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2skyrl
is salt water beneficial for healing wounds? if so, can you please explain how this works.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2skyrl/eli5_is_salt_water_beneficial_for_healing_wounds/
{ "a_id": [ "cnqg23r", "cnqgepm" ], "score": [ 8, 7 ], "text": [ "salt water kills cells. you kill off more bacteria cells than your cells. your body will grow new cells to replace the dead ones. dead bacteria doesn't regrow.", "Several things:\n\n1.) Salt water has more solved io...
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[ [], [] ]
14ik6b
Do other primates show instinctive drowning response?
Also, if animals such as quadrupeds that have majorly different bodies show it, what does it look like? I couldn't find any info on this via google nor can I think of an ethical way to test this.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/14ik6b/do_other_primates_show_instinctive_drowning/
{ "a_id": [ "c7dnrhc" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Possibly of interest -\n\n_URL_0_ " ] }
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[ [ "http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/2012/11/29/amazing-swimming-proboscis-monkey-part-i/" ] ]
18ca3o
how imgur file names work.
They seem so random but I know that there is a system to what name they are assigned.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/18ca3o/eli5_how_imgur_file_names_work/
{ "a_id": [ "c8dls5g" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "Think of normal decimal number systems. 0 through 9. When you get more than 9, you just increment to 10 and keep going until you get to 99, then you just add another 1 in front, etc.\n\nImgur and other sites like _URL_0_, instead of limiting th...
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[ [ "bit.ly" ] ]
2v3ka3
Where does the energy at the core of a planet's hot center actually come from?
Energy can neither be created or destroyed. But energy can be taken from Earth's core from geothermal sources. As I understand it, tidal forces create friction in a planet's core, and that makes heat. But it seems like that energy is ultimately coming from the force of gravity, how is it that energy can seemingly come ...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2v3ka3/where_does_the_energy_at_the_core_of_a_planets/
{ "a_id": [ "coe5kv2", "coe5oxd", "coe6fdl", "coegzw9" ], "score": [ 11, 3, 4, 7 ], "text": [ "There are 2 sources\n\nThe first is the leftover heat from the formation of the planet. As rocks smashed together their gravitational potential energy was converted to heat. This...
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[ [], [], [], [] ]
1h6bsp
why are prices always something like $49,95. instead of just $50?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1h6bsp/eli5_why_are_prices_always_something_like_4995/
{ "a_id": [ "car8rig", "car8u5l", "car8v60", "car949k", "carah2j", "carap1q", "cariylf" ], "score": [ 3, 32, 6, 3, 4, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Always wondered. I believe people get more scared by the 1st digit than the second. Even if the prices are 1cent ...
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
390sk6
The Romans named their legions, their fleets, even their auxiliary cohorts. Did any other ancient kingdoms and empires do this, that we know of?
Like the Ptolemies or Seleucids and other Hellenistic successor kingdoms, or the various incarnations of the Persian empire, or any other ancient example you can think of. I know that the above kingdoms named their various elite regiments, like Alexander's companions or the Achaemenid Immortals, or perhaps the Seleuc...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/390sk6/the_romans_named_their_legions_their_fleets_even/
{ "a_id": [ "crzfd5z" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text": [ " > And on a slightly different but related note, do we know how the Roman practice of giving their legions cognomen as well as numbers started? (Legio II Augusta, Legio VI Ferrate, etc.) From the timeline and from common sense I assume it only be...
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[ [] ]
58j6dp
How did women like Cleopatra rise to power and maintain it, back in the day when most of the world was heavily patriarchal?
I'm curious how female leaders back when the world was heavily patriarchal, come in to power and rule. Cleopatra was backed by religion, but what other "devices/skills" like being a good diplomat or warrior helped them hold onto power in that period of history
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/58j6dp/how_did_women_like_cleopatra_rise_to_power_and/
{ "a_id": [ "d925oph" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Your question is very broad, maybe try to mention some people you wish to know about to get responses since there are plenty of ways and circumstances women gainer power. The only only one you name is Cleopatra but you do not seem to wish any fur...
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[ [] ]
26t6ao
How accurate is Master and Commander's representation of naval warfare during the Napoleonic Wars?
Were there fights between ships for days and days? Did ships use sneaky tactics like the do in the film? Were there children on ships? Were commanders treated in the same way by their crews? Would ships have orders to hunt down a single boat?_
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/26t6ao/how_accurate_is_master_and_commanders/
{ "a_id": [ "chue6ij" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "[This thread should probably answer most of your questions](_URL_0_)" ] }
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[]
[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1iztzd/how_accurately_do_movies_such_as_master_and/" ] ]
4c12ka
if a power line runs from one hill to another, how do they connect it?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4c12ka/eli5_if_a_power_line_runs_from_one_hill_to/
{ "a_id": [ "d1e4h03" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Every trade has it's tricks. If they had enough opening in the woods they could have just walked a rope to the other side and pulled it up between the trees. From there depending on the weight of the line you either pull an attachment cable or ...
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[ [] ]
9cunl2
why does it get colder in higher altitudes? aren't you closer to the sun? in fact why is space between earth and the sun cold if it's getting direct sunlight without the atmosphere blocking it?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9cunl2/eli5_why_does_it_get_colder_in_higher_altitudes/
{ "a_id": [ "e5dc0qi" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Various gasses in the air are able to hold onto small amounts of energy (heat) and even though their weight is small, it is still enough for most gasses to keep them relatively grounded. As you go higher and away from the density of gasses, the a...
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[ [] ]
rsnt6
If the universe expansion appears to be accelerating the further away we observe, wouldn't that mean that actual expansion is slowing?
The further afield we observe the faster the expansion. Given that the further away we observe is also "back in time" wouldn't that mean that expansion is slowing, since it was expanding faster in the past? I would have thought that expansion would be accelerating only if closer objects were receding at a proportionall...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/rsnt6/if_the_universe_expansion_appears_to_be/
{ "a_id": [ "c48by4d" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "No.\n\nFirst of all, you should realize, that expansion of the universe is not the same as movement in space. When we observe some galaxy redshifted, it does not mean, that it is running away from us in the usual sense of this expression. It mean...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distance_measures_%28cosmology%29" ] ]
54vwah
why is stretching before/after exercise important?
What is the purpose/benefits/risks of stretching? What does occur when one stretches their muscles? Will it help with muscle growth? Does it have any impact on joints, cartilage, nerves, bones? Does whatever effect it has increase/decrease with length of exercise? Has the age of exerciser got any impact on the benefits...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/54vwah/eli5_why_is_stretching_beforeafter_exercise/
{ "a_id": [ "d85cv8e" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Exercising without stretching is like jumping out of a closed window, its possible but chances are its gonna hurt" ] }
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[ [] ]
oy2sx
What speed/size must an asteroid have to be to hit the bottom of the deepest ocean on impact?
How big would an asteroid need to be to smash into the bottom of the deepest ocean (marina trench)? How fast would it be traveling? Would most of the water just vaporize from the extreme impact? What type of extinction would we be facing? How big would the tsunami be? How big would the asteroid have to be to send a t...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/oy2sx/what_speedsize_must_an_asteroid_have_to_be_to_hit/
{ "a_id": [ "c3kyzur", "c3l27c6" ], "score": [ 13, 12 ], "text": [ "Here's a good place to start to answer these questions: [_URL_1_](_URL_1_). For example, here are the effects for [a 100-km rock going 11 km/s crashing into 10 km depth of water](_URL_0_).", "As long as its denser than...
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[ [ "http://impact.ese.ic.ac.uk/cgi-bin/crater.cgi?dist=1000&distanceUnits=1&diam=100000&diameterUnits=1&pdens=&pdens_select=3000&vel=11&velocityUnits=1&theta=90&tdens=1000&wdepth=10000&wdepthUnits=1", "http://impact.ese.ic.ac.uk/ImpactEffects/" ], [] ]
5fcxty
What is the most accurate and in depth book on the seige of Stalingrad? Every time I think I've found one, a dozen people claim it's full of lies and inaccuracies.
It's a subject I am completely fascinated by and would love to read accounts from both sides and civilians caught up in the conflict. Dan Carlin's Ghosts of the Ostfront podcast gripped me a few years back and I've been wanting to read a more in depth analysis since. Thank you.
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5fcxty/what_is_the_most_accurate_and_in_depth_book_on/
{ "a_id": [ "dajq249" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "David Glantz's Stalingrad trilogy is about the most well-researched and comprehensive tome I've seen on the subject." ] }
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[ [] ]
axp41a
When did firearms replace bows in Japan? Was this a gradual or rapid process? Were bows completely replaced?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/axp41a/when_did_firearms_replace_bows_in_japan_was_this/
{ "a_id": [ "ehvjy8q", "ehvuu5t", "ehvz2z2" ], "score": [ 17, 7, 9 ], "text": [ "Well, interestingly, many people associate the advent of firearms in Japan with the Meiji Restoration in the 1860s and modernization to European standards because that has this really stark contrast in...
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[ [ "https://books.google.com/books?id=4Ete0zPAnjwC&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true", "https://www.google.com/search?q=men-yoroi&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS786US786&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiklOz-jOzgAhWSnp4KHT3dDGkQ_AUIDigB&biw=1517&bih=730", "https://books.google.com/b...
3rwna5
when a person's senses become "heightened" due to the loss of one sense (temporarily or permanently) what is happening to their body to allow for such changes? bonus: how does this differ from the experience of "heightened" senses during a 'fight-or-flight' response?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3rwna5/eli5_when_a_persons_senses_become_heightened_due/
{ "a_id": [ "cwrxvor", "cwrxxdc" ], "score": [ 3, 3 ], "text": [ "Just like someone with a broken arm in a cast, the unused arm gets weaker while the other arm has to do more work. \n\nWhen someone goes blind for example, the part of the brain used for sight essentially goes unused, while ...
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[]
[ [ "http://www.brainfacts.org/about-neuroscience/ask-an-expert/articles/2012/what-is-brain-plasticity", "http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/superpowers-for-the-blind-and-deaf/" ], [] ]
4hkkgw
is it possible to forcibly deflate currency by removing it from circulation or is it going to inflate infinitely?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4hkkgw/eli5_is_it_possible_to_forcibly_deflate_currency/
{ "a_id": [ "d2qcv6z", "d2qdcxx", "d2qhy4p" ], "score": [ 2, 18, 5 ], "text": [ "As far as I know, deflation can occur if there are negative interest rates or if there is a liquidity trap. \n\nHowever, you'd probably get a better answer from /r/Economics or /r/AskSocialScience. ", ...
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[ [], [], [] ]
80t471
What did William do with the Anglo Saxon Lords after he finished his conquest?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/80t471/what_did_william_do_with_the_anglo_saxon_lords/
{ "a_id": [ "duyd0nb" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "This topic has been covered a number of times in the past. The short answer is that a large proportion of the senior Saxon nobility, including two of Harold's brothers, was killed at Hastings; a significant number of others fled (including Harold...
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2ojvzl/was_there_an_organized_exodus_of_anglosaxons/", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/74atdd/how_devastating_really_was_william_the_conquerors/", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1gknjw/norman_england_after_william_the_...
3gsvjv
why is the score on metacritic consistently lower than the score on rotten tomatoes?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3gsvjv/eli5_why_is_the_score_on_metacritic_consistently/
{ "a_id": [ "cu160b8", "cu18uzo" ], "score": [ 7, 7 ], "text": [ "metacritic attempts to put all reviews on a percent scale---0 to 100. Rotten Tomatoes is just given the number of \"fresh\" reviews---roughly a C+/B or above 75% on a 1 to 100 scale---as opposed to \"rotten\" reviews. \n\nS...
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[ [], [] ]
n267l
Why can't we feel the acceleration of the universe?
If the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, why can't we sense it speeding up?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/n267l/why_cant_we_feel_the_acceleration_of_the_universe/
{ "a_id": [ "c35pacs", "c35quto", "c35pacs", "c35quto" ], "score": [ 6, 2, 6, 2 ], "text": [ "You are part of the universe.", "The expansion of space is not the same as movement through space.", "You are part of the universe.", "The expansion of space is not the...
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[ [], [], [], [] ]
2xznaq
How do xrays travel through matter so easily?
I have learned that xrays travel through matter easily and thats why we can get xray images of our body. However, I am wondering HOW they actually do so. What allows them to travel through matter easily unlike visible light?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2xznaq/how_do_xrays_travel_through_matter_so_easily/
{ "a_id": [ "cp5jrus" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "It's important to note that our bodies aren't completely transparent to x-rays, otherwise we would never see any contrast in the images.\n\nAt a most basic level, x-rays and visible light are the same phenomena except for a difference in energy. ...
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[ [] ]
1xfzd0
Why did China enter a period of Isolationism during the Ming and Qing dynasties after the Zheng He journeys?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1xfzd0/why_did_china_enter_a_period_of_isolationism/
{ "a_id": [ "cfb0f8p", "cfb6o0b" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "The primary reason was that Zheng He's expeditions basically bankrupted the Ming Court.\n\nEntire forests in Southern China (and part of Vietnam) were leveled to resource the timber needed for the massive ships of Zheng He's...
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[]
[ [], [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1a2irc/what_were_some_reasons_that_china_turned_inwards/", "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1ibdhy/why_were_zheng_hes_voyages_considered_wasteful/" ] ]
5ri89i
Were nuclear weapons a straightforward result of nuclear theory? Or was it more complicated than that?
Once scientists understood how nuclear *reactions* occurred, were nuclear weapons an obvious/straightforward application of nuclear theory? (Clearly there are serious practical problems in designing and testing a working mechanism, refining the material, etc, but I'm mostly asking about the initial realization of "he...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/5ri89i/were_nuclear_weapons_a_straightforward_result_of/
{ "a_id": [ "dd7kvi6", "dd7q7hw", "dd7q8nf" ], "score": [ 19, 2, 7 ], "text": [ " > Once scientists understood how nuclear reactions occurred, were nuclear weapons an obvious/straightforward application of nuclear theory?\n\nOnce you realize that neutron-induced fission reactions r...
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[ [], [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/5qdd7g/little_boy_v_fat_man_why_were_different_cores_used/dcz7ui8/" ], [ "http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Med/Discfiss.html" ] ]
1kff90
how are mortgage interest rates affected by federal policy?
Backstory: I'm doing a scavenger hunt where I need to explain how federal policy affects mortgage interest rates with a bunch of sexual innuendos. The actual item calls for: "Video: Two people in business suits at a small conference table discussing how fed policy affects mortgage interest rates. Use terms like, “quan...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1kff90/eli5_how_are_mortgage_interest_rates_affected_by/
{ "a_id": [ "cboft6d" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Well, here are some terms you could use....\nneed to stimulate the economy\n...give it a stiff injection of cash\n...you want to see the economy grow\n...but you need to do it slowly\n...not too fast\n...because the economy could get to hot, and ...
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[ [] ]
70cet5
How did classical composers get paid back in the day? It's not like they had big record deals with music companies back then.
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/70cet5/how_did_classical_composers_get_paid_back_in_the/
{ "a_id": [ "dn29f3c", "dn5ku57" ], "score": [ 4, 3 ], "text": [ "Hi, there's lots of room for more answers, but fyi, you can get started here\n\n* [How did classical composers/pianists make money?](_URL_0_) featuring /u/caffarelli among others ", "In the case of, say, singers in the ...
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1h8plc/how_did_classical_composerspianists_make_money" ], [] ]
1p433q
does my dog understand why we get in the car and what a car does?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1p433q/eli5_does_my_dog_understand_why_we_get_in_the_car/
{ "a_id": [ "ccyjixk", "ccyjmiw", "ccykf02", "ccykftn", "ccykg8q", "ccylcsu", "ccylneu", "ccylobq", "ccyloh9", "ccylp16", "ccym2xv", "ccym8ds", "ccym9x9", "ccymcrq", "ccymded", "ccymwtt", "ccyn1rz", "ccyn8lv", "ccyncu0", "ccynh39", "c...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [ "http://mentalfloss.com/article/30456/why-do-dogs-stick-their-heads-out-car-windows" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyPgO6ATfcY" ], [], [], [], [], [ "http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2013/04/stray-russian-dogs-commute-to-work-by-su...
30hihd
Why is the Vietnam War so vilified in American culture, but the Korean War not?
Is it just because the Vietnam War was a loss (and the Korean War was, I guess, a tie)? They were both fought for basically the same reasons (to protect democratic factions in the country against communist ones).
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/30hihd/why_is_the_vietnam_war_so_vilified_in_american/
{ "a_id": [ "cpsk29e", "cpskb2j", "cpskzq3", "cpso08r", "cpsp7kb", "cpss82c", "cpss8zd", "cptbspd", "cptbw3p" ], "score": [ 212, 21, 1272, 6, 27, 5, 13, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Listen up everyone. We've already have 8 comments which had be...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAskHistorians", "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/rules#wiki_answers" ], [], [], [], [ "http://www.gallup.com/poll/19924/War-Through-Partisan-Lenses.aspx" ], [], [], [ "https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/korea...
myjvq
How long would a scent last in a glass jar?
Could it last forever?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/myjvq/how_long_would_a_scent_last_in_a_glass_jar/
{ "a_id": [ "c34vedu", "c34vedu" ], "score": [ 6, 6 ], "text": [ "If you had a vessel that could be sealed and would not allow any exchange of material between the internal and external environments, and didn't absorb or react with any of whatever molecules that produced the scent, then th...
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[ [], [] ]
2dgay6
If black holes can bend light, can they be used as lenses to see further into space?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2dgay6/if_black_holes_can_bend_light_can_they_be_used_as/
{ "a_id": [ "cjp70zh" ], "score": [ 17 ], "text": [ "Yes, this is called gravitational lensing. In reality though we don't use black holes, we use galaxies. [Here](_URL_0_) is an extreme example, where light from the background galaxy is almost bent in a circle by the foreground galaxy. Even thoug...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_lens#mediaviewer/File:A_Horseshoe_Einstein_Ring_from_Hubble.JPG" ] ]
29cn7b
Who ruled Roman Judea, a king or Prefect?
My own googling seems to give conflicting accounts. Specifically around the time of Julius Caesar, some sources seem to say that as a province it was governed by a prefect (Pilate) and some say it was a semi-autonomous kingdom ruled by a king (Herod.) How exactly did this system work?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/29cn7b/who_ruled_roman_judea_a_king_or_prefect/
{ "a_id": [ "cijni59" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text": [ "I think you are getting confused about chronology, as the system changed over time.\n\n**Herod** the Great\n\nRules as a client-king after he overthrow Antigonus in 37 BC. Basically Rome employed client-states a great deal, particularly in the Ea...
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[ [] ]
2466jd
After the destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum, how long did it take for the news to reach Rome and was there any coordinated attempt to rescue survivors
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2466jd/after_the_destruction_of_pompeii_and_herculaneum/
{ "a_id": [ "ch412mp" ], "score": [ 67 ], "text": [ "In a letter to Tacitus written years after the event, Pliny the Younger described how his uncle, Pliny the Elder, was killed during the eruption of Vesuvius. Pliny the Elder was in command of the Roman navy stationed in the Bay of Naples. When...
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[]
[ [ "http://faculty.cua.edu/pennington/pompeii/plinyletters.htm", "http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/66*.html#22" ] ]
66iqbc
why do news sites usually position the content in the middle of the page instead of using all of the space avaliable?
For example, [this news article about Half Life 3.](_URL_0_)
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/66iqbc/eli5_why_do_news_sites_usually_position_the/
{ "a_id": [ "dgit8dh" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "A recent trend in web design has been what's called \"responsive\" web design. It used to be that you could assume someone viewing your page was using a desktop computer with a certain minimum screen resolution you could optimize your layout for....
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[ "http://image.prntscr.com/image/3d77af93b5b64b0a881d331ff4e21cd8.png" ]
[ [] ]
1xs6k1
what makes it possible for someone to ride a bicycle with no hands?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1xs6k1/eli5_what_makes_it_possible_for_someone_to_ride_a/
{ "a_id": [ "cfe5kfc", "cfe69wx" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Here is a nice explanation: _URL_0_", "An object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted on by an equal and opposite force. \n\nIn short, every point on your bicycle wheels will keep going in the same direction it...
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[ [ "http://www.theaggie.org/2013/09/26/no-hands/" ], [] ]
2zxjbm
why does the irs make it so difficult to understand how to file personal taxes?
As a newly self-employed business owner, why does the government make everything so difficult to comprehend and execute. It forces you to find an accountant to either do it or pay to explain. it isn't fair and i know it doest have to be this complicated.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2zxjbm/eli5_why_does_the_irs_make_it_so_difficult_to/
{ "a_id": [ "cpn6tcr", "cpn70rw", "cpn92ju" ], "score": [ 4, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "The IRS doesn't make it difficult. It's congress that passes these bills. They have very precise wording to avoid people exploiting unintended loopholes.", "A lot of times the explanations on the IR...
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[ [], [ "http://www.irs.gov/uac/Free-Tax-Help-Available-From-the-IRS-1", "http://www.irs.gov/uac/Telephone-Assistance" ], [] ]
4kpxc7
why are almost all modern day figther jets grey?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4kpxc7/eli5_why_are_almost_all_modern_day_figther_jets/
{ "a_id": [ "d3gtef3" ], "score": [ 9 ], "text": [ "It acts as camouflage against the sky when seen from the ground. In WW2 we preferred green and brown on top to provide camouflage against the ground when seen from above, but now anything that's likely to see you from above is likely to fire a mi...
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205swa
why are certain drugs snorted (cocaine, for example)? please, explain the whole drug absorbtion process in this case.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/205swa/eli5_why_are_certain_drugs_snorted_cocaine_for/
{ "a_id": [ "cg01708", "cg01k9w", "cg01o8p" ], "score": [ 2, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Snorting drugs puts it into your blood stream quicker. Makes you feel it instantly. Eating makes it take a little bit. If you notice people snorting pain meds it is to feel it quocker", "Your nose c...
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9a3laf
why don’t businesses take the money and run when getting rich?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9a3laf/eli5_why_dont_businesses_take_the_money_and_run/
{ "a_id": [ "e4sieza" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Most large companies aren't privately owned. They are publicly traded corporations. The major stockholders can't \"take the money and run\" because the money is in their ownership of the business. " ] }
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18s7i3
Is it true native Americans visited Europe in the second century AD?
I once saw somebody say that on an alternate history forum
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/18s7i3/is_it_true_native_americans_visited_europe_in_the/
{ "a_id": [ "c8hl1qu" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Almost certainly not. This comes from something Pliny the Elder wrote, in 60 BC, not the 2nd century AD:“The same Cornelius Nepos, when speaking of the northern circumnavigation, tells us that Q. Metellus Celer, the colleague of L. Afranius in th...
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6ctn4n
how does euler's formula actually work?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6ctn4n/eli5_how_does_eulers_formula_actually_work/
{ "a_id": [ "dhxb60c", "dhxck67", "dhxd35k", "dhxdybx", "dhxqwr9" ], "score": [ 10, 3, 2, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "This is a bit like magic trick and when all the moving parts and behind the scenes preparation are revealed the result is clear, magic evaporates, and, in th...
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[ [], [], [], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylor_series" ], [ "https://betterexplained.com/articles/a-visual-intuitive-guide-to-imaginary-numbers/", "https://betterexplained.com/articles/intuitive-understanding-of-eulers-formula/" ] ]
bzwtfk
Can insect cells be gram stained?
I'm curious if running a gram stain test on insect cells to test for contamination could give you a false positive from staining the insect cells. The cells were grown in a gama-irradated single use container. I tried googling it but am overwhelmed by the bacteria answers and could not find anything about insect...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/bzwtfk/can_insect_cells_be_gram_stained/
{ "a_id": [ "er2itu3" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "You should be ok (though I can't say for certain). Gram staining is staining for peptidoglycan, which is present in high levels in gram positive bacteria cell walls and less so in gram-negative. Insects don't have cell walls, so I would think tha...
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2g2h99
Danes vs Swedes
Hello all. We know that Sweden and Denmark have fought multiple times, so can anyone tell me which one has won more of the wars fought between the two? Thanks in advance!
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2g2h99/danes_vs_swedes/
{ "a_id": [ "ckf7wie", "ckf83ng" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Sweden has won more by most counts. /u/vonadler did a good summary of all the wars fought between Swedem and Denmark in [this](_URL_0_) thread. ", "I'll copy my old post and add victories and draws.\n\nIt depends a bit o...
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[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1emc97/is_it_true_that_sweden_and_denmark_is_the_two/" ], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_Bloodbath" ] ]
7eujj8
why can other animals build up fat reserves and live off of them for leaner months without apparent consequences but we find it so hard to live off of fat reserves and still feel weak when we don’t eat regularly, even when we have stored energy in fat?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7eujj8/eli5_why_can_other_animals_build_up_fat_reserves/
{ "a_id": [ "dq7j53g", "dq7jq9e" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Human beings, much like other animals, did evolve the capability of building up fat reserves when food is abundant, and then living off those reserves when food is scarce. The only reason why this system has broken down in ...
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1zvta4
the anti-fedora culture online
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1zvta4/eli5_the_antifedora_culture_online/
{ "a_id": [ "cfxfyot", "cfxgg7i" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "\"fedora felt hats as a fashion accessory, are often mocked online for being worn by men without poor sense of style.\"\n\nshown in\n\n[This picture](_URL_0_)", "as soon as you see someone wearing them, and i mean anyone...
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[ [ "http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/519/423/b62.jpg" ], [] ]
d1wkgy
Quakers and the Civil War: How did their pacifism and abolitionism interact as ending slavery became more and more central to the Union cause?
Quakers are known for their strident pacifism, but also during the 19th century, they were often associated with the abolitionist movement as well. During the Civil War, I occasionally read of 'fighting Quakers' who decided to join the Army, but it usually is just an aside, and I've never seen much that discusses wheth...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/d1wkgy/quakers_and_the_civil_war_how_did_their_pacifism/
{ "a_id": [ "ezudfdq" ], "score": [ 11 ], "text": [ "The Quakers are an interesting community in many ways. As you noted, they're famous for their pacifism. Analyzing the reasons behind why a man or a community fought in a war is a complicated subject, and of course the reasons I'm going to give a...
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21jpea
freedom of religion as a guise to avoid laws you don't like
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/21jpea/eli5_freedom_of_religion_as_a_guise_to_avoid_laws/
{ "a_id": [ "cgdoprt" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "I thought about trying to explain all your questions, but no one can explain this better than Eugene Volokh does in his [Religious Exemptions Guide for the Confused](_URL_0_)." ] }
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[ [ "http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/03/24/religious-exemptions-a-guide-for-the-confused/" ] ]
2ffyql
I'm on a starship traveling from the Milky Way to Andromeda. I look out the window. What do I see?
Specifically, the visible starscape around the ship. We are not going faster than the speed of light and this trip will take millions of years. If the ship is much closer to one galaxy than the other, will the light from it dominate all the rest? If the ship is roughly at the halfway point between the two, do surroun...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2ffyql/im_on_a_starship_traveling_from_the_milky_way_to/
{ "a_id": [ "ck8xqbh" ], "score": [ 22 ], "text": [ " > Or would the starscape be completely dark except for the closest two galaxies?\n\nPretty much, yes.\n\nThe only stars you can see as individual stars with the naked eye are within a few thousand light years. The Milky Way and Andromeda would ...
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agz9op
Even though the concept of Democracy was known since 500 BC most of the world lived under a Monarchy up until the 1700’s. Why was Democracy unpopular during this time?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/agz9op/even_though_the_concept_of_democracy_was_known/
{ "a_id": [ "eeakma5", "eeas19l", "eeb11ma", "eebbnt3" ], "score": [ 356, 811, 57, 20 ], "text": [ "Sorry if this seems pedantic, but was there really a drastic shift from monarchy to democracy across the world as a whole after the 1700s? Could any historians assess the acc...
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