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Why do we (mostly in the western hemisphere) not eat insects? | 1. People think insects are gross, and we don't want to eat things that we think are gross. 2. A lot of people don't like seeing the fact that their food is an animal. Eating things with the head still on it, or eating things that are recognizably body parts, tends to turn people off. Because bugs are so small, it's ha... |
Why some people hear instruments while other people hear lyrics primarily when they listen to music. | I play mainly percussive fingerstyle acoustic guitar and I'm self taught. When I started figuring out how to play, I'd separate the baseline, the melody, and the percussion. Because I'm so focused on the melody and the notes that make it, I never pay attention to the words that are actually sung to the tune of the melo... |
I sent a physical letter to Barack Obama and received an email in response. I never disclosed my email address. How did this happen? | When I interned for the state assembly we keep a record of everyone's email/number/address on a program called LCMS. Every time a letter would come in we would look up the person or address to see if they were already in the system and then mark that they mailed us something, what they said, and then reply through emai... |
Why do people faint at high G forces? | The G-force forces the blood in the body to drain away from the brain, which causes you to pass out. It doesn't cause permanent damage. Part of it is just the terror of what's happening to them. |
Why can individuals create mods for games that improve the graphics drastically, but developers can't include them in the original game? | Those mods add a lot of data to the game that only those with high-end computers can typically handle utilizing. Leaving out the very high-end options could allow a game to be 8 gigabytes rather than 12, for example, and would be preferable for 90% of consumers anyways. A lower file size is beneficial for a huge number... |
why casinos always win? | They carefully set the odds so that the players win just enough to stay interested and think that just maybe they can win a mint, while leaving the advantage on the house's side. For example, if they were offering a bet on a coin flip, with heads and tails each being an exact 50% probability, they'd pay 48%. It doesn't... |
Why does bottled water cost more than soda or beer? | The cost of anything is not related to it's intrinsic value - ie the value of the raw goods it is made out of + the manufacturing costs. IT is simply a function of what consumers will pay for it. A company will work out a function of how many sales they can get for a product at a given price, and then choose the price ... |
Why the shower curtain gets sucked in to the shower when the hot water is turned on? | From _URL_7_, [this is the explanation] that comes closest to being simple and straightforward that I've found. |
How does stock market work to improve the economy? | Lets say that you own a lemonade stand. It does pretty well, people like your lemonade. But you know you could make a lot more money if you had a lemonade store downtown. That takes a lot of money to open. You ask your mom, and she only has $50 to lend you. You ask around town, and again all your friends can only spare... |
. Why is Shaun of the Dead so highly regarded among horror film fans? | It was a very genre savvy yet subtle parody that also played well as a movie on its own merits. *Scary Movie*, in contrast, was a more heavy handed, over the top parody that didn't really let it be a real movie. |
Mechanical Keyboards and how they differ. | Mechanical keyboards often use [Cherry MX switches], as opposed to the more common rubber dome/membrane mechanisms. There are other types of mechanical switch , but IMO Cherry is the most common. For me, the biggest difference between the two types lies in the 'activation point', or how far down you have to press a key... |
Why does saliva feel like it has no taste? Is it actually tasteless? | In order to taste something you need a receptor for it. Different receptors taste different molecules and the combination gives things complex identifiable flavor. We purposefully don't detect our own mouth secretions, we lack the receptors, as they would create too much noise with other tastes. |
How did the color green become associated with being correct, while the color red became associated with being wrong? | [Citation needed] for all the answers so far. It's a really interesting question, and even though this is ELI5 it deserves a well-researched answer supported by evidence.This is mostly western culture. In Japan for instance green is associated with the jungle and thus bad due to the many dangers of the jungleYou should... |
Why would you download "Find my iPhone" on your own phone if you can't use it without having your phone? | You can actually find it from the website, find my iPhone, and it works. I don't know if you need the app, but it definitely finds your iphone.If you lose one device you can use any other device to find it. Lose your phone, find it with your iPad, Mac, or iPod touch. Lose your iPad, find it with your iPhone, Mac, iPod ... |
Why don't states in the U.S have high speed rails connecting their major cities? | I think part of the problem is a lot of the commuter train lines are subsidized as it is. I know Amtrak is subsidized cause it can't make it on its own just off of ticket sales. So states are hesitant to build a train line if the ones that already exist are subsidized.This US is very large and spread out. It would be p... |
why do many stereo receivers display their volume "backwards" (where zero is the loudest)? | Also, loudest is not always 0. Since have a 'reference' level that is 0 and you can actually go above that. _URL_0_ |
How does jumping off bridge into water work for suicide? | Surface tension of the water causes it to basically be as solid as concrete for the first instant you'd hit it. Contrary to popular media, you can't survive a fall from a massive height by splashing into water. If the impact with the waters surface doesn't kill you, shock, drowning, or injuries will. |
If Bill Cosby has been drugging/harassing women for years, why would they only now accuse him? | They wouldn't. He's been accused in the past, but his lawyers successfully silenced the accusations through huge legal threats. It's only when several people realised they weren't the only victims and that he wouldn't be able to silence them all that they've come forward. [Heck, one such instance was even public but we... |
Why can we recreate sounds and images on our minds very well but not smells or tastes? | Burning brakes .. singed hair .. burnt popcorn baked bread .. fresh cut grass Still don't smell anything? |
How can athletes cost so much, earn so much and still make a profit for their teams? | Because you have millions of fans spending billions of dollars and the money goes to a few dozen players. A baseball team has 25 players on the roster. Teams' overall payrolls are something around $100 million. The team sells 2 million tickets at $40 -- that's $80 million. Those 2 million fans spend $20 each on food, b... |
Why do many people consider it racist to compare the gay rights movement with the civil rights movement? | The sentiment I've heard is that the government responded to 1960's civil rights events much more violently than they do gay rights events. Black protesters were commonly sprayed with fire hoses, attacked by police dogs, and beaten by riot police. Gay rights events have faced much less official opposition. Personally, ... |
Why we experience the sensation of falling in our dreams/when we wake up | Saw a video recently that suggests this falling feeling is an ancient reflex we developed as tree dwelling primates who'd need to be able to grab a hold of something before falling out of a tree. Not so sure about it as I'm not sure what would trigger this response while lying in bed. |
ELI: Evolution, and how we are so certain of it? | Evolution itself is a very simple process, based on 3 facts: 1. Animals are like their parents: Your body is built from instructions in your DNA, and you get your DNA from your parents. This is why people look like their parents.2. Animals are not *exact* copies of their parents: There are some random changes made in t... |
How does Giant Eagle not lose money by offering Fuel Perks? | What they're losing on gas they're more than making up on food. Also, chances are that 1,000,000 people are spending $100/week on groceries. That would mean the grocery store is making $100,000,000/week anyways which is great. |
What happens when you crack your knuckles? Is it bad for you? | I think it's bubbles of synovial fluid popping in the joints. I haven't read any evidence that its harmful. |
Why are most canned foods high in sodium? Doesn't the canning process eliminate the need for preservatives? | Humans also have what is known as a 'bliss point' in which foods are perfectly balanced and we love them. It's true for sugar and salt. So food companies want to give you that 'bliss point' and they have been engineering food for years to have fat, sugar and salt levels that make you achieve said 'bliss point' and crav... |
Why do car companies release their next year cars mid way through the current year? | *Not for 5 year old:* Cars are released when they're released. Depending on the scope of the vehicle they have anywhere from a 24 month to 60 month development and launch time. They're all on strict schedules, and generally meet the schedule. Let's say a manufacturer has 20 cars in its lineup. Sure, since there's a str... |
Why does MLP attract so many weird adult fans while other children's cartoons do not? | Its story had continuity and the fantastic world is fairly well developed the humour is for all ages the lessons are good basically its just a really good show. Avatar, Dragon Ball, Pokemon off the top of my head are childrens shows that appeal to an adult audience what makes MLP different is that its so absurd and cri... |
Why is it that certain commodities are untenable to produce in relatively small amounts but sustainable to the business when mass-produced? | Generally it's about economy of scale. The amount of work that goes in to producing something is spread among all the items that sell. So if it costs $100 to do all the work to design and produce a lightbulb and you make one, you have to sell it for more than $100 to make any profit. And that may be a price nobody want... |
Why when you are lacking sleep do you get black marks under your eyes, then when you catch up they disappear? | Sleep deprivation causes a cascade of hormonal ill effects, including reduced leptin, human growth hormone, and thyroid simulating hormone; insulin resistance; and increased cortisol. Cortisol increases blood pressure and dilates blood vessels, including the capillaries under your eyes, causing he dark blood circles un... |
How does killing the heads of terrorists groups actually help end terrorism? | in organizations where the #1 actually are the head of the chain of command, the bottom tiers won't be able to coordinate as effectively. however in organizations where left hand does't know and doesn't care what the right hand is doing, killing #1 on the left hand don't have any effect on what the right hand is doing. |
how come when other animals mate with their siblings, no birth defects are typically present, but when humans do, there is a high chance of birth defects? | Yeah if you've got defects in the animal kingdom then you're on your own and not for very long |
What would the Earth look like if you're in a helicopter and an earthquake happened? | I am speculating here from having personally seen rock quarry blastings, but as the explosion spreads outwards you see a shimmer that is a pressure wave. It's literally a pressure gradient of air. It wouldn't seem too far of a jump that the earth moving such a large mass upward/downward/sideways even a short distance w... |
Why do the Fruit of the Loom socks that I always buy come in a resealable bag? | If i were to guess, it has to do with the sealing process. to seal a plastic bag, you need heat. It could be that there's a risk of fire or damaging the products to heat seal cotton socks in a plastic bag, so they use reseallable bags to circumvent this process.Maybe to encourage you to reduce, recycle, RE-USE? One les... |
what the hell this John Cena thing is? Why is he everywhere? | John Cena is a WWE wrestler. In WWE, it's common for wrestlers to have flamboyant, LOUD introductions for their arena entrance. This one just happened to become a meme, similar to 'IT'S ME AUSTIN, IT WAS ME ALL ALONG, AUSTIN' and the like. |
Why is high fructose corn syrup considered so unhealthy for you? | A simple explanation would be that normal sugar increasing in intake would result in an increase of insulin - leading to no longer feeling hungry. Fructose doesn't cause the same reaction in insulin in the body, and is converted more readily in to fat . So not only do you not get the reduced hunger as you consume more,... |
Why do we follow the Gregorian calendar globally and what would be feasible alternatives? | Answer: Because of capitalism and the incredible power that western economies have, globally. Alternatives: Not as long as western money is running things, they won't be viable. But basically any calendar system can work as long as it respects the math of the earth's orbit. We only use this one because of the global ec... |
How did the UK NHS system work, what did the recent reform bill do to the system and what are the reasons for it? | > why is competition good in healthcare sector? Essentialy it's not, but we have lots of people who give lots of money to the people who run our country and then by chance the people who run our country decided that they have the same beliefs as the people who gave them the money. > And if it is really as bad as everyo... |
If a dead body is buried with baby fruit tree planted over it, when the tree bears fruit, would that fruit contain any identifiable human genetics/traces? | I read an article some time back about a specific combination of isotopes found in plant life along rivers that had annual salmon breeding. I'll try to look it up so you can verify yourself. This is no where near what would be considered genetic traces, however at the atomic level it appears your atoms will become the ... |
What's so wrong with steaks cooked well done? | Steak connoisseurs tends to react badly to taking a good steak and preparing it well-done because the process of overcooking it removes most of the effort that went into making it a good steak. It would taste about the same as a $5 steak from Safeway. But if you like the taste, by all means buy those $5 steaks and make... |
Why can't the wire between a bomb and the timer just be cut? | Its best to remove or disable the fuse if you can, If you were to remove the fuse basically its just as effective as a kitchen timer. This wont work for dirty bombs, you'll just die. |
Why do our bodies waste so much good water when we pee? | Somewhat correct. When we drink too much water, the urine is clear - this is called dilute urine. This is the scenario where we've taken in more than we need and the kidneys filter out the extra, to preserve the balance in the blood. When we don't take in enough, our urine is very dark colored, and this is called conce... |
How come if fat is stored up excess energy, why can't heavier people do more athletic activities than skinnier people? | Think of a car. Muscles are the engine and fat is the fuel. Give a car a whole trailer full of gas and it won't perform any better even though it has more fuel. Give it a better engine and it will perform better. It's not the amount of fuel that matter but rather the size and power of the engine. Now g |
CNN reporter Chris Cuomo said on air that its illegal for a citizen to study wikileak emails, is this true? | It's not true. Some speculated that he said that because he was a Hillary Clinton supporter and was trying to help kill the story and prevent it from propagating. Others believe he was just misinformed. |
Why can Western Union keep your money without your permission? | Because they're trying to prevent their services from being used for illegal shit. It's the same reason a cop can search you if you're carrying $10,000 in cash. It's suspicious. |
If i am lying in bed with my eyes shut without moving but i'm still awake, can i still get the benefits of being in an actual sleep state? | These are all very interesting comments, I have a question though. Sometimes I force myself into lucid dreams after I've had plenty of sleep, does that kind of sleep count? |
Why do countries like the US and Canada have civilian flights available to Ebola infected countries like Liberia? | Actually Canada has no direct flights to any of the Ebola affected areas. There just isn't enough volume, all would be a two or more stopover flights.A better question would be why do they not quarrantine passengers who board from infected areas for a period of time equal to the typical incubation period of Ebola befor... |
Why is Teddy Roosevelt so revered? | About Roosevelt being the first President to invite a black man, Booker T. Washington, to eat at the White House. Yes, Roosevelt was the first President to invite a black man to dinner, and it was one of the very first things he did, and it was a big deal. Then it became a very big deal. Then it became an enormous deal... |
How does dominos pizza have a single number to call the most local place, while their landline number is much different? | It's not a call center, it's a simple piece of hardware/software that contains a data base and routes based off of the call information coming from the originating local C.O. You point 1 number at the equipment and it does the work. |
Cats are predators. Why are they so skittish? | Cats are *small* predators. Meaning they're not at the top of the food chain, and there are plenty of other animals out there that could in turn predate upon them.Frogs are predators, should one bravely warn off a guy with a gigging stick? |
Why is Google Maps slower now than five years ago? | [Google redesigned the architecture to make it vector based ] Supposedly it'll feel slow for a few years till hardware catches up, or it could just grow bigger with time and stay as slow as it is. As with everything else alphabet the user experience was far better 5 years ago. I don't know what the hell happened in goo... |
When and why did the image of what is attractive move from a little bit of fat to very low body fat percentage? | It's not just body fat. In the old days, it used to be attractive to be as pale as possible, because being tanned meant you had to labor out in the fields, which meant you had to work. If you were pale, you were inside all day, and were wealthy enough to not work. Nowadays, it's the opposite. Paleness is unattractive t... |
What social factors caused Austin, a liberal hipster enclave, to develop in the middle of a highly conservative state? | Believe it or not, there are a lot of liberals in Texas in the current gubernatorial race, Wendy Davis is polling 35-40% not great, but in a state of 26 million, that's a lot of liberal leaning people. So you have Austin, a university town with a progressive music scene, already skewing aware from conservative. If you ... |
the difference between 32 and 64 bit software | Think of a computer program as having three parts. 1. Workers 2. A Desk to work on, 3. Warehouse space A 32 bit program is like having a 32 by 32 inch work Desk, you can only work on something that will fit on your work desk. A 64 bit program gives you a much larger 64 by 64 inch work desk, so you can work on larger th... |
How exactly do exo suits work? | Basicly, an exo-suit or exo-skeleton is a machine that enhances your strength and other abilities. It doesn't move on its own, but it waits till the user moves. Then it moves with you . This isn't more exhausting than normal, since the suit provides its own power. This way you have more power when moving, since not onl... |
Why do beer or soda cans I leave empty on my desk stick to the desk and leave a ring even though nothing was spilled? | I think you're pretty close to the real answer. Somewhere along the line it gets dirty but it dries up. Then, when you take it from the fridge it starts to build condensation, it gets wet, and the dirty stuff on the bottom of the can rubs off. |
Why colonize Mars and not Antarctica? | Because there are no penguins on Mars, so you don't have to worry about PETA showing up and protesting.Did you just watch Waterworld for the first time? |
When a game on Steam is on sale - who gets the smaller cut? Is Steam making less money when something has a discount or is it all on the studio? | I don't know the specifics and can only assume but here goes. Valve takes a regular cut from sales of other parties video games, IIRC it's 35% Now Valve doesn't own the games being sold like say a retailer owns the hard copy, it creates licenses and can distribute these to allow people to play the game on their own ser... |
Why do we salivate and gulp when we are nervous or put on the spot? | My take on it is that your body is preparing to vomit, and that is why the extra saliva is produced. |
Why is the sound of heart beats so unsettling? | In horror movies, when you hear the heart beat there's an implication that the beat is going to stop soon. That creates suspense. |
When knocked unconscious, what bodily function wakes a person back up? What determines when and how quickly it happens? | If anyone wants answers from an experiential point of view, I'm in the unique position to be able to discuss the following phenomena: - syncope due to cerebral hypoxia - traumatic brain injury - concussion - bonus: status cataplecticus! - also conscious sedation and general anesthesia |
The difference between a masters degree, and a bachelors degree | It's two more years of higher level, specialized study. A bachelors degree is four years of general study, with maybe a third of that dedicated to knowledge that is relevant to one particular branch of study, with most of *that* being foundational stuff . |
The mythology of The Legend of Zelda | The most commonly accepted theory, both by fans and developers, is the [Split Timeline theory], in which the time-travel plot of Ocarina of Time creates two Hyrules, one with Link still around as a child and another where Link isn't around, Ganon returns, and Hyrule becomes flooded . That wiki pages gives a great expla... |
Why didn't the US experience hyperinflation that many economists and politicians said was going to happen when the FED did its quantitative easing during the Great Recession? | The issue with quantitative easing is that it devalues investment in the nation, so it usually becomes more difficult for the government to sell debt. This can have catastrophic results as debt transitions from a reasonable security to worthless paper . However, this did not occur with the U.S. because U.S. remained on... |
If photons are particles, how can they pass through solid objects i.e. the outer glass of a lightbulb, or even skin? | Thanks all for the helpful comments! I had been racking my brain for a while and just couldn't make sense of it. |
If we came into contact with aliens, how would we actually speak to one another with our different languages? | Something like Pythagorean's Theorem would be a universal concept assuming communication was at least visual, you could draw a triangle with sides 3, 4, 5 that would be fairly simple for anyone to understand graphically. Perhaps a diagram of our solar system, indicating Earth in orbit, demonstrates that we understand o... |
How does it hurt someone to be over-qualified for a job? | It's hard taking direction from someone who has less qualifications than yourself. Seen this many times. Doesn't matter what your intent is, if you know how to do something, and someone with no clue is trying to tell you different, well it's hard to be the good employee. But if it's a different field it's often not a p... |
How were candy flavors like apple and cherry created when they taste nothing like an actual apple or cherry? | Inside the fruits there are molecules that our tongues can interpret as tastes. Once you figure out which it is it's just a matter of making it in a lab and testing it. |
How do we know what the Milky Way Galaxy looks like from above and where we are in relation to it? | For a long time, we actually didn't. It was only in the 1990's that astronomers actually began to suspect that the Milky Way was a barred spiral galaxy, rather than a classic spiral galaxy, and this was only confirmed in 2005, by the infrared Spitzer Space Telescope. The reason we couldn't see it beforehand is that the... |
ELI22: How do I move out of my parent's house? | First of all, where are you living? Can you get good jobs where you are now? Can you work in your field there? How expensive is the cost of living in your area? Most people I know who moved did WAY better in their new location because they were able to pick a place to live that fit with their situation and skills. Movi... |
How do animals know to make eye contact with humans and other animals? | Eye contact is a behaviour that's not unique to humans and in most mammals is a signal for dominance / aggression. |
why does it seem like i lose the ability to hold it in when i reach the restroom? | It's probably a Pavlovian response. You've trained yourself to subconsciously know that the bathroom is where you do your business, so when you walk in, you may suddenly start needing to go, or if you already need to go, the urge will increase. Your body knows it's about to go, so it subconsciously starts letting your ... |
Why do small bugs (gnats etc.) seem to hover around and fly into my eyes far more often than everywhere else on my person? | Selection bias. You see out of your eyes, so of course you're going to notice bugs near your eyes moreso than bugs, say, near your ankles. |
For an older guy who wants to play games, how does steam work? | Steam is a service from which you can buy and trade games via your computer. DLC is downloadable content that requires the game first to use it. First download the Steam client Make an account. Then find whatever game you want through that program. For knowing which games are good: There's reviews sections on each game... |
would I get in trouble for not pulling over if I believed that the person pulling me over was just someone impersonating an officer? What's the protocol if I think such a thing? | Immediately call 911 and ask to verify. You won't get in trouble unless you speed off and try to evade. Drive at normal speed until you get to a public area that's lighted and other people are at. If they ask, you simply explain your precaution. |
why don't police officers drive normal everyday cars as undercover vehicles? Instead of using police cruisers without lights? | I suspect it's because even an undercover cop car should still have the same tweaks that a regular police cruiser does . However, I have seen at least one normal car used as an undercover car. It was some Dodge minivan, maroon, no markings, but it had police lights on the inside. Saw it parked in the streets, lights fl... |
if lightning is 5x hotter than the surface of the sun how can people survive being struck? | specific heat. specific heat is the amount of energy it takes to heat something. it takes very little energy to heat air, whereas is takes huge amounts of energy to heat water. a similar thing happens with sparks. an individual spark is hotter than the sun, but it has so little mass that there is very little energy in ... |
What exactly urges us to press the traffic light crossing button even though we know that it was pressed before? | with older people pushing buttons either repeatedly or harder comes from prior experience with mechanical buttons that had contacts that became worn with age. as they became worn you needed to press then harder or more times to make contact. you see it with touch-screens even though pushing harder doesn't do anything. ... |
If someone's date of birth is unknown, how do they get a passport or any other kind of identification? | There was a Radio Lab, a podcast, recently talking about a women from a family that had all their kids at home no doctors. She finally left the family when she was 18. But doesn't have a social security number or a birth certificate. She then has a huge legal battle trying to get those |
Why do some man grow red beards? | No one mentioned how many species have different fur colors on the front and back of their bodies. The nose is where the line is drawn between front and back .I am blond, well mostly bald now. So blond and bald. My beard was ferociously red until it started turning gray. Why did I grow a red beard? Because it was the o... |
Best Of 2012 Contest Thread | raks1991 - [Explain cricket like I'm 5 ]", 'Aorian: [Why should I uninstall a program when I could just delete it directly from the hard drive?]', "sethist: [Why it's not considered false advertising when companies use the word 'unlimited', when in fact it is limited.]", '> Nominations end November 29, 2012 at 12:00PM ... |
What would happen if I tried to deposit $1 trillion in the bank? | If it is legitimate, they would likely accept any amount. Routine is probably in the thousands or lower, unless it is a business banking account, then it will just depend upon the size of the business and what is considered normal based on historic deposits. The difference in all of the methods is really the settlement... |
"Data" is not a finite resource. How can telecom companies charge for "data use" when it literally is infinite? | Maintaining the entire network that allows you to transmit data is not free. Cables must be laid and maintained, cell towers must be erected and maintained. People must be paid to do that. I think a good analogy is why energy from a solar power plant isn't free. You're really paying for the hardware and service that al... |
Why are there different kinds of income (Interest, capital gains, salaries, etc.)? Why isn't it all just taxed at the same rate? | Because then you would actually be able to do your own taxes and tens of thousands if not more people wouldn't have a job. |
How the hell is the U.S. still allied with Saudi Arabia? And selling them F-35 Joint Strike Fighters regularly? | First of all, the US is not selling the F-35 JSF regularly to them. Not even a little bit. The list of nations that are approved for the F-35/nations that are partnered on the F-35 are: * United Kingdom* Italy* Norway* Denmark* Netherlands* Australia* South Korea* Japan* Turkey* Israel Second of all, despite what peopl... |
How did Elon Musk succeed in not getting stopped by the petrol lobby? | You are setting up an imaginary situation and then asking why it didn't take place. It could be because it never happened? There have been electric cars before, from many manufacturers. There still are, in fact. [Here's] a list of 25 or so from other manufacturers. |
How do sports commentators have access to such seemingly obscure facts and stats at all times? > | One of the pubs I visit has the pre-match notes made by a commentator for an international rugby match. It's a HUGE hand-written table on a, roughly, A0, piece of paper on which he's recorded everything about the teams, their record over the last few years, notes on anything interesting related to their other matches, ... |
How does youtube prevent videos of pornography or real death from being uploaded? Are there any notable instances of this happening? | Keep in mind, it's not really about preventing them from being uploaded, but taking them down swiftly. You can't really prevent anything from being uploaded ", 'There was that one time where people kept uploading porn with The Jonas Brothers in the titleThere was this one instance a few years back where a bunch of user... |
Why is it possible for a number on a pair of dice to be more statistically common to roll then other numbers? | Don't think of the total number. Instead, think of the pairs of numbers. Each pair of numbers is equally likely. So: 1,1 1,2 1,3 1,4 1,5 1,6 2,1 2,2 and so on. Already it should be clear that there is only one of these pairs that adds up to 2. Two pairs add up to 3 . So 3 is more likely than 2. If you do the whole exer... |
If muscle burns fat, why is it impossible to spot reduce? | Yarr! Yer not alone in askin', and kind strangers have explained: 1. [ELI5: How does your body decide where it takes fat from when you're burning fat? ]1. [ELI5: When you lose weight/fat, how does your body decide where to lose it from? ]1. [ELI5:How does spot reducing not work, if you can just build muscle in the plac... |
What, if any, are the negative consequences of the Affordable Healthcare Act (aka Obamacare)? | I'm a full time college student and my premium went up 23%. Better apply for some financial aid or start delivering 23% more pizzas! |
please: confirmation bias, strawmen, and other things I should know to help me evaluate arguments | One more thing to look out for is motivated reasoning. Humans generally don't look rationally at all the evidence, weigh it objectively and come to a logically conclusion. More often we start with a gut idea of the answer and then seek out confirming evidence and discount anything against it that comes our way. So, whe... |
How does the army/military wash clothes while deployed? | Depends. If they are at let's say camp leather neck they just drop it of and pick it up the next day. When I was deployed I was at a fob without running water so we used 5 gallon buckets and scrub brushes. and hung them out to dry. Which was the worst since sandstorms would come out of nowhere and make your wet clothes... |
If sweating is such a vital function; why is antiperspirant not considered harmful? | There are at least 2 classes of antipersparents. 1. Pore blockers. These are your right guards, and underarm sprays. They absorb moisture and form a film on the skin that plugs pores to limit sweat activity. They are also perfumed so that if you do sweat it will mask the odor. 2. Aluminum salts and other astringent sol... |
Why do people cover webcams with tapes on laptop? Should I do it? | They already answered the first part, the second part is no; the chances of your webcam getting hacked are low, the chance of you doing something Infront of your webcam that's important to hackers is near 0; you don't fill out your bank information Infront of your camera; you don't hold ISIS meetings Infront of your ca... |
How are humans aware of someone looking at them? How does it work? | I have a hypotheses. It's a defense system, to allow us to be aware of ourselves being stalked. |
Why does the U.S use the Electoral College instead of a popular vote? | Originally, the Electoral College was created as an independent body that elected the president. There are no federal laws that specify how a member of the College must vote - essentially, it was an elitist system that allowed a small number of people to choose the best president in their opinion. At the time, the popu... |
How does white milk make yellow/orange cheese? | Most cheese is naturally white. 9 times out of 10 if you see a yellow or orange cheese it's been dyed that way. |
How can a fighter jet, which has a massive combustion engine, refuel mid-air when I'm told not to refuel my sedan with the engine on? | A lot of people don't understand evap emissions controls. So basically, your entire car has sensors everywhere, all designed to do one thing: Make sure you're not releasing excess pollutants. One of these systems controls gasoline fumes, the evaporative emissions controls. Refuelling your car with the engine running wi... |
If my body produces completely new skin every month or so, why does it still look old and wrinkled? | Because cellular turnover slows as we age. It goes from every 28 or so days in youth, to every 100 days or more by the time we're in our 30's. So it's not a new skin every month anymore - there's dull, sometimes dry skin that's got fine lines and pigmentation from sun damage and pollution clinging on and making things ... |
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