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1ot469
why cant we just send money to other countries to pay for their food?
I was reading a post about Venezuela and how 50 cents can fill up a gas tank a few times, and I thought, why can't we literally just mail people (or paypal) money to pay for their food and water. If everyone in America scrounged together 1 dollar and sent it to one person then wouldn't it help their economy and allow m...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ot469/eli5_why_cant_we_just_send_money_to_other/
{ "a_id": [ "ccvatjl", "ccvd161" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "One thing to consider: the only reason gas is so cheap in Venezuela is that the government deliberately pays over 90 percent of the cost to keep prices down and avoid...well, at best rioting and at worst a full scale revolut...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
j35zh
li5: financial derivatives
What are they, how do they work, and how do they tie into the recent housing bubble collapse?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/j35zh/li5_financial_derivatives/
{ "a_id": [ "c28qsfh" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Here is an excellent answer to your question, which was asked a few hours ago: [Here](_URL_0_)" ] }
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/j2pfz/can_someone_eli5_what_derivatives_finance_are_and/" ] ]
dtq6xe
how is there nothing in space? i get that there isn’t necessarily air like we have in our atmosphere on earth, but how can there be nothing?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/dtq6xe/eli5_how_is_there_nothing_in_space_i_get_that/
{ "a_id": [ "f6y5bks", "f6y64qs", "f6y6ffr", "f6ydtoi", "f6yfrot" ], "score": [ 9, 21, 12, 3, 6 ], "text": [ "Most of matter is nothing, too. The actual stuff, subatomic particles and whatnot, are a small fraction of the actual space that matter takes up. Even if yo...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
8rsovr
how does wii emulation work?
Motion controls were integral to the idea behind the Wii, but the Wii is emulated fairly well by the GameCube emulator Dolphin. How are motion controls emulated? Can they be mimicked by a keyboard and mouse or is a separate motion sensor required?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8rsovr/eli5_how_does_wii_emulation_work/
{ "a_id": [ "e0tvoxb", "e0tvvj9", "e0tw2re" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 6 ], "text": [ "Dolphin emulator has the option for using a mouse and keyboard in lieu of the wiimote. But it can also input through a wiimote, provided you buy a pc usb dongle that supports it.\n\nAnd if I am getting ...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
1zliz0
how fast do airplanes fly? and why doesn't it seem like we are going that fast?
I've heard that they travel between 500-700 MPH, however if never seems like it's that fast when I'm in a plane. It also doesn't appear that fast when a plane is landing or taking off.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1zliz0/eli5_how_fast_do_airplanes_fly_and_why_doesnt_it/
{ "a_id": [ "cfuq1e4", "cfuqakz", "cfuqb30", "cfuqzji" ], "score": [ 2, 12, 16, 2 ], "text": [ "Take off certainly feels impressive. That said i mean if you blindfold yourself and you are in a car and you put earplugs in you would not be able to tell how fast you were going...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
2otbp0
How fast/close/times can i use gravity to slingshot out to interstellar space?
If I take your average sized probe, and sling shot it around Jupiter 200 times, is that even possible? Will I reach really stupid speeds? How tight will I get before I enter the atmosphere and drag becomes an issue (assuming i would need to make my orbits tighter to attain more speed)? What about sling-shotting around ...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2otbp0/how_fastclosetimes_can_i_use_gravity_to_slingshot/
{ "a_id": [ "cmqlk3m" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "It only takes one pass by Jupiter to find yourself with enough speed to escape the solar system—Voyager 2 did it. See [this](_URL_3_) graph; once you're above the blue line you are leaving the solar system unless you do something about it. Inte...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=%2850+km%2Fs%29%5E2+%2F+2+-+%28G+*+mass+of+the+sun%29%2F%28483+million+miles%29+in+GJ%2Fkg", "http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/jupiterfact.html", "http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=sqrt+%28+2+*+1.079+gigajoules+per+kilogram%29", "http://en.wik...
6ot9n1
How do animals like horseshoe crabs process information from so many eyes?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/6ot9n1/how_do_animals_like_horseshoe_crabs_process/
{ "a_id": [ "dkkwu4j" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "I did not know the answer to your question bit started wondering myself as well. I am not sure what tour background is but these two links should provide accesible information:\n\n_URL_1_\n\nThis wiki contains a lot of information about the proce...
[]
[]
[ [ "Https://www.google.com/amp/www.the-scientist.com/%3Farticles.amp/articleNo/42438/title/Through-a-Spider-s-Eyes/", "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ommatidium" ] ]
1mzk30
Naval history? These unique antique doors are from an inn in Wales, but nobody (including the owner) knows what they are. Are they gun doors? (x-post)
This is from an inn in Wales: [_URL_0_](_URL_0_) There are several others on the wall nearby: [_URL_1_](_URL_1_) Nobody, including the owner of the inn, had any idea what they were. Best we have come up with over on /r/whatisthisthing is that they look very similar to gun port covers on a 19th century sailing ship, but...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1mzk30/naval_history_these_unique_antique_doors_are_from/
{ "a_id": [ "cce8frv" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "It seems unlikely that they are from a ship at all. Those chains, assuming they're original to the \"lids\", would be an odd choice for shipboard use due to their weight. Ropes were much more the order of the day. These ropes, in turn, attached t...
[]
[ "http://imgur.com/T9h3Vd6", "http://imgur.com/VOM9Por" ]
[ [] ]
3dgsi3
how big a problem is all the debris in orbit around earth? what can be done about it?
I understand there are around 19,000 large-ish pieces of space debris in orbit around earth, and some space vessels and satellites are occasionally hit. How big a threat is the debris? Will it eventually make travel into space difficult, or even impossible? What can be done about it, if anything?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3dgsi3/eli5_how_big_a_problem_is_all_the_debris_in_orbit/
{ "a_id": [ "ct50k3t", "ct56u80", "ct5a24b" ], "score": [ 2, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "It already makes trips to space complicated. People need to be careful about space debris when putting up satellites and the like. And people are already working on the solutions to this problem. Many i...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [ "http://www.spacedaily.com/news/debris-00a.html", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kessler_syndrome" ] ]
3qzh85
Why did the US end up so much more economically successful than Brazil?
Considering that both of these nations had similar sort of variables- European settler nations, uncentralised tribes, economies with slave basis how was it that the US became so much more of a powerhouse when compared to Brazil?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3qzh85/why_did_the_us_end_up_so_much_more_economically/
{ "a_id": [ "cwk2uv5", "cwk71va", "cwkc8j1", "cwkcvaz" ], "score": [ 31, 15, 4, 3 ], "text": [ "Brazil's only capital rich land lies to the south, near the border with Uruguay. All other lands are more capital poor because of temperature and challenging geography. The Unite...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3anfgf/what_prevented_brazil_from_becoming_a_world_power/csejc1a", "http://i.imgur.com/hhCNwwB.png" ] ]
1jujk9
What was the relationship like between Ptolemaic ancient Egypt and the Carthaginian Empire?
A guy over at /r/totalwar posted this question, and I also wanted to know. "What was the relationship like? They were the two greatest powers in northern Africa, yet they never clashed? Does that mean they had great trading agreements, even if they weren't exactly allies (or did they fight any wars together?). I seem t...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1jujk9/what_was_the_relationship_like_between_ptolemaic/
{ "a_id": [ "cbiinav", "cbiinsf", "cbijmsf", "cbisgsq" ], "score": [ 62, 10, 36, 5 ], "text": [ "The short answer is that Egypt had better things to worry about than sticking its nose into Western Mediterranean affairs.\n\nFor most of the First Punic War (264-241), it was h...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [ "http://pace.mcmaster.ca/york/york/showTextPolybius?book=7&chapter=9&go.x=0&go.y=13&direction=&version=loeb&tab=&layout=split", "http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3atext%3a1999.01.0229%3atext%3dSic" ], [] ]
9k63ku
When the weather report says the temperature is X, but it feels like Y because of the humidity, what is the relative humidity they're assuming for Y?
For example, if its 75 degrees out and 100% relative humidity, the weather report will say it feels like 80 degrees. But when it comes to how something "feels" to a human, temperature by itself is meaningless, so they must be making an assumption about the relative humidity of the "feels like" temperature. Do they ju...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/9k63ku/when_the_weather_report_says_the_temperature_is_x/
{ "a_id": [ "e6y79xw" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Heat index (and wind chill, in areas where it's relevant) are a measure of how fast the body sheds heat in given conditions.\n\nThere are four ways for something to cool off: conduction, convection, radiation, and evaporation. For the most part...
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[]
[ [] ]
43k9jb
What was socialism before Marx?
I am reading a book that mentioned the post war leader of fhe East German communist party was a socialist prior to becoming a Marxist. It's hard for me to imagine a socialist who wasn't influenced by Marx because he is so deeply intermeshed with modern socialist thinking (at least from my outsider perspective---I am no...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/43k9jb/what_was_socialism_before_marx/
{ "a_id": [ "czjkf9w", "czj0uor", "czj1ly0", "czj3zlj" ], "score": [ 5, 16, 8, 5 ], "text": [ "There was a form of Socialist thought prior to Marx, which he, along with Friedrich Engels, coined as \"Utopian Socialism,\" to contrast with the Marx and Engels interpretation of...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
8sy2dx
What was the difference between women and men’s labor camps during Nazi Germany?
I understand they deprecated the genders into different camps. But where these camps identical? What differences were there in the types of labor?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8sy2dx/what_was_the_difference_between_women_and_mens/
{ "a_id": [ "e16hvwd" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Quite interested in this, waiting on a response also!" ] }
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[ [] ]
47d97z
Do historians believe the Carthaginians, around the time of Hamilcar and Hannibal, were black/dark skinned or more fair skinned?
Do historians believe the Carthaginians, around the time of Hamilcar and Hannibal, were black/dark skinned or more fair skinned?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/47d97z/do_historians_believe_the_carthaginians_around/
{ "a_id": [ "d0cr4c5" ], "score": [ 17 ], "text": [ "They were more likely to be fairer skin. Carthage was founded as a Phoenician colony and the Phoenicians themselves were a Semitic people. The region that they settled (modern Tunisia) was populated by Libyans who bear more resemblance to modern...
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[ [] ]
yzgfc
How does the "Stimulated Emission" part of a Laser work?
As far as I understand a photon going close/through an atom can cause it to release a very similar photon (e.g. same polarisation). Why does the presence of the first photon raise the probability of the second photon being released?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/yzgfc/how_does_the_stimulated_emission_part_of_a_laser/
{ "a_id": [ "c6062pc", "c6070jr" ], "score": [ 2, 7 ], "text": [ "(wrong answer, wasn't thinking, apologies)\n\n > Why does the presence of the first photon raise the probability of the second photon being released?\n\nin spontaneous emission, when a photon comes into contact with matter,...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
d82osj
why does a balance sheet always balance?
I did accounting more than ten years ago in high school, but can’t remember it understand why if for example assets increase, the other side of the balance sheet also increases?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/d82osj/eli5_why_does_a_balance_sheet_always_balance/
{ "a_id": [ "f16qkvi", "f16s6jn" ], "score": [ 6, 2 ], "text": [ "Because you can't print or destroy money. If you're assets increased, you must have paid for those assets somehow - so you have less cash or more debt or whatever it took to get that asset.", "The accounting equation is ...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
sex6s
Why can rocket boosters have more than 100% thrust?
I was reading the [Challenger Shuttle Timeline](_URL_0_) and at T+4.339, it says > The three liquid-fueled main engines throttle up from 90 percent thrust to 104 percent thrust as planned. Can someone explain please? Thanks!
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/sex6s/why_can_rocket_boosters_have_more_than_100_thrust/
{ "a_id": [ "c4dgzv9" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "100% thrust was the original specification for maximum output from the rocket. It was later determined it could handle more (up to 104% based on the original 100% definition)." ] }
[]
[ "http://spaceflightnow.com/challenger/timeline/#" ]
[ [] ]
413sue
How much water is there under the earths surface? Will springs ever stop producing water?
Curious as to whether or not it's possible we can run out of water?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/413sue/how_much_water_is_there_under_the_earths_surface/
{ "a_id": [ "cyzfz64", "cyzgmvb", "cyzo06j", "cyzswq2" ], "score": [ 22, 108, 3, 7 ], "text": [ "Springs are not areas where water is generated, they are outlets for underground reservoirs of water known as [aquifers](_URL_2_). Aquifers are fed by rainwater and snowmelt tha...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.cattco.org/environmental-health/onsite-water-supplies", "http://karst.iah.org/karst_hydrogeology.html", "http://water.usgs.gov/edu/earthgwaquifer.html" ], [], [], [ "http://gallery.usgs.gov/images/09_15_2010/b2Vi84Kxx6_09_15_2010/large/SUBSIDENCE_INDUCED_BY_UNDERGROUND_EXTRACTI...
a6npcl
How much did China contribute to the end of Imperial Japan
Being American, we learned there were 2 bombs dropped and we ended the war. In university I learned there were more nuances to the end of the Pacific theater. Now after traveling through Asia I'm hearing more and more about China bringing Japan down, including keeping the majority of Japanese Imperial Army tied up in m...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/a6npcl/how_much_did_china_contribute_to_the_end_of/
{ "a_id": [ "ebwhdg2" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text": [ "I would direct you to my answer on a related question: [How significant was the Second Sino-Japanese War in World War II?](_URL_0_)\n\nIt must be emphasised that this is still very much a debated topic among scholars - Western and Japanese schola...
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[]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9irfea/how_significant_was_the_second_sinojapanese_war/" ] ]
6cxqoe
why are we told leave a pool during a thunder storm if the pool is grounded?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6cxqoe/eli5_why_are_we_told_leave_a_pool_during_a/
{ "a_id": [ "dhyc4mg" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "Yes, the pool is grounded, so lightning will pass through it into the ground. You are mostly water. If you are in the water, some of those 1.21 Gigawatts are going to pass through you was well." ] }
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[ [] ]
nf5d3
What's that noise I hear when I shut my eyes really tightly?
You know, that rumbling that comes from closing your eyes and clamping down really hard. **Edit:** Apparently, not everyone can do this. Hm.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/nf5d3/whats_that_noise_i_hear_when_i_shut_my_eyes/
{ "a_id": [ "c3drri4", "c38lhcf", "c38lkoy", "c38m9dt", "c38mqaw", "c38n7bv", "c38njbi", "c38nn24", "c38o0cv", "c38o8ee", "c38o8ks", "c38oj4e", "c38qwak", "c38lhcf", "c38lkoy", "c38m9dt", "c38mqaw", "c38n7bv", "c38njbi", "c38nn24", "c...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensor_tympani_muscle" ], [ "http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1328716/pdf/biophysj00280-0117.pdf" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "http://www.elsevier.es/sites/default/files/elsevier/pdf/102/102v58n09a13112013pdf001_2.pd...
orszq
Any news on the attempt to photograph a black hole?
I'm an aspiring astronomer, and I have yet to see any news about it, is there anything I missed?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/orszq/any_news_on_the_attempt_to_photograph_a_black_hole/
{ "a_id": [ "c3jj5c6" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "_URL_0_\n\nIt's on the front page right now." ] }
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/ori40/scientists_plan_on_taking_the_first_picture_of_a/" ] ]
21ehzb
Is it possible for an environment to be so cold, an existing fire would be extinguished?
Assuming there was an infinite supply of oxygen and a fuel source.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/21ehzb/is_it_possible_for_an_environment_to_be_so_cold/
{ "a_id": [ "cgcb8f1", "cgccqo9" ], "score": [ 25, 4 ], "text": [ "Absolutely. The fire needs to be hot enough to be self-sustaining. Each reaction has to give off enough energy to trigger the next reaction. If the surrounding environment absorbs this energy then it is not available to ...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf1992/tran92b.pdf", "http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/workshop2011/WoodCombustion-Curkeet.pdf" ] ]
c6r86e
why is going asleep on your stomach so bad for you but feel so good?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/c6r86e/eli5_why_is_going_asleep_on_your_stomach_so_bad/
{ "a_id": [ "esapae5" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "If sleeping on your back is *uncomfortable*, maybe you just need a new mattress. If you want to sleep on your stomach, though, know that sleeping on your stomach can put your lower back in an awkward position. If stomach sleeping is more comforta...
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[]
[ [] ]
1joe6p
Did early sailors believe the ocean was an entity that either A) Looked out for them or B) Was out to get them?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1joe6p/did_early_sailors_believe_the_ocean_was_an_entity/
{ "a_id": [ "cbgp5gf", "cbgqn3p" ], "score": [ 5, 11 ], "text": [ "What do you define as early? Because different cultures have very different starting points for naval exploration. Before Columbus was even born, Zheng He (China) was bringing back Giraffes from Africa. ", "Pre-Conversi...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
1jv95v
why does stress result in prolonged muscle contractions? (i.e., chronic neck and shoulder pain)
I get that the very common neck/shoulder/back pain that so many people deal with is stress related, but why do our bodies react to stress by tensing up these muscle groups for long periods of time?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1jv95v/eli5_why_does_stress_result_in_prolonged_muscle/
{ "a_id": [ "cbimqt8" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Goes back to the fight or flight instinct. \n\nStress puts an added toll on our bodies. When you feel fear or anxiousness, you are under stress as well. \n\nBasically its your instincts tensing your muscles to tell your body we need to move and m...
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[ [] ]
5r5uq5
how does silicon and copper and the makeup of a chip ultimately store digital information?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5r5uq5/eli5_how_does_silicon_and_copper_and_the_makeup/
{ "a_id": [ "dd4wiio" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Electronic memory storage at it's most basic has to do with being able to either hold onto some amount of electrons, or get rid of those electrons.\n\nWe discovered that if you stick two slightly different types of silicon together in just the ri...
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[]
[ [] ]
1zn4mp
Decay related: does time (in any scale) have any significance to a stable atom?
Hi I was wondering if, for example, for a Carbon-12 atom 14 billion years have any significance; if we exclude external forces, and give an atom a really large time scale, will it there be any decay or any form of change in the atom? A stable atom will remain as is forever? Thanks!
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1zn4mp/decay_related_does_time_in_any_scale_have_any/
{ "a_id": [ "cfxfd63" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "It depends on what kind of stable atom you're talking about and whether you mean just the nucleus of the atom or if you include the electrons in the atom.\n\nA large group of nuclei are theoretically stable forever as long as protons do not decay...
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[ [] ]
3x13f8
Does The Endoplasmic Reticulum Transport ATP?
I have a limited understanding of cells, and I know that the ER transports various materials. But does it transport ATP? If not, how does ATP get around the cell? Thanks!
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3x13f8/does_the_endoplasmic_reticulum_transport_atp/
{ "a_id": [ "cy1engf" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Hi. The ER is used for the transport of proteins and other complex molecules as you mentioned, but that does not really include ATP. ATP, whether it's made by oxidative reactions (glycolysis -- > electron transport chain) or anaerobic respiratio...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://advan.physiology.org/content/25/2/70.full" ] ]
1zmcjh
if bitcoins have a monetary value, and bitcoin mining earns you bitcoins, how does this mining create any value?
All I know is you use very fast processors (Teraflops?) to do calculations, but I don't know what those calculations are for or how they can be worth anything in real money. Color me perplexed.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1zmcjh/eli5_if_bitcoins_have_a_monetary_value_and/
{ "a_id": [ "cfuwljw", "cfuwqx6" ], "score": [ 2, 3 ], "text": [ "Each newly mined coin slightly dilutes the value of all coins (inflation). It's the same as a government printing more currency.", "The calculations that are being done secure the network. The cool thing about Bitcoin ...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
2dhe7y
what makes software compatibility between mac or pc so difficult?
It all seems like 1s and 0s to me. So if its all 1s and 0s why can't software made for PC run on Mac or vice versa?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2dhe7y/eli5_what_makes_software_compatibility_between/
{ "a_id": [ "cjpjozd" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Let's say PC is like building with lego, Mac is like building with k'nex. Sure they're both plastic, but lego doesn't fit with k'nex." ] }
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[ [] ]
330aov
What happens if mass defect equals or exceeds original rest mass?
Can we bind particles together so tightly that the mass defect equals the original unbound rest mass? Any examples theoretically possible in reality? Also what would the mass defect be for a black hole? e.g. if we squeeze a 1kg object into a BH, what would its mass be?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/330aov/what_happens_if_mass_defect_equals_or_exceeds/
{ "a_id": [ "cqh40wk" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Actually from my understanding (read out of my ass and memory) the mass defect is the minimum energy needed to overcome other force and stay binded together, hence it's other name, binding energy. So this mass defect cannot be augmented by puttin...
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[ [] ]
68qvkw
what's benefit do major powers get from donating to struggling countries?
So, if I'm the US or France or Germany, why would I take $50 billion from my budget to give it to let's say Eastern Asia when I got starving kids in Detroit, Nice, and (insert German city). US, for example, could fix flint, Michigan. Or take care of Detroit. Or south LA. Idk. I'm not criticizing. Donating is good! But ...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/68qvkw/eli5_whats_benefit_do_major_powers_get_from/
{ "a_id": [ "dh0me7d", "dh0nd6v" ], "score": [ 3, 3 ], "text": [ "They get influence over that country. Take South Korea for example. After Korea helped their war o their behalf, the US is seen as a powerful country that every Korean highly respects. This country could help the US in the f...
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[ [], [] ]
cwnm8e
what is happening in britain's parliament and why did the queen "close" it.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/cwnm8e/eli5_what_is_happening_in_britains_parliament_and/
{ "a_id": [ "eyd66wj" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "They are starting a new session of parliament after electing a new Prime Minister. In order to do this they have to end the old session and the only way to do that in their system for the Queen to order it." ] }
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[ [] ]
2475sa
What prevents a car/engine from surpassing its top-speed? What's happening when it is reaching that point?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2475sa/what_prevents_a_carengine_from_surpassing_its/
{ "a_id": [ "ch49ysw", "ch4a555" ], "score": [ 7, 2 ], "text": [ "I assume you mean the maximum RPM of an engine? The maximum RPM of a car engine, usually called the redline, is based on a few physical factors.\n\nFirst, the rotating mass in the engine. High speed rotating things have lo...
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[ [ "http://www.caranddriver.com/features/the-physics-of-redline-feature", "http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12239-012-0015-6" ], [] ]
6cpvjk
the difference between a pothole and a sinkhole
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6cpvjk/eli5_the_difference_between_a_pothole_and_a/
{ "a_id": [ "dhwgsky" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "A pothole is a hole that develops in the road. Roads wear over time. Cracks develop and connect, eventually the piece of asphalt becomes loose and falls out, leaving a big chunky hole in the road.\n\nA [Sinkhole](_URL_0_) happens when water ero...
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[ [ "https://water.usgs.gov/edu/graphics/sinkholecollapse.gif" ] ]
3dwkbi
What exactly is Gnosticism and how does it differ from Christianity?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3dwkbi/what_exactly_is_gnosticism_and_how_does_it_differ/
{ "a_id": [ "ct9g7in", "ct9i4uo" ], "score": [ 34, 7 ], "text": [ "Gnosticm isn't a single belief or religion. So it is hard to pin down how it differs from Christianity. Indeed there are even forms of Gnostic Christianity.\n\nIt was a general movement in the Mediterranean Basin in the fir...
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[ [], [] ]
hbl1h
How many scientists are religious?
Some famous scientists in history believed in God, but what about modern day scientists? This is also reddit so I'm sure it is a bit biased, but I had a friend studying biology but she rejected human evolution.
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/hbl1h/how_many_scientists_are_religious/
{ "a_id": [ "c1u4bgv", "c1u4ecn", "c1u4irk", "c1u52yn", "c1u56br", "c1u5f0z", "c1u5lrf", "c1u5oi5" ], "score": [ 10, 3, 10, 2, 7, 2, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Amongst chemists, the percentage of non-religious people is quite high. There are some o...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relationship_between_religion_and_science#Studies_of_scientists.27_belief_in_God" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
64fodq
Does anyone have information on Georgy Zhukov's service in WWI?
I have a speech of Zhukov and i want to tell of his career in WWI
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/64fodq/does_anyone_have_information_on_georgy_zhukovs/
{ "a_id": [ "dg29rd7" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "You mean you need to give a speech on him, so, schoolwork? In that case, I'd like to simply point you in the right direction to research this. \"Stalins General\" by Geoffrey Roberts is the best English language biography on Zhukov. Roberts also ...
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[ [] ]
3wqycw
If two people held a string stretching from one side of the universe to the other, would it snap due to the expansion of the universe?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3wqycw/if_two_people_held_a_string_stretching_from_one/
{ "a_id": [ "cxynovz", "cxynwig" ], "score": [ 16, 3 ], "text": [ "Yes. There is a real tension on the string from the expansion.", "Here you're venturing fairly deep into \"purely hypothetical\" territory. It'd be impossible to ever get to the \"side\" of the universe as it's expandi...
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[ [], [] ]
acgy03
is the time +12 hours or -12 hours in the opposite part of the world?
So If I understand correct, there are 24 hours and 24 timezones, to account for the fact that half the planet is in shadow all the time, so it wouldn't make sense to have one timezone for everyone. If I go one zone in one direction, the time is +hour, if I go another it goes -hour. By that logic, the opposite time zone...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/acgy03/eli5_is_the_time_12_hours_or_12_hours_in_the/
{ "a_id": [ "ed7tjs6", "ed7tr8s", "ed7ttgb", "ed7tusz", "ed7tybo", "ed7tzof", "ed7un3e", "ed7vnz8", "ed7wp0w" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 2, 5, 4, 2, 6, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "If your at all into programming, this should help make the question as...
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[]
[ [ "https://youtu.be/-5wpm-gesOY" ], [], [ "https://www.timeanddate.com/time/dateline.html" ], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
1hhxlq
why sometimes only the back end of the scissors work, sometimes the middle, and sometimes only the tip?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1hhxlq/eli5_why_sometimes_only_the_back_end_of_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cauhz9d" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "The blades of the two sides of the scissors aren't perfectly parallel. If there's even a small gap, they won't cut very well. This could be due to the scissors themselves, or the blades being deformed slightly by the material you are trying to c...
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26abvm
the debate over whether the eu is good
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/26abvm/eli5_the_debate_over_whether_the_eu_is_good/
{ "a_id": [ "chp4xxl" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "You want the *debate* explained?\n\nSome people think EU is good. Other people think it is not so good. This is the debate.\n\n[Edit] To make this post less worthless - the debate will depend mostly on what country are you talking about. Economic...
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cbyvv5
why does the sound of poured water gets higher and higher as you keep pouring?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/cbyvv5/eli5_why_does_the_sound_of_poured_water_gets/
{ "a_id": [ "etj89xn", "etkd9dm" ], "score": [ 188, 9 ], "text": [ "Because the sound you're hearing is sound coming out of a round chamber. When the glass fills with water, the size of the chamber changes, so the pitch changes. Large chamber, low pitch. Small chamber, high pitch. It's why...
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[ [], [] ]
16hdo4
Do sentience and self-awareness have an evolutionary advantages? If so, what are they? If not, how did they become such predominant features in humans?
For the sake of argument, let us say sentience is the ability of any entity to have subjective perceptual experiences. Self-awareness is the capacity for introspection and the ability to reconcile oneself as an individual separate from the environment and other individuals. Edit: Sorry for the terrible grammar in the...
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/16hdo4/do_sentience_and_selfawareness_have_an/
{ "a_id": [ "c7w4896", "c7w5g34" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "You might not have any replies yet because I think you're asking about the [hard problem of consciousness](_URL_0_).", "_URL_0_\n\nBasic summary of the video: brains are for movement, consciousness/self-awareness for mak...
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[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_problem_of_consciousness" ], [ "http://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_wolpert_the_real_reason_for_brains.html" ] ]
5v8bgw
What is the main source of protein for large herbivores?
Where does the protein needed by animals like horses or cows come from in the wild, other than the milk they had when they were still young? Do they get everything they need just from grass and some grains? If they do, wouldn't they need to eat way more than their own weight every single day, due to the small quantitie...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/5v8bgw/what_is_the_main_source_of_protein_for_large/
{ "a_id": [ "de06nya", "de3tnrr" ], "score": [ 7, 2 ], "text": [ "Many plants have a high protein content. Even grass has a decent amount. Grass seed like oats and barley have somewhere in the ballpark of 8%-10%. Other plants are higher than grass, clover and alfalfa spring to mind.", ...
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[ [], [ "http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150519-pandas-not-designed-to-eat-bamboo", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RuBisCO", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle" ] ]
x33x4
Is donated blood cleaned in any way to prevent the spread of disease?
I was watching Blade and that scene where he fell into a pool full of blood and healed himself and it got me thinking. Aren't blood transfusions from multiple donors? Meaning you'd get every single virus they carried combined?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/x33x4/is_donated_blood_cleaned_in_any_way_to_prevent/
{ "a_id": [ "c5iqsjr", "c5j22om" ], "score": [ 4, 2 ], "text": [ "Blood is transfused (out of the donor and into the recipient) by the unit and each unit of blood is only from a single person. Also, it is all screened, in high income countries, anyhow, for a range of infectious disease inc...
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[]
[ [ "http://www.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood/what-happens-donated-blood/blood-testing", "http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs279/en/index.html" ], [] ]
6tos12
why is it that a rocking motion or a car ride puts my baby to sleep but when i'm in a similar situation it doesn't make me sleepy?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6tos12/eli5_why_is_it_that_a_rocking_motion_or_a_car/
{ "a_id": [ "dlmaskg" ], "score": [ 9 ], "text": [ "It's not just the rocking motion, it is the constriction of the car seat that doesn't allow him to move coupled with the sound of the car. A car's tires on the road would be a familiar sound to what a baby hears for the entire gestation period. F...
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[ [] ]
1jkhjp
why do so many homeless people talk to themselves out loud?
I live in LA and every time I go Downtown I see at least 4 homeless people shouting gibberish. Can anyone help me understand this?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1jkhjp/eli5_why_do_so_many_homeless_people_talk_to/
{ "a_id": [ "cbfjjyh" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "They most likely are mentally ill." ] }
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[ [] ]
a74wuc
what do they do with money found on/ around dead people at the scene of the crime?(after investigating it)
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/a74wuc/eli5_what_do_they_do_with_money_found_on_around/
{ "a_id": [ "ec0b9ji" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Give it to the family if the money is “clean”. \n\nIf it’s “dirty”, meaning obtained illegally in one way or another, the police department seized it and typically spends it. I know in my area, any drug money seized is put into drug education for...
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pvc3e
Why does this flame look segmented?
_URL_0_
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/pvc3e/why_does_this_flame_look_segmented/
{ "a_id": [ "c3sj0en" ], "score": [ 46 ], "text": [ "They're called shock diamonds i believe, and they occur at super-sonic speeds." ] }
[]
[ "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP_kGlmOH9U" ]
[ [] ]
1fgg8z
What kind of lasting impact did the Civil War have on American citizens? How did they cope with such massive scale violence?
This may be a weird question, but it is what I plan to base my thesis work on next year. I've been sitting on this question for roughly two years following a class I took on Violence in American history. My theory is that a country wide pandemic of PTSD (even more powerful because it wouldn't have been diagnosed) rocke...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1fgg8z/what_kind_of_lasting_impact_did_the_civil_war/
{ "a_id": [ "caa1wrj", "caa2ob4" ], "score": [ 4, 2 ], "text": [ "I don't have a lot to offer you in terms of new sources, but I was immediately struck by how little you're including Civil War memory in your discussion. It may be that escapism played a role in how the Civil War was portray...
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[ [], [ "http://www.amazon.com/This-Republic-Suffering-American-Vintage/dp/0375703837/" ] ]
10htpn
The James Webb Space Telescope: Why the gold-coated beryllium reflector?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/10htpn/the_james_webb_space_telescope_why_the_goldcoated/
{ "a_id": [ "c6dllkd" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "_URL_0_\n\n > If the Hubble Space Telescope's 2.4 meter mirror were scaled to be large enough for Webb, it would be too heavy to launch into orbit. The Webb team had to find new ways to build the mirror so that it would be light enough - only on...
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[ [ "http://www.jwst.nasa.gov/mirrors.html" ] ]
2mqkjc
Why did the French Government regress back to bolt action rifles at the end of the first world war?
By the end of the first world war the french were starting to produce and equip the Mle 1918 RSC a semiautomatic battle rifle which provided superior combat performance most notably having a greatly increased fire rate over the bolt action Lebel rifle. why did they abandon the superior gun and then not adopt a semiau...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2mqkjc/why_did_the_french_government_regress_back_to/
{ "a_id": [ "cm6rrhu" ], "score": [ 111 ], "text": [ "The answer is one of doctrine\n\nthrough most of the second world war, the primary combat weapon for an infantry soldier in almost all armies was a bolt action rifle, in most cases supplemented by a squad/platoon level machine gun section (this...
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[ [ "http://www.amazon.com/To-Lose-Battle-France-1940/dp/0141030658" ] ]
2m99cf
Why did the Australians unload their rifles before going 'over the top' at Gallipoli?
I've always wondered this, and I've never found an answer. Seems a bit of an odd thing to do but there must have been a reason behind it, right?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2m99cf/why_did_the_australians_unload_their_rifles/
{ "a_id": [ "cm2a026", "cm3yap8" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "They didn’t unload their weapons before “going over the top”. Why would you believe they did? A military rifle such as the .303 Lee-Enfield has the following degrees of readiness:\n\nUnloaded – No round in the chamber an...
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[ [], [ "https://www.awm.gov.au/histories/first_world_war/" ] ]
2z5ko0
Who are the Rusyns?
I don't understand what Ruthenia is, its relationship with Ukrainian identity, its relationship with Rusyns. Are Rusyns the same as Ruthenians? Why don't they have their own country? Are they the same as Ukrainians?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2z5ko0/who_are_the_rusyns/
{ "a_id": [ "cpg2f0v", "cpgcfkg" ], "score": [ 2, 3 ], "text": [ "Interesting question, because I had the same question after reading about Roxelana wife of Sultan Suleiman the Magnicent.\n\n\"the word Roxolania was used to refer to the province of Ruthenia (or Rutenia ) in the **Western U...
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[ [], [] ]
8hpa35
Why are algal blooms bad? Wouldn't they be a major balancing force for rising CO2 levels?
Generally I hear algal blooms referred to as negative things. While I can understand this from the perspective of disrupted eco systems, I've also heard algae sequesters quite a bit of CO2. As atmospheric CO2 rises, wouldn't increased algae be a positive balancing mechanism for atmospheric CO2 levels?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/8hpa35/why_are_algal_blooms_bad_wouldnt_they_be_a_major/
{ "a_id": [ "dyna61w", "dyrukmu" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Algal blooms can cause oxygen depletion - which is actually a problem we have righ now around the Danish waters. I can’t really explain much, but [here is a good article explaining it.](_URL_0_) ", "The problem with alga...
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[]
[ [ "https://articles.extension.org/pages/45651/if-algae-produce-oxygen-in-a-pond-how-can-having-too-much-algae-cause-an-oxygen-depletion" ], [ "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/20456936/" ] ]
rkkcm
why text messages are limited to 160 characters while multimedia like pictures can be up to 1,000
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/rkkcm/eli5_why_text_messages_are_limited_to_160/
{ "a_id": [ "c46k8ai" ], "score": [ 10 ], "text": [ "Text messages are sent through a protocol called SMS, or Short Message Service. This protocol basically piggy backs on data signals like tower pings (if you've ever had your phone near some speakers that started making funny noises, that's a pi...
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[ [] ]
3y554h
how is it legal tsa offering first class passengers a faster airport security lane?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3y554h/eli5_how_is_it_legal_tsa_offering_first_class/
{ "a_id": [ "cyaltc9", "cyamapd", "cyangz6" ], "score": [ 3, 9, 11 ], "text": [ "They pay more for their plane tickets. They get more consideration because they paid more money.", "I guess a better way to think about it is why would it be illegal? I can't think of any law proh...
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[ [], [], [] ]
4ku7zq
how can kid music be so annoying to adults while children love it?
Is there some sort of development we go through as we mature that makes kid music less palatable?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4ku7zq/eli5_how_can_kid_music_be_so_annoying_to_adults/
{ "a_id": [ "d3hyn19", "d3i06wk", "d3i08ii", "d3i6u93" ], "score": [ 3, 2, 21, 3 ], "text": [ "\"kid\" music has the same inherent problem as any other \"kid\" medium. Cartoons, music, books, food; it's all garishly colored, packed with stuff no body needs, and generally ma...
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[ [], [], [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEY9lmCZbIc&ab_channel=olla-vogala", "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbZIiom9rDA&ab_channel=ropa79" ], [] ]
cx2elx
How can volcanoes form where there are no plate boundaries?
In high school I've learned that volcanoes form on plate boundaries which I understand. But what I've been thinking about is how can volcanoes form where there are no plate boundaries. The main example I'm oging to use is in Edinburgh, where the Edinburgh castle is build ontop of an extinct volcanoe. How did that volc...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/cx2elx/how_can_volcanoes_form_where_there_are_no_plate/
{ "a_id": [ "eyitgmc" ], "score": [ 12 ], "text": [ "Couple of options:\n\n1) [Hotspot volcanism](_URL_0_) where volcanoes erupt above a localized zone of anomalously hot mantle. These are most likely related to [mantle plumes](_URL_2_), but a few holdouts still argue for alternative mechanisms. R...
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[]
[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotspot_(geology\\)", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_Plate", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantle_plume", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_Scotland#Devonian_period", "https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/ks3/gsl/education/resources/rockcycle/page3675.html...
5ss6xa
Are human beings a particularly diverse species? It seems that we have a big range of physical characteristics and mental prowess while other species are much more homogeneous.
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/5ss6xa/are_human_beings_a_particularly_diverse_species/
{ "a_id": [ "ddiickq", "ddiuw6m", "ddiuxpb" ], "score": [ 11, 4, 6 ], "text": [ "No. We're not all that diverse. Not much more than other animals anyways. *We* see these differences, because those are differences we use to identify individuals, and many of those differences are a r...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
7jo8ac
how does a penis triple in size while erect?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7jo8ac/eli5_how_does_a_penis_triple_in_size_while_erect/
{ "a_id": [ "dr7vn3y", "dr7vuc1", "dr7wpfs" ], "score": [ 3, 3, 3 ], "text": [ "Human skin has a natural elasticity, like a rubber band, and can stretch a little, or a lot, depending on the area. The extra mass that fills the skin is blood within the veins and muscle. That’s what ‘...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
3o51c1
; why is theory of everything so elusive?
I have heard that general relativity breaks down at quantum level and quantum mechanics doesn't work at a macro level, but What's actually going on there? Why are the two theories not compatible when both of them seem to work their own ways?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3o51c1/eli5_why_is_theory_of_everything_so_elusive/
{ "a_id": [ "cvu2pux" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "If anyone actually knew the answer, they'd be spending the rest of their lives getting free sexual favors from every theoretical physicist on the planet. It's impossible to answer because no one knows." ] }
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[ [] ]
4m8h1k
why do ants take very roundabout routes to get from a food source to the colony?
Whenever I see an ant, it always seems to loop back and forth as it walks rather than move in a straight line. I once witnessed an ant carry a dead insect to the edge of a sidewalk, and then turn around and walk in the other direction only to then turn and walk back to the sidewalk. This method of locomotion seems very...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4m8h1k/eli5_why_do_ants_take_very_roundabout_routes_to/
{ "a_id": [ "d3teo3b", "d3tfzw2", "d3trbk4" ], "score": [ 8, 10, 5 ], "text": [ "The new day dawns, and hordes of worker ants leave the colony to search for new sources of food. In this pursuit, a single ant(we'll call him Indiana) may stumble upon a half eaten sandwich. Oweing to ...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
2waqt1
Where could I find a condensed history of the world? (perhaps not phrased very well)
Hi, I'm sorry if this is not really the type of question you want asked here, feel free to just delete it if necessary. Onto my question: I want to find either videos or written content on the history of various areas around the world. For instance - the history of the Iraq/Afghanistan area. Or Chinese/Asian histor...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2waqt1/where_could_i_find_a_condensed_history_of_the/
{ "a_id": [ "copbw2o" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "If you can get access to them, the [Cambridge Histories Series](_URL_0_) is generally very good and covers a wide variety of geographic regions, time periods and areas of study. It's worth checking to see if you can find a library that will provi...
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[]
[ [ "http://universitypublishingonline.org/cambridge/histories" ] ]
4o5kph
why are the gender divisions in choruses? wouldn't you get a fuller sound from integrated choruses?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4o5kph/eli5_why_are_the_gender_divisions_in_choruses/
{ "a_id": [ "d49t0a3", "d49tbsa" ], "score": [ 8, 12 ], "text": [ "Think of the voices as instruments. Different combinations will provide a different sound/tone quality. Gender division is also used for many youth choirs because it gives the director a better chance to accommodate changin...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
19hy2y
If everyone in the world gave up smoking, what would be the impact on global pollution?
I was out in the UK on a friday night and, like many other countries, we don't allow smoking indoors in public places. The thick cloud of smoke in the smoking area got me thinking - what (if any) impact would it have on global air pollution in everybody in the world gave up smoking?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/19hy2y/if_everyone_in_the_world_gave_up_smoking_what/
{ "a_id": [ "c8o8t2p", "c8ocjw7", "c8ocmt8" ], "score": [ 7, 2, 13 ], "text": [ "Somewhat of a related follow-up:\n******\nAssuming a positive impact on the environment from the lack of smoking, would this essentially be offset by the carbon output by those smokers living longer li...
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[]
[ [], [], [ "http://www.longwood.edu/cleanva/cigbutthowmany.htm", "http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2898863/", "http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/health-sapping.html", "http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1qwe0g/how_much_does_cigarette_smoking_impact_an_average/", "h...
1rn5lm
How the image of our galaxy is calculated and how accurate it is?
We are part of our galaxy and no one has been out side of it, so how the image of our galaxy is made? What Algorithms are used for reconstruction?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1rn5lm/how_the_image_of_our_galaxy_is_calculated_and_how/
{ "a_id": [ "cdozjrd", "cdp51sl", "cdpax2v" ], "score": [ 289, 15, 2 ], "text": [ "Images [like this one](_URL_3_) are built from a mixture of things.\n\nFirst and foremost they are drawn under the assumption that the Milky Way is a lot like other nearby galaxies, so how they look ...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1998ApJ...492..495F", "http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2007A%26A...465..825C", "http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2008AJ....135.1301V", "http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1925-ssc2008-10b-A-Roadmap-to-the-Milky-Way-Annotated-", "http://www3.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de/staff/...
1sgo7g
why did we wait so long to draw attention to china's (and other countries') air pollution problems?
I mean this thing couldn't've happened overnight...When exactly were things starting to look bad?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1sgo7g/why_did_we_wait_so_long_to_draw_attention_to/
{ "a_id": [ "cdxe13p", "cdxe2m6", "cdxf513", "cdxfvva", "cdxg13w", "cdxg38h", "cdxgwlj", "cdxgxnr", "cdxt30k", "cdxu17f", "cdxy1og" ], "score": [ 38, 15, 3, 9, 7, 4, 6, 11, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "They have been a proble...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "http://io9.com/5915418/before-environmental-regulations-pittsburgh-looked-like-the-capital-of-hell" ], [], [], [] ]
j7bvw
Do birds avoid clouds?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/j7bvw/do_birds_avoid_clouds/
{ "a_id": [ "c29tbsz", "c29ult2", "c29tbsz", "c29ult2" ], "score": [ 6, 2, 6, 2 ], "text": [ "I know that soaring birds (vultures, hawks, etc.) will often seek out the right sort of cloud because it indicates a thermal (rising column of air) that they can use to climb witho...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v115n03/p0771-p0774.pdf" ], [], [ "http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v115n03/p0771-p0774.pdf" ] ]
sqhxy
Could Hawking radiation cause black holes to stop being black?
If hawking radiation causes black holes to slowly lose energy/mass would it be possible for the black hole to become small enough that its gravitational field stops being greater than the speed of light? Or is space-time in black holes so skewed that this couldn't happen?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/sqhxy/could_hawking_radiation_cause_black_holes_to_stop/
{ "a_id": [ "c4g4fh5" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ " > gravitational field stops being greater than the speed of light?\n\nGravitational fields and speeds are not comparable quantities.\n\n > Or is space-time in black holes so skewed that this couldn't happen?\n\nInside the event horizon, there ar...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawking_radiation#Black_hole_evaporation", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wien%27s_displacement_law" ] ]
3fd7d9
why do we only get "infected" by bad bacteria? why aren't there positive infections?
Like bacteria that make you feel really good, or have more energy etc. Wouldn't they be more successful as we wouldn't kill them off? (Either naturally or with antibiotics)
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3fd7d9/eli5_why_do_we_only_get_infected_by_bad_bacteria/
{ "a_id": [ "ctnjtg2", "ctnjuc7", "ctnkgqp" ], "score": [ 7, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "There are. In fact, by cell count, you are far more bacteria than you are human. Your stomach is full of bacteria that helps you digest, giving you more energy. Unfortunately, antibiotics are indiscr...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
3epzvn
Why doesn't the wavelength of light affect light speed?
If the visible light spectrum has different wavelengths, why isn't the speed of light variable? Also, since there are energy waves that move faster than visible light, such as ultraviolet light, X-Rays or Gamma rays... how is light the fastest measure of speed?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3epzvn/why_doesnt_the_wavelength_of_light_affect_light/
{ "a_id": [ "cthcfzz", "ctho1jc" ], "score": [ 19, 2 ], "text": [ "The wavelength is not the motion of a photon. It's the peak-to-peak distance of the maximum amplitude of the electric field (see [image](_URL_0_)). The motion is always perpendicular to both the electric and magnetic fields...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/imgel2/emwavec.gif" ], [] ]
2tvcta
why does blizzard take _url_0_ offline every other tuesday for maintenance, yet most other game services never go down?
For example, PSN and XBL rarely go offline.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2tvcta/eli5_why_does_blizzard_take_battlenet_offline/
{ "a_id": [ "co2msme", "co2mu8m", "co2n173", "co2r5m2" ], "score": [ 9, 2, 4, 3 ], "text": [ "Most major mmos go down regularly for patching. Most mobas do as well. ", "It gives them a chance to patch minor bugs and glitches that dont need to be addressed in actual pa...
[ "Battle.net" ]
[]
[ [], [], [], [ "battle.net", "Battle.net" ] ]
26sy8w
why do human eyes turn red when a flash is used but dog eyes turn green?
Edit: Explained, everyone! Thank you for all the great answers! Very much appreciated!
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/26sy8w/eli5_why_do_human_eyes_turn_red_when_a_flash_is/
{ "a_id": [ "chu5p3l", "chu6n7a", "chuchkm", "chuoe0s" ], "score": [ 22, 8, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "We have slightly different retinas than dogs do. Dogs have the ability to see in very low lighting because what appears green is a layer in their eyes that reflects light within t...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
6a08vf
Was there any kind of precursor to the modern anti-vaxxer movement?
[deleted]
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6a08vf/was_there_any_kind_of_precursor_to_the_modern/
{ "a_id": [ "dhba4gk" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Yes, anti-vaccination has a long history. After vaccination against smallpox was made compulsory in 1853 in the UK an anti-vaccination movement grew up calling for an end to compulsory vaccination. This movement was much more widespread than the ...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1439800/pdf/jrsocmed00222-0071.pdf", "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1123944/" ] ]
44ys7l
Willpower and ability to focus are finite resources. So is there anything I can do to "recharge" them faster?
I've heard that your ability to focus is something that can be depleted temporarily, like energy. So then what activities do or do not "refill" it, and are any activities particularly good at doing so? For example: power napping, staring at the wall, browsing reddit...are any of these filling up my focus "energy bar" o...
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/44ys7l/willpower_and_ability_to_focus_are_finite/
{ "a_id": [ "cztylyq", "czu58uo", "czuucuz" ], "score": [ 4, 19, 5 ], "text": [ "There has been some [research](_URL_1_) suggesting that l-theanine, which is found in green tea, when combined with caffiene can help increase focus. [Here is another abstract supporting that possibili...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20079786", "http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18641209" ], [], [ "http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2015.11.028", "http://www-2.rotman.utoronto.ca/facbios/file/09%20-%20Locke%20&%20Latham%202002%20AP.pdf", "http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/1...
ut67j
Are some people actually 'big boned'?
I've never really understood the phrase 'big boned'. Are there people that are simply born with 'bigger' bones than other people. That sounds kind of absurd saying it out loud but what do I know. Or is saying someone is 'big boned' simply a nice way of saying they are overweight?
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/ut67j/are_some_people_actually_big_boned/
{ "a_id": [ "c4ycmnd", "c4ycqt3", "c4yctq0", "c4ydfk7", "c4ydozv", "c4yfekt", "c4yfi0n", "c4ygcri", "c4ygkl2" ], "score": [ 34, 57, 41, 227, 9, 3, 13, 14, 6 ], "text": [ "There is a condition, acromegaly, that literally makes you big-...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://sflchronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/4K3Ma.jpg" ], [ "http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/17182.htm" ], [], [], [ "http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110322105300.htm" ], [], [], [ "http://i.imgur.com/UpLaC.jpg" ] ]
1pqm4o
Soviet POWs in Great Britain during WWII?
My wife is currently watching *Foyle's War* on Netflicks, specifically the episode ["The Russian House"]( _URL_0_), which centers on a Soviet soldier who is being held in a POW camp in Great Britain. On watching it, she raised the question of why such a person would be held as a POW, given that the USSR was an ally. ...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1pqm4o/soviet_pows_in_great_britain_during_wwii/
{ "a_id": [ "cd4zp04" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "According to the [plot summary on IMDB](_URL_0_) the character is a Russian who had been fighting for Germany, rather than a Soviet soldier, who apparently feared extradition to the USSR (can't say I blame him)." ] }
[]
[ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foyle%2527s_War_Series_Seven#.22The_Russian_House.22" ]
[ [ "http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1578957/" ] ]
f7fn2b
Given the nature and quantity of Pompeii's graffiti, it is plausible to assume a high rate of literacy?
Since the many Pompeii's graffiti have a, let's say, "popular" nature, and the authors are brothel goers, bakers, legionaries (not exactly upper class) what can we say about the literacy rate of the first century romans? If it was comparatevely high, where did those medium/lower class citizen learned to write and read...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/f7fn2b/given_the_nature_and_quantity_of_pompeiis/
{ "a_id": [ "fiblhb2" ], "score": [ 12 ], "text": [ "Possibly, but not necessarily. If we look at the sheer number of graffiti and the fact that many of them are of vulgar (in the linguistic sense, not the weird way that contemporary English uses the word) and use those as more or less the sole c...
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[]
[ [] ]
56lzaf
how do they program traffic lights? how do they coordinate a grid of traffic lights so traffic flows properly?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/56lzaf/eli5_how_do_they_program_traffic_lights_how_do/
{ "a_id": [ "d8kelho", "d8kga79" ], "score": [ 4, 21 ], "text": [ " You simply account for high traffic times (green/red light durations change at busy intersections depending on time of day), you account for turn lanes (they use metal sensors in the ground if they only want turn signals a...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
1v8rrl
what is it about tomato based sauces that makes it a destroyer of tupperware in the microwave?
I'm guessing it's about the acid, but other acidic sauces don't seem to do as much damage according to my microwaving experiences.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1v8rrl/eli5_what_is_it_about_tomato_based_sauces_that/
{ "a_id": [ "ceq3jkp" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "They are getting stained by Lycopene that ends up in the porous plastic.\n\nYou can denature it with a soak in a peroxide solution, they will oxidise and become free of color." ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
778sid
Is it possible to see the moon become a new moon?
can you see the moon transitioning from a waning crescent to a new moon? say it rises as barely a crescent, is it possible to see it slowly disappear over the course of the night?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/778sid/is_it_possible_to_see_the_moon_become_a_new_moon/
{ "a_id": [ "dokogg1", "dolgeww" ], "score": [ 4, 2 ], "text": [ "A thin waning crescent Moon always rises during dawn twilight. It becomes a New Moon and waxing crescent once it passes through conjunction with the Sun. This always happens within 5° of the Sun, usually much closer. So t...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
f7h1au
how did teeth change throughout history?
I was wondering, nowadays we can have an almost perfect teeth layout, we have braces and know how to take care of them. How did that change throughout history? Did people choose partners with straight/healthy looking teeth and got children with better teeth? Are nowadays the teeth in a worse layout because of "hiding" ...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/f7h1au/eli5_how_did_teeth_change_throughout_history/
{ "a_id": [ "fib96d7" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Forcing teeth straight, unless the situation is truly physically detrimental, is usually cosmetic. It's culturally pushed hard in North America. I've heard part of the stigma that British have bad teeth is just that they don't see the need for th...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
3nx6o7
To reach speed of light you need crazy amount of energy so Does light actually travels with the speed of light or slightly less?
askscience
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3nx6o7/to_reach_speed_of_light_you_need_crazy_amount_of/
{ "a_id": [ "cvs5f37", "cvs5ley", "cvs7t28", "cvsabke" ], "score": [ 32, 4, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "This is the speed light travels at.\n\nFor an object with non-zero mass, it would take infinite energy to get it to the speed of light, which is one way to understand why that can...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [ "http://arxiv.org/abs/0809.1003", "http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2015/press.html" ] ]
a4iqcz
why does poking a bruise sometimes feel good even though it’s painful?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/a4iqcz/eli5_why_does_poking_a_bruise_sometimes_feel_good/
{ "a_id": [ "ebezi63" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "The pain and pleasure centers of the brain are right next to each other, and mild pain can cause them to get \"confused\" (as far as I understand it).\n\nIt's the same reason why some people like spicy foods and spanking in bed. I'm guessing that...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
30y4dw
why, with the thousands and thousands of possible number/letter combos, would 2 license plates in the same area be even remotely similar?
For instance, my province (ON, Canada) does 4 letters, a space, and then 3 numbers. If my license plate is GUFY 334, would it not be in everyone's best interests for there to be no other cars with the same first 4 letters?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/30y4dw/eli5_why_with_the_thousands_and_thousands_of/
{ "a_id": [ "cpwv1gb" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "The numbers aren't random, there are patterns that relay certain informaiton about location, time registered, etc. Though its not universal, and I couldn't tell you what those patterns in canada mean, its likely there is a non-random code used to...
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[ [] ]
r1yco
can anyone explain what happened here on scientific level
_URL_0_
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/r1yco/can_anyone_explain_what_happened_here_on/
{ "a_id": [ "c4298jy" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "Air has weight, and there is miles of it. We have \"air pressure\" that is the air above is pushing on everything and the air at ground level is pushing back. \nIf you remove the air at ground level you suddenly get a few miles of air above that ...
[]
[ "http://i.imgur.com/XUGMn.gif" ]
[ [] ]
664d5u
when terminally ill patients want to be euthanized what substance is injected for them to pass away and why does it kill them?
do they just inject them with toxic things or other stuff?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/664d5u/eli5_when_terminally_ill_patients_want_to_be/
{ "a_id": [ "dgfhq5t" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Secobarbitol as a capsule, pentobarbitol as a liquid. Both are barbiturates. \n\nLow does of secobarbitol is actually used for insomnia and anxiety. \n\nMakes you sleepy, then you sleep. Your central nervous system becomes depressed, leading to...
[]
[]
[ [ "netdoctor.co.uk" ] ]
3iyyjb
wrinkle-free clothing.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3iyyjb/eli5_wrinklefree_clothing/
{ "a_id": [ "cukx2bk", "cul8nwr" ], "score": [ 5, 2 ], "text": [ "Extremely short answer. Plasticity - some things can be bent over on themselves and some cannot. Wrinkle free material is not bothered by bending, like a rubber band. ", "Cross-linking agents like DMDHEU. Cotton fiber su...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://cen.acs.org/articles/91/i48/Wrinkle-Free-Cotton.html" ] ]
4rsetr
If I lived in western Africa during the height of the Atlantic slave trade, how likely is it that someone I know was captured and shipped to the Americas? Was there a drastic change in culture as a result of the massive loss in population? What societal impact was there?
My textbooks tend to focus mostly on the (awful) transit to the Americas and the equally horrific experience of slaves once they got there. It kind of skims over the people left behind. But there has to have been a huge effect, right? You can't lose that many people in your society without some drastic changes to your ...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4rsetr/if_i_lived_in_western_africa_during_the_height_of/
{ "a_id": [ "d53ywhc", "d54bf4h", "d54h97l" ], "score": [ 1323, 34, 2 ], "text": [ "**The Atlantic slave trade had a catastrophic and permanent effect on western and central Africa.** One of the common misconceptions (and one repeated in a now-deleted comment) is that a slave trade...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4m9g75/i_always_notice_slave_ship_drawings_show_slaves/d3v82qm" ], [], [] ]
iw125
If everything in the universe doubled in size instantly would we notice?
If everything in existence was to double in size instantly, would we be able to notice or would it seem exactly the same? For example would gravity be any different? i am of the assumption we would not be able to tell
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/iw125/if_everything_in_the_universe_doubled_in_size/
{ "a_id": [ "c272srb", "c272wsb" ], "score": [ 4, 5 ], "text": [ "If *only* size changed, we would definitely be able to tell the difference. For one thing, we would be twice as far away from the center of the earth, and therefore experience 1/4 of the gravitational force we do now. Furt...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
6s3rlb
what are essential tremors? what is the correlation with parkinsons disease if any?
Recently been getting a uncharacteristic and uncontrollable tremor in my right hand when making a fist. Doctor wasnt really able to tell me much other than it is not uncommon and it is incurable. Being a hypocondriac has lead me down a google rabbithole that i wish i never pursued.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6s3rlb/eli5_what_are_essential_tremors_what_is_the/
{ "a_id": [ "dl9v86b" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "The \"essential\" in the name means it's something on its own - I'm sure you've looked up the history of the term - and it's idiopathic, meaning having no known cause.\n\nIt's only related to Parkinson's in that it's sometimes mistaken for it. Al...
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[]
[ [] ]
6ycolh
why is it so difficult to swallow when you look up, or tilt your head backwards?
I would assume it's because your throat is being pinched in a manner, but why so easily?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6ycolh/elif_why_is_it_so_difficult_to_swallow_when_you/
{ "a_id": [ "dmmfebd" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Because tilting your head back opens your airway and they can't both be open at the same time." ] }
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[]
[ [] ]
25kmzw
Can whales see in front of them?
This picture _URL_0_ struck me. His or Her eye is just so.. piercing, knowing, alive But it made me wonder, can it see the diver that's right in front of him/her? I read that some whales eyes can bulge out to watch squid enter their mouth (toothed whales obviously)
askscience
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/25kmzw/can_whales_see_in_front_of_them/
{ "a_id": [ "chi7jx5", "chi7k4o" ], "score": [ 10, 5 ], "text": [ "They likely have a blind spot a little beyond the snout but not much further. Its not uncommon for animals to have eyes on the sides of their heads rather than the front. This is usually seen in herbivores as it gives them ...
[]
[ "http://i.imgur.com/VLJOQr5.jpg" ]
[ [], [] ]
5fsbz9
why does banana substitute the fat in baked goods successfully?
I've seen lots of recipes that replace the oil/butter with applesauce or banana which don't seem to be made of similar components. Why does it work?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5fsbz9/eli5_why_does_banana_substitute_the_fat_in_baked/
{ "a_id": [ "dampffr" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "The purpose of oil is to prevent water from reacting with the gluten in the flour (which tends to make your baked goods 'chewy'). \nApplesauce and bananas contain something called \"pectin\" which can also prevent gluten from doing its thing. \...
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[]
[ [] ]
3khmd4
How universal is the concept of religion in different cultures?
For example does the idea of "religion" exist in every culture in approximately the same way or do concepts of religion differ drastically? For example did Chinese and Indians view Confucianism and Hinduism the same way Christians and Muslims viewed their religions? Did they understand the distinction from one religion...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3khmd4/how_universal_is_the_concept_of_religion_in/
{ "a_id": [ "cuxhbr5" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "hi! It may be worth x-posting this question to a few other subs for their input: r/AskReligion, r/AskSocialScience, perhaps r/AskAnthropology" ] }
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[ [] ]
20drth
why do most sinks have that "u" shape at the bottom? i've seen it in some urinals and toilets too...
If you ever look under many sinks (kitchen sinks, bathroom sinks, etc).. you'll notice that the drainage pipes form a little U before going off into the wall... Why is there that U shape? What good does it do?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/20drth/eli5_why_do_most_sinks_have_that_u_shape_at_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cg293ty", "cg299ii" ], "score": [ 15, 2 ], "text": [ "Its called a trap and it prevents sewer gas from backing up the pipe into the sink or toilet/urinal. Water stays in that bend in the pipe to \"trap\" the gas behind it.", "Follow up question: if it's for getting a hold ...
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[]
[ [], [] ]