Split (1)

train · 14k rows

q_id stringlengths 6 6	title stringlengths 4 294	selftext stringlengths 0 2.48k	category stringclasses 1 value	subreddit stringclasses 1 value	answers dict	title_urls listlengths 1 1	selftext_urls listlengths 1 1
f5arcn	What stops a computer game from cheating when you play against the computer?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fhxl2z2", "fhxiuje", "fhxjefd", "fhxn7te", "fhxio5x", "fhy2pmd", "fhxk7ls" ], "text": [ "Literally nothing. A game developer could make their AI as cheaty as possible, since it's part of the game's code itself. Of course, to make a fun and fair game, you would want the...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f5ewo8	How do MRI mechanics work		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fhyctjc" ], "text": [ "MRI works by taking advantage of the magnetic properties of hydrogen, an atom that is present throughout the body. The way it works is that in a hydrogen atom is constantly rotating around its principal axis. This rotation creates a magnetic field. Normally, the princip...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f5ikil	what does it mean when an iPhone has a panic or a kernel panic?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fhywld7", "fhyyhhh" ], "text": [ "A \"kernel panic\" is a term used in Unix-like systems to signal encountering an error by the operating system from which it cannot gracefully recover. Computer programs are extremely complex logical sequences of operations and it can come about that a lo...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f5kxl2	Why are random distorted codes used as a safeguard for entering information to websites?	Normally seen when you’re buying something really popular, and often seen with a mash of ‘Xh38bF’ that looks all swirly and weird.	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fhzbp2q", "fi019hw", "fhzeaa4" ], "text": [ "Are you talking about captchas? These are used to make sure you're a human and not an automated service. Humans are great at recognizing general shapes from pictures, but it's really hard for a robot to pull meaningful information from pict...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f5nx60	Why does a debit card reader ask what kind of debit card you are using? It cancels the transaction if the wrong answer is given, so does that not mean it can tell what kind it is?	Oof, I suppose it's a little late to clarify this post. I didn't expect it to get any attention and at this point my question was sufficiently answered, but for clarity's sake, the specific scenario I was referring to was this: I am in the USA. I go to pay for a movie ticket with my VISA debit card. I insert the chip a...	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fhzzj4f", "fhzvdb2", "fi0evjx", "fi0290h", "fi00rhh", "fhztr4o", "fhzxbmw", "fhzw8i3", "fi0h0iy", "fi0br56", "fi0lzw7", "fi05ccb", "fi0r1vs" ], "text": [ "US checking in. I get prompted for Credit or Debit on my card. Both go through. Credit and...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f5o90c	How Vsync Works/What It Is/What It Does.		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fhzum4h", "fhzuh92" ], "text": [ "Vsync matches fps to screen refresh rate, or in case of adaptive sync matches screen to fps. Some games tie their physics to framerate. For example Dark Souls 2 durability bug: game was designed for 30 fps, and the physics were tied for that. When the gam...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f5qqp0	How do we know that a technology is "ahead of it's time" by X many years?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fi06isl" ], "text": [ "You're being too literal. It just means \"no other company doing this is expected to have an XYZ for another six years or so\"." ], "score": [ 3 ], "text_urls": [ [] ] }	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f616iq	How do satellites measure ocean salinity?	[ URL_0 ]( URL_0 )	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fi2q9pp" ], "text": [ "Salinity changes how water reflects microwaves. Satellites can capture the reflection of microwaves, so some math, and figure out how much different the area they’re looking at compares to pure water." ], "score": [ 3 ], "text_urls": [ [] ] }	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f69uhe	why do modern video games require installation on console?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fi3f9i9", "fi3e2xz", "fi3egkx", "fi3ftbn" ], "text": [ "With the older consoles, the game loaded all the files it needed from the disk into memory each time you started the game and loaded a level. This had the advantage that consoles didn't need a big internal storage, which was ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f6aqae	What could stop foreign governments from intercepting and tampering with submarine Fiber cables ?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fi3ilrp" ], "text": [ "depth, access, expense, visibility. there are much more efficient ways to intercept/tamper, etc." ], "score": [ 3 ], "text_urls": [ [] ] }	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f6hebp	how does a smartphone accelerometer (or a compass) work?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fi4r0m3", "fi4ra8n" ], "text": [ "It uses a technology called MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical Structure) which consists of tiny fingers of metal inside a computer chip. as the phone shakes and accelerates, these fingers get 'pushed back in their seat' so to speak, which brings them closer ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f6l3fz	How does a password reset link know to log you in and change your password?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fi5fa0m" ], "text": [ "When you initiate a password reset request the server will generate a unique temporary token (a short string of letters and numbers) that will be included in the link it emails to you and save it somewhere related to your profile for later. When you click the link the s...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f6odph	How are subtitles detected for live events like sports or award shows?	I’m watching a hockey game in a bar and it said “knocked the fuck off his stick” obviously was supposed to be “puck” but funny nonetheless.	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fi64e4x" ], "text": [ "They are done by a stenographer typing it out as they hear it. Just like stenographers in court, they have special keyboards that allow them to type as fast as people talk, but with live broadcasts they sometimes make mistakes and just simply don’t have the time to fix ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f6oeg8	Airdrop data transfer	Why can I Airdrop a large file, but wouldn’t be able to send that same file by text message or email?	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fi62ziy", "fi6679n", "fi631qj" ], "text": [ "Airdrop is a direct file transfer between two devices over WiFi or bluetooth. If you try to send the same file via email or text message, the file will have to be sent out to a server and then to the recipient. This has additional bandwidth...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f6swoy	_ 5G / Frequencies / Spectrum	I just don’t get it... it’s supposed to be waves right? Of different length? Then how come the governments are offering different ranges but they are all still 5G? Please help...	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fi6r7hs", "fi6uwg9" ], "text": [ "ELI5: Imagine Radio waves as colours. You have many different colours, and you can see the difference between them. 5G is specified as using all the different shades of blue. You can't have all operators use the same colour, because then how would you kno...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f6wmsd	What is FXAA Antialiasing and what does it do for PC Gaming?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fi7gegz" ], "text": [ "Fast Approximate Anti-Aliasing. It smooths out jagged edges in rendered animation/screens. It's also faster than some other methods and uses less CPU because it only smooths out edges as they appear on screen, not how they are actually rendered. It can a...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f73lln	Why are online "password lockers" considered secure?	It seems to me (hence this question), that storing all your passwords online and accessing them with a single "unlock" password would be extremely dangerous. If the locker service is itself hacked, then the hackers will have ALL your passwords for the price of getting one password.	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fi8x47x", "fi9c06v", "fi8xeph", "fi8ygwy", "fi8vs1p" ], "text": [ "Your \"single password\" isn't just proof of identity the way it is on reddit. Your password collection is encrypted with your \"single password\" before being uploaded to the locker. It is mathematically impos...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f75g7o	Why is it that when you see a computer screen in a movie or on tv it doesn’t do that distorted thing that always happens when you see a computer screen in a video shot with a commercial video camera?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fi98as7", "fi991e8", "fi9n397", "fi98fyl" ], "text": [ "Most screens in movies and TV shows are faked with CGI. They just replace the real screen with an image of whatever. Screen flickering is part of the reason, but it also solves issues with screen glare, the screen appearing d...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f77hvy	How do digital scales/microbalance work?	From what I read digital scales use load cells/strain gauges to detect force applied, but how does a load cell actually work under the circular metal plate that you see in digital scales? Is that metal plate/pan a special plate or is it just there to hold matter over the load cell? For more precise microbalances I also...	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fi9n0kg" ], "text": [ "Strain is the technical name for when things change shape due to mechanical forces. So, a strain gauge type of load cell is usually just a piece of something conductive that will change shape slightly (ie strain) when a force is applied. The resistance of a conductive t...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f796tc	What does the term "baking" or "baked in" mean in video game design?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fi9zwtq", "fi9twlf", "fi9szmn", "fi9tun8" ], "text": [ "When something is described as \"baked in\", that means it is fundamentally part of the game. When you bake a cake, you can't ever get the eggs back. So when a game mechanic, bug or something is described as \"baked in\", it ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f7b4b3	Why is it that in western movies and documentaries the pianos are sometimes playing by themselves?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fia47ql", "fia41gl" ], "text": [ "There are special pianos which play themselves. The old style player pianos use long rolls of paper that have holes punched in them, and each hole is a note. The paper is fed over a metal cylinder with holes in it - one hole for each key on the piano. A m...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f7c664	How does Moore Law work? How does the doubling of transistors decrease pricing?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fiabhil", "fiac7lh" ], "text": [ "Moore's Law is an observation, not a causal relationship. If you notice a trend in cars that faster cars have brighter paint colors, that does not mean that brighter colors make a car go faster. Many industries are constantly improving, not by doing one t...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f7dmxe	How do airport security scanners know what’s a vitamin versus an illegal drug?	I have always wondered when I pack vitamins when traveling, how does airport security know what is actually a vitamin and what is, say ecstasy?	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fialtv3", "fianups", "fial5g3", "fian4qc", "fialty0", "fib7391" ], "text": [ "It doesn't, all they know is you are carrying pills. Tons of people carry pills, so it rarely causes suspicion. Also, no one buys a plane ticket to smuggle 30 pills, so unless they see a suitcase...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f7g7mb	What changed that allowed TV shows to get such a huge jump in budget and production value?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fib55ai" ], "text": [ "Here's a little info on GoT. With a total show budget of $1.5 Billion, the show has earned $3.1 Billion through HBO subscriptions alone. All eight seasons, spanning 73 episodes and bringing together 566 characters, cost HBO a mere $30.90 per viewer. Sauce: URL_0" ], ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f7hd5m	How does an RGB LED work?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fibau1n" ], "text": [ "Are you asking how do LEDs work physically to make light or how they create different colors using only RGB color values?" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text_urls": [ [] ] }	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f7mqr6	What is the difference between 64 bit programs and 32 bit programs and does it have an actual effect on my computer depending on which one I choose?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "ficaqhz", "ficmwsi", "ficfi9z", "fidnaqu" ], "text": [ "One really big difference between them is that 32 bit programs can only see up to 4gb of system memory, which is a small amount depending on the type of program. 64 bit programs can use up to 16 exabytes, or 17 billion gigaby...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f7mrwk	What's the difference between an emulator and a virtual machine?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "ficbq23", "ficfses", "ficge0s" ], "text": [ "I may be off here someone with more low level code knowledge might be able to add-on to this but my understanding is: Virtual Machines only work on machines with the same cpu type because they just forward the actual cpu instructions to the...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f7pp72	How do police body cams work, including what the wearer can control, how they’re charged and stored, and where the footage is kept?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "ficxa5s", "fid3c54" ], "text": [ "Officer turns on/off. Charged at police station. Downloaded and stored at police station.", "Body camera is always on and recording, and “pre-buffers” 30 seconds of recorded footage before the record button is actually pressed. That way, when somethin...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f7rz4n	Why do batteries charge quicker than they discharge?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fie6b8q" ], "text": [ "They discharge much faster than they can charge. You just have a charger that charges it as fast as possible (the limit) and a device that doesn't get anywhere near the max discharge. Typically batteries can be charged in 1-2 hours and can be discharge in 5-60 minutes. ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f7sfel	How does "auto generated subtitles" translate audio into text?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fif9wk5", "fieh6wr" ], "text": [ "It works almost exactly the same as digital assistants such as Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant do when they listen to your voice commands. Which is called \"Automatic Speech Recognition\" or ASR for short. First you need to teach a computer program to be...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f7siuc	Why do video game companies struggle to keep a good server stability in another region, if the Game is exactly the same?	So there are video game companies (no names here) out there who struggle to keep servers stable. But in other Regions the Server runs fine. Why ist that so? The Game is exactly the same. Yes they could be possibly more players in that other region, but AAA Companies have statistics over them, so they should now it? Let...	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fieflme" ], "text": [ "Game companies don't host their own servers, they're usually in a big server farm, along with the servers of many other companies, in a facility maintained by a third party vendor. So the stability is subject to the stability of the underlying infrastructure." ], "s...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f7t4we	what is HTTP/3?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fif5v5n", "fifkrkc", "fifvjnf" ], "text": [ "HTTP is a protocol that the web run upon. It defines, basically, how the hyper text data will be sent between the server and the client (browser). HTTP3 is the third version of the protocol, which changes the transport layer to use UDP and ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f7w79x	How does the code work in a phishing email, so that the phisher gains access to data on the victim's computer?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fig88gt", "fig51iw", "figikr1" ], "text": [ "Phishing usually doesn't involve code. It's very similar to asking someone for their password and the person giving it up voluntarily. The idea is that you make the email seem legitimate and the user will think that they are logging into so...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f7x2v2	Where do all of the needles and other disposable sharps go after they get put into the sharps containers in hospitals?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fige4et" ], "text": [ "Typically such potentially hazardous bio waste would be taken to a processing facility where it would be put through an autoclave, a device that cooks it with high pressure steam to destroy any biological hazards. At that point it can be sent to a landfill as normal." ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f85ahb	Why do live TV hosts experience delays when talking to reporters on the scene?	Like, it's the current year, if I fire up Discord, Skype or even FaceTime I can talk to or video message people on the other side of the country with close to zero lag, as if they're right here with me. Still, when I watch TV sometimes I see that there's a delay in the communication between the host and the reporter on...	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fij7jkh", "fij9tqd" ], "text": [ "All the apps you mention have the benefit of being able to use existing ground infrastructure; wifi is within a few hundred feet at the most and cellular a few miles before it is onto ground lines. Those are great if you can get them, but the field report...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f86i87	How does Google updating its TOS affect us?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fijf1an", "fijf45c", "fijgq3z" ], "text": [ "For the vast majority of users, it doesn’t. (IANAL) TOS typically provide two things; what the company will do with your data, and what you can and can’t do with the service. The former only affects you if you’re either going to sue google ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f87vsz	how does the gold leaf electroscope work?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fijpswr" ], "text": [ "The gold leaf electroscope shows induction. Induction is basically electrons attracting/repelling without transfer. When a charged rod is held near the top of the device it will attract or repel electrons within the metal rod. (For example a negatively charged rod will ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f89ec5	difference between udp vs tcp ????		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fijvfog", "fijuotx" ], "text": [ "TCP checks everything. It's slower, but more reliable: * A: I'm sending you a thing! * B: Acknowledged! * A: Here's the thing! * B: I got it! * A: I'm done sending things now! * B: Acknowledged! UDP checks nothing. It's faster, but less reliable: * A: Her...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f8c1ht	How are real life pictures stored and/or transferred to electric devices?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fikb75k" ], "text": [ "yes, a picture can be converted into a set of 1s and 0s. A digital picture is just a grid of pixels, where each pixel is a collection of 3 colours, red green, and blue. typically each colour is represented by an 8 or 16 bit number, so either 24-48 bits per pixel. These ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f8cm8u	How are games made 'moddable' without revealing source code?	Do they just have a very abstract and capable API? some mods for some games can be pretty complex.	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fikfmzs", "fikiqzx", "fiko7oj" ], "text": [ "More or less. It depends on the game. Some just offer great hooks that allow people to write scripts to accomplish their goals. Other games have a very fixed file structure and will essentially grab mod folders and treat them as an extensio...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f8duzb	How does side-chaining in music work?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fikrvlo" ], "text": [ "The volume, or low pass filter, or really any filter, is automated to activate whenever the volume of a certain sound comes on ( a kick drum). For example, if you have a kick drum playing, the sound of the other track would suddenly get quieter for a short time whenever...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f8f2s7	I’ve read that computers can crack short passwords instantly so we should have complex passwords, then why are ATM PIN numbers so short?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fikx772", "fikxl5p" ], "text": [ "One reason is that ATMs require dual verification: You need to have your card and your pin to make the transaction. Longer pins will be more secure but harder to remember. But often when people lose their debit card they report the card missing immediatel...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f8fdin	Why are HDDs still used more commonly for servers instead of SSDs?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fikz8ad" ], "text": [ "SSDs getting cheaper, but still much more expensive than HDDs for the storage capacity. For your own computer, it may not be a big deal to spend $100 instead of $50 for storage, but when you're spending a million dollars on storage for a server farm, it matters a lot. T...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f8heih	how do computer circuit board work?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fild3ue", "fildanm", "filesel" ], "text": [ "The board is pretty straight forward. The metal on the board carries electricity. What matters is the little buildings, as you put it. Some, called resistors, limit the amount of electricity on the board. Others, diodes, only let it flow a ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f8jf93	Why is it that when a video is sent from Android to iPhone and vice versa, the quality is extremely reduced?	It's always seemed weird to me that photos seem to be the same quality as the original (or very close) when sending to and from the same devices. Thank you in advance!	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "filwz9e", "filt49i", "filrk67", "fimd55s", "fimpwjy", "fiopocs" ], "text": [ "When you send a picture or video cross-platform it has to send through MMS which typically has a limit of 1MB. Generally a photo is going to be around 3MB so it'll have to compress to a third of ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f8jfij	Why do computer games require installation while console and handheld games typically did not until the 8th generation didn't?	Been wondering about this for years.	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "filuwfa", "filrcar", "fimjaf6" ], "text": [ "Those game cartridges were essentially portable disk drives, with the game already pre-installed on it. Unfortunately, it did have space limitations which could be an issue at time. PC games had no reason to do this once hard drives became ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f8q9jr	How are photos of deep-sea fish taken? (Assuming you would need to add light/flash due to the absence of light down there.. which might harm the animals?)		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fimv8wh" ], "text": [ "You use powerful bright lights and yes this can harm the creatures at those depths. Short exposure to bright light itself is unlikely to damage normal tissues, but can very easily blind creatures which are hypersensitive to light. First off, many deep sea creatures are ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f8r2jg	Why do companies continue to make oversized power adaptors that block other outlets ports instead of making them more space-friendly?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fin09it", "fin1ryt", "fin26p5", "fimxxya", "fin02j8", "fin3nde", "fin2vsr" ], "text": [ "The efficiency limits how small the adaptor can be. Below 15W, it is not difficult to package the adaptor into a small form factor (as many have done) without a lot of cost penalty...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f8sz99	How are internet cables implemented in the ocean and then connect with an existing network?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "finahhx" ], "text": [ "The cables are laid by ships which carry the cables in huge reels that play it out as they move. The route the cabling will take is planned in advance after surveying the ocean floor and the ship keeps a precise plot through GPS. The cables themselves are huge bundles w...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f8tten	- How is gravity induced in spaceships traveling in space?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "finf9u5", "finf806" ], "text": [ "What makes you think it is? In general the only practical way this can be done is by having a rotating structure and using centripetal force to simulate gravity. To date - mankind has not built such a structure in space.", "At the moment, we dont \"Ge...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f8wzvc	What does "virtualization with amd" mean?	I'm building my own PC / Hackintosh and someone told me virtualisation wasn't possible with the AMD processor I'm planning to use. But what does that mean? I tried to google it but haven't found a clear answer. So please explain this to me like I'm 5.	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fio189n" ], "text": [ "Virtualization is a technique where you run software defined virtual machines (VMs) under the control of a small hypervisor operating system. AMD support isn't available from several hypervisors, because they instead use Intel virtualization extensions to the x86 instru...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f8zlmy	What happens to the data from an install if I stop the install before it's complete?	I tried googling it, but I can't find any answers to this. Basically, if I am installing a game, for example, and it gets to 91% done, but then I have to stop the install because I need to go someplace and can't leave my computer on the whole time, what happens to that 91% downloaded/installed? Does it stay, so I could...	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fioomrk", "fiom3gc", "fiovspe", "fipfkcm", "fipqbod" ], "text": [ "the downloaded files will usually be stored in a folder designated by the system as temporary storage*. Some installers will check for this already downloaded data and resume where you left off. Others (e.g. Or...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f91nfi	How do phones know you got a text, snapchat, etc... without soaking up a lot of data?	It seems like if they were constantly checking if you had a notification from any app it would use up a lot of data quickly.	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fip98gk", "fiow2a4", "fip76ws", "fiq0clv" ], "text": [ "Since this is really about power consumption, the answer is the phone turns off the radio. Basically it tells the cell phone it's going to turn off for a second, and if any data for the phone comes, it must be announced at ex...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f99d2w	How RAM in mobile phones differs from RAM in PC's. Are they interchangeable??	So much brouhaha over the 16gig ram variant of Samsung S20 Ultra with everyone immediately referring to laptops of similar or lower specification as if the RAM is interchangeable. I'm a noob so clearly there's plenty I don't know. I'd like people in the know to help explain this. Thanks Y'all	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fiq378d", "fiq365w" ], "text": [ "The technology is the same, but that's about where it ends. Laptops and desktop computers usually use removable cards with the chips soldered on top of, whereas every mobile phone has the chips soldered directly on the motherboard.", "The RAM chip is ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f9cxzh	How is it that you can take a picture of a piece of fruit and blow it up big enough to slap on a semi truck while making look delicious and not all pixelated?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fir433p", "fiqzido", "fiqsixy", "fir09mf" ], "text": [ "Graphic designer here. Others are referring to the difference between Raster and Vector images, which is definitely a factor, but any actual photo would be Raster, so vector curves don't apply. For photos we start with very h...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f9d35y	What is an API?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fiqpn0v" ], "text": [ "API Stands for Application Programming Interface, It is essentially in the simplest way, an API lets programs and software request information from the OS, Servers etc, allowing it access to Services and Functions that don't exist in the applications code" ], "score...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f9d5y1	Why is it that phone these days aren’t completely water proof? I get that the boards are sensitive to it, but can’t they just use water proof paint on them?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fiqqeem", "fiqr4ov" ], "text": [ "Unfortunately your phone board, battery and electronics all generate heat. That heat has to go somewhere and usually out through some part of the case is where. Adding paint to it will reduce the ability of the heat to dissipate. Furthermore, the case has...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f9ihy0	signing algorithm vs encryption algorithm	my eli5 illustration on encryption is that I put a muffin in a box and lock it with a key (key number 111783) and I send that box to my brother. my brother need to have the same key (number 111783) in order to open the box and get the muffin. without the key my brother will not be able to enjoy the muffin. and in tech ...	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fis40xv", "firrdek" ], "text": [ "> my eli5 illustration on encryption is that I put a muffin in a box and lock it with a key (key number 111783) and I send that box to my brother. my brother need to have the same key (number 111783) in order to open the box and get the muffin. What you'r...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f9lh37	Why can’t they make lunch meat without nitrates?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fisc8cg" ], "text": [ "They can, but they're used to help fight off bacteria. This means a longer shelf life, so companies like using them." ], "score": [ 5 ], "text_urls": [ [] ] }	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f9mph9	can someone tell me how Airtime Fairness works		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fisvmna" ], "text": [ "Say you have 3 devices A,B,C on a wireless network all of them want to send 1 mb of stuff. If all 3 devices started trying to transmit at once, their signals would mix up, so you figure, OK we’ll tell them to transmit one at a time. So you go,”A, send me everything, the...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f9risv	DNS Reflection attack	The part I got so far was "swamping an ip address with requests that are far too big" but I feel like I'm missing out on the detailed info. How does a DNS Reflection attack actually take place, and why does it work like it does?	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fitczlv" ], "text": [ "There are 3 parties in this attack: the attacker and the victim, plus a (relatively) innocent DNS server. Attacker sends a request to the DNS server requesting information, but forges the source IP address of the request to the that of the victim as though the victim re...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f9rv3p	What does ultrasound gel do? Why is it necessary?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fitkqq6", "fiu1cv0", "fitshh7", "fite9o8", "fiu5msz", "fiu4e9v", "fithmue", "fiub1mz", "fiu2t06", "fiu96cp" ], "text": [ "Sound waves get bent and/or reflected when they hit a boundary between materials of different densities. The ultrasound wand and the hu...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f9sjg2	How does computer memory just erase?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fiti22g", "fitj5ji" ], "text": [ "(For dumb historical \"computer people are bad at naming things\" memory is actually different than storage, but you clearly mean storage so I'll answer for that) Most devices delete things a simple way: they just mark a file as deleted without doing anyt...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f9u56k	How does the “Compass App” work on the iPhone when the phone is electronic?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fits0aa" ], "text": [ "The phone contains a [magnetometer]( URL_0 ), a device that detects magnetism, just like an actual compass." ], "score": [ 25 ], "text_urls": [ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetometer" ] ] }	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f9uw3y	What is a virtual network and a VLAN and how are they different?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fitxjik" ], "text": [ "I will give an explanation using the widely accepted definition of these terms, but they are often exchanged. VLANs connect physical clients together as if they were in a LAN, even if they are in different locations and on different physical networks. Virtual networks c...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f9vha6	how, if at all, would people set alarms for themselves before the traditional alarm clock?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fiu1dgs", "fiu19bm", "fiu1esg" ], "text": [ "A knocker-up, sometimes known as a knocker-upper, was a profession in Britain and Ireland that started during and lasted well into the Industrial Revolution, when alarm clocks were neither cheap nor reliable, and to as late as 1952. A knock...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
f9ymb8	How does each individual pixel know which colour to represent	I understand the basis of how a single pixel works, but can't work out how you deliver a specific and exact signal to every single tiny RGB block out of the 2 073 600 existiting in a typical 1080p monitor. I there individual wiring going out to each one, and if so how are the signals timed and sent out?	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fiuqmhj" ], "text": [ "Each pixel is actually 3 sub-pixels of fixed color. The computer sends the brightness to each of these 6M sub-pixels at a rate of 60 times per second to drive your monitor." ], "score": [ 5 ], "text_urls": [ [] ] }	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fa0kdx	How was music and sound added to movies before computers?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fiv2g86" ], "text": [ "In the case of film recordings, they would use an extra strip on the side of the frame that's black, with the audio 'carved' out of it, like [one of these two examples]( URL_0 ). A light is shown through the strip, which is picked up by a light-sensitive amplifier, the ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fa3pik	How did Selectric typewriters associate keyboards with changed globes? Were there charts or what?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fivp99q" ], "text": [ "The globes would always have the same letters in the same place, but with different fonts. So when you pressed A on the keyboard, the same particular region of a globe, any globe, would be pressed against the ribbon and paper." ], "score": [ 3 ], "text_urls"...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fa7fv1	Why are there so many different image formats (JPG, PNG, etc.) on the web?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fiweahe", "fiwhy04" ], "text": [ "Short answer: for historical reasons Long answer: That's not necessarily a bad thing since the widespread ones each have their own purpose.", "Because no single format is the best for everything, There are differences in filesize, quality, method of i...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fackh6	How does HD Radio work?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fix5cka" ], "text": [ "HD radio uses radio frequencies just above and below analog signals to retransmit the audio radio signal in a digital format, while maintaining the analog signal for original radios. Because the digital signal is transmitted as binary data (on or off), there is less dis...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fae6gb	How do microphones in live concerts not get a lot of feedback from all the noise?	So this might be a super simple explanation, but it really amazes and confuses me. How do microphones in live shows not get tons of feedback from the speakers, the croud sounds, the various instruments? This really baffles me	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fixhfle", "fixk4z3", "fixlvuu" ], "text": [ "1: use a directional microphone, and don't point it at a monitor or speaker. 2: limit the number of open mics. 3: keep the mics as far away from speakers as possible. 4: use in-ear monitors vs stage mounted monitors. 5: cut out all frequenc...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
faegse	How did the Game Boy (and similar) battery indicators work?	For those who don't know, the Game Boy had a little red light bulb that would shine bright when the batteries were full, but would start dimming as they run out of power. Was this purely electrical, or was there some computing involved? I have a pair of modern (AAA-operated) headphones that do the exact same thing, do ...	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fixicgh" ], "text": [ "If it was an LED the light decreases as the voltage drops bellow the ideal one. Batteries decrease in voltage as they empty. Its not very precise but it works." ], "score": [ 10 ], "text_urls": [ [] ] }	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fahhnw	How come you can still move when lagging but it teleports you back? Also, sometimes it gets to the point where the game won’t let you move? What’s the difference?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fiy480s", "fiy6doe", "fiygpdz" ], "text": [ "Basically, your system (pc, ps, xbox, whatever) thinks you're still doing everything properly, but when the network sends a signal telling it where everyone is/should be, your system takes that info over what's already on your screen and bu...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fakkzv	What does "cabels" mean in WikiLeaks and Assange related articles		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fiyrbn9", "fiyr35d", "fiyqbhn" ], "text": [ "It just means \"messages\". The term is a holdover from back in the days when these messages were sent out as telegraphs over actual electrical cables.", "Cables are diplomatic communications > Description A diplomatic cable, also known...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fal6dp	What is the hype surrounding 3D printing food?	Don't you need food to 3D print the food? It seems like all the hype shows that we can just make all of these magical foods out of thin air. For example, when 3D printing with plastic, you still need the plastic strings(?) to make layers that form the shape.	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fiyttzx", "fiyxd0p" ], "text": [ "3d printing food doesnt work by miceing up food to be printed. Instead, meat is syntetically grown to be 3d printed. Thats why its more interesting.", "The idea is to grow beef muscle cells in a tank, and then feed them through a tube into a print hea...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
falen8	why can’t a CNC router work like a roomba?	I mean, why can’t the router travel across the item to be cut on treads or wheels instead of having to be mounted above the item on a gantry setup?	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fiywoln", "fiyyw2g", "fiyygtn" ], "text": [ "There are multiple problems. The main is how to stay still when you cut. The forces involved are very high and you want close to zero vibration. So it needs to be very heavy so it is held down by gravity, magnets or attached to a frame that...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fan26m	How does my water softener work?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fiz5qe2" ], "text": [ "Water softeners work through a process called ion exchange which eliminates calcium and magnesium from the water. When the hard water enters into the mineral tank, it flows through a bed of spherical resin beads. ... When the bead seizes the mineral ion, the...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fatc8c	What are the differences between QLED, UHD, OLED, HD, LED etc?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj0bfaw" ], "text": [ "HD and UHD are resolutions. HD is high definition at 1280x720p, UHD is ultra hd at 3840x2160p. The other terms are names of technologies for the panel creation of monitors/tvs. A different technology means that 1 pixel (1x1 resolution) is created in X way and every tech...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fauzh4	What is high and low fidelity in music?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj0ezll" ], "text": [ "Fidelity is a measure of how closely a copy matches its source, regardless of the medium. Record albums, JPEGs, DNA -- anything that makes copies has a measure of fidelity, of how precisely it matches or doesn't match the original. The higher the fidelity of a recording...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fav5r0	Why do computer keyboards have the QWERTY design vs alphabetical order?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj0fkid", "fj0fwmu" ], "text": [ "More frequently used letters are placed where its naturally easier to reach from the home position.", "In the first versions of typewriters you would be pushing the key to activate a lever with the letter on it and it would strike the paper. The probl...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
favv2y	How do guitar pickups get the strings sound?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj0kmfh", "fj0kqlj" ], "text": [ "Inside the pickups are magnets wrapped in coils of wire with an electric charge running through them. Those magnets are what \"pickup\" the vibrations", "Magnets. It works in the same way that moving a metallic object (the strings) near a magnetic coi...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
faxobj	How do people capture these breathtaking pictures of galaxies after (x) hours?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj0x12s" ], "text": [ "The telescope is mounted on a multi-axis motor so it can follow the target as the Earth rotates. Then it's just a matter of trying to pick a time and place where light pollution isn't obnoxious. The final photos are then often processed a little to enhance contrast and ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fb0638	3D printing still blows my mind. How the hell? Can you choose materials or is it always the same material? You just design on a computer and the 3D printer makes it? How the hell any of it?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj1eoki" ], "text": [ "Short of some very high end systems, 3D printers always use one material, typically a plastic of some kind. As to how it actually works, a few quick YouTube videos should illustrate it nicely. The nozzle squirts out a bit of plastic as it moves around building up layers...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fb1o15	how do isp's sell your data and why		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj1obnr", "fj1ohwg" ], "text": [ "It’s incredibly useful for anyone interested in marketing anything, tells any company interested in the data exactly who their target audience is.", "As of 2019 they could sell \"non-identifying\", haven't checked since. But data is useful to targetin...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fb36zk	Why are paper receipts still a thing in 2020?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj1yonx", "fj20rci", "fj1zt4u" ], "text": [ "Because I don’t want to get spammed for the rest of my life because I bought one thing once at one store Edit - a word. I am drunk", "Because you can take away a proof of purchase without giving the shop any of your personal details.", ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fb6e5p	Why are Bluetooth pairings/connections sometimes dodgy unlike wifi which almost connects instantly?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj2zn18", "fj2lgmn" ], "text": [ "The two technologies work in completely different ways and are optimized for different purposes. With WiFi, you have an access point which is normally wired to a power outlet. It is continuously broadcasting its presence to anyone listening - about 10 tim...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fbf54c	How do colorblindness fixing glasses work? I know our eyes have cones that detect different kinds of colors, so how can they see colors that they don't have receptors for? How do these glasses help the color receptors detect colors they've never seen?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj3x3iq", "fj3wlog", "fj4h7iz" ], "text": [ "These glasses can help people with colorblindness see more accurately, but they do not perfectly replicate regular vision. Colorblindness can have different root causes. For many people, it isn't that they don't have the receptor, but rathe...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fbih6t	How are companies like amazon able to allocate so much hardware for cloud storage?	I've been working with amazon aws and I'm confused how amazon can possibly have enough hardware to handle all it's customers and users. I was reading one of the benefits of cloud storage is that there's no hardware maintenance for the user and no need to upgrade every X amount of years. Wouldn't amazon run into the sam...	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj4j6eh" ], "text": [ "Amazon can afford it because of their scale. Amazon gets massive discounts on everything HDD CPU's ect because they don't order 100 HDD they order 100,000,000. Also look at the costs of S3. S3 is 0.023 GB a month. Lets assume Amazon used WD Gold 14TB HDDs. You can pick ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fblnjt	Why is Mozilla Firefox a more secure internet browser than Chrome and others?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj56b36" ], "text": [ "There's a difference between security and privacy. A house with nothing but glass and metal bars, with a lot of guards outside is quite secure, not private though. In security chrome and Firefox are equivalent, though Chrome may have the edge (no pun intended) because i...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fbly0e	Why do LED headlights flicker when being viewed through a camera or recorded video but not when you look at them with a naked eye?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj548x4", "fj53f0v" ], "text": [ "Pulse width modulation: keeping LED's on for a short burst, and off for a short burst (usually shorter off times) to save electricity, reduce heat output, and create a 'dimming' effect for LED's, because LED's can't be dimmed by lowering voltage. So when ...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fbqdun	How does the real-time ray tracing work in the computer 3D graphics?	I have been hearing about the new types RTX graphics cards that can do ray tracing real time. I know how the light radiation works in real life and previously -unless you wanted a still ray traced image that took long time to calculate- you had to use computer trickery to render effects that simulate in moving 3D. Now ...	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj5xf87" ], "text": [ "I've written a longer answer to this before, but here's a summary: traditional ray (and/or path) tracing is slow, because there are so many rays to simulate and the simulation of an individual ray is slow if the scene has a lot of complexity. RTX-style ray tracing impro...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fbxl27	Why do some programs & games open quicker when you recently closed them?	Sometimes you quit a game and then open the game again after 30 seconds, it loads a bit faster than the time you load it for the first time in the day. Similiarly I find it to be the case with some other applications. Why does that happen?	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj72atb" ], "text": [ "Operation system caches some data. It makes an assumption that if program was recently used or is used regularly, then it makes it more probable that they will be run again in the nearest future. So it has some files relevant to this program easily available, which allo...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fc2wta	Why do most smartphones need to use headphones as an antenna? What makes FM radio waves hard to catch without it?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj88yg0", "fj87tkb", "fj9h35u", "fja9k49" ], "text": [ "FM radio has a wavelength of between 2.5 and 3.5 metres. An antenna half that wavelength is pretty efficient in receiving the signal, and earphone cables are roughly about that length, so get used as antennas, as well as carr...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fc42at	How does smart devices like Alexa, Google Home, and other devices not “listen” when you are talking without saying their name?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj8fiq1", "fj8fj4z", "fj8h10s", "fj8itqn", "fj8nwjh", "fj8ijqu", "fj8km8g", "fj8p2rg", "fj8mxx7", "fj8o4ak", "fj8iic7" ], "text": [ "If I'm correct the microphone is always listening. It's just in some sleep state waiting for their respective trigger wo...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fc57fc	how is LED different from an incandescent?	And why did it take us so long to come up with it?	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj8n6uf" ], "text": [ "Incandescent bulbs heat a filament, or wire. That wire creates light from the heat. Think of a heater or stove glowing when it gets hot. The same thing is at play here, which is why incandescents get very hot. LEDs run power through diode, or a place where electrons lik...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fc5pdt	How does a touch screen detect touches under glass?	It's like magic, how do it work??	Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj8plll" ], "text": [ "It measures capacitance. Your finger is conductive. The \"glass\" is non-conductive. There is a layer of transparent conductor under the glass. Wherever your finger touches, a capacitor forms -- an area capable of holding an electric charge. By reading the capacitance o...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fc6bwn	how does this work? (Link in comments)		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj8tzlo" ], "text": [ "Put the camera on a tripod. Then take a picture. Advance the film and stand in one place. Then take another picture. Advance the film and stand in the next place. Then take another picture. Advance the film and stand in the third place. Then take another picture. Not yo...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fcb1jv	How do those "I am not a robot" reCAPTCHA's work?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj9jrin", "fj9jdv7", "fj9q77c", "fj9nwg8" ], "text": [ "The ones that are \"just a checkbox\" are a little bit spooky. They leverage Google's awareness of your behavior \"before, during, and after\" you click the box. It checks your browsing history, mouse movements in your browse...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]
fcbjiz	How do radio stations know how many people are listening?		Technology	explainlikeimfive	{ "a_id": [ "fj9rvfb", "fj9ns04", "fj9ye2f" ], "text": [ "The [Portable People Meter]( URL_0 ) is the modern way; however, in the past --and possibly even today in some smaller markets without PPM technology-- a diary system was used. People would get a call from the ratings company Arbitron askin...	[ "url" ]	[ "url" ]

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