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
n2pow8
How did they achieve realistic movie CGI in the 1990s when computers back then were primarily 486/Pentium based and 3D acceleration came later?
I've seen movies like Jurassic Park and Deep Impact, and am wondering how they achieved such graphical feats that still look realistic by today's standards when computers then are achingly slow compared to what we have nowadays.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwksvex", "gwkt7ya", "gwkt70m" ], "text": [ "Jurassic park, specifically, used practical effects rather than just CGI. Those dinosaurs were either puppets, animatronics, or dudes in costumes.", "Proper computers had accelerated graphics even then --- I think people mostly used SGI...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n2pvht
how can car airbags inflate when they’re under a solid plastic dashboard?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwku8gu", "gwktmzo" ], "text": [ "The plastic has lines on the inside that you can't see that are significantly weaker so it will split apart and let the airbag out. [There's a Slow Mo Guys video showing airbags deploying]( URL_0 ) and you can see that the cover on the front of the steeri...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n2wfst
what is an NFT
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwm4g33", "gwm203k" ], "text": [ "NFT, known as Non-fungible token is fundamentally anything that isn't a currency. Let me put this in 5 year old explanations for an ease of understanding. I'll start with what is \"fungible\", because that's our keyword here. Fungible is essentially anyth...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n36gyk
Why do some power cables not have a ground prong?
For example, my electric shaver cable only has two prongs. Without a ground prong, doesn't that mean it could shock me if something went wrong with the electricity?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwnsrni", "gwnstuk", "gwnz0co", "gwnsc60" ], "text": [ "The ground wire is meant to save a user from getting shocked when the metal outside of something gets electrically charged. This is not possible in case of an electric shaver since the outside is mainly made out of plastic an...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n3az6b
Why does a rechargable battery has a limited cycle/lifetime.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwoqwb1" ], "text": [ "It depends on what type it is. In some you accumulate crystal errors (lithium), others corrode (lead-acid) and so on" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text_urls": [ [] ] }
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n3bj1a
Why are most cheap PCB’s and circuitry green colored
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwoteei", "gwoyfmm", "gwoz7db" ], "text": [ "Green was the coloration given to the conformal coating that covered the first fiberglass boards. There were also some other colors such as brown or orange, but green won out as the most recognizable and aesthetically pleasing default. But,...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n3dt21
How does the undo feature work in collaborative applications such as Google Docs?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwphryk" ], "text": [ "[Chuktropolis Welling Moran of UC San Diego]( URL_3 ) explains that different programs implement an undo feature in different ways. Recently, the undo button has evolved to accommodate collaborative text-editing systems, such as Google Docs. So what goes on under the ho...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n3j3i2
How exactly does burning cds work especially when you do it from home? And why does a scratch affect how the cd reads the information?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwq3yed", "gwq4yot" ], "text": [ "When CDs are pressed commercially, they actually punch tiny tiny holes in the gold foil, and those punches represent the information that becomes the music. When you burn a CD at home, you can’t punch holes, but the laser in the CD burner affects the foil...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n3jxbv
How is Wi-Fi "shared" to multiple devices?
With a wired connection, it seems pretty straightforward. Multiple devices are connected via multiple wires to a home router. With a Wi-fi connection, how do multiple devices connect to the home router. Is it like multiple devices are connected to a one large wire (that is the air)?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwq985x" ], "text": [ "Multiplexing. There are lots of different ways multiplexing can be accomplished, one example is time sharing. In other words, each device gets multiplexed for a certain time slot (often small enough time slots as to be imperceptible to us; it can be fractions of fractio...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n3k4yx
how does binary work? I've had it explained to me twice at my current age and I didn't get it...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwqb2v1" ], "text": [ "Its just a base 2 number system. We have a base 10 number system 0-9, and when you reach the end of the system you add a digit and start over. 9, 10,11. Binary does the same thing, but you only count to 1. 0,1,10,11,100,101, etc." ], "score": [ 12 ], "text_u...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n3l6vf
How Does a Computer Know Where a File Is after I Save It?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwqgoe3" ], "text": [ "A computer keeps track of files similarly to how we put papers in a folder and put the folders into a filing cabinet. On your operating system, like Windows or macOS, files are put in a folder, which can be placed in another folder and so on. [As Chris Hoffman explains ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n3ma83
how exactly is silicon programmed in Computer chips?
Like, who went, oh yea let me just put some electricity into this rock and make it think for me? I like to think I know my way around a computer but at the end of the day how do manufacturers go from metals and rocks to cpus? How do you make electricity make silicon think? Thanks!
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwqpgsl", "gwqpy3n", "gws3kr6" ], "text": [ "You don't make it think. It's a machine just like the ones that you more intuitively understand. The front gear on a bike pushes a chain that pushes the rear gear which pushes the ground. Similarly, the semiconductors in a computer is the s...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n3mhe1
why do dish washers take 3+ hours to clean dishes but the washing machine and dryer takes less than 2 hours to clean clothes? shouldn’t clothes be more difficult to clean?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwqp2z0", "gwqp8ft" ], "text": [ "Dish washers used to be faster. Recent regulations on the amount of electricity they can draw slowed them down. A big chunk of time is also the heated dry time. So they do both, wash and dry, in about the same time a load of laundry is washed and dried. T...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n3mmk4
can a airplane pilot put the plane in autopilot the whole time they fly?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwqq3d2", "gwqqgiq", "gwqq9md" ], "text": [ "At the very least, takeoffs would still be flown by hand, since (to my knowledge) many jet's autopilots won't engage unless you are on a somewhat stable heading and are closely trimmed (flight controls set so that minimal yoke/sidestick pre...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n3vbro
How do wireless chargers work?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gws1lq0", "gws0con", "gwt76xm" ], "text": [ "There are two metal spirals: one in your phone and one in the wireless charger. The one in your wiresless charger spins the electricity around the spiral, which creates a strong magnetic charge because electricity and magnetism are insepara...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n41us3
Why does Adobe need to update their products so much?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwt1lgl" ], "text": [ "By adding features, optimizing performance and such, you potentially introduce new bugs into a program as a developer. A fixed bug can even cause new bugs to appear. It's a vicious cycle that never truly ends. Especially in very complex software like the Adobe Suite." ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n4amrg
How do we record sound and what separates a good microphone from a bad one. What makes a good microphone good? What parts actually decide this.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwuqu27" ], "text": [ "Sound is a pressure wave moving through the air. A microphone converts that pressure wave into an electrical signal. It's essentially the reverse of a speaker. In a microphone there is a diaphragm attached to a metal coil, and the coil is set inside a magnetic field. Th...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n4atlx
; What was 'vertical hold' all about?
The image on the TV of my childhood would sometimes start to scroll up or down. You had to adjust a tiny knob to stabilise the image. Why. It no longer exists as a problem or solution. What changed?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwui7ex", "gwuhfs0", "gwui2d4", "gwuix57", "gwuiam0", "gwxwgod", "gwuy49k" ], "text": [ "CRT TVs worked by shooting a beam of electrons at the screen to light up pixels, that beam would go from left to right, then drop down a row, left to right, drop down a row, and so...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n4dqet
LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwv279d" ], "text": [ "In IT a directory service stores information about objects in a given organization. The organization does not matter, it could be a business, or your home network. Typical object types are users, computers, and groups. Objects have information associated with them store...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n4vr03
How exactly our charging habit affect the lifespan/capacity of smartphone battery?
we all have heard warnings like don't play games when charging, don't leave the charger on for more than 6 hours, etc It is said that it drains the life cycle, but how exactly those things affect the battery (as in, microscopic level) ? some would even bloat the battery which requires immediate battery change.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwxsfb9", "gwxv7pa" ], "text": [ "With modern batteries, it doesn’t really make that much of a difference. Especially on phones that do any kind of smart charging, ie learning that when you charge it at night it’s on the charger for several hours so it can charge slowly over that time ins...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n51ngh
How are mirror scenes in movies and TV shows filmed
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwys9qy" ], "text": [ "Hi :-) Many methods. Other than more recent special effects, there is a lot of trickery with lenses. Tilt-shift lenses: Basically a camera lens that you can tilt and move around. In this case aligning it in a way the camera won't show, even though you'd expect it to be ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n589p4
Why does water ruin electronics?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gwzu0a9", "gwzu8cm", "gwzu8zh" ], "text": [ "It's conductive, and unlike alcohol it doesn't dry quickly so it can seep into all the cracks and make short-circuits", "Electronics is small amounts of voltage that travel along a path between two points. There can be many different vo...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n58mq5
How do calculators work?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx0960c", "gx029zw" ], "text": [ "What do you mean by that? Mechanical calculator, electric calculators, those on your computer? Have you tried: [ URL_10 ]( URL_10 ) I mean depending on the level you're interested in that can be arbitrarily complex. In a **high level (programming) languag...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n5brv0
Those YouTube people who manage to form a reverse connection with scammers and hack their cams and PCs, how do they do it?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx0dipf", "gx0bh6p", "gx0byev" ], "text": [ "In quite a few cases, the scammers basically give them said 'reverse connection'. Essentially, a lot of remote desktop software like Teamviewer will have a scam warning built in when accepting the connection - so in order to get around this...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n5j5qe
What stops game developers from making a game completely shitty looking on the lowest and gorgeous on the highest settings?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx1fnwd" ], "text": [ "There's just a limit to how much you can have different visual settings and run the same game. Some things just can't be changed, such as the underlying physics of the game, the objects, the computations needed to calculate all the interactions, etc. What we can change ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n5k3th
Why 480p now seems me unwatchable, but 10 years ago it was like super good ?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx1qnfi", "gx1s7qb", "gx1mo0e", "gx1mobm", "gx1pfkd", "gx1qa9j", "gx1kxqj" ], "text": [ "About 20 years ago, you watched everything on a CRT TV, which is main factor for why 480p seemed okay back then. Those displays were very tolerant of actual resolution of source, m...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n5moi7
Why video games developers leave lots of unused content in the final version of a game? Why they don't just delete it?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx22rpl", "gx20qmh", "gx210sh" ], "text": [ "Coding in general, and videogames specifically, is a situation where if it works you don't mess with it unless you have to. Changes that shouldn't affect anything else often do, in logic-defying ways.", "While it is rarely necessary to ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n5rkm9
What causes things to be water proof?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx2wpgl" ], "text": [ "The openings/gaps in the surfaces or bordering edges are too small for water to fit (\"want\") through. Water likes to stick to itself, a property that can be used in building waterproof or water hardy stuff. For example in phones, gaps are so small that the surface ten...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n5uj6c
What does the binary of a computer actually look like, and how does it understand those instructions?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx3htmu" ], "text": [ "Typically, each component that's using some sort of binary code has multiple wires, and each wire carries one digit. So if there's 8 wires (8-bit) and the first 4 have voltage on them and the second 4 have no voltage, then that could represent 11110000. (Yes pedants, I ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n5yfmm
How does air conditioning work?
Both in cars and in houses. I know car heaters work by pulling heat from the engine chamber (idk if that’s the right word, I know jack shit about cars) and I think a lot of houses either use electric coils or gas flames (this may all be wrong, please correct me if so). But I have no idea how air conditioning works.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx42i5l", "gx4fal4" ], "text": [ "Air conditioners work by essentially moving heat from one side to the other. The way this works is by exploiting a property of gasses: when you compress them they heat up, and when you let them expand they cool down. In an air conditioner there's a sort o...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n5z33d
How does in-built "unsubscribe" functionality in Gmail work?
When you receive bunch of promotional emails from a website, sometimes there is a link at the bottom of the email to unsubscribe from similar future emails but sometimes there is no such link. However, Gmail provides with a button to unsubscribe from these emails regardless without visiting any other website. How does ...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx49ch4" ], "text": [ "The email headers (which aren't normally visible to the user) will normally contain unsubscribe links if the email is from a reputable sender. When gmail identifies that an unsubscribe link is there it will give you the option of unsubscribing in addition to reporting t...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n63b1a
why does Starship make the horizontal flip instead of landing lime their other rocket?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx4ra2z", "gx4qu93" ], "text": [ "Because falling horizontally allows you to slow down using air resistance, which is increased when surface area is increased. This saves for the very last moment, where the rocket flips and then scrubs the remaining velocity with engine power. Braking wit...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n63c44
What ensures that no one is generating the exact same keypair by pure chance
I am aware that I am probably mixing up some topics in this question but lets do this: While the chances of this happening are probably unbelivably small, humanity is generating a lot of (RSA) keypairs on a daily basis. If my understanding is correct, websites use asymetrical keypairs to provide SSL certificates. How i...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx4r3xm", "gx4rxjh", "gx4rmhj", "gx5488m" ], "text": [ "Nothing really, other than the chance of such a thing being lower than winning the lottery several times in a row.", "> While the chances of this happening are probably unbelivably small, humanity is generating a lot of (...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n65nsb
How is it that some video games have a huge Gb size than others? (more details under)
My two examples are as follow: Call of Duty: Black Ops III - 100Gb (160Gb with DLCs) Monster Hunter: World - 48Gb (96Gb with DLCs) How is it that Black Ops III is way heavier than Monster Hunter: World, even though World requires more power from my PC for the minimal settings needed (graphic card, processor...) than Bl...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx5379d" ], "text": [ "Video games are made up mostly of just two things: code (what tells the machine how to run the game) and assets (all of the art that appears in the game). Code is actually pretty small, so it doesn't take up too much space. Assets, on the other hand, can be massive, and...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n672wl
Doge coin, how its made, how its used and why its worth what it's worth.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx5c0qa", "gx5bwms", "gx5fzn6" ], "text": [ "Dogecoin is made by using a computer to complete math equations. It is used for meme value and speculation. It is worth what it's worth because of wild speculation. Basically it's a meme you can buy, and the more popular it gets the more pe...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n68j75
what is the x in the .docx file
Always wondered why document files save as .docx and not .docs what does the x mean here? And why are pdf files not .pdfx then?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx5k3dv", "gx5mqaj" ], "text": [ "The X version is much more heavily based on XML - it’s much more readable as a standard and there is more information that can be accurately saved. It also much smaller than traditional DOC files. The DOC/DOCX was created so word and newer office versions...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n6i82h
How can MRI machines change how a new tattoo looks?
I was scheduling and MRI and they asked if I had any tattoos or piercings that were new. I do in fact have a roughly 2 month old tattoo. The person scheduling me talked to one of the radiologists and said that MRIs can change the way new (up to 3-4 month old) tattoos look. How is that possible / how does that even work...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx78hoe", "gx7auao", "gx88f3q", "gx8pnva" ], "text": [ "The ink can sometimes contain trace amounts of iron that will be greatly affected by the magnetic field generated by an mri", "I've never quite heard that before. But live with an MRI researcher and why they typically ask...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n6p28k
What does the ‘abort’ handle in spacecraft cockpits actually do?
In many movies and media that depict real-life spacecraft, or near-future spacecraft that are logical progressions of real-life spacecraft, they show the abort handle or button or switch. What would happen in real-life if this handle was pulled during any given moment during space flight; takeoff, orbit, halfway to the...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx8f60r", "gx8fba3", "gx8forc", "gx8fups" ], "text": [ "The classic \"abort handle\" is for the launch abort, which obviously only works while you're still connected to your carrier rocket. In that case, it activates a dedicated launch abort rocket and separates the spacecraft fro...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n6rzus
can internet providers listin in to the decryption key
So for explain if I send out a message on the app let’s say discord, I encrypt it locally, then send it out, but when starting a conversation both party’s of the conversation gets a decryption key, to decrypt the encrypted message is it possibly for internet provider to see the decryption key and thus decrypting my enc...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx8unb9", "gx8usc4" ], "text": [ "That is not how encryption works. Modern encryption works over a private and public key. The public one you share and with that people can encrypt messages to send to you. These encrypted messages can only be decrypted with the private key and only you ha...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n6spbj
Crypto is software, code. Isn't it hosted on a server somewhere on the world? Break the computer, break the crypto?
I don't understand how cyptocurrency can be forever. It's just code at the end of the day. That code must be run on a server somewhere right? Like all online games and data servers keep all digital data. Isn't cyptocurrency the same? If the server or computer dies, won't all the money just poof?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx8yh1n", "gx8zl6z", "gx9dsas", "gx95cxz", "gx8y1hx", "gx90bgb", "gx9gcgm", "gx8z66d", "gx8z5a6", "gx9ao6i", "gx9b6kv", "gx9afrq", "gx9d5w6", "gxagsee", "gx9gouh", "gxafx4j", "gx9gcej", "gx9p9mh" ], "text": [ "Crypto currency...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n6whcv
Why does restarting my router sometimes help with internet connectivity problems?
I mean, what changes with that reboot that helps?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx9m21q", "gx9o1rh", "gx9hfhs", "gx9oerc" ], "text": [ "Imagine that you start solving an equation in your notebook. Halfway through you notice that the number don't add up anymore. You try to figure out what the problem is but you can't seem to find it. So you just tear that page...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n6x2d3
Where does the data go when you format a disk?
Let's say your disk is 500 gigabytes. At around %80 percent you perform a disk format. What does the computer do to the 400 gbs of data, to have that disk empty? Also how is it so that the disk don't get full because you already stored around at least 500 gbs of data before?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx9k66o", "gx9yrdk", "gx9oavn" ], "text": [ "Write something in sand. Now brush it away. Where did the data go? To the same place as data on a hard drive.", "It doesn't go anywhere. It stays on the disk and is marked as free space until something new overwrites it. VSauce has a go...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n6yos8
why can’t phone cameras just record horizontally whilst in a vertical orientation?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gx9v2i8", "gx9tqz3" ], "text": [ "The sensor is a rectangle, not a square, and it’s proportional to the phone’s rectangular dimensions. So when the phone is held vertically, the camera sensor is also vertical. If you wanted the image to be horizontal then you have to crop it, which means ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n70ht7
How do modern smartwatches calculate steps, blood pressure and oxygen level in blood ?
What are the technology behind this ?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxa5dl4" ], "text": [ "Oxygen level is done via the color of your blood. That is called *Reflectance pulse oximetry.* The watch shines a light on your skin and the color reflection lets it measure blood flow and oxygenation. Steps are calculated by the accelerometer, which basically measures ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n71cyr
What happens when an electronic device gets "bricked"? Some parts have to still be salvageable, right?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxa9fe8", "gxa9gzg" ], "text": [ "It usually means that the firmware or software that boots up the device has become corrupted and prevents the device from even starting. It is usually possible to get a fresh install from another source pushed to the device, but you may need special equip...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n73dia
- Why are the cars in Formula 1 and Formula-E not identical on the outside?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxalxa1", "gxam4ce" ], "text": [ "Formula E cars are much smaller to run on the tighter street circuit tracks the series typically runs. Lower speeds, tighter turning radius, more bumper car action. Formula 1 cars are *much* longer for aerodynamic efficiency at high speed on more traditio...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n74exc
Why do USB-Sticks get hot when you transfer data?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxartb8", "gxarzt4" ], "text": [ "The sticks contain a little chip that is able to store data. In order to write or read data from it, a current must pass through the chip. When a current passes through something, there is some resistance, meaning some of the energy of that current is los...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n7bjnh
Back in the late 90s and early 2000s laser pointers were very popular and you could put different tips in them to get different designs, how did those tips work?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxc72bg" ], "text": [ "The lens have a structure called \"diffraction grating\". If you watch ocean waves passing around a series of rocks, you'll notice that part of the wave is reflected and overlaps with the original wave, making a complex pattern. That pattern depends on how the rocks are...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n7bssb
why do most electronics, like controllers and remotes, need two batteries instead of one?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxbxel6", "gxbzggl" ], "text": [ "Modern electronics operate off of semiconductors. Diodes and transistors. This includes LED's. These are electronic devices which do almost nothing below a set voltage. Only above this voltage do they become active. While the exact voltage can vary, this ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n7d8pt
How does a computer keep track of time when turned off?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxc5lrd", "gxc5mb4", "gxc6760", "gxc5vgx" ], "text": [ "Some components of the computer do not turn off, and are sustained by an internal battery. This includes the clock.", "They have a small button-cell battery. If you have an old computer that loses track of the time when i...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n7hsfg
Why are some magazines for weapons curved, and others straight?
An example of this is 7.62x51 NATO, typically in 20-round magazines, but there are also some 7.62 magazines that are curved and not straight. Magazines for 7.62x39mm also have a distinctive curve, which is more extreme compared to other magazines of other calibers. Why is this the case?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxcx76r", "gxcy6uw" ], "text": [ "> 7.62x51 NATO This cartridge has a casing body with [sides which are parallel]( URL_0 ). Stack them on top of each other and you get a straight stack. > 7.62x39mm This cartridge has a casing body with [sides that are angled toward the tip]( URL_1 ). If y...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n7l2hd
How does underwater torpedoes propell and explode to cause maximum impact? Doesn't water extinguish the flame?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxdcm4l", "gxdcovu", "gxdd06y", "gxdcglm", "gxdc3ln", "gxdgduq" ], "text": [ "Premodern torpedo. Torpedo hit your hull, the detonator detonates the giant payload (either by contact or prox fuse) the BIG CONCUSSION hopefully breaks a hole in your hull, and you leak. This is...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n7tdes
Why does extremely old footage appear to be sped up?
Watching old footage like from the 1920s appears to be going at 1.5X. Why is this though?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxf8dok", "gxek6wp", "gxekc4h", "gxf4riv", "gxevc0e" ], "text": [ "As others have said, there wasn't a standardized frame rate (24 frames/sec) until the mid-20s. The illusion of movement happens as low as 15fps, so cameras, early on, filmed anywhere from 15-30fps. So footage t...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n7zu3p
How come that professional cameras rarely have above 40 Megapixels but some phones have 50 or even 100 Megapixels?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxfntke", "gxfnv71", "gxfo5km", "gxfmzcp" ], "text": [ "Megapixels say little about camera quality. The value of a full size professional camera is in the huge sensor and the large, very complex interchangeable optics. A phone camera physically can't be as good because the laws of...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n86lcc
How did the scientists track the falling orbit of Long March 5B in real time, and make predicition about the possible landing spots?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxgs7wj" ], "text": [ "Radar. Radar tracking can tell us the position, altitude, and velocity of any object. Over the last few days, various governments were tracking it with radar and noting how its orbit was degrading. We can do a reasonably good job of modeling orbital decay so we could sa...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n86o0b
Why is it such a big deal if the source code for a program/website is leaked? What's the worst someone could do with it?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxgsoby", "gxgsp26" ], "text": [ "The source code is like the recipe for that software. It literally is what the program does and how it works. There are two reasons source code leaks are bad: 1. A competitor can get it, figure out how the key bits work, and add them to their own software...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n8a5u2
what can you do with an IP address?
Hi, so what can someone do with your IP address? So if someone managed to get ahold of my IP, can they find out where I live, and essentially my identity? Just wondering because I’m wondering how streamers get swatted. I’m not going to swat anyone obviously but I thought IP address only show a geographical location, ca...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxha9xs", "gxhs1qo" ], "text": [ "> So if someone managed to get ahold of my IP, can they find out where I live, and essentially my identity? At first they can find out roughly where you live. So like your next bigger city, nothing else. If they want more they need the information your IS...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n8aazd
How can Digital data be stored on Magnetic tape?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxhbjqd", "gxhb68h" ], "text": [ "to simplify: magnetic tape is a piece of plastic with some iron on the surface. Iron can be magnetized if exposed to a strong enough magnetic field. A magnet has two poles, north and south. The easiest way to save digital data on a tape is to expose each ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n8p0xo
Why do SD cards have higher storage capacity than thumb drives
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxjnmt9", "gxjmms3" ], "text": [ "You may need to take a look at the catalogs again. You do get thumb drives up to 2TB at quite reasonable prices today. And these may be small enough to fit entirely within the USB port without anything sticking out. In fact most thumb drives on the market...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n8sjkt
How did memory in computers increase over time?
I'm having a hard time wording this one. We always see posts about how a super computer decades ago holds less capable memory than a hard drive today. How does that work? What changed? How are advancements even made?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxk6m36", "gxk6vqi", "gxk7zzf" ], "text": [ "Over time, due to technological advances, semiconductors have become smaller and smaller. As a result, microchips are able to perform more calculations in a smaller footprint. By the same token, memory chips are able to hold more data becau...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n92g75
what is vRAN and how does it differ from RAN? (Whatever that is)
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxljw95" ], "text": [ "RAN is a configuration of hardware. vRAN is a virtual implementation of an RAN. the vRAN can be updated/modified by a software update, whereas to reconfigure an RAN, hardware needs to swapped." ], "score": [ 5 ], "text_urls": [ [] ] }
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n92zjz
Why did digital audio/cds allow for increased dynamic range and wider stereo separation compared to vinyl?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxllxqu", "gxlqiez", "gxlrk7f" ], "text": [ "A record player needle can only vibrate so much. That accounts for the higher dynamic range of CDs, the difference between the lowest and highest dB sound it can produce is lower for vinyl. This also accounts for the higher level of stereo ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n96j75
Why are space rockets shot straight up? Wouldn't it be easier to make a spacecraft that ascends like regular aircraft until it's out of the atmosphere?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxm3hcu", "gxm37m9", "gxm4a03" ], "text": [ "They aren't shot straight up. They start pointing straight up, but very gradually turn so that by the time they have exited the atmosphere, they're more or less parallel with the ground. The reason is aerodynamics. The wind slows down the c...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n97t8h
Why some games need to be restarted when we change the resolution or graphics settings while others manage do it on the go?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxmgdsi", "gxnqlli" ], "text": [ "Let’s pretend all the code segments are little miners in in the gamebox gold mine who do all the little things that make the game work and the foreman is the main game application. At the start of the day the foreman issues them all instructions for the d...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n999pm
What's the difference between LED, OLED and Mini LED
I'm looking to get the newest iPad pro, and I was wondering what the difference was between the mini LEDs for the latest generation, the LEDs of the previous generation, and the OLEDs of the iPhone, since it's become such a huge selling point.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxmidf0" ], "text": [ "OLED is a way to make tiny LEDs smaller than a pixel, so each pixel is its own LED and you get the best possible contrast and real deep black The problem is that these LEDs are made from organic materials that decompose and deteriorate if they are used too much and they...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n9cgiq
how is space navigated after we leave earth?
Im assuming we dont use conventional methods (north, east, south, west or left and right), so how is it used on current space or will be used on future spacecraft?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxn967c", "gxn0iyj", "gxn0dcl", "gxn33vv", "gxn876j" ], "text": [ "By knowledge of [**ephemeris**]( URL_1 ), a standard we agreed upon that JPL maintains. All objects in our system are constantly orbiting something. To plan a successful trip, you need to simulate trajectories ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n9d5jm
Why the headphone jack hasn't been improved or replaced by any other type of connector since the 50's? Is that as best as it can get and there's no need for anything else?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxn3yjl", "gxn52mg", "gxn59qj", "gxolew9" ], "text": [ "Because it’s not needed, it works fine now it is now, all you need is 3 (or 4 if you need a microphone) wires, and the 3.5 mm jack does that absolutely fine, why get a new standard? You’ll just make new problems for nothing U...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n9db8u
How did a 70 year old computer (Lyons electronic office I) use Mercury as memory? [2K (2048) 35-bit words (ultrasonic delay line memory based on tanks of mercury)]?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxn5o4t" ], "text": [ "Delay line memory works by sending a current through a loop where it is slowed down. If you want to write, you wait until the loop comes to you and inject a bit value. If you want to read, you wait until the loop comes around and read what's on it. Mercury was one metho...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n9smnv
What Causes JPEG Compression?
I save, modify, and share a lot of images online, as most of us do, typically in the JPEG format. I often see JPEGs posted that are of very low quality, obviously having been saved and reposted many times, to the point that the lowest quality are considered "ancient." They get blocky, defined edges get blurred, yet it ...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxpjkjs", "gxpknc6", "gxpk1y0" ], "text": [ "Basically, any lossy copression will introduce artifacts. JPEGs are intended to make those artifacts relatively difficult for humans to spot in natural scenes, and for the most part, they do — but they’re not good for artificially-created s...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n9tdi4
Why do some 'Heavy Games' like Arkham Knight, GTA V, Watchdogs 2, etc run without any issue (with acceptable CPU, GPU usage & temperatures exceeding not more than 50% & 70°C) where as while playing 'Light games' such as My Little Nightmares, Stick it to the man, etc GPU usage is around 80-90
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxpmr47", "gxpmuln", "gxptjw8" ], "text": [ "Well, there are many reasons for this and I’m not enough of a computer expert nor do I know these games well enough to give you a concise explanation. But one of the reasons could be: - Optimization, sometimes, games just aren’t optimized, ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n9tz8a
What are twitter bots and how do they work?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxpqguv" ], "text": [ "Bots are basically just automated systems. There's a *lot* of different types. I'll focus on the simplest one: a follower bot. Follower bots are automated accounts that... follow a specific account. Usually this is a paid service. The accounts are made to look authentic...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n9w60l
If I plug a usb-c power bank into my laptop, how does it know to charge the laptop off the power bank, and not the power bank off the laptop?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxq3n8l" ], "text": [ "USB is a 'smart' protocol. When you plug a device into another device, they exchange information with one another about their capabilities and then negotiate what each device will do/send to the other. If you plug the power bank into a wall charger, the charges says \"I...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n9x0k1
Why would anyone pay for a good or service with crypto? Isn't the possibility that it would go up or down in value a huge deterrent for both parties?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxq88qh", "gxq9j5e" ], "text": [ "Yes and yes. This is why the volatility of cryptocurrencies acts against their use as a *currency*. Part of the idea of cryptocurrencies is that they're free from government control and thus more stable - particularly, protected against inflation (their v...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
n9xigb
:Why does "percussive maintenance" sometimes work on delicate electronics?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxq9ocp" ], "text": [ "It is not as common on modern devices, but on older electronics the heat generated would often cause small warps in the circut boards or other materials. These warps would unseat components over time and break their connections. Hitting the device would often cause thos...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
na40ie
Why do tech companies constantly change their terms of service?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxrne7g", "gxreguz" ], "text": [ "There may be new laws they have to account for or explicitly address, there may be new technologies that come into existence or that they want to use and need to cover, they may need to better clarify based on consumer concerns/feedback or lawsuits/threat...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
na50jr
Why the colonial pipeline Hack caused a gas shortage?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxrjfc1", "gxrlgkq", "gxrszwj" ], "text": [ "No, a lot of the company's operations had to be temporarily shut down because the computers controlling various pieces of equipments were [potentially] compromised. As such, oil products weren't flowing from sources near Texas up the east c...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
na5r4c
how the hell do you read those Twitter screenshots? I feel like everytime I see one they are in a weird order, and I never know the chronological sequence of comments.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxrqahn", "gxryfkx", "gxry8th", "gxrwmol" ], "text": [ "Especially on newer screenshots there will be a white line connecting the profile pictures of the people conversing. Simply read those from top to bottom.", "It's so frustrating! Doesn't help that after 2 replies Twitter ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
na64h1
Why can't we use railgun technology to launch satellites into orbit?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxrqrmr", "gxrrhct", "gxruch6" ], "text": [ "Low Earth orbit requires a speed of 7800m/s So lets say you have a humongous rail gun that’s 400 meters long. The lazy math says that to exit at 7800m/s, the satellite will be spending something around 0.06 seconds accelerating. That gives ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
na82c5
How does clicking a link to a malicious website allow hackers to gain control over a computer?
Aren't browsers suppose to be sandboxed? Assuming you never run any file that is downloaded, how does malware go from within the browser to gaining root access and encrypting your file system?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxs3xyh" ], "text": [ "There are various ways to break out of the sandbox. Among other things, the webpage can be set to automatically download a file when you load it, with virus files being quite small and quickly completed. Then, it is just a matter of tricking you into opening the payload...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
nahzob
how do voltmeters, or multimeters that can measure voltage, work?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxtv0iw" ], "text": [ "I assume you mean the analogue ones. They run a current through a coil of wire which causes a magnetic field. There's a permanent magnet nearby so this creates a force proportional to the amount of current flowing. Then you have a hinged needle attached to a spring whic...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
naijgi
Why do news stories about new major diseases treatment (cancer, AIDS, and etc) end up as a story and not become widely used?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxtt8dj", "gxty9a3", "gxttft4" ], "text": [ "COVID not withstanding, it normally takes many years from a cure that works in a lab to turn into a cure that your doctor can prescribe you. The whole testing and approval thing takes time normally. There is also the problem that science re...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
nak3kv
How does Disney recycle animations from one movie to another?
I watched this video, that shows side-by-side comparisons of animations which were recycled by Disney in different movies: URL_0 As you can see, the movement and framing are practically identical in the clips, but the characters’ looks sometimes vary. For example, Little John has other clothes than Baloo. How is this r...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxu1lhn", "gxu03ql" ], "text": [ "Most of the work required to make animated movies is to figure out the motions of the characters. There is a lot of little details required to make the characters move in a realistic way. Once all the movements were figured out the process of actually dra...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
naqtyu
How does rubber go from liquid from a tree to being a tire or a rubber band?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxv1wdj" ], "text": [ "Rubber is mixed with various fillers, oils, resins, and anti-oxidation chemicals to get the right consistency and then a final mix of sulfur curing agents is added. When heated under pressure, the sulfur molecules crosslink the rubber molecules together, turning a bowl ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
naqxqj
How can one pipeline deliver different brands and octanes of gasoline? How do they separate them at the destination?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxv3nln", "gxv3tqk", "gxv0y39", "gxv0sr1", "gxvbbek" ], "text": [ "All of these folks saying pipelines only deliver crude oil are incorrect. While that is the most common scenario there are some large pipelines that transport gasoline and diesel refined products along with typ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
nasz42
Trying to choose between these LED therapy device options and understand why 1 is better than the other
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxvea7p" ], "text": [ "There's [no evidence they actually work]( URL_0 ), so you're probably wasting your money." ], "score": [ 3 ], "text_urls": [ [ "https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/led-lights-are-they-a-cure-for-your-skin-woes" ] ] }
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
nb98b9
Does the speed of the internet depend on quality of the LAN cable?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxy3xi0", "gxy4r1v", "gxy4tlh" ], "text": [ "Kind of. In theory yeah different cables will handle different data rates. Making sure the cables are installed properly (no twisting, listen to the minimum bending radius, terminate properly) will help In reality I really can't see a LAN c...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
nb98zv
How are URLs guaranteed to be unique across the Internet?
For example, what's preventing me from creating a GoDaddy account and making my own domain called URL_0 ?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxy3mg8" ], "text": [ "Ultimately, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) which sold GoDaddy the names they can assign. GoDaddy won't sell you URL_0 because they *can't*, and the DNS servers won't accept your claim of the address. The internet functioning depends on all these organiza...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
nb9uqn
How is it possible to convert a 30fps video into 60fps?
I've seen some videos that were originally 30fps get converted into 60fps, and it looks totally normal. Where do the new 30fps come from?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxy6kbw" ], "text": [ "It’s a technology called interpolation. An FPGA (typically) at the frames either side of the one it wants to create, then predicts where things should be based on the motion in the past and the future. Then it draws the missing frame. As for it looking normal? Them’s fi...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
nbb3fy
Why cant gas cars use diesel and vice versa?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxydu9q", "gxycqts" ], "text": [ "Gas cars can’t use diesel because it doesn’t burn as easily and the engine won’t run well, furthermore it’ll ruin your catalytic converter While Diesel engines could in theory run on anything that burns, they are designed to take diesel fuel which is much...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
nbcr9w
What is instantiation, explained to a non-developer?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxz0c7u", "gxyk7e3", "gxykqvw" ], "text": [ "Instantiation means creating something using a mechanism to create it with certain constraints. Imagine having a 3d Printer File. Actually printing it would be instantiating (creating an instance of) that object.", "When you instantiate...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
nbg84j
Ram Swap, turning Storage capacity to RAM
1. How RAM and hard drive differs, and how is it possible to use them interchangeably? 2. This recently blew up in the android community, apparently this is not a new thing, so why is it not done earlier to cut costs as higher ram variant cost significantly more than the lower variant?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gxz3bha", "gxz5l24" ], "text": [ "1. RAM is random access memory. It is the very fast, but impermanent memory that your applications use to do stuff while they are running. ROM is read only memory. It is used to store data that is not ever changed and only accessed - like an old video gam...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
nbs243
What is the purpose of a video game disc?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gy119dt", "gy11k7g" ], "text": [ "These days, one of the main uses is essentially digital rights management: the game can only be played if the disc is inserted into the console, allowing the game to be transferred between users. It's also nice when the whole game doesn't have to be downl...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
nbvaa0
How do they change the tires off an airplane? Do they have airplane sized car jack to help lift up the plane?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gy1j307", "gy1kb4h" ], "text": [ "Special aircraft service facilities have stands that can support the entire airplane off the ground, in order to test the landing gear going up and down, particularly after the landing gear has been repaired or serviced. The same technique *could* also be...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
nc35xn
How do multiplayer shooter video games track bullets. In games like Battlefield thousands of "bullets" can be fired in a round. How does the game know who fired what and who hit/killed who?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gy2rc80", "gy344rk", "gy2w0yc", "gy56pd7" ], "text": [ "A bullet is an entity, storing the ID of the player who fired it and the direction of the bullet, maybe also what weapon fired it, the speed and the damage depending on the game It’s programmed to move until it finds another ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
ncaxav
what is a horse power ?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gy3xy9p", "gy3x9d5" ], "text": [ "Advertisement. To promote steam engines, they had to compare to something people knew. Mill horses, specifically. The amount of force or work the horse could do in 1 minute was estimated, then compared with the steam engine. So when the steam engine was m...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
ncbu9q
When a video is lagging/internet cutting out, why does the audio keep playing for a while after the video has stopped?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gy42f7a", "gy42ll5", "gy5hmts" ], "text": [ "Because the audio and video are not entirely connected. You can load audio data from a video file without loading the video, and you can load video data from a video file without loading the audio. It's also not necessarily a 1-for-1 ratio ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
ncc33q
What makes a gel pen write so much more smoothly than my other pens?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gy4tis2" ], "text": [ "I’m no pen expert, but it could do with the their being water in the ink. Other pens would often dry up or are uneven, resulting in skipping, ink drying as your in the middle of writing a sentence, and can look more rigid depending on the hand writing. A gel pen is more...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
ncc45g
How do games "tone down" the graphics for low graphics settings?
Pretty much what's in the title. How does the game choose what to "tone down"? Is it just the quality of textures or are there less objects? Is the polygon count affected? Is it all in the engine or do developers have full control over what elements are "expendable"?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gy44xi1" ], "text": [ "There are many options. They can reduce the draw distance, when objects get too far away, the graphics engine stops drawing them. They can change what this distance is, so that there are less objects to draw. You'll see this a lot in old games where objects just pop int...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
ncczrl
Lots of electronics take AA or AAA batteries which are round cylinders, 1.5V with terminals at each end. So why do some devices want a 9V rectangular battery with weird plug-in terminals on top?
& #x200B;
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gy4a06c", "gy49gju", "gy4ax88" ], "text": [ "Most 9V batteries are actually a 6 pack of AAAA batteries (AAAA cells, technically)! The small rectangular format is just more convenient than a half dozen tiny AAAA batteries.", "different electronic devices use different voltages. sur...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
nck2sw
What’s Kubernetes?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "gy5h5ja" ], "text": [ "This is gonna be hard to ELI5 but I'll try. Think of a physical \"home computer\", say a laptop. It's got some internal circuitry, some short-term memory that it uses to store stuff when it's turned on, some long-term memory (often a \"disk\") that it uses to store stuf...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]