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3rs72j
bad vision and the numbers associated with prescriptions.
My eyes are 4.75 L and 4.0 R. I'm looking to learn what happens to the eyes to make poor vision. Edit: Solved by u/WRSaunders
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3rs72j/eli5_bad_vision_and_the_numbers_associated_with/
{ "a_id": [ "cwqteqk" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Those numbers are the diopter measurements of the lenses needed to correct your vision. Poor vision occurs when the shape of the lenses in the eye doesn't match the shape of the retina (the back surface of the eye where the sensor cells are). ...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
11e90r
Pterosaurs are my favorite class of dinosaurs. Quetzalcoatlus had a wingspan of 40 feet and was the largest flying animal to ever live. Are there any theories on how it actually managed to achieve flight?
They are, to me, probably the most fascinating animal that there's ever been. They were *massive*. Their size is actually comparable to small planes. But of course, in order for them to actually be able to fly, it would have required major anatomical adaptations. They had to somehow be lightweight despite being suc...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/11e90r/pterosaurs_are_my_favorite_class_of_dinosaurs/
{ "a_id": [ "c6lp6hd", "c6lqg1k", "c6lr8ju" ], "score": [ 7, 2, 8 ], "text": [ "Just by the way, Pterosaurs were not actually dinosaurs- they're a separate grouping. Both, however, are archosaurs, a group which also includes crocodiles.", "The strongest argument I can make for ...
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[]
[ [], [ "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Fyh8cloAIbY/S942YD7QqUI/AAAAAAAAAE4/uK3z_9oavoM/s1600/BlackSkimmer5oClock.jpg", "http://www.antiguanice.com/v2/clients/341-headerimage1.jpg", "http://scienceblogs.com/zooillogix/wp-content/blogs.dir/253/files/2012/04/i-95c914e2d3757737db0fa76dd2281597-Albatross%20II.jp...
59qc6j
why can we (usa) claim a no flight zone in a foreign country?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/59qc6j/eli5_why_can_we_usa_claim_a_no_flight_zone_in_a/
{ "a_id": [ "d9ahly9" ], "score": [ 15 ], "text": [ "Because we have big guns and fighter jets. All we need is a UN Security Council resolution to be able to do whatever we want where ever we want.\n\nIn this case, Russia will veto any resolution like that." ] }
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[ [] ]
avwuvf
how do money launderers buy the first property/business to act as a front, without raising suspicion?
[deleted]
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/avwuvf/eli5_how_do_money_launderers_buy_the_first/
{ "a_id": [ "ehilt8h" ], "score": [ 9 ], "text": [ "To wash a few thousand (of marked bills) a criminal can buy goods, such as electronics. If he then makes use of his right of return, the refunded money is clean. Often an exchange is not even necessary, as long as there is no shortage of money. A...
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[ [] ]
6mtsdg
Do animals have blood types like we do?
We have blood types, O, A, B, and AB. Do animals of the same species have different blood types? If not, what makes us so different? Edit: Oh wow, I never expected to reach top page. Thanks a bunch guys Edit 2: Yes I know humans are animals. Y'all can stop saying that
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/6mtsdg/do_animals_have_blood_types_like_we_do/
{ "a_id": [ "dk49fp9", "dk4atrh", "dk4bmx6", "dk4gqq8", "dk4iz3y", "dk4n7uk", "dk4nh8i", "dk4nkp5", "dk4o3fc", "dk4opo8", "dk4vk1m", "dk5dpx1", "dk5l19g", "dk5nurf" ], "score": [ 8970, 544, 95, 381, 35, 52, 5, 5, 3, 92...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "https://equusmagazine.com/diseases/blood-12901", "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3494955/" ], [ "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3705660/table/T1/" ], [], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rh_blood_group_system#Rh_factor" ], [], [], [], [], []...
jilyo
everything buddhism
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/jilyo/eli5_everything_buddhism/
{ "a_id": [ "c2cfm4f", "c2cfm4f" ], "score": [ 17, 17 ], "text": [ "I don't think that's really possible. But I'll try and fill in some basics.\n\n\"Buddha\" means something like \"Great Teacher.\" It's a name that was given to Siddhartha Guatama, an Indian fellow who came up with some i...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
1upqk2
when i plug my headphones into the microphone port, why does it work?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1upqk2/eli5_when_i_plug_my_headphones_into_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cekgiuq", "cekh8vd", "cekhdr9", "cekjqfa" ], "score": [ 16, 9, 3, 3 ], "text": [ "Headphones and microphones are remarkably similar in design. The headphone's speaker diaphragm moves in response to sound and this drives a current which moves through the cable. ...
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[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
36pd2b
is prostitution illegal due to tax purposes only?
I have read quite a few articles in the searching of this sub... protection etc... but, this literally boggles my mind.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/36pd2b/eli5_is_prostitution_illegal_due_to_tax_purposes/
{ "a_id": [ "crfwvpf" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "It has mostly been made illegal in countries due to cultural abhorrence of sex and anything related to it.\n\nNowadays there are influences to stop slave trade and other working conditions related issues.\n\nNever heard of it having anything to d...
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[ [] ]
fk73v
Question about the signals we are sending into space
So, 70 years ago or so we sent out signals with Hitler at the Olympics. Then we started sending more of our popular entertainment out, I Love Lucy, Three's Company, The Simpsons. So, Any civilization that is watching can pick up on these signals right? But... how strong are they? Let's say you're on the moon, can you...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/fk73v/question_about_the_signals_we_are_sending_into/
{ "a_id": [ "c1gj934", "c1gjixn" ], "score": [ 4, 16 ], "text": [ "They're really weak. Electromagnetic waves lose strength with the square of their distance. Pretty much the signal strength degrades so quickly that it's swamped by background noise within the first few lightyears away from...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://i.imgur.com/sMKtp.jpg" ] ]
f7b4b3
why is it that in western movies and documentaries the pianos are sometimes playing by themselves?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/f7b4b3/eli5_why_is_it_that_in_western_movies_and/
{ "a_id": [ "fia41gl", "fia47ql" ], "score": [ 6, 12 ], "text": [ "Self-playing pianos that used pressurized air or electric actuators to operate the machine like a big music box were a popular novelty until the market crash in 1929.\n\nThe song would be \"programmed\" onto a roller or per...
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[ [], [] ]
4vi4h3
why is liquid hand soap less viscus at the bottom of the soap container than at the top?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4vi4h3/eli5_why_is_liquid_hand_soap_less_viscus_at_the/
{ "a_id": [ "d5ykoy5" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Uhm, I dont' think it's any different, but if you're talking about trying to get the last bit of soap out, with a lot of soap, you basically have layer over layer flowing over each other to get out, with each layer (up to a point) reducing fricti...
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[ [] ]
3w02cb
the dramatic significance of the supernatural in shakespeare's hamlet and the tempest
It's been a while since I read it and I can't fully formulate the idea, some quotes or something would be helpful. Thanks
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3w02cb/eli5_the_dramatic_significance_of_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cxsbm5j" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Well, in both cases, the entire story hinges in the existence of the supernatural.\n\nThe Tempest was a magical storm that strands the sailors on a magical island. Hamlet was only tipped off that his father was murdered by a ghost.\n\nIn Hamlet's...
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[ [] ]
1mo1in
What peculiarity of Mercury's orbit around the Sun requires Einstein's theory of gravity to explain, as opposed to Newton's?
I've read multiple times that Newton's mathematics for explaining gravity do not accurately explain Mercury's orbit around the Sun and this was resolved by Einstein's equations. However, I have not yet been able to find precisely what it is about Mercury's orbit that is so peculiar as not be explained by Newton's Law ...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1mo1in/what_peculiarity_of_mercurys_orbit_around_the_sun/
{ "a_id": [ "ccb4eth" ], "score": [ 10 ], "text": [ "Planets typically have elliptical orbits, but it was noticed that the orientation of Mercury's ellipse was precessing, [sort of like this](_URL_0_). It turns out most of that precession can be explained by the gravitational influence of the othe...
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[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Precessing_Kepler_orbit_280frames_e0.6_smaller.gif" ] ]
3izrp5
why do you get a coughing fit when you choked on something, and what happens inside the throat?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3izrp5/eli5_why_do_you_get_a_coughing_fit_when_you/
{ "a_id": [ "cul3kzt" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "There are two \"pipes\" going from your mouth to your chest, one for breathing and one for eating drinking. The body tries it's best to put the right stuff in the right pipe, but every know and then things go wrong.\n\nIf you get air into your ea...
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[ [] ]
3p1qds
instagram followers hacks
How do these work?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3p1qds/eli5_instagram_followers_hacks/
{ "a_id": [ "cw2dt6s" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "They are only client sided as in you are the only one who can see it. You can buy followers though in which it will have a ton of bots follow you for a set price." ] }
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[ [] ]
3c55ad
how do laws and/or acts get changed?
Lets say One wants a provision added to a law or an act that Congress passed? How does one go about getting that done? Whom has to be contacted? A senator? A congressman?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3c55ad/eli5_how_do_laws_andor_acts_get_changed/
{ "a_id": [ "cssbmiy" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Both senators and congress members can start a bill through the process. A bill must pass both houses and not be vetoed by the president, and then it becomes law." ] }
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[ [] ]
2skzez
why can people go off ski jumps and land without hurting themselves, but if you fell from that height you would get hurt?
My first instinct is distribution of weight
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2skzez/eli5why_can_people_go_off_ski_jumps_and_land/
{ "a_id": [ "cnqg5vi", "cnqg8xy", "cnqgb7y", "cnqgk4v" ], "score": [ 9, 3, 2, 8 ], "text": [ "Disclaimer: can't ski.\n\nHave a look at the angle of the landing site - ski jumpers aren't landing on flat ground, they're effectively landing on a ramp.\n\nWhat this means is tha...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [ "http://scienceblogs.com/dotphysics/2010/02/22/ski-jump-landing-and-accelerat/" ] ]
23q3w8
why do q-tips cause us to have an eargasm when removing ear wax?
I'm aware it's not a recommended method of removing ear wax, but you cannot tell me that it doesn't feel good. What causes our receptors to give off a good feeling, and why in our Ear?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/23q3w8/eli5why_do_qtips_cause_us_to_have_an_eargasm_when/
{ "a_id": [ "cgzhsmy" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Just read the top post about ear lobes sensitivity and masturbation, words of advice.. Once you go black, you will go deaf. " ] }
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[ [] ]
2v9rsi
why do they tell you to unplug your charger?
Why is it still drawing power if nothing is charging?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2v9rsi/eli5_why_do_they_tell_you_to_unplug_your_charger/
{ "a_id": [ "cofs7qp" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "In the charger there is usually a transformer coil (an iron box with 2 coils of wire wrapped around it). The primary coil still draws power even when the charger is unplugged (the primary and secondary coils are on different circuits)" ] }
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[ [] ]
2m76jd
Why are Cuba, the DR, Puerto Rico (and some others) primarily baseball countries whereas most of Latin America is soccer focused?
I have a Cuban friend who I play soccer with and I said "man you must've been born with a soccer ball at your feet" and he said "not really, I only started playing last year, it's all baseball in Cuba" and that made me realize, you never see Cuba in the World Cup, or the DR, but all the great baseball players come from...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2m76jd/why_are_cuba_the_dr_puerto_rico_and_some_others/
{ "a_id": [ "cm2mi9q" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "This is a little outside of my area of expertise, but I’ll have a go. Baseball’s popularity in Cuba and other places in the Caribbean predates the arrival of American troops by almost thirty years. The roots of its popularity lie more in its co...
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[ [] ]
27sy0b
Apologies if this question is too loaded, but is slavery in the New World, from the 17th to 19th centuries, the most brutal and violent known case of slavery?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/27sy0b/apologies_if_this_question_is_too_loaded_but_is/
{ "a_id": [ "ci43ex6", "ci4821j", "ci49wti" ], "score": [ 40, 2, 9 ], "text": [ "That is a really difficult question.\n\nAs an historian, I'm not really in the business of devising that kind of metric. And in the case of human trafficking and bondage, I think there's a moral impera...
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[ [], [], [] ]
1u8jf1
Will a stronger magnet minimize the magnetism of a less powerful magnet when placed together for an extended period of time (in our case one weekend)?
Context: A coworker has those clacking sizzler magnet type toys which used to carry a strong attraction to one another. Over the weekend he place a neodymium magnet between the two. Now the attraction between the original toys seems diminished.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1u8jf1/will_a_stronger_magnet_minimize_the_magnetism_of/
{ "a_id": [ "cefms4z" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "It does reduce the power and/or re-align the poles depending on the Gauss (power) differential between the two magnets. FYI those clacking sizzler magnets are actually neodymium, just a lower grade than what is in a computer hard drive, or the N5...
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[ [] ]
xieao
how can we be sure that irrational numbers never end?
Just because we could never calculate an infinite number of digits (although we have managed trillions), how can we be so sure that π or √2 never end?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/xieao/how_can_we_be_sure_that_irrational_numbers_never/
{ "a_id": [ "c5mmfx3", "c5mmy8b", "c5mpb3e" ], "score": [ 11, 2, 4 ], "text": [ "For the square root of 2, there's a proof that it's irrational. \n\nIf √2 were rational, it could be expressed as a fraction of two integers (that's the definition of a rational number), so let's assum...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
8dzy9k
do shows like american idol have to pay an absurd amount in royalties? is there some loophole to avoid paying for every single song people cover?
[deleted]
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8dzy9k/eli5_do_shows_like_american_idol_have_to_pay_an/
{ "a_id": [ "dxrav5y", "dxrb4l4", "dxrbiab", "dxrhbzr" ], "score": [ 3, 8, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "I think you're vastly underestimating the amount TV shows spend on royalties. Every single time any song plays on any TV show, royalties have to be paid to the artist.\n\nOne examp...
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[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
83hiu1
how do mountains affect the weather?
I live along the western side of the Appalachian Mountains. Our weather seems to be so unpredictable. When reading forecasts, especially with winter weather, very rarely are the forecasts accurate. Just curious.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/83hiu1/eli5how_do_mountains_affect_the_weather/
{ "a_id": [ "dvhu3u1", "dvhwa7j", "dvihpj8" ], "score": [ 2, 4, 3 ], "text": [ "Mountains are tall. Tall enough to move clouds around then what is “natural” in weather patterns in other places like the Midwest (flat). Moving clouds create unnatural weather phenomenons. Cloud densit...
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[]
[ [], [], [ "https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Rain_shadow" ] ]
1iazum
What is the longest family line of riches that we can trace?
What I mean by that is, what is the record of riches staying in a family? Are some thousand year old unbroken lines existing today?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1iazum/what_is_the_longest_family_line_of_riches_that_we/
{ "a_id": [ "cb2qcct" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "there was a hugely popular thread on (what sounds like) the same topic a few months ago - check it out here\n\n[What family is the oldest \"old money\"?](_URL_0_)" ] }
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[]
[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1blf9t/what_family_is_the_oldest_old_money/" ] ]
hzhw1
What chemical is this? (PIC)
While cleaning out the high school chemical storage, I found [these two](_URL_0_) glass tubes. Before I pay someone to dispose of them, I wanted to know what they are. I would guess that it is either Bromine gas or Nitrogen Dioxide gas. And I don't know what the clear tube is. It's possible it's empty. I remember ...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/hzhw1/what_chemical_is_this_pic/
{ "a_id": [ "c1zn4kx", "c1zn8yh", "c1zn98o" ], "score": [ 2, 6, 7 ], "text": [ "As someone who actually made bromine in high school chemistry class, that looks like bromine to me, but then I've never see NO2.", "It's pretty difficult to tell, but I'd lean strongly towards bromi...
[]
[ "http://i.imgur.com/BlYj8.jpg" ]
[ [], [], [] ]
gafig
How long does it take for a cup of 100ºC water to get to 70ºC in a 20ºC room
I know it is a exponentially decreasing function, but what would be the approximate constants involved :). edit: Thanks to all the (3) ~~retards~~ wonderful people who answered so far, pointing out that it sounds like a homework question - I assure you it isn't. I'm in a long standing feud with my girlfriend on wheth...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/gafig/how_long_does_it_take_for_a_cup_of_100ºc_water_to/
{ "a_id": [ "c1m3v3y", "c1m3ykw", "c1m41al", "c1mj8kk" ], "score": [ 2, 4, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Depends on the shape of the cup, depends on what the cup is made out of, depends on air currents in the room, I imagine it even depends on the humidity.\n\nIf you're trying to solv...
[]
[ "http://50.17.204.145/tea.pdf" ]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
18ge3l
Mixing different temperature liquids, differently
I have 2 cups, one of just boiled water, and one of room temp (cool) water. If I pour one cup into the other, which results in the cooler mixture? 1. hot into cold, 1. cold into hot, 1. no difference
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/18ge3l/mixing_different_temperature_liquids_differently/
{ "a_id": [ "c8emhw0", "c8emj9p" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Water has a high heat capacity. If you mixed boiling water with room temperature water then you'd just end up with water with a temperature somewhere in between 100°C and 25°C. The order in which you mix the liquids shouldn'...
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[ [], [] ]
177o3q
How likely is it that bacterial diseases will eventually adapt to all antibiotics?
We're told that if people continue to use antibiotics in the manner they do, then bacteria will eventually become resistant to them, making our antibiotics useless. Is this really true? What would happen to us if they do become resistant?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/177o3q/how_likely_is_it_that_bacterial_diseases_will/
{ "a_id": [ "c832177" ], "score": [ 22 ], "text": [ "In the absence of antibiotics, populations of bacteria lose their immunity since there are costs to maintaining it that cause them to be less competitive with other bacteria. \n\n_URL_0_" ] }
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.tufts.edu/med/apua/about_issue/about_antibioticres.shtml#5" ] ]
11hpg9
who actually "owns" hospitals
are they owned by the government or do corporations own them. could Disney buy a hospital and run it like they want?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/11hpg9/who_actually_owns_hospitals/
{ "a_id": [ "c6mknf7", "c6mn1ns" ], "score": [ 9, 2 ], "text": [ "Depends on the country. \n\nIn the US, it could be the gov't, non profit organizations, or for profit companies. I know no reason why Disney couldn't own a hospital, and I would bet they have several clinics and other medi...
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[]
[ [], [ "http://www.kaleidahealth.org/general-information/about.asp" ] ]
325j42
why air prices going to canadian destinations are so much higher than going to american destinations a few hundred km south.
Looking at air rates going Ottawa- Vancouver with one stop each way (Calgary). Round trip is $915. While going Ottawa- Seattle with two stops in Vancouver/Calgary is $572 round trip. The only difference is an extra flight Seattle-Vancouver
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/325j42/eli5why_air_prices_going_to_canadian_destinations/
{ "a_id": [ "cq82te0" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "\\#1 Supply & demand\n\n\\#2 Canadian airfare taxes are extremely high. More than half of your airfare is taxes in many cases." ] }
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[ [] ]
y347w
What does the night sky look like on mars ?
How different would the constellations appear relative to each other or would the difference be unnoticeable, why don't any of the rovers take pictures of the Martian night sky ?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/y347w/what_does_the_night_sky_look_like_on_mars/
{ "a_id": [ "c5rw8tm" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "There wouldn't be any noticeable difference in the constellations; we don't notice any difference in the stars during different times of the year, and the earth's orbit is 2 AU wide (Mars' orbit is 3AU wide).\n\nThe planets, on the other hand, wo...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.csgnetwork.com/righttricalc.html", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator", "http://www.telescope.org/nuffield/pas/solar/solar7.html", "http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mer/images.cfm?id=1068" ] ]
3p7lvj
is the sound of wind caused by the wind hitting things? or the wind hitting its own particles? or something else entirely?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3p7lvj/eli5_is_the_sound_of_wind_caused_by_the_wind/
{ "a_id": [ "cw3u8iw", "cw3v0i8", "cw3vqkn" ], "score": [ 12, 6, 2 ], "text": [ "It's a combination of things. Those two you mentioned for a start. Also the wind makes things vibrate, which causes a noise, the friction of the wind itself against things makes noise, the wind swirlin...
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[ [], [], [] ]
4iatqq
What mathematical conjecture looked solid, only to fall apart when presented with larger numbers?
I've been reading the Wikipedia page about Fermat's Last Theorem. It includes a passage: > Proofs of individual exponents by their nature could never prove the general case: even if all exponents were verified up to an extremely large number X, a higher exponent beyond X might still exist for which the claim was not...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4iatqq/what_mathematical_conjecture_looked_solid_only_to/
{ "a_id": [ "d2wk7sa", "d2wkuo2", "d2wkwad", "d2wm1ch", "d2wo96z" ], "score": [ 3, 11, 2, 8, 5 ], "text": [ "_URL_0_\n\n > In number theory, the Pólya conjecture stated that \"most\" (i.e., 50% or more) of the natural numbers less than any given number have an odd n...
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[]
[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%B3lya_conjecture" ], [ "http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/514/conjectures-that-have-been-disproved-with-extremely-large-counterexamples" ], [ "http://math.stackexchange.com/q/514/", "http://math.stackexchange.com/q/111440/", "http://math.stacke...
2mmvc9
why would anyone need a shingles vaccine?
I keep seeing commercials about the shingles vaccine. In the commercial it states that if you had chicken pox, then the shingles virus is already inside you. My understanding of a vaccine is that it introduces a small amount of the virus into your immune system so your body knows how to fight it off. So, if the shin...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2mmvc9/eli5_why_would_anyone_need_a_shingles_vaccine/
{ "a_id": [ "cm5pzry" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "The shingles virus IS the chicken pox virus. If you've had chicken pox, it's already inside you, HIDING and taking a nap. It could wake up some other time. Soon after exposure your immune system will knock it back out before it causes trouble. Bu...
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[ [] ]
6hompt
the difference between dna and genome?
I know DNA can identify me as a person at a crime scene, but what does my Genome tell you?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6hompt/eli5_the_difference_between_dna_and_genome/
{ "a_id": [ "dizxe6z" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "DNA is a long sequence of letters, but within the body they have a deeper meaning. When reading your DNA your body can figure out places to start and end (like words and sentences from a book, which are separated by spaces). Each of these sentenc...
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[ [] ]
92p38c
why getting into a hot bath is so pleasurable, despite the body having to work harder to maintain a safe body temperature.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/92p38c/eli5_why_getting_into_a_hot_bath_is_so/
{ "a_id": [ "e37cw1v", "e37d3du" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "A hot bath is much closer to body temp than a room temperature bath. Your premise is wrong.", "Warm water causes your blood vessels to open up to compensate for the higher temperature, and will also support some of your ...
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[ [], [] ]
cju6x6
how does someone being intoxicated on things like pcp or spice make them resistant to tasers sending electricity through their body?
watching live pd with my dad and i don’t get why the tasers aren’t taking these people down
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/cju6x6/eli5_how_does_someone_being_intoxicated_on_things/
{ "a_id": [ "evg2wjt", "evg5drh", "evh1ncw" ], "score": [ 10, 7, 2 ], "text": [ "A taser will cause localized muscle contractions while actively shocking, but relies on pain and shock (the medical kind, not electrical) to 'drop' people. Someone who is riding on the right chemicals ...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
1mdp0v
why are some people tone deaf or incapable of getting the rhythm of music?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1mdp0v/why_are_some_people_tone_deaf_or_incapable_of/
{ "a_id": [ "cc8arhs", "cc8ggwk" ], "score": [ 5, 3 ], "text": [ "depending on the degree you're talking about, it's actually a literal brain defect called amusia. one of Oliver Sacks's books (\"Musicophilia\") is all about the brain and music, and he talks about tone-deafness. basically...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
69v5iv
junk dna
Why does our body have junk DNA if there's no point of it and it doesn't help?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/69v5iv/eli5_junk_dna/
{ "a_id": [ "dh9mlhr", "dh9mose" ], "score": [ 4, 10 ], "text": [ "Few reasons. \n\n-First, \"Junk\" DNA can be structural. For example, the DNA near the center of the point where a chromosome is bound together tends to be random because that part of the DNA is physically difficult to acce...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
836evk
how did guitar become the instrument?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/836evk/eli5_how_did_guitar_become_the_instrument/
{ "a_id": [ "dvfg3e4", "dvfh4s5" ], "score": [ 6, 4 ], "text": [ "Guitars are extremely versatile for one; there are electric and acoustic guitars, and nowadays there are thousands of effects you can put on them (when played through an amp) that makes them even more versatile. You can play...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_music" ] ]
e7ruwa
Are stars closer to the center of our galaxy generally larger the ones farther away ?
Title basically. Is it the same for other kinds of galaxies, wouldn't larger stars usually gravitate to the centre of all galaxies ?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/e7ruwa/are_stars_closer_to_the_center_of_our_galaxy/
{ "a_id": [ "fa5moao", "fajnski" ], "score": [ 8, 2 ], "text": [ "Larger stars will not \"gravitate to the centre\". A star of any mass will orbit just fine anywhere within the galaxy, and very large stars live too short to move far anyway.\n\nHowever, the galaxy is denser towards the cent...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
ypkoq
dimensional analysis
I am taking concurrent Physics and Chemistry and I'm starting school next week. Because of this, I have not yet learned dimensional analysis. Could somebody explain this? What are "sig figs" and what is the basic concept of dimensional analysis? EDIT:: Thank you all so much! It really means a lot, I really appreciate ...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ypkoq/dimensional_analysis/
{ "a_id": [ "c5xpd97", "c5xpejk" ], "score": [ 10, 4 ], "text": [ "I got you here, bro.\n\n**Sig Figs:** The reason we use sig figs is to account for false precision in calculating numerical data. When applying the measurements and values that you've taken from your problem and using the...
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[ [], [] ]
4hf1bc
what actually happens in the body when you change your diet from an unhealthy one to a healthy one?
I would like to know what processes occur in the body during this change. Also, what are the contrasts between a body on a unhealthy diet full of fast food etc. and one that is natural, balanced and healthy?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4hf1bc/eli5_what_actually_happens_in_the_body_when_you/
{ "a_id": [ "d2pewpb" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "I would say you have more energy and you feel better. \n\nLiver and kidneys do not have to work overtime as you are not eating as lot of salt and other stuff like before on fast food. Brain can get a better supply of glucose needed to work. Since...
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[ [] ]
6movu6
Did anything of note happen to Karl Marx's grave during the Nazi Regime and WWII? Or in general?
I would imagine the Nazi's would have done something to his grave, are there any stories or sources of anything of the sort?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6movu6/did_anything_of_note_happen_to_karl_marxs_grave/
{ "a_id": [ "dk38cdi", "dk38gft" ], "score": [ 12, 13 ], "text": [ "There was nothing the Nazis could do because Marx's grave is in the UK in London's Highgate Cemetery. The Soviet regime had asked for Marx's body in 1922, but the British Home Office refused the request. The initial grave ...
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[]
[ [ "https://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-KW390_MARX_0_G_20151021135332.jpg", "https://www.wsj.com/articles/death-to-capitalism-visitors-to-marxs-grave-balk-at-fee-1445818914", "https://highgatecemetery.org/visit/cemetery/east", "https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5218/5424538413_81e7449379_b.jpg"...
1yf7q2
Have there been any popular or top-down movements to repeal the Indian Removal Act and return the confiscated lands to the tribes?
If there have ben, what was the most popular one and why did it fail?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1yf7q2/have_there_been_any_popular_or_topdown_movements/
{ "a_id": [ "cfkcifc", "cfket5f" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Not to my knowledge. Some tribes are busily purchasing land, and some have had land restored by legal actions.\n\nThe [Indian Land Claims Commission](_URL_1_) was set up by the US Government in 1946 to allow tribes to make c...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://nativeamericanhistory.about.com/od/Law/a/The-History-Behind-The-Cobell-Case.htm", "http://www.narf.org/nill/resources/icc.htm", "http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/a/al011.html", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elouise_P._Cobell", "http://www.lannan.org/bios/elouise...
2meuz5
Recep Erdogan just claimed Muslim sailors discovered the Americas circa 1178. Is there a history of such claims?
[Source of the claim](_URL_0_)
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2meuz5/recep_erdogan_just_claimed_muslim_sailors/
{ "a_id": [ "cm3nqr3", "cm3ol8f", "cma73ob" ], "score": [ 75, 30, 2 ], "text": [ "I just wrote up my own question about this after doing a little digging. I'm just going to repost here and delete the other comment. By our powers combined!\n\nSo, apparently today Turkish President...
[]
[ "http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/11/erdogan-says-muslims-discovered-americas-20141115181222841516.html" ]
[ [ "http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30067490", "http://www.sunnah.org/history/precolmb.htm" ], [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/yttje/ive_heard_rumours_since_my_grade_11_history_class/", "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1lld0i/can_anybody_elaborate_on_the_theo...
5t68ek
The movie Silence depicts an overwhelming persecution of Japanese Christians. Was this truly the case? And if so when did Japan stop persecuting Christians? What was this torture and persecution like?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5t68ek/the_movie_silence_depicts_an_overwhelming/
{ "a_id": [ "ddks0vf" ], "score": [ 18 ], "text": [ "In the 1500's, Christian missionaries came to Japan and started gaining converts. But in the 1600's, the new religion was violently suppressed, and Christianity only survived underground among the Kakure Kirishitans (Hidden Christians) until the...
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[ [] ]
53uplk
Why Weren't the D-Day soldiers exiting the troop carriers provided with a metal shield or barrier to protect themselves from machine gun fire as they made their way up the beach?
I just finished watching the first 30 minutes of Saving Private Ryan again. As the ramps for the troop carriers dropped, the soldiers were hammered by machine gun fire. It seems like it would have been so basic and easy to have a metal shield available that the soldiers could carry and hide behind as they exited the bo...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/53uplk/why_werent_the_dday_soldiers_exiting_the_troop/
{ "a_id": [ "d7weuwi", "d7wf04s", "d7wq78d" ], "score": [ 2, 46, 16 ], "text": [ "There is actually an older thread on this that had a few good points. It probably isn't as comprehensive an answer as it could be.\n\n_URL_0_", "In short steel gets heavy. \n\nWhile the thickness...
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[]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1mm0d8/why_didnt_the_allies_use_ballistic_shields_when/?st=itda62lf&sh=6fd60da4" ], [], [ "http://www.uss-corry-dd463.com/d-day_u-boat_photos/d-day_photos.htm", "http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Omaha.html" ] ]
9nx3xh
how are optical illusions discovered and how are the example images of them made?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9nx3xh/eli5_how_are_optical_illusions_discovered_and_how/
{ "a_id": [ "e7pnx38" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "A lot of them are designed thanks to knowledge of the human visual system: small color patterns that move, blind spot, dark spot in corners, stereoscopic illusions.\n\nSome of them are random occurrences: the blue gold dress.\n\nAnd some of them ...
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[ [] ]
33z92v
how does the pressing on the chest cause blood to flow through a persons body in the correct manner during cpr?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/33z92v/eli5_how_does_the_pressing_on_the_chest_cause/
{ "a_id": [ "cqpri5h", "cqprjwn" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "The heart is being squished between the two walls of the chest. When you're giving compressions, you're actually squishing the blood out of the heart, and then allowing it to refill. This is also why you're aiming for compre...
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[ [], [] ]
2efqoz
The Earth's magnetic field protects us from some adverse effects of the Sun's solar wind. Does the solar wind effect the shape of the Earth's magnetic field? And if the Sun were to disappear, would we notice a difference in the bearing/incline of compasses on Earth?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2efqoz/the_earths_magnetic_field_protects_us_from_some/
{ "a_id": [ "cjz5a15" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "The solar wind dramatically affects the shape of the Earth's magnetic field. \n\nThe Earth's magnetic field extends out into space, we call this the Earth's magnetosphere. The solar wind is a plasma and so when it flows away from the Sun it pulls...
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[]
[ [ "http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Structure_of_the_magnetosphere_mod.svg/669px-Structure_of_the_magnetosphere_mod.svg.png", "http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2009/1100/figures/original/figure3.jpg", "http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/ExtremeEvent_19890310-00h_1989...
blow7s
Someone was arguing at the pub that living standards in the Soviet Union were, on the whole, not worse than in the United States, and that the West only seemed more prosperous because NATO was pumping so much aid into West Berlin. Is this true?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/blow7s/someone_was_arguing_at_the_pub_that_living/
{ "a_id": [ "emqbzc1", "emqjy7p" ], "score": [ 63, 27 ], "text": [ "Perhaps unsurprisingly, your pub-based historian is conflating a number of things to make this argument. \n\nFirst, the Western countries *did* pump aid into West Berlin - during the Berlin Airlift of 1948-1949, when the S...
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[]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/akd6is/were_soviet_citizens_really_better_fed_than/", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/avap7n/what_was_life_like_in_the_former_soviet_socialist/", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/begoh1/has_east_germany_always_been_poore...
1npw9y
When does an event start to become interesting for a historian? Has the view of how old an event has to be changed throughout academic history?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1npw9y/when_does_an_event_start_to_become_interesting/
{ "a_id": [ "ccl1vvl" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "An event starts to become interesting to an historian the minute it happens, provided the historian can gauge the event's historical impact. This is really important and difficult to explain, but it's what draws the line between sociology and po...
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[ [] ]
fm1a7p
How do scientists determine the origin of a pandemic so specifically?
How are scientists able to determine that a particular pandemic came from a particular source like bird flu from birds or COVID from bats, especially so early on in the pandemic? It seems like everyone just magically, immediately knew that COVID came from a bat in Wuhan. I assume all bats don't carry the virus so what'...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/fm1a7p/how_do_scientists_determine_the_origin_of_a/
{ "a_id": [ "fl256oi", "fl28zpi", "fl2glgv" ], "score": [ 3, 6, 5 ], "text": [ "Usually diseases that are common enough to manage to mutate are common enough there is a ton of it around. Like it wouldn't be all bats, but the disease that mutates is really likely to be the super co...
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[ [], [], [] ]
i9jns
How do other animals see television? As a series of still images, a blur, or like we do (as motion)?
I realise this may depend a lot on the animal - so lets says a a cat, a dog & a bird of prey. **Lets assume it's it's either a movie or a tv show, so 24 frames per second or above.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/i9jns/how_do_other_animals_see_television_as_a_series/
{ "a_id": [ "c21ziy0", "c21zkkz", "c21zzdv", "c2218cg" ], "score": [ 6, 46, 32, 11 ], "text": [ "I have heard that for dogs, the screen will appear like a slide show to them... because they 'see' faster than us (if that makes sense). I heard this on QI(that BBC show), so no...
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[]
[ [], [], [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/hz774/why_dont_dogs_seem_to_respond_to_the_image_of/" ], [] ]
2cnady
why is lieutenant pronounced "leftenant" by british people?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2cnady/eli5why_is_lieutenant_pronounced_leftenant_by/
{ "a_id": [ "cjh4sk2", "cjh4vog", "cjh4wyn", "cjh7xhe", "cjh8isa", "cjh9avt", "cjhchf1", "cjhdls4", "cjhgz0x", "cjhphel", "cji1xk0" ], "score": [ 38, 3, 82, 11, 3, 16, 19, 20, 3, 5, 2 ], "text": [ "Because on does does...
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
20cdz9
Is it possible to get all prime numbers across an interval with a formula?
I'm currently taking a course in mathematics and asked my teacher this and he said it wasn't possible. Edit: To clarify it I do not know the prime numbers before I'm using the formula.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/20cdz9/is_it_possible_to_get_all_prime_numbers_across_an/
{ "a_id": [ "cg1zmef" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "An N^th degree polynomal can generate N distinct values to be anything you want if you choose the coefficients properly.\n\nSuppose you want an equation that evaluates to y = 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, and 19 for x = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.\n\nJ...
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[ [] ]
1oz9z7
why don't all cars have gas doors on the same side?
I came up with a second question - thanks!
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1oz9z7/eli5_why_dont_all_cars_have_gas_doors_on_the_same/
{ "a_id": [ "ccx44us", "ccx46kf", "ccx4rjy" ], "score": [ 3, 2, 3 ], "text": [ "I don't know why they're not all on the same side, but I do know that there's usually a little arrow on the gas guage pointing to the side of the car where the gas tank is.\n", "Well no idea why not...
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[ [], [], [] ]
28h44o
Oldest Picture or Video?
What is the oldest picture or video in existence? Don't know if this is the right place to post this but I'm curious. Thanks!
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/28h44o/oldest_picture_or_video/
{ "a_id": [ "cib77qo" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "The oldest photograph is the View from the Window at Legras by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1826. It used bitumen on a sheet of pewter.\n\nYou can see it here:\n_URL_0_\n\nThe sunlight hits the walls of the buildings on each side, so the exposure ...
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[]
[ [ "http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/permanent/firstphotograph/#top/" ] ]
6wwbt5
how did early man come across advanced food recipes, like for example bread, when it seems too complicated to guess or figure out on your own?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6wwbt5/eli5_how_did_early_man_come_across_advanced_food/
{ "a_id": [ "dmb9ir3", "dmb9ls6", "dmb9mk6", "dmb9r0j", "dmbca3s" ], "score": [ 5, 4, 2, 7, 2 ], "text": [ "It's the cumulation of knowledge. One guy tried just flour and water, but his buddy told him that it tastes much better with salt. So he thinks why not add it...
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[]
[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
245fdl
Were traveling troupes performing Shakespeare in the old west as well received as they were in the movie Tombstone?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/245fdl/were_traveling_troupes_performing_shakespeare_in/
{ "a_id": [ "ch3rs4j", "ch3u5cn" ], "score": [ 9, 6 ], "text": [ "Absolutely! Many sorts of people came West, including those who were educated, but educated or not, people were always interested in a good show. Tom Maguire opened his Maguire's Opera House in San Francisco in the late 1850...
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[]
[ [], [ "http://books.google.com/books?id=XRpIwnf8rgoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Actors+and+American+Culture,+1880-1920&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5cRdU4D5CcSvyAT_g4HICA&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Actors%20and%20American%20Culture%2C%201880-1920&f=false", "http://ojs.libraries.psu.edu/index...
1hd9p2
What did the Greeks/Romans expect to see in the distant future?
All cultures and civilizations look forward every now and again. People in the 1950s thought of what 2000 would be like, and people now think of what 2100, or even 2500 will be like. Did any civilizations of the past have theories as to what the future would look like?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1hd9p2/what_did_the_greeksromans_expect_to_see_in_the/
{ "a_id": [ "catjqz2", "catkkz1", "cat8o87" ], "score": [ 24, 6, 74 ], "text": [ "Thucydides has this to say, at least, about the future of Athens and Sparta:\n\n > Suppose the city of Sparta to be deserted, and nothing left but the temples and the ground-plan, distant ages would b...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/dailylife#wiki_what_was_science_fiction_like_in_the_past.3F_how_did_ancient_people_imagine_the_future.3F" ], [] ]
2ld1bi
How did the people of ancient times imagine the far future?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2ld1bi/how_did_the_people_of_ancient_times_imagine_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cltmcnb", "cltzyq4" ], "score": [ 192, 125 ], "text": [ "[What was science fiction like in the past? How did ancient people imagine the future?](_URL_0_)", "Speaking for my own area, generally speaking they didn't. So far as we can tell, anyway. The ancient Greeks had a we...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/dailylife#wiki_what_was_science_fiction_like_in_the_past.3F_how_did_ancient_people_imagine_the_future.3F" ], [ "http://www.theoi.com/Text/AratusPhaenomena.html", "http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0010%3Acard%3D436", ...
44clqt
why isn't time measured in metric scale past at a macro scale in science?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/44clqt/eli5_why_isnt_time_measured_in_metric_scale_past/
{ "a_id": [ "czp7r6t", "czp7zm3" ], "score": [ 5, 3 ], "text": [ "People are familiar with Earth/Sun units for time (hour, day, year) and there are clocks that display these units. While there are other units, like Sidereal Time, too many events depend on the daily cycle to make megasecon...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
5v7uy2
what happens to all the insects and small lifeforms during a flood or high rain?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5v7uy2/eli5_what_happens_to_all_the_insects_and_small/
{ "a_id": [ "ddzwj7x" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text": [ "Insects don't need as much oxygen as mammals, experiments have shown ants to live for weeks in sealed water-filled test tubes. Some ants can also form large floating rafts and simply float on top of the flood. Some will head to trees and high gro...
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[]
[ [] ]
cu7ip8
what causes saliva to thicken when you use mouthwash?
Is it simply a bodily reaction or is there a chemical component in the mouthwash which causes the saliva to react in such a way?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/cu7ip8/eli5_what_causes_saliva_to_thicken_when_you_use/
{ "a_id": [ "exs1j04" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Oh weird. That's never happened to me before. Wonder if your chemistry is just really different from mine?" ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
2pjozz
How representative of German folklore are the Brother Grimms' tales?
How reliable are the Grimms' tales as a transcript for oral tradition? Additionally, where do they stand in respect to collections published several centuries before, or after, their time?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2pjozz/how_representative_of_german_folklore_are_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cmxjh28" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "If you have questions that aren't answered by the links provided by /u/Searocksandtrees please feel free to follow with more." ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
2c2osh
why do our noses clog up with snot/bogies when they are an essential airway?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2c2osh/eli5_why_do_our_noses_clog_up_with_snotbogies/
{ "a_id": [ "cjbbjh7", "cjbbudo", "cjbc2iv", "cjbezid" ], "score": [ 6, 18, 10, 3 ], "text": [ "It's our immune response. Our nose is also a big open hole for outside things (germs) to get in. So when there's something dangerous perceived by the immune system, the body make...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
104u8j
Reddit, how come laptops and handhelds grow gradually slower as they get more beat up? Intuition say they should either work perfectly fine or stop working altogether.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/104u8j/reddit_how_come_laptops_and_handhelds_grow/
{ "a_id": [ "c6aekhj", "c6aesh5", "c6agiba", "c6ahpf8", "c6aicfe" ], "score": [ 121, 55, 10, 2, 3 ], "text": [ "They don't. The slowing down that you experience is generally caused by more software taking runtime on your device, or your exposure to newer and faster...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Turbo_Boost" ], [ "http://rick.vanrein.org/linux/badram/" ], [] ]
7r1l00
why do certain colors of lights have a second, differently colored ring around the source?
Orange street lights will have a ring of purple around them. White headlights will have a ring of blue around them. My 3DS's orange friend notification light has a ring of green around it, etc.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7r1l00/eli5why_do_certain_colors_of_lights_have_a_second/
{ "a_id": [ "dsth5uz", "dstlfr7" ], "score": [ 9, 13 ], "text": [ "If your seeing colorful halos around light sources then it's probably time to have your eyes checked.", "Go get your eyes checked. You seem to be seeing refraction happening within your eyes. It could be from some minor...
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[ [], [] ]
1g25d0
What's the real story behind the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt?
Could any one refer me to a good book or sources that give a clear picture of the happenings described by The Book of Exodus?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1g25d0/whats_the_real_story_behind_the_exodus_of_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cag5ej6" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text": [ "From the list of popular questions:\n\n_URL_1_\n\nand\n\n_URL_0_\n\nAnd the usual disclaimer that just because a question is on the popular questions list does not mean it cannot be asked again, as it is possible that there will be fresh insight ...
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[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/19p1vu/do_we_know_if_the_exodus_happened_the_way_its/", "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ryagn/the_jews_the_pyramids_and_the_plagues/" ] ]
p7hl5
Given the right conditions and diet, is extremely prolonged life (i.e. significantly greater than 122 years or whatever the confirmed record is) theoretically possible?
Someone posted this link in the TIL subreddit, describing a man who allegedly was at least 197 years old when he died, and lived that long by using his knowledge as an herbalist. I'm obviously skeptical to an *extreme* degree, but I know next to nothing about biology and aging so I figured I'd askscience. My basic que...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/p7hl5/given_the_right_conditions_and_diet_is_extremely/
{ "a_id": [ "c3n6rbo", "c3n6tzc" ], "score": [ 15, 9 ], "text": [ "Our telomeres, which break off in parts after each cell division, dictate how many times our cells can divide. They are only long enough to support about 140 years of life. After that, when cells die, they aren't replaced.\...
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[ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Ching-Yuen" ]
[ [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie_restriction", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawa_diet#Indigenous_islanders.27_diet" ] ]
4anbj6
What does product moment of area mean?
_URL_0_ I get in Second moment of area matrix there is I_x, I_y which denote moment of area with respect to x and y axis and weight of that area component while bending through that axis. But what does the product moment of area mean?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4anbj6/what_does_product_moment_of_area_mean/
{ "a_id": [ "d127svv" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "I_xx is how the beam will bend around the x axis when subjected to a moment about the x axis. I_yy is how the beam will bend around the y axis when subjected to a moment about the y axis.\n\nI_xy is how the beam will bend around the x axis when ...
[]
[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_moment_of_area#Product_moment_of_area" ]
[ [] ]
2lr2mx
What would have scary stories been like in medieval Europe?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2lr2mx/what_would_have_scary_stories_been_like_in/
{ "a_id": [ "clxhi9m" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "/u/itsallfolklore may be able to provide you with a comprehensive answer that handles folkloric material that was accessible to the general population and 'campfire-esque' scenarios (though you may want to be a little more specific, medieval Euro...
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[]
[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2ih6br/any_good_medievalrenaissance_horror_stories/cl4b5dt" ] ]
d4z7j6
how do popups/redirects keep you from using the back button and why do browser developers still allow it to happen?
feels like for the better part of two decades the back button has become more of a suggestion. yes; i pirate. yes; i understand adblocker helps on some devices.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/d4z7j6/eli5_how_do_popupsredirects_keep_you_from_using/
{ "a_id": [ "f0hyzkr", "f0i08l0", "f0ibvwb" ], "score": [ 11, 19, 2 ], "text": [ "Simply pressing the back button moves you back one step in your current browsing history. The redirects of these ads utilize multiple steps, meaning the one step back just takes you to the previous re...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
3mo6zs
why do people have to send a message saying that they are going in war instead of just directly attacking?
Like the title suggest, why would a county declare an attack on a enemy instead of just going directly for an attack without letting the enemy know? Wouldn't it give them more chance to win the war?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3mo6zs/eli5_why_do_people_have_to_send_a_message_saying/
{ "a_id": [ "cvgo612", "cvgo6s8", "cvgojde", "cvgopmr" ], "score": [ 2, 11, 10, 3 ], "text": [ "_URL_0_\n\nImagine a world where only two countries existed. If one attacked the other without notice, gained the advantage of surprise, and conquered them, then who cares? They ...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.duhaime.org/LegalDictionary/D/DeclarationofWar.aspx" ], [], [], [] ]
3bh0pa
what is the purpose of daylight headlight sections on certain roads?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3bh0pa/eli5_what_is_the_purpose_of_daylight_headlight/
{ "a_id": [ "csm26v9", "csm273v" ], "score": [ 6, 4 ], "text": [ "To make your vehicle more visible to oncoming traffic. Usually found on two lane roads (one lane going each way). In the event that somebody wants to pass the vehicle in front of them, they will see any oncoming vehicles eas...
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[ [], [] ]
1amf7t
Is sleep only an evolutionary byproduct of the earth's day/night cycle?
Did sleeping evolve because early life forms had to deal with the drastic shift in light/temperature between day and night? If so, if there was a world that was at a constant temperature / light level, might creatures there never have evolved a need to sleep? Or are there other biochemical needs that sleep solves for...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1amf7t/is_sleep_only_an_evolutionary_byproduct_of_the/
{ "a_id": [ "c8ysyxw" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "This is a big open question, so I'll start by saying that there isn't a single definitive answer.\n\nTo begin to address your question, we first have to distinguish some terms. Following that, I'll try to break your question down into a few piece...
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[]
[ [ "http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v451/n7178/abs/nature06535.html", "http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01343.x/full", "http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.0060216", "http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/30033773?uid=3739696&uid=...
1qu4j9
how do posts become "controversial"?
I have seen a few formulas and calculations, I just can't wrap my head around the category Controversial.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1qu4j9/eli5_how_do_posts_become_controversial/
{ "a_id": [ "cdghpfj" ], "score": [ 14 ], "text": [ "A post would be considered controversial if it had lots of upvotes *and* downvotes. " ] }
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[ [] ]
w1hyv
Does the human body expend energy whilst standing up? (apart from the energy used to keep organs functioning)
In other words, does standing up use more energy than sitting down? Intuitively it seems that it would; when you feel drained you want to sit down, and it would be hard for a person who has not eaten to stand upright, but everything I've learned in physics suggests than energy transfer involves some kind of motion or c...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/w1hyv/does_the_human_body_expend_energy_whilst_standing/
{ "a_id": [ "c59erjk", "c59fea8" ], "score": [ 2, 5 ], "text": [ "You would need to expend more energy standing than sitting to oppose gravity and keep yourself balanced. ", "Yes. Even though you do not feel them, you have muscles in your core and limbs that aid in balance. Your legs a...
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[ [], [] ]
1icb2o
What as the fallout from the Sand Creek Massacre?
I'm interested in knowing more about what happened on both sides after the massacre. What happened to the tribes present? I know most of the men were gone hunting when it happened, what did they do afterwards? What did the Dog Soldiers do? What happened to the government officers involved afterwards?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1icb2o/what_as_the_fallout_from_the_sand_creek_massacre/
{ "a_id": [ "cb38vh0" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "For Chivington, who was a Civil War hero, the massacre meant the end of his military service and ended his hopes of a political career. The government recognized the event as a horrible massacre that set back any hopes of peace along the Platte R...
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[ [] ]
z15ac
how to play league of legends
I'm not much of a gamer, but I find it interesting and I'd like to get into it. A lot of my friends play LoL and so I thought I'd give it a shot. The game is fun, but it seems pretty intricate and I'm not sure if I follow. I tried looking up guides, r/leagueoflegends, etc. but everything is catered towards a crowd of ...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/z15ac/eli5_how_to_play_league_of_legends/
{ "a_id": [ "c60lepi", "c60leto", "c60nxo3" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Welcome to the AOS genre. It's very confusing. I can write out a simple guide if you'd like, that may help you get started, but there's no substitute for experience.\n\nThe basic premise is that there a...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
3ez37v
why does "pressing charges" seem optional for some crimes, but not others? can you sign a contract before being murdered to not "press charges" on the murderer?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3ez37v/eli5_why_does_pressing_charges_seem_optional_for/
{ "a_id": [ "ctjqyae" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text": [ "This is a misconception that comes up on /r/legaladvice on a daily basis. \n\nThe victim does not choose whether or not to press charges; the district attorney does. The victim can choose whether or not to cooperate with the police investigation....
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[ [] ]
1s018b
Why was Franco not ousted after World War 2?
And why did the US form an agreement with Franco's Spain? Did the uniform idea of fascism as bad we have today not develop until later? Was he simply not seen as a threat or did no one want to go to war again after the horror of WW2? I also noticed there aren't any suggested books in the sidebar about Franco or Mussol...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1s018b/why_was_franco_not_ousted_after_world_war_2/
{ "a_id": [ "cdsmu1m", "cdsnp7n" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "I believe I will quote my answer from the other thread:\n\n > For all his faults (and there were many) Franco was a dedicated anti-communist. He was also a consummate survivor, and was smart enough to position himself as use...
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[]
[ [], [ "http://31.media.tumblr.com/5a0f644f162f624c5e60dbe32a7d7440/tumblr_mob4aeVNrY1rcoy9ro1_1280.jpg", "http://25.media.tumblr.com/1529bddeb680d5f074bde3fc2326f711/tumblr_mob4eaGjDd1rcoy9ro1_1280.jpg", "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1mjtoo/spain_during_the_cold_war/cca3ikf" ] ]
14ue87
how are video game consoles (xbox 360 and ps3) still relevant today when pcs "age" so fast?
Today I was wondering about how the Xbox 360 and PS3 still sell and can still play games that are released today. Specifically if gaming computers struggle to play games like Crysis 2 and the upcoming Crysis 3 how can these old systems even stand ground? Is it a combination between superior hardware and coding that ma...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/14ue87/eli5_how_are_video_game_consoles_xbox_360_and_ps3/
{ "a_id": [ "c7ghvht", "c7ghvz4", "c7gmfdc" ], "score": [ 6, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "The quality of games on consoles tends to improve with the consoles age as people get a better feel for how to get the most out of the hardware. \n\nBecause all PS3s are the same,a game released for it ...
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[ [], [], [] ]
8zvb6w
why do pharmacies always ask if you want generic brand of a prescription?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8zvb6w/eli5_why_do_pharmacies_always_ask_if_you_want/
{ "a_id": [ "e2lmuz0" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "The name brand version is typically that did all the research, development, testing, and patenting. The extra costs of that drug are associated with the cost of development of said product. Once a patent expires, the generics come out that typica...
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[ [] ]
8c5m3x
how is it possible for there to be underwater lake beds, underwater?
Occasionally I’ll see pictures of visible puddles or small bodies of water, under the ocean. Never understood how this is actually possible.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8c5m3x/eli5_how_is_it_possible_for_there_to_be/
{ "a_id": [ "dxcbncp", "dxcbrj0" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Mineral content as well as salt content can change water density. Denser water can pool at the bottom if a lake and be visually distinct from the water above it.", "Usually something known as Brine which is basically min...
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[ [], [] ]
oykl0
What is the most plentiful animal on planet earth by volume?
I'm sure some kind of bug or microbe is most plentiful by count, but I wonder what the most plentiful is by other metrics.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/oykl0/what_is_the_most_plentiful_animal_on_planet_earth/
{ "a_id": [ "c3l2mj4", "c3l3hrx", "c3l5jm8" ], "score": [ 6, 3, 7 ], "text": [ "In Biology of Copepods: An Introduction, Johannes Dürbaum and Thorsten Künnemann speculate that copepods account for the greatest chunk of biomass. I found that on Wikipedia. The citation's broken, but ...
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[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copepod#cite_note-0", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_krill" ], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithoautotroph", "http://www.stephenjaygould.org/library/gould_bacteria.html" ], [] ]
13v3q2
What do they mean when they say a stain has been "set in" and why would it be any harder to get out than a fresh stain of the same kind?
I'm wondering what technically happens when a stain sets in, whether it dries or chemically bonds or what it does (if that term isn't just a marketing gimmick) to the surface it's on.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/13v3q2/what_do_they_mean_when_they_say_a_stain_has_been/
{ "a_id": [ "c77is3f", "c77k4nd" ], "score": [ 3, 4 ], "text": [ "It depends on the surface type, but with fabrics or carpets if you try to wash out the stains quickly then the staining material does not have time to diffuse into the fabric and is still on the outer layer which is much eas...
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[ [], [] ]
1j5cef
what happens if you don't take a shower after swimming?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1j5cef/eli5what_happens_if_you_dont_take_a_shower_after/
{ "a_id": [ "cbb94r8", "cbb97fk" ], "score": [ 5, 3 ], "text": [ "Depends on where you're swimming. If you're in the ocean, you're just leaving salt and sand on your body. Not a huge deal, but gritty and uncomfortable.\n\nA swimming pool is a whole other story. Chlorine is not good for ...
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[ [], [] ]
sbjw4
Physicists of Reddit, please help me come one step closer to appreciating the madness of Quantum Theory.
I have read through many quantum theory posts and with each snippet I read, I only become more confused. I am even taking a Physical Chemistry class dealing with this topic, to which no one really understands the material. My question is pertaining to how quantum theory is described, studied and explained in text boo...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/sbjw4/physicists_of_reddit_please_help_me_come_one_step/
{ "a_id": [ "c4covfx", "c4cp08m", "c4cp4yx", "c4cps0v", "c4ct1to", "c4ctr7g", "c4cug1l" ], "score": [ 3, 8, 2, 5, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "How advanced is your background in math?", "Imagine two people holding the ends of a jump rope, with one perso...
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[ [], [ "http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Harmonic_partials_on_strings.svg" ], [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger_equation" ], [ "http://lesswrong.com/lw/r5/the_quantum_physics_sequence/" ], [], [] ]
1c91ar
how do two-way mirrors work? how can i see someone but they see their own reflection? (or vice versa)
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1c91ar/eli5_how_do_twoway_mirrors_work_how_can_i_see/
{ "a_id": [ "c9e7hcm" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "More-or-less answered [here](_URL_0_)" ] }
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[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/kyrx4/eli5_why_is_it_called_a_twoway_mirror_when_you/" ] ]
fd754c
why is it that on different phone's, some emojis do not show? shouldn't it just register as text?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/fd754c/eli5_why_is_it_that_on_different_phones_some/
{ "a_id": [ "fjfny5w", "fjfoh7r", "fjhohty" ], "score": [ 9, 5, 2 ], "text": [ "Emoji are part of the Unicode system. In the actual message your phone sends, they're represented by a number along with a prefix that says \"this is Unicode.\" When the receiving phone gets a number th...
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[ [], [], [] ]
1ktlid
Will a cloned animal keep its basic instincts?
Say a sea turtle is cloned and the egg is placed where normal sea turtle eggs are laid. Will the baby turtle know to head for the ocean as soon as it hatches? Would a cloned bird know where to migrate and when to start? I would imagine it is something that is passed down in genes from past generations but could it ...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1ktlid/will_a_cloned_animal_keep_its_basic_instincts/
{ "a_id": [ "cbsrdso" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "I don't see any reason why it wouldn't keep its instincts. The instincts that are not learned from other animals are definitely a result of genetic information, there could be no other source. The last sentence doesn't make sense to me. If some...
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[ [] ]
1aqd30
When and how did militaries develop an obsession with uniformity?
I live in a country with mandatory draft and so a few years ago, I spent some time in the army. I have many fond memories of wading through swamps, digging holes and eating terrible food, but also a first hand experience of the organized nature of military life. All equipment and clothes, down the the socks you wear, i...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1aqd30/when_and_how_did_militaries_develop_an_obsession/
{ "a_id": [ "c8zrfkm" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "While I'm no historian, I am military, and it's always coming back to tradition. For Canada, much, if not all was taken from the british, who took it from the romans etc etc.\n\nThe common knowledge (not an answer) that is duscussed around the wa...
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[ [] ]
fn2mk
If I was in a spaceship, outside of our galaxy, would I see stars all around me, or just blackness?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/fn2mk/if_i_was_in_a_spaceship_outside_of_our_galaxy/
{ "a_id": [ "c1h53n7", "c1h5p23" ], "score": [ 5, 2 ], "text": [ "How far away from the galaxy? If you were relatively close, the Milky Way would be quite bright (and impressive!). We are currently about 8 kiloparsecs (~25,000 light years) away from the galactic center. If we were inste...
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[ [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Void_\\(astronomy\\)" ] ]
30t64u
what is "mustard gas"? and what is it made out of?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/30t64u/eli5_what_is_mustard_gas_and_what_is_it_made_out/
{ "a_id": [ "cpvjupj" ], "score": [ 9 ], "text": [ "* It's a chemical typically used in war.\n* It's made of Chlorine and Sulfur.\n* It's called \"Mustard Gas\" because it smells vaguely like mustard.\n* It kills you by creating blisters in your lungs and airway, which can cause other major proble...
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[ [] ]
1nagkc
Why can we only see light after it bounces off something or when it is at the source of the light? Why don't we see light energy as a sort of mist?
What I mean here is like if you point a laser at a wall, you can see the dot, but not the beam of light going to or coming from the dot, making it only visible if powder or dust or smoke enters the beam. Why does light seem to be completely invisible while travelling through air? What changes when it bounces off a surf...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1nagkc/why_can_we_only_see_light_after_it_bounces_off/
{ "a_id": [ "ccgucvf", "ccgudy2", "ccguek5", "ccgveht", "cch4el7" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 19, 4, 2 ], "text": [ "You can see it on the wall because it is reflecting off the wall. While the air is made of molecules of various gases, it is not enough matter for you to se...
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