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<start_of_turn>user Why does consuming alcohol have a more voluminous history than that of marijuana, when one is a naturally occurring plant while the other takes more of a process?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Water was often considered unsafe to drink depending on how prevalent things like cholera, dysentery, cryptosporidium, etc... were. When you ferment a mash you have to boil it first if you want to make alcohol, otherwise you'll be brewing vinegar most of the time thanks to bacteria that eat the alcohol and excrete acetic acid. Boiling the water sterilizes it, and the alcohol itself is slightly antiseptic even in low concentrations. Another factor is that alcohol has caloric content. You can't subsist on cannabis, whereas although inadvisable you can keep alive on beer and whiskey for quite some time. Once the opium trade started laudanum, opium in any form was cheap and easy to get. Opium dens were common throughout much of the 17th and 18th century. Most medicine contained opium. Snake oil salesmen didn't often sell snake oil most of their elixirs were mostly opium. So for recreational drug use there were cheaper, stronger options.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why have we found so many more dinosaur bones from hundreds of millions of years ago than our ancestors from over 40,000 years ago?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Dinosaurs were around for about 165 million years, and a lot of them were *huge*. The genus *Homo* is only a few million years old, and *Homo Sapiens* have only been kicking around for about 200,000 years. Compared to dinosaurs we are tiny, and haven't been around for very long at all. Which makes our fossils a lot scarcer than theirs.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user How does a song get stuck in your head?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model I've read (do not recall where) that the task-oriented part of your brain interprets the partial song stuck in your head as something that needs to be accomplished, and bugs the shit out of the rest of your brain until it forgets.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why don't we use the chemicals from glow worms to create artificial light?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Because it's efficient but not very bright. You'd need loads of it to light a room and have to keep drums of chemicals around to keep your lights working. Imagine trying to light your house with glow sticks to get an idea of why it wouldn't work.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why do we close our eyes when we kiss someone?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Mainly because any situation that's heavily emotional or enjoyable we tend to close our eyes in order to fully "savor" the experience. Just like people really enjoying a song, or enjoying a big bite of a sandwich, or getting a massage, you will see people close their eyes to block out unnecessary information that is not relevent to the situation they are enjoying. Just like when you are trying to concentrate or think very hard you might close your eyes to focus more clearly. The last thing I need when focusing on a passionate kiss is to be staring directly at something on her forehead, which will only pull my attention away from the good sensory experience of the moment.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user With inflation, the cost of living and basically the price of EVERYTHING going up, how come a bag of marijuana was about $20 in the 60s and 70s, yet is still $20 today?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model When I was 18ish, over 30 years ago, an ounce went for about 60 bucks. Today, that same ounce would be 200-400, depending on the quality of the weed. This is in Canada, if that matters. How much are you buying for 20 bucks?<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user What is it about the Leopard's pattern that makes it appear on Leopards and on Leopard Whiprays? [photos inside]<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model It may just be a relatively simple and effective pattern to generate. E.g. the most simple pattern formation framework of reaction-diffusion can make fairly leopardy stuff: _URL_0_ _URL_1_ Keep in mind that a lot of that work is theoretical. It demonstrates theoretical sufficiency, but not that it's how the spots actually come about. And of course it's also all about evolutionary developmental biology - a leopard gets its spots during development - it runs a biological 'program'. It is likely a camouflaging adaptation and, because patterns can come about from fairly simple rules, may not have begun as something you'd recognize as leopard - it could have started as irregular stripes or dots, for example. The potential ease of getting that program could explain its appearance in completely different organisms, as well as its efficacy at camouflage.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user the purpose of running a "cooldown" after a cardio workout<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model It allows your heart rate and breathing rate to gradually slow down and also for your body temperature to reduce, while decreasing the lactic acid content in your muscles. Overall, it helps to prevent fainting and helps your muscles to relax.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why does New Jersey get so much hate? It seems like a lot of people on this site and even a lot of American media really don't like the State of New Jersey, and I really don't understand why.<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model New Jersey is the most densely populated state in America and also happens to be stuck in between two major cities, Philadelphia and New York. Imagine trying to cater to all the people who work in those major cities but live in your state. Imagine how those major cities could sway your local politics. New Jersey is basically controlled by PA and NY both in everyday business and travel money. I don't envy their position because they're basically the red headed step child of the region.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Will there be any visible effects on the weather throughout Europe from the eruption of Etna?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model It was a minor eruption, there will be no effect. However it is well known that massive eruptions do have effects on weather. But even when eruptions are small, you can observe some phenomena. Best known are scarlet sunsets and sunrises. Check _URL_0_ regularly, they publish predictions and images. This eruption won't cause any, because the ash cloud raised only 5000 meters high. It must get higher (above the weather) where it can stay for a long time and circulate the Earth many times. If the cloud is low, dust grains serve as great condensing cores, meaning it will get washed down with the rain.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Imperial China is often called isolationist or inward-looking, and yet the Han Chinese diaspora appear to be very successful immigrants to whatever nation they move to. What were the reasons for such a major cultural shift?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model /u/desoulis and /u/parksunjung already gave very good replies and I want to point out a major issue in the historiography. There is tendency to read surviving records too literally. And a great majority of surviving records were written by courtiers in the court of the emperors. The work done in Cambridge's History of China is fantastic but they often lack critical analysis. This is how the myth of Zheng He came to be, that he had oceangoing vessels of size so large they violate limits of mechanics. We are now starting to be able to clearly see the conundrum between an isolationist imperial policy and a flowering maritime trade by "Chinese merchants". One of the things we need is to distinguish the use of "China" and "Chinese" to mean the people, the nation, the history, the culture, with no resolution. Of course, for some parties today it is very expedient to abuse the term.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Is diffraction a consequence of photons acting as though they're waves?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Yes. However, to add a bit of nuance, photons exhibit wave-particle duality in which they have the properties of both a particle and a wave, but are truly neither. A large conglomerate of photons tends to behave like a classical wave, but even a single photon can display the effects of diffraction--in truth all matter has this quality, though it is *greatly* suppressed with mass.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Shifting gears in a car<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model If the car sounds like a choo-choo train, shift down. If it sounds like a race car, shift up.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user If the light switch is on but the bulb is dead, is power still being used?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model It can’t be a full circuit if the bulb is broken, so no. It’s as if a switch is off and the circuit just doesn’t complete.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user What determines if gas is expelled out the body as flatulence or a belch?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model If the gas is liberated in the stomach, it goes up as a belch. If the gas is liberated once passed the pylorus, it will exit as a fart<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why does milk remove the stickiness of peanut butter in the mouth?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Remember chemistry class when they were talking about polar molecules breaking down other molecules and non-polar doing the same for other non-polar molecules? We see this all the time when we try to mix oil and water. Well Dairy is very fatty, so it can break down the fats in peanut butter where as water cannot since it is polar.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why was the number 24 used for hours in the day and 60 used for minutes and seconds?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model We divide hours into 60 minutes, and 60 minutes into 60 seconds because of the Babylonians. They had a base 60 number system where we have a base 10. Ie we don't typically questionn why the metric system is base 10, it just makes sense to us. The 24 hour day comes from the Egyptians who originally divided the day into light hours, dark hours, and twilight hours. They had 10 light hours, 12 dark hours, and 2 twilight hours. That gives 24 hours. The (Egyptians had a base 10 number system like us but it was fairly different as they did not have place holders)<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why do Americans hate socialism or even the term socialism?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Because historically American culture has embraced and celebrated individualism, so there is significant cultural bias against a worldview where non-earning individuals are granted access to the same resources as those who pay for them.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Was it just a coincidence that there was more than one place in Europe called "Galicia" and "Iberia"?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model The Galicia in Spain comes from the Roman province C/Gallaecia, which was named for a Celtic tribe, C/Galleaci that lived in the area. In Eastern Europe, Galicia comes from a latinized form of the city Halych (became popular after Hungarians conquered the area in the 1200s). I don't know the other one off hand. Iberia (Spain/Portugal) comes from the Greek term for the Ebro river, (H)Iberus, because the Ebro was (partially) used to differentiate Iberia and Gaul (along with other physical features like the Pyrenees). After searching for a bit, I couldn't find a definitive etymology for the Caucasian Iberia. One hypothesis I found derives the name from Armenian designations for Georgians. Another one derives it from the Colchi (a contemporaneous Caucasian region) word "Imer" meaning "country on the other side of the mountain" because a mountain range separated Colchi and Iberia. In all, in both cases, it is most likely a coincidence that the regions have the same names.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why is it cold during summer further up north if over there the sunlight lasts longer?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model The reason it's cold in the north, even in summer, is about the angle that the sunlight hits the earth. Far north the sun is in the sky for a long time but it never gets very *high* in the sky. In the far north the sun barely gets up over the horizon for much of the day. The sunlight is shining on the earth there sideways instead of straight down, so it's the same amount of energy spread out very thinly over a large area, and it doesn't heat that part of the world up very much. ___ ` < ----- Rays here are spread over a wide area \ Earth | < ----- Rays here are striking head-on (Sun is over here) / ___- Edit: Also physical distance to the sun doesn't make any real difference. The sun is so immensely far away that even moving closer to it by the diameter of the earth would have basically no effect.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user How do historians (or archaeologists) separate what is real history from what is legend in old texts?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Well this is definitely not a problem archaeologists have. We dig out stuff **first**, and search for possible texts that affirm what we he have discovered **second**. The rest is discarded until proven otherwise. It's that simple. - > at least for me<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user How did the first fueling stations appear and evolve during the advent of personal automobile ownership in the late 19th and early 20th centuries?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model A lot of early cars, [such as the Model T](_URL_0_) could run on gasoline, alcohol or kerosene. Kerosene was widely available as a lamp oil before automobiles were common. The wide availability of kerosene stems from the efforts of John D Rockefeller who, in the mid-late 19th century, consolidated the petroleum industry and established its distribution networks. Generally, the [first gas stations](_URL_1_) were side-businesses started by hardware stores, general stores, and other established businesses. It was just one more bulk product for them to stock. As demand for gasoline grew, purpose-built filling stations began to open.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why is Comcast's acquisition of Time Warner not a violation of anti-trust laws?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model We don't know yet whether or not it will be. We won't know until the FCC and FTC make a ruling, but likely the announcement means that Comcast believes they can get past this issue. Herdnerfer and Mad_Gouki are generally correct though.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user How is it that political movements often gather tremendous momentum only to fizzle and die completely?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Most of the people joining these kinds of political movements are just doing it because it's the flavor of the month. It sounds cool, being a part of it makes them feel better than their peers, and it gives them something to do. They don't really understand the issue and they are in it for their own personal satisfaction rather than the movement itself. Once enough people join the movement, it stops being cool. They have to go join some other up and coming movement. When they do that, the previous one fizzles out.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user What's the deal with all these Chinese hackers hacking US intelligence and top secret information recently? Are these hackers working for the Chinese government or are they just guys working for themselves?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Both. There are state sanctioned intelligence gathering hackers as well as some kid at home. China isn't the only one doing this. CIA NSA do this regularly. As well as intelligence agencies from every major country in the world.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user What are the consequences of government imposed rent control, or "Max Rent"?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Pros: * ensure affordable housing * gives locals a reason to improve their neighborhoods, without fear of being forced out by gentrification Cons: * discourages the development of housing in areas under rent control * discourages landlords from improving, or even maintaining existing properties * limits property values, which in turn limits tax revenues * politicizes a rents and makes it difficult to adjust them to economic realities...no one gets elected promising to raise rent<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user How is wireless power transmission possible?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model It is possible to transmit power wirelessly, but it is extremely inefficient. It could work to power small devices over short distances, but if you tried to power a car, or even a lawnmower, that way you would fry everything around you before the thing started to move. My favorite analogy to wireless power is pipeless water distribution. Imagine if someone sprayed water upwards and you had to try catching it with a bucket instead of having it delivered to you through a pipe. The waste and the side effects would be similar.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why is the Common Cold so hard to cure?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Because "the Common Cold" is a name for a bunch of different diseases, that are related mostly because they happen to cause the same symptoms. We can't come up with one thing that cures them all.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why is Latin America so far behind other new world countries like the US and Canada?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model There's an old thread about a similar subject, and I answered that question [over there](_URL_0_). Overall, different patterns of colonization and colonial government, with the addition of huge native populations in Latin America led to a very unstable and economically underdeveloped string of countries. Most of them were ruled by old elites who refused to give power to the masses and co-operated with foreign investors selling their country's wealth for personal gain, and you also get some very agitated masses. This means that most of Latin America spend almost all of its existence killing eachother instead of rebuilding.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why can't we just dig really far down and use the ambient temperature to generate power??<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model We can and do. You can do geothermal power pretty much anywhere, it's more common than you might think. You can get a geothermal system installed to heat your home for a (relatively) small cost, and you can do it almost anywhere in the world. Geothermal does have a high up-front cost and is much easier to do in certain places than others (like Iceland or California), but it is possible to do it anywhere. Drilling a well to heat your home is pretty easy, but for a well that's strong enough to be worthwhile for a powerplant, you have to find a "sweet spot" and that can be difficult. It's not economically viable to sink a million dollars into building a plant on a well that will generate power so slowly that it won't pay off for a hundred years.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user How is it possible that the world collective debt is bigger than world collective wealth? Can't we just annul all of the debt that shouldn't be there and go on?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model I think that debt IS wealth. If you got rid of the debt, it would remove all the wealth, because the wealth is made up of receivables. That’s one reason why you wouldn’t get a lot of support for this idea from the wealthy.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why did banks need a bailout?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model The problem is that our economy relies on banks trading money with each other. Once significant numbers of banks start collapsing, nobody will be willing to do this; you won't lend money to a bank that might not be there tomorrow. And some companies rely on this kind of thing to pay their workers. So if too many banks collapse? Oops, your company can't get a loan, so you don't get paid this month.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user I apologize in advance if this opens a can of worms. But could selective breeding ever reduce undesirable personality traits?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model You are assuming sex crimes are caused by genetics and not the environment. Honestly whether human sexual preference is determined by genetics or environment is still an open question (nature vs nurture). The evidence so far suggests it is both. That said I doubt "violent sex crimes" are caused by genetics. Genetics may cause some people to lean more towards violence and of those some may express that violence via a sex crime. Still, a predilection for violence has a strong environment component which is the much bigger of the two.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user I once asked a history teacher if the romans were a more patriarchal than the Celts? He told me "yes, but only because the romans were possibly the most patriarchal society in history". would you agree or disagree?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model I understand if this isn't a worthy top line response, but the premise of measuring something amorphous like "patriarchalism" across time and geography seems to invite over generalizations. Yes, the Romans were strongly patriarchal. However, their female *citizens* retained a strong degree of influence and legal protection / immunity even from the standards of Europe 1000 years later. Meanwhile, if you were to compare the Romans to say, the Mongols of Genghis Khan, I think you would find that the wife of a Senator or the daughter of one of the first families of Rome would have significantly more status than chattel - even if many maneuvers might have to be executed through a politically orchestrated marriage (or other relatives and friends). I think the bad rap Rome has gotten compared to *all societies ever* in terms of patriarchy might owe more to the heavy documentation of their society rather than their oppressively punitive views of sex and gender roles.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why is it that when air goes through a fan it becomes cooler?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model It doesn't really become cooler. It just feels cooler because moving air carries away heat from your body more efficiently.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user What happens if I shift my car into park at a high rate of speed?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model A friend of mine did this going about 45 mph because his brakes failed and he was going to rear end people waiting at a red light. He had a '69 Pontiac Firebird, a very heavy car. He said when he threw it into park, nothing happened immediately but after a couple seconds, the tranny started making a LOUD clicking then the rear wheels locked. This managed to slow the car down a bit before the crash but he still totaled it. He actually had time to choose which of the 3 cars he was going to plow into. A hard decision to make but better than a Tbone collision I'm sure.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why are humans the only creature that needs help in giving birth?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model This is only partially true - many animals die in the process of childbirth, and could use a lot of help during it. But the reason it is harder for humans is because we evolved to have bigger brains and larger heads.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why were most carnivor dinosaurs bipedal?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model All carnivorous dinosaurs that we know of were [theropods](_URL_0_), and all theropods had two legs. Changing diet (going from herbivore to carnivore or *vice-versa*) is a huge evolutionary change. We do know of some theropods who turned vegetarian (it's believed that the basal members of *theropoda* were all carnivores), but it seems to be a rare occurrence. As for more agility, it's possible depending on the exact build. But conversely, bipedalism is more efficient energy wise. And dinosaurs often had long and heavy tails which could be used for balance when making sharp turns.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Were there propaganda songs during WWII that were about life on the homefront?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model The largest number of songs that were direct propaganda, rather than subtle, were likely the ones made by Disney and Warner Bros., such as Bugs Bunny singing ["Any Bonds Today"](_URL_0_) which was shown before films in cinemas, or the best example would probably be the feature-length Disney film *Victory Through Air Power*, which I don't believe is legally available online.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why is all of Reddit in English?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model It's not. r/de is mostly in German r/nordic has nordic language posts etc There are thousands upon thousands of reddits. There's undoubtedly ones in Klingon and Elvish if you know where to look.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why is the Ionian Sea nowhere near Ionia?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model The names are unrelated. *Iōniē* "Ionia" refers to the land of the *Iōnes* "Ionians" (and in Bronze Age Greek the long *ō* was originally *āō*, so *Iāōn-*). The *Ionios* sea, with a short o, is of unknown etymology, though some ancient writers believed it was named after Io swimming across it. Derivations from *ios* "violet" or *ios* "arrow" might also be plausible, but there's no evidence to suggest them. "Ionian islands" is certainly ambiguous in English (but not in Greek). I'm afraid we'll just have to live with that.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user how was the ISS assembled? And how are repairs and maintenance performed in the event of a collision with space debris?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model The ISS was assembled by flying it to space in pieces and assembling it later with robot arms. The solar Panels were just unfolded like a piece of paper by motors. Repairs are done by performing a spacewalk if necessary. Some maintenance can be done from the inside. In some cases the damage to parts is accounted for in beforehand so you only need maintenance very rarely.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why do we call Earths moon "The Moon", when every other moon in the solar system have their own separate name?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model We started calling it the moon before we had discovered what a moon really was, or that other planets had their own moons.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Serious question, because I can't think of the answer for the life of me. What's the scientific name for boogers?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model "Dried nasal mucus". That's it, there is no cool scientific name.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Large-Scale "Finger Over the End of the Straw" Trick?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model just take a drinking glass, submerge it open-end up into a full sink so it fills with water. Then turn it upside down and pull it out. As soon as the rim of the glass leaves the water, all the water falls out.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user What makes us have an epiphany or suddenly realize something? Have we subconsciously reached a "border" or how could one describe it?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model You could say that. The way I view this is that a window exists between your subconscious and conscious brain of which the size depends on your cognitive activity. Your subconscious processes are always hard at work, processing all the stimuli and impressions that your brain gets bombarded with every day. It comes up with new, creative ideas all the time that are waiting to be picked up by your conscious thought. But cognitive strain makes the window smaller, decreasing the chance that an idea pops over from unconscious to conscious thought. When you're relaxed, the windows is bigger and the chance of an epiphany increases. That's exactly why many people experience having great ideas when they're in the shower, queueing at the supermarket or when taking a dump or something. When you're relaxed, an epiphany is more likely to happen. All of a sudden your conscious thought becomes aware of the result of unconscious thought.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why do some people involuntarily bounce their leg(s) when they're nervous, bored, or for no reason at all?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model I have anxiety and I can't really do one thing at a time, without going nuts, so I bounce my leg as an activity to add to things that I'm doing.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user How come when people get the treatment for cancer, their nails don't fall off as well as their hair.<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model They do. As the brilliant Sterling Archer puts it, toenails "pop off like pogs" during chemotherapy.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user a trade school diploma/certificate is sub-par to a 2 year community college degree<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model It really depends on the field and the schools. Some trade schools have excellent reputations for turning out skilled tradesmen, and some are worthless diploma mills that exist to bilk people. The best way to find out is to ask people in the field. Most people will be happy to tell you what they think of different training programs. A field-specific internet forum isn't a bad place to start looking.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why hasn't the earth flattened?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model It has, slightly. There is a small bulge around the equator of about 26.5 miles (compared to the diameter through the poles). The centrifugal force is mostly counteracted by the force of gravity. _URL_0_<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why do some people stay skinny their whole life, while others stay skinny for the first 20-30 years then suddenly they get a "beer gut"?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model They don't adjust their calories when their lifestyle becomes more sedentary.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Has a country ever lost territory after winning a war besides Israel in the 6-Day War?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model In the Egyptian-Ottoman wars (1800s), Egypt was originally a vassal of the Ottoman Empire, but had been ruled essentially autonomously from the rest of the empire. Muhammed Ali, the ruler of Egypt, wanted to cement his power in Egypt, and demanded control of Syria. After a brief conflict, Muhammed Ali's troops took over Syria for a bit. However, the Ottomans wanted revenge, and after foreign powers intervened, Muhammed Ali renounced his claims on Syria and other lands, but received basically permanent control of Egypt for him and his heirs. In hindsight, he really made off like a bandit.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user why "for sale"/"for rent" signs for real estate usually don't show a price?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model The numbers are much bigger, and much more negotiable. Sometimes house flyers have a listing price, but that just invites obsolescence.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user It's 1936, I'm a German watching the Olympics. I start cheering for Jesse Owens. Am I punished or called out for cheering for someone who is of a "lesser race" than me?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model No. Jesse Owens was reasonably popular among Berliners and many German athletes, such as Luz Long, first off, so you wouldn't be alone. Secondly, the government wants to look good for the world and impress London in particular. Carl von Ossietzky is still in the news after being transferred from a camp to a Berlin hospital, and the government isn't eager to create more causes celebre. Streicher's publications have been banned from Berlin for the summer. So long as you aren't openly leading demonstrations against the Nazis or publicly embarrassing them beyond a reasonable limit, they'll leave you alone in the summer of 1936. If you go too far, they'll even probably just issue a "warning shot" and a reminder that the Olympics don't last forever.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why are there no bandwidth limits on FM radio, but 3G/4G bandwidth is so precious?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model The other explanations that have been listed are good, I just want to add one term- multicasting. With FM, every single person listening is receiving the same signal. Not only is it one way, but it's a single signal for every listener. If I am downloading something on my phone, and my neighbor is downloading something, the infrastructure needs to provide enough datarate for both things simultaneously. If we're both listening to the same radio station, we don't need separate signals, we can share the one signal.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why does my penis slant to one side?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model I do sex-ed with teens, this is what I tell them about it, I sometimes use three witheboard pens to examplify: Imagine a penis like three tubes bundled together, two on top and one on the bottom, the erectile tissue in the penis is formed like that and when you get an erection they fill with blood. In most cases these tubes are a little bit diferent in length, so the penis will bend in the direction of the shorter one, sometimes more so when erect.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user How come when 3G was new it was cutting edge fast connection but now that LTE is out whenever I only have 3G connection nothing works at all?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model When LTE is out it's either because of congestion or bad signal strength. So when you drop down to 3G, so are a bunch of other users. Also, most towers upgraded to 4G LTE, leaving a small portion of its capacity for 3G.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user [Human Body] Are 'fast twitch' muscle fibers anatomically larger in size than 'slow twitch' ones?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model I actually just graduated with a degree in Kinesiology, so it's good to see it be somewhat useful. The shortest answer is yes, FT muscle cells that have been exercised will be larger than slow twitch. It's the whole idea that human muscle cells grow solely by hypertrophy (growing larger) than hyperplasia (growing in number). However most research shows that mid-high weight (roughly 75%-90% of your 1 rep max) shows the best increases in muscle size over lifting only very heavy weights. ST fibers will grow in size, but not as significantly. If you had someone lifting a 5 lb. weight 50-100 times, then the biggest physiological change will be in number of mitochondria within that cell.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user How old would I have to live in order to have outlived 90% of my human ancestors?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model > 90% of my human ancestors > 90% of all humankind Technically, not the same group. 100% of your ancestors survived long enough to reproduce. A far lesser percentage of "all humankind" has done so.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user What is an Easter egg? Not the holiday.<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Easter Eggs are basically just clever messages, references, jokes, etc. that are hidden deep within some form of media (e.g. movie, video game, software, website, etc.) that most people will never find, but some people eventually come across by accident or somehow otherwise manage to discover. One example of an easter egg is the one built-into the [Reddit Enhancement Suite](_URL_0_) browser extension. Simply enter the keycode sequence UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, B, A, and then ENTER into your browser to see bacon fly across the screen.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why are some men growers and some men showers?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model I'm not exactly sure what the question is, but it's my understanding that the relationship between flaccid and erect penile lengths is different for everybody. Whether you shrink a ton whilst soft or you simply lose the "hardness", the only real measure of correlation is that of "stretched" length. If you take your flaccid penis, stretch is out as far as it'll go (man this is a great image), and measure it, whatever you end up with will be about a centimeter or so shorter than your fully erect length. tl;dr we have no idea why some people stay long while flaccid, but others stay short while flaccid. Source: I'm a studying penisologist at the University of [Here's](_URL_2_) [My](_URL_0_) [Source](_URL_1_).<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why are most people right handed?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Scientists don't know for sure but there are many possible theories. Here's a couple. **Genetic** - it's possible that its hereditary as there is a 26% chance of a child being left handed if both parents are left handed **Division of labor** - the two hemispheres of the brain specialize in different tasks. It's possible that since speaking and using your hands require fine motor skills the brain may divide these up between the hemispheres. Since most people's brains utilize the left hemisphere for speaking, right-handedness is moer common.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Where do dead bacteria go?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Sort answer : yes you eat the dead microorganisms. They are digested and passed just as other organic matter. Longer answer : furthermore, you actually eat live microorganisms all the time. Bacteria are everywhere! Additionally Your gut is actually full of a microbiome containing one of the densest concentrations of bacteria in the planet. In your colon. Most of your poop is live bacteria by mass. There are also many viruses and fungi. There are even virises that only infect the bacteria. (bacteriophages). This microbiome helps you digest things and even provides you with specific vitamins. These microorganisms are replicating and dying inside you at every moment. It is estimated that there are over ten times the amount of bacterial cells inside and on your body than human cells in your body. That's right, you're more bacteria than human by an order of magnitude! This is possible because bacterial cells are considerably smaller than human cells. Feel free to ask any more questions PhD in pathobiology<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why don't galaxies look all warped and stretched?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Taking our galaxy for example, it has about 100 000 ly in diameter. There isn't much that can happen during 100k years to make one side of galaxy much different than the other. Speed of light is still unimaginably faster than the speed at which things move in space usually. The distance stars move before the light from them reachest the other side of galaxy is not very meaningful.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why do helicopter blades make many “chopping” noises instead of one continuous “whooshing” noise?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model On a normal helicopter, the majority of the "whopping" sound you hear is from the interaction of the air coming off the main rotor with the tail rotor. As the main rotor blades move through the air, they create pockets of turbulence at their tips. As the tip crosses the main boom (the "tail" of the helicopter), the turbulent pocket hits the spinning tail rotor and there's a tiny sonic boom as the two motions add up to supersonic flow. This is one of the reasons some helicopters have a shroud around the tail rotor; it helps reduce this noise. It's also the reason you *don't* hear the same whopping sound from other propellor-driven craft. It's also the reason a twin-rotor heavy lift helicopter has a very different kind of sound - no tail rotor. (Source: an Army helicopter tech I knew in college)<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user How does ointments you apply on the skin (eg Voltaren) affect muscles under the skin?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model The skin is the largest organ of the human body, and like other organ systems require the circulatory system to deliver nutrients and remove waste. The integumentary system, including the skin, is made up of several different layers, permeable to chemicals and other substances. Voltaren gel, chemically engineered to dissolve across the skin to the muscle, reducing inflammation at the target tissue.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why do cameras take rectangle-shaped photos when the lens are round?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model The answers provided are all correct but I feel like there is an aspect to your question that you may have intended but didn't ask; that is, if the sensor is square / rectangular, and the final image is square / rectangular, why is the lens round? The answer is that it is the easiest shape to make that will focus light without geometric abberations. A rectangular lens that matched the shape of the sensor would distort the image near the corners, unless it was significantly larger, had additional corrective lenses, or software that corrected for it. All of these add significant expense in materials or investment of time and effort; it's simply much easier and cheaper to use a round lens.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Can a person get their DNA made into a model?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model There are a few issues: At the same scale as that model, your genome will be about 60,000 kilometers. Everyone's genome is well over 99% identical.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Apparently when shown footage of the Holocaust during the Nuremberg trials, Goering was shocked and speechless. Why would this be?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model No more guesses, posts that do not directly answer the original question or answers like : "No historical info here, but even if he did know about the camps it's one thing to hear about them, and another thing to see them with your own eyes." When you post an answer on Askhistorians, it must be in-depth, meaning that it should be more than one or two sentences or based on a single Google search; as it says in our rules: > Being able to use Google to find an article that seems related to the question does not magically make you an expert. If you can contribute nothing more than your skills at using Google to find an article, please don't post. Your answer must also be non-speculative, meaning no answers relying on guesses or common sense. Including any phrase like "I guess...", "It makes sense to me that..." or "It's only common sense." is a good way to have your post removed. If you any of this is still unclear to you, please consult our rules, found in the sidebar.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Has any war ever happened for the sole purpose of helping the people of another country of another nation and they never took advantage of it?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model The US interventions in Somalia and Kosovo could be included here. In both cases, the interventions were provoked primarily by humanitarian concerns, and it's very difficult to find concrete material reasons for intervention. Both those places are quite poor and could provide very little potential payoff.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user What exactly is bureaucracy, how does it develop in a society and is it a negative or a positive thing?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model It is simply a way of coordinating the efforts of a large number of people. It crops up in any organization large enough that roles become specialized. For example When a person Making a product doesn't have the time to order supplies. They arrange for someone good at tracking down suppliers to order for them, and of course the owner needs to approve the request. And that's one way it starts. After a bit the owner would get overwhelmed with approval requests so they create some basic rules for the supply manager to "auto-approve" most requests... My favorite description of a bureaucracy is an inevitably innefective attempt to make a business process idiot proof.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Aside from metabolism, why can my skinny friend eat McDonald's 6-7 times a week and not gain a pound and I have to diet on fruit, vegetables, and lean proteins to lose weight?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Obviously we don't have all the information, and you or him might have a legitimate abnormality. However, people tend to be pretty bad at judging how much they eat and how much other people eat. If you ignore what you think is healthy or unhealthy and just look at total calories, I bet he doesn't eat more than you. For example maybe he eats three large meals a day, but never snacks. A lot of people who diet eat two or three small meals a day, are hungry all the time, and end up snacking all night. The other option is that he is much more active than you.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user How can people drive from one point to another point without remembering every detail of it?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Highway hypnosis! Basically it's just muscle memory when you are driving and your brain zones out while your body does the normal reflexes of driving! You only remember every detail if things out of the ordinary happen then it sticks in your memory!<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user If all the cells in our body including neurons get replaced every seven years — how do we retain memories further in time?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Memories are stored in the pattern of connections between the nuerons, not in the physical matter of the body. Nuerons do not get replaced very often though. They typically last your whole life and recent evidence suggests that once they die, they do not regrow. Because of telomere lengths shorteninwith replication, this likely increases the resilience of the brain rather than lowering it.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user How far are we on cryogenic sleep or long term hibernation<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Short answer: ice crystals destroy cellular mechanisms. What is needed is a **non-toxic** "antifreeze" X, such that water+X freezes without crystallizing. Something like [xylomannan](_URL_1_). Seriously? It may require genetic modification to give our grandkids this ability.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Has the Double-slit Experiment ever been performed in Space?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Well, there's no reason to expect it to be any different. Terrestrial conditions don't really play a role in the experiment.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Limits in math? I really need this explained easy, please.<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Limits are: "What do I get if x is reeeaally close to (some number or infinity)" Then you notice a pattern. For *x* approaching **infinity** in **1/x** your **answer gets smaller the bigger x is.** Hmm then if x was an insanely big number then my answer would be insanely small. Which is pretty close to **0**.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user How breaking the sound barrier was such a technological feat, that failed many times before success, but things seemingly irregular in shape like the space shuttle or SpaceX rocket boosters (on return to earth as well) break the sound barrier with seemingly no issue?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Be aware that the German V-2 rockets of WW2 flew several times faster than the speed of sound; they were close to being hypersonic. A large part of the problem of going supersonic is simply the power required and rockets are much more powerful than jet engines. Part of the reason for the early Soviet lead in space was their concentration on rockets whereas the US put more effort into aircraft. Even aircraft powered by rockets are at a disadvantage over purely ballistic rockets because so much less weight is available for fuel and engines.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Will it ever be possible to take a photograph of the Solar System which looks as nice as what they show in books and on TV?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Its totally as simple as printing this page: _URL_0_<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Did Medieval Europeans use coins differently than we do today?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model As /u/Aerandir observes, coins were in far less common use than today. Partof the reason is the absence or scarcity of small denominations for everyday local purchases: in England one silver penny would get the average person through the day even after the inflation of the 13th century, and there was nothing smaller until the advent of the halfpenny (12th century) and farthing (quarter-penny, 13th century), both seemingly minted in small quantities (Edward I's reported four million farthings sound a lot but only came to £4-5,000 in an economy producing around £4-5 million annually). The arrival of gold coinage in the 14th century was no help, each gold "penny" equalling twenty silver ones. One solution was to cut the silver coins up, another was barter or payment in goods for work. But not until the silver inflow, inflation and debasements of the 16th century did coins start to become suited to everyday exchange.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Higher life expectancy leads to higher health care costs?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model You're describing a false dichotomy: either people live longer without ailments, or they die earlier. There is a middle ground, where the vast majority of old people stand: they are living longer, but with many severe ailments that cost a lot of money to treat. Here's a good example: my grandmother broke her hip at age 89, then the other hip at age 93. Both times she had major surgery, long hospital stays, plenty of physical therapy, etc. **Huge** cost to Medicare. 50 years ago she would have just died after the first broken hip. Much cheaper.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user How do babies perceive the world around them?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model You haven't gotten any good answers yet because your question is too broad. Narrow in a little bit more and maybe we can help.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user How do computer programmers take the computer (read: mouse) courser into account for the programs? Do they have to write the code that mirrors the mouse movement or do they just create the interactive background?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model For most programs, the operating system/window manager draws the cursor and a program doesn't have to worry about that. A program will get notifications like "the mouse has moved to (x, y)" and can use that to know where the mouse currently is to do things like highlighting. For games with custom cursors, they might take it onto themselves to use the (x, y) coordinates given to draw it ontop of the interface at the end of each frame, and tell the window manager not to. Ultimately, the mouse position is told to any focused program whenever it moves and the program does what it needs from there.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user What is critical thinking?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Critical thinking is simply looking at both sides of an argument. This is useful because it means you can create a non-biased opinion on a particular topic. **Edit:** I'd like to add that I good way to practice critical thinking is to debate a topic with a friend. I quite often debate random topics with a certain friend of mine, and it's quite fun to defend a particular point of view even if you don't agree with that point of view. This way you discuss key points of both sides of an argument, and then naturally come to a conclusion or neutral viewpoint.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user What are the beliefs of the Alawite sect?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model A follow-up question. I remember my Arabic teacher telling me that they were historically persecuted by the Sunni majority, and found refuge in Christian communities, which in turn forged a bond between Alawites and Christians in the Levant. Is there truth to this?<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why is it that so many things are so easy to hack, but I've never seem someone hack their way onto TV?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model There have been hacks on TV, try googling the Max Headroom incident.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Accumulative VS Cumulative ?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Accumulate is to gather something _URL_1_ Cumulative is describing what you accumulate _URL_0_ Examples: Johnny accumulated 2 charges for assault, the cumulative sentence for those 2 charges would be 10 years. Billy accumulated debt on 2 cars, 1 boat, 4 houses, and cable. His cumulative debt is $3.5 billion.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user How come colleges can reject you for a scholarship based on religion, race or creed?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model A private scholarship can be set up with any parameters the funding person or group wants. Children of Veterans, People of Irish Descent, Farm Workers, Transgendered Students, doesn't matter. They're not hiring you, they're giving you money, and there is no law saying that you have to give money to everyone.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why does ice turn white as it gets colder?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Are you perhaps talking about the fact that colder ice traps more condensation from the atmosphere, which forms an opaque layer on the surface because it doesn't crystalize evenly?<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user What language did Victorian European rulers speak when together?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model I'm not sure about which language was used all the time, but since you mentioned George, Wilhelm and Nickolas, I believe this is relevant: Before the outbreak of WWI, Wilhelm of Germany and Nikolas of Russia sent eachother a series of very polite telegrams basically trying to talk eachother out of this whole war business. These were known as the Willy-Nicky correspondence, because that's how the emperors referred to themselves in them. According to [this](_URL_0_), these conversations were in English, which was the two's "common language".<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user My phone plan has free Facebook and WhatsApp. How does the cellphone company know that I'm using them or not?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model You're phone and company know exactly every single bit of data being passed to and from your phone and where it is going to/from. That's how the internet works. If it sees data going to/from those services it doesn't charge you<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why are there hundreds of different color of oil paint, couldn't all those color be created from a palette of just red, yellow, blue and white?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model First, remember how we 'see' color. Light of all colors hits a surface, and some of the light is absorbed, and some is reflected. We only see the *reflected* light. So something 'red' is taking away the green and blue light, but not the red light. Therefore, the pigments in oil paints do not 'add color', they actually only 'subtract' colors. So when you have a color, you can't *increase* it's intensity by adding colors, you can only decrease the intensity. For example, take a [vermillion](_URL_0_) pigment, which has a red-orange color. The amount of intensity of that color cannot be duplicated by combining "Cadmium lemon" and "Cadmium Red". The resulting mixture may be the same *hue* as Vermillion, but won't be a bright, as *saturated*. And adding White to that mixture will result in a color that is more 'pastel'. TL:DR; If you have Coke and Sprite, you can make a drink that is 50% Coke, and 50% Sprite, but you can't make a drink that is 75% Coke and 75% Sprite.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user how come car batteries can be recharged but your average flashlight battery can not?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Some chemical reactions are reversible by applying current to the battery, others are not reversible. There are dozens of types of batteries, some use reversible chemistry , some don't.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user What would happen to the U.S. economy if pennies were removed from currency?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Not much. We'd be fine and prices would be rounded to the nearest nickel when it needs to be.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user What was the extent of the Soviets efforts to relocate its industry away from the onslaught on the eastern front and how much of a factor did this play in the outcome?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Not super knowledgeable in this but from a soviet history class we read a book by John Scott, Behind the Urals, whom went to the Soviet Union for work during the Great Depression. They were building a new industrial city called Magnitogorsk. So in short, industry had already started moving before the war itself to the interior of the country. Later on though I know that when fleeing from the western front the soviets basically sabotaged what they could like pulling up rail lines, burning farms, destroying factory equipment, etc. so the enemy would not get to use it against them. To what extent industry was moved in not sure; I just know that it was moving beforehand.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user How does an insect like a moth manage to fly in heavy rain?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Flying insects often find cover in shrubs or trees in bad weather. If they're flying around, they risk getting their wings damaged. Even in the day time you can shake a bush and get bugs that are hiding in it until evening to fly out .<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user How would quantum computers change the field of cryptography?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model RSA would break. AES256 will remain strong. There are other public key cryptos that would still work.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user If an atom bomb were to detonate above the surface of an ocean, how far under water would you have to be to survive the blast?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Depends on the yield of the bomb in question.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Could "active light cancelling" exist?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model Sounds difficult, natural light is incoherent - meaning that the peaks and troughs of all the waves aren’t aligned (out of phase). It is also not polarised - so those waves if you look at them end-on are misaligned. To ‘cancel out’ the light you’d need the same amount (and frequency) of light, polarised in the same plane, 180° out of phase (so the peaks of one wave align with the troughs of the other) with what you want to cancel, travelling along the same path. Sound is much easier to cancel as, polarity isn’t applicable, and it’s already effectively ‘in-phase’ so that’s not an issue either. Probably also less necessary because it’s much easier to block light than sound and then just display whatever you want to.<end_of_turn>
<start_of_turn>user Why do we treat Pedophiles who don't act on it like they're evil, instead of treating Pedophilia like a disease?<end_of_turn> <start_of_turn>model People don't understand how mental illnesses work. A true mental illness is unavoidable and not under the control of the afflicted person. There's nothing they can consciously do to not have the urges/problems that they do. Only external treatment can help. A large part of the problem is that people who *do* have control blame their tendencies on "mental illness" when they have nothing of the sort. So people operate under the assumption that anyone who claims they have a "mental illness" is just saying that and could control themselves if they wanted to. Add in the hysteria that comes up any time the world "children" is involved and you have a very intolerant society.<end_of_turn>
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