q_id stringlengths 5 6 | title stringlengths 4 295 | selftext stringlengths 0 34k | document stringclasses 1
value | subreddit stringclasses 1
value | url stringlengths 27 110 | answers dict | title_urls list | selftext_urls list | answers_urls list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
631l10 | how do certain religions become more popular/practiced than others? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/631l10/eli5_how_do_certain_religions_become_more/ | {
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"Lots of people feel either a religion fits with how they think about the world, or it doesn't. Most, if not all, religions argue that the way *they* think people should think about the world is the cor... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
3s34f5 | the infinite hotel paradox | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3s34f5/eli5_the_infinite_hotel_paradox/ | {
"a_id": [
"cwtnpyq"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"If it's the one I'm thinking of, it's not a paradox, really, just an illustration of how infinity is not \"a number\". \n\nIf you have a hotel with any finite number of rooms, you can add guests until the number of guests is equal to the number o... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
6rx2gt | how does the shoulder joint work? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6rx2gt/eli5_how_does_the_shoulder_joint_work/ | {
"a_id": [
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"score": [
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"text": [
"I'm not sure if \"complex\" is the right word, but the shoulder joint is the most flexible in the body. The shoulder joint is what's known as a ball and socket joint. The ball of your arm bone(humerus) is nestled into the cup or socket of the bon... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
dutino | if the hindenburg disaster hadn't turned public opinion against airships, would they have been an efficient form of air transportation or were they mostly novelty? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/dutino/eli5_if_the_hindenburg_disaster_hadnt_turned/ | {
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"text": [
"Probably not. If not the Hindenburg it would be something else in the future. If they just naturally swapped to helium without a disaster they’d just deplete global helium suppl... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
30hicj | - why are there so many fast food restaurants in very low income communities? | I grew up the Bronx when I was younger in a very low income area. However even with most people on Food Stamps, Public Assistance, Welfare, WIC there so many restaurants in areas like that. I would think low income = unable to afford it. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/30hicj/eli5_why_are_there_so_many_fast_food_restaurants/ | {
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Easy access to a quick, relatively cheap meal. ",
"High demand, low rent and business costs of operating in low-income residential zones as opposed to more costly high-density ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
78n9sp | what, exactly, is petro-yuan and how will it affect the us dollar? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/78n9sp/eli5_what_exactly_is_petroyuan_and_how_will_it/ | {
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"text": [
"i am not an economist nor an oil tycoon but people have been sabre-rattling for decades over how china will finally dethrone the US as an economic and industrial powerhouse and th... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
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49sbm5 | how can legendary rock stars, such as freddie mercury, not only remain functional but absolutely thrive at their careers for while so heavily abusing drugs for so long? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/49sbm5/eli5_how_can_legendary_rock_stars_such_as_freddie/ | {
"a_id": [
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Sorry to break it to you, but you've been lied to.\n\nSee, the government and the anti-drug forces want you to think that your typical drug user looks something like this:\n\n_URL_1_\n\nWhen in fact, MOST drug users look fa... | [] | [] | [
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"https://aflen2008.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/group_of_workers2.jpg",
"http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/05/12/article-1180859-04E8E8BA000005DC-338_468x302.jpg"
],
[]
] | |
29s146 | why does the music industry typically categorize the musical artist as a certain genre (e.g., country, folk, rock, blues, etc) rather than their songs, considering that many artists record songs of different genres? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/29s146/eli5_why_does_the_music_industry_typically/ | {
"a_id": [
"cinxp1u"
],
"score": [
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"text": [
"Even if an artist has 1 or 2 songs that cross genres a bit, the vast majority of their music is going to fit within the same genre, and so it's just a more practical way of labeling an artist. If I'm looking for a new alternative rock band to lis... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
5mif97 | why is war not a war crime? where do you draw the line? torture? mustard gas? why not killing? nukes? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5mif97/eli5_why_is_war_not_a_war_crime_where_do_you_draw/ | {
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"score": [
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"text": [
"There are actual rules for making and mantaining a war. As explained in this Vsauce video (He segways to this topic in the middle of it... | [] | [] | [
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"https://youtu.be/oThh3_Srxtc"
],
[],
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[],
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71eyyg | when, where and why did developers and artists adopt a more minimalist design for their user interface (ios, microsoft, xbox, skype, etc) | Over the last few years we've seen so many artists drive forward more minimalist user interface designs in notable services such as Windows, Facebook, Twitter, Xbox and in generally all upcoming technology for the foreseeable future.
My question is what originally drove this huge change forward? It may look nicer, but... | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/71eyyg/eli5_when_where_and_why_did_developers_and/ | {
"a_id": [
"dna8fzt",
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"score": [
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"text": [
"When high-resolution, rich-color displays became the norm, designers had fun making ultra-lifelike controls, with shadows and reflections and woodgrain and the like. People got sick of it, so this was a reaction.",
"It'... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
a4t9vq | why is it when you stay up late, you get aches in your joints that don’t go away? | Title, thanks in advance!
Edit : Like u/mrchesterchapman mentioned, it’s more like a deep marrow pain. Joint pain and the weird ache sensation are different. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/a4t9vq/eli5_why_is_it_when_you_stay_up_late_you_get/ | {
"a_id": [
"ebheijv",
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],
"score": [
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"text": [
"I have never experienced this. Are you sure it's not just you? Do these aches ever show up at other times?",
"No, I know what you mean!! I've always wondered about this, and not just the joints, it's like sleep deprivati... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
qumdd | are the cell phones in "phone hacking" scandals actually hacked or is it just social engineering? | We're seeing more and more celebrity photos leaked online due to supposed "hacks" (Christina Hendricks... Muurrrrrr). Is this simply a matter of less technologically savvy celebrities being duped by social engineering or are these phones actually being hacked somehow? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/qumdd/are_the_cell_phones_in_phone_hacking_scandals/ | {
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"text": [
"Most likely explanation is that these celebrities simply had their passwords guessed. A surprisingly large number of people use weak passwords and/or the same password for everything.",
"As far as I... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
32aa83 | why are police in the us using more and more military/unnecessary equipment? | Police, even in my small town, are arming themselves with rifles, trucks, and other types of equipment that seem like they're better suited to kill people, and to protect against bombs or an army.
Why are things like that needed, and why are we even using them? Is it just because the Iraq war is over and the military ... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/32aa83/eli5_why_are_police_in_the_us_using_more_and_more/ | {
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"score": [
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4,
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"text": [
"Watch season 3 episode 2 of vice (documentary series). It's excellent in their analysis.",
"Mostly an intimida... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Hollywood_shootout"
],
[]
] | |
45guak | how do nature programmes make their timelapse shots (like a flower growing etc) so smooth? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/45guak/eli5_how_do_nature_programmes_make_their/ | {
"a_id": [
"czxsjlp"
],
"score": [
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],
"text": [
"At least some of them are composites filmed mostly indoors under very controlled environments, [as alluded to here by Sir David Attenborough](_URL_0_)."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn9H8hbAAWQ"
]
] | ||
26kqak | what is title insurance and why do we need it? | Like purchasing a house and whatnot. Seems like a useless (almost leechy) financing charge. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/26kqak/eli5what_is_title_insurance_and_why_do_we_need_it/ | {
"a_id": [
"chry6nj"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"It is one of the biggest scams in the history of ever.\n\nTechnically its protection against someone coming forward to claim that the land your house is built on is actually owned by someone other than the person who sold it to you. If it wasn't... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1vlxqs | how is it legal for gas stations next to disney world and other amusement parks to charge up to $6/gallon for gas with price gouging laws? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1vlxqs/eli5_how_is_it_legal_for_gas_stations_next_to/ | {
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"text": [
"because they're not exploiting a temporary weakness that's not within the control of people visiting. you can simply make sure you have enough gas to get t... | [] | [] | [
[],
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] | ||
5lgr3x | why do we have different cups for different drinks? wine glasses for wine, coffee mugs for coffee, etc | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5lgr3x/eli5why_do_we_have_different_cups_for_different/ | {
"a_id": [
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Different materials for the different kind of liquids. If you poured hot coffee in a wine glass, the glass wouldn't just break, but you wouldn't be able to hold it.\n\nHence the creation of the coffee mug, strong enough for ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
35k9b5 | how does hot sauce work? | This is a very small title that doesn't give much, so I'll explain what I mean here.
How do hot sauce create the "hot" feeling in your mouth, how does a certain something irritates your Taste buds.. I don't know what I'm saying but I just don't understand how that works.
How are things hotter? Once you reach like 300... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/35k9b5/eli5_how_does_hot_sauce_work/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"When you get cut, burned, or any other kind of \"boo boo\" \"little detectors\" on your body tell your brain that there is a problem. Now when you eat a pepper or any other hot food a chemical named capsaicin causes these \"... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD0_yWgifDM"
]
] | |
exek2e | what's the difference between an autoimmune disease and an autoinflamatory disease? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/exek2e/eli5_whats_the_difference_between_an_autoimmune/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"There really isn't. Autoimmune diseases are inflammatory as the immune system is attacking one's own body for a variety of reasons. Inflammatory processes occur due to immune system factors whether it be appropriate or ina... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
4v2kf7 | how can electronics companies test the lifetime of their products? | Particularly lightbulbs and batteries there are many claims like provide 7 years of light or X hours or can power for X amount of time. How is accelerated testing done on these to give an answer prior to release of "new" innovations without waiting the few years to see them go out? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4v2kf7/eli5_how_can_electronics_companies_test_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"d5uwl7b"
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"score": [
2
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"text": [
"Two different things here - one is testing battery life in a certain application. This is often directly testable, if we're talking about hours, days, or weeks, with some assumed \"typical use profile.\" For extremely long-life batteries (years... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1upqc5 | how would liquid in a container settle in space? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1upqc5/eli5_how_would_liquid_in_a_container_settle_in/ | {
"a_id": [
"cekgjp3",
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"score": [
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2
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"text": [
"In a weightless environment no liquid would settle without some force put on it.",
"Water and liquids containing lots of water form spheres due to water's surface tension. Video of it in action: \n\n_URL_0_\n\n "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaHLwla2WiI"
]
] | ||
1ixl44 | i just don't understand citizens united. | As I understand it, Citizens United has established that corporations are people and that money is speech.
Why, then, are corporations not subject to the same laws and regulations that your everyday citizen must adhere to?
I refer to this post: _URL_0_
How, if corporations are people, is this bank less criminally li... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ixl44/eli5_i_just_dont_understand_citizens_united/ | {
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"text": [
"There is no real clear answer to this question. You are neither the first, nor the last person to raise these issues. Because this was a recent court decision, we will likely see these kind of questions play out in future ... | [] | [
"http://www.10tvtogo.com/wap/news/text.jsp?sid=40&nid=3355439430&cid=21017&scid=-1&ith=4&title=Local+News&headtitle=Local+News"
] | [
[],
[]
] | |
s1jd8 | facebook's value | I saw on another post today that Facebook is currently valued at over $100 billion. Last year, Facebook had $1 billion in profits. I understand there's a difference between value and revenue, but can someone explain to me how a company can be "worth" over 100 times their actual demonstrative value? Surely people's pers... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/s1jd8/eli5_facebooks_value/ | {
"a_id": [
"c4acc3y",
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"score": [
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3,
2
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"text": [
"I spend $1000 to buy a riding lawnmower. Every lawn that I mow costs me $20 in fuel. I charge $30/lawn. I mow 10 lawns. So I make $300 and then of that I spend $200 in fuel, giving me a profit of $1... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
1w1pz7 | when i leave a tip but pay with a credit card. | Often I try to tip in cash, even when I pay with a credit card. From time to time I'll pay with a credit card and have no cash and have to use the tip line on the signatory part. Every time I leave a tip - I never seem to see the charge. How does that work? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1w1pz7/eli5_when_i_leave_a_tip_but_pay_with_a_credit_card/ | {
"a_id": [
"cexutik",
"cexv1ia"
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"score": [
2,
2
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"text": [
"It just isn't charged immediately like the actual bill.",
"Credit card authorizations are a 2-step process:\n\nFirst, the merchant (restaurant, store, sex shop, etc.) will place a hold on your card. This can be for any d... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
1mw13d | why do people set up fake company facebook pages promoting non-existing contests? | To see how many gullible users repost their content?
| explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1mw13d/eli5_why_do_people_set_up_fake_company_facebook/ | {
"a_id": [
"ccd4jsw",
"ccd4knz"
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"score": [
2,
12
],
"text": [
"To collect personal info for spam?",
"To collect a tremendous number of people \"liking\" the page, then sell the page off to someone who wants easy advertising access to a tremendous number of people."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
9teajg | how do they arrest and prosecute people on catch a predator | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9teajg/eli5_how_do_they_arrest_and_prosecute_people_on/ | {
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"text": [
" > It's not illegal to hang out with a minor\n\nTheir intentions were made clear during the online conversations with the presumed minor. The meeting was not made under the pretense of \"Let's hang out and play with Lego,\" so their showing up i... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
46crpd | how do people on different continents communicate through the internet? is there a telephone line stretching across the ocean? | So like, some game servers can have north americans on a server, but europeans can still join it, how do the messages go to both places? If 2 people were in a chat room, but one guys was from NA and the other from EU, how does the NA computer tell the EU computer that it sent a message? Only way I can see it is telepho... | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/46crpd/eli5_how_do_people_on_different_continents/ | {
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"score": [
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204,
33,
3,
4,
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],
"text": [
"There are cables sunken into the ocean, they provide the communications you are asking about. ",
" > Is there a telephone line s... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://assets2.motherboard.tv/content-images/contentimage/no-slug/284ccab4ca387be16caa273652d018c2.jpg",
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],
[],
[],
[
"http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=4267160&page=1"
],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ivy_Bells"
]
] | |
2unkh0 | why can't we do like a hundred airstrikes a day against isis | We know what areas they control, why not bombard them constantly. People are talking about how these airstrikes aren't that effective, but we have the biggest air force in the world, why not do way more than we're doing now? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2unkh0/eli5why_cant_we_do_like_a_hundred_airstrikes_a/ | {
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6s942o | what does daytime look like from other planets? | How bright is the sun? How big is it? Do other planets have eclipses? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6s942o/eli5_what_does_daytime_look_like_from_other/ | {
"a_id": [
"dlb6pm8"
],
"score": [
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"text": [
"Light intensity decreases really quickly so the further out you go, daytime looks darker and darker. If you are at Pluto it is not nearly as warm and bright as our sun...BUT it is still more than 400x brighter than our moonlight is. But it is co... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
olfbg | how the 18th amendment to the american constitution happened. | IE Prohbition. I mean considering things like the Patriot Act and SOPA and PIPA maybe it is actually easier than americans make out to bind them but it still seems incredable the supposed leader of the free world was able to pass, albeit ultimately unsuccessfully, such a draconian measure. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/olfbg/eli5_how_the_18th_amendment_to_the_american/ | {
"a_id": [
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5
],
"text": [
"The 18th Amendment was the result of decades of campaigning by temperance groups. While there had been anti-alcohol groups in America basically since the first settlers, a few thing came together to make Prohibition feasible... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Great_Awakening"
],
[
"http://www.npr.org/2010/05/10/126613316/prohibition-life-politics-loopholes-and-bathtub-gin",
"http://www.radioparallax.com/File/092911B.mp3",
"http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-july-7-2010/daniel-okrent"
]
] | |
68w4pc | why is it so hard to properly replicate the quality of restaurant/takeaway food such as curries/chicken/pizzas at home? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/68w4pc/eli5why_is_it_so_hard_to_properly_replicate_the/ | {
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"score": [
3,
50,
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3
],
"text": [
"Not familiar with Curries. I would assume the time it takes to layer the flavors. \n\nChicken is all about the seasoning and cooking style. Easy to make better at home. \n\nPizza,... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
m92c6 | how does the electoral college/delegates work in the election process? | I've never fully understood the process, and it finally dawned on me that this subreddit is a fantastic place to gather a better understanding.
Why do we need the electoral college, and what role do delegates play in this? How are the delegates chosen? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/m92c6/eli5_how_does_the_electoral_collegedelegates_work/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"Each state has a set number of electoral votes. Generally, these people cast their vote for whoever wins that states popular vote. It isn't 100% though, theoretically the electoral... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUS9mM8Xbbw&feature=BFa&list=SPC1C0D3F2BA472F62&lf=list_related"
],
[],
[
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUS9mM8Xbbw&feature=BFa&list=SPC1C0D3F2BA472F62&lf=list_related"
]
] | |
dr54n8 | why does hot air feel "windy"? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/dr54n8/eli5_why_does_hot_air_feel_windy/ | {
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"score": [
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"text": [
"The short answer is convection currents. Hot air rises. When you have something like a heater that creates a large temperature difference, that hot air rises faster. This can create a windy effect. In fact this is the reason... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
74kxzk | what is bureaucracy and how does it work? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/74kxzk/eli5_what_is_bureaucracy_and_how_does_it_work/ | {
"a_id": [
"dnz6h9y"
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"text": [
"Bureaucracy is making policies and rules that govern a large group of people. In government, the bureaucrats are non-elected people that manage the population in day to day affairs that require government intervention. Since it would be impossi... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
3sqe94 | why does a major site like reddit go down when a global event (like paris, today) happens? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3sqe94/eli5_why_does_a_major_site_like_reddit_go_down/ | {
"a_id": [
"cwzj18k",
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"score": [
2,
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"text": [
"Reddit did not go down today. I have been here for most of the day and have had absolutely no issues with the site going down. ",
"None of us are involved with reddit finance or reddit operations, anything here is specul... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
5tlp8h | is it possible or practical to divert excess surface water down to a aquifer to replenish the groundwater? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5tlp8h/eli5_is_it_possible_or_practical_to_divert_excess/ | {
"a_id": [
"ddndu5n",
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"text": [
"This was the exact topic of a recent (within 5 days) NPR report!\n\nI don't have a link for you, but if you search _URL_0_ I'm sure you'll find it.\n\nIt may have been during \"Here & Now\".\n\nThe bottom line was that it ... | [] | [] | [
[
"NPR.org",
"https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2016/01/26/california-farmers-flood-fields-with-el-nino-rain"
],
[]
] | ||
2akela | how are spam and popups still a thing? | Marketing is not like it used to be. The new face of advertising tries to be friendly, helpful, and, when it can, unobtrusive. How and why, then, are things like old fashioned spam and popups still around?
My thought is that these types of advertisements can't be that effective anymore. Wouldn't whoever is paying to h... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2akela/eli5_how_are_spam_and_popups_still_a_thing/ | {
"a_id": [
"ciw0z5c"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Advertising is a very results oriented industry. Results matter. If people don't click on them, people will stop paying for them. It's natural selection of advertising methods. If they didn't work, they would go away. While most savvy internet us... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
2991wn | why do people think anne coulter is a satirist? | Whenever Anne Coulter says something outrageous I always see apologists posting about how some of her work is satire and should be taken lightly. Is this true? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2991wn/eli5why_do_people_think_anne_coulter_is_a_satirist/ | {
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"text": [
"Because there's only so much stupid people are willing to accept exists. Anne Coulter exceeds this value.",
"I had mentioned this in... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
4xg4rs | why does a "normal" guitar have 6 stings but a bass guitar has 4 | As someone learning to play the "normal" guitar, I was a little curious | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4xg4rs/eli5_why_does_a_normal_guitar_have_6_stings_but_a/ | {
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"text": [
"The bass guitar is a replacement for the upright double bass - the one that looks like a really big cello. That, like the rest of the orchestra string instruments, has 4 strings,... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w00PCSbaYIU"
]
] | |
1ou8b4 | the i-work-two-hours-from-home-and-make-thousands scam | how does the scam exactly work? and why has it persevered over the years? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ou8b4/eli5_the_iworktwohoursfromhomeandmakethousands/ | {
"a_id": [
"ccvne1m"
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"text": [
"Pyramid scheme: basically, you are considered an owner, so you don't get a wage, but most of the profits from what you are selling go to the distributors, suppliers and whoever contracted you to sell for them, so there is very little money left ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
3pawti | why are there so much stigma against the poor and disabled on welfare? | For example, if I mention that I'm on disability and have welfare because I cannot work, I get the "oh, you're cheating the system, stop being so lazy and work!" response.
Why?
Isn't welfare and disability there to help you get back on your feet (if you can work) and to help you survive so you won't starve in the stre... | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3pawti/eli5_why_are_there_so_much_stigma_against_the/ | {
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"text": [
"The main problem is that those who can work don't. Don't think many have a problem with those who are unable to work due to a disability ",
"You're being judged for the action... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
21s6v7 | i've heard that most of the heat generated on a space shuttles reentry is due to compressed air, but i thought as pressure goes up, the temperature goes down. | If mmost of the heat is from compressed air, why doesn't that cool the air in front of it. Arent pressure and temperature inversely related? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/21s6v7/eli5_ive_heard_that_most_of_the_heat_generated_on/ | {
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"text": [
"As pressure goes up, temperature also goes up if you hold the volume constant (which is essentially happening when with [ram pressure](_URL_1_), as there's no way for the air to get out of the way fast enough). That's part ... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay-Lussac's_law#Pressure-temperature_law",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_pressure"
],
[]
] | |
14vh89 | how communism is theoretically supposed to lead to a classless and stateless society? | I have an odd fascination with communist history but never was able to dive into of the readings. How did Karl Marx a classless and stateless society would actually come about and then function? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/14vh89/eli5_how_communism_is_theoretically_supposed_to/ | {
"a_id": [
"c7gwerj",
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Please see /r/DebateCommunism, /r/Communism101, and /r/PathofCapital for a better response. There's plenty of Marxists around here in the shadows of Reddit and we don't like to come out much...",
"There are several diffe... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
2mshnt | what is a panic attack. what do i do if i come home and see my housemate suffering from one. | I witnessed one of these this morning. I think I used to have them when I was little but remember nothing of them. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2mshnt/eli5_what_is_a_panic_attack_what_do_i_do_if_i/ | {
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"text": [
"Deep breaths to ten and back. The key is to be rational regardless of their behavior.",
"I am not a doctor. This is not medical advice, but I have lived with three different people prone to panic at... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
3k930o | why are glow in the dark items generally always translucent green? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3k930o/eli5_why_are_glow_in_the_dark_items_generally/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"My guess is because green glow in the dark items last alot longer and are brighter than any other color.\n\n[Source](_URL_0_)",
"Human eye is most sensitive to the green color. \n\nThere is glow in dark red blue purple ... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/strontium-aluminate-photoluminescence-Glow-in-the_1257089590.html?spm=a2700.7724838.35.1.eQfeZ4"
],
[]
] | ||
8b5072 | how can an odor be contained? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8b5072/eli5_how_can_an_odor_be_contained/ | {
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"text": [
"An odor is a series of particles dispersed in the air that land in your nose and dissolve on your epithelium in your nose, which then signals the brain about what just dissolved on it, which is what we perceive as smells. \n... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
bjovaj | why does the same speed feel much faster in narrower roads? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bjovaj/eli5_why_does_the_same_speed_feel_much_faster_in/ | {
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"text": [
"Your perception of safety? \n\nGoing 80 down a freeway when you can clearly see everything straight in front of you, know that you have plenty of time to slow down as needed, and a shoulder to veer into if necessary is vastl... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
1t8rq2 | "information is neither created nor destroyed" | A recent post led me to wonder, as I had never heard of it before, how some scientists believe information is neither created nor destroyed. How is this possible? How did we discover this? Thanks for any explanations.
EDIT: My title is in correct, it should be "Information can't be lost". This was inspired by thi... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1t8rq2/eli5information_is_neither_created_nor_destroyed/ | {
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"text": [
"Okay, so what they are talking about is essentially information on a \"quantum\" or at least microscopic level. Consider a collection of some amount of different particles, and assume that we have maximal information about t... | [] | [
"http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1t6972/eli5_the_paper_holographic_description_of_quantum/"
] | [
[],
[]
] | |
19wcwz | how are jellyfish even possible? like their structural make up just looks incomplete and vulnerable, yet they are one of the most dangerous of creatures? and no brains! | You can see right through them and its like they have nothing. What gives? I heard a certain species is immortal too?! Like it can program itself to be born again? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/19wcwz/how_are_jellyfish_even_possible_like_their/ | {
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"text": [
"Jellyfish may not have a brain, but they have a rough nervous system and innate behaviours. However, they are very simple creatures. They're invertebrate: creatures without a backbone. Most jellyfish have really short life spans. Sometimes just ... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transparent_goby",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_frog",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greta_oto",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turritopsis_nutricula",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_jellyfish"
]
] | |
ev2f9n | how does bird vision work? | The pigeons on my kitchen window sill like to watch me. However, when they look at me with one eye, their other eye is looking in the opposite direction. Are they processing two separate images at once? Is it like a sort of peripheral vision where what they see on the other side doesn't take away from their central foc... | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ev2f9n/eli5_how_does_bird_vision_work/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"pigeons have basically 360° vision. its like having peripherals all the way around you. you can focus on something directly in your line of vision, but still be able to kinda see thinga around you, like when something moves in the corner of your ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
j9250 | (li5) explain the collapse of world trade center building 7 | The *official* explanation I mean not outside theories. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/j9250/li5_explain_the_collapse_of_world_trade_center/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"The official explanation is this. \n\nA peice of smoldering steel, or large burning item fell from one of the WTC 1 or 2 into the face of WTC7. It caught a massive fire in the floors 4-5. This fire spread out of control, an... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
6j6hdr | why do they always call it "scrambling the jets" instead of just "launching the jets" | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6j6hdr/eli5_why_do_they_always_call_it_scrambling_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"djbxlqh",
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"score": [
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"text": [
"_URL_0_\n\n > to move with urgency or panic\n\n > to take off quickly in response to an alert\n\n\"Scramble\" doesn't just mean launch the jet, it means to launch in a hurry in response to an enemy threat.\n",
"The phr... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scramble"
],
[]
] | ||
3g57ks | why don't we have $25 bills? | Or at least a 20¢ coin. Why wouldn't we have the coin and bill system be identical? It just occurred to me the other day. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3g57ks/eli5_why_dont_we_have_25_bills/ | {
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"text": [
"There is an underlying optimization problem.\n\nThe goal is to have a set of coins such that there is only one way to make change with ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
330x1x | in a movie or a tv show, i'm fully aware that the hero is a fictional character that didn't actually die. then why did i cry and feel extremely sad afterwards? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/330x1x/eli5_in_a_movie_or_a_tv_show_im_fully_aware_that/ | {
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54,
148,
77,
14,
9,
6,
3,
3,
2,
2,
... | [] | [] | [
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],
[],
[],
[],
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[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
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[
"http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_neuron"
],
[]
] | ||
4680ke | how can something as tiny as a pill or a few drops of poison affect a full-grown adult so much? | Something I've never understood: I can take a pill with, say, 10mg of active ingredient that completely changes how my body operates. I weigh about 100kg (I'm working on getting that down). So that active ingredient is equal to about 1-ten-millionth of my body weight, yet it can profoundly alter my body's workings. Obv... | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4680ke/eli5_how_can_something_as_tiny_as_a_pill_or_a_few/ | {
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... | [] | [] | [
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rxxm9 | how did the big bang ''create'' time? and how can the universe be infinite since it has no edge- so what i beyond it? | Maybe this is impossible to explain to a 5 year old :D even writing the question hurt my brain! | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/rxxm9/how_did_the_big_bang_create_time_and_how_can_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"c49ths7"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Edit: LoveGoblin provided some information I haven't seen before. It renders most of my post invalid. Rather than spread disinformation I had deleted this comment."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1gu326 | why is it that when you increase voltage from 120 to 220, the total amperage ends up being the same as if you did not change voltage at all? | I've been trying to wrap my head around this for a little while. If you have 2000 watts at 120, the amperage is 16.7. If you have it at 220, it's 9.09. But that 9.09 amps ends up on 2 different legs, so you end up with a total of 18.18 amps. Isn't voltage supposed to decrease amperage? Whats going on here? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1gu326/eli5_why_is_it_that_when_you_increase_voltage/ | {
"a_id": [
"cantjp0"
],
"score": [
10
],
"text": [
"You're confusing stepping voltage up or down via a transformer (and since power equals voltage times amperage, as one goes down the other must go up) with the two phases of voltage that is supplied to a typical US house. You aren't stepping any... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
2h7d73 | how people know where sounds are coming from | I'm deaf out of my left ear and I can't tell (in games, mostly) where sound is coming from. I play CSGO a lot and one very bad issue is me not knowing where sound is coming from. I'd like to know how other people can tell where sounds are coming from and which direction and all that. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2h7d73/elif_how_people_know_where_sounds_are_coming_from/ | {
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3,
8,
2,
2
],
"text": [
"If it's to your right, the sound will hit your right ear before it hits your left. It will also be a little louder on that side. ",
"While sound travels pretty quickly, it isn'... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[
"http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_localization"
]
] | |
21myqu | what are freddy mac, fannie mae and sally mae; and why do they have funny names? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/21myqu/eli5_what_are_freddy_mac_fannie_mae_and_sally_mae/ | {
"a_id": [
"cgel4kh",
"cgelvb8"
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"score": [
3,
8
],
"text": [
"No offense to anyone bearing one of those names... ",
"They are nicknames for federal agencies with long names and complicated abbreviations. For instance, Freddie Mac is short for Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
758y5b | what makes some people more “jumpy” than others? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/758y5b/eli5_what_makes_some_people_more_jumpy_than_others/ | {
"a_id": [
"do4s0w3",
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"score": [
13,
5
],
"text": [
"This would be determined by the sensitivity of that person to adrenaline. The more sensitive that person is, the more likely it will be he/she would get an overreaction to the situation that caused the adrenaline to flow.",... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
710tgr | what actually happens in the brain when something is "on the tip of your tounge"? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/710tgr/eli5_what_actually_happens_in_the_brain_when/ | {
"a_id": [
"dn7bjlb"
],
"score": [
2
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"text": [
"Yer not alone in askin', and kind strangers have explained:\n\n1. [ELI5: What is happening in my brain when I'm trying to remember something and I feel myself getting close? ](_URL_1_)\n1. [ELI5 When we experience that tip of your tongue feeling,... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2fknfu/eli5_what_causes_when_a_word_is_on_the_tip_of/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/23kyzq/eli5_what_is_happening_in_my_brain_when_im_trying/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4r04it/eli5_why_do_we_have_... | ||
2u3oo6 | after all the cia has done in guantanamo bay, how isn't anyone in trial for war crimes or crimes against humanity? | Is **anyone** taking any kind of responsibility of what happened? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2u3oo6/eli5_after_all_the_cia_has_done_in_guantanamo_bay/ | {
"a_id": [
"co4tm59",
"co4tro6"
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"score": [
10,
5
],
"text": [
"1. The US doesn't consider what the CIA did to be war crimes or crimes against humanity. Rather, the people committing the acts were given permission by various offices of legal counsel and \"acted in good faith\" on those ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
71rlw1 | how can two trees joined by a branch exist?? | Here is the picture, may add another one later:
Two trees joined by a branch in front of my house _URL_0_ | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/71rlw1/eli5_how_can_two_trees_joined_by_a_branch_exist/ | {
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"score": [
3,
2,
15,
3
],
"text": [
"Aww, their holding hands :D\n\nTrees tend to grow toward light, but we build wierd shaped buildings out of funny materials, so UP isn't always the best place to get light from. Tr... | [] | [
"https://imgur.com/gallery/dncLJ"
] | [
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inosculation"
]
] | |
6jiycy | how do ants and termites design such complex and sophisticated large-scale structures? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6jiycy/eli5_how_do_ants_and_termites_design_such_complex/ | {
"a_id": [
"djem96u"
],
"score": [
13
],
"text": [
"A current belief for how ants create such complex structures is called [Stigmergy](_URL_0_). Essentially individual builder ants follow specific rules where if the environment meets certain conditions they will build in a specific way. So as a m... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stigmergy",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pheromone"
]
] | ||
1jybo9 | why is dmt so life changing compared to other "drugs"? alternative question in comments | You'd wake up knowing for certain that what you experienced was real, not just some hallucination you get from acid or mushrooms. Why is that? You can see and feel the energy of the entities you interact with. There seems to be a calm, mystical, godly component to it. Are we making contact with a different universe? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1jybo9/eli5_why_is_dmt_so_life_changing_compared_to/ | {
"a_id": [
"cbjh4ap",
"cbjqcls",
"cbjrl7d",
"cbjxq3l",
"cbjzl5a"
],
"score": [
3,
4,
5,
3,
5
],
"text": [
" > Are we making contact with a different universe? \n\nAll signs point to 'no'.\n\nFrom what Wikipedia tells me about the compound it's so much more 'real' b... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
1zbaur | why do perfect squares and square roots seem to work out in many different physics equations? | From what I understand we map physics equations based on how matter operates physically. To me it seems strange that many different equations use a perfect square, instead of random exponents such as ^1.34 or ^3.62. Why is it that a perfect square works out so often? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1zbaur/eli5_why_do_perfect_squares_and_square_roots_seem/ | {
"a_id": [
"cfs4urq",
"cfs7qkm"
],
"score": [
3,
2
],
"text": [
"It's a bit of circular logic. Physics equations wind up with a lot of ^2 and ^3 because area and volume are squares and cubes. But why are they? Well, that's actually how we *define* squares and cubes.",
"A few reasons:\... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
9m3476 | if the us purchased the land to then build the panama canal, why did jimmy carter give it away? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9m3476/eli5_if_the_us_purchased_the_land_to_then_build/ | {
"a_id": [
"e7bjqx4",
"e7bkenu"
],
"score": [
6,
26
],
"text": [
"Because it was better than providing a flashpoint for anti-US movements in Latin America, which were a much bigger concern than maintaining control over the canal zone.\n\nPanama had a moderate left government but could hav... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
5kdbaa | how much power does the pope have? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5kdbaa/eli5_how_much_power_does_the_pope_have/ | {
"a_id": [
"dbn3q9f",
"dbnvgcl"
],
"score": [
12,
2
],
"text": [
"He has as much power as people let him have. Millions of people listen to him and act on papal proclamations because their religion tells them to. But he has no power over non-Catholics.",
"In some countries the pope wo... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
3pm0y8 | the back of my debit card says, "not valid unless signed". when would this ever matter? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3pm0y8/eli5_the_back_of_my_debit_card_says_not_valid/ | {
"a_id": [
"cw7fl3d",
"cw7fqvn",
"cw7gbn8"
],
"score": [
14,
3,
7
],
"text": [
"The use of these cards is partially governed by the agreements that the credit card transaction networks have with merchants. (Since your debit card probably has the option of using Visa, Mastercard or... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
50fonc | telecommunications spectrums or bandwidth sale | What is it? How is it used? Why does a telco need to buy this from national government? How is usage regulated? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/50fonc/eli5_telecommunications_spectrums_or_bandwidth/ | {
"a_id": [
"d73owhy"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"The electromagnetic (EM) *spectrum* just refers to different frequencies of light. \n\nSome light has lower frequencies and longer wavelengths (like radio light and microwave light). Other types of light have higher frequencies and smaller wavele... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
fs1w4q | if wealth was equally distributed throughout a first world country, what would the quality if life be like for any given individual? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/fs1w4q/eli5_if_wealth_was_equally_distributed_throughout/ | {
"a_id": [
"flz105h",
"flz17rk",
"flz4a5n",
"flyz53w",
"flyzfk3",
"flyzk9f"
],
"score": [
3,
2,
2,
2,
4,
4
],
"text": [
"There is going to be so much misinformation, guessing and politics here I'm making popcorn already.",
"We'd have fewer gadgets and c... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
8vxnfs | why is letting your car run close to empty "bad for the fuel pump"? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8vxnfs/eli5_why_is_letting_your_car_run_close_to_empty/ | {
"a_id": [
"e1r5lnd",
"e1r7vkm",
"e1r8q6s",
"e1rjc6z"
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"score": [
3,
3,
3,
4
],
"text": [
"It depends how low you're talking about. But think of it this way - if something is made to pump liquid and there's no liquid there (or there's a much denser liquid than it's made ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
1sv0l5 | why did someone pay $43.8 million for this barnett newman painting? | [This](_URL_0_) is the picture in question. Things I've found out -- paraphrased --
* The central line is called a "zip". The zips define the spatial structure of the painting, while simultaneously dividing and uniting the composition. (wiki)
* The painting part of "Onement series" by Newman, who thought that he reac... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1sv0l5/eli5_why_did_someone_pay_438_million_for_this/ | {
"a_id": [
"ce1i4zn",
"ce1i8yl",
"ce1iolc",
"ce1uvn7"
],
"score": [
3,
2,
2,
2
],
"text": [
"This could be explained by Thorstein Veblen (1899, 'The Theory of the Leisure Class'). He proposed the idea of conspicuous consumption.\n\nRich people tend to spend money not on th... | [] | [
"http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/arts/design/record-auction-price-for-barnett-newman-at-sothebys.html",
"http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/barnett-newman/onement-i-1948"
] | [
[],
[
"http://i.imgur.com/OfPmAyJ.jpg"
],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_Rich"
],
[]
] | |
3eu2r4 | the mechanics of stock market selling and buying | I have a basic, theoretical understanding of the stock market. What I always wondered about was the actual mechanics of selling. For instance, in a situation where prices are high and everyone is selling - who is on the other end buying? Is there a situation where shareholders want to sell their highly priced stocks an... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3eu2r4/eli5_the_mechanics_of_stock_market_selling_and/ | {
"a_id": [
"ctie6rm",
"ctih9xm",
"ctihh0w"
],
"score": [
5,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"who is buying? other people. \n\nif there's no buyers, there's no sale. until some holder realizes this and lowers his sell to a lower price. or some buyer realizes the buyers aren't budging and ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://finance.yahoo.com/q;_ylt=AhRPrdYtttKchmwbiGP2DbWp_8MF?uhb=uhb2&fr=uh3_finance_vert_gs&type=2button&s=aapl",
"http://finance.yahoo.com/q?d=t&s=ABIO"
],
[]
] | |
1asv5m | what are taxes, why do i have to pay them, and how do i pay them? | That's one of the many crucial life skills i never learned in high school. I'm glad i know the Pythagorean fucking Theorem though. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1asv5m/eli5_what_are_taxes_why_do_i_have_to_pay_them_and/ | {
"a_id": [
"c90fitt",
"c90ik7c"
],
"score": [
3,
4
],
"text": [
"Why? Because you constantly benefit from things that are provided by the government, so you have to pay to support those things.\n\nTaxes are paid by the average person either through sales tax, which is tacked onto may purc... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coercion"
]
] | |
93vrc2 | why are receipt printers so much quicker than "normal" printers you find in offices? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/93vrc2/eli5why_are_receipt_printers_so_much_quicker_than/ | {
"a_id": [
"e3gc4ts",
"e3gfubj",
"e3guc8r"
],
"score": [
56,
2,
6
],
"text": [
"They use a whole different technology to print to paper, called \"thermal printing\". It has it's pros and cons. For example, you can *only* print to thermal paper using a thermal printer. Also, you tr... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
35qzks | how do computers translate electrical signals into instructions? | From my relatively rudimentary understanding, at a base level computers translate these signals into binary. Depending on whether or not a signal is present, the machine will interpret a 0 or a 1. How does that then become an action that the machine takes? How does it know what to do with that information? I imagine th... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/35qzks/eli5_how_do_computers_translate_electrical/ | {
"a_id": [
"cr6yhyu",
"cr6yqry"
],
"score": [
3,
4
],
"text": [
"If you have a really big number of \"0 or 1\" switches that all work one after another, you can really do marvelous things: those switches are called transistors, they can change state lots of times per second, are much thin... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
27byjw | tapering download speed | How is it that when I start a download my download speed climbs up to 800 kb/s then after a few moments of plateauing around that speed it steadily decreases all the way down to 50 kb/s? No one else is using the internet from my router at the time of download either. I'm calling shenanigans.
| explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/27byjw/eli5_tapering_download_speed/ | {
"a_id": [
"chzcrpc"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Several of the megacorp ISP monopolies do it. They call it names like \"SpeedBoost\" or other garbage somehow implying that they are giving you a bonus for the first few moments.\n\nThe PR department calls it a boost up front. In reality, they a... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
5iutto | what would happen if you placed a light bulb inside of a box composed of one mirrors? | I thought of this as kid and have wondered since | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5iutto/eli5_what_would_happen_if_you_placed_a_light_bulb/ | {
"a_id": [
"dbb3p5h"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"The light would bounce around, but mirrors aren't 100% efficient. Some of thay every is absorbed as heat with each bounce. So you wouldn't end up with a light bomb. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
c9w2ua | what they do to make icebreakers so much tougher than other ships | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/c9w2ua/eli5_what_they_do_to_make_icebreakers_so_much/ | {
"a_id": [
"et3ic2l"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Because they only have one job. They don't need to be fuel efficient to make long sea trips economically feasible. They don't need massive storage capacity for transportation of goods. They don't need amenities for passengers. They need to be goo... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
7t5lnd | why didn’t the pace of roman technological advancement continue to present day? | The education system failed me, as the only history I learned was 1940-present and pre-recorded-history history.
I’ve heard that Romans had a lot of advanced technology but that technology failed to progress for a long time. Why is that? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7t5lnd/eli5_why_didnt_the_pace_of_roman_technological/ | {
"a_id": [
"dta08pa",
"dta1tm0",
"dta2dr7"
],
"score": [
6,
13,
5
],
"text": [
"Because the roman empire collapsed... They were no longer in a societal position to continue that advancement in infrastructure that they did so well.\n\nDid your school really skip the dark ages entir... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
11xr5v | the eu debt. who did the eu countries borrow money from and where did they get the money to lend in the first place? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/11xr5v/eli5_the_eu_debt_who_did_the_eu_countries_borrow/ | {
"a_id": [
"c6qgh4c"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"First thing - the EU refers broadly to pretty much every nation in Europe under a series of agreements, with quite a few rules to make life easier in the continent (27 nations). It was intended to keep peace after WWII (it even got the peace pri... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
65o1f4 | why do we treat people we don't know or like with more respect than people we love and like? | Speaking to a stranger, you use words like sir, madam and such and try to be polite, whereas with a friend you can just say "hi" and so on. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/65o1f4/eli5_why_do_we_treat_people_we_dont_know_or_like/ | {
"a_id": [
"dgbtpt9",
"dgbtq97"
],
"score": [
2,
2
],
"text": [
"When we are more comfortable with familiar people, we will tend to be more relaxed, and hence our normal selves. With unfamiliar people, we will often put up a front until we find ourselves in a comfortable place.",
"You... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
aod8qt | how harmonious music notes work explained in frequencies. (hz) | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/aod8qt/eli5_how_harmonious_music_notes_work_explained_in/ | {
"a_id": [
"eg03uqm",
"eg1s1wy"
],
"score": [
3,
2
],
"text": [
"Different notes make the air vibrate at different frequencies. When more than one note is played, the beats of the frequencies will line up and form a specific pattern. Our war percieved this as a harmony as the beats are ex... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
4wk0z2 | digital data storage. how do physical aspects of the system translate into meaningful information? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4wk0z2/eli5_digital_data_storage_how_do_physical_aspects/ | {
"a_id": [
"d67m12b",
"d681eiv"
],
"score": [
3,
2
],
"text": [
"How exactly it is done depends on the specific system, but it all comes down to having something where there is a small, discrete unit that can be in one of two measurably different states, which can correspond to the 1s and... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://youtu.be/EHRc-QMoUE4",
"https://youtu.be/_9SM9lG47Ew"
]
] | ||
1xa9jc | why does it feel like the "air" changes when i am alone in a room and i can tell that someone has walked in? | It's that feeling of intuitively knowing that you no longer are alone in a room, even if you haven't seen or heard anyone walk in. It's like the frequency of the air around you suddenly shifts. What's up with that? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1xa9jc/eli5_why_does_it_feel_like_the_air_changes_when_i/ | {
"a_id": [
"cf9iwua",
"cf9kglk"
],
"score": [
4,
2
],
"text": [
"Confirmation bias.\n\nEither you have seen or heard them come in (albeit not consciously) or you are only counting the times when you looked and someone was there (ignoring the thousands of times you look around and nobody i... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
1vli14 | what's the difference, internally, between a spike of adrenaline and a spike of caffeine? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1vli14/eli5_whats_the_difference_internally_between_a/ | {
"a_id": [
"cetfc2a",
"cetffhu"
],
"score": [
2,
2
],
"text": [
"I don't want to overstate this, but I know caffeine works to temporarily increase an uptake of endogenous chemicals, chiefly epinephrine (adrenaline). So, essentially, nothing in a way except your body doesn't produce caffei... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epinephrine",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine"
]
] | ||
6cz5mx | epistemology | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6cz5mx/eli5epistemology/ | {
"a_id": [
"dhyk4fj"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Epistemology is the study of knowledge acquisition. How do we know that we know something and that it's correct? It defines knowledge as something that we believe, that is true, and that we have justification for believing its truth.\n\nI'm not a... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
2e0kqk | why does a bottled water cost more than a 16 ounce beer if beer contains tap water (which is what most bottled water is) and more ingredients than water. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2e0kqk/eli5_why_does_a_bottled_water_cost_more_than_a_16/ | {
"a_id": [
"cjuvs74",
"cjuvsd0",
"cjuw38m"
],
"score": [
5,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"I know of no place where this is the case.\n\nSince you are probably talking about a specific example, it's almost certainly a supply vs. demand thing.",
"Because you're only going to buy bottled wa... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
39jkm9 | why do new gen console games require such big installation downloads? | For example the games on the Xbox one sometimes have installation downloads that are around 40 gigabytes. Why can't I just put in the game and play it right when I get it without an install? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/39jkm9/eli5_why_do_new_gen_console_games_require_such/ | {
"a_id": [
"cs3wsvk",
"cs3ykqq"
],
"score": [
8,
2
],
"text": [
"Games have gotten bigger, processors have gotten faster, but blu-ray drives are the same speed. Without installation downloading, you'd have insanely long loading screens for everything, as the game wouldn't be able to load ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
7rtcnh | how does netflix take up so little mobile data compared to other streamers? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7rtcnh/eli5_how_does_netflix_take_up_so_little_mobile/ | {
"a_id": [
"dszey0c",
"dszeyvj",
"dszjg6p"
],
"score": [
21,
12,
2
],
"text": [
"Some phone plans let you stream Netflix for free. I have mobile and can watch Netflix constantly and it not effect my data usage",
"Really good compression, though i think you overestimate the dat... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://help.netflix.com/en/node/87"
],
[]
] | ||
esg5rp | what is happening when our pupils dilate? | When the pupil expands or opens wider, what is happening to the rest of the eye, like the colored part? Does it just move out of the way? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/esg5rp/eli5_what_is_happening_when_our_pupils_dilate/ | {
"a_id": [
"ff9q81p",
"ff9qc4r",
"ff9vvel"
],
"score": [
2,
6,
2
],
"text": [
"The pupil dilating _is_ the iris moving - it's a ring of muscle that expands and contracts to open and close the pupil.",
"The colored part is called the iris, and it is actually a muscle sphincter,... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
44yfbt | the difference between pantheism, panentheism, and deism. | In pragmatic terms, please. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/44yfbt/eli5_the_difference_between_pantheism_panentheism/ | {
"a_id": [
"cztslf0",
"cztt9do",
"cztu86x"
],
"score": [
6,
4,
2
],
"text": [
"Pantheism - THE UNIVERSE IS GOD. GOD IS EVERYTHING.\n\nPanentheism - God is not the universe, but God is everywhere and permeates everything. \n\nDeism - God's existence is provable by studying the na... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
2bs48b | why do different groups of animals have specific names (like pod of whales or murder of crows) is this scientifically useful? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2bs48b/eli5_why_do_different_groups_of_animals_have/ | {
"a_id": [
"cj8dg22",
"cj8dkle",
"cj8dpv3",
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"cj8hed5",
"cj8i2yq",
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"cj8izkf",
"cj8jc5f",
"cj8jjcm",
"cj8jnp5",
"cj8jzkl",
"cj8k28y",
"cj8kgot",
"cj8kl3n",
"cj8kmio",
"cj8kvuc",
"cj8l0ke",
"cj8l2sq",
"c... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_collective_nouns_in_English",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_collective_nouns_of_venery#Terms_of_venery_.28words_for_groups_of_animals.29"
],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"thefreedictionary.com"
],
[],
[],
[
"https://www.wnyc.org/radio/#/... | ||
6cesih | how come the potus security for one weekend at mar a lago costs 3.7million? | If anyone could break it down for me as it such an insane figure to me? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6cesih/eli5_how_come_the_potus_security_for_one_weekend/ | {
"a_id": [
"dhu3o80",
"dhuoyc2"
],
"score": [
16,
5
],
"text": [
"Security is just one component of it. Dragging along multiple Secret Service agents is expensive. Food and lodging is another component. Now that the President brought his entourage with him, where will they stay and wha... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
22eswn | how do we detect eye contact? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/22eswn/eli5_how_do_we_detect_eye_contact/ | {
"a_id": [
"cgm4144"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"People's eyes naturally gravitate towards other peoples' eyes as they portray a general mood and attitude, as well as being the 'mirrors to the soul'. Eye contact comes when two people do this to one another, what more are you looking for? "
]
... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
4p5j0a | biologically speaking, why is there such a variance in breast sizes? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4p5j0a/eli5_biologically_speaking_why_is_there_such_a/ | {
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... | [] | [] | [
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"http://www.nature.com/scitable/content/32020/loewe_negative-f1_FULL.jpg",
"http://www.babycenter.com/404_is-it-true-that-moms-with-small-breasts-produce-less-milk_10310185.bc"
],
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punnett_square#Monohybrid... | ||
6ntr13 | why is a possible heart attack often a "tight sensation in your chest that travels up to the jaw", what is physically going on? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6ntr13/eli5_why_is_a_possible_heart_attack_often_a_tight/ | {
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"A heart attack is caused when the heart doesn't get enough oxygen from blood. The lack of oxygen causes muscle tissue in the heart to die. This causes the heart to send pain signals to your brain. These \"pain signals\" are electrical impulses se... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
2r7eyf | why don't cell phones have easily accessible interchangeable batteries? | Like AAA, C, 9-volt, etc. A similar standard of designs for flat rechargeable lithium batteries. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2r7eyf/eli5_why_dont_cell_phones_have_easily_accessible/ | {
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"The manufacturers want you to go to their \"professionals\" and pay them to replace the battery.",
"If you were a cell phone company, and you paid a lot of money into researchi... | [] | [] | [
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4tts95 | how do we send objects to travel through space so precisely? | Using Juno as an example, wouldn't a seemingly insignificant error compound into a huge discrepancy as it travels through space? Jupiter's over half a billion kilometers away! It doesn't seem possible that we can account for every factor... | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4tts95/eli5_how_do_we_send_objects_to_travel_through/ | {
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"You're absolutely right that a tiny error results in missing orbital insertion.\n\nThe short answer is that spacecraft measure their location very precisely and make course corrections using thrusters.\n\nThis was historical... | [] | [] | [
[],
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