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85fe2l
How does old-school gameboy screens/calculators/digital watches display a picture without actually producing light?
The original gameboy required a light source to see what was on the screen, how exactly does that work? Shouldn't the screens output inherently be a light by itself?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dvx0qbx", "dvx1jn5", "dvx5ll2" ], "text": [ "Paintings produce a picture without producing any light. They rely on ambient light around them for you to see it. a Gameboy's screen is an LCD just like your phone. Instead of a backlight in the background it uses a reflective surface that...
[ "url" ]
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85h9gb
How are lumens in flashlights determined?
I have been looking up highpowered flashlights and I've found some with 120lumens to 10,000 lumens. All of which are saying they are "super bright", how can flashlights so differing in lumens all be superbright? Is it just marketing, am I wasting money on a 10,000 lumen flashlight?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dvxggyx" ], "text": [ "Lumens are a specific measurement done with meters. They are a measure of the total overall amount of light that comes out of the lamp, adjusted to how sensitive the human eye is. A typical \"100 watt\" house light bulb has at least about 1600 lumens. How wide or narrow...
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85hoba
Why is Google Pixel 2 XL phone charger 9V when the battery is only 3.7V?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dvxivgo", "dvxovjp" ], "text": [ "It all has to do with power. Wattage, to be specific. At 9V, the amperage is still around 2A, which translates to 18 watts ( Power = Amps * Volts ). The battery will still be charged with roughly 4.5 V, but the charging circuit now gets more power, allowi...
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85igo3
How do prosthetic limbs stay in?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dvxn8ay", "dvxnnxd", "dvxutam", "dvy125r" ], "text": [ "They're not \"in\", they're \"on\". Prosthetics are something you wear & strap on, not something implanted in you.", "I'm sure OP meant \"on.\" They often stay on by suction or by straps. There are some that are bone anch...
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85k0nh
How do companies like Facebook sell your data and why is it bad?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dvxy5ra", "dvxxy23" ], "text": [ "Facebook uses so called WebBugs to track you across the web. They know virtually everything you do if you have a facebook cookie on your browser. Every time you visit URL_0 these companies know it: * Double Click * Facebook Social Plugins * Federated Medi...
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[ "url" ]
85lbvq
How was the first diamond cut?
I guess what I am asking is how was the first diamond cutter cut into a diamond cutter
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dvy88go", "dvy8syv", "dvyhh2v", "dvy8vy5" ], "text": [ "Very slowly. Just because it is used to cut/grind other materials doesn't mean that it itself can't be cut/ground/shaped/polished with other materials. It just means that the other materials will most likely wear down first. ...
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85llwf
Why does the lid of a ballpoint pen stop it drying out, despite there being a clear opening that sometimes you can even see the tip of the pen through.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dvyab1o", "dvyadd3" ], "text": [ "It is not to stop it from drying out. it is to stop it from leaving a mark on things you don't want to write on", "It isn't meant to stop the pen from drying out, it's to help prevent leakage and accidental discharge. By which I mean, writing on the i...
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85n9sv
What's so special about AMD Ryzen CPUs?
I've noticed plenty of articles online discussing the various features of this type of professors. Can anyone explain the main differences as opposed to to Intel i5 or i7?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dvypep4", "dvynfet", "dvyqfd6" ], "text": [ "AMD CPUs have always favored more cores, sacrificing performance per core for more cores to do work with. Contrast this with Intel, whose i5 and i7 CPUs are quad core, nothing more. However, per core, in general, Intel CPUs have much better...
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85nwu2
Why do so many bootleg sports streaming websites display ads in a way which you need to turn on adblocker in order to use the site? Doesn't that lose them money?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dvytw8c", "dvz1kvy", "dvyszph", "dvz4l3u" ], "text": [ "Because bootleg streaming sites don't care. They just pile on as many ads as they can to make some cash before they get shut down. They aren't in it for the long term.", "Because the advertisers willing to be associated w...
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85ocp9
why do some flashlights have a “fast flash” mode?
My flashlight I got from Costco a few days ago (1000W or whatever it’s called) has 3 light modes. Bright, dim, and flash where it just flashes very fast. I know someone flash lights have it as an SOS signal but mine just flashes constantly.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dvyvuzv", "dvywnls", "dvz0t24", "dvzbr0a", "dvywc7p", "dvyzb0b", "dvz8mgs", "dvzb6yu" ], "text": [ "IIRC, it's a strobe light mode to disorient someone who may be attacking you. My dad gave me one when I moved out on my own for the first time.", "Strobes are mu...
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85oefn
After recently seeing an article about laser technology uncovering a lost African city, why can't we use that technology to map the Paris Catacombs?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dvyz2y6", "dvzget9", "dvz9v6p", "dvzblmb", "dvz9y2n", "dvzcoa3", "dvzd80c", "dvznxuc", "dvza32o", "dvzi4wd", "dvzdmwh", "dvzbet0", "dvzfvde" ], "text": [ "[LIDAR] ( URL_0 ) works by flying a plane over the area you want to map and bouncing a sca...
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85q3bf
Why is the breaking news about Facebook’s selling of user data such a big deal?
I am very confused. I was under the impression that there is no such thing as online privacy, that every click we make and page we view is tracked and bought and sold by various companies and entities. Furthermore, I thought that this fact was common knowledge. Datamining is nothing new. Targeted ads are nothing new. W...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dvzhb11", "dw019mq", "dw0ro48", "dvzaih0" ], "text": [ "What Cambridge Analytica is alleged to have done goes way, way being simply collecting information that people willingly gave out online. It was how they did it, how they analyzed it and what they did with the results. If you...
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[ "url" ]
85qfyh
How do heat sinking missles work?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dvzd5le", "dvzdbpz" ], "text": [ "There are sensor(s) on the head/tip of the missile (commonly called the \"[seeker]( URL_0 )\") are designed to see, analyze, and focus on very specific heat and light signatures of jet engines (or lets just say, \"bad guys\" because its a lot more complic...
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85rhq4
Can the whole internet have 0 ping at least in the future?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dvzixhh", "dvziytg" ], "text": [ "No. Nothing, period, can travel faster than the speed of light. No matter how fast your data transfer speeds are, distance equals time. Even with unlimited bandwidth, latency is unavoidable. New York to London is 3500 miles. Even at the speed of light, th...
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85ti3s
How does an Organic-Matter Pollution Filtering bench, like the one most recently installed near Picadilly Circus in London, work to reduce Carbon-Dioxide as much as a small forest?
I saw an article about an organic matter bench in London that is supposed to absorb pollution and CO2, as much as a "Small Forest". Is something like this actually capable of combatin pollution as much as regular trees and plants? Link for reference: URL_0
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw03298", "dvzx1g1" ], "text": [ "sounds very questionable. this line: > Although only small, this device claims to have the same benefit of up to 275 real trees by filtering the air of up to 240 tonnes (265 tons) of carbon dioxide per year Note that it isn't saying it removes 265 tons of...
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85tkel
Why have photocopiers not improved like digital photography?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dvzxs0d" ], "text": [ "perhaps the copier was dirty, or maybe the source doc was blemished? a scanner can do upwards of 9600DPI for high end consumer units. that would produce a scan that would exceed the source detail of pretty much anything you could imagine... though it takes a lot of time...
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85vbsq
How does multi-core processing/parallel processing work
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw0cajx", "dw0chj8" ], "text": [ "Software (and Windows) usually work by breaking things down into smaller tasks, which can then be performed in parallel (at the same time) and thus on different processors. For example, the part of Microsoft Word that interfaces with the keyboard to \"gra...
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85vmjy
How do GPS apps like Google Maps know so accurately what traffic is like and where road work is happening?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw0eh2j", "dw0e3ao", "dw0fcfv", "dw0enlm" ], "text": [ "Google location tracking. More than a couple of people on a road, stationary, and it's a reasonable bet that the traffic is stationary. Google's location service is on so many phones nowadays it can be used to reliably track ...
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85wr83
Why electric kettle makes so much noise while heating water ? where does the noise come from?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw0oucg" ], "text": [ "Ahoy, matey! Yer not alone in askin', and kind strangers have explained: 1. [ELI5: Why is an electric kettle so noisy? ]( URL_8 ) ^(_4 comments_) 1. [ELI5: Why do kettles, saucepans on stoves make noise when waiting for boiling water? ]( URL_2 ) ^(_4 comments_) 1. [ELI5...
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85ypbe
What is 5g and how is it different from former 4g lte etc?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw1ek2l", "dw1bs0o" ], "text": [ "If we think radio waves as sound, the previous generations were like putting one big speaker in the middle of your house to play back music for everyone. The music naturally doesn't reach every corner of the house as some walls might be thin and others mi...
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85zjd7
What do video driver updates actually "update?" How are Nvidia and AMD able to constantly provide improved performance in games? Where are they pulling these improvements from?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw1cxjl", "dw1aza6" ], "text": [ "Hardware offers you basic operations. You combine these operations in the software to render game for example. The software uses algorithms. Some algorithms are simpler, for example, it might take 10 hours to implement/test properly but gives you 7/10 on ...
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861f6v
Why haven't we been able to recreate the way fish gills pull oxygen put of water so that we can dive without tanks?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw1l7ny" ], "text": [ "Because humans need a **lot** more oxygen than fish (we're much larger, and warm-blooded). Water doesn't hold enough oxygen to keep us alive if we were to mimic fish gills." ], "score": [ 25 ], "text_urls": [ [] ] }
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861hox
how do police recover deleted info
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw1lpo4" ], "text": [ "When you \"delete\" something it is not erased, that would take too much work. Your computer or phone will simply mark that space as \"empty\". Eventually some other data will be written into the \"empty\" space, but until then the data is still there and can still be r...
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862xyx
diverting an asteroid using paint.
Saw on a gizmodo article, there is a asteroid projected to hit earth in 2135. One of the ways in which they looking at diverting the asteroid is painting it. Many questions here. What kind of paint? Something you can pick up at your local Sherwin Williams? How would simply painting it (according to article only one sid...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw21gry", "dw21h6c" ], "text": [ "> What kind of paint? Something you can pick up at your local Sherwin Williams? Conceptually yes, but of course they would actually use some specially formulated space paint. > How would simply painting it (according to article only one side) make enough ...
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866tbe
Why is google so much better than other search engines? Why have other search engines not been able to replicate google's search accuracy?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw2rmad", "dw2suvs", "dw2tp8k", "dw2txts" ], "text": [ "In short, it's not. Something like Bing could return results just as good as Google's. Google does have a bit of a tiny advantage because their data is connected to so many other places now, but something like Bing with micro...
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867j6j
What is the difference between a monitors refresh rate and its response time?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw2ylrj" ], "text": [ "Refresh rate is measured in a unit called 'hertz'. Hertz (Hz) is the frequency per second that an electrical signal oscilates. When it comes to monitors, the refresh rate is measured by how many times the screen will refresh per second. Most monitors will refresh at a r...
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86ck4j
Why diesel engine cannot run on petrol?
And vice versa - petrol engine on oil? Basic princple of operation is the same for both - burn liquid fuel, so what makes difference?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw3ywyr", "dw4hjq8" ], "text": [ "Diesel engines ignite the fuel with a different process than petrol. In a diesel engine, it's the compression of the fuel above a certain pressure that causes a spontaneous ignition. Normal petrol is formulated to resist that effect, because engines desig...
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86dm2q
Why so many positive results come from testing stem cells on animals, but aren't offered to people yet.
I just read another post about stem cells 'curing' alcoholism on mice. There's so many other cases of stem cells, such as regenerating lost limbs. Why aren't such advanced treatments offered to people yet? If the stem cells are actually acquired inhumanely, then how do we have them to test on animals?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw47vy2", "dw483s0" ], "text": [ "Because more often than not, those articles you read are very overblown. What you usually get Scientist: Hey, using X might help us detect Y, which in turn can help us when dealing with cancer ABC. Of course, we are only in the early stages of testing and...
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86dx3u
What is Gradient Boosting, and how can it be used?
I've been looking at some machine learning concepts and stumbled across gradient boosting. However, I don't really understand it and I can't find a simple enough explanation on what it provides, and more importantly what problems I could use it as a solution for. Reddit, please help me make this complex thing simple so...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw56mfm" ], "text": [ "(The following is a bit of an ELI5ization of the following blog post: URL_0 ) So I have a friend named Arthur who is pretty ok at guessing people's ages. However, I've noticed a pattern where he guesses a little bit high (on average 3 years) for men and equally a bit lo...
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86htjh
How do cell phone towers route calls? Is it the same way the internet routes to different IP addresses?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw58t36" ], "text": [ "Cell phone towers don't route call. They just provide physical medium for accessing the network. A node called MSC (Mobile switching center) routes the call. You can imagine towers a like, wifi routers when you are using Skype. Wifi Router = Towers, MSC = Skype server" ...
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86j8kn
What is IP routing and should I have it on?
I’ve been looking everywhere to try and figure out what the hell it is, but I can only find articles with a bunch of networking jargon. I’ve been reading around for like 45 minutes but I STILL have no clue as to what it is.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw5iddf" ], "text": [ "IP routing is how data finds its way from your computer to a server on the other end of the world and back. Basically, the data is broken into small packets, and for each of that packet, a \"router\" (on your local networks that's typically the box that also produces th...
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86jhbn
Why does better quality music( 320 Kbps, and so on) occupy more digital memory?
Since I started using Spotify Premium I noticed that if you choose to stream music with "extreme" quality, it fills up my phone's memory much more quickly, and so I'm curious as to why that is.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw5k7gi", "dw5nobb" ], "text": [ "Just like with an image, higher resolution = bigger file size. The bit rate of an audio file (ie 320 Kbps) is essentially the resolution of the song. Higher bit rates = more bits of data per second of music. It has absolutely nothing to do with musical no...
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86ksrn
What is the point of Chase Pay? What is JP Morgan saving by setting up Chase Pay with merchants, but still using Visa cards as the network?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw5w3mr" ], "text": [ "TL; DR: It's not a cost-savings move; it's a strategic hedge to maintain customer share in a mobile-first economy. The point of Chase Pay has nothing to do with cost savings. It has to do with the push towards mobile banking and away from a physical credit card. In fact...
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86n97z
Why do parts of the world use CDMA and others use GMA
Is there a reason that there isn't widespread adoption of one and not the other? edit: I meant GSM
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw6h7dx" ], "text": [ "I assume GMA should be GSM, GSM is a TDMA system. CDMA and TDMA is whay to share a radio channel between multiple uses The simple explanation is that when digital 2G mobile phone system development started in the 1980 different companies had indifferent ideas how it sho...
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86ow0q
What's the difference between one day (single use) contact lenses and regular lenses?
What makes the single uses lenses single use. Why can they not be used multiple times like other contact lenses?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw6urtn", "dw7d6pp", "dw6qa48" ], "text": [ "One day lenses are much thinner and less durable, however since you wear a new pair every day they're usually more sanitary, can't develop buildup that can scratch your eyes, and generally easier for the wearer. Biweeklys and monthlys are m...
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86r8fv
Filmmakers/photographers, why pay hundreds of dollars for a light, LED or tungsten when you can buy a 40$ LED light that does the same thing?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw7b6cf", "dw7c4c2", "dw7bw37", "dw7a4z1" ], "text": [ "The issue is color temperature - and, specifically, Color Rendition - how color shows up on camera, and how well they illuminate colored objects. A true tungsten light is just a very hot piece of metal. It outputs every color...
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86rkbq
why it isn't common for films to leak early by staff somehow getting the file?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw7blbo", "dw7c1hp", "dw7dt0d", "dw7g3wi", "dw7dian", "dw7day1", "dw7f2ia", "dw7fdnl", "dw7jnce", "dw7f9ph", "dw7ifua", "dw7iakj", "dw7jllb", "dw7f4tc", "dw7gnpc", "dw7k6me", "dw7ki7n", "dw7mamm" ], "text": [ "The files are c...
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86s3lz
How can PUBG (which requires a decent gaming pc to be played on computer) be played on phone?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw7f262", "dw7f05j" ], "text": [ "Pubg actually dont require some big major pc. It just has really shitty optimization. I actually know someone who plays it on a amd fx6300 and a gtx 960 and gets around 40 to 70fps depending on the enviroment (these drops happen no matter your system). Al...
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86tiqs
Why do gaming servers maintanence times happen on tuesday morning in America?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw7p8mu", "dw7qhne" ], "text": [ "You'll always ruin someone's primetime. You just gonna choose who will be the unlucky winner. Also it makes sense for companies to do maintenance in the morning so if something goes wrong, they have the full workday to fix it, so then it depends on where ...
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86tu22
how this is possible: "Your PIN will be texted to you...for security the message will be automatically deleted two days later"
Received my new bank card and with it the instructions to get my PIN for it. > After a short while your PIN will be texted to you. For security reasons the text message with your PIN will be automatically deleted two days later. How is this possible? **edit:** the text itself - a perfectly standard, normal text: > "You...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw7s6pj", "dw7vump", "dw8jb8c" ], "text": [ "There is a set of functions in your phone called the SIM application toolkit. It allows for a text message to trigger various things as well as being automatically deleted. Below is a link to the wiki article on the toolkit. URL_0 You can a...
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86va2u
How do noise-cancelling headphones work?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw82tjf" ], "text": [ "They emit frequencies of the opposite wavelength to negate noise other than those they are emitting." ], "score": [ 3 ], "text_urls": [ [] ] }
[ "url" ]
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86xy7p
How does a satellite dish work, and why did they become obsolete so quickly?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw8pzwh", "dw8p2ls", "dw8r90d" ], "text": [ "Well, first, satellite dishes are not obsolete. Not even close. They are absolutely *everywhere*. There are literally billions of satellite dishes in use worldwide. There are over a billion satellite tv subscribers in the word, and satellit...
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86z901
How does higher quality microphones filter out most of the background noises?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw90m2i" ], "text": [ "There are a few things that you should probably look at. Some microphones have different recording patterns. You can choose an optimal recording pattern depending on the setting. Cardioid mode records what is directly in front of the receiver versus say an omni\\-direct...
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86zdn7
This new "Ray tracing" graphics technology Nvidia is all about
Wondering what this is, everyone seems to think it's pretty revolutionary
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw90qww" ], "text": [ "Ray tracing itself isn’t new. It has been used in pre-rendered 3D graphics like animated movies for decades. It’s basically a method to simulate realistic lightning and reflections in a 3D scene by actually simulating how light rays would illuminate and reflect off obje...
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86zv63
Why different regions have different plug types?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw94e66" ], "text": [ "In short, it could be worse. Various groups were formed to agree on standard types. These groups were mostly regional, ie. North American companies agreeing to use one type. British (and British-influenced areas like India) agreeing on different type. Yes, patents were ...
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870x3v
How do power companies determine the cause(s) of outages?
Is there some kind of mechanism built into the electrical cables/transformers/etc. that helps them find the source of the failure? Do they have to rely on customer complaints? Or what?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw9c8fx" ], "text": [ "So each power company has a control room that shows all the substations linked. Each substation has protection relays, the relays look at different zones along a power line zones 1-3. One substation looks down the line to next substation and that sub looks back at the p...
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871dbl
how does Bluetooth works?
I tried to search web for a while, but i want simple explanation from you guys.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw9f7uj" ], "text": [ "It is a wireless technology not as powerful as Wifi. Two sets of chips, one on each device talk to each other through radio frequencies. Fairly simple but more techy read: URL_0" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text_urls": [ [ "https://electronics.howstuffwork...
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871srr
Why does GTA5 use P2P servers for their Online suite when it's the reason hackers are so abundant? What are the benefits of not using dedicated servers?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw9ksap", "dw9jaoq" ], "text": [ "The advantages are : - Very low cost compared to Dedicated servers - People in areas that wouldn't get good ping due to location would get matched with other people from that area, so some people would get better ping A good explanation of the three most ...
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871y7m
how does a food processor and a blender give you such different consistencies when all they both do is have a blade spinning in circles.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw9jwhz" ], "text": [ "I would think that it is the shape of the blades. One may have just a two pronged flat blade. The other is more articulated and has additional arms/blades. Here is a cool video (kind of) touching on the subject. URL_0" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text_urls": [ [...
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872qs4
What is 1x when it comes to cell networks?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dw9qgir", "dw9u6c3" ], "text": [ "It's an older 3g network standard that was used by some networks, like Verizon and Sprint. It's slower than the 4g network (LTE) and the later 3g network (EV-DO) so you'll probably struggle to do much Internet browsing on it, but phone calls should work f...
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874yob
How is my brand new Amazon firestick already connected to my Amazon account
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwa8dkc" ], "text": [ "Serial number/bar code on the box? They scan it before it leaves the warehouse a part of your order and associate it with your account in their database. When you turn it on it checks in with Amazon and it says something like “hey its me, here’s my serial number you got...
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[ "url" ]
87648k
how exactly do anti missle defense systems work??
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwaihbp", "dwaigsx", "dwaqky4", "dwb1sdc", "dwaikun" ], "text": [ "Depends on the type of system. Most use radar to identify incoming missiles and the launch a missile to intercept it. Modern interceptor missiles are generally kinetic kill vehicles. Which means they carry no e...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
8784oi
Why Fortnite can have a cross platform party system but other games can’t
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwavuqu", "dwb4972", "dwb3pia" ], "text": [ "It adds some extra developmental road bumps. A lot of times the same game on different platforms will have minor differences throughout the code, mostly unnoticable to the player. For cross-platform multiplayer, the game has to be functiona...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
879lqi
How have trains managed to stay relevant through the progression of technology?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwb5qse", "dwb5yru", "dwb62kf", "dwb5q6b", "dwbl1v0" ], "text": [ "Because they work well. Thats the core of it, aociety works heaving on a “if it isn’t broken don’t fix it” mentality. That being said it is still basically the best option for large-scale freight over land, dur...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
879nwe
what’s the difference between all the different types of lightbulbs? Incandescent, fluorescent, LED, any others?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwb7ldf", "dwbx8s3" ], "text": [ "Brief explanation: **incandescent**: *very* thin tungsten wire is heated by putting electrical current through it, this creates a lot of heat and some orange looking (\"warm\") light. Not very efficient as a light source, quite efficient as a space heater...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
879oc3
Why is it that despite how much CGI has improved in the last 20 years it is always possible to tell when human faces are digitally rendered?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwb69p8", "dwb6g6y", "dwb6p8v" ], "text": [ "The term is “uncanny valley.” And yes it is much harder to make something real look realistic. Our brain is much better at finding something strange about things that we are used to.", "Humans have spent many many many generations perfe...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87dwlp
How does a computer - which operates on fixed inputs/outputs create entropy to generate things like private keys?
Particularly with smaller USB connected devices like 2FA, or cryptocurrency hardware wallets that don't have access to 'random' things that could be used to generate a key like fan speed, power draw, temperatures, etc etc
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwc9q9k" ], "text": [ "High-quality random number generators use a small amount of nuclear material. If there's one truly random thing in this universe, it's nuclear fission. You only need a small dollop and two sensors to make an effective, but slow, random number generator. If your device d...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87gmgd
How can the information I provide on the internet be used against me in a malicious manner (and some off topic ranting about surveillance)?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwcq7fu", "dwcqop4" ], "text": [ "Humans tend to fall under the same habits. Birthdays, pet names, favourite game/movie/book & the repetition of one password across multiple platforms. Example. I have a friend. He's a total fucking Halo fanboy. I can guess from this fact that his password...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87gmnd
Why|how do we make reddit bots that remove post automatically?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwcq719" ], "text": [ "As to why, we make them because they are effective at combating spam and ensuring a level of quality without requiring a human to operate. A bot only requires a human to take a look at appeals and complaints, ie. to correct any false positives or negatives, instead of a...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87juzo
Why did electronic toys in the 90's and early 2000's specifically warn not to use rechargable batteries?
Was there a genuine safety/performance issue? Or was it just a marketing ploy to sell more batteries?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwdcl7l", "dwdfrx4", "dwdco0e", "dwdipgz" ], "text": [ "Ni-Cd rechargeables output less voltage (1.2V vs. 1.5V) so certain devices that require a certain voltage would not run properly on those batteries.", "Two reasons. The first has already been covered: Voltage. The second ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87l1jl
How did toys in the 70s/80s produce the smoke
Remember those robots where smoke came out of its mouth or the toy trains where smoke came out of the funnel. How did they do this, was it toxic (most likely) and how long could that last for before it ran out. Thanks
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwdlyy5", "dwdo1jd" ], "text": [ "I had a toy train and a toy godzilla that blew smoke. You put drops of oil in that pretty much just burned into smoke. Refill as needed.", "Most trains dropped glycerin, or a glycerin+water solution, onto a hot element. It wasn't exactly \"smoke\", bu...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87lgaq
Why can't you make emergency calls with communication apps like Skype? Having WLAN access in areas with no cellphone reception or landline isn't exactly an unlikely scenario.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwdpb65", "dwdplwq", "dwdqiu4" ], "text": [ "When you're on something connected to the Plain Old Telephone System (POTS), every entry point has a distinct 911 call center it is supposed to go to. Landline in your house? They know where to route it. Cell phone on a tower in a back road...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87lrj7
How do scope/optic reticles work?
I was wondering how reticles on guns optics work. Are they drawn on the lens or the inside lens? Are they made inside the optic? And how are they not blurry when seeing through the optic? I mean, it would be ovbiously blurry if you drew the lines on a optic, right?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwdvk6i" ], "text": [ "Scopes actually have multiple lenses internally that you can't see. There are (at least) two spots where the lenses bring an image into focus, called the first and second focal planes. These are points where the light from the image in front of the scope converges. Any ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87m3x9
How Do Rolling Codes Work
Garage Door Openers, Key Fobs, etc. I know, (or think I read), that they send a unique code each time, and upon successful authentication, the garage door, for example, will give the next code to the remote at that point, so it won’t be the same as the next time, but what stops someone from “listening” to the garage do...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwdx81k" ], "text": [ "> the garage door, for example, will give the next code to the remote at that point Not quite. you're correct in that the key will send out a code and any car that recognizes that code will unlock or lock itself. However they don't communicate much beyond that. The real...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87n81v
How do subscription based services know when you've changed your credit/debit card and then change your payment to that new credit/debit card?
My credit/debit card(s) have been compromised in the past, and when the new cards were given even without giving any information to any of the services they automatically changed to the new information of the card.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwe4ccb", "dwe5k1t" ], "text": [ "I got an explanation from AAA telling me that my bank notified any company that is under auto pay from my debit or credit card when I get a new card. AAA let me know that my bank updated it for me. I freaked out when my car insurance updated itself but ca...
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[ "url" ]
87om1v
Why do military cameras have such terrible quality?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwefgt8", "dwefuuu", "dwegm9z" ], "text": [ "Footage is heavily edited, of course, but a lot of what you're seeing is from an aircraft that's probably at 25,000' altitude a few miles away. It isn't like the Predator or Global Hawk is getting right up on the action.", "Depends on t...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87omw6
Why are VLANS required in order for switches to communicate with other switches/routers?
I assumed VLANS were made to segregate, so why would not having one make communication between switch and router/switch impossible?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dweupkq" ], "text": [ "VLANs aren't required for switching at all. VLANs are a configuration overlay across a set of hardware that associates ports and network traffic with a virtual LAN. That said, you can configure things so that VLAN tagging is required. To take a step back, in general onl...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87rocc
How a mobile app detects and processes inputs from a touchscreen?
In other words, I wanted to know how a touchscreen shows, say "double-tapping" or "pinching", and how an app designer can then use those inputs to allow a user to complete certain actions. I can't really explain this better, but I was wondering about how Instagram now allows you to pinch the screen to zoom out in stori...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwezxfg", "dwfb31w" ], "text": [ "App designers don't really do that - the OS designers program input and create API's that programmers exploit to perform operations. Instagram allows you to pinch to zoom because the OS maker programmed that as part of the OS as an API that Instagram call...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87rwek
On a low level, what is Ctrl + Z doing?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwf1lmp", "dwfcior", "dwfgh44", "dwf1l0k", "dwf1hno", "dwfh25l" ], "text": [ "When you make a change to a document in Word, for example, Word saves a copy of that change in memory and puts it on a stack. Stacks are a type of data structure where the data items are organize...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87s1qf
Why is it that most things that use AA batteries have only 2 spots for batteries, as do most things with AAA batteries have 3 spots for batteries? Is that number a coincidence? Or do they do this on purpose?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwf2wjp", "dwf3fe9" ], "text": [ "It's done on purpose! 2 AA batteries produce 3V when in series with each other. This voltage is commonly used in low power electronics. Whereas 3 AAA batteries would produce 4.5V in series, this would be more commonly be used to power a motor or light sou...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87s46l
How does CGI “age?” If something looked real “at the time” why does it look less real now?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwfbs00", "dwf3a0g", "dwfbj82", "dwf38eh", "dwf3m6k", "dwf8ipd", "dwf36qx", "dwfddj1", "dwf3o58", "dwff7l4", "dwfdi82", "dwf8x5l", "dwf8lpn", "dwfmx7f", "dwfhows", "dwf3q96", "dwfmej6", "dwf9fc3", "dwfdnue", "dwfguze", "d...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87t95r
encoders, decoders and transcoders
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwfdeex", "dwfi892" ], "text": [ "Encoder - changes data into a certain format or \"code\". Usually it's to conform to certain standards for displaying the information, such as ASCII being the standard for displaying letters and symbols on computers and other devices, or .mp3 being a comm...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87u8ea
In a game program, do bullets check if they hit an enemy or do enemies check if they are hit by a bullet?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwfm9k0", "dwfke7a", "dwfqdvy" ], "text": [ "Most game engines have a collision detection system like u/jaksblaks said. It is the reason why characters don't go through walls and don't fall through the floor (not in a Bethesda game though). Weapons in games that use physical projectil...
[ "url" ]
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87vfx2
When Wi-fi signals are passing through walls, what’s really happening at a subatomic level?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwfxj9w", "dwfuxrm" ], "text": [ "We can ask a very similar question: \"When light passes through air, what's happening at a subatomic level?\" Every material out there is transparent to some wavelengths of light, opaque to others. For example, infrared radiation does not get very far thr...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87vzjp
Why are cameras mounted on planes used for the various militaries around the world such poor quality?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwfyonx", "dwg0jxe" ], "text": [ "They're generally very high quality; they just have poor optics and low resolution because they're designed to always work under any circumstances. Poor optics is caused by glass tolerances required, and low resolution is due to the energy and emissions c...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87w2p1
Why can YouTube handle having millions of hours of video uploaded Perday. But Netflix has to delete movies and TV shows
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwfzdhn", "dwfza47", "dwfzjcn" ], "text": [ "Netflix doesn't delete their movies and TV shows because they run out of room. They delete them because they don't own the content, and only rent it, basically. so when the contract is up with a certain show or movie, and Netflix either doe...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87w9ib
Is there a wire going through the clear spiral tubular earpieces or how is the sound delivered to my ear?
I have to wear one of the clear spiral earpieces at work to communicate through out the hotel. These earpieces (like the ones the Secret Service wear) and it looks like an empty tube. If that’s the case how does sound just go through the tube like water or is there a invisible wire going through it?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwg164z", "dwg17kd" ], "text": [ "No wire. One end of the clear tube goes into a earpiece in your ear. The other end goes into a box that you clip inside your clothes. A tiny speaker in the box makes sounds, and the sound travels through the tube to your ear where you can hear it. The tec...
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87woj0
Why can’t Snapchat prevent screenshots in a similar way to Netflix? (It makes the picture black)
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwg4654" ], "text": [ "I don’t think they’d want to block the ability to stop screenshots, they just let the other person know that it was screenshot in case it was a......sensitive snap" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text_urls": [ [] ] }
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87wpjw
How can you determine the difference in properties (hardness/toughness/ductility etc) of different steel microstructures?
By microstructures, I'm talking austenite/bainite/martensite/pearlite etc. Taking a materials engineering class, and I don't understand the current office hours explanations.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwg7v0h" ], "text": [ "At the 10,000 foot level, basically the smaller the components of the microstructure, the harder, less tough, and less ductile the bulk sample will be. The Hall–Petch relation tells us that smaller grains are associated with increased strength. Toughness and ductility a...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87ykob
How has my phone (and other phones belonging to lucky people) survived falling onto hard floor without even a crack?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwgn3a9" ], "text": [ "Glass is surprisingly a lot stronger than most people believe. The reason glass shatters or cracks from impacts is usually due to imperfections in the manufacturing process. These imperfections are often too small to see with the naked eye. Depending on how precisely it...
[ "url" ]
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87ypj4
What is General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?
And why does it matter
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwgu5g4" ], "text": [ "The GDPR is a europe-wide regulation to make sure your personal data(like e-mail, phone number, address, your phones GPS-location) stays safe. Not being compliant with the GDPR means risking a fine of 4% OR 20 million Euro(whichever is higher), or 2%/10mil, depending on...
[ "url" ]
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87yr8r
- why do devices perform poorly when they're working with an unstable internet connection?
This happens to cell phones and computers alike, and different devices often with the same internet, or the same device across different unstable internet connections. This can often affect programs that don't use the internet, and even programs that do use internet (like Chrome) will take forever just to load before y...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwglvlj", "dwglowc" ], "text": [ "**TL;DR**: *Devices, particularly ones with badly designed programs, are often doing multiple things that require a single communication request with your network to be fully answered before they can finish, and when that doesn't happen due to a bad conne...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
87z8y0
Did Apple and Windows both skip the "9th update" coincidentally or is there more to the story?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwgprfi", "dwgqk9l", "dwgol3z", "dwgql81", "dwgpqq9", "dwgoov8" ], "text": [ "iPhone 9 got explained by different comments, but the actual story behind Windows is far more interesting. It seems due to some sloppy programming, there is a bunch of MS applications which are c...
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880xic
Why are there thousands of photos of distant galaxies, but few clear shots of planets in our own solar system?
Especially surface shots. With a powerful enough zoom why can we not get any relatively close shots of Venus' surface for example?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwgysmk", "dwh05u6", "dwgyuvx", "dwh1ava" ], "text": [ "Galaxies are huge and contain billions or of stars, each of which gives out as much light as our own sun. Planets on the other hand are small and don't give out their own light, they only reflect light from the Sun. Besides, ...
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[ "url" ]
883e7b
How works a SysReq key on keyboard?
It should work even if the computer is frozen, right? Which operating systems support this function? Why do modern keyboards still have this button?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwhlru8" ], "text": [ "> It should work even if the computer is frozen, right? Depends on how it's frozen. Some crashes crash the kernel as well. > Which operating systems support this function? [Linux does]( URL_0 ). See the link, which includes a list of things it can do. Windows as far as ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
883mhn
what technology did NASA use when sending back pictures from Pluto?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwhl4b5", "dwhlg7v", "dwhlz0q" ], "text": [ "New Horizons was the 2015 mission which sent us lots of pictures from Pluto, and it communicated with Earth through high-frequency (7-12GHz compared to Wifi's 2.4GHz or 5GHz) X-band transmitters that sent data at about 1kbit/sec. This was s...
[ "url" ]
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885rna
Why do video games play smoothly in real time but animations can take hours or days to render, even if the game is more graphically pleasing?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwi35xg", "dwifmkh", "dwiju6w", "dwirm55", "dwil10g" ], "text": [ "Games take lots of shortcuts, and will probably never have the level of physics some animated movies get. Disney's movies are insane sometimes. They have crazy accurate physics for snow and even have animated e...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
88a0hh
What is rendering in CGI
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwizdk4" ], "text": [ "On the computer, the animal is just lines of code. Instructions for generating objects, where those objects are located, and what parts of objects can be seen, and such. For example the information needed to draw a sphere is just two pieces: a point in space plus a radi...
[ "url" ]
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88aa91
What does it mean when a film is "remastered"? And how do they do it?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwj1xyl" ], "text": [ "Remastering a film can include audiophonic, cinematic and/or videographic improvements. The term \"remastering\" typically refers to taking the \"master\" release of a film (the final version intended for end user or audience consumption) and transferring it's elements ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
88az0c
Why do current video games need o be patched/updated constantly?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwj6mcg" ], "text": [ "Because programming games is hard work and no amount of QA testing will catch every bug and every balancing problem" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text_urls": [ [] ] }
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
88bwny
Why does the video feed cut out when a Falcon 9 lands on the drone ship?
Does the satellite link get disrupted or does the camera just not tolerate the environmental conditions?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwjhzlh" ], "text": [ "The satellite link gets disrupted. You have to aim the antenna at the satellite, and that is rather hard when something [this big]( URL_0 ) is landing right on the platform." ], "score": [ 4 ], "text_urls": [ [ "https://fsmedia.imgix.net/1d/8d/8c/9...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
88coll
How do video games know when a bullet hits the opponent?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwjkqd3", "dwjl071" ], "text": [ "Depends on the game. I believe games such a battlefield actually send a bullet projectile and just record the position of contact on the player. I might be talking shit but that's my best guess.", "That's dependent on the game as well as the gun in qu...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
88dfjq
How can my phone have 6GB of RAM but my PCs 8GB RAM sticks are bigger than my phone?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwjrcly" ], "text": [ "There are different considerations taken in mind when both are manufactured. RAM for your phone has to be small, light, and efficient. PC RAM isn't constrained by those, so it can be bigger - which makes it significantly less expensive - and it can use as much power as ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
88fvou
How do games run out of memory? I know that Pac Man reaches the kill screen when one half of the board runs out of memory,but how does it happen??
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwkatqv", "dwkbkir" ], "text": [ "The kill screen in pacman doesn't occur because it runs out of memory, it happens because of an integer overflow. The game keeps the current level stored as a single byte integer. A byte can hold a number between 0 and 255. When it passes level 255 is inc...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
88g70o
How does wifi work with multiple devices?
Is the speed split evenly? is it downloading and sending a certain amount per device like 10kb for you, 10kb for you. Does my streaming a movie slow down others while it focuses on large files, or does it slow it for me as well evenly? Is there a limit to amount of devices? How does it know which device to send the nex...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwkdbf6" ], "text": [ "Imagine wifi like a post office. Each device connected is like a different customer. It has a different name to the others and has its own little box items get sent to and from. There is a team of workers called “Bandwidth” - these guys move the mail to and from the car...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
88gc64
Why does night vision have a greenish tint?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwkehf4", "dwkgg44" ], "text": [ "The image created by night vision is black/white. Human eyes are most sensitive to green light. Since you're in the dark and it takes your eyes time to adjust to light/dark, you only want to make the image as bright as necessary. So the image is given in ...
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[ "url" ]
88h0y1
How does a computer program talk to someone over a phone call?
you know the automatic calling system that says "Press 1 to confirm" or "Press 9 for main menu" . How does that read the input I give , over a phone call ?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwkjkp2" ], "text": [ "Every button you press causes a different combination of tones (beeps) to be sent over the phone line to whoever, or whatever, is listening on the other end. URL_0" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text_urls": [ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual-tone_multi-...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
88h2zs
How do we measure magnetic fields?
E.g. I have a magnetic iPad cover which turns it on every time I open it. How does it know when the cover is opened?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwkq2jy" ], "text": [ "The other answers that talk about measuring forces or moving coils around are possible solutions in theory, but not practical in real world applications like the iPad cover. In those devices something called a *hall sensor* is used. This type of sensor uses the fact tha...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
88hxob
How we can get copyrighted so quickly?
Like just as an example, if I were to put a video on youtube with some music, and if hardly anyone will see the video, yet the audio gets taken down by the company who owns it, like how did they find my video? Surely they don't watch every video that's put on the internet and decide which videos use their music and so ...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwkpezj", "dwkpudv" ], "text": [ "Have you ever used one of those phone apps that listens to the music playing in the background and tells you what it is? YouTube does the same thing. They work with copyright holders & automatically scan new content to see if it infringes on copyrights. T...
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[ "url" ]
88i1wg
When a computer game is loading, what’s actually happening?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dwkqvc1", "dwkubdl" ], "text": [ "So, computer hard drives and game discs are great for storing lots of data for a long time, but it takes a little while for the device to get the information it needs, especially if other programs are busy with it. If you wanted to spawn a monster in a ga...
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