query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Why does meat get tougher when you cook it through in the pan, yet when you slow cook it the meat is soft? | [
"When you cook meat in a pan, all the moisture is removed. This makes the meat tough. When you cook meat in a slow cooker with liquids, it is absorbed into the meat which either breaks down the meat or makes it tender."
] | [
"Breasts and thighs cook at different rates. If you cook them the same amount of time, you are likely overcooking the breast and perfectly cooking the thighs. Also, tenderness is a combo of the structure of the meat and moisture level. Chicken breast has almost no fat or connective tissue. When you cook it, you are... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do water droplets on the "edge" of the shower spray feel cold, even when the overall water spray is really hot? | [
"Mists so fine it loses its heat to the air in milliseconds and it is actually colder at that point."
] | [
"Shower water cools a lot as it falls. It's not nearly as hot when it hits the bathtub as it was when it came out of the shower head. How the water was heated, electric or otherwise, would have nothing to do with it assuming it leaves the shower head at the same temperature."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How do beauty queen careers actually work? | [
"/r/askreddit is better for this kind of material. Nonetheless, I will answer what I do know. I have a good friend that ran and won Miss Colorado. She had a full-time job but spent her time dedicated to running for Miss America and took a leave of absence from her job. In order to earn money she ran a campaign simi... | [
"If I can ask a follow-up: How did these companies respond to being targeted?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Are meiosis and cancer related? How? | [
"Meiosis is the division of sperm and egg cells, where the chromosome number is halved. If you were wondering about mitosis which is the regular division of cells, then yes it can cause cancer, among other factors. Every time the cell divides it has to replicate it's entire DNA and this can lead to errors, however... | [
"El5: alcohol crosses the blood brain barrier. Then the fun begins."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
What does it mean to "tune into" a frequency? (radio, mobile phone etc) Don't all the signals interfere with one another? | [
"You ever hear a snare drum rattle on its own when a certain note is played? Or your cars glove box rattled but only at a certain speed (not taster or slower)? That's called resonance. A radio \"tunes\" into a certain frequency by adjusting so that it resonates at that frequency, and then it only catches that spec... | [
"The box fan must be vibrating at the perfect frequency to pick up and amplify the radio frequency. It's a process called demodulation I wanted to add some to this now that I have some time. The radio waves that are in the air all around us are made of two parts, the signal wave and carrier wave. The signal wave co... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
If most of Africa is so poor and wages are so low, why is everything made in Asia and not Africa? | [
"wages being low is good for manufacturing, but having your factory under the control of various tribal warlords and having to bribe the various tribes constantly to avoid it being burnt down and all your employees killed is not good for manufacturing."
] | [
"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 query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
how can scientists transmit data @ 2.5 tbps? | [
"It turns out there are two separately measurable parts of an electromagnetic wave, *spin* and *orbit*. Up till now we normally controlled only the \"spin\" of electromagnetic waves. By modulating the data's orbit we can get a large increase in throughput. Since everything about the beam carries data, the connecti... | [
"To put it into a bit of perspective computer processors run at GHz speed. A 1 GHz frequency is equivalent to a 1 ns time period. 240ms is 2.4x10^8 ns."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why do people steal iphones if the FBI had such a difficult time unlocking the phone of the San Bernardino shooter? | [
"The mugger doesn't care about obtaining the data, and doesn't need to use tools that conform with US constitutional protections for the accused. The FBI needs both. The mugger wants a phone that can be resold, so they're happy with a factory reset. That process can be done [without the passcode](_URL_0_). The FBI... | [
"So the FBI has changed tactics to track down killers I see."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why isn't mental health a large topic in politics in America when it is clearly a problem? | [
"Because health care in the United States is mostly privately provided, there isn't too much role for the federal government in it. There are discussions of health care and health insurance, which implicitly cover the private provision of mental health care. Whereas in the UK, with its National Health Service, the ... | [
"It wasn't resolved. It just stopped being something that drew in viewers on news programs. Over 60,000 Americans die from drug overdoses every year still. There are also some politics that come into play, which is part of the reason why it stopped being in the spotlight as much. But it's still very much an ongoing... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Dancing, jumping around and shaking my hand after touching something hot seems to dull the pain. Why does this happen? | [
"It is the shaking of the hand that does the work. This causes airflow over the burned skinned cooling it and thus reducing damage and pain. The dancing and the jumping is your bodies natural instinct that something harmed you in this area and you should be moving to get away from it. Your mind knows you are no lon... | [
"I don't feel anything when I do this; however, when I do it to other people--strangers on the street, for instance--I feel a distinct punch in my face, followed by bleeding. Science is painful sometimes."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Biology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Biology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
The difference between GDP and GNI and GNP | [
"GDP is a measure of all goods and services produced in some place regardless of where the income ends up. All of the production of a Chinese owned factory in the United States would be in US GDP even though some income will be transferred abroad. GNI & GNP is a measure of where the income from the production of go... | [
"GDP is the total productive output while the PPP compares how many goods and services that particular amount of currency can purchase. & #x200B; PPP basically is like a cost of living index. where you might have high or low GDP but the amount of goods and services you can purchase is more or less compared to anot... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why Is P=NP Impossible To Solve? | [
"It's not (known to be) impossible to solve. It's just currently unknown whether or not P equals NP."
] | [
"Being Black Does Actually Have (Relatively Minor) Health Consequences, It's Just That They're Obviated By Modern Life. There's An Energy Cost To Have Extra Melanin, Even A Small One, So If You Don't Need It It Won't Be Selected For. Melanin Reduces Vitamin-D Uptake From The Sun If Sunlight Is Lower Than You're Ada... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about computing:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about computing:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How do weather stations know the "feels like" temperature of the windchill if thermometers only pick up the windless temperature? | [
"They use a formula! On a windless day your body & environment radiates heat that makes the air around you warmer than the average temperature. If it is windy, the heat you radiate blows away, so the temperature gradient between your body and the actual temperature is much shorter. Scientists have derived this f... | [
"What you \"feel\" depends on who you are, your health, metabolism and gender. So feel is not a good indicator of temperature. Website might not have regular updates, so the temp reading might be several hours old, or from a fixed location that has a different microclimate from where you are. And being indoors vs o... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the passage about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the passage about Science:"
} |
What is the difference between Psychology and Psychiatry? | [
"A medical degree in practice. Psychiatrists are doctors that can prescribe medicines and just generally do medical doctorey things. A psychologist might go so far as having a PhD but even if they do they have no special rights or privileges concerning medical care. In terms of study psychiatry would be called the... | [
"Can someone explain the difference between Dementia and Alzheimer's, please?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
When in pain, why does cussing help when dealing with it? | [
"A study by Keele University researchers found volunteers who cursed at will could endure pain nearly 50% longer than civil-tongued peers."
] | [
"Sometimes the body sends pain signals when there isn't anything that can be done to fix something. And sometimes it does it for no reason at all. And taking pain killers to be more comfortable doesn't mean someone is going to ignore the damage. As someone living with chronic pain, sometimes you just need to get th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text about Health:"
} |
Why do people in Indian soap operas start speaking English randomly or adding English words in the middle of sentences? Is that common and how did they get to this point? | [
"Most educated Indians are bilingual. English + 1 language (varies state to state). In fact, in many schools and work environments, people use English solely, mainly because not everyone speaks the same Indian regional language. When people move state borders, often they end up with English being the one common lan... | [
"First and foremost would be the language barrier - English is still the most widely accepted language, which is why American (and to a lesser extent, British and Canadian) stars can be so globally admired. In Indian star singing in Hindi, on the other hand, is unlikely to be understood outside of people in, or fro... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
When you get really drunk, why does it feel like the world is spinning? | [
"Nystagmus. It's an involuntary left-and-right movement of the eye associated with alcohol intoxication. You don't normally notice that it's happening, but it drives your vestibular system crazy. It's particularly pronounced when your head is parallel to the floor, such as when you're laying in bed. That's the orig... | [
"Pro tip: If you ever stand up too fast that causes you to get lightheaded and sometimes makes your vision fucky or something, flexing your abdomen will actually make it stop. Not sure why, just learned it and it works for me."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Can mass abortion eradicate inherited genetic defects? | [
"You are describing *eugenics.* To a significant degree it can work -- look at dog breeding programs for example, or even farm plant breeding programs. Of course the moral issues are terrible. And it won't *completely* prevent these problems, since random mutations do occur."
] | [
"Because children who have closely related parents have a much higher rate of birth defects and genetic disorders."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why do humans become overweight? Why do we absorb unhealthy part of our food. | [
"Because for the overwhelming majority of human history, food has been comparatively hard to get. Our bodies, therefore, are set up to crave things we need - sugar, salt, and fat - so that we'll be driven to get enough of them. These are survival-positive adaptations in a situation of food scarcity. The glut of foo... | [
"Because your base desires override your couscous thoughts. If my body has a choice of drinking something that is just water, or something that contains a lot of sugar, an energy source that has been hard to obtain for the overwhelming majority of human development, my body is going to choose the sugar. Remember s... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Food and Beverage:"
} |
Why do most people tilt their head and turn the paper when they are writng? | [
"First, get out a large sheet of paper and lay it across your table. Sit your arm in the most comfortable position you can while holding a pencil. Now start by holding the pencil in the closest position to you while still being on the paper, now swing your arm out slowly, and you should be drawing an arc. Look at t... | [
"When I make that gesture there is no sound associated with it. Are you referring to the people who click their tongue when they make this gesture? Or something else?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
What is stopping dual washer dryer machines from becoming commercially widespread? | [
"Because you can't wash one load and dry another load at the same time."
] | [
"The techonology has started getting inexpensive enough that they'll become more widely used."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Who is Chris Dorner and what has he done? | [
"Ex-military who was cop for very short time. Was terminated from lapd a few years back and felt it was unfair. Wrote a \"manifesto\" basically saying people would pay for the wrongs done to him and he would bring war to the police. Killed 2 civilians and 2 non-lapd cops. Manhunt ensued and he now appears to be dea... | [
"What torture method? What's the context of that quote? Who said it?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Withdrawing sexual consent. | [
"It's the first one. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't seem to get things that should be obvious such as \"if you're married that doesn't mean that you're not allowed to say no to sex\", \"People are allowed to say no during an otherwise consensual encounter and the other person should from that point forward re... | [
"The fee pays to provide the service for free calls without paid service. Edit: More of an explanation."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Telecommunications:"
} |
What does the "Z" In Dragon Ball Z Stand for? | [
"The Z, I believe, stands for \"Zenkai\" as referenced by the theme song [\"Zenkai Power\"](_URL_0_) it means: \"Full Release\".... which is a Saiyan's genetic ability to gain exponential power increases after recovering from near death. [TL;DR](_URL_1_)"
] | [
"For the sake of the acronym, it's a good thing you didn't decide to create Cooking Like I'm Ten."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Would I get better gas mileage driving a manual car in a lower gear (higher rpm) or higher gear (lower rpm) | [
"You want to keep your rpms low for best gas mileage. It's intuitive because your cylinders are firing more often at higher rpms, and the cylinders fire by igniting gasoline. This is why many automatics have an overdrive gear which allows highway cruising at very low rpm."
] | [
"gearing is similar in both manual and automatic. The difference is whether the driver or the car itself is changing gears. I wouldn't necessarily call a single gear \"faster\" than another. It's more important to be in the right gear for the situation. If a manual transmission car was put into 5th gear from a stop... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why do you get migraines? | [
"There are a large range of potential migraine triggers, but no one has them all. I suggest you look up migraine triggers, then see which ones apply to you. Ones that are related to weather include wind--strong winds increase risk of migraines. Then there are many foods, especially cheese. Not getting enough slee... | [
"* Dehydration from low fluid intake * Slow blink rate, causing dry eyes * Poor body posture * Hey. Hey. Hey Listen. Hey. Look. Hey. Hey. Hey. Look. Hey. Listen. Listen. Hey."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
- How exactly will the budget cuts to community colleges in Arizona affect the staff/students? | [
"Try _URL_0_ Basically CC that can offer low tuition can't anymore because they can't make up the money"
] | [
"A college with free tuition would work because they would get the money needed to pay the staff and such from an other source. Usually that source is taxes. So either, taxes will go up to provide free education, or taxes will stay the same, but the budget will get restructured. One thing that has been suggested, f... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
how you can have a shower at a temperature that isn't even halfway to boiling, yet steam is produced? | [
"Temperature is simply a measure of the average energy within a particular substance. Some particles will have more energy, some will have less. Thus, even at room temperature, water evaporates, as some of the water will have enough energy to escape the liquid state. When that water escapes, it cools the liquid, w... | [
"because our bodies generate heat and need cooling. at 98 degrees it wouldn't be able to cool very well."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
What exactly is/causes thunder and lighting? | [
"Thunder is just the rapid expansion of air due to the sudden intense heat of a lightning bolt. The larger or more powerful a lightning bolt, the louder the resulting thundercap will be."
] | [
"Because water turning a lighter color is harmless. It's lightning, not lightening. Sorry, couldn't resist. :-)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How the "chip and pin" credit cards work and are safer? | [
"With a magnetic strip, swiping the card to read it tells you everything you need to know to copy it (apart from the security code on the back, which you'll need to make a note of while you're swiping the card). The strip effectively stores a password which the reader sends to the bank, and when you copy the strip ... | [
"Credit cards in the US are horribly insecure. Under the current system, all information needed to authorize the current and future transactions are given to and trusted with the merchant. With a more secure system, the merchant would only have enough information to authorize the current transaction and not future ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How does a router decide what inbound packets should be routed to which machine? | [
"By port number. When the router rewrites the source IP address, it also assigns a random port number (and remembers it). When the packets come back, they're addressed to the the port the router assigned so the router can then look up which device on its network it used that port for."
] | [
"They are two different things, but they are related. When you use NAT, all devices behind the NAT device will appear as a single IP address. The outside world sees it as one thing. So, for someone outside trying to communicate with something behind the NAT device, it has no way of communicating specifically with t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why does every single album seem to have a deluxe edition? Why not release that as the main album? | [
"They could release it all as a single album. Or they could release the single album for most fans and casual fans, and the higher priced deluxe album for the hardcore fans Those hardcore fans are willing to pay more for an album, especially if it includes more. So you release two different albums because there are... | [
"It comes out later. You can't put bonuses on the first version of an album because it's not really a bonus, if you put out an asian version of the album 10 months later you can put new stuff on that that wasn't done when the original came out."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why does my body weight vary by up to 2 pounds with nothing going in or out of my body in the half hour after I wake up? | [
"When you sleep you \"lose weight\" in the form off gassed CO2. You can change your weight by changing the clothes you wear. Standing differently on your digital scale, changing your center of gravity, changing the surface your scale rests on(even just a little by moving your digital scale a couple of inches) all... | [
"You can only hold so much water at a time. The rest you will pee out as waste. So yes, it is different to drink 1.5 liters of water at once than it is to drink that amount through out the day."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
What exactly is happening when you "Scratch an itch"? Why does scratching make an itch go away and feel better | [
"I don't know the answer to the question itself, which is a shame, but I know a fun fact I want to share with you. Many studies have found that there is an effective way of getting rid of the itchy feeling by \"drawing\" an X with you fingernails on the spot where you feel the itch. This supposedly and according t... | [
"Here are the scenarios: 1. It itches and you can scratch it. - You scratch it without even thinking about it. It's as if nothing happens. 2. It doesn't itch and you can scratch it. - Nothing happens. 3. It itches and you can't scratch it. - You notice and get uncomfortable. 4. It doesn't itch and you can't scratch... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are there so many untested rape kits? | [
"DNA testing is expensive and time consuming and police agencies do not give priority to old cases so many kits taken before DNA testing was widely available remain untested."
] | [
"They don't want to be known as the perpetrator of millions of deaths and ethnic cleansing."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why dont all movies go to the theatres? Why decides they'll go right to dvd? | [
"The distributor will make a determination on that based on the quality of the movie, and they market at the time. Many movies are destined for DVD from the outset. Some may go straight to DVD based on what that studio and others have released at that time. The movie studios have to keep the exhibitors (that is, yo... | [
"They're still hoping someone will buy it. Putting it on Netflix is an admission of failure. It's an embarrassment, like movies that go straight to DVD."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
If it is easier to learn languages at an early age, why aren't foreign language lessons a part of American elementary schools? | [
"When I was in elementary school 20 years ago, I had a Spanish class a few times a week. We didn't really learn much but it definitely prepared me for when I started studying the language in earnest in Middle/High school."
] | [
"It's just so incredibly useful in business, science, etc, that many countries mandate English classes in primary and/or secondary education. It's required in the the Netherlands and Sweden, for instance, as well as a bunch of other countries. In other times, one might have preferred to study French or German, as t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why Skype and Facetime have different video quality although they both use same camera? | [
"I guess it all depends on the bandwidth each app \"requires\". The lower the quality the more fluid the communication will be on low reception environments."
] | [
"This might not be the complete answer but a part of the answer. Try loading a video in Youtube, and then a video from a website which is not primarily a video-hosting site (Like IMDB). You will notice that the IMDB video takes significantly longer to load for the same quality of video. Google has some amazing comp... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why, after decades of charitable work, do so many people in countries like Africa still not have access to clean water? | [
"It's not just charities donating, entire nations donate millions. Unfortunately Africa is [heavily corrupt](_URL_0_), much of the money donated-- even entire aid shipments have been known to get 'confiscated' by the local government-- who may be nothing more than a warlord with a tie. Does that mean they're not ma... | [
"Much of that aid is in the form of food and education and other humanitarian aid in parts of the world that don't have enough of it. Yes, the government might be stable, but that doesn't mean that we can't help the people who live there."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about International relations:"
} |
What is the American obsession with not "Putting boots on the ground"? | [
"There's a story of the greatest swordsman who ever lived being chased by a pack of wolves. He saw the wolves from the other side of the river and fired his bow at them, killing two of them. When the wolves reached him, he drew his sword and killed them all easily. Someone saw him and asked \"Why did you use a bo... | [
"Do you want problems with your shit? Cause that's how you get problems with your shit."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How does SOPA/PIPA affect those of us outside of the US? | [
"Simply, so much stuff on the internet comes from the US, it'd limit the information we get too. Think about Reddit. I think 65% of all traffic comes from the US, so it could theoretically wipe out half of Reddit. Further, if they can sue the website directly just because one part of it doesn't comply (e.g. a cover... | [
"Most of the time these sites originate outside of the US, therefore outside their jurisdictional area."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why does jam(jelly) get so watery when you get close to the bottom? | [
"The way that people usually scoop jam from a jar forms a cone shaped depression. Over time water will diffuse (i.e leak) out of the jam, due to concentration differences and gravity, and pool at the lowest possible point. Consider if you kept the surface of the jam completely flat. This would make it more difficul... | [
"Moisture evaporates out of the food when it's exposed to air for to long. Moisture is what makes the food squishy and easily chewable. If you put the food in the microwave and put a damper paper towel near it, this helps a lot"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why do we call it "Our brain"? | [
"Because it is your brain. Just like your body is you, and also your body. And also we don't refer to ourselves as \"our brain\", at least nobody I know does. Everyone I know refers to themselves as \"me\". Actually the more I read this question the less I'm sure I know what you're actually asking. Yes we are indee... | [
"The single technical term for this would be 'Fucked Up'"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why does Mac use cmd for ctrl, and opt for alt? | [
"Arguably, the question should be asked in reverse: The Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V/etc shortcuts originated in the Xerox PARC prototypes for graphical user interfaces, which Apple adopted at the time they made the original Mac OS. Now, I don't know whether Apple was actually thinking this when they changed it to Cmd- < somethin... | [
"To enable people whow lack full function of both of their hands to do hotkey combinations. Example: A person with one hand cant do ctrl-alt-del on most keyboards. So press shift 5 times, tap each key individually, and then turn sticky keys back off by pressing shift 5 times again."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does Reddit give you a different frontpage while keeping the same url? | [
"There's no .html file for the front page. Instead, the content of the page is generated on-the-fly by the webserver, based on who you're logged in as."
] | [
"The front page is for subs you're subscribed to. Even when you're not logged in, the front page is showing the default subscribed subs. If you want a more accurate representation of what the top posts of all of reddit are, then I believe you need to look at All, which is quite different from the front page. Fair w... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
What is "Squatters Rights" and why is it a thing? | [
"Three main reasons: * Human rights - Sometimes an entire community can form on land they do not own, but work to develop and make livable. Many people feel like the harm caused by render a large group of people homeless exceeds the harm caused by denying and absentee land owner his property. * Tenant rights - An u... | [
"Bankruptcy is not a crime. Can you be more specific?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text about Economics:"
} |
Why does night seem brighter when there's snow? | [
"The snow reflects the light making it brighter. When there is no snow the light is not reflected by the ground."
] | [
"Sometimes the sun is in the sky alone, sometimes the moon is in the sky alone, sometimes they are both in the sky. If the sun is in the sky, we call it day so sometimes we will see the moon during the day. If, on the other hand, we called it night when the moon is in the sky, then we would sometimes see the sun at... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is the speed of light measured relative to? | [
"Here's the mindblowing part about relativity. Light travels the same speed in *all frames of reference*, **simultaneously**. If I'm standing here looking at a photon, I see it moving past me at exactly the speed of light. Meanwhile, if you're flying past me in a spaceship at a million miles per hour, and you are ... | [
"Radio waves move at the speed of light. Which is far faster then sound."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about Science and Technology:"
} |
What is a pyramid scheme and why are they generally frowned upon? | [
"Check out the episode [The High Life](_URL_0_) of Hey Arnold. That's a great explanation. Essentially, the person at the very top takes x% of the sales from all the people immediately below him or her, those people take x% of all the sales of the people below them, so on and so forth. The higher up you get the les... | [
"Multi-level marketing is what it stands for. I’m not very familiar with them but I know they can essentially be a pyramid scheme."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Finance:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post about Finance:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post about Finance:"
} |
How is Decaf coffee made? | [
"They wash it out. One way is by dissolving it into liquid CO2, and another is by using a concentrated mixture of already brewed coffee that has the caffeine removed to gradually leech it out."
] | [
"-Regular coffee is brewed. -The water in the brewed coffee is evaporated out leaving only coffee solids. -The solids are ground into a uniform size and packaged. -Just add water to turn the coffee solids back into coffee. Source: I saw it on a \"How it's made\" show."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why did Frodo have to get on the boat at the end of the Lord of the Rings movies? | [
"The wound was cursed and he never really healed. Plus, he was the keeper of an extremely evil ring for 17-18 years which, at the end, was almost a battle of wills with Sauron. So basically, he could never be healed and find peace. Thus, the elves (or a higher power) allowed that he could make the journey to a pla... | [
"Pretty much all of it comes from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, mainly Lord of the Rings."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
The logistics of sanctuary in an embassy - who provides and who pays for basic needs like food & clothing? Do you get to watch movies? Surf the web? | [
"A person seeking sanctuary at an embassy is at the mercy of that embassy. What they provide the person in the way of food, clothing, resources is entirely up to the individual staff (and maybe orders from above in select cases). There is no universal 'this is what you get' while in sanctuary."
] | [
"A lot of your money is used to pay for the imported things wealthy visitors expect, like reliable uncrowded cars, water purification, imported food ingredients, etc. If you're willing to live like a local, you could live much more cheaply."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why are sugarcane and beets used heavily for sugar production, but not sweet fruits like apples, pears and oranges? | [
"So there are actually a lot of different types of sugars. The most common table sugar is sucrose, which is a molecule composed of glucose bounded to fructose. Fruits have high concentrations of fructose but not sucrose, therefore they’re not as useful for producing table sugar— sugar cane and beets on the other ha... | [
"The \"seed\" in a cherry is called a pit, and if I'm not mistaken, it's where the juicy part of the cherry came from. Similar to dates and plums. In contrast, the seeds of grapes and oranges are intended to produce more grapevines/orange trees"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Since being gay/lesbian is indeed not a choice, does that also mean that being a pedophile is also not a choice? | [
"Yup, exactly what that means. Pedophilia is not a choice - being a molester is, though. There are quite a few Pedophiles (although I think they prefer another term, I just can't remember it) that actively work with professionals to become \"safe\"."
] | [
"Because anyone who claims to have a complete understanding of the root cause of sexual preference is wrong. What we do know is that people don't \"choose to be gay.\" But that does not mean there is a gay gene. It only means sexual preference isn't something someone chooses at some point in life, and it isn't some... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Psychology:",
"pos": "Represent the text about Psychology:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why do so many car commercials try to appeal to viewers emotionally rather than advertise features of the car? | [
"Because that's how advertising works best. Human decisions are built on emotions and how you view yourself more than on logic. A lot of the psychological theories used for advertising are based on the theories of freud and the subsequent work of his nephew, Edward Bernays. EDIT: for more try here : _URL_0_"
] | [
"1. Our choice of car is, in some ways, an extension and evidence of our values. If someone is very patriotic, they might chose to buy an American (or whatever country they are from) car and mock cars from outside the US. If they value frugality, they might by a Hyundai and mock those who buy BMW's. If they value e... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why are landfills still our best source of dumping trash? | [
"It's incredibly expensive to send anything into space. We're talking thousands of dollars per pound. Go lift your garbage can and figure out if you want your garbage collection bill to go up about $20,000 a month. Some places do incinerate garbage, but that causes a lot of air pollution."
] | [
"There is plenty of ground to bury all our trash, and at some point in the future we might actually end up mining the area for useful resources. In the foreseeable future the plan is \"put some dirt on it\"."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does a chili spread its seeds? No animals are going to eat them. | [
"Birds are unable to taste the hotness in chili, so they can eat them just fine. If the plant is eaten by a bird rather than another animal, it can spread farther because the bird can fly far away. So the hotness makes it more likely to be eaten by something that will spread it farther away."
] | [
"I'm no professional botanist or biologist but I'm guessing it's because you don't actually eat any hard seeds that are noticible."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Can A Vacuum Cleaner Work In Space? | [
"Technically yes. In space its not a completely vacuum, its just effectively so. Just like if there's one drop of water on a towel, that makes the towel not \"dry\", there's a couple of gas molecules floating around. So the vacuum motor will spin and move gas molecules around. But there's not enough that the va... | [
"Being Black Does Actually Have (Relatively Minor) Health Consequences, It's Just That They're Obviated By Modern Life. There's An Energy Cost To Have Extra Melanin, Even A Small One, So If You Don't Need It It Won't Be Selected For. Melanin Reduces Vitamin-D Uptake From The Sun If Sunlight Is Lower Than You're Ada... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What stops telephone companies from being able to identify and block robocallers (including ones who use caller ID scrambling)? | [
"I test a corporate phone system as my job. They can't stop robo-callers because: 1) Content and intent are not included in the routing information. 2) Legitimate businesses use Automated systems for valid purposes, let letting customers know special order or packages have arrived for pickup. 3) It's super easy to ... | [
"the caller ID phone number that shows up is data that's sent by the caller, not the phone provider. you can literally send any phone number you want in the caller ID. lots of businesses use this legitimately to route hundreds or even thousands of outgoing calls to 1 official company phone number. think a custome... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does a pitcher in baseball decide if they want to be a starter or in the bullpen? | [
"Strength, skill, manager's preference, and maybe the most important, previous and upcoming play. You don't usually see the same pitcher start or play two whole games in a row. Taxing your pitcher is a great way to lose them."
] | [
"Pitchers have strategy. Batters are always trying to hit the ball, no matter how the pitcher delivers it. What would a manager say to the batter? \"Hey, this time, try to hit the ball.\" Plus, the batter was in the dugout with the coaches just a few moments before they go to bat. Plenty of time to talk to them the... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How are abortion laws and fetal homicide laws compatible with each other? | [
"The same way that it's legal for someone's next-of-kin to disable their life support, but if a stranger just walked in off the street and pulled the plug, they'd be charged with murder."
] | [
"Abortion is generally considered a controversial procedure throughout the US. The controversy basically comes down to balancing the woman's right to control what goes on in her body versus the embryo's right to develop without being harmed. To some people who oppose abortion, the intentional destruction of an embr... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
I donated blood today, and the nurse advised me not to drink, smoke, or work out for 24 hours. Why? | [
"Lower blood volume affects the way chemicals hit your body. Alcohol in your body is measured by how much alcohol is in your blood, so naturally, with less blood, you get smashed much quicker. Sounds economic, but not when you're completely blackout drunk. Same for cigarrettes. You'd essentially be overdosing on ni... | [
"It probably means you are thirsty/dehydrated. Drink a full glass of water and wait 10 minutes"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
What is Putin's ideal end game? What is he trying to accomplish with Crimea? | [
"His ideal end game is to keep Ukraine at least independent, or preferably a Russian ally. The seizure of Crimea gives Russia additional leverage over the new Kiev government, which means that Russia can make more demands than it could without Crimea. The peninsula is both a bargaining chip and a pinprick; in other... | [
"First off, Putin has acted in ways more akin to the Soviets during the Cold war than any leader since the fall of the USSR, such as invading Ukraine, having opposition politicians and journalists killed. Secondly, the evidence suggest it's not about being best friends or equal super powers with them, but Russia ga... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How do animals recognize their own species, despite (probably) never having seen a mirror and thus not knowing how them look like themselves? | [
"> In much the same way as we do – using a combination of appearance, calls, behaviour and smell. The exact contribution of each sense to the overall assessment varies from one species to another, according to how generally reliant they are on that sense. Most mammals have a better sense of smell than we do and wil... | [
"The only look identical because your brain has evolved to notice human differences, not wolf, otter, or whale differences. In fact, this is why members of different ethnicity \"all look alike\" because your brain is trained on the people you grow up looking at, who are most likely going to be of the same ethnicity... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Animal behavior:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Animal behavior:",
"neg": "Represent the document about biology:"
} |
what does the overdrive button on a car do? | [
"_URL_0_ There is a phenomenon in engines where the most efficient power output is not the highest engine speed (RPM). Overdrive is a gear ratio for the transmission that allows your car, at high speeds, to use a lower engine speed in order to be more fuel efficient. It should only go into effect at higher speeds (... | [
"Why can you understand ozzy when he sings but not when he talks? How exactly is a rainbow made? How exactly does a sun set? How exactly does a posi-trac rear-end on a Plymouth work? It just does."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why can the POTUS repeatedly call media outlets, such as CNN and MSNBC, 'fake' without getting sued for slander? | [
"It is really hard to sue the president for anything. The sense behind this law is so his political enemies can't just tie him down with lawsuits. For serious things the president can be impeached but that is a major political event. The system assumed presidents would be sensible adults. This may have been misguid... | [
"It is not normal. But what can you expect? We have a President who actively says things that are at best controversial, and when the media calls him out on it he accuses them of multiple crimes and calls them \"fake\". It's actually kinda shocking that the Trump Administration seems so unaware of the consequences ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Who does the Islamic State sell their oil to? | [
"They sell their oil to private buyers most likely within Turkey. Obviously we don't know too much about who buys but that's where the oil they have is transported and almost certainly sold."
] | [
"Three sources of funding: 1) They control most of the Iraqi Oil field and have been selling Oil on the black market at a discounted rate. If I recall correctly they make 2 million a day just off of this. 2) A lot of the people they kidnap they get ransoms for. The US and UK are in the minority when it comes to \... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do vacuum insulated containers insulate cold beverages longer than hot beverages? | [
"In general, heat tries to equalize, and the larger the difference between two temperatures, the faster it happens. Think of it like this, a thermos full of coffee is 70° and the outside world is 15°. A thermos full of milkshake is about 5° and the outside world is still 15° So there's a larger temperature gradient... | [
"Some are simply because the dishwasher can damage the finish on the metal if it's colored/powder coated, etc. But the heat, etc. of a dishwasher can also break the vacuum seal on insulated contrainers, rendering them a lot less effective at keeping things hot/cold."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does sometimes eating too little calories cause us to gain weight if eating too many calories does the same? | [
"You won't gain weight if you eat fewer calories than your body burns, then you'd be creating new energy out of thin air. If eating less causes someone to gain weight then chances are the food is more dense in calories then one would think and/or they don't burn nearly as much as they think."
] | [
"If you ate 2200 calories worth of chocolate, and you burnt 2200 calories a day, you would not gain weight. If you ate 2100 calories worth of chocolate a day and nothing else and you burnt 2200 calories a day, you would actually lose weight. That said, there is a massive difference between weight loss and health. I... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Anthropogenic climate change | [
"Burning \"fossil fuels\" like oil and coal is worse than burning trees (which was our main fuel until the mid 1800's) because it releases carbon that has been hidden away in the earth for millions of years instead of hundreds like with trees. Carbon dioxide is a \"greenhouse gas\" which means it acts like the glas... | [
"Improvements in detection, reduction of more lethal conditions, and environmental factors."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
What happens when you get into an accident with a self driving car? Who pays insurance? What about liability? | [
"Since your insurance policy is on your car, and not on your driver, you the policy holder pays. It doesn't matter if your car is driverless or you let you cousin who doesn't have a license drive it. Your car hits someone, you the policy holder is held liable."
] | [
"Most states do not require you to have insurance to insure your own car. The minimum coverage in most states is liability insurance which takes care of the other person if you are at fault for the accident."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why, at least in America, is prostitution illegal, while porn isn't? Both are consensual acts of a sexual activity where money is involved. (NSFW) | [
"Prostitution isn't nationally outlaws, it is legal in cerain areas."
] | [
"I'm no expert but I imagine it's due to religious \"moral\" views guiding the law originally. Plus there is the perception, rightly or wrongly, that prostitution is a dangerous profession, which women are driven to due to desperation. I guess you could say the same about other jobs, though. In places where prostit... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
If movement such as water and wind can generate electricity. Would it be possible for earth's rotation around its axis to generate the entire world's energy demands? | [
"As others have mentioned you would need an enormous space station. Okay say you built it though and somehow it was cheap enough to make the energy it produces valuable (it won't be). Anything you get has to *come* from the earth. Even if you can manage to take it without heavily damaging the planet there's only so... | [
"How do you intend to use the cool air to produce electricity? You can convert electrical energy into cool air easily enough, what efficient way is there to convert it back into electrical energy? Is is more efficient than other storage methods?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why when I am eating/have just eaten very spicy food do I get light headed and sometimes short of breath? | [
"The drug capsasian speeds up your heart. I assume you are also mouth breathing to control the heat in your mouth. Hyperventilation can make you dizzy."
] | [
"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 post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What arithmetic are calculators performing for functions such as square root and sin/cos/tan? | [
"There are formulas for all these functions known as \"infinite series\", which are basically formulas that have different \"parts\", or terms, with a pattern that goes on forever, and each term in the formula is able to give a more and more accurate answer. Computers and calculators don't run these formulas foreve... | [
"2 sin x is the same as 2 * sin(x). sin 2x is the same as sin(2 * x). The items I show in parentheses here are the inputs to the *sin* function. The other random 2 at the beginning, outside those parentheses, is multiplying the *output* of that function."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Internationally, why is Uber under scrutiny from cab unions? | [
"Because Uber doesn't operate as a cab company, they operate as a ride sharing service, meaning the drivers are not cab drivers. This means Uber and the drivers can get away with not getting the licenses and insurance that cab companies and drivers are required to have."
] | [
"Have you been paying attention to the news at all this past year? FIFA is astonishingly corrupt."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How is Home Depot able to sell a 2 x 4 for $2.50 and still make a profit? | [
"Work at a lumber yard, not Home Depot. You are right that it costs more than $2.50 to do one tree when you cut down 100 trees, haul them out on the same truck. Each one yielding piles and piles of shorter logs, then you load a truck up with 2-3 trailers stacked up 10 feet with lumber. Bring them to a mill who cut... | [
"The margins on mattresses are gigantic. Like they pay $300 for them and sell them for $2000"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
How does an EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) actually "fry" electronics? | [
"/u/RussianWhizKid supplied the first answer: A changing magnetic field induces an electrical field, and that can cause excessive current flow. The electrical elements don't need to be in a circuit to be overstressed. (That's kind of a moot point for things like integrated circuits.) The current flow will happen ... | [
"Yes EMP's are a thing and are classified as nuclear and non nuclear. An EMP effect is produce by a nuclear bomb exploding and is the only type of EMP that would be able to wipe out the electronics of a whole city. This devices are essentially rendered useless as an EMP causes a surge that would destroy most of the... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why does EA sports release new football/racing/basketball/baseball etc. games every year? | [
"It's an easy money maker. For the most part they base the games on the architecture of the previous version and make advancements here and there."
] | [
"I like to compare it to the new EA Sports FIFA games. Fifa 15 came out in 2014 and so on. If the game was released for the holiday season and labeled the proper year (so it came out in October/Novemeber of 2014 and named Fifa 2014) then it would feel outdated already 2 months after. Labeling it a year in advance m... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
No-Zero policy in schools | [
"The logic behind not giving students zeros is that the ultimate goal is for the student to learn the material. If a student does poorly on a task the first time they try it, that's unfortunate, but immediate comprehension isn't actually the most important thing. If they are later able to repeat the assignment, or ... | [
"> _URL_0_ No, their productivity is just low."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why are our faces swollen when we wake up from sleeping? | [
"Your face is swollen when you wake up from sleeping? You might want to stop sleeping hanging upside down, mate."
] | [
"There are a lot of nerves in our faces. Stimulating these nerves helps to keep you awake. This is why you see babies doing this a lot when they are tired and don't want to go to sleep yet."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do counterfeit detecting pens/markers work? What are they detecting for or the absence of? | [
"The pen fluid contains a bit of iodine. Iodine reacts with starches to produce a dark stain. Banknote paper does not contain starch. Banknotes should not acquire a dark mark when scribbled on with the iodine pen. This is [not terribly reliable](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"US money is made from linen which has a distinctive texture. It has a mixture of red and blue fibers scattered through it, special inks which change color depending on the angle, intricate patterns and smooth shades, micro print, embedded polymer strips with the denomination printed on it, and is infused with chem... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why rockets are sometimes launched at night? | [
"Rockets launch whenever is necessary to make sure their payload ends up in the proper orbit. Sometimes that's at night, and so they launch at night. Rockets are actually a lot easier to spot at night, because they're spewing a giant stream of flaming exhaust out the back. A night launch is really a sight to see, y... | [
"They launch over the ocean, which the SRBs fall into. They're recovered by ship."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
how is it possible to lose your driver's license by getting a DUI on a non-motorized bicycle? | [
"You can get a ticket when you're riding a bike. Whether it makes sense or not, tickets you get while bike riding can rack up points against your driver's license. If you get too many points against your driver's license, it gets suspended. QED."
] | [
"Knew a girl in high school that got picked up drunk while riding a horse. Charge with underage and DUI. Got a lawyer and the DUI was dropped because horses are legally considered to have a mind of their own."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why do we call some religions “mythologies” (ancient Greek, Norse, Egyptian, etc.) and others religions? Is this fair? | [
"**Mythology:** A set of stories that provide origins or explanations for creation, nature, history, or customs **Religion:** An organized set of beliefs, practices, and world views that relate humanity to a higher power or purpose In this sense, almost every religion has a mythology behind it. The religions of Chr... | [
"\"ancient times\" is very broad. Are there any specific cultures you're interested in (e.g., Republican Rome, Old Kingdom Egypt, etc.)?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Who initiated the Six Day War and what was the ultimate purpose of it? | [
"The Six-Day War was a reaction of Israel to Egypt building up forces along the Sinai Peninsula. Israel saw an attack coming and decided to attack first, launching surprise attacks on Egyptian airfields and ground offensives. They worried well, routing Egyptian forces and pushing them out of Sinai. This tripled Isr... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why do many bars insist on playing music at deafening volumes? | [
"I noticed when I was a waitress that customers were less grumpy and uncomfortable in a loud environment. I was always the one to ask the managers to turn down the music if I couldn't hear someone's order, but then I realized overall I got better tips and people were happier when it was loud. I hate it too, but it ... | [
"You know how at the loud volume of your music the music itself has variations in loudness? Some sounds are louder some are softer. So, without changing the volume of your speakers you can encode and change the volume of the music. Advertisers know this and just make their sound super loud. Its illegal in most medi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post about Science:"
} |
What are the chemicals in sour food that make our mouth taste the sourness? And why does that happen? | [
"Sour flavors are usually caused by acids. Bitter is usually alkaline substances. Salty is usually ions. Sweet is sugars. It happens because that's what the cells on our tongue are made to detect, they have receptors that respond to specific molecule types."
] | [
"The mint in the toothpaste dulls the part of your mouth that tastes sweetness. Im not sure exactly how that works, but you basically are tasting only the sourness of the orange and none of the sweet."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If I raised a big cat solely by myself from birth, would it eventually want to kill me? | [
"if you raise a small cat by yourself, would it eventually scratch your hands quite badly while playing? probably, yeah. big cats are practically identical to house cats, behaviorally. but when a housecat is funny when it gets aggressive sometimes, a big cat would kill you. it doesn't necessarily *want* to though, ... | [
"Some animals have been domesticated. They have been bred for years and years to live in harmony with humans. If I let this dog out to run through the streets of Chicago, he is going to die within hours. I am not keeping him here to punish him or to entertain myself, I am keeping him here so he does not die."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Animal behavior:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post about Animal behavior:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why do the backs of credit cards say "Not Valid Unless Signed," yet I have never been turned away when using my unsigned credit cards? | [
"It's supposed to be an extra security measure against identity theft. The merchant can compare your signature on the back of the card to the signature you give when you purchase. You used to do it on a hard copy but now they have the digital signatures, which make pretty much everyone's hand writing look terrible.... | [
"In some places they do actually take your card and match the signature on the back to the signature you write on the receipt. It also gives you a vehicle to dispute a charge you didn't make - if someone writes a completely different or obviously fake signature it can be proof that it wasn't you who signed it. Som... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why does daylight savings time end in the fall? Wouldn't a constant shift in time to make more daylight in the evening be best in the winter as well? | [
"Mainly because we need some light in the morning. In winter, sunrise can be as late as 7-7:30am already, pushing it back past 8am can make it dangerous for kids walking to school for example. The other thing is most of the pros for summer DST are things like people staying out later thus increasing business, but ... | [
"Most places that don't observe Daylight savings time are in climates that have little seasonal change, and therefore there is no real difference between having an extra hour in the summer, as the winter isn't very different at all. Places close to the equator have very little change to sunrise and sunset times as ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Can antibiotics resistant bacteria still be killed by soap, handwashing gel, etc? | [
"Antibacterial soap is actually quite bad, in terms of they lead to antibiotic resistant bacteria. Regular soap works quite well against bacteria because it works via a physical method of action rather than a biological one. Soap with a proper handwashing technique will remove the bacteria from your hands quite eff... | [
"Soap is not really antibacterial. But bacteria survives in the oils and dirt on your skin, which soap and water removes, along with most bacteria. This mechanism is not something that a strain of bacteria can develop resistance to, as much as it cannot become resistant to alcohol or high temperatures. There are so... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Science:"
} |
How does our body determine what smells good and what does not? | [
"Your body does not determine that. Your brain does. You are pre-programmed to find certain smells disturbing - those indicate danger. Rotten food, for example, would be dangerous and your brain reacts to the smell of it by making you feel disgusted. In general, though, this is a very subjective thing. What smell... | [
"Your sense of taste is not based on percentages. Seawater has a salinity of only 3.5%. But it has an extremely unpleasant taste. Your sense of taste developed to detect what is palatable and what is not. To determined what is food and what is not."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the text about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Windpower: How is it generated and why do so many people have a problem with it? | [
"There are no explicit health risks associated with wind power. Wind energy is a zero-emission/renewable energy source. People against wind power usually fit into one of the following: 1. Don't like wind power because it will decrease my property values 2. Don't like wind power because the volume of wind turbines (... | [
"To combat global warming we would have to change where we get our energy from and how we use it. For example, coal is one of the dirtiest fuels we use. To combat global warming we should really stop using it. There are a lot of people who make their living from the coal industry and they have a political interest ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does a hard disk drive read and write data differently than a solid state drive? | [
"SSDs use electrical charges to store data. This eliminates the bottleneck of a HDD head needing to physically move around to access data. I've been awake for 36 hours, so I can't give you a much more detailed explanation, but this is a really great answer to your question. Skip to 54s. _URL_0_"
] | [
"Firmware is a type of software. It's software that controls the very lowest levels of a piece of hardware, things like actually moving a hard drive's heads or deciding which block to store a piece of data in on a flash drive or controlling which frequency to use in a cellular radio."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
the 2013 "Fiscal Cliff"? | [
"Decent answer from idential question just 12 hours ago _URL_0_"
] | [
"Funny you should ask. Roni Jacobson wrote an article that covers a lot of what you ask in this Tuesday's *New York Times*: [\"60: Behind Every Second, Millenniums of History\"] (_URL_0_)."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does the Westboro Baptist Church make money? | [
"According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the church is fully funded by the members of the congregation. They have also been awarded tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars from lawsuits over the years."
] | [
"What does the Pope handle on a day to day basis?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is passive tense considered incorrect by most English professors? | [
"I don't consider it \"incorrect,\" but I think a writer should always have a purpose for using it. Do you want to remove the subject, as in \"mistakes were made but our company is going to be as strong as ever\" or do you want to shift around the stress, as in your example with the car? When the passive voice is j... | [
"There is no central authority mandating rules of the English language. It, technically speaking, could be changed however we want. Practically speaking, obviously this isn't going to happen. Most importantly, why would the soldier leave his dessert behind?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Where does Google maps get its traffic data from? How is it always up-to-date? | [
"They crowdsource it. They are using data from any Android user who has not opted out of giving traffic data. Here's their explanation: _URL_0_"
] | [
"\"Would you like to share your location with Maps?\" If you click No, then it pretends it has no idea where you are (which is probably true). If you click Yes, then you're telling it where you are for TWO purposes: 1. To place you on the map 2. To relay this information back to the server so it can see where *ever... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
what is it called when something cold appears to "steam," and why does it happen? | [
"So when there's something really cold, the water vapor (humidity) in the air will condense into relatively bigger water droplets, kinda like what happens with clouds. This makes it so the water vapor is visible. It's *not steam*, but condensation. You could also call it vapor, but not steam."
] | [
"This is simple physics. The smell of a thing is when little bits of the thing break away from the rest of the thing and enter your nose thing. Temperature is a measure of the average energy of a thing. When the thing bits have more energy, they are more likely to be able to break away. You may as well have asked '... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
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