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2g5m7n
what is it about cast iron that makes it a "true non-stick surface"?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2g5m7n/eli5_what_is_it_about_cast_iron_that_makes_it_a/
{ "a_id": [ "ckfwbhf" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Basically, the \"burnt\" carbon in the oil fills all the little cracks in the iron, making it smoother. That's why you don't wash them with soap, so the carbon won't come out. If you have to re-season, or are starting with a new one, you'll hav...
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[]
[ [] ]
4lilfk
why can we have heaters but not coolers?
We have heaters that just turn electricity into heat but we can only cool things but moving the heat somewhere else. Why can't we cool things more directly?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4lilfk/eli5_why_can_we_have_heaters_but_not_coolers/
{ "a_id": [ "d3nlhbn", "d3nliu6", "d3nmg3r" ], "score": [ 2, 3, 6 ], "text": [ "Heat is a side-effect of electricity going through coils. It's a side-effect that we can use, but it means using the electricity pretty inefficiently. \n\nThere's no side-effect that'll make it suck the...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
1r2615
Why are people in the military refered to by their last name instead of their first name?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1r2615/why_are_people_in_the_military_refered_to_by/
{ "a_id": [ "cdiuhe7", "cdiunnm" ], "score": [ 2, 7 ], "text": [ "Last names are often more unique than first names. ", "Tradition, based on maintaining formality actually. First names breed familiarity. Must be professional (or appear to be) above all else.\n\nAlso, I was the only per...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
10zu3t
What would be the most effective man-portable modern weapon to bring into combat against pre-firearms battle formations?
This question is somewhat theoretical, in that the greatest application of its answer would require working time travel, but the British did run up against a similar situation in Africa in the not too far distant past, so the question has some real world applications. Let's say you have a small contingent of modern so...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/10zu3t/what_would_be_the_most_effective_manportable/
{ "a_id": [ "c6i1jmy", "c6i2e3o", "c6i4276" ], "score": [ 3, 2, 4 ], "text": [ "That is impossible to answer because of the myriad number of tactics used and technologies throughout the ages. ", "Whatever supplies the Pakistani weapons dealers use to make their own bullets and ...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FinRqCocwGE" ], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Crockett_(nuclear_device\\)" ] ]
9q2uys
why is it so difficult to memorize some of the things which we really need to whereas somethings we easily memorize without even putting in the effort to do so?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9q2uys/eli5_why_is_it_so_difficult_to_memorize_some_of/
{ "a_id": [ "e869yah", "e86a1go", "e86egrf", "e86hpdk", "e86ktpu", "e86lvjn", "e86mjqi", "e86ofql" ], "score": [ 717, 2, 88, 30, 38, 5, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "The amount of interest one has in the endeavor. Say for instance, as a language teacher...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
92hg0c
why does it seem that every company that updates their user interface makes it worse?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/92hg0c/eli5_why_does_it_seem_that_every_company_that/
{ "a_id": [ "e35qmpl" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "Because it changes from what you're used to, I'm sure if reddit changed from the new version to the old version there would be a lot more complaints. " ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
5twg4z
if passwords are stored as hashes why is it more secure to have passwords with numbers, capital letters, etc.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5twg4z/eli5_if_passwords_are_stored_as_hashes_why_is_it/
{ "a_id": [ "ddpjdpj", "ddpjf5c", "ddplyhj" ], "score": [ 4, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "If the password database is stolen, or a security hole is discovered that lets the attacker try tons of combinations, they will probably immediately try a dictionary attack.\n\nThey'll check to see if a...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [ "http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/739874/how-many-possible-combinations-in-8-character-password", "https://www.wired.com/2015/08/check-loved-one-exposed-ashley-madison-hack/" ] ]
8wnydb
can poisonious creatures poison themselves, and if they can be poisoned is tolerance higher for them
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8wnydb/eli5_can_poisonious_creatures_poison_themselves/
{ "a_id": [ "e1x0knh" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Poisonous or venomous? Poisonous creatures you can’t eat. Venomous ones use poison on you (usually with bite)." ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
2r99u2
how is it that lower class people support the wealth gap/top 1% against their own self interest?
Definitely a charged/biased topic but I was just wondering.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2r99u2/eli5_how_is_it_that_lower_class_people_support/
{ "a_id": [ "cndn4os", "cndp6dm", "cnds5om", "cndv06s", "cndvu7x" ], "score": [ 19, 6, 3, 2, 3 ], "text": [ "TO quote John Steinbeck: \"Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrasse...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
78khw5
what does "bulking" (for bodybuilders) do to your body in a biological sense?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/78khw5/eli5_what_does_bulking_for_bodybuilders_do_to/
{ "a_id": [ "douk4c7", "douspos" ], "score": [ 2, 5 ], "text": [ "bulking means gaining weight. the bulking phase optimally gains muscle but gaining fat is not avoidable. a bulking phase followed by a cutting phase will reduce the body fat to desired levels once muscle mass goals are rea...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
3f3a74
How can ants count their steps? We've developed numbers as a system of organization and measurement, so we can literally speak "1, 2, 3" but how can an insect keep track of the amount of steps it has taken?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3f3a74/how_can_ants_count_their_steps_weve_developed/
{ "a_id": [ "ctlf1k9" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "The authors of the study that I believe you are [referring](_URL_0_) to weren't sure what internal mechanism is guiding it. And this paper was put out nine years ago and I don't see anything on it since then. However insects and animals in gene...
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[]
[ [ "https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=ant+counts+step&btnG=&as_sdt=1%2C18&as_sdtp=" ] ]
1sj89p
when a gaming company develops a new 'engine', what have they actually done?
Thought of this after seeing the Snowdrop engine from The Division.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1sj89p/eli5_when_a_gaming_company_develops_a_new_engine/
{ "a_id": [ "cdy4vg6", "cdy9xqx" ], "score": [ 11, 3 ], "text": [ "So I have no experience with game programming in particular, but a lot of experience with other types of programming and with physics.\n\nBasically when you write good code you reuse a lot of the old code. So in time this p...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenGL" ], [] ]
4tq056
why does the writing on tires in motorsport appear to spin in different directions at different speeds?
For example, [here](_URL_0_). The writing on the front wheels appears to be rotating in different directions at different speeds. Why is this?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4tq056/eli5why_does_the_writing_on_tires_in_motorsport/
{ "a_id": [ "d5jccd7" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "What you are watching is a recording made by a camera. The camera shoots a certain number of frames per second, and each frame is a snapshot of what is visible at that moment.\n\nIf the wheel happens to rotate through a little less than a full tu...
[]
[ "https://youtu.be/hlaaj_E39iM" ]
[ [ "https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barber-Pole-Illusion#/media/File:Barber-pole-02.gif" ] ]
20f5op
why can't we use human poop as fertilizer?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/20f5op/eli5_why_cant_we_use_human_poop_as_fertilizer/
{ "a_id": [ "cg2mz74" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Ever heard of *night soil*?\n\n > The reuse of feces as fertilizer was common in Japan. Waste products of rich people were sold at higher prices because their diet was better; therefore, more nutrients remained in their waste. Various historic do...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_soil" ] ]
70rvh6
In terms of evolution, why is vitamin D synthesis dependent on exposure to sunlight?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/70rvh6/in_terms_of_evolution_why_is_vitamin_d_synthesis/
{ "a_id": [ "dn5tr9q", "dn68efw", "dn733pl" ], "score": [ 26, 4, 3 ], "text": [ "I'm not sure which direction you are thinking about this from, so I will answer both questions simplistically. Feel free to ask for clarification.\n\n1. Why haven't we evolved to produce vitamin D with...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
2a75qo
why is it that sometimes i can be more tired after a long day at school than a long day doing physical labour.
Recently I've been working 12+ hours doing physical labour. I thought I'd be exhausted, but I find that I'm more tired after an 8 hour day of school. ELI5?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2a75qo/eli5why_is_it_that_sometimes_i_can_be_more_tired/
{ "a_id": [ "cis5cxf", "cisbp31" ], "score": [ 3, 3 ], "text": [ "The brain consumes more calories than the muscles in your core.\n", "Well, for one thing you don't do physical labor 12 continuous hours. You take breaks and such and you give your muscles a chance to recover. It's easy ...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
fwpcbr
During the glorious revolution of 1689 William and Mary of Orange became the king and queen of England, Scotland, etc. But did they keep their power as ruler of the Netherlands? If so, does that mean that the UK and the Netherlands were the same country for some time?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/fwpcbr/during_the_glorious_revolution_of_1689_william/
{ "a_id": [ "fmq440b" ], "score": [ 20 ], "text": [ "First question: Yes, William (not Mary) maintained his position as Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic. It's worth nothing that though officially dual monarchs of England, in practice William took the leading role even while Mary was still alive.\...
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[]
[ [] ]
9iwsyx
since our cells are always multiplying, does a 90 year old have more dna in their body than a newborn?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9iwsyx/eli5_since_our_cells_are_always_multiplying_does/
{ "a_id": [ "e6n01lj" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Yes, an adult has more cells, thus more DNA, than a newborn.\n\nBut once you reach full size, you stop increasing the number of cells. New ones are born and old ones die. So a 90 year old has about the same amount of cells and DNA as a 20 year ol...
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[]
[ [] ]
1qdbpg
how does the hard disk save my data, when my computer is shut down?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1qdbpg/eli5_how_does_the_hard_disk_save_my_data_when_my/
{ "a_id": [ "cdbo933" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "Through magnetism.\n\nImagine that there are billions of small magnets inside your hard drive. When your computer writes something, it arranges those magnets in a particular way. You need electricity to do that. But once you are done, the magnets...
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[]
[ [] ]
1m4csp
why doesn't apple broadcast their product announcements
It seems like whenever a new Apple product comes out there's a big event and lots of different tech sites "liveblog" the presentation. Why don't any of them just broadcast it live or post it on their website after it's over so I can watch from home? Why doesn't Apple broadcast it on its own website? (Example "livebl...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1m4csp/eli5_why_doesnt_apple_broadcast_their_product/
{ "a_id": [ "cc5nilu" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Apple usually provides a video of the event on their website that evening or the next day. The reason they don't broadcast it live or provide the video earlier is because they'd essentially be stealing traffic from the tech blogs, which they want...
[]
[ "http://gizmodo.com/our-iphone-event-liveblog-starts-right-here-on-9-10-at-1277167537" ]
[ [] ]
6ng1yj
Is there evidence surgical masks being worn by people who are ill significantly help limit infection of others?
I know this is common practice in Asia and, particularly in places with high population density and in tight public quarters it makes sense, but is there evidence this significantly helps reduce infection rates, or is this mostly an old wives’ tale?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/6ng1yj/is_there_evidence_surgical_masks_being_worn_by/
{ "a_id": [ "dk9b0o5" ], "score": [ 15 ], "text": [ "\"For many years, scientists weren't sure if wearing a mask was effective at preventing the spread of viruses. However, recent studies suggest that they can help.\n\nFirst, a 2008 study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseas...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712%2808%2901008-4/fulltext" ] ]
12p6st
Help me identify a dogtag I found
I found this [dogtag](_URL_0_) on the floor of my garage. As far as I can tell, it is WWII era, as there is not a notch in it. What is odd though, is it seems to be much thicker because the text is not punched through. It is also unused.
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/12p6st/help_me_identify_a_dogtag_i_found/
{ "a_id": [ "c6wzqhj", "c6x1bjc", "c6x3cq3" ], "score": [ 5, 2, 12 ], "text": [ "Nope. What you have is NOT what you think you have. WWII dog tags looked like this: _URL_0_", "Just an observation but I have never seen authentic dogtags that say \"name:\", \"rank:\", etc. Don...
[]
[ "http://i.imgur.com/707lm.jpg" ]
[ [ "http://www.dogtagsrus.com/images/Dogtag_History/Renney1_ea.jpg" ], [ "http://www.craigsclassifieds.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/164736-500x373.jpg" ], [] ]
1gv6tl
what do real spies do? how are they recruited? do they actually have the kind of gadgets we see in bond films?
There were a lot of great answers, but I think these two were the most explanatory: _URL_0_ _URL_1_
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1gv6tl/eli5_what_do_real_spies_do_how_are_they_recruited/
{ "a_id": [ "cao5763", "cao5h2c", "cao5kfa", "cao5uwt", "cao5web", "cao60pw", "cao62m1", "cao638y", "cao63ei", "cao6j6s", "cao6juk", "cao6lks", "cao6n2x", "cao6pvn", "cao6sok", "cao743j", "cao7eni", "cao7kwe", "cao7rpb", "cao7zk1", "c...
[]
[ "http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1gv6tl/eli5_what_do_real_spies_do_how_are_they_recruited/cao8qcr", "http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1gv6tl/eli5_what_do_real_spies_do_how_are_they_recruited/cao6lks" ]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [ "http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/201206/my-father-and-me-spy-story-russia" ], [], [], [], [], [ "http://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/spies-work/" ], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_intelligence_(intelligence_collection\\)", "htt...
z9txe
i'm curious, why don't humans just 'taste' unhealthy food? why do we have to swallow it?
I've been thinking about this for a long time; Why don't we just taste unhealthy food (like cake, candy etc) and then spit it out? Why do we have to swallow it in order to enjoy it?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/z9txe/im_curious_why_dont_humans_just_taste_unhealthy/
{ "a_id": [ "c62qmi4", "c62rvxq" ], "score": [ 8, 2 ], "text": [ "Because the part of your brain that controls the feeling of being full (satiety), the [arcuate nucleus](_URL_0_), probably wouldn't be stimulated.\n\nAlso, it's not that those foods themselves are intrinsically unhealthy. If...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcuate_nucleus" ], [] ]
9rh39j
how do executives hold board of director positions at multiple fortune 500 companies?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9rh39j/eli5_how_do_executives_hold_board_of_director/
{ "a_id": [ "e8gvoyp", "e8gw1tv" ], "score": [ 5, 2 ], "text": [ "The Board only meets occasionally to vote on more important matters. They don't really deal with day to day affairs like the CEO does.", " > I thought being executive/ CEO was a lot of work how can somebody possibly be ...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
8c8fvm
Why is the popular view in Western pop culture that the German army fought a "clean war" on the Eastern Front of WWII, independent of the genocidal policies of the Nazi regime? How did a romantic view of the German army on the Eastern Front become mainstream?
In Western popular culture (books, video games, etc.) the German Wehrmacht is often presented as the embodiment of courage, honor, and self-sacrifice, even though they were complicit in many war crimes on the Eastern Front (the Commissar Order, assisting the Einsatzgruppen). How did the "Clean Wehrmacht" myth get promo...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8c8fvm/why_is_the_popular_view_in_western_pop_culture/
{ "a_id": [ "dxd0pth", "dxd1mg3" ], "score": [ 22, 12 ], "text": [ "From an [older answer](_URL_0_) where /u/Georgy_K_Zhukov also weighed in on the subject matter:\n\nThe clean Wehrmacht myth was something that was advanced by both the (West)German and the Western Allied governments after ...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5799li/did_the_rommel_myth_and_clean_wehrmacht_myth_and/" ], [] ]
rfory
How do I hear music in white noise?
I sleep with the ceiling fan and a loud stand-up fan to keep my noisy neighbors from waking me up. But as I'm falling asleep, I sometimes hear a faint, unrecognizable song. It wakes me up and then I can't hear it anymore. Is there any cause for this?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/rfory/how_do_i_hear_music_in_white_noise/
{ "a_id": [ "c45fb8i", "c45fmbb", "c45g0l4", "c45ib9k" ], "score": [ 16, 5, 3, 4 ], "text": [ "White noise contains thousands of different frequencies. Your mind can subconsciously focus on certain frequencies, sometimes making up what you perceive as tunes. Also, take a lo...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auditory_hallucination" ], [], [], [] ]
cyywzl
Can Solar Panels be charged with Nuclear Radiation?
Or is it possible to create equivalent panels which can? Sort of like "nuclear panels"? If so, can they exist now? Wouldn't it be more effecient utility of nuclear energy than boiling water?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/cyywzl/can_solar_panels_be_charged_with_nuclear_radiation/
{ "a_id": [ "eyv8u97" ], "score": [ 13 ], "text": [ "You can use the decay heat to produce electricity - [radioisotope thermoelectric generators](_URL_0_) (RTGs) do that.\n\nFor beta decays you can directly use the radiation and let the electrons fly through a potential difference - [betavoltaics]...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betavoltaics" ] ]
5niw3q
How can something be "10,000 times colder than the vacuum of space"?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/5niw3q/how_can_something_be_10000_times_colder_than_the/
{ "a_id": [ "dcbvics" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "A true vacuum doesn't have a meaningful temperature, but when they say \"the vacuum of space\", they are probably referring to the cosmic microwave background radiation, which has a temperature of about 2.7 Kelvin." ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
2yqan7
how does the united states pay for its' wars?
The cost of War in Afghanistan has costed 791 Billion and counting so far. I've served overseas for over 2 years of my total life and still don't understand how we can amount such debt. The cost of war is expensive, any war at that matter; and I want to know how we find money to keep on paying for it.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2yqan7/eli5_how_does_the_united_states_pay_for_its_wars/
{ "a_id": [ "cpby4ql", "cpby59b" ], "score": [ 9, 4 ], "text": [ "Taxes. The US federal government gets over $3 trillion a year.", "The government does a lot of things that it doesn't have the money to pay for. So, it either takes on debt or prints more money, which is why we have infl...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
8k8ef4
why don’t tornadoes develop in extremely urban areas with skyscrapers such as new york city or chicago?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8k8ef4/eli5_why_dont_tornadoes_develop_in_extremely/
{ "a_id": [ "dz5n5yl", "dz5nai7", "dz5v1ea", "dz5yd8r" ], "score": [ 12, 10, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "_URL_0_\n\n\nBasically not alot of major cities lie in tornado zones so its already unlikely ", "They do. There just aren't a lot of dense tall cities like you are picturin...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/experts-tornadoes-cities/" ], [], [], [] ]
22163k
How do we KNOW that a comet, like Halleys, is the same comet each time it comes around (This question from my family after watching Episode 3 of Cosmos) ?
Title says it all. My kids and wife asked me this and I don't have a good answer. They are curious how we know that during each orbit of a comet that passes Earth or the Sun that we observe, that it is literally the same comet and not just another on the same or nearly the same orbit.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/22163k/how_do_we_know_that_a_comet_like_halleys_is_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cgicm3y", "cgicze7", "cgif4sv", "cgih7oa", "cgiiuha", "cgiuabn" ], "score": [ 44, 15, 3, 7, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Because we can predict their passing in the sky with accuracy (diabolical accuracy might I add)\n\nThat is the power of Newton's mathe...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit_of_Venus" ], [], [], [], [] ]
vjf1q
the legality of the pirate bay
I was busy reading their legal threats, and they all seem legitimate... how is the Pirate Bay legal? What was that whole fiasco with the Swedish government trying to take it down?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/vjf1q/eli5_the_legality_of_the_pirate_bay/
{ "a_id": [ "c550lrs", "c550xys", "c551jpg" ], "score": [ 7, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "The basic moral/legal question is if a technology that makes committing a crime easy can be held liable for that crime. TPB doesn't commit any crimes, but they enable others to do so. An offline allegor...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
84z3ag
Why don't electrons all fly off their orbits considering how much energy is present in everyday contexts?
I'm looking in class at how much energy is required to send an electron to the next orbital (for only Hydrogen right now!) but I could not get an explanation as to why the electron's tangential velocity would not be great enough to cause it to go somewhere else (considering most energies we deal with are to the -19th d...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/84z3ag/why_dont_electrons_all_fly_off_their_orbits/
{ "a_id": [ "dvtltyo", "dvu5a6n", "dvvxscj" ], "score": [ 9, 5, 2 ], "text": [ "What grade are you in where this topic has come up? The abstraction of the electron as an actual particle making circular orbits around the atom's nucleus is a poor and inaccurate model that can not be...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
t1vza
The link between The Great War, WWII and the Cold War
Hello. I would very much like an explanation of the links between The Great War, WWII and The Cold war. I vaguely remember from my history classes that the reason for the first world war was some sort of murder in serbia? I also remember that the reason for the second world war was that Germany felt that they got screw...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/t1vza/the_link_between_the_great_war_wwii_and_the_cold/
{ "a_id": [ "c4iukb6", "c4ixcfv" ], "score": [ 2, 6 ], "text": [ "Well you're pretty much correct. For a simplified version, after WWI in Germany, there was the \"stab in the back legend\" in which the Army said that the cause for defeat was politicians at home.\nSince no fighting happene...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
96krqz
how do boxtops fund education?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/96krqz/eli5_how_do_boxtops_fund_education/
{ "a_id": [ "e415yfr", "e4162el" ], "score": [ 5, 2 ], "text": [ "School collects box tops & sends them to the company. The company sends the school money.\n\nThe idea is that people will buy more products from the company if they know it'll help the local schools. It's just an adverti...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
1i9snv
Refining particle collision calculations
Historically, people have been building colliders whose speed at collision was higher and higher, to try and see more new particles appear. It seems now a good portion of the Fundamental Particles has been discovered, and now studies are done to refine the calculated properties of all of these particles. I wanted to ...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1i9snv/refining_particle_collision_calculations/
{ "a_id": [ "cb2dx3f" ], "score": [ 15 ], "text": [ "1. 1.15*10^(11) protons are in each proton bunch ([source 1](_URL_0_))\n\n1. Just because there are hundreds of billions protons, they do not all collide in each bunch crossing. Each bunch crossing will see somewhere between 0 and 30 collisions....
[]
[]
[ [ "http://lhc-machine-outreach.web.cern.ch/lhc-machine-outreach/beam.htm" ] ]
2ctx1w
Why is it so difficult to find a map of the papal states?
I was trying to find a map of the various papal states in the 1800s, but when I started searching, I found that not only could I not find them, I couldn't find them from ANY time period, or even a list of them! On every map I've found, they're just collectively labelled "Papal States" What gives?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2ctx1w/why_is_it_so_difficult_to_find_a_map_of_the_papal/
{ "a_id": [ "cjj1fkn" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "I searched \"papal states map\" on Bing, went to images, and saw one without scrolling. It's an 1847 2nd Edition map, link if you'd like.\n\n_URL_0_ \n\nThey're not individually labelled on the maps because the maps are generally larger scale, an...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.historyguy.com/papal_states_map.gif", "http://europeanhistory.boisestate.edu/images/maps/Italy1050.jpg", "http://pages.uoregon.edu/mapplace/EU/EU19%20-%20Italy/Maps/EU19_31%20Development%20of%20the%20Papal%20State.jpg" ] ]
2xfwnz
- why do some computer programs let me alt+tab seamlessly to another application, and some will crash or even force me to reboot if i try to use alt+tab?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2xfwnz/eli5_why_do_some_computer_programs_let_me_alttab/
{ "a_id": [ "cozrqat" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "Programs don't receive the command. Alt+Tab is a system interrupt command and is directly interpreted by the operating system without being passed to the programs. Certain full-screen only applications and may not like it much because they are ...
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[]
[ [] ]
bh0kvr
how can a bank determine fraudulent activity from a single transaction?
Especially if that transaction isn't typically out of the normal for the card holder (like being used at a gas station within 100 miles of the card holder's address)? EDIT: I know this looks like I'm trying to figure out how to steal someone's debit card and not get caught, but I'm asking generally about something tha...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bh0kvr/eli5_how_can_a_bank_determine_fraudulent_activity/
{ "a_id": [ "elp2rcq" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text": [ "In current day banking it's just machine learning. They fed an AI with a bunch of labeled data, and now it's able to say which transaction is likely fraudulent and which is not; just like the YouTube algorithm showing you stuff you probably want ...
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[]
[ [] ]
4hgnc7
Can modern chemistry produce gold?
reading about alchemy and got me wondered. We can produce diamonds, but can we produce gold? Edit:^^Oooh ^^I ^^made ^^one ^^with ^^dank ^^question ^^does ^^that ^^count?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4hgnc7/can_modern_chemistry_produce_gold/
{ "a_id": [ "d2pk58i", "d2pnrgn", "d2ppex1", "d2ppgyc", "d2ppzli", "d2pqf6k", "d2pqqw0", "d2prhpv", "d2proyo", "d2ps3ng", "d2ps5q1", "d2ptgo8", "d2puiqk", "d2pwit8", "d2pxl2x", "d2pxxrc", "d2pz8tm", "d2pzjfn", "d2q221q", "d2q45i7", "d...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://journals.aps.org/prc/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevC.23.1044", "http://i.imgur.com/XV8GIUz.jpg", "http://i.imgur.com/jHQlF1c.jpg" ], [], [ "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleosynthesis" ], [], [], [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHsPkoO4wKw" ], [], [], [], [], ...
d4uw5q
why is the color red used for the red light district?
Do the red lights have any effect on the brain with regards to sex drive?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/d4uw5q/eli5_why_is_the_color_red_used_for_the_red_light/
{ "a_id": [ "f0gp1b5", "f0gr64v", "f0hwzhu", "f0j6ai6" ], "score": [ 49, 12, 4, 2 ], "text": [ "No. It has to do with old world Asian influences actually iirc.\n\nThe streets with brothels used to use lanterns with red paper to mark the brothels, they were usually all in on...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
2x5bis
when and why did corsets move away from being common place and become more of a sexual statement?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2x5bis/eli5_when_and_why_did_corsets_move_away_from/
{ "a_id": [ "cox48m8" ], "score": [ 49 ], "text": [ "Corsets really made some sense in an era of multiple pregnancies; they help hold a woman together, keep the weight of her skirts off her hipbones, and provide excellent back support. The problem arises when the fashion is for tight-lacing that ...
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[]
[ [] ]
2p7i0z
how were the first people able to access and use iron ore mines to make things?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2p7i0z/eli5_how_were_the_first_people_able_to_access_and/
{ "a_id": [ "cmu1orp" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "There is a thing called Bog Iron that is just lying around in bogs. \n\nIt comes from water that has Iron in it and through some chemical processes it turns into a lump of Iron ore.\n\nYou would walk around with a stick poking the ground until yo...
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[]
[ [] ]
19532f
Otto von Bismarck...man of war or man of peace?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/19532f/otto_von_bismarckman_of_war_or_man_of_peace/
{ "a_id": [ "c8kvmw1", "c8kwrz9", "c8kzu5k" ], "score": [ 4, 5, 6 ], "text": [ "Can you elaborate on this? I don't understand the question entirely.", "He was a man of power. Everything he did was to increase Prussia's dominance over Germany and when he unified Germany (without...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
104jbt
the group 'anonymous' and some of the major things they have done.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/104jbt/eli5_the_group_anonymous_and_some_of_the_major/
{ "a_id": [ "c6atxz0" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Here you go OP:\n\nAnonymous is a broad term used to refer to members of the 4chan community. (Used in the singular usually as Anon). \n\nThe reason for this came from the posting style of 4chan. 4chan has no registration, so each post is individ...
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[ [] ]
1w7alc
History of Science
Welcome to this AMA which today features nine panelists willing and eager to answer your questions on the History of Science. Our panelists are: * /u/Claym0re: I focus on ancient mathematics, specifically Egyptian, Greek, Chinese, Babylonian, and the Indus River Valley peoples. * /u/TheLionHearted: I have read...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1w7alc/history_of_science/
{ "a_id": [ "cezbvne", "cezc1xp", "cezc7bp", "cezcf5a", "cezchmc", "cezciet", "cezcil6", "cezclag", "cezcmfl", "cezcyfc", "cezd6rr", "cezdbae", "cezdz0k", "cezecic", "cezefy8", "cezeiy5", "cezf5gn", "cezffun", "cezfl5r", "cezgd07", "c...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1w549x/what_is_the_importance_of_ciceros_dream_of_scipio/", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somnium_Scipionis" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "http://www.amazon.com/The-Scientists-History-...
51g85l
How strong is a single carbon nanotube?
Let's say someone firmly anchors a single, continuous carbon nanotube across a hallway at neck height. I walk down the hallway. What happens when I reach the tube? Do I harmlessly break the tube? Do I get a cut to my neck? Do I get decapitated? Edit to say: I couldn't decide if this was a "physics" question or an...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/51g85l/how_strong_is_a_single_carbon_nanotube/
{ "a_id": [ "d7brjox", "d7buvvj" ], "score": [ 6, 23 ], "text": [ "I can't find an actual value for the strength (on my phone) but the CNT will break. CNTs have high strengths and very small diameters so the failure stress (load/area) will be very high, but as the area is very, very low, t...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
65rqf5
What Che Guevara really thought about homosexuality, race, diversity and democracy?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/65rqf5/what_che_guevara_really_thought_about/
{ "a_id": [ "dgd6rlm" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "[I'd recommend this AskHistorians thread](_URL_0_) which answers many parts of your questions." ] }
[]
[]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1lt4rb/was_it_the_truth_behind_the_critical_controversy/" ] ]
21x7hb
i flip a coin 3 times. the first two times i get heads, why is there a 50/50 chance i'll flip heads again but a 12.5% chance i'll flip 3 heads in a row?
Mathematically, this makes sense and I do fine with probability calculations and all that but this has always vexed me. If the probability of flipping heads 3 times in a row is 12.5% and I've already flipped heads 2 times in a row, doesn't it stand to reason that my probability of flipping heads a 3rd consecutive time...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/21x7hb/eli5_i_flip_a_coin_3_times_the_first_two_times_i/
{ "a_id": [ "cghb27h", "cghb4th", "cghb5rm", "cghbuq2" ], "score": [ 2, 4, 5, 2 ], "text": [ "You have **already** made an improbable event happen by flipping heads **2** times. The last one is relatively easy. Like standing on the shoulders of giants.", "There is a 12....
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[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
1h5mm5
Why did some animals evolve to lay eggs? Wouldn't it be more energy-efficient to have eggs inside your body instead of laying them and then having to care for them (like chicken do for example)?
I am sorry if I sound ignorant or stupid, I am a historian.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1h5mm5/why_did_some_animals_evolve_to_lay_eggs_wouldnt/
{ "a_id": [ "cara3x5" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "First a small evolutionary history quibble: egg-laying evolved before internal fertilization and egg-bearing (leading to live birth) did! Think of how salmon breed: the female lays a bunch of unfertilized eggs, then the male comes and fertilizes ...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R/K_selection_theory", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiny_dogfish", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemipenis" ] ]
3ud55f
what is the 2nd world
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3ud55f/eli5_what_is_the_2nd_world/
{ "a_id": [ "cxdts2i", "cxdtw77" ], "score": [ 7, 3 ], "text": [ "During the Cold War, the Second World referred to either the Soviet Union and its allies, or all Communist countries. Depends on who you ask.", "* 1st World: US, NATO, and allies\n* 2nd World: USSR, Warsaw Pact, and alli...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
376f5h
Reddit, what's the best way to get a full read on Russian history?
Are there any good resources/books to read? Any advice on getting an unbiased [within reason] chronological timeline? Any advice in general?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/376f5h/reddit_whats_the_best_way_to_get_a_full_read_on/
{ "a_id": [ "crkb4nc" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Unfortunately, there is no one book or resource that can encapsulate the incredibly diverse and variegated history of Russia. To get something approaching a full read, one should read multiple books and articles. One of the better ways online to ...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.history.illinois.edu/graduate/prospective/fields/russia/reading/" ] ]
1s74qi
Were there any major naval battles during the 30 years war?
Were there any major naval battles during the 30 years war? Maybe involving France and Spain?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1s74qi/were_there_any_major_naval_battles_during_the_30/
{ "a_id": [ "cdupdvv" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "The answer to this, like most 30 years war questions, is yes, maybe, sort of, and after a fashion but it wasn't really what you think. There were a lot of Naval engagements between Spain and the Dutch during the period of the Thirty Years War, an...
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[ [] ]
p5oxo
What is that 'curtain' of gaseous stuff that we usually see falling down the sides of a rocket during launch ?
If you look closely at rocket launches (Saturn V or maybe other rockets too) you will find some kind of a curtain of gaseous stuff falling over its sides. Till this day, I have no idea what that is :( Photo: _URL_1_ and _URL_0_ I have this nagging question ever since I was a kid (now I am 30 but no answer in sight). ...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/p5oxo/what_is_that_curtain_of_gaseous_stuff_that_we/
{ "a_id": [ "c3mpu6l" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "ice- most modern rockets are hydrogen based. And are propelled by large amounts of liquid oxygen in hydrogen, making the surfaces of the rocket very cold before launch, enough that ice forms on the surface, which then falls off during launch. " ...
[]
[ "http://imgur.com/KfQEv", "http://imgur.com/yzEDk" ]
[ [] ]
5x3d2r
Is the European Union the first attempt to unify a whole continent peacefully ?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5x3d2r/is_the_european_union_the_first_attempt_to_unify/
{ "a_id": [ "def9wsd", "deh00gl" ], "score": [ 50, 3 ], "text": [ "The broad answer is \"probably yes\" but it depends on how you define the question.\n\n1. Is the EU a unification project? I think it is - and it's quite clear from the text of the Maastricht Treaty and the statements of po...
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[]
[ [], [ "http://feintandmargin.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Africa-Must-Unite.pdf" ] ]
82hw5j
When did the sentiment, "That America was founded on Christian principles", begin to be popularized?
I was reading about the [Treaty Of Tripoli](_URL_0_), specifically article 11. For those unfamiliar, this treaty was signed in 1796 by President John Adams, one of the founding fathers. Article 11 of the treaty states that: "As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Chri...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/82hw5j/when_did_the_sentiment_that_america_was_founded/
{ "a_id": [ "dvanj1z" ], "score": [ 110 ], "text": [ "This is a great question! I will love to jump into it.\n\nThis notion that America was founded on as a Christian nation stems religious revivals that took America by storm during the first half of the 19th century. This period, often regarded ...
[]
[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Tripoli" ]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7tkwsa/during_the_early_days_of_american_independence/dtfij23/", "http://www.ushistory.org/us/22c.asp", "http://www.mountvernon.org/digital-encyclopedia/article/cherry-tree-myth/" ] ]
om2v9
Are stars visible in daylight?
Today at 5:20pm pst I stepped out onto my back porch to toss my dog his ball. I looked to my left up into the evening sky. It was not even dusk yet, the sky was still light blue and there was cloud cover as we are expecting a big winter storm overnight. I saw a decent sized glowing light in the sky and it appeared to b...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/om2v9/are_stars_visible_in_daylight/
{ "a_id": [ "c3iczlg" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "It was Venus. Venus is bright enough to be seen in day light. Other planets and stars are too dim. Actually they are as bright during the day as they are during the night, but the sky is brighter so you can't see them. The brightness of the sky d...
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[ [] ]
1scmzz
what happens to particles when they dissolve?
Do they just get so microscopically small that we can't see them or do their molecules split or something or other?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1scmzz/eli5_what_happens_to_particles_when_they_dissolve/
{ "a_id": [ "cdw67wt", "cdw6few" ], "score": [ 2, 4 ], "text": [ "Substances that dissolve, do so because they are polar and are introduced into a non-polar solution. What happens is that the bonds between the polar molecule will be affected by the non-polar solution and eventually the mol...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
jhyd9
how is blood pressure measured? why do doctors measure it? what does it tell them?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/jhyd9/eli5_how_is_blood_pressure_measured_why_do/
{ "a_id": [ "c2c9tf3", "c2cbf6s", "c2c9tf3", "c2cbf6s" ], "score": [ 20, 8, 20, 8 ], "text": [ "Blood pressure can be measured in many ways. Most commonly we use sphygmomanometers (you may know them as \"blood pressure cuffs\"). They wrap around your bicep to measure your r...
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[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
1jkoim
Did homer's odysey exist by 700BC?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1jkoim/did_homers_odysey_exist_by_700bc/
{ "a_id": [ "cbfmlj1", "cbfq33k" ], "score": [ 7, 2 ], "text": [ "It depends what you mean by 'The Odyssey'.\n\nThere are several theories for how the poem was composed - one popular theory is ['oral composition'](_URL_0_); instead of being composed by an individual poet, advocates of this...
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[]
[ [ "http://faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/oralcomposition.htm", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeric_Question" ], [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1i0goq/what_evidence_is_there_on_the_trojan_war/" ] ]
5uflos
why is doing the paperwork for income called "paying taxes" when the taxes are already taken from our paychecks?
Are people meaning to say "filing taxes" instead?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5uflos/eli5_why_is_doing_the_paperwork_for_income_called/
{ "a_id": [ "ddtkzv8", "ddtm35j", "ddtmgds", "ddtoiqn", "ddttthw", "ddtwh1e", "ddu05vv", "ddu3tmu" ], "score": [ 12, 43, 5, 3, 4, 13, 3, 5 ], "text": [ "Your taxes are not taken away from your paycheck. The money from your paycheck to the IRS...
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[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
1m0bud
What are the names for the physical aspects of digital memory?
I asked this in /r/nostupidquestions but none of the answers I've received actually answered my question. I'm giving a speech soon on Moore's law for my communications class, and I want to start off with how awesome it is that my little 4GB flash drive the size of my thumb has around thirty-two billion little things...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1m0bud/what_are_the_names_for_the_physical_aspects_of/
{ "a_id": [ "cc4lvbr" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "The RAM in your computer [is made of storage cells (one per bit): one transistor and one capacitor.](_URL_1_)\n\nOTOH, Flash memory is made out of [NAND gates](_URL_0_), with one transistor (more precisely, a [floating-gate MOSFET](_URL_2_)) per ...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memory#NAND", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_random_access_memory#Operation_principle", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floating-gate_transistor" ] ]
1pf0w7
Why did the US adopt 120v60hz as standard vs the much more widely used 220v50hz that most of the world uses?
Title just about sums it up. Is it down to efficiency, ease of delivery, more affordable substations and relays? Enlighten me guys.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1pf0w7/why_did_the_us_adopt_120v60hz_as_standard_vs_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cd1ok57", "cd1vreq" ], "score": [ 10, 16 ], "text": [ "Remember that big choices about distribution and application (eg choice of drives/machinery) were being made long before digital circuitry. Any basic electrical engineering book can go into detail but some simple dot point...
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[]
[ [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_electricity" ] ]
73au15
how come when you stand up on a train you're completely still, but when you stand on a bus you have to hold on to something to stay upright?
How come that in certain passenger trains (Such as luxury trains) one is able to stand without falling over, whereas on buses or even other trains one must hold on to something for support?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/73au15/eli5_how_come_when_you_stand_up_on_a_train_youre/
{ "a_id": [ "dnox7vu", "dnox996", "dnoxoiy" ], "score": [ 13, 2, 3 ], "text": [ "Your body doesn't detect velocity, only change in velocity (acceleration). The reason that you get jostled around is due to a change in your velocity being resisted by your inertia.\n\nTrains tend to m...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
tq200
Quick question about dog genes
When humans inbreed we may have deformaties or mental disablities. I understand dogs have issues with body parts (hips,legs etc). So say if we hadn't domesticated dogs and inbreed for the best possible genes could dogs have adapted or evolved into an intellectual species that could be equeivelent to humans on an inte...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/tq200/quick_question_about_dog_genes/
{ "a_id": [ "c4or2vs" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "If we hadn't domesticated dogs, they would still be wolves." ] }
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[ [] ]
jajec
explain the evolutionary reason for having toes like i'm five.
I get the reasons behind most other parts of the body, but I just don't get the point of toes, beside for stubbing.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/jajec/explain_the_evolutionary_reason_for_having_toes/
{ "a_id": [ "c2ai1m9", "c2ai1m9" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "It adds balance, and originally it was part of our use to hold things with our feet (They where basically like an extra set of hands before we started wearing sandals and whatnot).", "It adds balance, and originally it w...
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[ [], [] ]
2czzca
Does the colour of coffee have any relation to how long it stays hot or it's temperature?
I am basing this question around the idea that darker colours absorb more heat. So, I am wondering, if I were to make two pots of coffee with identical amounts of water but one with a single scoop of coffee and one with two scoops of coffee, would the darker brew stay hotter longer as it is darker in colour?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2czzca/does_the_colour_of_coffee_have_any_relation_to/
{ "a_id": [ "cjkqx3o" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "The coffee with two scoops will cool faster, and it has nothing to do with color.\n\nWater has higher heat capacity than coffee, which means that the higher relative water content, the more heat it needs to lose for it to decrease in temperature....
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_capacity" ] ]
3rnnca
why is cum white when fresh but clear at room temperature?
Curiosity
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3rnnca/eli5_why_is_cum_white_when_fresh_but_clear_at/
{ "a_id": [ "cwpt8jk", "cwpxhmo", "cwq0ieh", "cwq13c0", "cwq1hze", "cwq34zv", "cwq5bt7" ], "score": [ 898, 9, 10, 37, 6, 6, 2 ], "text": [ "Real answer: there are enzymes in the semen that digest the fluid to set the sperm free. It goes from white to...
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
1qu2id
how do voice recognition applications like siri know what we're saying?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1qu2id/eli5_how_do_voice_recognition_applications_like/
{ "a_id": [ "cdgkllx", "cdgnevw", "cdgqsxd", "cdgsr8f" ], "score": [ 20, 10, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "First, it cuts the voice recording into really small segments, like 2/100 or 1/100 of a second long. Then, it multiplies each segment by a bell function to get a clear waveform i...
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[]
[ [], [], [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/Edinburgh/comments/1cbyuk/do_you_have_10_minutes_to_participate_in_an/c9flsvu", "http://www.reddit.com/r/MachineLearning/comments/1pvczl/good_universities_for_machine_learning/cd6nhqx" ], [] ]
1fc0jo
Is the sweat produced by exercising different from the sweat produced by sedentary activities e.g. sweating after a shower or sweating in a hot car?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1fc0jo/is_the_sweat_produced_by_exercising_different/
{ "a_id": [ "ca8snjm", "ca8t0ku", "ca8t9wa", "ca8tb24", "ca8tbwz", "ca8tgdf", "ca8tp1v", "ca8wjy7", "ca8z65e" ], "score": [ 35, 807, 42, 3, 4, 408, 381, 4, 5 ], "text": [ "Also an add on question, if they are different, how do they af...
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
9w3af1
Did the Romans ever use olive oil to fry food?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9w3af1/did_the_romans_ever_use_olive_oil_to_fry_food/
{ "a_id": [ "e9hjvr3" ], "score": [ 80 ], "text": [ "Yes, the cookbook *On Culinary Matters* by Apicius makes frequent reference to frying in oil. You can read it [here](_URL_0_) with pretty copious notes, which are very neccesary given how vague it tends to be.\n\nThis isn't a particularly in dep...
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[ [ "http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Apicius/6*.html#IX" ] ]
1ldzee
why are some decisions voted on by the people and others just by politicians?
I live in Colorado and have voted on the marijuana laws that were put on the ballot. However, recently it was decided that we needed a magazine ban for our rifles (over 15 rounds). Why didn't we get to vote on that? Why are some things up to the people and others seem to be shoved down our throats? This would apply to ...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ldzee/why_are_some_decisions_voted_on_by_the_people_and/
{ "a_id": [ "cbya2l9" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "You have probably heard that the US is a Democratic Republic. This roughly breaks down to mean, that everyone gets to vote (democratic) for representatives who decide laws (republic). \n\nSo in the ideal system, you vote for your representative, ...
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[ [] ]
1l5lua
Why were the designs for nuclear weapons declassified?
I know there are not detailed schematics or anything (as far as I know) but today I can go on Wikipedia and find a diagram of Fat Man and Little Boy, along with both modern fusion and fission bombs. When were the workings of th bomb made public and, maybe more importantly, Why?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1l5lua/why_were_the_designs_for_nuclear_weapons/
{ "a_id": [ "cbw1j88" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "The answer to this could be quite long, because there are multiple levels of information in question. Here's a summary of the basic concepts (I can elaborate on any of these at length):\n\n* The very basic idea of the gun-type weapon was first re...
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[ [ "http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006S2AJ0/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0006S2AJ0&linkCode=as2&tag=000000123-20", "http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/doe/rdd-8.pdf", "http://atomlandonmars.com/greenglass-secret-of-the-atomic-bomb.html" ]...
3tlt4m
why can't tyres be recycled into more tyres? i always see tyre graveyards where they are just left to rot or they are burned.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3tlt4m/eli5_why_cant_tyres_be_recycled_into_more_tyres_i/
{ "a_id": [ "cx78m16", "cx797ir" ], "score": [ 5, 2 ], "text": [ "They can be recycled. You can convert them back into a more suitable base synthetic rubber that you can use for a variety of things like more tires. The problem is that this is a generally prohibitively expensive thing to do...
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[ [ "http://www.earth911.com/living-well-being/travel-living/recycling-mysteries-tires/" ], [] ]
byqeid
why is the portuguese man o' war and other siphonophore considered to be a colony of different organisms if they all have the same dna? wouldn't zooids just be concidered organs?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/byqeid/eli5_why_is_the_portuguese_man_o_war_and_other/
{ "a_id": [ "eqlizsf" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Its like bacteria that can reproduce asexually by splitting themselves. The 2 new bacteria are seperate, but share their dna. \n\nSimilarly, it can br thought of like cloning. If you clone a person, they will be 2 seperate people, but share the s...
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4979qd
Why wasn't the German Empire partitioned like the Austro-Hungarians after WW1?
After WW1 the Austro-Hungarian Empire was divided up to the point of irrelevancy. The Germans however got to keep most of their land apart from some Polish/Baltic holdings. Especially considering the nation was still very young it is strange that the allies kept it mostly intact and instead burdended it with massiv...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4979qd/why_wasnt_the_german_empire_partitioned_like_the/
{ "a_id": [ "d0pynn0" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Germany was ethnically and religiously more unified. Germans were generally Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish and all of these people spoke German as their primary language, or Yiddish, which is partly based in German (and whose speakers were gene...
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8edw3n
difference between probiotics and prebiotics
Edit: I actually went in the search bar and answered the question myself through reading. How do prebiotics work though?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8edw3n/eli5_difference_between_probiotics_and_prebiotics/
{ "a_id": [ "dxuecar" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "Prebiotics are essentially food for probiotics. The way they work is that the probiotics, which boost immunity and general health, mainly for the GI. The probiotics feed on the prebiotics, so they will be able to do what I listed above better.\...
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[ [ "https://www.eatright.org/food/vitamins-and-supplements/nutrient-rich-foods/prebiotics-and-probiotics-creating-a-healthier-you" ] ]
4avezp
Can people with lazy eye choose which eye to use and alternate between them?
[deleted]
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4avezp/can_people_with_lazy_eye_choose_which_eye_to_use/
{ "a_id": [ "d142kwc" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "Optometrist here. The answer is \"sometimes,\" and \"it depends.\"\n\n\"Lazy eye\" means many different things to different people. The clinical definition of lazy eye, or \"amblyopia\" is an eye with reduced vision not due to any organic cause. ...
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3qu80x
Did traditional pike and shot armies ever fight all infantry or all cavalry armies in the open field?
I've read about the clashes between pike and shot armies in Europe throughout the Thirty Years War etc, but did they face other opponents? By all-infantry I mean something like a native American force (which I know the Spanish encountered, but I'm not sure how they dealt with them) and by all-cavalry I mean something ...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3qu80x/did_traditional_pike_and_shot_armies_ever_fight/
{ "a_id": [ "cwiff4p", "cwiqelc" ], "score": [ 15, 6 ], "text": [ " > native American force\n\nNeither the Spanish nor other European powers ever sent an army to the Americas in the initial stages of conquest. \n\n > Mongol horse archer army\n\nNo. \n\n > Did traditional pike and shot a...
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[ [], [] ]
4vuz7w
Astrophysics: Is there a practical reason to build a particle accelerator in space?
I was watching an episode of dark matter and they came across a research station that had a particle accelerator like the LhC built around it. I was wondering would there be any scientific is astronomy reason to do so? Astronomy
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4vuz7w/astrophysics_is_there_a_practical_reason_to_build/
{ "a_id": [ "d621d7u" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "not really astronomy, but building in weightlessness confers the advantage that the components aren't limited by their own weight. If you've seen pictures of the LHC as it was being built you can see huge support structures for the various parts....
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1z1kl6
why is uganda so anti gay?
Is it something inherent in their culture/African culture? Or are they just anti western? Because I see some statements in their news condemning the West for trying to recruit people into "homosexual" organizations?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1z1kl6/eli5why_is_uganda_so_anti_gay/
{ "a_id": [ "cfpoauu", "cfporx1", "cfpsf1p" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "It's cultural. They seeme to be very conservative, probably to the point of making Tea Partiers look like bleeding heart liberals. They don't seem to be \"anti-Western\" in the sense that they are doing...
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[ [], [], [] ]
m8fd2
Nutritionally speaking, is the crust really the best part of bread or were my parents lying to me throughout my childhood?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/m8fd2/nutritionally_speaking_is_the_crust_really_the/
{ "a_id": [ "c2yys2a", "c2yys2a" ], "score": [ 4, 4 ], "text": [ "Amino acids are consumed during the Maillard reactions that brown the crust of your bread, and the resulting reaction products are not nutritionally relevant. So strictly speaking, the crust is less nutritious than the crumb...
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[ [], [] ]
lxwhp
how to properly do laundry.
I've never been able to confront this because of the sheer risk of ruining my clothes. But the time has come and I MUST learn. I've read some articles online, but none have really helped.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/lxwhp/eli5_how_to_properly_do_laundry/
{ "a_id": [ "c2wgwy8", "c2wh1h6", "c2whbhb", "c2wgwy8", "c2wh1h6", "c2whbhb" ], "score": [ 4, 2, 5, 4, 2, 5 ], "text": [ "1) Sort clothes by light and dark.\n\n2) Put clothes in washer with soap.\n\n3) Turn on washer (use cold water).\n\n4) When washer finis...
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
2uz0ig
if a pilot crashes a plane due to a mechanical failure and crash lands into some number of people, killing them, who is at fault?
Let's assume he chose the group of people because he felt that it would cause the least amount of deaths. Edit: I'm curious cuz the pilot has (some) control over the plane until it inevitably crashes. Who would be blamed for those deaths?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2uz0ig/eli5if_a_pilot_crashes_a_plane_due_to_a/
{ "a_id": [ "cocyfx3", "cocyg2z", "cod10on", "cod318s", "codi6qb" ], "score": [ 134, 5, 3, 15, 2 ], "text": [ "Well, 'mechanical failure' excludes the pilot entirely.\n\nNow, it's up to the National Transportation Safety Board. (NTSB) or equivalent agencies to inves...
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[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
2r0j93
How does an Analog-to-Digital converter work ?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2r0j93/how_does_an_analogtodigital_converter_work/
{ "a_id": [ "cnbxe4r" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "There's more than one type of ADC. Common types are SAR, flash, and delta-sigma.\n\nA SAR ADC (essentially) ramps up a voltage using a binary counter until the voltage exceeds the sample voltage. Imagine turning up a dial, then reading the dial w...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta-sigma_modulation" ] ]
1m0j69
why do some people walk on their tippy-toes?
as compared to the normal/standard heel, sole, toe? Is it genetics or just how they learned? Are there any side effects?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1m0j69/eli5_why_do_some_people_walk_on_their_tippytoes/
{ "a_id": [ "cc4mc1w" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Personally, because I grew up in and live in a house with raised timber floors. Clumping through it with a heel-toe walking style makes too much noise and would shake things off shelves." ] }
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we91s
Is there a beginning of time?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/we91s/is_there_a_beginning_of_time/
{ "a_id": [ "c5ckdhy" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "We are not exactly sure when our idea of time began but the common theory is that time began when the Big Bang happened. Therefore you could consider the beginning of time to be the creation of the universe.\n\n\n[From the time wiki:](_URL_0_)\n ...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time#Time_and_the_Big_Bang" ] ]
1v9tur
I saw earlier in /r/todayilearned that there's a giant space cloud composed of water vapor. Is it possible that this will eventually form planets made exclusively of water?
If so, if it was the size of Earth or bigger, what would the core of a water only earth-sized planet be like? Would the water just solidify due to the immense pressure and essentially have a hot ice core? At what depth would the phase change (if any) occur?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1v9tur/i_saw_earlier_in_rtodayilearned_that_theres_a/
{ "a_id": [ "ceq4x01", "ceq5eoy", "ceq60u5", "ceql57y", "ceqns6x" ], "score": [ 8, 118, 374, 3, 17 ], "text": [ "I wonder. Is there a possibility that the H2O could separate and the planet would form in layers?\n\nAssuming that there is enough substance of course."...
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[ [], [], [ "http://cips.berkeley.edu/events/seminars2005_2006/leger.pdf" ], [ "http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Phase_diagram_of_water.svg" ], [ "http://arxiv.org/pdf/1106.4301v2.pdf" ] ]
2a55kf
how do workers build buildings and structures without holding any manuals or instructions?
When I build something from IKEA, for example, there are a billion steps that I follow by looking at a guide. I never see workers out there with even a scrape of paper that lists the measurements between walls etc. How do they know just what to build and what the architect's desired steps are? I'm sure the docs are in ...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2a55kf/eli5_how_do_workers_build_buildings_and/
{ "a_id": [ "cirkckf", "cirkx6k", "cirkzhs", "cirlxp3" ], "score": [ 3, 3, 3, 6 ], "text": [ "Blueprints exist and building plans exist.\n\nAlso adding 1 or 2 parts takes a several man crew. They also are step-by-step instructions because the engineers assume the people who...
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[ [], [], [ "http://www.mitre10.co.nz/Image/item/xlg/179863xlg.jpg" ], [] ]
qiymv
advanced math
I have heard of p = np as sort of the default example of unexplained mathematics. Could someone tell me what the equation is about? Thanks.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/qiymv/advanced_math/
{ "a_id": [ "c3y3t6k" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "P=NP is theoretical computer science, which is technically math but not usually considered as such.\n\nHot topics in pure math right now are:\n\n**WARNING THE FOLLOWING IS NOT ELI5 AT ALL**\n\n* [algebraic geometry](_URL_6_): the study of shapes ...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoneda_lemma", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homotopical_algebra", "http://arxiv.org/archive/math", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topology", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knot_theory", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_theory", "http://en.wikipedia.org/...
9x3iwm
melting glass
So, my fysics teacher says that glass is a liquid and that it will evetually flow out if I place a glass ball on a table, and I belive that, but then I asked him if its possible to make it a solid and he didnt know so Im reaching out to you guy and asking, is it possible to make glass solid?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9x3iwm/eli5_melting_glass/
{ "a_id": [ "e9p93rg", "e9p9g65", "e9p9gxg", "e9pav1x" ], "score": [ 16, 7, 8, 4 ], "text": [ "Your physics teacher is WRONG. People used to believe glass was a liquid but in fact that is a myth caused by medieval windows deforming over time.\nCheck out this article for mor...
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[ [ "https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-fiction-glass-liquid/" ], [], [], [] ]
2qkbpy
does ac electricity work and why/how does the current shift direction?
Also. What on a smaller scale uses AC?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2qkbpy/eli5_does_ac_electricity_work_and_whyhow_does_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cn6velb", "cn6vn0y" ], "score": [ 3, 3 ], "text": [ "Imagine a circuit with a battery powering a lightbulb. The electrons flow from one end of the battery around the circuit to the lightbulb and back to the battery. Now if you flip the battery so that the electrons flow the ot...
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1vur07
What's the biggest living form ?
And is there such a thing as a size limit for a living form ?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1vur07/whats_the_biggest_living_form/
{ "a_id": [ "cew1aqg" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "It depends on where you draw the line for what a single \"organism\" is. \n\nI believe the largest organism on record that is generally accepted as a single unit is a [mushroom colony found in Oregon](_URL_0_) that spanned a couple thousand acres...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largest_organisms#Fungi" ] ]
f79g4d
What civilisation existed before Sumer? I know a little bit about Jericho & Cathalhoyuk, but I’m not too sure about anything else & can’t find too much around the internet
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/f79g4d/what_civilisation_existed_before_sumer_i_know_a/
{ "a_id": [ "fib48nh" ], "score": [ 123 ], "text": [ "**Sumer is the first \"civilization.\"**\n\nArchaeologists have used many definitions of \"civilization\" over the years, but today most use it to mean urbanized, state-level societies.\n\nA \"civilization\" has *all* of the following: (1) citi...
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5p0mkb
the shape of mushroom clouds
Why does the explosion from a nuclear bomb look like a mushroom?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5p0mkb/eli5_the_shape_of_mushroom_clouds/
{ "a_id": [ "dcnmau4" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "The initial explosion is so intense and hot it pushes and burns the air around it out, when the energy dissipates it essentially creates a negative pressure zone. The rush of air back to the center point is moving very fast, when it collides with...
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h1pfw
Why is it that water tastes differently when it comes out of the faucet slowly vs. quickly?
Or does it? I frequently find that my glass of water seems to taste better when I let the water come out of the tap slowly, compared to when I let all of the water pour out quickly. Could it possibly be an oxygen issue?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/h1pfw/why_is_it_that_water_tastes_differently_when_it/
{ "a_id": [ "c1ry0ot" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "I am no expert. I think that might be because the water has air in it when it comes out faster. If you look at it while coming out faster, you can see how it's not a steady stream, but it has air throughout. The change in taste probably comes fro...
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1tqsm4
why do iphones and louis vuitton bags' prices are standard all over the world yet medicine prices vary extremely worldwide?
Am just sayin.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1tqsm4/eli5_why_do_iphones_and_louis_vuitton_bags_prices/
{ "a_id": [ "ceajjdk", "ceajluz", "ceakkbk" ], "score": [ 9, 2, 7 ], "text": [ "Because drugs are very heavily regulated relative to consumer products.", "The prices are practically the same on big name brand items because the companies that make them set pricing that their ite...
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49hnbk
what 'diminishing returns' means in a gym sense
I understand it in an economic sense but I don't understand how it applies to resistance training, and how increasing intensity can inevitably result in a plateau in results.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/49hnbk/eli5_what_diminishing_returns_means_in_a_gym_sense/
{ "a_id": [ "d0rvm3v" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "There is a hard limit to the amount of muscle you can gain with every passing year. When you first start, you will get a fairly good amount but this will diminsh every year from then on if you keep lifting without a long break. After a while, the...
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1m7o2i
How were one or more miscarriages viewed in the late middle ages?
I tried this almost a week ago and got no replies, so I'm trying again. I've tried searching for answers myself, but anything I find is related to induced miscarriages and abortions. How did people view miscarriages? Were women who tended towards multiple miscarriages viewed negatively? Would people blame a miscarria...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1m7o2i/how_were_one_or_more_miscarriages_viewed_in_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cc6rxwi", "cc6zv0v", "cc742hi" ], "score": [ 3, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "From my source (Cunningham's *Children and Childhood in Western Society Since 1500*) it is implied that there was grief for children. Not much is mentioned when it comes to miscarriages. But people did ...
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