query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Why are genitals darker than the rest of their owner? | [
"Your genitals have more melanin, which protects against UV radiation. A long time ago, humans and their ancestors didn't wear clothes, so such sensitive parts did need more protection against the sun."
] | [
"It's not staining, it's pigmentation. It isn't always brown either. It's the same sort of thing that causes the skin around nipples to be a different color than the rest of the skin."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Health and Wellness:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Health and Wellness:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How can seedless watermelons continue to exist? Aren’t seeds needed for reproduction? | [
"It's the same thing g that happened with bananas! Bananas used to have a pit inside them that was the seed, but scientists genetically engineered the pit out of them decades ago. (Fun fact, the little brown/black specs you see in a bananas cross section is actually remnants of the seed) now, to grow any more banan... | [
"Insects are the main pollinators for many species of plants, including crops that we eat. So if all insects went extinct, there wouldn’t be anything to pollinate those plants and they would cease making fruits/reproducing"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why did Italian develope as a separate language from Latin,even though Latin continued to be spoken?. | [
"In the book You Are What You Speak, the author explains that until the nation building trend of the 1800s, language was a continuum as you moved through Italy, France, then Spain, the common person spoke a language that was decreasingly similar to the Latin spoke in Rome. If you picked any point along the way, the... | [
"I cannot speak for all of the languages but the Latin alphabet, (the one used by most European and Western Countries) spread across Europe as the Romans expanded their empire. Even after the fall of the Roman state, the alphabet survived in intellectual and religious works. It eventually became used for the descen... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
why is there no better/portable partition format than FAT32? | [
"The big proprietary OS makers reluctant to include file systems other than their own unless they have to. The open source world can't really handle anything that requires royalties except as part of grey-market solutions. Makers of devices that accept removable media don't really like royalties much, but they are ... | [
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe NTFS is read only for OSX. So if you truly want a hardrive/thumb drive to be compatible between both windows and OSX, then you'll want to format it in either FAT32 (4GB file size limit), or ExFAT which has no real world file size limit."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How did Japan find its huge trove of rare earth metals on Minami-Torishima? | [
"Despite the name, rare earth metals aren't particularly rare. You can take some random dirt and test it, and it will probably have some rare earth metals in it. On the other hand, it's going to be in absolutely minuscule amounts. Even in areas with high concentrations, rare earth mining has to be done by harvestin... | [
"Arguably, Japan made out quite well during the first World War. At the time, Japan was an ally of the United Kingdom, and early in the war Japan arranged to strike at German territories in China and the Pacific Islands in exchange for continued occupation of those areas after the war. Japan ended up intervening (o... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
What differentiates life from everything else if both are just atoms? | [
"The most truthful answer, and probably the most frustrating, is that life is simply active energy in the universe given self-awareness. The only reason we're different from a rock, cloud, or stream of water is that we're aware of what we are, and thereby are able to question why. Here's the long answer. The thing ... | [
"Once you get down to a really basic level elemental \"particles\" seem to just be certain properties doing their thing. We usually assign properties as belonging to things, but in this case it seems that is all there is."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
How can light act as both a wave and a particle? | [
"Light has properties we usually attribute to particles **and** properties we usually attribute to waves. In fact, this is true of *everything*, not just light. Light interferes and diffracts like a wave, but it carries momentum and hits things like a particle."
] | [
"No, they are radio waves. Sound waves are matter moving and compressing, just like a physical water wave. Light, radio waves, and the like, are electromagnetic waves that travel at the speed of light."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the comment about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Are we at the battery capacity peak? Does the capacity only increase by volume? | [
"We are nowhere near peak battery capacity. There are multiple battery chemistries we have yet to figure out how to reasonably manufacture a battery out of but we know that they will work better. There are also new technologies in nanostructure manufacturing. The energy density of a battery is directly related to ... | [
"Because we don't know how to make the energy storage that dense, yet, or how to manufacture that precisely. Small gains and new techniques are constantly being realized and build on top of one another, hence how we got to where we are today."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why can't a US president just an Executive Order for everything they want done? | [
"An executive order is only capable of ordering something which the Executive Branch has the authority delegated by either the Constitution or act of Congress. This doesn't include just anything the President may want done. Any order must be supported by the relevant existing law. Technically speaking there is no e... | [
"Well, what's the point of having a congress at all if they can't change anything?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How can we "train" our bodies/tastebuds to handle spicy foods? Is it just getting used to the heat or are there actual chemical changes? | [
"You can train your body. More importantly your brain. Your body creates chemicals to battle the pain. It is why heat heads get a high from trying really hot foods. Endorphins and other brain goos in the brain are discharged more effectively if you eat spicy food more often. If you have problems with spicy foods ... | [
"There's a few possible reasons. I'll touch on 2 of them. Most importantly, dietary needs. If you suddenly get a craving for onions, your body might be low on a vitamin found in onions. If you continue to eat onions after that need has been dealt with, you might grow disinterested because your body now craves a dif... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
what does it mean to be in escrow? | [
"If you and I make a bet, we both give our money to a friend we can trust. It helps make sure neither one of us backs out. The friend can be said to be holding the money in escrow. Escrow shows up with a number of important deals. It's difficult to force someone to transfer a house back, so a seller usually wants t... | [
"whats the point of hospitals if we are all going to die anyway"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
what's going on with the stock markets? | [
"China is an economic bubble and everyone knows it. The question is will burst or will it slowly deflate. A bubble is when the value of something is over inflated. China said they were doing great, look at all those modern flats they were building, it turns out that the flats are too expensive for people to live in... | [
"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 query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why is it okay for a business to discriminate based on age but not by race? | [
"Neither of your examples is age discrimination per the law. The [Age discrimination in Employment Act](_URL_0_) only protects people aged 40 and over from employment related age discrimination. Your theme park isn't discriminating against age so much as childless adults, which isn't a protected class. Restaurants ... | [
"Businesses in the US aren't permitted to refuse service to to anyone for any reason; certain reasons to refuse service are illegal, such as on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, religion, disability, etc."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Does the fact we can choose to believe that free will exists, prove that free will exists? | [
"Nope. It's a complex topic, but the idea is that choice is an illusion. You can \"choose\" to believe or not to believe. However, some would argue that your choice is a product of your life up to that point. You were basically destined to choose that way all along. I don't mean to say one side or the other is accu... | [
"As for how to refute it, you first point out that it could only be valid if a) these were the only two possibilities, and b) they had equal chances of being true. A is false because you have to consider the millions of gods humanity has worshipped. You don't get credit for choosing the wrong God. B is false for th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
I often hear people say the universe is young, but how do they know what's young in terms of universes? | [
"It means there's tons of negentropy left. That is, there's absurd quantities of usable energy left in the universe, and that much energy is going to take an astronomically long time to waste away even if nobody does anything to shepherd it. We have plenty of time."
] | [
"There are a few theories about this, but nobody is 100% sure. The most credible scientific theory is called the Big Bang. That is, at some point billions of years ago, space and time was all balled up in a singularity that can only be described as infinitely dense. Since density of this magnitude cannot be sustain... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Astronomy:",
"pos": "Represent the answer about Astronomy:",
"neg": "Represent the answer about science:"
} |
Why do spiders not get stuck to their own web? | [
"Basically, they tiptoe. They only come into contact with the webs a little bit at a time, use only the little hairs on each of their legs. Spiders can and do get stuck on their own web in gusts of wind or something huge disturbing the web."
] | [
"Cobwebs are made by spiders in a specific family called the Theridiidae. They make sticky silk which is why you see them gathering dust."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is it you get dizzy and lose vision momentarily when you stand up too quickly sometimes? | [
"That is called orthostatic hypotension: _URL_0_ When you stand up, the blood that was pooled in the lower parts of your body has to spread out farther in order to reach your extremities (like your head). Since there's less blood in your head, there's less oxygen, and you essentially start to lose consciousness. (D... | [
"This is called \"Orthostatic Hypotension\". Most people have it in some degree or another, and some even faint. Tall people usually get the worst of it. It happens when your blood pools in your legs and doesn't go back to the brain fast enough, starving it of that precious oxygen. It can also happen while having b... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Health and Wellness:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text about Health and Wellness:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text about Health and Wellness:"
} |
Why haven't any open widely supported vector video formats taken the place of Flash on the web? | [
"The only reason to have a vector format is to display media that originates in a vector format. Moreover, if you want to display anything more complicated than wireframe pictures, you need a ton of raster data to paint onto your wireframe. When you're writing a 3d video game, it makes sense because the installatio... | [
"Because those games are optimised through Direct-X. Flash is a bloated old POS format that takes up far too much processing power for what it can accomplish. Games engines are processed through your graphics card while flash is handled by your processor. That's why most online video has moved from flash to HTML5 i... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why did people first milk cows/goats? | [
"I'm not sure we know for certain, but I would surmise that knowing our children suckle on our teats, and their children suckle on their teats, we quickly worked out we might gain food by taking their milk, and that this food is renewable."
] | [
"Human females can't produce the same quantities of milk that female cows can. It wouldn't be very profitable. Plus, notice that we mostly drink milk that comes from animals that like to graze on grass, like cows, goat, and sheep. Humans eat a lot of junk food and other stuff that doesn't make for very good tasting... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does iced coffee taste so good, but cold hot coffee tastes terrible? | [
"When you prepare coffee to be iced, you prepare it stronger than normal. That way, you can brew it hot, and then when you dilute it with lots of ice it winds up the proper strength. If you drink that hot iced coffee preparation before adding ice, you'll find that it's overpoweringly strong. If you ice a cup of hot... | [
"There's a chemical in most toothpaste that blocks your tongue's ability to taste sweet stuff. That's why orange juice tastes so bad after you brush your teeth."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Language and culture:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence about Language and culture:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
How do monarchies begin? | [
"Conquest. Kings started out as warlords, or leaders of a warrior family who conquered a large area of land, put their friends and relatives in charge of parts of it, and passed it on to their heirs. To make alliances, they often also married (or had their sons marry) the daughters of other nearby warlords. If one ... | [
"Why do people in Western countries use forks?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Do people with disabilities in US go to regular schools like movies make it seem? If so, why? | [
"In the US we call it \"inclusion\" or \"mainstreaming\" and the idea is that a student should be in the most \"mainstream\" environment in which they can be successful. There are schools for the blind and deaf as well as schools for those with other major physical or mental handicaps but the goal (at least in my s... | [
"If it's OK for me to do it, it has to be OK for everybody to do it. If it's not OK for everybody to do it, then it's not OK for me to do it either."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What is the lump in your throat feeling you get when you are sad or mad? | [
"That's known as [Globus Pharyngis](_URL_0_). **TL/DR**: > The \"lump in the throat\" sensation that characterizes globus pharyngis is often caused by inflammation of one or more parts of the throat, such as the larynx or hypopharynx, due to Cricopharyngeal Spasm, gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), Laryngopharyngeal r... | [
"Could be conditioning, you may happen to have been listening to the song when you were already feeling a sense of contentment and now you associate that feeling to the song whenever you play it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
If being homosexual is genetic then how has it lasted so many generations if homosexuals can't reproduce? | [
"Gay people can and do reproduce quite frequently. There are many homosexuals forced into heterosexual relationships due to religon, family, or societal pressure. They can also be sperm donors for heterosexual couples through fertility clinics."
] | [
"Human bodies were formed by evolution. Evolution is determined by natural selection. Natural selection means nature likes traits that help you survive to have babies. This means everything in the human body either keeps you alive long enough to reach sexual maturity, or helps you produce babies once you have reach... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How can Luxembourg have an insane national debt and not crumble? | [
"Debt per capita doesn't matter very much--what matters is the debt as a percentage of GDP, the size of the economy. After all, wealthy countries can afford to pay more than poor countries even if they have a lower population. Nevertheless, Luxembourg's external debt as a percentage of GDP is also high. This becau... | [
"The United States pays off its debt whenever its due. We just immediately go and accumulate more debt, because we will be able to pay it back and it grows our economy. We have never missed a debt payment and are an economic power house because of that debt."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why do we skip a number when two (or more) things are tied for the same rank? | [
"We skip a number because it doesn't matter if there are 2 tied for first or there is a first and a second, the next one is the 3rd best -- because there are 2 ahead in the ranking. It's the number of people/cities, etc. ahead, not the number of unique scores that matter."
] | [
"Did you read down to where it says \"Understanding the problem\"? It is a pretty clear explanation. 23 people have 253 different possible pairings. Person #1 could be paired with #2, #3, #4, etc. Likewise, #2 could be paired with #3, #4, ... Since there are so many possible pairs, the chances that at least one pai... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why does our taste in food change as we get older? | [
"One theory i heard is that children are far more sensitive to bitter flavors. Since young children can't handle natural toxins as well as adults, and since toxins have a bitter flavor, humans have evolved to avoid putting these things in their mouths at a young age. That means that a lot of things, like olives, wi... | [
"I think it has more to do with psychology than physiology: adventure is more important to children than comfort. Our priorities shift as we get older."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do successfully socialistic Scandinavian countries like Denmark keep people from taking advantage of their strong social safety net? | [
"I think the fear of this problem is based on an extreme underestimation of peoples power of will, pride and ambition. The majority of people want to do something with their lives. Give them a dream/hope/perspective and they'll work hard to achieve it. Once they've achieved it they'll set themselves another goal...... | [
"European countries are most of them social democracies, and that has nothing to do with communism. What many people in the US want is actually social democracies (which we call \"socialism\" in Europe) like the ones we have here. We have higher standards of living, longer life expectancies, less difference between... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
The surge of violence in Chicago | [
"A combination of reasons. High unemployment, A mass amount of organized crime due to drug running, a corrupt local government, an oblivious federal government, high population density and an extremely strict gun control policy. That's the extremely, extremely, short version."
] | [
"Even the official story is far from bloodless if you consider the various conflicts in Ireland and Scotland."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Rural/Tribal people and their perfectly white teeth. | [
"They do not have the luxury of eating or drinking sweet things often. This prevents a lot of tooth decay."
] | [
"Women and other minorities have more social programs available."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is it better to sometimes cover a wound and other times leave it exposed | [
"First Aid Instructor here: all wounds: wash then cover. leaving a wound open leaves it open to infection. covering not only stops infections but bleeding as well. direct pressure helps."
] | [
"Generally It won't if you keep the wound in question moist and disinfected. Often times people just use a bandage to stop the bleeding but then let it scab up and dry out. This causes the skin to dry out and become less elastic as your skin lays down the foundation for the healing process. In short: keep the wound... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
4.4 billion year old crystal (+/- 6mil)?? What is this Atom-Probe Tomography thing and how accurate is it? | [
"This is kind of cool actually. Radio-carbon dating usually works by pointing a Geiger counter at a sample and measuring the average radioactivity of it. By comparing that to a graph that relates age to radioactivity, they can get an accurate enough measurement of how old it it. What you're really measuring here is... | [
"Fossils are placed on the planet by Satan. Carbon dating is inaccurate and fake. Yeah, no logical sense, of course."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Where does surplus electricity go? | [
"In a general sense, unused load is wasted. In a practical sense, unused load is often stored in a number of ways, such as mechanically in a fly wheel or chemically through any number of processes, such as hydrogen production. Occasionally, this extra power is delivered to something like a distillation plant, to pr... | [
"Volts: how badly electricity want to go from here to there. Current: How much electricity actually goes from here to there."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
How fresh water fish populations spread from one river network to another without going through (presumably deadly) seawater? | [
"I wondered that about fresh water mussels. So I asked. They have a free living form which basically hitches a ride in the gills of fish. This means the same species can be in one river system even though they are mussels. Similar events can occur for other species. Egrets and other fish eating birds will fly from ... | [
"Hurricanes can grab fish and deposit them in another pond. Floods can connect two lakes. A drought may separate a lakes. Animals may carry fish or their eggs around."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do they determine the nutrition facts of a food product? (like total fat, protein, calories | [
"How many grams if protein are present? Etc. And calories are determined by measuring how much energy the serving will give off using a calorimeter."
] | [
"1. The amount of calories food is the amount of energy your body can extract from it. Some food doesn't contain any usable energy, for example water or salt (the body still needs them, but not for energy). 2. In the US, food companies are allowed to mark certain items as having 0 calories if they have less then a ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
what does it mean on a watch when it says Quartz? | [
"It means that it has a quartz crystal regulating the movement via the piezoelectric properties of the crystal. If you pass an electric current through quartz, it changes shape; and when it changes shape, it generates a current. Using carefully tuned crystals, a very precise frequency can be assured. By counting th... | [
"Dreams, dont crush them. It helps with spacing on the speedometer. Also can be used as a standard template."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about Technology:"
} |
How did penicillin change the world? Was Mr. Fleming deserving of a Nobel Prize? | [
"Penicillin is the first antibiotic ever used. Before that carbolic acid was used to treat diseases but it caused severe damage to the body. With the discovery of penicillin a new era of allopathy was born. Previously untreated diseases like typhoid and tuberculosis were treated. Countless lives were saved due to t... | [
"If you manage to answer this question, I think you're entitled to a Nobel prize or two -- not to mention the adoration of every philosopher and neuroscientist in the world!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why do butter and margarine cook so differently despite tasting very similar? | [
"Leaving aside the fact that I don't agree with butter tasting similar to margarine: Butter has milk solids in it, along with other organic compounds that undergo caramelization while also being a fat that allows for the heat transfer so that the food gets crispy. In your example, the butter AND the bread carmelize... | [
"Compare olive oil, or another oil, with butter or margarine. Oil: * has no water in it; it's 100% fat * has different kinds of fats compared to butter and dairy margarines - the saturated fats in milk taste \"richer\" * has no proteins, meaning it won't brown * has a different flavour (sometimes a neutral flavour... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What seperates oceans? Why do we have 5 of them and not one that contains all of them? | [
"Two things; 1) land masses and, 2) water currents. Since technically all oceans are connected (you can draw a continuous line on a globe connecting them all) it is ocean currents that really separate the oceans from each other. Other than that it's just imaginary lines drawn by people on a map a long time ago."
] | [
"It's mostly a coincidence. Same reason a majority of the land is bunched together on the same side of the globe. The pacific ocean is almost half of the earth's surface area, but it's tough to see on a normal map since that's where it's cut."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
why can I sometimes feel my pulse really strongly in a random part of my body? | [
"Could someone reply with something that isn't speculation or a question?"
] | [
"It’s easier to feel a pulse from a vein that’s closer to the skin. The neck is one of the best if not the best place to take the pulse, as it’s an artery, and has lots of blood flow. Regarding putting your hand on the person’s chest: If the individual needing their pulse taken is heavier, the heart is behind more ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Biology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Biology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How come when traveling on roads with pay tolls, vehicles with more axels have to pay significantly more for the toll? | [
"Heavier vehicles, which have more axels, are harder on the roads. Tolls, which are used in part to keep the roads in good repair, reflect the additional wear and tear of multi-axeled vehicles."
] | [
"There are regulations as to how much a truck (tractor-trailer) can weigh. When highways are built they are designed to hold up to a specific weight. If a truck violates this, it might cause undue wear/cause accidents on the highway. The weigh stations are there to make sure trucks are in compliance. No doubt some ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
because my English teacher can't. What are the main differences between absurdism and existentialism? | [
"Simple version from a theatrical perspective: Existentialists: Life has no meaning, so we must create it ourselves. Absurdists: Life has no meaning, and that's hilarious."
] | [
"what are the two meanings you think it has?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What happens to a company when it's stock reaches zero? | [
"The company won't go bankrupt just because its stock price has collapsed, but the stock price probably collapsed because of other problems which are about to lead to the company going bankrupt. Let's assume that the company is in fact trading quite happily but the stock market has just lost all faith in it for som... | [
"The point where someone's willing to pay for it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do computers keep track of time? | [
"> Somehow, it knew the date and exact time without internet access. How is that possible? There is a battery on the motherboard attached to a digital clock, just like in a digital watch. That keeps track of the time even when the computer is not powered."
] | [
"Hardware are the actual physical pieces that make up the computer. Software is the combination of signals that they process. I'm not sure what kind of transition you are looking for here."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do different types of exercise trigger different types of muscle growth? i.e Marathon runner vs. bodybuilder | [
"Muscles have three different types of cells or fibers (possibly more but we'll stick with three). One fiber type helps lift more weight but it fatigues easier. Another type cannot lift as much weight but it has a lot of mitochondria (energy makers) so it can sustain exercise for a lot longer. The third is an inter... | [
"No. Muscles need to rip and tear to get bigger and for you to gain strength. Low weight with lots of reps will make your muscles capable of more endurance. Lots of weight with low reps builds strength."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why did the government bail out automakers instead of granting vouchers to people that could be redeemed for a car? | [
"France did this a few years ago.(yes yes France white flag jokes, haha reddit you so funny) In 2009, a new president steps in, gives great financial incentives for people to scrap their old car buy a new car. Everyone is happy. Except that a year or two later, everyone still has a new-ish car, and nobody is intere... | [
"The banks would be bailed out by the government, who insured the loans. Taxpayers, including those newly-graduated and working debtors, would have to make up the losses in higher taxes. Deadbeats would lose their credit rating, and have to pay exorbitant interest rates for years to come. Student loans would become... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why did Adobe let Flash deteriorate, become hated, and die slowly? It was used everywhere and the primary player for online video, was there not enough value in that to be worth updating and maintaining it? | [
"Steve Jobs signed its death warrant when he refused to allow it on the iPhone because it was inefficient and riddled with bugs and exploits that are still causing problems today. It was likely built that way so ot could perform on the lower power equipment common when it was built. Moving into speculation, Adobe w... | [
"Because they don't have as many resources devoted to making a video player. Those other sites have very little to gain from putting videos online, but Google has massive incentives in ad revenue to make their video player as good as possible."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why do cats love boxes so much? | [
"I don't think there's going to be answer you can point to and say \"This is the scientifically proven reason cats like boxes.\" But, my wild guess would be: It's a predatorial instinct. A box is a lot like a bush or tall grass in that they can crouch down and be hidden from all sides while monitoring what is going... | [
"Your body is telling you to quit smoking. Listen to it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How can some terminally ill people just "hold off" death until they're ready? | [
"With a lot of diseases, your body become so weak that breathing is difficult, and can at teams require a conscious effort. You even have minor attacks, were you have to breath as hard as you can for a while just to stay alive. At some point, you might choose to not make that effort anymore. Also, you can make choi... | [
"Funny how love and compassion hasn't been mentioned. The **only** criteria when I have made the decision with any of my pets. I would rephrase the question: Why do we keep elderly/sick relatives alive, when they obviously have had enough and just want to go?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How can my dry cleaner sweep my shirts into a huge pile of other peoples shirts and get them back to me? | [
"They give you a ticket, the put a corresponding ticket on a button or button hole. Match number to clothing, boom."
] | [
"I commute on a motorcycle to work. I iron my clothes, they get folded, placed in a plastic bag, then in a backpack. They come out the other side with a varying amount of additional creasing, though not so bad. The choice of material can make a big difference. As soon as you sit down you're going to get creases any... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How cryptocurrency is backed by actual currency and reasons for its recent popularity. | [
"> How cryptocurrency is backed by actual currency It isn't. That's one of the things about cryptocurrency. It's just another FIAT currency, having value because those that use it agree that it has value. It's been fairly popular as it is anonymous, seems to be holding strong making it a fairly popular investment ... | [
"It's often used as easily transportable collateral among organized crime groups. Barring total societal collapse, it will always be valuable, no matter its provenance."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
evidence for other dimensions (beyond 3) | [
"You must watch [this](_URL_0_). Watch the entire thing. It is crystal clear."
] | [
"Take a line of length x. one dimension. square it: x^2 2dimensions, cube it x^3 3 dimensions. Now theoretically, we can take x^4 and it will be a four dimensional shape similar to a square or a cube, called a [tesseract](_URL_0_). Essentially it's just a fourth direction of space. its 'up' and 'down' are called 'a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How come we can see things so vividly in our dreams but can't create such vivid images in our imaginations when we're awake? | [
"Because our dreams are *not* that vivid. They leave out tons of information, and when we wake and try to recall the dream, our brain fills in gaps with information that wasn't even there during the real dream."
] | [
"Actually we remember our nightmares more than we remember dreams, (because when we're having nightmares we're more likely to be woken up during the REM stage) That's why it seems that we tend to have more nightmares than dreams."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Psychology:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Psychology:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What exactly happens when somebody is "knocked out"? | [
"It kind of is. Being \"knocked out\" is essentially having so much trauma done that your brain shuts down all unnecessary actions/faculties in order to protect itself. Such as if you pass out due to pain, or get knocked out by a hit to the chin. You normally wake up a little bit later, dazed and confused. Other ti... | [
"You're not unconscious, you're just in a different state of consciousness. Unconscious is when you're \"knocked out\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage about Psychology:"
} |
In Mario64, what caused the glitches where if you leaned against certain walls in just the right way, you would fall through them to a strange abstract polygonal purgatory? | [
"Collision detection bugs. Most of these had to be done with machine-assists or 'wedging', as the angles required to cause the glitch were quite precise. The strange polygon effects are the result of trying to render to an infinite distance."
] | [
"Sometimes devs will put a flat plane of water across a whole level, then have the land x units above the water plane. That way, the devs can put a large dent in the land, which looks like a small lake or whatever water body it may be. To achieve that effect, the lowest point in the land \"dent\" would have to be l... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
How can a Circle have an infinite amount of points, that together and individually, hold no space, yet they create a finite enclosure? | [
"Because you are thinking about a circle and a point as physical objects, rather than mathematical *concepts*. Naturally if you *draw* a circle and then draw a dot, a finite number of the dots you draw will fit in the circle you draw. But the *mathematical* concept means the points have no size - they are merely ... | [
"It doesn't. Space. More correctly Spacetime. We perceive it as existing in 3 dimensions (in our memory, 2) because that is what we humans perceive. However, it would be more correct to say that Space has 1, 2, 3, and more dimensions, all separate. What about the 4th? Easy, it's an infinite number of volumes. A vo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
What happens when you swallow something "down the wrong tube?" | [
"We have 2 tubes, one for food *and* drinking (esophagus) and one for breathing (trachea). They share one entrance at the back of our mouth, though. We have a flap called the \"epiglottis\" that folds over the trachea when we swallow, so that food slides down the \"right tube\" (the esophagus) that leads into our s... | [
"What do you mean by “swallow them wrong”? Like, choke on it?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
why when I turn my music up to the max volume, say on my phone, its all distorted. | [
"It's the speakers. In order to make sounds, the speaker has to move back and forth *extremely* quickly, up to 20 thousand times a second for the highest tones that humans can hear. To make the sound louder, the speaker has to move a greater distance at the same rate, so that more air gets pushed out of the way. In... | [
"I get the same sound every day from my old plasma tv. Its the exact same sound as pressing the power button."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the comment about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why are so many people allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. | [
"They aren't, but doctors told them they were, so you can't get mad at them. A recent study found that around 80% of the people diagnosed with peanut allergies were actually allergic to pollen and not peanuts. This misdiagnosis was due to a lack of precision in common testing regimens. Link to relevant article: _UR... | [
"Latex is produced from natural rubber that is tapped from a tree. The proteins in banana's are very similar to the proteins you can find in natural rubber, so if you are allergic to banana's there is a high chance you're also allergic to latex. You also might be allergic to kiwis, avocados, and chestnuts for the s... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are computers so inaccurate at estimating download/installation times? | [
"Because internet download and upload speeds are constantly fluctuating due to different loads on the network, so there's no way to know for sure how long a download will take. If these speeds were constant then it would be easy."
] | [
"Ping is the time it takes a signal to go from your location, to the destination and back. For example, a \"ping\" to a spaceship on Mars would take several minutes because electronic signals cannot travel faster than the speed of light. Similarly, while the distance between the United States and China is negligibl... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why are Tony Blair and George W Bush not in prison for war crimes? | [
"I cannot say for Tony Blair beyond the fact that going after a countries leader is a very complicated thing. For Bush it is the fact that the US has not signed the ICC agreements and gives no authority to the UN or any other entity for putting US citizens on trial for war crimes. We hold our own accountable and i... | [
"He opposed Vietnam so the US liked him, the Russians and Chinese liked the Communist government, he shut the outside world out while he was massacring people and the US hadn't signed the genocide convention yet. See \"A Problem from Hell\" by Samantha Power for more information."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do some people think Shakespeare was a made up person/alter ego? | [
"The plays contain detailed knowledge of court manners, foreign locations and references to historical facts as well as familiarity with earlier playwrights. The facts known about William Shakespeare suggest he was an actor, not that well educated, did not frequent the social circles where he would pick up that kin... | [
"No they weren't confessing. If an author wrote a book from a first person perspective you wouldn't assume the author had actually done everything in the book, nor would the book be admissible as evidence. The same is true of music. Songwriters, whether rap or otherwise, are storytellers."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Entertainment:"
} |
Why do we, as English-speaking countries, call some countries by their national names and some countries by names we've made up for them? | [
"[This was asked here a month ago](_URL_0_) and this is my answer: Imagine if we found out there were people living on Mars. We would call them Martians, because we already have a name for Mars. If we found out the had a language and called themselves xronthszau, we would keep calling them Martians. Replace Mars wi... | [
"In that particular case it's because someone in America made a conscious effort to reform spelling to make it more simple and distinctly \"American\". So they took the unnecessary 'u' in colour out, as well as turning 'centre' into 'center'. But in other cases it can't always be traced back to a specific thing. So... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why does cleaning your ears out feel so good? | [
"It is very sensitive in your ear canal and, as we learn during puberty, touching sensitive things feels good."
] | [
"Get someone to blow in your ear. I'm guessing it doesn't feel great."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why call it a 3rd party and not a 2nd party? | [
"Because it is the 3rd party. The first two being the user and the developer and the third being the external product."
] | [
"It seems to be something called a \"403 error.\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why are device designations in BSD different from Linux? | [
"Because BSD is not Linux and Linux is not BSD. The designers of the respective kernels and their device driver interfaces made some design decisions. While the resulting device designations are similar, they are not the same because BSD and Linux kernels were developed by different people."
] | [
"I think the main problem is that the phone's use different hardware with proprietary drivers that aren't available to the general public."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why hasn't there been another moon landing since Apollo 11? | [
"As reference - _URL_0_ We have been back since Apollo 11... the last one was Apollo 17. But otherwise? Because the Moon is a god forsaken hell hole with no value what so ever. There's no reason to be up there, its a giant pain in the ass to get there... and Moon Dust is the most abrasive and annoying stuff we've e... | [
"The main drive to get people on the moon was because of the Space Race with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. They had beaten the US in two major space-travel landmarks before us; Sputnik (first satellite) and Yuri Gagarin (first man in space). Getting men on the moon was a momentous occasion because we \"beat... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why do some bodybuilders claim to be "All Natural" while they consume crazy amounts of supplements? | [
"By \"all natrual\" they are usually referring to stuff like steroids and injections ect which are considered cheating. Drinking protein shakes and taking supplements is considered a normal thing to do if you're a body builder. They don't do the work for you or make it easier. They just help you build muscle faster... | [
"Older players didn't use steroids because they used much stronger performance enhancing drugs such as speed."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Allen Carr's book "The Easy Way to Stop Smoking" | [
"I downloaded the audio book off pirate bay- worked in 1 hour-I have gone 3months no smoking and no cravings."
] | [
"because you're a non-shy introvert who is not socially awkward but you need more time than most to recharge your batteries alone. this is a timely question you ask because I'm currently reading the book \"Quiet: The Power Of Introverts In A World That Can't Stop Talking\" by Susan Cain."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Some computer terminologies | [
"User interface is just a description of how a person can interact with a system and a graphic user interface is a user interface that uses graphics like windows. Shell is a user interface that uses text input like DOS. Did this help at all?"
] | [
"From what I read those working replicas only mirror old files not anything new."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Muscle Atrophy. Or how muscle loss happens in general. | [
"Much of the body has a \"use it or lose it\" behavior. Muscles need vital energy, so if the muscles aren't being used, the body will prevent some losses of energy by not rebuilding muscles. Whereas, when you work out, the things like lactic acid that build up from muscle waste (the burn you feel, when you 'feel th... | [
"Chemical addiction withdrawal, For a part, at least."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
the daily views graphs on music videos like "Despacito" | [
"At that frequency, it's probably people watching it more on weekends than during the week. It's a pretty common pattern if you look at graphs of website activity- it'll either dip or spike on the weekend depending on whether it's a site people tend to visit during work or for leisure."
] | [
"The debeer's corporation managed to basically monopolize diamond and launched this massive ad campaign that involved buying rings when proposing. Adam explains it better: _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is oxygen toxicity and how does it damage the body? | [
"ELIM5: too much oxygen damages cells, particularly those in the brain and lungs. ELIM12: oxygen is a reactive molecule. That's part of why it is useful for metabolism. If you are sick, increasing your oxygen exposure can be useful. But, anything in the wrong concentration can be dangerous."
] | [
"Without oxygen we would lose about 94% of our capacity to convert glucose to energy usable for our body. It generally doesn't take too long for this to become a problem."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How do official movie soundtracks work? Sometimes I hear the song in the movie and other times I don't. | [
"Sometimes you'll see on a soundtrack where it says \"songs inspired by\". So sometimes not all the songs get used in the movie or were never meant to be used in the movie at all. Sometimes songs will get licensed to be used in a movie, but that song will be cut from the final cut of the movie because it didn't wor... | [
"Partly because it is thematic. If they cut into some other song, viewers might look for connections that aren't there, but if it just a version of the theme song, you know it is just setting a mood. Copyrights also come into play. Music holds a copyright separate from a movie or TV may appear in, so any new music ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Animation:"
} |
What are the modern explanations for how consciousness arose? | [
"There are none yet. It's a mystery. We're even discovering that some animals can communicate and think on a higher level than we initially thought."
] | [
"Follow-up question: If it is purely a modern idea, where did this idea come from, and how much validity is there to it?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
what's the significance of races like Dakar Rally regarding little guy v. Corporation? | [
"It's likely because in the Dakar races anyone can hit a rock, get stranded, have to climb a hill multiple times back to back, get lost, etc. A closed circuit race will help you get down to a difference of milliseconds, so all that billion dollar research comes into play. Out on the open dessert I think there are m... | [
"Because the cars were quite literally stock+a roll cage until the 80's. At that point they started to introduce standards due to competition and safety reasons. It morphed into what they have now. Which as you notice, is not remotely stock. They weren't going to change the name of the racing when they decided to u... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
When something gets into my eye and I no longer feel it but it doesn't come out, where does it go? | [
"At the very tip of each eye (side closest to the nose) there exists a pore (nasolacrimal duct) that is to rid our eyes of tears, dust, debris, etc. that is linked to our nose. Which is why our nose gets runny when we cry. A lot of the times, the eyelash gets pushed out by the eyelids and with the help of the other... | [
"There's a certain point at which the scab is supposed to come of and your body makes it itchy so that you scratch it off. Why we often try and pick them off before that, I have no idea."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Health and Wellness:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment about Health and Wellness:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why do we have the urge to tap our foot or dance to a catchy beat? | [
"Rhythms are integrated into everything we do. We breathe in rhythm. Our heart beats in rhythm. We sleep and wake up in rhythm. When we hear a strong rhythm, our brain's first reaction is to somehow get in sync with it. Since breathing, heart rate, and sleep cycles can't necessarily be controlled to match a beat, o... | [
"It's just a way for rappers to find their rhythm and get into the song. It's the equivalent of bobbing your head to the beat or something."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why is it that I can go 6 hrs without taking a piss but within 30 min after that first piss, I have to go two more times? | [
"Could be a bit like 'breaking the seal' when you're out on the beers. When you haven't peed for a while, the walls of the urethra a stuck together, along a lot of it's length. It's also relatively dry. It takes a relatively full bladder to force the urine down the urethra to open it up. Once you've peed. The walls... | [
"Am i the only one who looses their appetite after drinking ? I tend to not even want food until like 3 pm the next day"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What/Who are Reuters? | [
"They are a news outlet that primarily focusses on reporting, not broadcasting. Similar to the associated press. Basically, every news outlet can't have people stationed all over the world, so these news agencies fill that void. They report from places like Romania, not much going on there that's in the world news,... | [
"Sleep - Shake Unconscious - Splash Coma - Wait and Hope Vegetative State - Wait and Bury"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
When I read internet comments someone always has this post. "Start working from home as of today... You can work for 3-5 hours a day and earn $2000 a week... Weekly payments, simple job for which you only need a computer and a reliable internet...." How does this scam (if it is a scam) work? | [
"The [Federal Trade Commission](_URL_0_) explains how several of these scams work."
] | [
"Clickbait. Maybe it leads to a program where you 'just stay at home and send e-mails/letters!' Only you need to send hundreds or thousands a day to make any real money Maybe it leads to a 'Super awesome guide to making youtube money through google!' Except that guide costs you $5.99 to purchase Wherever it leads y... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
why don't sophisticated hackers do something useful? ex: instead of breaching Target/Playstations network, why not just erase everyone's student loans? granted, that may not benefit them whatsoever, but would be glorious for society. | [
"You can't make a security hole, you have to find one. Where there doesn't exist a sufficient hole to do what you want, you can not do that thing. There's no way in hell you erase everyone's student loans. Ignoring needing to compromise every bank to do so, you'd also have to contend with the numerous backups banks... | [
"Sadly it's not. It's the same as stealing from a thief. It's still illegal despite who they are. Plus the military has hackers doing that everyday, so I wouldn't worry. Edit: if you're good at hacking apply for the DoD. God knows they could use them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Does drinking alcohol really kill brain cells? | [
"Long term alcohol use can cause brain damage. Over the course of prolonged use the brain shrivels up similar to a raisin and can cause damage to certain regions of the brain causing various disorders. Some damage is repairable but once the damage goes too far there's no turning back. Can be quite devastating."
] | [
"Drinking water doesn’t do anything, unless you dilute the alcohol beforehand. Any amount of alcohol damages your body’s cells."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Would the horizon look any different on a considerably larger planet? | [
"It would look flatter, but because the curvature of the earth is undetectable by the human eye until you are a few miles up, it would look pretty much the same. On a much smaller planet, the horizon would have a noticeable curve to it."
] | [
"Time moves more slowly around immensely massive objects. If I remember correctly, the water planet was orbiting a huge star or something."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Astronomy:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Astronomy:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do you see shapes and color while rubbing your eyes? | [
"In addition to light, the rods and cones in your retina can be stimulated by pressure. When you rub your eyes hard, the pressure gets transmitted through the jelly part of your eye to your retina. **This is not a good thing to do.** Putting pressure on your eyes like this puts stress on your retina. There's a s... | [
"> What are these red dots? They are red blood cells zipping through the tiny capillaries on the surface of your retina. Usually our brains filter them out as noise but sometimes we can see them such as when our brains haven't adapted yet or when we trick it by looking into a featureless blue sky."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:"
} |
How does scoring work in the Tour de France? | [
"Couple of things: -Depending on the year and what the organizers decide, stage winners from 1 to x will get overall time bonuses of a couple of seconds. -The same time thing isn't simply a matter of technology, it's a practical measure due to the roads only being wide enough for a handful of bikes versus having 20... | [
"Did you mean in the USA, or in Japan?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why is violence still exercised in wars between countries? | [
"Because that's what war is. Violence is the ultimate force; just like they say in starship troopers, \"the supreme authority from which all other authorities are derived\"."
] | [
"Generally speaking the level of violence is proportional to the political turmoil in the country mixed with the level of poverty. Thus South America, and Africa both have wide spread violence and terrorism even though Christianity is often the religion of choice in the areas that are doing the fighting. Sri Lanka... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are Bass(music) Bass(fish) pronounced differently? | [
"Spellings and pronunciations change significantly over time. Often these changes happen by mistake, and there isn't a good reason for why it happens to one word or another. In this case, Bass(music) comes from the middle english word base, and it retained the long a sound that is natural for that spelling. Bass(fi... | [
"Yer not alone in askin', and kind strangers have explained: 1. [ELI5: Why do songs sung in foreign languages have lines in English? ](_URL_7_) 1. [ELI5: Why do anime opening songs often include english words at key points in the song? ](_URL_6_) 1. [ELI5: Why do the Japanese use so many English words and phrases i... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
How can men be raped by women? | [
"\"Rape\" just means sex without being able to give consent. If a man is drugged, or threatened or otherwise unfairly coerced into doing the deed when he doesn't want to but has no good alternative, then it is rape."
] | [
"Are you saying we should be more racist towards cats?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Torrenting. How do small files come from big files, and what is seeding and leeching? | [
"The idea of the bittorrent protocol is that a large file, or collection of files, is split into many parts, each of which has a known checksum. Individual users with a complete \"part\" can share that part with other users, and the original person with the complete file[s] only needs to transmit as little as one c... | [
"You can distribute any files via the BitTorrent protocol. One cliched example is Linux distros, but anywhere where you expect a lot of traffic and want to serve it while minimizing server bandwidth, BitTorrent is a good option. Blizzard uses it to distribute patches, for example."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How can the Grand Canyon be 18 miles wide in some areas when it was only carved up by water? | [
"It's like this, It starts off with the small 10 foot river, slowly over time that gets deeper. The deeper that goes the more potential wind erosion. Think of it like dragging your finger through the sand. At first you make a fine line, then as you do it more and more in the same spot, the sand on the side of the c... | [
"\"More likely\" than what/where? You ever looked at or read about the Mississippi? Mark Twain was a boat captain, and claimed it never looked the same twice. The border of states change because of how much the river moves. If you're asking why rivers in general do this, we'll it's because they erode the soft mate... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
What do proponents in Indiana consider the benefits of the "Religious Freedom" bill to be? There cannot be that many people in 2015 just willing to support a law than is simple bigotry, right? What is the draw? | [
"> There cannot be that many people in 2015 just willing to support a law than is simple bigotry, right? What is the draw? The issue is that feelings about gay rights fall roughly into 3 categories: * people who ostensibly have moral objections, and strongly oppose (~40%) * people who are directly impacted, and str... | [
"It's objectionable because most people believe society should be beyond this. Let's take the statements that are said about not serving gays and change the word to \"blacks.\" Now the RFRA laws can't work that way because African-American people are a legally protected class, and LGBT people are not, but let's ju... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
We've been hearing about ebola for years. Why is it spreading internationally now? | [
"The fact that it reached urban areas made the cases skyrocket in this outbreak. Most previous cases have been in rural regions of Uganda and the DRC where it's been easy for the authorities to quarantine the infection site and let it burn itself out."
] | [
"With access to a first world hospital, your chances of surviving ebola go up greatly. There won't be an epidemic here."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about News and current events:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about News and current events:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about News and current events:"
} |
Why would anyone buy a Treasury Bond? I can get .25% interest from a savings account. | [
"FWIW savings accounts can almost always be found that have higher rates than t-bills. 1. A savings account is not risk-free. Comparatively speaking, a US Treasury is. 2. The insurance that protects savings accounts is limited to 250,000 dollars in the US. If you want to put more than that in the account, you're s... | [
"Sure. LMK if you can get a 4% on a 6 month CD though - I'll give you a lot more than $250. Right now, CD's pay about 1.05% for a 1 year lockup."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is removing EXIF data from photos a good thing? | [
"EXIF Data can be used to tell everything from what type of camera or device was used to take the photo, all the way to the exact geographical coordinates of where it was taken. From there it's not hard to punch it in to a map online to find out the exact location (someone's house for instance)."
] | [
"Why are empty threads showing up on the front page? This makes no sense."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is transliteration from Asian alphabets to Western alphabets so terrible that, for example, an Asian last name pronounced "win" is spelled Nguyen? | [
"Vietamese pronunciation (Hanoi dialect): /ŋwiɜn˦ˀ˥/ English pronunciation: /wɪn/ It would be difficult for English speakers to emulate the former pronunciation, the latter pronunciation, however, is \"sufficiently\" close enough for communication. Same reason English speaker pronounce \"Kremlin\" as /ˈkremlɪn/, in... | [
"In Japanese, there is no \"L\". Hiragana and Katakana (basic writing systems, analogous to the English alphabet) have 40-something characters, most of which are one syllable consanant-vowel, like \"ka\" or \"re\". In transliterating foreign language words, the letter \"L\" is most often written as \"R\", although... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If water is more dense than oil, then how do you dilute oil with water? | [
"you don't really. oil and water don't mix, so you'll just end up with a mixture instead of a more dilute solution. you can thin oil by mixing it with a oil of a lower viscosity."
] | [
"2 reasons. The thing you are trying to clean off might be solid or semi solid at room temperature but turn in to a liquid if heated. And increasing the temperature also makes it easier for things to dissolve in to the water."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Chemistry:"
} |
What was American society like before 9/11? | [
"We weren't always obsessed with terrorists; that's the biggest difference. When we had military engagements, we went in, took care of business, and left. While there might have been government spying then as well, it would have been an even bigger deal when it was uncovered, instead of even somewhat justified. So ... | [
"What drugs were popular in 19th century Britain?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why don't cabs have barf bags like airplanes? | [
"Cause cars have this thing called doors and windows. Throw up outside."
] | [
"Because they're not allowed to use chewing tobacco in the dugouts anymore"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why can't we remember the moment we fall asleep? | [
"It takes a while for your brain to process your working memory into long-term memory. When you fall asleep, though, your brain stops doing that. So you miss those few moments."
] | [
"Because you haven't fallen in love with a woman yet."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
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