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Why doesn’t ice cream freeze to be as solid as water does?
[ "Ice cream freezes while being whipped/mechanically agitated. This limits the size of ice crystals that can form and traps air in the mixture. Both of those help with the creamy texture. If you take an ice cream container, let it melt and then refreeze it without agitation, it will have much larger ice crystals and...
[ "The ice cubes are below freezing. When you pour water on them, some of it freezes between them." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why is it illegal to use chemical weapons during war but it's perfectly okay to bomb, shoot, stab, drone strike and beat someone to death in the same context?
[ "Chemical weapons have other issues associated with them (such as use against civilians), and beating someone to death slowly would be considered cruel and isn't typically allowed unless there was no other reasonable way to deal with the situation. Bombings might sound bad, but many people hit by bombings are kille...
[ "\"Weapons of Mass Destruction\" are labeled as such by the US Government to indicate that a certain type of weapon is *indiscriminately* destructive. When you shoot bullets at someone else, you are somewhat more precise with who you are aiming to kill. There won't be as many deaths of non-combatants. When you use ...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
HOW does exercise mitigate the symptoms of anxiety?
[ "Basically exercise releases a ton of endorphins. This combats your brain releasing too much of a different chemical that might have made you feel more anxious or depressed." ]
[ "> Consequences are most of the diseases and conditions associated with a Western diet, which include gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, autism, infertility, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. That seems sketchy, just reading the abstract..." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the comment:", "neg": "Represent the comment:" }
- What does it feel like being high from smoking marijuana
[ "You're five, right? It's like the last five years of your life, and hopefully the next two or three. But with more food." ]
[ "And also why does it happen after smoking marijuana?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the text:", "neg": "Represent the text about Biology:" }
"Victors Write History"
[ "On the extreme side of things, the losers are all dead, leaving no opposition to the victors version of events. In a less violent version the losers can be heavily discredited based on their defeat, leaving the victor to push their own agenda" ]
[ "Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\"" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the passage:", "neg": "Represent the passage:" }
Why do ants and insects get trapped in pen circles?
[ "There are a few different explanations for this, depending on what the circle is made of. Ants will get trapped in chalk and baking soda circles, as well. A big contender is that ants travel largely by a scent trail left behind by other ants. If you watch ants coming for pieces of food left on the floor or the sid...
[ "In some cases the insects may be attracted to something in the sap (like sugar) and they just get stuck in it when they're trying to feed. In other cases they just land on it accidentally and never get out. I suspect that the small lizard preserved in amber (was on Reddit a couple of days ago) was probably attract...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:" }
Why Is The U.S. So Far Behind In Payment Technology?
[ "The US has a large number of indipendant banks, where most of those regions have fairly unified small number of banks. Additionally, I know in Canada they have a unified payment management organization called Interac that sets the standards of payment method adoption though out the country. This means all banks st...
[ "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 query:", "pos": "Represent the post:", "neg": "Represent the post:" }
how does activated charcoal remove poison
[ "Paramedic here - Activated Charcoal doesn't remove poisons from the body, the thought is that poisons will bind to the Activated Charcoal which in turn prevents it from being absorbed into the blood stream via the GI tract. In reality, there isn't much evidence that Activated Charcoal is very effective, and it is ...
[ "Activated charcoal absorbs carbon based compounds. It's primarily used in air or water filters as it will hold onto unwanted chemicals (volatile organic compounds, etc.) and leave oxygen, nitrogen, water (inorganic compounds). You'll usually find it in fish tank filters and half-face or full-face dust masks. From ...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why is the mass of an object not a factor for the amount of speed at which it falls to the ground?
[ "The simple answer is because more massive objects have a stronger gravitational force on them, but are equally harder to move. The Earth's gravity may be pulling on a large boulder with more **Force** than a small rock, but the small rock is much easier to **accelerate**. The more **Mass** something has, the mor...
[ "To actually calculate the answer, you will need to know the weight of the ball, the size of the ball, and the velocity at which it was fired. If you are just asking if objects slow down to their terminal velocity when their initial velocity is higher, then yes." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the sentence:", "neg": "Represent the sentence:" }
How is a politician receiving money from a lobbyist NOT bribery?
[ "It is bribery. It is illegal for any politician to receive any gifts or monetary donations from lobbyists period. Do you have information that someone has done this? Edit: typo fix" ]
[ "You talk it over with a friendly politician, and she agrees to block this bill from passing. *Completely coincidentally*, your lobbying group happens to be funneling a bunch of money into an ad campaign against that bill. These things are not related in any way of course; that would be illegal bribery." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit text:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit text:" }
Why is the Chinese written language so vastly complex?
[ "Like any language, I'm sure it simply evolved to the way it is now. I highly doubt that a specific \"someone\" sat around with his or her buddies and said, \"We must make our language complex, so as to confound DiiZzyV2.\"" ]
[ "Simplified Chinese is basically a simplified version, which means less strokes but still an identifiable and readable form of traditional Chinese." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the text:", "neg": "Represent the text:" }
: Why is my computer downloading 36 mb/s, but my game is only downloading at a 4 mb/s speed ?
[ "Your computer is reporting the transmission speed in Mbps (megabits per second). Steam, or whatever you're using to download your game is reporting the transmission speed in MBps (megabytes per second). One megabyte is eight megabits. That doesn't account for it exactly, but I'd wager you've done some rounding." ...
[ "first of all lets explain a few concepts, The speed you´re quoted from your ISP is in bits, and what you see in your browser is bytes. 1 Byte = 8 bits, So a 3Mbps connection would yield 3072/8 which is around 384KBPS a 16MbPS connection yields 2MbPS, Actually your connection is working extreamly well, usually p...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the post:", "neg": "Represent the post about Internet speed and service:" }
how do some screws/lids screw on so that they always finish tight facing the right way?
[ "Threads for lids can be single start, or multi start. If it always finishes in the same place it’s a single start, meaning it has one set of threads. If it’s multi start, it can be put on in at least two, but sometimes three different locations, and will finish in one of three possible locations. It’s easy to look...
[ "Ease of twisting the screw which pushes the glue out, with a square one you would have to twist it 1/4 turn at a time. Also, I think that when you accidentally glue the cap on, you can't just twist a square cap to break it loose again" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:" }
Why can flies and other small bugs dodge your hand / fly swatter so easily?
[ "In simple terms, flies are so small that when you hit them a wave of air from your hand hits them out of the way before you can hit them. Fly swatters are perforated for this reason to make the wave of air less powerful and make it more likely that you will not push them out of the way or give away your position s...
[ "Flies hang around all creatures. Healthy ones shoo them away with arms, tails or heads. Dying ones don't." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question about Entomology:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about Entomology:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:" }
What happens if you don't have money at a toll road?
[ "Had this happen in a big truck a couple times. I didn't have enough cash to pay the toll and they didn't take plastic. They gave me a slip of paper that had my toll on it and an 800 number, called that and paid with a card. If I hadn't paid within 10 days photos of my truck were on file from the security cameras a...
[ "Cars, houses, school. You don't have to use a credit card to get yourself in debt." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the post:", "neg": "Represent the post:" }
Americans, what's a SS# and why should you keep it a secret? Which services are associated to it?
[ "Back during the Great Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt introduced the idea of Social Security, which is basically a payment made to retired people monthly, kind of like what retirement companies do. To keep track of this, each individual was assigned a number, a social security number. So, why is this all th...
[ "Because that would require businesses to agree not to disclose your credit information and they have no interest in doing that. Also, who is going to loan you money without knowing your past credit history? Edit: typo" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit text:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit text:" }
Why people rub their eyes when tired?
[ "From what I found is \"Tired eyes get dry, and rubbing stimulates the lacrimal glands to produce more fluid. Tiredness also closes your eyes, so you may rub to keep them open. Finally, there's a connection between the muscles that move your eyes around and your heart. When these muscles are stimulated, a reflex sl...
[ "Why do the glands in my neck burn like high hell when I'm holding back tears?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question about Biology:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Biology:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:" }
How are our eyes able achieve a "double exposure" effect?
[ "That's called a \"high dynamic range\" effect, actually. There are several tricks your body uses, but one of them is that your brain really *does* weave together numerous separate exposures to create the image you think you are seeing. In reality your eyes are constantly jumping around and making adjustments." ]
[ "\" P-cells help your eyes to see things in high detail but can see things moving quickly or if the contrast is low. M-cells on the other hand can see things in high speed and with low contrast but can’t make out fine details. By sitting still and focusing on the image you are using your P-cells. But when you shake...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post about Science:", "pos": "Represent the comment about Science:", "neg": "Represent the comment:" }
How are TV commercials played with correct timing during live television events?
[ "Producers/directors in the control room have everything timed out. They know exactly when to cut for commercials. It may be live but everything is planned ahead. Also, some live programs usually have a bit of a delay. I used to do graphics for a 24/7 news channel-type, and there were screens in the CR showing a t...
[ "A TV networks main goal is to have people watch the ads in between their shows." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the passage:", "neg": "Represent the passage:" }
- why do people want ivory so bad and why is it illegal?
[ "Before the advent of plastics, ivory was a very durable alternative to wood. It was considered a luxury good because of its relative scarcity. Most countries have made ivory trade illegal because harvesting it requires killing of endangered elephants." ]
[ "Yes it's possible and it has been done, activists have also tried dying the horns to ruin the ivory. Poachers will kill them anyways to avoid tracking them again and wasting their time :// possibly out of spite too" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:" }
what is the practical application of imaginary numbers?
[ "I can't really answer your question but here is the most intuitive explanation I've seen on imaginary numbers. _URL_2_ Analogy goes something like this: If negative means \"opposite\" then imaginary numbers mean \"rotation\". For example if you rotate a number for 180 degrees you get the opposite of that number. W...
[ "The general meaning of the word \"quantum\" is the smallest unit possible. So quantum physics is the study of how the smallest particles in the universe work. But in theory the word could be applied to other contexts. E.g. a quantum of digital information is a bit, a quantum of written English is a letter, etc." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the sentence:", "neg": "Represent the sentence about Physics:" }
What does it mean when something says that it's made from concentrate?
[ "Orange Juice concentrate, for example, is OJ with most of the water removed, leaving concentrated juice. You then add water to get regular strength juice. Most other forms of concentrate are similar, they usually have the bulk of the water removed, making it easier and cheaper to store and ship." ]
[ "Because its rare, hard to get, and illegal." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Why can a 10 minute afternoon nap be beneficial, but 10 minutes of snooze after my alarm in the morning doesn't help?
[ "In the morning, your brain starts pumping out 'wake up' chemicals, to combat your 'I'm sleeping' chemicals. In the afternoon 10 min nap doesn't start pumping to many chemicals, but does gives your brain time to rest. Source : Mythbusters Edit: 3000+ upvotes! Wow, thanks everyone! just broke my old record!" ]
[ "Your sleep cycle got goofed. Try going to bed at a consistent time every day at around say 10:00 so it gets ungoofed. This way you’ll get a good amount of sleep and won’t be tired during the day" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question about Health:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Health:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Sleep and fatigue:" }
"There are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on all of Earth's beaches"
[ "Counted? Nobody. But you can estimate based on the size and density of beaches and deserts. Of course new sand is being added all the time. We can do similar about stars in the universe. We can estimate based on density and observation. The stars outnumber grains of sand by several orders of magnitude. The univers...
[ "Space is big. I mean really big. You might think it's a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll, but that's peanuts compared to space. All the planets in the solar system ? You can line 'em up between the Earth and the moon. They'll fit. And the moon is next door. That's how big space is compared to t...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
How multiplayer games are able to pass so much data (about position/actions of other players) in realtime, reliably.
[ "The whole act of you jumping is not transmitted, just the keystroke is. The client installed on your machine (the game files on your computer) make sure each jump is valid (you're not jumping 100 feet high/not jumping while dead etc) and transmits this 'jump command' to the server which then transmits it to the ot...
[ "In gaming, it's generally ping. If you're downloading a large amount of data (like a MMO) then the download/upload speed will matter. Download/upload speed is how much you can send/receive per unit of time. But ping/latency is different. Latency is how long it takes a message to get from your computer to the other...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the passage:", "neg": "Represent the passage:" }
If you poured 1 liter of neutrons from a bottle onto the ground, would it sink to the center of Earth, rise into space, attach to something, or what?
[ "> If you poured 1 liter of neutrons from a bottle onto the ground, would it sink to the center of Earth, rise into space, attach to something, or what? Just neutrons? Well, first it would be a big question of how you got neutronium to stay together under standard Earth pressure in the first place. This liter of ne...
[ "So you are not heavier as you dig under the Earth's surface because as you go deeper there is more mass behind you pulling you back. If you were able to get to the exact center of the Earth you would feel weightless." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit post:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit post:" }
How will our planets water levels rise when the ice melts but a glass of ice water doesn't over flow when the ice melts?
[ "The short answer is: There is a ton of ice not in the water. > So for argumentative purposes, cant we say that Earth is the glass and the oceans and the ice caps are the water and ice? We can't, due to all the ice melting on the land, like that on antartica, greenland, siberia, canada, and so on. [The Daily Show ...
[ "> Is it because the North Pole is seemingly much more contained and the effects are only see at its accompanying shorelines? The North Pole ice is floating in the water. Ice in water melting does not change sea levels, because it displaces as much water as ice as it will as more water. You can see this by making a...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why does the sight/sound of flowing water make a person want to pee?
[ "Ever hear of B. F. Skinner? He made the skinner box, and discovered that you can condition animals (including humans) to do certain behaviors based on certain stimuli. It turns out that when we pee, it makes a sound kind of like liquid running. We associate this with relief when our bladder isn't feeling so good."...
[ "And why do I have the urge to cough when using them?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query about Health:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Health:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
What causes ice trays to shatter the ice upon removal?
[ "Into ice cubes? The ridges on the ice cube tray are supposed to limit the connection between ice cubes to a small sliver of ice. Bending the tray (which is made of flexible material for exactly this reason) puts a lot of stress on that thin area os a focal point. This breaks the ice into cubes. Is that what you me...
[ "Why do I feel as though my bottles of water don't do this but instead just freeze normally in the freezer?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Why do people have fears of spiders and other bugs, even though some of them can't harm us?
[ "For some, the fear of spiders is innate and not learned. According to a duo of psychologists, spiders are an evolutionarily-persistent ancestral hazard that humans are especially attuned to -- even when we’re not paying particular attention to anything else in our surroundings. After all, our ancestors in Africa c...
[ "Tarantulas aren't very dangerous. They're big and creepy and such, but they're not dangerous. Likely the same applies to whichever \"big beetles\" you mentioned. The general trend among all animals is that animals won't attack significantly larger creatures unless directly threatened." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:" }
The role of Queen's Guard
[ "It's right there in the name. They are active soldiers who have a duty to guard the royal residences in the UK. They are not for tourists, although a very big tourist attraction, they a trained soldiers who have the authority to kill if needed. Plenty of YouTube videos of them shouting at tourists." ]
[ "Because she is our current head of state." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
How is my Karma calculated?
[ "Consider looking at /r/TheoryOfReddit. There are some interesting posts there." ]
[ "What are you using it for? Where are you located?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
How come ADSL upload speeds are generally just a fraction of the download speed; whereas with cable or fiber optic internet they are usually the same?
[ "It's by design; the \"A\" in ADSL stands for \"asymmetric\", meaning that it's been engineered so that bandwidth is heavily favored towards downloading. It's not really a matter of slowing down uploading, as it is speeding up downloading. Maybe an example will help. Let's say we have a DSL line that can handle 12 ...
[ "Your ISP is advertising Megabit (Mb) speed not Megabytes (MB or MBytes). Megabits/8=Megabytes. If you are sold 15Mb download, then expect ~1.9 Megabyte download. With my time warner cable, I pay for 15Mb and get 1.9 Megabyte. There isn't any need for overhead or requirements about other users being on the network....
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title about Internet speed and service:", "pos": "Represent the document about Internet speed and service:", "neg": "Represent the document about Internet speed and service:" }
Why is the top button hole for most shirts horizontal as opposed to the usual vertical button hole?
[ "The top button hole is horizontal to provide the most support or resistance when you tilt your neck forward and backward while the vertical lower button holes provide resistance to being pulled apart from the sides" ]
[ "If there is a button down collar, this often times would require a button smaller than the ones on the front of the shirt." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Why do our earliest memories start around 4-5 years old? Why can't we remember everything since our birth?
[ "For the life of me I can't remember what book or what class I read it in, but I remember the analogy is something like, \"The way your brain and language develop during that time makes trying to access those old memories like trying to access and use a completely different operating system.\"" ]
[ "My memories of being 10 are the same now as when I was 30. My memories of being 30 at my age now (62) are much clearer than the memories I had of being 10 when I was 30. However everyone is different and this might not be the experience you have." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
If humans have been cranially "modern" for atleast 40 000 years, why has civilization taken so long to kick off (Only in the last 5000 years or so) ?
[ "The key change was the invention of agriculture which occurred about 10,000 years ago. Before that, humans had to spend all of their time meeting their basic needs especially food. Agriculture made it possible for people to have enough to eat and still have spare time to create civilization. *Edit:* Thanks to the...
[ "Human history goes back about 5 to 6 thousand years ago with the invention of writing. Anything that happened before the invention of writing is known as prehistory. So how far back does this prehistory go? Over 2 million years. Our species, Homo sapiens, belongs to the genus Homo. Biologists generally consider al...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Why was cloning such a big deal in the 90's but now is rarely spoken about?
[ "There were a lot of breakthroughs in the '90s, and that made it new and exciting and a big deal. And naturally also very blown out of proportion. There are still advances being made, but nothing huge. Cloning would not make a species viable, either. You need genetic diversity, which is the exact *opposite* of cl...
[ "It's considered highly unethical, but the science of selective breeding is well established and would work just fine in humans too. So no, it's not pseudoscience, it just leads down a dark road sometimes." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Why do fizzy drinks fizz when you put ice in them?
[ "I would assume it's the same concept as adding Mentos to your Coke. All of the dissolved carbon dioxide forms bubbles in the microscopic holes on the surface of the ice. That's why you can't put Mentos in the same Coke or in a flat one. The fizz has already escaped." ]
[ "Pour a bunch of sugar on a piece of paper. Put the sugar and paper in your mouth and chew it. Once you don't taste any more sugar, spit the paper out. Do you think you just consumed some calories even though you didn't eat any paper? The answer is yes. Same concept applies to gum." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the passage:", "neg": "Represent the passage:" }
Why is 144 divided by -12, -12? How can division by a negative number be illustrated by a real-world example?
[ "Think of it this way: 5 x 6 means you take 5 steps forward 6 times, leading to 30 forward steps. (-5) x 6 means you take 5 steps backwards 6 times, leading to 30 backwards steps. 5 x (-6) means you take 5 steps forward, but you do it 6 times in reverse, leading to 30 backwards steps. Finally, (-5) x (-6) means you...
[ "People use multiplication by - 1 to represent a change in the opposite direction or a 180° turn. Two 180° turns and you are facing where you started off. But what if you wanted to do 90° turns? Two 90° turns in the same direction is the same as a 180° turn. Doing 2 of the same turns can be represented by squaring....
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:" }
If in all my genealogical tree (my wife's too) there isn't any black person, it is possible that we have a black kid? If it is, why?
[ "It's not possible. It's only possible if there was a black person in your or your wife family. By that logic you could have a asian kid or a latino..." ]
[ "All people have a common ancestor. But to answer your question usually no, some last names are very common for all sorts of historical reasons, last names often get changed at certain times in a families history and people change them to common ones. Sometimes it does of course but if it’s a common last name lik...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
How Hawking believes that our search for understanding the Higgs Boson can bring an end to our universe.
[ "Most things end up resting in the state of lowest energy. Think of riding your bike up and down hills, you coast down a hill to the bottom of a valley, but can't leave that valley unless you apply energy to get up and over the next hill. But there is also the effect of Quantum Tunneling, which would allow you to z...
[ "How ? Our Universe may very well be the result of two universes on completely different dimensions of imagination, colliding. Your question is pretty much what scientists and accomplished people throughout history were and are still trying to answer. We know how life came to be, how our solar system was created, b...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the sentence:", "neg": "Represent the sentence about science:" }
What happens, or what is supposed to happen, if a US State does not comply with laws or instructions from the Federal Government?
[ "Federal courts can issue orders (but don't always - for instance cannabis is federally illegal, but the executive has decided not to enforce it, bit messy). These can be enforced by various legal means, much as they would be enforced against a company or individual. Note that until the courts decide a case, the st...
[ "For the government to follow the rules is very important as the rules are the only control the people have over their government. If rampant disregard for the law is allowed to exist within the government then the population becomes ruled by it, not the people. > Or why can't/doesn't the Supreme Court step in and...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the argument:", "neg": "Represent the argument:" }
Explain cousins, second cousins, and removed cousins, LI5
[ "sibling = brother or sister. A cousin is a child of a sibling of your parent. In other words, he is one of your grandparents grandchildren that isn't your sibling. A second cousin is a child of a cousin of your parent. In other words, he is one of your great-grandparents great-grandchildren that isn't a cousin or ...
[ "A sister, half-sister, step-sister are all still siblings and all have the same generational levels in relation to the family. So the grandchildren of half-siblings would be 2nd cousins to each other just like the grandchildren of full siblings are 2nd cousins to each other. The grandchild of one sister is a 1st ...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the text:", "neg": "Represent the text:" }
why is ok to call a swedish person a swede, a finnish person a fin, a brittish person a brit, but not ok to call a japanese person a jap?
[ "During and after WWII, the word \"Jap\" was used in a very derogatory manner. To add to the difficulties Japanese Americans experienced as a result of the war with Japan, American internment camps were put up, especially on the West Coast, and the freedoms most Americans take for granted were stripped from Japanes...
[ "in some asian cultures, its a sign of being wealthy. because only the wealthy dont have to do manual labor that would be hindered by a long pinky nail. like how being tan is a sign of wealthy in current western society" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:" }
How are gas prices determined in America?
[ "One thing to keep in mind, especially with oil, is that you don't pay what the commodity is worth **today**... you pay what everyone thinks it will be worth **tomorrow**, the replacement cost. Traders speculate on how global events will affect supply and/or demand and price it accordingly. If I'm not mistaken, thi...
[ "There is much greater adoption of public transportation in Europe than in the US." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Caught between asleep and awake? What is happening in my brain when I am trying to wake up but my body wont move?
[ "This is called Sleep Paralysis. Basically when you go to sleep your body releases a molecule that makes your muscles inactive, this is to prevent you from moving in your sleep too much. Usually when you wake up this effect ends simultaneously however sometimes this doesn't quiet happen and this effect persists for...
[ "I don't know the answer to this - but I actually can feel myself falling asleep most nights. It starts with my thoughts getting more and more weird and dream like. It's like I'm aware I'm not asleep but I can also begin to just let go and let these bizarre dream thoughts come in. And then at some point I actually ...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question about Psychology:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Psychology:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:" }
how do they determine the karat of diamonds?
[ "_URL_0_ The carat is just a unit used in measuring the weight of gemstones. It's equal to 200mg." ]
[ "Carat (with a C) is a measure of weight for precious gems. Karat (with a K) is a measure of purity for precious metals. So, a 24 karat gold nugget gives *no* indication of its weight, only that it's pure gold that has no other metals added." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the passage:", "neg": "Represent the passage:" }
How come you can see certain things better in the dark if you look at them out the corner of your eye, instead of directly at it?
[ "Rods and cones, my dude. Essentially, the corner of our eyes contain the part that is \"good at seeing in the dark\", whereas the centre of our eyes do not." ]
[ "Sure. It depends on how big the blind spot is. I have a blind spot in my right eye. I never knew it was there until the eye doctor did this weird test with a machine that put spots all over the place and I had to say if I saw them or not. He thinks it was probably damaged by getting kicked in the head in karate c...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:" }
Why does fresh lime/lemon juice taste so much better than the stuff from concentrate?
[ "I think the prevailing wisdom is that there are [chemical compounds in the lime juice which oxidize quite quickly, thus changing the flavor](_URL_1_). I did see a [side by side comparison](_URL_0_) that shows 4 hour old lime juice tastes better than lime juiced squeezed to order though." ]
[ "Back in the day--maybe pre-1990s?--year-round fresh (not frozen, not concentrate) OJ was not as common and was more expensive. Then, some great new process was devised and it became more common and cheaper. With the new process, it's squeezed, then stored in vats for months at a time. This process caused it to los...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:" }
considering the totality of our universe as we know it, can it gain another ounce?
[ "The short answer; No. The longer answer; yes. It turns out that in 'empty' space, a very tiny amount of matter is constantly created and destroyed (destroyed because also a bit of the corresponding antimatter is created and together they turn to energy). This is a pure chance thing, so _on average statistically_ t...
[ "If something exists and then does not exist, and there is no apparent explanation by change of form, it's natural to think maybe it exists somewhere else. There are occurrences on a subatomic level that make that an alternative to be thought about. Does that kind of valid line of inquiry thinking on that micro lev...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit answer about Physics:" }
What's up with Redditors reliably trolling youtube posts that get front-paged here?
[ "Somethings seriously wrong with those dudes... I guess that's their only source of joy." ]
[ "You're seeing confirmation bias created by well spoken posts rising to the top and by going into niche subreddits. Look at the incredibly downvoted (or sometimes even upvoted) posts on the default subreddits." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Will someone please explain a "Union" to me?
[ "A union is a group of workers united to achieve a common goal. If a single worker attempts to negotiate with a multinational corporation for better pay, that worker will get fired and the company moves on as if nothing happened. If ALL of the workers bands together into a union and collectively negotiate with the ...
[ "What do you want to know about them exactly?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
POTUS ability to launch nuclear weapons at will.
[ "Yes and no. The President being the Commander-In-Chief has the authority to command a nuclear strike at will, but this command must be confirmed by the Secretary of Defense. This confirmation can be bypassed in one of two ways. 1) If the launch is the response to the detection of a launch against us the confirma...
[ "It does have a major issue with North Korea having nuclear weapons." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Do people who have been resuscitated after drowning have lasting negative effects?
[ "Depends on how fast they can be resuscitated. The chance of brain damage occurring starts to rise dramatically after 3 mins of no oxygen. The chance of death/ irreversible coma is almost 100% after 9 mins." ]
[ "Abuse of any kind can and does affect the developing brain. It doesn't affect daily ability, (your ability to complete your tasks or think per se) but it is a change visible on MRI. They're learning more about this all the time. They've also found people attacked as children have higher rates of autonomic response...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:" }
How does honey help sore throat? How can it be almost instant even though it has to go through the digestive system first?
[ "The reason pure honey stays fresh for so long is that it has almost zero water. A bacteria landing on the honey has its water drawn out of it by osmosis. This kills the bacteria. This is why food can be preserved in honey. A side note Alexander the great's body was preserved after his death in honey. I assume when...
[ "The medication absorbs/passes through the mucous membrane under there. There are a lot of blood vessels under your tongue, so it's able to get into your blood stream faster than if you swallow it and it has to go through your digestive track." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the passage:", "neg": "Represent the passage:" }
How can places like Office Depot sell notebooks for one cent? How do they profit/break even?
[ "Loss Leaders, stores chose a few popular but inexpensive items that people would already be buying knowing that you'll finish buying whatever else is on your list while you're there. Also, since you feel like you're saving so much money on the cheap stuff, you'll probably make a few impulse buys. Ultimately the pr...
[ "They're making room for new product that will be on the shelves, and discarding the old models at bargain prices. Also, their margin goes down, but they still make a massive profit. Most retail chains add around a 20-50% markup. So they're not hurting." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the sentence:", "neg": "Represent the sentence:" }
What is the purpose of aftershave?
[ "To kill the bacteria on your skin and prevent infection from the little nicks you may get. It also eases razor burn." ]
[ "It's a big system. It also carries a bit from state to state. Are you interested in the application process? Policy? Logistics?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
What is this recent Kotaku Shitstorm about Bethesda and Ubisoft being blacklisted about?
[ "It's about Bethesda and Ubisoft blacklisting Kotaku. They won't provide them with interviews, press releases, or complimentary copies of games to review because Kotaku leaked info about games in development, which those companies considered unnecessary and harmful." ]
[ "Most recently it is because of their release of Star Wars Battlefront 2. It takes 40 hours of playing to unlock darth vader, or you could just buy him... Microtransactions have always faced a lot of criticism, as well as dlc that should have been included in the main game. Basically EA always rushes their games, r...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:" }
Why do so many superhero origin stories involve parents dying?
[ "It is a very common trope in fiction. It is frequently used because it can accomplish several things - give the protagonist a motive. Why are they a superhero / chasing this villain / in this job. Easy answer: their parents died. - if the crime was committed by the main antagonist, it's an easy way to establish th...
[ "It's just writing. It's like asking who wins the game of paintball on that episode of Community. Whoever the writers think would make the best story, or be most interesting, or would develop future stories to make them most interesting. It's just a soap opera performed in front of a live audience where people some...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the sentence:", "neg": "Represent the sentence:" }
why is it that you can usually tell a person's gender by their handwriting/penmanship?
[ "Females' fine motor skills development earlier than males', meaning girls usually have better handwriting. Thus, we usually assume really good handwriting to be female." ]
[ "I'm not able to do this personally, but on TV when I see people do it they check out the ink to confirm it's not written in sharpie if the person lived in the 1800s lol then they just look at other signatures they have on file or online and compare the 2." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:" }
Would Donald Trump have to give up control of his businesses if he became President?
[ "He would not have to give up his companies. While you are right that it could result in a conflict of interest, there is nothing that explicitly states you cannot run a business while serving as president. However the president could face trouble for specific actions he takes if they are a conflict of interest." ]
[ "Trump cannot currently be tried in a normal court. He must be impeached by the House of Representatives, removed from office via conviction in the Senate which would make him a private citizen again, and then a grand jury could be convened to decide whether or not there is enough evidence to prosecute him for viol...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why do we find things funny?
[ "Lots of reasons, and lots of different kinds of laughter. I'm sure there will be plenty of great answers here, so I'm just going to add this one: * To hide or avoid experiencing fear, humiliation, sadness, or other difficult emotions. This is when it's funny because it didn't happen to me, or because it could hav...
[ "A follow-up question: Why do some people love that feeling while others detest it?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question about Psychology:", "pos": "Represent the document about Psychology:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
What are exhaust brakes on a truck?
[ "They work by partly blocking the exhaust. This puts more resistance on the engine, acting like a brake to help slow the truck. They're banned in some area because they're very loud." ]
[ "A pickup is a type of truck. A pickup truck and a pickup are the same thing. As others have said, a truck might refer to any vehicle meant to haul things, like a dump truck or a box truck." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Would a pill with the ingriedients to help with a sicknes or headache still work even If I think its a placebo ?
[ "Yes. The chemicals would create physical changes in your body that would address your problem even if you think the pill does nothing. On a side note, there is something called the nocebo effect, which is the opposite of the placebo effect. It's when you get negative symptoms when you believe the treatment you ar...
[ "Well it doesn't. Medicine, specifically pills are ingested and spread throughout the body through blood once it hits the liver. It then travels through the whole body and provides relief in problem areas but can also provide side effects in other areas. Thats why there is usually a long list of side effects becauc...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
How does Alberts chocloate "Ice Cubes" seem cold when i bite into them?
[ "It looks like they are made with a blend of fats with a low melting point, so they absorb your body heat and undergo phase change very quickly. Mmmmm... partially hydrogenated coconut oil. _URL_0_" ]
[ "Follow-up question, I hate drinking milk but i love it with cake, cookies or brownies; what causes the taste difference? I even notice when it goes back to tasting gross after a few seconds, its weird." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:" }
Why we get nauseous when we read in the car
[ "Same thing that happens to people with sea sickness. Your eyes are looking at something staying still, and your inner ear is telling you that you're moving. Your brain thinks that's not a good thing when your senses are telling you different things. So it assumes something is wrong, like you're poisoned. To try an...
[ "Slightly offtopic, but why do my eyes leak when I yawn?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
What is a warrant canary and why is it missing from this years Reddit transparency report? How strong is the indication they have been gagged?
[ "Although controversial, the gov't can legally bar you from saying you have been served a warrant. But the government *cannot* make you lie about not being served a warrant. The warrant canary takes its name from a literal canary that was lowered into mines to detect dangerous gases. To get around the gag order, an...
[ "My take on it is that he probably got a national security letter (NSL) that ordered him to do something like turn over encryption keys or something to make it easier to spy on his users. Most of the time you aren't even allowed to say that you even received a NSL (because then terrorists and whatnot would just swi...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the comment:", "neg": "Represent the comment:" }
how come taser electricity looks blue but an open power line's electricity looks red and orange?
[ "Taser 'dry stun' discharge appears blue because it is ionizing the air. Lightning bolts actually do have a blue-ish hue because they also ionize the air, but it's hard to see because there is so much energy being discharged that the white discharge drowns out the color. Open power lines have red and orange sparks...
[ "Hi, 53 year old electrician here. Orangecrushucf has a very good answer. Ever look in your toaster when it's running? That's the heat made by the electricity running through the coils very badly. It is has a lot of resistance do to being a poor conductor. (a good conductor is copper, like the wires in your house) ...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the text:", "neg": "Represent the text about Science:" }
The recent controversy surrounding the Hugo Awards - Sad Puppies, SJWs, what?
[ "A group of people felt that the Hugo Awards had become too \"clique\"ish and that a small number of people were determining winners based on politics instead of quality. Those people (sad puppies) got together to nominate authors that they felt were more deserving. The original clique did not like this. I'm pretty...
[ "I try to avoid Gamergate like the plague nowadays, but I feel the need to point out that all the men Zoe Quinn allegedly slept with never reviewed her game. The only one of these guys she was ever confirmed to be with was Nathan Grayson, and the only coverage Kotaku *ever* gave her game before this whole incident ...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why do commonwealth nations refer to the alchemical solution for eternal life as the "Philosopher's Stone" while the United States refers to it as the "Sorceror's Stone"?
[ "Americans call it the \"Philosopher's Stone\" too. It's just the title of the first Harry Potter book (and ultimately movie) was changed for the American market because they didn't think American kids would be familiar with alchemy and that they wouldn't want to read a book about philosophers. A number of British ...
[ "The geographical references in the Cossacks reply were the titles the Sultan claimed in his initial demand that they submit to his authority. The Sultan titled himself as the authority over all those locations; the professions mentioned by the Cossacks are insulting because they are base labor jobs. A modern equiv...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Why does my cup not overfill when the ice in it melts if the cup is already filled to the rim?
[ "Because water expands when it freezes. When it melt, it contracts. Either way, it displaces the same amount in the glass, so even if the ice poked up above the rim of the glass, no water would be spilled. What are they teaching in junior high physical scince classes these days?" ]
[ "> Is it because the North Pole is seemingly much more contained and the effects are only see at its accompanying shorelines? The North Pole ice is floating in the water. Ice in water melting does not change sea levels, because it displaces as much water as ice as it will as more water. You can see this by making a...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the text:", "neg": "Represent the text:" }
why is lobbying not considered a form of political corruption? What's different about it?
[ "Lobbying is a means of petitioning the government to adopt one's own views on a particular issue. The right to petition the government is expressly protected in the constitution. Lobbying, without more, is not corruption. Corruption necessarily involves the exchange of specific consideration for specific favours, ...
[ "Think about it this way: I genuinely believe in Issue X, and plan on legislating to strengthen regulation on Issue X and ensure its healthy growth in our county. Group X also strongly believes in Issue X, and thus donates $5000 to my campaign. Their donation hasn't influenced my decision. How do we prevent \"bribe...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
How do records/record players work?
[ "Believe it or not, it's all based on a [grove in the vinyl that bounces the needle around](_URL_0_). That vibration is then amplified and turned into sound. It's really as primitive as that, but what is hugely impressive is what kind of sound quality you can get out of a good needle on a clean record, and how many...
[ "Do you mean the specifics as to how they technically upload the music onto their database from the music industry? If so I would like to see this answer!" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
why does alcohol affect people differently?
[ "Body size is number 1 factor. What you ate before you started drinking affects it as well." ]
[ "What source says that alcohol is bad for your teeth?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post about alcohol and behavior:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document about alcohol and behavior:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
What happens to fat when its burned? Where does it go?
[ "Fat get metabolized the following way: fat + oxygen - > carbon dioxide + water. Breath in oxygen and breath out carbon dioxide and if there's excess water it goes out the usual ways (urine, sweat etc)." ]
[ "Lets break this down a bit because the main problem is duplicate names Fats in foods are lipids, fats on you are adipose tissue. Everything you eat gets broken down into its basic blocks which get used for energy(calories). If you're consuming more calories than you burn then your body will pack some away in adipo...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
How do apartment buildings that use water towers never run out of water?
[ "The tower is constantly filled with water from the water main. The tower is just there to allow gravity provide constant water pressure regardless of current usage, which is much easier than trying to get pumps to exactly balance supply and demand to maintain a constant pressure." ]
[ "It takes a lot of energy and money to move and recycle water. Even you use the same twenty of gallons of water your entire life, it uses up electricity to clean it each time. Also: If a city does not have a natural source of fresh water, it has to bring it in which also costs energy and money. And cities can also ...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:" }
Why Teletubbies have such low rating and poor reviews despite being highly successful and popular in UK and other countries ?
[ "It's aimed at toddlers/pre-schoolers. If they like it, it will be popular unless it's even worse than listening to a small child throwing a fit for not getting to watch it. Reviews, though, are written by adults, not the show's targets audience." ]
[ "You have 5 possible kids shows to use during your time block. One of them will bring in 50 million dollars in merchandise more than the others. One will bring in 1 million dollars extra advertising revenue due to ratings compared to the others. Which one are you going to take? Also, Simpsons Merchandise is a big d...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
how come we can see fog in the distance but not directly in front of us?
[ "Imagine a quarter floating in the air in front of you. It's not blocking vision right? Now imagine a lot of quarters. Any two quarters are at least five feet apart. Five feet into that cloud isn't going to obstruct vision really. Nor will 20ft. Bit eventually those floating quarters will start to interfere. You c...
[ "It is very full of light. Problem is that you only see the light traveling towards your eye in front of you. There is a ton of light moving right in front of your nose that you can't see because it isn't going into your eye." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title about Meteorology:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Meteorology:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
How are you supposed to drink a lot of water when you have a UTI if you can't pee?
[ "Drinking more fluids will help you urinate more. The more you pee, the more bacteria you'll flush out of your bladder. Go to the doctor and get some antibiotics if you haven't already. You can also buy Azo Standard over the counter. Its inexpensive, but will help with the burning and urge to pee." ]
[ "Go see a doctor. You might have a urinary tract infection (UTI). You shouldn't have burning or pressure when you urinate." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit post:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit post:" }
With web extensions, like the heavily-advertised "Honey" service, "automatically find[ing] and appl[ying] coupon codes at checkout with a single click," wouldn't this drive up prices at these websites?
[ "What lost income? If anything, they may see increased income. Having easy to access coupons can encourage buyers to buy more, or buy stuff they weren't planning to originally buy. It also attracts buyers who weren't going to buy anything. New sales can make up for the discount provided by the coupon. Not to mentio...
[ "* It costs a company more to operate a retail store than an online store, they'd rather you buy things online. * Some people are willing to pay more in order to have an item immediately rather than wait for shipping. * Not everyone will do the research to see if there is a cheaper price online, so will just pay th...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the sentence:", "neg": "Represent the sentence:" }
When cooking something on a skillet, why do recipes specifically call to only flip something once?
[ "You should cook the first side completely, then cook the second side. Flipping more times not only increases the chance of burning, but can create a tougher texture on the surface of the cooked object. A steak, for example, will create that lovely, beautiful skin that we all know and love on the first flip, but if...
[ "The center of your pan is hotter than the edges. So the center cooks faster and it looks like there's more fat on the ends. If you cook your bacon in a pan that distributes the heat more evenly or in the oven, this won't be an issue." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:" }
Why is it not possible to intercept a signal (like a car unlock command) then replay it later?
[ "Cars and they FOBs using a rolling code, meaning it isn't a single number, it changes. Also, the algorithm is not universal, so it's near impossible to figure out the next code. Also, cars usually have an error acceptance of 256 (2^8 , because computers use binary), meaning you can click your unlock key 200 time...
[ "i would guess it probably sends a pulse to the tx/rx pair and times the response back." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
What is that weird smell that comes off old guitar strings?
[ "Rotting skin and sweat stuck in the itty bitty cracks of the strings. Most strings are a material that doesn't rust or oxidize, like silver or stainless steel. That'll have a bit of a metallic smell, but everything else is leftovers from the player." ]
[ "Are we talking about the clothing that goes on your head, or the drink served after dinner?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:" }
Why does our sense of temperature change, in regards to air and water?
[ "Water and air conduct heat at different rates, with water being a fantastic conductor of heat and air being an insulator for heat. Your feeling of hot/cold is dependent on how quickly the environment takes heat away from you. And whether or not you're comfortable is dependent on how much effort your body has to us...
[ "Both surfaces are the same temperature, despite what you're feeling. The concrete feels colder because it's pulling the heat from your feet at a faster rate. By the way, there's no such thing as \"cold\", just a relative lack of heat (energy)." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question about Science:", "pos": "Represent the passage about Science:", "neg": "Represent the passage:" }
Why is it that when I am exposed to a smell for a period time I begin to not be able to smell it anymore?
[ "It's your brain's way of recognizing that a smell has become \"too much\" and turns off your consciousness to it. It helps human be able to identify when something changes. You know how when you walk into someone's house, the first thing you smell is that unique smell? Well the people who live there obviously can'...
[ "The likely explanation is that flowing water sound a lot like how pee sound when you pee. So you associate the sound with peeing and that increase your urge to pee. We are quite good at associating sound or smell with other thing. When you smell food being cooked you can often sudden become hungry even if you wher...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit text:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit text about Health:" }
Why do browsers continually use up more memory the longer they are open?
[ "Because the more pages you browse, the more data it has to cache. Try this: Keep opening new websites on the same tab. Open 15 different sites. Then keep on clicking the back button. You'll notice that the last 10 pages (I think) will load up instantly from where you left them. It is because they are still presen...
[ "The browser software in the phone only has so much memory available store the page you are on. If the page is too busy, the safest thing to do is toss the local copy and reload it. Phones just don't have the resources of desktop computers." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:" }
what's happening when you eat something very quickly and you get pain/pressure in your esophagus? Is that actually the food going down?
[ "Usually that means you didn't chew the food enough for it to break down to be soft enough to fit comfortably down your throat. The food is stretching your esophagus so it can fit, which is why its uncomfortable." ]
[ "Your stomach is on your left side so if you lay on your left your stomach is below your esophagus so the acid won't go back up your throat, on your right side it's above your esophagus so the acid will flow down into it causing heart burn." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post about Health and Wellness:", "pos": "Represent the document about Health and Wellness:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why do Asians have slanted eyes?
[ "_URL_0_ There may be an environmental factor but it is not clear." ]
[ "Why do you have so many lips and chins?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the passage:", "neg": "Represent the passage about Biology:" }
what do the stars on the captain badges worn by NFL players mean?
[ "Each star is how many seasons they've been captain. And once they hit 5 seasons, they get a gold badge." ]
[ "Did sailors generally know the name of the ships they're fighting?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
How does a computer generate a 'random' number?
[ "Truth is, it's never *completely* random. The computer uses some sort of randomizing algorithm that uses a seed (base value, if you will... in many cases this is the internal system time or something similar) and works from there... so if you start the algorithm twice with the same seed(s), you will get the same n...
[ "hmmm... I guess a very simple way of saying this is that the computer is ‘drawing’ all the things in each frame of the video." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why celebrities are so attracted to Scientology.
[ "Two things: * You've got it back to front; Scientology is attracted to celebrities. * Scientology encourages people to share their secrets -- celebrities are more susceptible to blackmail than the average person." ]
[ "Scientology isn't as popular as they want you to think it is." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document about Religion and Crime:" }
Why do Presidents "retire" after their terms expire?
[ "Several reasons. First of all, being president is a very stressful job. Have ever noticed how much presidents seem to age while in office? This is because of the stress. After their term is up, most presidents just want to relax. Also, most presidents are pretty old. The average age of a president when they enter ...
[ "The exact text of the 22nd Amendment: > No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the Pre...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the answer:", "neg": "Represent the answer:" }
Why are most, if not all caffeine based energy drinks (red bull, monster, rockstar etc) always sold in cans, never bottles?
[ "If it's closeable, you're less likely to finish it all in one sitting, and therefore you'll go longer without buying another one. That is unacceptable." ]
[ "caffeine isn't bad for you (in the quantities present in coffee and energy drinks). The energy drinks that are the worst for you are the ones that are loaded with sugar. Other than that, they're just absurdly expensive ways to get caffeine and other stimulants." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit post:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit post:" }
If trees are technically “hibernating” during winter, how are they continuing to turn our CO2 into oxygen?
[ "It depends on what kind of trees you're talking about. Deciduous trees, i.e. those that lose their leaves during the winter, absolutely do not convert CO2 into O2 during the winter months. This is because photosynthesis is required for the carbon cycle, and that is not possible without chlorophyll, which is presen...
[ "Plants specifically remove carbon dioxide from the air through a process called photosynthesis. Although it's a complicated word, photosynthesis is just the plant version of how we humans breath (admittedly, it's more the plant version of how our individual cells breathe, but it's fine) When a human breathes, thei...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit answer about Biology:" }
When the doctor touches your testicles and tells you to cough, what are they checking for?
[ "They are checking for hernias. Sometimes people can tear a hole in the belly muscles. That means that their intestines are only kept in via their skin and some connective tissue. You can generally see a hernia, but sometimes they slide down into your ball sack. So the doctor has to stick their finger up there to c...
[ "A lot of nerves in your ear canal link to most of your body. Tickling them makes your blood pressure drop and thus leads to pleasure. At least that's what I read. Correct me if I'm wrong." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about Health and wellness:" }
I have a peanut allergy and can't stand the smell of peanut butter while my whole family who isn't allergic loves the smell. Is this a defense mechanism?
[ "The allergy itself can't make you hate the smell. However, if you ever previously ate peanuts and promptly fell sick, yes, your body can quickly learn to hate the smell." ]
[ "There are other allergies with equally devastating effects but the problem with peanuts is that we use them so much. If you're allergic to bees, it can be just as deadly but it's pretty uncommon to get stung by a bee. If you're allergic to peanuts you need to constantly check what ingredients are in certain foods ...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Why do most people have very specific traits (age,race,height,appearance) for relationships as opposed to friendships?
[ "Because it matters more in a relationship. You want someone you are sexually attracted to and compatible with. Many women want a guy who is taller than them, so if you are 5' 10\" and like to wear heels, that will narrow your options. A 45-year-old man might still be looking to have children so that rules out 45-y...
[ "There's a few factors. One, you associate your own age with familiarity, and people tend to be attracted to people they have things in common with. That's why many couples tend to look somewhat similar in at least a few aspects (weight, age, skin color, clothing, height, etc). Sometimes personal preference will ov...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the paragraph:" }
For Americans, if the President attended a sporting event, does the song "Hail to the Chief" have to be played?
[ "I don't believe Hail to the Chief has to be played if it's not official government business. It can be but I don't think it typically is. [Here is a clip](_URL_0_) from one of Bush's greatest moments as president. The song is not played at all in the clip though it could have been played before that I suppose. I c...
[ "There are three groups in the chamber: The democrats - they will rise in support of anything the president says, that they agree with (which is pretty much all of it) The republicans - they will rise once or twice when Obama is talking about something they agree with The supreme court - they will not rise for most...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the comment:", "neg": "Represent the comment:" }
Why isn't the court case accusing the Canadian government of subverting the Bank of Canada Act a big deal?
[ "This isn't much of an explanation, but I'd like to point out that I'm a Canadian who reads the news multiple times a day and I haven't heard about this at all." ]
[ "It wasn't a free, fair, open election. They also lied about the numbers." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
If prey outnumber their predators at such large numbers, then why wouldn't prey adapt faster than their predators? Shouldn't there be a larger amount of genetic variation in the prey's gene pool resulting in faster adaptation?
[ "Larger populations and faster breeding cycles both tend to lead to more genetic variability in prey animals than predators. However, natural selection doesn't drive a species to become so good at avoiding predatoon that it never happens, it is more likely to only drive evolution to the point where most individuals...
[ "Evolution over millions of years (hundreds of millions in the case of fish - sharks have been on the planet longer than trees). If fish that ate other fish had their stomachs lacerated and died, then they did not move on to breed and birth the next generation. Fish that had stomachs that could hold up to daily eat...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title about Biology:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit text about Biology:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit text:" }