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Why can you see the veins in your eye when the eye doctor shines a bright light into it? Why do eye doctors even do that?
[ "They do it to see the back of the inside of your eye through your pupil. They can determine whether you are at risk for glaucoma, among other things, this way. Edit: the veins you see are on the front of the inside of your eye. You can see them because of the light reflected off the back." ]
[ "Dilation drops open up your pupils, much like they would naturally do in the dark, to allow more light in. Helps the doctor see better when he's examining your eyes. Going outside while your pupils are dilated hurts because your pupils are already open and they can't retract like they would normally, so the light ...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:" }
How does mail from one country go to another country that speaks a different language?
[ "We own a business (US) that still occasionally uses international mail. Usually mail comes addressed in English with a big USA along the bottom of the address, I assume that is enough to get it chucked into the pile of mail coming here - or it is addressed in English and the language of the country of origin. Some...
[ "A passport lets you leave a country. A visa lets you stay in a country." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Did the US really create the Islamic State, and if so, why?
[ "When people say the U.S. created the Islamic State it's not like the U.S. went to Iraq and recruited people to be in this great new ISIS thing. They mean that the U.S.' actions in the Middle East (specifically toppling Saddam) were the impetus that lead to the rise of groups like the Islamic State." ]
[ "They want to establish an Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. That's what ISIS stands for." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
In humans, what is the functional difference between wide, flat noses and narrow, pointed noses?
[ "The various shapes of noses appear to be tied to adaptations to climate. The nose must properly heat and humidify the air that you breathe. In a cold climate, it's advantageous to have a narrower nose. That's so that when a person inhales, more air comes into contact with the mucosal surface of nose, which provide...
[ "There are certain features in a skeleton which can show/suggest the ancestry (NOT race or skin color) of a person. It is not an exact science since there is no such thing as race in science, but certain features are indicative of whether the person has an African/European/East Asian origin etc. For example People ...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the passage:", "neg": "Represent the passage:" }
Rosetta Comet Landing
[ "This whole thing was very much news to me and i had no idea it was even happening. How did they track the comet and know where it was going to be?" ]
[ "Sleep - Shake Unconscious - Splash Coma - Wait and Hope Vegetative State - Wait and Bury" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the text:", "neg": "Represent the text:" }
Why does my dog need to be vaccinated yearly, but my vaccinations last for life?
[ "Your vaccinations **don't** last for life. Vaccinations for influenza (the flu) are generally good for only a single year, because the flu virus mutates rapidly. You should be getting vaccinated for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis every 10 years (or if you're going to be around an infant, and you haven't been v...
[ "1. The vaccine isn't always 100% effective, and it's possible (though rare) for the vaccine to not work properly for some people. 2. Many people can't be vaccinated (allergy to the materials in the vaccination, compromised immune systems, too young to be vaccinated, etc.), and those at-risk groups rely on everyone...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:" }
What are the things holding back consumer robotics?
[ "If you're talking about the robots seen in *I, Robot* or *Robot and Frank*, then about 30 more years of development and another 10 years of market introduction and expansion. We're just too far away right now to be putting a Rosie in every living room. Once we are there, they'll be prohibitively expensive for most...
[ "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:" }
How come 911 works when there is no cell phone service due to being in a remote area.
[ "\"No service\" on your phone actually means: \"There is no signal from a carrier that recognizes that you have an active, billable account allowed to make calls.\" However, since an active, billable account isn't required to make a 911 call, you can make a 911 call from a cell phone as long as there is any provide...
[ "One of two things. 1) The phone is switching cell towers and there's a minor loss of signal(sometimes due to overloaded switchboards depending on your carrier) or 2) the housing and shops have enough concrete and metal in them to cause a small deadzone. I used to work for Verizon Wireless. Its fun explaining why a...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question about Telecommunications:", "pos": "Represent the argument about Telecommunications:", "neg": "Represent the argument:" }
How does radiation poisoning kill you?
[ "Ionizing radiation, the dangerous kind of radiation, can damage your body's cells all the way down to the DNA, which is what controls the whole cell. It's like replacing your kindergarten teacher with another 5-year old. No one would do anything they were supposed to and chaos would ensue. Eventually the principal...
[ "You can't cure the sickness, but you can treat the symptoms. That's all these medicines are doing. It provides some relief." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the comment:", "neg": "Represent the comment:" }
When you're sick and have a runny nose, where does all the snot come from and what is it made of? How does it produce it's self so fast where I'm constantly blowing my nose?
[ "Mucus is used as a buffer for your body. Its goal is to keep things away from sensitive areas. Mucus protects the walls of the stomach from the acid inside. Your nose, sinuses, throat and trachea all produce mucus to protect the tissues that are exposed to air from anything bad in that air. If your body is sick, y...
[ "Earwax is to protect your inner ear from infection. So, unless you really have a ton of it, you should leave it there, as it acts as a barrier. Snot is used to carry germs and other unwanted such things outside of your body. This is why when you are sick, your nose is running like crazy, because the body sends the...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query about Health and Wellness:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Health and Wellness:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:" }
Why do things that are bad for you taste nice?
[ "So, in the past, sugar and fat and salt were rare. Our bodies need them, in small amounts, so we evolved to find them delicious so that we'd put the effort into finding them. But now they aren't rare, and we can eat far too much of them than our bodies are able to handle safely. But we're still designed to find th...
[ "There are people who are simply immune to it. I don't really want to find out if I'm one of them, although the idea does seem interesting." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
; Why is the qwerty keyboard configuration slower than the alphabetical form?
[ "It isn't that they specifically typed faster. It is that certain letters that are used frequently in combination were typed too fast...causing them to lock together in typewriters. They needed to move the letters that go together often to places on the keyboard that won't cross and get stuck. We type just as fast ...
[ "also you can spell \"typewriter\" using only the top row of keys" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit text:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit text:" }
Why do we not desalinate our ocean water as a viable resource for water?
[ "It's enormously energy intensive, and electricity is expensive. A desalination plant basically requires it's own nuclear core to provide water enough for a small city, and a bigger city like LA would need several plants. But that isn't going to stop us. We're doing it anyway - in fact, desalination was one of the ...
[ "The water in your shower has been treated with chemicals to remove dirt and bacteria and is drinkable. So every time you shower you are contaminating water that could have been used in a better way. > it seems like the places that have clean water readily available to them now will have clean water for the forese...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the paragraph:" }
Why do people get allergies?
[ "You too this year huh? I'm 33 and never had allergies to ANYTHING (and I've worked outside most of my life) and this year I suddenly have allergies bad, and out of nowhere. Tons of other people are experiencing the same thing where I live." ]
[ "Your body is telling you to quit smoking. Listen to it." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the answer:", "neg": "Represent the answer:" }
What causes grown men to marry young girls in Arab nations specifically?
[ "Kind of ignorant and offensive to say \"Arab Nations\" when it is only legal in **two** Arab countries(Yemen and Saudi Arabia) and yet it is still considered immoral in most parts of those countries. Also, [none of the top TWENTY countries](_URL_0_) with the highest child marriage are Arabian. Choose your words pr...
[ "Is this conversation normal for nine year old children?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the post:", "neg": "Represent the post:" }
Powerball odds are now 1 in 175,223,510. What can that be compared to?
[ "I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 175,223,510. Try to guess it. You have only one chance." ]
[ "Not sure where you got your data about lightning strikes and winning the lottery, but you are WAY off • The odds of becoming a lightning victim in the U.S. in any one year is 1 in 700,000. The odds of being struck in your lifetime is 1 in 3,000. The odds of winning the powerball are 1 in 175 million. A few orders ...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:" }
Why does it sometimes take a very long time for bad news (like a loved one dying) to sink in? Why isn't it always instant?
[ "The very first step on the stages of loss and grief is Denial and Isolation. Learning someone is dying is very hurtful. It is a very natural reaction to deny the hurtful news to spare yourself grief, and to isolate yourself from the news, or sources of news. Part of it is experience. The very first time you find o...
[ "The first step of the five stages of grief is denial. Most people when faced with an emotional trauma will deny that the trauma occurred to protect themselves. Of course that doesn't work forever and that's why there are 4 more stages." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:" }
Why are military aircraft never painted blue to blend in with the sky?
[ "That would work well if the sky happened to be exactly the same shade of blue as the plane, however it works less well if there is cloud, if the sky is hazy, if the sky is any of the other broad range of colours it can be at dawn and dual (think orange, red etc). Military planes tend to be grey as it achieves the ...
[ "It acts as camouflage against the sky when seen from the ground. In WW2 we preferred green and brown on top to provide camouflage against the ground when seen from above, but now anything that's likely to see you from above is likely to fire a missile at you without ever seeing you, so camouflage won't help." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:" }
Database servers SSD vs HDD
[ "> I read HDD does things sequential, but was not sure what that meant. A hard disk drive operates by moving a read head across a spinning platter. This means it can only read from one portion of the disk at one time. An SSD can conceptually read from multiple areas of the drive simultaneously because it is solid s...
[ "Production increase of SSD, production decrease of spinning drives, and exponential technology advances in SSD." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the text:", "neg": "Represent the text:" }
Why do humans sometimes involuntary void their bladder/bowels when scared?
[ "Well, bladder control seems like a simple task but actually presents a significant neurological challenge to coordinate. Information about bladder wall distention is used by the body to gauge levels of urine in the bladder and is sent to the pontine micturination center in the brain stem. This region coordinates ...
[ "You can sneeze and pee and have your eyes open all at the same time. And, in fact, it's quite common for older women to pee a little when they sneeze because they can't fully tighten their urethral muscles and sneezing causes contractions around their bladder, which can force a small amount of urine out. That bein...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question about Biology:", "pos": "Represent the document about Biology:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Generally when someone has a fever, you want to keep the temperature cool but what is this method of wrapping a blanket around you to make you sweat that Chinese people use? What?
[ "This is fairly common actually. It is the regular practice here in Canada to sweat out a fever because that is how your body defends itself from infection" ]
[ "It is all about the temperature your body wants to be. When you are healthy, your body wants to be 37 degrees Celsius. If you work out, your temperature increases, while your body wants it to be colder, so you feel hot to signal you should cool down a bit. When you are sick and have a fever your body wants to be w...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:" }
Why do the spouses of celebrities get so much money in the case of divorce when it's clear they wouldn't make near so much money had the relationship never happened?
[ "In the eyes of the court, a marriage means two people becoming one person. Imagine a blue crayon marries a red crayon. The law no longer sees them as two separately colored crayons but as one purple crayon. A divorce would be like breaking the crayon in half. It doesn't turn back into a red and blue crayon but, in...
[ "> If I were rich, and I spent a ton of money buying my wife nice things and then we got a divorce, she could claim money from me because she got used to being treated that well. However, even if I was rich, if I was very stingy with buying her things, then she wouldn't be \"accustomed\" to a nice lifestyle, and I ...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:" }
why do some artists choose not to upload their singles on YouTube, even ones that are decades old? Wouldn't they make lots of money from advertisement?
[ "A lot of songs are not property of the artist themselves, who would probably love to be making money off their own work.." ]
[ "It's more lucrative for film makers to release their work to theatres, or even DVD/BluRay, long before considering a release on Netflix. Music on the other hand isn't very lucrative to begin with, unless you happen to be a pop star, so releasing an album on a streaming service like Pandora isn't likely to result i...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:" }
Why does Windows seem to boot slower and open programs slower than Mac OS X or Linux?
[ "I would guess that windows seems to boot the slowest as it tends to run on slower hardware than osx and usually has more stuff to load than Linux. With the right hardware, windows can boot in less than 10 seconds, which is hardly slow..." ]
[ "A few benefits: 1. Your chance of getting a virus is basically zero. You don't need to use anti-virus software. 2. In my experience, my computers run faster on Linux. Boot time when I run Linux is much less. 3. I've experienced less system crashes on Linux than on Windows. 4. In addition to the operating system, t...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:" }
Why do schools in the US close when theres "cold" weather?
[ "It's only done in parts of the country where ice and snow are very rare. Kids might not have adequate winter gear to deal with exceptionally cold weather and the facilities might not be able to properly heat the classrooms sufficiently." ]
[ "Cold. Too cold. Transportation is tough when it's too cold." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the passage:", "neg": "Represent the passage:" }
; Why do we measure land area in acres in the US instead of square miles or something else?
[ "Over very large areas we *do* use square miles; however, when you're measuring, say, the area of a person's property, the square mile is way too big to use. An acre is 1/640th of a square mile, and thus a lot more conveniently sized to use for that purpose. As a side effect of that, often in the United States larg...
[ "Because bullets generally travel in units of feet rather than units of miles and the United States uses the Imperial system rather than the metric system for common units of measure." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
What is a strawman arguement?
[ "A strawman is when instead of arguing your opponents position, you make up a new position that they do not hold and fight that. Say Joe and bob are having a debate on illegal immigration. joe: I believe we should build a large inpenetrable fence around our borders so no illegal immigrants can come in. bob: so you ...
[ "Can someone explain to me what a fantasy football team is?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the sentence:", "neg": "Represent the sentence:" }
Why is it that Police officers seem to get less of a punishment when caught doing something illegal?
[ "OP didn't specify any particular locale, but this seems to be getting out of hand in America and i just really wonder when we're going to get angry enough to force change, if ever." ]
[ "There is an image of what police are supposed to be then there is the truth. All too often the police here violate the laws they are meant to enforce and in turn are at most given a slap on the wrist with paid vacation. And yeah yeah someone will surely say but that's just a few bad apples....so? When those bad ap...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the text:", "neg": "Represent the text:" }
Why do you hear yourself breath louder when you have headphones in with no music playing?
[ "You are blocking your ears from hearing things outside your body, so your ears are hearing the sounds resonating within your body easier. That's why you hear your heart beat and stomach rumble easier with your ears covered." ]
[ "Sometimes, one of my ears will go deaf for a few minutes and all I can hear is ringing (think being too close to a grenade in Half-Life 2 when it goes off). This is different from tinnitus, because I have both. What's going on there? Also there is no trigger. I'm thinking perhaps sudden drop of blood pressure to o...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the argument:", "neg": "Represent the argument about Health:" }
Why do we get dizzy and nauseous after a deep bath?
[ "Because the heat causes your blood vessels to dilate, resulting in a drop in blood pressure, which leads to dizziness and nausea." ]
[ "Sudden blood pressure change as you get up quickly can make you dizzy and potentially faint as a result." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document about Health and Wellness:" }
How is nature based on Fibonacci's sequence?
[ "These [3 videos (about 18 mins)](_URL_1_) by math blogger and Kahn Academy tutor Vi Hart will give you some ideas." ]
[ "Pi (The number), is not special, but the things which you can calculate from this number is very special. Without Pi we could not be able to calculate the surface area and volume of curved faced objects reliably." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title about mathematics:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document about mathematics:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document about mathematics:" }
I heard diet soda with zero calories can still lead to weight gain. How?
[ "the studies only show that people who drink diet soda can weigh more, they don't control for food intake. the issue is people act like it's ok to eat cake for dinner if they have a diet soda with it." ]
[ "Wild Internet speculation: 1. You are diabetic or pre-diabetic and the refreshing feeling you're getting is actually a counter to low blood sugar. 2. You are addicted to sugar and sugary drinks are removing feelings of withdrawal. Either way, talk to a physician and quit drinking sugary drinks. Those beverages wil...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Food and Beverage:" }
Why do companies not include batteries with so many electronic devices that need them?
[ "Depends on the device, most seem to come with it. But I would say it's mostly price, and sometimes just the fact that batteries have a shelf life. And with things like toys, rechargeable batteries are very expensive (they'd need to include a charger), and it runs through batteries so fast you need a case of batter...
[ "Batteries and yes they need to be replaced from time to time." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why are units of storage measured at intervals of 1024 instead of a round number, like 1000? (e.g. 1024 MB = 1 GB)
[ "Because computers deal with powers of 2 naturally. 1024 is 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2, or 2^10. A number normally takes up 8 (2^3) bits (8 zeros and 1s), or maybe 16 bits (2^4). 1000 (10^3) is natural for us, but that's because we have 10 fingers. Computers deal with zeros and ones, so powers of two is...
[ "1. The operating system on the iPod takes up space. 2. The storage is advertised as 160 Gigabytes, which is 1b bytes. But actual storage would be instead measured in Gibibytes, or 1b and a bit bytes. 160 GB = 149.01161993848 GiB." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
What is sound? And why is it made?
[ "Sound is how our brains interpret vibrations in the air. When you tap the table, it causes the table, your finger, and the air around it, to briefly vibrate. Those vibrations ripple out through the air, much like a wave in water, and reach your ear, where your ear converts the vibrations into neural signals that y...
[ "How do you know you are perfectly recreating a sound in your head? Your head tells you it is." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Language and cognition:" }
When I open a PC application with notepad, why do I get weird characters instead of "0" and "1"?
[ "Because Notepad is used to reading the 0's and 1's that normally comprise a text file. So, it sees 0's and 1's, and tries to translate them into letters and symbols and shit like it always does. Since the 0's and 1's aren't actually representing letters, you end up with nonsense." ]
[ "I love all the fancy math in this thread, but what happened here actually is a PRINTING mistake probably resulting from a PDF encoding error. The ASCII values for the larger font are indexed with a off-by-one error. If you take every glyph that's in the large font and increment the character ID, the 0's become 1's...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
What are the major differences between US Cell Phone Carriers? Why are some able to market at a significantly lower cost for a seemingly similar product?
[ "As larger companies get more established, costs per customer go down. If I opened up a brand new mobile service and tried to put towers up all across the country it would cost me billions of dollars, and if I only had a few customers I would have to charge millions or billions per customer. Also, although each US ...
[ "They probably offer lower end devices or different quality of service for Cricket to offset the price difference. Similar scenario with Sprint and Boost. Just trying to attract a different audience." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title about Technology:", "pos": "Represent the document about Technology:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why are some analogic instruments better at measuring than digital ones? (e.g. blood pressure)
[ "Digital circuitry generally allows for lower power and much greater complexity. That greater complexity allows for digital filtering and processing, which means digital instruments almost always have greater *potential* accuracy. However, everything starts analog because the world itself is analog. To get any info...
[ "Usually electric thermometers a resistance based. As temperature goes up the resistance decrease (or increases for some materials.). From there you either use an analog gauge to read current or voltage or you push the analog signal through an ADC to get a digital signal." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document about Science and Technology:" }
What are the differences between all the styles of martial arts? It seems like no matter what kind you use the fastest and strongest person will win. Are there really advantages to each style?
[ "One difference not mentioned is that many martial arts are used for sport or competetion, like judo, muay thai, and taekwondo sparring, as well as performing forms, and breaking boards. Other martial arts focus on hurting and killing people as effectively as possible, which include techniques like eye gouging, thr...
[ "Note that the whole belt system only dates back to the 1880s, so it is not exactly an ancient tradition. Every school does their own thing. Your typical strip mall McDojo will pretty much give you all the black belt degrees you want, if you stick around long enough and your checks clear each month. In other schoo...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why is gerrymandering an acceptable practice?
[ "It can be good or bad. Hypothetically you can have ten districts that each have 500 people from party A and 499 people from party B (or 500 people from race A and 499 people from race B). In this case, all ten districts do what group A wants every election. But, if you gerrymander the districts so that 5 go to gro...
[ "What's the reasoning behind term limits being a good idea?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit text:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit text:" }
Why are liquids measured by their weight such as FL OZ instead of always using a liquid measurement such as mL? Doesn't the density of a fluid influence it's weight?
[ "Although it has the word ounce in it a fluid ounce is actually a measure of volume just like milileters or pints etc. > A fluid ounce is a unit ofvolume (also called capacity) typically used for measuring liquids. It is equivalent to approximately 30 millilitres(ml). Whilst various definitions have been used thro...
[ "I would assume the scale knows how much a fluid ounce of water weighs. Some might just assume you are measuring water. If you are actually measuring water, then it will be 100% accurate. Milk will be close enough. Oils will be off quite a bit. More advanced scales have a menu, you can tell it what you are measuri...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
If a right handed person writes with their right hand as its more dextrous, why do string players finger with their left?
[ "There's a saying: If you play the wrong note at the correct time, you are 50% correct but if you play the correct note at the wrong time, you are 100% wrong. iow, timing is more important than intonation. The most dexterous hand is (usually) better at timing." ]
[ "I heard that it comes from a time where letters were mostly chiseled in stone. As a right handed person, it's quicker, easier and more natural to chisel from right to left." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit text:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit text:" }
Why do pro gamers have such short careers?
[ "the younger a player, the faster the twitch reflexes...reaction times also get slower as you age......" ]
[ "Why do you have so many lips and chins?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit answer about Biology:" }
Why doesn't YouTube use HTML5 video on computers, if it's so superior to flash?
[ "Most my videos do use HTML5. Are you sure you're running a supported browser?" ]
[ "A little add-on in addition to what everyone else has posted, Apple's QuickTime player codec doesn't support webm. So Apple/iphone users can't view webm videos natively on their device. They need mp4 to fall back to when available. That's why most sites offer their media in both webm and mp4." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the argument:", "neg": "Represent the argument:" }
why there are so many types of pasta that are almost exactly the same except for a slight difference?
[ "In Italy each pasta is regional so in one area they might make something one way and give it a name and in another area they make it another way and call it something else." ]
[ "The lack of water. Same reason that any pasta is hard before it's cooked. It's just in a square shape because that's how the manufacturer decided to sell it, and it doesn't fall apart because they're all tangled in each other." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the paragraph:" }
Lawyers of Reddit. Can someone explain what is happening in this video?
[ "(Just read the description, didn't bother to watch) The court has a run-in with a mentally ill individual. Bits are funny but overall it's just sad." ]
[ "What about the US election do you want explained, specifically?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the argument:", "neg": "Represent the argument:" }
Would raising the national minimum wage from $7.25 to $15.00 affect the cost of living like everyone thinks? If so then why?
[ "Hard to say - many well regarded economists are still arguing this point so there is no clear answer. The people who say it won't have an effect say that increases in wage will increase general productivity so more goods will be produced, which will keep price increases slower than wage increases. The people who s...
[ "Back when I was a kid, making minimum wage of $3.25 an hour - I worked at a job for a year and got a 25 cent an hour raise. Minimum wage went from $3.25 to $3.50 an hour. I then became a minimum wage employee again. I'm sure that's exactly how it would happen again if minimum wage were raised. Otherwise, where do ...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the comment:", "neg": "Represent the comment:" }
Why is it better to pull up the handbrake without holding the button and does it have any affect on the car negatively?
[ "Usually there is no difference. The button on a lever is used to unlock [ratchet bracket mechanism](_URL_0_) and is not connected to brake mechanism, which is activated only by lever movement." ]
[ "The E-brake is intentionally designed to be separate from the primary braking system. If there is a fault in the primary brakes (pedal damaged, etc), it would affect the E-brake if they were connected. That being said, the proper response is to shift to neutral (preventing the car from further accelerating and al...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the sentence:", "neg": "Represent the sentence:" }
Blood. Why can 0 be used on all groups but not all can be used on 0?
[ "Imagine gluing tiny little marbles to all your blood cells. Type A glues red marbles, type B glues blue marbles, type AB glues both red and blue marbles, and type O doesn't glue any marbles. When your body sees blood cells with marbles it doesn't glue on, it freaks out since it's obviously not something that is su...
[ "Basically, because a lot of theorems and stuff break if 1 is considered a prime number." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about Mathematics:" }
How, when putting in contacts, do they always stay in the correct spot over your iris?
[ "Because the contact lens is shaped just like center, which is called the cornea, while the rest of the eye has different curves. So the contact lens rests at the spot where it is most comfortable" ]
[ "No dissolving, just washes away. When you blink your eye actually closes from your temple to your nose too, not all at once, so this helps push stuff out of your eye as well. That’s why you always get those crustys by your nose, not your temple." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document about Health and Wellness:" }
What are the images we see when we close and slightly press our eyes and exactly what is it we're seeing?
[ "And why does it end up hurting? I don't hurt my arms by crossing them, why does a little pressure on the eyes slowly hurt more over time?" ]
[ "If you look away there's no stimuli trying to get your attention. You can look at a blank wall and not have anything stimulating you while you search your head for the answer." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query about Science:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Science:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:" }
How did we create non biodegradable things like plastic from what I'd assume is biodegradable materials?
[ "Plastics have properties which make them resistant to biodegradation. Firstly, plastics are water resistant. Without moisture, bacteria/fungi cannot grow on it. Also, any digestive enzymes released by these organisms will be repelled from the surface. Secondly, producing plastics is very energy-inefficient compare...
[ "Plutonium literally comes from the earth, too. Everything item we use comes from the earth. Some, however, are toxic. Plastic is made from petroleum, and petroleum isn't good for the environment." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title about science:", "pos": "Represent the post about science:", "neg": "Represent the post:" }
is there a reason that not all animals in colder climates go into hibernation?
[ "Animals' survival strategies need to evolve to utilise their environment's resources, but the strategy itself can vary wildly. Hibernation is just one strategy that some animals use to save energy while resources are scarce, but it is an equally good strategy for an animal to spend more time scavenging during the ...
[ "1.) Fattening themselves up beforehand 2.) Collecting and storing high-energy foods, like nuts, beforehand 3.) Entering a low-energy state (i.e. hibernating) for good portions of the day in a burrow/hidden nest. Sounds like kind of a questionable survival strategy but realize that a good portion of woodland crearu...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
how do ISP companies emerge? How would one go about starting one?
[ "First things first, find a new city that is being built, and buy the rights to sell the internet." ]
[ "Explain like you are five, You are not happy with the school that you are going to and decide you want to start your own school. Well, where are you going to get the building, the teachers, the kids, the staff, all of those people and things needed to run the school cost money. There are many things needed for y...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post about Technology:", "pos": "Represent the document about Technology:", "neg": "Represent the document about Technology:" }
Why are movie soundtracks obligated to list every original song used in the credits, but TV shows aren't?
[ "As far as I know, the top answer is the correct one, But another contributing factor is this: TV shows want to save as much time as possible, because they have a small window of time to fill, and the tv stations want people to keep watching, so television shows try to have as short of credits as possible. They wil...
[ "It's usually a cover they can't afford the rights to, or something that doesn't fit in well with the rest of the album. The same is usually true for unlisted tracks." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Why did Bitcoins end up being worth so much?
[ "Bitcoins is a currency that cannot be taxed by governments. Shady people used them to transfer huge amounts of money. Since they were used, they became popular and therefore increased in value." ]
[ "The Bitcoin is only worth as much as people *think* it's worth. The Chinese shut down Bitcoin trade in their country, which makes the Bitcoin inherently less valuable (why would you use a currency that can't be traded everywhere?) The crash happened because Bitcoin is a volatile currency. There isn't a lot of it o...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Why the judicial system doesn't consider naming a suspect being involved in/owning child porn as defamation/slander when it destroys their lives even if they're not convicted.
[ "Freedom of speech and the press mean it is almost always legal to say true things. If someone is being investigated for child porn, it is legal to say they are being investigated for child porn. It may seem unfair, but the amount of abuse that would result from being able to claim slander for true statements far o...
[ "> women who make false rape accusations face charges? They usually do if it can be found out that they purposefully lied to the police. Prosecutors are often happy to charge the shit out of someone for filing knowingly false chargers against an assailant." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit post:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit post:" }
What makes nitrous oxide a better propellant gas for whipped cream than molecular nitrogen?
[ "Nitrous oxide becomes a liquid when compressed to about 700-800 psi. Moreover it is soluble in fatty substances such as cream.(Note, this allows significantly lower pressures to be used in the container, around 150-200 psi) Other common aerosol propellants such as isobutane are less soluble and tend to separate f...
[ "They pump gas through liquid chocolate until it's basically a foam so when the chocolate sets it's full of bubbles. Wikipedia says they use Nitrogen, Argon, Carbon Dioxide or Nitrous Oxide but not Oxygen as it will make the chocolate rancid." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why do snow flakes form on a 2-dimensional plane instead of all directions?
[ "They don't, different atmospheric conditions, like temperature, cause [different shapes](_URL_0_)." ]
[ "The air is 'pushing' outwards on the bubble. If the air pushed too much in certain areas to form different shapes (like a cube, where air would be pushing at the corners), the bubble would pop. Instead, it pushes equally everywhere, which lets the bubble float without popping." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why does the name "Germany" in English sound so much different than the actual name of Deutschland?
[ "\"Germany\" as a place name (from the Latin Germania, named for the \"Germani\" people) existed long, long before \"Deutchland\". That part of Europe has gone through a lot of political changes throughout history. It's almost more appropriate to think of \"Deutschland\" as the nation currently in the area called \...
[ "It is primarily the local tradition. The English term tends to follow what is used in the local language; in English (and other Germanic languages) we normally use \"Fatherland,\" but we faithfully translate \"Motherland\" from e.g. the Russian *rodina*, which is a feminine word in that language." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:" }
Why I see more porn on /r/all at 7 am than any other time of day?
[ "Have you considered the possibility that you are seeing the same amount of porn at 7am as throught the rest of the day but the amount of other content has been reduced because the people who post sfw content are sleeping?" ]
[ "Why is election on weekdays instead of weekends?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:" }
Why is shadowbanning a thing?
[ "To keep them from noticing, so it takes longer before they come back with a new account." ]
[ "It is censorship. It is really The Great Firewall of USA." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Where did the strange idea of astrological signs effecting someone's personality come from?
[ "The notion was part of the prejudices and fantasies of ancient people. Anybody who even thinks the signs matter should read up on where the ecliptic of the solar system travels these days. This plane of the ecliptic determines where the sun \"resides\". For instance, astrologers will tell you that we are now at th...
[ "They're not real it's complete bullshit. There may be some truth that people born at the same time have similar attributes but that's more likely going to be because of how old they were compared to others in their school year affecting personality rather than the position of stars millions of years ago in made up...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:" }
Why is it that some hospitals have a religious association in their title (Methodist, Baptist, etc)?
[ "Because the hospital is either currently associated with that denomination, or was founded by that denomination. Same with faith based postsecondary institutions. For example: \"Washington Adventist University\"" ]
[ "More often than not, they are the first established congregations of that particular branch of religion. So the First Baptist Church of Coolsville is, in fact, the first Baptist church established in Coolsville." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:" }
Why do black people prefer to be called 'black' instead of 'brown', when if you actually colour matched your bedroom walls the same colour, you would never in a million years say you had black walls, thy are obviously brown?
[ "Because it's easier to distinguish between two polar opposites/extremes - up/down, right/wrong, black/white. Compared to a brown person I am white (white as far away from brown as you can get) and compared to a pink person a brown man is black (as far away from pink as you can get) It's just _easier_ to call us wh...
[ "It's like when you colored your people in with crayons when you drew as a child. Apricot was close, but still didn't look very real. It's hard to match colors, to match a skin tone is very difficult. And if they came close, but not exactly the right color, then you'd be left with a tattoo shaped blotchy skin secti...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Jackson Pollock paintings
[ "1) Pollock was one of the first to try this sort of thing. We're talking early 40s when he started his really splattery stuff. At this point many people had imitated Picasso's Expressionism, but Pollock was one of the first to say, \"Screw it, why use any recognizable conventions at ALL when expression emotion?!\"...
[ "TYL the highest mountains in florida are landfills." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
why are almost all mac and cheese boxes blue?
[ "Because the mac-and-cheese inside is orange, and blue and orange are on opposite sides of the color wheel so the orange mac-and-cheese stands out better on the blue packaging than it would on, for example, a red package. Although I would hardly say \"almost all\". Kraft and all the Kraft knockoffs are blue, but S...
[ "What color is the skin of most of the people who make and utilize those drawings? Theres your answer" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
How does major news anchors get to locations of breaking news extremely quickly?
[ "News Anchors (presenters) are the people who typically sit behind the desk in front of the camera and report on the events from the studio. Journalists are the ones who actually report to live events as they happen. It's a combination of listening to police radio communications, social media, tippers, etc." ]
[ "no. We live a world security cameras, smart phone cameras and 24 hours news from CNN, Fox, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc. If there were a shooting there would be evidence of it on some platform. Also, if it did happen, do you think the news channels would give up the chance to get the viewers from such a massacr...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Even though other countries have cheaper labour and cheaper ways to produce goods, why is everything still "Made in China"?
[ "Chinese Labor is still very cheap, especially compared to most of the developed world. But more importantly, China has all of the infrastructure already in place to manufacture goods on a massive scale. They have the factories, the organizational process, the business relationships, the shipping ports, everything ...
[ "You may have noticed that a large percentage of products you purchase are made in China. A lot of Chinese \"new money\" is the money you spend on products manufactured in China. Chinese money is earned the same way its earned anywhere else - by selling products or services." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
What exactly is happening when you put tinfoil in a microwave?
[ "The microwaves are creating an electric current through the foil. Occasionally, this electricity arcs across the foil, creating both the lights and the sound." ]
[ "Why can't you reheat things in the microwave twice?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
In space, given an infintie amount of fuel could something accelerate forever?
[ "Yes, given infinite fuel a rocket could accelerate forever at a constant rate. Note that this does not imply that the rocket will surpass the speed of light at any point. Velocity is not given by the simple Newtonian equation v=a*t at relativistic speeds, but by the slightly more complicated equation v = c tanh(a...
[ "Well if you account for drag you would accelerate until you hit terminal velocity and fall at a constant speed until the centre of the earth. If you negate wind drag however, you would keep accelerating right up to the centre of the earth then start to decelerate at the same rate. In a perfect universe you would c...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title about Physics:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
How do willow trees know when to stop growing so their branches aren't dipping into water?
[ "They don't know when to stop growing. They grow into the water and then those parts that are underwater for long periods of time die. Eventually those \"dead ends\" will stop (or dramatically slow) their growth." ]
[ "Their roots get damaged, and they can't pull enough water to remain stiff. Sometimes they droop because they aren't sure what to make of the new environment yet too. But if you transplant carefully enough, they won't do that." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why do we tremble/shake when we're scared/nervous?
[ "This is caused by the sympathetic nervous system, which is your body's fight or flight response. When you need it, your body will increase your heart rate, dump adrenaline (epinephrine) into your blood stream for circulation around your body, dump glucose into your blood stream to be used to energy around the body...
[ "A lot of people use laughter as a defense mechanism when they're uncomfortable or in pain (physically or mentally)" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question about Biology:", "pos": "Represent the document about Biology:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why do epilogues in books number pages using roman numerals?
[ "To denote that is is not part of the main story. Also it may be written in a different voice than the main story." ]
[ "It just the tastes of the clock maker. It's particularly common for clock faces to use IIII for 4, but still use IX for 9. The Romans weren't nearly as rigid about how Roman numerals were to be used as we are today when teaching people about them. IIII vs. IV, XVIII vs. XIIX, VIIII vs. IX... there's even examples ...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why are green screens green? Why not blue? Or red?
[ "> Is there something special about the color green that makes it easier to superimpose images onto it? They don't superimpose images onto it, they're removing it from the image, and green is a good choice because it's dissimilar to most skin colors - when you choose the range of colors to remove in editing, you're...
[ "Think of it like a filter. Imagine I am throwing a bunch of colored balls at you, red, green, blue, etc. But they pass through a filter on the way which removes all but the red balls. What balls get to you? Only red. What balls can bounce off things around you? Only the red ones." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why are there flightless birds?
[ "Flightless birds occur more often on islands where there aren't any ground predators. Since it takes so much energy to fly, its more advantageous for those birds to be flightless." ]
[ "Why do people in Western countries use forks?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:" }
How come high magnitude earthquakes off the coast do not always cause huge Tsunamis.. What are the factors?
[ "It depends on how the plates move. If plates are sliding past each other, e.g. one North and the other South, then a slip doesn't displace any water = no Tsunami. If one plate is subducting under the other, then when the fault slips the top plate pops up, which displaces a bunch of water = Tsunami." ]
[ "Earthquakes give off several different kinds of waves. Primary waves - the fastest wave, moves about 3 mi/sec in a horizontal motion, only causes slight movement Secondary waves - start at same time as primary waves but move at half the speed. Waves are vertical and horizontal. Cause light shaking. Surface waves ...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
What prevents undocumented Americans from obtaining citizenship?
[ "The path to naturalization is a difficult and arduous task. First an immigrant must acquire a green card or permanent residence card. In order to acquire one of these cards you mainly have to be sponsored by a family member who is an American citizen, permanent resident or the like, or sponsored by some type of em...
[ "You have nearly all the same rights as a United States Citizen. The only difference is that you do not have the right to enter the country and can be denied entry for any reason. Everything else is exactly the same." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the paragraph:" }
How does a visual microphone work?
[ "Do you remember the scene in Jurassic Park with the tyrannosaurus rex and the glass of water? That's kinda what's going on here. As the tyrannosaurus steps, I can hear the sound it makes. I can also feel it (because it's heavy) OR I can watch the glass of water and see how the water reacts. From that, I can tel...
[ "Are you asking how a wheel works ?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why do I feel more tired and get a headache if I over sleep?
[ "I'm no doctor and have no experience, but I think I know the answer. You're dehydrated. You're going a longer than normal time without drinking or eating anything, and by the time you get up and moving, you're more dehydrated and hungry than normal." ]
[ "I don't want to alarm you but this was one of the symptoms I had before getting severely ill. Do you get quickly tired ? For example, after running for a bit ? Does your face seem a little fatter than before ? Do you cough without any apparent reason ?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question about Sleep and its effects on the body:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Sleep and its effects on the body:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Why do engines always specify their volume slighty (1-5cc) below a nice round number (e.g 1199cc, 4395cc)?
[ "Everyone is mentioning laws & taxation, which is most of it, but there's also an engineering concern. Engine *cylinders* are round, this means their exact volume involves an irrational number, pi. If you're designing an engine, it's more important to make dimensions easily measurable & machinable numbers. Rounding...
[ "V6 4.0L V :the shape of the engine/cylinders/pistons. Piston is the thing that moves around in the cylinder. Or engine configurations. there's I(straight/inline), V, W (basically 2 V shaped mashed together), H (boxer/flat) and some others. [Here's pics of some of them](_URL_1_) 6: the number of cylinders in the En...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
How does a completely unregulated free-market deal with pollution?
[ "It's a question of how you define free market. The atmosphere is a *shared public good,* something we all use and all have access to jointly, so it cannot be sold in slices. A free market may involve setting a total amount of allowed pollution shares, and then allowing these to be traded freely among any parties w...
[ "The basic idea is that a company with a strong motive for profit will have more incentive than a government to deliver a cheaper, better, more cost efficient product." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Why don't iPhones have a removable and replaceable battery?
[ "Because it would change the all in one sleek design. Plus without having to design a structure and mechanism to remove/replace the battery they can create a more compact unit or use the space to improve performance." ]
[ "It's not about the charger, it's about the battery. If (when) they start making phones with supercapacitors then we'll be able to charge them in ~½ second." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
How is it possible when Charlie Sheen had unprotected sex when he was HIV+ that he did not infect his partners?
[ "You do not instantly get HIV by having sex with a HIV infected person, In fact the risk is actually quite low. A meta-analysis of 10 studies exploring the risk of transmission through vaginal sex was published in 2009.4 It estimated the risk of HIV transmission through receptive vaginal sex (receiving the penis i...
[ "Easy to avoid pregnancy, use birth control. Pills, IUD, etc. The occasional abortion when necessary. Pornstars also get regular testing for STDs, if any of them develop a positive for infection, they aren't allowed to work until they're clear of the infection." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Why does it "hurt" when water enters through the nostrils?
[ "Water is not supposed to go in your nostrils. Water coming in your nostrils happens when you're drowning. Your body doesn't want to drown. Therefore, your body has evolved to cause you pain when water enters your nose, so that you'll stop water from entering your nose and not drown." ]
[ "I don't know about gums hurting but do know about teeth hurting. From what I know it's because your sinuses are full and it applies pressure to the nerves near your teeth." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the text:", "neg": "Represent the text:" }
Why do we generally prefer the taste of unhealthy foods over healthy foods?
[ "\"unhealthy\" foods are typically high in sodium,sugar and fat, 3 things the body has evolved to crave, since the taste of something sweet typically signals high in sugar, similar with sodium and savoury foods, due to our necessity for energy and calories when we were more active, and there were more practical rea...
[ "We don't really know that much about nutrition. What we do know is that foods in their natural state are healthier for us than processed things. Supplements will help prevent certain diseases caused by vitamin deficiencies, but eating fruits and vegetables is healthier in general." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the text:", "neg": "Represent the text:" }
What is a "tumor seed" ?
[ "It's not a commonly used term. He probably meant metastases, which are individual or small numbers of cancer cells growing outside the main cancerous tissue. If you remove the cancer itself, but there are still metastases in your body, the cancer might grow back from these cells." ]
[ "What the heck is a parcel pick up?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
How a credit card works
[ "when you open a credit card you're given a credit limit. lets say this credit limit if $500. that means that at any time the company is willing to loan you up to $500 at any time, and it doesn't necessarily have to be for 1 purchase, but you can have $500 out at one time. now since you've taken some money out you'...
[ "Are you asking how a wheel works ?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:" }
Automobile Manual Clutch
[ "I use the brake analogy but I find that it has to be backed up with experience. I just taught both of my teenagers to drive stick shift and what we did was: 1. Find an empty, level parking lot. 2. Leave the gas at idle with the engine running. 3. Have the trainee practice letting the clutch out just to the point ...
[ "High Crime + Dwindling Population + Crumbling Infrastructure + Diminishing Jobs = Perceived Shithole." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the text:", "neg": "Represent the text:" }
why does Kim Jong Un and the Kim dynasty keep their people secluded?
[ "Everyone (outside of NK) knows that there are huge problems in North Korea, such as people starving, poor access to electricity, and a lack of education. The only way to maintain that kind of status quo is to make sure that people don't know what the outside world has to offer. The Kim regime is able to live a ver...
[ "They blamed others for it ~ specifically they blame the United States. The North Korean propaganda machine is strong and has instilled in the heads of the populace that the American imperialists are out to get North Korea and are responsible for even the smallest things such as lights flickering. The cult of Kim I...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document about History:" }
Why hasn't David Miscavige been arrested yet? Isn't the whole practice of torture in Scientology supposed to be illegal?
[ "The short answer is \"money\". The long answer is \"lots of money\"." ]
[ "Because it's a scam meant to trick people into giving Scientology's leaders tons and tons of money. Because they literally enslave people and have them working on their ship stationed in international waters. Because their religion is based on hiding the truth about what they really believe until the believers hav...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Here is the karma tracking of a popular post on a popular subreddit. What causes the "sawtooth" effect, where there are sudden drops every so often?
[ "It seems to happen every hour about 435/535/635 etc. Based on that i would say it likely thats when reddit updates or some other factor like that is when the karma statistics update for this particular post It might be different times for different posts if so if you run the same report for other post see if they...
[ "There's an algorithm in place to equalize stupidly high karma scores; i imagine the intent is to prevent hugely popular posts from dominating the front page for more than a few hours. gotta keep the content cycling." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the passage:", "neg": "Represent the passage:" }
Why do our bodies itch even when scratching just makes the problem worse?
[ "But it isn't all bad though, ticks are out where I am at now that it is spring. I had an itch under my arm pit and sure enough there was a small tick, without that itching one might not have have noticed the parasite. Some things might use itching to their advantage but the itch itself is our bodies telling us som...
[ "> Why does pouring scalding hot water on my eczema make it stop itching? For the same reason that scratching your eczema makes it stop itching, but to a greater extent. The heat is stimulating the nerves in the area of the eczema, which alleviates the itch." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the comment:", "neg": "Represent the comment:" }
in regards to cars, I always hear people say "it has to learn my driving style", what exactly is my car learning from me and what changes to what is it making?
[ "They’re just saying some random shit to sound cool and that they have a newer car and aren’t driving it well" ]
[ "Imagine that I make cars, and you drive them. Me, as the car manufacturer, don't want you to be messing around with it's internals (motor, ECU, etc), but I do want you to drive it. So I create the interface, wheel, buttons, etc. So you just need to learn the interface. However, nothing stops you to pop up the hood...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
What is a solid state drive, and why is it preferable to a "standard" hard drive?
[ "A SSD uses flash memory, a type of memory that does not lose its contents when turned off. Traditional hard drives use spinning magnetic platters to store data. SSD drives use less power and can read data much faster than hard drives. They are not affected by magnetic fields, at least not ones you'd normally encou...
[ "RAM is not the same as flash memory. While flash memory is faster than hard drives, they're still about 100 times slower than RAM." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
What are the likely effects of heavy drinking on a person's overall mental and physical health over the course of a few years? And what makes someone an "alcoholic" versus a "heavy drinker"?
[ "First off you need to tell whatever person that quitting \"cold turkey\" could kill them...to go from almost a 5th(750ml) a day to nothing could lead to brain imbalances which would kill you. He needs to taper off or, preferably, see a specialist who will give him drugs while he sobers up. Secondly, regarding the ...
[ "For most people, alcohol is not addictive in the same way that nicotine is. You may enjoy alcohol's effects. But nicotine directly stimulates pleasure pathways in your brain, and that is much more addictive. (Again, for most people. Probably not so if you are an alcoholic.)" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question about health:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about health:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:" }
Why does grunting (supposedly) make us perform better in physical activities
[ "Grunting is common due to exhaling during a lift, which is what your suppose to do. If it's a strenuous lift then most likely you'll be squeezing your core muscles pretty hard which will force more air out of your lungs but it's a balance between not letting all the air out at once but yet keeping the exhale going...
[ "You've never listened to women playing tennis or men struggling to lift something? Most sexual grunting and moaning is a result of strenuous exercise and tension, plus the sounds of pleasurable release (which people can often make in nonsexual situations as well)." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
How come when you take pictures/videos of a computer screen, there are dark bands that show up on the camera?
[ "\"[Moiré](_URL_0_)\" The pixels in the camera are trying to capture pixels on a screen. When they get those to a 1:1, 2:1, etc. ratio, you get those weird lines. EDIT: Someone want to explain the downvotes? I'm almost positive this is what OP means." ]
[ "I think it is a picture of the screen, not a screenshot. The camera got the white balance off resulting in the off white color." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the text:", "neg": "Represent the text about Computer Science:" }
Why can my Galaxy S6 see the light emitted by my Xbox One kinect light? Andy why is it in light purple?
[ "You got it spot on: many phone cameras have chips which are sensitive to Infra red. Try pointing your TV remote at the camera while it's on, and pressing buttons on the remote: you should see the little infra red light flashing. iirc it comes through as a kind of purpley-white colour? If you try and video hot coal...
[ "Can you see the top notification bar from your phone in the picture?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the answer:", "neg": "Represent the answer:" }
Does restless leg syndrome make make you immune to blood clots forming in your legs?
[ "Umm maybe I'm confused about RLS...but I was under the impression it's the urge to move your legs, not involuntary leg movements." ]
[ "Basically it helps circulate blood through your body. You don't feel good when blood pools in your body." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }