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c1dxi2 | how do doorbells work? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/c1dxi2/eli5_how_do_doorbells_work/ | {
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"So traditional wired doorbells are normally simply a complete wired circuit involving:\n- a bell\n- a transformer to lower the voltage so that if the button gets compromised people won’t get a high voltage shock by pressing the button\n- a button... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
4d4xie | are there any disorders that involve an altered perception of the rate of time? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4d4xie/eli5_are_there_any_disorders_that_involve_an/ | {
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"text": [
"[This might interest you.](_URL_0_)\n\nI know at the least some disorders cause you to \"lose\" time in the sense that you blacked out and can't remember what you did.\n\nI'm just adding useless text to my comment here because for some reason thi... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_perception#Kappa_effect"
]
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16vv10 | how does a full cycle charge extend a lithium-ion batteries life? | Supposedly one should do a full cycle charge about once a month. What is going on inside the battery that makes this necessary? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/16vv10/eli5_how_does_a_full_cycle_charge_extend_a/ | {
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"text": [
"It's not required for the battery at all. \n\nYou know how the battery meter on your phone or whatever says 100% right when you take it off? And 57% sometime later? It needs to be calibrated to accurately determine from the battery (usually vi... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
o7jgh | what is a scripting language? | What is a scripting language and how do scripting languages differ from other programming languages like Java? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/o7jgh/eli5_what_is_a_scripting_language/ | {
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"A scripting language is a type of programming language, it's normally not compiled before being run and normally is created or modified by end-users. It also normally is used to interact with other app... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
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] | |
f5sqvd | how are cancer and tumors related? does one cause another? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/f5sqvd/eli5_how_are_cancer_and_tumors_related_does_one/ | {
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"Cancers are a type of aggressive tumor. While tumors themselves are overgrowths of cells , they are not always dangerous. Tumors are just byproducts of uninstructed cells. Cancers... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
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2gzjyd | why does metal shrink & water expand when they turn from a liquid to a solid? | I work in a foundry were we pour Carbon & Stainless steel into large molds, to form a casting. On that casting are what we call "risers". They hold extra metal for the casting to draw from as it shrinks. Water on the other hand, expands when turning into a solid (everyone knows that so i figured a explenation isn't ... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2gzjyd/eli5_why_does_metal_shrink_water_expand_when_they/ | {
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"score": [
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"Water is special. No other liquid does that when you freeze it, I dont think. Its due to hydrogen bonds and the shape of the molecule.",
"Water molecules stick together through hydrogen bonding. In a liquid state, there... | [] | [] | [
[],
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"http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/images/122liqwater.JPEG",
"https://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/Graphics-Geol/ROCKMIN/ATOM-STRUCT/IceItop.gif"
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6ry6hz | how do micronutrients work? are they a good solution to malnutrition in poor countries? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6ry6hz/eli5_how_do_micronutrients_work_are_they_a_good/ | {
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"text": [
"Micronutrients are things you only need small amounts of lime vitamins and minerals. What malnourished people need are macronutrients like fats and carbs.",
"Micronutrients refer to the nutritional value of a food, e.g. ... | [] | [] | [
[],
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19ja2w | - what exactly is the current relationship between the us and cuba, and why does it appear that the relations haven't changed much despite the end of the cold war? | To me it appears that the US is holding a grudge to a fleeting remnant of the 1960s, but is this actually true? If so, why? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/19ja2w/eli5_what_exactly_is_the_current_relationship/ | {
"a_id": [
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"score": [
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"text": [
"When Castro came to power, may Cubans fled to Florida, and harbored a deep seated hatred for Castro, one they handed down to their children and grandchildren. So now there is this huge community of rabid anti-Castro voters living in the biggest ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
152vhb | when i call someone, why is the first ring always louder than subsequent rings? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/152vhb/eli5_when_i_call_someone_why_is_the_first_ring/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"This is probably due to sensory adaptation. When you experience something that triggers one of your senses multiple times in a row, the experience is less and less each time. This is also why you get used to smells."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
1oh470 | why are certain eye colors almost none existent? (like purple) | I'm just curious who out there can tell me why some eye colors are rare or almost none existent. I understand that in many countries certain colors are rare (like blue eyes in China.) but how come nobody (except rare occasions) has purple or red iris'?
Thanks in advanced to the community. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1oh470/eli5_why_are_certain_eye_colors_almost_none/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"Only time I have seen \"red\" is with albinos. You see red because of the complete absence of pigment which allows for a good reflection of their retina in the correct lighting conditions. This lack of pigment also means th... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=webhp&tbm=isch&q=natural+purple+eyes&revid=1704346694&sa=X&ei=ZbRcUrasEITAkQfa-4GgDA&ved=0CDkQ1QIoAA&dpr=2&biw=-1&bih=-1"
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5jdxbg | what safety measures are on gas tanks to prevent them exploding when a car is on fire? | Over the past 6 months, I have seen two cars go up in flames. Both times, the tires exploded, and the whole car was engulfed in flames, but the gas tank never exploded.
What do car manufacturers do to prevent the tank from exploding? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5jdxbg/eli5_what_safety_measures_are_on_gas_tanks_to/ | {
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"They don't need to do anything. You need a certain proportions of gasoline to air mixture for an explosion and in spite of what you see in movies and video games, that composition is frequently not pres... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[
"Jalopnik.Com",
"http://jalopnik.com/why-cars-explode-into-fireballs-and-why-they-usually-do-560552028"
]
] | |
3lseb1 | why does white bread crisp quicker compared to brown bread when toasted? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3lseb1/eli5_why_does_white_bread_crisp_quicker_compared/ | {
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"It's made mostly from white bleached flour and is generally lighter in both appearance (so the toasted bits show up better) and density than most brown breads. \n\nThe latter are generally coarser and heavier, and have more of the doesn't-burn-so... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
4kdakc | my bird starts chirping when he hears other birds of completely different species. why? | My bird is a lovebird, and I live in Canada. If he hears robins, he'll start freaking out and chirping. Is it like he can here them, but its a different language? Or is it just triggering some response from him? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4kdakc/eli5_my_bird_starts_chirping_when_he_hears_other/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"Birds can only have offspring with their own species, so recognizing your own species is done through the specific songs.\n\nBirds are also quite territorial, not just for nest building but also for general food and water resources in the area, s... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
8n8pi6 | how come some vendors require my debit card pin but others do not? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8n8pi6/eli5_how_come_some_vendors_require_my_debit_card/ | {
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"text": [
"Your debit card has Visa (or another credit card company) backing it. Each transaction can be run as debit (processed by your bank directly, requires you... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
2bvdmp | why do stores display fruit and vegetables outside where people could steal them? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2bvdmp/eli5why_do_stores_display_fruit_and_vegetables/ | {
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"text": [
"Because people like to touch and feel their apples before buying them. That way you can check for freshness and bad spots. \n\nThe amount of food someone ca... | [] | [] | [
[],
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2nhm78 | why do i need planning permission to build on land i already own? | If i already own the land, why can't i go ahead and build anything i want on it? How can it possibly be legal or even morally correct for the council to have the power to decide they don't like what i've built, evict me form my own land and destroy whatever i have built.. with no compensation?
Is this just a UK thing?... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2nhm78/eli5_why_do_i_need_planning_permission_to_build/ | {
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"text": [
"So you've got this nice piece of land and you've spent your life saving building yourself the house of your dreams on it, then a company buys the piece of land next door to yours and builds an abattoir on it. This makes your property stink off ro... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
951j9e | how do humans taste things like smoke and metallic flavors if there are only five tastes (salty,sweet, sour, bitter, umami)? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/951j9e/eli5_how_do_humans_taste_things_like_smoke_and/ | {
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"text":... | [] | [] | [
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"https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00002.2015"
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[],
[],
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8nk7oi | how do bagged cereal companies not get sued? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8nk7oi/eli5_how_do_bagged_cereal_companies_not_get_sued/ | {
"a_id": [
"dzw35qs",
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"text": [
"A patent only lasts about 20 years in most cases. So it is perfectly fine to make the exact same product. Thus, it is only the trademark laws that you have to get around. If you can argue that a person wouldn’t confuse your ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
1vcrjk | how do astronauts shave? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1vcrjk/eli5_how_do_astronauts_shave/ | {
"a_id": [
"ceqya1m"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Who other than Chris Hadfield to answer the question:\n\n_URL_0_"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94-puZit3DA"
]
] | ||
2ay0lj | why do bands keep pretending to end a rock show, but always comeback for an encore to play like 2-3 of their best songs? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2ay0lj/eli5why_do_bands_keep_pretending_to_end_a_rock/ | {
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"cizv0uf",
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"text": [
"it's building hype.\n\nand in many cases they: (one of this options)\n\n1. love the crowd, so they want to give them more\n\n2. pretend to love the crowd, so they want to make them happy.",
"I somet... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
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] | ||
j5n06 | to me, why can't *japan* just print money | I understand how printing money can be bad because it leads to inflation. What I don't understand is why, if it's so easy to cause an inflation, doesn't Japan, or any other economy with deflation problems, just print money until the deflation curve is leveled out? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/j5n06/eli5_to_me_why_cant_japan_just_print_money/ | {
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"score": [
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"text": [
"While printing money causes inflation, the contrary is not necessarily true. Japan did, in... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidity_trap"
],
[],
[],
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidity_trap"
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] | |
90ozyu | the limit of tornado wind speed and why tornadoes might never become ef6 | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/90ozyu/eli5_the_limit_of_tornado_wind_speed_and_why/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"Tornado and hurricane scales run from \"Ehh\"(EF0/Tropical storm) to \"OH SHIT!\"(EF5/Cat 5), in both cases we give the upper category an open upper bound. EF5 tornadoes have wind speeds > 200 MPH, even if you find a 300 ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://weather.com/storms/tornado/news/enhanced-fujita-scale-20130206",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_speed"
]
] | ||
exv9f7 | a small-case 4-letter password has 456,976 possible combinations. why is there a need for even stronger passwords? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/exv9f7/eli5_a_smallcase_4letter_password_has_456976/ | {
"a_id": [
"fgd0zi5",
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"fgdi9ge",
"fgdjcr3",
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"fgdw3c1",
"fgedcd0",
"fgeeo1f",
"fgeio2r",
"f... | [] | [] | [
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"https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/12/25-gpu-cluster-cracks-every-standard-windows-password-in-6-hours/",
"https://thenextweb.com/apple/2014/09/01/this-could-be-the-apple-icloud-flaw-that-led-to-celebrity-photo... | ||
n91an | why the hippies were so horrible to soldiers returning from vietnam | i was just watching a documentary, and i couldn't believe how openly aggressive the hippies were to soldiers. i know most were drafted, so why would this be such a widespread problem? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/n91an/eli5_why_the_hippies_were_so_horrible_to_soldiers/ | {
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"text": [
"reddit being what it is, I can expect this answer to be heavily downvoted...\n\n----\n\nThe answer is \"Self-righteous indignation\" -... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
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] | |
25llmj | why my computer lags when only 50% of the cpu is being used | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/25llmj/eli5_why_my_computer_lags_when_only_50_of_the_cpu/ | {
"a_id": [
"chidxlv",
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"score": [
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4
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"text": [
"Is your computer as a whole lagging, or just one application? \n\nIf it's a single application, it may only have one or two threads running. 50% of a dual-core CPU is one core maxed out. Certain programs can launch more thre... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
2010ly | if a straight razor, single blade, is the closest shave we can get, then why do companies keep adding blades? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2010ly/eli5_if_a_straight_razor_single_blade_is_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"cfysiqr",
"cfysjdh",
"cfysqco"
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"score": [
2,
3,
5
],
"text": [
"to justify charging you $20 for a 3 pack of replacement razors. ",
"marketing gimmick. truthfully you can use a cheap plastic handle razor for a long time if you dry it off after each use. clark h... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
4t722q | realistically, what would have to happen before games (especially vr) can match the photo-realism of film cgi? | Specifically. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4t722q/eli5_realistically_what_would_have_to_happen/ | {
"a_id": [
"d5f2e5j",
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"score": [
3,
2
],
"text": [
"Think of it this way. \n\nThe deadline for rendering 120 minutes of movie is around 2 years. \n\nThe deadline for rendering 120 minutes of video game is 120 minutes + 33ms. \n\nEven counting the fact that movies need to be d... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
2bpqm8 | car motor oils. | So what's the difference between motor oils? 5w-30, 5w-15, 10w-40, and all the rest. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2bpqm8/eli5_car_motor_oils/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"Different oil weights have different thicknesses which may or may not affect how fast they move through small holes, called orifices. A thick oil through a small hole will increase oil pressure and caus... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_oil#Multi-grade"
],
[]
] | |
4nczr8 | how did big army get fed in the past like durring big conquest like crusade | How can you manage to feed an entire army and horses long enough to win a war and comeback without much transportation like we have today | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4nczr8/eli5how_did_big_army_get_fed_in_the_past_like/ | {
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"text": [
"Basically, raiding the countryside.\n\nRemember the whole \"quartering soldiers\" bit from the 3rd amendment? The British were commandeering people's homes and property for their ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://books.google.com/books?id=LfRiXN5hhCUC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false"
]
] | |
2xfs74 | if republicans control both houses of congress, why was it so hard to get a homeland security bill passed? | The only thing I can think of is that they had to work within the threat of Presidential veto, but I feel like the Republicans would be more than happy to pass a bill they know would be vetoed to force Obama to take the blame. It seems instead, though, that there was legitimate difficulty just getting a bill to the Pre... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2xfs74/eli5_if_republicans_control_both_houses_of/ | {
"a_id": [
"cozrfqb"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"The Republican Party is not united. The establishment faction and the Tea Party faction disagreed over the bill. The establishment faction wanted to pass it. The Tea Party wanted to use the bill as leverage against Obama in order to force him to... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
zdkji | would curing cancer ultimately be a good thing? | Everyone has been affected by cancer, myself included, and I know that this is incredibly insensitive.. but with the current population increase rate doesn't it provide a good regulator? I heard somewhere that if nothing else kills you, cancer eventually will, so wouldn't it create a huge problem in regards to overpopu... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/zdkji/eli5_would_curing_cancer_ultimately_be_a_good/ | {
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"score": [
4,
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"text": [
"Ugh, nothing is more annoying then \"boo hoo I'm going to get downvoted for speaking my mind\".\n\nIt's obnoxious.\n\nRegardless though heart disease is still the biggest killer i... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
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82homb | who are the people peer reviewing statistics and scientific findings | Every week I see a new study on some subject and some of them contradict one another, others coincide, others are just off the wall and all of them use different metrics and ways of analyzing to skew the data to make it seem like there way is the best way.
So who the heck is approving all this stuff? Is there some ent... | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/82homb/eli5_who_are_the_people_peer_reviewing_statistics/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"Are you seeing actual studies, abstracts or articles about studies? All those are different and only proper journal studies are peer reviewed.\n\nBasically it gets sent to a random selection of experts in the field, who comb through the paper and... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1ktfp1 | what are the biases of main us news networks? which us news network is considered the must unbiased? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ktfp1/eli5_what_are_the_biases_of_main_us_news_networks/ | {
"a_id": [
"cbsgasc"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"None of the cable news networks are unbiased.\n\nMSNBC is probably the most biased, with a far left slant.\n\nCNN is about as far left as Fox is right, both with a moderate to heavy slant.\n\nNBC, CBS, and ABC (the old three networks from before ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
bxun1r | how do animals without parental training know how to be the animals they are? | Like snakes, bees, lizards, crocs. Everything that doesn't have a parent raise them. How do they "know" how to survive? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bxun1r/eli5_how_do_animals_without_parental_training/ | {
"a_id": [
"eq9qa4u",
"eq9qd3y"
],
"score": [
7,
3
],
"text": [
"First, if I were to cut your skull vertically and take a look at a cross-section of your brain, I'd be able to divide it into what you normally think of as the brain (the noodlely bits) and the brain-stem. \nMost of your ins... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
3cjzuu | /r/subredditsimulator | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3cjzuu/eli5_rsubredditsimulator/ | {
"a_id": [
"csw848t"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"The subreddit is filled with bots that randomly generate posts and comments, based on existing reddit content. For example /u/AskHistorians_SS generates comments from the content of /r/AskHistorians.\n\nThe sticky post explains how the comments a... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
4okbr5 | if we manage to get fusion, is that really unlimited energy and how does it compare to current energy sources? | Also, can we process normal water for fusion and get out energy efficiently (theoretically with 100% efficiency) or are our resources of fusion material just as limited as oil ? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4okbr5/eli5_if_we_manage_to_get_fusion_is_that_really/ | {
"a_id": [
"d4daigr",
"d4dd9ju",
"d4ddmm7"
],
"score": [
5,
2,
2
],
"text": [
"Not exactly - the fuel of a fusion reactor is deuterium, which is present in seawater. Approximately 1 out of every 6500 atoms of ocean hydrogen is deuterium. \n\nFusion power is non-renewable, and no... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
v0rmi | why does the human body get used to things? for example: smells, the way a room looks, routine | to explain more... Every family has a scent to their house, but they are unaware of it. You go to a new place and it looks huge at first, the more times you go there, the smaller it seems. Can someone explain why the brain does this? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/v0rmi/why_does_the_human_body_get_used_to_things_for/ | {
"a_id": [
"c50a564",
"c50asdl",
"c50bmci",
"c50dt57"
],
"score": [
3,
3,
2,
2
],
"text": [
"because it is the *unusual* sound, smell or object which may offer the unique opportunity or be an immediate danger. \n\nregular stuff... becomes unimportant. ",
"it's not real... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
70mzkn | how do plastic bags help preserve food? | Assuming you don't vacuum seal it how does trapping the food with the same oxygen that's outside the bag help it stay fresh? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/70mzkn/eli5_how_do_plastic_bags_help_preserve_food/ | {
"a_id": [
"dn4cudw",
"dn4divj"
],
"score": [
3,
7
],
"text": [
"I think it depends on the item. E.g. Cucumbers are usually wrapped in plastic to prevent moisture lose - _URL_0_",
"It limits the amount of bacteria that can find its way to the item.\n\nWhile it won't remove any that's ... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.cucumbergrowers.co.uk/news/articles/why-are-my-cucumbers-shrink-wrapped"
],
[]
] | |
ebt9at | where is non-physical government money stored? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ebt9at/eli5_where_is_nonphysical_government_money_stored/ | {
"a_id": [
"fb7gg57"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"A large majority of money in the world is non-physical. It’s just 1s and 0s in a computer system somewhere."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
39mwrr | why do people prefer "natural" diamonds. are there real differences? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/39mwrr/eli5_why_do_people_prefer_natural_diamonds_are/ | {
"a_id": [
"cs4ouk6",
"cs4p0cm"
],
"score": [
2,
2
],
"text": [
"It's all about marketing creating the public perception that \"real\" diamonds are superior to artificial ones. All it takes is one salesman to say \"well, if you don't really love her *that* much, we've got these synthetic... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
4cj6ot | the growth rate of real gdp per capita is usually lower than the growth rate of real gdp | Why? And under what circumstances can it be the same or higher? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4cj6ot/eli5the_growth_rate_of_real_gdp_per_capita_is/ | {
"a_id": [
"d1ioo67",
"d1ipe6n"
],
"score": [
3,
2
],
"text": [
"Per capita GDP growth is lower than real GDP because of population growth. If GDP per capita is $100 and the population is 100 then GDP is $10,000. If GDP per capita grows to $110, that's a 10% increase per capita. And if po... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
n355f | why is copper such a good conductor? | Cause [this shit](_URL_0_) don't make sense | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/n355f/eli5_why_is_copper_such_a_good_conductor/ | {
"a_id": [
"c35wfcn",
"c35wzic",
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"c35wfcn",
"c35wzic",
"c35x2ym"
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"score": [
4,
9,
3,
4,
9,
3
],
"text": [
"Try [this shit](_URL_0_).",
"Copper has only one electron in its outermost electron orbit, which makes it easy to steal away the ele... | [] | [
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper"
] | [
[
"http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper"
],
[],
[],
[
"http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper"
],
[],
[]
] | |
850884 | how were the first perfect objects manufactured? first straight piece, first perfect circle, first perfect sphere, first perfectly straight sword, etc.? | As the title says. Thank you! | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/850884/eli5_how_were_the_first_perfect_objects/ | {
"a_id": [
"dvtqe4k",
"dvu7huo",
"dvv0v88"
],
"score": [
2,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"I don't know, we will let you know when it happens. No such \"perfect object\" has ever been made and it seems impossible.",
"There's no such thing as a \"perfect object.\"\n\nIn fact, we use a conc... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
2mu6m0 | how does a virus such a ebola stay unheard of for so long and then have massive outbreaks? are there still a few cases between outbreaks? or is it truly non-existent in humans in the time between outbreaks? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2mu6m0/eli5_how_does_a_virus_such_a_ebola_stay_unheard/ | {
"a_id": [
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"cm7n6xq",
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"cm7tamu"
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"score": [
12,
2,
2,
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],
"text": [
"It's actually been around for a very long time, yet it's remained mainly in parts of Africa. Which means that unless its on Facebook, nobody here in America really cares for more ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://www.radiolab.org/story/patient-zero-updated/"
],
[],
[]
] | ||
bmuo6v | why "trap music" has such a distinguishable beat. what about the beat is different? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bmuo6v/eli5_why_trap_music_has_such_a_distinguishable/ | {
"a_id": [
"emztbkt"
],
"score": [
7
],
"text": [
"Trap music usually follows a formula of simple crisp snares and hats, often in 16th and 32nd notes. That mixed with an 808 and a few synths gives you a basic trap beat. Its different because most trap is very simple and alot of it sounds similar ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
4lu12y | how could two shapes or places that have same the perimeter, have different area? | I know this in theory, i.e. in Mathematics. But, somebody please explain this to me further and give me an example in real life. Thank you! | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4lu12y/eli5_how_could_two_shapes_or_places_that_have/ | {
"a_id": [
"d3q55sb",
"d3q5y1z"
],
"score": [
9,
2
],
"text": [
"Take a loop of string to represent your fixed perimeter, and try arranging it on the table to make different shapes which have that perimeter. You can make it into a circle and have lots of area inside the string, or you can... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
4kyl2f | rim lost its dominant position in the smartphone market,and nokia its dominant position in mobile handsets general market. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4kyl2f/eli5rim_lost_its_dominant_position_in_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"d3iu2pj",
"d3iu3uy",
"d3iuq6l"
],
"score": [
5,
2,
3
],
"text": [
"Apple leapfrogged them with the iPhone, which was far better and far easier to use than the BlackBerry. Google copied Apple with a good enough copy and gave it away free to cell phone manufacturers arou... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
1472qt | the physical process of death | I'm curious about what happens to your body as you die. The order of events and how one might feel as this is going on. Thanks! | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1472qt/eli5_the_physical_process_of_death/ | {
"a_id": [
"c7afpsm",
"c7aftq0",
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"c7bf2zm"
],
"score": [
132,
120,
2,
12,
3,
3,
2,
2
],
"text": [
"\nThe loss of blood in the capillaries happens rapidly, within minutes of death.\n\nAlg... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://news.softpedia.com/news/What-Do-People-Feel-in-10-Ways-to-Die-68930.shtml"
],
[],
[
"http://www.maryroach.net/stiff.html"
],
[],
[
"http://listverse.com/2012/10/26/10-fascinating-stages-of-death/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheListUniver... | |
c6jguk | how do websites which ask for the x, y and zth letter of my password avoid storing it in plain text? | Edit:
This is better than I expected! I've learned things - such as the actual secure part of the process is the 'Memorable Word' that you also have to type in with the 1st, 3rd and 9th letter of your 'password'. Use anything you can remember for the password, as it will likely be stored plain-text - use a password f... | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/c6jguk/eli5_how_do_websites_which_ask_for_the_x_y_and/ | {
"a_id": [
"es91egl",
"es91ks3",
"es9204g",
"es948um"
],
"score": [
10,
5,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"There’s no guarantee that they aren’t. They very well might be. It only takes one lazy programmer or someone on an “off” day to set to store in plain text.",
"Remember the sit... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
3ms349 | how is circumcision acceptable in cultures or religions that don't accept body piercings or enhancement surgerys? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3ms349/eli5_how_is_circumcision_acceptable_in_cultures/ | {
"a_id": [
"cvhmx1o",
"cvhn0qe"
],
"score": [
6,
2
],
"text": [
"They consider it to be separate from and different than body piercings or enhancement surgeries. It's considered a different thing entirely. It's a bit like asking, \"If Muslims and Jews don't eat pork, why is it acceptable ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
8k4btu | what is the difference between dna and rna, and how do the work in biology? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8k4btu/eli5_what_is_the_difference_between_dna_and_rna/ | {
"a_id": [
"dz4on98",
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"dz4tv37",
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"dz5vrwq"
],
"score": [
1488,
2,
45,
2,
2,
18,
23,
2
],
"text": [
"DNA is like a book in the reserve section of the library. It’s the full complete secti... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://youtu.be/_x2RksGrzyE"
]
] | ||
85riry | why can't we send someone with a piece of paper and a pencil to map the paris catacombs? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/85riry/eli5_why_cant_we_send_someone_with_a_piece_of/ | {
"a_id": [
"dvzj5ng"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Because he would end up dead in few minutes of course.\n\nSeriously, there are maps of Paris catacombs (official and not public or unofficial and public), they could be incomplete because things can change and (I guess) nobody cares about extra ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
vnale | youtube top comments | What the hell kind of system do they use?? They change every minute! | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/vnale/eli5_youtube_top_comments/ | {
"a_id": [
"c55y81y"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"It's a mess and YouTube hasn't been very forthcoming about the algorithm in play. \n\nSome videos don't even have top rated comments despite having comments with over 100 thumbs up. Even if the thumbs down of highest rated comment is taken into ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
3sdr5d | how does a website like facebook or google handle millions of requests a minute? | I know load balancing is a thing, but how does it work? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3sdr5d/eli5_how_does_a_website_like_facebook_or_google/ | {
"a_id": [
"cwwb5cx"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"There are many different ways to handle load balancing. Here are just two examples:\n\n1) It's possible to create DNS records for your domain that effectively point users to different servers (by IP address) by presenting the user's computer with... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1z6b0t | if i was an employer, would i be allowed to fire whoever i wanted for no reason? | Would I be allowed to fire someone just because I wanted to? Or are there laws preventing this from happening? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1z6b0t/eli5_if_i_was_an_employer_would_i_be_allowed_to/ | {
"a_id": [
"cfqvydq",
"cfqw9rj"
],
"score": [
3,
4
],
"text": [
"I believe its different from country to country. In Canada there's termination with cause and without cause. With cause is with reason such as theft or misconduct. Without cause means you should be provided notice of termin... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
4yny3g | why do we wake up to alarms even if we seem oblivious to background noise while asleep? | Another question: why do people who leave televisions running or music playing all night wake up to alarms if the alarm clock is essentially just more noise? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4yny3g/eli5_why_do_we_wake_up_to_alarms_even_if_we_seem/ | {
"a_id": [
"d6p6f7b",
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"d6petzd",
"d6pgoxf",
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"d6pl4q5",
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"d6psb9e"
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"score": [
167,
51,
13,
2,
7,
3,
6,
14,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"There are two forces in play:\n\nThe sound ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
20qmdr | when doing a multiple choice test, is it better to choose 1 answer for when you have no clue, or to make your guesses random? | Is it a better testing strategy to vary what your random guess answer is, or to keep it the same (Like "The answer is always C") | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/20qmdr/eli5_when_doing_a_multiple_choice_test_is_it/ | {
"a_id": [
"ci0woos",
"cg5t8ej",
"cg5ta54"
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"score": [
2,
6,
2
],
"text": [
"William Poundstone actually talks about this very thing in his book \"Rock Breaks Scissors\". His findings from research conclude (this is paraphrased and not directly quoted):\n\nThere are, in fact, ap... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
54zj22 | the difference between object oriented programming and structured programming in computer science? | Thanks! | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/54zj22/eli5_the_difference_between_object_oriented/ | {
"a_id": [
"d86a0au"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"Structured programming was invented in the 1950's as people started writing the first programs that were thousands of lines long. It basically means to organize your program into pieces and use functions and loops, rather than \"go to\".\n\nObjec... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1r19pr | elvis presley, particularly why he was so influential and significant | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1r19pr/eli5_elvis_presley_particularly_why_he_was_so/ | {
"a_id": [
"cdijwzs",
"cdijxe3"
],
"score": [
2,
3
],
"text": [
"IANA Elvis expert, but this is what my grandma told me. \nWhen Elvis first arrived on the \"scene\" her generation was in a more prim and proper time, and had been for quite sometime. (This followed the \"roaring twenties\"... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
7ndl27 | - what is a “bus” (or what is “bussing”) in audio and how is it utilized in live vs studio audio? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7ndl27/eli5_what_is_a_bus_or_what_is_bussing_in_audio/ | {
"a_id": [
"ds17t8j",
"ds1az51",
"ds3j32x"
],
"score": [
3,
2,
2
],
"text": [
"I was a live sound engineer a while ago, we used sends instead of busses but it is basically the same thing.\n\nYou can send a signal along a bus and it is basically a copy from when you send it. \n\nSo... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
5nmsa2 | how can someone be lost at sea with all of the technology and satellites we have now? | I saw the post earlier about a man and his daughter who have been lost at sea for about a month finally landed in Australia. Maybe it's because I watch too many sci fi movies, but I find it hard to believe that with all the technology we have now we could not pick them up on a satellite or something. Are we not as tech... | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5nmsa2/eli5_how_can_someone_be_lost_at_sea_with_all_of/ | {
"a_id": [
"dccpczi",
"dccpthu",
"dccpvew",
"dccqow7",
"dccu71p",
"dcde2ud"
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"score": [
3,
6,
4,
2,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"Oceans are huge, that's basically the answer. A major aspect though is that acquiring temporary use of a satellite costs millions of dol... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://satellitephonestore.com/"
],
[],
[],
[],
[
"http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/",
"http://www.satimagingcorp.com/satellite-sensors/",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Oceanic_and_Atmospheric_Administration"
],
[]
] | |
3ne2a8 | how did 9/11 change the world ? | What major impact did 9/11 have on the world ? what would be different if it didn't happen? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3ne2a8/eli5_how_did_911_change_the_world/ | {
"a_id": [
"cvn6v40"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"9/11 created the War on Terror. Without the War on Terror, the U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq wouldn't have happened. The Patriot Act wouldn't have happened. The NSA's PRISM program wouldn't have happened. ISIS wouldn't have happened."
]... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
153uvr | why some sites such as cracked split all their articles into 2 pages instead of just putting everything on one page | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/153uvr/eli5_why_some_sites_such_as_cracked_split_all/ | {
"a_id": [
"c7j10zw",
"c7j19wd",
"c7j1k8c"
],
"score": [
6,
19,
3
],
"text": [
"Double the views for the ads",
"Every little ad that shows up on your screen earns sites like _URL_0_ money - it's their way of making money off of writing all of these articles that are completely... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"Cracked.com"
],
[]
] | ||
2t1phe | why are panty lines taboo? | So I admit, I show panty lines, especially when I go to the gym. I really don't see what the big deal is. Everyone (hopefully) wears drawers, so wouldn't it be natural to have lines? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2t1phe/eli5_why_are_panty_lines_taboo/ | {
"a_id": [
"cnuvs8k",
"cnuw41d"
],
"score": [
3,
3
],
"text": [
"It's simply a style/fashion thing, like wearing maroon and red together. Yuck. In this case, yuck, you're showing your underwear. You either want to go stylishly modest or stylishly sexy. Showing panty lines is neither.\n\... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
3b48dp | if college education at public institutions became free of charge (to students) what happens to private institutions? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3b48dp/eli5if_college_education_at_public_institutions/ | {
"a_id": [
"csiolkg"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"Realistically, not much.\n\nCost to attend is rarely the barrier that prevents people from going to college; student loans are easy to get (though the true \"cost\" of these is an entirely different discussion). Moreover, in-state tuition for mo... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/paying-for-college/tuition-and-fees/#"
]
] | ||
fjce84 | what is ip routing? | Hi all,
I’ve read on IP routing from different sources and since I am not very tech savvy, I get even more confused.
As an additional question: Is there a difference between your typical at-home fiber cable router and an IP routing capable router?
Thank you! | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/fjce84/eli5_what_is_ip_routing/ | {
"a_id": [
"fkm5oro",
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],
"text": [
"The router at your house has a pretty simple set of rules. Packets with the IP address assigned to your house by your ISP come in and all others are ignored. Any traffic it sees is forwarded to the ISPs routers, as there i... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
72v3kb | how is supporting research for children's cancer different from supporting any other sort of cancer research? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/72v3kb/eli5_how_is_supporting_research_for_childrens/ | {
"a_id": [
"dnlj49n"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"There are many different types of cancer, and in some respects every single individual case of cancer is specific and unique, although there are likely to be some broad similarities. The types of cancers that are common in children are different ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
3z4u4q | "citizens united" court case ruled corporations as "people", so how come they can avoid taxes on income made in other countries while us citizens living abroad have to pay taxes on all income made abroad? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3z4u4q/eli5citizens_united_court_case_ruled_corporations/ | {
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"Citizen's united did n... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
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] | ||
5g15l4 | how is the data in an mp3 file translated into the sound coming through my headphones? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5g15l4/eli5_how_is_the_data_in_an_mp3_file_translated/ | {
"a_id": [
"daooq2c",
"daopvd5"
],
"score": [
7,
2
],
"text": [
"First let's talk about a .wav file. Take a sound and capture it with a microphone (or a bunch of them, or their equivalent input devices). The microphone converts the sound (vibrations of the air) into [electrical voltages]... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://valleyadvocate.com/blogs/gallery/Digital%20sampling.jpg",
"http://www1.icsi.berkeley.edu/Speech/mr/images/PZM_waveform.gif"
],
[]
] | ||
lkqis | - what essentially is going on with the nba lockout? | Information regarding present status of the lockout, also past articles/information would be helpful to put a timeline on the events. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/lkqis/eli5_what_essentially_is_going_on_with_the_nba/ | {
"a_id": [
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"c2tiywv",
"c2thnaf",
"c2tiywv"
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"score": [
17,
7,
17,
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],
"text": [
"players want 54 percent I believe, owners only want them to have 50. Fuck both of them they make too much money to be bitching anyway. I'm from Chicago and as soon as we start ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
u22qr | and new to reddit, what is circle jerk? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/u22qr/eli5_and_new_to_reddit_what_is_circle_jerk/ | {
"a_id": [
"c4rocj5",
"c4roocn"
],
"score": [
11,
6
],
"text": [
"A circle jerk is when a group of guys get together in a circle, and jerk off the guy next to/in front of them. Everyone is jerking someone else off.\n\nA reddit circle jerk would be a sub-reddit where members post the same... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/sx8si/eli5_what_a_circlejerk_is_and_why_its_bad/"
]
] | ||
1aczg9 | why do video's filmed in 720p looks so much better viewed in 360p than video's filmed at 360p do at the same resolution? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1aczg9/eli5why_do_videos_filmed_in_720p_looks_so_much/ | {
"a_id": [
"c8w88l7"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"It's called oversampling. Basically, if you capture way more digital data than you need, then throw most of it away with math, you end up with a much nicer result than if you only captured as much data as you intend to keep in the first place."
... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
fbg8bl | we can inject fat and silicon into body parts like lips, boobs, and butts to make them bigger and fuller; why can’t we do the same for penises? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/fbg8bl/eli5_we_can_inject_fat_and_silicon_into_body/ | {
"a_id": [
"fj43yhy",
"fj47vtx"
],
"score": [
3,
3
],
"text": [
"Boobs are mostly fat, not functional tissue. The actual milk producing parts don't make up much of the overall size so when you want to add size, you just add filler. Butts are the same way, it's mostly muscle and fat so j... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
92oqw7 | what happens in our brains that makes us "like" or prefer one thing over another? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/92oqw7/eli5_what_happens_in_our_brains_that_makes_us/ | {
"a_id": [
"e382kef"
],
"score": [
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],
"text": [
"I'm not a professional, but I have heard that whenever you like something, your body makes the hormones dopamine, seratonin, oxitocin, and endorphins. You don't necessarily crave food you like for the taste, for example, just the sensation that c... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
6nksqc | hypnagogia | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6nksqc/eli5_hypnagogia/ | {
"a_id": [
"dka89gl"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"That's a popular question here. I hope you find these previous posts helpful.\n\n\n- [Eli5 Sleep Paralysis and Why It Happens...?](_URL_0_)\n- [Eli5 Sleep Paralysis...?](_URL_4_)\n- [Eli5 Sleep Paralysis...?](_URL_3_)\n- [Eli5 How Does Sleep Para... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1p0zz0/eli5_sleep_paralysis_and_why_it_happens/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/581vdp/eli5_how_does_sleep_paralysis_work_and_why_does/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3ohjso/eli5_sleep_paralysis/",
... | ||
6mj2sb | why does having something on your head (hat, headband, etc) worsen a headache? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6mj2sb/eli5_why_does_having_something_on_your_head_hat/ | {
"a_id": [
"dk28xbo"
],
"score": [
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],
"text": [
"To put it simply, headaches are generally skin deep. Pressure on nerves or blood vessels can make it feel worse. Common headache medicines work by reducing inflammation, which reduces that pressure in the inflamed tissue.\n\n_URL_0_\n\n > The br... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headache"
]
] | ||
cbismr | why is science so political? and why does it make you seem left leaning to other people when you don’t deny scientific discoveries? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/cbismr/eli5_why_is_science_so_political_and_why_does_it/ | {
"a_id": [
"etfrsfe",
"etfswru",
"etfyw4w",
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"score": [
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4,
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"text": [
"\nI [answered a similar question](_URL_2_) to this on ELI5 around two years ago (and got gilded for the answer!). The previous question was more specific to climate change, but it... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2016/apr/28/can-the-republican-party-solve-its-science-denial-problem",
"http://i.imgur.com/kNAiir4.png",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6euf97/eli5_generally_speaking_why_are_conservatives_so/",
"https://... | ||
1d8zh6 | can 'they' be used as a singular, third party pronoun? | I've heard many people on each side, and I wanted to know the basic arguments for each side, and the cases when it would and wouldn't be acceptable, as well as why.
This will settle so many more second-guesses in my writing, so thanks! | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1d8zh6/eli5_can_they_be_used_as_a_singular_third_party/ | {
"a_id": [
"c9o1qf4",
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"score": [
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2,
2
],
"text": [
"In English, like many other languages, there is no genderless singular pronoun (bedsides the rarely used \"one\") so male is used as the default. Recently it has been considered sexist to use 'he' when... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
9w0jbi | why are some roads tan, and others black? | I know that they are made out of different materials Tan probably is concrete, and the black is obviously asphalt. However I want to know the different use case for the different materials.
I also seem to notice the tan roads tend to have hight speed limits, more road noise, and appears to have more construction vehi... | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9w0jbi/eli5_why_are_some_roads_tan_and_others_black/ | {
"a_id": [
"e9gm1n7",
"e9gmhsg",
"e9goro5"
],
"score": [
6,
4,
3
],
"text": [
"You're correct as to what materials they're made of. Concrete roads are more durable, and tend to be used in high traffic areas where frequent repairs can't be done. Asphalt is much cheaper to install, ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
1p0oiu | how did western european countries end up colonizing the world, instead of some other civilization? | China, India, the Ottoman Empire and parts of West Africa were very rich and powerful before Europeans came along and took over. What gave them the edge over these other civilizations? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1p0oiu/eli5_how_did_western_european_countries_end_up/ | {
"a_id": [
"ccxjcyk",
"ccxjivx"
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"score": [
5,
3
],
"text": [
"Short answer. Geography\nLong answer. Go watch guns, germs & steel\nThe basic premise is that because of Europeans ability to grow a large variety of low effort high calorie foods in their temperate climate they gained an ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
2hyi0g | ups drivers not making left turns? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2hyi0g/eli5_ups_drivers_not_making_left_turns/ | {
"a_id": [
"ckx5t00",
"ckxauye",
"ckxe8m8"
],
"score": [
6,
2,
3
],
"text": [
"This article gives great insight on why it's done. \n_URL_0_",
"i wonder if it really saves gas if you have to drive extra just to make a right turn instead of a left... for example: \n\n_URL_0_",
... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://compass.ups.com/UPS-driver-avoid-left-turns/"
],
[
"http://i.imgur.com/nLLKZk0.png"
],
[]
] | ||
83a6ji | how is putting files in the recycle bin any different from a regular folder? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/83a6ji/eli5_how_is_putting_files_in_the_recycle_bin_any/ | {
"a_id": [
"dvgb0bz",
"dvgb3j6"
],
"score": [
2,
6
],
"text": [
"Imagine your computer is a spaceship, you have a bunch of storage compartments. oh this old crap? don't need it anymore, probably, put it in the air lock. \n\nNow instead of having two doors between it and the nothingness of... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
6g6hpr | what is a hung government? and why do some people think it's good for britain? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6g6hpr/eli5_what_is_a_hung_government_and_why_do_some/ | {
"a_id": [
"dinwijw"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"It's good because with no one party in charge, they don't get to run the country purely on *their* idea of what's best. They have to run it by the other party/parties and reach a compromise (if the other parties are tough enough to argue their ca... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
wtn9m | what would have happened if the banks didn't get bailed out? | I'm having an argument with my friend about this, and we realized that neither one of us knows what we're talking about. Help? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/wtn9m/what_would_have_happened_if_the_banks_didnt_get/ | {
"a_id": [
"c5gci4l",
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"c5gfxek",
"c5ghkrg"
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"score": [
44,
12,
11,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"Well, put shortly, the US economy would have collapsed, as liquidity would have disappeared and loans would be non-existent. Other Western economies soon ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"http://www.khanacademy.org/finance-economics/core-finance/v/bailout-1--liquidity-vs--solvency"
]
] | |
lbt7n | how computer languages like c and c+ are developed and how they work with the computer? | I've always wondered this. So there is a blank computer and someone decides to write a language for it. How does the computer know what to do with that language?
Thanks!
EDIT: Awesome thanks everyone! Super interesting and helpful | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/lbt7n/eli5_how_computer_languages_like_c_and_c_are/ | {
"a_id": [
"c2rekhe",
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"score": [
17,
3,
7,
17,
3,
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"text": [
"You're telling a person how to get somewhere. Technically, how to get there includes steps like this:\n\n* Put your left foot forward.... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
1wmhdb | timeshares? something for rich people or something ? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1wmhdb/eli5_timeshares_something_for_rich_people_or/ | {
"a_id": [
"cf3dta6",
"cf3du1m"
],
"score": [
6,
2
],
"text": [
"Condos in places like ski resorts and vacation resorts are ridiculously expensive.\n\nSo, instead of buying a condo, you buy a small share of it, usually 1/26th or 1/52nd. This gives you the right to stay there 1 or 2 weeks ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
6s5582 | why do most of us have one common fear? | Such as Spiders, clowns, heights. Etc | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6s5582/eli5_why_do_most_of_us_have_one_common_fear/ | {
"a_id": [
"dlaa8tu"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"Instinct. Phobias like heights, scuttling insects, snakes are common because these were very common ways to be injured and killed in our past. Depictions of monsters and the supernatural all share common traits across the planet, like big sharp t... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
bxnkw8 | how do diuretics work? | ELI5: how is it that a liquid like coffee gives you the urge to pee much faster than water, for example? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bxnkw8/eli5_how_do_diuretics_work/ | {
"a_id": [
"eq8rdch",
"eq8rwnw"
],
"score": [
7,
23
],
"text": [
"Side question, why does coffee make you poop? Or is it just me?",
"There's a hormone in your body called ADH, or anti-diuretic hormone. As you know, diuresis means \"to pee\". So an anti-diuretic hormone causes your bod... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
4pw1uu | why aren't there nitinol motors? | I have seen older videos using waste heat and nitinol to create a motor. Can someone correct my ignorance with information? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4pw1uu/eli5_why_arent_there_nitinol_motors/ | {
"a_id": [
"d4oaeck",
"d4odr36"
],
"score": [
3,
4
],
"text": [
"Nitinol motors are just a kind of Stirling Engine. They just don't provide enough power to be useful in most applications. There just aren't that many applications where you need a small amount of power, have a ready source ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
1xwnct | why do people "share" porn over social media like reddit or twitter? possible nsfw | I am not saying "Why is porn on the internet", but why is it shared among friends and strangers alike? I feel that when people show each other sexy pics of their SO, it is a way to brag as well to validate their partner, but just images of porn stars they have never met makes no sense to me along those lines. Why brag ... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1xwnct/eli5_why_do_people_share_porn_over_social_media/ | {
"a_id": [
"cff9cb0",
"cfffnrv"
],
"score": [
6,
4
],
"text": [
"I assume for the same reason people share movies, music and books with their friends. They found something they like and they want to enrich the lives of people they care about.",
"There's a whole giant side to reddit th... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
4boele | during hitler's rise to power, did people in germany debate whether or not he was fascist and anti-semitic or was it widely accepted? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4boele/eli5_during_hitlers_rise_to_power_did_people_in/ | {
"a_id": [
"d1azk0f"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Hitler and the Nazis were explicitly fascist- but fascism wasn't a byword for evil back then. It only became so because of its association with the Germans' crimes during the war and holocaust.\n\nHitler and other top Nazis were also openly anti-... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
4vi5dk | what is the 'birds and the bees' story, and how is it meant to be an accurate, child-friendly explanation of sex? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4vi5dk/eli5_what_is_the_birds_and_the_bees_story_and_how/ | {
"a_id": [
"d5yjubc",
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"d5ylkqx",
"d5ylona",
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"d5yoflu",
"d5ypjs7"
],
"score": [
3,
4,
16,
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40,
2,
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"text": [
"I think birds and bees is just a vague way of saying nature in gener... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
l9l3u | yeast | Just what the hell is it? And where does it come from? Do we mine yeast? Do we farm it? Is it 'alive'? Yeast! | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/l9l3u/eli5_yeast/ | {
"a_id": [
"c2qvrbv",
"c2qvt0a",
"c2qwrre",
"c2r049n",
"c2qvrbv",
"c2qvt0a",
"c2qwrre",
"c2r049n"
],
"score": [
2,
3,
6,
4,
2,
3,
6,
4
],
"text": [
"Is the [Wikipedia](_URL_0_) article not good enough? \n\nQuick edit: That sounds way more co... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeast"
],
[
"http://www.webpal.org/SAFE/aaarecovery/2_food_storage/2a_bread_making/grow_yeast.pdf"
],
[],
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeast"
],
[
"http://www.webpal.org/SAFE/aaarecovery/2_food_storage/2a_bread_making/grow_yeast.pdf"
],
[],
... | |
54cigs | what is the biological difference between a queen ant and a regular "worker" ant? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/54cigs/eli5what_is_the_biological_difference_between_a/ | {
"a_id": [
"d80qn6h",
"d80t0f0"
],
"score": [
8,
6
],
"text": [
"The queen is capable of mating and laying eggs. That is about the only actions she does. The worker ants are infertile and vary in body type based on task in many colonies. Some colonies will have 4-5 different types of work... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
arshi7 | how does alexa work so quickly and accurately when it supposedly isn't listening-in at all times? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/arshi7/eli5_how_does_alexa_work_so_quickly_and/ | {
"a_id": [
"egpeb9j",
"egpeob7",
"egpf12s",
"egpfdmw"
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"score": [
2,
5,
2,
3
],
"text": [
"Computers have a response time of just a few *milliseconds* at their slowest.\n\nThey can perform thousands of calculations every second.\n\nStarting recording as soon as you say \... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
3f3teh | why does air travel (especially us airlines) have such a low rate of failure? | In terms of major crashes or large passenger aircraft, why is there such a low chance that the plane will crash? Obviously we don't want that to happen. But there seem to be so many variables involved, the airlines have done a good job in keeping planes in the sky. Is it the engineering practices? Standards? Other... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3f3teh/eli5_why_does_air_travel_especially_us_airlines/ | {
"a_id": [
"ctl1doq",
"ctl1e81",
"ctl1haf",
"ctl8r5d"
],
"score": [
5,
4,
18,
3
],
"text": [
" > why is there such a low chance that the plane will crash?\n\nLots of inspection and standards. \n\nAlso lots of incentive, a plane crash financially hurts a company a lot imme... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
1kicer | how do our bodies convert the food we eat into feces? | Or any animal. What is the process? We consume many, many different foods, but our feces is almost always brown.
Why? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1kicer/eli5_how_do_our_bodies_convert_the_food_we_eat/ | {
"a_id": [
"cbp8tmj"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"Most of your feces *isn't* food you ate. Most of it is cells that have lived out their useful life span and died, and your body is expelling their remains. Most of these cells are red blood cells, which is what gives feces its characteristic colo... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
35gp4y | when our brains find something funny, why don't we just think it's funny. why do we often expel air through our noses, or laugh out loud?sometime to the point we can hardly breathe. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/35gp4y/eli5when_our_brains_find_something_funny_why_dont/ | {
"a_id": [
"cr4ehpr"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Humor is a really important social tool. \nIt's likely we wouldn't experience humor if it weren't communicated in some way."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
bvygoj | the amounts of elements formed during supernovaes | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bvygoj/eli5_the_amounts_of_elements_formed_during/ | {
"a_id": [
"epth3mw",
"eptnlxi"
],
"score": [
2,
5
],
"text": [
"After the Big Bang there was only hydrogen and helium in the universe.\n\nThat coalesced into stars which fuse the hydrogen and helium into heavier elements. Once the star gets to iron it can no longer fuse heavier elements... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abundance_of_the_chemical_elements#/media/File:Elements_abundance-bars.svg",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abundance\\_of\\_the\\_chemical\\_elements#/media/File:Elements\\_abundance-bars.svg"
]
] | |
d7jdm6 | why can you die from using methamphetamine and having anthesisa performed on you? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/d7jdm6/eli5_why_can_you_die_from_using_methamphetamine/ | {
"a_id": [
"f10k6eo",
"f113s76",
"f116lpx",
"f121mqh"
],
"score": [
14,
24,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"Meth increases blood pressure and heart rate, and this increases the ability of anesthetics to change the rhythm of the heart, which will lead to a heart attack.",
"I'm an An... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
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