q_id stringlengths 5 6 | title stringlengths 3 296 | selftext stringlengths 0 34k | document stringclasses 1
value | subreddit stringclasses 1
value | url stringlengths 4 110 | answers dict | title_urls list | selftext_urls list | answers_urls list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
36qugq | how do animals learn to disguise as other animals? | For example, how did this caterpillar _URL_0_ start/learn to disguise itself as a snake? Is it just random chance, like this "pattern" is the one that survived the best over millions of years?
I cannot imagine the caterpillar crawling up to a snake and going "hey that looks scary, I'll make myself look like that!" | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/36qugq/eli5_how_do_animals_learn_to_disguise_as_other/ | {
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"score": [
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"Evolution man. The species has no cognition of it. It just happens that looking like a different species proved beneficial and so they progressively shifted to look different. \n\nThe only exception I can think of would be c... | [] | [
"http://i.imgur.com/BPDvpNj.jpg"
] | [
[],
[]
] | |
1im0md | how did the nes zapper work? | The Zapper : _URL_0_ | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1im0md/eli5_how_did_the_nes_zapper_work/ | {
"a_id": [
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"score": [
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"text": [
"When the trigger on the Zapper is pressed, the game causes the entire screen to become black for one frame. Then, on the next frame, the target area is drawn in all white as the rest of the screen rem... | [] | [
"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/NES-zapper.jpg/500px-NES-zapper.jpg"
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[],
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6315z5 | brexit affecting gibraltar and future spanish/uk relations | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6315z5/eli5_brexit_affecting_gibraltar_and_future/ | {
"a_id": [
"dfqinih"
],
"score": [
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"text": [
"The whole thing has been blown out of proportion.\n\nSince the UK is leaving the EU, so is Gibraltar as it's a British territory. Despite the fact around 96% of Gibraltar residents voted to remain.\n\nSpain thinks Gibraltar should belong to them.... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
xwl9r | how do phones and ipods and such know when they are turned sideways? | I know it's called a gravity sensor, but how does it determine which way it's turned? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/xwl9r/how_do_phones_and_ipods_and_such_know_when_they/ | {
"a_id": [
"c5q7oe3"
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"score": [
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],
"text": [
"_URL_0_ \nIt's called an accelerometer. This guy breaks it dowwn. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZVgKu6v808"
]
] | |
36to7l | you probably have seen a life-hack tip on exiting a maze. it says (real or in game), just keep right and you'll get out. why is that? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/36to7l/eli5_you_probably_have_seen_a_lifehack_tip_on/ | {
"a_id": [
"crgzj9u",
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"score": [
8,
3
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"text": [
"Well, it's not always true. If there are any closed loops of walls in the maze, you can get stuck on the wall and not get out. But this method will keep you on the same wall and not retrace your steps until you've gone every... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maze_solving_algorithm#Wall_follower"
]
] | ||
2qos7m | why do networks spell osama bin laden's name differently? | Why do networks spell Bin Laden's name differently? Fox spells his name with a U, Usama. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2qos7m/eli5_why_do_networks_spell_osama_bin_ladens_name/ | {
"a_id": [
"cn83gr3",
"cn83xao"
],
"score": [
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"text": [
"Translating from Arabic characters to our alphabet, there are different opinions on how names can/should/are best spelled",
"Fox is following the convention used by the FBI and CIA. There is no agreed method of translite... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
1k31v0 | why the king james version of the bible is widely accepted when it was the actual bible rewritten for a king? or is that completely false? | When I was in ninth grade, my history teacher was odd. I remember the Magna Carta being in 1215 and the bit I mentioned about the bible. But that's all. So true? False? Help? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1k31v0/eli5_why_the_king_james_version_of_the_bible_is/ | {
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"c... | [] | [] | [
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"http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0761825568"
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],
[],
[
"http://www.biblegateway.com",
"http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?sea... | |
2jngm2 | why do purebred dogs have so many genetic issues but it doesn't happen to animals in nature? | Why do breeds like bulldogs and stuff have so many genetic deficiencies from breeding in a limited gene pool of other purebreds but animals that live in small groups like lions or monkeys don't even though they interbreed for generations? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2jngm2/eli5_why_do_purebred_dogs_have_so_many_genetic/ | {
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"score": [
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"text": [
"In a natural breeding environment, the unfit animals, like the ones with genetic defects die out without reproducing as frequently. Tha... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
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] | |
d41d4y | i thought all words that star with a vowel and you want to use (a) you must use (an) ? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/d41d4y/eli5_i_thought_all_words_that_star_with_a_vowel/ | {
"a_id": [
"f06m0ad",
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Because it doesn't start with a *vowel sound.* It starts with an invisible Y sound, a consonant sound.",
"It's a verbal thing. It's not necessarily about starting with a vowel, but rather the pronunciation of vowel soun... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
1zqkeh | why is queens the only borough that you need to specify the location in the address (forest hills, ny ; flushing, ny), and all other boroughs the address is just bronx ny, brooklyn ny, staten island ny, and new york ny ? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1zqkeh/eli5why_is_queens_the_only_borough_that_you_need/ | {
"a_id": [
"cfw2f79",
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"score": [
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"text": [
"You don't have to if you don't want to. They are all still \"New York City, NY.\" As long as the ZIP code is correct, you do not need to specify the neighborhood. Frankly, as long as the ZIP code is correct, you don't need t... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
9gf0cp | what in the world is osmotic pressure? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9gf0cp/eli5_what_in_the_world_is_osmotic_pressure/ | {
"a_id": [
"e63o835",
"e63qf9z"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"In a given solution, the dissolved substance (solute) will try to equalise across whatever it's dissolved in (solvent) to maximise entropy. Which is to say, if you put salt in water, and leave it, eventually all points of th... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
8sbpg9 | when you're staring at a computer screen, how can your brain distinguish between the image on the screen and the reflection on the screen. | Usually, you see the image on the screen. However, with a small amount of effort, it's easy to start to see the reflection of whatever is behind you on the screen as well. Why can we not focus on one while also focusing on the other? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8sbpg9/eli5_when_youre_staring_at_a_computer_screen_how/ | {
"a_id": [
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"score": [
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"text": [
"I would imagine it's the same principle that allows us to focus on things closer or further away (which also makes the things we don't focus on blurry/lower detail).\n\nThe light emitting from the screen is only traveling th... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
1t8sc1 | where exactly does the cost for a video game come from? what if you have all the equipment needed, then where does it come from? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1t8sc1/eli5_where_exactly_does_the_cost_for_a_video_game/ | {
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"text": [
"Development. Companies spend huge amounts of time, employing huge amounts of people, to make the game. They have to make that money back ",
"Ignoring equipment, the cost comes ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
sns3b | how do stun guns work? | Say I have a 100,000 volt stun gun that runs off a 9v battery. How do volts/amps work here? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/sns3b/eli5_how_do_stun_guns_work/ | {
"a_id": [
"c4fi33m"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"The battery is used to drive an oscillator, which produces a low voltage AC source. This is done because its not possible to amplify a DC voltage, but amplifying an AC voltage is very easy with a transformer. This transformer can push the voltage... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
jamqi | can someone eli5 why jackson pollock's work is so revered in the art community? is there something i'm supposed to get when i see his artwork or any abstract art for that matter? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/jamqi/can_someone_eli5_why_jackson_pollocks_work_is_so/ | {
"a_id": [
"c2ajvqu",
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"score": [
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"text": [
"An explanation for a five year old:\n\nJackson Pollacks work is liked by some people not just because of the paintings, but also because of what other people were painting at the time.\n\nIn the 1930s there was a thing calle... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
3l0t1i | when playing chess, why would you promote your pawn into anything other than the queen? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3l0t1i/eli5_when_playing_chess_why_would_you_promote/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"the only reasons would be to either avoid a stalemate that a queen would result in or maybe a knight can get a check/checkmate off that move that the queen cant",
"97% of the time promotion to a queen is desirable, acco... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
1zeqwz | how high is a chance of actual war over russia now? who is most likely to be involved? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1zeqwz/eli5_how_high_is_a_chance_of_actual_war_over/ | {
"a_id": [
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"score": [
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"text": [
"The chances are moderate-low. Most likely candidates will be Russia, Ukraine, and NATO nations.",
"Extremely low\n\nand if nato troops are deployed it will be for show of force"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
1qpoez | why do countries like the us give money to countries like the philippines to help after a storm, instead of helping to evacuate the area before? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1qpoez/eli5_why_do_countries_like_the_us_give_money_to/ | {
"a_id": [
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"score": [
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"text": [
"For that to happen, the Phillipines Government has to request aid in evacuations. The US would then respond to assist in the evacuation\n\nTo my knowledge the [Phillipines Government](_URL_0_) handled the evacuation on their own. If they had aske... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/philippines-prepared-for-haiyan-but-evacuation-sites-no-match-for-typhoon-1.1536992"
]
] | ||
1uzhhu | how come holding down the power button for 10–30 seconds will always shut down a computer, even when it's completely frozen? | I assume that the power supply is being forcibly cut off in some way (the equivalent of unplugging a desktop computer) but since it takes 10+ seconds for that to happen, it must be that you're sending a command that tells the computer to disconnect from the power. How does *that* command go through when no other comman... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1uzhhu/eli5_how_come_holding_down_the_power_button_for/ | {
"a_id": [
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"holding the power for long time triggers the motherboard to forcibly shutdown the power. \n\njust because your software program or your operating system is frozen, the motherboard is still responsive t... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
j3kt7 | why do people say "non-hispanic white"? li5 | I don't want to sound like I post on Stormwatch or anything, but my ancestry is European, and in America I see this term fairly often, and it's always seemed like a rather odd/confusing and "forced" term to me. Once again, not racist, but is there a reason why it's not the other way around, like "non-white hispanic"? D... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/j3kt7/why_do_people_say_nonhispanic_white_li5/ | {
"a_id": [
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"score": [
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"text": [
"because of the US Census\n\nin 1990 the Census had the following question:\n\nWhat's your race?\n1. Hispanic\n2. White\n3. Black\n\nHispanics with white skin marked 'White' since the form didn't allow to mark more than one option\n\nthe US Census... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
2gzanq | how can i remember the lyrics to thousands of songs but have a difficult time remembering a few simple math formulas? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2gzanq/eli5_how_can_i_remember_the_lyrics_to_thousands/ | {
"a_id": [
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"score": [
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"text": [
"it's a matter of repetition. if you made the math formula into a song and sang that song repeatedly, than you'd remember it no problem. or if you just repeated the formula over and over again, you'd have it memorized. ",
... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mnemonic"
]
] | ||
7zr8x7 | why do car manufacturers release a new, incrementally upgraded car every year instead of a more upgraded one less frequently? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7zr8x7/eli5_why_do_car_manufacturers_release_a_new/ | {
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Marketing experience has shown that new-car buyers want to get a model that has been very recently updated. \"Last year's model\" is a huge turn-off. So they always find *something* they can update, eve... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
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] | |
ohjud | why should i care if pandas go extinct? | Pandas are cute, but it doesn't effect me if they die... or does it? Why do so many people worry about *any* animal going extinct? Or is it just a matter of "it's sad when animals die?" | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ohjud/eli5_why_should_i_care_if_pandas_go_extinct/ | {
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"text": [
"Pandas are the poster child of animal preservation because they are cute. Attempting to raise awareness or funds for wildlife preservation is much easier wi... | [] | [] | [
[],
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] | |
7wnmiv | if water is held in clouds, why isn’t it always raining where there’s clouds? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7wnmiv/eli5_if_water_is_held_in_clouds_why_isnt_it/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"Water isn't held *in* clouds. Water **is** clouds. A cloud is just fog that's really high in the sky. So it's the same reason that it doesn't always rain inside fog. Atmospheric conditions have to be right to cause the w... | [] | [] | [
[],
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fxddj3 | how does authenticator apps work? how do the other ends like steam and discord know that the code provided is correct even when the auth app is working offline? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/fxddj3/eli5_how_does_authenticator_apps_work_how_do_the/ | {
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"score": [
2,
2,
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2
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"text": [
"There is a computer algorithm called a hashing algorithm. It's a type of algorithm part of a family of algorithms called cryptography. Encryption, for example, is another cryptogra... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
25xrj0 | interpolation (the one used in lag compensation for games) | Can anyone tell me if my understanding is correct? And if not, give me a correct explanation? My understanding is:
A 0.1 second of interpolation in a game would tell the server that I am seeing everything with a delay of 0.1 seconds, and the server would compensate by "rewinding" 0.1 seconds everytime I give it a comm... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/25xrj0/eli5interpolation_the_one_used_in_lag/ | {
"a_id": [
"chlqcp7"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Interpolation is a trick a game engine uses to make the game run smoothly despite possible lag spikes and packet loss. Essentially it causes the game to \"lag\" a certain amount of time behind the server updates(*on top on any actual lag caused b... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
9nlv8m | what is the point of having handles ontop of windows in cars? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9nlv8m/eli5_what_is_the_point_of_having_handles_ontop_of/ | {
"a_id": [
"e7n7ui6",
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"score": [
3,
10
],
"text": [
"To help (mostly old) people with weak legs and core to help pull themselves into the seat using arm strength. ",
"To help elderly or mobility impaired passengers in and out of the vehicle. Also some have tiny hooks for ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
3jgqx0 | why aren't the uk taking refugees when they are dying in the sea etc? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3jgqx0/eli5_why_arent_the_uk_taking_refugees_when_they/ | {
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"text": [
"Many economies in Europe are not capable of absorbing massive numbers of refugees at this time. There are not enough resources, money... | [] | [] | [
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2m2mla | how would the world appear to us if we could see every wavelength, from gamma rays to radio waves? | Are there any pictures that combine these waves together? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2m2mla/eli5_how_would_the_world_appear_to_us_if_we_could/ | {
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"text": [
"[This](_URL_0_) picture gives a sense of how the sky would look if we could \"see\" in radio (and had eyes big enough to resolve cel... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://images.nrao.edu/321"
],
[
"http://theoatmeal.com/comics/mantis_shrimp",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis_shrimp"
],
[],
[
"http://www.dailydot.com/technology/wi-fi-art-exhibit-digital-ethereal/"
],
[],
[]
] | |
4mcuff | why are curved cell phone displays popular? | A new purported leak of iPhone came out showing a curved edge display. What is the draw for this, is the screen curving around the edge of the phone beneficial in any way? It seems like something no one would really use and would make putting a case on your phone difficult or negating that part by covering it. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4mcuff/eli5_why_are_curved_cell_phone_displays_popular/ | {
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"text": [
"As of now, there really isn't any reason other than for aesthetic features.\n\nThe big selling point of the Samsung EDGE is that you can place the phone face down and see notification lights from your specially selected top ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
7qqy1n | if electric fields produce magnetic fields, and our brain/nervous system operates electrically, how do we not have electromagnetic interference disrupting our entire body's operation? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7qqy1n/eli5_if_electric_fields_produce_magnetic_fields/ | {
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"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28072659"
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[... | ||
30p5fn | is yawning important, and how is it useful to the sleeping process? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/30p5fn/eli5_is_yawning_important_and_how_is_it_useful_to/ | {
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"text": [
"_URL_0_ This should answer your questions I think. Give it a look.",
"I heard somewhere that yawning also helps to loosen up and excrete ear wax. Something about how the jaw m... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://youtu.be/ew_iZTPoC3c"
],
[],
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"https://youtu.be/jGIbUK4nw00"
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30l9no | why are there no dog-sized housecats? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/30l9no/eli5_why_are_there_no_dogsized_housecats/ | {
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"There sort of already is. The Savannah cat! Not a typical house cat, but you are seeing them as pets more and more. ",
"Domesticated dogs came from wolves. Housecats aren't domesticated, they just h... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
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834eo5 | grapes grow all over so why is wine only made in very specific regions? | Grapes grow wild here in northern Illinois but there are only a few small wineries. What about places like Burgundy or Napa Valley make them so much better for wine? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/834eo5/eli5_grapes_grow_all_over_so_why_is_wine_only/ | {
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"text": [
"One of the main things is sunlight. Sunlight powers photosynthesis to generate the sugars in the grapes that will eventually turn to alcohol. For example, in Napa Valley, the large... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://www.fairview.co.za/product/goat-roti/"
],
[],
[]
] | |
a6lu88 | how do ingrown nails happen? what stops a nail from growing all the way into the side of your finger/foot anyway? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/a6lu88/eli5_how_do_ingrown_nails_happen_what_stops_a/ | {
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"text": [
"First off, that can happen. I once got an ingrown toenail so bad they had to literally slice my toenail in half, and removed the entire left side. It took 20 years to properl... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
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"toes.im"
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] | ||
5ys2t8 | what would happen if someone guilty admitted their crime after being found innocent? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5ys2t8/eli5_what_would_happen_if_someone_guilty_admitted/ | {
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... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
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[
"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Ignatow"
],
[
"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Ignatow"
],
[
"http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/emmett-till-murderers-make-magazine-confession"
],
[]
] | ||
36gs2s | when i wash my hands with anti-bacterial soap, do bacteria die immediately or does it take a while like some sort of poison? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/36gs2s/eli5_when_i_wash_my_hands_with_antibacterial_soap/ | {
"a_id": [
"crduusn"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"The active ingredient in most anti-bacterial soaps is triclosan which prevents bacteria from making fatty acids, eventually their cell membranes break down and they die; this takes time. The main mechanism that removes the bacteria as /u/Turbo11... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
6jz1e5 | how come my car tells me when my oil is too low, but there's no gauge on my dashboard to indicate how much is in there all the time? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6jz1e5/eli5_how_come_my_car_tells_me_when_my_oil_is_too/ | {
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"text": [
"Unlike gas, your car isn't designed to burn through oil. Putting a gauge on the dashboard that *shouldn't ever move* is just adding cost & clutter to the instrument panel.\n\n... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[
"http://www.fluidswitch.com/blog/why-dont-cars-have-oil-level-gauges/"
],
[]
] | ||
2ynq5z | if robin thicke has been sued for "blurred lines" and lost, can weird al still make money off of "word crimes"? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2ynq5z/eli5if_robin_thicke_has_been_sued_for_blurred/ | {
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"text": [
"Weird Al does claim ownership of the music for Word Crimes or any of his parody songs, all of which are protected as 'satire.' The key difference, of course, being that it is satire and proper credit is given to the original... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://twitter.com/alyankovic/status/534406845671030784/photo/1"
],
[]
] | ||
1urb83 | why are vaccines good and encouraged, while antibiotics are now being less widespread due to diseases evolving to fight them? | Im sorry if the question isn't worded perfectly, but I hope I got the question across.
Edit: Thanks guys, looks like the answer got cleared up for me. However, if there's any more information that isn't already in the comments, I'd love to hear it! | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1urb83/eli5_why_are_vaccines_good_and_encouraged_while/ | {
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"Vaccines are used to build immunity to specific infection causing agents. When they mutate other vaccines are produced. For example, a... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2013/02/researchers-find-first-us-evidence-vaccine-resistant-pertussis"
]
] | |
1f5h6s | how does google earth take a picture in space and lets me zoom until i see my street from above? | Are all of the pictures from satellites? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1f5h6s/eli5_how_does_google_earth_take_a_picture_in/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"There are many photos taken of each area - mostly from satellites and planes. Google does have [some of its own planes](_URL_0_) for this, but also uses commercial aircraft.\n\nThe images are then stitched together and saved in a range of resolut... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://gizmodo.com/5916290/google-has-its-own-fleet-of-airplanes-to-map-the-world-in-3d"
]
] | |
4fsjk9 | how do bugs always get trapped inside ceiling light covers? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4fsjk9/eli5_how_do_bugs_always_get_trapped_inside/ | {
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"score": [
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"text": [
"I don't have proof for this but I read it in an article about mooths. Many insects tend to confound (mix up) an artificial light source with the moon-light which they use for orientation. \nAnd once they get in the lamp-housing its hard to escape... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
mx530 | does the same temperature feel different during the different seasons? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/mx530/does_the_same_temperature_feel_different_during/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"Yes. In fact, the same temperature can feel different even for different parts of your body. You can prove this to yourself via this experiment:\n\nGet 3 bowls of water. Leave one at room temperature, but cool the other in y... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
12wxon | li5: can someone explain both rt-pcr and real time pcr? | College freshman here, hence the title of baby, Can some one please explain reverse transcriptase pct and real time pcr for me when starting with a monolayer of cells with the intent to model up and down regulation of specific gene targets? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/12wxon/li5_can_someone_explain_both_rtpcr_and_real_time/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"Well, kiddo, let's start with PCR, or Polymerase Chain Reaction. DNA, the coding system that tells your body how to build itself and exist, is double-stranded and made up of four bases laid out in a variety of sequences. PCR is used to amplify,... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEcy9k_KsDI"
]
] | |
1kht6e | how can we recover files that have been deleted from a hard drive but they don't take up the same space they did before? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1kht6e/eli5_how_can_we_recover_files_that_have_been/ | {
"a_id": [
"cbp2b4o"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"When you delete a file, what really happens is that the computer simply marks the space where the file exists on the hard drive as being empty, which means that it is now free to write other files in the same location, overwriting the data of th... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
uywh4 | how does inflation work if nobody else knows about the money? | This question has bugged me for quite some time and I've yet to get a good answer for it:
Okay. So you have a cash supply, and arbitrarily adding cash to that supply causes the existing cash in the supply to become worth less. Inflation. I understand the concept.
What I don't understand is how this works in the real ... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/uywh4/eli5_how_does_inflation_work_if_nobody_else_knows/ | {
"a_id": [
"c4zt4qs"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Because the people you pay are making more money, they can spend a bit more themselves. Eventually, that effect will spread out across the economy, and *everyone* will be able to spend a little bit more. Businesses will then be able to raise the... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
2bldlg | whats the difference between atheism and agnosticism? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2bldlg/eli5_whats_the_difference_between_atheism_and/ | {
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"Atheists come in at least two main types: those who lack belief in ... | [] | [] | [
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"http://reverseenginears.com/rethink/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Agnostic+v+Gnostic+v+Atheist+v+Theist.png"
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] | ||
4c4y7p | why is it unpleasant to hear music that's out of tune? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4c4y7p/eli5_why_is_it_unpleasant_to_hear_music_thats_out/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"Two tones playing together that are consonant, or \"in tune\", repeat at very regular intervals; for example, in an octave (the most consonant interval, two C keys on a piano), one tone oscillates once for every two oscillations of another, and i... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
f2ez8y | if both light and radio waves are electromagnetic, is it possible to tune in and listen to a light frequency? is it possible to send and receive light waves just as you can with radio waves? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/f2ez8y/eli5_if_both_light_and_radio_waves_are/ | {
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"text": [
"It is! in fact, this is how fibre optics work!\n\nThe unfortunate part about using visible light waves, is that they dont do very well when there is something in front of them. Tha... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Flicker_fusion_threshold",
"https://www.fastcompany.com/3052047/mits-new-microwave-camera-can-see-through-walls"
],
[],
[]
] | ||
23nl0a | does closing apps on phones increase battery life? why/why not? | I just "upgraded" from my iPhone 4 to an iPhone 4s, and while it's a more powerful piece of hardware, the tradeoff seems to be that it's battery life is about half of my old phone's. Naturally, I've been looking for ways to increase it, and some sights have said that closing background apps doesn't actually have a noti... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/23nl0a/eli5_does_closing_apps_on_phones_increase_battery/ | {
"a_id": [
"cgyvhoi"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Well the thinking behind closing the apps to save power comes from desktop OS thinking. When you run a multiple programs in windows your processor is essentially serving all of them at once which isn't a problem for a desktop but for a phone it m... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
e1m1ve | what causes blood to randomly rush to the penis, causing a random erection? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/e1m1ve/eli5_what_causes_blood_to_randomly_rush_to_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"f8qb1da",
"f8qb7at"
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"score": [
19,
6
],
"text": [
"It’s not a random rush at all. Many times during the day your autonomous nervous system reacts without you consciously having to think about it - you breathe autonomously, you get hiccups autonomously, your intestines are t... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
6p49bm | why isn't cold water cooling a "thing" for houses? | We are buying a new house which has hot water radiant heat (a boiler). We are excited about the efficiency of this, but bummed that we won't have A/C (no ducts). Why can't the same system be used with cold (35*F) water in the summer to cool the house? This doesn't seem to exist. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6p49bm/eli5_why_isnt_cold_water_cooling_a_thing_for/ | {
"a_id": [
"dkmgaq1",
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"score": [
2,
3,
3
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"text": [
"This is a thing, it's used in every large building you have ever been in, like every hotel, convention center, auditorium, etc. \n\nYour home system uses freon in a pipe running between a compressor ou... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://www.carrier.com/residential/en/us/products/ductless-systems/",
"http://www.homedepot.com/b/Heating-Venting-Cooling-Air-Conditioners-Coolers-Air-Conditioners-Ductless-Mini-Splits/N-5yc1vZc4m1",
"https://learn.compactappliance.com/best-ductless-air-conditioners/",
"https://www.trane.co... | |
3h6y2n | why do dogs pee on tires? | Is there a specific reason why they do it on car tires? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3h6y2n/eli5_why_do_dogs_pee_on_tires/ | {
"a_id": [
"cu4silj"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Dog per on things that allow them to get their scent as high as possible so it will spend more AND so they appear as a larger dog to other dogs (the higher it is, the taller the dog must be to reach it). You probably notice dogs peeing on tires i... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
22o3xs | what is the difference between common core math and "normal" math? | I did a little reading on past posts, so I know more or less what Common Core is, but what's the difference between CC math and what was taught before? I've heard a lot of complaining about it, some of my classmates claim it made them fail (I'm a *bit* skeptical, but I feel it's worth questioning). Can someone give m... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/22o3xs/eli5_what_is_the_difference_between_common_core/ | {
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"text": [
"Great question! \n\nI'm in California and my school district has been transitioning into Common Core subjects; and I was among the first students to take th... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://sbacpt.tds.airast.org/student/"
],
[],
[
"http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Content/3/introduction/"
],
[]
] | |
2o2o3p | how is it possible to keep a patient alive when performing a heart or valve transplant? and is it similar to unplugging something from the top electrical outlet and plugging it in really fast in the bottom one without losing electricity? (meaning you swap it really fast) | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2o2o3p/eli5_how_is_it_possible_to_keep_a_patient_alive/ | {
"a_id": [
"cmj4wel",
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"score": [
3,
2
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"text": [
"No.\n\nIts more like splicing the wire and linking it to a battery, then moving the outlet, then disconnecting the battery.\n\nThey hook you up to a machine to keep your blood moving and your brain supplied with oxygenated b... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
5x6618 | how did people slack off/waste time at their desks before the internet or cellphones were invented? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5x6618/eli5_how_did_people_slack_offwaste_time_at_their/ | {
"a_id": [
"defjv4r",
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"score": [
3,
3,
2
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"text": [
"In the vicinity of a computer: minesweeper\n\nAt home: television\n\nThere are plenty of ways to procrastinate. You could even read a book. God forbid! \n\nAnything works when it comes to not wanting to... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://xkcd.com/1348/"
],
[]
] | ||
5o56nm | how do game developers secure their code for their game in that way that it simply won't be copied by any other game company/game developer? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5o56nm/eli5_how_do_game_developers_secure_their_code_for/ | {
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"text": [
"Most games are written in C++. When you program something in C++ you run the code through a program called a compiler, which turns it into a form that the com... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://goo.gl/images/lY1DPm"
],
[]
] | ||
8h4vp7 | how did the first humans find out about natural death? wouldn't "unknown disease" seem more likely as an explanation of why their friends never woke up? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8h4vp7/eli5_how_did_the_first_humans_find_out_about/ | {
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"text": [
"It's only very recent that humans have really realized that natural death was a thing. With that being said, it's still incredibly rare for someone to have di... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
4wjx0t | how come artificial sweetener can be used in diet soda to reduce caloric intake but cannot be used in chocolate? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4wjx0t/eli5_how_come_artificial_sweetener_can_be_used_in/ | {
"a_id": [
"d67ljtw",
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"score": [
14,
4
],
"text": [
"You could use artificial sweetener to reduce the calories in chocolate but a large number of calories from chocolate comes from all the fat that's necessary to give it a proper texture. This is a problem you have with most... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
7t7wi6 | how does the netflix app and website block screenshots and screensharing? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7t7wi6/eli5how_does_the_netflix_app_and_website_block/ | {
"a_id": [
"dtajq70"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Dunno, but you can grab screens from Netflix, by using the PRTSCR key and then just pasting into mspaint :)"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
ckt9s9 | how do big animals such as lion, tiger, bears, elephants, etc be “friends” with humans. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ckt9s9/eli5_how_do_big_animals_such_as_lion_tiger_bears/ | {
"a_id": [
"evqin3m",
"evqirq7",
"evqmmhe"
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"score": [
9,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"\"Friends\" is not a good word to use.\n\nWhat we consider friendship is a very human idea. Even between people you know, they will have very different ideas of what it means to be a friend.\n\nIt's the... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
cobh2q | what might one inherit that would make them a naturally good endurance runner? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/cobh2q/eli5_what_might_one_inherit_that_would_make_them/ | {
"a_id": [
"ewhaizk",
"ewhane5"
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"score": [
6,
2
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"text": [
"There is so much which can be inherited that it’s hard to list them all down. I’ll just give one example, mitochondria. Mitochondria is an organelle in human and plant cells, which converts Glucose into ATP. ATP is the main ... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrial_Eve"
],
[]
] | ||
5orn0d | how does electricity find the path of least resistance, and can this be used to solve the traveling salesperson problem? | For those who don't know, the Traveling Salesperson problem is a pathfinding problem: given a set of points as inputs, find the shortest path that hits all points and returns to the start. Seems to me like electricity already does this | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5orn0d/eli5_how_does_electricity_find_the_path_of_least/ | {
"a_id": [
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"score": [
2,
5,
2,
2,
8,
3
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"text": [
"The path of least resistance is not necessarily the shortest path. Rivers and lightening never seem to travel in a straight line.",
... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"http://i.imgur.com/Ob1K4Yf.png"
],
[]
] | |
1eew16 | how is wine not an emulator? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1eew16/eli5_how_is_wine_not_an_emulator/ | {
"a_id": [
"c9zj8zm"
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"score": [
3
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"text": [
"Different operating systems have to be told to do something in different ways. Like in Windows it could be `draw window`, and in Linux it could be `make window`. WINE *translates* these instructions into the format understood by OS X or Linux."
... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
2tx3b6 | how did j. r. r. tolkien invent his elvish language? | I've read The Hobbit and seen all LOTR movies, and that's one thing I would really like to know | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2tx3b6/eli5_how_did_j_r_r_tolkien_invent_his_elvish/ | {
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"score": [
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"text": [
"He was a linguist who was very talented and very imaginative. ",
"same way you make up any other language.\n\nyou make it up. \n\nhe just had a good sense to write it down an... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
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8jah7l | do constant speed improvements of processors come from better designs, mainly, or from better manufacturing processes? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8jah7l/eli5_do_constant_speed_improvements_of_processors/ | {
"a_id": [
"dyy6boh",
"dyyb0td"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Usually both - Designers are constantly trying to make the processors more efficient, improving the rate at which calculations and operations are done, while Manufacturers are constantly trying to fit more transistors on the... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
3wc8dq | l'hôpital's rule | I know what it does, but please explain why it works. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3wc8dq/eli5_lhôpitals_rule/ | {
"a_id": [
"cxv3g3e",
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"score": [
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"text": [
"The math gods have bestowed upon us this wonderful rule for computing limits and you dare question them about why it works?!\n\n\n\n\nIn all seriousness though, it's like you have two separate problems dividing by one anothe... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
61ovyp | how safe can microwaves really be when they're made so cheaply and the doors can be so loose. | I barely use mine. Not because of safety, but I just find reheating a meal that much better in the oven, and I always have time while doing something else. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/61ovyp/eli5_how_safe_can_microwaves_really_be_when/ | {
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"text": [
"In order to be sold in most markets, microwaves, just like most electronic devices, need to pass certification testing. If you don't have the right regulatory testing pass - and t... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
1z0chv | if i smell someone's bad wind, am i getting particles of poo up my nose? | If so, what then happens to them - do I swallow them?
Edit: if its an evolutionary thing, are there bacteria contained in this gas ( if I farted on an agar plate, would it grow lots of bacteria? ) just thinking about inhaling the gas again?! | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1z0chv/if_i_smell_someones_bad_wind_am_i_getting/ | {
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"text": [
"No. You're getting gases that were in the intestines along with the poop. The go into your lungs and come back out as you breath. ",
"Unfortunately, you... | [] | [] | [
[],
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[],
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ancrhw | what are the downsides of having a high ping? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ancrhw/eli5_what_are_the_downsides_of_having_a_high_ping/ | {
"a_id": [
"efscsd2",
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"score": [
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"text": [
"It takes signifficantly longer for the website or game etc. to respond to your input. Imagine having to send a message to the top floor of a tall building using the elevator. It would take longer for the message to arrive to... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
1pyyuc | besides the fda, why is it so hard to find cures for sickness? | What makes it so hard to find a good drug to cure a condition? Is it because we don't really understand what diseases are and where they come from? Or are the viruses/bacteria/ genes very hard to attack? Or is it that sicknesses keep on evolving and we can't keep up? I realize there may be several reasons for the diffe... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1pyyuc/eli5_besides_the_fda_why_is_it_so_hard_to_find/ | {
"a_id": [
"cd7gz50",
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"score": [
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"text": [
"what do you mean by \"besides the FDA\"?\n\n",
"All of the above.\n\nIn bacterial illness, it's because it is difficult to target the bacteria. You have to make a treatment that kills *all* of the living things *want* to... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
7vuz4o | if the immune system is supposed to attack everything other than our cells, why dont they attack the bacteria that lives within us? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7vuz4o/eli5_if_the_immune_system_is_supposed_to_attack/ | {
"a_id": [
"dtvcrci"
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"text": [
"The short answer to your question is “we don’t actually know for certain”.\n\nBut the current research is finding that these cells called Dendritic cells (DC’s) have evolved two opposite functions. 1. To promote immune response. And 2. To suppres... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
ef47ti | where did the concept of night having sinister energy originate? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ef47ti/eli5_where_did_the_concept_of_night_having/ | {
"a_id": [
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"score": [
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"text": [
"We don't like the dark as much as we like light.\n\nThat's because our ape-man ancestors figured out that they were safer during the day that they were at night. \n\nProbably why I feel like a bunch of ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
6erry9 | why are there not a lot more farms? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6erry9/eli5_why_are_there_not_a_lot_more_farms/ | {
"a_id": [
"dicjb8p"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"Conventional farming is becoming more efficient, and making more farms means destroying natural biodiversity. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1ttbgq | how come when i see surgery pictures, there is never any blood? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ttbgq/eli5_how_come_when_i_see_surgery_pictures_there/ | {
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"text": [
"During modern surgery blood pooling is kept to a minimum via vacuum pumps with small tubes and lots of sponging/padding so that the surgeon can tell what they're looking at.\n\n",
"Basically every... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[
"http://www.boviemedical.com"
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1lhlek | why nobody has created a cure for the common flue | Edit:grammar | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1lhlek/eli5_why_nobody_has_created_a_cure_for_the_common/ | {
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"text": [
"From what I understand the flue strain is constantly mutating. So once your body develops an immunity to one strain, another mutation has already occurred.",
"2 reasons for this. I might be incorrect, let me know if I am... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
5dte46 | how could you become a target for someone to spy on you through your webcam, and how do they even do it? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5dte46/eli5_how_could_you_become_a_target_for_someone_to/ | {
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"text": [
"Malware is step one. You build a virus similar who's \"payload\" is a program that can access your Webcam and stream the video to the bad guy. \n\nMost malware is designed to make ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
asubqs | what the heck is a gpa? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/asubqs/eli5_what_the_heck_is_a_gpa/ | {
"a_id": [
"egwqcz7",
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"text": [
"GPA stands for grade point average. It correlates a number with a letter grade so an average can be taken. An A is a 4 a B is 3, C is 2, D is 1, and F is 0.",
"GPA = Grade Point Average. Imagine you have 6 classes: Engli... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
5tl9e3 | why the ringo starr hate? | What drives the Hate-on-Ringo bandwagon? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5tl9e3/eli5_why_the_ringo_starr_hate/ | {
"a_id": [
"ddnggyf"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"Am I out of the loop on something? Who hates Ringo?!"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1lwxy2 | why do materials have a unique sound pitch when struck? | For instance, when striking a hammer on a metallic material, why does it have the familiar "Ting" sound while the same hammer on wood has no high pitched sound at all? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1lwxy2/eli5why_do_materials_have_a_unique_sound_pitch/ | {
"a_id": [
"cc3kfru"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Basically this: _URL_0_"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"http://plus.maths.org/content/what-makes-object-musical"
]
] | |
9u0qmw | how are somatic cells turned back into pluripotent stem cells? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9u0qmw/eli5_how_are_somatic_cells_turned_back_into/ | {
"a_id": [
"e90lr8l"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"They don't because somatic cells are already differentiated. When you have somatic cells beginning to exhibit stem cell functions (independence from surrounding tissue) you have cancer.\n\nIs this question based off of something you have read rec... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
5rqp3d | [video inside] brick layers using domino effect which then shoots backward at 2x speed seemingly against physics to lay the bricks perfectly. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5rqp3d/eli5_video_inside_brick_layers_using_domino/ | {
"a_id": [
"dd9dku8",
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"score": [
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2
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"text": [
"It's not at all against physics. Here's a [video](_URL_0_) that explains it with words *and* pictures, but since I don't wan't the mods mad at me for not explaining shit in ELI5, here's the explanation:\n\nWhen a brick falls... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coqbMpJtHcg"
],
[]
] | ||
45dqll | why is opec not considered anti-competitive like say if 2 or more companies were to come together and control a product they sell? | For example if multiple soda companies were to come together and organise how much soda they were going to produce and sell it for to a market it would be considered illegal under anti-competitive laws, considering they had a significant majority of the market, but isn't that what OPEC is doing with oil? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/45dqll/eli5_why_is_opec_not_considered_anticompetitive/ | {
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"text": [
"The international system is anarchic. That is, there is no overarching authority which tells nations what to do and punishes them if they disobey; we don't have a world government... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
3eaxqb | why is it so rare to find pearls in oysters if forming them is natural? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3eaxqb/eli5_why_is_it_so_rare_to_find_pearls_in_oysters/ | {
"a_id": [
"ctd69ix",
"ctd6hpy"
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"score": [
17,
4
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"text": [
"It isn't rare to find pearls really. It's rare to find gem quality pearls. The vast majority of pearls formed are tiny, or rough, or irregular, or dull. Nice, smooth, shiny, round, BIG pearls are rare.",
"_URL_0_ \n\nGi... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://animals.howstuffworks.com/marine-life/question630.htm"
]
] | ||
d9kv3d | when to use an ice pack or hot pack on injuries | Additionally what does cooling/heating via packs actually do to the injury/muscles? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/d9kv3d/eli5_when_to_use_an_ice_pack_or_hot_pack_on/ | {
"a_id": [
"f1ilqew"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"It depends on the type of injury. Heat is used to increase blood-flow to an area. Ice is used to reduce/slow inflammation. \n\nBasically, you heat a muscle, ice a joint."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
3e22ab | how are big projects like hospitals and malls started and funded? | Who decides that a hospital needs to be built or a mall needs to be built? How do they get funding? I always see very large scale organizations popping up and I always wonder where it started and what kind of planning goes in to make it what it is? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3e22ab/eli5how_are_big_projects_like_hospitals_and_malls/ | {
"a_id": [
"ctaqwov",
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"score": [
2,
3
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"text": [
"Funding for very large construction projects is usually done via what in financial terms is called \"leverage\". But in plain English that just means \"borrowing\".\n\nIn other words, the construction company will usually go... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
5o8irn | why do restaurants as a whole have an atrocious failure rate, but chain restaurants consistently stay open? | It's common knowledge that the vast majority of restaurants fail, and most in their first 1-2 years open. And yet, chain restaurants - Chili's, Olive Garden, IHOP, shit like that - not only open new locations all the time, but they usually manage to stay open. Their failure rate isn't anywhere near the independents.
O... | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5o8irn/eli5_why_do_restaurants_as_a_whole_have_an/ | {
"a_id": [
"dchfwrs",
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"score": [
17,
2,
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"text": [
"Have you ever made cookies from scratch before? I have, man sometimes it just doesn't work out. Other times its great and works perfect, its not a super easy thing.\n\nNow, but when I make them from t... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
e2u8l5 | how does the ‘perfect motion rate’ setting on my tv make even movies shot at 24fps appear to be at least 120 | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/e2u8l5/eli5_how_does_the_perfect_motion_rate_setting_on/ | {
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"score": [
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3,
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"text": [
"If you've ever read the [Animorphs book series](_URL_0_), you'll notice the covers always depict a human \"morphing\" into an animal through multiple still frames. The human and animal are quite real b... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animorphs"
],
[],
[]
] | ||
647tnk | why do some people have stronger immune system's than others? | What makes an immune system strong? Does diet influence? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/647tnk/eli5_why_do_some_people_have_stronger_immune/ | {
"a_id": [
"dg02mv8"
],
"score": [
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"text": [
"As with anything else in biology, a lot of factors come together here. Diet is one of them, especially in malnourished people, but genetics is definitely a factor - and that gets complicated, because there are different _kinds_ of immunity, and ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
3970y6 | why do lower paying jobs typically have fixed salaries, whereas higher paying jobs have more negotiable salaries? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3970y6/eli5_why_do_lower_paying_jobs_typically_have/ | {
"a_id": [
"cs0vjas"
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"score": [
6
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"text": [
"Because there are far more people available to do the lower paying jobs, which means that each employee is far more replaceable. So, the employers aren't inclined to negotiate on pay, since they likely have a stack of applicants who were just as ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
3xqc59 | why is /r/videos prohibiting witch-hunting? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3xqc59/eli5_why_is_rvideos_prohibiting_witchhunting/ | {
"a_id": [
"cy6tm5q",
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"text": [
"I don't know what happened specifically, but redditors have been known to work themselves up into a frothing rage in an echo chamber sub and then go ruin some poor shlub's life for no reason because \"RAWWR INTERNET JUSTICE!... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
1eszo0 | if infrared is thermal why doesn't my remote get hot when i use it? | Isn't the signal infrared? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1eszo0/eli5_if_infrared_is_thermal_why_doesnt_my_remote/ | {
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"text": [
"It's very, very low power. Around the order of a milliWatt for around a milliSecond.",
"Infrared isn't more thermal than visible light. Very hot things glow blue (or white, because blue is mixed in)... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
3fyoq5 | how do the ideas of "rising complexity" and "entropy" not contradict one another? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3fyoq5/eli5_how_do_the_ideas_of_rising_complexity_and/ | {
"a_id": [
"ctt89hl"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"There are three reasons. \n\nThe first is that entropy is a specific mathematical/scientific concept, whereas \"complexity\" is an ill-defined, \"know it when I see it\" way of looking at the world. This makes the question difficult to wrangle ri... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
3guqnw | why don't single sex schools have as much taboo as a racially segregated school would? | Surely having a school environment in which you only interact with ~50% of society (ie. Single sex schools) is just as bad as separating different races in schools? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3guqnw/eli5_why_dont_single_sex_schools_have_as_much/ | {
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"There may be legitimate pedagogical reasons for segregating by gend... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
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] | |
6dpb2p | why do some trucks have a pair of wheels that's a bit off the ground? | what purpose does that serve? and I don't think it's necessarily because of the risk of tipping over, because some of these trucks are quite long, and the risk of tipping is very low. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6dpb2p/eli5_why_do_some_trucks_have_a_pair_of_wheels/ | {
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... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/publications/brdg_frm_wghts/"
],
[],
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[],
[
"http://c8.alamy.com/comp/B220XY/three-axle-mercedes-actros-tractor-unit-and-curtainsided-tautliner-B220XY.jpg",
"https://www.carsbase.com/photo/Scania-R580_Topline_mp281_pic_... | |
d0uu1g | how is it that exactly 1 litre of pure water weighs exactly 1 kilogram? were the measures set up with reference to water or is it a coincidence? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/d0uu1g/eli5_how_is_it_that_exactly_1_litre_of_pure_water/ | {
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"text": [
"Not really a question for this sub but the answer is according to Google \n\n\"One litre of liquid water has a mass of almost exactly one kilogram, because the kilogram was origin... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
26vxa5 | what happens if a national debt of a country keeps going up, and the government just keeps borrowing instead of paying back? | Well, what I often hear in the news is some politician in some country talking about their national debt too high, and that they should cut public expenses and stuff like that, so they could actually lower that debt. So what if nobody in charge cared about the debt and just kept issuing bonds and continued their old sp... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/26vxa5/eli5_what_happens_if_a_national_debt_of_a_country/ | {
"a_id": [
"chv1zig"
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"score": [
3
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"text": [
"All government spending has an associated multiplier which can be considered the ratio of private growth to spending, if spending $1b results in $1.5b of private Consumption/Investment/Export growth then the multiplier will be close to 1.5 (the a... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
eap31l | how fresh snow absorbs sound, lowering ambient noise over a landscape | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/eap31l/eli5_how_fresh_snow_absorbs_sound_lowering/ | {
"a_id": [
"favblfi"
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"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"It is just a soft and flexible material that does not reflect soundwaves to the same degree as what they cover. If you reduce how sound is reflected the ambient sound level is reduced because a lot of what you hear is sound that has been reflect... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
ain5yv | how do conjoined twins that once shared organs live? | Hi,
& #x200B;
So I saw an article recently about 2 twins that were sharing liver, bladder, stomach etc. They were eventually separated and now have a better quality of life. However, since they shared organs, how do one of the twins survive since they don't have their own set of organs?
& #x200B;
Thanks! | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ain5yv/eli5_how_do_conjoined_twins_that_once_shared/ | {
"a_id": [
"eeoxgwu"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Those organs will have to be split into two and then fashioned into separate organs. The stomach and bladder are basically just balloons. They can take half of each and make them into two separate stomachs and bladders. The liver isn't a hollow o... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1zprb2 | why does my hearing seem to improve when i am tired? | I can never hear my clock ticking during the day, and have to have the music up to hear it. But at night the clock is deafening and I can hear my speakers at their lowest setting. The ambient noise in my house doesn't seem to change, but I notice a definite change in the volume of noise that I perceive. Why is that?? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1zprb2/eli5_why_does_my_hearing_seem_to_improve_when_i/ | {
"a_id": [
"cfvslqy"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"Because it is more quiet at night and a survival thing from when our ancestors still lived in constant fear of getting eaten."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
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