query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Why do the numbers on a microwave seem to bounce around whenever I'm chewing? | [
"This has to do with how the display works. Typically the lights in the display flash 50 or 60 times a second. Different parts of the display update at different times. So when your head is still it looks like a solid image, but when vibrations go through your head when you are chewing something crunchy or making a... | [
"Here are two extra questions: 1.What would happen if you jammed the door catch and started microwaving with the door open? 2. When I microwave olives (delicious), they sometimes spark, does that mean the seeds have metal in them and should I not be doing this without parental supervision?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
The technical feats/methods used in "Handle" robot from Boston Dynamics | [
"There is a computer in the \"torso\". It has precise motion sensors that measure acceleration. Software in the computer has a model of physics that predicts the outcome of continuing the current state. Based on input controls, the user says they want to continue the current behavior, or do something new like \"Jum... | [
"Well [here](_URL_0_) is an example how some of the effects in Empire strikes back came to be"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does birth control remain effective during the 7-day placebo period? | [
"The pill has already done its job, you don't need to take those. The reason those placebo pills are there is so you don't mess up your pill schedule. If they just tell you \"Only take 21 pills, then rest 7 days\", they increase the chance that you forget when you are supposed to go back to taking the pill. Has it ... | [
"The pill releases hormones over the course of 24 hours. Taking it at the same time every day ensures a steady release of hormones into your blood stream to prevent pregnancy. If you take it erratically, there could be gaps in the hormones, leading to pregnancy. It's a longshot, especially if you only miss by a few... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Are more police shootings happening or are we just hearing about them more? | [
"I'd say it's combination of the two. Most cops (in America) are severely under trained, under immense pressure from quotas that their department issues and are undeniably racist. Couple all that with social media and boom."
] | [
"The data that show racial bias among police officers does not show significant differences based on the race of the officer. It seems that black officers are just as likely to profile black men as white officers are. As for the news coverage, the news is covering this mostly because of the aftermath, meaning the p... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How does a CPU understand and execute machine code when it has never done something similar before? | [
"It doesn't _understand_ it per se, any more than a ball 'understands' it should roll down hill. It is just a (complicated) set up to generate certain outputs given certain inputs. Here's a really good mechanical illustration of how a CPU adds numbers: _URL_1_ To take it to the next level, someone build a CPU in mi... | [
"Each language has a special program called the Compiler to convert it into binary, or an interpreter to do the same as the program runs, for every line one at a time. The latter takes longer, but is less complicated for the programmer."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do people think it is so bad when machines or robots take over human jobs? | [
"Because it's hard for the person who has lost their job to think of the bigger picture and the overall effect on the economy when they had such a big thing happen to them. It doesn't matter if their jeans are $24.99 instead of $29.99 when they can't afford to buy jeans at all. It's also much easier for people in g... | [
"Automation HAS replaced a majority of the workforce already. How many people do you know that work on farms? Everyone used to work on farms no very few do. How many people do you know that make clothes? everyone used to do that now almost no one does. Automation isn't new, it's been replacing jobs for generations.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why are shots injected in the upper arm? | [
"Such shots are intramuscular, meaning they go inside a muscle. Muscles have lots of blood vessels, so the medicine is picked up fairly quickly and spread to the rest of the body. The upper arm has a nice big muscle which is easy to get at. Another big muscle is the butt, which is where most of the shots in my chil... | [
"There's a nerve closer to the surface of the skin at that spot."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do your fingers become swollen after going from a cold area to a warm area? | [
"When you're cold, your blood vessels become thinner, particularly in your extremities (hands and feet). This is to stop you losing so much heat to the environment through them. If you get warm again, your blood vessels dilate to supply oxygen back to your tissues (and help you stay cool). Sometimes you'll get a t... | [
"What you feel is the difference in temperature. When you are in a hot tub, you feel hot, because you are colder than the surrounding water. When you get in a cold pool, you feel cold because you are warmer than the pool water. Similarly, when you have a fever you feel cold because you are relatively warmer compare... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why do unreleased cars get tested with the black wrap all over them? | [
"The manufacturer doesn't want their competitors or their customers to know exactly what they are developing until the product is actually released. It takes years to develop a product like a new car. If Chrysler were to know how the 2021 Corvette was designed they might borrow from that to make their own sports ca... | [
"There's a Chinese company who does something exactly like this - great looking cars, that have subpar engines, interiors, etc. Can't remember the company name, but some google searching should produce it quickly. Top Gear did a feature on a few of cars a couple of years back."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How is a person not disturbed by their snoring? | [
"I imagine it becomes something they are used to and/or background noise. It's the same for people who leave the TV on while they sleep. The TV may be loud but they've gotten used to the noise so it doesn't bother/wake them."
] | [
"Reading that literally made me yawn. How is that related to the contagiousness?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How is it possible for a CNN Tech Analyst to think changing s's to dollar sign will help you if your password is 'password'? | [
"They're out to make money, not inform people. They only inform people insofar as it promotes the money making. Real tech guys cost a lot more, need more time to say things the home-audience will quickly get bored by and is ultimately less profitable. At least by their reckoning, clearly."
] | [
"you see that search reddit box over there on the right? You search keywords from your question. Such as: \"search for answers about questions\" or \"how does the economy work\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do batteries lose their recharging ability over time? | [
"Batteries are compact galvanic cells. They work by compartmentalizing a chemical reaction, in which one of the compounds is oxidized (loses electrons) and the other is reduced (gains electrons, I know it's counter-intuitive). Galvanic cells separate these two reactions so that the electrons that the oxidized compo... | [
"In all batteries, there is a chemical reaction that causes electrons to flow from one terminal to the other. When batteries are recharged, electrons are forced to flow through the battery in the opposite direction, which reverses the reaction so that it can happen again. Smart phones use lithium ion batteries. Unl... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
When a user is given a public key, how is it that data encrypted by it cannot undergo the opposite operation to decrypt. | [
"[Simple paint explanation](_URL_0_) followed by the numbers explanation. This is the example I was able to actually grasp what was going on, rather than just explain without understanding."
] | [
"This is a very common question, and [this Search](_URL_0_ ) generates lots of detailed responses. Please Search. It's an encryption system which uses two-part keys for each user. One part is published, for sending messages to the user and the second part is kept secret, for messages from the user. Each message is ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How did the number of soldiers under Nazi Germany not deplete in just a couple of years after having invaded so many countries so rapidly? | [
"At first it was Germany who was the one inflicting massive casualties on their enemies. It wasn't until later in the war that Germany started to lose massive amounts of their soldiers. For instance, the loss of the 6th Army at Stalingrad and the loss of the Afrika Korps didn't occur until 1943. Edit - check out t... | [
"The latter, mostly. They had some really strong generals and field commanders, and that served them quite well, but some of the biggest setbacks Germany suffered in the war can be directly traced to Hitler meddling in strategy. The most visible example was probably his decision, towards the end, to invade the Sovi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does my mouse hand get cold when I'm on the computer for too long? | [
"I too get this. Well you're not alone at least. I hope someone can answer soon."
] | [
"EIL5: Why can't I stop sitting with my legs crossed, even though it hurts my knees, and why does it hurt my knees?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
How does c-4 detonation work? | [
"C-4 is an engineered explosive, specifically made to be insensitive to shock. You want soldiers to carry it around in case they need it, and if a stray bullet could cause someone's backpack to explode - there would be less volunteers to carry it around. The key is to create a highly concentrated shockwave. A deton... | [
"the vibration of a cell phone is caused by a small electric motor, if you disassemble the cell phone, you can tap into that motors power source. Ther isnt enough juice to actually detonate anything, so its used as a trigger for another larger battery supply. So it doesnt directly detonate the bomb, it triggers the... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Can someone explain to me how a computer processor works....like i'm five? [ELI5] | [
"[You should watch this lecture from Richard Buckland at UNSW](_URL_0_). I linked to the relevant part where he starts talking about the history of the computer. It's a long watch but it explains how transistors are put together to make gates and how 1s and 0s control them to perform logic."
] | [
"Yer not alone in askin' how computers represent and work with numbers, and kind strangers have explained: 1. [ELI5: How Binary Code Works ](_URL_2_) 1. [ELI5: COMPUTER BINARY CODE- or how does a computer work? ](_URL_4_) 1. [ELI5: How does a computer calculate 2 2 = 4? ](_URL_0_) 1. [ELI5: How does a computer ACTU... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Computer Science:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about Computer Science:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How does a musical artist like Adam Levine totally dominate a tribute performance with one day of preparation? | [
"Once you learn a song and the changes, it's pretty easy to \"dominate\" it - but this performance specifically was just released, but was from 2014. Which means he didn't do it as a tribute to prince postmortem, but instead for a planned performance - which likely means he had a long time to practice, prepare, and... | [
"Because you are thinking about pop concerts the wrong way. Think of live pop artists as performers for the night instead of musicians. The concert is just an elaborate stage show. There is still singing, by the way."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
What is the point of those wooden honey-dipper things? | [
"A former boss at a fancy restaurant I worked at once told me that the point is to be able to drizzle honey on things consistently and evenly, where as other tools like spoons would leave big drops here, little drops there. Makes the presentation better, I guess."
] | [
"What do you mean on them? The signs, the walls, floors?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Can someone explain how the Command Module from Saturn 5 managed to "blast off" from the moon? | [
"You kind of got it right but the Command Module never went to the moon, that was the job of the [Lunar Module](_URL_0_). So the Command Module waited in orbit while the Lunar Module went down. And the Lunar Module had it's own fuel and rockets (according to wikipedia 18000 lbs/8200 kg for landing on the moon and 5... | [
"If you are referring to it's return to earth, it deployed parachutes and splashed down in the ocean. Here is the video. _URL_0_ The difference between SpaceX and Apollo 11 is that only the crew re-entry vehicle was recovered. The rest of the ship separated during launch and burned up on reentry."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What are apples made out of? | [
"> Apples contain dietary fibre in their skins and core. About 10% of an apple is made up of carbohydrate and 4% of an apple is made up from a variety of vitamins and minerals. The rest of the apple, more than 80%, is water. [source](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"Just because something is made from vegetables doesn't automatically make it healthy. Heroin is made from vegetables."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
why do doctors ask you not to eat 12 hours before surgery/blood test? | [
"The reason to not eat before surgery is to reduce the chances of you vomiting during the surgery (the trauma of surgery/reaction to the anesthesia can cause vomiting) and thus reduce the chances of you drowning in your own vomit, or just making it harder to do the surgery because they are preventing you drowning i... | [
"I have this surgery tomorrow. what else can i expect in the healing process?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
I woke up 5 minutes before my alarm and decided to close my eyes. Fell back asleep for what seemed like an hour but only a minute had passed. Why did it feel like so long? | [
"Sometimes I get the opposite effect. I'll be asleep for a good 8 or so hours, but when I wake up, it feels as though I literally just closed my eyes, and couldn't have been asleep for more than 2 minutes. Could someone explain that like I'm five? Edit: The thing is, that I don't necessarily feel tired or weak the ... | [
"What if you wake up every few hours, but it doesn’t bother you? I can fall asleep in less than 5 minutes, so when I wake up, I look at the clock and go “Nice! I can sleep for 4 more hours” or whatever it is til my alarm goes off."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Sleep and boredom:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument about Sleep and boredom:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about Health and Wellness:"
} |
How do chip-embedded credit cards offer more security when in fact they seem more inconvenient? | [
"The data on a magnetic strip is just stored there passively. If you copy the magnetic data, there's no way for the data to \"know\" that it has been copied and put on another plastic card. On a card with a chip, the chip contains electronic circuitry that performs cryptographic calculations when it is read, which ... | [
"Yes, theoretically you can do this with cards equipped for \"contactless payment.\" There are some practical difficulties, and even if successful most credit card issuers limit the use of contactless payment to below a certain denomination, but it's possible with the right technology. However, this would not allow... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about technology:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence about technology:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What prevents me from setting myself up as a small ISP for my own benefit? | [
"Well, you could either purchase some of Sky's bandwidth from them, which is the easiest way, or you could install a connection to the nearest hub yourself. For a few million dollars, minimum. I don't know what country you are in, but generally the major Telecom companies own the internet backbone that you are tryi... | [
"It's much easier than setting up a separate tax structure for government employees."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How does the hawk-eye technology work ? | [
"Hawk-eye is just one of several systems that organizations are using to do things like assist refereeing. It's likely several (more than 2 I imagine) cameras synchronized on a computer that runs a relatively simple computer vision algorithm to identify the ball from live feeds. If the cameras are synchronized prop... | [
"When you say night vision do you mean how do night vision devices work or how humans/animals see at night?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do they hire "analyzers" / "hosts" that never played the sport that they are "analyzing" / hosting? | [
"Astronauts know how to fly the ship, and know a little bit of the math to get them to the moon. The physicists know the math of orbital mechanics like you know the alphabet, but only know how to fly the ship a little bit. Athletes (astronauts) are amazing at their sport, but aren't probably the best at being a h... | [
"Wish someone commented I've wondered the same myself many times, the only thing I can rationalize is that he is \"employed\" by a sponsor as a consultant and also he gets paid for all the interviews and stuff he does but I'm probably wrong on most of that.."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does an "En Passante" work in chess? | [
"Basically, pawns have one special move (to help speed the game along): they can move two spaces instead of one the first time they move off of their original position. This was a change made very early in the history of European chess. *However*, you aren't allowed to use this special move to avoid being captured ... | [
"The score in scrabble when you play one. They mean the same thing here in the USA."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
what is known about the recent youtube algorithm changes? | [
"Google has claimed they have not changed anything but have setup a Google form for people to provide feedback if they had experienced any problems such as being unsubscribed from a channel ect. *I am new to Reddit, i hope this is the correct response/format. Remove if necessary, thanks!"
] | [
"They dont advertise as much as facebook and other sites. Pretty sure it might have to do with the amount of moderators and the simple coding of the site itself."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why is it acceptable for beef to be pink in the center, but not poultry or pork? | [
"If handled properly during processing, beef and fish carry minimal risk of containing pathogens. Damn near all of the US poultry population is infected with salmonella (especially by the time it makes it through a processing plant). Meanwhile pork can have all kinds of nasties, considering the way pigs live and ea... | [
"It doesn't actually have to be. No solid cut of meat does. Bacteria grow on the outside of muscle tissue, but not *inside* the meat itself. So, as long as the very outside surface of the meat is cooked, it's safe to eat. In fact, if raised and handled properly, any meat can be eaten raw. There are places (like Jap... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
What causes you to feel like you're being watched? And how does your body know when someone is watching you? | [
"Probably important to clarify that your body doesn't ALWAYS know when someone's watching you, it just feels that way sometimes, and sometimes that feeling is right. Part of your detection process is something in your peripheral vision, or perhaps a subconscious change in the sounds that you're hearing. Out of the ... | [
"It's a primal instinct. When you suffer from sleep paralysis, it interrupts your REM cycle so that your brain is mostly \"awake\" but your body is still paralyzed. This causes your mid-brain to go on overdrive and be an extremely heightened sense of awareness against possible threats. It's a primal instinct to kno... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Biology:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Biology:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do men get bald as they age? And what does it have to do with growing beard early? | [
"The hairs on the top of the head are structurally different from the ones on the side. When you start to get older, your hair follicles become more sensitive to DHT, a type of testosterone. The increased sensitivity to DHT affects the hair follicles with the certain protein makeup on the top of the head, effectiv... | [
"Mine's genetic, but not as bad as my grandfather. He went completely grey by 20. Me, I'm salt and pepper right now. I don't mind though. Better to have hair than no hair. If it's that big of a deal, you could dye it. But, to answer your question: 1. Stress has not been shown to increase greying (but I tend to thin... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why are cold symptoms heightened when you first wake up? | [
"The stuffy nose you get when you wake up without a cold is caused by the increased level of histamine your body produces to wake you up in the morning. With a cold, this is usually worse because there is already histamine from your cold. Think of it this way, antihistamines like Benadryl make you sleepy because th... | [
"Your face is swollen when you wake up from sleeping? You might want to stop sleeping hanging upside down, mate."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why are human babies so incapable and defenseless? | [
"The birth canal can really only be so wide (jokes notwithstanding). The baby is born while the head can still pass through the birth canal. This leaves us birthing at a less developed stage than most mammals, which means our babies are more helpless. I'd a trade of that allows for a big head relative to the rest o... | [
"Sheep are famously docile and helpless, requiring help (from humans or dogs etc.) to keep them safe. Lambs, even more so. This remind us of helpless babies."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about biology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer about biology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How and when did USA get involved in the middle east? Who started it all? | [
"The Middle East, has always been an area of interest for the West ever since we discovered that oil is a very profitable source of energy - over 120 years ago. In fact, the reason we call it the middle east is because it used to be literally towards the middle and the east of the map of the British Empire. So, sho... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
How do the HSBC key authenticators work? | [
"Key authenticators usually work in a similar way. There is a clock and a secret, unique algorithm in the key generator, with the algorithm known to the verifying party. The algorithm will take the input time, round it to the nearest 30 seconds or so, and run it through the algorithm. The algorithm generates from t... | [
"Companies like that usually have many different sorts of products."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
If Evolution is random, why don't creatures have more random, useless (but non-detrimental) features? | [
"you mean like an appendix? Or an ear lobe? There are probably tons of these that we don't need, that are too obvious to notice. Like finger nails. We certainly don't need them anymore. Whats the point of butt cheeks? how about hair on our legs? we evolved to have different eye colors. What for? Oh and hiccups ar... | [
"> Evolution is suppose[d] to kill off/weed out things that aren't used That's not true. Maybe our ancestors simply thought hairless humans were more attractive, so they mated with them? > Losing our body hair seems anti-evolutionary to me. Evolution doesn't have a goal. Nothing can be anti-evolutionary if it surv... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Please ELI5: Why do peoples' nipples get hard when they're cold? | [
"It's a mix of two things: 1) contraction of the muscle layers under the skin, similar the goose bumps, and 2) an extremity is cold, so you body increases blood flow it keep it warm. For obvious reasons, nipples have historically (evolutionarily) been on the \"important to keep warm\" list, for reasons that should... | [
"Why do the glands in my neck burn like high hell when I'm holding back tears?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the post about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
What is the theoretical explanation for why planets/moons are always nearly perfect spheres? | [
"Because a large enough mass of rock under gravity will deform like a plastic. In essence, the material flows, because the weight of it is so great. When it flows, it attempts to flow to the most conservative potential state, a sphere. That's the 'ideal' shape where, if you think about it, there's no \"Downhill\" f... | [
"I'm sorry, I don't think I follow. Where do you get that planets always have \"circular masses\" at the poles? And what circular masses do you mean? Are you referring to polar ice caps?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How is it that our brain knows to make a "face" based upon your emotion? | [
"There are a few aspects your question could be alluding to. From an evolutionary perspective, to cultural to just pure mechanics of creating a facial expression. For the main part, we just do it subconsciously. The reason we can't help but look sad when we hear bad news. Or not laugh when something hilarious come... | [
"Here's a sampling of the processes involved: 1. Who's the sender of the information? 2. Where's the sender located? 3. What tone of voice was used to call my name? 4. What historical context is there for the tone used to call my name? 5. Where are we, and what possible scenarios match the nature of the tone in thi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why does 60 degrees feel cold when I'm inside but pleasant when I'm outside? | [
"The sun provides a great deal of heat if you are outside. The light rays may not heat the air much because air is not dense but if it hits you, your body will feel warmer than being inside. Aside from the sun, when you are outside, you are usually not staying still. Moving around generates more body heat than stay... | [
"This is more related to relative temperature than actual water temperature. The pool temp is probably pretty constant, we'll call it 65 degrees Fahrenheit. If it's 90 degrees outside and your body has started to adjust to that setting, 65 degree water is going to feel nice and cool. On the other hand, jumping in a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why do certain foods and beverages taste better or worse at specific temperature ranges? | [
"In part, the sense of smell plays a big part in taste. Flavor in food is typically comprised of a multitude of flavor and fragrance compounds. Examples: Vanillin, eugenol, thymol, etc. A lot of these compounds are \"volatile\" compounds, which means (more or less) that at certain temperatures they will evaporate. ... | [
"Cold suppresses the sensitivity of tastebuds. Try drinking a soda on ice and then letting it come up to room temperature. It would taste much sweeter and more acidic. The same applies to water. The less we taste, the more refreshing it feels. Also, the data aren’t exactly clear but it’s possible that a preference... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Science:"
} |
How did we end up with taste buds that find things that are "bad" for us better tasting? | [
"I assume you're talking about sugar and fat? These are only 'bad' for us because they're so readily accessible. We can eat as much sugar and fat as we want and there's nothing to stop or limit us. If you consider how we evolved, though, neither sugar nor fat were plentiful. Sugar required you to find and pick ripe... | [
"> How is our sense of taste and smell connected? Most of what you think of as \"taste\" is actually smell. For instance, an apple and a raw potato taste almost exactly the same. If you hold your nose (which stops air flow past your olfactory nerves), you can't tell if what you're biting into is a raw potato or an ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why autism links to males 1/52 times but to females 1/352 times. | [
"My guess? Because we are bad at recognizing autism in females. The symptoms are slightly different. Just like how there are more autistic kids today than there were 20 years ago. Its not that there is more autism, we are just better at diagnosing it. In 20 years, female diagnoses will catch up. We'll see more and ... | [
"I don’t think we fully know. One likely contributor is the differences in sex hormones between men and women. The statistics we have right now suggest that migraine effects about 17% of women and 6% of men each year."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What is that falling feeling that you suddenly wake up too when you are sleeping? | [
"It's called hypnagogic jerk and it's just a twitch that happens sometimes when you're falling asleep"
] | [
"When this happens, mostly it's because you, after not being able to sleep well, find yourself getting nervous thinking about the possibility of not sleeping again. You are actually tired, but you are too afraid to go to sleep."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Sleep and fatigue:"
} |
How do wooden roller coasters not fall apart? | [
"If a plank is rotten, then you remove it and replace it with another plank. The structural integrity of the roller coaster is maintained because the wood that sustains it is continually being upgraded. The original roller coaster doesn't exist because each of it's component parts has been replaced piece by piece."... | [
"Most skyscrapers are built with a series of counterweights in them to help from swaying too much. The buildings are also to designed to sway in the wind. It actually makes them safer. Imagine a stick that has been dried out. It’s very rigid, but it can be snapped easily. Then take a stick freshly cut from a tree.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
why do we shake hands? | [
"It is a ritual show of nonaggression. If I offer you my right hand, you can be pretty sure there isn't a weapon in it."
] | [
"why do we yawn when we read about yawning?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do certain foods (i.e. vanilla extract) smell so sweet yet taste so bitter even though our smell and taste senses are so closely intertwined? | [
"Vanilla doesn't smell sweet. It smells like vanilla. Your brain associates vanilla with sweetness, so you think it smells sweet. The brain can do weird things like that. Like how you aren't really capable of feeling wet. You use a bunch of other cues to determine if your hand is wet or dry, and it's why its so har... | [
"Salt is one of the five basic tastes, so first off, you are very used to it. Salt helps release flavor/odor in some foods, making them more tasty to you, more flavorful. Salt can act to suppress the \"bitter\" side of taste (bitter is one of the five basic tastes) which a lot of people prefer. Genetically we are p... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the passage about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the passage about Food and cooking:"
} |
Why does everything sometimes look yellow outside after a thunderstorm? | [
"> > > Most thunderstorms occur in the late afternoon. By this time of day, the sun is beginning to set. The orange hue is caused by the same process that causes the vivid colors at sunsets. Shorter wavelengths of light (blue) are scattered quickly, leaving only the yellow-orange-red end of the spectrum. _URL_0_"
] | [
"Well, the first thing to know is that it doesn't. It's just a truism, not an undeniable fact or anything. But at sunrise and sunset, the sunlight is coming in at an oblique angle to the atmosphere. If the atmosphere is full of particulates, then the light will scatter and make the sky look red. In this situation, ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
If anti cheat programs look through your computer to look for cheating tools, could they potentially also look for other "illegal" stuff and give it to a third party or to the police? | [
"well, the simple answer is that if you install software onto your computer, it could do whatever the hell the programmers/developers want it to do, whether they make you aware of it or not. And if it could do that, it'd be described in the vaguest of language in the software's End User License Agreement (EULA). Yo... | [
"Media companies \"Nuking\" torrent files with data. Nuking basically means they put some kind of trojan horse in a movie/video game file, so when you download it, they can track it and report you to your ISP."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
What exactly is the InstallShield shielding me from? | [
"Generally open windows that run commands. You'd see things like DOS prompt windows open and close, open and close, with file copy output flying past."
] | [
"1. Badly designed software un-installation mechanisms on windows 2. Increasing complexity of newer versions of the same software 2. Perception of slowness from looking at newer faster computers."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why do we have to press ctrl + alt + del to log into a locked Windows account? | [
"The Ctrl + Alt + Del key combination is known as the [Secure Attention Sequence](_URL_0_) on Windows. This is not overridable by software outside the operating system. Pressing the SAS means you are guaranteed to get a response from the operating system, not from some other software. This is important because mali... | [
"You might have a lot of background stuff like Steam, Skype, Spotify set to turn on when the computer goes up, you might wanna get CCleaner and check to see what starts up when you open your computer."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do hurricanes never hit South America? | [
"_URL_0_ It is more than 2-3. But it is somewhat protected due to the structure of the various major wind streams and ocean currents which will drive storms north most of the time. This protection means it will have fewer major storms."
] | [
"It was a relatively quiet season, and neither of the two hurricanes that formed hit the US. One of them didn't even make landfall beyond some islands in the Atlantic."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What happens to elders whose family refuses to take care of them? | [
"Stay tuned: Millions of Americans are about to find out. This is not a joke. And it doesn't happen only to those whose families turn away. See [here](_URL_0_) and [here](_URL_1_)."
] | [
"The severely disabled are on disability, which is a part of the Social Security program. They will often go into group homes paid for by that disability if they do not have family that can care for them. If they have wealthy families they will often have private nurses or more expensive group homes paid for."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What is that sinking feeling you get as you come to grips with the reality of the passing of someone you were close to? | [
"Fear.. the instinctual reaction to a threat/change to your current life and environment. That person is gone and you fear how your life will be different since this reality is new and unknown."
] | [
"It's the difference between living \"idealistically,\" which can stay a dream, and actually doing the hard work it takes to make those dreams come true. When you lay in bed thinking, tomorrow seems like forever away. When it's morning, the hardships of reality kick in."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text about Health:"
} |
Why Can Pressure Freeze Water? | [
"The water was below freezing but the ice crystals had nothing to start to form around. When you opened the bottle, the pressure change caused bubbles of CO2 to come out of solution. Those bubbles provided nucleation points for ice crystals to form around. Edit: Clarification in response to reply."
] | [
"Being Black Does Actually Have (Relatively Minor) Health Consequences, It's Just That They're Obviated By Modern Life. There's An Energy Cost To Have Extra Melanin, Even A Small One, So If You Don't Need It It Won't Be Selected For. Melanin Reduces Vitamin-D Uptake From The Sun If Sunlight Is Lower Than You're Ada... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
If we discover life on other planets, what explanation will be given by various religions? | [
"It's like when scientists first worked out that the sun doesn't orbit the earth. Some religious authorities saw this as heresy but now they don't because the bible doesn't actually say that the earth was the centre of the solar system, or the universe. In the same way the bible never says earth is the only place w... | [
"I think it is a more thorough understanding of science and the creation of the universe. Knowing what we know about the Big Bang and evolution, the story purported by the bible and other texts seems much more farfetched now than it might have to previous generations."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
What purpose does imagination serve? Do other animals have imaginations? | [
"The imagination is likely the result of the ability to think abstractly and predict possible future events. Other animals have this capacity; for example dogs can predict the possibility of a treat, or anticipate their master's anger when they misbehave. Fantastical imagination is just the result of using such a s... | [
"Because humans are the only species with a complex enough social structure to allow for emotions such as embarrassment."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why do energy companies want us to save energy? Isn't that the product they are selling? | [
"There are a couple things at play: 1. They are regulated and told they need to drop the average use per household to comply with new government standards. 2. They keep having to build more power plants to make the power to supply more people and more uses of electricity. Building a power-plant is extremely expens... | [
"Because it's not profitable. Companies will fight tooth and nail to gain an advantage over their competitors, whether it be cutting costs, researching new technologies or anything else that helps them sell better. But once their product is I the consumer's hands they simply don't care. It's not their responsibilit... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are freight train engines no longer streamlined? | [
"The amount of fuel efficiency lost from a slow-moving freight train having flat windows is minimal and probably barely offsets the savings of a cheaper construction process."
] | [
"The US locomotive that you have a pic of is most common in freight trains and they are made by GE (General Electric). There are different ones made by GE, but they all have basically the same style. Freight trains from one of your Class I railroads are usually what you would see when you are stopped at a railroad ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
if a teenager can be charged with child pornography for having nudes of himself, why haven't people be charged with flashing for sending unsolicited dick picks? | [
"The only reason kids have been charged for having their own nudes is over zealous courts. The dick pics, in the other hand, are probably harassment or indecent exposure, but they're either much harder to prosecute (because the people are anonymous) or deemed nosy worth the time it would take to actually build a ca... | [
"Those were probably prosthetic boobs. Although there is a lot of leeway in the law for artistic depictions. So if you take a picture of some naked kids at the beach as part of a photography exhibition you're probably fine. If you took the same picture and posted it to r/jailbait you'd be legally fucked."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Law and Entertainment:"
} |
Why, after being out in the freezing cold for a long time, does it hurt to put your hands in warm water? | [
"When your hands are very cold, your veins constrict and push more blood toward your core to keep the more important organs (heart, lungs, etc.) functioning. When you expose them to something much warmer (like hot water, heater or fire) your veins dilate and blood rushes back in. This rapid change in temperature ma... | [
"If it's hot enough to burn other parts of the body, it'll burn your mouth, too. In fact it'll probably burn your mouth easier than other parts of the body."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How is censorship legal if Freedom of Speech exists? | [
"If you're talking about freedom of speech in the US, you might start by taking a look at [restrictions on the first amendment](_URL_0_) in the U.S. What the bill of rights actually says is: > Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech... This has been generalized to include the federal governme... | [
"The 1st Amendment only protects you from persecution from the government for your speech. It does not apply to private matters."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why does my brain think really hot water is cold sometimes? | [
"The nerves in your skin that detect temperature only measure the **change** in temperature and not whether it is cold or hot. Context and other variables tell your brain if it is cold or not but sometimes the brain still gets confused and sends you the wrong signal."
] | [
"Why do the glands in my neck burn like high hell when I'm holding back tears?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
LI5: Can someone explain what's allegedly happened with Murdoch's phone hacking scandal, and why it's so important? | [
"Why it's so important: It's revealed a culture of intimidation in Rupert Murdoch's businesses. Whistleblower (a man who died shortly into this scandal) testimony explains how Rupert Murdoch is basically a mafia-king. He uses his media empire to influence politics, sometimes in a threatening way. In summary, a Priv... | [
"1. It's still a thing, but given that there haven't been any new major revelations (e.g. The Pope) most news organizations have chosen to focus on more topical things (The Euro 16, Brexit, etc.) 2. No prominent Americans were listed, hence why it's gotten little to no attention in the US. Most Americans don't give... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why do light switches sometimes turn outlets on and off? | [
"They've been intentionally wired that way, to allow you to control plugged-in devices by using the light switch. This is useful for devices that you would want to turn on or off frequently. For instance, lamps, so that you can turn off the lights with a light switch."
] | [
"If there is nothing plugged in, then no it will not use any electricity. For electricity to flow, there must be a complete circuit, and to complete the circuit you must plug something in. Some devices draw current even when they are off if they are plugged in, that may be what she is thinking of."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Is there a psychological reason why a lot of people treat employees like crap in retail? | [
"I suppose it's the feeling that you're getting paid to serve them. So they feel like they have the upper hand in the situation. It's awful, but people love to feel powerful, even if it's in a little, pathetic way."
] | [
"Because, believe it or not, people in general are even more stupid than the morons in Congress."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why does my radio stop playing when I start using my electric beater? | [
"The motor is giving off a lot of electrical interference that is drowning out the radio signal."
] | [
"Your steering wheel is locked. You must move it to release the pressure on the lock in order start the car."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
when sleep talking/walking what's going on in my brain? | [
"When you sleep, chemicals in your brain are distributed to temporarily paralyze your body. Perhaps your brain doesn't produce quite enough of those chemicals and the sleep talking happens in correlation to your dreams. Don't quote me, I'm kind of guessing from information I've heard in the past."
] | [
"you might be like me in that you don't know the best way to put what you are trying to say into words because of all the thoughts running through your head. that's my 2 sense"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post about Speech and Language:"
} |
Why do torrent sites, like Kickass torrents, have to change their URL? | [
"Because, sometimes governments have the power to force, or at least pressure DNS providers to not give a domain to a certain entity. That's why these torrent sites are often registered in Sweden (.se), Tuvalu (.tv) Cuba(.cu) and Tonga (.to)."
] | [
"The reason is that they do not host illegal files. They index them which puts them in the same grey area as search engines like Google and Bing. In fact, the pirate bay doesn't even host the torrent files, they provide magnet links. When they fail to respond to DMCA and other copyright takedown requests is when t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why are certain major conflicts ignored almost entirely? For example I know basically nothing about the Korean War, America's involvement in Bosnia or Panama. Was it because of no economic significance? | [
"Korea didn't get a lot of scholarship because by 1973 (when historians would have started working on it) there were so many other issues and events to write about. WW2 scholarship was really just hitting it's stride in the late 60s and early 70s. Korea ending in a ceasefire without a really resolution makes it har... | [
"Because the USA tried that. Several times, and no time worked out well. It's essentially what happened in Korea, Vietnam and the War in Iraq. And every time the public hated them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about current affairs:"
} |
Why do Westerners like being tan while Asians prefer being pale? | [
"Beauty has several societal factors. One of the biggest that can be seen across diverse cultures is what the powerful/rich do. For a long time in Western history, being pale was considered beautiful. Why? Because it meant you didn't work in the fields. If you didn't work in the fields, you had money (or in those t... | [
"Asian men are far less attractive to White women than Asian women are to White men."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
The difference between Prime Ministers and Presidents | [
"While this is not true in all cases, the general distinction is: **Presidents** are elected directly (or in the US \"directly\") by the people for the specific position of President. **Prime Ministers** are elected as members of parliament by their constituents, then selected by the members in their own party as ... | [
"Only if the federal government let it. See: American Civil War"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How are we able to tell the difference between fake nice and genuine nice? | [
"As far as non-verbal cues, humans are embedded with a list of involuntary \"tells\".... For a single example, a genuine smile will cause crinkling of the cheeks and around the eyes, where a faked smile won't usually do so. There are also tonal differences. Faked niceness seems to almost always feature drawn out vo... | [
"Maybe because we know so little about it and even less about how to deal with those with mental illness."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why exactly is Netflix opposing the Comcast/TWC merger? | [
"Because Comcast is known to throttle streaming services (they limit how fast your connection is artificially) which is how Netflix makes most of their money nowadays. Add in the fact that almost every city in the US has Comcast or TWC and nothing else for cable services, that means that Most cities will now not be... | [
"The DOJ hasn't ruled yet on whether the merger is legal. The way it works is that the companies work out the financial details of the merger, and THEN the DOJ rules on whether it can happen. This is how it worked for other nixed mergers, like AT & T/T-Mobile and Worldcom/Sprint."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
If the story of Solar activity falling to 60% in 2030s, to 'mini ice age' levels, comes true, what will we see change in our everyday lives? (link in comments) | [
"Whey say \"solar activity\" they're essentially talking about the number of sun spots, **not** the brightness of the sun. If the sun did suddenly reduce its radiation output to 60% of current levels then that would be a massive disaster. The changes under discussion, if they actually happened, would probably reduc... | [
"Well, as its seeping out of the permafrost, were not quite aware of to which extent we have to do something about it. OFC, its a clear indicator that the weather is getting warmer (global warming), but it might go both ways when it comes to the aftermath"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why it feels so good to scratch rashes, poison ivy, bug bites, etc. if it is not a good thing to do. | [
"There is a natural small release of \"good feeling\" chemicals in the brain when you scratch anything. This came about through evolution. If you have a mite or dangerous parasite your itching will kill it or at least it is worth a shot is what your brain tells you. This is my understanding as a five year old not v... | [
"From what I learned ( I have no source ). But the grass makes little incisions in your skin because its actually kinda sharp. Then the oils and other stuff on the grass gets in there and irritates your skin, thus making it itchy. Ever notice how grass kinda gives you an itch that can't be satisfied with a good scr... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why can't old but good instruments (like Stradivariuses or Selmer Mk VIs) be recreated using modern tech? | [
"The Stradivarius thing is a myth. People who claim to be able to identify one by sound, can't. And when blinded, have been known to pick modern instruments over them for sound quality. I don't know much about the MK VI, but I would expect it's the same."
] | [
"Guitar player here. I've owned some pretty expensive stuff in my time. It's all about 1)Mystique. People will pay much more for something that is in very short supply. Also, people tend to fondly remember 'how good things were in the old days.' 2) Some of them *DID* sound very good indeed. There was a time (late ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How does one gallon of gasoline emit around 20lbs of CO2? | [
"Yes, there's that much oxygen being taken into the reaction. Every 1 atom of carbon takes in 2 atoms of oxygen, and oxygen weighs about 4/3 as much as carbon."
] | [
"1. it's \"than,\" not \"then\" 2. Cows emit methane in their flatulence, which holds 20x more heat than CO2 3. There are a little over 500 million cars in the world, and around 1.5 billion cattle"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
How does a Venus flytrap work? | [
"It responds to stimulation of hairs inside its trap, which causes it to close (the signal is transmitted via an action potential, similar to nerves in animals). This step can be triggered by any direct contact. I used to have one in a pot that you could poke with a stick & cause it to snap shut. [Here's a gif of s... | [
"Are you asking how a wheel works ?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why does the military care if you have an undescended testicle? | [
"Total guess here, but probably because at some stage soon you will need it bringing down surgically. They probably want you getting it sorted before enlisting in order to avoid paid downtime."
] | [
"Because they promise not to use your answer to determine whether or not to hire you."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What proof or facts of global warming is out there? | [
"It's important to note that the argument is not (anymore) about whether or not global warming is real. The Earth has measurably grown warmer by at least half a degree Celsius since 1980. Wikipedia has a good basic discussion. The goalposts in the last decade or so have been moved to ask whether or not global warmi... | [
"I have never heard this claim. Do you have a source (link?) for where people are saying this will cause damage?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why are there a finite number of musical notes? | [
"There isn't a finite number. As long as you can divide by 2, you can always make another note. Western culture chose to standardize musical notation with 12 semi-tones. Do a search on microtones or microtonal fretboards. Wild stuff."
] | [
"It has a few different meanings in different contexts. What setting are we talking about?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about finance:"
} |
How come the NSA bugging the UN HQ and hacking UN computers hasn't started a massive "shit storm"? | [
"Diplomats in the UN have conducted business under the assumption that the location they are at have been bugged for decades. While it certainly angers them when it comes out directly who is doing what it isn't that large of a surprise."
] | [
"Cause it does not care. It gets the USA to veto any action against it at the UN. The P5 countries: US/RUSSIA/CHINA/UK/FRANCE can put a magic veto on any action they don't like against a country they support. So the UN has really no power at all, just puppet bullshit and more money wasting. The are also the biggest... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How did they double the life expectancy of people with Down's Syndrome over the past few decades? | [
"My uncle has DS and he's still going strong at 59, having led an amazingly full life. For his fiftieth birthday, he went to Liverpool football stadium and got to lift the European trophy! As far as I know, he hasn't had serious medical intervention, at least not in the past twenty years, and he's got by with dedic... | [
"Compare mortality rates to those with chronic illness 100 years ago. Now make the same comparison today. You will find that a very large number of people who are sick today would have been dead 100 years ago. Peanut allergy 100 years ago: Billy mysteriously fell over dead, end of story."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Health:"
} |
If Japan knew that it could not win a protracted war with the US, why did they attack in WWII? | [
"They didn't think the war would be protracted. By crippling the Pacific Fleet, they bought time to fortify their positions. They figured that the cost to retake the lost territory would be too high for the Americans to stomach. As for why they attacked at all, Japan was between a rock and a hard place. The US had... | [
"It was hard for them to work together due to the huge geographic distances between them. There were some long range submarine cargo missions, supplying things like rubber and tungsten. And some designs for aircraft ended up in Japan too. When Japan attacked the US, Germany declared war on the US in the hope that J... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post about history:"
} |
Why is it that when we're drunk and we close our eyes to sleep, it sometimes feels like the world is spinning around us or we're on some sort of fairground ride? | [
"Basically there's a level in your ear that's calibrated to your specific blood density, but alcohol thins it out which makes that thing go off more easily. It's also why inner ear infections and hearing issues can give people vertigo."
] | [
"You know how when you're sleeping, you think you're moving, but you aren't really moving? When you're running from that monster in the dream, your legs aren't flailing wildly in the real world. Well, that's because your brain shuts off motor control while you're asleep. Sometimes it takes a bit longer than normal ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What happens when a ski lift breaks down? How does everyone get off safely? | [
"Well when it happened to me, we just sat there annoyed until it was fixed. But a ski lift is essentially a giant conveyor belt, so there's probably a way to rotate it mechanically without power."
] | [
"Roughly how well do you think an entire office building worth of people jumping down a slide would go? Hint: It'd probably kill more people than the fire."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
If all our cells renew themselves every 7 years, why do we appear to age over time? | [
"Because the regrowth is not perfect, the body also needs to grow until its twenties, and because wrinkles are not affected by replacement. A wrinkle is like if you squished a cloth a bunch of times, it would have wrinkles and replacing all the individual threads of the cloth would NOT make the wrinkle go away, bec... | [
"You don't actually die from old age. Most people die from Pneumonia or some other complication that has to do with aging. Bust basically your bodies cells are constantly dying. Your entire bone structure is replaced every 10 years. Your skin gets replaced roughly monthly. As you age you replace dead cells less and... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text about biology:"
} |
Why do Dogs have a much shorter life expectancy than humans? | [
"Heart rate. You will see that the slower the heart rate of an animal is, the longer it live on average. Elephants, giant turtles, whales have long life. Dogs, birds, ants have short life."
] | [
"First, not all of them do. Elephants and crocodiles can live to be 100. Second, it has a lot to do with metabolism rates."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
The philosphical point of life | [
"It is your task to design a life of your choice and complete it to the best of your ability."
] | [
"in few words - the idea that there is no \"right\" answer."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Can windfarms strategically placed in the middle of the USA stop tornadoes? | [
"That is like asking if we put enough pennies on a railway track, could we stop a runaway train or if man had a harry enough chest, could it stop a bullet. There is so much energy in the weather system that anything we have or currently can do would barley be measurable if at all. Short answer, No. Long answer, Noo... | [
"The American Midwest is a flat steppe that runs from the Artic of Northern Canada, to the deserts of Northern Mexico. The lack of natural barriers(mountains) for such a long stretch allows cold Artic air to mix with hot tropic air which creates the conditions necessary for tornadoes to form."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Being fluent in more than one language, why sometimes you can't remember a word in your native language, but know it in the other(s)? | [
"Imagine a bunch of boxes. Each box is a concept, not the thing itself or the word, but the idea of the thing. When you learn words, you put them into the corresponding boxes. The word \"tree\" goes into the box for the concept of a plant with a stem and leaves, the word \"mother\" goes into the box for the cincept... | [
"Because by listening to it and learning certain words that associate with objects, you begin to cognate them and understand their meaning. Over time you will be able to understand about 80% of what a native speaker is saying. However, by learning a language all by ear, you don't learn certain grammar rules and spe... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Language and Translation:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Language and Translation:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do companies say "no purchase necessary" when they run contests? | [
"So, in some parts of the United States, contests that require you to purchase something are considered a lottery, and lotteries are legally only allowed to be handled by the state. As such, they need to make it not a lottery, by allowing people to enter by sending a letter to the company instead of buying somethin... | [
"It depends on if a prize is actually available. Most all of them require you to sign up for trials and give out information. They can sell your personal information to pay for a prize and they can also get kick-bak money from the companies you sign up for trials with. If you sign up for enough trials and give out ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What happens when both litigants in a lawsuit generally use the same lawyer or firm? | [
"A single firm can't agree to represent both litigants in a lawsuit. When the second person tries to hire them, they have to say \"sorry, there's a conflict of interests, you need to find another firm\"."
] | [
"One of the parties is unhappy with the present terms, and all three parties want to suggest changes."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
why does massaging muscles feel good? Arent you just dumping toxins/lactic acid back into the blood stream? Shouldn't it feel worse? | [
"Messages increase blood flow. The acid that was stuck in the muscle gets into your blood and are picked up by kidneys which in turn gets the acids into your urine."
] | [
"Lactic acid is basically the byproduct your muscles metabolism, its what your muscles make when they do vigorous exercises such as hiking. the Lactic Acid irritates your muscles which is what causes the discomfort and soreness. Lactic acid is removed from the muscles anywhere from a couple hours to less than 24hou... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
How is comet Oumuamua (C/2017 U1) able to come closer to the sun than most of the planets in our solar system, and escape without going into solar orbit? | [
"It's going fast enough -- higher than *escape velocity* -- for its momentum to overpower gravity's pull."
] | [
"Anything will orbit the Sun that is closer to the Sun than to other stars, is much lighter than the Sun, is not fast enough to escape the Sun's gravity, and does not orbit any other object. The closest star to the Sun is Proxima Centauri, over 4 light-years away. The farthest Pluto gets from the Sun is less than 7... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why does sleeping help you get better when you are sick? | [
"When you are sleeping your body is able to put all it's energy into repairing you and healing in any manner. Including fighting stuff off."
] | [
"Extreme weather is an example of stress on your body, which likely results in a sour temperament. This is similar to why you feel cranky when you are in pain."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Health and Wellness:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument about Health and Wellness:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How come when power resetting electronic devices such as a cable box or router, you are instructed to unplug the power and wait about fifteen seconds? why is the wait necessary? | [
"Inside electronic devices there are things caused \"capacitors.\" These devices take in the electricity and help make sure that it is released to the device at a steady stream. Fluctuating power is bad for sensitive electronics. When you pull the plug, or turn the device off, you are giving the capacitor time to e... | [
"Many computers do momentarily power off when restarting. However the capacitors on the motherboard have not been lacking power for long enough to completely discharge their power and so can still hold some things in memory. Sort of like when you unplug a power adapter from the wall but the little light on the bric... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
If you drop a bowling ball off the skyscraper and it hits the ground with a lot of energy and destroys someone's car, where did the energy come from? | [
"When you hefted the bowling ball up the fifteen flights of stairs, you converted chemical potential energy (muscles) into kinetic energy (movement. In this case, up the stairs.) and this gives the bowling ball gravitational potential energy. The extra energy you had to spend lugging the bowling ball is then conver... | [
"Because they hit the ground with significantly less force because they weigh less (and also because they probably have a very slow terminal velocity). If the ground were to hit the bug with the same force that it hits you, the bug would die. If you were to drop just chuck one of your legs off the roof, it also mig... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
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