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43838a
is it feasible to build a modern computer from scratch?
I am talking you, the elements and whatever god or gods you may or may not believe in.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/43838a/eli5_is_it_feasible_to_build_a_modern_computer/
{ "a_id": [ "czg7p7o", "czg7ptd", "czgfock" ], "score": [ 6, 4, 2 ], "text": [ "No, it's not. Especially since different parts of a modern computer require many different fields of knowledge to build. Chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering, software engineering. You'd also ha...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
9rncs7
why do human eyelids follow the iris when looking down but there's no eyelid to follow when looking up?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9rncs7/eli5_why_do_human_eyelids_follow_the_iris_when/
{ "a_id": [ "e8icqq7" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Because your eyelids aren’t the same. You have a hood and the bottom one. The hood is far more mobile. The bottom one *does* follow your eyes up, just not as much. " ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
3yb92a
how do windows registry cleaners decide what to remove?
What is considered a useless entry?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3yb92a/eli5_how_do_windows_registry_cleaners_decide_what/
{ "a_id": [ "cybzyju" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "Some basic things right off the bat are references to .dll files that are no longer there. For example if you uninstalled a program and the registry had entries pointing towards a now removed .dll file that's considered useless. Another one would...
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[ [] ]
24ts07
How much more technologically advanced were 15th-century Europeans compared to the height of the Roman Empire?
Subtext: When would the industrial revolution, with its associated inventions, have come to pass if the Roman Empire -- in an alternate timeline -- had been a more stable entity?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/24ts07/how_much_more_technologically_advanced_were/
{ "a_id": [ "chas23w" ], "score": [ 35 ], "text": [ "The Europeans were actually quite a bit more advanced than the late Romans.\n\nThe horse collar and the associated harness allowed for heavy plows and the tilling of land that had not been able to produce as much grain as previously. Farmers cou...
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[]
[ [] ]
5mf1iw
Did the Jews try to remake a kingdom/state in between the diaspora and 1948?
"Hey those Roman guys are gone. Let's take back our home."
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5mf1iw/did_the_jews_try_to_remake_a_kingdomstate_in/
{ "a_id": [ "dc5y9rr" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "First of all, modern Zionism began in the late 1800s/early 1900s, not 1948. But beyond that nitpicking, the answer is mostly no.\n\nAfter the series of failed revolts against the Romans, desire among Jews for political independence by-and-large ...
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[ [] ]
5rmpwz
what is a band and when does a band go from being a band to being an orchestra?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5rmpwz/eli5_what_is_a_band_and_when_does_a_band_go_from/
{ "a_id": [ "dd8fmvl" ], "score": [ 9 ], "text": [ "\nUsually, a band does not have stringed instruments. \n\nA band would consist of brass instruments, like trumpets and trombones, and woodwind instruments such as flutes, saxophones and clarinets. \n\nOrchestras are primarily made up of stringed ...
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[ [] ]
5lzq4h
why do wedding dresses turn yellow after a period of time?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5lzq4h/eli5_why_do_wedding_dresses_turn_yellow_after_a/
{ "a_id": [ "dbznaop" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Many white things turn yellow over time. Generally it's the result of sunlight or oxidation. White cotton generally gets its white color from being bleached and washed with fabric whiteners.\n\nFabric whiteners and brighteners are temporary dyes ...
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[ [ "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_brightener" ] ]
7o0gzn
why is there so much room in food packaging?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7o0gzn/eli5_why_is_there_so_much_room_in_food_packaging/
{ "a_id": [ "ds5wazr" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "To avoid crushing your food. The packaging can be squished a bit until the pressurized air can support whatever is crushing it.\n\nIf your chip bag was 100% chips it would be 1/3 crumbs." ] }
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[ [] ]
40vsgp
What were the main differences between the "Young Ottoman" and "Young Turk" movements?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/40vsgp/what_were_the_main_differences_between_the_young/
{ "a_id": [ "cyxppcy" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Both started out as pan-Ottoman movements seeking to preserve the state through representative government involving all of its constituent peoples. But whereas the Young Ottomans came to see Islam as the basis of a core identity for the empire - ...
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[ [] ]
54r3og
during a police interrogation, can you actually get away with not saying anything until you're provided with a lawyer?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/54r3og/eli5_during_a_police_interrogation_can_you/
{ "a_id": [ "d8475b2", "d8479n1", "d847a0l", "d847a1m", "d847dvx", "d847nrq", "d849b8u", "d849fie", "d849syj", "d84a4cs", "d84aszu", "d84bjv7", "d84bubu", "d84fhk5", "d84gds8", "d84gfk1", "d84gw8x", "d84gxjx", "d84hvct", "d84hw65", "d...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8z7NC5sgik" ], [], [], [], [], [ "https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=%23&ved=0ahUKEwib_qLR-6_PAhWC7oMKHYgoBkoQxa8BCBswAA&usg=AFQjCNF1sHlk2z9QIx28jtvfnGP_UlkifA" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], ...
crcimx
The Maginot line
Hi ! I would like to know what were the reason why the French didn’t constructed the maginot line at the Belgium border , therefore letting the north undefended by French troops while only half of the French borders was protected . I already know it’s a matter of diplomacy with Belgium but my history teachers wasn’t ab...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/crcimx/the_maginot_line/
{ "a_id": [ "exibils" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "[This answer](_URL_0_) by /u/kieslowskifan explains that the French really wanted to build the line along the Belgium\\german border and planned to pay for their construction. The plan was that Belgium fortifications and natural terrain would del...
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/62qp4p/why_didnt_france_heavily_fortify_the_belgian/" ] ]
25jmj3
Painting a roof white vs. solar panels?
A few years ago someone (a scientist, I think) suggested we all paint the roofs of our houses and buildings the color white in order to reflect sunlight back off of the earth (the way our ice does now). Apparently this scientist though this could alleviate or slow down global warming. However, roofs also would seem to...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/25jmj3/painting_a_roof_white_vs_solar_panels/
{ "a_id": [ "chi4m1c", "chiu36i" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Solar panels look black because they're absorbing photons from the sun: that's how they work. A reflective (or white) solar panel wouldn't be worth making because it would bounce off the very things it needs in order to do i...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/ask-pablo-do-solar-panels-actually-contribute-to-climate-change.html" ], [] ]
4dm1oh
How similar was the technology between the Franco-Prussian war and World War I?
The difference in the way the wars were fought was huge - one was a war which took a year and cost 1,000,000 casualties, another took four and a single took 1,000,000 casualties. However, the technologies (except for the machine gun) used at the beginning of the war appear to be fairly similar.
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4dm1oh/how_similar_was_the_technology_between_the/
{ "a_id": [ "d1s92tv" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ " > However, the technologies (except for the machine gun) used at the beginning of the war appear to be fairly similar.\n\nNothing could be further from the truth; the Franco-Prussian War was fought using muzzle and breech-loaded artillery piece...
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[ [] ]
294qmp
why can sports teams, sports channels on tv, or sporting news on the internet reveal the exact details of sports players' injuries if hipaa exists?
I thought there existed patient-doctor confidentiality? Why don't you see players suing journalists, teams, websites, newspapers, etc. over violations of HIPAA? Are they exempt for some reason?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/294qmp/eli5_why_can_sports_teams_sports_channels_on_tv/
{ "a_id": [ "ciheowi", "ciheue7", "cihguvi" ], "score": [ 23, 8, 3 ], "text": [ "HIPAA only restricts certain types of organizations from revealing health information (basically healthcare providers and insurers, plus their agents). The Hospital---without a release from the patien...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
2132j4
the protective qualities of charcoal
Activated charcoal can be used to help those who have ingested harmful substances. Suits embedded with charcoal are used to protect against chemical/biological agents in the military. Putting charcoal under the soil of a potted plant can keep fungus and other undesirable pests from growing - so what is it about charcoa...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2132j4/eli5_the_protective_qualities_of_charcoal/
{ "a_id": [ "cg94u63" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "It is extremely porous and has a large capacity for adsorption, meaning substances (often organic macromolecules in the situations you describe) can stick to its surface and be bound up. Its doesnt have as high a capacity as some other materials,...
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[ [] ]
4rs74b
Chinese laborers were used to help build the first transcontinental railroad but how did Chinese laborers get to the frontier if they were departing from Asia?
My question is since it would be the shortest trip to arrive in California (although I am not sure how possible it would have been) from China did Chinese immigrants typically arrive on the east coast and just take the train westward? Did they go through Mexico? or how did they get workers arriving from Asian countries...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4rs74b/chinese_laborers_were_used_to_help_build_the/
{ "a_id": [ "d53t62f" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Chinese migrant labor in the US railroad industry was more or less pioneered by the Central Pacific Railroad, which was a corporation in practice based in Sacramento CA, and building one end of the transcontinental railroad heading east. Until t...
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[]
[ [] ]
2n09me
what happens if you're traveling faster than the speed of sound in a jet and you try to talk?
Would be any different if you where traveling the same speed outside of the jet and tried to talk?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2n09me/eli5_what_happens_if_youre_traveling_faster_than/
{ "a_id": [ "cm95mlm" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "Inside the jet? Nothing interesting. The air around you is not moving any more than it normally would. If you're outside the jet at supersonic speeds, you have bigger issues than hearing your own voice." ] }
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[ [] ]
2i17i3
why is bronze never used in cook-ware?
I don't think I've ever even *heard* of bronze being used for things other than statues, weapons, and armor. Cookware, tools, and other more mundane objects always seem to be made of either copper or iron. Why? When bronze was invented why didn't people make tools and cookware out of it?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2i17i3/eli5_why_is_bronze_never_used_in_cookware/
{ "a_id": [ "ckxva6s" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Copper makes fine cookware, and the additional hardness offered by a bronze alloy isn't really needed for the application." ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
6b45w2
What actually pushes our feces through our large intestines?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/6b45w2/what_actually_pushes_our_feces_through_our_large/
{ "a_id": [ "dhjmgkw", "dhjrqlr", "dhjze6u", "dhk3egs", "dhk5g6d", "dhkabgu", "dhkec5d", "dhkenst" ], "score": [ 1881, 118, 11, 8, 4, 3, 6, 2 ], "text": [ "Yes it is one big muscle. The entire tube that is your GI tract has smooth muscle arou...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Peristalsis.gif" ], [ "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1411356/" ], [], [], [ "http://web.mit.edu/3.082/www/team1_f02/pictures/serosa.jpg", "http://68.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4fqoeB57m1rq3lp6o1_500.jpg" ], [], [],...
1ikwpd
How do worker bees evolve if they aren't the ones reproducing?
Just curious--how do worker bees develop positive adaptations for their survival when the drones are the ones that reproduce, and have a significantly different environment and life than a worker bee?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1ikwpd/how_do_worker_bees_evolve_if_they_arent_the_ones/
{ "a_id": [ "cb5h0fc", "cb5h6jh", "cb5haz2", "cb5uehl" ], "score": [ 4, 7, 7, 5 ], "text": [ "Queens evolve. Since all worker bees are daughters of the queen, the more fit the queen is, the more fit her workers will be and the more likely it is she will reproduce. ", ...
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[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
lxqw2
Does Earth's magnetic field have 'hotspots' or areas/lines with greater magnetic fields?
I was just wondering if we knew whether there were hotspots pertaining to the magnetic field around Earth. Do they move? It doesn't make sense that there would be a constant homogenous field, but rather a fluxing moving field, but I have no idea. Any thoughts?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/lxqw2/does_earths_magnetic_field_have_hotspots_or/
{ "a_id": [ "c2wfj5g", "c2wfj5g" ], "score": [ 8, 8 ], "text": [ "You can see from this contour map where the field is strongest and weakest.\n\n_URL_0_", "You can see from this contour map where the field is strongest and weakest.\n\n_URL_0_" ] }
[]
[]
[ [ "http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/WMM2010_F_MERC.pdf" ], [ "http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/WMM2010_F_MERC.pdf" ] ]
4p0bap
why are people who watch cartoons looked down upon for being childish?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4p0bap/eli5_why_are_people_who_watch_cartoons_looked/
{ "a_id": [ "d4gzarv", "d4gzexm", "d4h0hha", "d4h15x3", "d4h1lof" ], "score": [ 14, 3, 9, 4, 2 ], "text": [ "Historically, most cartoons were made for children. Not everyone knows that there are now many animated films made for adults, so they get confused and imagi...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
1hqoio
why the japanese empire invaded small islands during ww2 and didn't have a larger mainland campaign
Watching The Pacific by HBO and wondering why the small islands were so important over larger islands or mainland accumulation.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1hqoio/eli5_why_the_japanese_empire_invaded_small/
{ "a_id": [ "cawxbez", "cawxf8u", "cawxzws", "cax571i", "cax7of7", "caxdag4" ], "score": [ 17, 10, 4, 4, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "You only hear about the island battles because that is were they fought Americans, and thus the only part of WW2 that is \"important\"...
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[]
[ [], [ "http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/US_landings.jpg", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult#Pacific_cults_of_World_War_II" ], [], [], [], [] ]
ah8mo8
What was the usual treatment for cardiac arrest before CPR and defibrillation?
In the days before CPR and defibrillation, what was the usual treatment if someone suddenly went into cardiac arrest? Let's say that they are already in hospital, or that a doctor happens to be nearby. Was there any particular kind of pre-CPR technique that would have been used on the patient, or would they have been c...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ah8mo8/what_was_the_usual_treatment_for_cardiac_arrest/
{ "a_id": [ "eedokpg" ], "score": [ 13 ], "text": [ "I'm going to limit my answer is scope, so I want to be really specific about terminology because I THINK I know what you're asking. The phrase \"cardiac arrest\" can cause a lot of confusion, and even major media outlets mess it up a lot (for ex...
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[]
[ [ "https://www.acls-pals-bls.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/ACLS-adult-cardiac-arrest-algorithm.png", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willem\\_Einthoven#/media/File:Willem\\_Einthoven\\_ECG.jpg", "https://pcs12.azureedge.net/ekgtracings/5.gif", "https://media.chemotherapyadvisor.com/images/dsm/ch4594...
3rty6v
why don't more cell carriers enable wifi calling and texting?
It would save some load off of their cell towers. It's definitely possible because I know US T-Mobile did it
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3rty6v/eli5_why_dont_more_cell_carriers_enable_wifi/
{ "a_id": [ "cwraseo", "cwrlon0" ], "score": [ 5, 2 ], "text": [ "They don't want to spend money that will make their telecoms towers obsolete. They'd still have to maintain them, but then having WiFi calling as well is just move investment for little benefit. What they gain in WiFi callin...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
6pso4u
Why didn't Reagan uphold the Monroe Doctrine during the Falkland Islands War?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6pso4u/why_didnt_reagan_uphold_the_monroe_doctrine/
{ "a_id": [ "dkrwkcm" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "_URL_0_\n\nThis thread from a couple of years ago seems to have the most in-depth answer that I found, by /u/tayaravaknin" ] }
[]
[]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/30izkc/why_didnt_the_usa_apply_the_monroe_doctrine/?st=J5LS68MR&sh=a58789c4" ] ]
45cfl7
Is there any relation between the gravity field and the higgs field?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/45cfl7/is_there_any_relation_between_the_gravity_field/
{ "a_id": [ "czwws2w", "czwyx2f" ], "score": [ 12, 23 ], "text": [ "No. Presumably you think there is some connection because gravity has to do with mass and the higgs field has to do with mass. But this connection is superficial. Gravity couples to stress-energy and doesn't have anything ...
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[ [], [] ]
3reo7u
Why can't we recycle artificial light energy using a strategy similar to solar panel technology?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3reo7u/why_cant_we_recycle_artificial_light_energy_using/
{ "a_id": [ "cwo1iqj" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "We can, but the efficiency is terrible. Solar powered calculators used to be a common thing, and they were being powered by the overhead fluorescents. Unfortunately that's about the limit of the energy you can extract in that way: something tiny...
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[ [] ]
77h5k0
why doesnt food caught in your teeth for days make you sick from bacteria?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/77h5k0/eli5why_doesnt_food_caught_in_your_teeth_for_days/
{ "a_id": [ "dolt0v3", "dolvb0c" ], "score": [ 10, 5 ], "text": [ "It can, especially people with heart disease. Son who had heart surgery has to take penicillin before going to the dentist every time.", "There are a lot of bacteria in the mouth that are commonly referred to as the HA...
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[ [], [] ]
6k8idf
How much influence, if any, did car companies have on the conception, planning, and construction of U.S. interstates?
Saw something that said they were pretty influential, but from a not great source. Either way it got me interested. Were they pretty involved? Or no?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6k8idf/how_much_influence_if_any_did_car_companies_have/
{ "a_id": [ "djk8lfa" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "I've never heard of any involvement at all by auto companies. What source suggested there was?\n\nSuperhighways were the response of the highway engineering profession to the problems of growing auto traffic and the appalling crash rate when aut...
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6678ql/dwight_eisenhower_is_usually_described_as_a/" ] ]
a9mtdu
What is different about the human digestive system that makes us need to cook meat?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/a9mtdu/what_is_different_about_the_human_digestive/
{ "a_id": [ "ecn1ikp", "ecn1v0v", "ecn22cz" ], "score": [ 12, 5, 3 ], "text": [ "We don't need to. People can and do eat raw meat. \n\nBut cooking food generally makes it easier to digest (true for animals as well as people!) and we are also more inclined to avoid possible diseases...
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[ [], [], [] ]
3b68n7
Are humans alone in getting sick while pregnant? Why do we get sick if other animals don't?
Getting sick while pregnant seems like a pretty bad idea when it comes to survival of the species, I am thinking specifically about before modern medicine. If food was scarce and a pregnant woman already needs more than an average adult human to keep the fetus healthy, throwing it back up seems like a waste.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3b68n7/are_humans_alone_in_getting_sick_while_pregnant/
{ "a_id": [ "csjcehr", "csjcx5e", "csjdbqe", "csjh7ws", "csjigr5", "csk2576" ], "score": [ 70, 26, 60, 3, 5, 2 ], "text": [ "Not enough research has been done into other animals experiencing morning sickness, but it's possible that they can.\n\nMorning sickn...
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[]
[ [ "http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10858967" ], [ "http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890623814000975#MMCvFirst", "http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2008/06/28/morning-sickness-is-an-adaptat/" ], [], [], [], [] ]
fabhkn
if the different human races only interbreed with themselves, is it possible to make new species of humans?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/fabhkn/eli5_if_the_different_human_races_only_interbreed/
{ "a_id": [ "fiwy1tx", "fix16co", "fix1750" ], "score": [ 5, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "No, for the simple reason we are one species. What you might get is evolution and eventual speciation due to gene mutation, but that's as likely to happen in any sub-population.", "Theoretically ye...
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[ [], [], [] ]
3qb4e4
The French invaded England before and after the War of Roses, why did they not take advantage of the tumultuous period during the WotR and invade England?
The French invaded during the Second Baron's War in the 13th century, and during the Italian Wars of the 16th century. Why did they not invade during the War of the Roses, which seems like it would have been the best time.
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3qb4e4/the_french_invaded_england_before_and_after_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cwdvlgu" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "[This answer covers some of the main themes pretty well!](_URL_0_)" ] }
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[ [ "https://reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1kw75g/why_didnt_scotland_or_france_invade_england/" ] ]
lp7xe
why the fuck does my printer never do what i want it to? why doesn't my computer communicate with my printer as well as my other external devices?
Eg: _URL_0_
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/lp7xe/eli5_why_the_fuck_does_my_printer_never_do_what_i/
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[ "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQGtucrJ8hM" ]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5DCwN28y8o" ], [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/printers" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5DCwN28y8o" ], [ "h...
4heizl
Were there any exceptions to the fact that ancient cities were usually built on or near a water source?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4heizl/were_there_any_exceptions_to_the_fact_that/
{ "a_id": [ "d2pbtvm" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Depends a bit on what you mean by a water source. Ancient settlements in Yemen were able to support themselves based on the collection of monsoon rains in mountain valley dams, cisterns, and underground aqueduct systems. The Marib dam is one such...
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[ [] ]
tgjrn
Why do they have different types of mountains in Asia?
You know those ones that looks like jungle covered cones that rise out of the ocean? How come we don't have those anywhere else in the world?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/tgjrn/why_do_they_have_different_types_of_mountains_in/
{ "a_id": [ "c4mexed" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "They are made of limestone. I think the mountains you speak of are part of the group of geological features known as Karst Topography. There are other places in the world with Karst landscapes, but the areas you are talking about are Older/subjec...
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[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karst" ] ]
3nr213
how the weather in california just flipped flop from scorching heat last week to cool? and why are so many people getting sick by this?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3nr213/eli5_how_the_weather_in_california_just_flipped/
{ "a_id": [ "cvqj5ss" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Weather dynamics, a heat front or cold front (generally high pressure low pressure areas) flow. In some days the air (generally from the south) is pushed up higher, making more warm air in the area, if the low pressure front (colder area) is more...
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[]
[ [] ]
4jk1a4
Why did sails go from square in the ancient era to mostly lateen in the medieval then back to multiple square sails in the age of sail?
I've been big on naval history and have a deep fascination with ships for years now. The question above pretty much outlines it: why did vessels go from square sales to lateen sales to square again? Thanks guys!
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4jk1a4/why_did_sails_go_from_square_in_the_ancient_era/
{ "a_id": [ "d37dvd6", "d37pvmu" ], "score": [ 18, 5 ], "text": [ "Well, first off, I would say that this isn't an entirely clear-cut process; there were ships using square sails when lateens were prevalent, and vice versa, and the \"classic\" full sail rig we think of developing around th...
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[]
[ [ "http://www.theportugalnews.com/uploads/news/1150-24.jpg", "http://www.archaeology.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Geoff-Hunts-painting-of-the-Mary-rose-under-sail-Geoff-Hunt-The-Mary-Rose-Trust.jpg", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2fs8qr/", "http://www.hms-victory.com/sites/all...
3an3h5
does a popcorn kernel have the same nutrients as a piece of popcorn?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3an3h5/eli5_does_a_popcorn_kernel_have_the_same/
{ "a_id": [ "cse535z", "cse56p9" ], "score": [ 2, 3 ], "text": [ "I was watching an episode of Good Eats on Netflix last night, and based on the way they spoke about it, I think the answer would be yes. They were explaining how popping came about because it was the only way they could acce...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
sri4m
Was the creation of the modern state of Israel a one-of-a-kind event in modern history?
What I mean is that over a relatively short amount of time, there a mass migration of Jews to Palestine who had the sole intention of creating a state, then they successfully created that state. Have there been any other group of people in modern history that have been able to do that?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/sri4m/was_the_creation_of_the_modern_state_of_israel_a/
{ "a_id": [ "c4gcv0u", "c4gdre2" ], "score": [ 2, 8 ], "text": [ "The only 2 that immediately come to mind is Armenia and maybe Greece.\n\nArmenia was created in a relatively short amount of time but I do not believe there was any sort of mass migration, or at least that I know of. \n\nI o...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
lwt6j
Do lisps exist outside of English?
Or rather, do languages that do not have any dental sounds like θ have lisps? Why or why not?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/lwt6j/do_lisps_exist_outside_of_english/
{ "a_id": [ "c2w81fn", "c2w81fn" ], "score": [ 7, 7 ], "text": [ "Well, [Castilian Spanish](_URL_0_) is the most exceptional example of lisp. So, yes indeed.", "Well, [Castilian Spanish](_URL_0_) is the most exceptional example of lisp. So, yes indeed." ] }
[]
[]
[ [ "http://spanish.about.com/cs/qa/a/q_lisp.htm" ], [ "http://spanish.about.com/cs/qa/a/q_lisp.htm" ] ]
1envzj
How did the introduction of guns affect Japanese (samurai) culture? Were firearms accepted or shunned?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1envzj/how_did_the_introduction_of_guns_affect_japanese/
{ "a_id": [ "ca228au", "ca26koq" ], "score": [ 4, 2 ], "text": [ "Hello there!\nA little Japan firearm background:\n\nFirearms were brought over from China as early as the 13th century but the application and use of these weapons in armies were scarce at best. The 15th and 16th century saw...
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[ [], [] ]
2580cm
what would happen if i ate nothing but nuts?
I know when I eat nuts, I shit a lot of the undigested pieces right out and I like it a lot. So what would happen if I ate nothing but nuts and water forever? Would I literally shit nuts? How long could one live on such a diet?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2580cm/eli5_what_would_happen_if_i_ate_nothing_but_nuts/
{ "a_id": [ "chekqdp", "chel7uq", "chelfij" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "You wouldn't live very well. The body needs a balanced diet. You'd have very little to no calcium, protein, iron or some required vitamins. You wouldn't die in a week or anything but your health would g...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
8dlj4c
How bad was Britain's situation in 1940 when Churchill took over?
Put differently, how screwed was Britain in 1940 before the Battle of Britain had been won?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8dlj4c/how_bad_was_britains_situation_in_1940_when/
{ "a_id": [ "dxpkc9r" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "If we assume a time period approximate to June 18th, 'Britain's finest hour', then certainly, Britain's position was not an enviable one, but defeat was not a foregone conclusion. In the eyes of the world at least, especially the US, Britain's su...
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[]
[ [ "https://winstonchurchill.org/resources/speeches/1940-the-finest-hour/we-shall-never-surrender/" ] ]
1lolr4
Question regarding recent earthquake in Japan and how energy from quakes spread
[Image](_URL_0_) from Yahoo! Weather on the 9:18am (local time) quake. Can anyone explain why or how the islands closer to the epicenter have such a low rating on the Japanese seismic scale (which measures by amount of shaking) while areas in Kanto and Tohoku, which look to be 200+ kilometers away, had more shaking? ...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1lolr4/question_regarding_recent_earthquake_in_japan_and/
{ "a_id": [ "cc1d1ys" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Ground motion is controlled by earthquake magnitude, distance, and site effects. Site effects include local geology (soft sediments shake more than hard rock), topography (hills can experience seismic resonance, amplifying ground motion), and su...
[]
[ "http://i.imgur.com/c6zIjzk.jpg" ]
[ [] ]
6q8bpr
how if most insects die during winter, how can their populations not be hurt when spring comes?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6q8bpr/eli5_how_if_most_insects_die_during_winter_how/
{ "a_id": [ "dkvcoz6" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "insects reproduce in huge amounts. one female usually capable of laying hundreds of eggs. when one of those eggs produces a female and it matures, it can do the same thing. so their populations start small, but after hitting a certain point they ...
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[]
[ [] ]
2e0886
why have asian-americans flourished, while african-americans remain under-educated & impoverished? both were slaves here at one point, and both were heavily discriminated against throughout us history.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2e0886/eli5_why_have_asianamericans_flourished_while/
{ "a_id": [ "cjusime", "cjusjk8", "cjuslfi", "cjuslwm", "cjuss8y", "cjusszf", "cjuszr4", "cjut6xw", "cjute7m", "cjutlx2", "cjutnas", "cjutnvi", "cjutqlu", "cjutqxl", "cjutt1d", "cjutxt8", "cjutza6", "cjuu3kp", "cjuu6ds", "cjuuf24", "c...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyYG81MN8jE" ], [], [], [], [ "http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/therootdc/post/rethinking-the-achievement-gap-lessons-from-the-african-diaspora/2012/09/04/eebc5214-f362-11e1-a612-3cfc842a6d89_bl...
7jwfwi
how are cuttlefish so good at camouflage?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7jwfwi/eli5_how_are_cuttlefish_so_good_at_camouflage/
{ "a_id": [ "dr9pj0y" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Cuttlefish have special cells in their skin that contain little sacs of dark pigments. They can squeeze these sacs down very small, so you can't see them and the cuttlefish appears white, or they can spread these sacs out flat, so the cuttlefish...
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[]
[ [] ]
11zyh8
British Naval Forces in the 19-20th C
Specifically about Britain here but I know Britain had the largest navy by a long way by the end of the 19th Century, but I was wondering how large it actually was
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/11zyh8/british_naval_forces_in_the_1920th_c/
{ "a_id": [ "c6qzcr7", "c6r1ahn", "c6r1f1l" ], "score": [ 3, 2, 6 ], "text": [ "Well, if you want to know in 1900, Google Books has something for you:\n\n[Jane's Fighting Ships (Cosmopolitan Naval Annual), 1900](_URL_0_). It's immediately contemporary. Granted, it will not have p...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://books.google.com/books?id=C2RCxi8jZwYC" ], [ "http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/org9-4.htm" ], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_naval_arms_race", "http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/8049674/Navy-to-reduce-to-smallest-size-ever-to-save-carriers.html", "...
8e7ni0
[Medicine] What prevents limbs from always being re-attached?
I was watching a television program the other day. A woman was in a terrible car accident and her arms was basically ripped off. (barely hanging on at the shoulder.) They interviewed the doctor and asked if the they were going to attempt to re-attach the arm and he said he didn't know yet, they would have to see. What...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/8e7ni0/medicine_what_prevents_limbs_from_always_being/
{ "a_id": [ "dxugztg" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Lots of factors weigh in when considering replantation. \n\nIt might be too late. Tissue/organs are viable only for a certain period after their blood supply is cut off. \nIt might be too damaged during injury for reattachment. \nDamage - eve...
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[ [] ]
11pspt
the concept of having multiple massive non-profits gunning for the same cause. what do they have against consolidating all their resources and possibly doing more together than they ever could separately?
The best known example I can think of is the Susan G Komen for the cure and AVON Breast Cancer foundations, who actually went to court against each other for the slogan "for the cure". _URL_0_ and _URL_1_ are another two I can think of. And there are plenty more. Even local non-profits. Do we really need a dozen dif...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/11pspt/eli5_the_concept_of_having_multiple_massive/
{ "a_id": [ "c6ojlvc", "c6okeeq", "c6okhdl", "c6okscj", "c6ol7ln", "c6orlag", "c6ow5bn" ], "score": [ 8, 12, 2, 3, 5, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "A lot of the time there is disagreement about exactly how to best serve the community. For example, some non-prof...
[]
[ "Water.org", "waterislife.com" ]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
2ygvf5
how can people be put under anesthesia for emergency surgery but for general surgery they say you will aspirate and die if you eat anything 24 hours prior to being put under?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2ygvf5/eli5_how_can_people_be_put_under_anesthesia_for/
{ "a_id": [ "cp9dhxh", "cp9difa", "cp9dl6c", "cp9dt4m", "cp9gcqo", "cp9l9k4", "cp9sgv7", "cp9zjwp" ], "score": [ 454, 2, 27, 5, 9, 2, 9, 6 ], "text": [ "Aspiration is relatively rare, but given the damage it can cause, and that the only downs...
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[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
cj1t11
The 12 apostles. Are the names we have for them their real names?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/cj1t11/the_12_apostles_are_the_names_we_have_for_them/
{ "a_id": [ "evbip07" ], "score": [ 16 ], "text": [ "What do you mean by \"real names\"? Peter's name in Aramaic is rendered as כֵּיפָא (Kepha), in Greek as Πέτρος (Petros), in Latin as Petrus, etc (all having the rough meaning of \"rock\" or perhaps \"jewel\"). Ignoring translation, his original ...
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[]
[ [] ]
3l0w6i
Is there a strong case for arguing that Mallory and Irvine might have summited Mt. Everest in 1924?
.. Making them the first people to do so before the 1953 achievement of Hillary and Norgay.
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3l0w6i/is_there_a_strong_case_for_arguing_that_mallory/
{ "a_id": [ "cv2bimq" ], "score": [ 10 ], "text": [ "There is indeed a fairly strong case. Mallory's body was found a few years ago in a position and in a condition which people have suggested shows that he was on his descent. The last time that they were seen alive, they were very close to the su...
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[]
[ [ "http://surviving-history.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/a-corpse-of-everest-deadly-final-hours.html" ] ]
13tebk
If air is denser at colder temperatures, does that mean that fire burns better at lower temperatures?
If a flame has access to larger amounts of cold, dense air, wouldn't it burn better than if it was in a much warmer environment?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/13tebk/if_air_is_denser_at_colder_temperatures_does_that/
{ "a_id": [ "c7707p4", "c772hl2", "c772mqv" ], "score": [ 2, 24, 6 ], "text": [ "What is happening during burning: the oxygen molecules in air hit the burning material and react.\n\nBecause there is an energy barrier to such reaction, there is different ignite temperatures for diff...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
rzc2s
Does headphone use have an adverse affect on one's ability to hear?
I know that it is dependent on the volume of the headphones, but I am wondering if basic headphone use has a detrimental effect on hearing, assuming the volume is at a healthy level in itself (i.e. not looking for damage from the volume of the music playing). Do different types of headphones have different effects? Do ...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/rzc2s/does_headphone_use_have_an_adverse_affect_on_ones/
{ "a_id": [ "c49unuv" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "Hearing damage comes from exposure to loud sounds; the louder the sound, the less exposure is needed to cause damage. But that's not the whole story.\n\nThe problem with headphones is that they don't give you the 'bodily experience' that live mus...
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[ [] ]
1pjli7
For how much longer will the North star be well aligned with Earth's rotational axis?
I know its not perfectly aligned at the moment, but its pretty damn close. I assume that as a stellar object it is moving relative to the Earth at some speed and, one day, it may be pretty useless as a guide of North. I'm just wondering what kind of order of magnitude that time period may be. How many years / millennia...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1pjli7/for_how_much_longer_will_the_north_star_be_well/
{ "a_id": [ "cd31r8g", "cd320du", "cd44a15" ], "score": [ 11, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Actually, a much more major effect than the motions of stars is the [Earth's axial precession](_URL_0_), which causes the rotational axis to change over time - the article quotes a period of 26,000 yea...
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[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axial_precession#Changing_pole_stars" ], [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Precession_S.gif", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pole_star#Historical" ] ]
ikeu7
Do you get the same neurological benefits from listening as you do from reading?
I have been wondering this, and I couldn't find a good answer... If you were to listen to a book read to you, would you get the same neurological benefits as reading the same text? Assuming it's not abridged or changed at all.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/ikeu7/do_you_get_the_same_neurological_benefits_from/
{ "a_id": [ "c24gjyd", "c24v9t0" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "What exactly are these neurological benefits that you're talking about?", "So to answer your question... No.\n\nReading information goes from the optic nerve through a series of relay centers to the visual cortex. It th...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
65w4qj
why are male beauty pageants significantly less famous than women's such as miss universe?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/65w4qj/eli5_why_are_male_beauty_pageants_significantly/
{ "a_id": [ "dgdlyyx", "dgdlzwk", "dgdq6sy" ], "score": [ 2, 5, 3 ], "text": [ "Warning: possible bro-science. Due to testosterone, men are more attracted to visuals. Women are attracted to emotions. Pageants are primarily a visual display, and men rather prefer to see women.", ...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
5lkk0z
why do we need to tightly regulate blood ph. what are the physiological consequences of a low/high hydrogen ion concentration?
Is it merely osmolality change that causes the adverse consequences? And what are the adverse consequences?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5lkk0z/eli5_why_do_we_need_to_tightly_regulate_blood_ph/
{ "a_id": [ "dbwnuko" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "pH is tightly regulated due to its effect on denaturing proteins..... It's consequences are broad ranging from affecting the haem oxygen dissociation curve, the carriage of co2, the generation of super oxides in neutrophils etc.\n\nThe exact rela...
[]
[]
[ [ "www.derangedphysiology.com" ] ]
3ef042
how did this guy only get convicted on 9 of 11 charges when they found all the bodies in his house?
I was reading this article( _URL_0_) from TIL and was curious how he didn't get convicted of all 11.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3ef042/eli5_how_did_this_guy_only_get_convicted_on_9_of/
{ "a_id": [ "ctebb05" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "he was convicted of 82 of the 84 total counts against him. he was convicted of all 11 counts of murder." ] }
[]
[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Sowell" ]
[ [] ]
2i7gh3
why is an ipad cheaper than an iphone?
I mean, it's basically just a huge iPhone with the only exception that you can't call, but that's no problem seeing as you can have a $20 phone for calling and a $470 iPad, and **STILL** be cheaper off than buying an $1000 iPhone. So why is this? edit: Well, in my country the most expensive iPhone without a contract ...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2i7gh3/eli5_why_is_an_ipad_cheaper_than_an_iphone/
{ "a_id": [ "ckzk61m", "ckzk9ld", "ckzmy1f", "ckzo6qi" ], "score": [ 17, 6, 13, 2 ], "text": [ "the smaller and lighter hardware in the phones is more expensive. battery is a good example", "Because the iphone price is set as an incentive to get a contract/subsidized pr...
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[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
3f76wf
what does nicotine do to your body to make you feel the way it does
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3f76wf/eli5_what_does_nicotine_do_to_your_body_to_make/
{ "a_id": [ "ctlxvvg", "ctlyf4w" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "So nerves in your body are activates by chemicals binding to certain proteins called \"receptors\". There is an entire class of receptors called \"nicotinic\" receptors, named so because nicotine binds to these receptors. Th...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
7zct4j
Can the Reconquista be described as a genocide?
Would it be appropriate to term the Christian conquest of Iberia and the policies (the Inquisition for example) taken by the Spanish and Portuguese kingdoms during this time as genocide? I may be looking at this anachronistically but modern Spain has very few Muslim or Jewish people living in it at all whereas my under...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7zct4j/can_the_reconquista_be_described_as_a_genocide/
{ "a_id": [ "dunmd6s", "duodn9s" ], "score": [ 23, 2 ], "text": [ "The modern ethnic and religious makeup of Spain (and Portugal) has little to do with the Reconquista but rather with the events that happened once it was over. Those Jews who would not convert were expelled from Spain in 14...
[]
[ "http://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.html" ]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5lx21v/what_happened_to_the_muslims_in_spain_after_the/", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4vrvw5/after_the_reconquista_how_likely_was_it_for/", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5idk95/were_there_muslim_minorities_in_the_...
453p2r
why do lots of places only accept a passport or a driving license as identification when some adults don't have either?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/453p2r/eli5_why_do_lots_of_places_only_accept_a_passport/
{ "a_id": [ "czuxagl", "czuxctl", "czuxcz3", "czuxee1", "czuxgbp", "czuy42j", "czuy61g", "czuzu5j", "czv00of", "czverh1" ], "score": [ 6, 4, 2, 3, 27, 4, 13, 2, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Typically places will accept a state issued ph...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
3tdxfa
is it bad for me if i crack my neck by snapping it backwards?
For example i look at the ceiling quickly and push my chin up. This causes a large popping noise and relieves a lot of tension. Is this harmful or more harmful than a side to side neck crack?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3tdxfa/eli5_is_it_bad_for_me_if_i_crack_my_neck_by/
{ "a_id": [ "cx5lvhl", "cx5pzkb" ], "score": [ 8, 3 ], "text": [ "Any kind of fast, jerking/wrenching motion has the potential to cause pain and/or damage. Slow neck rotations are far safer. ", "I crack my neck all the time. The popping sound you hear is from gas escaping the space. Yo...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
a2nv3n
why don’t animals break bones as easily as humans
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/a2nv3n/eli5_why_dont_animals_break_bones_as_easily_as/
{ "a_id": [ "eazsuqb", "eazt9s6", "eaztamd", "eaztdrb" ], "score": [ 6, 5, 16, 6 ], "text": [ "Animals still break bones \"easily\". I'm a hunter and pretty often have to put down a deer with a badly broken leg\n", "Animals rarely get into car crashes.\n\nBeing serious...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
91g27l
why does vinegar + aluminum foil clean stainless steel?
A short while ago I bought my first stainless steel pan and managed to burn it on my first use. I let it sit with water and dish soap, scrubbed it, boiled water and vinegar in it, added vinegar and baking soda, scrubbed it some more.. nothing worked. While the burnt bits were removed, the pan was still stained with som...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/91g27l/eli5_why_does_vinegar_aluminum_foil_clean/
{ "a_id": [ "e2xucsb", "e2xy7ys", "e2xz7c3", "e2y1g5b", "e2y24jz", "e2y3lic", "e2y3s5l", "e2y50qd", "e2y9c9m", "e2ybfuk", "e2ydmdy", "e2yfxqw", "e2ytkcm", "e2z9rik", "e30bikf" ], "score": [ 1675, 23, 48, 12, 8, 2, 2066, 2,...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scratch_hardness" ], [], [], [], [] ]
8y3e1x
why cant our brains correct/adapt to poor eyesight without the use of glasses?
From reading an earlier post about the upside down goggles, which take X long to readjust to seeing "properly" again, would it be possible to regain good eyesight given enough time without glasses?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8y3e1x/eli5_why_cant_our_brains_correctadapt_to_poor/
{ "a_id": [ "e27tg49", "e27tk2d", "e27tk3q", "e288ij1", "e28mte3" ], "score": [ 15, 6, 3, 3, 4 ], "text": [ "Your brain can't process unfocused images that it receives into focused images, it can only interpret them. So your brain won't adjust to poor eyesight by fi...
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[ [], [], [], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton%E2%80%93Babinski_syndrome" ], [] ]
2fynga
what would happen if you were going the same exact speed as a shock wave from a large explosion would you hear the explosion the whole time while traveling with the wave?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2fynga/eli5_what_would_happen_if_you_were_going_the_same/
{ "a_id": [ "ckdz0fo" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "No, because noise is changes in pressure. If you were going exactly the same speed as the wave, you'd be in a consistent high- or low-pressure area." ] }
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8bqy1q
Why does a full water cooler dispense water slower than one with only a little bit of water in it?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/8bqy1q/why_does_a_full_water_cooler_dispense_water/
{ "a_id": [ "dx94mso" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "After an amount of water has left the water cooler, there is a pressure difference between atmosphere and the head of the container causing favourable air bubble formation at the tap. For a given surface tension (T), bubble pressure (Pb) and pres...
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2ovcht
Is the four-leaf clover basically a random mutation (like albinism), or is it a species on it's own?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2ovcht/is_the_fourleaf_clover_basically_a_random/
{ "a_id": [ "cmrzk6v" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "It is debated whether the fourth leaflet is caused genetically or environmentally. Its relative rarity (1 in 10,000 clovers) suggests a possible recessive gene appearing at a low frequency. Alternatively, four-leaf clovers could be caused by soma...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four-leaf_clover#Cause" ] ]
1olihy
Can some one explain to me some of the factors that are hindering increasing the storage capacity of modern batteries?
I asked a few weeks ago but to no avail. What I'm looking for is a basic explanation of what would be required in creating a new generation of battery Tech.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1olihy/can_some_one_explain_to_me_some_of_the_factors/
{ "a_id": [ "cctmt70" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "The limiting factors are the usual limiting factors in any technological space (i.e. Why don't we have flying cars?)\n\nRight now lithium-ion batteries are the commercially dominant energy storage technology. \n\nHere are the requirements a batte...
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2gxz1h
what gives art its value?
Whats stopping me from painting a blue square and selling it for thousands? obviously i'd get zilch but proper artists can get away with it?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2gxz1h/eli5_what_gives_art_its_value/
{ "a_id": [ "cknj0ze", "cknjbza", "cknjcao", "cknowte" ], "score": [ 6, 3, 19, 3 ], "text": [ "Quality, story associated with the work, notoriety of the work and the artist. Hitlers art was worthless, so he killed a couple people and tried taking over the world and boom his...
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[ [], [], [], [] ]
d1wxny
why are mouthguards for top teeth not bottom?
Why do they make mouthguards for teeth and especially nighttime grinding guards only for top teeth? Why not bottom teeth instead?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/d1wxny/eli5_why_are_mouthguards_for_top_teeth_not_bottom/
{ "a_id": [ "ezru974" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "In terms of mouthguards for sport it's because the top teeth are in most people in front of the bottom teeth, so they're the ones likely to be hit." ] }
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6igqi2
why do people in war zones, poor areas, extreme oppressing countries do make babies knowing there is no healthy future for their families?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6igqi2/eli5_why_do_people_in_war_zones_poor_areas/
{ "a_id": [ "dj634wr", "dj63641", "dj63slk", "dj6a1hg" ], "score": [ 3, 7, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Religious beliefs, lack of access to birth control, replenishment of population being killed, hope that conflict will end soon. In many cultures, children are critically important ...
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[ [], [], [], [] ]
1h6ql2
Why is it that occasionally, when my sinuses are congested from allergies, they'll magically clear up for a minute or two, and then go back to being congested again?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1h6ql2/why_is_it_that_occasionally_when_my_sinuses_are/
{ "a_id": [ "cardre0" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Airflow through your nostrils is asymmetric. You body regulates the airflow through them by changing the size of nasal venous sinusoids.\n\nIn simpler terms, you only breathe through one nostril at a time. It switches about every 2 hours or so. I...
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[ [ "http://i.imgur.com/gPFJaJT.jpg" ] ]
3p2xkx
why does steve jobs get so much more love than bill gates?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3p2xkx/eli5why_does_steve_jobs_get_so_much_more_love/
{ "a_id": [ "cw2pfae", "cw2pome" ], "score": [ 11, 15 ], "text": [ "Because he's dead...\n\nNot many hailed Jobs as \"God\" while he was alive. Only after his death were there Movies, Books, and countless other things written/said about him.\n\nI'm sure when Bill Gates passes away, a movie...
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[ [], [] ]
tgk0y
What threat does glacial melting pose to the gulf stream?
As in, if global warming were to go out of control, and the glaciers in antarctica melt, would the flow of water disturb the gulf stream to any large extent, and if so, what would the consequences be? I heard that it would plunge northern Europe into an ice age, but what credibility does this theory actually have? Than...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/tgk0y/what_threat_does_glacial_melting_pose_to_the_gulf/
{ "a_id": [ "c4mh3m3" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "The Gulf Stream primarily exists because of the action of winds blowing across the subtropical Atlantic. A good (but small) map of the surface currents is [here](_URL_0_). Unfortunately, many people are taught this [image](_URL_1_) of ocean ci...
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[ [ "http://www.es.flinders.edu.au/~mattom/science+society/lectures/illustrations/lecture26/gyre.jpg", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Thermohaline_Circulation_2.png" ] ]
cmbsio
why do medicines that are supposed to be taken every x hours not effective if it is taken too early or too late?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/cmbsio/eli5_why_do_medicines_that_are_supposed_to_be/
{ "a_id": [ "ew16cgs", "ew16ftx", "ew16sr1", "ew2lbnz" ], "score": [ 6, 5, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "If you take them too early you still have the earlier dose in higher concentration in your system and can potentially reach an overdose level for the drug (particularly if you are ...
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[ [], [], [], [] ]
ycddr
My dad and I found these amazing mushrooms near my house. Can anyone identify them?
[here](_URL_0_) These popped up over a few days and then were gone.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/ycddr/my_dad_and_i_found_these_amazing_mushrooms_near/
{ "a_id": [ "c5ui7e3" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "I agree with Wingfinger.\n\nI would also suggest that you give some information about where you are (at elast what country/region).\n\nUnfortunately, without a picture of gills (the underside of the cap), a definitive identification may be diffic...
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[ "http://imgur.com/a/3wexh" ]
[ [] ]
epucg8
why do cars look so much bigger from the inside?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/epucg8/eli5_why_do_cars_look_so_much_bigger_from_the/
{ "a_id": [ "felud1e" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "The farther away things are, the smaller they appear. The car is around you, so it appears much bigger than the road, which is farther away. It isn't a huge difference, but enough to mess with your perspective." ] }
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ch0zs2
Immediately after World War Two, when the USA was the only atomic power, did any American officials consider a preemptive war on the USSR to prevent them from acquiring the bomb?
In Bertrand Russell's ["The Bomb and Civilization" (1945)](_URL_0_), Russell calls for the creation of an international authority to hold control over all the world's atomic bombs to prevent a potentially apocalyptic war. However, he admits this is optimistic and that neither the US nor the USSR (once they got it) woul...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ch0zs2/immediately_after_world_war_two_when_the_usa_was/
{ "a_id": [ "eunudko" ], "score": [ 22 ], "text": [ "Nobody prominent that I know of. Why not? Several reasons:\n\n* The US nuclear arsenal was not very large during the period of American monopoly. The USAF thought the US would need on the order of 500 nuclear weapons to take out the entire USSR ...
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[ "http://www.personal.kent.edu/~rmuhamma/Philosophy/RBwritings/bombCivilization.htm" ]
[ [ "http://blog.nuclearsecrecy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/US-nuclear-bomber-deployments-1945-1958.jpg" ] ]
28kfmp
why can i go a whole weekend day barely eating, but on any given workday (i sit at a desk) i have extreme cravings to snack all day?
I can wake up around 9am on a weekend, not eat until 2pm, then barely get hungry again until 8ish. When I get to work Mon-Fri I want to chow down nearly all day long and often can't resist the urge. Is it a chemical in my brain trying to comfort myself with endorphins because work sucks?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/28kfmp/eli5why_can_i_go_a_whole_weekend_day_barely/
{ "a_id": [ "cibr1lv", "cibr4us", "cibrx73", "cibtjr9", "cibtu7o", "cibudco", "cibv2or" ], "score": [ 38, 9, 3, 2, 3, 6, 3 ], "text": [ "While at work I interpret most feelings as hungry. Bored? Have a banana. Stumped? Crackers. Cold? Ooh, is that ca...
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[ [], [], [], [], [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/24y0pb/eli5_if_i_dont_eat_breakfast_i_dont_even_get/chbsagz", "http://www.livestrong.com/article/520183-glucose-homeostasis-the-liver/" ], [ "http://www.livestrong.com/article/510463-how-body-mistakes-hunger-for-thirst/" ...
3l3nql
Is it possible to "overdose" from salt or sugar?
Or any other kind of daily intake.
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3l3nql/is_it_possible_to_overdose_from_salt_or_sugar/
{ "a_id": [ "cv3fij4" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text": [ "Anything you can take into your body has some dosage that will be lethal. For some substances, like arsenic or morphine, that dosage is relatively small. For other substances, like water, the dosage is relatively large compared with human body ...
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[ [ "http://whs.rocklinusd.org/documents/Science/Lethal_Dose_Table.pdf" ] ]
7q2w4u
how can a choke hold knock you out in 5 seconds when most people can hold their breath for at least 30 seconds?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7q2w4u/eli5_how_can_a_choke_hold_knock_you_out_in_5/
{ "a_id": [ "dslzdz0", "dslzekm" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "I’m sure there’s a more educated answer coming, but my understanding is being in a chokehold is also cutting off blood circulation, not just restricting oxygen.", "When you hold your breath you're still getting blood to ...
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9cxfn5
how do pcs/consoles read disks/cds?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9cxfn5/eli5_how_do_pcsconsoles_read_diskscds/
{ "a_id": [ "e5dv7iq", "e5dycd7", "e5eoc1v" ], "score": [ 9, 2, 3 ], "text": [ "The reflective surface of a cd is basically a clear flat coating over a series of seriously tiny bumps and divots. There's a tiny laser in the computer that shines on the disk, right through the clear p...
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[ [], [ "https://www.petervis.com/gallery/hard/Hard%20Drive%20Recovery/Hard%20Drive%20Recovery%20Platter%20Transplant/hard-disk-platter-exchanger-tool.jpg" ], [] ]
2edegl
how the windows .exe file works
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2edegl/eli5_how_the_windows_exe_file_works/
{ "a_id": [ "cjyeenn" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "What are you asking exactly?\n\n.exe files are binary files, they contain instructions that can directly be understood by your CPU. When you click on one, windows load it into memory and then your CPU start executing each instructions one by one....
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3nifcg
how is it possible to withdraw money from any atm using any bank card?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3nifcg/eli5_how_is_it_possible_to_withdraw_money_from/
{ "a_id": [ "cvod9j4", "cvodbkr" ], "score": [ 2, 3 ], "text": [ "The ATM sends every money request to its bank. If it's a card from that bank, it tells the ATM whether or not the transaction is approved. If the card is from another bank, it sends that request to the other bank for approva...
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dugy8d
why can’t we stop a receding hairline?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/dugy8d/eli5_why_cant_we_stop_a_receding_hairline/
{ "a_id": [ "f75whwc", "f75yye4", "f760ryx", "f765i35", "f766jci", "f768t9s", "f76obej", "f76smwi", "f76uckw", "f779l91", "f77aud4", "f77j9bf", "f77lt32", "f77mmq9", "f77v8io", "f78b6mn", "f78fbbf", "f78gimr", "f799jfx", "f7a99t2" ], ...
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[ [], [ "https://youtu.be/zxR5K8zqdEw" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "https://www.labiotech.eu/medical/cassiopea-baldness-hair-loss/" ], [], [], [], [], [ "https://pagesix.com/2018/07/25/its-highly-likely-elon-musk-spent-over-20k-on-hair-transplant-surg...
9m70iy
why do bugs fly into glasses of water where they immediately die?
With some regularity I'll come back to a glass of water that's been sitting out and find that there's a dead flying insect in it. Given that humans didn't invent standing pools of water, it seems like any bugs that *can't* fly out of water after landing in it would have evolved to *not* *fly into that water in the fir...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9m70iy/eli5_why_do_bugs_fly_into_glasses_of_water_where/
{ "a_id": [ "e7dhz8y" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Well, insects aren't that bright and rely almost exclusively on evolution for their survival as a species. A large majority of insects don't land in water because nature likely selected against those that did - the ones that fell in water and nev...
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1q20a9
how do music players and game systems pick thinks at random?
Surely this is a basic form of ai? How is music on shuffle pre programmed?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1q20a9/eli5_how_do_music_players_and_game_systems_pick/
{ "a_id": [ "cd8d088", "cd8d5dh", "cd8d6jp", "cd8dczn" ], "score": [ 3, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "They pretty much are preprogrammed. _URL_0_", "Short answer: They don't. They choose in an order that is merely enough to trick a human brain into thinking it's random.", ...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_number_generation" ], [], [], [] ]
3xap1k
"Italians" through the Middle Ages and Renaissance
Hello- I've got a simple question. (Sorry if it's been asked before.) What did Italians- or, rather, the people living in Italy at the time- consider themselves, between the fall of Rome and the unification of Italy? It's a wide timespan that I don't know much about. Did people consider themselves as, i.e., Genoese/N...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3xap1k/italians_through_the_middle_ages_and_renaissance/
{ "a_id": [ "cy3gjnc" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "_URL_0_ try this thread." ] }
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/396q0e/did_the_concept_of_italy_endure_even_when_italy/" ] ]
2eji4c
How accurate are Bill O'Reilly's "Killing ____" books?
My dad has recently been reading some of Bill O'Reilly's *Killing (famous person here)* books, particularly *Killing Lincoln* and *Killing Jesus*. I haven't been able to get my hands on them, or make time to read them if I did. Bill O'Reilly has never struck me as a font of historical knowledge, so I'm very curious to ...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2eji4c/how_accurate_are_bill_oreillys_killing_books/
{ "a_id": [ "ck0v15k" ], "score": [ 9 ], "text": [ "I have not read the books, but I have read reviews of the Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy books. The basic gist of the reviews were, this is just warmed over versions of the standard stories, probably mostly written by ghost writers. E.g. not...
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21t9hq
How exactly did ancient warfare work on the battlefield?
I've been playing a lot of Rome 2 Total War as various factions and it's made me wonder how real battles actually worked. In the game battles are generally 5 to 30 minutes long with units inflicting high amounts of kills on each side. Usually after a period of time the losing side will route and flee. In the game the a...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/21t9hq/how_exactly_did_ancient_warfare_work_on_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cggb7eo", "cggbr0r" ], "score": [ 3, 29 ], "text": [ "Although not directly related to RTW2, you will find good answers on some of your questions in this thread: _URL_0_", "It depends a bit of course on the place, the sides involved, the size of the armies and the time.\n\...
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[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/20x01e/did_soldiers_in_the_sword_and_shield_era_in_big/" ], [] ]
7p2hbd
why do old light gun video game accessories (like the nes zapper) not work on modern tvs?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7p2hbd/eli5_why_do_old_light_gun_video_game_accessories/
{ "a_id": [ "dse07d3", "dsef4kj", "dsegq2d", "dseib7s" ], "score": [ 164, 39, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "CRTs would turn off the pixels and then light them up again each frame, lighting them up one by one in sequence. By timing when the light gun \"sees\" the pixel light up, it can...
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[ [], [], [], [] ]
2l785g
mormonism and christianity
so question: whats the difference between mormons and christians, like what do they believe in thats different and how is church different? How hard would it be to become mormon if i am a christian?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2l785g/eli5mormonism_and_christianity/
{ "a_id": [ "cls3us2", "cls3yrj" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Mormonism is based on Christianity, but it has an additional set of gospels that detail Jesus's adventures in the New World.\n\nThere are a variety of ritualistic and mythological differences between Mormons and more mainstr...
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6hemap
why can somebody post a picture/video of anyone online without their consent but sometimes you are asked to sign a consent form?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6hemap/eli5_why_can_somebody_post_a_picturevideo_of/
{ "a_id": [ "dixoe8q" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "People can post anything online it doesnt mean it's all legal & law enforcement have devisions dedicated to incarcerate & prosecute those illegally posting content." ] }
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3i2ge6
why can some insects survive high radiation levels they wouldn't encounter on earth and others don't?
For instance take the clichéd cockroach. They can survive substantially higher levels of radiation such as that from a nuclear weapon. Surely in nature they would never encounter such high levels of radiation, outwith some stellar events. Furthermore why do only certain species have such a great tolerance to radiation...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3i2ge6/eli5_why_can_some_insects_survive_high_radiation/
{ "a_id": [ "cucpewh", "cucu6yd" ], "score": [ 11, 3 ], "text": [ "They do not have specific adaptations for surviving radiation, but they are pretty tough little bugs that can survive injuries, starvation, etc. Insect biology just handles radiation damage better than mammals and things, m...
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