q_id
stringlengths
5
6
title
stringlengths
3
301
selftext
stringlengths
0
39.2k
document
stringclasses
1 value
subreddit
stringclasses
3 values
url
stringlengths
4
132
answers
dict
title_urls
list
selftext_urls
list
answers_urls
list
8m103t
google's project treble
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8m103t/eli5_googles_project_treble/
{ "a_id": [ "dzjx1hg" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Project Treble is all about faster updates for Android devices. [Their page explains it pretty well](_URL_0_) but i'll expand upon it here\n\nCurrently, when you get a phone it is not running just basic unmodified Android. If you get a Samsung G...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://source.android.com/devices/architecture/treble" ] ]
rdlpz
Are adhesives just essentially extremely high friction liquids?
When I began to think about how our world is held together, as I'm prone to doing, I had this odd thought that most things are held together by friction. Nails, screws, tacks, staples, nuts, etc. hold themselves in via friction, the one thing I couldn't explain was adhesives. Do they essentially act as extremely high f...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/rdlpz/are_adhesives_just_essentially_extremely_high/
{ "a_id": [ "c44ynu9", "c452gxi" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "As far as pressure-sensitive adhesives go, the main factors contributing to their effectiveness are viscosity and intermolecular attractions. Viscosity plays a role because a good adhesive flows enough to cover (wet) a surfa...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
b7rgwn
Did Classical Musicians ever write diss tracks?
Alternatively, what was the first ever diss track?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/b7rgwn/did_classical_musicians_ever_write_diss_tracks/
{ "a_id": [ "eju7i9r" ], "score": [ 15 ], "text": [ "The concept of “dissing” another performer through song can be traced back to 8th Century BCE Greece, where it was common for poets from different city-states to represent their hometowns in lyrical “battles”. Archaic Greek society placed a heav...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
33w5j5
What was staff work like for the Roman Legions? Was there a central military bureaucracy?
Obviously keeping thousands of men supplied and equipped in the field is a major endeavor, but doing so for multiple forces spread over thousands of miles must have been immense. What was the organization like in the field, and was there an organization back in Rome that coordinated everything? Was there a body in the ...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/33w5j5/what_was_staff_work_like_for_the_roman_legions/
{ "a_id": [ "cqp9pj2" ], "score": [ 26 ], "text": [ " δι᾽ ἀλλήλων συνεστηκέναι: τῇ τε γὰρ τροφῇ τὰ στρατεύματα συνέχεσθαι, καὶ ἐκείνην ἐκ τῶν ὅπλων συλλέγεσθαι\n\nThis is a quote from Cassius Dio (42.49.5), who claimed that he was quoting Julius Caesar. Here's a rough translation which I hastily c...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Sallust/Bellum_Jugurthinum/3*.html", "http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Polybius/6*.html" ] ]
ajz5m6
why was aristotle's successor, theophrastus, not renowned as his predecessors? aristotle was taught by plato, who learned from socrates
There are major courses for philosophy of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, but few people can name the works of Theophrastus. Why were his works not as intellectually powerful or influential?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ajz5m6/eli5_why_was_aristotles_successor_theophrastus/
{ "a_id": [ "ef00q7e", "ef04lqz", "ef0uusu" ], "score": [ 2, 17, 3 ], "text": [ "Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are so popular because their ideas piggyback off of each other, I think. Also, they're ideas, methods of learning and sharing ideas have been some of the most effective a...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Lives_of_the_Eminent_Philosophers/Book_V#Theophrastus", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theophrastus", "https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_Greek_and_Roman_Biography_and_Mythology/Theophrastus" ], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Grea...
6k6bn5
what is the puff of air for during eye exams?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6k6bn5/eli5_what_is_the_puff_of_air_for_during_eye_exams/
{ "a_id": [ "djjokpn" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "It's an air puff tonometer, the machine measures how much your cornea bends in response to the pressure from the air puff to estimate the fluid pressure inside the eye to check for potential glaucoma." ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
5447dq
why does the groove in the palm of our hands continue onto the next one; and how does it form?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5447dq/eli5_why_does_the_groove_in_the_palm_of_our_hands/
{ "a_id": [ "d7yqesp" ], "score": [ 9 ], "text": [ "the palm is patterned to increase its grip, like the fingertips. the pattern is based in genetics, and more-or-less symetrical (one hand is the mirror of the other)" ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
bmkkgb
Has anyone had to invoke their Third Amendment rights since the Revolutionary War?
Quartering soldiers kind of seems like an oddball to me next to things like freedom of speech, freedom from search and seizure, etc.
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/bmkkgb/has_anyone_had_to_invoke_their_third_amendment/
{ "a_id": [ "emy2n1f", "emynz6v" ], "score": [ 177, 28 ], "text": [ "Yes. This has happened a few times surprisingly enough, but each application was a stretch according to most scholars, and only one application succeeded in a court, *Engblom v. Carey.* \n\nIn *Engblom v. Carey*, \"prison...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2134&context=vulr", "https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1534&context=wmborj" ], [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9soxhu/until_recently_in_colorado_it_was_illegal_to/e8rn1ta/?st=jvgyq8g4&sh=...
ex0uv3
Did Lincoln personally/privately believe that he was fighting the Civil War to end slavery?
I’ve seen lots of quotes about him saying that he was “only fighting to save the Union and not abolish slavery”, but I’m curious if he was just saying that to appease the border states and privately thought he was fighting at least partially for ending slavery.
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ex0uv3/did_lincoln_personallyprivately_believe_that_he/
{ "a_id": [ "fg5sc17" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "While you wait for fresh answers by qualified experts, you may be interested in some previous responses on this topic.\n\n[This thread contains a few great responses specific to Lincoln's motivations and beliefs.](_URL_2_)\n\nIn particular, /u/so...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4vmrd0/at_the_peak_of_slavery_in_the_continental_united/d60kxtp/", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4vmrd0/at_the_peak_of_slavery_in_the_continental_united/d5zvbn8/", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4vmrd0/at_the_peak_of...
vqmzs
If studies that are not successful in proving their hypothesis are generally not published, then how do we know what didn't work out. In other words, why don't scientists make the same mistakes over and over?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/vqmzs/if_studies_that_are_not_successful_in_proving/
{ "a_id": [ "c56ra93", "c56rcwx", "c56rth4", "c56slii", "c56somo", "c56t30v", "c56xdo8" ], "score": [ 3, 14, 56, 2, 2, 10, 4 ], "text": [ "They are still published for, as you said, they contribute valuable information.", "More often than not, sc...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
5id2xe
What resources should I read for 400-600 AD England?
I guess I'm specifically looking for stuff regarding farming and husbandry of that age but also generally speaking about village life. I'm getting a sense that it's slightly different if you're celtic in that era and if you're saxon.
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5id2xe/what_resources_should_i_read_for_400600_ad_england/
{ "a_id": [ "db7cz2o" ], "score": [ 19 ], "text": [ "I'd strongly recommend Robin Fleming's *Britain After Rome* (2010) for a look at local community life, mostly based in archaeology. Guy Halsall's *Worlds of Arthur* (2013) for the political situation, dismissing the one highly unreliable source ...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
kbl9k
Why does the magnetic strip on a hotel key card mess up so quickly whereas a Visa card will last me for years?
After getting locked out of my hotel room last week because the key card somehow got demagnetized and was n need of a reset, I started to wonder why that has never happened to my debit or credit cards. Is there some sort of additional process in the manufacturing of credit/debit cards that allows them to retain their ...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/kbl9k/why_does_the_magnetic_strip_on_a_hotel_key_card/
{ "a_id": [ "c2iyj3z", "c2j24ne", "c2iyj3z", "c2j24ne" ], "score": [ 6, 2, 6, 2 ], "text": [ "I'm not 100 percent sure of this, but I know that a lot of hotel keycards are designed to be reprogrammable. I'm guessing that the magnetic strips in most credit cards are not, so...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
eh15vu
Why is it that the Korean war and the war in Vietnam started under similar circumstances but ended very differently
Both land wars in Asia and about democracy vs communism. Even though China didn't back up the north Vietnamese with troops they still won! What's with the discrepancy??
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/eh15vu/why_is_it_that_the_korean_war_and_the_war_in/
{ "a_id": [ "fckkttn" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "The explanation is that the wars actually started under very different circumstances. In the case of Korea, a communist dictatorship invaded a capitalist dictatorship. In the case of Vietnam, the war was primarily a communist uprising within Sout...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
115w60
Theoretically how tall can a Castell (human tower) be?
In Catalonia there is a tradition of building human towers where the "castellers" climb on top of each other ([wikipedia entry](_URL_1_)) reaching heights of up to ten people. Example: Here's a good quality video demonstrating one being [successfully built and dismantled](_URL_0_). If there's a limit to how much com...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/115w60/theoretically_how_tall_can_a_castell_human_tower/
{ "a_id": [ "c6jt70v" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "According to the castellers experience, is 10.\nThis video is an example for the taller \"clean\" castell possible until now. Clean means with no additional support structures on top of the first one.\nThe clean 9 levels, 3 people per level has b...
[]
[ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXujyO-_Hqk", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castell" ]
[ [ "http://elpatidigital.wordpress.com/tag/biomecanica/" ] ]
4v47rx
what is a white noise machine and how does it work?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4v47rx/eli5_what_is_a_white_noise_machine_and_how_does/
{ "a_id": [ "d5vbppn", "d5vbrg3", "d5vgruf" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "It's literally just an electronic device that produces [white noise](_URL_0_) - random sounds that don't have any particular high or low points. The sound of a fan or radio static is a slightly \"softe...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_noise" ], [], [] ]
1u0khc
What factors decide if the "memory" antibodies for a previous virus is permanent, or just temporary?
As the topic states, I'm curious to as why the antibodies for some infections, e.g. chickenpox, persist for life and confer immunity, while other infections only grant immunity for a certain amount of time?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1u0khc/what_factors_decide_if_the_memory_antibodies_for/
{ "a_id": [ "cedd9ak", "cedeuzk" ], "score": [ 20, 2 ], "text": [ "It's not really the antibodies that persist, but the cells that created those anti-bodies. In an active infection, such as chicken pox, the infection persists for long enough to have your immune response \"class switch\" f...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
1drtkc
why don't commercials just say what their product is and what's special about it in a clear and concise manner?
Honestly, no one gives a shit about the "witty" banter (and the people who make commericals should know that by now) and the shorter a commercial break is the more people will actually watch commercial television. Seems like a win-win to me.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1drtkc/why_dont_commercials_just_say_what_their_product/
{ "a_id": [ "c9t86ke", "c9t8p6k" ], "score": [ 3, 3 ], "text": [ "They do it to make them memorable. If you see a commercial that is witty or funny, you are more likely to talk to your friends or coworkers about it and spread the name of the product around. \n\nArt & Copy is a great docu...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
795pdv
how is the crocodile dentist mechanically random?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/795pdv/eli5_how_is_the_crocodile_dentist_mechanically/
{ "a_id": [ "dozciwf" ], "score": [ 10 ], "text": [ "Imagine a disk with holes under the teeth. The teeth aligned with holes go down. The tooth that doesnt align with a hole triggers the mechanism. Resetting the jaw spins the disc (randomly landing on a new sore tooth)" ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
2rqnro
how much electrical power do airplanes have to power all the main pilot systems and passer entertaintment systems?
Every time I'm on a plane, I wonder how much energy the plane needs to power the whole thing with 100~300 ish passengers all using those in flight passenger entertainment systems. Do planes have like a hybrid system to gather energy from engines? How often do they get recharged? How big is the capacity of the battery(s...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2rqnro/eli5how_much_electrical_power_do_airplanes_have/
{ "a_id": [ "cnibv1c", "cnibvu1" ], "score": [ 4, 2 ], "text": [ "Just like your car, the electrics on an aircraft are normally powered by the generators, which run off the engines - not by batteries. Batteries are used for starting, and are then recharged by the generators.\n\nAccording t...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.b747classic.co.uk/electrical" ], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auxiliary_power_unit" ] ]
39erid
do you get tan while wearing sunscreen or do you only start getting tan once the sunscreen wears off?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/39erid/eli5_do_you_get_tan_while_wearing_sunscreen_or_do/
{ "a_id": [ "cs2rpys" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Sunscreen has an SPF number, which is short for sun protection factor. It blocks out most of the UV, but not all. And how much it blocks out depends on its SPF number. So you are still getting tanned when you have the sunblock on, just more slowl...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
3u6chr
how in the hell were pidgeons trained to fly hundreds of miles and deliver a message?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3u6chr/eli5_how_in_the_hell_were_pidgeons_trained_to_fly/
{ "a_id": [ "cxc9yn0", "cxc9yx8" ], "score": [ 6, 7 ], "text": [ "Pidgeons were trained to return to their training facility from miles away. You put them in a cage, carry them to where you want to send a message, but the message on them, and turn them loose.", "They were raised at th...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
4wawlo
How much energy would it take to boil all of Earth's oceans?
Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, and Southern Ocean
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4wawlo/how_much_energy_would_it_take_to_boil_all_of/
{ "a_id": [ "d665ys8", "d66euac" ], "score": [ 7, 10 ], "text": [ "Well, the oceans:\n\n* volume = 1.35 billion km^3 = 1.35x10^18 m^3 \n\n* temperature = 10 C. (The surface is a little warmer in a lot of places, but the deep ocean is around 4C, and really we're not looking for that exact o...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=1.35e21+kg+*+\\(9.8+m%2Fs%5E2\\)+%2F+\\(4*pi*\\(6300+km\\)%5E2\\)+in+bar", "http://www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/phaseeqia/pdh2o2.gif", "http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=critical+pressure+of+water+in+bar" ] ]
5x5mue
Does breastfeeding delay menopause?
Pregnant and breastfeeding women don't get periods, which means during pregnancy and breastfeeding follicles are not released, which means the more time a woman spends being pregnant and breastfeeding the more follicles are left. Does it mean she will get a menopause later in life?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/5x5mue/does_breastfeeding_delay_menopause/
{ "a_id": [ "deg43vu", "dejrqkm" ], "score": [ 4, 2 ], "text": [ "We know that there is a positive relationship between breast feeding and estrogen production. Thus, it is likely that it could delay menopause. In fact, one of the primary treatment for menopause associated symptoms is estro...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
kol5t
tool-assisted speedruns
The wiki article was too confusing for me!
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/kol5t/eli5_toolassisted_speedruns/
{ "a_id": [ "c2lxg6w", "c2lzlah", "c2lxg6w", "c2lzlah" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "A speedrun is an attempt to finish a game as quickly as possible. A famous example is [Quake done Quick](_URL_0_). Each of the maps is completed as quickly as possible, under sever...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://speeddemosarchive.com/quake/qdq/" ], [], [ "http://speeddemosarchive.com/quake/qdq/" ], [] ]
4bktkj
What was the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum? And is it relevant to our current climate situation?
I went down an internet rabbit hole and wound up reading the Wikipedia entry on the The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum. It seems like an important example to learn from given our rapidly changing climate.
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4bktkj/what_was_the_paleoceneeocene_thermal_maximum_and/
{ "a_id": [ "d1asxqs" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Big question! I study the more recent 'climate situation' so I'll try to give you a bit more information.\n\nThe PETM was a large release of carbon (CO*_2_*) into the atmosphere, probably related to a large release of methane (CH*_4_*)from the oc...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/154612/", "http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-013-1012-0" ] ]
3nztc0
why does ibm watson still sound robotic when it speaks even though it can process natural language?
I just find it very odd that IBM watson still has the typical text to speech type voice that doesn't really fluctuate except for the obvious parts such as questions and pausing for commas/periods. Shouldn't it be able to sound more natural given the amount of computing power it has or was this an intentional choice by ...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3nztc0/eli5_why_does_ibm_watson_still_sound_robotic_when/
{ "a_id": [ "cvsovq8" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "its an intentional choice. Watson's \"voice\" is just a voice program reading whatever text the supercomputer Watson makes. they didn't make a new speech software since its largely unnecessary." ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
szug2
What is the evidence supporting/refuting the claim that empathy is one of the last emotions to develop?
For all you developmental psychologists out there... What sorts of experiments test empathy? What's the typical age at which one learns to empathize? *Is* it learned? Can it be taught?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/szug2/what_is_the_evidence_supportingrefuting_the_claim/
{ "a_id": [ "c4if7l1", "c4intib" ], "score": [ 3, 3 ], "text": [ "Empathy is the emotion of \"feeling with\" someone. Research indicates that even infants have empathy, as they have been observed to have empathetic crying when other infants cry. The emotion of empathy develops as the indiv...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empathy" ], [] ]
nhrrq
Why do straight lines going up and down appear out of headlights when viewed through a windshield at night?
And why do they sometimes appear as X's? Seems like a sort of silly question as it's seen by millions every day.. but google didn't lead me to anything explaining it scientifically. Thanks in advance.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/nhrrq/why_do_straight_lines_going_up_and_down_appear/
{ "a_id": [ "c398ers", "c398f2z", "c398f59", "c398ers", "c398f2z", "c398f59" ], "score": [ 4, 2, 10, 4, 2, 10 ], "text": [ "You need to wash your windshield. The wiper blades are leaving a pattern of dirt and grime in an arc. The light is hitting the line an...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
2o8smj
why can't i take a photo of a particularly haunting-looking moon? inversely, why can some people do just that?
Yeah, I didn't really do too well in high school science. I have heard that it has something to do with light and distance and such, but why is it that some photographers photograph the moon, but my cell phone can't do it?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2o8smj/eli5_why_cant_i_take_a_photo_of_a_particularly/
{ "a_id": [ "cmksqcs", "cmkv0xf" ], "score": [ 6, 2 ], "text": [ "cell phone camera has digital zoom, not actual (optical) zoom. so your picture looks like crap zoomed in and most likely tiny looking either way, zoomed in or not.\n\nDigital zoom take the center of whatever you are looking ...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_illusion" ] ]
6d0t91
Is it better to force yourself not to take a nap and then have a full night's high-quality sleep or should you go to sleep whenever you feel like it and take naps?
What does current research and literature say about this?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/6d0t91/is_it_better_to_force_yourself_not_to_take_a_nap/
{ "a_id": [ "dhz8rya", "dhzoyhj" ], "score": [ 2, 3 ], "text": [ "You're talking about two concepts; quantity and quality. Generally speaking, it's not simply quantity of sleep that allows you to function best; you need to hit a certain duration to reliably get to REM sleep.\nExample:\n\n_...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=20815184", "http://open.lib.umn.edu/intropsyc/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/01/2c5f7fe6a798bdede62721a53ce565ed.jpg" ], [] ]
2sro31
how do astronauts deal with celibacy?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2sro31/eli5_how_do_astronauts_deal_with_celibacy/
{ "a_id": [ "cns7yai", "cns83j6" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Some people have been celibate for far longer than the 6 months astronauts usually spend up in space. It really isn't that big of a problem.\n\nHowever some probably do masturbate sometimes, they just do it privately and wip...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
10p2wr
Doesn't Element 113 already exist?
I am not very informed about chemistry so this might be a really stupid question but on the Periodic Table isn't the element with 113 protons called Ununtrium? Can any chemists out there tell me how the discovery a few days ago is new? What am I missing about how the Periodic Table works and what was discovered?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/10p2wr/doesnt_element_113_already_exist/
{ "a_id": [ "c6fenw3", "c6ffe9n" ], "score": [ 6, 5 ], "text": [ "Those funny names near the end of the periodic table are standardized placeholders for undiscovered/unnamed elements. The recent work in Japan seemed to clarify the decay chain for element 113. It might pave the way to namin...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
1k6ybs
what an amp does when i plug in my dvd player or laptop or ipod
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1k6ybs/eli5_what_an_amp_does_when_i_plug_in_my_dvd/
{ "a_id": [ "cblzrlb", "cblzuau", "cbm0fya" ], "score": [ 3, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Takes a very small signal from the audio output of your dvd player or your iPod, and cranks it full of energy, and sends it out the other side of the amplifier in an even stronger version of the audio w...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
t4h8i
Is there any truth to the phrase, "a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's"?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/t4h8i/is_there_any_truth_to_the_phrase_a_dogs_mouth_is/
{ "a_id": [ "c4jhp37" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Here's the thing, dogs have just as many organisms hanging out in their mouth as we do. The thing is most of them aren't pathogens to us. Yes, you want to keep your dog away from licking your wounds, but otherwise **in general as with most things...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
a41twv
why does pulmonary fibrosis and other lung diseases show up on a chest x-ray?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/a41twv/eli5_why_does_pulmonary_fibrosis_and_other_lung/
{ "a_id": [ "ebatskd", "ebaul6c", "ebaus8w" ], "score": [ 4, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Due to thickening/destruction of certain lung structures that deviates from the norm of how a healthy lung should look like.", "In an X-ray, the greater the density of something, the greater the opa...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
re649
How did the same jump-rope songs and playground chants that kids sing spread to different parts of the country?
It's not like there's a population of nomadic 5th graders that pass their knowledge down. And from my experience, adults never were involved in those types of antics. How do we all know the same songs?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/re649/how_did_the_same_jumprope_songs_and_playground/
{ "a_id": [ "c457f7f" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Some reading for you: [David C. Rubin, *Memory in Oral Traditions: The Cognitive Psychology of Epic, Ballads, and Counting-out Rhymes* (Oxford, 1995)](_URL_0_)\n\nUpshot: playground chants are essentially tremendously successful memes. They are e...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Psychology/CognitivePsychology/?view=usa&ci=9780195082111" ] ]
5hpicv
what are the white bubbles forming whenever i cook something?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5hpicv/eli5_what_are_the_white_bubbles_forming_whenever/
{ "a_id": [ "db1xuh4" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "The water you're boiling the pasta in leaches some of the starches out of the pasta. That's what makes it cloudy and why it forms bubbles." ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
3sdjrn
How do we know that the milky way is not moving close to the speed of light?
Would there be any effects different on earth if the milky way was traveling say the speed of light minus 50 mph and I tried to drive up to 60 mph on the street in the opposite direction?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3sdjrn/how_do_we_know_that_the_milky_way_is_not_moving/
{ "a_id": [ "cwwacck", "cwwdtdx", "cwwhkbp" ], "score": [ 11, 2, 3 ], "text": [ "There is no absolute measure of the velocity of the galaxy (or of anything else). One can only speak of the velocity of one thing relative to another.", "Just to make you think: There are often pa...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/wiki/physics" ], [] ]
4h6ssu
why is confiscated ivory burned, and not auctioned off to legitimate artists/organizations/museums?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4h6ssu/eli5_why_is_confiscated_ivory_burned_and_not/
{ "a_id": [ "d2nv1ct", "d2nv32v", "d2nv46g", "d2nv4os", "d2nv8i8", "d2nvhi7", "d2nvpr7", "d2nwm7y", "d2ny9hv" ], "score": [ 5, 20, 4, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Do you sell confiscated narcotics? Same logic applies.", "You're ...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
21lu6h
what reason would a former employer have for not wanting you to go on unemployment after they terminate you? are there negative repercussions for the company?
I have heard stories of past employers threatening people when they try out claim unemployment, this seems strange to me.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/21lu6h/eli5_what_reason_would_a_former_employer_have_for/
{ "a_id": [ "cge9u80", "cge9x12", "cgea31k" ], "score": [ 3, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "They have to pay for your unemployment. This is one of the reasons that it's sometimes cheaper for them to keep an employee with poor productivity than to fire them.", "My understanding (i am not an...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
3605tm
why do older people in general listen to classic rock or oldies stations, which are just songs they've been listening to for decades?
Obviously, this doesn't include everyone. These days my dad listens some Radiohead and Coldplay but growing up it was always classic rock and a tinge of country. My mom on the other hand put on Merle Haggard, Hank Jr., but also contemporary chrsitan music and my Damian Marley and Nas record when she heard it along with...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3605tm/eli5why_do_older_people_in_general_listen_to/
{ "a_id": [ "cr9gqg7", "cr9gu69" ], "score": [ 4, 2 ], "text": [ "It's the sentimental comfort zone of songs...familiarity as opposed to trying to keep current. Generally, MOST people will stay with whatever was popular in their preferred genre, when they were in their teens and 20's, and...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
20tewh
When did we discover that there is no breathable air on the moon?
This is a repost from [/r/AskReddit/] (_URL_0_) Im doing a bit of research for a History of Film essay. Im trying to determine at what point we realised there was no breathable air on the moon. Just to give you some context for this question, Im comparing George Mieles Voyage Dans la Lune and Duncan Jones' Moon. Im lo...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/20tewh/when_did_we_discover_that_there_is_no_breathable/
{ "a_id": [ "cg6k1m2" ], "score": [ 33 ], "text": [ "The fact that the Moon had very little atmosphere to speak of was essentially known for centuries, since the invention of the telescope. Had the Moon an atmosphere significant enough to maintain breathable oxygen, it would be possible to detect ...
[]
[ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/" ]
[ [] ]
a448nm
How was drinking water obtained in Anglo-Saxon England? Did people settle exclusively near streams/rivers? Did they dig wells? In larger settlements, did everyone have equal access to the water sources?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/a448nm/how_was_drinking_water_obtained_in_anglosaxon/
{ "a_id": [ "ebbxcc9" ], "score": [ 37 ], "text": [ "Access to clean water has always been a major public health problem-- historically diarrheal disease was almost always a major killer, particularly of young children. The more densely populated the area, the greater the problem of water contami...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://www.jstor.org/stable/44510709", "https://www.jstor.org/stable/44510777", "https://www.yorkarchaeology.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/AY17-1-Finds-from-a-Roman-Sewer-System.pdf", "http://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/record-details?MNF1013-Middle-Saxon-and-Late-Saxon-settlement-North-Elmha...
bbotkf
why do women need to be awake during childbirth?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bbotkf/eli5_why_do_women_need_to_be_awake_during/
{ "a_id": [ "ekkb527", "ekkbavz" ], "score": [ 18, 3 ], "text": [ "Anesthesiologist here. \n\n1) The pushing for a vaginal delivery, as mentioned previously. \n\n2) Any systemic sedation or anesthetic that the mom gets, the baby gets too. A sedated baby has a higher risk of respiratory com...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
afvtg4
Any book recommendations on Japanese occupation in the Philippines during WWII?
Title pretty self-explanatory, this is a topic of interest so I'd like to read some of the details of Japanese occupation/invasion in the Philippines, especially considering the Philippines was still a colony of the US. I'd also like to learn more about the different perspectives and actions of the Filipino people duri...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/afvtg4/any_book_recommendations_on_japanese_occupation/
{ "a_id": [ "ee2fq3j", "egbjjzl" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "I can help out a little. The occupation of the Phillipines isn't nearly as studied as the Japanese occupation of other parts of Asia. My speculation is that this is due to two related reasons. The first is that it was a fair...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
fjjn43
how are coloured shadows formed?
As straight forward as that, how and why are coloured shadows formed?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/fjjn43/eli5_how_are_coloured_shadows_formed/
{ "a_id": [ "fknalei", "fknaz4q", "fknb3ij" ], "score": [ 3, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "All shadows are coloured, but that depends on the lighting source.\n\nNatural shadows appear blueish in tone because the natural light is blocked from the shadow area, leaving only indirect light (refra...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
fwvdd1
what connects intestines to the rest of the body? do they just float around in there?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/fwvdd1/eli5_what_connects_intestines_to_the_rest_of_the/
{ "a_id": [ "fmqstv3", "fmr26jy", "fmqnj0s", "fmqo005" ], "score": [ 5, 5, 13, 87 ], "text": [ "So... on top of what everyone else said. You can have doctors take it out, operate on it, and put it back in - bunching it up as they see fit. Then when you heal your stomach fee...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [ "https://images.app.goo.gl/tyncRUd3tRW5QfEY8", "https://images.app.goo.gl/9rYxUUHAV9THknkz8" ] ]
9r5rh8
if my phone, tv, and pc are all sent the correct time from an accurate central location, how come they don't show the same time?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9r5rh8/eli5_if_my_phone_tv_and_pc_are_all_sent_the/
{ "a_id": [ "e8eg6y8", "e8egz3c" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Those 'time update' messages are only sent periodically. In the meantime, the device must keep track of time on its own.\n\nTo do that, some sort of oscillator (device that makes a signal at a steady rate) is used. Oscillato...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
eruky8
why is the chinese coronavirus such big news with six people dead, when the flu has killed over 6,000 people this season in the us alone?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/eruky8/eli5_why_is_the_chinese_coronavirus_such_big_news/
{ "a_id": [ "ff5xrni", "ff5y1vs", "ff61ntg" ], "score": [ 3, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Well, first off this is a new strain of a coronavirus, and this is an outbreak happening, meaning that number is not accurate and will surely climb. \n\nIt's a big deal because authorities want this out...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
10d85x
I'm substituting for high school physics this week and a student had a question I wasn't sure of.
We are in the potential and kinetic energy chapter. I basically understand the inverse relationship between PE and KE as an object goes from being at rest to being in motion and back to rest again. My student's question is if a ball is on the ground does it have PE in relation to the ground? I can kick the ball and g...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/10d85x/im_substituting_for_high_school_physics_this_week/
{ "a_id": [ "c6cgehh", "c6cgj19", "c6chr58", "c6ciocl", "c6clxc7", "c6clyue", "c6cn4pb" ], "score": [ 20, 5, 21, 2, 3, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "PE is really just a way of expressing how much KE an object will gain when it moves through a field of force. S...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
51m78s
why can't you buy a domain directly?
I've never saw the need to learn about domains but something recently crossed my mind. Why do you need to use websites like GoDaddy to buy domains but you can't get them directly? How do websites that sell domains get their own domain?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/51m78s/eli5_why_cant_you_buy_a_domain_directly/
{ "a_id": [ "d7czm0a", "d7czx7d" ], "score": [ 3, 4 ], "text": [ "Only certain companies are authorized to host domain servers. Trust me - this a good thing. When you register a domain, you're paying for them to keep running DNS servers.\n\nAnyone could make up a new top-level domain & ...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
4l7sdz
why does one chromosome change genetics so much?
How does one single chromosome have such a huge impact on our genetic makeup?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4l7sdz/eli5_why_does_one_chromosome_change_genetics_so/
{ "a_id": [ "d3l1e74" ], "score": [ 10 ], "text": [ "We each have 23 pairs of chromosomes. All of the instructions to construct a human body from scratch is contained in those. So \"one single chromosome\" is 1/23 of what makes you human!\n\nSuppose you bought a car kit and you had a 23-volume set...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
6ek5sj
how can we split an atom of atoms technically never touch?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6ek5sj/eli5_how_can_we_split_an_atom_of_atoms/
{ "a_id": [ "diax0lt", "diaxsel", "dibj61q" ], "score": [ 2, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Even if atoms (or even the components of atoms) don't physically touch in a strict sense (as in, their spaces directly tangent) they still are connected to each other via forces.\n\nSplitting an atom ev...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioactive_decay" ] ]
4g40dr
Why do thin films of oil and bubbles appear more pink and green than other colors?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4g40dr/why_do_thin_films_of_oil_and_bubbles_appear_more/
{ "a_id": [ "d2ekn0w", "d2f7w7f" ], "score": [ 2, 3 ], "text": [ "The color of thin films like that depends on the thickness of the film. Here's a [link](_URL_0_) to some good illustrations on wikipedia.\n\nI don't know why certain thickness would be more common than others, but I presume...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin-film_interference#Phase_interaction" ], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin-film_interference" ] ]
16uc2j
If a rocket full of iron ore was launched at the Sun, will the iron eventually end up and the Sun's core?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/16uc2j/if_a_rocket_full_of_iron_ore_was_launched_at_the/
{ "a_id": [ "c7zgyby" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Iron becomes a gas at 3134 kelvin. The surface of the sun is 5800 kelvin. Approaching the sun the rocket is going to be absorbing an enormous amount of heat from the radiated energy of the sun. It will likely turn to vapor long before it even get...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
9zyt1g
Why do butterflies sometimes land on things and open/close their wings really slowly?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/9zyt1g/why_do_butterflies_sometimes_land_on_things_and/
{ "a_id": [ "eai1hb0" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "I am nowhere near qualified to answer this but I think there are a multitude of reasons. The two that come to mind however are; the dispersal of pheromones for obviously attracting mates as well as subtle changes in air currents. It'd be interest...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
h996p
What happens with muscle protein molecules as they are broken down by resistance exercise? Factors in muscle damage, inflammation, repair, growth.
(for simplicity, let's talk about individual muscle fibres that contract during resistance exercise, both concentrically and eccentrically, one time only - under maximal load, with variable ranges of motion i.e. both (nearly) isometric contractions and full range movements) I'm interested in these things: 1. How ...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/h996p/what_happens_with_muscle_protein_molecules_as/
{ "a_id": [ "c1tlqo0" ], "score": [ 10 ], "text": [ "There are essentially two different types of \"damage\" the muscle can incur. The first is microtrauma caused primarily by physical force. This results in damage to the muscle fibers and the different layers of tissue surrounding them. Microt...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
2rl4pm
How is PTFE (Teflon) able to adhere to some materials (say, a frying pan) despite its low coefficient of friction and adhesion?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2rl4pm/how_is_ptfe_teflon_able_to_adhere_to_some/
{ "a_id": [ "cnhlc3i" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "From what I understand, the usual way is to first roughen up the surface of the metal pan, and then apply a layer of \"primer\". This is polymeric material that has some fluorinated character to it, but not so much that it can't stick to the meta...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
qfbsr
- what are both sides of this birth control debate and congress? i've only heard the rush limbaugh stuff so i'm confused and would like as unbiased an explanation as possible
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/qfbsr/eli5_what_are_both_sides_of_this_birth_control/
{ "a_id": [ "c3x5nz6" ], "score": [ 11 ], "text": [ "So Obama thought that religious affiliated institutions should provide healthcare through their insurance companies to their employees. \n\nThese religious institutions didn't think they should have to provide healthcare options that provided bi...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
aansol
how is water ( h2o ) able to dissapate heat so quickly and efficiently?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/aansol/eli5_how_is_water_h2o_able_to_dissapate_heat_so/
{ "a_id": [ "ectjgzd" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Heat is quickly transferred through contact, water is a liquid and gets in small spaces that solids otherwise wouldn’t.\n\nIt then evaporates away from the heated object which works in the same way as sweat, and takes heat with it, cooling the ob...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
2ll2fi
Why is our solar system so small?
With the recent photo of [HL Tauri being released](_URL_0_), I've read that the typical protoplanetary disc around forming stars is around 200AU in diameter. Neptune, our furthest planet only orbits the sun at 30AU. Did our planets form further out then migrate in, or did something happen to our outer planets?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2ll2fi/why_is_our_solar_system_so_small/
{ "a_id": [ "clw6t26", "clwccug" ], "score": [ 13, 4 ], "text": [ "Neptune isn't the furthest object in the solar system. Sedna, for example, is more than 900 AU from the sun at aphelion.", "Beyond a certain distance, you're not likely to have much accretion going on within a protoplan...
[]
[ "http://astrobob.areavoices.com/2014/11/06/alma-sees-an-infant-solar-system-in-remarkable-detail/" ]
[ [], [] ]
amf6v3
Where does the image of St Peter at the pearly gates sorting between who gets in to heaven come from?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/amf6v3/where_does_the_image_of_st_peter_at_the_pearly/
{ "a_id": [ "efneglt" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "The image arises from Jesus' words as described in the Christian New Testament of the Bible. The relevant phrase is in the gospel of Matthew 16.19\n\n > And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
h5uzq
Could computer circuits be considered an artificial equivalent to a neuron in a brain?
Or if a computer had the same number of circuits as neurons in a human brain could it function like one?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/h5uzq/could_computer_circuits_be_considered_an/
{ "a_id": [ "c1st2og", "c1su3h1" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "On the theoretical level the brain is clearly a finite computer and thus we should be able to model it with sufficiently complicated circuits. Furthermore, a lot of ongoing research is looking to find computational structure...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2202-10-S1-P44.pdf" ] ]
2b8ics
How do we recognize the same sound when heard at a different frequency?
How are we able to recognize two sounds as being "the same" when heard at different frequencies? An example would be a person saying a word, then saying the same word at a higher pitch. Another would be the same song, but played in a different key.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2b8ics/how_do_we_recognize_the_same_sound_when_heard_at/
{ "a_id": [ "cj31ckq", "cj3ucla" ], "score": [ 2, 3 ], "text": [ "A key component is the difference in frequency within the sound. Let's take speech for example. Let's take the actual word 'speech' because it is an excellent example: It contains the three main registers of speech frequency...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://www.pnas.org/content/108/18/7629.full", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitch_(music)#Theories_of_pitch_perception", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volley_theory" ] ]
37zvuy
what caused the switch from doctors doing home visits to the modern doctors office?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/37zvuy/eli5_what_caused_the_switch_from_doctors_doing/
{ "a_id": [ "crr4u5o", "crr6qhh", "crr7ndq", "crrfkgs" ], "score": [ 6, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "If you keep the doctor in one place, he can spend more of his valuable time actually seeing patients rather than driving between potentially distant patient houses. Having patients...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
1wv4hw
why are the coldest days in the winter when there is no cloud cover?
I think it's something to do with clouds being able to reflect heat, but I can't be sure. Thanks!
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1wv4hw/eli5_why_are_the_coldest_days_in_the_winter_when/
{ "a_id": [ "cf5nnzl", "cf5oqb5" ], "score": [ 8, 4 ], "text": [ "Clouds are like a blanket, trapping heat. When there are no clouds, the heat from the earth has a freer path to space.", "That's pretty much it. It's because heat radiates from everything on Earth. When it's a clear nigh...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
2ra8b3
Why do wildlife frequently have red eyes in pictures?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2ra8b3/why_do_wildlife_frequently_have_red_eyes_in/
{ "a_id": [ "cng8lsq" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "What you're referring to actually isn't \"red eye\" in animals. Red eye is caused in people by the flash reflecting off the highly vascular retina in the back of the eye. Because of all the blood vessels, the light reflects red, showing up in the...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://40.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m83us19gAZ1r2o0r6o1_500.jpg", "http://i.stack.imgur.com/nMY8Q.png", "http://up-is.ir/up93/p2/140224514471482.jpg" ] ]
acmhwr
is person mind really divided to conscious and subconscious or is this division made for convenience to discrube some psychological phenomena ?is there other psychologicsl model which does not make this division?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/acmhwr/eli5is_person_mind_really_divided_to_conscious/
{ "a_id": [ "ed945b3" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "Part of your mind controls your heart beat. But your are not consciously aware of it.\n\nPart of you mind also controls your breathing. You probably were not consciously aware of your breathing, although reading this you might be now. In 10 mi...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
4ep774
'Biology' At what point would an invasive species be considered integrated into an ecosyste?
It obviously varies from individual ecosystems, but I've always wondered if destroying "invasive species" actually hurts ecosystems based on how long it's been in the environment.
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4ep774/biology_at_what_point_would_an_invasive_species/
{ "a_id": [ "d22avde", "d22ifgb", "d22sr71" ], "score": [ 21, 6, 3 ], "text": [ "A species could be considered integrated when it has checks and balances to keep its population in check. Most invasive species are only invasive because they are able to reproduce far beyond what the...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecosystem_services", "http://www.pnas.org/content/100/15/8916.full.pdf", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecosystem_ecology" ] ]
35fnh7
if going limp increases your odds of survival from an impact such as a fall or a car crash, then why is it instinct to go rigid instead?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/35fnh7/eli5if_going_limp_increases_your_odds_of_survival/
{ "a_id": [ "cr3yiwc", "cr3yws7", "cr3z5td" ], "score": [ 14, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Because your instincts aren't honed for car crashes or falls. Humans evolved in the plains of Africa and didn't drive cars until pretty recently :P", "The human body and reflexes are designed to im...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
1rzvay
in tv/movies we always see stand-offs between guys with guns. in reality shouldn't you just shoot as soon as possible?
**Scenario:** two men, each with guns, are standing roughly five feet from each other. Each gun is aimed at the other person's head. From this distance we are assuming neither person would miss. They sit and talk until they agree to not shoot, or they both winding up shooting at the same time. **Reality:** Shouldn't y...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1rzvay/eli5_in_tvmovies_we_always_see_standoffs_between/
{ "a_id": [ "cdsj7lc", "cdsjy29" ], "score": [ 5, 2 ], "text": [ "If both of you have the trigger, there is an equal chance either person might squeeze off a shot. Furthermore, if you don't get a killing shot (and sometimes even if you do), the opponent might still be able to pull the trig...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
1vojve
why does cereal have double packaging?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1vojve/eli5why_does_cereal_have_double_packaging/
{ "a_id": [ "ceua5fa", "ceuarhy" ], "score": [ 6, 2 ], "text": [ "Advertisement, the cardboard box has all the information, it also protects the cereal from being crushed and allows for it to be packed neatly and efficiently in the square container.\n\nThe plastic bag inside ensures freshn...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
219dfw
What were contentious issues of American popular debate in 1945-1955?
The time period is war/immediate post-war. I assume, though don't know, that the bomb would be one. For example, abortion, gay marriage and taxes are good contemporary examples. What about then?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/219dfw/what_were_contentious_issues_of_american_popular/
{ "a_id": [ "cgaxtab" ], "score": [ 9 ], "text": [ "Civil rights and segregation leap immediately to mind. The period you describe was the period that Thurgood Marshall, as the executive director of the NAACP Legal Defence and Educational Fund masterminded a legal campaign against legally enforced...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
5694ke
What are particles in the holographic principle?
According to Verlinde, gravity is emergent from the holographic principle as an entropic force. According to this, attempts to find a quantum carrier of the gravitational force are fundamentally misguided and will never be successful. Taking this paradigm as given for the sake of argument, what are particles like elec...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/5694ke/what_are_particles_in_the_holographic_principle/
{ "a_id": [ "d8hzr6w" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "First of all I don't think most physicists working on holography agree with Verlinde's idea that holography entails that gravity is entropic, but the core of your questions doesn't really depend on that because it's true that in the holographic d...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
8jeh39
Is the human brain hardwired for the capacity for spoken language, or is it simply another human creation that we use (similar to a tool?)
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/8jeh39/is_the_human_brain_hardwired_for_the_capacity_for/
{ "a_id": [ "dyzdvp3" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "There are specific areas in the human brain dedicated to language.\n\nWernicke's Area is a region of the brain that seems to be related to speech comprehension. Damaging Wernicke's area causes individuals to speak, but they say completely random ...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
3zo393
When was the last major lunar impact?
What I'm asking is how long ago was the last time a major celestial object struck (our) Moon, and what are some of the details that go along with this event?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3zo393/when_was_the_last_major_lunar_impact/
{ "a_id": [ "cyobzow", "cyogewk" ], "score": [ 3, 3 ], "text": [ "It depends on what you count as 'major'. If you take 'major' to mean 'basin forming' ...\n\nThe youngest lunar basin is [Orientale](_URL_3_). Orientale has not been specifically dated, but it must be younger than [Imbrium](_...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mare_Imbrium", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_System#Formation_and_evolution", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Heavy_Bombardment", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mare_Orientale" ], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giordano_Bruno_(crater)", "http...
3uhycp
serving "25-to-life" in prison
Does that mean they have to serve a minimum of 25 years, but whoever is capable of making the decision can extend it to life for whatever reason? What reasons would extend it to a life sentence if they just finished 25 years for that crime? Do they just say "You need to serve more time." so they extend it without oth...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3uhycp/eli5_serving_25tolife_in_prison/
{ "a_id": [ "cxeyxs7", "cxez6im" ], "score": [ 16, 9 ], "text": [ "Parole available at 25. If not paroled, serve life in prison.\n\nA parole board determines if a prisoner has reformed enough to re-enter society.", "Usually if someone is facing a sentence with a range like \"25 to life...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
2tfltj
Clarification between dark matter and gravity?
Hey guys, I'm currently a freshman studying physics, and in one of my classes they explained how we can suggest the existence of dark matter by looking at the orbital velocities of objects in galaxies. The farther away objects orbited at the same velocity as the closer ones, which directly contradicted Kepler's laws, s...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2tfltj/clarification_between_dark_matter_and_gravity/
{ "a_id": [ "cnymj2m", "cnyz4fg", "cnzkmp0" ], "score": [ 9, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Yes, there have been attempts to explain galaxy rotation with modified gravity theories such as [MOND](_URL_0_). But [observations are more consistent with dark matter](_URL_2_) than MOND, so right now ...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modified_Newtonian_dynamics", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_of_Neptune", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet_Cluster", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulcan_%28hypothetical_planet%29" ], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modified_Newtonian_dynamics", ...
55r4tt
Why do some flowers, mushrooms, and plants prefer areas with less light to grow? Shouldn't all plants want more energy from the sun?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/55r4tt/why_do_some_flowers_mushrooms_and_plants_prefer/
{ "a_id": [ "d8d1uuw", "d8dcca0" ], "score": [ 33, 10 ], "text": [ "Firstly, mushrooms are parts of fungi and do NOT photosynthise. The mushroom is a fruiting body used for reproduction. \n\nAs for plants, sunlight is a double edged sword. It provides the energy to do photosynthesis, but s...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
554l4n
why do police, firefighters, and ambulence not have different sirens?
Is it for convenience? Edit: I live in America.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/554l4n/eli5_why_do_police_firefighters_and_ambulence_not/
{ "a_id": [ "d87h4x7", "d87hzt3", "d87iozk" ], "score": [ 3, 9, 3 ], "text": [ "I suppose it depends on where you live but I can tell the difference between the 3 when I hear them from afar. I also grew up with a firefighter, paramedic, LEO father and spent a lot of time at the fir...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
au9lc8
what happens to my data if google went under/stopped existing?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/au9lc8/eli5_what_happens_to_my_data_if_google_went/
{ "a_id": [ "eh6kg6h" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "**If everything catastrophically failed at the infrastructure level (like a majority of their hardware just totally buggered off):** You'd likely lose everything, or most of everything you had on Google.\n\n**If the company went under (like a li...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://takeout.google.com/" ] ]
sjqf0
How precise is the human biological clock
It happened to me a few times (including this morning) that I wake up a few minutes before the alarm clock sounds, I then turn the alarm off under the thought "I am already awake, I don't need it". I then en up sleeping another few hours. In contrast sometimes I wake up without the alarm at the time the alarm should ...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/sjqf0/how_precise_is_the_human_biological_clock/
{ "a_id": [ "c4ek8p9" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "This question appeared only hours ago in similiar fashion.\n\n[Here](_URL_0_)\n\nYou can peer through my submitted for some more information if you need as well.\n\nAs for why we don't use it as an actualy day to day, it's because every individua...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/sjj91/is_there_a_specific_location_in_your_brain_for/" ] ]
31s10w
How reliable are old accounts of events such as 1561 celestial phenomenon over Nuremberg and the similar one that happened over the skies of Basel in 1566? I have always been curious and I would love some historians' opinions on these events.
The [Nuremberg phenomenon](_URL_2_) took place on 1561 and [this](_URL_3_) was a depiction of it. Something similar happened in Basel, and [these](_URL_0_) are [more depictions] (_URL_1_). Is it possible that this was just a joke? Was this a misinterpretation of natural phenomena? I've always been fasc...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/31s10w/how_reliable_are_old_accounts_of_events_such_as/
{ "a_id": [ "cq4fhpp", "cq4tv7u" ], "score": [ 9, 5 ], "text": [ "One thing you need to be wary of with these sorts of records is that the person doing the engraving and the printing may very well not be the person who saw the phenominon; indeed, he may not have even spoken to him directly...
[]
[ "http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Aerial_conflict.jpg", "http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/LinkSeltsame_Gestalt_so_in_disem_MDLXVI_Jar.jpg", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1561_celestial_phenomenon_over_Nuremberg", "http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Himmelser...
[ [ "http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2012/10/elephants-on-parade.html" ], [] ]
1n57h8
How is knowledge and instinct passed down genetically in species that don't acculturate their young?
For example, reptiles that hatch and immediately are on their own, or how spiders know how to build webs and where to build them.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1n57h8/how_is_knowledge_and_instinct_passed_down/
{ "a_id": [ "ccfk10f", "ccfp16t", "ccfp3zi", "ccfpo6y", "ccfpxt7", "ccfr35k" ], "score": [ 33, 6, 5, 4, 2, 4 ], "text": [ "They don't really get \"passed down\" so much as it is \"embedded\" in the genetic code. Through millions of years of evolution, the be...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_neuron" ], [], [], [], [] ]
3ocg9r
when a new word evolves (eg iphone, google, autotune) how are its properties in other languages decided?
For example, in languages like French or Italian, who decides whether it is masculine or feminine? Or whether or not to alter it to make it fit in better with existing words? Is there a council that makes an executive decision or do they just let it develop organically?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3ocg9r/eli5_when_a_new_word_evolves_eg_iphone_google/
{ "a_id": [ "cvvxdng", "cvvxr9e", "cvvy3w7", "cvvynmm", "cvvzqnn", "cvw25jn", "cvw5lw9", "cvw5tlf", "cvw68fk", "cvwa3e3", "cvwesnx", "cvwfgez", "cvwhqd4", "cvwoabj", "cvwoaq3", "cvwocjm", "cvwpijw", "cvwqmf8", "cvwtuss", "cvwxm32", "c...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acad%C3%A9mie_fran%C3%A7aise" ], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Académie_française", "http://www.antarestech.com" ], [], [], [ "http://www.dict.cc/?s=herunterladen" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "s....
22ghpb
Since 1800, did Russia mainly entertain good relations with most European nations?
Triggered by my [personal ignorance in this thread](_URL_0_), I was curious: How wrong is my impression that, apart from the French-led Napoleonic wars and the two Germany-led conflicts of WWI and WWI, since the 1800s Russia can mainly be seen as a nation that entertained positive alliances with European nations? ...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/22ghpb/since_1800_did_russia_mainly_entertain_good/
{ "a_id": [ "cgmsx6g", "cgmurej" ], "score": [ 5, 12 ], "text": [ "Well the argument seems pretty weak if you consider that the [Crimean War](_URL_0_) splits in half the time period you established. The war lasted from 1853 to 1856 and saw the two most powerful industrialized nations (GB a...
[]
[ "http://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/22ez51/next_crimea_local_legislators_in_donetsk_declare/cgmd6p4" ]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimean_War" ], [] ]
24e53e
How do red-leaved varieties of trees perform photosynthesis?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/24e53e/how_do_redleaved_varieties_of_trees_perform/
{ "a_id": [ "ch6bbsh" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "Great question!\n\nEvery kind of leaf has chlorophyll, the thing you learned about which makes leaves green. Well, the leaves that have lots of chlorophyll are really only green because the chlorophyll absorbs blue, violet, yellow, red, and oran...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
ef3bhr
why does choosing the frequency band of wifi (2.4 ghz and 5 ghz) affect the speed of wifi, but for mobile frequencies (e.g. 3g and 4g), it doesn't matter?
From the articles I've read (and from personal experience), I understand that a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi signal provides internet to a larger area but sacrifices speed, while the 5GHz band provides faster speeds to a smaller area. However, when I look at the frequency bands used in 3G mobile (_URL_0_) and 4G mobile (_URL_1_), the...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ef3bhr/eli5_why_does_choosing_the_frequency_band_of_wifi/
{ "a_id": [ "fby0gda" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "The band you see (like 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz) is the carrier frequency, it determines how well the wave travels and what it can go through/around\n\nThe carrier frequency doesn't determine how much data you can fit into it, that is determined by the *...
[]
[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMTS_frequency_bands", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LTE_frequency_bands" ]
[ [] ]
c7j5jm
why does back pain, especially lower back, hurt more than other common strains/sprains?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/c7j5jm/elif_why_does_back_pain_especially_lower_back/
{ "a_id": [ "esfkuk4", "esfos48", "esfwgci" ], "score": [ 7, 5, 2 ], "text": [ "My understanding is that there are more major nerve clusters involved, so more pain to be had.\nFor example, I have a bulging disc (L5) and it pushes on nerves, causing sciatic pain and generalised loca...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
mfuey
Can wavelengths of light, other than radio waves, be used for communication?
Or is there something about radio waves that make them an ideal choice to communicate with.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/mfuey/can_wavelengths_of_light_other_than_radio_waves/
{ "a_id": [ "c30l5dz", "c30lcs8", "c30lqi9", "c30okut", "c30l5dz", "c30lcs8", "c30lqi9", "c30okut" ], "score": [ 13, 3, 3, 2, 13, 3, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Oh, certainly. Fiber optic cables use light. For example, TOSLink audio cable uses red lig...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
1g5mb7
latour's actor network theory
Hi ELI5! I'm wondering if any of you could explain Bruno Latour's Actor Network theory to me in simple terms. Thanks in advance!
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1g5mb7/eli5_latours_actor_network_theory/
{ "a_id": [ "cah5j64" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "Actor-Network Theory, or ANT for short, treats objects as if they were active participants in a social network. One way of thinking about this would be your apartment. Yes you live with your two roommates and might think there were three people i...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
83ysyk
how do doctors/scientists determine if a tumor is benign or malignant?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/83ysyk/eli5_how_do_doctorsscientists_determine_if_a/
{ "a_id": [ "dvli897", "dvlie2d", "dvlzzgs" ], "score": [ 17, 26, 2 ], "text": [ "A malignant tumor's cells are actively trying to escape the tumor and spread throughout the body, growing new tumors elsewhere. A benign tumor's cells are content to stay where they are, and aren't th...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
2dytna
Does electricity produce an attracting force?
In a hypothetical situation where two metal sheets were close enough to each other that a non-closed circuit would close itself with a "spark" between them, would this produce a measurable attraction "pulling" the two sheets together? (To clarify, yes, electromagnetism is known. Whether this specific situation would p...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2dytna/does_electricity_produce_an_attracting_force/
{ "a_id": [ "cjuezkf" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "It sounds like you're describing a [capacitor](_URL_1_), which does experience a charge buildup on its plates under a circuit potential, producing an attractive [Coulomb force](_URL_2_). Electrical arcs may be indirectly produced by this force wh...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Townsend_discharge", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coulomb%27s_law" ] ]
728vys
Were brothers and sisters of royal Egyptian dynasties raised separately to facilitate sibling marriage?
I was told in a world history survey course that in the case of Egyptian rulers marrying their siblings to maintain royal purity, one reason there was no kind of taboo (equivalent to the modern squick factor of 'marry my sibling? *Ewwww!*) in place for royal marriages is because brothers and sisters of the royal family...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/728vys/were_brothers_and_sisters_of_royal_egyptian/
{ "a_id": [ "dnhu9nc" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "First of all, it is a myth, that, what we understand as pharaos and their queens, were siblings (except for perhaps one couple, but I think that one is up for discussion as well), though they were often related - cousins and such. Sibling-marriag...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
18pqjg
Do electrons orbiting an atom, or neighboring atoms, ever bump into one another? What would happen?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/18pqjg/do_electrons_orbiting_an_atom_or_neighboring/
{ "a_id": [ "c8gxccz" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "Strictly speaking, all electrons extend everywhere in space, but we can get away with imagining and treating them as if they're more or less localized in certain places (e.g. atomic orbitals), or at least confined to certain volumes (e.g., the co...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
1it80b
Where is the actual point where computer program transforms into electric signals?
Hi, I'm actually a computer science student but I was never able to comprehend this and not even sure how to explain my question properly. We can create a computer program by writing it in a programming language, which is then compiled into some sort of binary form (executable). This form, simply, consists of instruc...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1it80b/where_is_the_actual_point_where_computer_program/
{ "a_id": [ "cb89sfs" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "It's turned into electric signals when it's read off the disk and into RAM. From there, it's eventually moved into the on-die cache of the processor, and makes its way into the CPU itself.\n\nOnce on the CPU, the arguments are briefly stored in r...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
1nb6o9
why does the smell of someone's skin become attractive to us the more we spend time with them/like them?
...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1nb6o9/why_does_the_smell_of_someones_skin_become/
{ "a_id": [ "cch154f", "cch91sa" ], "score": [ 12, 2 ], "text": [ "You start to become familiar with their scent, and associate it with them. It's more psychological than anything else. ", "If it's someone you're sexually attracted to, it could be hormonal. Pheromones, specifically. " ...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
15inha
Are there any notable items (art, gold, etc.) still missing from when the Nazis looted Europe?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/15inha/are_there_any_notable_items_art_gold_etc_still/
{ "a_id": [ "c7msfox", "c7mshdo", "c7mswv1", "c7mva7k", "c7mvsy0", "c7mxqn3" ], "score": [ 49, 6, 86, 17, 10, 8 ], "text": [ "The most famous example of a totally lost artwork is [the Amber Room](_URL_0_). The Germans dismantled it and stole it, but by the e...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amber_Room" ], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amber_Room" ], [ "http://archive.jta.org/article/1965/11/17/3082184/owner-of-chagall-painting-looted-by-nazis-wins-it-back-in-us-court", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_of_Wally", "http://www.metmus...
1oh0c0
of what consequence would it be to mcdonalds as a company if they began paying their american workers $15 an hour?
I assume that only a small fraction of their income goes towards covering their lowest-paid workers' salary. So how bad for the company as a whole would this be?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1oh0c0/eli5_of_what_consequence_would_it_be_to_mcdonalds/
{ "a_id": [ "ccruu5u", "ccruw4p", "ccruyvd", "ccrv38m", "ccrvc6h", "ccrvyn3", "ccryajb", "ccryod7", "ccrzi4d", "ccrzk31", "ccrzy02" ], "score": [ 14, 5, 10, 20, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "People with bachelors d...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [ "http://www.gizmag.com/hamburger-machine/25159/", "http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/29/mcdonalds-salaries_n_3672006.html" ], [], [], [ "http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/talking-numbers/15-hour-wage-mean-mcdonald-170436977.html" ], [], [] ]
3nwvlw
why does shaking a liquid mix everything together and not separate it?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3nwvlw/eli5_why_does_shaking_a_liquid_mix_everything/
{ "a_id": [ "cvrz3x8", "cvs9i73", "cvshi85" ], "score": [ 3, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "It's called agitation if you were to spin it with screens finer and finer toward the outside you would then separate it,but thats only part of it the lighter material will go to the top so you could act...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]