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48zn1x
the concept of 'hyperreality'
Met this concept in photography and philosophy as well. I just don't happen to wrap my face around it.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/48zn1x/eli5_the_concept_of_hyperreality/
{ "a_id": [ "d0nx8k1" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "In art it usually refers more to paintings than photography. Hyperrealist painters seek to paint pictures that are so accurate to real life that they could be mistaken for photographs. [Chuck Close](_URL_0_) is a famous example.\n\nIn postmoderni...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://s3.amazonaws.com/vice_asset_uploader/files/1413992853Self_Portrait__with_Cigarette_______Chuck_Close__hi_res___250_000.jpg" ] ]
4jsuhb
why would president obama want to veto the bill that would give u.s. citizens the ability to sue the saudi government for damages relating to the 9/11 attacks?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4jsuhb/eli5_why_would_president_obama_want_to_veto_the/
{ "a_id": [ "d39akxz", "d39bnyg", "d39cko1", "d39gd0y" ], "score": [ 10, 46, 5, 2 ], "text": [ "The right to sue is not the right to win. There is no chance that the burden of proof could be met for such a suit. However, there would be real public relations damage done. ...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [ "http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/04/obama-veto-saudi-terrorism/479112/" ], [] ]
6can8h
why are humans and other animals' feet angled instead of parallel when naturally walking or standing?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6can8h/eli5_why_are_humans_and_other_animals_feet_angled/
{ "a_id": [ "dht7s5k" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "For humans, it's a result of bipedalism. Locked ankles and loose wrists also were a result. The slight angle you mention is more that the muscles that support walking, are weaker in some places. If you, or anyone else, force their feet a bit more...
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[ [] ]
2t3dn4
if the body's immune system is geared to cleanse foreign bodies that invade, how do tattoos stay in the skin and not get flushed out?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2t3dn4/eli5if_the_bodys_immune_system_is_geared_to/
{ "a_id": [ "cnvbmii", "cnvd834", "cnvdo8p" ], "score": [ 2, 4, 3 ], "text": [ "They do over time. That is why old tattoos are faded and blurred. You might find this interested _URL_0_", "I believe the ELI5 version is that the ink particles from the tattoo are larger than what ...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0B7F5UbTOQ" ], [], [] ]
l6807
why are egrets white?
As in, what evolutionary advantage does being white give them?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/l6807/eli5_why_are_egrets_white/
{ "a_id": [ "c2q62y9", "c2q62y9" ], "score": [ 3, 3 ], "text": [ "Egrets are fishing birds. When the sky is viewed from underwater it appears to take on a very bright white. You will have noticed this if you have ever looked up while swimming underwater. Egrets get an advantage from being ...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
6vuwns
How has the religious practice of Judaism changed following the Holocaust?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6vuwns/how_has_the_religious_practice_of_judaism_changed/
{ "a_id": [ "dm44flw" ], "score": [ 9 ], "text": [ "This is a bit of a difficult question to answer, because people (in Judaism, anyway) don't generally say \"I am starting practice x for y reason\". And part of the problem will be a definition one--the Holocaust was a massively transformative ev...
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[]
[ [] ]
368r0x
why is it that after a night of drinking, i can't sleep past 7:30 usually, however the norm seems to be that others "sleep it off"?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/368r0x/eli5_why_is_it_that_after_a_night_of_drinking_i/
{ "a_id": [ "crbry90", "crbrzqh", "crbtkj6", "crbuxfi", "crbvz2l", "crbyvpm", "crbzgv2", "crc21fb", "crc2dt4" ], "score": [ 6, 78, 6, 3, 2, 4, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Feels. I wake up super early then can't get back to sleep. Next time ...
[]
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
3c8piz
Did samurai "dual wield" swords?
I'm watching *The Last Samurai* and noticed that both Captain Algren and Katsumoto are using two swords. Would an actual samurai do this?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3c8piz/did_samurai_dual_wield_swords/
{ "a_id": [ "cstdo9e", "cstrxkp" ], "score": [ 9, 2 ], "text": [ "I separated out the relevant sentence towards the end, thank you for leading me to an interesting read.\n\nMusashi challenged Yoshioka Seijūrō, master of the Yoshioka School, to a duel. Seijūrō accepted, and they agreed to a...
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[ [], [] ]
bo31ni
why is it when you hang clothes over a rack to dry or use the dryer, they dry soft, but if they're dried in a ball they become stiff?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bo31ni/eli5_why_is_it_when_you_hang_clothes_over_a_rack/
{ "a_id": [ "encid2m", "encqxqj", "endd8lo" ], "score": [ 99, 5, 22 ], "text": [ "My clothes come out stiff if I hang-dry them. Tumble drying, even without dryer sheets or fabric softener, they come out much softer.", "My guess is movement while they're drying. Tumblr drying o...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
6izqju
What was it about the uniform army camps of the Romans, that the Ancient Greeks admired so much?
Reading Adrian Goldsworthy's 'Augustus'. In Chapter 13, while talking about Augustus' Spanish campaigns, he mentions that the organisation of the army camps was admired by "Greek observers since the 3rd century". Why were they admired by Greek observers specifically? Was it anything more than their functionality or eff...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6izqju/what_was_it_about_the_uniform_army_camps_of_the/
{ "a_id": [ "djaq9g7" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text": [ "I can't give you sources explicitly but I can speak to the Romans military effectiveness that so impressed the Greeks. \n\nThe first thing you need to understand is how unprofessional the Greeks were, the main reason the Spartans were so scary to...
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[ [] ]
30h44o
why do american employers give such a small amount of paid vacation time?
Here in the UK I get 28 days off paid. It's my understanding that the U.S. gives nowhere near this amount? (please correct me if I'm wrong) EDIT - Amazed at the response this has gotten, wasn't trying to start anything but was genuinely interested in vacation in America. Good to see that I had it somewhat wrong, there...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/30h44o/eli5_why_do_american_employers_give_such_a_small/
{ "a_id": [ "cpsd6my", "cpsd7n3", "cpsd91f", "cpsd97q", "cpsdr2o", "cpsdsd9", "cpsdthi", "cpsdwbm", "cpse1qp", "cpsf3q5", "cpsf69g", "cpsfdfm", "cpsfj4a", "cpsfyzl", "cpsgecp", "cpsgqyz", "cpsgvbh", "cpsgxno", "cpsh5yg", "cpsh6wc", "c...
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[ [], [ "http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "http://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2008/Powellsweatshops.html" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], ...
1pqkvt
Was there any government or ruling power at some point in history that tried to establish mass surveillance of citizens, similar to the extent of the NSA's program at the moment?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1pqkvt/was_there_any_government_or_ruling_power_at_some/
{ "a_id": [ "cd4yxf9" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Moderator notice:\n\nThis question is not subject to our rule about politics, because it is still asking about the past. This does not mean it's ok to talk about the NSA scandal in your answers--any comments made about any recent political contro...
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[ [] ]
e4k997
Who invented the speech bubble?
And how/when did it become a standard part of comics iconography?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/e4k997/who_invented_the_speech_bubble/
{ "a_id": [ "f9dcym0" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text": [ "There isn't really one single inventor we can point to. Putting words with images in various ways is apparently a very natural process, as it has developed separately in multiple civilisations.\n\nWe can very roughly trace the history of the spee...
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[]
[ [ "https://columbia1893.weebly.com/jefferson-political-cartoons.html" ] ]
1mz11l
How does the temperature of the Cosmic Microwave Background change with time?
If you put an object deep into space, it will radiate off thermal energy until it reaches equilibrium with the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation, which is at around 2.7K. How has this temperature of roughly 2.7K evolved over time? How will it evolve? Given that the entropy in the universe is rising, perhaps...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1mz11l/how_does_the_temperature_of_the_cosmic_microwave/
{ "a_id": [ "ccdy3u0" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "The CMB is a remnant of the big bang. In the beginning, it was the temperature of the opaque gas right before the universe became cool enough for electrons to bind to atomic nuclei (and thus become transparent). It was 3000 K. As the universe exp...
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[ [] ]
1mho5s
Are gluons massless?
I remember from my particle physics course that strong nuclear force has a very short range. This was explained by the fact that gluons have unlike photons a mass. Now wikipedia and other sources claim that gluon is massless. What happened? How is short range of strong nuclear force explained now?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1mho5s/are_gluons_massless/
{ "a_id": [ "cc9e5on", "cc9url4" ], "score": [ 11, 5 ], "text": [ "Gluons are massless. The argument that relates the range of a force to the mass of the force-carrier particle works when the force in question is *perturbative*. This just means that the coupling constant that determines th...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pion", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideki_Yukawa", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_der_Waals_force" ] ]
1vj2sz
Were there any significant records of Arabic or Indian people in America between the 1700's - early 1900's?
Also what were there social lives like? Were they treated inferior to white people?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1vj2sz/were_there_any_significant_records_of_arabic_or/
{ "a_id": [ "cesu3ac" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Yes, but I can only give a few concrete examples from my field of study (19th century Caribbean)\n\n- Indian laborers were brought to and worked on the leeward islands (more directly Trinidad)\n\n- Arabic is a broad term, so in a broad sense ther...
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[]
[ [] ]
2645az
Was the Maginot Line really a huge blunder for France?
I've found many of the attitudes towards WWII history to be tainted by my high school teachers who just liked to relish in how the dough boys saved everyone's behind. The Maginot Line was always brought up as "this silly thing France thought would work". Was it a waste of resources, or at least worth it to create a roa...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2645az/was_the_maginot_line_really_a_huge_blunder_for/
{ "a_id": [ "chnhurr", "chni6g9", "chnjj2v", "chnqijn" ], "score": [ 42, 9, 182, 7 ], "text": [ "Honesty, the problem with the Maginot Line is that it was a static defense and unable to respond to a Germany flank. With that said, I wish to explain a few things.\n\nFirst, F...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [ "http://www.kosmograd.net/bunker-busters/", "http://www.kosmograd.net/the-little-bunker-that-could/" ] ]
29yzzq
why are x-rays dangerous but microwaves not dangerous?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/29yzzq/eli5_why_are_xrays_dangerous_but_microwaves_not/
{ "a_id": [ "cipv47z" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Microwaves and x-rays are in completely different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. X-rays have much more energy than microwaves.\n\nIt's much like how UV light can cause skin cancer, but red light won't." ] }
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[ [] ]
79ls1e
what exactly is the purpose of a mlb coach? i understand the strategy need for football, hockey, basketball, but isn’t baseball more straightforward?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/79ls1e/eli5_what_exactly_is_the_purpose_of_a_mlb_coach_i/
{ "a_id": [ "dp30lcw" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Here's where I try my best not to sound super pretentious about baseball.\n\nIt's more complicated than you'd expect. Each player or team have their own unique talents or traits. A certain pitcher might be better at throwing curveballs or outside...
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[ [] ]
3oi3m6
When did Americans start to think (however justifiable) that they were or should be more "free" than most or all people in the old world? When did they start to take pride in that perceived greater freedom?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3oi3m6/when_did_americans_start_to_think_however/
{ "a_id": [ "cvxxcvo" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Are you referring to colonial Americans? Because Americans have pretty much taken pride in their greater freedom from the [moment of the founding of the country](_URL_0_). \n\nThomas Jefferson, writing from Paris in 1785:\n > \"I sincerely wish y...
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[]
[ [ "http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html" ] ]
y05nu
Is it true that if a supernova happened within 25 lightyearsour planet would be killed off?uw
Question in the title.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/y05nu/is_it_true_that_if_a_supernova_happened_within_25/
{ "a_id": [ "c5r4hcp" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "The closest star to earth that is capable of supernova is around 150ly from Earth, so your question requires that we move a star closer.\n\nBut, in answer, any supernova within 50-100ly could do damage. Whether *all* life were killed off (this is...
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[ [] ]
3qn0lf
In real life, are all derivatives of position with respect to time a non-zero value?
I was looking at [this graph of the speed, acceleration, and jerk of an object](_URL_0_) and was wondering if the acceleration, jerk, or any Nth derivative of position with respect to time, of any real life objects (with mass) can jump from one value to another instantaneously? If an object changed position instantan...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3qn0lf/in_real_life_are_all_derivatives_of_position_with/
{ "a_id": [ "cwhtocb" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "If you continue down this rabbit hole, you'll end up asking the question: \"is spacetime discrete or continuous?\"\n\nWe don't know yet, and in true physics fashion, both seem weird.\n\nIf spacetime is continuous, velocity is limited by the speed...
[]
[ "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Schematic_diagram_of_Jerk%2C_Acceleration%2C_and_Speed.png" ]
[ [] ]
2cdjz6
why do some people walk down the street talking to themselves quietly?
Not talking about hands free kits. Edit: the question is not why do people talk to themselves in general. It is specifically referring to people walking down the street doing it audibly.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2cdjz6/eli5_why_do_some_people_walk_down_the_street/
{ "a_id": [ "cjee5za", "cjeeegr", "cjeeggp" ], "score": [ 3, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Some people talk to themselves because of mental illness.\n\nSome people just think aloud.\n\nI'm sure you could find thousands of reasons.", "I'm not a native English speaker, so for practice I oft...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
1a2hyt
how hair grows and how your body makes it.
I've heard that it is basically the same material as your fingernails but a different composition. Im curious as to how the body uses or pulls certain nutrients out of your food to use to make hair and what puts them together. Forgive the poor wording. I am five after all.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1a2hyt/eli5_how_hair_grows_and_how_your_body_makes_it/
{ "a_id": [ "c8ti0in" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "The cells that make up hair follicles are full of organelles (like organs in your body, but in cells) called ribosomes. Ribosomes use the stuff you get from food to make proteins (like carotene, the stuff hair is made out of). The ribosomes use a...
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[]
[ [] ]
368jv1
what happens to the electrons in a depleted battery?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/368jv1/eli5_what_happens_to_the_electrons_in_a_depleted/
{ "a_id": [ "crbpy7n", "crbpzan", "crbq1b3", "crbr0vt", "crbrkoz" ], "score": [ 18, 2, 4, 6, 2 ], "text": [ "After traveling through the circuit, they end up back in the battery (on the other end of the cell), but in a lower energy state (bound to a different atom o...
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[]
[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
4ah9uk
why is an automatic transmission much more expensive in europe than driving stick shift?
Eli5: why is an automatic transmission much more expensive in Europe than driving stick shift? In the US it's the opposite, everyone buys an automatic, and it's generally cheaper. Yet in Europe, for some mysterious reason it's still more expensive?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4ah9uk/eli5_why_is_an_automatic_transmission_much_more/
{ "a_id": [ "d10cpzk", "d10cqa0", "d10cqmm", "d10cu5g", "d10gbz3", "d10gr3y", "d10h0f2", "d10kbi4", "d10lf7b", "d10mrcc", "d10n73k" ], "score": [ 4, 98, 90, 30, 9, 5, 2, 4, 3, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "It's cheaper in the US ...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
16pmej
if i buy a brand new computer, what programs must i have to protect myself from cyber security threats?
Most computers come with trial software like Norton Anti-virus but is there anything needed beyond that?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/16pmej/if_i_buy_a_brand_new_computer_what_programs_must/
{ "a_id": [ "c7y6347", "c7y699y" ], "score": [ 4, 2 ], "text": [ "Microsoft Security Essentials is all you need. Get rid of Norton or anything else that is on there.\n\n", "Microsoft Security Essentials. Admittedly, it doesn't offer live protection, but Google Chrome should tell you w...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
22u1mp
Why are the electromagnetic force and the weak force sometimes called the same thing and yet have different gauge bosons?
It seems like they would either be unique and only interact using one boson or set of bosons (akin to how the electric and magnetic both are described by the photon boson). Instead, there are photons and there are w & z bosons. This leads me to think they are distinct forces but my physics professor says that is inco...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/22u1mp/why_are_the_electromagnetic_force_and_the_weak/
{ "a_id": [ "cgqmav6" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text": [ "They are not the same but they are linked. The link has to do with how the forces are \"derived\" within the Standard Model gauge theory, and the fact that the Higgs mechanism \"mixes\" two of the forces together. The 3 forces in the Standard Mod...
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[]
[ [] ]
b4xzqp
What specifically does a toxin do to the body that makes it toxic?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/b4xzqp/what_specifically_does_a_toxin_do_to_the_body/
{ "a_id": [ "ejaek21", "ejah6qc" ], "score": [ 3, 13 ], "text": [ "‘Toxins’ can refer to a huge number of molecules that can act on different cells in different ways. If you want a detailed answer you’d have to make your question more specific. Here’s a few examples though:\n\nRicin (the o...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://66.media.tumblr.com/0c0aa40dcb3db1e1db019953ebb3269b/tumblr_mgpa55Pftw1qbqxhko1_250.gif" ] ]
c06fma
when a seed grows, the plant seems to be creating matter from nothing. where does this matter come from?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/c06fma/eli5_when_a_seed_grows_the_plant_seems_to_be/
{ "a_id": [ "er1sxqo", "er1tieo", "er3o3wk" ], "score": [ 4, 6, 2 ], "text": [ "The plant consumes dirt nutrients and air molecules to make more plant parts. It's loosely similar to how you consume food and water to make poop and muscles.", "A lot of a living plant's mass, and ...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
1mmz7b
in calculus, what is the physical meaning of curl, gradient and divergence?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1mmz7b/eli5_in_calculus_what_is_the_physical_meaning_of/
{ "a_id": [ "ccaq5o9", "ccaqc0h", "ccasjsy", "ccasy3k", "ccauta0", "ccavnye", "ccb5fv2" ], "score": [ 92, 6, 3, 4, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Wikipedia has pretty good intuitive interpretations for all of these, but I will give it a shot anyway.\n\nFirstl...
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
mxyut
Motorcycle helmet that cools brain after impact supposedly safer -- real science or marketing fluff?
[This topic](_URL_0_) got posted in /r/motorcycles earlier, and some of us are wondering if the claims the company makes --specifically, cooling the brain after an effect has some beneficial effect -- are true or not. The company's explanation page is lacking. [How it works](_URL_1_)
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/mxyut/motorcycle_helmet_that_cools_brain_after_impact/
{ "a_id": [ "c34r2ol", "c34ucfk", "c34r2ol", "c34ucfk" ], "score": [ 9, 3, 9, 3 ], "text": [ "[Therapeutic hypothermia](_URL_0_) does have some medical applications. The basic principle is to cool down the tissue and slow down cellular metabolism, so the cells use less oxyg...
[]
[ "http://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/mxhhz/bikers\\_a\\_great\\_company\\_trying\\_to\\_save\\_riders", "http://www.thermahelm.com/how-it-works.html" ]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therapeutic_hypothermia" ], [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therapeutic_hypothermia" ], [] ]
3anhrn
It's been it's 140 years, why does the American South still hold on so tightly to the Civil War and the Confederacy?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3anhrn/its_been_its_140_years_why_does_the_american/
{ "a_id": [ "cse8dsu", "csecol4", "cseexzs" ], "score": [ 2, 123, 60 ], "text": [ "hi! this may be worth x-posting to /r/AskSocialScience", "I'm drawing largely from Eric Foner's history of Reconstruction/Post Reconstruction which is called \"Forever Free\" (Foner has quite a f...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [ "http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-Confederate-Government/dp/0306804182/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1434940281&sr=1-1&keywords=rise+and+fall+of+the+confederate+government", "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=302YMeiDSrI", "http://www.amazon.com/Away-Down-South-Southern-Ident...
8ohqgx
how do the spacex rockets land upright?
I’ve been amazed again and again by the way SpaceX rockets are able to land standing up, can anyone explain how this is possible?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8ohqgx/eli5_how_do_the_spacex_rockets_land_upright/
{ "a_id": [ "e03e2mq", "e03e3v9", "e051fso" ], "score": [ 11, 2, 3 ], "text": [ "It's a technique that the Soviets developed but didn't have enough computing power or sensitive enough instruments to do successfully. It's called a suicide burn and its technically the most efficient ...
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[ [], [], [] ]
16s9kj
Is it possible that first star ever created in our universe is still burning?
I know that smaller stars have a life span longer than the age of our universe, but I don't know if the first stars were short-lived giants, or if the first stars were of all shapes and sizes. If it's the latter, wouldn't it be possible that the first star ever created in our universe is still out there burning somewh...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/16s9kj/is_it_possible_that_first_star_ever_created_in/
{ "a_id": [ "c7z2k86" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "It's thought that the first stars were the most massive stars ever formed. It's thought that they may have been so massive that their supernova deaths may have been so violent that they wouldn't have been able to form black holes which is what u...
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[]
[ [] ]
4gjsei
Why do some people's bruises readily appear while others hardly show?
If I hit my leg hard on a surface, I can feel a bruise, but it won't appear until a yellowish green surfaces a week later. My girlfriend, on the other hand, bruises like a peach. A light tap will bring a purple spot the surface in less than a day. How does this work?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4gjsei/why_do_some_peoples_bruises_readily_appear_while/
{ "a_id": [ "d2j6m9s" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "Bruising (i.e. bleeding) is regulated by your body's [haemostatic](_URL_1_) systems, which maintain a fine balance between pro-clotting and pro-bleeding states. \n\nAs a general overview, haemostasis can be thought of as being governed by three t...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platelet", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemostasis", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Willebrand_disease", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immune_thrombocytopenic_purpura", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coagulation#The_coagulation_cascade", "https://en.wi...
btxl56
How are the dead skin and hair debris cleaned off from the ISS?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/btxl56/how_are_the_dead_skin_and_hair_debris_cleaned_off/
{ "a_id": [ "eq23xzp", "ep8o4vz" ], "score": [ 2, 4 ], "text": [ "This is a really gross question thanks for asking it!\nMakes me wonder also, since they astronauts feel weightless in space, does their skin flake less/hair fall out less frequently than on earth? Meaning to say, even if the...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/10/27/how-filthy-is-the-international-space-station-an-astrobiologist-weighs-in/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.9973072d2020" ] ]
5uqkug
why does eating something help with an upset stomach?
I'm not talking about eating saltines, but often when I feel sick, if I eat something small, I feel much better. It seems counterintuitive to me.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5uqkug/eli5_why_does_eating_something_help_with_an_upset/
{ "a_id": [ "ddw3bst" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "In the case of hypoglycemia one of the symptoms is nausea so you eat something , your blood sugar goes back up and you feel better" ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
289xi8
Why does my remote/clock suddenly work when I take the batteries then return it?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/289xi8/why_does_my_remoteclock_suddenly_work_when_i_take/
{ "a_id": [ "ci90v48" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Previous times this has been asked: \n\n_URL_1_ \n_URL_2_ \n_URL_0_\n\nThe best hypothesis seems to be that when you take out the batteries, you're mechanically removing a very thin layer of corrosion from the terminals. If the battery voltage ...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/ztifn/why_does_changing_the_order_of_batteries_in_a/", "http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/k15sd/batteries_and_tv_remotes/", "http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/vh20u/why_does_switching_the_batteries_around_in_a/" ] ]
30yd2f
Which two living languages are considered to have the least amount in common?
Some languages are considered "close" to each other, if they share words, grammar, history, etc (Italian vs French, Spanish vs Portuguese, English vs Danish, etc). Is there a scientific way of determining how close languages are? And if so, which language pair is considered maximally far apart? Or are there many suc...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/30yd2f/which_two_living_languages_are_considered_to_have/
{ "a_id": [ "cpx0rsy" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "There are indeed language isolates that have very close to nothing in common. Even including borrowed words, take... Basque and Japanese for example. Basque is a language isolate, and there are still debates about the Japonic/Altaic language fami...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
1hf7fb
In the Middle Ages, how important was the idea of "casus belli" in legitimizing wars?
* Did a particular casus belli have to be declared by the belligerents, or is that something historians try to assign retrospectively? * What kinds of casus belli were popularly employed? * Was it unusual or frowned-upon to simply invade a neighboring province because you wanted to expand yours?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1hf7fb/in_the_middle_ages_how_important_was_the_idea_of/
{ "a_id": [ "catqw3h" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Throughout history, having a casus belli on something was really desirable, especially for imperialistic and militaristic states. For example, the Spartans for long wanted to conquer Messina's lands, so when some boys kidnaped three athenian girl...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
14dhta
Apart from Dieppe, were any other landing operations attempted along the coast of Northern Europe prior to the Normandy Landings?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/14dhta/apart_from_dieppe_were_any_other_landing/
{ "a_id": [ "c7c3qiw", "c7c8aka" ], "score": [ 27, 2 ], "text": [ "Yes!\n\nWell, okay, sort of. Not on the Northern coast of Europe (i.e. Brittany or Normandy), but a landing operation was attempted and successfully executed by British commandos at the French town of St. Nazaire in spring ...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_battleship_Tirpitz" ], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Biting", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Claymore" ] ]
4yq7pf
can a vacuum cleaner work in space?
If It Can, Why or How So?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4yq7pf/eli5_can_a_vacuum_cleaner_work_in_space/
{ "a_id": [ "d6plv4w", "d6plvvr", "d6plxjz" ], "score": [ 2, 17, 6 ], "text": [ "Do you mean in space, like the vacuum of space? Or do you mean something like in the International Space Station?\n\nIf the former, then no, but for the latter, yes. Vacuum cleaners work by creating lo...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
1zffe7
Why hasn't the "Big Bang" or any similar event occurred again?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1zffe7/why_hasnt_the_big_bang_or_any_similar_event/
{ "a_id": [ "cftcdr0" ], "score": [ 19 ], "text": [ "Hmm, let's see what I can remember and how I can explain this.\n\n1) we don't really know *what* caused the Big Bang, because the cause of the Big Bang came before the start of the Universe, and we don't have any info on that time period... beca...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
1wfkwa
What exactly was the role of a Commissar in the Soviet Red Army, and how long were they a part of the Russian military?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1wfkwa/what_exactly_was_the_role_of_a_commissar_in_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cf1pxjo" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "Commissar's were political officers that represented the Communist Party on the battlefront. They worked in a system called dual command in which all military generals shared command with a CPSU appointed commissar. They were around from 1918 - 1...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
f6uqqn
how can our eyes tell the difference between a close object and a far object?
How can our eyes tell the difference between a close object and a far object
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/f6uqqn/eli5_how_can_our_eyes_tell_the_difference_between/
{ "a_id": [ "fi72r3a", "fi72zpn", "fi797og", "fi7jts9" ], "score": [ 5, 8, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Two ways. One is just the size of what we see compared to how big we know that object to be. The second is based on the angle of your eyes. Use your left and right hands to point a...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "https://youtu.be/kw_d5lu0UlY" ], [], [] ]
5h7jdl
In World War II, did voluntary American soldiers stigmatize those who were drafted into military service?
In HBO's *The Pacific,* there's a scene in which the Marines learn one of their squad mates was drafted, as opposed to voluntarily enlisting. The rest of the squad then playfully chastise the man. Was there any basis for this in real life? EDIT: fixed a grammar mistake
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5h7jdl/in_world_war_ii_did_voluntary_american_soldiers/
{ "a_id": [ "daxzcs1" ], "score": [ 280 ], "text": [ "So in \"The Pacific\", there is an important subtext, namely that they were *Marines*. The Marines had prided themselves on being an all volunteer force for the first year of the war, while the Army was being filled out with millions of draftee...
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[]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3en1xr/in_ww2_did_marines_get_drafted/ctgp3b1/" ] ]
4t7r7w
how do blood tests for stds work?
So they draw your blood, then they test your blood, but how do they test the blood?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4t7r7w/eli5_how_do_blood_tests_for_stds_work/
{ "a_id": [ "d5f7uzg" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "They look for antibodies related to known diseases. If the antibodies show up they know the disease has been there. If it hadn't there wouldn't have been any need for an immune response " ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
5jzoiy
how can the r9 fury with 7.1 tflops of compute power and the gtx 1060 with 4.3 tflops of compute power preform the same in gaming loads?
The Fury also has over double the number of transistors
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5jzoiy/eli5_how_can_the_r9_fury_with_71_tflops_of/
{ "a_id": [ "dbk7vk1" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "FLOPS and number of transistors is just metrics for some workloads but not others. You might also get different results if you run different benchmarks or different games. Computation power is not the only thing you need for gaming. You might hav...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
2awhax
Could the asteroid that hit the earth 66 million years ago have been a moon that was slowly pulled into our planet?
So moons typically either crash into their planets or drift off into space. Would we be able to prove either way that this did or did not occur with the extinction event asteroid? Also if this did happen how large would the moon have appeared to be in the years before collision?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2awhax/could_the_asteroid_that_hit_the_earth_66_million/
{ "a_id": [ "cizkihj", "cizqbqt" ], "score": [ 4, 2 ], "text": [ "It depends on what you mean by moon. If you mean a very small \"moon\" around 6.2mi in diameter with the same impact velocity as one needed for the theorized chicxulub crater then sure you could say that. \n\nA counter to ...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
j6n63
Does gravity 'switch off' when it's source is removed or does it take time for the effect to be lost?
Say for example the sun suddenly disappeared would the earth instantly start floating away into space or would it take roughly eight minutes until the lack of gravity reaches us? Also does this at all relate to what happens when nuclear reactions occur? When mass is lost in these reactions, like in the sun, are the ef...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/j6n63/does_gravity_switch_off_when_its_source_is/
{ "a_id": [ "c29ktnl", "c29ktov", "c29ku1x", "c29l4w5", "c29ktnl", "c29ktov", "c29ku1x", "c29l4w5" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 22, 24, 2, 2, 22, 24 ], "text": [ "This will help: _URL_0_", "The problem is that switching off the sun essentially mea...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.sciforums.com/Does-Gravity-Have-Speed-t-260.html" ], [], [], [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/gb6y3/what_is_the_speed_of_gravity/", "http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/dddp5/if_gravity_moves_at_the_speed_of_light_then/", "http://www.reddit.com/r/askscienc...
6u3uac
If you clear all the lava out of a volcano would it connect to the Earth's mantle?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/6u3uac/if_you_clear_all_the_lava_out_of_a_volcano_would/
{ "a_id": [ "dltuxqd" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "In most cases, no. More often than not, volcanoes form along subduction zones where one piece of crust is sinking beneath another. If you cleared all of the lava out of one of these, you'd be left with crustal rock.\n\nHotspot volcanoes form from...
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[]
[ [] ]
4isluz
when does being unconscious become classified as a being in a coma? is there a period of time or is it your state of mind?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4isluz/eli5_when_does_being_unconscious_become/
{ "a_id": [ "d30rl67" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "There's a scale of unconsciousness (\"Glasgow\" I think), that rates several criteria based on how a patient responds to stimuli. Things like: can they open their eyes in response to verbal commands? Will they react physically to pain? Generally ...
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[ [] ]
50v74a
why do peoples voices sound completely different over the phone? but when ever someone records their voice on camera it usually sounds relitivly the same?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/50v74a/eli5_why_do_peoples_voices_sound_completely/
{ "a_id": [ "d7782b8", "d77ijzw" ], "score": [ 4, 2 ], "text": [ "The telephone network was built a century ago. Most of the standards for audio over that network are decades old as well. Even the new standards like 4G LTE (which has a section on audio encoding, it is still a telephony sta...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
186j3x
Why do photons oscillate?
I don't understand what makes them swing back and forth. Why does the conservation of angular momentum not apply?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/186j3x/why_do_photons_oscillate/
{ "a_id": [ "c8c1qda", "c8c21p5" ], "score": [ 3, 11 ], "text": [ "I'm not sure what you mean by swinging back and forth.\n\nAre you talking about pictures like [this](_URL_0_)? Because that's not a representation of a photon, that's a representation of oscillating EM fields. And the osc...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Onde_electromagnetique.svg" ], [] ]
4jpykp
why do tv stations cancel their shows, saying they don't have enough viewers. how did they get those exact numbers?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4jpykp/eli5_why_do_tv_stations_cancel_their_shows_saying/
{ "a_id": [ "d38l3ue", "d38thvk" ], "score": [ 28, 8 ], "text": [ "Through ratings! Nielson is a company that monitors TV shows by the amount of viewers the show has. This is done a number of ways. One, the Nielsen people send you $50 and a log book to track everything you watch for one wh...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
4fqap1
why does the desktop reddit site load up faster than the mobile reddit site on my phone?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4fqap1/eli5_why_does_the_desktop_reddit_site_load_up/
{ "a_id": [ "d2b1pbk", "d2bi3o3" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "The real answer is poor coding for the mobile version. Most web designers do not put as much time and effort into the mobile version than they do on the desktop versions.\n\nA better answer would be for reddit to use a respo...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "www.reddit.com" ] ]
1bu9sg
I can not explain a color to a blind person, is this a limit of our language?
If color is just our perception of different wavelengths of light through our eyes, is it not possible to transfer this information as language? Or are basic elements of vision like color not transferable from the part of our brain that interprets language to the part of our brain that visualizes the color through anyt...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1bu9sg/i_can_not_explain_a_color_to_a_blind_person_is/
{ "a_id": [ "c9a4jlv" ], "score": [ 281 ], "text": [ "You might have better luck at /r/neurophilosophy or at /r/PhilosophyofScience. This is actually one of the deepest questions/problems of philosophy of mind. \n\n\nKeywords have been **bolded**\n\n\n\n~~Brief~~ Not so brief overview: Descartes c...
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[ [] ]
53mupv
Are there any animals that are similar looking, or even the same, that have evolved separately and only have a very distant ancestor in common?
Alternative question if that isn't clear: Is it possible, or has it already happened, for two animals to have evolved completely separately in different places with only a very distant common ancestor? I understand that everything has a common ancestor eventually, but I would be interested to know if say we went as dis...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/53mupv/are_there_any_animals_that_are_similar_looking_or/
{ "a_id": [ "d7urwig", "d7uus8x", "d7uvxbr", "d7uwhbg", "d7uym2j", "d7vbb6e", "d7wlotl", "d7xfyca" ], "score": [ 70, 18, 8, 11, 14, 7, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "A concept you might be trying to get at is referred to as *convergent evolution.* If a ...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskScienceDiscussion/comments/53dm80/if_humans_were_to_be_wiped_off_the_face_of_the/", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_examples_of_convergent_evolution", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saber-toothed_cat" ], [ "http://cactiguide.com/graphics/x_noncacti_euphorbia...
2uxsl0
why are happy hours usually only available in the bar?
My understanding of happy hour is that places offer discounted food and drink to entice customer to come in and purchase said food and drink at a usually slower time. So why only offer it in the bar? This eliminates customers who are under 21 (for example those who are early in college but possibly off at 4pm) or peopl...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2uxsl0/eli5_why_are_happy_hours_usually_only_available/
{ "a_id": [ "cocnbvq", "cocnr80" ], "score": [ 3, 5 ], "text": [ "Because people who sit at a table on average take a lot longer to finish than those who sit at the bar. Longer visits mean less turnover, mean less money for the restaurant.", "Alcohol is where restaurants make nearly a...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
aovkqh
after a night of drinking, why does cold air make me less nauseous and warm air make me more nauseous?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/aovkqh/eli5_after_a_night_of_drinking_why_does_cold_air/
{ "a_id": [ "eg3vqn5", "eg3w88c" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Probably because your body is dehydrated, overheated, and your systems are all backed up. Cooling yourself off would reduce your blood pressure and help speed things up again. Warning yourself up does the opposite. ", "Y...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
5kjtqf
what causes those random little shudders you sometimes experience for seemingly no reason?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5kjtqf/eli5_what_causes_those_random_little_shudders_you/
{ "a_id": [ "dbok8x8", "dbokxnl", "dbokzkh", "dbol2sb", "dboohpj", "dbopswk", "dboryzv", "dbosjj7", "dbosx3f", "dbot8hc", "dbotyf1", "dbou9ll", "dbou9ox", "dboubp2", "dbovkcw", "dbowrb5", "dbozntu", "dbp3xcq", "dbpd4ez", "dbpk18z" ], ...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frisson" ], [], [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ltxyx/eli5_why_do_people_get_an_involuntary_shiver_or/" ], [ "https://www.quora.com/What-exactly-are-cold-chills", "http://www.cogsci.msu.edu/DSS/20", "http://scholar.google...
jiuao
hinduism
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/jiuao/eli5_hinduism/
{ "a_id": [ "c2chvhz", "c2chxxm", "c2cj080", "c2chvhz", "c2chxxm", "c2cj080" ], "score": [ 3, 16, 20, 3, 16, 20 ], "text": [ "Hinduism is a really old religion that comes from India. People there believed in many gods at first that were all in charge of diff...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
1pmquy
peta
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) are constantly in the news for being radical animal rights activists. But then, next thing you know they're abusers of animals? Wat? EDIT: Thanks everyone, seems that PETA stands for People for the EXTREME treatment of animals. And not extreme in a cool way.. ...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1pmquy/eli5_peta/
{ "a_id": [ "cd3vb86", "cd3vw5w", "cd3x4v8", "cd40iml", "cd47zw1" ], "score": [ 3, 5, 4, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "I'm not a PETA fan - they are too extreme for me. But running shelters is a hard, nasty job - there are just so many unwanted pets with no place to put them....
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [ "http://www.bwvaktboom.com/" ] ]
6vipb0
What systemically allowed Nazi Germany to invent and innovate so many things?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6vipb0/what_systemically_allowed_nazi_germany_to_invent/
{ "a_id": [ "dm0lm0c" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "It would be useful to know what Nazi developments you think were particularly innovative or inventive?" ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
2eu17k
the difference between all of the time travel rules in popular shows/movies
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2eu17k/eli5_the_difference_between_all_of_the_time/
{ "a_id": [ "ck2wreu" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Because it's fiction writers can change the rules as they please. Most scientist believe that travelling back to the past or into the future is impossible. " ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
8sntat
What is the source of energy for vacuum fluctuations?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/8sntat/what_is_the_source_of_energy_for_vacuum/
{ "a_id": [ "e10ydv6", "e11djqz", "e121g9i" ], "score": [ 9, 7, 2 ], "text": [ "Vacuum fluctuations don't take any energy. Vacuum fluctuations are higher-order terms in a perturbation series expansion of Feynman diagrams. The total energy and momentum are conserved at every vertex ...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
4diidk
Why do we use cosine when we can write every cosine function as a sine function?
The only difference is 90°
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4diidk/why_do_we_use_cosine_when_we_can_write_every/
{ "a_id": [ "d1rczx5", "d1rd4a5", "d1rd7qk", "d1rpdre" ], "score": [ 3, 4, 18, 4 ], "text": [ "Taking a linguistic tact:\n\n1) Convenience: while it would be (not wrong) to think about things like that, it would (not seldom) make things (not simpler) and thus (not easier) t...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4ccfu7/i_understand_that_sine_and_cosine_are_ratios/d1hcj5l" ] ]
9l3vpo
How do gas giants like Jupiter "die" in star systems that don't go supernova?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/9l3vpo/how_do_gas_giants_like_jupiter_die_in_star/
{ "a_id": [ "e748dbi" ], "score": [ 37 ], "text": [ "They'll cool down. It will take a long time though because they have internal heat trapped since their formation. Jupiter currently radiates twice as much heat as it receives from the Sun, the difference being the heat it's losing from its inter...
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[]
[ [] ]
1zbn58
How are genes in a Plasmid expressed?
When a bacteria gets a plasmid, how are the genes in the plasmid expressed? Does the plasmid connect with the chromosomal DNA and go through protein synthesis? ~A confused freshman
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1zbn58/how_are_genes_in_a_plasmid_expressed/
{ "a_id": [ "cfs9vob", "cfsdv42", "cfse742" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "An important distinction is that in bacteria the Genome(chromosome-singular since bacteria have all of their DNA in 1 circular piece) is not separated from the cytoplasm by a nucleus. So everything need...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
2kyo96
how did some states education system get so bad?
It hurts my pockets. And my job outlook. It just hurts. I know income equality is what america is about, but why do they have such a disparity in education too?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2kyo96/eli5_how_did_some_states_education_system_get_so/
{ "a_id": [ "clputju" ], "score": [ 9 ], "text": [ "lack of parental involvement. The areas with the lowest literacy rates are often the areas with the highest per capita education funding.\n\nYou can't expect schools to teach kids magically when the kids are being told at home that education doe...
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[ [] ]
2cvxys
How does friction work if objects never actually touch?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2cvxys/how_does_friction_work_if_objects_never_actually/
{ "a_id": [ "cjjje73", "cjjjpy0" ], "score": [ 11, 36 ], "text": [ "On the molecular level, friction is not a case of two solid surface mechanically bumping into each other. Rather, friction is caused by attractive electromagnetic forces between the atoms on the surfaces (mostly Van der Wa...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
37tpfg
Did the Soviet Union ever support the IRA?
I've had a quick Google, but can't find anything that isn't somewhat tenuous, but I was wondering if there were ever any links between the IRA and the USSR? Did the Soviets ever provide money or weapons like Libya did? Similarly, the IRA has clearly worked closely with other members of the eastern block - there's [thi...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/37tpfg/did_the_soviet_union_ever_support_the_ira/
{ "a_id": [ "crpu9io" ], "score": [ 9 ], "text": [ "They did have a secret agreement that started in 1925, although Stalin was always sceptical of the IRA and the agreement was kept secret to the extent that even the British and American intelligence services had little idea about the extent of it...
[]
[ "http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/official-iras-terror-trip-to-north-korea-29760564.html" ]
[ [ "http://www.historyireland.com/20th-century-contemporary-history/the-secret-ira-soviet-agreement-1925/" ] ]
6f8j8l
how do you extract and process gold?
As the title says.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6f8j8l/eli5_how_do_you_extract_and_process_gold/
{ "a_id": [ "dig8um2" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "This guy did a whole series of youtube videos on how to do it at small scale.\n\n_URL_0_\n\nIndustrial scale is different, but in small scale: Basically dissolve the gold from your mixed material in insanely strong acid. Drain the gold-bearing-a...
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[ [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNwGJiWqlKg&index=2&list=PLKhDkilF5o69PqPy-oMCCSgEc7JYqDVTZ" ] ]
c7lr9i
how does natural gas get made into synthetic oil and why is it better?
After seeing a commercial I looked on Google and saw lots of big words. Husband wants to know.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/c7lr9i/eli5_how_does_natural_gas_get_made_into_synthetic/
{ "a_id": [ "esgn2c5", "esgr2zd" ], "score": [ 2, 4 ], "text": [ "Natural gas is mostly made of the chemical methane. Methane (CH4) belongs to a category of chemicals known as hydrocarbons, meaning the main structure of the chemical is hydrogen and carbon.\n\nOne possible main component of...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://patents.google.com/patent/US5292983" ], [] ]
3vbvo3
why people are upset with mark zuckerber's decision to donate 99% of his fortune
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3vbvo3/eli5_why_people_are_upset_with_mark_zuckerbers/
{ "a_id": [ "cxm4p2b", "cxm4uys", "cxm4xd0" ], "score": [ 6, 6, 3 ], "text": [ "No one's upset, but if you really believe he's giving up 99% of his money for strictly altruistic reasons, you're pretty naive given that he's made every penny by scamming the general public. \n\nAnd t...
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[]
[ [], [ "http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/04/business/dealbook/how-mark-zuckerbergs-altruism-helps-himself.html" ], [ "http://fortune.com/2015/12/02/zuckerberg-charity/" ] ]
9f1cc4
When was communication between the Natives of Siberia and Alaska and the rest of the world established
Hi All, I've recently taken an interest in the history of the Arctic and Arctic exploration. I have become aware that there was some history of communication between Siberia and Alaska. For example, when the first Europeans landed on the Diomede Islands in 1648 (as per wikipedia) they were inhabited, and since they ...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9f1cc4/when_was_communication_between_the_natives_of/
{ "a_id": [ "e5tbf0b" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Hello, I believe [this](_URL_1_) comment, by u/Reedstilt, followed by [this](_URL_0_) one, from u/poob1x, should answer most of your questions." ] }
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[]
[ [ "http://reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9ee5s4/was_the_russian_far_east_colonized_in_a_similar/e5osm8w", "http://reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1fmljj/how_come_america_was_not_discovered_via_the/cabrg0t" ] ]
3j0ic1
At the lower levels, Martin Luther King is often taught as an ideologically static figure. How true is this? Were there substantial changes in King's views between the start of the Civil Rights movement and his death?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3j0ic1/at_the_lower_levels_martin_luther_king_is_often/
{ "a_id": [ "culhhzd", "culkcl7", "culvi2z" ], "score": [ 500, 41, 5 ], "text": [ "From his book \"Where Do We Go From Here\", which was written after the Civil Rights Act and National Voting Act, MLK suggests quite radical reforms to United States economic policy. Not only did he ...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
1s3w3w
I'm a patient at a psychiatric institution in the 1920s. What types of treatment would potentially be used?
Was it really the stuff of horror movies and nightmares, or were the treatments beneficial?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1s3w3w/im_a_patient_at_a_psychiatric_institution_in_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cdttmok", "cdu7al9" ], "score": [ 35, 7 ], "text": [ "In 1920's you are looking at the still early stages of publicly run psychiatric institutions. During the 1920's sterilization of the unfit was upheld in Buck v. Bell (274 US 200; _URL_6_ [I am using wikipedia because the ca...
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[]
[ [ "http://blog.ted.com/2012/06/27/seeing-mental-illness-elyn-saks-at-tedglobal2012/", "http://hpy.sagepub.com/content/4/13/83.abstract", "http://books.google.com/books?id=c1p9MLXbqnMC&pg=PA131&lpg=PA131&dq=mechanical+restraint+1920s+psychiatry&source=bl&ots=Ty1Eo3Mjwh&sig=JEV79qC...
ogbnl
How can time, light and space be manipulated by gravity?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/ogbnl/how_can_time_light_and_space_be_manipulated_by/
{ "a_id": [ "c3h01qq" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "In Einsteinian relativity gravity *is* the curvature of spacetime, so it doesn't really make sense to say that time and space are \"manipulated\" by gravity.\n\nThe path of light is affected by gravity because the path it would take in the absenc...
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[ [] ]
d08ipn
how doctors can get near exact how much radiation people were exposed to if they weren’t wearing dosimeters?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/d08ipn/eli5_how_doctors_can_get_near_exact_how_much/
{ "a_id": [ "ez7oo2i" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Radiation is not common in random amounts. When there is a significant chance of a significant amount, people wear dosimeters. The rest of the time, it's usually estimated (not necessarily exactly) from other known facts. Did you get a dental ...
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[ [] ]
46y00m
fibonacci's golden spiral and the golden ratio
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/46y00m/eli5_fibonaccis_golden_spiral_and_the_golden_ratio/
{ "a_id": [ "d08qyhg", "d09c1qk" ], "score": [ 16, 2 ], "text": [ "First, it is very important to understand what Fibonacci's sequence is. Fibonacci's sequence is the sequence wherein the last two numbers are added to form the next one. The first few digits are 1,1,2,3,5,8,13. \n\nThe RATI...
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[]
[ [], [ "https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4oyyXC5IzEE" ] ]
1mla9l
what is the fourth dimention?
I never seemed to understand the concept of the fourth dimention. Some say that the fourth dimention is time itself, however, recently there was a theory that the Big Bang was a result of a 4-d blackhole which did this and this and that. What exactly is that 4th dimention? Is there some model explaining the whole conce...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1mla9l/eli5_what_is_the_fourth_dimention/
{ "a_id": [ "ccaaaxn", "ccahvoc" ], "score": [ 7, 2 ], "text": [ "Assuming you're speaking of spatial dimensions, I'll try my best to explain. \n\n*The \"0th\" dimension is a single point. Think of an infinitesimally small dot. \n\n*The 1st dimension is a line, consisting of an infinite...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesseract" ], [] ]
93qct4
how do insects like spiders and centipedes come to be on islands formed from volcanic activity in the middle of the ocean?
I mean I understand how rodents, mammals, and obviously birds can arrive at an island but larger insects would have to be on items that float to shore right? Some of these islands are extremely far from other areas with life and that's potentially a long ride on something in saltwater just to arrive on a newly formed i...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/93qct4/eli5_how_do_insects_like_spiders_and_centipedes/
{ "a_id": [ "e3f70oe", "e3f8elc" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "It can be couple of eggs on a piece of bark that flow to the shore. Or even rain - there are reports on raining frogs so raining insects or their eggs is possible also.\n\n(obligatory spiders are not insects comment :) ) ", ...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
1dudu0
What is the highest current resolution of noninvasive brain scanning?
I hope the title is self-explanatory. I was just wondering at what resolution we could look into someone's brain non-invasively as of 2013.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1dudu0/what_is_the_highest_current_resolution_of/
{ "a_id": [ "c9u35jr", "c9u5bzx" ], "score": [ 2, 3 ], "text": [ "For MRI, the resolution is on the scale of millimeters. So, each voxel summarizes the activity of roughly several million neuronal units. Not entirely ideal.", "[Here is a paper that got down to 40μm (0.04mm) resolution ...
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[]
[ [], [ "http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811911012298", "http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811913001092" ] ]
4r2zoa
[Physics] At what speed does a wave on the surface of a body of water propagate, and why at that speed?
I've seen lots of boats drive by at the lake this weekend leaving a wake behind. How quickly do the waves move out from their source and why at that particular speed?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4r2zoa/physics_at_what_speed_does_a_wave_on_the_surface/
{ "a_id": [ "d4xwt7a" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "It would depend on the wavelength of the waves the boat makes, which would depend on the boat and what speed it is moving at. In sufficiently deep water relative to the wavelength (which I assume a boat is in), the water gravity waves move at v =...
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[ [] ]
ae26th
What was the day to day life of a pilot in WWII?
What did pilots or other crew do when they weren’t up for a mission? Like how often or how long were furloughs in between their missions? My grandfather was a Lancaster Bomber Pilot and he flew around 20 missions, but was in active service for several years during the War. What would the average pilot do in the time b...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ae26th/what_was_the_day_to_day_life_of_a_pilot_in_wwii/
{ "a_id": [ "edmkw7f" ], "score": [ 10 ], "text": [ "Circumstances varied considerably depending on nationality, location etc.; presuming he was a pilot in Bomber Command based in the UK 20 sorties might not seem like much over years of war, but the training period was lengthy - up to two years fo...
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[]
[ [ "https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/11267", "http://www.lancasterdiary.net/", "https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/11266" ] ]
3niioc
Why is Basque endangered?
Why has the lanaguage become endagered was it mostly because of Franco? If yes, can anyone explain a bit more about franco's language polcies? ps:Sorry if this is not the right place to ask
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3niioc/why_is_basque_endangered/
{ "a_id": [ "cvp8a0a" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "The Basque language is not endangered. It wins new speakers every year.\n\nBasque Newspaper \"Deia\" 15/10/2014: [Basque Country incorporates over 10,000 new speakers yearly](_URL_0_)\n\n > In the past 30 years Basque has won 318,000 speakers, mo...
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[]
[ [ "http://www.deia.com/2014/10/15/sociedad/euskadi/euskadi-incorpora-mas-de-10000-nuevos-hablantes-de-euskera-cada-ano" ] ]
4nj69g
why do humans and chimps look so different even though their dna is 99% identical?
There are many similarities of course, but it doesn't feel like we are physically and mentally 99% identical. Why does this tiny 1% make such a massive difference?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4nj69g/eli5_why_do_humans_and_chimps_look_so_different/
{ "a_id": [ "d44bugt", "d44bwsc", "d44c2pi", "d44ch6w", "d44rmmj" ], "score": [ 16, 9, 5, 4, 2 ], "text": [ "They look different because your brain is programmed to notice the differences. You've evolved to be very, very good at judging differences between facial fe...
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[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
tdnp7
How long does marijuana/weed/THC stay detectable in the body?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/tdnp7/how_long_does_marijuanaweedthc_stay_detectable_in/
{ "a_id": [ "c4lpurt" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Drugs have a half life in the body. For THC, the half life is about one day. \n\nHere's a [1995 study](_URL_0_) that showed detection windows for THC were only a few days. If you are staying clean for 4 months, you should be OK. Even 1 month,...
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[]
[ [ "http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8926739" ] ]
2phce6
Is there any reason stopping me from stockpiling gasoline while the prices are so low?
In the US, gasoline is the cheapest it has been in years. I work at a car lot, so we go through gasoline like it is water. My question is that is there any way to properly seal the gasoline in a container and use it over the course of a few months? On an semi-related note, is it possible to store A LOT of gasoline, lik...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2phce6/is_there_any_reason_stopping_me_from_stockpiling/
{ "a_id": [ "cmwuulr", "cmwwrsq", "cmwzvx1", "cmx7isz" ], "score": [ 34, 6, 28, 3 ], "text": [ "Gasoline spoils in a couple different ways:\n\nEvaporation - Gasoline is a complex mix of hydrocarbons with a fairly wide range of boiling points. Over time the more volatile co...
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[]
[ [], [ "http://www.goldeagle.com/brands/sta-bil" ], [], [] ]
1u56nc
What determines the color of urine?
What chemical or processes determine or alter the color of urine?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1u56nc/what_determines_the_color_of_urine/
{ "a_id": [ "ceetivw" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "The yellow component of your urine is actually bile (same stuff that makes your poo brown). In the body, heme is broken down into bilirubin which is then secreted into the gut with bile. Some of it gets re absorbed in the gut and from there is in...
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2bcy5k
Can atoms spin fast enough to fly apart or does the strong nuclear force prevent this from happening?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2bcy5k/can_atoms_spin_fast_enough_to_fly_apart_or_does/
{ "a_id": [ "cj599z9" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "**TL;DR**: Yes to anything larger than a quark, but color confinement halts quarks' separation from each other.\n\n*Disclaimer: I am merely a physics undergrad, not a graduate in particle physics*\n\n______\n\nIf you want to know what something i...
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[ [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQBAnjq6hKQ" ] ]
649kh2
Is the Earth attracted to the location of the sun now or the location it was 8 minutes ago?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/649kh2/is_the_earth_attracted_to_the_location_of_the_sun/
{ "a_id": [ "dg0emv3", "dg0htfj", "dg0l1hw", "dg0mbms", "dg0o8vm", "dg0rhk9" ], "score": [ 889, 129, 43, 38, 8, 4 ], "text": [ "Even though changes in the gravitational field propagate at c, the Earth is attracted to where the sun is **now**, not 8 minutes a...
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[]
[ [ "https://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/9909087" ], [], [], [ "http://www.mathpages.com/rr/s6-08/6-08.htm" ], [], [] ]
2m13sc
why does the nyt best sellers list differentiate between hardcover and paperback books?
To me nonfiction is nonfiction and fiction is fiction, regardless of the cover it has.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2m13sc/eli5_why_does_the_nyt_best_sellers_list/
{ "a_id": [ "clzzjbr" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "New release books are almost all hardcover books, at least the ones that could possibly make that list. Paperbacks usually come out on the second or third printing. So think of the list like theater vs DVD sales for movies." ] }
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[ [] ]
18zigy
What allowed the Ustaše to gain power and commit the mass amounts of atrocities that they did prior to and during WW2?
Edit: As Fucho has said, the Ustaše did not commit any atrocities prior to the war, so sorry for the mistake in the title. My question comes in response to [this](_URL_2_) thread and it's [comments](_URL_1_). Multiple people in the thread either are direct descendants of that area and time or personally witnessed it t...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/18zigy/what_allowed_the_ustaše_to_gain_power_and_commit/
{ "a_id": [ "c8jl0gs" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "Before the war Ustaša were quite minor extremist nationalist and antiyugoslav group. They played a part in assassination of king Alexander so international pressure forced their supporters, Italy and Hungary to confine them to camps but the suppo...
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[ "http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/18yanl/til_the_croatian_fascist_group_the_usta%C5%A1e/c8joms9", "http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/18yanl/til_the_croatian_fascist_group_the_usta%C5%A1e/", "http://www.reddit.com/tb/18yanl" ]
[ [] ]
3jck0r
When did Egypt become majority Islamic and what were the Copts response to the Crusades?
I understand that the native Christians weren't too upset about not being part of the Byzantine Empire but is their evidence that they actively resisted the Arabs & Muslims? How did they view the Crusades? Were the Christians still in a majority by this point?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3jck0r/when_did_egypt_become_majority_islamic_and_what/
{ "a_id": [ "cuohmj4" ], "score": [ 62 ], "text": [ "This is my first answer in this sub so I hope the quality is up to standard.\n\nSo it of course hard to give an exact date of when Christian become a minority in Egypt. The Arab conquest of Egypt was complete in 647, and I think is safe to say t...
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[]
[ [ "http://www.answering-islam.org/history/islamization_egypt.html", "http://ccdl.libraries.claremont.edu/cdm/ref/collection/cce/id/844", "http://mamluk.uchicago.edu/MSR_X-2_2006-OSullivan.pdf" ] ]
6rre0s
Are there 'behavioral outcasts' in animal populations similar to murderers, thieves, or rapists in human populations?
My question is if there are any studies or observations regarding animals requiring members of a population to abide by certain actions that could be likened to our laws that citizens are required to follow. If so, do they carry out punishments such as abandonment?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/6rre0s/are_there_behavioral_outcasts_in_animal/
{ "a_id": [ "dl802o8" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "I do recall from a few years ago what I believe was a National Geographic, perhaps Goodall, a situation in which a mother and daughter chimpanzee family in the wild, and their children, who were cannibalizing the babies of other chimps in their g...
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[ [] ]
jiwxs
how the reddit frontpage is determined
How does the algorithm work? And I assume it's the same once you sign in for all of a user's selected frontpage subreddits, correct?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/jiwxs/eli5_how_the_reddit_frontpage_is_determined/
{ "a_id": [ "c2ci5x7", "c2cimbw", "c2cizpx", "c2cj4p5", "c2cj8jm", "c2cj9wy", "c2ckd4x", "c2cl819", "c2ci5x7", "c2cimbw", "c2cizpx", "c2cj4p5", "c2cj8jm", "c2cj9wy", "c2ckd4x", "c2cl819" ], "score": [ 43, 3, 8, 7, 2, 365, ...
[]
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
5qa4yk
why do large companies rebrand their name?
Recently Time Warner Cable changed their name to Spectrum. Comcast has almost completely gone to Xfinity. Why do large companies do this?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5qa4yk/eli5_why_do_large_companies_rebrand_their_name/
{ "a_id": [ "dcxjt40", "dcxqak7" ], "score": [ 11, 3 ], "text": [ "Because their previous name has a lot of baggage. Time Warner Cable and Comcast are both known for terrible service, so they hope using a different name will disassociate them from their past, even if they're still terrible...
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[ [], [] ]