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yn4r3
Which historical text, from any point in time, that we are aware of but not in possession of would be of greatest value to mankind if it were to be suddenly found?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/yn4r3/which_historical_text_from_any_point_in_time_that/
{ "a_id": [ "c5x727h", "c5x7bur", "c5x7zt9", "c5x85xt", "c5x8mz1", "c5x8ua1", "c5x93mr", "c5xa6qz", "c5xavz0", "c5xay24", "c5xbl6k", "c5xbxzt", "c5xcwyo", "c5xcyb2", "c5xcyey", "c5xd59n", "c5xdqe7", "c5xdr5d", "c5xe0x5", "c5xebve", "c...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_fire" ], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_source", "http://homepage.virgin.net/ron.price/syno_sQet.html" ], [], [], [], [], [], [ "http://www.cracked.com/article/18368_7-books-we-lost-to-history-that-would-have-changed-world/" ], [], [],...
65839o
If acoustic energy is converted to heat when a material absorbs sound, is it possible for an audio source to produce enough acoustic energy to ignite something?
Obviously this isn't a problem even at the loudest of concerts, but would it be possible to concentrate or focus enough acoustic energy onto an object to ignite it? Would the frequency of the audio make a difference?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/65839o/if_acoustic_energy_is_converted_to_heat_when_a/
{ "a_id": [ "dga5gz9" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "It IS possible, though as you said yourself highly\nimprobable. Sound is simply the vibration of particles in the air (hence why there's no sound in space) and that vibration hits and object and can vibrate it or induce heat, which is why you can...
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[]
[ [] ]
2w0bla
What was the input of the Polish people in the second WW? How did they contribute.
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2w0bla/what_was_the_input_of_the_polish_people_in_the/
{ "a_id": [ "comksaw" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Here's a brief answer:\n\nBefore the war Polish agents passed to the British an Enigma machine, which enables the British to be aware of how it worked even if its possession did not solve the problem of how to break German codes.\n\nPolish units ...
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[]
[ [] ]
4mzbwd
How strong is the link between benzodiazepines and dementia/Alzheimer's? What about marijuana?
I've seen information before that indicated that an individual taking benzo's over a long period of time opens themselves up to additional risk to cognitive disorders, and I'm just hoping to get the community's perspective on the subject. Is this true? If so why? Also, I remember reading that marijuana use has a nega...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4mzbwd/how_strong_is_the_link_between_benzodiazepines/
{ "a_id": [ "d41b7g9" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Tried looking up a few studies for you. A retrospective study in France found that in those with dementia, there was a higher rate of exposure to psychotropic and anti-psychotic drugs, with anti-psychotic exposure having the highest association w...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
jxjle
What would you see from inside the event horizon of a singularity?
Relating to [this paper](_URL_0_) about things orbiting inside black holes without hitting the singularity. Putting aside the feasibility of intelligent life existing within the event horizon, how would the rest of the universe appear to them from the other side of the event horizon? (Or rather, how would it be differe...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/jxjle/what_would_you_see_from_inside_the_event_horizon/
{ "a_id": [ "c2fxtym", "c2fz49z", "c2fxtym", "c2fz49z" ], "score": [ 3, 3, 3, 3 ], "text": [ "RobotRollCall has the answers you seek.\n\n_URL_0_", "Something like this [A Journey into a Black Hole\n](_URL_0_)\t", "RobotRollCall has the answers you seek.\n\n_URL_0_",...
[]
[ "http://arxiv.org/abs/1103.6140" ]
[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/f1lgu/what_would_happen_if_the_event_horizons_of_two/c1cuiyw" ], [ "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI9CvipHl_c" ], [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/f1lgu/what_would_happen_if_the_event_horizons_of_two/c1cuiyw" ], [ "http://www....
btfh0t
what is the difference nutritionally between artificial and natural sugars, like why are the sugars from my apple any better for me than the sugars from my apple lollipop if it’s all still sugar?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/btfh0t/eli5_what_is_the_difference_nutritionally_between/
{ "a_id": [ "eoxjqoy", "eoxk987" ], "score": [ 2, 5 ], "text": [ "There is no difference between 'artificial' and 'natural' sugars, they are the same. \n\nThe important difference is that when you eat a lollipop it might contain more sugar than the apple does and you certainly wouldn't eat...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
1qzjrl
What is the smallest particle our skin can feel?
So I was walking on a cloudy day and I noticed that before raining, most of the times, I feel the slightest amount of water. This is so tiny I cannot see it, but my skin does sense it. What would be the smallest quantity of atoms our epidermis can feel? Note: I have a general understanding that our skin has differe...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1qzjrl/what_is_the_smallest_particle_our_skin_can_feel/
{ "a_id": [ "cdi6z76", "cdim5u0", "cdinthx" ], "score": [ 12, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "On the fingertip, you can sense the orthogonal displacement of your skin with a detection threshold of roughly 25 microns at 0.5 Hz (a 2 second smooth displacement). At 60 Hz for a half second that th...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://jn.physiology.org/content/81/4/1548.short" ], [ "http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130912/srep02617/full/srep02617.html" ], [ "http://psycserver.psyc.queensu.ca/lederman/013.pdf" ] ]
fzta9q
why does long division work?
I understand how to do long division but just can’t see why it should work. Who invented it and how?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/fzta9q/eli5_why_does_long_division_work/
{ "a_id": [ "fn60mgx", "fn641ad" ], "score": [ 2, 6 ], "text": [ "Think of it a bit like you first learned division, sharing something out, but what you are sharing has a number if different size parts. You put aside the small stuff and share out as many of the big ones as you can. You tak...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
3568vx
What are the exact criteria with which historians can consider a past event to be a historical fact?
Hello, I am interested in knowing more about how historians ascertain past events as a fact. I've read some stuff about historical relativism, and I would like to know what criteria historians commonly agree on when debating whether something happened or not. I'm interested in things like thresholds. E.g., if we say ...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3568vx/what_are_the_exact_criteria_with_which_historians/
{ "a_id": [ "cr1edn4", "cr1r9f6", "cr26ebn" ], "score": [ 17, 2, 3 ], "text": [ "Let me start by proposing that history is not a mere pile of facts that we prove or disprove one by one and add to the pile. There are many things that may or may not have happened, but we can still le...
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[ [], [], [] ]
6c9s7u
why does the healed skin on my wounds have the same patterns, wrinkles and creases as before?
I had to cauterize a rather big area on my pinky finger. After 2-3 weeks the skin is healed almost completely, but it seems strange to me that it has the same "imperfections" as the surrounding skin (creases, wrinkles, lines). Why isn't the healed skin scar tissue? (smooth and without almost any marks)
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6c9s7u/eli5_why_does_the_healed_skin_on_my_wounds_have/
{ "a_id": [ "dht0glj", "dhtgy8l", "dhu9vi1" ], "score": [ 3, 11, 3 ], "text": [ "Because the skin there is constantly being crushed and stretched, resulting in it becoming wrinkled. If it was pure scar tissue it would rip when you tensed your tendons. ", "Look at your hand, now...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
27xsco
Are hydrogen and oxygen molecules constantly forming new liquid water, or has all the water that can exist on earth already been formed?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/27xsco/are_hydrogen_and_oxygen_molecules_constantly/
{ "a_id": [ "ci5fwkh" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Water is continually being created and destroyed by a number of natural processes. Probably the two fastest are the HOx cycle in the atmosphere:\n\nO3 + photon ( < 300 nm wavelength) = > O2 + O(1D)\nO(1D) + H2O = > 2OH\nOH + organic compd. = >...
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[]
[ [] ]
lnifv
If the moon is spinning, why do we always see the same face?
How can it be so perfectly in sync with it's orbit around the earth? This seems so unlikely as to be impossible. Is there a "heavy" side of the moon that has been pulled toward the earth and then stayed there?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/lnifv/if_the_moon_is_spinning_why_do_we_always_see_the/
{ "a_id": [ "c2u3x1r", "c2u3x47", "c2u4pli", "c2u3x1r", "c2u3x47", "c2u4pli" ], "score": [ 5, 8, 3, 5, 8, 3 ], "text": [ "It's due to a process called [tidal locking](_URL_0_). The same thing has happened in the Sun/Mercury system, ~~and if let go long enoug...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_locking" ], [], [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_locking" ], [], [] ]
bsk15c
How would soft drinks (Carbonated) behave in space?
I was watching a video the other day about how an astronaut invented a special drinking cup for liquids in space, and that gave me a question that lingered in my brain enough to ask here. Basically, how do soft drinks, like Coke and Pepsi, act in space where there's no gravity? How do the bubbles form and where do the...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/bsk15c/how_would_soft_drinks_carbonated_behave_in_space/
{ "a_id": [ "eoodk8p", "eooe3sn", "eoof7ru" ], "score": [ 15, 20, 26 ], "text": [ "Here is a link to a video of alka seltzer in water in the space station. It looks like it behaves similarly to Earth just the bubbles don't float to the top and pop so they just sort of mix together ...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://youtu.be/bgC-ocnTTto" ], [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTN76YTB4eI", "https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/5-8/features/F_Carbonated_Beverages_Space.html" ], [] ]
8n5ktp
why is it ok to pray to statues and pictures of jesus if there’s a commandment against graven images?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8n5ktp/eli5_why_is_it_ok_to_pray_to_statues_and_pictures/
{ "a_id": [ "dzszh6n", "dzszluv", "dzt00nh" ], "score": [ 3, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "The commandment is to have no other God's not no pictures, in Catholicism. Islam forbids images because they worry about exactly what has happened in the Catholic Church before where the symbols and pic...
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[ [], [], [] ]
fm2cl5
How are scientists getting estimates of 40-80% of populations that will contract the Coronavirus?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/fm2cl5/how_are_scientists_getting_estimates_of_4080_of/
{ "a_id": [ "fl281oa", "fl28895", "fl29n1l", "fl2a51d" ], "score": [ 60, 139, 26, 7 ], "text": [ "one factor is that, once people are infected, they become (im simplifying) either dead or immune.\n\nthis means that, once this number goes over a certain critical percentage o...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/herd-immunity%3famp=true" ], [], [] ]
2zf21k
If the universe is constantly expanding, how will it ever be possible to have the same temperature at every single point in space?
Isn't there a law that says that eventually, the universe will be isothermic? Also I'm not implying that space is discrete, but by every single point I mean at any location in space.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2zf21k/if_the_universe_is_constantly_expanding_how_will/
{ "a_id": [ "cpijztn" ], "score": [ 11 ], "text": [ "First, there are two relevant laws of thermodynamics for your question:\n\nThe zeroth law of thermodynamics says that if object A is in thermal equilibrium with object B, and B is in thermal equilibrium object C, then A is in thermal equilibrium...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_Microwave_Background", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_death_of_the_universe" ] ]
2itr3y
Are there any instances of modern wars being won from a production disadvantage?
I read through the rules and the FAQ topics under "War". I hope I'm on the correct side of the "any X throughout history" rule, and that this topic is not a repeat. My question stems from documentaries and books I've encountered about the US fighting Japan in WWII and about the American Civil War. In both cases, the w...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2itr3y/are_there_any_instances_of_modern_wars_being_won/
{ "a_id": [ "cl5gol9", "cl5gvfe", "cl5ifwm" ], "score": [ 2, 5, 10 ], "text": [ "There's a few minor and debatable examples here and there; when Uganda invaded Tanzania in 1979, the Ugandans had an edge in terms of overall materiel, but were eventually ousted from Tanzanian territo...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2gdct6/what_was_the_point_in_the_invasion_of_pear_harbor/cki7eus" ], [], [] ]
2blis4
what's the difference between a terrorist, a rebel and a separatist?
Russian/Ukrainian group shot down a plane killing nearly 300 people but they're called separatists. 2 men kill a soldier in broad daylight in the streets of London (they said they carried out the attack in response to the UK foreign policy) and they're called terrorists.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2blis4/eli5_whats_the_difference_between_a_terrorist_a/
{ "a_id": [ "cj6h2mm", "cj6h524", "cj6h5y8" ], "score": [ 3, 4, 17 ], "text": [ "The terms aren't necessarily mutually exclusive.", "Point of view.", "A terrorist is someone who intentionally does acts of violence in order to instill fear or 'terror' in people to affect cha...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
15i19c
Whatever happened to the Magi?
The Zoroastrian religion never died out, so what happened to its priests?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/15i19c/whatever_happened_to_the_magi/
{ "a_id": [ "c7mx3mh" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "They are known by different names now. 'Magi' during the classical Greek period came to mean generally anyone skilled at astrology and so it was not specific to Zoroastrianism or a priesthood (think of the three wise men i.e 'magi' of the bible -...
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[ [] ]
r4kyk
why does the internet hate skrillex so, so much?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/r4kyk/eli5_why_does_the_internet_hate_skrillex_so_so/
{ "a_id": [ "c42upa8", "c42uryw", "c42v3mh", "c42zu7q" ], "score": [ 11, 5, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "I can't speak for the internet, but I can provide a logical explanation. I think we can both agree that not many people like dubstep. Skrillex is the face of neo-dubstep. When peo...
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[ [], [], [], [] ]
4l8li3
Why don't waves through water travel at the speed of sound in water?
Okay so in materials I know that most acoustic (and optical as far as I know) waves will travel through the material at the speed of sound in that material (i.e. tapping on one end of a metal bar and seeing the response at the other end) but there are examples of things that display "wave-like" properties that do not f...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4l8li3/why_dont_waves_through_water_travel_at_the_speed/
{ "a_id": [ "d3lc6rj", "d3li3vc" ], "score": [ 4, 9 ], "text": [ "There's different kinds of waves. The waves that travel across the top of the water are much slower than the compression waves travelling through the water. This is because water is very difficult to compress, but it's not t...
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[ [], [] ]
4i3jtf
How accurate is the show The Tudors?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4i3jtf/how_accurate_is_the_show_the_tudors/
{ "a_id": [ "d2v4kwt" ], "score": [ 9 ], "text": [ "I just finished watching it recently, so I looked into it. However, as I'm not expert on Tudor England, I'm just going to talk about a few specific things that I'm confident of.\n\nThe first, is the order of events and specifically their time. So...
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[ [] ]
223gwh
How can we hope to detect faint intelligent signals from exoplanets when we aren't even able to detect the light from those planets?
Wouldn't any signals sent from some other intelligent life 20 light years away (f.ex.), be extremely weak? Even a signal from that distance at 1GW (which is very strong) would, if I did the math correctly, be of the order of 10^-27 watt/m^2 :O Can we detect this?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/223gwh/how_can_we_hope_to_detect_faint_intelligent/
{ "a_id": [ "cgj0hqt", "cgj6h18" ], "score": [ 16, 7 ], "text": [ "Well... the problem with seeing an exoplanet is that the star is so bright you can't get a long enough exposure to see the planet's light. (like trying to see a speck of dust near a spotlight) There are some neat strategies...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
ls1p2
When you ingest salt NaCl what does the body do with the chlorine after the sodium is absorbed?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/ls1p2/when_you_ingest_salt_nacl_what_does_the_body_do/
{ "a_id": [ "c2v528c", "c2v5buq", "c2v5clf", "c2v5d0d", "c2v5e6v", "c2v5nf1", "c2v528c", "c2v5buq", "c2v5clf", "c2v5d0d", "c2v5e6v", "c2v5nf1" ], "score": [ 15, 3, 4, 2, 3, 2, 15, 3, 4, 2, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "[N...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/glossary=chlorideion" ], [], [], [], [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resting_potential" ], [ "http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/glossary=chlorideion" ], [], [], [], [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resting_potential" ] ]
36q63b
Can any given 2D shape be expressed as a single (probably incredibly complex) equation, or do many shapes require a piecewise graph?
If I were to draw any random line or shape on a piece of paper, it could be expressed as a long and complicated piecewise graph, but is there a single equation for each and every random shape? If no, then what if the shape had to be continuous? If still no, then what about only functions, or only 1-to-1 functions rathe...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/36q63b/can_any_given_2d_shape_be_expressed_as_a_single/
{ "a_id": [ "crgtttk" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Yes. I used to waste so much time in high school typing long formulas into my TI-83 to get it to graph shapes I drew out ahead of time on graph paper. With enough time on your hands, you can use its parametric grapher to graph out your signature....
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[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyquist%E2%80%93Shannon_sampling_theorem#Shannon.27s_original_proof" ] ]
28g1r4
How did the sections of US states become known as "counties" even though they have never been ruled by counts?
If counties were already in place before the Revolution, why didn't the states then choose to relabel them to something less indicative of the nobility and crown? If counties were formed after the Revolution, why emulate British nobility at all?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/28g1r4/how_did_the_sections_of_us_states_become_known_as/
{ "a_id": [ "cianmfs", "cianv0r", "ciar13z" ], "score": [ 339, 95, 25 ], "text": [ "Point of order: The British counties have never been ruled by counts (or viscounts): it stems from the Normans, who simply took over the Saxon shires (that's why it's all \"Hampshire\", \"Cheshire\"...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
abqck8
Modern day concrete still doesn’t compare to the concrete made by the Romans. How was the recipe lost?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/abqck8/modern_day_concrete_still_doesnt_compare_to_the/
{ "a_id": [ "ed2p2dm" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "I don't mean to discourage further discussion, but this topic emerges quite often. You might want to read the response by /u/TectonicWafer in [this discussion](_URL_0_). For some additional insight, you may also read the short discussion about 'l...
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/23893y/how_did_we_lose_the_ancient_roman_invention_of/", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4k29dg/we_as_a_civilization_lost_the_ability_to_create/" ] ]
4m2qqb
the difference between a particulate, gas, and vapor
I was looking at [respirators](_URL_0_) because I was curious as to what my filter could do and I came across the aforementioned three terms and I really can't tell the difference between a particulate and a vapor, and vapor and gas.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4m2qqb/eli5the_difference_between_a_particulate_gas_and/
{ "a_id": [ "d3s2qmo", "d3s2t9n", "d3s3syp" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 11 ], "text": [ "Particulate is just very small pieces of solid material. Vapor is a substance diffused in the air which would normally be solid or liquid; think of water vapor. A gas is... a gas.", "Particulates a...
[]
[ "http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/447121O/filter-change-out-brochure.pdf" ]
[ [], [], [] ]
261vpa
Do male and female human genitalia exhibit a similar degree of variation in length and width?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/261vpa/do_male_and_female_human_genitalia_exhibit_a/
{ "a_id": [ "chn19qn" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "There definitely is substantial variation in the size of the female reproductive tract, but I am not aware of any studies that actually try to compare the variability to that for penises.\n\nIt would be a challenging study because the vagina both...
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[ [] ]
4hq8ek
is the united states currently at war?
I feel like in the past it has been pretty easy determine when we are at war. I considered myself to be pretty up to date when it comes to news but today there are so many small conflicts in the middle east I dont actually know if we are even currently at war. Also having a military spread out all over the globe can ma...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4hq8ek/eli5is_the_united_states_currently_at_war/
{ "a_id": [ "d2risps", "d2riwbt", "d2rj19d", "d2rj2cj", "d2rj5t2" ], "score": [ 2, 3, 2, 10, 3 ], "text": [ "No. To be at war, Congress has to basically say \"we declare war against _____\". They have not said that, therefore, we are not at war. ", "1. Tec...
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[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
35qwno
Do 2 atoms of the same element (I.e hydrogen) always weigh the same? Why or why not?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/35qwno/do_2_atoms_of_the_same_element_ie_hydrogen_always/
{ "a_id": [ "cr71uev" ], "score": [ 10 ], "text": [ "No, two atoms of the same element will not always have the same mass. Two atoms of the same element can have a different number of neutrons in their nuclei. Since neutrons have a significant mass compared to electrons, this can lead to an import...
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[ [] ]
25i2mi
Did the Nazis view blonde-haired and blue-eyed Slavs and Jews as any better than the others?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/25i2mi/did_the_nazis_view_blondehaired_and_blueeyed/
{ "a_id": [ "chhm72s" ], "score": [ 70 ], "text": [ "The blond-hairs / blue eyes thing is actually a gross simplification of the racial policies of Nazi Germany. They were mainly obsessed with blood purity and Japanese were seen as vastly superior to the slavs despite not having blond hairs. \n\nA...
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[ [] ]
1hw7ky
what are the benefits of methadone/a methadone clinic?
I'm having trouble understanding the use and effects of methadone. Is it a drug like heroin? Does a methadone clinic just give you methadone if you're a recovering addict? and is it better than just trying to stop using drugs at all?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1hw7ky/eli5_what_are_the_benefits_of_methadonea/
{ "a_id": [ "cayiudy" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "It's an opiate like heroin so users wont withdraw and it's little less extreme. You can think of it like shorts with cigarettes, good for tapering off if you're trying to quit." ] }
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[ [] ]
epiwej
How did RBMK reactors come to be and how were they different from other models used in the western world?
How did RBMK reactors come about? What was their evolution from the early versions to the latest models? How did they differ from the models used by the western countries?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/epiwej/how_did_rbmk_reactors_come_to_be_and_how_were/
{ "a_id": [ "fejqjvq" ], "score": [ 12 ], "text": [ "Briefly, the RMBK was a very unusual reactor design, optimized for the demands of the Soviet bureaucracy and production needs. The basic requirements that the RMBK was trying to satisfy were:\n\n* the design had to be a relatively cheap way of p...
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[ [] ]
1e9r1q
How long does it take for a particle to loop around LHC? How much does it change for the particle due to time dilation?
Since time passes slower(/faster depending on perspective) for muons traveling close to c and space 'warps' so that they see the atmosphere as ≈50 meters deep. How long does a trip around LHC seem to a particle and how long does the particle 'think' it is?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1e9r1q/how_long_does_it_take_for_a_particle_to_loop/
{ "a_id": [ "c9y51dq" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "_URL_0_\n\n > When running at full design power of 7 TeV per beam, once or twice a day, as the protons are accelerated from 450 GeV to 7 TeV, the field of the superconducting dipole magnets will be increased from 0.54 to 8.3 teslas (T). The prot...
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[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Hadron_Collider" ] ]
vhzgj
if sea level has been rising then how come it is not evident from the beach yet?
ELIF: I have lived in a city with a seashore my whole life. I have seen the tides come in and go out and I am yet to see any effects of a rise of sea level. As I understand the (man made) climate change has been happening for more than a 100 years. Shouldn't we have seen at least some effect on the sea level every wher...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/vhzgj/if_sea_level_has_been_rising_then_how_come_it_is/
{ "a_id": [ "c54nq3s", "c54nwf2", "c54o79s", "c54p7tw" ], "score": [ 3, 14, 3, 3 ], "text": [ "From 1993 to 2009 the sea level has risen 3.3mm/yr - that's not very much and would be almost impossible to notice. [Source](_URL_0_)", "The sea has risen by about 15cm due to...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_sea_level_rise" ], [], [], [ "http://www.treehugger.com/climate-change/sea-levels-rise-maldives-president-may-move-his-entire-island-nation-australia.html" ] ]
1el04p
Why do we feel comfortable in some positions and not others?
I had a friend ask this today and no one knew the answer. I know it's not as sophisticated a question as others, but intriguing nonetheless.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1el04p/why_do_we_feel_comfortable_in_some_positions_and/
{ "a_id": [ "ca1cgg7" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "It has a certain degree to do with blood flow. This also explains why we roll around in bed at night- in some positions, blood may be restricted to some areas due to pressure on the blood vessels, so we roll to another position to redistribute th...
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[ [] ]
2869tg
food stamp fraud
So I just finished watching the episode of orange is the new black where SPOILER!!! they explore Gloria's food stamp fraud situation. What exactly was she doing with the food stamps to get cash from them? I understand she purchased them from other people, but how did she turn the cards into cash?? I tried looking it u...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2869tg/eli5_food_stamp_fraud/
{ "a_id": [ "ci7t6ao" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Vendors (grocery stores, etc) receive reimbursement from the government for accepting food stamps as payment for (approved) food items. Things that cannot be purchased with them include non-food items, hot pre-prepared foods, as well as cigarette...
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[ [] ]
9o64w8
why does your neck get tense when you’re stressed and how does a massage fix it?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9o64w8/eli5_why_does_your_neck_get_tense_when_youre/
{ "a_id": [ "e7rqvjy", "e7rqz5x", "e7rrkys", "e7rrlq4", "e7rrvkw", "e7rvr18", "e7rw6wu", "e7rxc9t", "e7s0cdb", "e7s12ea", "e7s4jr1", "e7s533y", "e7sajdg", "e7sc4no", "e7sckea", "e7sfe8x", "e7sg3lk", "e7skgp5", "e7sn3fb", "e7snkkq", "e...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "www.backincontrol.com", "https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446675156/", "https://www.unlearnyourpain.com/", "https://www.mindbodymedicine.com", "https://www.harpercollins.com/978...
4knpgb
Knowledge of coats of arms in medieval Europe
So, this crossed my mind while watching the recent Game of Thrones episodes. (Note: this post does **not** contain spoilers.) How familiar were knights supposed to be with coats of arms and names of noble families? Specifically, I'm asking in the context of wars and battles. Was a knight supposed to know all the coat...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4knpgb/knowledge_of_coats_of_arms_in_medieval_europe/
{ "a_id": [ "d3grpx5" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Yes, a noble was supposed to know the coat of arms of at least the important lords, at least in his own army (because it's rather easy to deduce who's an enemy when you know who's your friend).\n\nThe most notable example for this (or rather for ...
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[ [] ]
7nj53r
Do any animals live at the extreme poles and how do they survive?
I know of the animals that live near the poles such as penguins and polar bears. But this usually refers to the coastal parts of the polar surface (Coasts of Antarctica and the coast of the northern ice sheet). Do any animals live inland and actually close (say within 100 km) of the actual poles? How do they feed thems...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/7nj53r/do_any_animals_live_at_the_extreme_poles_and_how/
{ "a_id": [ "ds3svep" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ " > A lone polar bear, tracks of an Arctic fox, unidentified sea creatures, and several birds have been observed at the North Pole over the years.\n\n[Source](_URL_0_) - you still have the ocean as food source.\n\nAt the South Pole: Technically h...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-animals-live-in-the-north-pole.html" ] ]
6a77wt
how do tolls work? do you really get in trouble for running one?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6a77wt/eli5_how_do_tolls_work_do_you_really_get_in/
{ "a_id": [ "dhc7rz0" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "You mean on a road? A machine will take a photo of your license plate if you go through without paying. Some offer an option to pay the toll afterward, by Web or by mail. (Some don't have that option.) You may get a fine/ticket in the mail if you...
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[ [] ]
3qbb9v
What are the best sources to understand Gaius Marius's reforms in Rome?
[deleted]
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3qbb9v/what_are_the_best_sources_to_understand_gaius/
{ "a_id": [ "cwfaig8" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Sorry it took me a while, hope this is helpful. The bibliography from my old Marian Reforms paper follows. Especially useful were Gabba, Kildahl, Smith. If you want my full paper (with page numbers for references) let me know, I'll find a plac...
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[ [ "http://www.ancientlibrary.com/seyffert/index.html" ] ]
1kqquy
how did humans in asia evolve to have narrower eyes, why did africans skin stay black while arabic and european peoples became lighter?
No offense meant, just phrasing the question as best I can as to how some humans evolved with certain traits and how the process occurred.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1kqquy/eli5_how_did_humans_in_asia_evolve_to_have/
{ "a_id": [ "cbrnkca", "cbrnzx3", "cbrxl0d", "cbryjs4", "cbrz1hg", "cbs10gg", "cbs10jy" ], "score": [ 139, 47, 13, 4, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "If you live in the tropics, dark skin is a helpful adaptation, because it protects your skin from sunlight (fe...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/15/AR2005121501728.html", "http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/15/science/studying-recent-human-evolution-at-the-genetic-level.html" ], [ "http://www.ted.com/talks/nina_jablonski_breaks_the_illusion_of_skin_color.html" ], [], [],...
8y6s37
Wehrmacht Clean Hands in the West?
Obviously the Wehrmacht committed all kinds of atrocities in the East: helping to implement the Holocaust and the genocide of the Slavs (the Hunger PLan, General Plan Ost). However, is it true that they more or less abided the Geneva Conventions and the norms of war in the West? Perhaps this is the source of the clean ...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8y6s37/wehrmacht_clean_hands_in_the_west/
{ "a_id": [ "e28me84" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "As for Rommel specifically: more can be written on this, but you might want to read [\"Rommel's legacy\"](_URL_0_) by /u/commiespaceinvader.\n\nEDIT: As for the source of the Wehrmacht Clean Hands myth, I suggest the reply to [\"Did the Rommel My...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/619lia/rommels_legacy/dfd5n4f/", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5799li/did_the_rommel_myth_and_clean_wehrmacht_myth_and/d8suoyk/", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3xc03h/just_how_much_of_the_wehrmacht_was_dirty/cy3cxs0...
n0lrw
Could we just inject dopamine and other molecules that cause feelings of well-being into our bodies and stay happy for the rest of our lives?
If we could, every other human activity would be pointless, as we only do such things to be happy( i.e. get dopamine rushing through our bodies), right?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/n0lrw/could_we_just_inject_dopamine_and_other_molecules/
{ "a_id": [ "c35cfwb", "c35e00s", "c35cfwb", "c35e00s" ], "score": [ 5, 2, 5, 2 ], "text": [ "There is no safe or effective happiness treatment. Short term happy pills (e.g. cocaine, which causes elevation in levels of dopamine right in the areas that cause you to feel happ...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
920ix6
*How* do left/right handed molecules form and how are they different?
I understand that they're mirror reflections of each other, but what makes them left or right handed? My first thought when the concept occured to me in chemistry was that it's just an relatively upside down molecule. My reasoning was that the properties shouldn't change simply because you see it at a new angle. Now th...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/920ix6/how_do_leftright_handed_molecules_form_and_how/
{ "a_id": [ "e32uhhg", "e32z677" ], "score": [ 7, 2 ], "text": [ "Your left hand is structurally distinct from your right hand. In other words, there's no orientation, rotation or any translation that will turn your right hand into your left hand. What this means is there's absolutely no w...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
55466s
what causes things to sound differently such as a breaking glass sound vs typing on a keyboard?
How does the composition of these materials affect the sound they can produce, if any, once disturbed in some fashion.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/55466s/eli5_what_causes_things_to_sound_differently_such/
{ "a_id": [ "d87f02l" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Sound is air vibrating. The air vibrates because it's being bumped into by a surface that's vibrating. Those surfaces have different characteristic amplitude and frequencies due to their materials, construction and size. So a large, flappy piece ...
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[ [] ]
9x4gw6
How was King Alfred able to beat the Vikings?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9x4gw6/how_was_king_alfred_able_to_beat_the_vikings/
{ "a_id": [ "e9pqkfc" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Honestly whole books and theses have been written on this.\n\nI've written a little about it [here](_URL_0_).\n\nFor reading I would recommend Hill *et al*, *The Defence of Wessex*; Baker and Brookes, *Beyond the Burghal Hidage*; Reynolds *et al*...
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8qiw9b/z/e0jta84" ] ]
2fipq4
What is human skin actually made up of? Is it technically a human organ?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2fipq4/what_is_human_skin_actually_made_up_of_is_it/
{ "a_id": [ "ck9of4i" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "An organ is a collection of tissues that perform a specific function. The skin is an organ that provides protection from the outside world to our viscerals. \n\n\n\nThere are three layers to the skin: the outermost **epidermis**, the **dermis*...
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[ [] ]
2mhthp
is this paper about roundup being dangerous legit?
_URL_0_ EDIT: Sorry for the crappy title.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2mhthp/eli5_is_this_paper_about_roundup_being_dangerous/
{ "a_id": [ "cm4c3ju", "cm4cf8l", "cm4djpc", "cm4dqme" ], "score": [ 6, 3, 3, 2 ], "text": [ " > Consequences are most of the diseases and conditions associated with a Western diet, which include gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, auti...
[]
[ "http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/15/4/1416" ]
[ [], [], [ "http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tamar-haspel/condemning-monsanto-with-_b_3162694.html" ], [] ]
4sl86p
Are all galaxies eventually going to become spiral galaxies?
Because of the way gravity works, objects tend to choose a favorable direction and plane of motion. This is why the planets in our solar system all revolve in the same direction and are (as far as I know) on the same plane. Does this principle hold true for galaxies where there are billions of objects which are all mas...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4sl86p/are_all_galaxies_eventually_going_to_become/
{ "a_id": [ "d5a81ix", "d5aa447" ], "score": [ 3, 11 ], "text": [ "I believe I've seen somewhere that the oldest (maturest) galaxies are typically elliptical, and that spiral galaxies are theorized to eventually turn into those. When the Milky Way collides with Andromeda that's what we'll...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
ev9uqf
how does isothermal clothing work?
I tried looking it up before posting here, but since I am making this post, you can take a guess on how that went. I even tried Youtube and tried searching this r/ but it led nowhere. I couldn't find anything on how it works. Just that there are some more "advanced" pieces with body-mapping technology applied.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ev9uqf/eli5_how_does_isothermal_clothing_work/
{ "a_id": [ "ffuqwqc" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Actually I don't think it does. it's just a marketing gimmick. usually, it's a base layer that's made to trap some air between your skin and the clothing (for insulation). in the old days, it was just little dimples they have grander schemes now ...
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[ [] ]
cuabo0
disney world is such a money maker, why are the cities surrounding it so poor with such a housing crisis?
Poor Florida.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/cuabo0/eli5_disney_world_is_such_a_money_maker_why_are/
{ "a_id": [ "exsgyrp", "exshdxg", "exshwww", "exsiek4", "ext8qtt", "exth4nv", "extiht3" ], "score": [ 2, 5, 6, 34, 2, 5, 3 ], "text": [ "The thing I would say is that no one who goes to Disney world is really going to stay for a long time in that are...
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "https://www.realwealthnetwork.com/markets/orlando-florida/", "https://reports.nlihc.org/sites/default/files/gap/Gap-Report_2019.pdf", "http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2014/01/05/poverty-map/index.html", "https://www.bebr.ufl.edu/economics/website-article/po...
21u5bi
Did radio have a reputation as being vapid or intellectually detrimental, the way TV does today?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/21u5bi/did_radio_have_a_reputation_as_being_vapid_or/
{ "a_id": [ "cgglgw2" ], "score": [ 71 ], "text": [ "I've only come up on this tangentially, but as it turns out: Yes, in the early 20th century there was a lot of opposition to radio as a form. As early as 1923 we start seeing anti-radio editorials such as an op-ed on the Times (of London), by on...
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[ [] ]
6ajvml
why do most bipedal robots always keep their knees bent a bit when standing?
See for example the robots in [this](_URL_1_) and [this](_URL_0_). As humans, we don't stand like that very often because it would be tiring since we would have to be tensing muscles the whole time, Instead we can rely on ligaments/tendons to support us. I suppose a robot doesn't have to use energy to keep muscles te...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6ajvml/eli5_why_do_most_bipedal_robots_always_keep_their/
{ "a_id": [ "dhf23t4", "dhf2j4i", "dhf2kgr", "dhfb0l2", "dhfk5jv", "dhflc7z" ], "score": [ 2, 7, 10, 3, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "I've always been under the impression that it was due to balance. The robot could stand up, but once upright the weight of the bot woul...
[]
[ "https://youtu.be/QdQL11uWWcI?t=123", "https://youtu.be/GA-M1pMtANs?t=222" ]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z62esVdmxCQ" ] ]
183qo2
how does the body "know" to try and reattach itself to a severed limb?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/183qo2/how_does_the_body_know_to_try_and_reattach_itself/
{ "a_id": [ "c8bfofb" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "Uhm, it totally doesn't.\n\nI'm having difficulty understanding what you are asking, exactly. Like, let's say I am trying to fix my lawnmower when a neighbor kid herpderps over and turns the motor on. Off goes my left hand.\n\nMy left wrist is NO...
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6f2foo
how does anxiety cause one to experience feeling unattached to one's body, or "derealization"?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6f2foo/eli5_how_does_anxiety_cause_one_to_experience/
{ "a_id": [ "difhbk5" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "It's a coping mechanism; really short answer, dissociation/derealization is a defense mechanism to deal with stress or trauma. Not being there = not having to deal with the stressful situation. If you need me to expand on it I can. :o\n\nSource: ...
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7e975d
why the value of so many western currencies is roughly equal?
USD, EUR, CHF, GBP, AUD, CAD, are more or less aligned to a 1:1 ratio, when I don't think there is any economic/financial reason why they should be so. Is it just the result of a convenient choice?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7e975d/eli5_why_the_value_of_so_many_western_currencies/
{ "a_id": [ "dq3iz2d", "dq3j2y1" ], "score": [ 42, 4 ], "text": [ "Many of these currencies are or were pegged to the USD after WWII. Since the United States had the vast majority of the world's gold (lend-lease was expensive, as it turns out), the agreement was that the USD would be backe...
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[]
[ [ "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bretton_Woods_system" ], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bretton_Woods_system" ] ]
253b43
How would schizophrenia manifest itself in someone who was deaf or raised isolated from language? Would the voices be manifested elsewhere in their sensory system?
I work with people with disabilities and mental disorders. This intrigues me. edit: was about to crash when I scrolled past the front page and see my post! thanks for all the input guys this is awesome!
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/253b43/how_would_schizophrenia_manifest_itself_in/
{ "a_id": [ "chdf2xm", "chdfd9m", "chdfjrt", "chdflvy", "chdglzv", "chdn8x1", "chdqb3t" ], "score": [ 17, 151, 50, 21, 16, 2, 3 ], "text": [ "To add, schizophrenia does not equal hearing voices. Auditory hallucinations are a sign of psychosis, which ...
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[]
[ [], [ "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0165178195027126?np=y", "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925492700000688?np=y", "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926641005002715?np=y", "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/09594388949007...
a0evuv
why does eating more frequently increase your appetite?
[deleted]
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/a0evuv/eli5_why_does_eating_more_frequently_increase/
{ "a_id": [ "eah71ie" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Simple. You stomach is elastic. Eating a lot causes it to stretch and grow. Not eating a lot causes it to shrink. Your appetite always drives you to fill your stomach, whatever size it currently is, so if you eat a lot, it take more food to fi...
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[ [] ]
125wd3
How does blue and red shift of a star occur if light is constant?
Hey ask science, I'm confused how blue and red shift occurs if light travels at a constant speed ( not considering certain materials and gravity)?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/125wd3/how_does_blue_and_red_shift_of_a_star_occur_if/
{ "a_id": [ "c6sffi1", "c6sfvk7" ], "score": [ 11, 6 ], "text": [ "The wavelength and frequency both change, while the light maintains a constant speed.\n\nThe speed of a wave is equal to the length of a wave from peak to peak times the frequency, or how often a peak passes you as the wave...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
3wkgky
Why no aerial oxygen torpedoes for the Japanese?
The way I understand it, the Type 93 'Long Lance' torpedo was much deadlier than American torpedoes, because of it's greater speed, range, damage, and difficulty in spotting it. However, damage to the volatile torpedoes could sink destroyers carrying them. The way I see it, carrying oxygen torpedoes nullifies this we...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3wkgky/why_no_aerial_oxygen_torpedoes_for_the_japanese/
{ "a_id": [ "cxx0a11" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "The Japanese did develop an experimental oxygen-propelled aerial torpedo, the Type 94 in the early 1930s in parallel with the oxygen-propelled Type 93 and Type 95. The Navy Technical Arsenal found that the Type 94 was too complicated and maintena...
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[ [] ]
9tt8me
do wifi signals face resistance when passing through walls?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9tt8me/eli5_do_wifi_signals_face_resistance_when_passing/
{ "a_id": [ "e8yxf3k", "e8yxkg9", "e8yy83p", "e8z22ax", "e8z31hs" ], "score": [ 8, 10, 36, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "yes it does, the signal cant go throught too many walls, it get weaker everytime and if you got heavy duty old walls (like 1m thick) it doesnt go throught a...
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[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
4bh2ir
how exactly does a power strip work?
How can you plug in multiple different things into the strip without it overloading on power or something . . . ?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4bh2ir/eli5_how_exactly_does_a_power_strip_work/
{ "a_id": [ "d190in1", "d190kia", "d19cn38" ], "score": [ 51, 7, 5 ], "text": [ "The outlets in a power strip are wired up in parallel. As you plug more items in the load does increase. Most power strips have a circuit breaker on them that will trip if you exceed the load, if no...
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[ [], [], [] ]
dnz1ac
how are our intestines able to sort between gas, liquids and poo?
And what are the mechanisms that allow to distinguish whether we are going to fart or poo?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/dnz1ac/eli5_how_are_our_intestines_able_to_sort_between/
{ "a_id": [ "f5ijmxw" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Liquid is extracted by the large intestine. Essentially the large intestine has chemical pumps that take advantage of osmosis to force water out of the intestines and into the body. Salt is pumped into the liquid between the cells and this caus...
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[ [] ]
239hzn
how does a surveying work?
I see people surveying at construction sites all the time, but I have no idea what they are actually doing. What is that thing on the tripod? And what are they looking at?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/239hzn/eli5_how_does_a_surveying_work/
{ "a_id": [ "cgurz60" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Basically it is a measuring device to measure angles and distances, and elevation.\n\nSo a building is designed on a computer model of the site. You need a way to take that electronic information and place it on the real ground so the guys actual...
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[ [] ]
261ubq
Will swirling my coffee in it's cup cool it down faster, slower, or have no impact?
I imagine the coffee hitting the upper 'walls' of the cup and thus transferring energy to it, but maybe the swirling causes friction and thus, small amounts of heat?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/261ubq/will_swirling_my_coffee_in_its_cup_cool_it_down/
{ "a_id": [ "chmwak6", "chmwfjz" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "faster, the coffee is in contact with more of the cups surface area, plus more evaporated cooling, and mixing the hottest coffee at the top with the coolest from the bottom. If you're using a metal spoon, it'll absorb some ...
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[ [], [] ]
4e6gc1
why does it take some people longer than others to be alert upon waking? as in, why does it take some people longer to really "wake up"?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4e6gc1/eli5_why_does_it_take_some_people_longer_than/
{ "a_id": [ "d1xghrn", "d1xglj5", "d1xi7he", "d1xj6s9" ], "score": [ 21, 44, 8, 101 ], "text": [ "Great question, I would actually like an in-depth science explanation though. I very recently switched from being a snoozer to just getting up when the alarm goes off. So I'm g...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [ "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortisol_awakening_response" ] ]
5x7fk4
the artistic value of rothko's orange, red, yellow painting
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5x7fk4/eli5_the_artistic_value_of_rothkos_orange_red/
{ "a_id": [ "deg19eq" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Like everything else, something is worth what another person is willing to pay for it. A sub that focuses on art work might be a better place." ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
1sdwtf
What is the current historiographical opinion regarding Henri Pirenne's: Muhammad and Charlemagne.
A while ago I read Pirenne's *Muhammad and Charlemagne* and thought he gave a very convincing argument. My understanding is that Pirenne wrote his book *Muhammad and Charlemagne* arguing that Western Rome did not fall in 476 but later in the 8th century with the rise of Islam. Control of eastern trade by Islamic states...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1sdwtf/what_is_the_current_historiographical_opinion/
{ "a_id": [ "cdwqtyi", "cdwr0re", "cdwsmec" ], "score": [ 2, 8, 5 ], "text": [ "\"Without Mohammed Charlemagne would have been impossible\"\nFamous words. But does the evidence support it?\n\nI've actually just read a fascinating work that deals with some of Pirenne's concepts in d...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
1kcopa
what is "dutch disease"?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1kcopa/eli5what_is_dutch_disease/
{ "a_id": [ "cbnkvds" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "The Dutch can breathe easy, because, contrary to popular belief, Dutch disease is not a flesh-eating disease in the Netherlands.\n\nIt's an economic term used to describe an indirect relationship between the usage of natural resources and agricul...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
3hdt04
what is canon?
Not the camera manufacturer, the literary term. How is something canon or canonical?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3hdt04/eli5_what_is_canon/
{ "a_id": [ "cu6ie47" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "The term was largely used when referring to the Bible. The many authors whose writings appear in the Bible wrote many other things as well. The pieces deemed \"The Bible\" were democratically selected by high ranking clergy. These are referred...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
2vhcl5
why obama is criticized for going golfing?
Is he supposed to stay in the Oval Office 24/7?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2vhcl5/eli5_why_obama_is_criticized_for_going_golfing/
{ "a_id": [ "cohmvca", "cohmvvf", "cohn1hc", "cohn1ue", "cohn9ws" ], "score": [ 10, 2, 5, 7, 3 ], "text": [ "It's part of the partisan bickering that comes with a two party system. If the President is a member of your party and takes a break, he's been working real...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
2q9nj3
how can windmills compare to nuclear powerplants, where the generators spin with thousands of rounds per minute?
And windmills rotate with less than 50RPM.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2q9nj3/eli5_how_can_windmills_compare_to_nuclear/
{ "a_id": [ "cn440gl", "cn44g40" ], "score": [ 3, 3 ], "text": [ "Windmills produce less power, that's why you build more of them", "Simple. With a gearbox.\n\n_URL_0_\n\nYou hook up the slower spinning big gear connected to the wind facing turbine and a smaller gear to a generator and...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://auto.howstuffworks.com/gears.htm" ] ]
4ilgbo
how does "trading futures" work? i've been told it's a good and cheap way to play the stock market, but everything i've read on it confuses me even more.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4ilgbo/eli5how_does_trading_futures_work_ive_been_told/
{ "a_id": [ "d2z134h", "d2z2dqa" ], "score": [ 2, 12 ], "text": [ "Futures are contracts. You agree to buy or sell a certain amount of something (stocks, commodities, whatever) on a date in the future at a price you agree to now. You are betting the movement in price between now and the co...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
34hta2
how does the brita filter detector work?
I'm talking about [this thing](_URL_0_). It's not connected to the filter and the underside of it is just a plastic backing. How can it be deciding how fresh the water filter is?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/34hta2/eli5_how_does_the_brita_filter_detector_work/
{ "a_id": [ "cqut2lg", "cqut4kz" ], "score": [ 2, 4 ], "text": [ "Its just a timer, programmed with the average lifespan of a filter that is reset when you put a new filter in, nothing magical. Make sure you reset every time you change filters or it gets confusing!", "it counts the num...
[]
[ "http://imgur.com/O1vAP02" ]
[ [], [] ]
1zvicm
how bi-planes are able to time/shoot their guns without the bullets hitting the propellers.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1zvicm/eli5_how_biplanes_are_able_to_timeshoot_their/
{ "a_id": [ "cfxcwct", "cfxdl4x", "cfxfgkc", "cfxi1bm" ], "score": [ 3, 5, 10, 3 ], "text": [ "In the very earliest aircraft, they wouldn't shoot at all. Aircraft were used for reconnaissance, not for fighting, and pilots of aircraft on opposing sides would wave at each oth...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronization_gear" ], [], [], [] ]
21fvk8
Are there any accounts of interviews with people who participated in lynchings 20, 30, or 40 years later?
Not specifically those intervals, but significantly after the event.
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/21fvk8/are_there_any_accounts_of_interviews_with_people/
{ "a_id": [ "cgd7rko" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Yes, contemporary interviews exist documenting the perspectives of those who participated, witnessed, in rare cases even those that survived lynchings. Interviews taking place some decades later are more difficult to find, but can be found in a f...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://media.npr.org/assets/news/2010/08/06/lynch-db2a1722a61a2ea2e98a0cc7e20300a12023b7af.jpg", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_jeopardy", "http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129025516", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_Till", "http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/till/sfe...
85xose
why is it unhealthy/more difficult for hunger’s sake to eat a 2000 calorie breakfast instead of lighter meals throughout the day?
[deleted]
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/85xose/eli5_why_is_it_unhealthymore_difficult_for/
{ "a_id": [ "dw0ujbf", "dw152an" ], "score": [ 9, 2 ], "text": [ "Your body doesn't need 2000 calories all at once. If you eat a single 2000 calorie meal, then your body will use however many calories it needs at that moment, and then store the rest as fat to be used later. However, when...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
73sivg
Would it be possible to create helium-4 by introducing helium-3 to a neutron rich environment?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/73sivg/would_it_be_possible_to_create_helium4_by/
{ "a_id": [ "dnstjxi" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text": [ "Yes, but this wouldn’t be a very good way of doing it. Most helium in nature is helium-4. So you’d have to gather helium, enrich it with helium-3, and then use the helium-3 to breed helium-4. Unless you have a source of helium which is already en...
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[ [] ]
7pisr5
why is it scary when kids sing or laugh or say nursery rhymes in horror movies/games?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7pisr5/eli5_why_is_it_scary_when_kids_sing_or_laugh_or/
{ "a_id": [ "dshl6u2", "dshlnya", "dshsp38", "dshtl6r", "dshwdtj", "dsi28xy", "dsib2xs" ], "score": [ 11, 59, 4, 3, 14, 5, 3 ], "text": [ "I'm speaking with no actual knowledge on the matter, but I would guess that it's mostly context. There is almos...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEikGKDVsCc" ], [], [] ]
2u25ly
Can electrons from a particular atom be anywhere in the universe but statisticaly nearly always in a definite zone near the core or there is places those electrons can't be?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2u25ly/can_electrons_from_a_particular_atom_be_anywhere/
{ "a_id": [ "co4izji", "co4mma0", "co4wpu3", "co55e4s" ], "score": [ 7, 3, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Electrons can not exist within nodes. The number and shape of nodes is dependent on the orbital angular momentum. ", "You do have orbitals that can get very far from the nucleu...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://scienceblogs.com/builtonfacts/2011/01/25/the-hydrogen-partition-functio/" ], [], [] ]
xbbw1
Is squinting actually bad for your eyesight?
I tried googleing it, but I couldn't find anything useful.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/xbbw1/is_squinting_actually_bad_for_your_eyesight/
{ "a_id": [ "c5kvazr" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "I don't know if it's bad for your eyesight or just a sign of bad eyes. Squinting will improve peoples vision slightly if they have bad eyesight which is why you might see people do that if they lost their glasses. Because of this reason it might ...
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[ [] ]
7fwyj9
Operation Barbarossa caused massive Soviet casualities/incredible success for the Germans yet failed in capturing Moscow or force a surrender, was there a glaring tactical error that prevented this?
Much is given to the fact that the attack started late, yet, if they were so dominant and the plan exceeded expatations in terms of enemy captured, territory seized, was there something military historians have pointed to as a major error?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7fwyj9/operation_barbarossa_caused_massive_soviet/
{ "a_id": [ "dqf1wir" ], "score": [ 32 ], "text": [ "Logistics.\n\nThe campaign didn't start \"late\": the early summer months in Russia see significant rainfall, resulting in the so-called *rasputitsa*, literally \"time without roads\". Barbarossa's launch was timed so the ground could dry and th...
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[ [] ]
ehg5rv
How much of an impact did the Civil War have on what is considered the Wild West?
You see things like Jesse James who was heavily influenced by the events of the war or the fact that the railroad became a vital point to the Unions success during the war and it's boom in later years. How did it affect people going west or the general politics of the era?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ehg5rv/how_much_of_an_impact_did_the_civil_war_have_on/
{ "a_id": [ "fck931j" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "You're gonna have a hard time getting any kind of a comprehensive answer to this question, as it's just too broad of a topic. It would be like asking, \"what kind of an impact did World War II have on America in the second half of the 20th centur...
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[ [] ]
161gcn
I have a very specific question about the death of our star and supernovae (s?). Please look inside for details.
I was just watching a program where they were describing how a supernova happens. From what I've gathered when the metal compress and go up the periodic table and reach iron, fusion becomes impossible and the iron just absorbs energy from the star which kills the fusion process allowing it to collapse and implode in a ...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/161gcn/i_have_a_very_specific_question_about_the_death/
{ "a_id": [ "c7rxhvc", "c7s2f4o", "c7s45rn" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Without having many details at hand, and I'm sure someone can explain the fusion process better that I, Supernova are after all fusion has expired and caused by the mass of the red giant collapsing in o...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
3okbjl
How common was circumcision among the Pre-Islamic Arabs? We can safely assume that Christian tribes, namely the Banu Hanifa and the Banu Taghlib , would have abhorred the practice, but what about the rest? What about the Quraysh?
[deleted]
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3okbjl/how_common_was_circumcision_among_the_preislamic/
{ "a_id": [ "cvy1578", "cvy22v4" ], "score": [ 6, 5 ], "text": [ "Tangential question, why would assume those Christian tribes would abhor it?", "Hello everyone, \n\nIn this thread, there have already been a large number of incorrect, speculative, or otherwise disallowed comments, and ...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/rules" ] ]
ej1pqc
Are animals attracted to each other’s faces the way humans are?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/ej1pqc/are_animals_attracted_to_each_others_faces_the/
{ "a_id": [ "fcxrtf0", "fcxy706" ], "score": [ 4, 2 ], "text": [ "Depends, i would assume some focus on colors, others on the rear-end etc... They haave specific evolutionary traits they look for.\n\nNot all humans look at faces either, or find different types of faces attractive", "Oh...
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[ [], [] ]
15p9ji
If the earth's core cooled and solidified, would the planet get appreciably smaller? And if so, by how much?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/15p9ji/if_the_earths_core_cooled_and_solidified_would/
{ "a_id": [ "c7olj9p", "c7olnpm" ], "score": [ 2, 4 ], "text": [ "Related side question: How would the crust behave if the core and mantle solidified and shrunk? I imagine it would crack to try and lay evenly n the mantle but what exactly would happen?", "Couldn't tell you exactly, but...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
j4jkn
can someone explain elasticity of demand and how it relates to the price of crude oil and other commodities?
Thx.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/j4jkn/can_someone_explain_elasticity_of_demand_and_how/
{ "a_id": [ "c292woy", "c2939py" ], "score": [ 5, 2 ], "text": [ "I'll do my best, though I have a somewhat ameturish knowledgebase myself. Explaining it **like you're five**.\n\nLets say that you own a store. You want to have customers, so you set nice and low prices. It works and people ...
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[ [], [] ]
2hcwnb
White reflects, black absorbs. White radiates little, black radiates a lot. What do transparent materials typically do?
If I had a perfectly insulated box with a transparent lid, containing a a vacuum and an object at the bottom, would the object at the bottom get colder than ambient air temperatures at night, if the sky is clear? For the purposes of this question, assume transparent to all frequencies in the elecromagnetic spectrum, ...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2hcwnb/white_reflects_black_absorbs_white_radiates/
{ "a_id": [ "ckrl7iw" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Transparent materials let most of the light pass through. Also, many \"transparent\" objects are opaque to other wavelengths of light. Something that lets visible light through might for instance block radio waves or vice versa. \n\nAlso, white ...
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[]
[ [] ]
9v9rgx
Do other mammals (or animals in general) "lose their voice" like we do?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/9v9rgx/do_other_mammals_or_animals_in_general_lose_their/
{ "a_id": [ "e9auc2b" ], "score": [ 10 ], "text": [ "**Disclaimer**: I wrote more than I meant to. If you don't want to read it all, the most important parts are the first and last paragraphs.\n\n & #x200B;\n\nYes.... and no. The sounds made by all animals with lungs are made through vibrations in...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/ken-tudor/2015/february/voice-changes-pets-more-serious-you-think-32462" ] ]
43ftr1
why did chairman mao kill so many people including teachers? what could he have been trying to accomplish?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/43ftr1/eli5_why_did_chairman_mao_kill_so_many_people/
{ "a_id": [ "czjcllu", "czhvrng", "czhvwwa", "czhy8zm", "czhz7fr", "czhz9iz", "czhzdih", "czhzftg", "czhzqlv", "czi08fd", "czi16dm", "czi188u", "czi1j41", "czi1oqp", "czi22lu", "czi2vxx", "czi3zgn", "czi49ys", "czi500w", "czi50x6", "c...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [ "http://www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520259317" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Leap_Forward" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "https://youtu.be/UUCEeC4f6ts" ], [], [], [], ...
lkjce
Why are red and blue wavelengths of light most useful to photosynthesis?
Why is this? Using my own knowledge of wavelengths of light, it would be logical to conclude that Indigo/Violet would be the most useful because they have the shortest wavelengths.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/lkjce/why_are_red_and_blue_wavelengths_of_light_most/
{ "a_id": [ "c2tfbk6", "c2tfbk6" ], "score": [ 5, 5 ], "text": [ "Look [here](_URL_0_) Notice how on the left side of the total absorption graph everything is absorbed? If you are a plant, you don't want to be absorbing things in that region... so violet is less efficient than things to ...
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[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Atmospheric_Transmission.png" ], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Atmospheric_Transmission.png" ] ]
5x1j5f
why can we still smell cigarette smoke i walk through when not breathing in?
When there's a bad smell around me, I do what anyone does and either breath through my mouth or don't breath in at all. Something I've noticed for years and also confirmed with other people that they experience, is when that bad smell is cigarette smoke I can still smell it, or atleast detect it. This doesn't happe...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5x1j5f/eli5_why_can_we_still_smell_cigarette_smoke_i/
{ "a_id": [ "deej55v", "deejcwv", "deem24m" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "The chemicals from cigarette smoke gets trapped in material (most likely fabric of some sort) and diffuses which is why you smell it. ", "If you're not inhaling, you smell almost nothing. Air needs ...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
4i7s71
how do journalists find people?
Police and other law enforcement agencies obviously can find people through using all their records and things of that nature but how are journalists able to find just about anybody?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4i7s71/eli5_how_do_journalists_find_people/
{ "a_id": [ "d2vt7n8", "d2vupo7", "d2vvz9b", "d2w1edn" ], "score": [ 6, 4, 2, 3 ], "text": [ "Many people can be found through a phone book or a simple google search. Or you can call the company where you heard they work, or the school where you heard they study. Also, you ...
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[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
2rtf7o
How thin (nanometer, atoms, etc..) can the human see, looking directly?
What I'm trying to ask is how thin does a plane have to be to not be visible to the naked eye? On the same question, how thick does it need to be to appear visible ?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2rtf7o/how_thin_nanometer_atoms_etc_can_the_human_see/
{ "a_id": [ "cnji7z3", "cnjjlc0", "cnjz8yy" ], "score": [ 5, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "The visual resolution of the human eye is about 1 arc minute.\n\nAt a viewing distance of 20″, that translates to about 170 dpi (or pixels-per-inch / PPI), which equals a dot pitch of around 0.14 mm. L...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin-film_interference", "http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140930111413.htm" ], [] ]
17t2j4
if gps satellites lose time due to the lesser effect of gravity, why can't we just adjust the clock speed to make up the difference?
I understand GPS satellites lose time because there is less gravity in their orbital paths. I'm also under the impression that we resync their clocks regularly. Are there too many other variables (like the moon) to adjust the clock speed, what would those variables be? A mechanical watch can be set a little fast or a l...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/17t2j4/if_gps_satellites_lose_time_due_to_the_lesser/
{ "a_id": [ "c88kfd7", "c88kiq6" ], "score": [ 7, 6 ], "text": [ "We *also* have GPS satellites adjust their clock speed themselves. But there are a lot of variables, so it would take a lot of processing power to compute the adjustments exactly; it's much more efficient to just make them k...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://what-if.xkcd.com/26/" ] ]
3duv58
What do historians think of Foucault's "Discipline and Punish"?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3duv58/what_do_historians_think_of_foucaults_discipline/
{ "a_id": [ "ct99ng8" ], "score": [ 18 ], "text": [ "I'll start by re-posting here several segments I've previously posted on punishment and Foucault.\n\n > His influence is hard to *overstate* ... he's frequently accused (and rightfully so) for his very selective historical sources, and for not ...
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2z2wlc/what_are_your_thoughts_on_michel_foucaults_impact/cpfe4tc", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/31w9yd/what_happened_to_public_shaming_why_does_the/cq6ha1v" ] ]