q_id stringlengths 5 6 | title stringlengths 3 301 | selftext stringlengths 0 39.2k | document stringclasses 1
value | subreddit stringclasses 3
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g13hec | During the ww2, do any of belligerent dispose some sort of "night vision equipment" to help night combat? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/g13hec/during_the_ww2_do_any_of_belligerent_dispose_some/ | {
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"I can speak about Soviet night vision equipment.\n\nDevelopment of night vision devices began in the late 1920s, but there was no prototype produced before 1940. The initial goal was to create night vision driver's observation devices so that tan... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.tankarchives.ca/2019/10/night-vision-driving.html",
"http://www.tankarchives.ca/2019/10/night-driving.html",
"http://www.tankarchives.ca/2020/01/night-vision-conclusions.html",
"http://www.tankarchives.ca/2016/12/pre-war-night-vision.html",
"http://www.tankarchives.ca/2013/10/night... | ||
b0ljvb | Why didn't Japan have to pay reparations for World War II when Germany did? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/b0ljvb/why_didnt_japan_have_to_pay_reparations_for_world/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"What makes you think they didnt?\n\nPost war reparations from Japan took two main forms, very similar to what was extracted from the European Axis. The first being cash or free goods and services to both former combatant nations, and former Alli... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.taiwandocuments.org/sanfrancisco01.htm",
"https://www.loc.gov/law/help/pow-compensation/japan.php"
]
] | ||
147g5h | Are there example of inter-species cooperation in nature? | Humans have domesticated animals rather successfully and often those animals get along rather well, without which, traditional farming would be much more difficult. Additionally, I keep seeing examples on reddit of animal which would in nature most likely never interact socially getting along quite well (mostly cats an... | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/147g5h/are_there_example_of_interspecies_cooperation_in/ | {
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"c7aikkw",
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3,
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"text": [
"It has happened in ants, some species of ants farm aphids as a food source. _URL_1_\n\nEdi... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutualism_%28biology%29",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphid#Ant_mutualism"
],
[],
[
"http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleaner_fish"
],
[],
[
"http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn10730-eels-and-groupers-hunt-better-together.html"
],
[],
[
"http:... | |
tp169 | what is 4chan and 9gag? | ... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/tp169/eli5_what_is_4chan_and_9gag/ | {
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"text": [
"4chan is a forum, comprised of unadulterated core of the internet. There are no rules in 4chan. It's the Internet, unrated, XXX edition. What you may see there may scar you for life.\n\n9gag is a website that takes funny content from reddit and ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1ue0gr | why can't the hpv be cured? | While cancer and other deadly diseases can be cured in this day and age, why is it not possible to get rid of HPV (or the herpes virus) for good once you've contracted it? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ue0gr/eli5_why_cant_the_hpv_be_cured/ | {
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"text": [
"If i'm not misstaken you can get HPV vaccine... that is a cure.",
"There are exactly zero viruses that we know how to cure. Influenza? Nope. Chicken Pocks? Nope. HPV? Nope.\n\nWhen people give you m... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
32fvn3 | How do we imagine stuff we've never seen before? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/32fvn3/how_do_we_imagine_stuff_weve_never_seen_before/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"Imagination and sight are two domains working in paralel. \nYou can imagine only that what you have seen (all kinds of shapes/colors), for it was alrerady associated (preserving the structure (pathways) of a specific picture corresponding to real... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150413130823.htm"
]
] | ||
3dlqjc | Has anyone used game theory to attempt to explain sexual selection? | I've been reading other posts about sexual selection and in particular peacock tails, and the responses are usually in the form of "Here are a list of hypotheses that may explain what we observe, but we're not sure which, if any of these, are actually at work".
It seems like there's no clear theory as to why sexual se... | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3dlqjc/has_anyone_used_game_theory_to_attempt_to_explain/ | {
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"ct6log7",
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"score": [
2,
2,
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"text": [
"In our game theory lecture the prof. talked about peacocks and mentioned the [Handicap principle](_URL_0_).",
"I think your issue is claiming the females male offspring will be... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handicap_principle"
],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
1ykwfp | Does body temperature change when you're sleeping?. | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1ykwfp/does_body_temperature_change_when_youre_sleeping/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"Body temperature can naturally fluctuate up to a degree Celsius or more throughout the day. It varies with your circadian rhythm, amongst other factors. Tends to be lowest in the middle of the night or early morning.\n\n_URL_0_\n\nSecondary sourc... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_body_temperature#Natural_rhythms"
]
] | ||
zrgv2 | why is interference with digital tv signals so seemingly mysterious and unpredictable? | I have two digital TV's in my house. Both are hooked up to a wall socket (with a splitter leading to two long RF cables) which is connected to an internal roof antenna with an amplifier and all the usual stuff connected to a powerful antenna.
Then yesterday, a problem cropped up. Basically, the "Secondary" TV stopped... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/zrgv2/eli5_why_is_interference_with_digital_tv_signals/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"I'm not so great at explaining things, but here's my attempt:\n\n\"Digital\" signals are transmitted between the source and destination as analogue transmissions (voltages on a wire, radio waves, etc). The source will typically add redundant info... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
9n182k | Can old plastics spontaneously explode? | I was listening to the 99% Invisible podcast, at about 19:30 someone (Emma McClendon?) says the following (my transcription, please forgive any errors).
I did a few Google searches but couldn't find anything more.
"This is what people need to realize, plastics sometimes age
in such a way that they are attempting to... | askscience | https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/9n182k/can_old_plastics_spontaneously_explode/ | {
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"text": [
"Plastics will degrade/decompose over time. How quickly depends largely on the type of plastic, and the conditions of use/storage. Generally, any extreme conditions (heat, humidity, pH, etc.) will be harsher.\n\nThat being ... | [] | [
"https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/blue-jeans-articles-of-interest-5/"
] | [
[],
[
"https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/magazine/celluloid-the-eternal-substitute",
"https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/what-to-know-about-celluloid-149074",
"http://mentalfloss.com/article/64247/first-plastic-billiard-balls-routinely-exploded"
]
] | |
swie5 | Can someone explain to me how and why mass increases with speed? | I was watching a video about the LHC and they were saying that the mass of the particle by the time it reached the 4th stage in the LHC was something like 25,000 times the mass of the particle before acceleration. How does an object add mass? Why are mass and speed linked in such a way. Am i confusing mass and weig... | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/swie5/can_someone_explain_to_me_how_and_why_mass/ | {
"a_id": [
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"score": [
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"text": [
"They are considering relativistic mass which sounds fancy, but isn't used often by the physicists I know because it leads to confusion and questions exactly like yours. :P\n\nThe idea of relativistic mass is that it's the hypothetical rest (not m... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
4fw0hl | Why is the Sin 0i/Sin 0r ratio is equal to the refractive index of a material? | Hi, I was covering sine's law in my science class and could not figure out how this ratio is equal to the refractive index. Thank you! | askscience | https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4fw0hl/why_is_the_sin_0isin_0r_ratio_is_equal_to_the/ | {
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"text": [
"This only works if the index of refraction in the material where the incident beam travels is 1 (which would be the case, to very good accuracy, if the incident beam is traveling in air). You can see this via Snell's Law."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
h52fl | What happens when a black hole "finishes"? | So I was reading an article on misconceptions about blackholes and the author was talking about "active" black holes. So my layman's understanding of black holes (and please correct me if I'm wrong) is that they are a point with intense gravitational pull that suck things into its center to create something incredibly ... | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/h52fl/what_happens_when_a_black_hole_finishes/ | {
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"text": [
" > So what happens when a black hole is finished sucking things into its center? Do they ever finish?\n\nThe \"sucking\" is nothing more than the force of gravity. Black holes have mass, and are generally the result of a st... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_galactic_nucleus"
]
] | |
2nwkkw | how does dominos pizza tracker work? or is it not even real? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2nwkkw/eli5_how_does_dominos_pizza_tracker_work_or_is_it/ | {
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"text": [
"They have buttons to press on their display screens that tell them what to make. In theory it's real and shows the real names of the people that are really logged in. But how real it actually is depends on how much you trust... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
11xjjp | Is there anything advantageous about the position of our solar system within the Milky Way Galaxy? | Earth is within the solar system's "Goldilocks Zone." Earth is neither too close, nor too far from the sun's radiation for liquid water to exist here. My question is: Would a solar system like our own be able to exist at a distance significantly further from or closer to the center of our galaxy? Is there some limiting... | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/11xjjp/is_there_anything_advantageous_about_the_position/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"I'll give one example. We would have no luck trying to find a location for our solar system near the core of the galaxy. Stars are much more densly packed near the center, 0.2 stars per cubic parsec where we now are located ... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~ryden/ast162_7/notes31.html"
],
[
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTfhbQd-UeU#t=5m48s"
]
] | |
rfji7 | 100-year-old light bulb? | Today, I learned that there is a [light bulb](_URL_0_) that has been glowing continuously for over a century. How is this possible? Why don't regular, more advanced light bulbs last as long? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/rfji7/100yearold_light_bulb/ | {
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"text": [
"Low power (about 4 watts), robust carbon filament and a lack of thermal expansion/contraction cycles since it's left on.\n\n4 watts isn't very bright (60 watts is a \"normal\" incandescent bulb), cheaper and easier to make f... | [] | [
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centennial_Light"
] | [
[],
[]
] | |
9f04e3 | If grasses evolved relatively recently, what kinds of plants were present in the areas where they are dominant today? | Also, what was the coverage like in comparison? How did this effect erosion in different areas? For that matter, what about before land plants entirely? Did erosive forces act faster? | askscience | https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/9f04e3/if_grasses_evolved_relatively_recently_what_kinds/ | {
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"I'm not the best suited to give an in-depth explanation, but I would note that angiosperms as a whole are relatively recent in t... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poales",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyperaceae"
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8obnqq | Can Pilot Wave Theory be expanded to incorporate relativity? What are the current barriers to its expansion? | askscience | https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/8obnqq/can_pilot_wave_theory_be_expanded_to_incorporate/ | {
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"The fundamental problem in combining pilot wave theory and relativity is that:\n\n* Pilot wave requires each particle's motion to be determined by the motions of every other particle's motions in the whole universe at that instantaneous moment. ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
2uf1hk | why to the label wood 2"x4"/ 2"x6" / 2"x8" etc when the true measurements are irregular and actually 1.75"x3.5" and so on | *they | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2uf1hk/eli5_why_to_the_label_wood_2x4_2x6_2x8_etc_when/ | {
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"That is the original dimensions of the rough cut lumber. Older houses actually have 2\" x 4\" 2x4s but later they began to plane 1/4\" off each side for nicer wood, as a result, e... | [] | [] | [
[],
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"http://imgur.com/pW8NSl0"
],
[
"http://twentytwowords.com/wp-content/uploads/Exploded-log-cross-section-634x495.jpg"
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6v3nro | Was there any pushback to Sykes–Picot Agreement in the West? | It just on its face seems like such a bad idea, did folks warn of possible issues at the time? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6v3nro/was_there_any_pushback_to_sykespicot_agreement_in/ | {
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"There was absolutely opposition to the agreement in the West. For the most part it took on one of two, similar yet different, forms: one was the outrage at the British Administration for violating the Arab's right to self-determination, and the ... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/02/the-middle-east-that-might-have-been/385410/"
]
] | |
2amh62 | History of international trade: where did the actual exchanges take place? | It's easy to research where the trade routes were for any given period of time. I wanted to know where goods were exchanged. Specifically, how organized was this process? Did all villages on the trade routes have markets and all of the exchanges took place there? Was it more of an exchange of goods, or was there a comm... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2amh62/history_of_international_trade_where_did_the/ | {
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"It depends on what type and scale of trade you are talking about. Some types of trade aren't really done from a profit motive, and are more accurately termed \"exchange\". A classic example is the so-called \"Kula Ring\" famously described by ear... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
8el93g | chimerism and how it happens in humans. | Asking due to [this comment](_URL_0_) from a /r/showerthoughts post. Credit to /u/yumyumsmoothie for the post mentioning Chimerism.
| explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8el93g/eli5_chimerism_and_how_it_happens_in_humans/ | {
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"I heard about this case also, and just did a little research. Basically, two separate fertilized eggs merge together, and the DNA is combined. Certain parts of the body have different DNA. [Here](_UR... | [] | [
"https://www.reddit.com/r/Showerthoughts/comments/8ej3xp/men_may_never_know_the_pain_of_childbirth_but/dxvsaci/"
] | [
[
"https://www.livescience.com/61890-what-is-chimerism-fused-twin.html"
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[],
[]
] | |
3nrmv7 | when drinking, why don't liquids flow straight down instead of us having to swallow them? | Tried Wiki - couldn't get through the Latin medical terminology. When you drink something, you make an active decision to swallow the liquid already held in your mouth, why isn't this automatic so that the drink flows straight down? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3nrmv7/eli5_when_drinking_why_dont_liquids_flow_straight/ | {
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"It gives you the chance to hold something and breath without swallowing. Imagine if the substance was blood, poison, or saltwater: would you really want to sw... | [] | [] | [
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4b83wk | why does the ethernet cable from the router to the modem need many conductors when the coaxial cable from the modem to the "internet" only need 1(plus sheath)? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4b83wk/eli5_why_does_the_ethernet_cable_from_the_router/ | {
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"Your modem (modulator-demodulator) changes the digital signals being carried by the Ethernet cable into an analog signal which is mor... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
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] | ||
48orfm | us serving sizes | can someone explain how US food products determine how much a serving size is? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/48orfm/eli5_us_serving_sizes/ | {
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"The FDA has serving size guidelines, which are codified in [21CFR101.12](_URL_0_). Manufacturers are not required to use those sizes, but they usually seem to when it's a bulk product, or, for single-s... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/101.12"
],
[],
[]
] | |
a0xba3 | Is there any difference between the light that a flashlight makes to the light that the sun makes? | askscience | https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/a0xba3/is_there_any_difference_between_the_light_that_a/ | {
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"text": [
"Generally yes. The color of light is determined by the length/frequency of the electromagnetic waves that make it up, and light from LED bulbs and incandescent bulbs have a [different pattern of wavele... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.sunkissedsolar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/light-spectrum-768x422.jpg"
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[],
[]
] | ||
332qmq | there are more and more posts about how other countries have much better education systems than the us, so why does the us seem to have the greatest scientific advances? | Sorry if I sound like a condescending asshole. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/332qmq/eli5_there_are_more_and_more_posts_about_how/ | {
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"text": [
"When they talk about education system they usually arent talking about higher education like universities.. We have a metricfuckton o... | [] | [] | [
[],
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"http://www.epi.org/publication/us-student-performance-testing/"
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"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_Ranking_of_World_Universities#Results",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_research_and_development_spending"
],
[],
[]
] | |
c93pwp | how is the universe expanding, but it's not expanding *into* a larger containing space? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/c93pwp/eli5_how_is_the_universe_expanding_but_its_not/ | {
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... | [] | [] | [
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"https://xkcd.com/895/"
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9ylvtl | gauge theory | I heard about it for the first time from Eric Weinstein on Joe Rogan’s podcast, but it all kind of went over my head. Every explainer video I’ve found goes into some pretty complex math - so if it’s possible to explain like I’m 5, reddit please help me. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9ylvtl/eli5_gauge_theory/ | {
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"text": [
"I'm going to give this a red hot go for that sweet Karma. \n\n\nGauge theory: The first thing to take from this is the word gauge refers to a measurement, and isn't some dudes last name tied to a complex formula. Gauge can refer to things such a... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
fupjio | why isn't there a pattern in prime numbers? | I have always wondered, even though prime numbers can be understood by a fifth grader. We were never able to crack the inherent pattern in them. I don't understand how something could just be random in Mathematics. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/fupjio/eli5_why_isnt_there_a_pattern_in_prime_numbers/ | {
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"They have a kinds of pattern, because numbers that aren't prime numbers have a pattern.\n\nEvery second number after 2 is not a prime. Every third number af... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMkIiFs35HQ"
],
[],
[],
[
"https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.abc.net.au/article/9338876"
]
] | |
2me1fg | Could there possibly be any solar systems that have a supermassive "planet" at the center instead of a star? If not, why are there always stars at the center? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2me1fg/could_there_possibly_be_any_solar_systems_that/ | {
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"text": [
"Well, the thing that defines such a system is the large mass of gravity at the center. If you have a large enough mass it will collapse in on itself and bec... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
3cgwpu | why do many democracies have a president? | Why don't countries highest power lie in the senate, so that the whole country(the highest-clearance actions) doesn't lie in one person's hands? Also, why the fuck does the opinion of one person determine whether nuclear weapons will be used? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3cgwpu/eli5_why_do_many_democracies_have_a_president/ | {
"a_id": [
"csvelsn"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Because it just doesn't work practically to have a country led by 100+ people. When another country wants to communicate with it, who would they talk to? One of the 100? Wouldn't that de facto make that one guy the leader?\n\nTo the second par... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
6igkfs | how do craft like voyager and pioneer propel themselves through space? are the using the gravity of the bodies they pass by to slingshot along, or do they use thrusters of some sort and propel themselves along? a combination of both? | The idea of zooming around in space fascinates me and I wonder how it works. Are all the "directions" pre-programmed before the mission or are there people on Earth giving inputs? So many questions! | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6igkfs/eli5_how_do_craft_like_voyager_and_pioneer_propel/ | {
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"text": [
"They travel at constant velocity in a straight line because that's what Newton's law tells them to do. There is no friction, nothing stops them. They will continue moving at consta... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
9c8rjs | All ancient peoples discovered and used fermentation to brew alcohol except native Americas. Why didn't they discover the process? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9c8rjs/all_ancient_peoples_discovered_and_used/ | {
"a_id": [
"e58x9dl"
],
"score": [
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],
"text": [
"Not to discourage any further answers, but you'll want to read these older posts about the development of alcohol and other fermented beverages in the Americas:\n\n[Before contact with Europeans, were there any fermented alcoholic beverages (beer... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1dhvtk/what_types_of_pleasure_drugs_were_used_in_the/c9qsfln/?st=jlk8oclq&sh=ce36579c",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/14lq6l/did_native_americans_ever_produce_alcohol/c7ec9u8/?st=jlk8o7f5&sh=509b9d95",
"https://www.reddit.com/... | ||
dhe2aq | why are most coins in the world circular? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/dhe2aq/eli5_why_are_most_coins_in_the_world_circular/ | {
"a_id": [
"f3mm9ee",
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"f3nkqrr",
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"f3nsgvz",
"f3nt4d7",
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"score": [
2800,
494,
66,
808,
3,
22,
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32,
19,
2... | [] | [] | [
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[],
[],
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"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_currency"
],
[],
[
"https://www.telegraph.co.uk/only-in-britain/50-pence-coin-enters-circulation/"
],
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/dha0o9/the\\_surinam\\_cent\\_is\\_a\\_square\\_coin/",
"https:/... | ||
7vul05 | At what temperature do Bose-Einstein Condensates and other exotic states of matter exist? | All I can seem to find is that "Bose-Einstein Condensates exist in very low temperatures whilst plasma and quark-gluon plasma exists at very high temperatures." Does anyone know exact temperatures that these states of matter exist? For example, does a BEC only occur in temperatures ranging 1 – 10 kelvin or 1 – 10 nanok... | askscience | https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/7vul05/at_what_temperature_do_boseeinstein_condensates/ | {
"a_id": [
"dtveqbu",
"dtvnpx9"
],
"score": [
5,
2
],
"text": [
"Helium-3 and -4 both form Bose-Einstein condensates, as do the electrons in a superconductor.\n\nHe-4 transitions at around 2-3K if I remember, and He-3 is a bit lower, which is because He-4 is a boson while He-3 is a fermio... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
25ew6u | What plans, if any, did the Confederate States of America have - or discuss - for expansion into Latin America? | I know about groups like Knights of the Golden Circle from before secession, and I know that the Constitution of the CSA included provisions regarding future expansion, but I haven't seen much about post-secession.
Did Confederate leaders still plan to annex (or discuss annexation of) additional territory for the expa... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/25ew6u/what_plans_if_any_did_the_confederate_states_of/ | {
"a_id": [
"chgmi9b"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"None that I know of, however, Southerners before the war had long had pipe dreams of an America that would extend to Panama. All of these new territories would be slave states. More realistic were attempts to gain Cuba as a slave state. One south... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
mlrui | how "e" raised to "i times pi" is -1. how can you raise a real number by an imaginary number and get a real number? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/mlrui/eli5_how_e_raised_to_i_times_pi_is_1_how_can_you/ | {
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"score": [
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"text": [
"It happens because of how closely related the exponential and trigonometric functions are.\n\ne^*ix* = cos x + isin x.\n\nIf you're okay at calculus, [this site](_URL_0_) has a pre... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.math.toronto.edu/mathnet/questionCorner/epii.html"
],
[],
[
"http://www.math.toronto.edu/mathnet/questionCorner/epii.html"
],
[]
] | ||
aobfq2 | why is sexual isolation not reversible? | When speciation occurs over time and two species that used to be able to reproduce can no longer reproduce to make a viable offspring.
I don’t think this process is reversible, and I was wondering if anyone could explain why it isn’t (if that’s truly the case) | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/aobfq2/eli5_why_is_sexual_isolation_not_reversible/ | {
"a_id": [
"efznb1w",
"efzpew6"
],
"score": [
8,
2
],
"text": [
"When the two populations have experienced enough different mutations that their offspring are not viable it is extremely unlikely that later mutations are going to sync up such that later offspring are viable. It isn't techn... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
3wk3or | why did some animals become mainstream pets? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3wk3or/eli5_why_did_some_animals_become_mainstream_pets/ | {
"a_id": [
"cxwrqgf",
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"score": [
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"text": [
"They were the easiest to tame and domesticate. Also, some had actual uses beyond \"companion\".",
"Dogs that liked to be around humans did better than those who didn't. Even... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
1cptii | What is the temperature at which heavy elements will undergo fission? | In astronomy, I learned about the CNO fission cycle which happens in a star after helium is used up. This leads to a star core comprised of heavier elements. At what point will say, gold, undergo nuclear fission?
EDIT: I meant fusion, not fission. As helpfully pointed out to me below. | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1cptii/what_is_the_temperature_at_which_heavy_elements/ | {
"a_id": [
"c9iv88k",
"c9ix2h1",
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"score": [
3,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"It's actually the [CNO *fusion* cycle](_URL_2_). There is a big difference between [fusion](_URL_1_) and [fission](_URL_3_). From the Wikipedia page, [here's](_URL_0_) a graph showing the relationship b... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Fusion_rxnrate.svg",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fusion",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNO_cycle",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fission"
],
[
"http://www.windows2universe.org/sun/Solar_interior/Nuclear_Reactions/Fusion... | |
35fhfh | If mockingbirds mimic sounds and calls from other birds, how do they attract mates? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/35fhfh/if_mockingbirds_mimic_sounds_and_calls_from_other/ | {
"a_id": [
"cr3ze00"
],
"score": [
24
],
"text": [
"IIRC they attract mates by doing a series of different sounds/calls, the females go to the male with the most complex series of sounds. So basically they know to listen for a bizarre series of sounds inexplicably coming from just one tree, as op... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
2zh69u | Which publication of the Diary of Anne Frank is the most historically accurate? | My daughter has a oral book report due next month about a person who had a significant impact on the world. Based on my daughters age and also her interests, she chose to complete her presentation about Anne Frank.
& nbsp;
I read a version of the Diary of Anne Frank several times when I was her age, however since... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2zh69u/which_publication_of_the_diary_of_anne_frank_is/ | {
"a_id": [
"cpivffs"
],
"score": [
8
],
"text": [
"OK, there is a lot here that needs to be addressed. \n\nThe three versions you discuss are the A, B, and C versions. The A version was the original diary that Anne wrote during hiding. The B version is a rewrite, also by Anne, of the first entrie... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.annefrank.org/en/Anne-Frank/A-diary-as-a-best-friend/At-last-seriously-taken-as-a-writer/",
"http://amzn.com/0385508476"
]
] | |
4q485i | How did tobacco altar old world society after it's new world discovery? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4q485i/how_did_tobacco_altar_old_world_society_after_its/ | {
"a_id": [
"d4qfcw7"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"There's an excellent recent book about tobacco and China by the historian Carol Benedict, \"Golden-Silk Smoke: A History of Tobacco in China, 1550-2010.\" Like many other products found by Europeans in the Americas (ranging from large quantities ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
1tn6e0 | why does ordering something from a tv commercial takes so long to be received versus getting it from an online site ? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1tn6e0/eli5_why_does_ordering_something_from_a_tv/ | {
"a_id": [
"ce9l23u",
"ce9m9ru"
],
"score": [
2,
5
],
"text": [
"Because often times a large part of their profit is from overcharging you for the crappy shipping they use which in reality costs about 1/5th of what you paid. Additionally home shopping network, and others like it, are typ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
89shhz | What changed that the commander of a Combat Air Group went from being a Commander rank to a Captain? | I was touring the USS Midway last week and I saw they had a list of all the people who where in charge of the CAG. Up until the 70s they were all Commanders. Afterwards, most were Captains. What changed? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/89shhz/what_changed_that_the_commander_of_a_combat_air/ | {
"a_id": [
"dwtdu3v"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"It was an intentional change to pump up the Carrier Air Wing's CO billet to 0-6. The change was phased in over a number of years that put the Carrier's CO and the CAG on equal footing as partners who both were direct reports to the Strike Group C... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
15qurk | Anti-abolitionists in the US cited economics as their most common argument against ending slavery. Did the US suffer any noticeable recession soon after the passing of the 13th Amendment? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/15qurk/antiabolitionists_in_the_us_cited_economics_as/ | {
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"c7ozb8n",
"c7ozkga",
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"score": [
8,
2,
2,
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"text": [
"I would imagine this would be really hard to quantify since so much of the South'a economy was also recovering from the loss of life and and other reconstruction efforts after the ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[
"http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?index=books&linkCode=qs&keywords=0807131830",
"http://books.wwnorton.com/books/978-0-393-31219-5/",
"http://books.google.com/books/about/Time_on_the_Cross.html?id=ScpPBinpzwoC",
"http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?index=books&linkCode=qs&... | ||
9hg42u | Why did Ancient Egyptians really worship cats? Is this where the 9 lives saying originates? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9hg42u/why_did_ancient_egyptians_really_worship_cats_is/ | {
"a_id": [
"e6bucfw"
],
"score": [
12
],
"text": [
"The problem with finding the origin of a folk belief like this one - that cat's have nine lives - is that when there is no clear answer, folklore typically invents one (the folk abhor a vacuum!). The idea that Ancient Egypt is the source of this... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat#History_and_mythology",
"https://mythology.stackexchange.com/questions/1843/what-is-the-folkloristic-origin-of-cats-having-9-lives"
]
] | ||
7dpvmb | does temperature affect evaporation rate below boiling point? | I figure that water would evaporate faster as you get into higher temps, but is there some force at work that keeps the rate consistent below boiling point? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7dpvmb/eli5_does_temperature_affect_evaporation_rate/ | {
"a_id": [
"dpzkxvq"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
" Water evaporates much faster at higher temps. Think of a clothes dryer. If the heat didn't speed the evaporation of the water in the clothes, there would be no need to warm the incoming air. Smear a drop of water on a cool surface and the same s... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
3bnoy2 | what is will power and where does it come from if emotion is based off of chemical interactions? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3bnoy2/eli5_what_is_will_power_and_where_does_it_come/ | {
"a_id": [
"csns63h"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"\"Will power\" is not a concept that modern psychologists really use -- it's kind of an inaccurate idea.\n\nA more accurate version is \"delayed gratification\". This means the ability to give up a short-term pleasure in order to obtain a larger ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
4wov03 | is it possible for humans to procreate during zero gravity space flight? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4wov03/eli5_is_it_possible_for_humans_to_procreate/ | {
"a_id": [
"d68quhc",
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"score": [
3,
2
],
"text": [
"Probably, sperm don't need gravity to travel. So a woman could probably get pregnant, but as far as after that, we just don't know. IIRC Vsauce did a video on this.",
"The short answer is, we don't know. Possible, maybe.... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
37twtw | If a tree lives to be 10,000 years old will it under go the same evolution of a series of 1000 ten year old trees of the same species? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/37twtw/if_a_tree_lives_to_be_10000_years_old_will_it/ | {
"a_id": [
"crq1mhr"
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"score": [
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"text": [
" A single tree cannot undergo evolution. Evolution is a process that can only be seen at the population level. A simple definition of evolution is: change in the genetic composition of a population over time [(Source)]( _URL_0_). So neither the 1... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.nature.com/scitable/definition/evolution-78",
"http://i.imgur.com/aylGhDL.png",
"http://i.imgur.com/d6kY0u8.png"
]
] | ||
aw870k | the indian “head bob” | I’ve seen a lot of references to the Indian cultural communication method colloquially know as the “the head bob”.
I’ve read that it means different things in different contexts... what are the main ones? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/aw870k/eli5_the_indian_head_bob/ | {
"a_id": [
"ehkmq6f"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"In America it is generally understood that rotating the head up and down means \"yes\" and rotation side to side means \"no\".\n\nHowever in India there are a lot more head movements with different meanings. Along with the two Americans are famil... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
blh3oo | why is it princess eugenie and princess beatrice, but it's lady louise windsor and james, viscount severn? | Obviously there is Prince Harry and William as the grandchildren in the succession line, and all of the Queens children are Princes and Princesses (Charles, Anne etc), but why are two of her grandchildren Princesses, and another two are not? Both grandchildren from Andrew and Sarah are Princesses (Eugenie and Beatrice... | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/blh3oo/eli5_why_is_it_princess_eugenie_and_princess/ | {
"a_id": [
"emocoig"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"This one's entirely up to personal choice. Whose choice, exactly, is not entirely clear, but when Prince Edward married, there was a royal press release that all of his children were to be styled as nobility, rather than royalty."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
2m9liy | Can anyone point me toward some Norse elated books? | Edit: title should read "related" sorry.
I'm interested in expanding my knowledge about all things Norse. Currently I know very little but the concept of Vikings has always been fascinating to me. I'm hoping to find books relating to Norse culture, mythology, history, or warfare during the times when Vikings were most... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2m9liy/can_anyone_point_me_toward_some_norse_elated_books/ | {
"a_id": [
"cm2cyq9"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"Well, your best bet for a worm's eye view of Scandinavian society in the early middle ages (or, at least, a 13th century interpretation thereof) are the sagas.\n\nI would recommend highly the Folio Society's *The Icelandic Sagas*, as well as esse... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
8528wz | How fast do clouds move in relation to the earth? What factors are there when measuring the speed of clouds? | Just looking at clouds on the chair lift this morning and during conversation with my friend we were discussing like what needs to be understood to know how fast clouds are moving. | askscience | https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/8528wz/how_fast_do_clouds_move_in_relation_to_the_earth/ | {
"a_id": [
"dvug8u8"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"They move at the speed of the wind at their altitude, typically tens of kilometers per hour. You can measure their angular velocity as seen from you, and you can determine their distance with triangulation if you have at least a second viewing po... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
230qn5 | why is fluoride put in water marketed to babies if they are going to lose all of their teeth in a few years? | I've seen the "baby water" in the grocery store many times. I've checked it out, and it looks like the only difference is that it has more fluoride. Why do they add it if the babies potentially don't even have teeth yet, and are going to get a new set within a few years? Does it strengthen bones? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/230qn5/eli5_why_is_fluoride_put_in_water_marketed_to/ | {
"a_id": [
"cgs8ww4",
"cgs9a7n",
"cgs9zdr"
],
"score": [
5,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"Because their teeth can still rot before they fall out, which can still be painful, and getting fillings as a child sucks. EDIT: Also consider the associated plaque, bone loss, and risk of infection ass... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/201_Elements_of_the_Human_Body-01.jpg"
],
[]
] | |
efaqp2 | tears | What's actually happening when we blink back tears? If it doesn't flow down the face, where does it go? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/efaqp2/eli5_tears/ | {
"a_id": [
"fbzcgvm"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"You have small ducts in the inside corners of your eyes. If you can keep the tears from spilling over, the fluid drains out through those ducts into your nasal passages."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
3cu7ly | if rape is common in male prisons, why doesn't the public take it seriously? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3cu7ly/eli5_if_rape_is_common_in_male_prisons_why_doesnt/ | {
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"score": [
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29,
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"text": [
"I'm not sure how prevalent it is, but in gene... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison_Rape_Elimination_Act_of_2003"
],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
1e7nn8 | What was the first battle to be reenacted by actors? When was it? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1e7nn8/what_was_the_first_battle_to_be_reenacted_by/ | {
"a_id": [
"c9xklr5"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Well, the Romans reenacted quite few battles at the Coliseum (built 72 C.E.), and I suppose they were reenacting battles before in other structures. I don't know that you could call the people in these events actors."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
7isfdu | how did we come up with the asteroid theory for dinosaur extinction? | ELI5 | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7isfdu/elif_how_did_we_come_up_with_the_asteroid_theory/ | {
"a_id": [
"dr12pcs",
"dr145hi"
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"score": [
8,
5
],
"text": [
"It's not the only theory but it's the one best explained by all the evidence. First, there's the 150km wide impact crater off the Yucatan peninsula. It was created by a roughly 10km wide asteroid impacting at 30+km/s and it'... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicxulub_crater",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cretaceous%E2%80%93Paleogene_boundary",
"http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/extinction/dinosaurs/asteroid.html"
]
] | |
14z3hw | How did we know what note to tune our instruments to before we understood the physics of sound? | I was thinking- if we define a note as a vibration of an arbitraty frequency- then how do we know that a c note 300 years ago wasn't a vibration of, say 10 less hz? Against what universal did we tune our instruments to? did these vary from country to country, or city to city? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/14z3hw/how_did_we_know_what_note_to_tune_our_instruments/ | {
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"It varied from orchestra to orchestra. Before the 1800s tuning was usually based around instruments that were difficult to tune, like organs. (Since some of these organs are still around we can figure out what pitches the... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concert_pitch#History_of_pitch_standards_in_Western_music"
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3p14ts | can a planet have two suns like tatooine? | And why is it possible? Does one sun revolve around the other? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3p14ts/eli5_can_a_planet_have_two_suns_like_tatooine/ | {
"a_id": [
"cw27z81"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Yes. There are plenty of binary star systems in the known universe. However, the planets orbiting them might not be habitable, as temperatures would likely vary greatly due to how the planet orbits the stars."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
17opg3 | envy--why exactly do others' accomplishments cause us to feel worse about ourselves? | It's a given that we feel worse when someone else has something we can't have.
My theory is that learning that there exists a person (whom we know) who has something we want "rubs in" the fact that we are missing something. But if missing something makes us feel bad, why don't we feel bad constantly, and not just whe... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/17opg3/eli5_envywhy_exactly_do_others_accomplishments/ | {
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"c87fhrz"
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"text": [
"While someone getting to have something that you can't have is certainly a part of it, I also think that respect is a major part of Envy. It makes sense that people get what they deserve, for better or for worse. It also makes sense that some peo... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
36dcyw | what's the difference between silk produced by spiders, and silk produced by moth larvae? why don't we farm spiders for their silk? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/36dcyw/eli5_whats_the_difference_between_silk_produced/ | {
"a_id": [
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"score": [
3,
2
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"text": [
"Moth larvae will live happily in a box together, spiders however will kill and eat eachother. So it's much easier to farm moth larvae instead of having individually housed spiders producing the silk :)",
"Practicality an... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
2hxq7v | is adblock plus detrimental to websites that rely on advertisements? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2hxq7v/eli5is_adblock_plus_detrimental_to_websites_that/ | {
"a_id": [
"ckwygtf",
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"text": [
"How to explain this for this subreddit..yes!",
"It really depends on the target audience.\n\nA website for grandmothers who quilt is unlikely to have many tech-savvy users that have AdBlock installe... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
1bmtki | What happens to all of the energy in a lightning bolt when it strikes the Earth? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1bmtki/what_happens_to_all_of_the_energy_in_a_lightning/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"First of all the energy isn't \"in\" the bolt, the bolt is a sort of temporary wire between the earth and a cloud. The energy is in the imbalance of charge between the cloud and earth. A lot of the energy goes into ionizing the air. It takes ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
evpmfq | why, after building millions of cars and seeing that all of them rust, do automobile makers still not spray a rustproof coating or use stainless steel wherever appropriate? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/evpmfq/eli5_why_after_building_millions_of_cars_and/ | {
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"ffx4mmq"
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"text": [
"Stainless steel is expensive and harder to work with. Spraying an undercoating at the factory costs money. They pass those savings onto the customer who hopefully will have a rusted out car in 6-10 years and buy a new vehicle."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
cmsskv | why is the oil in the us so much cheaper than its european counterparts? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/cmsskv/eli5_why_is_the_oil_in_the_us_so_much_cheaper/ | {
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"The US is one of the world's largest oil and gas exporters, and has a ton of domestic refining capacity. Combine... | [] | [] | [
[],
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"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_taxes_in_the_United_States",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel\\_taxes\\_in\\_the\\_United\\_States"
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[],
[],
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2evcv1 | how come tattooing doesn't cut skin off? | If a tattoo needle is constantly piercing your skin like a bajillion times a second, and making a (say....)circle, how come the skin doesn't peel/fall off?
Even shading for that matter. How does it not cut off skin if you're dragging this piercing object across your skin repeatedly? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2evcv1/eli5_how_come_tattooing_doesnt_cut_skin_off/ | {
"a_id": [
"ck3arri"
],
"score": [
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"text": [
"Sometimes it does when done by a bad tattoo artist, but only with solid images. They go over the same area too many times, too deep. The entire patch of skin becomes one big scab and falls off eventually ."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
45a5my | hindu deities, how are there so many versions of the same gods? | I am doing a research project on Hindu deities, and I am not understanding how some of the major gods are basically just versions of other gods. Ie: Durga is explained to be a fiercer form of Parvarti. I found a quote that reads "All Hindu gods and goddesses are the same god or divine energy." I am still not wrapping m... | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/45a5my/eli5_hindu_deities_how_are_there_so_many_versions/ | {
"a_id": [
"czw9plk",
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"score": [
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"text": [
"So, let's talk about you. You're a person, probably a student somewhere. No matter where you are or what you're doing, you're always you.\n\nBut! You're not always the same you. When you're at home wit... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
1nsvnf | the sopranos; why after whacking someone killer always leaves the gun at the scene of the crime? script's stupidity? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1nsvnf/eli5_the_sopranos_why_after_whacking_someone/ | {
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"cclp0m0",
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"text": [
"Since the gun is not a legit purchase and may have the serial numbers removed, as long as they wiped it down there is generally no one to trace it to them.",
"If the gun can't be tied to you, and y... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
1vzlnd | how can king trademark words like candy and saga, and what is to stop me from grabbing a dictionary and starting with a? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1vzlnd/eli5_how_can_king_trademark_words_like_candy_and/ | {
"a_id": [
"cexae34",
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"score": [
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],
"text": [
"Trademarks only cover uses that you can show could cause confusion to a consumer. So you can have Apple Computers and Apple Apple Company, and neither is infringing on the others' trademark.",
"To... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
83kxo5 | what time do astronauts have on their watch? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/83kxo5/eli5_what_time_do_astronauts_have_on_their_watch/ | {
"a_id": [
"dviloz0"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"UTC.\n\nThis is mainly because this sleep schedule is convenient for most parties involves (mostly Russians and Americans). Its a compromise between American and Russian timezones, and fits fairly well for everyone else given that the exact oppos... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
3xgx35 | what is going on with the dnc and why is it so detrimental to a campaign? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3xgx35/eli5_what_is_going_on_with_the_dnc_and_why_is_it/ | {
"a_id": [
"cy4lql6"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"From what I understand...\n\nThere was some sort of database error in the DNC (Democratic National Committee, the official name of the Democratic Party). In that error, one of Bernie Sander's staff accessed a part of the voter information databa... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
21szqk | why can't we "drain" volcanoes before they explode? | I don't just mean the lava/magma, I mean also releasing the pressure inside. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/21szqk/eli5_why_cant_we_drain_volcanoes_before_they/ | {
"a_id": [
"cgg841z"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Imagine you had a sealed pot, full of boiling water. You want to reduce the pressure inside the pot, but you can't turn off the fire. If you create a whole in the pot, releasing the pressure, then there's going to be a jet of steam. Doesn't ma... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
8znz95 | why do many rivers tend to make an "s" pattern in the way they flow? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8znz95/eli5_why_do_many_rivers_tend_to_make_an_s_pattern/ | {
"a_id": [
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Water will hit a rock while going slightly downhill and will go around the edge of the rock, and then continue along the original path. Alternatively it’ll hit a region of denser rock that is less erodible and so it will go... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
32dy2m | in a capitalistic country like the us, why are universities so expensive and without competition between each other? | I mean, with so many students looking for the best offer, I don't understand why doesn't any investor try to take a bite out of that market. To run a university is not cheap, but I don' think that's the point, studying in private universities in my country (Spain) cost usually around 6.000 €/year and, even if the costs... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/32dy2m/eli5in_a_capitalistic_country_like_the_us_why_are/ | {
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"cqab89w",
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"score": [
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2,
2
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"text": [
"Because universities are impacted. The demand is higher than the supply, so kids will pay what it takes to get it. We also have huge government aid programs that will fuck you when you're out, but allow... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://forprofitu.org/fact-sheet/"
],
[]
] | |
c0b06a | How were Henry repeating rifles incorporated into Union ranks during the American Civil War? | How were soldiers with repeating rifles deployed on the battlefield, and how were they expected to fight? I know that soldiers were trained to operate as single, cohesive units, which meant they primarily fought elbow-to-elbow in tightly closed formations. Given the widespread use of Napoleonic tactics during the Civil... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/c0b06a/how_were_henry_repeating_rifles_incorporated_into/ | {
"a_id": [
"er50uam"
],
"score": [
7
],
"text": [
" & #x200B;\n\nMost all of the breech-loaders bought by the US Ordnance Dept. were given to cavalry units. There was no way they could have equipped millions of infantrymen with them, even if they had wanted to replace the millions of rifled muske... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
4cjlq1 | . why do many employers give their hourly employees sporadic, weekly-changing, temporary schedules? | So many employees assign new shifts every week. Wouldn't it be easier for everyone if they had set times each individual was meant to work? A schedule that didn't waver, have overlap, technical errors, over scheduling, and wildly differing hours (ex. Working night shift and then working morning shift)? Not to mention a... | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4cjlq1/eli5_why_do_many_employers_give_their_hourly/ | {
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"score": [
2,
3,
6,
484,
7,
6,
2... | [] | [] | [
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"http://planday.com/"
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[],
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[],
[],
[],
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"http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/business/a-part-time-life-as-hours-shrink-and-shift-for-american-workers.html"
],
[],
[],
[
"https://time360app.com"
],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Job_shop_scheduling"
],
[],... | |
142eiv | My uncle has a collection of swords from WWII that his grandfather brought back from the war. Help me identify them for him. | He has had these for quite some time but hasn't ever identified them. We know they are German weapons. All help is appreciated.
_URL_0_ | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/142eiv/my_uncle_has_a_collection_of_swords_from_wwii/ | {
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"c799b66",
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4,
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"text": [
"You should also try /r/whatisthisthing. They have a very good track record identifying historical artefacts.",
"We'd need clear pictures, and lots of them, of the hilts, grips, pommels, stampings on... | [] | [
"http://imgur.com/a/9w7np"
] | [
[],
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_fencing#History"
]
] | |
mwb11 | how angel investing and venture capital works | I understand what they are there for, but how does the process work? Which one is ideal for what stage of a start-up's growth? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/mwb11/eli5_how_angel_investing_and_venture_capital_works/ | {
"a_id": [
"c34cnjb",
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"score": [
3,
3
],
"text": [
"Angel investors are generally investing *their own money* in an organization, whereas a venture capital firm is investing *other people's money*, money that other people have invested in the venture capital fund.\n\nAs such,... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
3imvek | Will a standard oven cook food slower if there is more food in it, like a microwave? | I'm pretty sure it doesn't but I don't really know the facts to back me up and all three of my roommates think I'm wrong. Please enlighten us with science. | askscience | https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3imvek/will_a_standard_oven_cook_food_slower_if_there_is/ | {
"a_id": [
"cuhzg8d"
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"text": [
"That depends on how good your oven is and how well the air circulates. Conventional ovens operate by getting to and maintaining a fixed temperature whereas microwaves emit a constant amount of energy. What this means is that in a microwave if y... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
43r4cx | what does it mean for a food to have 'anti-inflammatory' properties? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/43r4cx/eli5_what_does_it_mean_for_a_food_to_have/ | {
"a_id": [
"czk9ncf"
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"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"It means that the food contains chemicals that can help to reduce inflammation.\n\nIt will not make you harder to set on fire."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
90q6nj | King Richard I of England was known as 'Richard the Lionheart.' How did common folk know what a lion was? | Was the title bestowed upon him retroactively? I'm assuming that, since lions are not native to England/Western Europe, it would be difficult to conceive of a lion, unless of course, a "lion" referred to some other creature. | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/90q6nj/king_richard_i_of_england_was_known_as_richard/ | {
"a_id": [
"e2sbz0b"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"[This post](_URL_0_) from four years ago has some useful answers which might help you out."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/27m6po/how_did_the_three_lions_come_to_be_the_coat_of"
]
] | |
8lzt42 | seeing as how electricity often takes the form of plasma in many instances of physical manifestation, would it stand to reason that all plasma could be utilized the same way if its heat energy were concentrated/channeled enough? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8lzt42/eli5_seeing_as_how_electricity_often_takes_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"dzjq6s2"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Electricity does not take the form of plasma, plasma is a state of matter where electrons and nuclei dissolve in a quantum soup example the sun.\n\nElectricity is electrons flowing through matter generally via the valence electrons.\n\nAlmost for... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
4z25o4 | Could Nazi-Germany simply have stopped hostilities and be content with the signed treaties leading up to WW2? | After the remilitarization of the Rhineland, the Anschluss, the Munich agreement, taking Memel from Lithuania and the First Vienna Award were all accepted by the Allied powers, was it possible for Nazi-Germany to just stop pushing world tension and remain at that state for decades to come? In stead of invading Poland a... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4z25o4/could_nazigermany_simply_have_stopped_hostilities/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"The same would go for states like Italy and the Soviet Union of course, could they have kept Albania and Ethiopia, and Bessarabia respectively forever?",
"Adam Tooze, *The Paperback of the The Wages of Destruction: The M... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
7p87e1 | why do movie studios opt for cgi when it seems like practical affects would be cheaper, easier for actors to work with, and preferred by audiences? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7p87e1/eli5_why_do_movie_studios_opt_for_cgi_when_it/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"Because CGI generally does look better the reason alot of people think practical effects are better is because we only notice bad CGI ",
"Practical effects are generally not cheaper. At least not in modernity. They are ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
fx9gdm | why the sun feels hotter in some places than others? | I live in Rio and when it's 75°F and sunny it feels almost chilly; i've also lived in Houston, TX and when it's the same temperature it feels hot and the sun burns, even in winter. And it doesn't make senses because the sun is lower at the sky in Texas because of the higher LATITUDE. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/fx9gdm/eli5_why_the_sun_feels_hotter_in_some_places_than/ | {
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3,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"Seems like a moisture and wind difference between the two. People normally say things like \"it's not the heat, it's the humidity.\" Which is true. Imagine ta... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[
"http://www.houston.climatemps.com/vs/rio-de-janeiro.php"
],
[],
[]
] | |
4mj4p9 | why does being in hot weather make some people irritable, the rain make people tired, and winter make people depressed? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4mj4p9/eli5_why_does_being_in_hot_weather_make_some/ | {
"a_id": [
"d3vvfle",
"d3vvw27"
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"score": [
4,
2
],
"text": [
"The winter depression is probably linked to low levels of sunlight which will effect serotonin and vitamin d",
"When people are physically uncomfortable, they get irritable so they they feel encouraged to move to an envi... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
p1j5f | How cold was it for the moon landings? | I hope this is a valid askscience question... I looked on google and found that the moon temperature has an enormous range, but how cold/hot was it when we landed on the moon? If it was extreme, how did they survive the temperatures(I don't know of many insulators that can withstand that type of cold)? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/p1j5f/how_cold_was_it_for_the_moon_landings/ | {
"a_id": [
"c3lr8po",
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"score": [
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2
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"text": [
"Hey there friend!\n\n_URL_1_\n\nThe moon gets very cold, and very hot! This is why spacesuits are white - while the moon's surface absorbs about 80 - 85% of the sun's radiation, a space suit absorbs only 15%\n\nBelieve it or... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_space",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_suit",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_insulation#Spacecraft"
],
[]
] | |
2m5ky8 | why do we have hair on our knuckles? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2m5ky8/eli5_why_do_we_have_hair_on_our_knuckles/ | {
"a_id": [
"cm15w5e",
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"score": [
2,
2
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"text": [
"We have hair on our knuckles , for the same reason we have hair on our arms/legs ( if you believe in evolution) . Now it doesn't really serve a purpose .. But it used to be part of our 'coat' .",
"That's a recessive trai... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
7rzvju | how does a country’s military/businesses/etc transition when they are taken over by another in war? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7rzvju/eli5_how_does_a_countrys_militarybusinessesetc/ | {
"a_id": [
"dt0u3l2"
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"score": [
5
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"text": [
"It really depends on the war, the extent of the damage to that country (it may not have a functional military by the end), terms of the resulting treaty, etc. There's not a hard and fast rule when it comes to warfare: it's sorta the point where ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1ior40 | Some questions about radiation--what it is, and where it comes from | So AFAIK, there's 3 types of radiation: alpha (He nucleus), beta (electron) and gamma (photons/EM waves I think?). What is it that actually makes these things "radiation" and the substances that emit them "radioactive", as opposed to just normal electrons or EM waves?
And is that it, as far as radiation goes? Could i... | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1ior40/some_questions_about_radiationwhat_it_is_and/ | {
"a_id": [
"cb6nv2m"
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"score": [
2
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"text": [
"There are actually more types than 3. Alpha, beta, and gamma are the most common. You could include neutron, fission fragments, cluster decay and a few other rare ones. \n\nThe reason these particles are radiation and their sources are radioac... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1jvexy | Was there any reaction from Catholics to the capture of Rome in 1870 and thus the destruction of the Papal States? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1jvexy/was_there_any_reaction_from_catholics_to_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"cbirdde"
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"score": [
7
],
"text": [
"First, the vast majority of the Papal States had been lost by 1860 to Italian unification. Only Rome remained in papal hands, and then only because Emperor Napoleon III of France stationed troops there. The Franco-Prussian War (your 1870 date) ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
3ks47t | Aside from phrenology, what are other "disciplines" that were previously practiced but were eventually discarded/rejected? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3ks47t/aside_from_phrenology_what_are_other_disciplines/ | {
"a_id": [
"cv06r29",
"cv08u2o",
"cv0bcmr",
"cv0e2ht",
"cv10kw9"
],
"score": [
16,
7,
5,
8,
2
],
"text": [
"Humorism, or the notion that human health depends on a balance of fluids (or \"humors\") in the body, was a predominant paradigm in health from the time of H... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
1zchpl | why i am i not hearing about anything being done about the comcast-tw merger? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1zchpl/why_i_am_i_not_hearing_about_anything_being_done/ | {
"a_id": [
"cfsfdvs"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"It's in its early stages, it takes quite a while for two large companies to merge into one. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
5cbiaw | what us lean muscle? | Why do fitness experts and healthy food marketing harp on " lean muscle"? Is there other muscle? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5cbiaw/eli5_what_us_lean_muscle/ | {
"a_id": [
"d9viyad"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"There are 3 different types of muscle: Skeletal muscle, smooth muscle and cardiac muscle. Typically, lean muscle refers to skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscle are all the muscles that you have voluntary control of (your limbs, torso, back, neck, fac... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
6h9gn7 | how/why most stars are binary systems | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6h9gn7/eli5_howwhy_most_stars_are_binary_systems/ | {
"a_id": [
"diwklbx",
"diwmq3u"
],
"score": [
2,
2
],
"text": [
"Most stars are not. its estimated that 1/3 of the stars in the milky way are binary systems, but 2/3 are not. And since our methods for determining if a system is binary are flawed, the number may not even be that high.",
... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
73q0ap | if the wavelength of light corresponds to its energy, and space expanding lowers the wavelength of light, where does the light's energy go? | Edit: stretches the wavelength, not lowers it. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/73q0ap/eli5_if_the_wavelength_of_light_corresponds_to/ | {
"a_id": [
"dnsoa3g"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"Conservation of energy is not always true. Noether's theorem establishes a one-to-one correspondence between symmetries and conservation laws. The symmetry associated with conservation of energy is time-translation symmetry. In any system where t... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.preposterousuniverse.com/blog/2010/02/22/energy-is-not-conserved/"
]
] |
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