe8lg
How were Roman provincial governments setup?
I understand how military provinces had either a proconsul or propraetor but how were provinces governed after the military expedition was complete? For example, when Caesar took Gaul, he was a proconsul, but how was Gaul governed after he returned to Rome?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6oe8lg/how_were_roman_provincial_governments_setup/
{ "a_id": [ "dkhaprg" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "I'm a little confused by what you mean here. What are military provinces exactly? There's no such class of provinces in Roman law. Do you mean the Imperial Provinces of the Principate, which housed legions and whose administrators were directly a...
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[ [] ]
3dscsf
do planets get smaller with time?
Does it get smaller with time with some kind of erosion and so it's fated to become dust at some point?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3dscsf/eli5do_planets_get_smaller_with_time/
{ "a_id": [ "ct85yo7" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "Just the opposite, actually. Continuous meteor impacts make planets gain mass over time. Eventually though all suns explode, and the planets around them scatter to dust." ] }
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[ [] ]
2y8a7r
why are spell checkers still not aware of grammatical issues?
It seems that we now have very good AI in many language-related domains (e.g. translation). Why isn't there more grammar-aware spell checkers and even style enhancers?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2y8a7r/eli5why_are_spell_checkers_still_not_aware_of/
{ "a_id": [ "cp763af" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "Complexity.\n\nHere's a computer's spell checking algorithm.\n\n For each word in document\n If word does not appear in dictionary\n highlight it\n compare closest word matches based on percentage and position of l...
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[ [] ]
3jvf5d
why is addition so much easier to do than subtraction in your head?
Maybe it's just me and the select group of people I've spoken with, but everyone seems to agree that addition is so much easier to do in your head than subtraction. Is there a reason for this? When I do have to do subtraction, I usually end up just switching the numbers and making it an addition problem.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3jvf5d/eli5_why_is_addition_so_much_easier_to_do_than/
{ "a_id": [ "cusn26q" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "Practice. I noticed this when I was a kid, too. And noticed teachers always gave more add/multiply homework than subtract/divide, which seemed (still does) backwards to me." ] }
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[ [] ]
23ujqx
as a british person who has never used or had dealings with comcast, what is so bad about them?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/23ujqx/eli5_as_a_british_person_who_has_never_used_or/
{ "a_id": [ "ch0pm4q", "ch0popu", "ch0q730", "ch0qhja", "ch0qk1k", "ch0qk3j", "ch0qq3v", "ch0qqyw", "ch0qyxn", "ch0qzai", "ch0r2zu", "ch0r3c4", "ch0r6xy", "ch0r73r", "ch0r9qb", "ch0rc25", "ch0rc2k", "ch0rcdm", "ch0rcwr", "ch0rdfo", "c...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [ "http://youtu.be/0ilMx7k7mso" ], [], [], [], [ "Twitch.tv" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "http://www.businessinsider.com/what-time-warner-comcast-means-for-customers-2014-2", "http://www.networkworld.com/news/2014...
5ptdmg
what is the purpose of the turnable dial around the face of a watch?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5ptdmg/eli5_what_is_the_purpose_of_the_turnable_dial/
{ "a_id": [ "dctos3f", "dctos4r", "dctoubi", "dctuy47" ], "score": [ 87, 4, 3, 3 ], "text": [ "The ring as we know it today on some watches, also called rotating bezel, actually dates to the first diving watches of the 1950's. At the time, using a stopwatch was impossible, ...
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[ [], [], [], [] ]
34gdlx
why can't software companies make an update/download/install status bar that moves evenly and accurately reflects the percentage of the task that is actually complete?
You know, instead of the ones they have now that move to around 3/4 of the way in a couple seconds and then spend about half an hour on the last quarter. Or even worse, the ones that get to the end and then just start the bar over.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/34gdlx/eli5_why_cant_software_companies_make_an/
{ "a_id": [ "cqul7uy", "cqudpdi" ], "score": [ 3, 5 ], "text": [ "Let's forget about the computers for a moment.\n\nYou're driving down an unfamiliar road with nothing but a map and a bunch of boxes you need to deliver to various houses. How do you estimate how long this will take you?\n\n...
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[ [], [] ]
6n8ezt
why is a photocopying machine so huge compared to a normal colour printer?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6n8ezt/eli5why_is_a_photocopying_machine_so_huge/
{ "a_id": [ "dk7hw5f", "dk7hx05", "dk7irfd", "dk7ltvw", "dk7p3ma", "dk7qerz", "dk7qnz1" ], "score": [ 91, 3, 13, 3, 3, 2, 4 ], "text": [ "There are very small photocopiers too.\n\nOn the large ones, most of the extra size is for complex paper handlin...
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
r4f93
What evolutionary advantage do bacteria gain by producing highly lethal toxins?
A lot of pathogenic bacteria (*C. botulinum, B. anthracis, C. diphtheria*, etc) produce extremely potent toxins. Why? What advantage does a pathogen gain by rapidly killing its host?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/r4f93/what_evolutionary_advantage_do_bacteria_gain_by/
{ "a_id": [ "c42tq5v" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "In some cases, poisons cause the host to excrete bacteria everywhere, getting it in the water supply and infecting others. Lots of diaharreal diseases work this way. Sure, the host may be killed but many more may be infected. On the other hand...
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[ [] ]
27tq62
where do our sweat glands pull water from when we sweat?
Is there a "reservoir"? Does our body diffuse it from our blood?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/27tq62/eli5_where_do_our_sweat_glands_pull_water_from/
{ "a_id": [ "ci4adpl" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "Yes, it mostly comes from blood (and tissue fluid, which is blood without the cells that takes nutrients all the way to your cells). The sweat glands actively pump out salts into your pore and water follows by osmosis. " ] }
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[ [] ]
5c23b9
does frequency of life change during refraction?
A prism can split light into the entire spectrum of colours. So how can the frequency of the light beam change to different frequencies?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5c23b9/eli5_does_frequency_of_life_change_during/
{ "a_id": [ "d9t4gdw", "d9t7zcg" ], "score": [ 5, 2 ], "text": [ " > So how can the frequency of the light beam change to different frequencies?\n\nIt doesn't. The \"white\" light beam was actually made up of many different frequencies all going along together. A prism is dividing up alre...
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[ [], [ "https://xkcd.com/964/" ] ]
3hqea0
Is it true that all elements/chemicals/things metallize at high pressures?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3hqea0/is_it_true_that_all_elementschemicalsthings/
{ "a_id": [ "cu9tk30" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "I believe so. Things become metals because the valence band of electrons overlaps the conduction band. This happens when you squeeze things.\n\nHere are a few examples\n\n[Water](_URL_0_)\n\n[Nitrogen](_URL_1_)\n\n[Oxygen](_URL_3_)\n\n[Helium](...
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[ [ "http://cerncourier.com/cws/article/cern/29713", "http://iopscience.iop.org/1367-2630/15/1/013010", "http://www.pnas.org/content/105/32/11035.extract", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid_oxygen#Metallic_oxygen", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metallic_hydrogen", "http://www.esrf.eu/Users...
1f6qra
When a man urinates from a standing position into a toilet, will less splash back be generated if he aims for the water or the dry porcelain?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1f6qra/when_a_man_urinates_from_a_standing_position_into/
{ "a_id": [ "ca7c0ot" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "If you kind of hit the side of the bowl at an angle there is little splash." ] }
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[ [] ]
efl83o
why is it when you’re sick and can’t keep water down that something like sprite or ginger ale will stay down?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/efl83o/eli5_why_is_it_when_youre_sick_and_cant_keep/
{ "a_id": [ "fc11btt", "fc12vbc" ], "score": [ 4, 2 ], "text": [ "Answer: ginger has some medicinal properties that help deal with nausea or indigestion. Pop drinks also have a lot of sugar in them, which is a quick source of energy when you're sick and unable to keep food down. So a flat ...
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[ [], [] ]
39c6ew
why do military ship names begin with uss, hms, etc.?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/39c6ew/eli5_why_do_military_ship_names_begin_with_uss/
{ "a_id": [ "cs25j1w", "cs25kzm" ], "score": [ 2, 4 ], "text": [ "USS = United States Ship\n\nHMS = Her Majesty's Ship\n\nThese prefixes are part of naval tradition and vary from navy to navy. ", "They signify what country's military they represent. \n\nUSS = United States Ship\n\nHMS ...
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[ [], [] ]
1zo1cp
why do networks like abc,nbc,etc "partner" with comcast or other providers to view shows online.
Is there any benefit to ABC or any other network in require users be a customer of a certain provider in order to view some shows online. What benefit is it to them (the TV networks/content providers), to deal with a third party to deliver their content, on their website? I am a technical guy, I work in computer net...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1zo1cp/eli5_why_do_networks_like_abcnbcetc_partner_with/
{ "a_id": [ "cfvevh6" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Broadcast networks make lots of money selling carriage licenses to cable companies which allow those companies to include the channels in their lineups.\n\nBy limiting the audience of free in-season streaming video, broadcast networks are keeping...
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[ [] ]
4zvqmr
How can non-locality avoid violating causality?
I was watching a PBS Space Time video talking about the Quantum Eraser experiment. In the [video](_URL_0_) the host mentions around the 9:30 mark that non-locality doesn't violate causality and that this is tied to the phenomena of quantum entanglement where instantaneous "communication" takes place between two entangl...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4zvqmr/how_can_nonlocality_avoid_violating_causality/
{ "a_id": [ "d6zby2c" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "The trick is information is never actually transmitted via entanglement. Thus, causality is never broken since you can't actually influence anyone outside your lightcone. In other words, entanglement can only ever produce correlated results, but ...
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[ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ORLN_KwAgs&ab_channel=PBSSpaceTime" ]
[ [] ]
6d5b1f
How do we know that entangled particles don't have predetermined spins from the very start?
If we measure one of entangled particles, the other one immediately gets opposite spin. But how do we know that their spin wasn't "chosen" before we measured them? Like, upon creation one was up-ish and the other was down-ish. We can't possibly know their spin without measuring, right?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/6d5b1f/how_do_we_know_that_entangled_particles_dont_have/
{ "a_id": [ "di03qjs" ], "score": [ 11 ], "text": [ "This is known as the \"hidden variable\" hypothesis. In fact, there's ways to test this, designed by John Bell in the 20th century. If your suggestion is true, then if we run a very carefully designed kind of spin-measuring experiment many times...
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[ [ "https://youtu.be/ZuvK-od647c?t=247" ] ]
1mj6gz
When you look up at the night sky at you see a single star, how many photons are entering your eye so that you can see that one star?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1mj6gz/when_you_look_up_at_the_night_sky_at_you_see_a/
{ "a_id": [ "cc9tpjh", "cc9xm02", "cca0cr3" ], "score": [ 523, 3, 7 ], "text": [ "The Sun has [apparent magnitude](_URL_2_) -26.74, and the dimmest star we can see with the naked eye is magnitude +6. That's a magnitude difference of 32.74, meaning the Sun is about 12 trillion times...
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[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_constant", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronvolt", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apparent_magnitude" ], [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1mejh5/what_is_the_density_of_photons_for_a_given_area/.json" ], [] ]
43ea5e
why do high scoring posts (top all time) get archived so you can't vote on them?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/43ea5e/eli5_why_do_high_scoring_posts_top_all_time_get/
{ "a_id": [ "czhl5jq" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "all reddit posts are archived after 6 months\n\ntheres not difference between a high scoring post and a low scoring one" ] }
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[ [] ]
1vdai6
is there a specific reason clocks go clockwise?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1vdai6/eli5_is_there_a_specific_reason_clocks_go/
{ "a_id": [ "cer34a2" ], "score": [ 10 ], "text": [ "Probably because they were modeled after sundials." ] }
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[ [] ]
1lzdy7
saturn's 'storm'
How does a gas giant such as Saturn have a such a well-defined and sudden storm? How does this one compare to that of a traditional storm on Earth? Edit: [Here](_URL_0_/comments/1lz1pq/the_huge_storm_churning_through_the_atmosphere_in/) is the link to the recent [r/spaceporn](_URL_0_) post, which has a great picture t...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1lzdy7/eli5_saturns_storm/
{ "a_id": [ "cc49t80" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ " > Monster storms rip across the northern hemisphere of Saturn once every 30 years or so, or roughly once per Saturn year.\n\n > \"We think this huge thunderstorm is driving these cloud particles upward, sort of like a volcano bringing up materia...
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[ "http://www.reddit.com/r/spaceporn", "http://www.reddit.com/r/spaceporn/comments/1lz1pq/the_huge_storm_churning_through_the_atmosphere_in/" ]
[ [ "http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-268", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%A1rm%C3%A1n_vortex_street" ] ]
2zn0d3
why don't musicians and performers yawn or hiccup on stage ever?
Kind of a dumb question, but I've never heard a performer cough during a song, hiccup or have the urge to yawn.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2zn0d3/eli5_why_dont_musicians_and_performers_yawn_or/
{ "a_id": [ "cpkf4da" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "Classical music performer for 8 years here:\n\nIt happens more than you think. I've seen people take small naps on stage, vomit, pass out, etc. The reason it doesn't happen more though is probably because when performers are on stage, their bra...
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[ [] ]
1s4r8x
Where did the KKK get its bizarre titles for its hierarchy, such as "Imperial Wizard," "Grand Goblin," "King Kleagle," and "Cyclops"?
Were they based on another, now-obscure organization, or created out of whole cloth? Why didn't they copy military ranks?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1s4r8x/where_did_the_kkk_get_its_bizarre_titles_for_its/
{ "a_id": [ "cdty3dy", "cdtz0ao", "cdtzhzt", "cdu08o3", "cdu50rp", "cdu5yhs" ], "score": [ 156, 623, 1810, 113, 5, 3 ], "text": [ "Typed wizard into the search bar, second result:\n\n_URL_0_\n\nTyped KKK into the search bar, first result:\n\n_URL_1_", "I...
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[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1d7s7v/where_did_the_names_for_the_positions_of_power/", "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/18gye7/from_where_did_the_kkk_draw_the_names_of_its/" ], [], [], [], [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan#Overview:_Three_Kla...
gkgq5
With all of the testing done on mice, roughly how long do you think we could keep one alive in captivity? Assume cost is no issue.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/gkgq5/with_all_of_the_testing_done_on_mice_roughly_how/
{ "a_id": [ "c1o8k8h" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "_URL_0_\n\nThis is a challenge to figure out exactly that." ] }
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[ [ "http://www.mprize.org/" ] ]
ccd5ow
what function do insects like ticks serve in nature?
Just read a disturbing article on [_URL_0_](https://_URL_0_) about savage tick clone armies that are sucking cows to death. I have to wonder what function do insects like ticks serve in nature when it seems all they do is destroy and/or sicken people. Link to article: [https://_URL_0_/science/2019/07/savage-tick-cl...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ccd5ow/eli5_what_function_do_insects_like_ticks_serve_in/
{ "a_id": [ "etm1i1q", "etm1kag", "etm352q", "etmamx4", "etmbwdz" ], "score": [ 67, 10, 3, 2, 9 ], "text": [ "Evolution does not require a \"function\" in order to justify an animal existing in a niche, it's not all part of some unseen designer's \"plan\".\n\nTicks ...
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[ "arstechnica.com", "https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/07/savage-tick-clone-armies-are-sucking-cows-to-death-experts-fear-for-humans/", "https://arstechnica.com" ]
[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
bu7j1j
Are there more protons, neutrons, or electrons in the universe? How do the three rank by abundance?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/bu7j1j/are_there_more_protons_neutrons_or_electrons_in/
{ "a_id": [ "ep9b79h", "epa3pgo", "epah2x9", "epaqyke", "epbdxnw" ], "score": [ 831, 129, 24, 4, 2 ], "text": [ "I think [this thread](_URL_0_) may be of interest to you! u/fishify says that there are about 7 times as many protons as neutrons in the universe. If we ...
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/295hd9/are_there_more_protons_than_neutrons_in_the/" ], [], [], [], [] ]
c6c914
why do you have to refrigerate eggs from the grocery store but you don't have to if you get them fresh from a farm?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/c6c914/eli5_why_do_you_have_to_refrigerate_eggs_from_the/
{ "a_id": [ "es7p1ll", "es7p6m3", "es7paa8" ], "score": [ 5, 4, 5 ], "text": [ "There is a membrane that comes out of the chickens that cover the egg. In the US, its standard to have the manufacture plant wash and sanitize them, but in places like the UK, they don’t so they can lea...
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[ [], [], [] ]
4yesqn
Why did human life originate in Africa instead of elsewhere?
[deleted]
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4yesqn/why_did_human_life_originate_in_africa_instead_of/
{ "a_id": [ "d6nct9r" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "You may consider posting this question in r/askscience instead, as historians (mostly) work with written evidence." ] }
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[ [] ]
1az4dy
Why was Octavian chosen as Caesar's heir? Why wasn't his son chosen? Of course, Agustus had him killed later on, so I'm curious as to why a protector ship wasn't set up instead.
Also, could you guys please tell me what classic texts to read. I'm extremely curious about this topic. Augustus obviously was the correct choice, but since Romans were very patriarchal and family orientated, it's puzzling as to why Caesar chose Ocatavian over his son. You could say since Caesar was discarding the ol...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1az4dy/why_was_octavian_chosen_as_caesars_heir_why_wasnt/
{ "a_id": [ "c922hnh", "c923jn9", "c925wsx", "c926qlk", "c92jl2z", "c92tgfn" ], "score": [ 24, 6, 5, 10, 2, 3 ], "text": [ "It has to do with the fact that Octavian was purely roman noble blood and ceasarean was half Egyptian. There was also the fear that Ca...
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[ [], [], [], [ "http://books.google.com/books/about/Caesar.html?id=aSmr_bVR2-kC" ], [], [] ]
539cgu
why coffee is not considered as a drug even though it's one of the ten most addictive substances in the world?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/539cgu/eli5_why_coffee_is_not_considered_as_a_drug_even/
{ "a_id": [ "d7r0y4s", "d7r0z3j" ], "score": [ 9, 5 ], "text": [ "Caffeine is a drug.\n\nThese are the first lines of its wikipedia page:\n\n > Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class. It is the world's most widely consumed psychoactive drug. Unlike...
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[ [], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine_dependence" ] ]
6p664o
Were any people of colour present during the evacuation of Dunkirk? If so, how many?
I recently heard a lot about the film "Dunkirk". A common complaint is the absence of any people of colour. I despise pandering to an audience by including silly casting that isnt historically accurate. But both British and French militaries had colonies and soldiers from those colonies. How many were present at the ba...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6p664o/were_any_people_of_colour_present_during_the/
{ "a_id": [ "dkn6cqa" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "This question has been asked a lot recently. I discussed it [here](_URL_0_), but there's always more to be said." ] }
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6ootx7/ethnic_groups_women_serving_in_the_british_army/dkj16ne/?utm_content=permalink&utm_medium=user&utm_source=reddit&utm_name=u_thefourthmaninaboat" ] ]
2n2unr
why should we care about the depreciation of a new car?
Isn't a car a utility and not an investment? I do not expect to make money like I do in my 401K or other investments. So why do so many people belittle the decision to buy new instead of used?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2n2unr/eli5_why_should_we_care_about_the_depreciation_of/
{ "a_id": [ "cm9t7dm", "cm9u5q8", "cm9ug20", "cm9wepq" ], "score": [ 6, 3, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "A car is not an investment. You are always going to lose money on it. But you may chose to lose more or less money.", "It only matters if you're going to sell the car. If you'r...
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[ [], [], [], [ "http://www.cars.com/nissan/versa-note/2014/costofownership", "cars.com" ] ]
3nkcgq
why is apple flavoured candy always green when red apples are far more prevalent?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3nkcgq/eli5_why_is_apple_flavoured_candy_always_green/
{ "a_id": [ "cvotah2", "cvotkrd" ], "score": [ 5, 2 ], "text": [ "Firstly, depends on where you live, red maybe more prevalent to you. Red is used for strawberry and cherry as they don't have alternates, leaving green as a good option for apples.\n", "Green apples (called \"Granny Smit...
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[ [], [] ]
2f4y2r
Do paper airplanes "fly" using the same principles as actual airplanes?
I've always learned that airplanes fly because the air flowing on the curved top of their wing travels slower than the flat bottom to give it lift. However the paper airplanes I fly have the curved surface on the bottom of the wing. I also believe that F1 and CART racing cars have wings (front and rear spoilers) that a...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2f4y2r/do_paper_airplanes_fly_using_the_same_principles/
{ "a_id": [ "ck62eq2", "ck77aa5" ], "score": [ 5, 2 ], "text": [ "Pretty much anything can produce lift depending on its angle of attack, the profile mainly affects how efficiently it will produce that lift.\n\nA sheet of plywood for example can produce a decent amount of lift depending on...
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[ [], [] ]
4yi8bl
why do some online stores have different regions?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4yi8bl/eli5why_do_some_online_stores_have_different/
{ "a_id": [ "d6nxp21" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "It's due to copyright related issues, one different companies can hold the rights to the same book in different regions, for example that upcoming Star Trek series was licensed to Netflix in every other country than the United States.\n\nSometime...
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44h0la
why does it take amazon several days to "prepare" items for shipment?
Aren't they in a warehouse somewhere ready to go?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/44h0la/eli5_why_does_it_take_amazon_several_days_to/
{ "a_id": [ "czq3zco", "czq40er", "czq47cd" ], "score": [ 4, 5, 5 ], "text": [ "It doesn't take days for Prime members, or people who pay for faster shipping.\n\nIf you take the cheap/free shipping, you're standing in line behind all the people who paid to get it quicker.", "Ok...
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[ [], [], [] ]
12t935
why do i hear no music when i push an earbud deeper into my ear?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/12t935/eli5_why_do_i_hear_no_music_when_i_push_an_earbud/
{ "a_id": [ "c6y67r2" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Earbuds make sound by making waves in the air between the speaker and your eardrum. \n\nIf you seal the ear canal tight and compress the air even tighter, the speaker needs to work harder to make waves. Cheap earbuds under low voltage can't mov...
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[ [] ]
felech
why do you have to dunk what you're frying first in flour then egg then bread crumbs and sometimes back to egg and a second round of bread crumbs?
I don't understand this process whatever is being fried unless it's bread itself for stuff like donuts and dough balls. Or anything that is coated with bread of any kind. I see this often on recipe videos and i dont get it.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/felech/eli5_why_do_you_have_to_dunk_what_youre_frying/
{ "a_id": [ "fjoryta", "fjow5r9", "fjoxlrp" ], "score": [ 6, 7, 5 ], "text": [ "The flour and egg make things like breadcrumbs stick to whatever you’re frying. A second round of that process will double up on the breading/crunchiness of it.", "“Dry sticks to wet” is as simple a...
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[ [], [], [] ]
1qmsn0
What role do harmonics hold in Acoustic Levitation?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1qmsn0/what_role_do_harmonics_hold_in_acoustic_levitation/
{ "a_id": [ "cdglgtu" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Depending on what you mean by harmonics the answer could either be \"none\" or \"location.\"\n\nThe acoustic levitation I'm most familiar with uses a standing wave to levitate an object at the pressure nodes. If your question is how multiples of ...
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[ [] ]
34uegc
why are there so many immigrants coming across the mediterranean sea?
Specifically... the ones who have suffered such a morbid fate from Libya. What's going on? When/how was this arrangement made? Or was it? Any insight would be appreciated, however not if you are a wingnut who will spout murderous nonsense.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/34uegc/eli5_why_are_there_so_many_immigrants_coming/
{ "a_id": [ "cqy5ws4" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Because their cost/benefit calculation (likely based on incomplete information) tells them it's a good option. Lots of parts of the middle east are very unstable, and offer poor economies and life chances. Lots of parts of Africa have few jobs, a...
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[ [] ]
96e73o
Possible to change the temp of a liquid by stirring?
My understanding of temperature is that it is a function of the average kinetic energy, or vibrational amplitude (frequency?), of the atoms or molecules of a substance. If this is correct, is it possible to measurably change the temperature of a liquid by stirring it fast enough?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/96e73o/possible_to_change_the_temp_of_a_liquid_by/
{ "a_id": [ "e401938", "e402tmr", "e40mn6l" ], "score": [ 11, 6, 2 ], "text": [ "Absolutely. One of Joules experiments was using a [weight powered whisk to heat water](_URL_0_). He was extremely careful in his work, including things like losses in the string, to arrive at what was ...
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[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Prescott_Joule#The_mechanical_equivalent_of_heat" ], [ "https://what-if.xkcd.com/71/", "https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/5265/cooling-a-cup-of-coffee-with-help-of-a-spoon/5510#5510" ], [] ]