query
stringlengths 8
249
| answer
stringlengths 45
7.8k
|
|---|---|
Why aren't dashcams being incentivised on a massive scale by insurance adjusters?
|
There are insurance companies, in the UK at least, who offer young drivers cheaper insurance for installing a telematics box in their cars. This box will give the insurance company details on how you drive, the types of roads you drive on, your mileage, your braking, your acceleration, and if you take breaks on long journeys. Since insurance for younger drivers here can cost more than the cheap car they're driving it can reduce costs significantly. I can see why adding a camera would be good too but I imagine that would require the driver store the footage somewhere, which would cost a fortune.
|
What's stopping me from building a rocket, landing on the moon and claiming land or the Moon itself as mine?
|
Because your post isn't asking a simplified conceptual explanation, but rather for an answer, it has been removed. You should try /r/answers, /r/askreddit or even one of the more specialized answers subreddits like /r/askhistorians, /r/askscience or others too numerous and varied to mention. Rest assured this doesn't make your question *bad*, it just makes it more appropriate for another subreddit. Good luck!
|
Why is it that when my feet are cold and I put them under my covers, they start sweating but they're still freezing?
|
I've never once in my entire life experienced this under any sort of cover or blanket. I am generally a very warmblooded sweaty gorilla but despite that my feet have a strong tendency to get cold and stay cold once they are cold. Putting them under a blanket slowly warms them up, zero sweating. Strange. [Male][40's]", 'Another possible reason, admittedly more likely in the case of a diabetic, is some degree of restricted circulation.
|
Why do we get the feeling that we want to jump down when we stand next to a cliff?
|
Take up a extreme sport, abseiling/rockclimbing, hanggliding, jumpsuit, etc. Honestly can't say why you feel like jumping but maybe you can change it to a safer thrill seeking hobbit.
|
How come cops still handcuff people that have been showered in bullets and are clearly dead.
|
Short answer: protocol Protocols exist for a reason, you can't just decide when to adhere to them.
|
what will happen if teneesee or texas secede?
|
Short answer: They won't. It's especially humorous people think a state secedes from the Union by petitioning the government of that Union for permission to make its own government. That's not how it's done.In addition to everything else said, the Dallas Cowboys *et al.* would have to get work visas to play road gamesI will move out of Texas really, really fast.If Tennessee secedes, I'm moving to the US.
|
Why is it that cynical and pessimistic people sound more inteligent than optimistic ones?
|
protip: they don't sound more intelligent. they just sound cynical and pessimistic.I never got that impression. Many scientists at my university are very optimistic about the future .
|
How a waiter can lose money if someone doesn't tip
|
A waiter's employer usually pays them around $2.50/hour. If they do not make the equivalent of minimum wage with tips their employer is legally obligated to reimburse them. However, servers generally make more than minimum wage every hour in tips, meaning getting reimbursed up to minimum wage because of shitty tippers means they are making less per hour than they usually would.
|
How can someone sleep on their arm and cut off the blood supply for 8+ hours without any injuries?
|
Among other things, the premise itself is wrong. You don't sleep in [one position] for 8 hours.
|
Why can we HEAR our joints crack? How does sound escape the inside of our body?
|
Sound actually travels faster through solids than air because the next molecule to be pushed by the wave is closer in these media than in a gas. So sound speed is gas < liquid < solid. That's all to say that it just goes from your meat space to the air space with a change in the medium, but no real problem for the wave propagation,but the sound exists inside you too. Think about hearing something with your head under water. The water is a different medium than we're used to listening in, but our eardrums are still vibrated by it and so we can still hear.
|
Why does blood not stick to human skin like a permanent marker, but will stain things like clothes so bad?
|
Blood comes off of clothes if washed with cold water. Hot water actually makes the blood stains permanent. It's a matter of what is being used to remove the stain. To remove a permanent marker stain, alcohol, being a favorable solvent, is a good alternative. Same way water for blood. What happens with hot water is that the biomolecules inside blood do get dissociated into simpler components which are not very affine with water.
|
Why is suicide illegal and the right to die such a controversial topic?
|
It's not beneficial for the human race as a whole, to want to die. Also, people just don't want to deal with the disturbing thought of it happening and would rather pretend that it doesn't happen.
|
Why was salt so valuable in the past?
|
Salt does a lot of things desirable in the past. First, it's a preservative. In the past, people didn't have refridgerators so meat would spoil. Salt would prevent spoiling and keep it tasting good. Second, Salt made food taste good. The availability of spices was much more limited than today. There weren't a lot of ways to flavor food so salt would not only preserve your food, but make it taste better.
|
If plants can convert Carbon Dioxide into Oxygen, why can't we create machines to do the same thing to control the amount of CO2 in the environment?
|
Actually, the trees convert CO2 into trees. Trees, like most living things, are called carbon based life for a reason. Look at the size and mass of a tree. The majority of its mass is from carbon atoms. The carbon atoms came from the air. So, a tree, which can weigh many tons, will contain many tons of carbon. That carbon was taken from the atmosphere and used to make a tree. It takes energy to do that, and it was almost all solar energy. So, to replicate that, we'd have to make machines that use solar energy to take the carbon out of the atmosphere and use that carbon to build something solid so the carbon doesn't return to the atmosphere. But we already have machines that do that. They're called trees. A tree is a wonderful machine that takes tons of atmospheric carbon and turns it into more tree. To return that carbon to the atmosphere burn the tree. Most of that stored carbon goes back into the air. [Edit] about 50% of the entire mass of a tree is from carbon. At the extreme end, the General Sherman giant Sequoia tree weigh about 1,910 tons, which means it is holding 805 tons of carbon that it pulled out of the atmosphere.
|
Why is holocaust given more importance and exposure than any other deadlier events in history?
|
1) The atrocities happened within Western Civilization. What happened in China, Cambodia, Armenia and yes Russia is not Western Society. Hence culturally we have a closer affinity to the perpetrators and victims of the holocaust then say a poor villager in Rwanda. 2) To totally discredit the idea of National-Socialism and more importantly German dominance. There was a huge war, millions died, it was Germany's fault. A war that started barely twenty years after another disasterous war that most people blamed on Germany. Before and during the war there were a lot of isolationists who didn't support the war. Wide publication of the holocaust was a pretty good way of getting the naysayers to shut the fuck up. 3) Most artrocities aren't well documented. With this one we have mountains of evidence and documentation. Not a whole of material available about the gulags in Siberia or the mass starvation in the Ukraine back in the 30's.
|
How can experts find the source of a fire from inspecting a burnt down house?
|
They look for things like accelerants. Gasoline and other accelerants leave distinctive marks and make fires burn in specific ways. Special tools can be used to indicate the presence of an accelerant, and testing on the burnt remains can determine which one it was. From scorch marks and damage, it's easy to see where a fire began. Electrical fires burn differently from purposefully built fires as well. With the years of training they have, they've seen or studied pretty much every permutation of fire out there.Well, they start by checking your internet and reddit history Sometimes they do a horrific job of it: [Cameron Todd Willingham] I learned about him and the shit science that some arsonist investigators use while doing research for what turned out to be [this short story.] Floored me that someone could be put to death on such questionable investigative approaches.
|
Before the internet what did the average person use a computer in their home for?
|
Commander Keen, Magic Pockets, Hugo's House of Horrors, and the spray paint tool in MS Paint. Fuck minesweeper and fuck solitaire.
|
Why do we 'never forget how to ride a bike' ?
|
You still get rusty. At the beginning of summer/spring I'm not as good a biker as I am at fall. That actual act of riding a bike is simple enough that you remember the basics.
|
Why did humans evolve mentally when every other species evolved physically?
|
I read somewhere that we improved our mental abilities thanks to the fire. After the discovery of fire, people didn't need to hunt or look for food that much. In addition with cooking we could use more of the nutritions in foods. With less hunting people had more time to think about stuff which developed intelligence.Jungles receded and some apes started to scavenge the ground for food since there wasnt as much in the trees. They ended up eating the mushrooms off of animal shit and tripped balls. This lead to enhanced vision for hunting and gave them some pretty interesting ideas most likely. -Terrence McKennas Stoned Ape Theory', "We did 'develop physically.' Humans are the best at throwing objects. No creature can throw as hard as we do. We developed it along with hunting game for food.
|
Why don't they use Koko the Gorilla to teach other gorillas sign language?
|
feed me" or something else that she knows results in a banana, all being different ideas when signed, but all the gorilla is actually thinking is "I want a banana", not anything she actually signed.
|
Why is it so difficult to design an advanced AI in strategy games when there is a chess computer that can beat grand masters?
|
Programs that play chess well don't use AI. They aren't reasoning from the rules in some way that's trying to simulate how people play. There are far more efficient algorithms for chess, and the best programs have large database of move outcomes. That's only possible, as others have said, because people have been studying chess and writing PhD theses on it for decades. A company trying to put out a game can't make that sort of intellectual investment in automatic play, AI or otherwise.
|
Why are some animals considered "cute" and others not (psychological)?
|
Some people find 'cute' animals cute because of how reminiscent to babies and children they are, like their naiveté, playfulness and slow movements. Other factors like large eyes and soft fur are seen as more trusting/endearing because predators and hurtful things are the opposite usually .
|
Which is better to use? A credit card or a debit card and what are their advantages/disadvantages?
|
Credit card is better. A debit card is linked directly to your bank account. if it is stolen or whatever, and someone buys things with it, that's money you will lose permanently. If that happens with a credit card, if you can prove that it wasn't you who purchased those items and report you card stolen, you don't have to pay. Credit card companies also tend to prevent this from happening though this can cause some headache if you go on vacation and your card is deactivated. The only real downside of a credit card is that you need to pay every month at the very least the minimum fee, otherwise you get charged a penalty. You should pay the entire balance, though.
|
Why we still use the standard USB size so much.
|
Because computers and laptops are so much bigger than mobile phones there hasn't been any real pressure to use the small versions, [even though they exist] . Another reason is that because there are a lot of USB devices that have a large USB plug built in, any computer that had small USB sockets wouldn't be able to use them without an adapter, where with mobiles they have a separate cable anyway so can use any type of usb socket on the phone.
|
how and why civilizations/cities build up in layers over time?
|
The reason they do it is that location is usually a strategic location eg a hill, allowing the city to be easily defended. Also, it might have rich resources surrounding it so it's built there", 'Sometimes the new rulers have reasons to tear down old structures, here in Peru the spaniards built churches on top of Incan ruins to help erradicate ancient beliefs and introduce christianity.
|
Why are mosquitos unable to spread HIV and AIDS?
|
Mosquitoes spread malaria because the malarial parasite can migrate from the mosquitoes gut to it's salivary glands. HIV cannot. If a mosquito ingests HIV, it will be digested in it's gut. Any residual on the proboscis will die within minutes.
|
Why does the quadratic formula work?
|
You can work it out yourself. The trick is something called completing the square. If you can get one side of a quadratic into the form ^2 then you can solve it because you can then just square root both sides. So what is ^2 ? Well just expand the brackets ^2 = = x^2 + 2dx + d^2 So what you're looking to do is turn one side of a quadratic into that x^2 + 2dx + d^2 form, because once you get there you know you can solve it. Ok now take the generic quadratic: ax^2 + bx + c = 0 x^2 + x + c/a = 0 x^2 + x = - c/a Ok so what could your d be to get the left half of that into the form we're looking for? Well if 2d is in the position b/a is in now then d could be half b/a. You'd still be missing a d^2 so add that in too, and add it in the other side to keep things even x^2 + x + ^2 = - c/a + ^2 So now you've got it into the shape we want so we can simplify the left side to ^2 = - c/a + ^2 Now it's easy x + b/2a = Root ^2 ) x = Root ^2 ) - b/2a you can then simplify and neaten that up to x = / 2a", 'If you prefer a lively video explanation, check this out: _URL_1_begin with the genetral formula for a quadratic equation, then go through the procedure of completing the square: the method you use without the quadratic formula. If you do it right, the quadratic formula will be your solution.
|
when you flush a toilet, how does the water get sucked? Is it by a vacuum or the just the additional water that is added
|
All these are correct.The word I don't see is gravity.That and potential energy. The water in the tank is put there under pressure, lifting it up into the tank. Now that water has potential energy. When you operate the flush mechanism, the water falls, pushing the contents of the bowl over the s trap and the water continues down the sloped sewer line to either a septic system or the city sewer. Tldr; gravity Source: am a septic tech
|
If cancer is caused by your cells making errors when they duplicate, won't all multi-celled organisms, provided they live long enough, eventually get cancer?
|
That's actually one of the arguments as to why cancer is on the rise. There are so many conspiracies about microwaves, GMOs, pesticides, birth control, etc. causing cancer. But it could simply just be that now that human beings are living longer, most end up getting cancer eventually, since other things aren't getting them first. Well, that and the fact that we're better at identifying the disease. Edit: Yes, human beings are living longer because we're getting so much better at curing just about everything else. We're more conscious of what causes disease, and how to prevent it. Sanitation is better. Overall, we're healthier as a population . Cancer is one of the few things that still pretty much has us beat.
|
How does the Earth stay spinning at a constant speed after all these billions of years?
|
The Earth's rotation *is* slowing down due to gravitational interaction with the moon. Every century the slow down makes the day get longer by about 2 milliseconds. Things like tsunamis and el Nino can also affect the speed in tiny ways. The dinosaurs probably had about a 23 hour day and in another couple of hundred million years, we will probably have a 25 hour day.An object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. Spinning\xa0at a constant rate does not require any outside force or torque, due to conservation of angular momentum.
|
Why do people hate Comic Sans?
|
If we're arguing about what font is appropriate as a people and not whether blacks and whites should use the same restroom, well, I'm just gonna go ahead and call that progress", 'People always need to rage on something, and comic sans is widely overusedBasically it is an ugly unprofessional font. Most people like things with straight lines and right angles, none of which exist with Comic Sans. Also the fact it is used in *everything* including business memos and store front signs it is incredibly annoyingIt's hated because it's been used in wrong places, mostly to look "fun", but it doesn't. The only place that I remember noticing that it fit was in the movie Sin City, because of its comic book style and heritage.
|
The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics and why people think it disproves evolution
|
The second law of thermodynamics deals with entropy--basically, you can think of it as saying that a closed system tends towards disorder over time. And they say that that disproves evolution, as for evolution to have happened, things have gotten more ordered over time. Of course--the first part of that was that thermodynamics deals with a closed system . Earth is not a closed system, as we are bombarded by energy on a *daily* basis. Get it--daily, cause of the sun I'll see myself out.The second law of thermodynamics is the law that a change in entropy is always positive for a closed system. Treating the Earth as a closed system, evolution runs counter to this law. However, the Earth has energy input from the Sun, which means it is not a closed system, so the 2nd Law goes out the window. This "argument" against evolution is an example of what I tend to call "dumb knowledge"-when someone knows a fact, but doesn't understand it enough to put it into context, or know its limitations_URL_1_ TL;DR: we are not a closed system because we have energy from the sun.
|
How does the circulatory system handle/adapt to the loss of an extremity or limb creating apparent dead ends in the veins?
|
There isn't only one path through the body. Cut off/stop the flow in one way and it will take another path to continue to circulate. The blood has millions of paths through the body to take.
|
How is the decriminalization of all drugs in a country beneficial?
|
In addition to what other people commented, the criminalization of drugs caused a problem that is often overlooked: the use of synthetic drugs that mimic the effects of the sought-after illegal ones to skirt around the laws. These substances, known as designer drugs or research chemicals, have little to no testing done on them, so nobody knows what their effects are, be it immediate, short-term, or long-term. It's a cat-and-mouse game between the producers of said substances and the drug law enforcement agencies. Since most drug policies work on the principle of a substance being legal unless explicitly made illegal, producers just have to change the molecule a bit to make it legal again, but that means completely changing the effects of the substance.Because then the government can sell the drugs legally to people in proper doses and put the very shady and violent drug dealers out of business because their prices are much higher than the government who can easily produce any drugs they want with high quality. Basically, it gets rid of organised drug deals and turf wars related to the drug market and overall makes the drug users far less likely to suffer from extreme overdoses and violent outburstsIt changes the primary goal from "How do we prevent this" to "What can we learn from this," which is essential to understanding the motivation behind some of the causes like wanting to alter your reality. Understanding that better helps you cure the imbalance or even helps you understand many other things brain relatedGovernment has no right to tell me how i can alter my consciousness. Mind your business. Why does the govt pick and choose whats drugs are ok? Alcohol and tobacco are ok. But this drug and this drug are not its silly.
|
Electoral College Why Do We Need It?
|
It's a vestige of the colonial times. It would have been impossible for every person in every small town to directly vote for candidates, so they would agree on who they as a town wanted and sent people to vote for the candidates on the town's behalf.
|
Why shouldn't I use accelerant to start a fire?
|
Because it could start too quickly, maybe even explode, and burn you before you can run away. There are safe things you can use, chosen or designed for the purpose, that will catch fire easily but won't burn too quickly. The traditional tinder and kindling - things like dry grass and leaves, and small pieces of wood - are one way. These can then set the larger logs or whatever on fire. And if you're planning arson, accelerants leave traces that the police detectives will find.Lighter fluid is an accelerant and it's made to be poured on a barbecue and lit on fire. The problem is with volatile accelerants like gasoline. It will quickly evaporate and mix with air affectively creating a fuel air bomb. The reason people make a blanket statement like "don't use an accelerant to start a fire" is because it's assumed your average Joe doesn't know what is an acceptable accelerant and what isn't.
|
what is wrong with the FIFA organization?
|
Let's say the president of fifa the owner of a cruise company and each country owns a boat. The president accepted bribes to send holidayers to the smaller poorer and the boats with bad rights every 4 years instead of the more suitable boats
|
How and Where do websites store their massive amounts of content?
|
Places that look something like [this]. Just big ol' buildings filled to the brim with rack upon rack of computing equipment and hard drives, cabling and enough A/C units to keep the whole system from overheating. Running a big datacenter like that is a big job and there are quite a few specialist jobs for the people with the know-how to manage such things. A lot of companies don't do this themselves, rather they pay another company essentially to run a datacenter for them. Reddit itself, for example, is entirely run through Amazon Web Services - the part of the Amazon corporation that sells you the computing power, disk space and related things you need to run a big website. Plenty of other companies sell the same sort of service - IBM, HP, Microsoft, Google, RackSpace, and many more.
|
Why don't we launch rockets off mountains?
|
Imagine that you are wanting to get somewhere fast. So, what would be more important -- starting a few feet closer, or already going fast when you start? The speed is a big, big deal. You don't think about the speed that the Earth is rotating at, because it's irrelevant to you as you're stuck here by gravity. But it's very important for space travel. The closer to the equator you are, the faster you're revolving. This is why every space port is as far south as is practical for the people making the launch -- the US has theirs in Florida, Russia's is in Kazakhstan , and the ESA's in in South America . The closer you are to the equator, the less fuel you need to achieve orbit, because you're already moving faster.
|
How can people drive from one point to another point without remembering every detail of it?
|
You have a short term and a long term memory. Unless you run into something driving usually has nothing that gets put into long-term memory. Same with walking somewhere. Your brain knows you don't need any of that info long-term. It's like a computer with RAM and a Hard Drive; with your brain deciding when to Save or not just before the info gets dumped out of the RAM memory cue.
|
How are unpaid internships even legal?
|
Depends where you are. In my country they're not. But the power imbalance between the company and the intern means few people would bring it to court. The intern wants a job and fears being blacklisted from the industry as a trouble maker.
|
What is an IPA, and why does it seem a lot of people are on the IPA bandwagon train?
|
It's a beer with extra hops. People like the intense flavor; it's the beer equivalent of putting hot sauce on your food.
|
How does Google Maps obtain my computer's exact location if my computer doesn't have GPS?
|
Locates you through IP address. Since it's an address to you, google follows the virtual roads aka the Internet and finds your location.
|
Why I don't wet the bed after dreaming of peeing at an older age, but I used to when I was a child?
|
1. Your sleep self learned what real peeing feels like vs dream peeing feels like 2. Your bladder is larger than it once was, and therefore doesn't really need to pee as often", 'I believe it has to do with the development of your detrusor muscle. This muscle is able to be somewhat controlled voluntarily, allowing you to chose when you will contract it or relax it . As you get older, this muscle gets stronger, and you have a greater ability to automatically control your flow of urine, even while sleeping. In older people, who can often have trouble retaining their urine, they will do kegal exercises, which will in turn strengthen this muscle, and potentially allow them to gain control of their bladder. In your case, your detrusor muscle has matured, and is not stronger and able to hold off from allowing your bladder to release. .No idea if this is true or not, but I wanna say it has something to do with the muscles and parts of the brain associated with holding one's bladder being underdeveloped as a child? Again, just a hunch without any backing evidence.
|
Why do presidential election campaigns need to raise so much money?
|
it's an arms race. if that guy has 5000 commercials, you should have 5001. barack's campaign isn't hurting for cash. but it pales in comparison to romney's advertising does buy votes as most people here have said, but it only works to a certain extent. here's an article discussing some of it: _URL_1_
|
Why are satellites and the likes covered with gold foils before thier launch?
|
But gold melts easily - wouldn't it just melt off during blast off? EDIT: Down voted for asking a question?
|
Why poultry is more dangerous to consume raw than beef?
|
In addition to the reasons in other answers here, due to their small size dead chickens are often processed in unsanitary ways. It's easy to keep a cow's intestines intact and separate from the muscle tissue because everything is so much bigger.Salmonella made its way into the reproductive system in chickens and is much more common in chicken
|
What happens to our bodies during say, a car accident, that makes time "slow down"?
|
Actually whenever we perceive we are physically or psychologically threatened an inbuilt, reflex, alarm-system in our brain triggers the release of electrical impulses and a variety of hormones. There is a complex hormonal cascade of over 30 stress hormones, such as adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol, which have a powerful and widespread effect on our body's biochemistry, giving us the extra strength and speed we need to deal with the threatening situation. Body also releases the dopamine which acts as a natural pain killer although thats not of much relevance here. Since the body is in an overdrive mode, something its not used to in normal situations, time appears to slow down because YOU are faster than what you normally are which helps in better reactions, reflexes etc. The adrenaline secretion can be of two types depending on the stimulus. Short term flight response and long term.
|
Why do countries need gold (like the gold in fort knox) to maintain the value of their currency? How does this work?
|
Contrary to popular opinion, a currency NEED NOT be backed by gold by most countries' central banks any more. It used to be that way long ago, but since the price of gold itself was moving, central banks of various countries had to do enormous juggling to maintain their respective exchange-rates. As a result, the [Bretton Woods Conference] was held in July 1944 by all the allied nations and it was decided that currencies need not be backed by actual gold anymore. One `US Dollar` represents a promise by the American Government and the Federal Reserve Bank that the paper will be compensated for a dollar's worth if there be a need. That doesn't mean that the Government actually have to back that with a dollar's worth of gold held in fort knox. Having said that, the Government does maintain a lot of gold reserve solely because of its intrinsic value.
|
Why is porn legal but prostitution illegal? Isn't the only difference one is being filmed?
|
First I'll say I agree it's a stupid rule, but: Prostitution is one person paying another for sex. Porn is paying someone for the right to distribute images of them having sex. No one involved is actually paying for sex--the customer is only buying pornography, and the pornographers are basically paying for content they can sell to customers. Obviously if one of the actors is also the distributor there's some overlap, but there you have it.
|
Why McDonald's is expected to pay a living wage.
|
Because companies that make billions of dollars every year can afford to pay their employees living wages, and still make an incredible profit. But how will these poor execs afford to buy their children a third Ferrari if they pay their employees a living wage? Unfortunately for McDonald's employees, the main flaw in Capitalism is that it only benefits a small percentage of the population, while the rest of the country breaks their backs in order to support the rich. So to sum it up in a single word. Greed.
|
Why do sci-fi films depict big explosions in space as a ring instead of a sphere?
|
If something happens in a movie and you don't think it makes sense, it probably happened because it looks cool.
|
Why is a bottle of orange juice less expensive than than the oranges it would take to make that much orange juice?
|
If you feel like reading through it, [this pdf] has an exhaustive list of US quality standards for oranges used for orange juice, depending upon what it'll be used for. But when it comes down to it, crappy old oranges make for perfectly fine orange juice. Especially frozen orange juice concentrate. Kinda like how you use crappy old bananas for banana bread.
|
Has anything actually changed since the Edward Snowden leaks of 2013?
|
If anything most intelligence agencies globally are increasing their stronghold ever since leaks. Other than public outcry and lively online discussions there isn't any concrete change in policy anywhere.Conspiracy deniers have switched their tune from "the government isn't spying on us" to "of course, they 've always been spying on us".It seems like more whistleblowers are coming forward as of late. I think that part of that comes from the Snowden leaks, and from the Julian Assange leaks. My hope is that the Panama Papers lead to some real fundamental changes worldwide. We now know that there are literally trillions of dollars not being used, just sitting in offshore companies that produce nothing and employ no one. This is money that could be used to stimulate the world economy and literally save lives, but instead it's contributing to inflation and devaluing the little money that's left for the poor.
|
When I am falling asleep, why do I suddenly know that turning over will be more comfortable and can't sleep until I do?
|
I don't think it's much to do with nerve damage or anything of the sort, as I'm assuming it's not pain or discomfort of that sort that leads you to roll over? and if you don't does it hurt in the morning? If you've ever looked into lucid dreaming, it's explained that before you sleep, your brain will send you signals to roll over or yawn or stretch. Going through with it will give your brain the 'ok' to shut off, in a sense it's readying you to sleep. This is probably why you feel that much more comfortable after you roll over and are able to sleep.
|
The courtesy of men standing up when women leave a table. When was this actually done and when did it die out?
|
I remember my father asking us boys to do that when my mother left the dinner table probably in the '50s. I do believe but am not certain that I did so on my earliest dinner dates.
|
Why do children pick up the accent of their locality, rather than their parents?
|
My friend moved from England and has an American accent, but when he talks to his parents it's extremely EnglishEdit: autocorrect was automistake", 'There is some exceptions. Irish Travelers can live among settled Irish people, yet the children of Irish Travelers still maintain their traveler accent. I live in a middle class district of Dublin with nearly everybody having middle class Dublin accents. Yet the travelers who live nearby in either houses or traveler camps have a distinct accent.It's different for me, my dad's side is New Zealand while my mum's side is Australian and I've lived in Australia my whole life, yet people pick up a slight New Zealand accent and sometimes are surprised to learn that I'm from here.
|
If Russia is denying that the troops in Crimea are theirs, why would it be an international incident if someone attacked them?
|
Because they _are_ Russian troops, and just because Russia isn't claiming them as such doesn't mean that people attacking them wouldn't provoke a response. The fact that this would imply a change in position over what those troops really were doesn't matter. Being consistent when it goes against national interest is not really even on the radar of countries.
|
How are Audi & BMW able to take jabs at each other without getting into trouble?
|
if they don't sue them, where's the problem? europe is bit different and it's long lasting war. there is no way to find who started that and both are doing it. so why even bother?
|
What is happening physiologically when I listen to individual instruments in a song? e.g. when transcribing
|
_URL_0_ > The cocktail party effect is the phenomenon of being able to focus one's auditory attention on a particular stimulus while filtering out a range of other stimuli, much the same way that a party goer can focus on a single conversation in a noisy room.
|
Why do flies like landing on humans? What are they getting out of it?
|
I can tell you the notion that flies on you = you stink isn't necessarily the case. Flies flock to you when it's hot because you're sweating and they want the moisture, not because you smell . If you go outside shortly after having a shower you'll soon be swarmed by flies as well.
|
Why don't desktop computer have their own battery?
|
Components used in laptops aren't just designed to be small, they're designed to be more energy efficient than desktops. So a desktop would need a much bigger, more expensive battery bank to get the same running time as a laptop. Most people don't have power outages often enough to really care about whether their computer will stay up. And those who do can always buy separate backup power systems. In vital commercial / industrial / military etc. installations where the computers must stay up at all times regardless of the expense, the computers usually has a battery bank capable of powering them for a couple minutes until generators can fire up.
|
How come `60s technology got us to the moon but today`s tech cant get us to Mars?
|
We could easily make it. Well, 'easily' make it. It is possible with the technology we have, and if we don't have it we could get it fairly quickly IF we had the funding, but we don't. If you want to know more about the funding involved then [this video by Neil Degrasse Tyson] explains perfectly why we had the budget to go to the moon but we don't have the budget to go to mars.One thing I think a lot of people forget about space is the sheer size. The minimum distance between Earth and The Moon is about 225 thousand miles. By comparison the minimum distance between Earth and Mars is about 35 *million* miles. That changes a huge amount of the logistics of the journeyIf NASA had been able to keep the same proportion of the federal budget today as they had in the 60s, we would have landed on Mars ten or twenty years agoThe moon is a relatively short trip so the risk and cost are lower than a Mars trip which would be lengthy and hence riskier and more costly.
|
Do missiles detonate when they are fired at the ocean? How do [the agencies firing the missile] know that there aren't boats in those areas at the time of impact?
|
For test runs that require a detonation responsible agencies provide ample warning to potential craft, generally have boats and other vehicles in the area to check on unexpected traffic AND they'll do it in areas away from shipping lanes that have been designated for this testing. For less responsible agencies or powers that don't care, they just don't care. They'll launch somewhere and if something is hit accidentally they'll either blame a malfunction or play it up as intentional.
|
Why do guys grow hair on their chests and backs, but girls have none? What's the point of even having any in those places?
|
Many women have all of that, just in lesser amount of course hairs. That's when waxing and shaving constantly comes in.
|
What effect will Mt StHelens apparently refilling with magma have?
|
Tangentially related but I figure people in this thread might be interested, [Pulitzer-winning article on 'the really big one in the PNW.
|
Why do dogs "fetch" only to have the item they fetched thrown again?
|
They're trained to do it, and it's a fun bonding activity for both the person and the dog.because dogs can play, too. they enjoy the chasing and the finding.
|
Why Miley Cyrus gets away with smoking marijuana on TV?
|
probably because nobody cares about miley cyrus. if not that, perhaps she's only faking to look cool.
|
Why are concert volumes so high?
|
I've wondered about this too. Related CMV thread: _URL_0_ The simplified answer from that thread is that live drums can be naturally very loud, so they turn everything else up to keep it from being drowned out by the drums. Makes some sense, though of course it's no excuse if the band doesn't have a drummer!", 'Gotta turn them amps up to 11. The louder - the better.You raise such a great point. It's ridiculous how loud speakers and concerts can get. Even bars and nightclubs when you end up having to scream in the face of the person standing right next to you just to have a conversation. I believe there is a particular DB level at which point music begins to diminish in quality. I'm young and I wear custom made ear plugs. I think it's just that they think louder equals better, as noted by another commentator.
|
Why did knights wear armour if they knew swords would pierce them?
|
A good set of armor was way more effective than modern media would have you believe. If it was useless it wouldn't have been around for as long as it was.
|
Why is Fox News the only network covering the Benghazi hearings live?
|
One media outlet is running with the story because it appears that Hilary Clinton, the President, among others lied about their knowledge to save Americans under attack at the embassy and they are trying to cover up what they knew and what they did about it. What does all of this mean? It shows the American citizen the colossal lies and incompetence of the current Administration. It's what all the other media outlets would have done with a certain former President.its really not that big of a deal and w. bush had 60 americans die in US embassies during his presidency . yet there was no huge cry from the right . its just some racist tea party nonsense.HAIL SATAN!', "Fox tried to use it as an excuse to not vote for Obama, it didn't work but now they will use the soundbites as fodder for future elections.
|
How are "in-shower body lotions" at all effective?
|
Are they effective? Oh lordy, yes. With regular lotion, I am dry 30 minutes after I slather it on. With the in shower lotion, which effectively 'seals in' moisture from the shower, my skin is still supple and silky at the end of the day. So, anecdotally, hell yes it works.
|
Why do we still have circumcision?
|
While it originally had some health benefits long ago, today it's really more about tradition and cultural/religious norms in most places where it's practiced.
|
Why did everyone decide paper money should be rectangular?
|
Because it's the most obvious choice. It's the most efficient way to cut paper without wasteI guess square could be an option tho
|
ELI 5: when someone has cancer, what exactly kills them?
|
How about for someone who is 5 years old: Cancer cells are cells that forget to die and forget to stop growing when they don't need anymore. Spots in your body overgrow. They are called tumors. The tumors get in the way of other organs. Body systems get invaded by tumors taking up space and die.
|
If polygraphs are known to be nothing more than a carnival trick, how and why are so many government positions REQUIRING a polygraph in order to get hired?
|
If torture doesn't provide actionable reliable intelligence why is it still used and promoted? I think maybe the answers are similar? Like a cultural lie that we keep telling ourselves so it keeps being believed by many to have value even though we pretty easily prove otherwise. Both are tools just not with the purpose we say they have.You forgot to mention is so unreliable at detecting deception that it is not legal in a court of law.Same reason companies use personality profiling like Myers -Briggs. It's complete bullshit but if you've got yourself a job as head of HR you've got to make it look like it's not something anybody could do.
|
What is the largest known individual object in the universe and how you can understand it's true scale?
|
YV Canis Majoris is the largest known star we have observed. It's as wide as our solar system.The Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall, a galactic filament between 6 and 10 billion lightyears long.
|
If humans don't naturally drink milk as adults, and neither does any other adult animal that I know of, why is it important that we have dairy in our diets?
|
It isn't. A reason dairy is suggested as a key food is because it makes it far easier to meet requirements for calcium and other nutrients. It's also more cost efficient to get most of you calcium from a glass of milk than to do so by eating huge amounts of green vegetables, which may be somewhat expensive depending on where you live.
|
Why is Windows 8.1 Considered the 'Worst' Microsoft OS?
|
It's almost certainly because of the Metro interface. When first installed Windows 8 has a touchscreen interface and no start menu, and many people hated that and found it difficult to work with. It's very quick and easy to fix that though, to install a classic start menu and disable the Metro UI, at which point Windows 8 is like a finely tuned Windows 7, lean and efficient. With the proper tweaks I would argue it's a better operating system than Windows 10 or 7.It's not. End of of thread. But I guess to give you another answer. The people that say Win 8 is the "worst" windows ever are the young people that started using windows when XP was a thing. So to them windows versions are xp, 7, 8, and 10. Of those listed, 8 is the worst. BUT "worst" ever? Not even fucking close.
|
How do fridges work? How can energy be used to make something colder than it's surroundings?
|
Fridges produce more heat overall. But they can change the gradient of hot to cold. They can make the inside colder and the outside even hotter. Put your hand behind a fridge. It's quite warm. And there's a lot of hot metal back there to cool off in the room's air. In vague terms it's done with condenser equipment. If you can spend energy and produce heat to condense a liquid outside of the box that you want cold then you can pump it in there and rapidly expand it. If you remember high school physics, the same mass taking up more space will absorb heat and become colder. It's an endothermic reaction. Then you repeat the process and you've invented air conditioning. Air conditioning a metal box in the kitchen is called a refrigerator.
|
The human body produces enough heat to bring half a gallon of water to boil in 30min, what do our bodies do to produce so much heat, especially when idle?
|
It's all hidden in the chemical reactions. When A+B is converted to product C a part of the energy transfered in the chemical bonds is released as thermic energy . And when we say peoducing heat, its basically the side effect of a LOT of different reactions producing heat. The body can regulate the metabolic standard of cells and the metabolism of cells, which consists of many different chemical reactions, provides warmth.
|
Why is it when I take a road trip the "going" portion seems to take longer than the "coming back" portion even though it's the same route and distance?
|
I don't know about any serious studies, but in addition to those things already mentioned, I would think that because you're more excited in anticipation on the way there time would seem to pass slower than on the way back when you're tired and relaxed.
|
How is carbon dating done and how can we know if it's reliable?
|
Carbon dating is only one method of dating things. For older things, we tend to use other methods, most of which are based on radiometric dating. As the other commenter points out, carbon dating only works on things that were alive but other methods tend to work on igneous rocks . Igneous rocks are great, because they give us a time for when they cooled. Lava flows tend not to have elements like argon in them, but will have elements like potassium that decay into argon. From this, we can measure the ratio of potassium, to argon trapped in the rock, and thus, find out when the rock cooled and thus the age of that rock layer. As for testing how well they work, we can either compare them to other dating methods. If two separate dating methods give the same age to the same sample, we know it's more likely that they're accurate. Either that, or we can measure a sample of known age. For example, we can carbon date some wood in a building that we know was built 2000 years ago. It should give us that sort of age.
|
when does an act of self defense turn into assault?
|
If you keep going after its evident you aren't in danger anymore or unnecessary force. If someone is pushing you and you punch them, it's all good, if you punch them and they go down and they can't stand up straight like they'd have birds and bells floating around their head if they were in a Loony Tunes cartoon and you keep waling on them, then no good. If someone starts pushing you and you shoot them, no good.
|
How did prostitutes manage contraception before modern methods?
|
In the late 1920's, women would douche with Lysol disinfectant after sex to prevent pregnancy. This usage was promoted and marketed by the makers of Lysol. _URL_0_
|
Why do people (and apes in general) have two breasts/nipples, given that they're most likely to have only one child at a time?
|
You're assuming evolution is happening for a 'reason'. It doesn't. We have 2 nipples because a long time ago, when human-like things started to exist- humans that were the same on both sides were more likely to survive and make babies. Evolution doesn't have a goal- it just goes with whatever is working. It is easy to look back and be like- 'oh, its helpful for twins or if one stops working you have a backup'. And while this may be true in a practical sense. There is no evolution God that is making those decisions or setting up a body in that particular way. Its just what survives the best. ", 'To give one a rest while the devil spawn kid starts chewing on the other?Biological Raid. Fault tolerance, and you can hot-swap.Because sometimes one breast isn't filled back up enough by the time the baby wants to eat again.
|
Why are we always told to make sure someone doesn't swallow their tongue when they go unconscious or have a seizure, when it isn't actually possible to swallow our tongues?
|
That hasn't been protocol for years and if you stick your fingers in the mouth of someone having a seizure their jaw can clamp shut and you lose your fingers It is also impossible to swallow your tongue as it is attached to the floor of your mouth.That advice goes back to the days when cutting a snake bite to let out the venom and getting someone with a nose bleed to put their head back were good ideas. None of these practices are a recommended any more because modern medcine has better understandings of conditions and treatments
|
Why cancer is so hard to cure.
|
There's a bunch of kinds of cancer and they closely resemble normal tissue so it's hard to identify cancer cells in the first place and it's hard to develop medicine that kills cancer cells without killing the good cells.
|
How hard is it for a sniper to shoot a moving target? (I'm thinking Kennedy)
|
If you look at this [map], you can see that Oswald had a much easier shot than even most of the comments are indicating because he chose his position **very** carefully. Note that he does not really have to lead in the horizontal plane. This is a difficult shot even for a relatively slow moving target. But because of where he shot from, he only needed to correct in the vertical plane because Kennedy's limo is moving along his line-of-sight on both approach and exit. This is because the schoolbook depository is at the apex of a 120 degree bend in the route. His only necessary correction for movement was in the vertical plane . He chose his position very carefully. Was he that good a shot? Who knows a lot of people could have made that shot. But he was very clever in where he chose to shoot from I don't know if a lot of people would have thought of that. The better question is: Why did he wait to take the shot? The angle was arguably better on approach than exit. Is there a tendency for assassins to want to shoot from behind? so maybe there is nothing to this theory.)
|
What are the key differences between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders?
|
Please note that Hillary has changed her viewpoint on major issues many times. Bernie has been fighting for the same policies and beliefs since the 60's. The main goal is to get a president who will put policies in place that you agree with, but personally, I'd like a president who actually believes in those policies. He's also running on the democratic ticket because he doesn't want to take votes away from the liberal side and allow conservatives to gain the majority that way. He calls himself a socialist, and he's probably more of one than he can admit because this IS still capitalist America.
|
Why is it so common for europeans to speak english as a second language?
|
You probably would have had English as a second or third language in high school. Which gives you the basics. After that, you are far more exposed to English then any other langauge . Hence, you practice that skill more. Once it became the most common one , it has become the default language between europeans from different countries. It used to be a joke that only the small countries would speak English, because they wouldn't dub their movies. Nowadays though, almost everyone under a certain age does to a certain degree. You used to have to go out of your way to come into contact with English, nowadays you would have to actively avoid it.Several Reasons:1. English is required in most European schools.2. English is the universal language. It is the language of commerce, science, diplomacy , medicine, and even air traffic control.3. Europeans can switch to English first if they do not speak the same language rather than try German then French then Spanish then Italian then Greek then etc.it's common for Europeans to speak German, French, Italian, or Russian as a second language too. Just like it's common for Americans to spanish. Most High schools in Europe require several years of foreign language classes to graduate. In the US this isn't a requirement which explains why bilingualism is a lot less common.One of the most important reasons: internet. Europe is Western culture, and Western internet is 99% in English. So are movies, TV shows from the USA . French, Spanish, Mandarin, while learned by a lot of Europeans, is just not as useful in everyday lifeSo many different languages are spoken in Europe that they had to settle on one. What would they speak? Mandarin is difficult and far away. And China was not so cool even 15 years ago. In many countries though French is more popular as a second language though.
|
How come pregnant women have heightened senses? Especially smell to a ridiculous level.
|
Most likely it is an evolutionary response. It would make sense that a pregnant woman who is better able to smell rotting/ poisonous food or perhaps a smelly predator could avoid those dangers over a woman who can't smell as well. Living longer means more babies. Yada yada yada pregnant women are more likely to have a heightened sense of smell.
|
What do we REALLY know about stretching, as it pertains to exercise or athletic activity?
|
I am trying to get into the lotus position and researched a few weeks ago on best practices. From some of the peer reviewed articles I looked at It's better to stretch and hold that position than to bring it back and forth. The minimum hold time is about 20 seconds. After about 30-40 seconds of holding that position, there are diminished returns. Stretch later on in the day or after giving your muscles a chance to warm up a bit. Ah here is a text: _URL_2_ here's what I've been working on the past month. I can finally get my foot to touch my chest. Also, I officially have a thing for this girl. A girl who's flexible is like a guy who can cook. And she doesn't judge me as a fail! smiling as she demonstrates the moves. her moves
|
If the brain lacks nerve endings for pain, how do we feel headaches?
|
It's everything else in the head. Large blood vessels, meninges , the numerous muscles in the area, and other stuff can all transmit pain signals. In truth, though, there's a lot we still don't understand about various forms of spontaneous headaches in terms of what's hurting or why anything happens in the first place. Pain in general is a surprisingly complicated topic.
|
What are some meds in blister packs and some are loose in bottle?
|
Here in the UK there was a legislation in the late 90s that over the counter pain killers could only be sold in packs of 16 . This was an attempt to reduce overdoses and was proven to be successful. There was also a study that blister packs further reduced overdose rates. The theory was that people would be less likely to 'grab a handful' and accidentally overdose when they had to pop individual pills from a blister pack and would be more likely to measure a correct dose.
|
If people are often able to crack big security systems, such as banks' ones, or internet protocols, what makes it that difficult to crack slot machines and that kind of things?
|
I don't think there's anything really difficult about hacking a slot machine, from a programming point of view. The hard part is doing it in a casino with a camera trained on every machine and security guards every few feet. Slots aren't connected to the internet or anything - to mess with them you'd have to physically interface with the computer.
|
Why does my nose stuff up when I sit/lay down but clears instantly when I stand up?
|
I suffer from a simlar affliction, and the root cause, as it turns out, is muscular tension working its way through your body, such that your nasal air passages become constricted when sitting. The best way to rememdy this is to get exercise! Specifically, yoga. Watch this video and try to follow along: _URL_0_ It'll have you cleared up in no time. From now on, stretch every morning before work and after.I have a serious issue with this. Ever since my right jaw joint got stuck 3 years ago I have severe breathing issues like this and my heart goes a million miles an hour. Seems to be more when I put pressure on my back or when I lay down. Very scary stuff and no one can figure it out. :-(', "I had something very similar where I could breathe fine through my nose when standing/sitting upright but couldn't when I was laying down. I wouldn't call it stuffy though so it may be different. Anyway, I saw an ENT doctor and he said it was a deviated septum. I had the surgery and am fine now.a change in blood pressure in your head causes the sinus tissues to swell or contractCould be your posture when sitting is too hunched over?
|
Why California's K-12 public education is so bad.
|
BREAKING NEWS: You'll get an excellent education if you live in a wealthy area of California.This is just my own personal experience. CA high school graduate here. I went to public schooling my entire life. Graduated HS in 2004. In my experience, I feel like I learned just fine. In retrospect, as a greenhorn HS graduate I was indeed prepared for the rigors of community college, which in turn prepared me for the rigors of upper-division classwork at my 4-year university, which in turn prepared me for med school .The State of California prints text books for use in California schools. Many of the better books are not available, since the publishers won't agree to this. When I was in the 8th grade, in Science class, I learned about the [luminiferous aether]. When I got to High School I read in the school library that [Michaelson and Morley] had done an experiment in 1887 which indicated the absence of this substance. I was appalled that it had still been in my California State Science text book in the mid 1950's. This is an indication of the quality of texts as a result of the publishing decision made by the state.
|
Why do movies use CGI when older movies like TMNT and Jurassic Park looked better and more realistic?
|
I would dispute that the effects in those movies looked more realistic, that's a subjective point. But to answer your question, CGI is cheaper and easier.*Jurassic Park* was a big budget blockbuster. Not only did it have a huge special effects budget, they had a huge *editing* budget and highly skilled people who were able to make the most of it. Whereas a modern low budget, low talent movies is going to get by with the cheapest CGI they can find.
|
Why do Teenage/Young Adult men dislike sleeping in a bed with each other when women do it regularly?
|
I shared beds with my bros well into adulthood. Because, gay or straight, I don't hang out with rapists so who fuckin cares?", 'That voice in the back of our heads that calls us fags anytime we do or about to do anything that is close to being gay or feminine such as touching hands or ordering an appletinieThe boner issue mixed with insecurity and farts.It's really more common in the developing world. Westerners are just used to having our own beds. Personal space seems to be a luxury not a lot of the rest of the world enjoys. #firstworldproblems", 'Because it's easy for guys to get mixed up and end up beating each other off "accidentally" ;) Source: my friend's stepuncle', "I can't relate to this at all. As a straight man of 20ish years old, I still have sleepovers and share my bed with my male friends.
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.