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b34uon
cardiac action potentials
[deleted]
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/b34uon/eli5_cardiac_action_potentials/
{ "a_id": [ "eixa0lr", "eixsi7q" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Are you wanting action potentials for the pacemaker cells or for the actual cardiac tissue itself? There are differences that have to do with specific electrolytes and phases. If you are just asking about action potentials t...
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[ [], [] ]
1vyl60
why do we have separate car brands for imported car brands in the us especially for luxury brands?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1vyl60/eli5_why_do_we_have_separate_car_brands_for/
{ "a_id": [ "cex2xry" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Cars are seen much more as a status symbol in the U.S. than most other places. If people are paying a lot for their cars, they don't want them to say Toyota, Honda or Nissan like every other person's car, they want Lexus, Acura, or Infiniti so ev...
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[]
[ [] ]
1kvedg
What would the world look like if light travelled only a few hundred miles and hour?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1kvedg/what_would_the_world_look_like_if_light_travelled/
{ "a_id": [ "cbszks7" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "This is the subject of a famous series of novels (the \"Mr. Tompkins\" novels) by physicist George Gammow, documenting what happens when a regular guy wakes up in a world where the speed of light has slowed to a moderate walking pace.\n\nTake a l...
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[]
[ [ "http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/arvindgupta/tompkins.pdf" ] ]
2ogcl4
How do G+ bacteria produce ATP?
I get the mechanism for Gram negative bacteria, because they have the inner and outer membrane, but how can G+ produce a proton gradient if there is no outer membrane to keep protons from escaping? I read that the bacterial cell wall maintains a high osmotic pressure inside to keep the bacterium from lysis. Is it possi...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2ogcl4/how_do_g_bacteria_produce_atp/
{ "a_id": [ "cmnjpgp" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "There is indeed a small periplasmic like space between the cell membrane and the peptidoglycan layer in gram positive bacteria. Some gram positives can engage in cellular respiration and possess ATP synthase. In fact, targeting this metabolic p...
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[ [] ]
28xpmu
Do historians overfetishize the need for material accuracy when it comes to portrayals in movies and fiction over other forms?
I remember seeing this interview about historical documentaries, and one of the actors (I believe it was actually Tom Hanks, but I might be wrong) talked about how what the actors attempt to achieve in a movie recreation isn't so much the material accuracy, as the emotional accuracy. From a narrative standpoint, I was...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/28xpmu/do_historians_overfetishize_the_need_for_material/
{ "a_id": [ "cifh7kf", "cifhk63", "cifijsu", "cifpmhz" ], "score": [ 7, 2, 16, 7 ], "text": [ "I don't think so, personally. I don't enjoy a very accurate historical portrayal any more or less than an emotionally powerful one. For me, it's simply a movie: a dramatization of...
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[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
3jrcdf
why don't college football games aired on tv ever show the marching band?
They just show the stupid halftime shows, where they tell you everything that happened with no real analysis.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3jrcdf/eli5_why_dont_college_football_games_aired_on_tv/
{ "a_id": [ "curn54x" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Because the halftime shows have a greater appeal (and advertising/sponsorship revenue) than the marching band, which appeals to fewer people." ] }
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[]
[ [] ]
14aibd
Did any Europeans sympathize with indigenous peoples during the Age of Exploration?
Were there any Europeans who opposed colonization of the Americas on moral or religious grounds? At what point did anti-imperialist attitudes begin to emerge in Europe?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/14aibd/did_any_europeans_sympathize_with_indigenous/
{ "a_id": [ "c7bclpp", "c7bcvaq", "c7bfcfn", "c7blqcn" ], "score": [ 28, 8, 4, 3 ], "text": [ " > Did any Europeans sympathize with indigenous peoples during the Age of Exploration?\n\nDefinitely. When the Spanish began to colonize and exploit the Caribbean islands, numerou...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Paul03/p3subli.htm" ], [], [] ]
64slcg
how does a pr incident lead to the decline in value of a companies stock?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/64slcg/eli5_how_does_a_pr_incident_lead_to_the_decline/
{ "a_id": [ "dg4o0ew", "dg4o16z", "dg4odra", "dg4q079", "dg4thrj", "dg4w4tg" ], "score": [ 4, 7, 2, 3, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "In a perfect system the stock price reflects all known information about the company. \n\nRandom bad press is unexpected and depending o...
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[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
65vby2
When did cowboys in the Wild West come to be viewed as white in the popular imagination?
I'll start off by saying that this may be my own perception more than anything else, but it seems like the popular image of cowboys in the American Wild West is predominantly white. This is despite the fact that there were many black and Mexican cowboys, some of them even fairly famous like Nat Love or Bill Pickett. Gr...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/65vby2/when_did_cowboys_in_the_wild_west_come_to_be/
{ "a_id": [ "dgdugnf" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "The short answer is Dime Novels. Starting in the 1870s, the U.S. (and later Europe) developed a taste for what you might consider the precursor to modern comic books: Dime Novels. These were cheaply made paperback stories that related daring tale...
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[ [] ]
19ww7q
When did the First Lady become a position of power/visibility/activism/politics?
I assume that, originally, First Lady's (in the US) were basically out of the political picture. I also assume it was a slow transition. When/what are the first examples of First Lady's becoming more involved in politics?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/19ww7q/when_did_the_first_lady_become_a_position_of/
{ "a_id": [ "c8s19as" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "It wasn't a slow transition, Eleanor Roosevelt took it on herself to be active, she campaigned for human rights, gave press conferences, wrote newspaper columns, spoke out when she disagreed with the government, even with her husband... she forge...
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[ [] ]
1ddfus
taxes and paying taxes in the us.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ddfus/eli5taxes_and_paying_taxes_in_the_us/
{ "a_id": [ "c9p99jg" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Adults with jobs pay income tax every time they get a paycheck. At the end of the year we add up all the taxes we've paid and add up all the things that the government says we don't have to pay taxes on and we balance them up. This is called \"...
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[ [] ]
432bh2
do our eyes perceive a certain color as a mix of the 3 primary colors or is it just another color all together (i.e. a separate wavelength).
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/432bh2/eli5_do_our_eyes_perceive_a_certain_color_as_a/
{ "a_id": [ "czex2o1", "czex2ot" ], "score": [ 2, 4 ], "text": [ "Our eyes effectively perceive colours as a mix of red, green, and blue because we have three types of colour-sensitive cells which are most sensitive to red, green, and blue. The yellow you see in a rainbow is a separate wav...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
3kj943
Why does rubber go brittle when it ages?
My parents recently bought a new car that had been standing at the dealer for a while without being used. It had only gone about 200 km during the six years it had been there. After having it for half a year, driving it for ~30 000 km, one of the tires failed due to the rubber being "brittle" (sorry, I am not native in...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3kj943/why_does_rubber_go_brittle_when_it_ages/
{ "a_id": [ "cuxv9mz", "cuy3bwl", "cuynsug" ], "score": [ 17, 6, 2 ], "text": [ "Dry-rot.\n\nThis specifically happens to vehicle tires because they get exposed to the damaging UV rays of the sun which deteriorates the integrity of the tire rubber. If the same tire was kept indoors...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
5hw818
Do we have any idea what it was about Anne of Cleves that Henry VIII claimed to find repulsive?
I've read plenty of descriptions and debates of Anne's appearance and how Henry's wounded pride - or her lack of sophistication - may have caused him to reject her and claim she wasn't the beauty Cromwell made her out to be. But are there any sources that tell us what he claimed was wrong with her in terms of her appe...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5hw818/do_we_have_any_idea_what_it_was_about_anne_of/
{ "a_id": [ "db3ojcy" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "Her airs were allegedly foul-smelling. You may have also read that he described her as a \"Flanders mare\" (i.e. She looks like a horse), and that he found her so repulsive that he was physically incapable of consummating their union.\n\nIt's al...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
1kvxdx
What's the oldest dynasty in exile that still has living members?
Like, is there someone out there in the world ready to take their seat on the throne of Byzantium should the opportunity arise?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1kvxdx/whats_the_oldest_dynasty_in_exile_that_still_has/
{ "a_id": [ "cbt4nv5", "cbt5wgz", "cbt65hz", "cbt7yg1", "cbta63u", "cbtaio6", "cbtf659" ], "score": [ 10, 6, 3, 7, 3, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "[The current heir to the Hapsburg Empire was born in 1997](_URL_0_). He is an Austrian citizen but he is not allo...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archduke_Ferdinand_Zvonimir_of_Austria" ], [], [], [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantacuzino_family", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_VI_Cantacuzenus" ], [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Osman", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li...
19xihw
Why did Hitler help General Franco in the Spanish civil war?
Was it in hope for Spain to back him in his future involvements or was it just a way for him to test out new military strategies?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/19xihw/why_did_hitler_help_general_franco_in_the_spanish/
{ "a_id": [ "c8s84sc" ], "score": [ 9 ], "text": [ "Franco and his government were Fascist. Hitler was just making sure that there was another Fascist government in the world." ] }
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[]
[ [] ]
fvsegx
During the Civil War, how did Southerners react to the first-hand sight of black Union soldiers in uniform?
Broad question regarding Confederate reactions to seeing black Union soldiers marching in uniform. How did these reactions differ among Confederate soldiers, as opposed civilians? Did these reactions differ by gender or social class? (For example, planters, versus townfolk, versus rural residents.) Are there any ac...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/fvsegx/during_the_civil_war_how_did_southerners_react_to/
{ "a_id": [ "fml4cdl" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "[This older answer of mine isn't *exactly* written to your question, but it deals heavily with the central issue so I expect would be of interest](_URL_0_). The short of it is, certainly, \"poorly\"." ] }
[]
[]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/bj1doj/did_the_union_army_ever_massacre_surrendering/em5e6pb/" ] ]
1716sn
what is nosql and how is it different from relational dbs like mysql?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1716sn/eli5_what_is_nosql_and_how_is_it_different_from/
{ "a_id": [ "c81g9sv" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "NoSQL is used for massive sets of data that \"traditional\" relational data bases can't handle i.e. the data size is that big! It is also used on data that doesn't conform to a schema or design, therefore it does not use relational tables. It i...
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[ [] ]
4ua71y
why do we completely forget the first couple years of our life?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4ua71y/eli5_why_do_we_completely_forget_the_first_couple/
{ "a_id": [ "d5o1hgj" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "The brain is developing just like all other parts ot the body as well as the ability to fully use it.\n\nIt takes a bit of time and development to form short-term and long-term memory.\n\nI have a 2.5yo and he is slowly forming a memory of events...
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[]
[ [] ]
1pkrmg
What would happen if an electron and a proton met?
Would it create a neutron?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1pkrmg/what_would_happen_if_an_electron_and_a_proton_met/
{ "a_id": [ "cd3dkrb", "cd3f0rc" ], "score": [ 9, 50 ], "text": [ "If a single proton and a single electron meet, they will form a hydrogen atom.", "At low energies they would form a hydrogen atom, under extreme pressure they would form a neutron, and if you smashed them together reall...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
a6zjws
Why are green, leafy vegetables a common source of human illnesses?
[Green, leafy vegetables seem to be a common source of illnesses that affect humans.](_URL_0_) Why is this? Shouldn't the diseases on vegetables mainly affect vegetables? How do they even survive on vegetables, if they're human-affecting diseases? Is there a common mechanism that diseases like norovirus and listeri...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/a6zjws/why_are_green_leafy_vegetables_a_common_source_of/
{ "a_id": [ "ec1ddcq", "ec1mh0d" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Based on quick reading, it would appear that viruses like norovirus and most bacteria that cause food poisoning don't cause disease in plants. In the case of viruses, they are spread by fecal contamination in water and ferti...
[]
[ "https://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/01/health/vegetables-foodborne-illness-time/index.html" ]
[ [ "https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12560-012-9093-x", "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0740002017302915?via%3Dihub#bib27" ], [] ]
ujvbo
Which civilizations in the history of the world granted women the most rights?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ujvbo/which_civilizations_in_the_history_of_the_world/
{ "a_id": [ "c4w0k2b", "c4w1rzd", "c4w40rj", "c4w6kts", "c4wa1h0", "c4wcpho" ], "score": [ 12, 17, 3, 3, 3, 3 ], "text": [ "Bolsheviks were rather liberal in the 1920s...with everyone and everything. Divorce was easily attained, women were regularly going o...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [ "http://gencen.isp.msu.edu/documents/Working_Papers/WP31.pdf", "http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03062849208729775" ], [ "http://www.artfromancientlands.com/TangHorseandFemaleRiderH686.html" ], [], [ "http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-05/uop-imm050902.php"...
4kj37s
How does a dog cool itself off when it pants?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4kj37s/how_does_a_dog_cool_itself_off_when_it_pants/
{ "a_id": [ "d3fbd9i" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "AFAIK, Evaporation off the tongue. Dogs lack sweat glands and so are unable to use evaporative cooling like humans do. The evaporation of water helps dissipate heat. A veterinarian could probably give you a better answer in depth. " ] }
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[ [] ]
6uvpir
why do people get sneeze attacks?
About once a week, I sneeze 15+ times, about once every 5-10 seconds. Why is this?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6uvpir/eli5why_do_people_get_sneeze_attacks/
{ "a_id": [ "dlvufi3" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "There are lots of things that can cause a sneeze attack. Here are a few:\n\n1) A foreign object in your nasal cavilty that needs to be expelled. It just takes 15 sneezes to expel it.\n\n2) Allergies. Pollen for example can overstimulate histam...
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[ [] ]
7mkas5
Which way should a fan face to get more fresh air into a room?
I live in a studio apartment with only one window. If I want to increase ventilation and the amount of fresh air, which direction should the fan face? I've heard arguments for both into the apartment and towards the window, can anybody help? Bonus meme: I have a vent in my bathroom, would permanently keeping this on ...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/7mkas5/which_way_should_a_fan_face_to_get_more_fresh_air/
{ "a_id": [ "drvp0yt", "dryrnbz" ], "score": [ 6, 2 ], "text": [ "Keeping the vent on in your bathroom, and placing the fan infront or in your window to blow fresh air into the apartment will provide maximum fresh air replenishment. The bathroom will be venting stale air from inside your a...
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[ [], [] ]
1i6ffx
Rainbow Cloud
So today as we are driving, my son starts yelling: "Check out the rainbow cloud!" I thought maybe I'd see a cloud in the shape of an arch. But no, we actually saw this: _URL_0_ I understand how rainbows work, but this one has me baffled. The sun was not not behind us, in fact it in this picture it would be at a...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1i6ffx/rainbow_cloud/
{ "a_id": [ "cb1f8ge" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "Looks like a [circumhorizontal arc](_URL_0_)." ] }
[]
[ "http://i.imgur.com/W9iHYZg.jpg" ]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumhorizontal_arc" ] ]
gl4bh
If something is producing a constant sound/noise, can an 'opposite' sound wave be produced to cancel it out?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/gl4bh/if_something_is_producing_a_constant_soundnoise/
{ "a_id": [ "c1ocbx3", "c1ocd3f", "c1oct38" ], "score": [ 12, 7, 3 ], "text": [ "Yes. Quite easily... Noise cancelling headphones work on this principle. ", "Yes. [Wiki link for Noise-Cancelling headphones](_URL_0_)", "Yes, but to completely cancel the wave, the opposite s...
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[]
[ [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise-cancelling_headphones" ], [] ]
2n5er9
how is frozen the most successful animated movie of all time??
I don't understand the Frozen phenomenon... I have four children, the oldest being 11 and so I have seen most kkids movies that have been released and I just can't get around the fact that people think this is better than the lion king/toy story/incredibles etc... I truly am fascinated and curious to have the whole thi...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2n5er9/eli5_how_is_frozen_the_most_successful_animated/
{ "a_id": [ "cmah8nk", "cmahyq9", "cmai83d", "cmaiah5", "cmaj4kd", "cmalyy8" ], "score": [ 10, 3, 2, 2, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "The US dollar has a rate of inflation of a few percent a year on average. This means that new movies, all else being equal, will make m...
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
tz5e3
How important was the Battle of Talas River?
I was watching this [video](_URL_0_) and the guy mentioned this was the most important battle I never heard of. So how true is that statement?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/tz5e3/how_important_was_the_battle_of_talas_river/
{ "a_id": [ "c4qz8ry" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Individual battles shouldn't be seen as major turning points, because they can only have that sort of influence on history if other events had already led to it. Many Hungarians, for example, point to the Battle of Mohacs as being decisive in the...
[]
[ "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV7CanyzhZg&feature=plcp#t=9m21s" ]
[ [] ]
ohqbw
Why doesn't our skin fall apart?
How do our skin cells hold each other together? Is it the proteins like marker protein or some other thing?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/ohqbw/why_doesnt_our_skin_fall_apart/
{ "a_id": [ "c3hcrps" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "\n_URL_0_\n\nThere's the basement membrane:\n\n > All epithelial cells rest on a basement membrane, which acts as a scaffolding on which epithelium can grow and regenerate after injuries. Epithelial tissue is innervated, but avascular. This epit...
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[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epithelium" ] ]
gaqjh
Chirality are there any examples of right handed in organisms?
So my chem class was discussing chirality in organisms on earth. Apparently every organism has a left handed chirality structure and it was speculated that anything that is right handed could be from another planet or alien species. So reddit are there any organisms that have right handed chirality on earth? I belie...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/gaqjh/chirality_are_there_any_examples_of_right_handed/
{ "a_id": [ "c1m609d", "c1m76l8" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "I don't believe there is any organism that uses D-amino acids in its biology. Consider that such an organism would have to:\n\n* be entirely autotrophic: Since chirality is retained throughout most metabolic processes, the...
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[ [], [] ]
5irmxg
why does using my fingers to make my eyes appear slanted make my vision sharper but not clearer?
What I mean by this is when I use my fingers to move the the thin skin on my eyes away from my lacrimal papila and then try to use the muscles to close my eyes while making my eyes appear slanted things appear sharper but a bit blurry. Depending how far i stretch the skin away from my eye I get a varying result and how...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5irmxg/eli5why_does_using_my_fingers_to_make_my_eyes/
{ "a_id": [ "dbah347" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "You're altering the angles that light hits your eyes. That \"sweetspot\" is when you get just the right angle, it's similar to how glasses work. " ] }
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[ [] ]
2jcs60
How did you become a historian/archeologist?
So I am in my final year of secondary school and have always wanted to work in a history-related profession, but I don't really know how to get in that position. I'm sorry if this isn't within the rules but I've been wondering a lot recently...how did you become a historian?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2jcs60/how_did_you_become_a_historianarcheologist/
{ "a_id": [ "claos69", "claqsmi", "clarasp", "clas4ol", "clat3oq", "claw4kc", "clayl8c" ], "score": [ 16, 5, 13, 9, 2, 6, 4 ], "text": [ "When I was around 8 or 9 years old I somehow came across the graphic novel *Maus*. It's a fantastic book, still...
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[ [], [], [], [ "http://www.historians.org/jobs-and-professional-development/career-resources/careers-for-history-majors" ], [], [], [] ]
7pxvj7
how do animals pick up their children/foster children by their mouths without hurting them?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7pxvj7/eli5_how_do_animals_pick_up_their_childrenfoster/
{ "a_id": [ "dsktgdf", "dskvlr3" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "These young animals weigh fairly little, so the stress on their tissue from the weight is very little.\n\nUsually the parent grabs some loose furry skin that is sort of made for use as a handle.", "Their young have extra...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
9ajogb
Why do we say Judeo-Christian and not Islamo-Judeo-Christian? How does Islam differ from Judaism and Christianity in a way that the latter don't?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9ajogb/why_do_we_say_judeochristian_and_not/
{ "a_id": [ "e4w4sa2", "e4x0b2h" ], "score": [ 29, 10 ], "text": [ "The second half of your question is not exactly a history question, but I can give an historical answer to the first. \"Judeo-Christian\" does not just refer to the religious traditions in the narrow sense. This is more a...
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[]
[ [], [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/78x5nr/why_is_it_called_the_judeochristian_tradition_and/doy0mch/", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/685cah/when_did_the_phrase_judeochristian_become_popular/dgvvynq/" ] ]
cp4xzq
why exactly do labrador retrievers love water unanimously as a breed so much?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/cp4xzq/eli5_why_exactly_do_labrador_retrievers_love/
{ "a_id": [ "ewn8a4u", "ewn8d00" ], "score": [ 5, 10 ], "text": [ "They were bred to retrieve animals like ducks etc. that are shot and fall down into the water.", "Because they have been selectively bred for many generations by humans, as an offshoot breed (from the St. John's water d...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
6ccmnm
why are there not any picture of the earth surronded by satellites?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6ccmnm/eli5_why_are_there_not_any_picture_of_the_earth/
{ "a_id": [ "dhtlq6d" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "The Earth is really big and those satellites are really small. Imagine a photo of Earth from high orbit. You can't distinguish whole cities (10 miles across), how would you expect to see something that is somewhere between the size of a mailbox a...
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1pwafr
where are all the dead pigeons?
The population of pigeons in New York City alone is estimated to exceed 1 million birds. Pigeons seldom live more than 3 or 4 years.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1pwafr/eli5_where_are_all_the_dead_pigeons/
{ "a_id": [ "cd6qva2", "cd6rq0z", "cd6tgfm", "cd6uvgy", "cd6v9ll", "cd6wl19", "cd704rh", "cd7ca2k" ], "score": [ 101, 108, 21, 35, 12, 6, 7, 10 ], "text": [ "Follow up: Where are all the young pigeons? I only see them adult-sized. ", "Wil...
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[ [], [], [], [ "http://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/08/nyregion/new-york-s-tough-pigeons-fight-predators-for-survival.html" ], [], [], [], [] ]
2p0uax
Has Communism ever been successfully implemented in a society?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2p0uax/has_communism_ever_been_successfully_implemented/
{ "a_id": [ "cmseiuk", "cmsgpmc", "cmsm7jj", "cmt254w" ], "score": [ 14, 5, 14, 7 ], "text": [ "It depends on what you really consider to be 'true communism'. Countries like China and Cuba are moderately successful countries which run under what they call communist governme...
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[ [], [], [], [ "https://libcom.org/history/history-makhnovist-movement-1918-1921-peter-arshinov", "https://libcom.org/history/1917-1921-the-ukrainian-makhnovist-movement" ] ]
9d1otr
how were congressional republicans able to delay and ultimately avoid hearings for merrick garland, yet democrats couldn't do the same for brett kavanaugh?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9d1otr/eli5_how_were_congressional_republicans_able_to/
{ "a_id": [ "e5es186", "e5es6ux" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the Republicans, in the past presidential term, held the majority in the Senate at the time when the confirmation vote required a 2/3 majority. The Republicans have also since changed ...
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[ [], [] ]
2wvity
Why did some ancient societies such as Ancient Egypt have two national capitals?
At many points throughout Ancient Egyptian history they had two capitals. In Memphis, and in Thebes. Was this in order to recognize upper and lower Egypt as different. Was it for administrative purposes? I would understand if they were only regional capitals but they were considered to be national capitals.
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2wvity/why_did_some_ancient_societies_such_as_ancient/
{ "a_id": [ "coui0en" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text": [ "Originally, Egypt consisted of two separate kingdoms, Upper Egypt (in the south) and Lower Egypt (in the North). These each had their own capitals. These capitals continued in use through history.\n\nEgypt was ruled by successive family groups k...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_historical_capitals_of_Egypt" ] ]
4u0rfd
why do certain rivers carve gigantic canyons while others don't? is a matter of how fast the water flows?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4u0rfd/eli5_why_do_certain_rivers_carve_gigantic_canyons/
{ "a_id": [ "d5m31g6" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "It's a matter of how much elevation change there is between the source and sea level, how quickly the elevation happens, the type of rocks and the way the rocks are oriented (i.e., flat-lying or turned on end). \n\nThe biggest canyons will form i...
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38nemt
Why does a shortage of hormons like estrogen or testosteron lead to depression?
I'm curious. Everywhere I searched for an answer to this question they never brought up reasons for it, only the notion that it does cause depression or at least gives you a shitty mood (I'm not sure if it was the clinical definition of "depression" or the "depression" that many people talk abotu when they "only" feel ...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/38nemt/why_does_a_shortage_of_hormons_like_estrogen_or/
{ "a_id": [ "crwmsqd" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "The endocrine system is highly integrated with itself, meaning many hormones are involved in pathways and often times one hormone will signal the release or inhibition of a 2nd hormone. I can't remember off hand what the steroids may or may not ...
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[ [] ]
1qljkp
does pain receptors stop if you are set on fire for a while?
I know you burn, but doesn't the nerves burn off and you wouldn't feel anything?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1qljkp/eli5_does_pain_receptors_stop_if_you_are_set_on/
{ "a_id": [ "cde072q", "cde0bxd" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Yes, deep burns are actually painless (the process of creating them hurt like hell though) due to the destruction of the nerves that signal pain. It's one of the warning signs of a deep burn. ", "Everything stops if yo...
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[ [], [] ]
2f4ng5
Will water and oil mix at high pressures?
So the reason oil and water don't mix well is because it requires a lot of energy for the oil molecule to displace the water and even then the water wants to hydrogen bond with each other so the oil is moved out of the way. Is this different under very high pressure?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2f4ng5/will_water_and_oil_mix_at_high_pressures/
{ "a_id": [ "ck642ld" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "High pressure, not so much. With that said, you *can* effect the miscibility of a mixture by changing the *temperature*. The miscibility of a two liquid mixture becomes larger at higher temperatures. Specifically for oils and water, I don't know ...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Laar_equation", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entropy_of_mixing#Solutions_and_temperature_dependence_of_miscibility", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margules_activity_model" ] ]
3oko2w
How does gravity affect things like fire or lightning?
Would a higher or lower gravity than the Earth's make things like fire or lightning behave differently?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3oko2w/how_does_gravity_affect_things_like_fire_or/
{ "a_id": [ "cvy28ah", "cvyi8eu" ], "score": [ 361, 9 ], "text": [ "*Fire:* Gravity affects the shape of the flame. Heated air (containing the particles that cause the flame to be visible) is lighter than the cooler surrounding air. In the presence of gravity, the lighther air will flow hi...
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[ [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q58-la_yAB4" ], [] ]
6dxpzd
why do things sometimes appear to move away from me after having stared in the same spot?
The best example I can give: When after mowing some lawn for a few hours, after having stopped and standing still it appears that all the lawn around me is moving away from me?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6dxpzd/eli5_why_do_things_sometimes_appear_to_move_away/
{ "a_id": [ "di664ij" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Your eyes got used to the image of the grass moving towards you, so it got tired of sending the signal to your brain that it kept seeing that motion - of the grass moving towards you.\n\nWhen you stop moving, now the grass is standing still. Howe...
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[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_aftereffect" ] ]
708sru
There are Glasses that make Colorblind People see colors. Do they work the other way around too?
What happens if "normal" people wearing them? Do they see B & W? Could the glasses be modified to do so? Edit: I know Colorblind people don't see B & W. It was a metaphor because there are so many different ways of colorblindness.
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/708sru/there_are_glasses_that_make_colorblind_people_see/
{ "a_id": [ "dn1fd8j", "dn1fmit", "dn1hanp", "dn1icog", "dn1j3d0", "dn1kxda", "dn1la2b", "dn1mdqj", "dn1mmyy", "dn1n1ws", "dn1fd8j", "dn1hanp", "dn1icog", "dn1j3d0", "dn1kxda", "dn1la2b", "dn1mdqj", "dn1mmyy", "dn1n1ws", "dn20yfn", "d...
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[ [ "http://enchroma.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/enchromacx.png.pagespeed.ce.9wjKP4OmOd.png", "http://www.colour.org.uk/fig3.gif", "http://www.colour.org.uk/fig1.gif", "http://14635-presscdn-0-96.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/colorblindcompare2.jpg" ], [ "https://www.yout...
39t3l5
Why didn't the Emancipation Proclamation apply to parts of the South held by the Union Army?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/39t3l5/why_didnt_the_emancipation_proclamation_apply_to/
{ "a_id": [ "cs68kv7" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Emancipation Proclamation was meant as much to deal a strategic blow to the confederacy as anything else. It gave the Union the moral high ground in the war on the international stage. If a nation such as Britain, which worked actively to outlaw ...
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2nfiz5
women of reddit. can someone explain the different "types" of orgasms women can achieve and how they feel?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2nfiz5/eli5_women_of_reddit_can_someone_explain_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cmd5sha", "cmd6pdv", "cmdb04i" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "That's really more of an /r/AskWomen or an /r/sex question.", "Your going to get different answers from different women because we're all sensitive in different places. \n\nIn my experience if I wer...
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[ [], [], [] ]
8fznfc
why did tv shows go from 22-25 episodes per season (lost, the office) to 10 episodes (better call saul)?
I know The Office and Lost were shorter towards the end, but they were still longer than today.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8fznfc/eli5_why_did_tv_shows_go_from_2225_episodes_per/
{ "a_id": [ "dy7netx", "dy7o3fr", "dy817ah" ], "score": [ 9, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Tv shows have been bouncing between 22-25 and 10-13 episode for a long time, it isn't recent. It just depends on the show and how much budget they have for that season.", "The number of episodes a s...
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[ [], [], [] ]
g32rbr
why don’t super glue caps get stuck by the super glue?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/g32rbr/eli5_why_dont_super_glue_caps_get_stuck_by_the/
{ "a_id": [ "fnougjf", "fnow5s8" ], "score": [ 5, 11 ], "text": [ "They do once it's been open, but the tube comes sealed from the store. Once you open up the tube any stray glue on the tip will bond to the cap.", "The cyanoacrylate in superglue hardens on contact with water (moisture)...
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[ [], [] ]
1vajek
What would happen in medieval/early modern Europe if a female ruler had a bastard child?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1vajek/what_would_happen_in_medievalearly_modern_europe/
{ "a_id": [ "ceqfy8b", "ceqgfru" ], "score": [ 9, 2 ], "text": [ "Let's take the example of Queen Urraca, who inherited the Kingdom of Leon-Castilla from her father Alfonso VI in 1109 and ruled as reigning queen until 1126. She had had two children with her first husband, who died in 1107,...
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[ [], [] ]
1ftt07
Is it possible for the big bang theory to ever become scientific fact without it happening again or the invention of time travel?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1ftt07/is_it_possible_for_the_big_bang_theory_to_ever/
{ "a_id": [ "cadpkiy" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "I think you've got a fundamental misconception about what \"theory\" means. It means that there is overwhelming evidence for something, and that it is generally accepted - this is the sense in which the word is used for \"theory of gravity\" and ...
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[ [] ]
80ns3q
It took J Edgar Hoover just two years to go from a legal clerkship to a division head. What did he do his first two years of law enforcement to stand out?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/80ns3q/it_took_j_edgar_hoover_just_two_years_to_go_from/
{ "a_id": [ "duxs8cr", "duxymvt", "duy72og", "duyhvxd" ], "score": [ 161, 41, 7, 109 ], "text": [ "Follow up question. Would a legal clerk have access to privy information of the previous division head?", "Follow up question: \n\nAre there any documented/attested cross...
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[ [], [], [], [ "https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/wall-street-bombing-1920" ] ]
468bax
When did the modern ideas around cooking first appear, especially those regarding meat? Where did they originate?
Ok, so obviously we know that food would revolve around geographical location and what was widely available at the time, but what I'm asking is when did things like oil and salt become standard? Did people used to fry meat or was baking the normal standard? Salt is now considered a crucial ingredient in food, but at wh...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/468bax/when_did_the_modern_ideas_around_cooking_first/
{ "a_id": [ "d03may8" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "I'm not quite certain what you're asking here, because 'modern' is something of a fuzzy term in culinary history - with the exception of the microwave, there's very little you can do in a modern kitchen that wasn't done in Babylon or Eygpt. \n\nA...
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[ [ "http://www.foodtimeline.org/", "http://discovermagazine.com/2013/may/09-archaeologists-find-earliest-evidence-of-humans-cooking-with-fire" ] ]
sbxvn
Silly helium voices
why is it that a person sounds like donald duck after inhaling a large amount of helium? what happens to the body/lung/larynx,etc. I assume it's not good for the person, why not?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/sbxvn/silly_helium_voices/
{ "a_id": [ "c4cs363", "c4csmj3" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Found on Yahoo - \"Helium is an inert gas that is lighter than air and can be inhaled briefly without risk of death. Sound is produced by vibration, the movement of air around our vocal chords. Because helium gas is lighter ...
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[ [], [] ]
1biof9
How was colonialism justified legally?
In particular, I am referring to colonialism by Catholic powers other than Spain and Portugal in the Americas and Africa, respectively. I understand Dutch and English imperialism began in earnest after the Reformation, which makes sense, but since the Pope had allocated the territory to Spain and Portugal, how did powe...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1biof9/how_was_colonialism_justified_legally/
{ "a_id": [ "c972k9j" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "By the time Belgium was an active colonial power (and a country, post-1830) the papal bulls were no longer really effective. I don't know if further encyclicals were made once it was clear that Spain and Portugal weren't going to be the eternal ...
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[ [ "http://www.nativeweb.org/pages/legal/indig-romanus-pontifex.html", "http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/pope0214a.htm" ] ]
bh4yp3
what exactly happens when milk goes bad/sour? would adding fresh milk to old milk delay the process?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bh4yp3/eli5_what_exactly_happens_when_milk_goes_badsour/
{ "a_id": [ "elq1uv3", "elq23w4" ], "score": [ 9, 4 ], "text": [ "Because of bacteria that use lactose as a nutrient. \n\nLactose is a sugar, commonly called milksugar. It's found in the milk of mammals and is the main source of energy for offsprings.\n\nAll of us require energy to live an...
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[ [], [] ]
g7wwj
Question about balancing a chemical equation(combustion)
I'm studying for an exam in chemistry, and I'm very stumped at this equation. C6H12 (l) + 9 O2 (g) → 6 CO2 (g) + 6H2O (g) WHY are there 9 O2's? Why is it not 12 O2's? Help me
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/g7wwj/question_about_balancing_a_chemical/
{ "a_id": [ "c1lky5k" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "9 O2 = 18 Os\n\n(6 O2=)12 Os+6 Os=18 Os\n\nwhere is your confusion coming from?\n\nlooks like you are miscounting H2 O, one oxygen and two waters" ] }
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digwsp
why do doctors perform bypass surgeries instead of removing plaque from the patient’s arteries?
Seems to me like it would be simpler to restore blood flow by removing the blockage instead of just putting a path around it? Or am I misunderstanding how bypass surgery works?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/digwsp/eli5_why_do_doctors_perform_bypass_surgeries/
{ "a_id": [ "f3vu9mu", "f3vv0s2", "f3vxsgo", "f3w1l9d", "f3xv70e", "f3xv94b", "f45esgc" ], "score": [ 3, 23, 12, 2, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Sometimes that's what they do. In the UK, for example, they prefer to do the less invasive (and less expensive f...
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
7sesz7
every point on the earth is accelerating upwards
I watched [this](_URL_0_) video about einstein's equivalence principle and it said that I am accelerating upwards just being on the ground! That's ridiculous. The earth is NOT expanding radially. This makes NO SENSE. Is this "equivalence principle" just an observation that 'gravity looks like acceleration from a sm...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7sesz7/eli5_every_point_on_the_earth_is_accelerating/
{ "a_id": [ "dt45z03", "dt472pk", "dt47wnb", "dt4v4n2" ], "score": [ 9, 4, 2, 3 ], "text": [ " > Is this \"equivalence principle\" just an observation that\n > \n > 'gravity looks like acceleration from a small enough point of view'\n\nYou can look at this in several ways....
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[ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NblR01hHK6U" ]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
2mcwx1
do animals whisper? do animals communicate in a way not to be heard/understood by members of the same species?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2mcwx1/eli5_do_animals_whisper_do_animals_communicate_in/
{ "a_id": [ "cm326qj" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "I am positive that I read about some type of bird (chickens?) that does this. \n\nMales show they are ready to mate by pecking at food on the ground and making a specific noise. However, smaller and weaker males will do the pecking motion *withou...
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[ [ "http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2013/09/24/monkeys-whisper-study-says-but-why/" ] ]
9iw9gz
why are piano keys in sections of c d f g a b and not a b c d f g?
[deleted]
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9iw9gz/eli5_why_are_piano_keys_in_sections_of_c_d_f_g_a/
{ "a_id": [ "e6mw776" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "The original key first written down in the middle ages was A minor, which is the white notes of the piano: ABCDEFGA, with the music written in this key \"centred\" on the A.\n\nHowever musicians found that they could achieve a different effect by...
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[ [] ]
7naq4r
why do soccer players and their teammates always protest yellow/red cards, when they never get overturned, anyway?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7naq4r/eli5_why_do_soccer_players_and_their_teammates/
{ "a_id": [ "ds0c1zg", "ds0c3g3", "ds0g4i2", "ds0kb7p" ], "score": [ 9, 21, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Because soccer is a physically exhausting sport without breaks. A person's already stressed trying to formulate game plays and coordinate their motion to execute those plays, so w...
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[ [], [], [], [] ]
8zloey
what exactly makes something a vitamin and how did they get their names (c, b6, b12, e, etc)?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8zloey/eli5_what_exactly_makes_something_a_vitamin_and/
{ "a_id": [ "e2jndyj", "e2jsamt" ], "score": [ 46, 11 ], "text": [ "Vitamins are small organic molecules that we need in tiny amounts in our diet. So for example amino acids are not vitamins because we need large amounts of them. Sodium is not a vitamin because it is inorganic. \n\nAs for ...
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[ [], [] ]
1r3nz7
What are the latest scientific explanations for Near Death Experiences?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1r3nz7/what_are_the_latest_scientific_explanations_for/
{ "a_id": [ "cdjb8rn", "cdjh4p3", "cdjizqh", "cdjjard", "cdjk3uu", "cdjk5jb", "cdjkkcb", "cdjm61u", "cdjnqgq", "cdjq79r" ], "score": [ 109, 39, 2, 89, 33, 5, 4, 2, 3, 3 ], "text": [ "As far as I know, there isn't much of a sci...
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[]
[ [ "http://pimvanlommel.nl/files/publicaties/Lancet%20artikel%20Pim%20van%20Lommel.pdf", "http://www.horizonresearch.org/Uploads/medhypothesis.pdf" ], [], [ "http://www.pimvanlommel.nl/international_eng" ], [], [ "http://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/brain-metrics/could_a_final_surge_in" ...
17yq84
processes and threads in computing. what exactly they do and so on.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/17yq84/eli5_processes_and_threads_in_computing_what/
{ "a_id": [ "c8a16s3", "c8a1pto" ], "score": [ 7, 2 ], "text": [ "Imagine a fairly simple math problem: a^2 + b^2 = c^2, where I give you that a = 3 and b = 5 and I want you to tell me what c is.\n\nIf you were to do this yourself, you would probably square 3 first and get 9, then square 5...
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[ [], [] ]
1pfjce
The Founding Fathers' background for the Commerce Clause?
I'm trying to figure out the societal context and background for the commerce clause in the US Constitution. > To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes. What background experience would the crafters of the Constitution have for the commerce clause? And the s...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1pfjce/the_founding_fathers_background_for_the_commerce/
{ "a_id": [ "cd1u93o", "cd22e6o" ], "score": [ 6, 3 ], "text": [ "They were primarily concerned that the states would set up tariffs and protectionist barriers to discourage goods from other states. This had proven problematic under the Articles of Confederation. More info (despite a che...
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[ [ "http://constitutionland.com/Commerce_Clause_61QB.html" ], [] ]
7fc211
why do we jerk forward when we sneeze? if we're expelling mass forward, shouldn't the jerk be in the opposite direction?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7fc211/eli5_why_do_we_jerk_forward_when_we_sneeze_if/
{ "a_id": [ "dqatlac", "dqawday" ], "score": [ 15, 3 ], "text": [ "You're also contracting your muscles specifically the ones near your diaphragm. Specifically, you clench your abs/core when you sneeze.\n\nThe mass of air leaving your lungs is negligible.", "Sneezing is like squeezing ...
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[ [], [] ]
2yi0dk
why is someone who identifies as the gender they are born with called a cis in a derogatory manner, and where did the phrase come from?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2yi0dk/eli5_why_is_someone_who_identifies_as_the_gender/
{ "a_id": [ "cp9ophv", "cp9opjx", "cp9opv0", "cp9otew", "cp9p8cw", "cp9pbw5", "cp9ppvc", "cp9vaur" ], "score": [ 6, 8, 14, 3, 18, 2, 9, 2 ], "text": [ "Cis isn't derogatory, except in that one South Park episode that played it as a joke. Cis...
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
101yb8
why does a beam of light appear to stop abruptly in fog, instead of fading with distance?
here's an example of what I mean _URL_1_. It's like the light hits a wall, but why does it appear to maintain intensity right up to that point? Here's another example Here's another example _URL_0_ to illustrate the effect I mean, think of the Batman searchlight
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/101yb8/why_does_a_beam_of_light_appear_to_stop_abruptly/
{ "a_id": [ "c69s9u8", "c69tyf8", "c69u9gj", "c69up8z" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "It does fade with distance. However, light passing through a medium decays exponentially, not linearly, so it decays super fast. What this means is that when you're twice the dista...
[]
[ "http://zedomax.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/handheldsunmbeam_main.jpg", "http://www.starlight.com/images/SearchlightFX.jpg" ]
[ [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inversion_%28meteorology%29", "https://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations/es1702/es1702page05.cfm" ], [], [] ]
8xizic
Can I calculate the speed of my train from the angle which rain droplets are sliding down the window?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/8xizic/can_i_calculate_the_speed_of_my_train_from_the/
{ "a_id": [ "e24yvel", "e24yy0y" ], "score": [ 4, 9 ], "text": [ "Not easily, no. \n\nThe reason is a train is not perfectly aerodynamic and so there will be turbulence affecting the air around the train. As a result, droplets will move more or less at different positions on the window, as...
[]
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[ [], [] ]
1vp1fr
why does the us government have a vested interest in keeping a federal ban on marijuana?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1vp1fr/eli5_why_does_the_us_government_have_a_vested/
{ "a_id": [ "ceuevq7", "ceuhm5v", "ceui7qv" ], "score": [ 16, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Leading question. Who says they do?", "Because they use the imaginary scourge of drugs to justify the militarization of the police and the gradual stripping away of constitutional protections. ", ...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
19bwyk
why hiphop artists/fans are so obsessed with the illuminati?
Hiphop is the only genre of music that I hear people talking about the Illuminati, really it's the only place I ever heard talk of the Illuminati. Why is this?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/19bwyk/eli5_why_hiphop_artistsfans_are_so_obsessed_with/
{ "a_id": [ "c8mmnt7", "c8moe2x", "c8mr7bs" ], "score": [ 2, 9, 13 ], "text": [ "I don't think I have ever heard any of that. Also look at Old rock n roll it is filled with references to the Ocoult and stuff. ", "While hip hop certainly isn't the only genre to mention the Illum...
[]
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[ [], [], [] ]
9yzjum
Why do we want to care about Hilbert spaces beyond our own three dimensions?
Practically speaking, I'm unable to see what uses we may have for solving extra-dimensional problems beyond our own three dimensional Euclidean space; That is to say, I fail to see any practical use or application of trying to understand what exists outside our plane of existance. Can anyone help explain to me why we c...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/9yzjum/why_do_we_want_to_care_about_hilbert_spaces/
{ "a_id": [ "ea5ldas", "ea602z4", "ea6fm0l", "ea6yx3g" ], "score": [ 19, 9, 4, 2 ], "text": [ "It doesn't really seem like you want to know why Hilbert spaces are important, but rather vector spaces.\n\nThe easiest example is that it is routinely needed to solve systems of ...
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[]
[ [], [], [ "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3084136/" ], [] ]
5mi93r
how do autopsies work?
In TV, movies, and videogames forensic scientists just look at a computer screen, or a corpse and they just kinda *know* how the victim died. How is an autopsy performed and is it as simple as in media?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5mi93r/eli5_how_do_autopsies_work/
{ "a_id": [ "dc3ttz9", "dc3tym1" ], "score": [ 2, 5 ], "text": [ "A pathologist cuts the body open and examines all major organs and takes representative samples of them. They may be able to determine the cause of death by gross examination (just looking at the body), or they may need to l...
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[ [], [] ]
39jq5q
What is actually happening when one takes a "full" breath compared to an "incomplete" or "normal" breath?
I've seen this mentioned in asthma and anxiety topics. The person will attempt to breathe in and get full breath. Once successful, the person gets a feeling of relief. What is actually going on when this happens? Does this have to do with some kind of placebo? Or is there something different about these breaths compa...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/39jq5q/what_is_actually_happening_when_one_takes_a_full/
{ "a_id": [ "cs43q8c", "cs49e51" ], "score": [ 4, 3 ], "text": [ "You get two types of inward breath, known as inspiration. \"Normal\" (that is unconscious breathing) inspiration uses only the diaphram and the intercostal muscles. When you deliberately breath in deeply the accessory muscle...
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[ [], [] ]
47i3r6
how come carnivorous plants know that insects actually exist?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/47i3r6/eli5_how_come_carnivorous_plants_know_that/
{ "a_id": [ "d0d377n", "d0d37d5", "d0d3bpj", "d0d3igo" ], "score": [ 4, 7, 9, 2 ], "text": [ "They do not. All they do is close when something lands on a designated part of them. It doesn't matter what, they close them in anyways.\n", "I think you are asking the wrong q...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
1su5k0
why am i compelled to look at or watch gory/disturbing things (such as videos, pictures, films), despite knowing that it will make me feel bad afterwards?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1su5k0/eli5_why_am_i_compelled_to_look_at_or_watch/
{ "a_id": [ "ce1a8a2", "ce1c1bq", "ce1ctap", "ce1d02o", "ce1ms42" ], "score": [ 3, 2, 2, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "I'm not quite sure but it could be the face that humans are naturally curious and cannot simply forget or ignore a situation where you have the opportunity to...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
3ktewm
why are mexican immigrants running from the cartel not considered refugees?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3ktewm/eli5_why_are_mexican_immigrants_running_from_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cv0chsy", "cv0dgwq", "cv0gunw", "cv0jbjb" ], "score": [ 4, 18, 45, 7 ], "text": [ "Someone classified as a Refugee is endowed with some legal protections aka. costs the government money. ", "They would likely fit under the term \"Economic Refugee\". However...
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[ [], [], [], [] ]
2pcu08
what do special police units do the whole year?
For example hostage negotiators, or anti-terrorist squads? Do they just wait (except for some trainings), and when some dramatic event takes place (such as today in Sydney), they come out of waiting, saying "this is our day", or what? (Probably not, that's why I'm asking.)
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2pcu08/eli5_what_do_special_police_units_do_the_whole/
{ "a_id": [ "cmvgvk8" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "They work regular policing jobs. In addition to doing their regular police work, they have taken part in training in weapons, tactics, negotiating, etc. They regularly train together as a group but would otherwise return to their regular police...
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[ [] ]
ccpp8x
How did people measure ingredients without having common units of measurement?
I just read the Thomas Jefferson recipe for making macaroni and the recipe called for two wine glasses of milk, which was an interesting unit of measurement. What common units of measurement were used before "cups" and "teaspoon" measurements were adapted?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ccpp8x/how_did_people_measure_ingredients_without_having/
{ "a_id": [ "etohyhu" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Speaking for Medieval Europe-- Often, they just didn't! (or at least didn't include measurements in recipes). For example in the [Forme of Cury](_URL_1_), recipes from Richard II's cooks, there are extremely few precise measurements. [Two more](_...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/CookBk", "http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/foc/" ] ]
5n9rsm
Can you have a space with half a dimension?
I've read that fractals can sometimes have a fraction of a dimension, but people say that the number really only describes how much bigger it gets when you double its size. What they don't describe is WHAT is getting bigger. Does a menger sponge have have a "volume" measured in m^2.7268 ? If so, how do you point to a ...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/5n9rsm/can_you_have_a_space_with_half_a_dimension/
{ "a_id": [ "dca0cxu", "dca816g", "dca8e30" ], "score": [ 9, 3, 7 ], "text": [ "You can totally generate a number according to that formula, and it will even mean something in terms of the object that you're measuring, but I'm not aware of a *physically meaningful* definition of th...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractal_dimension", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimension" ], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hausdorff_measure" ] ]
1boa1g
What would happen if you put a magnetic ball inside a hollow metal sphere?
Would the magnet hover in the center of the sphere? Or would it do something much less interesting?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1boa1g/what_would_happen_if_you_put_a_magnetic_ball/
{ "a_id": [ "c98iknw" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "As a purely theoretical question if the forces in all directions were balanced it would just float in the middle (assuming no gravity, etc.). However this is impossible to recreate and so due to imperfections in either the regularity of the objec...
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[ [] ]
bjokjm
how can a baby scream for hours and be fine, but i yell for 30 minutes at a sporting event and lose my voice.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bjokjm/eli5_how_can_a_baby_scream_for_hours_and_be_fine/
{ "a_id": [ "em9yv0u", "ema23vy" ], "score": [ 5, 3 ], "text": [ "Some babies develop problems due to screaming. See Emma Stone, for example, she got nodules and calluses on her vocal cords.", "Children scream with false ligaments, and you to break the ligaments. I am sorry for my Eng...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
fecbki
Was There A Bias Against All-Female Rock & Roll Bands In The 1960s?
I was reading up about Goldie and the Gingerbreads, who are claimed to be the first all-female rock & roll band signed to a major label, and the claim was that all-female bands were considered a gimmick up until this point. Is that accurate? Was the music industry (or the music-consuming public) biased against women ...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/fecbki/was_there_a_bias_against_allfemale_rock_roll/
{ "a_id": [ "fkdem5m" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "My apologies for taking so long to get to this - I wanted to do a bit of reading first up, but did mean to come back to it. Christine Feldman-Barrett's article 'From Beatles Fans to Beat Groups: A historiography of the 1960s all-girl rock band' i...
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[]
[ [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNOZmS-y18g", "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD0JRdIGwoo", "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozx1SIWSQ78", "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z64AnPUwG0", "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMwcrw7teR8" ] ]
2fzz32
us tv censorship
I am watching the Louie TV show and it has some words censored. Each time someone is suposed to say "fuck" a "beep" hides it. But there are a lot of worse words or expressions that are not censored: cum, blowjob, faggot, even the "n-word" if i recall correctly. I know there are TV channels like HBO without censorship...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2fzz32/eli5_us_tv_censorship/
{ "a_id": [ "ckeepik", "ckefhbp", "ckeldhf" ], "score": [ 4, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "With basic cable shows, like Louie its simple. Advertisers are either unwilling or afraid to buy ad time on programs that use certain words, or show certain body parts during certain hours. In order to ...
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[ [], [], [] ]
bb6on2
how did mormons develop their beliefs?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bb6on2/eli5_how_did_mormons_develop_their_beliefs/
{ "a_id": [ "ekglqz8", "ekgmr6x", "ekgoz55" ], "score": [ 10, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Someone wrote a whole new book in the US, said it was buried there by ancient Jews and was the next part of the Bible. Some people believed him and here we are.", "Joseph Smith, a man with a histor...
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[ [], [], [] ]
368b04
is it better to be in the front or back of a train going 100mph that is about to derail?
Is it better to be in the front or back of a train going 100mph that is about to derail? Experts please weigh in.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/368b04/eli5_is_it_better_to_be_in_the_front_or_back_of_a/
{ "a_id": [ "crbn7r3" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "It depends on where the derailing happens. If it starts with the first car then absolutely it is better to be in the back as the linkages between the cars and the friction generated from the derailing will slow the train down to the point where r...
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[ [] ]
2ccu8c
why do so many cities share street names?
Street names like First, Second, and Third seem pretty obvious, but it seems like many cities have common street names, like Dundas or Richmond. Why?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2ccu8c/eli5_why_do_so_many_cities_share_street_names/
{ "a_id": [ "cje6o6y", "cje6tkz", "cje6wf3" ], "score": [ 2, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "They sound nice and there are a finite number of words in the English language. Another benefit of intentionally doing this is that everyone knows how to spell these street names. This makes life easier...
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[ [], [], [] ]
ohuyo
Is there a physical difference between “true” yellow light and a red/green mix?
I've been trying to wrap my brain around the whole light physics stuff lately, and here's one of the (many) things that still eludes me. So the perceived color of visible light is a function of its wavelength, right? But at the other hand, our eyes have only receptors for red, green and blue light, so any color we perc...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/ohuyo/is_there_a_physical_difference_between_true/
{ "a_id": [ "c3hdtjx", "c3hdunc", "c3hdzj6" ], "score": [ 2, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "See: \n_URL_0_\n\nthere are three types of sensors in your eye, which respond like shown in the graph to a certain frequency (its the red, blue and green curve).\neach frequency creates a unique pattern...
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[]
[ [ "http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Datei:Cone-response.png&filetimestamp=20050707063120" ], [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SRGB" ] ]
6gtx5m
why is eradicating poison ivy (and oak/etc) so difficult?
Or even just "permanently get rid of it from places where we don't want it" - like on known hiking trails, campgrounds, etc? ps - not asking for any form of insight into how we'd be impacting mother nature, just how come we have such a difficulty with this plant in particular when we can certainly control the heck out...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6gtx5m/eli5_why_is_eradicating_poison_ivy_and_oaketc_so/
{ "a_id": [ "dit0gpc", "dit205z" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Its a hard plant to kill becasue the best removal is to pull it out, But that has the issue of touching the plant, the precautions you have to take, covering up etc etc etc. The next is weed killer but their are environment...
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[ [], [] ]
5gxcy3
Royal European Family Tree?
Is there somewhere I can get a *full*, massive European Royal family tree? I've tried looking, but there doesn't seem to be a full one--or, at least, not where I have looked.
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5gxcy3/royal_european_family_tree/
{ "a_id": [ "daw07jp", "dawffwc" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "This one here is pretty darn comprehensive, if somewhat dated. \n\n_URL_0_", "This is an interesting interactive \"Royal Constellation\" map, going back to about 1100.\n\n_URL_0_" ] }
[]
[]
[ [ "https://www.hull.ac.uk/php/cssbct/genealogy/royal/" ], [ "http://www.datasketch.es/october/code/nadieh/" ] ]
2bngwx
if the sun suddenly exploded, what exactly would happen? would we even know right away?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2bngwx/eli5_if_the_sun_suddenly_exploded_what_exactly/
{ "a_id": [ "cj71g9u", "cj71ttt", "cj74uvs" ], "score": [ 5, 2, 11 ], "text": [ "I don't think we would know right away. It takes ~8.5 minutes for light from the sun to get to earth. So, basically the sun could have just exploded, and we won't know until 8ish minutes from now.\n\nF...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
f87i10
how do they supply hot tap water in whole country ?
I am currently in Russia and there is hot water supply in every building. I can see the pipes which contain the hot water but what is the source ?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/f87i10/eli5_how_do_they_supply_hot_tap_water_in_whole/
{ "a_id": [ "fijjzrh", "fijkf7b", "fijml94", "fijms2k", "fijogmw" ], "score": [ 4, 7, 6, 15, 2 ], "text": [ "Each building has it's own water heater. Only cold water is supplied and it's heated inside the building and usually wamed and contained in an insulated tan...
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[]
[ [], [], [ "https://imgur.com/krJxPLy" ], [], [] ]
44ze4g
what's the difference between archiving and email and deleting it?
[deleted]
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/44ze4g/eli5_whats_the_difference_between_archiving_and/
{ "a_id": [ "czu18q0", "czu1dng" ], "score": [ 5, 2 ], "text": [ "Its basically the difference between shredding/burning a physical piece of mail and having your secretary file it away, and in this case you don't know where your secretary puts them.\n\nthat is to say deleting an email is m...
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[ [], [] ]
3rtr3f
how long could a dolphin survive on land, provided it has an endless supply of food?
For example, if a dolphin gets beached, how long could it live being stranded on the beach?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3rtr3f/eli5_how_long_could_a_dolphin_survive_on_land/
{ "a_id": [ "cwr9jo1" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "Dolphins are cetaceans, IE mammals and they breath air just like you or me. The problems they deal with on land would be mainly 2 things, exposure and their weight. \n\nThe humidity in the air, spraying water on them is for comfort, and supportin...
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[ [] ]
6bz5oo
in the us, if a president dies/becomes incapable of performing his duties, does the time his vice president spent as acting president count as a term?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6bz5oo/eli5_in_the_us_if_a_president_diesbecomes/
{ "a_id": [ "dhqnhso", "dhqnk89" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "This is covered by the 22nd amendment. It's counted as a term if the acting president served more than two years.", "If the amount of time that a Vice President takes over is 2 years or less (half a term) then it does no...
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[ [], [] ]
1mi0uo
If I were able to stand next to Voyager I where it is now in interstellar space, would I be able to see it?
I was wondering if there would be enough light (photons) out there to bounce off the spacecraft and hit our retina or if it would appear to be a silhouette against a starry sky? Or dimly lit. I got to thinking about this after watching Star Trek recently and wondering if there was enough light in deep space to make th...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1mi0uo/if_i_were_able_to_stand_next_to_voyager_i_where/
{ "a_id": [ "cc9kdol", "cc9lno4" ], "score": [ 31, 3 ], "text": [ "You can easily estimate how well is voyeger 1 illuminated. Direct sunlight is about 50,000 lux. Illuminance falls with distace squared. Voyeger is 125 AU far. So illuminance is roughly 50,000/125**2 = 3.2 lux. So Voyager is...
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[ [], [] ]