q_id stringlengths 5 6 | title stringlengths 3 301 | selftext stringlengths 0 39.2k | document stringclasses 1
value | subreddit stringclasses 3
values | url stringlengths 4 132 | answers dict | title_urls list | selftext_urls list | answers_urls list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
751bk6 | On YouTube I can watch extremely detailed videos of ancient Roman battles that show what each section of the army did and at what time. How is this known, exactly? Was there just a scribe sitting on a hill recording the battle? | Example here: _URL_0_ | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/751bk6/on_youtube_i_can_watch_extremely_detailed_videos/ | {
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"text": [
"Well yes, there were always reporters for the [*Novum Eburicum Tempora*.](_URL_0_)\n\nBut seriously, it is worth just looking at the source material for this. The reconstruction of Teutoberg is more... | [] | [
"https://youtu.be/kmF3VBA_RcM"
] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/751bk6/on_youtube_i_can_watch_extremely_detailed_videos/do3ehgr/",
"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Battle_cannae_destruction.png"
],
[],
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4mqakw | When surgeons "run the bowel" is there a specific strategy to how it's pulled out, and how it's put back in? | I've been watching a lot of House, and whenever they run the bowel in the show they just seem to pull out the bowel in a pile, then put it back in a pile. But isn't there a risk of tangling? Is gravity/orientation a factor? | askscience | https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4mqakw/when_surgeons_run_the_bowel_is_there_a_specific/ | {
"a_id": [
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Mercifully, real intestines aren't completely loose--they're tethered by tissue, called mesentery, which keeps them in some degree of order. You can pull bowel out to an extent, but it's not like one big loose rope the way it sometimes looks in m... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1qskfr | why doesn't a lightbulb act as a short circuit? | I don't understand 100% what exactly consumes electricity and acts as a load. A lightbulb just heats a wire so why doesn't it act as a short circuit? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1qskfr/eli5_why_doesnt_a_lightbulb_act_as_a_short_circuit/ | {
"a_id": [
"cdg0f7p"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Well, it does, kinda.\n\nA light bulb has a very thin wire. You might think that filament is about a millimeter wide, but the filament is actually a coil of a coil of the actual wire. The wire is much finer than a hair.\n\nPushing electric curren... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1phz1o | why do some toothpastes produce a lot of foam and some produce non at all? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1phz1o/eli5_why_do_some_toothpastes_produce_a_lot_of/ | {
"a_id": [
"cd2hgq5"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Sodium Lauryl Sulphate. It is a detergent. It produces foam which carries off debris you scrub off your teeth. It also tastes kinda like mint and blocks all your sweet receptors which causes your OJ to taste bitter. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
7l95y5 | Is there a benefit to building aerodynamic Spaceships? | By that I mean Spaceships that theoretically remain in Space, so no entering/exiting atmospheres. | askscience | https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/7l95y5/is_there_a_benefit_to_building_aerodynamic/ | {
"a_id": [
"drm5nom"
],
"score": [
6
],
"text": [
"In a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) or close to any planet with an atmosphere, there is still a thin trace of gases. Sometimes it's called \"residual atmosphere\". For most practical purposes it's a vacuum: you can't breathe and water boils at room temper... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
e0wwie | how did currency exchange rates form in the very beginning? | I was wondering how exchange rates formed in the beginning. As in, when the first two countries came together to exchange a monetary deal, how did they know how much of their money equated to the other countries money. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/e0wwie/eli5_how_did_currency_exchange_rates_form_in_the/ | {
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"score": [
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31,
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"text": [
"Same way as the price for anything: both sides do their homework on how much stuff they can get with the other sides currency and then figure out how much o... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
86ziqz | How exactly does the rabies virus control human beings (stop them from drinking)? | What is the mechanism the virus uses to control human behavior? Does it override programs in the motor cortex? Does it program fear of water in the amygdala? Or does it just block muscles in the throat? I find it very hard to understand how a virus can manipulate something as complex and deliberate as human behavior. [... | askscience | https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/86ziqz/how_exactly_does_the_rabies_virus_control_human/ | {
"a_id": [
"dw945dj",
"dw9b8i9"
],
"score": [
366,
24
],
"text": [
"Rabies infects neurones that control respiration and swallowing. \nThere is an automatic cycle you usually don’t notice around breathing and swallowing. \nThe rabies infection of the neurones controlling that cause it to ... | [] | [
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtiytblJzQc"
] | [
[],
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/28jff7/why_does_rabies_cause_a_fear_of_water/"
]
] | |
bf7j6d | why is nationalism bad? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bf7j6d/eli5_why_is_nationalism_bad/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"Because it’s moved past nationalism, and into jingoism. \n\nNationalism isn’t bad until it starts coming at the expense of others.\n\nEdit: had to double check definitions, and I was describing PATRIOTI... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
1qze3o | why is beef tenderloin so expensive? | I went to the local market and saw beef tenderloin for $25 a pound. What makes this such an expensive cut? Is it the demand for it? Lack of supply? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1qze3o/eli5_why_is_beef_tenderloin_so_expensive/ | {
"a_id": [
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"score": [
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"text": [
"[Here](_URL_0_) you have a chart showing where different beef cuts comes from.\n\nThe more a muscle has worked in its lifetime the tougher the beef cut tends to become and the tenderloin hasn't done mu... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/US_Beef_cuts.svg/640px-US_Beef_cuts.svg.png"
],
[],
[]
] | |
2elgzt | Hydrogen used as a energy storage system? | Why can't we use excess solar energy to break down water into hydrogen/oxygen which could be burned as needed for power during nights/overcast? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2elgzt/hydrogen_used_as_a_energy_storage_system/ | {
"a_id": [
"ck0rn0w"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"I'm not an expert on hydrogen production, but I have looked at industrialised hydrogen production for future nuclear application. Assuming the same processes would be applied I can answer the question, but obviously my answer is based on nuclear ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
3u8zxy | why do ships sink vertically? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3u8zxy/eli5_why_do_ships_sink_vertically/ | {
"a_id": [
"cxcvvyt"
],
"score": [
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"text": [
"Its only if the breach in hull is only on one end or another. So when water start to fill up the ship one side gets heavier and goes down first. If the breack in the hull was all along one of the boards the ship would tilt towards that side befor... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
1twhai | basic beliefs of taoism | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1twhai/eli5_basic_beliefs_of_taoism/ | {
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"score": [
9,
24,
2,
6,
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"text": [
"The Tao of Pooh. Read it.",
"Taoism can be summed up pretty generally as it all focuses pretty much around n... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
2hm2an | Why aren't sunrises fiery colors too? | Aren't sunrises the same process happening in reverse more or less? They almost always seem bland in comparison. | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2hm2an/why_arent_sunrises_fiery_colors_too/ | {
"a_id": [
"ckuhfkt"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Not an expert, but I remember hearing a lecture about this. I'm not sure I'd characterize sunrises as less fiery or bland, but there are certain atmospheric changes that make sunrises and sunsets different. Firstly, there are some physiological... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1z3nj9 | how come when you crack your knuckles underwater, it is incredibly loud, but when you try and scream underwater, the sound is muffled to a whimper? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1z3nj9/eli5_how_come_when_you_crack_your_knuckles/ | {
"a_id": [
"cfq75hr",
"cfqbqsv"
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"score": [
121,
10
],
"text": [
"Water transmits sounds quite well, so if an action vibrates the water to make a sound, you'll be able to hear it clearly in the local area. However, sound does not cross mediums very well. When you're trying to talk (or s... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
3zykkm | why is there such a large amount of rain falling across australia, when it is meant to be an el nino year and be very dry? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3zykkm/eli5_why_is_there_such_a_large_amount_of_rain/ | {
"a_id": [
"cyq2dh2"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"El Nino is the summer part of the phenomena. In winter it becomes El Nina and brings more rain. I would guess that in the southern hemisphere the season are reversed."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
4ux2y7 | If honeybees are non-native to North America, won't the original (or other) pollinators flourish and fill in the gaps left behind by the decreasing population? | I'm assuming the original pollinators weren't completely displaced by the invasive european honeybee, but even then the other pollinators' populations will expand without competition from those bees. I haven't been able to find any articles addressing this whenever bee population articles come up. | askscience | https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4ux2y7/if_honeybees_are_nonnative_to_north_america_wont/ | {
"a_id": [
"d5u5r7i"
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"score": [
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],
"text": [
"[Apparently it's a bit of a myth that honey bees are non-native](_URL_2_).\nBut that could just be a red herring and I get your point. \n\n[This online handbook on insect pollination of cultivated crops](_URL_1_) mentions the loss of native poll... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.iatp.org/files/Pollination_Ecology_Plant_and_Bee_Interactions.htm",
"http://www.aces.edu/urban/forestry/documents/OnlinePollinationHandbook.pdf",
"http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1544"
]
] | |
4mu1x7 | the uploader has not made this video available in your country. | Why? Just f**cking why???? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4mu1x7/eli5_the_uploader_has_not_made_this_video/ | {
"a_id": [
"d3yaft0"
],
"score": [
8
],
"text": [
"Its likely the video contains material that is not licensed for worldwide use. International licenses are significantly more expensive than licenses for a specific region. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
wrsuv | Why is spacetime a Minkowski space and not a Euclidean space? | I recently read that spacetime is a Minkowski space and not a Euclidean space. Is this true? It doesn't make sense to me, as I would think it possible to represent spacetime as either.
Is "time" represented by a continuum of real numbers? Someone recently said they wished they had an infinite amount of time, and I wa... | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/wrsuv/why_is_spacetime_a_minkowski_space_and_not_a/ | {
"a_id": [
"c5fvrfy"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Euclidean space doesn't have a way to build a causal structure like Minkowski space does. In Minkowski space you can have vectors with positive, negative, or zero length. This allows you to define events that are timelike separated and which are ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
37o19j | how for example, gun laws are so different from state to state and why they just cant be the same all over the country | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/37o19j/eli5_how_for_example_gun_laws_are_so_different/ | {
"a_id": [
"crocfn1",
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"score": [
3,
7,
2
],
"text": [
"Basically the US Constitution says that anything that isn't specifically spelled out as belonging to the Federal government will be left to the states or to the people (10th Amendment). ",
" > The... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
2ycf5l | Why did Saddam's forces succeed in fighting the Kuwaiti forces, then lose to the American/coalition forces? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2ycf5l/why_did_saddams_forces_succeed_in_fighting_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"cp8au5i"
],
"score": [
10
],
"text": [
"Leaving aside the enormous issue of the obvious disparity between Kuwaiti and Coalition forces (both in scale and quality), Iraq's successful invasion of Kuwait benefited greatly from the experience of the Iran-Iraq War. Although the Iraqi milit... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA484530>"
]
] | ||
t1zek | philosophy, what is it and why do people study it? | ELI4 | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/t1zek/philosophy_what_is_it_and_why_do_people_study_it/ | {
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"score": [
8,
8,
2,
12,
2,
2
],
"text": [
"Philosophy would be very hard to explain to a four year old like you asked. \n\nI think the [first 2 sentences on wikipedia](_URL_0_) s... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy"
],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
8odvhb | Is James McPherson too critical of George McClellan? | I’m currently reading Battle Cry of Freedom, about 500 pages in, and McPherson seems to be highly critical of McClellan throughout. He seems to only credit him for doing a good job of organizing the Army of the Potomac and really inspiring his men at the beginning of the war.
He goes at length reveal his flaws and mi... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8odvhb/is_james_mcpherson_too_critical_of_george/ | {
"a_id": [
"e03862g"
],
"score": [
13
],
"text": [
"Ethan Rafuse made a creditable attempt to defend McClellan in his 2011 biography *McClellan's War,* and while somebody other than I could better assess him as a tactician, strategist, or battlefield commander, I think Rafuse does manage to debun... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
3gd1s4 | how are babies born with "hardcoded" reflexes that they can do first time, without practice? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3gd1s4/eli5_how_are_babies_born_with_hardcoded_reflexes/ | {
"a_id": [
"ctwzp7c"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Hardcoded is the exactly correct word to use.\n\nThey are born with neural pathways in their brains that will automatically respond to stimuli, residing in a more primitive part of their brain.\n\nFor many animals, that more primitive part of the... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
f2w29z | how do people who suffer from epilepsy safely drive? | Some forms of Epilepsy can be triggered by flashing/flickering lights and when driving, especially at night, even driving on a motorway can cause lights to flicker due to oncoming traffic etc. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/f2w29z/eli5_how_do_people_who_suffer_from_epilepsy/ | {
"a_id": [
"fhf1e9y",
"fhf3gu2",
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],
"score": [
18,
2,
2
],
"text": [
"They can’t. Exceptions not withstanding (minor cases, controlled by medication,etc) Licenses can be denied over medical issues.",
"To begin with, people with certain medical conditions can't drive.... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
w9tqb | purpose of the f keys on the top of your keyboard. | Why are they there? What was their original intent? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/w9tqb/eli5_purpose_of_the_f_keys_on_the_top_of_your/ | {
"a_id": [
"c5bhuch"
],
"score": [
10
],
"text": [
"Back in the bad old days, there was no such thing as a \"mouse\"- all you had was your keyboard. But some software still needed the \"menus\" that we take for granted in most every program we use today. \n\nSo, the F keys were implemented as a q... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
bm96ad | What is the prevalence of assassinations in historical conflicts? | What is the point of large-scale warfare if the enemy leaders could simply be assassinated? Was it not done because it was harder than it seems, or was it seem as dishonorable, or were there other considerations? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/bm96ad/what_is_the_prevalence_of_assassinations_in/ | {
"a_id": [
"emxwzu2"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"As required, I will provide a lengthy answer.\n\nIn the past assassinations were often an option, though like today most had some sort of security detail. An example of which (though perhaps an extreme one) can be found in the Mongol Empire, wher... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
etp9zh | Why wasn't the Holy Roman Empire ever centralized? | Now I'm not an expert in history but from what I know in the 12th maybe 13th century countries like france and england were pretty decentralized like the HRE
but what led to the HRE not being centralized the way england and france did? I know the riechreform was about this but why so late? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/etp9zh/why_wasnt_the_holy_roman_empire_ever_centralized/ | {
"a_id": [
"fiffzqj"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"I think I give a thorough answer, here: \n\n_URL_0_"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/f6byq6/why_did_france_succeed_in_centralizing_where_the/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf"
]
] | |
7chqf0 | What alleged psychodellic property or ingredient of nutmeg makes people high? | askscience | https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/7chqf0/what_alleged_psychodellic_property_or_ingredient/ | {
"a_id": [
"dpr6xgg"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"Myristicin, an anti-cholinergic.\n\nLike other anti-cholinergic drugs it will cause dry eyes/mouth, confusion, headaches and nausea. In certain doses it can cause mild hallucinations.\n\nThe effects vary widely from person to person and can last... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
17ljfh | why do objects in space tend to orbit in a disc-shaped pattern? | Why do Saturn's rings, our solar system, and, indeed, most every solar system and galaxy in the known universe tend to end up in disc-shaped orbits? My gut feeling tells me the answer is centripetal (centrifugal?) force, but that doesn't seem to account for why the shape is so common. It would seem to me that since spa... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/17ljfh/eli5_why_do_objects_in_space_tend_to_orbit_in_a/ | {
"a_id": [
"c86lx0e"
],
"score": [
15
],
"text": [
"Conservation of angular momentum, basically.\n\nImagine a big cloud of particles, each moving with some random velocity. The cloud will have some well-defined center of mass, obviously, so each particle that makes up the cloud is going to be in ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1zgvzj | why do we combine words together accidentally when speaking? | There have been times when I will have a conversation with someone and I will randomly combine words into one word. For example there was a time when I was comparing my residence water with my home water and I meant to say "nice water" but ended up saying wice... It's embarrassing when the other person looks at you lik... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1zgvzj/why_do_we_combine_words_together_accidentally/ | {
"a_id": [
"cftj73y"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Your brain forms sentences by trying to put together words that represent what you're thinking. Sometimes your brain knows the words, but doesn't send the signals to the muscles in your face quick enough for your mouth to form each individual wor... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
f74668 | how do rape kits/paternity tests work if sperm only has 50% of the father's dna? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/f74668/eli5_how_do_rape_kitspaternity_tests_work_if/ | {
"a_id": [
"fi8zi72",
"fi9b3mp",
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"score": [
13,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"Each sperm only has 50%. \nThere are many many millions of sperm. \nThe odds that all of them miss any part of the father's DNA is essentially zero.",
"I mean...spermatozoa contains 50% of DNA c... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
2s9q4x | Why is recent history often excluded or extremely rushed in history classes? | I am mostly referring to secondary education but it has always seemed to me that any history since WWII, at least American history, is covered in a fraction of the time compared to other events in history. I'd be interested to know if this is also true in other countries.
I'm curious because IMO I feel most of our so... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2s9q4x/why_is_recent_history_often_excluded_or_extremely/ | {
"a_id": [
"cnnt6zp",
"cnnuw8n",
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"score": [
15,
6,
5
],
"text": [
"Historian James Loewen attends to this question in his book for popular consumption: \"Lies My Teacher Told me\". The short answer is: the recent past in too well known, and therefore too controversia... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://www.npr.org/2013/12/26/257255787/wave-of-illegal-immigrants-gains-speed-after-nafta"
],
[]
] | |
brdapk | Did 'Population: ' signs actually appear outside towns in the American West? If so what was their purpose? | Edit: I get it, lots of american towns still have them. What I'm asking is why they originally came about. | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/brdapk/did_population_signs_actually_appear_outside/ | {
"a_id": [
"eofjodb"
],
"score": [
156
],
"text": [
"American expansion always included strong elements of boosterism: wanting to believe that your town was bigger and better, or would soon be bigger and better, than other nearby towns. Because I’ve never seen any suggestion that population sign... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
6mg3ia | what is a w-4? | Like, I vaguely know what it is, but how does it work? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6mg3ia/eli5_what_is_a_w4/ | {
"a_id": [
"dk1b9gt"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Essentially, the government requires that your employer collect your income tax on your wages and send that to the government. \n\nIn order to do that, your employer needs some way to estimate how much you'll pay in taxes. To do **that**, they ne... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
4dd9t0 | why do child victims of abuse gravitate towards people similar to the abuser? | Why *does it seem like* child victims of abuse gravitate towards people who also abuse them? Wouldn't they want to go in another direction?
I can't relate of course, but if I was beat up at a 4H convention I would make sure never to attend another 4H convention - not seek out more 4H members. Silly example I know. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4dd9t0/eli5why_do_child_victims_of_abuse_gravitate/ | {
"a_id": [
"d1pvrmy"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Abuse is all about control. A lot of abuse involves making its victims feel worthless, like they can never do better, like they cannot find happiness or deserve happiness, etc. Control is part of how abusers keep their victims silent. \n\nVictims... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
ctwhwy | how does uhaul/any other car rental company keep vehicles equally distributed across the country? | Shower thought I had.. how do they match the random sporadic demands of vehicles that you can’t predict? Do people get paid to drive them to different locations n such? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ctwhwy/eli5_how_does_uhaulany_other_car_rental_company/ | {
"a_id": [
"exogibf",
"exoju8l",
"exom2rl"
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"score": [
13,
8,
7
],
"text": [
"Car rental businesses hire people to drive vehicles to other locations. I’m sure Uhaul has something similar in place.",
"They hire people to drive vehicles back to where they need to be to equaliz... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
285idr | How accurate is the Romanticized telling of the American Civil War? | When taught about the American Civil War, we were told it was very "brother against brother" and generally clean and fair. How accurate is this viewpoint of the war? Were any massacres or inhumanities committed similar to the atrocities in other civil wars throughout the world (El Salvador, USSR, Afghanistan, Mexico)? ... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/285idr/how_accurate_is_the_romanticized_telling_of_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"ci84pa0"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"\"how much more complex was the civil war than simple fighting about slavery\"\n\nThe short answer here is that it wasn't more complex than that. Slavery was absolutely the central political controversy of 19th century America. The southern state... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
d8soga | How did the relative cost of a medieval knight compare to the cost of a modern battle tank? | I have been wondering how expensive medieval knights were & wondered if a modern battle tank was a fair comparison for cost.
[A modern battle tank is around USD$6-9 million to buy](_URL_0_). I have no idea on how much it costs to maintain/ fuel/ arm/ man a tank per year, but I assume it's significant. Maybe 10% of t... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/d8soga/how_did_the_relative_cost_of_a_medieval_knight/ | {
"a_id": [
"f1d8rr1",
"f1dy1oi"
],
"score": [
14,
42
],
"text": [
"I found this thread from 2 years ago:\n\n_URL_0_\n\ncredit to u/WARitter and u/Dashukta for answers",
"I mean the very terms \"medieval\" and \"knight\" are problematic in their own right as the medieval period is not ... | [] | [
"https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-a-common-battle-tank-cost",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_level_of_military_equipment#List"
] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/56ccx9/how_much_would_a_suit_of_armour_from_1455_1485/"
],
[]
] | |
22pb3m | Did businesses really flourish in the Nazi Regime? | I am interested in whether or not businesses did well under a Nazi Regime. Did they do well because of the capitalist system (as past of fascism) allowed them to do whatever they wanted (as part of a free market) or did they suffer because the totalitarian aspect of the state hindering their progress? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/22pb3m/did_businesses_really_flourish_in_the_nazi_regime/ | {
"a_id": [
"cgp2tm7"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Many businesses enjoyed an extremely close relationship with the Reich government. The most notorious one, [IG Farben](_URL_3_), --a chemical conglomerate formed in 1925 and made up of Bayer, BASF and others-- was so deeply implicated in committi... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://alphahistory.com/nazigermany/the-nazi-state/",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IG_Farben_Trial",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichswerke_Hermann_Göring",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IG_Farben"
]
] | |
1dvoz1 | Why do American lawyers have such a bad reputation? When did disrespect toward lawyers start? | We all know the jokes, "50,000 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean is a good start, etc. This sort of tasteless joke would be unfathomable against doctors. And in Germany, I never encounter this sort of attitude, lawyers here get a lot of respect. So when did it become socially acceptable for Americans to slag off on l... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1dvoz1/why_do_american_lawyers_have_such_a_bad/ | {
"a_id": [
"c9uby08",
"c9ufiu2",
"c9ufpgn",
"c9uq3u8"
],
"score": [
12,
9,
8,
3
],
"text": [
"A major issue is defense laywers. People don't understand that there is a difference between due process and guilty v innocent. A defense lawyer, regardless of whether or not the ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liebeck_v._McDonald%27s_Restaurants",
"http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/great-tobacco-robbery-lawyers-grab-billions",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1-Click",
"http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/01/how-newegg-crushed-the-shopping-cart-patent... | |
f1ho5a | Did ancient civilizations have ancient civilizations? | Did any civilizations one could call "ancient" or "classical" (Egyptians/Romans/Mayans etc) have their own classical civilizations that they saw as "before their time" or a source of their own, contemporary culture? If so, how did they know about these civilizations - did they preserve the literature, art, and/or build... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/f1ho5a/did_ancient_civilizations_have_ancient/ | {
"a_id": [
"fi5niaz",
"fh72p2m",
"fh7iqgb",
"fh7odh1"
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"score": [
59,
1368,
56,
343
],
"text": [
"I hope this reply isn't too late for you u/urag_the_librarian. This is a fun question because, as is sensible enough...of course ancient peoples knew about *even more ancien... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://blogs.bu.edu/aberlin/files/2011/09/Winter-2000.PDF",
"https://www.academia.edu/12454074/History_making_in_prehistory_examples_from_Catalhoyuk_and_the_Middle_East",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/51qcj6/i_heard_that_the_aztecs_thought_teotihuacan_was/d7fal3n/",
"https://ww... | |
4wrlje | if you wore an oxygen mask that simulates the elevation of 5,000 feet, would it make breathing at 6,000 feet easier, the same, or harder? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4wrlje/eli5_if_you_wore_an_oxygen_mask_that_simulates/ | {
"a_id": [
"d69bchq"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"I assume by \"oxygen man simulating 5,000 feet\" you are actually talking about a tanker full of normal air that has been pressurized to match that elevation, and not a tanker full of just oxygen. It would be easier. That is what any pressurized ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
oyl8p | the movie "primer." | Seriously -- my brain, she hurts. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/oyl8p/eli5_the_movie_primer/ | {
"a_id": [
"c3l2roh",
"c3l36lu"
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"score": [
2,
6
],
"text": [
"Not possible at all. I don't think it's possible to explain to a thirty year old.",
"In short: multiple time lines running parallel to each other. In long: See this image _URL_0_"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://unrealitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/primer-chart.jpg"
]
] | |
2q5znk | Why can't the core of a star be "more" than iron? | Why for example we don't have mercury core stars or plutonium core stars? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2q5znk/why_cant_the_core_of_a_star_be_more_than_iron/ | {
"a_id": [
"cn3miwl",
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"score": [
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2
],
"text": [
"A star is held up by the equilibrium between the inward force of gravity and the outward pressure of fusion energy. However, fusing iron or any heavier elements than iron doesn't produce a net output of energy, but rather ex... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/c/cno+cycle",
"http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/astro/procyc.html"
]
] | |
60wmpy | How did the Soviet Union attempt to domestically and internationally justify plainly different standards of living between party leaders and ordinary citizens? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/60wmpy/how_did_the_soviet_union_attempt_to_domestically/ | {
"a_id": [
"dfadvba"
],
"score": [
76
],
"text": [
"Followup and/or related question: how aware would the average soviet worker have *been* of the standard of living differences? "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
3523up | Why do deep sounds seem to travel further? | With the same volume on speakers the bass and lows are always more audible and you can hear them farther is it designed like this? Do the sound-waves actually travel further, and if so why? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3523up/why_do_deep_sounds_seem_to_travel_further/ | {
"a_id": [
"cr0abhe"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"Low frequency waves are long. Quite long. Some take as much as 20-30 ft to fully develop. They go right through most walls, whereas high frequencies (very short wavelengths) get stuck in a pillow. It's the same reason why it takes so much more po... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1ylgjq | Why did all of the reptilian megafauna of the seas disappear? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1ylgjq/why_did_all_of_the_reptilian_megafauna_of_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"cflngec",
"cflngru"
],
"score": [
4,
2
],
"text": [
"Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event was severe enough that highly specialized animals died out. Mammals survived because they were scavengers and could survive on a very broad died. Of course, other factors come into pla... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale#Evolution"
],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyrosauridae",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichthyosaurs",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pliosaur",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protosphargis",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxochelys",
"http://en... | ||
8x6blt | why when lying on my side, my brain prefers to watch parallel to the floor instead of parallel to my eyes? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8x6blt/eli5_why_when_lying_on_my_side_my_brain_prefers/ | {
"a_id": [
"e217ebw",
"e2191o5",
"e21bp4a"
],
"score": [
58,
57,
36
],
"text": [
"Your brain knows that you are lying on your side. It expects things to look rotated for the eyes. If they are not something is wrong.",
"Your brain is a very complicated machine that does a lot o... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://www.theguardian.com/education/2012/nov/12/improbable-research-seeing-upside-down"
],
[]
] | ||
1bd4yk | How close could a person get to the sun, realistically? | How close could someone get to the surface of the sun (in a space ship obviously) before heat or gravity destroyed him?
edit: Thanks for the replies, I've learned a lot! | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1bd4yk/how_close_could_a_person_get_to_the_sun/ | {
"a_id": [
"c95tt60",
"c95u65v",
"c95vu15"
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"score": [
5,
81,
23
],
"text": [
"That depends on the vessel, do you mean like in the space shuttle? ",
"I know the closest you can get to the sun on earth is mount chimborazo its not the tallest mountain in the world but it is th... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helios_(spacecraft\\)"
]
] | |
3z6xr5 | how exactly do we move our limbs and why don't we mimic our movement in robots? | I've always wondered what mussels have to move in my arm to pull my finger tendons and how that signal is sent from my brain, but can't seem to get a straight answer.
It seems pretty efficient so why don't we mimic it in robots instead of using motors? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3z6xr5/eli5_how_exactly_do_we_move_our_limbs_and_why/ | {
"a_id": [
"cyjpdxf"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"In order to move a muscle, we need to send a signal to a primary motor neuron. This specialized neuron controls groups of muscle fibers in one particular muscle, causing them to contract. When you want to consciously move a muscle you directly se... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
igblu | How do we determine when a common ancestor
lived? | For example: the last common ancestor between us and chimps is said to have lived between 6 and 8 mya, but a fossil of this animal has not (yet) been found, so we have got nothing to date. So how do we know it lived between 6 and 8 mya?
Also: if we want to know when, say, the last common ancestor between us and frogs ... | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/igblu/how_do_we_determine_when_a_common_ancestor_lived/ | {
"a_id": [
"c23ix1f"
],
"score": [
9
],
"text": [
"Using [molecular clock](_URL_4_) genetic dating methods, generally following [coalescent theory](_URL_5_). It basically works like this. If we take a chunk of DNA from a human and the same chunk of DNA from a chimp then the differences in these t... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayesian_inference_in_phylogeny",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrion",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transition_(genetics)",
"http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050831/full/news050829-10.html",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_clock",
"http://en.w... | |
vhr4z | Why do you think people use the term "Native American" instead of referring to tribes individually? Is this fair? | I was recently reading a book by Edmund S. Morgan called *American Heroes* (really enjoying it so far by the way) and he has a chapter discussing Native Americans. In his book he points out that among the different Native American tribes, linguists recognize 375 different languages. We still, however, generalize all of... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/vhr4z/why_do_you_think_people_use_the_term_native/ | {
"a_id": [
"c54m1jf",
"c54mwt2",
"c54obyd",
"c54oh0o",
"c54rgqp"
],
"score": [
2,
2,
2,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"Well, for one, they are native to North America so the term fits in that sense. Secondly, the United States government recognizes [565](_URL_0_) different Na... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federally_recognized_tribes"
],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
75403n | astronomy question | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/75403n/eli5_astronomy_question/ | {
"a_id": [
"do38oyq"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Inverse square law-\n\nThe inverse-square law, in physics, is any physical law stating that a specified physical quantity or intensity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source of that physical quantity. The fundamen... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverse-square_law"
]
] | ||
2gb3fm | What rules of the english language came into play when determining that some words had no plural form- e.g fish, deer, etc? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2gb3fm/what_rules_of_the_english_language_came_into_play/ | {
"a_id": [
"ckhnua0"
],
"score": [
7
],
"text": [
"Any \"rules\" of the English language are artificial constraints created a posteriori. English is the way it is because some people spoke that way and it became a *custom* (rather than a rule).\n\nThis becomes clearer when implementing [speech... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://pangeamt.com/en/faq-about-machine-translation/q2-why-statistical-mt/#.VBT7_vldXwo"
]
] | ||
ebm4ns | In The Communist Manifesto, it's fairly accepted that Marx imagined the workers revolution to start in heavily industrialized nations. Yet the majority of former Communist States when their Revolutions happened were in primarily agricultural societies, why did this happen? | Specifically I think about how the Russian Empire at the time of the October Revolution wasnt as industrialized as the rest of europe. Or how China wasnt really industrialized at all with more examples in places like Vietnam and Korea. I Hesitate in including Eastern Bloc nations like Poland and Romania as they were so... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ebm4ns/in_the_communist_manifesto_its_fairly_accepted/ | {
"a_id": [
"fb7861k"
],
"score": [
8
],
"text": [
"I answered a [similar question](_URL_0_) a few months ago which talks about Marxism's application in the Russian Empire.\n\nThe short answer is that the October Revolution was almost entirely orchestrated in the nation's industrial capital, Saint... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/cykrhl/marx_predicted_workers_would_take_control_of_the/"
]
] | |
3mqpfi | how alcoholic must your breath be to catch fire, and why does it even work? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3mqpfi/eli5_how_alcoholic_must_your_breath_be_to_catch/ | {
"a_id": [
"cvh9p68"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"80 proof and above is generally flammable. Although I really don't see how this could happen, this would require actually inhaling some embers, which doesn't really happen when you smoke. \n\nFurther more, its going down different \"tubes\" the a... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
187h5b | why can't we capture light? | For example, why can't we take a perfectly round ball with mirrored insides and "capture" light. Or a cylinder and observe the light falling down with gravity as it circles around down the cylinder. I have a pretty firm grasp of physics and light so maybe not quite like I'm five. But this has always intrigued me. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/187h5b/why_cant_we_capture_light/ | {
"a_id": [
"c8ca4nf",
"c8caul2",
"c8cbcvq",
"c8cc2le"
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"score": [
4,
8,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"I'm a chemist, and not a physicist, so it's quite possible that I'll be wrong on some of these things. But I'll do my best.\n\nFirst, it is somewhat possible to capture light in th... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
7otdlw | What is the benefit to making new elements in labs? | Pretty much just the title. If these elements are not found in nature and are too difficult to create to have any practical use then why bother discovering them? Is it simply for the furthering of knowledge or is there another reason? | askscience | https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/7otdlw/what_is_the_benefit_to_making_new_elements_in_labs/ | {
"a_id": [
"dsc4mov",
"dsckdr2",
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"score": [
30,
2,
4
],
"text": [
" > Is it simply for the furthering of knowledge or is there another reason?\n\nIs that not enough?\n\nWe learn about nuclear structure, nuclear reactions, etc. If we can study them chemically, we can l... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
80riqs | active reading and why it's important to a reader | By the term "active reading", I'm referring to the reading technique that's usually done in English Literature classes.
I'd like to know what it is, what it involves, how one would mix it into their everyday reading, and why it is important. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/80riqs/eli5_active_reading_and_why_its_important_to_a/ | {
"a_id": [
"duxniuc",
"duxnoqr",
"duxowiv"
],
"score": [
4,
2,
3
],
"text": [
"\"Active Reading\" is simply reading, but with an emphasis on paying attention to content and critically analyzing the text as you read, instead of just reading the words and moving on. \n\nIt's importa... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
mv2l5 | socialism vs. capitalism (and right-wing vs. left-wing) | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/mv2l5/eli5_socialism_vs_capitalism_and_rightwing_vs/ | {
"a_id": [
"c342jf2",
"c3447l7",
"c342jf2",
"c3447l7"
],
"score": [
2,
2,
2,
2
],
"text": [
"Socialism is when the 'means of production' (factories, land, raw materials) are owned cooperatively. Either by groups involved in the production, or by the state on behalf of the ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
1xtzco | How does acidosis ( lactic, metabolitic etc) cause some one to go in to a coma? | It't should be a simple question but I can't quite get to the bottom of it. Any ideas? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1xtzco/how_does_acidosis_lactic_metabolitic_etc_cause/ | {
"a_id": [
"cfeo92s"
],
"score": [
10
],
"text": [
"I've looked into this for you, and the conclusion is this is poorly understood.\n\nWith that said, there are a quite a few apparent effects of acidosis that would likely contribute to neurological impairment, which I'll detail for you. \n\nThe f... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
2lyxx4 | How much Western pop culture (movies, music, etc.) was allowed in the USSR and Warsaw Pact countries? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2lyxx4/how_much_western_pop_culture_movies_music_etc_was/ | {
"a_id": [
"clzfcpj",
"clzju8z"
],
"score": [
5,
4
],
"text": [
"I remember a thread about music in the USSR - _URL_0_",
"hi! you'll find some responses regarding films in these posts\n\n* [What was the public perception of Cold War films such as Dr Strangelove in the Soviet Union?](_... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/26z28q/theres_an_episode_of_doctor_who_set_on_a_russian/"
],
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1ym45b/what_was_the_attitude_towards_nonpolitical_or/",
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2bvakt/were_the_best_soviet_film_di... | ||
5wg44w | why do hdr videos require more processing? | Why does it require a good hardware for playback?
[edit] I was referring to the hardware required for playback | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5wg44w/eli5_why_do_hdr_videos_require_more_processing/ | {
"a_id": [
"de9stga"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"HDR is more information between the darkest and brightest points. The greater information per-frame means it takes longer to load, and better hardware to process."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
39dafn | Does California's sinkhole problem magnify its precarious position on the fault lines as well as being in the subduction zone in speeding up its descent into the ocean? | It's an odd question I suppose, but I read this article today: _URL_0_ and it got me thinking if this would be additive or neutral. Also, I mean the article seems to indicate that man has a direct impact on this. Is the problem overstated? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/39dafn/does_californias_sinkhole_problem_magnify_its/ | {
"a_id": [
"cs2untd"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"I'm not sure I understand the question... what subduction zone do you mean? And where in the article is any reference to fault lines? California is not descending into the ocean. \n\nThe drought might impact the San Andreas fault slightly as wate... | [] | [
"http://m.motherjones.com/environment/2015/06/california-sinking-drought-ground-water"
] | [
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saltwater_intrusion",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isostasy",
"http://www.abag.ca.gov/bayarea/eqmaps/fixit/ch2/tsld003.htm"
]
] | |
7bvtau | how does hydraulic fracturing work? and what are the pros and cons of the process. | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7bvtau/eli5_how_does_hydraulic_fracturing_work_and_what/ | {
"a_id": [
"dpl4x5j",
"dpl50o8"
],
"score": [
2,
2
],
"text": [
"You drill a hole into a rock formation containing tiny pockets of trapped natural gas. Then you pump a mixture or water, solvents, and tiny bits of sand into the hole. You pressurize the liquid at high pressure, fracturing... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
1ijh2m | If I replace multiple light bulbs at the same time why do they burn out at different times? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1ijh2m/if_i_replace_multiple_light_bulbs_at_the_same/ | {
"a_id": [
"cb5280v",
"cb53nfg"
],
"score": [
3,
2
],
"text": [
"Light bulbs are made to last within a certain tolerance. \n\nExample: 100 light bulbs are manufactured to last 1000 hours. But in reality most of those light bulbs won't last 1000 hours. Some will last more, some will la... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
9g181m | are all physical traits “inherited”, or are some of them random? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9g181m/eli5_are_all_physical_traits_inherited_or_are/ | {
"a_id": [
"e60nvqg",
"e60qglk"
],
"score": [
5,
2
],
"text": [
"Some of them are random - that’s actually how evolution works.\n\nThe way your body grows is defined in a set of rules stored in each cell, which is your DNA. When your body makes new cells (as you’re growing, or when you ne... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
1zw8uk | would an airplane be affected if it flew over land that was experiencing a massive earthquake (i.e. over 9.0)? | In other words, would the earthquake on the ground affect anything in the air that would affect anything in the sky? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1zw8uk/eli5_would_an_airplane_be_affected_if_it_flew/ | {
"a_id": [
"cfxj81c",
"cfxmzgd",
"cfxnqx3"
],
"score": [
6,
2,
16
],
"text": [
"Earthquakes in maritim regions can cause floods and Tsunamis, which in turn have a strong influence on local winds. Those can possibly influence airplanes close to the ground. I can't imagine an airpla... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_9"
],
[]
] | |
ybvie | Does the discovery of the Higgs help create a better defenition of mass | As i understand it, the kilogram is a block in paris that we measure every once and awhile, but we don't have a succinct definition of what a kilogram is. Does the discovery of the higgs help us define this quantity? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/ybvie/does_the_discovery_of_the_higgs_help_create_a/ | {
"a_id": [
"c5u6e63"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Not really, for a couple of reasons: The Higgs field provides a mechanism for fundamental particles to have mass, but it says nothing about why diffenent particles have the masses they do. That has to be added by hand. Also, the Higgs field is no... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
23rxvo | How hard would you have to press your fingertips together to kill the bacteria between them through sheer pressure? | Is it possible to "squish" a single-celled organism through human or mechanical strength? Or is there too much space between two surface to actually harm them? I'm curious. | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/23rxvo/how_hard_would_you_have_to_press_your_fingertips/ | {
"a_id": [
"ch04j0k"
],
"score": [
6
],
"text": [
"If you had a perfectly smooth surface, I don't see any reason why you couldn't crush them. However, what looks smooth to us is probably not smooth on the size scale of bacteria — most of them would probably be slid out of the way into crevices in... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1ej9sc | What are the largest animal populations on Earth? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1ej9sc/what_are_the_largest_animal_populations_on_earth/ | {
"a_id": [
"ca0rz14"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Many insects have numbers in the trillions, and biomasses far surpassing ours. We have much greater numbers than any other large mammal. A few birds also outnumber us."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
3am7sd | what is going on inside my phone that causes it to freeze? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3am7sd/eli5_what_is_going_on_inside_my_phone_that_causes/ | {
"a_id": [
"csdwbz0"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"There are a lot of different things, but basically it's the same reason computers occasionally freeze - lack of system resources or a critical error in core code. Because we keep pushing technology forward towards more features and more power, w... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
2kc8i8 | There's an episode of ST:TNG where Picard tells Wesley that before Marco Polo most people in Europe didn't know whether or not China really existed. That's not true ....right? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2kc8i8/theres_an_episode_of_sttng_where_picard_tells/ | {
"a_id": [
"clk4fqw",
"clk4vgw"
],
"score": [
11,
23
],
"text": [
"The Romans where aware of the Han Dynasty and traded Silk, wine and olive oil. What they knew about each other was limited by the sheer distance that separated them. The western Roman Empire probably did little trade with ... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/PtolemyWorldMap.jpg",
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2306e8/just_read_the_faq_got_intrigued_by_contact/",
"http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/hhshu/hou_han_shu.html#sec11"
],
[]
] | ||
lx4ki | What is the biggest earthquake the Earth is capable of producing? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/lx4ki/what_is_the_biggest_earthquake_the_earth_is/ | {
"a_id": [
"c2wa8m6",
"c2wa8m6"
],
"score": [
12,
12
],
"text": [
"The largest earthquake every recorded was about a magnitude 9.5. Magnitude is largely controlled by the maximum stress rock can sustain. Higher magnitude quakes aren't really possible because the rocks will break before th... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/g1y4b/the_most_powerful_earthquake_in_recorded_history/"
],
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/g1y4b/the_most_powerful_earthquake_in_recorded_history/"
]
] | ||
3a0ruz | what happens in my brain when i get inspired? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3a0ruz/eli5what_happens_in_my_brain_when_i_get_inspired/ | {
"a_id": [
"cs8amsc"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"i don't know for sure, but it would make sense to me (again no idea on the science), but synapses fire that trigger parts of the brain that release endorphins which make you feel good and happy about it. the more inspired, the more synapses fire ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
5o5xj4 | why do domestic trailers have less material than international ones? why not just use the international trailer for foreign and domestic audiences, especially when youtube exists? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5o5xj4/eli5_why_do_domestic_trailers_have_less_material/ | {
"a_id": [
"dcgu1kp"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Trailers are often made to appeal to a specific audience.\n\nFor the most part, trailers for western countries will all be the same, but you may see some difference in trailers for Japan and China, as those audience have different tastes for film... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
43ypsc | What would happen if you frayed the ends of hundreds of small wires connected to two ends of a battery, and brushed them together? | askscience | https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/43ypsc/what_would_happen_if_you_frayed_the_ends_of/ | {
"a_id": [
"czm2qge"
],
"score": [
11
],
"text": [
"You'd be creating a short circuit, with consequences possibly including a damaged battery, melting insulation / vaporized or molten wire / fire, and a chemical hazard, depending on the battery chemistry and the exact nature of your setup. \n \n... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://data.energizer.com/PDFs/522.pdf",
"https://youtu.be/HjWSV1LY_so?t=1m8s",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_wire_gauge#Tables_of_AWG_wire_sizes",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohm's_law"
]
] | ||
7utstl | the new memo release and what it means | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7utstl/eli5_the_new_memo_release_and_what_it_means/ | {
"a_id": [
"dtn2ubw"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
" > Is this release as bad as they say?\n\nWho is \"They\"?\n\n > What does it mean?\n\nIt means we know nothing we didn't already know. The FBI used in part, a democratic-funded dossier as evidence to obtain warrants to conduct surveillance again... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
6hetvb | If there are magnetic field lines are there gravitational field lines also? | If there are what is the significance of them and how do field lines relate to the waves in electromagnetic and gravitational fields? | askscience | https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/6hetvb/if_there_are_magnetic_field_lines_are_there/ | {
"a_id": [
"dixr0rt",
"dixr6hd"
],
"score": [
7,
65
],
"text": [
"In Newton's theory of gravity, you can definitely define gravitational field lines. The reason they aren't used very much is that they aren't as useful as magnetic field lines are, for two reasons:\n\n1. Magnetic field line... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corona#/media/File:Traceimage.jpg"
],
[]
] | |
18v2sk | Why did some Jews get out of Germany before the WWII and others stayed behind? | Einstein was able to get out. Was it the rich and well educated? Was it the young and encumbered?
this piece give some detail but not really what I'm looking for _URL_0_ | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/18v2sk/why_did_some_jews_get_out_of_germany_before_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"c8i98m9"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"Many, many reasons.\n\nUnlike what the Nazis were claiming the \"Jewish\" people of Germany considered themselves to be just as German as non Jewish people considered themselves to be. It was their home. They had a stake in it. I say \"Jewish\"... | [] | [
"http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005468"
] | [
[]
] | |
16s3o8 | How did gold atoms coalesce into relatively homogenous nuggets rather than mixing with other elements as the solar system formed? | It's my understanding that gold atoms can only be fused in the heat and pressure from very large supernovae. Wouldn't these atoms form one by one randomly throughout the volume of the dying star? How is it that we find nuggets of gold rather than just random gold atoms interspersed throughout the crust of the earth? Do... | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/16s3o8/how_did_gold_atoms_coalesce_into_relatively/ | {
"a_id": [
"c7yv9t1",
"c7yxzz0"
],
"score": [
3,
2
],
"text": [
"_URL_0_\n\nThose nuggets form later",
"When the early earth differentiated, almost all the gold was taken in to the core. The current gold on the surface is due to later meteorite bombardment, see _URL_0_ on how we figur... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ore_genesis"
],
[
"http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v477/n7363/full/nature10399.html"
]
] | |
68wq28 | why dixon ticonderoga pencils can erase better than other pencils. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/68wq28/eli5_why_dixon_ticonderoga_pencils_can_erase/ | {
"a_id": [
"dh1y01a"
],
"score": [
11
],
"text": [
"You kids should stop playing with rubbers.\n\nSerious answer, it has to do with the composition of the rubber. I've noticed that the rubber on those erasers rolls off it into little cylinders. This is important because it increases the surface a... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
1xoo6e | if humans are really that bad a multitasking, how can people sing and play an instrument at the same time? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1xoo6e/eli5_if_humans_are_really_that_bad_a_multitasking/ | {
"a_id": [
"cfd8bki",
"cfd8cyz"
],
"score": [
4,
3
],
"text": [
"They're *good* at multitasking if the two tasks can be done with different parts of the brain.\n\nThis is why you can drive a car and carry on a conversation with ease, but you can't tap two different rhythms with your hands... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
45wrsq | What all did Einstein's theory of special relativity predict? | [deleted] | askscience | https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/45wrsq/what_all_did_einsteins_theory_of_special/ | {
"a_id": [
"d00zcdm"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Einstein's special theory of relativity, which he published in 1905, said nothing about gravity, black holes, etc. That all came from the general theory of relativity, which was published a decade later.\n\nSpecial relativity includes such effec... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
855tbh | why does gps need almanac data? | Been reading about GPS recently but this confused me a bit. Why isn’t time and ephemeris sufficient to triangulate position? Sure it gives the rough position of the satellites so that the GPS knows which signals to listen for, but can it not just listen for all satellites? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/855tbh/eli5_why_does_gps_need_almanac_data/ | {
"a_id": [
"dvuxqca",
"dvuyews",
"dvv3kfr"
],
"score": [
3,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"It could, but that would mean a lot more processing. Almanac data is almost always available, so it is much more efficient to use that instead of listening to everything and then figuring things out fro... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
2wawkr | Would it be possible to put a human into a permanent hypothermic state instead of cryogenically frozen in order to slow down ageing for hundreds of years? | I know that surgeons sometimes operate on patients that are extremely cooled in order to prolong life long enough to operate, and to slow the organs and processes. Can this be done over a long period of time as in tens or hundreds of years? Providing the body with enough oxygen and nutrition to slowly continue to live ... | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2wawkr/would_it_be_possible_to_put_a_human_into_a/ | {
"a_id": [
"cop5neb",
"cop8aei",
"cop8b0s",
"coq2zik"
],
"score": [
40,
24,
19,
3
],
"text": [
"this link maybe of intrest to you: _URL_0_\n\nThis is the next step in the \"cooling the body for surgery\" idea. This could also be a next step towards some sort of hibernatio... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22129623.000-gunshot-victims-to-be-suspended-between-life-and-death.html#.VOSKXSy8rvo"
],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
rnbn4 | Physiologically speaking, how different am I from someone who lived 200 years ago? 500 years ago? | Are there any major differences in the human body between a human being that lives today compared to someone who had lived 200 years ago? 500 years? 10,000 years ago? | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/rnbn4/physiologically_speaking_how_different_am_i_from/ | {
"a_id": [
"c476cb0",
"c476o3k",
"c4771wk"
],
"score": [
8,
3,
9
],
"text": [
"We are a lot taller and fatter compared to people 100 years ago, they did not have anywhere as near as much meat on average compared to what we do now.",
"I happened to read [this article](_URL_0_) ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/11/crooked-teeth-blame-early-farmer.html"
],
[]
] | |
3vmemk | [Psychology] What's the science of obsession? Questions below | 1. What's the clinical definition? What officially qualifies as obsession?
2. How does it develops?
3. How/if does it differ from addiction?
4. What's the best way to treat it?
Thank you for the responses! | askscience | https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3vmemk/psychology_whats_the_science_of_obsession/ | {
"a_id": [
"cxp6l56"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"I'm really surprised that no one has attempted to answer this yet.\n\n1. Obsession is defined in the DSM-5 as the following:\n * Recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges, or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as int... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
36w9go | What is the difference between a scientific theory and law? | I read that laws are usually mathematical, such a f=ma, and that scientific theories explain the laws. However, Einstein's theory of relativity includes mathematical equations (Einstein's field equations), so I'm still confused on how that is. Why isn't something that's been proven time and time again "upgraded" into a... | askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/36w9go/what_is_the_difference_between_a_scientific/ | {
"a_id": [
"crhn08q",
"crho1ph",
"crhoq9k"
],
"score": [
24,
4,
8
],
"text": [
"Someone asked a very similar question a few months ago, [and this is a fairly frequently asked question,](_URL_0_) so I'll copy paste what I wrote there, since that user specifically asked about 'Newto... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/search?q=laws+theory&restrict_sr=on&sort=relevance&t=all"
],
[],
[]
] | |
2lv1n9 | why do screens use red/blue/green pixels but printers use red/blue/yellow ink? | i know that my computer screen makes the colour white by combining red, green and blue light. but in art (and my computer printer), the 3 primary colours are red, blue and yellow?
these two setups seem so similar, but with one obvious difference. what gives?
i do remember being told that this difference exists in hi... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2lv1n9/eli5_why_do_screens_use_redbluegreen_pixels_but/ | {
"a_id": [
"clyeo66",
"clyepjg",
"clyeskm",
"clyf10w",
"clymf3q"
],
"score": [
29,
11,
3,
9,
3
],
"text": [
"Inks subtract color, screens add. Basic ink colors are cyan, yellow and magenta. So cyan is white minus red, but on a screen it's constructed as blue plus g... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
c76vfq | why don’t we have fat and muscle surrounding our brains as an added protective layer over our skulls? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/c76vfq/eli5_why_dont_we_have_fat_and_muscle_surrounding/ | {
"a_id": [
"esdfgek",
"esdhuhg",
"esdtcmp"
],
"score": [
25,
11,
3
],
"text": [
"Heat retention. The brain uses a large portion of our energy and the temperature range from normal to heat stroke is all of 3 degrees C. Also because of all of the blood vessels in the brain, a lot ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
6fqv7v | how did fentanyl become part of the illegal drug trade and is it here to stay? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6fqv7v/eli5_how_did_fentanyl_become_part_of_the_illegal/ | {
"a_id": [
"dikau7o",
"dikb4no",
"dikdpfv"
],
"score": [
6,
3,
3
],
"text": [
"Parmacist.\n\nEvery opioid has become apart of the illegal drug trade because they all cause euphoria when abused. Causing big issues. It's as unavoidable as gravity. But they're also irreplaceable in... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
axa7le | Can you determine the secondary/tertiary structure of a protein based solely on the amino acid sequence? | This has become a debate in my Undergrad Biochemistry class, so I thought I'd come ask here.
Some students are arguing that based on the environment and interactions with chaperones can lead to different final structures.
On the other hand is that a specific sequence will fold one way no matter what, so we can determ... | askscience | https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/axa7le/can_you_determine_the_secondarytertiary_structure/ | {
"a_id": [
"ehs8ohy"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"If you know what patterns and properties to look for in the primary sequence you can make fairly accurate predictions about some features of secondary structure. Principally alpha helices. You can predict beta sheets as well, but since beta sheet... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
81zmtt | Resources on pre-modern/medieval warfare/armies in East Asia that are not in the recommended reading list? Specifically regarding Korea. | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/81zmtt/resources_on_premodernmedieval_warfarearmies_in/ | {
"a_id": [
"dv6nd68"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Specifically for Korea, the major event that has attracted most attention is Hideyoshi's invasion, 1592-1598. The resources resulting from that attention amount to 3 major books, and various journal articles and other books. Two of these books ar... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.raskb.com/content/full-texts-volume",
"http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20100407175236/http%3A//www.history.navy.mil/library/online/marine_amphib_korea.htm"
]
] | ||
5dbpkh | why microwaves don't explode with the pressure of accumulated steam from food. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5dbpkh/eli5_why_microwaves_dont_explode_with_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"da39tcn",
"da3b9mx"
],
"score": [
3,
9
],
"text": [
"The microwave is actually not air tight. There are air vents on the microwave itself. I also believe that the door itself is also not air tight. Microwave energy is also not kept inside of the microwave completely, given why... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UNUVqRO5Fgw/Te0_pUJIjSI/AAAAAAAAQdM/xtrVIr1Xv3I/s1600/Tesla18Dalek10006Ft.jpg"
]
] | ||
284br3 | weed smokers of reddit: what is the advantage of smoking marijuana instead of making pot brownies? | I mean, smoking is pretty bad for your lungs, and stuff, and brownies taste great, so why smoke it? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/284br3/eli5_weed_smokers_of_reddit_what_is_the_advantage/ | {
"a_id": [
"ci79qkl",
"ci79x6r",
"ci7a2xw",
"ci7doki",
"ci7ejhm"
],
"score": [
2,
2,
2,
6,
2
],
"text": [
"But once it does kick in... :o",
"And there's just something inexplicable about the vibe and mood of blazing a joint somewhere isolated in nature.",
"... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
9oqgb5 | - what is preventing the us government from making voting day a national holiday? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9oqgb5/eli5_what_is_preventing_the_us_government_from/ | {
"a_id": [
"e7vwoje"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"The US has no legal holidays where all businesses are required to give all workers the day off, it's a capitalist country.\n\nThere are about 260 working days per year. Adding another federal holiday thus costs about 0.4% of productivity. While... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
61s5oi | how are paintings restored? | How are famous paintings restored without the restorer actually putting paint onto the surface to fix cracks? How does the process work? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/61s5oi/eli5how_are_paintings_restored/ | {
"a_id": [
"dfh30cj"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"First they study the picture to see how the painting constructed. They use X-rays and ultra violet lights to see what paints and varnishes were used.and if any repairs have been done before. Also knowledge of the artists usual technique and of th... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1tp2xp | How do they convert electric signal to type that our brain can read? | I always wondered how do they make it work...
How do they make electronic ear,nose or eye?
I am looking for more "engineering" answer because i am student of electrical engineer school and i am planning to specialise later in biological engineering.
Thanks for patience!
| askscience | http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1tp2xp/how_do_they_convert_electric_signal_to_type_that/ | {
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"text": [
"Nervous systems already communicate with electrical signals. In fact, that's what your mechanoreceptors do: the hair cells in your ears, for instance, convert pressure changes into electrical signals which downstream neuron... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
aa0dob | how do game anti cheats, like battleye or gameguard work? | What I mean is - I know they can check the processes which are running and are associated to the game that you're playing, but how do they know that those processes are actually cheating tools? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/aa0dob/eli5_how_do_game_anti_cheats_like_battleye_or/ | {
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"text": [
"There are different flags that can be detected to assume someone is trying to tamper the game, such as debugging another process (the game in this case), accessing the memory mapped to that game, runn... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] |
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