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8j7qud
why are there so many different numbers for "how much of the human body is water?"
I've seen figures ranging from 60-80% water, claimed at various times by people online, teachers, books, so forth, and it doesn't seem like there's much of a consensus. Why is this?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8j7qud/eli5_why_are_there_so_many_different_numbers_for/
{ "a_id": [ "dyxkkea", "dyxpb1h" ], "score": [ 2, 3 ], "text": [ "1. Depends on what you're measuring by. The number is going to be higher when measuring a percentage by weight, since water is quite heavy.\n\n2. People are all different, and live in different environments and lifestyles. W...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
1riok8
if there is tension in a room or house between people, how can we almost instantly feel that tension when we walk in?
I just walked into a friends house and three of his roommates are in a fight regarding the dishes, I didn't know this, but how come I could feel the tension in the house before I knew there was a fight between the three?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1riok8/eli5_if_there_is_tension_in_a_room_or_house/
{ "a_id": [ "cdnmqeo" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Studies have shown that majority (often cited 55%~70%) of communication is nonverbal. Thus you're feeling your roommates communicating with you through cues and movements and is able to understand the situation." ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
1zbxnr
what is the difference between rifle and handgun calibers?
There are so many calibers for rifles and handguns. Why? Is there a best? What are each good at doing? I am mainly interested in... .22lr 9mm 10mm .40 .45 .308 30-06 338 Lapua Magnum 223/556 7.62×39mm 300blk I am just looking for a breakdown that tells me why something is better. Not just data. Even anecdotal evid...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1zbxnr/eli5_what_is_the_difference_between_rifle_and/
{ "a_id": [ "cfsb5iy" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Well, calibre is a measure of the diametre of a bullet in a decimal of an inch.\n\n.22 cal is .22 inches across, and is just over an 1/5 of an inch across. It's a small but light bullet. .50 cal is half and inch.\n\nThere is no \"best\" calibre f...
[]
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[ [] ]
crjw4v
why does music licenses make songs region-locked with things like spotify and apple music?
I had to make another free spotify account just to listen to some Japanese songs that I can't find in the US region even though I can find a few other songs by the same artist.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/crjw4v/eli5_why_does_music_licenses_make_songs/
{ "a_id": [ "ex5yj6q" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "Imagine this example: a small, national record label finds an awesome band and signs them up to create an album.\n\nAnd then, a month later, EVERYONE wants that album. But...the local record label are not in a position where they have the financi...
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[]
[ [] ]
3hha88
what's so special about computer mainframes?
Over the last couple of months I've been looking at IT job ads, and I saw that a lot of large companies (especially banks) are looking for people, who work with IBM mainframes. Knowing that cloud service providers can give you a lot of computing power, and that there are a lot of people who can work with AWS and Azure ...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3hha88/eli5_whats_so_special_about_computer_mainframes/
{ "a_id": [ "cu7c61y", "cu7c8gi", "cu7cair", "cu7ckf8", "cu7f6g4" ], "score": [ 5, 2, 2, 4, 2 ], "text": [ "Banks really, really can't afford to take chances with their computer systems. They have absolutely no intention of rewriting millions of lines of code to tak...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
980nkh
how is genetic memory different from instinct?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/980nkh/eli5_how_is_genetic_memory_different_from_instinct/
{ "a_id": [ "e4cfml6", "e4cfzr8" ], "score": [ 13, 6 ], "text": [ "instinct is coded into DNA itself and is unchangeable except by mutation. if it's a good adaptation it gets passed to the next generation, if it isnt it goes extinct\n\ngenetic memory, assuming you're referring to stuff lik...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
1ei8av
why are turbans used and would those who use them be offended that i want to try and wear one?
I've asked a couple people who I have seen wearing turbans/cloth head dressings, Why they wore them and the general response was its personal, tradition or religious.... I notice on tv and movies (great resources i know) that people who most commonly wear them live in or come from places where its hotter, ie. Middle ...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ei8av/eli5why_are_turbans_used_and_would_those_who_use/
{ "a_id": [ "ca0i5fw", "ca0jm3c" ], "score": [ 3, 9 ], "text": [ "Being an Indian, I know many Sikhs who wear them for religious reasons. It should be fine if you wear them as long as you don't go and mock the turban that you're wearing.", "Your question is describing two different hea...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
2ger9h
why do voting laws that limit early voting periods and eliminate same-day registration disproportionately impact minorities?
I'm not doubting that these laws disproortionately affect minorities and the young/elderly, just wondering why that's the case.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2ger9h/eli5_why_do_voting_laws_that_limit_early_voting/
{ "a_id": [ "ckieyah", "ckif1gx", "ckignrh", "ckil4ve", "ckimdwk", "ckimz01", "ckir6m9" ], "score": [ 29, 24, 30, 14, 5, 2, 7 ], "text": [ "They impact the poor, which happens to be what a lot of minorities are. They may not own a car and so have tro...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
60pp22
how does financial aid work?
[deleted]
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/60pp22/eli5_how_does_financial_aid_work/
{ "a_id": [ "df8cnb3", "df8eh1q" ], "score": [ 3, 3 ], "text": [ "Well, have you submitted your FAFSA yet? That is how you apply to federal loans and grants. It's usually a requirement to apply for scholarships and grants available from your state and also the school you're applying to."...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
266pkr
with the law of conservation of mass in play, how does biological cell division work?
I am well aware about the laws of Conservation of Mass as well as Energy, but how does one cell reproduce to become two, and exponentially growing?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/266pkr/eli5_with_the_law_of_conservation_of_mass_in_play/
{ "a_id": [ "cho6lkw", "cho8emw" ], "score": [ 5, 2 ], "text": [ "Each cell has less mass than the original, if that's what you're alluding to. The total mass won't increase.\n\nThink of it like this. You have a model of a house made out of a set of Legos. You decide you want two houses, s...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
4hjzen
why do countries such as kenya burn seized ivory?
How is this a better idea than selling it?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4hjzen/eli5_why_do_countries_such_as_kenya_burn_seized/
{ "a_id": [ "d2q75pr", "d2q75vp", "d2q78pg", "d2q7b0z", "d2q7f0u" ], "score": [ 10, 4, 7, 5, 19 ], "text": [ "It makes it easier to tell if ivory is illegal. If you burn it all, then anything remotely new is illegal.", "They burn it to protest the selling of it....
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
e7gkic
what does it mean when someone says their “woken”?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/e7gkic/eli5_what_does_it_mean_when_someone_says_their/
{ "a_id": [ "f9z3jw5" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Do you mean he said he was \"woke\"? That's a term that's come about recently meaning that you support things like LGBTQ equality, ending racism/sexism, bringing attention to social justice issues. \n\nIt's kind of become used a little sarcastica...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
8fzivo
why does older music have such distinct left/right separation? why is this not as common now?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8fzivo/eli5_why_does_older_music_have_such_distinct/
{ "a_id": [ "dy7mo3f" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "The individual channels are tuned to high to drown the listener in the music. It’s kind of sad. This is mostly for pop music. If you get a pair of good headphones and listen to other than pop you’ll get to hear artists playing and messing with au...
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[ [] ]
jwqlg
right-hand or left-hand dominance
My 5-year-old asked the "why do I have a writing hand and a not-writing hand" question, and I had no idea. I began to tell her about the hemispheres of her brain, and explain the concept of hemispheric dominance, but then she said, "well why does one of them have to be dominant? Can't they both be dominant? That wou...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/jwqlg/eli5_righthand_or_lefthand_dominance/
{ "a_id": [ "c2fqz47", "c2fqz47" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Probably the simplest (accurate, but not complete) explanation for a 5-year-old is that when you're a baby you figure out how to do something with one hand, and so you keep doing that thing with that hand instead of trying w...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
3u4swp
why do our lips stick together when they are dry?
It feels like skin grows between your lips.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3u4swp/eli5_why_do_our_lips_stick_together_when_they_are/
{ "a_id": [ "cxbw6jd" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Because the other secretions of the lips will come into contact with each another and dry up, leaving a thin glue-like layer that you have to pull apart. \n\nUsually this is constantly diluted and cleared off by your more watery salivary glands, ...
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[]
[ [] ]
2o8r7o
why people still think jews run hollywood? where did that come from?
I've been a bit ticked off by a FB comment about "joos running hollywod". Where did that come from? It's like asking if China owns the USA because they have a lot of our debt. Isn't it run by large corporations that aren't headed by Jews? (And let's not forget nepotism!) A just read an article by Chris Rock on how it's...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2o8r7o/eli5_why_people_still_think_jews_run_hollywood/
{ "a_id": [ "cmksgze", "cmksou7", "cmksy2n", "cmktamc" ], "score": [ 6, 6, 4, 2 ], "text": [ "Perhaps it came from the time when [Jews did run Hollywood](_URL_0_).\n\nAnd in my opinion, they've been doing a pretty good job.", "Its a not unreasonable position to take. I ...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jewish_American_film_studio_executives" ], [], [], [] ]
8a5lfl
why are latin words so commonly used in medicine, law, and taxonomy?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8a5lfl/eli5_why_are_latin_words_so_commonly_used_in/
{ "a_id": [ "dww1s5h", "dww24p5", "dwwegg1" ], "score": [ 16, 25, 5 ], "text": [ "Two reasons. \n\n1. Medicine is old, and a lot of its history needs Latin to understand the root words, which helps understand the general function\n\n2. Latin is a good novel language which is highly...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
35dr74
what is a lobby ? and how are some of them so powerful ?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/35dr74/eli5_what_is_a_lobby_and_how_are_some_of_them_so/
{ "a_id": [ "cr3grhh" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "Lobbying is the act of sending people to talk to elected officials (like senators) to try to get them to support your interests. For instance, if I run a business that makes money importing bananas, I might lobby to reduce the import tariffs on b...
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[]
[ [] ]
rbjf7
the conflict between iran and israel and why many disagree with israel's actions against iran.
Also, the whole U.S backing thing.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/rbjf7/eli5_the_conflict_between_iran_and_israel_and_why/
{ "a_id": [ "c44iu79" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "The reason why many disagree with Israel's actions against Iran is because they are illegal and because Iran does not pose a threat to anybody.\n\nIran's nuclear programme is entirely legal. A country is being punished and threatened for exercisi...
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[ [] ]
668aos
how to patent one product and sell it to a company?
I had an Idea for one product. How do I get the rights to It, and contact companies Who might be interested?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/668aos/eli5_how_to_patent_one_product_and_sell_it_to_a/
{ "a_id": [ "dgggt10" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text": [ "Patents are given for inventions, not ideas.\n\nA patentable invention is a device that solves a problem, that's never been invented before (patented, described, or build by anyone), that would not be obvious to someone skilled in the relevant fi...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://www.quirky.com/" ] ]
1wcg48
why does facebook want to look at all your private information?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1wcg48/eli5_why_does_facebook_want_to_look_at_all_your/
{ "a_id": [ "cf0od9q", "cf0onoy" ], "score": [ 2, 3 ], "text": [ "So they can deliver ads that are more meaningful to you.", "Facebook has to make money. They can do that by doing one of two things: they can get you to pay for stuff, or they can put up ads. Facebook uses the second opt...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
aikztx
what are genomes and phenotypes?
What are Genomes and Phenotypes and what exactly are their purpose?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/aikztx/eli5_what_are_genomes_and_phenotypes/
{ "a_id": [ "eeoi7fp" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "The genome is the complete collection of DNA of a cell, meaning the genome essentially controls how the cell develops, what it can do etc.\n\nThe phenotype describes the observable characteristics of an organism and how they relate back to the ge...
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[]
[ [] ]
6ldq87
why is it american airlines are so shitty compared to asia airlines even when they are in the same industry while their staff are educated in a first world country schools?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6ldq87/eli5_why_is_it_american_airlines_are_so_shitty/
{ "a_id": [ "djt0vwo", "djt1hub", "djt1vbw" ], "score": [ 2, 7, 2 ], "text": [ "Public vs private sector. In the US, air travel is almost completely privatized. In Asia, many airlines are partially government owned or even state run organizations.\n\nIn the field of infrastructure,...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [] ]
1jlkgf
quantum dots
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1jlkgf/eli5_quantum_dots/
{ "a_id": [ "cbg307r" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "In a material, the energy that an electron can have is basically a continuum. Now replace a 3-D material with a very thin slice. The electrons can move around in the 2-D layer, but they are confined within the top and bottom. This leads to the el...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
2v09us
why when doing something strenuous with my hands do i unconsciously clench my teeth?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2v09us/eli5_why_when_doing_something_strenuous_with_my/
{ "a_id": [ "codazq8" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Just guessing here, but you are probably tensing a lot more than your teeth\\jaw and just happen to notice that. Tension creates stability and even a slight movement in any part of your body requires a bit of tension for balance and stability. ...
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[]
[ [] ]
45dp4o
what exactly is happening in my brain when i'm sexually aroused that makes me make choices that i wouldn't make unaroused?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/45dp4o/eli5_what_exactly_is_happening_in_my_brain_when/
{ "a_id": [ "czx5w24", "czx76uu", "czx7aaj", "czx86qh", "czxb54c", "czxbe7s", "czxbrjz", "czxchok", "czxcnbb", "czxcvh4", "czxdj25", "czxdqnf", "czxdr46", "czxf3bt", "czxfhlq", "czxhj6z", "czxhms3", "czxih8w", "czxin80", "czxje4h" ], ...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [ "http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/d/d_05/d_05_cr/d_05_cr_her/d_05_cr_her.html" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
1tbqae
why do vehicles "smoke" more from their exhaust pipes when they first start up, and then when the engine has warmed up, stops?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1tbqae/eli5_why_do_vehicles_smoke_more_from_their/
{ "a_id": [ "ce6bs5a", "ce6c0nx", "ce6gtr2", "ce6hgy3", "ce6ivxd", "ce6m8nl" ], "score": [ 22, 21, 13, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "The 'smoke' you actually see is water vapour, the product of combustion of hydrocarbons and oxygen into carbon dioxide and water. (Cx...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPqPDdiiJIw" ], [], [], [], [] ]
celin6
how do these "illegal, offshore holding accounts" work and why are they beneficial to the super-rich?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/celin6/eli5_how_do_these_illegal_offshore_holding/
{ "a_id": [ "eu3cv7b" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "The biggest benefit is the Us government doesn’t have access to many, so they don’t know how much is held there and is unable to tax the money. So the rich can save money on taxes. \n\nAlso this money can be legally had or ill-gotten. The banks d...
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[]
[ [] ]
2kmfhr
what does it mean for an animal to "domesticate itself" (e.g cats) and why would any animal want to do it?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2kmfhr/eli5_what_does_it_mean_for_an_animal_to/
{ "a_id": [ "clmo50d", "clmo87l", "clmoiij", "clmr36z" ], "score": [ 3, 2, 4, 2 ], "text": [ "It means an animal chooses to live with humans as a pet. They do it because it's free food, shelter, and companionship that isn't dangerous to them. They don't have to hunt or be h...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [ "http://archaeology.about.com/od/domestications/qt/cat.htm" ], [] ]
5ar565
what is the purpose of government?
Not referring to a particular country's government, I just mean, in general.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5ar565/eli5_what_is_the_purpose_of_government/
{ "a_id": [ "d9ime0e", "d9imrw9", "d9inb0t", "d9inhks", "d9iqcmr", "d9j1yf1" ], "score": [ 4, 11, 3, 2, 3, 5 ], "text": [ "Government is just a system of rules for people to live amongst each other and work towards common goals. Beyond that, whether it is ba...
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[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
4vhsnd
what happens if we're isolated for a long time?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4vhsnd/eli5_what_happens_if_were_isolated_for_a_long_time/
{ "a_id": [ "d5yle3m", "d5ylh2k", "d5ynglp", "d5yokuu", "d5ys38u", "d5ywbsv" ], "score": [ 5, 32, 22, 3, 9, 6 ], "text": [ "Loneliness, it's also proven that isolation leads to depression. People who find themselves isolated are more likely to commit suicide...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/03/23/north-pond-hermit-finishes-court-program-maine/kaf019uywApzNZiFRBo9EO/story.html" ], [], [], [], [] ]
7kvtwy
how tampons cause toxic shock syndrome
For the life of me, I can't find any explanation on the internet on why the connection. Like how does a tampon cause an infection?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7kvtwy/eli5how_tampons_cause_toxic_shock_syndrome/
{ "a_id": [ "drhjdjc", "drhtfsg", "drig0ld" ], "score": [ 7, 7, 3 ], "text": [ "It is not common. But if you put in a tampon and leave it there for days, or weeks you prevent the natural cleaning and immune system response of the vagina and trap the blood/bacteria in it causing an ...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
mnx9x
socrates, plato and aristotle's philosophy.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/mnx9x/eli5_socrates_plato_and_aristotles_philosophy/
{ "a_id": [ "c32fr3k", "c32gcxg", "c32hh8c", "c32ji6f", "c32v6cb", "c32fr3k", "c32gcxg", "c32hh8c", "c32ji6f", "c32v6cb" ], "score": [ 15, 44, 3, 5, 2, 15, 44, 3, 5, 2 ], "text": [ "I'm on phone, but try out his 3 minute philo...
[]
[]
[ [ "youtube.com/collegebinary" ], [], [], [], [], [ "youtube.com/collegebinary" ], [], [], [], [] ]
497jl2
why do computers break after 3-5 years of use?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/497jl2/eli5_why_do_computers_break_after_35_years_of_use/
{ "a_id": [ "d0pm402", "d0pnyd5" ], "score": [ 4, 2 ], "text": [ "I assemble my own desktops and they last far longer than that. Even the one I have with an SSD drive has had 0 failures. My retail laptops have generally failed for Newtonian reasons before the 5 year mark but I don't thin...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
20pvow
why doesn't ukraine force russia out of crimea? furthermore, why hasn't the eu stood up with military presence to defend ukraine?
Ukraine has enough troops to force Russia out of Crimea. Mind you, it would be a massive troop movement since last I heard there are now 20k+ Russian troops in Crimea, but at the end of the day, they've essentially invaded another country and claimed land as their own. I also don't understand why Ukraine allies haven...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/20pvow/eli5_why_doesnt_ukraine_force_russia_out_of/
{ "a_id": [ "cg5lsdp", "cg5ltaw" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Ukraine has no hope of fighting Russia straight up, they simply aren't strong enough militarily.\n\nThe EU actually depends a fair bit on Russia, particularly for its natural gas. War with Russia is a very bad thing for the...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Armed_Forces" ] ]
1gdzcw
the relationship between iran's ayatollah ali khameni and their president and who actually governs what?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1gdzcw/eli5_the_relationship_between_irans_ayatollah_ali/
{ "a_id": [ "cajak9o", "cajc92e" ], "score": [ 11, 4 ], "text": [ "The Iranian political structure is amazingly redundant, with checks and re-checks all over the place. No one person has the final say in anything with one exception...the Ayatollah. There also exists a dual military structu...
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[ [], [] ]
5wwed0
how do parasites actually feed off a host?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5wwed0/eli5_how_do_parasites_actually_feed_off_a_host/
{ "a_id": [ "dedb5el", "deddkwk" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "\"Nom nom nom.\" Either they are physically chomping down on the living flesh of the host, or hanging out in the digestive system and taking part of what their host eats. Typically the consumption of living flesh is the most...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
43avwk
why is there no simple trick to see if a number is divisible by 7?
I remember back in high school during math class, we were taught simple tricks to make division easier. For example, say the number 501. The trick for the number 3 is to add all the digits together until you have a number you know for a fact is divisible by 3. So 5 + 0 + 1 = 6, and 6 is divisible by 3, therefore 501 is...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/43avwk/eli5_why_is_there_no_simple_trick_to_see_if_a/
{ "a_id": [ "czgw7bi", "czgwf5r", "czgxfue" ], "score": [ 5, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "The simple rules for 2 and 5 work because they're factors of 10, then the rules for 4 and 8 work because they're powers of 2. The rule for 9 works because it's 10-1, then the rule for 3 works because it...
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[]
[ [], [], [] ]
416u3n
how does netflix benefit from banning users who use internet proxies to view content from other countries?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/416u3n/eli5_how_does_netflix_benefit_from_banning_users/
{ "a_id": [ "cz039e0" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "They will lose money when the people who they bought distribution rights from see that they are violating their agreements and sue them. If Netflix wants to be able to buy the rights for popular shows and movies they have to honor their distribut...
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[]
[ [] ]
28dfap
why are gun scopes always on the top of the weapon? doesn't this make it so the bullets are going lower than where you're aiming? or does recoil make up for this?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/28dfap/eli5_why_are_gun_scopes_always_on_the_top_of_the/
{ "a_id": [ "ci9u2ie", "ci9u2ip", "ci9u7cg", "ci9u9dp", "ci9uoke", "ci9usj0", "ci9uucv", "ci9v440", "ci9v8p8", "ci9vahu", "ci9wc8a", "ci9wih1", "ci9wjsz", "ci9wnmd", "ci9xg7c", "ci9xmzs", "ci9xti7", "ci9ybd1", "ci9z1wr", "ci9z6j2", "c...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_harmonisation" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "http://www.ammoland.com/2014/06/how-to-zero-your-ar-15-rifle/#axzz34ukNeUxI" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
dpl2g2
how do lasers cut through objects?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/dpl2g2/eli5_how_do_lasers_cut_through_objects/
{ "a_id": [ "f5w5ea3", "f5w5tre", "f5wbez9", "f5wyct7" ], "score": [ 124, 5, 34, 3 ], "text": [ "Light is a form of energy, like thermal energy etc. Laser light can be a very concentrated (focused) form of energy. Energy is conserved (it cannot be created or destroyed) so w...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [] ]
3ln8v5
what do theoretical physicists do all day?
Like, come in to the office at 9, sit down, solve the history of the universe... But for real, how do you progress on a day to day basis, and how do you find things to fill all of your time?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3ln8v5/eli5_what_do_theoretical_physicists_do_all_day/
{ "a_id": [ "cv7nb5v", "cv7ogwn", "cv7q8c8", "cv7rj22" ], "score": [ 12, 2, 2, 17 ], "text": [ "There's no way of telling unless you peer inside one of their offices.\n\nThey might be in there slaving away at proving a theory, or they might not even be in there [at all.](_U...
[]
[]
[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger's_cat" ], [], [], [] ]
6li9vc
why are house keys one-sided, while car keys are two-sided?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6li9vc/eli5_why_are_house_keys_onesided_while_car_keys/
{ "a_id": [ "dju1jry", "djuohbw" ], "score": [ 26, 11 ], "text": [ "Car keys are designed to be used in a situation where you can't easily see the lock. So your convenience they cut the pattern into both sides.", "Contrary to conventional wisdom, it's not a design issue for convenience...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
43fzsu
sometimes there are 0 seeds for a torrent, yet it still downloads, usually at very low speed. where does this data come from?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/43fzsu/eli5_sometimes_there_are_0_seeds_for_a_torrent/
{ "a_id": [ "czhwyqc", "czhwzeu", "czhx0tf", "czhz0y9", "czi0itr", "czi10xc", "czi28pl" ], "score": [ 19, 355, 41, 2, 10, 5, 3 ], "text": [ "You download from both seeds and peers. Peers just upload the parts of the torrent to you that they have. ", ...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
3alg4j
why do preachers have that strange way of talking that i can't explain? are they taught that as a technique in a school?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3alg4j/eli5_why_do_preachers_have_that_strange_way_of/
{ "a_id": [ "csdtchb" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "It's an emotionally persuasive way of speaking because Christianity emphasizes faith in Jesus, as compared to the way that a rabbi might give a sermon in a straightforward tone, which is meant to be intellectually appealing, because Judaism empha...
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[ [] ]
4fwgdr
domain name system (dns)
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4fwgdr/eli5_domain_name_system_dns/
{ "a_id": [ "d2cks0k", "d2cm8eq", "d2cmlad" ], "score": [ 6, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Every computer on the internet has a number, an IP address. Those computers are responsible for things like showing you a website. But it would be difficult to remember numbers for each site you want to...
[]
[]
[ [ "Reddit.com" ], [], [ "Google.com" ] ]
35n1ck
why do mlb players now wear their pants long, loose, and sloppy at the bottom?
I much preferred the tight ankle pants or high-socks, and they were probably much better for running in.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/35n1ck/eli5why_do_mlb_players_now_wear_their_pants_long/
{ "a_id": [ "cr60kwe", "cr61ymi", "cr62q0o", "cr66kjj" ], "score": [ 16, 10, 3, 7 ], "text": [ "It's all about preference. As someone who played baseball for 15 years, I can assure you that wearing the loosely fitting pants is much more comfortable. The tall, tight socks ge...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [ "http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/masters-of-the-uni-verse/" ] ]
7ziny4
why do modern game consoles (i.e: xbox one) seem to have less games than their predecessors (i.e: xbox 360) despite having the same game companies?
You often see people comparing their piles of games. One pile has Dozens of games for the Xbox 360, whereas their Xbox One pile is hardly 5 Games tall. Is there a reason you seem to see more games for older consoles, despite newer ones having the same successful companies producing games, as well as Indie games?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7ziny4/eli5_why_do_modern_game_consoles_ie_xbox_one_seem/
{ "a_id": [ "duo9xch", "duoa7v9", "duoatvt", "duoev93", "duog63d" ], "score": [ 2, 3, 8, 3, 6 ], "text": [ "Lot has to with digital distribution of games now. I have noticed the same thing but I have also noticed a lack in quality in newer games which I guess is why...
[]
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[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
23ilxg
what exactly is life? what makes us blobs of molecules alive?
I hope this is not totally out of whack. If humans are made of elements found on the planet, what makes us alive? What is life and when someone is dead what goes away? Has there been any thought on this?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/23ilxg/eli5_what_exactly_is_life_what_makes_us_blobs_of/
{ "a_id": [ "cgxdytg" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "Life is a temporary, local negation of entropy. It is essentially a very complex and expansive series of self-contained chemical reactions with an element of information - the genetic code - which allows for replication of the living machines.\n\...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
32odh5
how can a company justify paying a single individual 500 times the average salary?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/32odh5/eli5_how_can_a_company_justify_paying_a_single/
{ "a_id": [ "cqd1rbi", "cqd1tta", "cqd1via", "cqd20c5" ], "score": [ 2, 3, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Because anyone can serve, not everyone can lead - and to lead, leaders takes something very special and very valuable.\n\nOn top of that a high level company worker is probably see...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [ "http://www.economist.com/node/13782942", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Mulally" ], [] ]
1fv00z
the commerce clause
I remember discussing this in a class a couple years ago, and with all this Xbox One talk going on I just thought of the Commerce Clause. Wikipedia doesn't do a very good job explaining it (in my opinion at least), and I'm also wondering what link it might have to Microsoft's decisions regarding the Xbox One and the DR...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1fv00z/eli5_the_commerce_clause/
{ "a_id": [ "cae4a74" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Nothing at all. \n\nThe commerce clause of the US constitution gives congress the power to \"regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes.\" Now, this gets pretty contentious, and there are huge...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
elqnzw
if the hotter an object, the brighter it glows (more energy?). then why is a blue flame less visible than its orange/yellow counterpart?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/elqnzw/eli5_if_the_hotter_an_object_the_brighter_it/
{ "a_id": [ "fdjrd3g", "fdjwhjq" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Because the human eye can't see every single wavelength of light. We can't see that blue flame, just like we cant see UV light, or infrared. Our eyes are just not capable of it.", "A blue flame is hotter than a reddish-y...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
3d0zb7
why does an automatic watch - a device that tracks something as simple time - such an incredibly intricate series of tiny cogs, levers and pendulums on the inside?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3d0zb7/eli5_why_does_an_automatic_watch_a_device_that/
{ "a_id": [ "ct0sb83", "ct0sgqf" ], "score": [ 3, 3 ], "text": [ "Keeping time accurately is not trivial. You have to find some form of mechanic that produces the same results in a wide variety of circumstances. The most successful way of doing so is driving a unbalance with a spring, whic...
[]
[]
[ [], [ "http://craphound.com/images/Marchant_EFA_SIDE_view.jpg" ] ]
66ei3r
how does a nuclear weapon kill you?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/66ei3r/eli5_how_does_a_nuclear_weapon_kill_you/
{ "a_id": [ "dghuxqh", "dghv2t5", "dghv3im", "dghvang", "dghvis6" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "It's the pressure/shock wave, there are lots of other things that cause them. If you have ever been to an air show where a plane breaks the sound barrier you ...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
d2iaqn
when we get shots are we putting a dead virus in our system?
[deleted]
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/d2iaqn/eli5_when_we_get_shots_are_we_putting_a_dead/
{ "a_id": [ "ezv2bf6", "ezv2g1i" ], "score": [ 6, 18 ], "text": [ "More like some of the parts of it. Sometimes we even inject a live virus that is weakened as to not really infect us or be able to replicate properly.", "Four types of vaccines are currently available:\n\nLive virus vac...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
e5xp7a
why is there whenever you take a photo with your phone of a pc/laptop screen a rainbow effect in the photo?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/e5xp7a/eli5_why_is_there_whenever_you_take_a_photo_with/
{ "a_id": [ "f9mgqpp", "f9mgw0e" ], "score": [ 3, 4 ], "text": [ "Depending on the screen type, usually each pixel is one colour. For example, a pixel can either be red, green or blue, or enable all three of those colours to produce white, and some screens completely turn off the pixel to ...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
ac73np
what would happen to a country's economy if somebody burnt lets say 1 billion of their local currency in cash to flames off the books?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ac73np/eli5what_would_happen_to_a_countrys_economy_if/
{ "a_id": [ "ed5p2zw", "ed5pp3h" ], "score": [ 5, 2 ], "text": [ "The same thing as if that person burnt a billion kwatloos in public. The economic effects of destroying money aren't a result of observation, they're a result of people (or in this case, one person) not having as much money ...
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[]
[ [], [] ]
115xaj
what does it mean to get "used" to a temperature?
When I step into a cold shower and it's almost unbearable at first and slowly becomes tolerable, what's going on physiologically?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/115xaj/eli5_what_does_it_mean_to_get_used_to_a/
{ "a_id": [ "c6jlk3l", "c6jp8eh" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "It's mostly psychological, actually. Your brain ignores the sensory input. \n\nSame thing happens then you hear a constant sound, eventually you stop noticing it unless you want to, or a dull ache if you twisted your ankle. ...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
3g3g6b
how do doctors prescribe medication?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3g3g6b/eli5_how_do_doctors_prescribe_medication/
{ "a_id": [ "ctuhm4s" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "They write a note on a special piece of paper describing what to give. You give the piece of paper to a pharmacist and they give you the medicine. " ] }
[]
[]
[ [] ]
1vxfch
how come a book as "boring" as ulysses is considered a masterpiece?
First of all, I mean no disrespect to those who enjoyed the book. I considered myself to be a literate educated person but when reading this book I just can't get past a couple of pages. Forcing myself to read is not a good sign. So basically, I want to know what is so special about this book?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1vxfch/eli5_how_come_a_book_as_boring_as_ulysses_is/
{ "a_id": [ "cewptxx" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "Ulysses came at a time when Modernist literature was really hitting its stride. That's the movement where people stopped writing in poetic, flowery manners and began to write more in what your average person might consider plain english, about pe...
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[]
[ [] ]
205snw
difference between air-to-air, anti-ship etc missiles. what is diffrent about all the different missiles?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/205snw/eli5difference_between_airtoair_antiship_etc/
{ "a_id": [ "cg01ewd", "cg02119" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Missiles are different sizes with different speeds, weights and explosive power to go along with their purpose. I would assume an air to air is quicker and harder to flare then other missiles while a air to ship is bigger an...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
3xdjfi
why don't android phones use a stock or closer to stock build of android on their phones?
I'm asking this because skins and blatantly useless bloatware just slow down the phone or forces the user to get used to a different interface that was working perfectly fine on vanilla android. Even if there is a problem with stock android, can't very light skins or actually a few USEFUL added apps solve the problem?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3xdjfi/eli5_why_dont_android_phones_use_a_stock_or/
{ "a_id": [ "cy3o6wp", "cy3o8vb", "cy3oaza", "cy3opas", "cy3tjfz" ], "score": [ 35, 9, 5, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Google's Nexus Line does. Other manufacturers, along with carriers have a financial incentive to bloat your phone.", "This varies from manufacturer to ma...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
d9zily
if hot water in a shower always runs out in our personal homes, how come there’s always hot water readily available that never seems to run out in places like hotels with many more showers to supply hot water to?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/d9zily/eli5_if_hot_water_in_a_shower_always_runs_out_in/
{ "a_id": [ "f1m77fd", "f1m78fw", "f1m9pba", "f1m9ybq", "f1mbvr5", "f1n6pqj" ], "score": [ 7, 6, 2, 4, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "To my knowledge it's a matter of much larger and more water heaters. In your home there is a tank that has water pumped to it, and it is...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
1ybb39
there's so much hustle and bustle about the united states being so "free", but what exactly separates us from countries such as let's say..canada? or switzerland? what about sweden? aren't they just as free as we are?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ybb39/eli5_theres_so_much_hustle_and_bustle_about_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cfizhqk", "cfj0e33", "cfj0udv", "cfj23db", "cfj2vbr", "cfj2wu4", "cfj3qtj", "cfj4d4z" ], "score": [ 13, 3, 23, 8, 6, 81, 7, 6 ], "text": [ "It's mostly comes out of the fact that the United States had the Bill of Rights when most...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2014#.UwQ4rJBB0Yo" ], [], [], [ "http://youtu.be/wTjMqda19wk" ], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_against_Holocaust_denial" ], [], [], [] ]
1mydsc
why do sports games come out a year early? like fifa 14 comes out in 2013.
Some software do this too. like autodesk 3d studio max 2014 came out in 2013. 2013 came out in 2012. Why do they do this?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1mydsc/eli5_why_do_sports_games_come_out_a_year_early/
{ "a_id": [ "ccdr4f8", "ccds07k", "ccdtnm1", "ccdtyxz", "cce3f94" ], "score": [ 44, 15, 3, 8, 2 ], "text": [ "It's so that when the year changes the current software doesn't feel \"out of date\". This process was started by the car industry.", "Simply put, FIFA ...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
3tnrds
soy milk increases the chance of breast cancer & infertility rates.
[deleted]
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3tnrds/eli5_soy_milk_increases_the_chance_of_breast/
{ "a_id": [ "cx7pxe5" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "That's not proven, some studies say it reduces cancer rates:\n\n_URL_0_" ] }
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/features/soy-effects-on-breast-cancer" ] ]
32xgoc
eggs. are they good for you or bad for you? just eat the whites and stay away from the yolks or only eat the yolks and stay away from the whites? what gives?!
I Google it and get numerous conflicting results. I love eggs, I eat them every breakfast. Some studies say eating eggs generally (and especially every day like I do) is super unhealthy for you. Others tell me that eating eggs (especially daily) is great for you and they are healthy. Some say only eat the yolk or vise...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/32xgoc/eli5_eggs_are_they_good_for_you_or_bad_for_you/
{ "a_id": [ "cqfikhi", "cqfje3j" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "As in all things, moderation is key. It's fine to eat eggs, just don't eat a million of em.", "Your health makes all the difference. In this case your cholesterol. \n\nHigh LDL does not come from your diet originally but...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
1pgh7f
why is the large hadron collider important to the average person?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1pgh7f/eli5_why_is_the_large_hadron_collider_important/
{ "a_id": [ "cd21fnz", "cd21kxo", "cd21t9k", "cd226a2", "cd22bq0", "cd22wz8", "cd2374i", "cd239lj", "cd23fup", "cd244yl", "cd2477e", "cd24a23", "cd24s5z", "cd24wqq", "cd24yze", "cd252b0", "cd25555", "cd258m6", "cd25eno", "cd25hyc", "c...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/future-ads-1950s", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_spin-off_technologies", "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPGCW0K9YbQ" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "http://en.w...
dtps62
after dialling a phone call, why does the dial out ring you hear before a person picks up often differ in tone and frequency?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/dtps62/eli5_after_dialling_a_phone_call_why_does_the/
{ "a_id": [ "f6y8yn1" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Remember, the phone system is ancient. The electronics that generate the ring signal you hear when you call a phone number is not the same as the electronics that generate the ring signal that the person you are calling hears. For example, one ...
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[ [] ]
4euv1g
tilt shift
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4euv1g/eli5_tilt_shift/
{ "a_id": [ "d23kk9c" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "In a camera the light passes through the lens and strikes a sensor or film at the back. The lens is set up so that light from a single point in space should be redirected to a single point on the sensor, no matter what part of the lens it travel...
[]
[]
[ [ "http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/refrn/u14l5c1.gif" ] ]
a2dtkd
what happens to the molecules of paper when they become wet?
For example, when a book becomes wet, why do the pages crinkle up when they dry rather than drying straight?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/a2dtkd/eli5_what_happens_to_the_molecules_of_paper_when/
{ "a_id": [ "eaxahpr", "eaxntw9" ], "score": [ 13, 2 ], "text": [ "Paper is made of very tiny fibers that are basically glued together and then pressed firm into a sheet.\n\nWhen those fibers absorb water they expand and damage the bonds between them. When the water evaporates they shrink ...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
217toe
are the photos taken by hubble and other telescopes really in color or is the color added according to what scientists think space looks like?
I'm talking about these beautiful pictures of nebulas and other space structures (Pillars of Creation for example).
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/217toe/eli5_are_the_photos_taken_by_hubble_and_other/
{ "a_id": [ "cgafz4v" ], "score": [ 11 ], "text": [ "~~Almost all of them~~ A lot of them are not in \"true\" color nor are they black and white. They are taken in different areas of the electromagnetic spectrum and moved back to the visual part so that we can see it.\n\nLight (in all of its forms...
[]
[]
[ [] ]
2hxf2y
why do people take taxis when public transportation is so much cheaper?
I've always wondered why people (specifically in New York City) take taxis so frequently when the subway is so much cheaper and has such a wide range.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2hxf2y/eli5_why_do_people_take_taxis_when_public/
{ "a_id": [ "ckwvj0s", "ckwvj3n", "ckwvjrj", "ckwvkfw", "ckwvqhw", "ckwx0rq" ], "score": [ 6, 2, 3, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Time is money, and a taxi will get you from Point A to Point D, not Point A to B to C to pretty close to D. It's expensive, but if you d...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
359eaj
how a digital camera (e.g. on a smartphone) works and how it differs from a film camera
still dk how it works
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/359eaj/eli5_how_a_digital_camera_eg_on_a_smartphone/
{ "a_id": [ "cr2a25t" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "In black-and-white film, light hits chemical A on the film. The incoming light photons knock free electrons from those chemicals, causing them to break apart into a form A'. When the film is developed, a third chemical is applied that only bon...
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[]
[ [] ]
c84zy2
why does touching the bulbs from headlights damage them but most other lightbulbs are fine to touch?
If you've ever changed your headlights yourself someone has probably given you the standard spiel about not touching them with your bare hands because the oils on your skin will damage them. But why is this an issue for headlights but not other types of lights?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/c84zy2/eli5_why_does_touching_the_bulbs_from_headlights/
{ "a_id": [ "esjwfzi", "esjx18a", "esjx29n", "esjxkqd", "esk88qc" ], "score": [ 7, 3, 2, 10, 2 ], "text": [ "Lighting tech here, a lot of lamps require this kind of treatment. Basically only leds and household lamps have protection.", "Car headlight bulbs run a ...
[]
[]
[ [], [], [], [], [] ]
11rzgg
what do people mean when they say that "true" communism has never been practiced?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/11rzgg/what_do_people_mean_when_they_say_that_true/
{ "a_id": [ "c6p2mw3", "c6p2sgf" ], "score": [ 15, 4 ], "text": [ "To be truly communistic, you can't have social classes. In every communistic regime of the 20th and 21st century, the members of the communistic party have been a de facto ruling class with privileges, and material possess...
[]
[]
[ [], [] ]
4ytly3
why are most plastic grocery bags white?
White is the default color for plastic bags, why is this? is this the natural color of the plastic & hence the cheapest color to produce?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4ytly3/eli5why_are_most_plastic_grocery_bags_white/
{ "a_id": [ "d6qd6ys", "d6qdt8c", "d6qez5d" ], "score": [ 3, 2, 4 ], "text": [ "I don't know the answer but I would guess it's because then it would be usable by any store and color wouldn't be a problem for any bag sellers. They can just change out the lettering as needed but sti...
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[ [], [], [] ]
3m01vb
this video of a jewish professor and a muslim student
_URL_0_
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3m01vb/eli5_this_video_of_a_jewish_professor_and_a/
{ "a_id": [ "cvasvdf", "cvativr" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "He was saying the extremist views are not extremist, but general Muslim views, she way saying that's BS, he asked to her to denounce extremists, she wouldn't. [He's not wrong.](_URL_0_) ", "It's a pretty straightforwar...
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[ "https://youtu.be/7yGN8SlIEZ8" ]
[ [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV710c1dgpU" ], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_Students'_Association#Controversies" ] ]
5hk6o7
what is the study of economics?
i know the basic like scarcity and allocating resources efficiently but how would you best describe it short?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5hk6o7/eli5_what_is_the_study_of_economics/
{ "a_id": [ "db0s66j" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "You basically described it. **Economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources.** Within economics there is micro and macroeconomics. Microeconomics studies decisions within a household. A farmer experiencing diminishing returns on a ...
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3rsodm
why do day traders need so many computer screens and what do they do?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3rsodm/eli5_why_do_day_traders_need_so_many_computer/
{ "a_id": [ "cwqy6ap", "cwqz7d5" ], "score": [ 3, 4 ], "text": [ "they buy and sell the same stock on the same day within hours or sometimes even minutes/seconds, so they need to track real time movement of all the stocks they are holding that day (ideally a day trader does not hold any st...
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[ [], [] ]
74rzn0
how does satellite communications constantly work since it's not always lined up with your location and could be on the other side of the earth?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/74rzn0/eli5_how_does_satellite_communications_constantly/
{ "a_id": [ "do0on1g", "do0oucx", "do1390h" ], "score": [ 5, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Satellites used for communication are generally in Geostationary orbit, that means that they're always over the same spot on the Earth so you're always talking to the same satellite.\n\nThat satellite h...
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[]
[ [], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_satellite" ], [] ]
6vwq4s
how can you get a lot of calories from peanuts if they seem to pass right through?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6vwq4s/eli5_how_can_you_get_a_lot_of_calories_from/
{ "a_id": [ "dm3lvjl", "dm3vk4u", "dm3xzi3" ], "score": [ 6, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Food is energy for our bodies. We measure that energy in calories, or the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of a gram of water by a single degree Celsius. Some food is better at storing...
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[ [], [], [] ]
46hnl4
if "ren and stimpy" was geared towards adults, why was it on nickelodeon?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/46hnl4/eli5_if_ren_and_stimpy_was_geared_towards_adults/
{ "a_id": [ "d056up8" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Because no 'adult' stations would pick it up, so they cleaned it up (a little) and pitched it as a kids show.\n\nI think the same thing happened with spongebob" ] }
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[ [] ]
2c4efj
how can being homeless be made a crime?
Some cities ([example](_URL_1_), [example](_URL_0_)) are moving to make homelessness a crime. I don't understand - not having a home isn't really a choice, like stealing or murder. Where do the cities expect people to go? Do they have facilities to house everyone? Do they have jails to house all the homeless peop...
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2c4efj/eli5_how_can_being_homeless_be_made_a_crime/
{ "a_id": [ "cjbtl20", "cjbts9b", "cjbub4j" ], "score": [ 4, 9, 5 ], "text": [ "This is a hard question. For me, I was homeless for three years, but I tried everything I could to get a job, get a place of my own, and get on my feet. I went from shelter to delete shelter, and someti...
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[ "http://www.npr.org/2012/04/06/149526299/homelessness-becomes-a-crime-in-hungary", "http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/homelessness-now-crime-cities-throughout-u-s/" ]
[ [], [], [] ]
902dkh
company ownership re: papa john's
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/902dkh/eli5_company_ownership_re_papa_johns/
{ "a_id": [ "e2n8psn", "e2nbqul", "e2nec8t" ], "score": [ 6, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "You start out with a small business that you can build by working hard at regular jobs and saving up (less than $100k). Maybe it's a hit, and you're earning good. Maybe you take some of those funds an...
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[ [], [], [] ]
3xs3y8
whats the significance of the falcon 9 first stage landing?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3xs3y8/eli5_whats_the_significance_of_the_falcon_9_first/
{ "a_id": [ "cy7ap0j", "cy7aqjo" ], "score": [ 4, 2 ], "text": [ "It makes going to space a lot cheaper. Building the rocket is very expensive, and then it can only be used once. If it can land and then be reused, the costs of the first stage go from fuel + rocket and rocket engine to just...
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6b1xlu
how does the inside of a record spin the same speed as the outside of a record if the outside has to travel more distance?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6b1xlu/eli5_how_does_the_inside_of_a_record_spin_the/
{ "a_id": [ "dhj56i8", "dhj57d4", "dhj7bx0" ], "score": [ 6, 8, 3 ], "text": [ "They're at the same *degrees* per second, but not the same *distance* per second. The linear speed is different.\n\nBoth are moving 360 degrees, but the outside edge is moving much faster than the cent...
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[ [], [], [] ]
2vtb25
what happens to the stuff i return to amazon?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2vtb25/eli5_what_happens_to_the_stuff_i_return_to_amazon/
{ "a_id": [ "cokxx6z" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "It goes back to Amazon's warehouse or the vendor you purchased it from." ] }
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4v4djp
what is the benefit of running linux on a chromebook?
I've read a bunch of web articles that give an overview of how to "unlock a Chromebook's full potential" by using Crouton to install Linux. They all say how awesome this is and give detailed instructions for how to go about it but I can't really find any information as to why this could be beneficial, especially for a ...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4v4djp/eli5_what_is_the_benefit_of_running_linux_on_a/
{ "a_id": [ "d5vd47r", "d5vd5la", "d5vhpdy" ], "score": [ 4, 3, 2 ], "text": [ "Not really.\n\nIf you use your Chromebook for internet browsing, YouTube, Facebook, etc, then I wouldn't worry about it.\n\nInstilling Linux on a Chromebook would probably just allow you access to a lar...
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371ps7
what is the purpose of a microphone preamp in a studio
I have a soft voice, and I want to record from home, should I get a preamp to make my voice sound bigger/louder?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/371ps7/eli5_what_is_the_purpose_of_a_microphone_preamp/
{ "a_id": [ "crixw3t" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "That's not the purpose of a mic preamp. Any preamp, really.\n\nYour mic outputs a tiny tiny signal, and roughly no current at all. A preamp will amplify the signal and current to standard (line) levels, comparable to a guitar or any other input.\...
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c8azsi
how does grass make pollen?
I can’t find any answers online, all I find is articles about allergies. I thought maybe the grass didn’t make pollen until it grew very tall and flowered but these allergy articles talk as if grass makes pollen no matter what stage of life, they talk about mowing your lawn and allergies. Unless you haven’t mowed in a ...
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/c8azsi/eli5_how_does_grass_make_pollen/
{ "a_id": [ "esles14", "esll08z" ], "score": [ 17, 9 ], "text": [ "It depends on what type of grass it is. In particular a lot of common lawn grasses like couch will flower when still quite short. For wind pollinated grasses it can be hard to even tell when they are flowering too unless yo...
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[ [], [] ]
1trpw4
i have smoked hookah, countless spliffs and recently i acquired a pack of cigarettes but only smoked them when impaired. how come i dont have nicotine cravings or ever want a cigarette?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1trpw4/eli5_i_have_smoked_hookah_countless_spliffs_and/
{ "a_id": [ "ceasu9y", "ceavcnf", "ceaxkcq" ], "score": [ 2, 32, 4 ], "text": [ "You don't smoke them enough, and probably get more enjoyment from trees. Before chemical addiction is habit addiction. You haven't made them a habit.", "Because nicotine and cigarettes are slow and...
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oquuu
- why do some smokes (popcorn, hair, cigarette) have a stronger, more lingering odor than others?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/oquuu/eli5_why_do_some_smokes_popcorn_hair_cigarette/
{ "a_id": [ "c3jbekr" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "When substances are burned they undergo a chemical change that releases both chemicals already within the substances and the new chemicals developed by heating those substances. Depending on the specific chemicals, proteins and amino acids presen...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction" ] ]
2bs1kx
how do genealogy websites that are used to reveal your family tree work? do they work as well as advertised? who is compiling all of this information?
I have friends who use these websites (they're pretty common so I don't think I need to list any names) and they seem to work pretty well to my surprise. What I don't understand is how they work, and who's job it was to compile this data.
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2bs1kx/eli5how_do_genealogy_websites_that_are_used_to/
{ "a_id": [ "cj8bnsh", "cj8cjrt", "cj8d28o", "cj8dj5t", "cj8dkt6", "cj8eefv", "cj8lwx4", "cj8nkjg", "cj8oqpe" ], "score": [ 2, 32, 6, 5, 16, 6, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "information is public records. all marriage and birth certificates ...
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[]
[ [], [], [ "genealogy.com" ], [], [ "Ancestry.com" ], [], [], [ "ancestry.com", "Familysearch.org", "Ancestry.com", "Fold3.com", "Genealogy.com", "findagrave.com", "MyFamily.com", "Rootsweb.com", "Archives.com" ], [ "Ancestry.com", "Genealogy....
393unb
what is apple's swift, and why is it a big deal?
It's an open-source what now?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/393unb/eli5_what_is_apples_swift_and_why_is_it_a_big_deal/
{ "a_id": [ "cs05x7v", "cs0bi4i" ], "score": [ 71, 10 ], "text": [ "It's a programming language Apple made because making your own programming language is apparently what all the cool kids are doing these days (Google has Go and Dart, Microsoft has C# and F#, Facebook has Hack, Mozilla has...
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[ [], [] ]
6p1dfa
when cooking bacon, how come the ends always swell up in a large piece of fat?
The fat seems to be evenly distributed throughout a piece of bacon when raw, but when I cook it, the ends always swell up as if there is more fat there than elsewhere in the bacon. I suspect this has something to do with the way the protiens shirink as it cooks or something, but I am mostly just making that up.
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6p1dfa/eli5_when_cooking_bacon_how_come_the_ends_always/
{ "a_id": [ "dklu0xt" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "The center of your pan is hotter than the edges. So the center cooks faster and it looks like there's more fat on the ends. If you cook your bacon in a pan that distributes the heat more evenly or in the oven, this won't be an issue. " ] }
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1kssvi
if the nsa can reach 75% of the internet, then what about the deep web and the crimes that go on there?
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1kssvi/eli5_if_the_nsa_can_reach_75_of_the_internet_then/
{ "a_id": [ "cbs8la1" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text": [ "First: The NSA may see that someone is asking for (for example) child pornography but they don't see *who* is asking. For example because they use TOR.\n\nSecond: The amount of data the NSA has is so big, that it's simply not worth to investigate...
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5ed460
how would privatized social security work?
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5ed460/eli5_how_would_privatized_social_security_work/
{ "a_id": [ "dabxvc0" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "It would work like a mandatory IRA/401K. \n\nYou would be legally required to put some of your income into a long term retirement savings plan, but you would get to decide how that money was invested.\n\nThe upside is most people would wind up w...
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4cja5s
compared to most other developed nations - primarily those in western europe and australia - why is the united states so much more nationalistic and proud of their military and country than their counterparts in the developed world?
[deleted]
explainlikeimfive
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4cja5s/eli5_compared_to_most_other_developed_nations/
{ "a_id": [ "d1iq3cx", "d1iqcqu" ], "score": [ 2, 4 ], "text": [ "What leads you conclude the US is unique in this regard? Any support for your claim? ", "The citizens in Europe largely have a very ancient history with much of that as *not* that country. So, for instance, you're a citi...
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kpa0j
the whole solyndra inc issue
explainlikeimfive
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/kpa0j/eli5_the_whole_solyndra_inc_issue/
{ "a_id": [ "c2m2hud", "c2m4wum", "c2m2hud", "c2m4wum" ], "score": [ 8, 2, 8, 2 ], "text": [ "Well, ELI5 answers are supposed to be non-political, but this is a question about a political fight between conservatives and liberals. I'm a liberal, so I probably can't do the c...
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