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1b9xym
Why do the Pinkertons have their current reputations?
The Pinkertons have the reputation of being ruthless and callous detectives due to their history with strikebreaking and the various ways they fought the Unions. And yet there are examples of the freaking National Guard being just as brutal during the same era. Combine that with how brutal the Labor Unions themselves ...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1b9xym/why_do_the_pinkertons_have_their_current/
{ "a_id": [ "c950qpm", "c954ul0" ], "score": [ 21, 3 ], "text": [ " > there are examples of the freaking National Guard being just as brutal during the same era\n\nAnyone familiar with the history of organized labor in the 19th century usually has similar opinions of the National Guard an...
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[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herrin_massacre" ], [] ]
8n5nlb
How do people create "x-ray videos"?
I am wondering how people get x-ray images that are videos. From how I understand normal x-rays work, it seems that a video would be impossible, and with my understanding of radiation exposure, probably be giving them cancer anyway. How would you take a video and not give the person involved cancer? example of what I ...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/8n5nlb/how_do_people_create_xray_videos/
{ "a_id": [ "dztv8h6" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "It's called [fluoroscopy](_URL_0_); they used to use fluoroscopes in shoe stores for fitting shoes before they figured out what a terrible idea that was, and they used to do [crazy stuff like this](_URL_1_) before they realised the cancer risks. ...
[]
[ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkj5ZlAF4SY" ]
[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoroscopy", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fluoroscopy_procedure_1909.jpg" ] ]
15blub
Why don't they remake the concorde jet
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/15blub/why_dont_they_remake_the_concorde_jet/
{ "a_id": [ "c7kz9k2" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "It's an economical issue. Especially with modern-day fuel prices, the price of a ticket would be too high to be economical." ] }
[]
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[ [] ]
66fthq
what is the difference between mirrored and mirrorless lenses in dslrs?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/66fthq/eli5_what_is_the_difference_between_mirrored_and/
{ "a_id": [ "dgi6urk", "dgi7fxi", "dgi9iey" ], "score": [ 3, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "The cameras are the ones with or without mirrors, and if they don't have a mirror they're not SLRs.\n\nDigital Single Lens Reflex cameras have an optical viewfinder which uses a mirror and other element...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://digital-photography-school.com/dslr-versus-mirrorless-which-is-right-for-you/" ], [ "https://advancedphototech.wordpress.com/lenses/mirror-mirror-a-guide-to-choosing-and-using-mirror-lenses/" ], [] ]
6veds5
how do stylus pens with buttons (bamboo-wacom) never run out of battery?
I can't get an answer any were so I thought Reddit could help
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/6veds5/how_do_stylus_pens_with_buttons_bamboowacom_never/
{ "a_id": [ "dlzltul", "dlzomps" ], "score": [ 14, 6 ], "text": [ "The stylus doesn't need its own power source, so the battery doesn't run out because there is no battery to run out. The stylus instead uses a form of electromagnetic resonance technology. There's an article at _URL_0_ ...
[]
[]
[ [ "tablet4u.co.uk/techinfo.php" ], [] ]
4x6kp6
the five lesser-known types of magnetism?
I saw a Youtube video that talked about six types of magnetism: Diamagnetism Paramagnetism Ferromagnetism (the common one) Antiferromagnetism Ferrimagnetism Superparamatnetism Can someone give me a rundown of each of these?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4x6kp6/eli5_the_five_lesserknown_types_of_magnetism/
{ "a_id": [ "d6cx6le" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Basically, magnetic fields happen because electrons have small magnetic fields. There are various ways they can prefer to behave in a material, giving rise to their magnetic properties.\n\nDiamagnetism is most noticeable when there are no unpaire...
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[ [] ]
hf4le
Astronomy Question: If Dark matter's only interaction with matter is gravity, shouldn't a lot of it be in the gravity wells at the center of stars?
From what I've seen, dark matter often forms haloes around galaxies. Big roaming blobs of hydrogen form stars because through gravity they compact and start spinning around each other then once it gets big enough they start fusing. To me it seems like there is little chemical interaction that cause this forming of th...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/hf4le/astronomy_question_if_dark_matters_only/
{ "a_id": [ "c1ux22m", "c1v05sa" ], "score": [ 23, 2 ], "text": [ "Well think about it for a minute. How do you imagine that dark matter would *get* there?\n\nOkay, so here's a particle of dark matter. Poof. And way out there far away there's a star. The star is very, very large, so the pa...
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[ [], [] ]
1ncb0f
why does data cost anything and how much does it cost the companies to provide it?
Im talking cell phones. Why does it cost me money to stream pandora on my phone when im not downloading anything? What does it cost the providers and why am i paying them and not the people who i get the data from?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ncb0f/why_does_data_cost_anything_and_how_much_does_it/
{ "a_id": [ "cch9t4k", "cch9wb7" ], "score": [ 4, 4 ], "text": [ "You pay for the spectrum use. Other countries pay way less than the usa, but they have you by the balls.", "You're also paying for infrastructure: cell phone towers, maintenance (and the salaries of the people who do th...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
10qr4b
How does the expansion of the universe transition light waves to infrared waves (redshifting)?
More specifically, is the change related to speed or mainly just the expansion part? Also, is the change a contributing factor of The Theory of Relativity? Thanks a lot. I hope this is a good question.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/10qr4b/how_does_the_expansion_of_the_universe_transition/
{ "a_id": [ "c6fuzvi" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "I'm no scientist so someone can correct me if I'm off the mark (actually please do if I'm wrong, I love learning :] ) but in layman's terms from what I've heard you can think of a light ray like a spring being stretched by the expansion of space....
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[ [] ]
278udg
why does your nose get watery with some really hot sauces?
Edit: Why does your nose get watery when you eat some really hot sauces?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/278udg/eli5_why_does_your_nose_get_watery_with_some/
{ "a_id": [ "chyjl7s" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "It is the result of capsaicin-sensitive nerves in the mouth and nose reacting and stimulating mucous flow. " ] }
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[ [] ]
231rfl
Why are there different types of dementias?
For example, why are the symptoms different in Alzheimer's Disease and Lewy Body Dementia? Why don't brains just degenerate in the same way if these diseases are caused by neurons slowly but randomly dying?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/231rfl/why_are_there_different_types_of_dementias/
{ "a_id": [ "cgsvuic" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "It isn't random death of neurons, different causes of dementia cause neuronal death in different areas of the brain.\n\nAlzheimer's disease tends to have severe effects in temporal lobe, whereas say Parkinsons/Lewy body dementia's neuronal death ...
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[ [] ]
1k8uz6
I was just outside watching the meteor shower. What would I see if two happened to collide?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1k8uz6/i_was_just_outside_watching_the_meteor_shower/
{ "a_id": [ "cbmkxae" ], "score": [ 16 ], "text": [ "You'd see yourself going down in history as the luckiest person who ever lived.\n\nThe meteors you see are roughly the size of a fingertip, and the area of upper atmosphere that you're observing (assuming a clear sky) covers *hundreds of thousan...
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[ [] ]
1euhm8
I'm a gay man living 17th century England, Where do I go pick up other men? What are some of the repercussions for being caught? (x-post /r/askreddit)
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1euhm8/im_a_gay_man_living_17th_century_england_where_do/
{ "a_id": [ "ca3yvgt", "ca49kfi" ], "score": [ 77, 2 ], "text": [ "One popular social space for homosexual men in late 17th- and early 18th-century England were [molly houses](_URL_0_). \n\nA \"molly\" was thought of at the time to be a kind of third-sex identity; these men would still be...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molly_house", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_for_the_Reformation_of_Manners", "http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/3491498?uid=3739664&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21102033431493", "http://rictornorton.co.uk/eighteen/mother.htm", "http://bo...
1r4qud
Which development in technology led to colour TV?
Having being born long after colour TV was invented and popularised for home use, I cannot fathom living in a world where screens are grayscale. They seem almost mythical. It also seems counter-intuitive to me that people would reproduce recordings of a colourful world with said colour stripped. I was wondering which ...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1r4qud/which_development_in_technology_led_to_colour_tv/
{ "a_id": [ "cdjv089" ], "score": [ 12 ], "text": [ "I can talk about two things that were factors in the long development process of color TV: backwards compatibility and display technology.\n\nThese two topics are heavily linked together. For example, during the early days of color TV developmen...
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[ [] ]
1sclg4
how do monitors work?
Computer monitors! Displays..
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1sclg4/eli5_how_do_monitors_work/
{ "a_id": [ "cdw6g5v" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "They have small dots of colored light that they can turn on our off (and dim). These are caked pixels. By Turing the pixels on and off across the screen, they can build up pictures." ] }
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[ [] ]
6djkyn
Does the place where a tumor is created determine where it will spread out?
So I've been wondering for a while if the place where a tumor is formed determines where the tumor will spread. For example, I spread suntan over my whole body, except for my feet. The sun's radiation leads to a tumor; since the radiation only reached my feet, and I assume the suntan protects me completely from the rad...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/6djkyn/does_the_place_where_a_tumor_is_created_determine/
{ "a_id": [ "di4emgc", "di57e41", "di6kzva" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Short answer: Yes, but not always.\n\nTumor metastases (spreading) happens when a cancer cell breaks away from the primary tumour and implants elsewhere. That cancer cell can travel through the bloodstr...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
bpt4n2
how do hormone responses occur so rapidly? when people are frightened/surprised, they can almost immediately feel a rush of adrenaline and heart rates rise, faces flush, etc. how do hormones reach appropriate organs so quickly? why isn’t there more of a delay for the hormones to travel?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bpt4n2/eli5_how_do_hormone_responses_occur_so_rapidly/
{ "a_id": [ "enx6iii", "enx6zdr", "enx9fc2", "enx9nr7", "enxci3z", "enxexsb", "enxg303", "enxj1jc", "enxm25c", "enxs9x9", "enyf8ol", "enyhabt", "eo0qp0q" ], "score": [ 10, 2, 279, 680, 51, 11, 6, 7187, 82, 8, 10, 3...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomic_nervous_system#Parasympathetic_nervous_system", "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5210323/", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomic_nervous_system#Sympathetic_nervous_system" ], [], [], [], ...
144nev
[Sports - American Football] In light of the SEC Championship game today, what events and cultural factors have lead to football being such a dominant force in the large, public universities of the Southeast U.S.?
Football is a big deal at most large schools in the US, but it seems to me (a midwesterner) that schools like LSU and Alabama take fandom to a whole new level. Why is that?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/144nev/sports_american_football_in_light_of_the_sec/
{ "a_id": [ "c79to47", "c79xfuz" ], "score": [ 3, 5 ], "text": [ "You are a midwesterner and you don't think the midwest takes it as seriously? All sections of the country take it seriously. Ohio State fans travel in larger numbers than any other team's fans in college football. ", "I'...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8240383/rick-bragg-explains-history-traditions-south-obsession-football-espn-magazine" ] ]
2g360z
To what extent is the rise of Islamic fundamentalism during the 90s caused by the cold war?
By "cold war", I'm referring to policies carried out by the US and her allies and USSR/Russia.
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2g360z/to_what_extent_is_the_rise_of_islamic/
{ "a_id": [ "ckf9yc1" ], "score": [ 56 ], "text": [ "Well, its tricky to say. To what extent is anything \"caused\" by the Cold War? The Cold War is just the term we use for the political system post WWII until the end of the Soviet Union. The relationships that every country had with the domin...
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[ [] ]
4bmwrp
how do young people from places like europe and australia afford to travel extensively not work?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4bmwrp/eli5_how_do_young_people_from_places_like_europe/
{ "a_id": [ "d1ajsvx", "d1akbsj", "d1akc29", "d1akz1h", "d1aojy4", "d1ax82o" ], "score": [ 55, 6, 12, 9, 19, 2 ], "text": [ "Just like in America, there are people with rich parents who fund these sorts of things for them. And like in America, some people sa...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
2zic81
why does more electronic storage cost more?
I'm just curious. I hope this isn't a silly question, but why for example does the 32gb iphone cost a lot more than the 16gb one? Or computers for example. Why is 2TB of memory so expensive? Surely the actual production of a 'bigger chip' doesn't cost the manufacturers any more?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2zic81/eli5_why_does_more_electronic_storage_cost_more/
{ "a_id": [ "cpj650f", "cpj8cly" ], "score": [ 7, 2 ], "text": [ "In some cases, the manufacturing process is a lot more complex to make the item that has more storage, even if it isn't physically any bigger.\n\nIn other cases, they make many storage devices, all with the higher amount of ...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
13qfvm
Dog eat dog? is there any scientific reason why stray cats and dogs can't be used in pet food?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/13qfvm/dog_eat_dog_is_there_any_scientific_reason_why/
{ "a_id": [ "c767kad" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Prion diseases took hold in cattle when dead cattle were fed to the same species. This has happened with humans as well. It would be bad for humans for prions to infect cats and dogs because that would make it easier for them to infect humans." ...
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[ [] ]
3bql8g
how can a torrent that is said to have 0 seeds and 0 leechers download just as fast as a torrent with hundreds?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3bql8g/eli5_how_can_a_torrent_that_is_said_to_have_0/
{ "a_id": [ "csojz97", "csom3xc", "csoqfx3", "csos7c2" ], "score": [ 8, 5, 12, 2 ], "text": [ "I think some torrents might include out-of-BitTorrent sources.\n\nlike a back-up HTTP/FTP server used to initially seed the data exactly when there is no in-torrent seeds.\n\nor t...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "https://torrentfreak.com/bittorrents-future-dht-pex-and-magnet-links-explained-091120/" ], [], [] ]
1k79us
When I look at a source of light in the dark, I see a large halo around it. Why don't I see this effect in a well-lit environment?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1k79us/when_i_look_at_a_source_of_light_in_the_dark_i/
{ "a_id": [ "cbm3lut", "cbmcjma" ], "score": [ 6, 12 ], "text": [ "When you're in the dark you're mostly using your light sensitive rods to see: the cells in your eyes that help you detect quick movement rather than absolute detail-basically, your image is 'pixelated' because you don't hav...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1eyo0c/why_do_dim_objects_disappear_when_we_look/" ], [] ]
2e66ne
In America, was slavery reserved only for Africans? Could there be slaves of other races? White slaves?
When slavery was being practiced in Colonial America and subsequently the United States were there any rules regarding who could be a slave? Could they be anyone or did they have to be African? Are there any examples of non-African slaves? EDIT: Just to clarify a bit. If I was living in colonial America, could I own a...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2e66ne/in_america_was_slavery_reserved_only_for_africans/
{ "a_id": [ "cjwkt4e", "cjwlzxj", "cjwq004", "cjwxs7w" ], "score": [ 8, 4, 9, 2 ], "text": [ "The Gallay's book discusses the South Carolina slave trade in some detail- South Carolina was a net slave exporter into the early 18th century according to him. To over generalize,...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.common-place.org/vol-03/no-01/reviews/hall.shtml" ], [], [], [] ]
65r5v1
To what extent was the breakdown of the United States military in Vietnam a result of conscription?
When reading about or discussing Vietnam I commonly hear that the armed forces were almost non functioning by the end of the war, with soldiers deliberately avoiding combat and the infamous practice of fragging. To what extent are these stories true, and if they are, to what extent were they a byproduct of an at least ...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/65r5v1/to_what_extent_was_the_breakdown_of_the_united/
{ "a_id": [ "dgcoh9d" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "As regards the aspect of your question about fragging, [this old answer](_URL_0_) might be of interest." ] }
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5839li/a_recent_post_mentioned_incidents_of_american/d8xfro2" ] ]
2puzjx
why do i feel sharp pains in my pelvis and ass when i see videos of people getting hurt?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2puzjx/eli5_why_do_i_feel_sharp_pains_in_my_pelvis_and/
{ "a_id": [ "cn09iqi", "cn09j1y" ], "score": [ 2, 3 ], "text": [ "I've tried to research this and not come up with much, but I've been searching for a sensation between my navel and solar plexus. ", "Physical empathy?\n\n_URL_0_" ] }
[]
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[ [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain_empathy" ] ]
1tk6jg
Why didn't Hitler send the Jews to Palestine
I took a genocide studies course in college, and I remember them talking about how Hitler had offered to send the Jews "on luxury liners" to any country willing to take them. My question is, after no country stepped up, did Hitler ever consider sending them to Palestine where Jews had already been settling?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1tk6jg/why_didnt_hitler_send_the_jews_to_palestine/
{ "a_id": [ "ce8z49j", "ce91ndw" ], "score": [ 6, 9 ], "text": [ "You may find these comments helpful\n\n_URL_2_\n\n_URL_1_\n\n_URL_0_", "No country would take them. Palestine would not take them. Palestine was administered by the British, and they were sensitive to the delicate balanc...
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[]
[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/185jiv/how_serious_was_the_madagascar_plan/c8bvssw", "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1a269k/is_there_any_evidence_of_adolf_eichmanns_zionism/c8tgko6", "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/zumia/would_the_third_reich_have_suppor...
axtb7j
why does an open wound/abrasion not hurt when touched underwater?
If I scrape my knee from a fall, why does it hurt to touch but does not when I am submerged in water?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/axtb7j/eli5_why_does_an_open_woundabrasion_not_hurt_when/
{ "a_id": [ "ehw1yn0", "ehxmcof" ], "score": [ 4, 2 ], "text": [ "You’re overloading the nerves with water pressure so that a touch won’t be noticed like it would out of water.", "Until the wound crusts over, it continues to suffer damage from osmotic pressure (oozing) and oxidation. ...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
3qdm7i
how do immigrants just move to another country? how is this possible?
I'm an Australian who lived in the UK for two years on a youth mobility visa. While there I noticed a really high population of Jamaicans, Indians, Pakistani people, etc. How do they just move to the UK and live and work legally? I've even noticed it in Australia, where people working regular, legal jobs can't even ...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3qdm7i/eli5_how_do_immigrants_just_move_to_another/
{ "a_id": [ "cweatks" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Between the late 40s and early 70s, a lot of people emigrated to Britain while their countries were still part of the empire. You'll notice that all of the Nations you mentioned are commonwealth countries. \n\nOnce you have family in the country ...
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[ [] ]
2q9fc0
Is there a reason to discourage appropriate usage of antibiotics?
My six week old daughter was recently hospitalized with a viral infection and was given antibiotics in the course of her treatment. I've had several people comment on how horrible it is for a baby to have antibiotics. The nature of the comments indicated that antibiotics are a bad thing for people to take. I'm aware...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2q9fc0/is_there_a_reason_to_discourage_appropriate_usage/
{ "a_id": [ "cn4hepw" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "I’m glad you raised this question because it is extremely important to curb inappropriate antibiotic use for many reasons. Of course, inappropriate use of antibiotics leads to resistant bacteria, but like all medications, antibiotics have other s...
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[ [] ]
6rap3o
Why Do Certain Chemicals Cause Different Individuals To Experience Similar Complex Thoughts/Hallucinations? Where Is The Information Coming From?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/6rap3o/why_do_certain_chemicals_cause_different/
{ "a_id": [ "dl3trd7", "dl3zs7m", "dl458a9", "dl46ugp", "dl4bsk9" ], "score": [ 160, 18, 4, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "There might be confirmation bias going on here, just because \"many report\" is not necessarily indicative of the expereinces of most users. My own experie...
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[]
[ [], [], [], [ "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18344255", "https://plus.maths.org/content/uncoiling-spiral-maths-and-hallucinations", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusiform_face_area" ], [] ]
ebn49n
Why did Germany attempt The Battle of the Bulge when it had virtually zero chance of success?
Reading though the day's articles and such on the 75th anniversary of this engagement. The German plan of reaching Antwerp, relying on pillaged supplies and if by some miracle they could even pull that off being able to hold the encirclement of the Allied northern forces seems very far fetched if not downright impossi...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ebn49n/why_did_germany_attempt_the_battle_of_the_bulge/
{ "a_id": [ "fb9sbyf" ], "score": [ 10 ], "text": [ "Planning for what ultimately became Operation Wacht am Rhein (Watch on the Rhine) began in August of 1944, with the aim that a major offensive would be launched against the Western Allies in November. During the month of September five plans wer...
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[ [] ]
2txahw
why should i believe the accuracy of any national poll, if i (or anybody i know) has never participated in any of them?
You'll often hear news pundits, magazines, or other forms of media referring to national polls about politics, preferences, education, etc. I'm aware of companies like Gallup. But I find it hard to believe their sample size is large enough to make such broad claims about 350 million people. Can they possibly have a sa...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2txahw/eli5_why_should_i_believe_the_accuracy_of_any/
{ "a_id": [ "co35w81", "co35xep" ], "score": [ 3, 5 ], "text": [ "Yes. Polling what seems like a small number of people to make broad claims about 350 million people is a fairly exact science. The hard part is getting a good representative sample, and controlling for variables. I forget...
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[ [], [] ]
1rfd7h
Was Walt Disney a bad person?
I know it's a vague question but there's an askreddit thread going on about who is seen as a saint but is actually a terrible person, and someone said Walt Disney. The comments go back and forth saying he was the victim of slander by a former employee then saying he would accuse his workers of being a communist if they...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1rfd7h/was_walt_disney_a_bad_person/
{ "a_id": [ "cdmorsk", "cdmwfdt", "cdmwge7" ], "score": [ 4, 55, 5 ], "text": [ "Also, many people have accused him of being racist against blacks and jews. If you watch early cartoons he did there are many example of racial stereotypes. I would like to know if this is just because...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
3e541a
Why were there no large-scale reform movements in the Orthodox church as compared to, rather famously, its Catholic counterpart?
What differed in the organisation, structure, doctrine and influence of the Orthodox church that prevented it from being the victim of large, game-changing reform movements like those of Lutheranism and Calvinism seen in the Catholic church? Was it largely a matter of geo-politics, i.e. the Orthodox church prevailing i...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3e541a/why_were_there_no_largescale_reform_movements_in/
{ "a_id": [ "ctbqjih", "ctc5xtz" ], "score": [ 3, 3 ], "text": [ "I think it would be difficult to establish a specific reason, but two factors that were probably important were:\n\nA) that the national Orthodox churches maintain some degree of autonomy, whereas in the Catholic Church the ...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
4o7peg
how can crocodiles never stop growing?
Would it be possible with enough daily food for a crocodile to grow to the size of a bus for example?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4o7peg/eli5_how_can_crocodiles_never_stop_growing/
{ "a_id": [ "d4a8mgf" ], "score": [ 9 ], "text": [ "Some animals - like humans - will stop growing (mostly) once they enter adult hood. This is simply ingrained into their biology. Other animals do not have this built-in limitation and will grow as much as their environment and diet allow.\n\nHowe...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square-cube_law" ] ]
18z7ym
Why is blue light heavier than red light?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/18z7ym/why_is_blue_light_heavier_than_red_light/
{ "a_id": [ "c8jb4xz", "c8jc3xq", "c8jdacm" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 4 ], "text": [ "I'm not sure what you mean with this question. Photons are massless.", " > Can anyone link an article examining the energy difference between various frequencies/outputs of light?\n\n?\n\n[Wikipedi...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_spectrum" ], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck%27s_law", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler_problem_in_general_relativity#Bending_of_light_by_gravity" ] ]
23f5hc
Why did the Holy Roman Empire fall to Napoleon?
I'll admit it right off the bat: I'm something of a fanboy of the HRE. I don't think it gets nearly enough credit for social progress and development. But I'm asking a question, not begging an extinct political entity for an autograph. I know that the German states were in a terrible enough condition that Voltaire f...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/23f5hc/why_did_the_holy_roman_empire_fall_to_napoleon/
{ "a_id": [ "cgwhy63", "cgwi64n", "cgwip7h", "cgwkcz6", "cgwnk2v", "cgws8jq", "cgwvv3r", "cgww099" ], "score": [ 255, 18, 13, 7, 2, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Great source for this is *The War of Wars: The Great European Conflict* by Robert Harvey...
[]
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
3r67rc
why do city border street signs often list the city's elevation? who cares?
Like [this](_URL_2_) and [this](_URL_0_) and [this](_URL_1_).
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3r67rc/eli5why_do_city_border_street_signs_often_list/
{ "a_id": [ "cwl9t7c", "cwla9u9", "cwlcueh" ], "score": [ 7, 3, 5 ], "text": [ "A lot of cooking instructions, particularly baking or other things involving the oven, are effected(or affected, can't remember) by the elevation. I don't understand how or why, I just remember seeing i...
[]
[ "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/2003-08-16_Sundance,_Wyoming_city_limit_sign.jpg", "http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2231/2135686415_2af3c537e2.jpg", "http://epochgetaways.s3.amazonaws.com/public/img/getaway/small/sandiegosign.jpg" ]
[ [], [], [] ]
2xlyz8
why do american toilets clog up so much?
I'm from Australia and I see so many posts about American's having their toilets clog up, needing a plunger to fix it. And then it can back up and spill everywhere. Why does this happen? I hardly never see this here. Is it the weather?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2xlyz8/eli5_why_do_american_toilets_clog_up_so_much/
{ "a_id": [ "cp19m2y", "cp19ryd", "cp1ajmp", "cp1au57", "cp1ca7r", "cp1lc7i" ], "score": [ 4, 6, 3, 2, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "America got indoor plumbing in a big way before most other countries. This is cool and it's cool to be ahead of the game but it mostly m...
[]
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
5ssnj5
how do postal services between two nations work? since postage is paid in the originating country, who pays for the movement within the destination country?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5ssnj5/eli5_how_do_postal_services_between_two_nations/
{ "a_id": [ "ddhh58t", "ddhhbyc", "ddhpohi" ], "score": [ 2, 5, 6 ], "text": [ "The originating postal service pays the destination postal service. It is one of the reasons international shipping is more expensive.", "In theory, roughly equal amounts of post are sent in both di...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
8pb3n0
-in all my science classes i've been taught "like dissolves like" referring to polar and non-polar solvents. what causes this effect?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8pb3n0/eli5in_all_my_science_classes_ive_been_taught/
{ "a_id": [ "e09sy6y" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "Polar molecules are attracted to each other due to their dipoles. Therefore it's easy for them to combine into one homogeneous substance.\n\nSo it's really hard for a non-polar molecule to dissolve in polar solvents because they're not attracted ...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
77ma0i
how doctor can guide a catheter through your body
By example, when doing angioplasty, doctors can guide a catheter through your arm or your groin and they are able to access small artery circling the heart. I'm just wondering how can they make sure the catheter get into the right pipe. I mean, it's like trying to push a cord through a clothe, it's hard as hell. Unless...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/77ma0i/eli5_how_doctor_can_guide_a_catheter_through_your/
{ "a_id": [ "domz37z", "donexvq" ], "score": [ 2, 7 ], "text": [ "It really is that simple. All blood vessels lead to the heart, so it's like threading a needle through a straw until they get it where it needs to be. They just need to be *really* careful not to rupture anything. Blood is o...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
24h908
What was on the bank notes and coins during Hitler's regime in Germany?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/24h908/what_was_on_the_bank_notes_and_coins_during/
{ "a_id": [ "ch74b7o" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "The German Reichsmark, which was used throughout Hitler's regime from 1933 to 1945, had surprisingly small amount of Nazi images used on their banknotes. \n\nAs opposed to the Reichspfenning coins that widely used the Nazi-German eagle and swasti...
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[]
[ [] ]
64p7oe
if a flight's overbooked, why would a seated passenger be forced to leave for someone who isn't seated? wouldn't it be first come first serve?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/64p7oe/eli5_if_a_flights_overbooked_why_would_a_seated/
{ "a_id": [ "dg3yn02", "dg3ypdj", "dg3yvy6", "dg45ar7", "dg48x61", "dg4dghv", "dg4hazx", "dg4n3ka" ], "score": [ 115, 2, 15, 3, 5, 6, 15, 3 ], "text": [ "With regards to the [recent situation involving United Airlines](_URL_0_) it wasn't that...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/64m8lg/why_is_rvideos_just_filled_with_united_related/" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
3bps3t
why do artists (musicians, photographers, graphic designers etc.) predominantly use macs to produce their work?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3bps3t/eli5_why_do_artists_musicians_photographers/
{ "a_id": [ "csod9af", "csoda5o", "csodepf", "csodktk", "csof50s", "csofs0g", "csoghsn", "csogur3", "csohice", "csojnaq", "csotwjc", "cspyckj" ], "score": [ 6, 6, 34, 10, 4, 5, 6, 9, 2, 2, 2, 3 ], "text": [ "As...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_Modern_Art" ], [], [], [], [] ]
1exh5i
Why does the battery of my cellphone die faster during festivals?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1exh5i/why_does_the_battery_of_my_cellphone_die_faster/
{ "a_id": [ "ca4q5li", "ca4qu9d", "ca4rgni" ], "score": [ 2, 4, 2 ], "text": [ "if you're far from service, the antenna may be using a lot of energy trying to connect...", "The phone was struggling to deal with the interference from all the other phones. It needs to send a str...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
axs4xs
how am i able to eat a bag of salty chips so easily without it being 'too salty' for my body to handle?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/axs4xs/eli5_how_am_i_able_to_eat_a_bag_of_salty_chips_so/
{ "a_id": [ "ehvqzcj", "ehwaojp", "ehxntw8" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Excess \"salt\" is expelled by your body in the urine your kidneys produce. Therefore the level of salt in your body is always regulated and never too high or too low. You could even eat a tablespoon of...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
xux8k
Is there any truth to the phrase "it's always darkest before the dawn?" I would have guessed the middle point between dusk and dawn would be the darkest point of night.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/xux8k/is_there_any_truth_to_the_phrase_its_always/
{ "a_id": [ "c5ptivy", "c5pu2sq" ], "score": [ 2, 5 ], "text": [ "What is our working, pseudoscientific definition of \"dawn\"? The moment when the sun breaks the plane of the horizon? Or the moment when ambient light can be perceived?", "No. It's purely a figure of speech. The sky is ...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zodiacal_Light" ] ]
bobzrz
how does monopolistic competition differ from a regular monopoly / oligopoly?
I have a major microeconomics exam coming up later this week and even after watching like 30 minutes of youtube videos on the topic, I'm still not 100% clear. Thanks in advance!
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bobzrz/eli5_how_does_monopolistic_competition_differ/
{ "a_id": [ "enh0e8r" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Here's the various environments in roughly the order you can/should learn them\n\n**Perfect Competition:** In this environment, several producers make *the exact same good*. Because the output from any firm is a perfect substitute for the output ...
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[]
[ [] ]
19y8x8
What was the nature of Joseph Stalin and Lavrentiy Beria's relationship?
Their relationship fascinates me. On one hand, it seems like Stalin greatly distrusted Beria and kept him on a tight leash for that reason (i.e. he was a known serial rapist). That and Beria had aspirations to succeed Stalin. But, on the other hand, it seems like Stalin felt like Beria had unquestionable loyalty and w...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/19y8x8/what_was_the_nature_of_joseph_stalin_and/
{ "a_id": [ "c8ssh4i" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Beria not only aspired to be Stalin, he in a way epitomized the intense paranoia that Stalin had that his closest confidantes were out to kill him and take from him what he had in turn taken in gaining power after Lenin's death. We talk about Ber...
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[ [] ]
6mzz78
why software developers use error codes and not just say exactly what is wrong?
Was playing Watch_Dogs 2 and was unable to connect to the servers. Instead of just saying "No internet connection" It says a bunch of gibberish.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6mzz78/eli5_why_software_developers_use_error_codes_and/
{ "a_id": [ "dk5o1c5", "dk5o289", "dk5o44b", "dk5oeu0", "dk5p5pm", "dk5uxuq", "dk5zcxs", "dk60mxz", "dk60zoj", "dk6262b", "dk64rs4", "dk666z0", "dk6h3mu", "dk6riwr", "dk72bnn", "dk742hn" ], "score": [ 3, 58, 23, 102, 2, 4, ...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
nks2h
why a candle wick doesn't burn right to the bottom of the candle
I know there wouldn't be enough oxygen far down a deep candle but what is it about the wax in the candle that keeps the flame from tearing through the wick?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/nks2h/eli5_why_a_candle_wick_doesnt_burn_right_to_the/
{ "a_id": [ "c39v44c", "c39wt11", "c39v44c", "c39wt11" ], "score": [ 3, 3, 3, 3 ], "text": [ "It is not the wick or even the wax that is burning. It is the vapor of the melted wax in the wick. The part of the wick that actually burns no longer has wax in it.", "What is ...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
aiepm8
When someone is diabetic, does that mean their bodies don't have the ability to produce insulin or is it their brains that don't give the signal to produce insulin?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/aiepm8/when_someone_is_diabetic_does_that_mean_their/
{ "a_id": [ "eenanj3", "eenatik", "eenb9c3" ], "score": [ 15, 6, 3 ], "text": [ "Roughly speaking, type 1 generally means that their pancreas does not produce enough insulin and type 2 generally means that the body cells are resistant to insulin. Brain signals aren't part of the ho...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
851xy0
why don’t we have sprinklers in single family homes in the us?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/851xy0/eli5_why_dont_we_have_sprinklers_in_single_family/
{ "a_id": [ "dvu52wg" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "It's not worth it\n\nA multifamily dwelling is significantly more likely to have a fire than a single family home, the greater likelihood and greater potential damage justifies the increased cost\n\nSprinklers also require regular maintenance to ...
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[]
[ [] ]
1y586l
If the Phoenicians introduced the alphabet to the Greeks, what kind of writing - if any - did the Greeks and others around them use before the Phoenicians?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1y586l/if_the_phoenicians_introduced_the_alphabet_to_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cfhgh6g", "cfhxyhi" ], "score": [ 74, 3 ], "text": [ "There are two known writing systems used on the island of Crete during the Minoan period (27th to 15th century BC). One is called Linear A and the other is Cretan hieroglyphics.\n\nIn the later Mycenaean period, a script d...
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[ [], [] ]
a0y35c
mitochondrial dna can be inherited from fathers, what is the cell and why did we assume it was only inherited from our mothers given that the statement is true.
\*source: [_URL_0_](_URL_0_)
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/a0y35c/eli5_mitochondrial_dna_can_be_inherited_from/
{ "a_id": [ "ealcs3p" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "From the study:\n\n > Our results suggest that, although the central dogma of maternal inheritance of mtDNA remains valid, there are some exceptional cases where paternal mtDNA could be passed to the offspring." ] }
[]
[ "https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/in-huge-shock-mitochondrial-dna-can-be-inherited-from-fathers/all/" ]
[ [] ]
555ddn
why does sticky tape stick so well to materials such as paper, but so poorly to others such as concrete or human skin?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/555ddn/eli5_why_does_sticky_tape_stick_so_well_to/
{ "a_id": [ "d87oj85" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "It's the porousness of the object. Paper has less pores than concrete and the oils of skin are what make certain types of tape less sticky to skin. I.e scotch and packing won't adhere to skin as well as duct tape will due to the type of adhesive...
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[ [] ]
3u7s62
what is market economy?
I hear this word a lot, especially in relation to China. We think it is good. I want to ask, can market economy be bad? Are there any examples of market economy going bonkers?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3u7s62/eli5_what_is_market_economy/
{ "a_id": [ "cxckz2w", "cxcl2ln", "cxcn01w" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 3 ], "text": [ "If you would like a detailed answer, from someone that's not received a PhD in reddit, I would post this question in r/economics. They are pretty knowledgeable, explain thoroughly, and would give u the...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
zaix1
how music travels through wires into speakers
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/zaix1/eli5_how_music_travels_through_wires_into_speakers/
{ "a_id": [ "c62wi8s", "c62wkrz" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Speakers only have two wires leading to them. A positive and a negative. So this is easy to be confused by how this shit actually works, when only two wires are used. \n\nSimply put, if you're listening to music (like I am r...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
z78lk
How did the state(polity) come into existence?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/z78lk/how_did_the_statepolity_come_into_existence/
{ "a_id": [ "c62248r", "c6229ti", "c623knk", "c6291vi" ], "score": [ 3, 3, 2, 5 ], "text": [ "For Christian history, the state arises due to Original Sin. Augustine, in his classic tome *City of God,* was one of the first architects of this thesis. Between Augustine and the...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
2zooy8
why are english accents used in most film/shows that are set in ancient times?
Is it because it sounds noble? That's my first guess.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2zooy8/eli5_why_are_english_accents_used_in_most/
{ "a_id": [ "cpkv5zs", "cpkvaui", "cpkvej5", "cpkvufx", "cpkw772", "cpkwc58", "cpkwh89", "cpkx2w9", "cpkxaea", "cpkxhn1", "cpkxx89", "cpkyu3h", "cpl249n", "cpl58gy", "cpl7vdl", "cplcbt3", "cpldvc5", "cplkre6" ], "score": [ 172, 4, ...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "http://youtu.be/MZEyAsvi_0E" ] ]
65fn8x
evergreening of pharmaceutical patents.
How is it that pharma companies are able to charge exorbitant prices for drugs that were invented decades ago and whose patents have run out. For example, insulin. Also, how can Indian companies manufacture generic versions of these old drugs while US companies can't?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/65fn8x/eli5_evergreening_of_pharmaceutical_patents/
{ "a_id": [ "dg9uvcc", "dga46wq" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "In order to manufacture a generic drug in the US, you have to prove that your version is just as effective as the original (while the drug may be the same, the fillers may be different and those can have an impact on things ...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
ece3vm
why can language encode vastly more abstraction or context than imagery?
For instance, the word caricature can have a representative image in someone's head that demonstrates a lot of its features, but simply saying the word or reading it encapsulates everything associated with it. Why is language inherently more abstract and less tangible in this aspect? Thanks in advance
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ece3vm/eli5_why_can_language_encode_vastly_more/
{ "a_id": [ "fbar7p7" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Because in that context language encodes next to no actual data and just works as a tag referring to a bunch of related stuff already in the brain. It's like seeing an image of a beach compared to writing \"beach\" in google search." ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
661e2d
how do reward systems make you addicted?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/661e2d/eli5_how_do_reward_systems_make_you_addicted/
{ "a_id": [ "dgeuy6k", "dgev3i2", "dgewj5p" ], "score": [ 4, 2, 3 ], "text": [ "Excitement and anticipation are powerful motivators. If you repeat an activity, and get rewarded for it, your brain releases endorphins and other chemicals. Keep doing it and you begin to react with ple...
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[ [], [], [] ]
6rub0z
Why did Mongolia not rename Ulaanbaatar after the fall of Communism?
On wikipedia it says that the Mongolian People's Republic renamed the city Ulaanbaatar meaning "Red Hero" in 1924. All other post-communist countries seem to have renamed their explicitly communist cities and monuments. Why has the same not happened with Ulaanbaatar?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6rub0z/why_did_mongolia_not_rename_ulaanbaatar_after_the/
{ "a_id": [ "dl8ca3t" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "Ulaanbaatar got its current name in 1924 (formerly Örgöö), so by the time of the fall of communism the name had been there for almost a century. There's also the matter of the city being built mostly from that time onwards, there are very few bui...
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[]
[ [ "http://www.legalinfo.mn/law/details/6704?lawid=6704" ] ]
2zj7q3
Did Knights target their opponent's horses on the battlefield?
Just finished a rereading of Ivanhoe (romanticized, I know), but it made me wonder. With all the emphasis knights placed on chivalry/honorable conduct, was it considered dishonorable to aim your lance at your opponent's warhorse to dismount him in actual battle? I can't see even an armored horse withstanding a sharp p...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2zj7q3/did_knights_target_their_opponents_horses_on_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cpjwf2e", "cpk7bew" ], "score": [ 8, 3 ], "text": [ "As a related question, in Bernard Cornwell's Azincourt (french spelling of Agincourt) novel, he basically states that even among knights the idea was that chivalry had no place on the battlefield. I.e, kill when and how you ...
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[]
[ [], [ "http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1251/1251-h/1251-h.htm#link2HCH0187" ] ]
zmfu4
How far from the sun does a spacecraft have to for the sun's light to have decreased to the point where solar power is no longer viable
I was looking at the pictures in [this post](_URL_0_), when I began to wonder if there was limit to how far we could send a spacecraft that is dependent on solar energy. I am curious if solar energy needs a certain level of light intensity to be effective, or if the amount of power generated simply falls as one moves ...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/zmfu4/how_far_from_the_sun_does_a_spacecraft_have_to/
{ "a_id": [ "c65y5ql", "c65zvjw" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "From a physics persepctive, it is indeed just that power falls off as 1/R^2. From an engineering perspective, I can imagine that there might be some threshold below which it is unfeasible to run the system waiting to collect...
[]
[ "http://www.reddit.com/r/space/comments/zm5ac/how_the_sun_looks_on_every_planet/" ]
[ [ "http://100yss.org/" ], [] ]
337i66
what the hell do windows updates actually do?
I'm constantly having to download all these half-a-gig updates but there's no noticeable difference to my Windows experience.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/337i66/eli5what_the_hell_do_windows_updates_actually_do/
{ "a_id": [ "cqi9t2m", "cqi9vgi", "cqialdo" ], "score": [ 12, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Windows updates typically fix issues so that you never see them in the first place. A lot of their updates are security related, so the only time you'd see their effect, or lack thereof, is if they fai...
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[ [], [], [] ]
6alqr3
when drummers hold one drumstick like a chopstick (in lack of a better term), how and/or why is that better?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6alqr3/eli5_when_drummers_hold_one_drumstick_like_a/
{ "a_id": [ "dhfhy2v", "dhfl4wd", "dhg9ak3" ], "score": [ 4, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "[Do you mean like this?](_URL_0_) Its called a traditional grip. Think about drummer boys in the civil war era. They carried a drum over one shoulder so they could match without the drum hitting their k...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Traditional_Grip.jpg" ], [], [] ]
5ll6g5
in a box of tissue paper, how does the next piece of tissue come out when you pull out the one above it?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5ll6g5/eli5in_a_box_of_tissue_paper_how_does_the_next/
{ "a_id": [ "dbwhsd0" ], "score": [ 23 ], "text": [ "Some fairly clever origami. Each tissue in the box is folded both to fit better in the box and to have a little flap that connects to the next tissue. When you grab the top tissue, the next tissue starts to come too. Eventually the friction forc...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
30xzps
why does gmc as a brand exist? they sell nearly identical models as chevrolet.
At least with Ford and Lincoln/Mercury the latter are positioned as luxury offerings.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/30xzps/eli5_why_does_gmc_as_a_brand_exist_they_sell/
{ "a_id": [ "cpwtw5w", "cpwy7cp", "cpwyvrp", "cpwzajk", "cpwzfa4", "cpx0k2m", "cpx3v59", "cpx68wa", "cpx6wtf", "cpx9guz" ], "score": [ 53, 6, 4, 2, 2, 5, 4, 2, 2, 3 ], "text": [ "Back in the day, Chevrolet was \"consumer grade...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.automotivefamilytree.com/" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
1c5x7m
Would it be possible to manipulate gravitation the way we do electricity?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1c5x7m/would_it_be_possible_to_manipulate_gravitation/
{ "a_id": [ "c9dbwwo" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "We primary manipulate electricity in two ways: (1) by converting the potential energy in chemical bonds into charged separated charged ions, as in batteries, and (2) by converting kinetic energy to electric current using magnets and \"electromoti...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitoelectromagnetism" ] ]
3nb7wv
what is a near death experience?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3nb7wv/eli5_what_is_a_near_death_experience/
{ "a_id": [ "cvmhs16", "cvmp22p" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Your brain is deprived of oxygen and fires off certain synapses (bridges between your thoughts) and makes you experience something peaceful to take away from the fact that you're dying.\n\nThis also depends on your religious...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
3o4z3g
Why do high voltage powerlines in the forest buzz and hiss?
I encountered this while hiking.
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3o4z3g/why_do_high_voltage_powerlines_in_the_forest_buzz/
{ "a_id": [ "cvuj0cy" ], "score": [ 19 ], "text": [ "The sound you are hearing is a [corona discharge](_URL_1_). These form around sharp points on conductors in electrical contact with the power line where charge can build up, amplifying natural plasma-forming mechanisms (from ionizing radiation) ...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_hum", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corona_discharge" ] ]
1ki9tb
Is the DNA X-chromosome sperm donate comparable to the DNA of an egg cell?
After doing a little bit of research on the topic, I was confused by an article that included a statement that indicated that sperm donated genes necessary to development that eggs could not have. To elaborate: since after haploidization, X-chromosome sperm and egg cells both contain a set of chromosomes with the X i...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1ki9tb/is_the_dna_xchromosome_sperm_donate_comparable_to/
{ "a_id": [ "cbp7za5" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Both of the X chromosomes carried by the sperm and egg will be similar, but just as there are differences in the other chromosomes based on heredity, there will be differences in these two chromosomes.\n\nThis isn't exactly what you asked, but I ...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barr_body" ] ]
2gdv2v
why does my pee stream appear to rotate like a spiral?
This is something I've noticed my whole life but never bothered investigating. Is this normal?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2gdv2v/eli5_why_does_my_pee_stream_appear_to_rotate_like/
{ "a_id": [ "cki5kp5" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "Imagine a droplet of water in free-fall. It is held together by surface tension, and if it is disturbed it will wobble back and forth as the waves travel through it.\n\nImagine that drop being squeezed between two vertical plates until it is a th...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
3cqwgv
why is it tradition for brides' families to pay for the wedding?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3cqwgv/eli5why_is_it_tradition_for_brides_families_to/
{ "a_id": [ "csy4m97", "csy75um", "csy8w7b", "csy9c5g" ], "score": [ 49, 5, 12, 2 ], "text": [ "because back in the day women were seen as a burden they didn't work in the fields or hunt so the brides family was like thanks for taking this useless person off our hands this ...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
m34fh
how a subway system is built in an already developed city.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/m34fh/eli5_how_a_subway_system_is_built_in_an_already/
{ "a_id": [ "c2xozek", "c2xpcoh", "c2xqucc", "c2xrg42", "c2xrj90", "c2xrnnj", "c2xrrk1", "c2xrs8x", "c2xrsdv", "c2xs7q8", "c2xsdl2", "c2xsfxr", "c2xt4kd", "c2xu8kb", "c2xvgbn", "c2xozek", "c2xpcoh", "c2xqucc", "c2xrg42", "c2xrj90", "c...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.google.com.au/search?pq=tunnel+digger&hl=en&sugexp=kjrmc&cp=9&gs_id=j&xhr=t&q=tunnel+boring+machine&safe=off&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1440&bih=731&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi" ], []...
gyzvn
why do insects often leave us feeling itchy all over?
I don't mean getting bitten/stung and then feeling itchy. I mean you see a spider/centipede/mosquito/whatever in your room, you freak out (if you don't like bugs), and then for the next few hours you feel itchy all over, like the bug is crawling all over you! I'm pretty sure its not just me, since I've heard plenty of ...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/gyzvn/why_do_insects_often_leave_us_feeling_itchy_all/
{ "a_id": [ "c1rofoj" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Related, though doesn't give an explanation for the physical sensation of the itching: _URL_0_" ] }
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1318026/acarophobia_the_fear_of_small_bugs.html" ] ]
p21ti
When barometric pressure goes up or down right before a storm or cold front and people get stiff joints, what exactly is the correlation between the pressure and our bodies that causes the stiffness?
I understand it is the barometric pressure causing the stiffness, but what is physically happening between the pressure going up and your joints stiffening? Why do joints react that way to the change in pressure?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/p21ti/when_barometric_pressure_goes_up_or_down_right/
{ "a_id": [ "c3lv2qy", "c3lvah3" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "joints have a lot of fluid and gas, and when a when those are compressed they becomes relatively less viscous, due to expansion in a confined space. I believe there is also an inflamatory effect on the cartiledge, due to the...
[]
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[ [], [] ]
3ywtj5
Mobility in ancient societies?
Starting from the Neolithic settlements, what do we know about how mobile the people were? Is it assumed that as the humans transformed from a hunter-gatherer to an agrarian society, mobility declined and people remained relatively isolated from each other in their cities, hence giving way to different languages etc.? ...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3ywtj5/mobility_in_ancient_societies/
{ "a_id": [ "cyhdjoh" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "Your question is quite broad so I'm going to limit my answer to the Northeast of North America and give a brief summary of mobility. Archaeologists look at a number of differences in artifact raw material and type to determine how mobile people w...
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[ [] ]
1bpp3i
what would happen if the president forgave all student loan debt?
Ex. Occupy Wall Street wanting Barack Obama to forgive student loan debt.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1bpp3i/eli5what_would_happen_if_the_president_forgave/
{ "a_id": [ "c98uqfk", "c98uqxj" ], "score": [ 6, 4 ], "text": [ "Banks would probably stop giving student loans altogether for pretty much any student not guaranteed to make money.", "He doesn't have the power to do that.\n\nIf I take out a loan from a bank that is between me and the ...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
9uoem5
what goes on in our brain that lets us sing songs out of memory and in no effort needed?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9uoem5/eli5_what_goes_on_in_our_brain_that_lets_us_sing/
{ "a_id": [ "e95rpef", "e95udue" ], "score": [ 3, 8 ], "text": [ "I am not an expert but I believe this has to do with \"learned states.\" Learned states are when you trigger certain memories or responses based on a particular set of circumstances going on around you. Think about the pledg...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
2bysv7
if a human grew up with absolutely no other human contact other than the initial infant stage how would they behave?
Assuming it's past the infant stage and learned to walk upright dropped off in a forest with no human contact. And if they survived to grow up how would they act? Would they mimic other animals? Would they be able to understand how to make shelter, get food etc. would they know that they are *different* to other animal...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2bysv7/eli5_if_a_human_grew_up_with_absolutely_no_other/
{ "a_id": [ "cja7tqc", "cja98ud", "cja9p48" ], "score": [ 11, 2, 4 ], "text": [ "_URL_0_\n\nIt's literally too complex to explain.", "Of the two or three thoroughly recorded cases of feral children documented that I've seen, they tend to have some degree of mental retardation, ...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feral_child" ], [], [ "https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAED0A0A876E65441", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genie_(feral_child)" ] ]
7m6mxq
what is a superconductor ring used for?
What are the real uses for it
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/7m6mxq/what_is_a_superconductor_ring_used_for/
{ "a_id": [ "drs9pbi", "drsh915" ], "score": [ 4, 2 ], "text": [ "At small scale they can be used to make circuit elements. In a superconducting ring magnetic flux is quantized. You can use the flux in the ring for different hardware purposes, for example data storage where flux = 1, no ...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://www.suptech.com/energy_storage_n.php" ] ]
1wfbz5
what is neuroplasticity and what can i achieve through exercising it?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1wfbz5/eli5_what_is_neuroplasticity_and_what_can_i/
{ "a_id": [ "cf1fw2b" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "It refers to the brain's ability to rewire itself in response to experiences or injury. For example, people who lose a portion of their brain (to cancer, for example) can sometimes redevelop the functions of that part of the brain in another part...
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[ [] ]
3gg787
why has botswana done so well compared to the rest of sub-saharan africa?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3gg787/eli5why_has_botswana_done_so_well_compared_to_the/
{ "a_id": [ "ctxtldk", "cty273z" ], "score": [ 31, 6 ], "text": [ "Tiny country with giant diamond reserves and made a deal with DeBeers early on where Botswana gets 70% of the money and DeBeers runs the diamond mines for them. \n\nA lot of African countries kicked all the whites out after...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
ccy8zf
Is there any plausibility with the theory that trolls in northern European folklore have roots in interactions with the last of Neatherdal tribes?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ccy8zf/is_there_any_plausibility_with_the_theory_that/
{ "a_id": [ "etqkfz1" ], "score": [ 11 ], "text": [ "You might get some good answers here, but you also might want to keep an eye on this recent thread in /r/AskAnthropology : [Given that for thousands of years Homo sapiens coexisted with multiple subspecies of archaic humans, to what extent, if a...
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAnthropology/comments/cc1z3s/given_that_for_thousands_of_years_homo_sapiens/" ] ]
1h8j6q
how voyager 1 and 2 are able to send us signals so detailed about what they are finding from so far away?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1h8j6q/eli5how_voyager_1_and_2_are_able_to_send_us/
{ "a_id": [ "carym3p" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "In theory, radio waves travel forever because they are just a form of light. However, just like a star, they get really faint and hard to detect the farther away the source is. Most stars in the sky are at least as bright as the sun but they appe...
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[]
[ [ "http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/didyouknow.html" ] ]
7ohexa
Was magic as feared in Europe before Christianity?
if so, were there ever witch hunts?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7ohexa/was_magic_as_feared_in_europe_before_christianity/
{ "a_id": [ "dsadq6u" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Yes, magic was feared in Europe before Christianity became the dominant religion. That's the quick and easy answer, but there's much more to it once we start getting into the detail. The two biggest (and most interesting I think) sub-questions he...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/77k12d/i_hear_a_lot_about_the_everyday_use_of_curses/dov5uc3/", "http://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/AmoresBkIII.php#anchor_Toc520536663", "https://romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/inscriptions/7", "http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Rom...
1pkj73
What were the 3.5 million or so African Americans living in the Southern States of the USA doing before the Civil War?
I ask because I learned that there were about 4 million living in the USA at the time and about 3.5 million were enslaved. But then the only people that owned slaves were mainly 1 percenters at the time aka wealthy white men but if they owned 100+ it was already considered a LOT of slaves. So was there like 10 white gu...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1pkj73/what_were_the_35_million_or_so_african_americans/
{ "a_id": [ "cd3binx" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "The US census of 1860 counted a total population of the United States to be 31.4m people. This population included 3.95m slaves (12.7% of the population). There were also 0.488m ‘free colored’ people counted in the census. Slightly more of the...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://americancivilwar.com/authors/black_slaveowners.htm", "http://www.civilwarcauses.org/stat.htm", "http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ajac/", "http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/655380/posts", "https://archive.org/details/populationofusin00kennrich" ] ]
bur0ko
What drives stellar nurseries to expand outwards and the stars to separate instead of remaining in a cluster?
During this expansion of a stellar nursery, do some stars collide into each other and form black holes and if not why?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/bur0ko/what_drives_stellar_nurseries_to_expand_outwards/
{ "a_id": [ "epi7flo", "epi8eaf" ], "score": [ 11, 4 ], "text": [ "Short answer to part 1: stellar winds from the new stars push the materials away from those stars (the materials not already captured by the gravity of those stars, anyway, and material \"blown away\" by one star may alread...
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[]
[ [ "http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/L/Low-mass+X-ray+Binaries" ], [] ]
15hyjm
Is the Christmas tree in my living room right now dead, alive, or somewhere in between?
On the one hand, it's alive because it's taking in water and keeping its needles looking fresh, which would cease if you took away the water. But on the other, it's dead because it wouldn't continue to grow in these conditions. So what is it? When does it "die?"
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/15hyjm/is_the_christmas_tree_in_my_living_room_right_now/
{ "a_id": [ "c7mlj84", "c7mnlgj", "c7mpbak" ], "score": [ 12, 10, 6 ], "text": [ "It is in the process of dying. It is only alive in the sense that it's still respirating and carrying out activity at a cellular level, but there's a biological limit to how long it can keep that up--...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus" ], [] ]
79uhwq
How did Medieval European princes find a spouse?
[deleted]
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/79uhwq/how_did_medieval_european_princes_find_a_spouse/
{ "a_id": [ "dp5x8vj" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "That I know, there was no actual structured pan-european system. While the running of the affairs of state, rulers encountered a whole host of people; when the topic of marriage came up, a number of considerations were made, and a match with a vi...
[]
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[ [] ]
8cecsd
Is it possible to apply active noise cancelling to light?
Since both sounds and light are waves, can't we apply same thing to the light? [Description of active noise control](_URL_0_)
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/8cecsd/is_it_possible_to_apply_active_noise_cancelling/
{ "a_id": [ "dxenann", "dxf0eja" ], "score": [ 13, 2 ], "text": [ "The idea behind active noise control is that electrical signals can travel much much faster than sound waves, so that when noise is detected, an out-of-phase signal can quickly be routed to speakers before the signal itself...
[]
[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_noise_control" ]
[ [], [] ]
3o77g4
exactly, *how* are we running out of bandwidth?
I've heard about it, but I'm not truly sure since I thought Bandwidth was an infinite resource.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3o77g4/eli5_exactly_how_are_we_running_out_of_bandwidth/
{ "a_id": [ "cvumumh", "cvumwwo", "cvun7am" ], "score": [ 5, 2, 4 ], "text": [ "**TL;DR**: *Bandwidth is not an infinite resource in and of itself. You can add to it by laying more cable and the various computing resources that control it - but that's not free.*\n\nPicture two comp...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
b6jvnd
are we able to make edible products from the sap of trees other than the maple tree?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/b6jvnd/eli5_are_we_able_to_make_edible_products_from_the/
{ "a_id": [ "ejkvo4f", "ejkvt4v", "ejkw56e", "ejl4coh" ], "score": [ 6, 12, 5, 3 ], "text": [ "You can make syrup from birch trees too, although their sugar content is significantly lower so you'll need a lot more sap.\n\nPine sap has been used in traditional medicine for c...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [ "https://www.askaprepper.com/lost-skills-trees-can-be-tapped-sap-syrup/" ] ]
4lgtcs
Why can't we chemically produce food?
Why can't we produce the basics of food like sugars, fat, proteins in bulk chemically? Why do they still need to be farmed from biological sources? Even lab grown meat is still cells.
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4lgtcs/why_cant_we_chemically_produce_food/
{ "a_id": [ "d3oj5ii" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "We can to some extent but a lot of the things in food like proteins, vitamins, amino acids etc. are quite complex and instead of trying to make, purify and mix hundreds of complex chemicals it's easier and cheaper by far to just let plants and an...
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[ [] ]