query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Why are blueprints blue? | [
"Before electronic printers, they were made using a special paper and an very smelly process using ammonia. After exposure to ammonia fumes a master print could be copied onto special paper that turned blue in the process."
] | [
"Are all of your electronic made by Apple?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
why does your skin peel when you get a sunburn? | [
"The UV rays present in sunlight are damaging to your body. Too much exposure kills your skin cells, and the dead skin peels off."
] | [
"Why do the glands in my neck burn like high hell when I'm holding back tears?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What are allergies and why can't we get rid of them? | [
"Allergies are your body having an inappropriate immunoresponse to something that is not inherently harmful to you. Your body comes into contact with the substance (i.e. fish, cat dander, tree pollen), and then reacts as if the substance is toxic, irritating your skin, closing breathing passageways, and generally c... | [
"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 document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
When meteorologists say we received "5mm" of rain overnight for example, how is this measurement made? | [
"Yes, it does mean exactly that. Obviously averaging the rain across an area, the entire region would have 5mm of water if it didn't run off or soak in. I think you are overcomplicating this. It doesn't matter what size the \"bucket\" is. The rain measurement is a height, not a volume. A larger bucket will capture... | [
"It means that on others days in the past that had the same conditions as today, (such as temperature, air pressure, humidity, wind speed, cloud cover, etc,) it rained on about half of them, and on the other half of those days it didn't rain. So because we can only predict future events based on the past, the best ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text about weather:"
} |
"Commercialized" Facebook pages? | [
"Let's say you owned a page, and the name of the page is something along the lines of \"yo mama is...\". You were likely like-whoring everything so that page of yours could get a ton of attention. Sometimes, companies and the like get interested, and attempt to buy the page. Let's say they offer 1k of $ for a milli... | [
"Yes to both your questions. See: Spy satellites."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Is there any scientific explanation for human intuition? | [
"Generally intuition comes from your brain subconsciously picking up and processing clues. One simple form is [subitizing](_URL_0_), where you can look at a small number of objects and just instantly know exactly how many there are without having to count them individually."
] | [
"We don't have a current scientific understanding of consciousness."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Are there any 100% real, legitimate ways of making money on the internet? Or are they all scams to lure us into purchasing their "get rich quick" products. | [
"> If this is true, please explain exactly how this is possible. Creating those scams and stealing sap's money works fairly well."
] | [
"Clickbait. Maybe it leads to a program where you 'just stay at home and send e-mails/letters!' Only you need to send hundreds or thousands a day to make any real money Maybe it leads to a 'Super awesome guide to making youtube money through google!' Except that guide costs you $5.99 to purchase Wherever it leads y... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What's happening with my watch display? | [
"The first blob is only lit if the digit contains the center segment of the seven segment display. Second blob corresponds to the lower left segment. Third blob is matched with the lower right segment. Fourth blob goes with bottom segment. Why? Beats the hell out of me, OP. I guess whoever designed the display had ... | [
"How are you going to change the filter?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How can we make composite images of the Milky Way if we only have cameras inside it just outside of Earth? | [
"By observing galaxies outside of ours, we can classify them in [several types](_URL_0_) and we know some of the properties of each type. Looking at our own galaxy from the inside, we can see what are its properties and deduce which type of galaxy we have and its shape: the Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy. From... | [
"Yes. Just as we see the Sun as it was 8 minutes ago. The issue is to get a telescope that could look that close from that distance is essentially impossible."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why do new consoles break easier than old ones? | [
"Complexity. The more complex something is, the more likely it is to break."
] | [
"Because they weren't written for it. Though they appear similar, computers can be as different as consoles as time moves on. What you're asking is akin to \"Why can't I play Playstation 1 games on my PS4?\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why can´t I(we) stop arguing with strangers over the internet | [
"Because it's the internet. It's published for anyone to see. If you hear a stranger spouting nonsense in a public square, who cares? But on the internet, you don't know if someone is going to come along later and read that and be convinced, so you seek to challenge it. That and internet arguments are the biggest ... | [
"I have a feeling you should be asking this to a doctor face to face rather than unqualified strangers on the Internet"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why is Blurred Lines such a bad song? | [
"Its sounds like its promoting rape and violence against women. Victims often hear those things from their attackers. And objectively, it does fit the idea of a rape in progress. Someone says no, but \"I know you want it\""
] | [
"Too catchy to ignore, too generic to like."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
at what point does a carrier of common infectious illnesses (i.e. cold/flu) stop being contagious? | [
"If you are a carrier of a disease, you will hold on to that disease for years, if not forever. If you are a carrier of something deadly like Typhoid, that's bad for everyone around you, because you will end up killing people by giving them the disease. With the cold/flu however, symptoms are usually mild and rarel... | [
"Its not that it isn't contagious at all during it's incubation period. If you took blood from an infected patient while in incubation and injected it into another you would be likely to spread the infection. During incubation, the infected person does not exhibit cold like symptoms. These symptoms, sneezing, cough... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are stars and planets named so strangely? | [
"First, there are tons of stars outside our solar system that have \"normal\" names. They tend to be in Latin or Greek but that's because of tradition. Take a look at this list: _URL_0_ But, I think you're referring to planets like Kepler-452b. The main reason we don't give flowery names to all the stars and planet... | [
"The term 'moon' for an orbiting body is derived from the name of our Moon. When we discovered that other objects behaved the same as our moon, the term was simply expanded to those objects. You'd totally think it's a sweet name, except you're *used* to it being the generic name. But the generic name exists becaus... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Astronomy:",
"pos": "Represent the passage about Astronomy:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
I can purposely make my vision blurry. How do I do that? | [
"Very related ELI5: Can some people not do this? I was under the assumption everyone can."
] | [
"No, your vision goes out of focus. Your eyes have to be looking at the same thing for your brain to process the image, otherwise it doesn't really know how to combine them. Source: I typed this cross-eyed. Can't read shit."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
What's the deal with Houses at the unis in the US? | [
"No. [Fraternities and sororities](_URL_0_) are not just living quarters, but invitation-only social organizations. Someone who lives in a dorm may or may not run in the same social circles as other people in the dorm. But in a fraternity/sorority, the others in the same house make up a very large part of that pers... | [
"What do you want to know about them exactly?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do rich people working for companies (eg Steve Jobs) request to be paid low amounts like $1 instead of just working for free? | [
"The biggest reason is likely to have the CEO considered an employee as opposed to a volunteer or unpaid staff; this has big implications for the benefits and rights that the employee receives. For example, most unpaid staff are ineligible for benefits ([source](_URL_0_)). And as most other commentators have stated... | [
"Nothing at all... except that they don't want too, and there isn't really a reason too. They can do a lot more good from their current position (think of Bill and Melinda Gates) and then spin off their fortune at their deaths as planned. Remember that once you hit that level of wealth... your actual salary is pret... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why can you see better at a distance if you squint? | [
"A quick way to explain it is to understand that light behaves differently when traveling through small holes and small gaps than it does through open air. It's an interesting phenomenon called diffraction. What essentially happens, is that the light will bend and focus to a certain angle as it travels through the ... | [
"Do you have corrected vision? And if not can you focus on other small things near your face without getting a headache?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why is it so difficult to use numbers fluently in another language? | [
"Because not all languages treat numbers the same way. you have to translate the number \"ninety\" over to \"Níutíu [is][nine tens]\" \"Halv-Fems [dan] [Half Fifths]\" \"quatre vingt dix [Fra] [four twenty ten]\" e.t.c. each language has new words or even new systems of counting for each number, and you'll have to ... | [
"We do it in the same way that you capture the writing style of a writer when reading a book in your own language. How easy this is depends on the nature of the source text. I'm a professional translator, but I avoid reading translated literature for pleasure, maybe that tells you something."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
What causes the feeling of Déjà-Vu? | [
"Sometimes something *really has* happened before. Like this question! :-) 1. [ELI5: What happens when we experience déjà vu? ](_URL_2_) 1. [ELI5: Why do I sometimes experience Déjà Vu? ](_URL_7_) 1. [ELI5: What is deja vu and how does it work? ](_URL_3_) 1. [ELI5: Why do we sometimes feel Déjà Vu's ](_URL_8_) 1.... | [
"This is called *deja vu.* It's a common, temporary, very slight malfunction of the brain. Ahoy, fellow redditor. Yer not alone in askin', and kind strangers have explained: 1. [What causes Deja Vu? ](_URL_6_) ^(_44 comments_) 1. [ELI5: Déjà vu ](_URL_7_) ^(_93 comments_) 1. [ELI5: How exactly does Deja Vu happen, ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Cognitive Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Cognitive Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How come people say "drinking the Kool-aid"when referring to cults? | [
"The Jonestown Mass \"Suicide\" where over 900 members of the Peoples Temple (a cult) drank cyanide laced kool-aid. I take the term to represent how people involved in cults are willing to do anything and believe everything the leaders tell them. Jim Jones told the members to drink to kool-aid and nearly 1000 peopl... | [
"The only people that don't refer to today's religions as myths are the people that actively believe in said myths, that's all it really boils down to"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why is there such strong opposition to same-sex marriage in France? | [
"There's also the fact that protests and rallies are very important in French political culture, there's a long tradition for all sorts of groups to protest and rally their views. I don't think opposition inf France is that much different to the US, but they are more visible."
] | [
"Americans who denounce Russia's anti-gay laws are also the ones pushing for same marriage in all states."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
How to use Reddit Enhancement Suite to customize reddit. I don't understand widgets or "grouping" subreddits for a main page. | [
"[I just found this tutorial on their subreddit](_URL_1_), I'll watch it and see if I have more questions."
] | [
"_URL_0_ It pays the bills, notably server costs. Reddit continues to operate in the red and is not a profitable website. As for you the user it really only does a few things: * Gives access to /r/Lounge an elite members only subreddit. * Allows you to get notified when someone mentions you in a comment. * highlig... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What's the difference between centrifical and centrifugal force? Which is the "fake" one? | [
"Neither one is \"fake\" however one is \"*fictitious*\". But fictitious doesn't mean \"not real.\" The centrifugal force is the fictitious one. When you have circular motion, there must be a force pointing inwards, since the object is always accelerating towards the center of the circle. That is the centri**petal*... | [
"It doesn't generate gravity - it generates acceleration that stands in for gravity - \"centrifugal\" force."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How can Soccer players slide on the pitch after they score and not feel pain on their knees? | [
"Adrenaline. Same way you can get hit in a fight and not feel the pain as much. You're just hyped as fuck to have scored so the pain isn't really noticeable"
] | [
"That way you have the least chance of hurting yourself the same way again. Lets say you are running down a tight canyon and you scrape your elbow against the walls. It makes sense for your body to tell you to tuck in your elbow - otherwise it will probably happen again."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Biology:"
} |
Why aren't there gas caps on both sides of a car? | [
"Because it's a waste of money, weight, and space, and for what? Do you actually need it? Adding gas caps requires two filler necks, two gas caps, two gas doors, two gas cap locks and sensors, it adds a failure point to the evap system, it requires extra cutouts in the body, and typically removes possible storage o... | [
"Are the hoses not separate? Never seen diesel and gasoline pumped through the same line."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
The halting problem and universal Turing machine. | [
"[Proof that the halting problem cannot be solved written as a children's poem.](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"In binary, then people built programs to convert other code into binary."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why in so many parts of the world are salt and pepper the ultimate and preferred condiment and seasoning? | [
"I don't know so much about why pepper is much of a basic condiment. BUT.. salt is a whooole different story. One thing I've learned from cooking is, SALT, is everything. Salt does not make things salty, well technically it does. but what it really does is when applied to any food, it creates a chemical reaction be... | [
"More importantly why does root beer and ice cream become more delicious than the sum of its parts?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Have plants evolved to become more human dependent? | [
"Those plants only existed in parts of the world where they received the necessary water. The vast assortment of beautiful plants people own are not local, they come from across the world, the issue is that they haven't adopted to the new placement (ie your backyard). People don't want to be limited to just the pla... | [
"Fruit and flowers are there to help the plant reproduce - normally with the help of other creatures. These creatures are attracted to colours, smells and taste. It is an evolutionary advantage to the plant to be attractive to creatures that help it propagate."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why does everyone seem to hate the sound of their own voice? | [
"When people hear themselves speak, the voice they hear is transmitted to their ears through the vibrations of their bones. This is a different sound than what is communicated by air. So one spends his/her entire life thinking they sound one way when the rest of the world hears them in a different manner. Realizing... | [
"In the real world why would anyone want to be a politician?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Language and Communication:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about Language and Communication:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
how do thermal cameras work? | [
"Their sensors detect light in the infrared portion of the spectrum, rather than (or as well as) light in the visible portion. This works because all objects emit electromagnetic radiation at a frequency related to their temperature (this is a fundamental physical rule, known as Planck's Law). At the sort of temper... | [
"When you say night vision do you mean how do night vision devices work or how humans/animals see at night?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do movies still use the Wilhelm Scream? Every time i hear this i get disappointed with the producer/regisseur, because it's just so dumb. Is it a "running joke" kind of thing? If so: who on earth finds it something else than annoying and stupid? | [
"> Is it a \"running joke\" kind of thing? Pretty much, yeah."
] | [
"If a good actor does a bad performance in one movie, he's a good actor with bad direction. If an actor does a bad performance in every movie he is in, he's a bad actor. Personally I think the best actors are the ones who actually play different characters, instead of themselves in different scenarios, so I persona... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
How does one layer of uncooked pastry become multiple layers of flaky pastry when baked? | [
"It's not one layer of pastry. It's actually many layers of pastry. They take a piece of dough, roll it out, add a layer of butter, fold it in half or thirds, roll it out again. Repeat this many times. Eventually you have many layers each separated by a bit of butter. When the pastry is cooked, the water in the bu... | [
"You would get a cake full of bits of boiled egg. By mixing the liquid raw egg into the batter itself, it causes it to cook differently than if it's on its own. So it doesn't just bake into scrambled eggs within the cake."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
What does it mean to win a year's worth of say, for example, baked beans? how much do I get? are there any hidden costs? | [
"They generally limit it some way. I know someone that got a years worth of pizza. It was something like 1 medium 2 topping and bread sticks every week for 52 weeks."
] | [
"It all varies on the prize. Sometimes they give you a huge upfront amount that they call a lifetime supply, sometimes they dole it out every so often in instalments, sometimes they get you to ring up and ask for more when you run out. It's not going to be an unlimited supply though. It's rarely bad to win a life t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
When you get something small in your eye, and then get rid of it by blinking, where does it go? | [
"It's carried away with your tears, to the corners of your eyes and onto your face. That's one of the reasons we have tears, to help remove debris from our eyes."
] | [
"It gives you the chance to hold something and breath without swallowing. Imagine if the substance was blood, poison, or saltwater: would you really want to swallow? By the same token, say your mouth is full of water and you try to breathe through your nose; do you want that water going into your lungs? It's all to... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Health and Wellness:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Health and Wellness:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is black text on white background easier to read than white text on black? | [
"This sounds like a question about usage of program. For example which programming IDE theme is the best for me. For answer it is good to go right to the source and ask the programmers. [link to user exchange](_URL_0_) Generally the idea is, use what works for you. Black characters on white background are easier t... | [
"Contrast and brightness are different. Brightness is how bright the brights are and how dark the darks are. Contrast is how _much_ brighter the lights are vs. the darks. Brightness changes both light and dark colours by the same amount. Contrast moves light and dark closer, or farther apart. I turn up the brightne... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is the 5-17 age group so valuable to advertisers versus other age groups? | [
"Becaus for most if them their frontal lobes aren’t developed yet and are very easily molded by repetition and hype. Adults have the ability and experience to see the BS in ads."
] | [
"Especially for marketing a lot of times they target specific demographics. A lot of times people will target 18-29 year old males (approx. 1987-1999) as a huge demographic for TV/Media/Products for instance. People born in different eras will have different needs and for marketing perspective that's why generatio... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why do the phrases "Cut it out!" and "Knock it off!" mean stop? What is their origin? | [
"Etymology online says knock it off is a request given to an auctioneer to end bidding (by knocking his gavel). While the entry puts the first usage as 1880, the same entry cites a US Senate record of 1834. _URL_0_"
] | [
"Common sayings and proverbs don't have to make semantic sense. Ex: \"It's raining cats and dogs\". In this case though, it does make sense. Think of the 'have' as meaning 'keep' You can't keep your cake, and eat it too. Historically speaking, the proverb existed both with 'have/eat' order, and 'eat/have' order. Bu... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
why Technetium (Tc) is unstable, when it's in a stable portion of the periodic table? | [
"strictly speaking, there are no 'stable' portions of the periodic table. nuclear stability is related to the number of protons and neutrons present in the nucleus, regardless of their location in the periodic table. any element can be unstable in one or more of its nuclear \"configurations\". the different configu... | [
"Being a chemically reactive metal is just a property of MOST elements in the s-block. Rather, to be put in the s-block, the valence electrons has to be in the S orbital. Hope that helps."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why does almost everyone agree that sweet tastes good? | [
"Your body has evolved to love sugars and fats because they're quick, easy energy. If you were starving to death and had the option between a bar of chocolate and a bunch of kale, the chocolate is the thing that would keep you moving, because you'd need those sweet, sweet calories. So we've evolved a taste for swe... | [
"A follow-up question: Why do some people love that feeling while others detest it?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How was it that in the United States, most people were able to afford mortgages, car payments, health insurance, food, etc. without a college education before? | [
"In the 50s and 60s the world was decimated by WWII and we were the domanant manufacturing superpower. Blue collar work was valued and unions were strong. Women didn't work as much. Fast forward to the present. Jobs require more sophistication. Manufacturing is done for cheap in a heavily comoditized fassion. The u... | [
"They put themselves above the health of groups and institutions. For example, the WWII generation was ok with taxes to fund schools, infrastructure, and other public amenities. Few, or no, Baby Boomers had to take out college loans because the tuition was subsidized with tax dollars. Today few middle class kids ca... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why cracking knuckles has a cooldown timer. | [
"The crashing sound is a result of dissolved gasses in your cartilage escaping. Since these gasses have already escaped, and they're was no time for more to dissolve, it results in a \"cooldown\" period."
] | [
"Popping your knuckles isn't a bad thing. Chiropractors are quacks and popping your back doesn't do anything at all."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
what happens if you or your child are uninsured and you get diagnosed with something really bad like aggressive cancer? | [
"You get whatever treatments are considered non-experimental, and you go into debt beyond your wildest nightmares."
] | [
"yes, if the cancer is treatable, not all cancers are treatable. also, how many people do you know that actually have yearly physicals? it's better to cure the problem than to cure the symptoms."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
why the insides of my cheek goes all wrinkly when I keep a lollipop there for long periods of time? | [
"It's the same reason why your fingers get wrinkly when you stay in the bath too long. Osmosis. Your body tries to balance itself all the time. The lollipop is a bunch of concentrated salts and sugars with little water. The inside of your cheek is a lot of water with little salts and sugars. Somethings can pass thr... | [
"Sometimes it feels nice, does anybody know why it feels nice occasionally (Feels like a massage) and sometimes it feels nasty like somebody stabbing you with needles?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why can't homeless people get on government assistance like food stamps and section 8 housing, aren't they the people that REALLY need those programs? | [
"As homeless housing programs have shown, it's in everybody's best interests to give the homeless housing with no strings attached. _URL_0_ All homeless housing programs reduced homlessness signifigantly and reduced the cost to the state. These programs are not offered to the homeless because of politics. Some peop... | [
"Let's hope you have family or friends to take you in. Social security is not based on need, so there wouldn't be more social security. You'd qualify for more need-based government assistance -- food stamps, possibly housing (depending on where you live) -- but the help that'd be offered would not be all that much.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
how the Astros moving divisions is going to mess around the wild card situation. | [
"It won't? There are a few different weird things at play. MLB is planning to change the postseason for 2012. Five teams from each league would make the postseason, the three division winners and two wildcard teams. The two wildcard teams would play a one game play off. The winner would then be the 4th team in the... | [
"I would imagine that since they are playing 162 games a season, it would cut down dramatically on travel costs."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
How certain websites get access to obscure weird extention names (_URL_3_ isn't _URL_1_, _URL_2_ isn't _URL_0_...?) | [
"_URL_0_ -.fm is Micronesia _URL_1_ -.ws is Samoa Lots of small countries make a lot of money selling domain names to foreign corporations."
] | [
"Previously answered [once](_URL_2_), [twice](_URL_0_), [three times a lady](_URL_1_)."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Biology:"
} |
Why do cops sometimes give out warnings rather than tickets, and why is it legal to do so? | [
"Cops aren't required to arrest everyone for every minor violation of the law. They're allowed to use their personal judgement for minor infractions, especially when there is no victim or material damage (ie - a speeding ticket). The purpose of the police is to create an ordered society & keep people safe, not thro... | [
"I am not a lawyer. After reading a few articles, it appears that under limited circumstances, a police officer could comandeer a vehicle. The penalty for refusing varies by state, but the punishments seem to be mainly fines. I was unable to locate any sources suggesting that an officer could use force to take cont... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why can a baker keep their breads out to exposed air and still be 'fresh' where I take it home and leave it out the bag for an hour and it's rock hard? | [
"I worked in a bread bakery for 6+ years and have no idea what you're talking about. Our bread would be baked from approx. midnight until 8 am or so and a loaf that came out at 2 in the morning would still be tasty at 6pm. I've never seen a loaf get \"rock hard\"; if anything they tend to get softer at first. We do... | [
"usually, that is a freshness date and not a you will die if you eat it after date. If properly stored and packaged, most food doesn't have germ risks before you open it. But something like a cookie could lose its taste or firmness or whatnot. Once you open something all bets are off. You have to be really caref... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why do some blisters fill with fluid? | [
"The fluid that fills in a blister is your body’s way of making a padded bandaid. Say you get a burn, fills with fluid, the outer layer of skin is dead skin, but the skin underneath is the damaged skin from the burn. So the fluid is the body’s way of protecting the damaged skin until it heals. That’s why doctors te... | [
"When you scratch, you damage the skin. This causes more white blood cells to gather in the area to fight infections. That's why rashes are itchy. If you scratch too hard, you can break the skin allowing more infection. This is what the medical professionals want to prevent."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What makes people shout when they are angry? | [
"Anger is stress. Stress tends to trigger your \"fight or flight\" instinct. Verbal fighting, instinctively, is roaring. So, we \"roar\" to gain/show dominance over a threat."
] | [
"A follow-up question: Why do some people love that feeling while others detest it?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How can water produced by different brand taste difference when they are in essecen, all water? | [
"water can have varying quantities of other chemicals and minerals, depending on how and where it was processed/bottled. It's not pure H2O. That would be distilled water."
] | [
"Also must think of what air plains are made of magnesium alloys and many other things that plain water wont put out. Most trucks at airport use chemical foam"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do men get itchy balls? | [
"Many reasons really. Sweat, dry skin, poor hygiene, allergies, insect bites, dust, hair"
] | [
"That's why men get erections in their sleep - it keeps them from rolling out of bed."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why couldn't Yoda, Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Mace, Anakin or any of the rest of Jedi Council sense that Senator Palpatine was a Sith Lord? | [
"Because the Sith Lord has the ability to cloud their vision. They only knew that \"something was wrong\"."
] | [
"Depends on who you ask and what you consider balance. Some say Anakin/Vader brought balance to the force by leveling the playing field: before there were thousands of Jedi and a couple Sith. After Anakin/Vader, two Jedi and two Sith. Others say Anakin/Vader brought balance to the force by destroying the last of th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is the biology behind being able to raise one eyebrow but not the other? | [
"you can practice and train yourself to control the other eyebrow. if you lift your weak brow with your fingers, practice raising and lowering the muscles for a couple minutes every day using your fingers as a guide- eventually you will be able to do it without your fingers. keep using your dominate eyebrow too o... | [
"Gives you a slightly better view. Open your eyes as wide as you can without raising your eyebrows, then raise your eyebrows and see the slight different it makes."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:"
} |
Why can some animals (i.e. cats, dogs, etc) sleep curled up in a ball or some other contorted position, while humans have a preference to lay sprawled out, or flat? | [
"I feel like sleeping positions are relative to each individual."
] | [
"It's fairly easy to take a short nap when you're sitting upright, but once you enter REM cycles or \"deep sleep\", your body tends to lose muscle control. And while sitting upright there's a lot that can go wrong, like falling flat on your face, slumping down the back rest or rolling sideways. Your body is conditi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Dentistry:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about Dentistry:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why does Youtube have to reload the whole video even if I just go back 1 second? | [
"It used to not do that. Something changed in the coding at some point to where it does. The whole video used to buffer at once also, instead of only a certain amount past the current position marker. I remember buffering entire videos when I was on a 1 Mbps or slower connection. The best guess I have is that it re... | [
"I don't know why either. Happens to maybe 20% of gifs. There is an easy fix though. If it doesn't load, click the word 'imgur' just above the post title. Works a treat."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer about Technology:"
} |
Why do the years seem like they are getting shorter as I get older? | [
"When I was young, I thought it was because the amount of time passed would be a relatively shorter amount of time, compared to the amount of time I've already lived. When I'm 10, one year is 1/10th of my life. When I'm 50, one year is 1/50th of my life. Now that I'm older, I've realized it's because my life is mon... | [
"Things aren't as exciting as you get older. It's natural to quit being so excited over something when you experience it over and over again."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How does salary work when you're in organized crime? | [
"You might be interested in this explanation: [Why do drug dealers still live with their moms?](_URL_1_) [Youtube version](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"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 Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why does water swirl down drains/toilets instead of just going straight down? | [
"Drop a marble down the edge of a round bowl. Unless your bowl is perfectly straight and your marble is perfectly round, it's gonna wobble and spin into the center. If a stream of water is flowing towards a drain and \"misses\" to one side, the water around it will push it sideways and back in, creating a swirl."
... | [
"Because it wouldn't do any good. If a toilet is clogged, an overflow isn't going to magically allow the water to drain around the clog. If you stuffed a bunch of toilet paper down your sink's drain, the overflow hole wouldn't help in that case either."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why do people say Kony 2012 was/is a scam? | [
"Part of it was Kony has been in hiding for the past several years and his army has been reduced to less than 200 people. The video kind of exaggerated these numbers, and seemed to focus upon Uganda, even though the Ugandan military has pushed Kony out of the country."
] | [
"Creating content other people enjoy? Why are movies a thing? What do the creators get out of it? Why is youtube a thing? What do the creators get out it? Why (was) vine a thing? That's probably the more direct western analogue."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why can Windows run on almost any computer without a special build but mobile OS's (Ubuntu Touch, Android) need a specific build for a device? | [
"Windows can't run on \"almost any computer\". It can only run on computers designed to match certain specifications: an x86 processor, using BIOS or UEFI firmware, with ACPI for device management, IDE or SATA to connect the storage device, and so on. It just so happens that the PC industry has been standardized on... | [
"Because those devices are running a firmware which prohibits installment of third party software. It is of course possible to hack a way through but those tend to be patched. Also, operating systems can't run with proper drivers for the hardware in the device and the PS4 and XBOX one are filled with custom silicon... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why doctors work such long shifts? | [
"It depends on the practice or business model. In some fields, like Emergency Medicine, shift work is the norm. In some large medical practices (like Kaiser Permanente), physicians work shift work as well. But the trade off is mainly two-fold: 1. The physician often has to hand off the care of one patient (in the ... | [
"Today, a typical workweek is 40 hours. A hundred years ago it was 55 hours. Two hundred years ago, it was about 70 hours. What makes you think we are working longer?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are there only 3 blades on wind turbines? Wouldn't they be able to capture more wind energy if there more blades on each turbine? | [
"Adding more mass will make it harder for the wind to get the turbine up to speed (think small car vs large truck). Also, adding more surface area increases wind resistance."
] | [
"The blades of a turbine are not designed to catch wind. If they caught the wind, the turbine would be blown over by it. Instead, they are designed to be turned by the wind. The design is the one that will be turned by the wind, without being pushed backwards by the wind. And it so happens that we have been doing t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why do places like Domino's and Pizza Hut have really high pricing yet always offer codes that give you 50% off etc | [
"Incentivizing the consumer. A person who gets email coupons or offers is probably someone who has used the service in the past, and is probably going to use it in the future. Say they are trying to decide between dominos and pizza hut, and they check the email and see a half off coupon from pizza hut...well then t... | [
"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... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are there still US military bases in Europe? | [
"Because there's not a huge amount of incentive to remove them. The host countries don't at all mind the money flowing into their economy from the US troops and associated other visitors, the US government maintains stronger ties to that country, the miliitaries get a lot of practice in working closely together etc... | [
"Because the US, Russia, and Israel are powerful enough to get away with it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do whales not suffer from the bends? | [
"Some articles I'm finding on the subject suggest that they do have such adaptations. Very interesting stuff. First off, nitrogen absorption (which causes the bends) is much more of a problem for SCUBA divers than for freedivers. If you're not continuing to breathe at depth, it's much less of a problem; you need to... | [
"Whales' lungs and circulatory system have adapted to a buoyancy-neutral environment - a whale's body has the same overall density as the water around it. Out of water the effects of gravity collapse their organs and their hearts cannot pump blood efficiently. Blood pools in the lower part of their body and the res... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Marine biology:"
} |
why are prices always a cent cut short? Like "5.99" "299.99"? | [
"Two reasons. 1) people don't really pay attention to the cents so if the dollar is lower the price looks significantly lower. 2) cents are used as code in store so x.99=full price, x.98=on sale, x.95 = clearance."
] | [
"It's a pyschological thing, would you be willing to pay 100$ instead of 99.99$? Most would not."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How did sushi chefs originally figure out which part of the blowfish was safe to eat? | [
"No, it doesn't work like the simpsons, \"poison, poison, poison, tasty feesh\". Only a very small part of the fish is poisonous, namely the eyes and liver. Avoid that, and you're fine. The poison is very fast acting. If it is in your mouth, you know it immediately because you can't feel your lips or your tongue. ... | [
"Humans are able to consume raw meat. However, our digestive systems need to adapt to it over time. _URL_0_ Theoretically, could eat a steak raw, however, it isn't really socially acceptable to walking into TGI Fridays and say you want it uncooked. When it comes to fish, humans can eat this raw - examples being so... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why don't the British have to return the items they took from other countries and are instead allowed to keep them in museums? | [
"Nobody has the authority to order the return of such goods or the ability/will to go take them back."
] | [
"> Do these end up in so called private collections? Most likely they do end up in the possession of wealthy individuals who don't care about laws in the country from which they were stolen."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do college/university professors feel the need to "dumb down" the information? (X-post from r/askreddit) | [
"It depends on the school the more rigorous the college the more likely you cover the whole picture of an issue. You get what you pay for both in cost and the difficulty of getting in. If I was teaching at Failreject school number 5 I'd be dumbing it down. If I was teaching at an Ivy League I'd be delving into the ... | [
"There's no objective answer for this, so I think you'll find more luck submitting this to either /r/ask_politics or /r/changemyview."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
What happened that all the subs shutdown? | [
"A key organizer/moderator of the AMA subreddit named Victoria was terminated from her position with little to no explanation from the higher-ups. She made sure all of the AMAs were set up and went smoothly. The backlash is twofold: first, people are extremely frustrated that Victoria is gone. They're mad that ther... | [
"To confirm that you're ready. What if the game just started and something came along and killed your guy?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Six years ago I broke my arm and had metal plates/screws inserted. Why does my arm hurt during a big storm? | [
"I have this surgery tomorrow. what else can i expect in the healing process?"
] | [
"I had a tibial plateau fracture and it was set with two large screws that crossed from medial to lateral side. I kept them in for two years, but as a horsewoman, the screws were irritating my inner knee while riding. So I had them removed. The holes filled in with new bone in a few weeks. The human body is pretty ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why can insurance companies charge different rates depending on gender but not charge different rates based on race? | [
"I'm going to go at this from a Life Insurance perspective. Because statistically, race doesn't have an impact on your risk factor. A black electrician and a white electrician aren't going to have different risk factors, they are both electricians, both with the same amount of risk. One being black and the other wh... | [
"Businesses in the US aren't permitted to refuse service to to anyone for any reason; certain reasons to refuse service are illegal, such as on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, religion, disability, etc."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
If HCl is released from cells in the stomach, how do the cells remain safe from the acidity? | [
"The stomach's epithelium is protected by its own coating cells which produce bicarbonate, a buffer substance that neutralizes the liquid acid and also attracts water so that the acid's effect is diminished."
] | [
"CO2 + H2O < -- > H2CO3 < -- > HCO3^- + H^+ Carbon dioxide dissolved in water forms carbonic acid. The inside of your nose is mucosa, the moist pink lining stuff of the body. A rush of carbon dioxide mixes with the water in the nasal mucosa, forming acid. The lining of the nose is quite sensitive, and the burst of... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What do these main ingredients in a flu shot such as Formaldehyde, Aluminum Salts, Gelatin, Thimerosal, and Chicken Egg Proteins do to prevent the human body from getting sick? What is each ingredients purpose? | [
"* aluminum salts kick your immune system to make it respond to the vaccine more rapidly * Formaldehyde is used to kill bacteria and any viruses that may be attached to them * Thimerosal is a preservative so that vaccine vials with multiple doses don't grow bacteria. * Egg proteins are found in flu shots which use ... | [
"All soft drinks have chemicals we would not otherwise consume. Phosphoric acid is used to give soft drinks a \"tangy\" flavor. Too much Phosphoric acid could remove some of the Calcium from your bones. Some soft drinks, such as Mountain Dew, have Brominated Vegetable oil to give them a cloudy appearance. Too much ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why do computer games have to be programmed separately for Windows and Mac? | [
"You know those books at the back of your kindergarten class? Well, they're different from the books at the back of the kindergarten class next door! And you have to base what you read on the books that your class contains, right? Well so do developers! Think of your class as a Mac machine and the class next door a... | [
"Think of an Xbox vs a PlayStation to be like a PC vs a Mac. You can't run Mac software on a PC and you can't run PC software on a Mac. The same problem occurs on an Xbox vs PlayStation. They just don't speak the same \"language\"."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer about videogame development:"
} |
Why is it hard to snap out of deep thinking | [
"Serious comment and I’m not trying to make fun of you. You might actually have ADD. You’re basically describing it."
] | [
"Along with all the scientific answers, it seems like a convenient way for your body to tell you to stop inhaling water."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Psychology:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Psychology:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why can phones pick up a human voice easily but they can't pick up sound from computer speakers unless it's really loud? | [
"Telephones have omnidirectional condenser mics. They pick up sounds that are very close because of a compressor/gate built in. There is a null point toward the back of the mic-coil and that's why things on the other side aren't picked up as loud. If you put the phone to a loud speaker the other person won't be abl... | [
"Some kind of electromagnetic interference most likely. Same reason why speakers sometimes start making weird noises when you have the phone right next to them and receive a text message/call."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do our ears 'pop' when flying or driving at high altitudes? | [
"[This is what your ears look like internally](_URL_0_) Now, as you can see, the ear drum completely blocks the inside of your ear from the outside of your ear. That means that the air inside is isolated from the air outside. Now, that would be a problem if you got on a plane or drove to high altitudes, because the... | [
"Planes fly at high altitudes. There's very little air at high altitudes, so the air pressure is very low. Planes are full of air. Air moves from areas of high pressure to low pressure. All that said, yes, movies drastically overblow how much force is involved. Yes, pun totally intended."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What actually happened with Freddy Gray? | [
"The current top answer is a bit opinion-heavy for an ELI5 and is taking assumed (but not proven) hearsay as fact. What is known is that Freddy Gray was arrested for cocaine distribution and died while in police custody. That is currently ALL that is known. There is hearsay including multiple fractures or breaks in... | [
"People say it's because of COPS, I say it was because of Stanley in a Streetcar named Desire."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Can a child be conditioned to think insects are the cutest thing ever and be instinctively afraid of kittens? | [
"When studying ethics in psychology at uni I read about \"Little Albert\". The short answer to your question is yes, a child can learn a phobia of something not usually thought of as phobia-material. _URL_0_ In short, they used the techniques of Pavlov with classical and operant conditioning, only Pavlov famously... | [
"Spiders are poisonous. Heights can break bone upon fall. Water can drown. These are things that are millions of years old. As old as our species. If a person is born with a fear of something that might kill them, and their neighbour is not, their neighbour is much more likely to be killed by that thing. Adapting ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why do I occasionally get solid gummy-like pieces of semen during ejaculation? | [
"The most common causes of gel-like clumps and globules in semen are dehydration, poor diet, and low testosterone. In some cases gel may also be related to protein coagulation, particularly if a man hasn’t ejaculated in a while or doesn’t have a regular pattern of consistent discharge. In rarer cases it can be a si... | [
"If your urine has protein in it, this will make your pee frothy. (Think of running a cold tap onto egg whites. The water goes frothy.) The protein might be there from traces of semen, which is pretty much all protein, that is in or around your your urethra and gets washed out when you urinate. If your kidneys are ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Science:"
} |
What is Publishers Clearing House and how can they afford to gift people $10,000 a month for life? | [
"PCH is like the original spam warehouse. When you enter, they sell your info to a TON of companies, traditionally magazine and periodical publishers- hence publisher's clearing house. So they make money off that. And how can they afford it? They made $750 million in 2012, and as they put it on their FAQ: \"PCH Sup... | [
"Someone is willing to pay $50,000 for it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Where did light get the energy to move as quickly as it does? | [
"It has no mass. Things travel by default at the speed of light, you essentially have to give it mass to slow it down."
] | [
"No. Sadly if the light hasn't reached us yet, it never will. This is because the universe is expanding faster than light can travel."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about astronomy:"
} |
How does my body let out a fart and not also all my stools, even when watery? | [
"Psh, speak for yourself. If mine is \"watery\" it's like an air powered paint grenade."
] | [
"Are you sure it's from your organs? For me, I feel like most of the time it's just gas. Keep note if you fart soon after an episode."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
I send a text to a phone that's off. Where does my text "go" until the phone turns back on? | [
"The text stays on the servers of the [SMSC](_URL_0_), which will wait until the recipient comes back online, and then the message will be delivered. Of course if the phone can't be reached for some time, the message will expire and will be deleted (and the sender will get a notification that the message couldn't b... | [
"Your friend's iPhone has registered itself on Apple's iMessage servers. Your phone, as soon as you type his number into the To box (or bring up a previous conversation with him) will ask the iMessage servers if they recognise him phone number. If they do, the message goes as an iMessage, otherwise it goes as a tex... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why are there no longer orphanages in the U.S., and we rely on foster care instead? | [
"Child welfare and protection laws in the US state children have a right to families. An orphanage system is not a family or home based system it is an institutional system. Countries with foster care systems have better outcomes for children than orphanage based systems. You hear about abuse in foster homes becaus... | [
"Because back before the government provided social services, this was done by the churches. The church took caring for people seriously. Some still do."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
The Difference between Getting high on Edibles vs Smoking. | [
"When you smoke it, the THC enters your blood stream immediately and you start feeling a high within minutes of when you first start smoking. When you eat an edible, your body has to first digest the food and the THC slowly enters your bloodstream. When eating an edible, it typically takes 1-2 hours before feeling... | [
"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 Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What would happen if a US State tried to secede today? | [
"Last time it was tried, we had a war that killed a million Americans. There's no reason to think it would go down any differently this time. There's no peaceful way for it to go down in current law. While, technically, anything is possible if you can pass an amendment, it's highly unlikely that you could get 2/3 o... | [
"They have not chosen to apply to be States yet. Puerto Rico was close to voting to apply for statehood a few months ago though."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post about American government and politics:"
} |
What does 'turtles all the way down' mean scientifically? | [
"The ideas is that you introduce something to your proposed explanation that does not actually bring you any closer to explaining things. By claiming that the world rests on the back of a turtle you only move the problem a layer down because you now have to explain what the turtle rests on and an infinite number o... | [
"Do you have any more info that could be helpful? Where did you find it? Is it a family heirloom, and if so, where-ish do you think your ancestors were 100ish years ago? Anything that could help steer people in the right direction would be great."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
how does the nutritional value of food change as it's cooked? | [
"There are parts of food that cannot be broken down effectively by our digestive system alone. For example, the cell walls of vegetables can't be broken by our stomach or intestines. Chewing helps but because the cells are so small, it doesn't help much. But when you cook it, those cell walls are broken open from t... | [
"when something is said to have \"a source of protein\" - it usually refers to having a significant or high source of protein compared to other foods. Meat, eggs fish and legumes have higher courses of protein than fruit or other foods. Then there's some meat that has more protein than other meat, etc."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What's going on inside of a polaroid picture when you shake it? | [
"Nothing. From what I have heard it is a holdover from the days of peel apart film paper, in which a cover was peeled off of the film and the developing chemicals had to dry in order to handle the photograph so waving them may have helped them dry a little faster. Polaroids are covered with a clear plastic film, so... | [
"Do you know how a fan works? If so just turn it around"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why is it that when a mirror is held up to another mirror and the reflections bounce off each other over and over, there's a green tint to the endless reflections? | [
"Mirrors as panes of glass with a silver coating on one side. Most glass has a very slight green tint to it. It's not noticeable unless the light passes through a lot of glass, like when it gets reflected a bunch of times and passes through 1/4 in of glass 20 times."
] | [
"A mirror has two reflective surfaces, the front of the glass, and the back surface of the glass that is on some sort of metal backing. Light is always being reflected from both, however the back surface is much more reflective. If you angle the front surface differently from the back surface, then the two images w... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do Hummingbirds have the energy to keep moving their wings constantly at such a rapid rate? | [
"By drinking lots of nectar/sugar water and absorbing lots of sunlight. They'll also eat other things, but they're really good at converting sugar to energy. They need to do so constantly to have enough to keep flying. I've seen a number of hummingbirds that didn't get to a food source in time. They just find somew... | [
"Your ears are vibration sensors; sound is the air vibrating. Insects have to flap their wings hundreds of times per second to stay in the air. The flapping motion of their wings causes the air to vibrate back and forth hundreds of times per second also, which your ears then detect and call a buzz."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why is it sometimes so hard to get the first sneeze out but the following ones come so easy? | [
"Sneezing is a process not unlike rebooting a computer; it traps foreign particles in the nostrils and sinuses, and regulates the beating of cilia (Microscopic Hairs,) inside your nose. To start these processes, a sneeze fires a pressurised blast of air through your nose, which leads to a few awkward seconds before... | [
"Because it is happening at such high speeds. It essentially vaporizes when it comes out of your nose so it doesn’t seem like an equivalent to the snot you blow your nose into. Also when you are blowing your nose it’s generally because your nose is full, while sneezing happens as a reflex. Fun anecdote from me, I s... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why aren't AOL-style chat rooms still a thing? | [
"They are. Most proprietary formats have died out, but many people still user IRC. The Freenode network is the most popular, and many communities have channels there. You might have better luck just logging onto Freenode or looking for IRC directories. There are more ad-hoc sites like Tinychat, or group conversatio... | [
"While we consider AOL to be a has-been, one of the things you have to remember is these old internet companies own a ridiculous amount of intellectual property, which is worth quite a bit on the patent / IP licensing front. [Looking at what AOL has bought](_URL_0_), there's a lot of names that jump out at you if ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
How are total solar eclipses forecast so far in advance in such remarkable detail? | [
"We can predict it using simple orbital mechanics. It can be very accurate. Knowing our distance from the sun, velocity, location of the moon, it's velocity relative to us as well as a few other factors, you can just plug it into an equation for when the sun and moon are in alignment with the earth and then just so... | [
"The moon is tilted with respect to the earth's orbit around the sun, and only truly comes between the earth and sun for about a month twice a year, a time know as eclipse season. Eclipse season is currently in February and August, and will shift slightly from year to year."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why do retail stores have the most uninspiring/generic music playing, and rarely play mainstream songs? | [
"I always thought it had something to do with paying royalties to the artists (or their record companies). Then again, it might be that they choose that music specifically for background noise and nothing more. If I get really bored later, I'll put on my tin foil hat and return with some other theories."
] | [
"It's possible but the radio is also an easy way to hear new music. Some people don't want to decide which music to listen to or go out searching for a podcast, most morning radio shows have some music but also a talk show, which is a great way to get news. Add on that radio is free and many blue collar shops (mech... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Music:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Music:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do people's noses go red when it's cold? | [
"It's an extremity with a lower number of blood carrying vessels. Your body pushes blood there to help keep it warm so it doesn't suffer from tissue damage from the cold."
] | [
"When you breathe cold dry air the nose will release mucus to protect the sensitive spots on your lungs and some of that mucus will run out your nose which is what causes runny noses. On the other-hand your nose dries up because there is no need for this in the temperature you are used to. Hope that answers your qu... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Health:"
} |
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