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5had37
What did other periods in the history of the British isles think of stone henge?
Were they interested in it? Did the romans hate it? Did the tudors love it? Could the elizabethans care less?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5had37/what_did_other_periods_in_the_history_of_the/
{ "a_id": [ "dazgiog" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Some parts of your question were covered in [this earlier answer,](_URL_1_) which points out that the earliest certain written record of Stonehenge only dates from the late Norman period (c.1130). And even after that, it wasn't until the first st...
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[]
[ [ "http://www.salisburymuseum.org.uk/collections/art-stonehenge/stonehenge-9", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5fmrqd/what_did_the_romans_think_of_stonehenge/" ] ]
3ojev3
what the meaning is of the different "alarm" fires. for example, a major fire is known as a "5 alarm"
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3ojev3/eli5_what_the_meaning_is_of_the_different_alarm/
{ "a_id": [ "cvxrc7c", "cvxrny7" ], "score": [ 5, 4 ], "text": [ "It's a system to describe how many resources are being devoted to a fire. More alarms means more trucks and firefighters are responding.\n\n_URL_0_", "Each \"alarm\" is essentially a call for multiple additional units to...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple-alarm_fire" ], [] ]
xgxa9
antibodies and antigens.
You can actually explain it like I'm a high school student if you need to.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/xgxa9/eli5_antibodies_and_antigens/
{ "a_id": [ "c5m9st5" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Immunology is one of those topics that can get extremely tedious and complicated. So, since I don't know how much detail you're looking for exactly, I'll just start with the basics and you can ask questions from there if you like!\n\n* Antigen (\...
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[]
[ [] ]
biozb9
In many medieval movies such as Braveheart there are often scenes with military commanders shouting motivational speeches to entire armies on the battlefield without using voice amplification of any sorts. In real life, were they really able to hold speeches like that and is this how it was done?
It just seems unrealistic that 10.000 people would be able to keep quiet enough and all at the same time for everyone to be able to hear one person shouting? Did they use some sort of equipment? Did they relay messages to officers down the line or did they just not speak to the masses like that at all?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/biozb9/in_many_medieval_movies_such_as_braveheart_there/
{ "a_id": [ "em26kds" ], "score": [ 570 ], "text": [ "The answers are further back in time than you're asking about here, but while you're waiting this thread might interest you:\n\n[*Do the speeches we often see before a battle in most literature and visual performances have any historical basis....
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1i9zdn/do_the_speeches_we_often_see_before_a_battle_in/" ] ]
34ctvr
the concept of english "tea".
I watch a lot of BBC shows and inevitably the characters will always mention having "tea". Is this a time of day that all British people observe? Is it only for hosting guests or friends? What kind of tea do you serve and is it always just served with biscuits and little sandwiches? I like tea, don't get me wrong. I'm...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/34ctvr/eli5_the_concept_of_english_tea/
{ "a_id": [ "cqtgaxr", "cqtgnju" ], "score": [ 2, 5 ], "text": [ "The British in general and some other folk in the Commonwealth. My more elderly but still Canadian by birth family certainly has the same tea fixation even if they don't call anything in particular 'tea time' or 'afternoon t...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
6mau4s
what makes cloud black?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6mau4s/eli5_what_makes_cloud_black/
{ "a_id": [ "dk06p7a", "dk06qe2" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Sunlight comes from above, and it can only go through so much moisture before it's all blocked. Therefore the gray areas are just the thickest areas of cloud coverage. The clouds themselves are actually white throughout, jus...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
zliuz
What's a piece of knowledge from your area of historical study that you enjoy telling people about, and why?
As someone who studies primarily Southeast Asian history, there's a lot I could go for but I generally find telling people that a good bit of the [1945 Vietnamese Declaration of Independence](_URL_0_) was taken almost verbatim from the US' a lot of fun. It's my go to fact a lot of the time, and allows me to segue int...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/zliuz/whats_a_piece_of_knowledge_from_your_area_of/
{ "a_id": [ "c65n4af", "c65na7p", "c65nif4", "c65nrbi", "c65ns7g", "c65nsnn", "c65o8td", "c65oava", "c65oc8h", "c65odku", "c65ogpb", "c65okga", "c65or4p", "c65ovbj", "c65p17d", "c65p4it", "c65p93e", "c65pbmb", "c65peee", "c65pegd", "c...
[]
[ "http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1945vietnam.html" ]
[ [], [], [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilmer_McLean" ], [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_the_Rights_of_Man_and_of_the_Citizen", "http://books.google.com/books?id=X2QCAa27Zy4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=declaration+of+independence+armitage&source=bl&ots=Zos...
1jbdzb
is cryogenic sleep possible?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1jbdzb/eli5_is_cryogenic_sleep_possible/
{ "a_id": [ "cbcywst" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "Not yet.\n\nWhen ice forms, it forms tiny crystals. These tiny crystals tend to pierce the cell walls of animal cells. As you can imagine, having all of your cell walls shredded is fatal.\n\nThere are a few exceptions. Some species of frog, by...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
8tmwja
Is our solar system considered normal? What other variations are there? Stars with rings? Stars as planets? Special orbits?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/8tmwja/is_our_solar_system_considered_normal_what_other/
{ "a_id": [ "e193zqs", "e19qtut" ], "score": [ 10, 3 ], "text": [ "Our detection methods don't work well for systems that look like our solar system. We don't know yet. What we know for sure: There are many systems that look completely different. Planets much closer to the star, much more ...
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[]
[ [], [ "https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/infographics/infographic.view.php?id=10884", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binary_star", "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihlh4q9qss0", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AR_Cassiopeiae", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirius", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ca...
wj8r4
we have so much water continually running-- streams, rivers, lakes-- where does it all come from and how?
The idea that an army of spring water doesn't make a lot of sense to me, and it can't rain that much for the continual flow...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/wj8r4/eli5_we_have_so_much_water_continually_running/
{ "a_id": [ "c5dthui", "c5dtqc9", "c5dv25q" ], "score": [ 4, 4, 2 ], "text": [ "Well, you have this thing called watersheds. Watersheds are basically an area of land in which we can safely predict that a healthy amount of the water available in this land will flow into a specific b...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
27fh4i
how are certain roads "aircraft patrolled" for speeding?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/27fh4i/eli5_how_are_certain_roads_aircraft_patrolled_for/
{ "a_id": [ "ci0afr9", "ci0ajxp" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "This is one of those stupid things I think about every time I drive past one of those signs, and never think to research when I'm home. Next stop, Google. ", "There are lines painted on the side of the road. The planes ...
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[ [], [] ]
3x7czk
how can a bunch of 0s and 1s create everything digital?
It always fascinated me how, true or false or simply the on and off of an electric charge create such complex structures, figures and images on screen. And to an extent, does the same apply with machine language programming?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3x7czk/eli5how_can_a_bunch_of_0s_and_1s_create/
{ "a_id": [ "cy255mw", "cy2cx4z", "cy2dq5m", "cy2etxk", "cy2floy" ], "score": [ 28, 3, 3, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "The whole subject is a bit too complicated and a bit too deep for a short ELI5, but I'll give a stab at the gist of it.\n\nThe reason why computers work (at ...
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[ [ "http://www.amazon.com/Code-Language-Computer-Hardware-Software/dp/0735611319/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450355412&sr=8-1&keywords=code+petzold" ], [], [], [], [] ]
devr00
What was the reasoning for the Pancho Villa Expedition? How was Pancho Villa able to evade U.S. capture for so long despite the large force sent to stop him?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/devr00/what_was_the_reasoning_for_the_pancho_villa/
{ "a_id": [ "f30nq0x" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Villa's motives for the Columbus raid seem to have been various. He wanted to take revenge on the American arms dealer who had taken money for supplies and neither given him the arms or returned the money. He was increasingly angry at the way th...
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[ [] ]
1bmkec
(In)Accuracies in Asbury's "The Gangs of New York"?
A few days ago I submitted an identical post; it received several upvotes, but zero replies. I am resubmitting the question in the hopes that someone with an interest in answering may see it this time: For a term paper in my AP Language and Composition class, I have to choose a nonfiction book and write an analysis of...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1bmkec/inaccuracies_in_asburys_the_gangs_of_new_york/
{ "a_id": [ "c981o1a" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "I'm not going to answer your question directly, and I apologize since this will be a top level post, but I don't know that you will get any replies again. You're asking the people here to do your homework for you in a way. But I'll give you my ...
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[ [ "http://www.amazon.com/New-York-City-Draft-Riots/dp/0803234538", "http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/20092635?uid=3739728&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21101844907093" ] ]
4ryj4d
Is medieval French as incomprehensible to modern French speakers as Medieval English is to modern English speakers?
If I tried to read something in "English" from the 10th century it would be impossible. Does the same hold true for the French or has the French language changed less over time?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4ryj4d/is_medieval_french_as_incomprehensible_to_modern/
{ "a_id": [ "d55b1ec", "d55cvim", "d55hoje", "d55jaw1", "d55qyhc" ], "score": [ 4, 9, 7, 2, 4 ], "text": [ "If anyone can answer this, what's the case with the other major romance languages e.g. Spanish, Italian, etc? ", "Might be worth a cross post to /r/lingui...
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[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
5lyqdg
the 9 pieces of 8 in pirates of the caribbean
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5lyqdg/eli5_the_9_pieces_of_8_in_pirates_of_the_caribbean/
{ "a_id": [ "dbzfryz" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Each of the nine Pirate Lords agreed to hold a piece of eight to be presented during a meeting of the Brethren Court, though the term came to apply to a variety of items and trinkets as the pirates found themselves short on money, simply keeping ...
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[ [ "http://pirates.wikia.com/wiki/Piece_of_eight_(item)" ] ]
upx8o
Colonization of Venus
On the Venus wiki page there is a small note about colonization of Venus. "Landis also makes a case for Venus as a target for human colonization. At 50 km above the surface, the temperature range is 0-50°C, the air pressure drops to 1 atmosphere, the gravity is 0.9 that of Earth, and the resources for life are plentif...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/upx8o/colonization_of_venus/
{ "a_id": [ "c4xheql", "c4xlodo", "c4xoyd7", "c4xpy8i" ], "score": [ 11, 3, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "As I recall, the theory was to use balloons of some sort to keep one aloft amongst the clouds. The big problem was corrosion, something that I have yet to read a solution for. I'm...
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[ [], [], [], [] ]
4ut8zr
Is atmospheric noise truly random?
Many PRNGs say that one of the ways to get true randomness is through processing atmospheric noise. However, my question is, would we ever come to the point where we could predict how atmospheric molecules interact with each other in at least a closed chamber? Or is it completely random and unpredictable? The same ques...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4ut8zr/is_atmospheric_noise_truly_random/
{ "a_id": [ "d5st2ae" ], "score": [ 9 ], "text": [ "Atmospheric fluctuations are not truly random, they're just extremely chaotic and unpredictable.\n\nRadioactivity is different. As far as we can tell, it really is random when a radioactive particle will decay." ] }
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[ [] ]
e4ipgf
how do scientific research articles get published? how do we know their results aren't faked? what exactly are scientific journals and how do researchers get revenue from publishing their research work?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/e4ipgf/eli5_how_do_scientific_research_articles_get/
{ "a_id": [ "f9bm0vv", "f9brfwy", "f9bu4z6", "f9c6vgq", "f9cqcc8", "f9dv1h7" ], "score": [ 8, 7, 2, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "When an article gets submitted they have a lot of people look at it and similar data in order to publish it. It generally takes months. ...
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
hj8cg
What is the most inaccurate and accurate movie regarding your field of study?
I know *The Core* gets a lot of disapprovals from physicists, and I'm wondering what movie or television show is the the most accurate and the most inaccurate regarding your field. And why they are so accurate/inaccurate.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/hj8cg/what_is_the_most_inaccurate_and_accurate_movie/
{ "a_id": [ "c1vy0cr" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "\"20,000 Leagues Under the Sea\"\n\n20,000 Leagues = 111,120 km\n\nDiameter of the Earth = 12,769 km" ] }
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[ [] ]
5oirzt
Why is facial hair such an important thing in the Abrahamic religions, and does it have importance in any Eastern religions?
It seems in many Abrahamic Religious sectors/branch-offs, that facial hair is very important. Like with Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons and their ban on facial hair or with the the Shia Muslims how they require men to have beards. These are few examples from my own personal knowledge, but if there are more I'd be op...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5oirzt/why_is_facial_hair_such_an_important_thing_in_the/
{ "a_id": [ "dckk194", "dclpu0q" ], "score": [ 6, 3 ], "text": [ "Hi, long-time lurker. But I think I can actually contribute a bit to this!\n\n___________________________________________________________________\n\n**Banned Beards**\n\nI actually don't know too much about the Jehovah's Wit...
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[]
[ [ "https://policy.byu.edu/view/index.php?p=26", "http://www.sltrib.com/news/3854493-155/the-history-of-byus-honor-code", "https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A14-16&version=KJV", "https://www.ldsjobs.org/ers/ct/articles/dressing-for-success?lang=eng", "https://upload.wiki...
2dhm58
Was there ever any movement to have the United States switch to driving on the left side of the road?
I remember reading about why driving on the right came about, but I'm wondering if there was ever any significant push to shift things over. I vaguely recall reading that our natural instinct to avoid a head-on collision is to break to the left rather than the right. Which is a problem in a car when breaking left puts ...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2dhm58/was_there_ever_any_movement_to_have_the_united/
{ "a_id": [ "cjpv35r" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Also, was/is there any movement to have the UK switch to driving on the right side of the road? I know that some countries have made a switch, so the UK possibly could too." ] }
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[ [] ]
4m7uy3
What could happen to East Germans whose family escaped to the West?
I remember watching *Goodbye Lenin*, where the father defects while on a business trip and the wife faces a difficult interview where she's accused of knowing his plans. She convinces them of her ignorance, but clearly is afraid of what could happen otherwise. What would have been the potential consequences if she'd be...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4m7uy3/what_could_happen_to_east_germans_whose_family/
{ "a_id": [ "d3tm2df" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "It was illegal to leave the GDR without a special permit, which also stated how and when you had to return. If you failed to do so, you risked criminal prosecution according to § 213 StGB-DDR, up to 5 years in prison (extended to 8 years in 1977)...
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[ [] ]
2t1xqj
Some economists consider Social Mobility to be more important than inequality in a society's health. Apart from the United States, is there any civilization is considered to have more Social Mobility than any others? Why do theorists/historians think this is so?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2t1xqj/some_economists_consider_social_mobility_to_be/
{ "a_id": [ "cnuzom7" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Sorry, we don't allow [throughout history questions](_URL_0_). These tend to produce threads which are collections of trivia, not the in-depth discussions about a particular topic we're looking for. If you have a specific question about a histo...
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[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/rules#wiki_no_.22in_your_era.22_or_.22throughout_history.22_questions" ] ]
ckzqsj
Is it theoretically possible to surround the sun with solar panels and “harness” the sun?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/ckzqsj/is_it_theoretically_possible_to_surround_the_sun/
{ "a_id": [ "evs3ekr", "evs5dbl", "evseok6" ], "score": [ 55, 5, 3 ], "text": [ "There's a thought experiment, called a [Dyson Sphere](_URL_0_) (after physicist Freeman Dyson who popularized the thought experiment), that does this.\n\nThe engineering required to achieve this is far...
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[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyson_sphere" ], [], [] ]
7ghr6p
Booker T. Washington's views made widespread changes to education for African-Americans, but did his views affect education for white people today?
I'm writing a paper on Booker T. and am struggling to find evidence for how his effects on education affected white people. Any help is appreciated!
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7ghr6p/booker_t_washingtons_views_made_widespread/
{ "a_id": [ "dqksl70" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "One possible thread to investigate is the relationship between Washington and contemporaries like John Dewey and Ella Flagg Young. There are some interesting primary sources that speak to the time the two men were in the same place at the same ti...
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3u18b6
Can you get vitamin D from the moon/moonlight?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3u18b6/can_you_get_vitamin_d_from_the_moonmoonlight/
{ "a_id": [ "cxbcsuz", "cxbk9h6" ], "score": [ 7, 6 ], "text": [ "Based on values obtained from the Wikipedia for Moonlight and Sunlight, the light of the sun can vary between 120,000 lux and 400-200 lux depending on atmospheric conditions. The average lux value of moonlight is around 0.1....
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[]
[ [], [ "http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1974Moon....9..295C" ] ]
35c7a6
What does marinating a meat (chicken, fish, steak) in lemon/lime/orange juice do to the meat?
A lot of marinades I've been using have called for lemon juice. I was wondering what exactly the lemon juice does to the meat itself. For instance, when I marinate chicken in a lime juice, when I pull it out of the fridge an hour later, the chicken looks different: it has white patches in places, and the muscles strand...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/35c7a6/what_does_marinating_a_meat_chicken_fish_steak_in/
{ "a_id": [ "cr3iq8h" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "An acidic environment will denature proteins - like heat does. That's the reason you begin to see white in chicken like if it's cooked. It's the principle behind [ceviche](_URL_0_)." ] }
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceviche" ] ]
30d2fd
how do government officials justify trading 5 terrorists for bowe bergdahl, who's now facing charges, but not making trades for all the aid workers that have been killed?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/30d2fd/eli5_how_do_government_officials_justify_trading/
{ "a_id": [ "cpr9mt8", "cpr9plh", "cpr9yhb", "cprb3au" ], "score": [ 6, 2, 18, 9 ], "text": [ " > Aid workers that have been killed. \n\nProbably because they're dead, I suppose. ", "per the former gitmo commander, those 5 were scheduled to be released at the end of 201...
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[ [], [], [], [] ]
21lye9
How can the gravitational field of an object slow another object if it cannot expend energy?
Say you had an asteroid flying through some gravitational field large enough to stop it. That's expended energy, isn't it? Yet the gravity field did not expend the energy - gravity is a function of mass? What happened to the energy of the asteroid? Where did the energy to stop it come from? For instance, a small aster...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/21lye9/how_can_the_gravitational_field_of_an_object_slow/
{ "a_id": [ "cgep0uv" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "The asteroid loses kinetic energy and gains potential energy. " ] }
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[ [] ]
1am0de
steubenville rapists
Hey guys over here in Ireland we havnt heard a single thing on the news about the Steubenville rapists.I tried looking it up but all I could find was CNN and memes about the whole thing.Can anyone explain to me this whole thing in a simple way as Iht seems complicated and nobody is really talking about what exactly hap...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1am0de/eli5steubenville_rapists/
{ "a_id": [ "c8ymx0h", "c8yob2x", "c8z5rly" ], "score": [ 5, 11, 4 ], "text": [ "It's an open and shut case, really. The only angles of interest were (a) the rapists were high profile sports players, indicating they had some community support behind them, and (b) the large degree ...
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[]
[ [], [ "http://localleaks.me/localleaks/steubenvillefiles/index.html", "http://www.myblogdammit.net/?p=8683" ], [] ]
bs992c
why does alprazolam stay in your system for 1-6 weeks when the half-life is always the same?
Why is there so much discrepancy? For example Alprazolam has an average half-life of 11.2 hours, so it should be out of your system in 78 hours. Even in the worst case of 26.9 hours half-life, it should be gone in 188 hours. So why do so many websites say that it'll be out of your system in 1 to 6 WEEKS? Sites say th...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bs992c/eli5_why_does_alprazolam_stay_in_your_system_for/
{ "a_id": [ "eokcjar" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "There are going to be three main reasons for this. First, the half-life of the drug is the time for half the material to break down, meaning there is rare chances for some of the material to last longer than usual. It's an estimate, not a guarant...
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[ [] ]
1hftx7
i'm sitting at a stoplight and there are several cars in front of me. they all have there blinkers going at different intervals, except for a short period of time when they completely coincide. what is happening??
I'm not actually sitting at a stoplight. Don't reddit and drive, kids. edit: wow, that was quick. thank you! all good answers
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1hftx7/eli5_im_sitting_at_a_stoplight_and_there_are/
{ "a_id": [ "catwb5h", "catwbhj", "catwbmp", "catwh6z" ], "score": [ 4, 3, 2, 4 ], "text": [ "If car A's turn signal is blinking every 1.3 seconds, and car B's signal is going every 1.4, they won't match up. However, since one car's signal is faster than the other's, it wil...
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[ [], [], [], [] ]
26mret
why tv shows and movies can get the rights to show certain video games, but never the actual sounds/ music.
Every movie and TV show I've seen, from House to Weeds, they always show what they're playing but the sounds are always some 80's 8bit-bullshit.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/26mret/eli5_why_tv_shows_and_movies_can_get_the_rights/
{ "a_id": [ "chsh75z" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "A lot of music, especially, is licensed from someone else for the game. So if they're showing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, they have permission to show the video game. If they want to play the music (\"When Worlds Collide\" - Powerman 5000), then th...
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azhtok
Was it possible in 1943-45 Nazi Germany for a fit, early 20's man to NOT be in the military? What one would have had to do to avoid service?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/azhtok/was_it_possible_in_194345_nazi_germany_for_a_fit/
{ "a_id": [ "ei8a2a9", "ei8bvma", "ei9jstb" ], "score": [ 330, 53, 257 ], "text": [ "Sort of a tongue-in-cheek follow-up question. Could you be fit early 20s Jewish man and serve in the military and is there any difference in the service required? I'm thinking analogous to African ...
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[ [], [], [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5vbnxo/how_did_the_nazi_german_legal_system_decide_which/" ] ]
qgbog
Strange black rock/mineral or meteor(?) I found, can someone identify it?
I found this rock/mineral or whatever it is a long time ago here in Sweden. I honestly don't know that much about it except what you can see in the pictures. It's completely black, quite heavy and approx 15cm in diameter and 5cm thick. The strangest part for me is all the triangle shapes on the surface, they are almo...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/qgbog/strange_black_rockmineral_or_meteor_i_found_can/
{ "a_id": [ "c3xe8ki", "c3xfb14" ], "score": [ 2, 10 ], "text": [ "Interesting crystal structure... don't think it's a meteor, they don't tend to have any sharp features. Is it magnetic?\n\nAt a guess i'd say maybe some sort of igneous rock or maybe a leaf fossil. Couldn't say for sure tho...
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[ "http://imgur.com/a/gcw4q" ]
[ [], [ "http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/SideriteLimonite.jpg" ] ]
2hlkbh
How "thick" would a gamma ray burst be?
In the planet killer gamma ray burst scenario how "thick" would the burst be? Or more specifically what would the duration of the burst be from first exposure to night sky as normal?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2hlkbh/how_thick_would_a_gamma_ray_burst_be/
{ "a_id": [ "ckug94a" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Gamma Ray Bursts have a usual duration of some seconds to some minutes; the avarage of \"normal\" gamma rays is a bit more than half a minute. Some of them however had a lifespan of some minutes to hours, with a record of some weeks. Those are v...
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1nd7sd
why do drift cars turn their wheels in the opposite dirrection they need to go?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1nd7sd/eli5_why_do_drift_cars_turn_their_wheels_in_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cchhqh1", "cchjiha", "cchkks0" ], "score": [ 5, 2, 6 ], "text": [ "To keep the car from spinning out, as you know the objective of drifting is to slide the car through a corner without making it spin, turning it opposite of the turn counters the cars drifting therefore...
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[ [], [], [] ]
1zpeyf
How do we measure time in circuitry?
What does an electronic clock physically do that allows it to count and then measure against, time?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1zpeyf/how_do_we_measure_time_in_circuitry/
{ "a_id": [ "cfvthor" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "There's a great [engineer guy video on quartz clocks](_URL_0_) that's worth watching.\n\nBasically there are two sides to the system. First, you create a very small \"tuning fork\" of quartz, which has a very precise resonance frequency (typicall...
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[ [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pM6uD8nePo" ] ]
n8516
Why do certain things that shock/scare us give us the jitters/shock which basically makes us useless and other things give us super strength(hysterical strength)?
In this [video](_URL_0_) a man who would normally have the strength to pick up the bike by himself has a crash, gets the jitters and suddenly becomes unable to. While in other instances of scare/shock we're able to in some [reported cases](_URL_1_) to lift cars off of people trapped under them. What environmental fact...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/n8516/why_do_certain_things_that_shockscare_us_give_us/
{ "a_id": [ "c377fdc", "c377fdc" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "This happened to me on my motorcycle during an near miss crash with another vehicle. I had the jitters and couldn't immediately lift my bike, it's like my mind was so all over the place I couldn't focus my mind enough to con...
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[ "http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=j4aF76BCtok#t=15s", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hysterical_strength" ]
[ [], [] ]
6ttlfj
can weather or storms actually be controlled or man made? if so, to what extent and how?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6ttlfj/eli5_can_weather_or_storms_actually_be_controlled/
{ "a_id": [ "dlndlsh" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Short answer: yes to a very limited extent\n\nLonger answer: not in any realistic, safe, or controllable way.\n\nWeather is super complicated and often pretty hard to predict. Imagine if you had a big bowl of water and you kept sloshing it around...
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1gfneq
How does one computer share its private key with another computer?
Does it send it when making the connection? I would think it could be intercepted fairly easy if this was done. How does the private key stay private when two computers are sending encrypted data?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1gfneq/how_does_one_computer_share_its_private_key_with/
{ "a_id": [ "cajr523", "cajrbxx", "cajvquf" ], "score": [ 3, 2, 3 ], "text": [ "The idea of public-key cryptography is that the first computer shares the public key, and keeps the private key to itself. The second computer encrypts data (typically, a randomly generated session key ...
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[ [], [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public-key_cryptography#A_postal_analogy", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Diffie-Hellman_Key_Exchange.svg" ] ]
3jbxt9
why don't companies like nintendo and sony put their retro games on steam?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3jbxt9/eli5_why_dont_companies_like_nintendo_and_sony/
{ "a_id": [ "cunyblp" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Companies like Nintendo and Sony already have their own game distribution platforms and they're generally very wary of using other distribution channels. \n\nIf they distribute games through Steam, they ultimately would have to give up lots of co...
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4qc20c
What specifically is stopping people from finding an analytical solution to the Navier-Stokes equations under turbulent conditions?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4qc20c/what_specifically_is_stopping_people_from_finding/
{ "a_id": [ "d4rzx5l", "d4slxw0" ], "score": [ 21, 2 ], "text": [ "It's not my field, so I can't say too much so I will just paraphrase a couple points that Terry Tao made in a [Post](_URL_0_) about why it is hard. (If I say anything horridly wrong, please correct me.) He says that there a...
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[ [ "https://terrytao.wordpress.com/2007/03/18/why-global-regularity-for-navier-stokes-is-hard/" ], [] ]
12nwod
What distinguishes alpha, beta, and gamma radiation from other types of ionizing radiation? Why doesn't neutron radiation fall into the same category?
My best guess is that α-, β-, and γ-radiation are distinguishable by the fact that they are emitted specifically by the nucleus of an atom. If this is correct, though, why don't we typically mention neutron radiation alongside the other three?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/12nwod/what_distinguishes_alpha_beta_and_gamma_radiation/
{ "a_id": [ "c6wozhl", "c6wpfc5" ], "score": [ 2, 4 ], "text": [ "Gamma radiation is distinct from the other three. Alpha (helium nucleus), beta (fast moving electrons), and neutron radiation are classed as particle radiation, while gamma radiation is a high-energy electromagnetic wave.\n\...
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[ [], [] ]
2di06q
how was code invented before code?
How did someone code a programming language without using another one.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2di06q/eli5how_was_code_invented_before_code/
{ "a_id": [ "cjpo1t3", "cjpomjh", "cjpow6y" ], "score": [ 5, 3, 3 ], "text": [ "you programmed in binary by flipping toggle switches. after that came punch cards. ", "Machine language is a code that CPU can run directly. Many years ago some brave young men and women wrote a ...
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[ [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_language" ], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adder_(electronics)#mediaviewer/File:Full-adder_logic_diagram.svg", "http://www.waitingforfriday.com/images/thumb/e/e4/Full_Adder_circuit_wiki.jpg/400px-Full_Adder_circuit_wiki.jpg" ] ]
2rp337
if you lose your genitals will you lose your sex drive too?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2rp337/eli5if_you_lose_your_genitals_will_you_lose_your/
{ "a_id": [ "cnhxr16" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "No.\n\nYour sex organs are not the only \"source\" for your sex drive. It affect it in some ways, although there is no consensus about how much.\n\nIn losing them, you'd fail to act upon these desires, but your capacity to feel them would not dis...
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mkfr1
What would it take to make a virus like Ebola or HIV airborne?
On a molecular level, what evolution/modification/engineering would it take to make a virus like Ebola or HIV airborne? And if this was developed, what would be the easiest way to spread it to eliminate most of humanity? :)
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/mkfr1/what_would_it_take_to_make_a_virus_like_ebola_or/
{ "a_id": [ "c31nmgv", "c31nmgv" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "I think there already is at least one strain of ebola that is airborne, but is harmless to humans. Ebola Reston or something. Thank you Hotzone.", "I think there already is at least one strain of ebola that is airborne, ...
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[ [], [] ]
4wywe3
What is the full chemical process when tea is brewed with tea leaves, a pot and a kettle?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4wywe3/what_is_the_full_chemical_process_when_tea_is/
{ "a_id": [ "d6br1b4" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "It's mostly just dissolving solid mateirals into the hot water. Then, they diffuse.\n\nSo, chemically, it's pretty much the same as mixing sugar, salt, whatever into water.\n\nThe compounds become solvated and form hydrogen bonds, then can diffus...
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vv31l
could someone explain why astronomers use julian dates?
I know that dates in general are constructs, but what's so special about 4713 BC and why is it preferable in science?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/vv31l/eli5_could_someone_explain_why_astronomers_use/
{ "a_id": [ "c57vugb" ], "score": [ 53 ], "text": [ "Astronomers like Julian dates because they make math simpler for events that don't have anything to do with the Earth year. If a variable star has a period of 270 days, it is a lot easier to add subtract 270 than it is to count through all the ...
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9v7swo
placebo side-effects - i think i understand the placebo effect but how can your body create a side effect?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9v7swo/eli5_placebo_sideeffects_i_think_i_understand_the/
{ "a_id": [ "e9a23vf", "e9a2l0r" ], "score": [ 5, 6 ], "text": [ "From what i understand, its the power of over believeing, then realizing it has to make up the difference when it realizes some part didnt happen", "Basically if you believe hard enough, your body will try and make it tr...
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15mc6s
Why is a telescope not called a macroscope if its the opposite of a microscope?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/15mc6s/why_is_a_telescope_not_called_a_macroscope_if_its/
{ "a_id": [ "c7nqs1q", "c7ns8z3" ], "score": [ 38, 13 ], "text": [ "If you look at the etymology, 'tele' is Ancient Greek for 'far away'. So a 'telescope' is something used to look at things 'far away'. \n\n\nIf it was a 'macroscope', it'd be used to look at big things. ", "It's not th...
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1q0lwf
could someone eli5 why java is so insecure?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1q0lwf/could_someone_eli5_why_java_is_so_insecure/
{ "a_id": [ "cd80cmc" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Because Java is everywhere! The more popular something is the more it will be exploited. " ] }
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[ [] ]
vodgq
4-dimensional space and hypercubes?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/vodgq/eli5_4dimensional_space_and_hypercubes/
{ "a_id": [ "c567n6o", "c567vek", "c567yg8", "c568c6s", "c569335", "c5698uz", "c569n5y" ], "score": [ 26, 21, 10, 167, 8, 5, 2 ], "text": [ "[Carl Sagan did a pretty good ELI5 on this topic.](_URL_0_)", "\"Imagine a 3D cube. Now add one dimension...
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[ [ "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnURElCzGc0" ], [], [ "http://blog.kenperlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cube-shadow.jpg", "http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/hypercube.svg.png" ], [ "http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Dimension_levels.svg", "http://upload.wikimedia.org...
1mio2b
when you ignite your propane barbecue, why does the flame not travel down the hose and into the tank?
I've never been able to figure this one out. There doesnt seem to be any little valve, just the hose attached onto the burner mechanism. Same with the patio heater. Yet the flame sits where it should and doesnt ignight the rest of the propane in the tank. Why? Is this simple physics or is there a mechanical device in t...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1mio2b/eli5when_you_ignite_your_propane_barbecue_why/
{ "a_id": [ "cc9l2wd", "cc9l3nz", "cc9l740", "cc9posg", "cc9wock", "cc9y4d4" ], "score": [ 23, 5, 4, 6, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "The propane needs oxygen to be able to burn (burning is just chemically combining with an oxidizer), and there's no oxygen in the hose....
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
usssg
What are the possible evolutionary causes of missing baculum (penis bone) and penile spines in humans?
It well-known that almost mammals except humans have baculum. Even primates have this feature even if the bone is smaller. But, humans have evolved out this feature. Why? Next, all primates have penile spines but humans beings do not. Why? Also, a significant number of human males have a conditions called pearly penil...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/usssg/what_are_the_possible_evolutionary_causes_of/
{ "a_id": [ "c4y8xkq", "c4yiyle" ], "score": [ 3, 3 ], "text": [ "Sorry you're incorrect, pearly penile papules are not a \"condition\" they are 100% normal, and are considered a simple anatomical variation. Please do not mistake these as any kind of STD or a vestigial form of a penis spin...
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[ [ "http://kingsley.stanford.edu/Figure1" ], [] ]
zcnnx
Has there ever been a society where 2 very different languages coexisted together?
By very different, I mean as different as english and japanese.
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/zcnnx/has_there_ever_been_a_society_where_2_very/
{ "a_id": [ "c63f3ee", "c63fp54", "c63ft41", "c63g1zq", "c63g2rk", "c63g765", "c63g98r", "c63gv3y", "c63haew", "c63hsjh", "c63ivtq", "c63j2yk", "c63j9pn", "c63jips", "c63qobt" ], "score": [ 2, 12, 12, 3, 10, 9, 2, 34, ...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incirlik_Air_Base", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yokota_Air_Base", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrikaans" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...
2qz2vr
why do headlights at night seem to blind me while headlights in the day do not if their intensity stays the same?
Just occurred to me driving home tonight from work, I seem easily blinded by on-coming traffic, but this effect never happens during the morning/day time.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2qz2vr/eli5why_do_headlights_at_night_seem_to_blind_me/
{ "a_id": [ "cnavd1n" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Your pupils are larger at night as there's less ambient light. Bright headlights in that situation let in more light than you can handle." ] }
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3nhuve
how do supermarket trolleys get "stuck" to escalators and then suddenly work again once they've moved off?
At our local supermarket there's an angled escalator going up and down to the car park. When I put wheel the trolley to the escalator the wheels lock up so it doesn't roll down. It has no electronics, no handbrake and pretty simple wheels that have a groove in the middle. I can still push it a little bit on the escala...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3nhuve/eli5_how_do_supermarket_trolleys_get_stuck_to/
{ "a_id": [ "cvo7wlx" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Magnets is exactly right. The magnet holds the trolley to the escalator, and the grooves just help to keep the trolley centered so it can be pushed off at the end." ] }
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2zi8eh
how can shows such as house of cards have differing writers and directors every few episodes, yet still remain consistent in tone and feel?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2zi8eh/eli5_how_can_shows_such_as_house_of_cards_have/
{ "a_id": [ "cpj4q0n", "cpj4qlr", "cpj4z8c" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "The producer for the series hires people with a similar sensibility and gives guidance so that they maintain a consistent tone.", "This is common in most tv shows. The demands on the writer and espe...
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[ [], [], [] ]
1noiud
Have there been studies documenting the effects of hallucinogens on people with blindness or other sensory deprivation? What did they find?
Just curious as to whether their experiences might differ compared to those people who have a different range of normal sensory information, or if the brain is still able to undergo similar activity despite having no stimuli to 'work with' as it were.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1noiud/have_there_been_studies_documenting_the_effects/
{ "a_id": [ "cckkx8d", "ccks3d8", "ccl4s1b" ], "score": [ 16, 3, 3 ], "text": [ "This is really complex. If I were you, I'd check out the book \"Hallucinations\" by Oliver Sacks, as he talks about this extensively. In short, people who become blind can have hallucinations after - t...
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[ [], [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/cppdf/iama_blind_person_from_birth_who_has_used/" ], [] ]
8yd2ok
why can’t you donate menstural blood?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8yd2ok/eli5_why_cant_you_donate_menstural_blood/
{ "a_id": [ "e29ww5w", "e29wz6v", "e29x4ym", "e29x63y" ], "score": [ 22, 8, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Well more or less because its basically uterus wallpaper not exactly just blood like you would find in your veins.", "It's not like blood from the rest of your body at all. M...
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[ [], [], [], [] ]
23fmae
how do superchargers make cars go faster? or why?
Wondering how and why they work. Mostly why.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/23fmae/eli5_how_do_superchargers_make_cars_go_faster_or/
{ "a_id": [ "cgwhwdr", "cgwhx26", "cgwi6jw", "cgwiwpd", "cgwjrkx", "cgwobdg" ], "score": [ 10, 2, 5, 4, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Put simplistically, the power from an engine is made from the combustion of fuel and air. A supercharger compresses the incoming air, a...
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
3bkb0m
how do television ratings translate into monetary benefit for the stars of the show?
My assumption is that: Advertisers pay the network, which means that more viewers for the show = more people seeing the advertisements = more people buying products which allows the network to pay the stars of it's most watched shows more money (after demanding more money from the advertisers to show their advertiseme...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3bkb0m/eli5_how_do_television_ratings_translate_into/
{ "a_id": [ "csmwivd" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "That's basically it.\n\nThe amount actors are paid is based on the previous season's ratings/advertising. So usually the during the first season of the show, the actors aren't paid very much. \n\nThe exception would be for actors who themselves...
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fdr3lp
Are there any organic materials that harden over time or when exposed to the air?
There’s a certain fantasy element I’d like to explain to myself; it’s the Nergigante. A fantasy dragon covered in soft white spines that harden and turn black after a short period exposed to the air.
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/fdr3lp/are_there_any_organic_materials_that_harden_over/
{ "a_id": [ "fjkc2q8", "fjkjqlg", "fjmdrb4" ], "score": [ 7, 9, 2 ], "text": [ "A poison dart frog kept in captivity will no longer be poisonous when kept on a diet of superworms and crickets. They become poisonous from what they eat. \n\nAluminum becomes harder when it oxidizes to...
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[]
[ [], [], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shellac", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amber", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resin" ] ]
um4qp
Do astronauts shave in space or do they wait till they get back? Mostly they look clean shaven - so I guess yes. However, with everything in space about 16 times more complicated than back on the planet...I just wondered
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/um4qp/do_astronauts_shave_in_space_or_do_they_wait_till/
{ "a_id": [ "c4wk5u6", "c4wkut5" ], "score": [ 53, 2 ], "text": [ "Here is a [description from the Canadian Space Agency](_URL_0_).", "I don't know if you have Netflix, but if you do, watch Part 3 of the Discovery series \"When We Left Earth.\" Go to 28 minutes in and you will see Neil...
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[ [ "http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/living_hygiene.asp" ], [] ]
3bz6zp
Why did the Romans build on top of things?
I just came back from the most fascinating trip around Italy, including several amazing days in Rome. I have always been interested in Roman history but it is something really special to actually visit Rome, essentially an open museum. Several of the tour guides mentioned x was built on top of y which was built on top ...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3bz6zp/why_did_the_romans_build_on_top_of_things/
{ "a_id": [ "csrrr1b" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text": [ "The phenomenon you are noticing is called \"stratigraphy\", which is the idea that things are built on top of older things, and you can tell which things are older by figuring out the order in which each part was laid down. It's one of the most ...
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[ [ "http://www.nature.com/news/2010/101130/images/news468614a-i1.0.jpg", "http://sitemaker.umich.edu/kelseymuseum.digdiary/files/kedesh_tel.gif" ] ]
ehc1e5
why can you bring extremely fire hazardous items as hand luggage on an airplane?
You can buy litres of high proof alcohol after the security check, as well as bring your own lighter and things like big laptop lithium ion batteries as hand luggage. I’d be safe to assume that you could start a big fire. Isn’t that a problem?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ehc1e5/eli5_why_can_you_bring_extremely_fire_hazardous/
{ "a_id": [ "fci4fwe", "fci75ne" ], "score": [ 10, 3 ], "text": [ "Fires are a threat that aircrews are trained to deal with and lie within their response capabilities.\n\nAnti-terrorism forces worry about things that could take down an airplane (fuselage penetrating explosives) or allow a...
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[ [], [] ]
1lle23
Why does a small crack make a "strong" material so much weaker?
I'm looking for a conceptual understanding of why, on a microscopic level, a very small crack in a steel plate (or beam, or rod, etc.) can cause the plate to break much more quickly than an identical plate with no crack. Take, for example, a steel plate of some thickness /T/ and width /W/, loaded in tension. If I pull...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1lle23/why_does_a_small_crack_make_a_strong_material_so/
{ "a_id": [ "cc0ex86", "cc1o7ea" ], "score": [ 5, 2 ], "text": [ "This happens because [stress concentration](_URL_0_) occurs around the crack. Even though the average stress throughout the material sample is only slightly higher, the localized stresses at the end(s) of the crack are much...
[]
[ "http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Stress_Strain_Ductile_Material.png/450px-Stress_Strain_Ductile_Material.png", "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1N2xdUlKlA", "http://i.imgur.com/zlIASIA.png", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fracture_mechanics#Transition_flaw_size", "http://www.dot.ca.g...
[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_concentration" ], [ "http://www.questintegrity.com/products/feacrack-3D-crack-mesh-software/" ] ]
66cvl1
How do we define irrational exponents?
So we define X^2 to be the product of x and x. We define X^(3/2) to be the square root of the product of x and x and x - but when our exponent cannot be written as a fraction (I.E. it is irrational), how do we define that function? What is really happening when we take 2^(sqrt2)?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/66cvl1/how_do_we_define_irrational_exponents/
{ "a_id": [ "dghhnvz" ], "score": [ 10 ], "text": [ "* _URL_0_\n\nYou can also use the sub search function:\n\n* _URL_1_" ] }
[]
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/5zhau9/conceptually_speaking_what_does_it_mean_when_you/dey5wyz/", "https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/search?q=irrational+exponent&restrict_sr=on&sort=relevance&t=all" ] ]
3mx2nu
Is the ANY evidence at all of Native Americans travelling to Europe before Columbus?
When I was growing up it was generally accepted amongst the populace that Chris C. discovered America. We now know without a doubt that the Norse got there first around 1,000 AD. I have also heard ponderings that some Irish monks may have made the journey and that there may have been some contact with Pacific Islanders...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3mx2nu/is_the_any_evidence_at_all_of_native_americans/
{ "a_id": [ "cviw1ar", "cviyqgj" ], "score": [ 7, 4 ], "text": [ "There's always room for discussion, but perhaps the section [Travel and contact across the Atlantic before Columbus](_URL_0_) in our FAQ will answer your inquiry.", "There's [some genetic evidence](_URL_0_) that Native A...
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[]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/nativeamerican#wiki_travel_and_contact_across_the_atlantic_before_columbus" ], [ "http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajpa.21419/full" ] ]
3mmrj1
what are the reasons behind the various sizes of books?
So pictures aside, why do books (novels, not including manuals or come in such a wide variety of sizes? Is there some correlation to genre? Do authors get to choose? If so, would anyone ever really notice if a book "felt undersized?" Thanks for enabling my procrastination.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3mmrj1/eli5_what_are_the_reasons_behind_the_various/
{ "a_id": [ "cvh3114" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "It depends on who the book is targeted at. Harry Potter for example, wide pages, big letters, lots of spacing, easy for a child to read. Then Game of Thrones, short pages, smaller font, closely spaced. Made to be read by adults. Also, the length ...
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[ [] ]
cscq4u
how do cereal makers decide which vitamins and minerals to fortify a certain cereal with?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/cscq4u/eli5_how_do_cereal_makers_decide_which_vitamins/
{ "a_id": [ "exe08vz" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "The reason I'm asking is because I was looking at the back of random cereal boxes at the store, and thought it was weird how much of a huge spectrum of vitamins and minerals there are. They have very different choices in different cereals, even b...
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[ [] ]
fkm7bi
How the South and North of Italy in 1861 were? Some say if it weren't for the south of Italy, the north would be still third world today. How much is it true?
Yesterday 17 March was the anniversary of the creation of Regno d'Italia. This action seemed to have triggered an economical change in Italy, at least according to some. Some say the creation of the reign was because of "personal" interests which created a recession of some sort for the Italian southern regions. Polit...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/fkm7bi/how_the_south_and_north_of_italy_in_1861_were/
{ "a_id": [ "fkzsf05" ], "score": [ 9 ], "text": [ "The \"Southern Question\" is indeed one of the longstanding dilemmas of Italian Economic History. Research into this topic is not as florid as you might initially think: for much of Italy's unitary history the \"Southern Question\" was perceived...
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[ [] ]
72dzkc
Why would space planes not be a suitable method of interplanetary travel in comparison to typical rocket designs?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/72dzkc/why_would_space_planes_not_be_a_suitable_method/
{ "a_id": [ "dnixqho", "dnjdplh" ], "score": [ 8, 4 ], "text": [ "Our main problem in space exploration is the cost of launching into orbit. It's in the order of several thousand US$ per kg.\n\nSo, first of all, consider how much fuel you need to achieve orbit. [Here's a picture of a Space...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/s39mNwFuQDQ/maxresdefault.jpg" ], [] ]
bao9m7
John Adams wrote that the US constitution was, "made for a moral and religious people," and that it is, "wholly inadequate to the government of any other." What elements of the constitution did he believe were suited for a religious society but not an irreligious one?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/bao9m7/john_adams_wrote_that_the_us_constitution_was/
{ "a_id": [ "ekhfkvr" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "It is interesting how many sites quote these particular lines, but provide no context, or even bother to cite the origin. Most of them do so with the obvious intent of saying that the US is a religious country, and has to be a religious country b...
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[]
[ [ "https://books.google.com/books/about/A\\_Defence\\_of\\_the\\_Constitutions\\_of\\_Govern.html?id=aH0NAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp\\_read\\_button#v=onepage&q&f=false", "https://books.google.com/books/about/A_Defence_of_the_Constitutions_of_Govern.html?id=aH0NAAAAYAAJ&prints...
3e44yp
Was there ever a black American mafia as structured as the Italian and Irish?
Not so much as in gangs like Crips and Bloods, but on the level of Irish and Italians mobs.
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3e44yp/was_there_ever_a_black_american_mafia_as/
{ "a_id": [ "ctbhxed" ], "score": [ 12 ], "text": [ "Absolutely, in many major (and minor) American cities, there were wings of what we would call the \"Black Mafia.\" Typically unrelated but very powerful crime syndicates in the African-American parts of town. Phildelphia, Chicago, New York and D...
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[]
[ [ "https://books.google.com.tr/books?id=QUMDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA36&dq=Ellsworth+Raymond+Johnson+%22bumpy%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CBsQ6AEwAGoVChMIyKKNgaPtxgIV4yVyCh0AmwAC#v=onepage&q&f=false", "https://books.google.com.tr/books?id=378DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA49&dq=Ellsworth+Johnson+%22bumpy%22...
b6qmpz
What did the Egyptian and Syrian governments believe about Israel's nuclear weapons capabilities in the run up to the Yom Kippur War?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/b6qmpz/what_did_the_egyptian_and_syrian_governments/
{ "a_id": [ "ell1wos" ], "score": [ 11 ], "text": [ "Oh, this is such a good question, I can't believe I let it languish for 25 days! Sorry for not procrastinating on my other work earlier so I could answer this; I mean that sincerely, I love this question :).\n\nFrom the first, I think it's impor...
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[ [ "https://www.jstor.org/stable/30245473", "https://www.jstor.org/stable/4328925" ] ]
76bx69
About innovations and disruptions in the past 100 years I feel that there was a true peak of innovations in the early 20th century (1900- 1930). Is there any proof in academic literature of this as well as explanations why there have been so many innovations during that time? Or am I just biased?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/76bx69/about_innovations_and_disruptions_in_the_past_100/
{ "a_id": [ "dod9wcm" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "The innovations pioneered around that period were arguably more broadly and popularly *impactful* than other periods, but that doesn't mean they were more numerous. The changes in that era were profound - a way of life that had continued fairly u...
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3thddu
How do companies like Jack Daniels that make a product that needs to be aged for years predict how much product they will need in the future?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3thddu/how_do_companies_like_jack_daniels_that_make_a/
{ "a_id": [ "cx6nhlo", "cx6os6u", "cx6xo6o", "cx6zpu8" ], "score": [ 2, 16, 7, 10 ], "text": [ "This is a question that I've pondered for a while too. And seeing that these products practically need to be aged, does that mean you're looking at running at a loss for the firs...
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[ [ "http://www.slate.com/articles/life/luxury_explainer/2012/12/starting_a_new_whiskey_company_how_long_do_you_have_to_wait_for_your_spirits.html" ], [], [], [] ]
zkfwz
How far can a raindrop travel horizontally begore hitting the ground?
I'm sitting outside, it just started raining even though the storm clouds are not directly overhead, and it got me thinking.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/zkfwz/how_far_can_a_raindrop_travel_horizontally_begore/
{ "a_id": [ "c65dmcd" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "I don't see anything besides wind speeds and the altitude of the cloud coming into play. Best bet would probably be to look up the most windy hurricane and find out how far away from the edge of its clouds people felt the rain." ] }
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[ [] ]
mxnpy
What would an observer in the farthest galaxy see?
After looking at the Hubble Ultra Deep Field image this morning, I began to wonder... What would an observer standing on a planet on the furthest galaxy out (at the "leading edge" of the big bang) see if trying to take a similar image. Intuitively, i would think that at least half of space would be completely black to...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/mxnpy/what_would_an_observer_in_the_farthest_galaxy_see/
{ "a_id": [ "c34nthm", "c34nts0", "c34nthm", "c34nts0" ], "score": [ 2, 4, 2, 4 ], "text": [ "As far as we've been able to test it, the Cosomological principle holds. The universe looks generally the same no matter where you are.\n\nWhen you are is a slightly different sto...
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[ [], [], [], [] ]
2z65h4
Why is mercury-vapor used instead of non-harmful noble gases in lamps?
Why not use gases like Helium, Neon, or Argon in lamps? Instead of mercury-vapor, which is hazardous.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2z65h4/why_is_mercuryvapor_used_instead_of_nonharmful/
{ "a_id": [ "cpg0rdy", "cpgc1dt", "cpgdnw8" ], "score": [ 5, 3, 19 ], "text": [ "Mercury vapor gives off uv light which is the right wavelength to excite the phosphor coating on the inside of fluorescent tubes. None of the noble gasses emit a white light which is comfortable to the...
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[]
[ [], [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_rendering_index", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal-halide_lamp", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas-discharge_lamp", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium-vapor_lamp", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenon_arc_lamp" ] ]
9g8hjb
Exactly where was FDR when he found out about Pearl Harbor?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9g8hjb/exactly_where_was_fdr_when_he_found_out_about/
{ "a_id": [ "e62qhem" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "At about 2pm ET the President was in the Yellow Oval Room on the second floor of the White House with friend and aide Harry Hopkins when Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox called and first told him if the reports from Pearl. He was called again a f...
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7p81ss
What happens if I get hit by a gamma ray?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/7p81ss/what_happens_if_i_get_hit_by_a_gamma_ray/
{ "a_id": [ "dsf7ve8", "dsf8ckz", "dsfepb6" ], "score": [ 209, 92, 2 ], "text": [ "You *are* getting hit by gamma rays all the time.", "One? Nothing.\n\nNot only are you getting hit by gamma rays all the time, you're probably producing a few. The radioactive decay of the potass...
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[ [], [], [] ]
3ykjgv
Say I am an author around the 1850's in the USA, and I just wrote a book, and I want it published. How would I go about that? Were there any distinguished publishing companies? Do I just make a lot of copies and distribute them in book stores?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3ykjgv/say_i_am_an_author_around_the_1850s_in_the_usa/
{ "a_id": [ "cyenchd" ], "score": [ 11 ], "text": [ "There was a fairly flourishing US publishing industry by the 1850s. For example, Melville published with Harper and Brothers (which is is extant as HarperCollins), Poe with Putnam (also still extant as an imprint of Penguin), Hawthorne and Thore...
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[ [] ]
17mjvi
Do bacteria exhibit a noticeable daily cycle in how they act and react?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/17mjvi/do_bacteria_exhibit_a_noticeable_daily_cycle_in/
{ "a_id": [ "c86xz4z" ], "score": [ 9 ], "text": [ "Yes even bacteria can exhibit [circadian rhythms](_URL_0_) \n \n[Here](_URL_1_) is an example that is especially intriguing. The Viking Mars lander of 1976 tested labeled elements on Mars soils samples. They found the soil \"consumed\" the el...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacterial_circadian_rhythms", "http://mars.spherix.com/spie2/Miller-Straat-Levin_FINAL.htm" ] ]
871jeh
how can dust damage electrical components?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/871jeh/eli5_how_can_dust_damage_electrical_components/
{ "a_id": [ "dw9k5yf" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "[dust corrosion](_URL_0_) \n\nDust contains all kinds of different elements, including some salts. The accumulation of these minerals over time paired with humidity, creates a salty solution, which then does what a salty solution does and eats in...
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[ [ "https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.researchgate.net/publication/4102200_Dust_corrosion/amp" ] ]
2bmohj
At what point would an outside observer have begun to make a distinction between Judaism and Christianity?
From what I understand about the topic, Christianity began as an offshoot of the Jewish Abrahamic religion that held the rabbi Jesus to be a messiah sent from god. This by itself is not unique, however, because many other jews from the time period and since have been so acclaimed, ex: [Messiahs](_URL_0_). My question ...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2bmohj/at_what_point_would_an_outside_observer_have/
{ "a_id": [ "cj6y3hl" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Not to put off any further answers or follow-up questions, but [this healthy discussion](_URL_0_) may be of help to you." ] }
[]
[ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Messiah_claimants" ]
[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/24em97/when_did_early_christians_stop_considering/" ] ]
4884lf
asian men wearing a western suit is acceptable, but why is it weird for a white guy to wear a kimono?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4884lf/eli5_asian_men_wearing_a_western_suit_is/
{ "a_id": [ "d0hno3o", "d0hnopd", "d0ho0hl", "d0hosg7" ], "score": [ 3, 3, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Because you are more used to seeing an Asian guy wearing a suit then a white guy wearing a kimono.", "Western suit? I don't really know, but I think it's safe to assume that s...
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[ [], [], [], [] ]
1nq6ti
Why did the Dutch golden age end?
[x-posted from /r/explainlikeimfive] Is this somehow relevant to the "glorious revolution" that occurred 1688 in England when William III chose to invade England with a Dutch army in order to overthrow James II due to popular demand. Or is there absolutely no relevance between those two events, if those events were ...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1nq6ti/why_did_the_dutch_golden_age_end/
{ "a_id": [ "ccl0wx4", "ccl1jdp", "ccl2hwa", "ccl2ukn", "ccl3e2p", "ccl3vn4" ], "score": [ 23, 92, 2, 3, 3, 3 ], "text": [ "The main, overarching reason was that the Netherlands were just too small. They tried quite hard, and for a while, quite successfully,...
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[ [], [], [], [], [ "http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1491&context=macintl" ], [] ]
6yzphi
why do avoiding left hand turns save gas?
ups no longer does left hand turns. How does this save them gas
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6yzphi/eli5why_do_avoiding_left_hand_turns_save_gas/
{ "a_id": [ "dmrecdy", "dmrei3f", "dmrei8e" ], "score": [ 6, 6, 4 ], "text": [ "If you have thousands of trucks, avoiding the time spent waiting to make left turns across traffic can add up, especially if your planning routes with dozens of stupid. In your personal life, where you ...
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[ [], [], [] ]
54ze4a
how likely is it to survive a headshot?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/54ze4a/eli5_how_likely_is_it_to_survive_a_headshot/
{ "a_id": [ "d868ohr" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "There are notable cases of people surviving a bullet that actually enters the skull and penetrates the brain. Malala Yousafzai, Gabrielle Giffords, and although it's not a bullet, you have to remember Phineas Gage, who survive a steel bar through...
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[ [] ]
4yw2cq
How dangerous was it for World Leaders to meet during WW1 & 2?
I regularly see pictures of world leaders meeting during war time. For example there is one of Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill meeting in Tehran, 1943. How dangerous was it for them to get to these locations? How did they travel? Was there any attempts to intersect leaders in transit, did any attempt get close to takin...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4yw2cq/how_dangerous_was_it_for_world_leaders_to_meet/
{ "a_id": [ "d6qxiho", "d6r3wn0" ], "score": [ 9, 6 ], "text": [ "So the most spectacular example of this going terribly comes in June of 1916.\n\nField Marshall the Lord Kitchener of Khartoum, who was serving as Secretary State for War was traveling to Russia in order to participate in ne...
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[]
[ [], [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3gnoet/how_did_the_major_world_leaders_travel_to_the/", "https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1945/1945%20-%202348.html", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2mogn8/how_did_churchill_get_to_el_alamein_in_1942/", "http://ww...
97xiux
how many appliances can i plug into a single socket (using series of extension chords) without 'something going wrong'?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/97xiux/eli5_how_many_appliances_can_i_plug_into_a_single/
{ "a_id": [ "e4bp6ys", "e4bpkih" ], "score": [ 7, 3 ], "text": [ " > I have a single socket in my room, and I use a series of extension chords to run a few ~~high~~low-power appliances such as a laptop, monitor, PS3, lampshades, speakers, LEDs etc.\n\nFixed that for you\n\nEverything you l...
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[ [], [] ]
8o89t6
why is it that when driving in cruise control, going uphill feels like the car is going much faster when in reality it’s maintaining speed?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8o89t6/eli5_why_is_it_that_when_driving_in_cruise/
{ "a_id": [ "e01ednd", "e01muxp" ], "score": [ 5, 2 ], "text": [ "When the car is in cruise control it is monitoring and attempting, as you said, to maintain the speed it was set to. When you go up hill the car faces more resistance as it has to work against gravity more, so when in cruise...
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[ [], [] ]
3mq5ov
Why is Carbon and Water so fundamentally necessary for life? Couldn't an extraterrestrial lifeform be based on, let's say, silicium?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3mq5ov/why_is_carbon_and_water_so_fundamentally/
{ "a_id": [ "cvi8v0r", "cvip8b8" ], "score": [ 5, 2 ], "text": [ "Water is important because it is a potent solvent and is liquid in a temperature range that is conducive to organic chemical reactions.\n\nCarbon is important because it is fairly inert once in molecules so you can form many...
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[ [], [] ]
1u6yrm
When the slaves (in America) were set free, did they take the name of their master?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1u6yrm/when_the_slaves_in_america_were_set_free_did_they/
{ "a_id": [ "cef75x2" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text": [ "According to Eric Arnesen in *The Black Worker: Race, Labor, and Civil Rights since Emancipation* and Richard Valelly in *The Two Reconstructions: the Struggle for Black Enfranchisement*, slaves so despised their masters that one of the first thi...
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[ [] ]
608dui
why do car batteries only need to be charged when fully dead?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/608dui/eli5_why_do_car_batteries_only_need_to_be_charged/
{ "a_id": [ "df4am8l", "df4apus" ], "score": [ 25, 7 ], "text": [ "They are actually charged every time you drive. This happens with a machine called an alternator. \n\nWhen your car engine is running, it also turns a little electrical generator that helps keep the car battery charged. ",...
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[ [], [] ]
eshckn
is there truly any way to get over non-seasonal allergies?
I am aware it is possible for some to "get over" allergies when they are younger, but are there any ways to get over non-seasonal allergies such as those to dust/animal fur in later years? Is it only possible to reduce the allergies?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/eshckn/eli5_is_there_truly_any_way_to_get_over/
{ "a_id": [ "ff9xyjp", "ff9y09j", "ff9zw0g" ], "score": [ 3, 3, 9 ], "text": [ "I got allergy shots for six years. Granted most of mine were seasonal or at least flared up in spring/fall. Now I’m very glad to get those because I rarely have to even take meds for it.", "Yes when...
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[ [], [], [] ]