query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
What do Chinese economists argue are the benefits of not floating the Renminbi without restrictions? | [
"Well, realistically, Chinese economists don't \"argue\" anything. The government has set the rule that this is the case, with the goal being to artificially keep the currency lower value to increase exports. The low currency allows China to maintain a strong position in the world market for exports, and keep their... | [
"The US can, and sometimes does, devalue the dollar. But that comes with downsides as well as upsides. There's a time to devalue the dollar and a time to strengthen it based on the needs of the economy."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does the body know when to stop growing? | [
"In the sense of height, most of our bones (especially the long bones in the arms and legs) have growth plates. These are near the ends of the bones (picture them being right before where the bones bulge out into your joints). As the name implies, the bones grow from these areas. The growth plates get smaller over ... | [
"Your brain is telling your body to make room."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does Costco's brand 'Kirkland Signature' manage to make everything from food to clothing? | [
"Short answer: they don't! Long answer: This is something called Private Labeling. Costco contracts with existing manufacturers of these products and has them put their labels on the product. Kirkland Signature soups might be Campbell's, which Kirkland Signature jeans might be Levi's - but they're branded as Kirkla... | [
"They are cheaper because they don't have to spend money on branding, advertising, or fancy colorful packaging. They are often made by the same manufacturer as the name brand. They do this because then they can sell to cheap people as well, AND it makes the name brand version look superior."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How did the world's first spoken language came into existence? | [
"Language was likely developed when people used certain sounds to alert one another of specific things. Overtime these were taught as essential for fast communication. I doubt language started out with complex sounds like in today's modern languages, however they likely started as small and quick sounds. Of course... | [
"To be a little less specific, what did people think the future in general would be like before the Industrial Revolution?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Considering conservatives have the highest rates of obesity, why is personal responsibility a cornerstone of their politics? | [
"This might not be the sub for this. Not sure what sub it would be, but this is still kinda loaded, even if you're being genuine, which I believe you are."
] | [
"Your initial assumption is wrong. Plenty of poor and middle class people vote Republican, as they feel that the GOP represents their best interests. We could argue all day whether or not this is true, but it boils down to guns, God, and National security."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
What is affiliate marketing and how does it work exactly? | [
"Affiliate marketing is where you get paid a commission for any sales you refer to a site selling goods (provided they have an affiliate program you are signed up for). Imagine you have a travel blog and write a post with your recommendations for best suitcase, camera, walking shoes, travel gear, backup phone batte... | [
"Because you can make money selling the product without recruiting other people to do it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text about Finance:"
} |
Why do humans breath oxygen while for plants it's waste? | [
"No one has said this yet so I will add: plants use oxygen too. They have mitochondria just like us. While plants do make CO2, light, and water into sugar and oxygen, they also need to digest that sugar into food to actually use they energy. They create and expel oxygen not as a waste product, as plants also need i... | [
"Fish are no more allergic to air then you are to water. We have lungs, these take the Oxygen (O^2) out of the air and use it in our bodies. Fish have gills, these take the O^2 out of water. We are unable to take the O^2 out of water because we don't live in it and likewise fish can't take the O^2 out of air becau... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How to they remove the caffeine from tea and coffee? | [
"One way is using liquid carbon dioxide to dissolve the caffeine away while leaving the flavored compounds mostly alone. Another way is to wash the product in a saturated mixture of the coffee or tea from which the caffeine has been removed from using things like charcoal filters. As there is now no caffeine in the... | [
"Its because caffeine isn't that strong of a diuretic by itself but it's metabolites of theobromine and theophylline are. Energy drinks use pure caffeine while natural teas and coffees have high theobromine content which explains why they make you pee more than energy drinks Edit to be more ELI5: caffeine makes you... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Health:"
} |
The universe is a 3D space, yet our planets are aligned on a 2D plane. Why? | [
"At the beginning our proto-solar system was just a cloud of gas and dust. As gravity make these particles of gas and dust attract each other the cloud will get smaller and smaller. & #x200B; This cloud have a tiny spin. Each individual particle was going in a random direction, but the overall cloud have a preferr... | [
"The 4D star is a star in another dimensional plain. When our stars collapse, they create a blackhole. They are saying the collapsing of 4D star may have developed our universe, instead of the Big Bang. The best way to explain 4D is through the book *Flatland*, but I will try to give a shorter explanation. We live ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How close do you have to be to a car to benefit from "drafting". Can you get better gas mileage while still keeping a good distance? | [
"It depends on the aerodynamics of the cars involved. Pull your minivan a couple car lengths behind a semi-trailer, you'll feel the drafting effect. If you have two fast cars with good aerodynamic coefficients, you need to be less than a foot apart."
] | [
"Because people are impatient, and tailgate. If you are driving down the highway at 70, and someone in front of you slows down momentarily, you need to slow down. If you are close to them, you need to slow down more than they did, to compensate for reaction delay. If enough people are following fairly closely, this... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why do sirens and vehicles change pitch when they pass you? | [
"it's called the doppler effect. the sound waves get smushed as they approach you, and stretched as the source of the sound moves away from you. this changes the pitch, because pitch is based on the size and frequency of the sound waves. it works for light, too, but the object has to be moving pretty fast. that's h... | [
"Honestly, in an ideal world, sirens and lights would be good enough, but ambulance operators hedge against the fact there are enough bad drivers on the road to make them useless. Say, you are listening to music loudly in the car. In that case, looking at your rear view mirrors would be quicker and safer than turni... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why cant women from Alabama just go to other states for abortions? How would they enforce that? | [
"They can, just as homosexual couples did with getting married in other states before the current case law. An issue, amongst other issues, is the burden this places on Alabama women, specifically women who cannot afford to travel to another state to have the procedure."
] | [
"Who do you think passes those laws. Those senators that are getting their pockets filled. Why would they pass a bill that makes it harder for themselves"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Where does wind come from? | [
"the short answer is the sun. & #x200B; The earth's surface doesn't heat evenly. The sun sends radiant energy that hits the ground, and then the ground reflects it as infrared (heat). This makes the air get warm, which rises. So when that warm air rises, something has to rush in to replace it (colder air from some... | [
"What do you want to know about them exactly?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
how do specific birds know to use the birdhouses specifically for them? | [
"They make the houses based on the needs and preferences of that particular species. That doesn’t mean other bird won’t use them, just that there’s a better chance a bird of that species will use it since it suits their needs best."
] | [
"They have different chemical trails for different things. When they leave home they start their back to home trail when they find food they start leaving their food chemical trail back to their home and any ant can then follow the food chemical trail back to the food. I don't know the technical terms for any of th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Bird behavior:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Bird behavior:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why does getting hit with a slap hurt differently than getting hit with a closed fist? | [
"A slap with an open hand covers more surface area of your skin, and makes the skin think it’s been damaged or traumatized. Conversely a punch covers LESS surface area but often affects more than just the skin, which is why you can get a persistent pain from a punch (in the muscle beneath, even!). With a slap, it r... | [
"I'm not certain that it hurts any worse than any other injury, per se; instead, you are just more likely to stub your toe badly than you are to do a lot of other painful things. You need a hammer to hit your finger with a hammer. You can stub your toe at any time, if you don't have closed toed shoes on. Does stubb... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do road line painters get the markings exactly where they need to be? They always seem to be perfectly in the middle no matter how complex or uneven the road edges are. | [
"Before the striping paint or thermoplastic is applied, a crew going out and layouts of the location for all the striping. This is called cattracking. It is small marks in white or black paint that serve as a guide for the painting machines. It will have the start and stop locations of each line and the alignment. ... | [
"It's called grass striping. No use other than to look good. They are made by adding a heavy roller behind your lawn mower. The roller smushes the grass as it rolls over it. If you smush grass in a line, it makes that line look darker in one direction and lighter in the other direction. If the grass is bent away fr... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do camera sets have particularly green coloured curtains for CGI and VFX and not any other colour? | [
"It is a color that is easy to exclude from the set. Red, yellow or brown might exclude skin tones or hair."
] | [
"You had the right idea already. It is indeed chroma key. The cameras are simply good enough that they can distinguish between the green of the grass and the green in uniforms. They actually need to continually reset the chroma key as the color of the grass changes as the sun moves or when shadows show up on the fi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How do printers work so accurately and fast? | [
"I don’t know what exactly you are looking for as an answer... They work accurately because the motor that controls the printing head works in very small increments (typically 96 positions per inch) and the ink injectors can inject extremely small quantities of ink. They work fast because the motor is fast."
] | [
"Printers are the interaction between the digital world and the physical world. Sometimes the physical world of ink and paper doesn't work and you have to intervene. Usually more expensive printers ($150+) work very nicely and have no problems with jams and wifi. On that note about ink however, that's just the com... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How do countries pay other countries? | [
"Usually private or (semi private) companies buy the oil, not the state directly. In this case they usually purchase the product on the world market entering a contract for delivery for a certain grade oil. (oil varies massively in types and grades). The exchange of money is usually done on what is called the SWIF... | [
"If we stop paying the fee, the terrorists win."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How does the body heal and repair during sleep? | [
"Not a biologist or someone who really knows the answer, but the body is repairing itself all the time. When you are sleeping a lot of various processes and the energy for them are not being used so there is more energy that can be spent healing so you heal faster than if you are expending that energy being active"... | [
"As you get older your body gets slower to repair damage to it, damage like from consuming alcohol."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Health and Wellness:",
"pos": "Represent the text about Health and Wellness:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
What happens to pest insects physiologically after having been sprayed with Raid or Black Flag, etc.? | [
"Depends on the pesticide, but most of them are neurologically toxic and/or are desiccants. For the neurological pesticides, think nerve gas for bugs. For the desiccants, think rapid mummification."
] | [
"DEET is an obscuring agent to insects that interferes with their ability to track animals, like humans, and don't let them see carbon dioxide or lactic acid through their antennae. Mosquitoes just don't see you. This applies to other bugs like horseflies, gnats and chiggers. If applied correctly, it creates a laye... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do cavities in teeth need to be drilled before being filled? | [
"Cavities are drilled to remove the decay/rot from the tooth so the filling can be place on tooth structure that is healthy to prevent further (secondary) decay/rot. Source: Me. I am an Expanded Duty Dental Assistant and this is literally my job."
] | [
"A cavity, enamel loss, damage to teeth which leads to microscopically exposed nerves etc. Your teeth should not hurt when you are eating sweets. Ask a dentist. Like, quickly."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How did humans all over come to know what parts of a plant are edible, toxic, and which ones serve as remedies for illnesses ? | [
"Trial and error, and they were often wrong. Many traditional plant remedies are total nonsense, or even actively harmful, and tomatoes were widely thought to be poison by most of Europe for hundreds of years."
] | [
"Medicine contains poisons or toxins. In small amounts or diluted forms they may interact with the body in ways that are helpful. In purer forms or larger amounts they could make you sick or kill you. The bitterness is your body's way of warning you against ingesting poisons."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
why do hangovers get worse as we age? | [
"Your body just doesn’t work as well and is less efficient with age. I think it’s somewhere in your mid 20s when you physically peak, and afterwards you are in a perpetual slow decline. Specifically your liver and kidneys don’t work as well."
] | [
"Your teacher is an idiot. Talk to a doctor about the best way to beat a type of cancer. That being said, a diet high in vegetables and low in red meat would lower your chances of getting cancer in the first place."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Didn't the Supreme Court rule that abortion was legal? What in the legal system allows for such varying definitions of legal abortion across state lines? | [
"The supreme court ruled that under federal law no states shall outright ban abortion prior to 24 weeks. This ruling is Roe v Wade, which I'm sure you have heard of. The purpose of the new state laws being pushed through is to trigger a supreme court retrial in hopes of changing the law. Now is the first time in r... | [
"States can do whatever they want, so long as it doesn't conflict with the judicial system's interpretation of the Constitution. The same goes with the federal government. In case of conflicts, usually the federal government strong arms the states to do what they want. Sometimes a state law goes against a federal ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
what is perturbation theory? | [
"So in physics it's usually like an additional term to a potential energy surface. What that means is it's where you take a possibly \"perfect\" model system and add something extra to it to try and account for differences between the model and reality. The something extra is called a perturbation. This sometimes l... | [
"Its just the results of observation plus math. More recently also computation and virtual modeling."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why does rape historically accompany war and pillaging? | [
"Lots of young alpha males who've been seperated from their society for a long period in a mostly lawless environment in a position of control over lots of women from a different culture who they have no respect for."
] | [
"There are a lot of examples which seem to contradict the idea that rape is purely about sex. In warzones and prisons, where people often feel powerless, trapped and isolated, there are lots of examples of heterosexual men raping other men. Now if rape was purely about sex (and it is sometimes) then what would driv... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
how does a dosimeter work? | [
"There's many different types, but the simplest is a film dosimeter. The radiation will hit the film and cause a reaction to it. Then someone can look at the film, see how often it was hit and give an amount of dose that was received. Electronic ones are similar, but instead of a film, it's some silicon, like a tra... | [
"nuclear fuel rods heat water, steam turns a turbine. they are very basic, no need to complicate it more than need be."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
how come animals can walk relatively quick after being born, but it takes a human baby around a year? | [
"because when human babies are born they aren't as developed as other animals, due to the fact that if we kept them in utero any longer it would be fatal to the mother"
] | [
"Well, it's terrible for humans, not so much for panda bears. The problem with human evolution is that our brains (=heads) are disproportionately huge. Even if both mother and child allow the process to happen naturally, it is seldom without risk. But humans are no longer at risk of predators in the wilderness, so ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Biology:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence about Biology:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What makes us attracted to certain genres of music? How can a group of people all have different taste in music? | [
"There's been a fair amount of research into trying to link personality traits with music preference. Apparently people with certain personality traits do tend to listen to certain types of music. While a persons mood also has a significant affect as to what they prefer to listen to. For instance Energetic Extrover... | [
"I'm a huge music listener and at the end of the day, the only music that survives my playlists is the one that grew on me. I think music that is immediately accessible is in the end boring. Of course, with experience with particular genres and bands, you start to enjoy a lot any new music the first time you hear i... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:"
} |
how does money laundering work? | [
"Watch Breaking Bad or Ozark. Basically, if you make money selling drugs for cash, you can't just go spend it and live the gangsta life. Eventually the government will see all your bling and wonder why you list your job as a fry cook at IHOP but drive a BMW and have a 25' boat and show only 25K per year income. So... | [
"Anti-money laundering specialist here. (Lawyer come forensic account). Banks do, and are required by law, to prevent money laundering. The difficulty is identifying the act. In my opinion the key factors contributing to the difficulty of detection are three fold: - the untraceability and free movement of cash. - t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
What differentiates brands of the same alcohol, like vodka or rum, that make it taste smoother than others? Is it a process or perhaps ingredient driven? | [
"Comes down to number of times distilled (removes impurities) and what it is made out of mainly. This doesn't always apply though as I've had multiple distilled varieties that don't taste much better than some mid-grade."
] | [
"When looking at sugar, we can taste its sweetness by how refined it is. The more refined the sugar, the sweeter it tends to get. Different countries and producers tend to have different standards on the refinery process, and these standards also reflect the typical palate of the people in the region. This is why ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Food and beverage:"
} |
How is it that when our body is turned upside down our stomach acid doesn't flood into our esophagus? | [
"Your esophagus has a sphincter at the end right before the stomach. It will open when something is pushed close to it. But it's made to be closed otherwise so nothing gets back up."
] | [
"Stomach acid isn't there to break down your food, its primary role is to destroy bacteria in anything you just ate. The enzymes in your small intestine are responsible for most of the digestion. Heartburn is caused by stomach acid finding its way up, and out of your stomach where it attacks the lining of your esop... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
why are fans wired to go from off to high, then medium, then low, and not the other way around? | [
"It has to do with the amount of power being supplied to the fan. From the \"Off\" position, a fan's going to need a certain amount of power in order to overcome inertia and get its bearings spinning. By switching from Off to High, you give it a lot of juice so that it can get going. If you tried to go from Off to ... | [
"Most likely you are dealing with a 3 way lamp switch. Off-low-high-off I haven't seen one in a long time, but there used to be light bulbs with 2 filaments in them, and the switch would light one for low, then both for high. If there is just a regular one filament bulb in it, you still have to click through both l... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about Electrical engineering:"
} |
How do we suck? Like, how does the physical action of creating suction in you mouth work? | [
"When you suck in, you are actually extending your chest cavity. This creates a change in pressure, essentially creating a void that needs to be filled. As atmospheric pressure is higher outside of your body, air flows in to fill the cavity. Edit: slight sentence restructuring"
] | [
"I don't know, but I'd like to add to the question: what makes them move? Some of them have to do physical work and use motion to do what they do, what gives them the ability to move?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment about Science:"
} |
how do car horns project so well? | [
"So usually cars have two horns in the front of the car, a high pitch and a low pitch. So a standard electric car horn does have a diaphragm just like a speaker. Inside there’s basically a plunger connected to the center of the diaphragm and on the other side of the plunger is an electromagnet. When you hit the hor... | [
"when a stereo creates sound it is creating vibrations that travels through a variety of different mediums. (in this case air/ that's why there is no sound in space because their is no way for the vibrations to be transmitted) so when a car stereo crates a loud enough sound the vibrations will be strong enough to h... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
the birthday paradox. With a group of 23 people why are 2 of them likely to share a birthday? | [
"In a group of 23 people, you can pick a pair of people in 253 different ways. So, even though the number of people seems small at first glance, there are actually a lot of chances for a shared birthday."
] | [
"Imagine you have six people: Alice, Bob, Charlie, Dave, Eric, and Zorp. A-E are all friends with Zorp but not with each other. Zorp has 5 friends, all the others have 1. On average, each person's friend has more friends than them, because 5 have only one friend who has 5 friends. Only one person has friends with f... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do TV remote batteries last a lot longer than wireless video game controller batteries? | [
"You’re not constantly pushing all of the buttons on a tv remote for hours on end. Simply moving left on a joystick would constitute as always sending a signal. ...and that’s not even getting into controllers that vibrate."
] | [
"Batteries. They have a similar gadget, the hearing aide, and if you know someone who has them you know they go through a lot of batteries. Bigger Bluetooth headsets have more space for the rechargeable battery, so they only have to be charged a couple times a week. If you make the battery tiny, you either recharge... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Are electric eels actually electric? How can an eel generate electricity and why isn't it a hazard to itself? | [
"Yes they produce electricity. They have several specialized organs that make up most of its body allowing it to generate both low and high voltages. It produces it the same way every other living thing produces electricity, the difference is size. Your cells are powered by tiny little AAA batteries, an electric e... | [
"No, the whole lake is not electrified, there is a reason that fish continue to exist in the ocean despite how often it get's struck by lightning. Water is actually a fairly poor conductor of electricity, it's the dissolved stuff that makes it conduct electricity. Electricity follows the path of least resistance. I... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about biology:",
"pos": "Represent the passage about biology:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why are we on the brink of war with Iran? | [
"There's some serious \"wag the dog\" going on here. Trumpy is on the ropes with Mueller, Congress, and the IRS so what does any self-respecting President do when cornered by Justice? They start a war."
] | [
"North Korea is on a whole 'nother level compared to Saudi Arabia and Qatar."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are plastics on one hand durable but on the other super easy to tear apart when a tiny incision is made? | [
"This is a very complex question without you even realizing it. It depends on what plastic it is too. But assuming you're saying durable I think you're talking about hard plastics. These have very strong bonds on a molecular level. But once the bond is broken it can tear way easier through the rest of the material ... | [
"The ash itself is just burnt carbon matter. Like the ash you have from anything - a burned log, for instance. It is very light, and it gets torn apart easily by wind and water into tiny particles to get absorbed by other things. Cigarette butts, on the other hand, are not biodegradable and can have a negative impa... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How did the Christian faith gain so much popularity so quickly and spread so fast? Why was it such a success over other religions? | [
"State sponsorship from Roman Empire and then other countries. Isn't it lovely when your subjects believe monarchs rule by divine right and the regular people should just endure hardships and oppression to get rewarded in the afterlife?"
] | [
"There is a popular misconception that many Jews became Christians. Actually it was pagan Greeks who by and large converted to Christianity. Many Greeks lived in Jewish areas and liked the morality but didn't want all the rules and rituals. It then spread further through pagan civilization. So not many Jews joined ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
How far down your finger does the nail actually go, like underneath the bed, how much is nail then when does it transfer to other material? | [
"Having lost a toenail once, I can tell you it’s actually not very far. As the person above says, 2-4mm. However what’s most fascinating is that rather than regrowing out from the cuticle, the existing nail bed of skin under the nail, BECOMES the new nail. It’s kind of amazing"
] | [
"From what I understand (from my equine science degree) you have lamella on the under side of the fingernail and the outside of your finger closest to your nail. Imagine these are like Velcro and stick together to hold on place by interlocking. They are much stronger than what you would expect of Velcro and very se... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What causes you to stop being tired after not getting any sleep for ages? | [
"Your body has a natural sleep cycle (your circadian rhythm). If you stay up long enough you'll hit a time when your body thinks it should be awake even if you haven't slept. Sun light, your food intake, and activity level can play a role as well. None of these will replace sleep, but you might catch a temporary se... | [
"If you're not tired, and you feel refreshed when you wake up, you are probably OK. Not everyone needs the same amount of sleep."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Sleep and fatigue:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about Sleep and fatigue:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Health:"
} |
Why did Japan allied with Nazi Germany during WWII? | [
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Basically Japan wanted raw materials like rubber to continue the war in China these materials were held by European colonies or being embargoed by the USA."
] | [
"Could the rebuilding of Japan after WWII be considered a partial colonization by the United States?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How did we come to the point where we have chocolate eggs for Easter? | [
"Because Easter is a fertility celebration -hence the eggs and bunnies (known for rampant shagging) - that was sabotaged by Christianity along with so many other 'pagan' religious events."
] | [
"Mostly, it's a slow news day. You see, the cups are red and green, and according to the media, that is not Christmassy enough for certain demented people who require graven images for their celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, Lamb of God."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Someone please explain the Platypus to me. | [
"Small semi-aquatic mammal. It lives in fresh water rivers and streams. It digs a burrow in the bank as a home. It has a massive bill kinda like (but not exactly) a duck. The bill has sensitive receptors in it that it uses to hunt as it hunts mainly with it's eyes closed. It is one of five species of mammals that l... | [
"I need somebody to ELI5 that question for me."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Can small non repettitive electrical shocks cause damage to my body? | [
"If you get a brief zap when touching the button, it is static which is harmless. Static electricity can be made by walking to the elevator. If you continue to feel a shock if you keep your finger on the metal, then it is AC leakage which is likely excessive and may not be harmless. It could be a sign of a very da... | [
"Electromagnetic interference from the signals going to the phone goof with the electronics that pulse the speakers and make little buzzing noises if it isn't shielded well."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
how can lightbulbs change color? | [
"The light source consists different color \"channels\". A controller can make combinations of these channels, leading to different colors. Similar to mixing paint to create more colors!"
] | [
"just think about what's actually necessary in order to reproduce."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
how does melanin protect against uv | [
"Most skin cells are \"clear\" as far as light is concerned. It can't penetrate forever, but it can definately get deep enough to reach living cells. Melanin is a pigmet that absorbs light. By absorbing ultraviolet light in melanin pigmet granules, a lot less ultraviolet light can reach living cells, protecting the... | [
"Freckles are little spots of cells(melanocytes) that produce pigment(melanin) in your skin. The production of melanin is up-regulated, or produced, in response to the radiation that the sun emits in the form of UV rays. The UV rays damage the skins DNA and thus the melanin is produced. The exact physiology of how ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why does it look like the sun moves faster (towards and away from the horizon) during dusk and dawn than it does during any other time of the day? | [
"Because the orizon provides you with a frame of reference. The speed is always the same, but you don't usually have a stationary line to compare it to"
] | [
"Because that's where the Moon is at that time. The Moon isn't connected to the day/night cycle (a factor of the Earth's revolution) Imagine these are all gears and wheels turning at different rates. Sometimes the wheels line up one way (moon at night) and other times they line up another way (moon during the day) ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If tonal languages use different pitches of the same phoneme to mean different words, how does that affect emotion or other forms of context in speech? | [
"The term ‘tone’ is a little misleading- there’s still very much a different tone of voice no matter what you’re saying- watch a movie in Chinese and you’ll be able to tell their emotions based on the tone of their voice."
] | [
"Most languages, like English, have a lot of redundancy built-in and our brains are also particularly good at finding patterns (even in novel sets of stimuli) and linking those patterns to pieces of knowledge or expressions that we have been exposed to previously. It depends on the language though. Some languages, ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
How do Dimensions work? | [
"Mathematically, you can have as many dimensions as you want - you just add a new variable for each dimension. Physically, it's very difficult to \"visualize\" a higher dimension - which doesn't mean they don't exist, just that we can't see them. If you're REALLY interested, there is a book called Flatland which de... | [
"What's to explain? Why we have it? How it works?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How do cameras at golfing events keep track of a golf ball after it's been hit when its moving so fast and so small? | [
"Typically they change the contrast in their viewfinder so the sky is white and the ball is black. That, and years of practice."
] | [
"How do you mean \"see it\"? Know that it passed? Know it was a bullet? Have a clear image of that bullet? If you fire a tracer round you can see it even though it moves significantly faster than the speed of sound because it is bright and leaves a strong image on your retina Seeing a bullet is hard because it is s... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
If abortions are now banned in Alabama, could the person theoretically go to the nearest state over to get one? | [
"As long as it isn't Georgia, which also has effectively outlawed all abortions starting next January. Although the loss of the fetus could be suspicious enough if discovered to warrant an investigation."
] | [
"You do realize that video was heavily edited to make it look worse than it really was, right? But in general, abortion is legal and unless major changes happen to the supreme court, is going to remain that way."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
What would happen if you’re driving say 50mph and you hit the brake and switch your car into park? Would it act like an emergency brake and lock up your tires? Or would it just destroy your vehicle? | [
"Usually the parking pawl, the piece that stops everything from moving is just a small piece that fits into a gear inside the transmission. When you try to put it in park, if it will even try, that little pawl can’t fit into the gear, because the gear is turning too fast. If by chance it does fit, there’s a pretty ... | [
"Reaction time plays a lot into it. If you're suddenly trying to avoid an accident and jerk with both feet hitting brake and accelerator its dangerous. If you only use one foot you're going to go for the brake instead of flooring it when coming into a sticky situation."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
how does all the world debt work? | [
"Money isn’t owed country to country in general — it’s owed to investors. Countries issue bonds that individual investors, retirement funds/pension funds, insurance companies, university endowments, etc. purchase. Yes, sometimes foreign countries do buy bonds of other countries, but they are just one of many debt h... | [
"what makes you think society is fiscally dependent on the stock market?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
why do old scars hurt when the weather changes? | [
"I would venture to guess that it’s because scar tissue is much different than regular skin tissue in that it is essentially just connective tissue and does not have various layers. That area no longer has the insulation that normal skin layers would provide so the nerves there are slightly more exposed to the elem... | [
"Why do the glands in my neck burn like high hell when I'm holding back tears?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How exactly do scientific names for animals work? | [
"When you discover a new animal, you get to pick the scientific name. This name is in the Binomial Nomenclature, in Latin. There are rules, of course, and not just to make sure the names are unique. For animals, the [International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN)](_URL_0_ ) is the rule book."
] | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why don’t we feel the Earth rotate if it’s spinning so fast? | [
"Frame of reference: we’re moving with it, and it isn’t accelerating or decelerating. Humans can’t sense relative motion."
] | [
"Yes, but not nearly as fast as you are imagining it. The earth rotates at 1000 mph at the equator, but it still only completes one rotation every ~24 hours. Likewise, you standing on the pole would only rotate once every ~24 hours. So you would be spinning, but just very very slowly."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
why is it so hard to swallow when you don't have anything in your mouth? | [
"Correct me if I’m wrong but I think swallowing is an involuntary reflex. When you “voluntarily” swallow you are basically just pushing food or saliva back into position to trigger the reflex. Edit: not a very good ELI5 I guess. Swallowing is automatic. It’s like your body has a sensor and swallows when the sensor ... | [
"Based on the facts you have presented: 1. some mornings you wake up just fine. 2. you ate dinner the night before. 3. it only happens to you in the morning. 4. before you throw up you run to the kitchen to grab the first bit of food you can. 5. it doesn't matter what it is. 6. you cram it down your throat. ...you ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Health and Wellness:"
} |
Why are humans biologically wired to wake long past sunrise and go to sleep long past sunset, rather than waking and going to sleep around sunrise and sunset? | [
"They are not. Modern electrical lighting and society has shifted it. Try going camping for a week or so with only one flash light. You will wake and sleep more or less with the sun very quickly."
] | [
"Your circadian rhythm is out of whack, your body expects you to go to sleep and wake up around the same time each day. If you go to bed at the same time each night with no phones or electronics or pretty much any other source of light for about an hour before bedtime then your circadian rhythm will get back in che... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Sleep and fatigue:",
"pos": "Represent the post about Sleep and fatigue:",
"neg": "Represent the post about Sleep and fatigue:"
} |
What makes copper kill germs on contact that other metals can't? | [
"It's not just copper, silver has a similar effect. These are heavy metals, and when their ions get into a cell, the mechanisms that operate the cell are disrupted."
] | [
"Bleach kills the Ebola virus pretty quickly. It's also destructive to living human cells, which is why we can't douse contagious people with concentrated bleach, however once the fluids have left the body, bleach on. Heat, cold, and exposure to UV rays from sunlight also kill viruses, just not as quickly as bleach... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Exercise is supposed to be good for the heart - how does forcing a finite organ to work harder not just wear it out faster? | [
"People have addressed the muscle part of it in other comments but there is also another reason. When you exercise, certain hormones are released that relax your blood vessels so that you can move blood more efficiently. Over time as you exercise more and more this makes your blood vessels more limber in general wh... | [
"I believe the body releases hormones that make your physical well being better after exercise and thus not having those endorphins for a while will cause withdrawal like symptoms. They improve your mood, circulation, sexual hormone intensity and also stimulate your metabolism and digestion so that your body is awa... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
How was ice produced in the days before freezers in warmer climates? Was there any way to conserve foods/meats? | [
"Ice was \"harvested\" from cold lakes, wrapped in insulated crates, and shipped to distant locations to keep food fresh in an \"icebox\"."
] | [
"Humans have evolved to capitalize on feasts followed by famine. Famine cannot last too long. Post apocalyptic novels can be short on the actual mechanics of survival. Perishable food which will not last long should be cooked and eaten quickly. But most cooked food should last a day. What to do depends on the exact... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How is it socially acceptable for men to show nipples on TV and in public, whereas it's socially unacceptable for women to show their nipples on TV and in public? | [
"No reason, it's just a cultural norm. In other words, it is that way because that's the way it is. Breasts are not sex organs, female breasts are not more sensitive than male breasts. It's the same as some cultures requiring women to cover their hair or even their faces."
] | [
"When it comes to nudity, nothing makes sense. Once upon time it wasn't OK to show your ankles."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Biology:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Biology:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How is it possible that heat exists both as infrared radiation and as kinetic energy of particles? | [
"Heat does not exist as infrared radiation. Infrared radiation can transfer energy from a heat source to a material, but ultimately the 'heat' will exist in the material absorbing the incoming radiation in the form of kinetic energy of particles."
] | [
"Temperature is just the average kinetic energy of the molecules making up a substance. Space, however, is a vacuum. There's nothing to absorb the radiant energy of the sun and convert it to heat. No molecules, no temperature."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What makes a vowel a vowel? | [
"Vowels are letters that make a noise for which you don't need have any contact in your mouth. Essentially noises that you make with only your throat. In all other letters, you move your lips or tongue or anything else."
] | [
"You use an when the beginning *sounds* like a vowel regardless of if it is one. European starts with a \"y\" sound which in this case counts as a consonant. Edit: another example you would say \"an hour\" because the h is silent."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why do island nations typically drive on the left (UK, Japan, Australia, etc) while mainland nations typically drive on the right (US, Canada, Mainland Europe, etc)? | [
"Most countries that drives left because they were part of the British Empire. Australia and Hong Kong fall under this category. Japan drives on left because same reason UK drives on left in beginning. Because swordmen on horses kept to left because they were right handed."
] | [
"In the first place, most of the people in Russia live in the European part. In the second place, a lot of the Russian (in the sense of being citizens of the Russian Federation, not Slavs from the upper Volga region) people *are* what we'd think of as Asian; Mongolians and Manchus and the like. And third, \"Asian,\... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do computer programmers take the computer (read: mouse) courser into account for the programs? Do they have to write the code that mirrors the mouse movement or do they just create the interactive background? | [
"For most programs, the operating system/window manager draws the cursor and a program doesn't have to worry about that. A program will get notifications like \"the mouse has moved to (x, y)\" and can use that to know where the mouse currently is to do things like highlighting. For games with custom cursors, they m... | [
"There are some graphical software development tools, or flow charts for scripting, but they are usually used for learning or beginners. The GUIs you're referring themselves are powered by back-end code written in raw text. Writing code is very similar to speaking any other language. Trying to write a program with ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What are the purpose of 4WD and 2WD in vehicles? As well as each having their own Hi and Low buttons? | [
"2WD stands for Two-Wheel Drive, either Front or Rear, depending on your car. Most likely, FWD. In Two-Wheel Drive mode, the power of your engine will be sent to a single axle, and split among both wheels on that axle. This is the most common way you'll use your car. The unpowered wheels will roll passively, like t... | [
"Because different vehicles have different needs, different load levels, different speed ratios, perform different task. Your Toyota Yaris doesn't need the same tires as my SS Camaro."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer about Automotive technology:"
} |
That disgusting morning breath. How does it form? Why does it stink so bad? How do we counter it? | [
"Generally it's bacteria in your mouth. If you happen to breath with your mouth while you sleep, you produce less saliva and bacteria can flourish and cause brefstank. General good dental hygiene and plenty of mouthwash should help along with keeping your nose unclogged so theres less mouth breathing."
] | [
"They're being deteriorated and broken down by sugars and acids in the plaque hiding between your teeth. Floss. Bleed. Rinse. Heal. Repeat. You'll be happier for it and so will whoever you talk to every day."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Health:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post about Health:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
why does the airport security make us take our electronic devices out of our bag during security scan? | [
"Large screen devices like laptops or tablets will just look like blank squares on the x-ray scanner. So they won't be able to see if you're hiding something underneath it or not in your bag. Same reason why they make you take out *everything* from your pockets, even cigarette packs, when you do the Back Scatter ma... | [
"Worked in an Norwegian airport. It depends on your shoes. Some shoes have a metal bar in them to keep its shape. Those can be enough to set off a metal detector, so it's off with the shoes. Security personnel learn to spot the difference and can usually tell in advance which shoes will set off the detector. If y... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How do scientists obtain a single neutron that they can shoot at the nucleus of an atom in fission? | [
"Fission is a naturally occurring process. U-235 is found in nature and we concentrate it for use in reactors. The radioactive decay of U-235 releases neutrons. Reactors use control rods to absorb the neutrons to control how many fissions occur and this the amount of neutrons produced and therefore controlling the... | [
"It uses huge magnets to accelerate single atoms to near-light speed, and measures what happens when those atoms collide. The energy of the collision can cause undiscovered and exotic particles to briefly blink into existence."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
How does bail work? Do you get it back if you’re found innocent? Convicted? | [
"If you paid bail yourself, you get it back when trial finishes, regardless if you're found guilty or not. Bail money guarantees you show up for trial. If you don't have money to pay bail, you can pay a bail bondsman 10% of the bail, who will pay the bail for you. But you won't get anything back. Because if you ... | [
"When someone is arrested and waiting for a trial, they are sitting in jail. In the US system, people are innocent until proven guilty. This means that you could have an innocent person sitting in jail. Therefore you have the option of putting money down as a deposit for your release. Basically you're telling the c... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do children have nightmares more often than adults? | [
"It is not clear if that is actually true. Children are more likely to be unable to deal with a nightmare, to request aid, to show an impact the next day, and to be afraid of things going forward because of a nightmare. When an adult has a nightmare, usually they are the only one who will even know about it, which ... | [
"There are about a thousand different reasons why someone might sweat while they are asleep. i.e. the answer is going to vary from person to person."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence about Sleep and fatigue:"
} |
Why are there not big patches of strawberries in wild areas of public lands? | [
"(Posted 8 minutes ago according to me) Anyway. There *are* random fields of wild strawberries in places. My yard is full of them. You probably don't notice them because: 1. Wild strawberries are very tiny. 2. They get eaten by birds and other wildlife quite quickly. For what it is worth, while wild strawberries... | [
"Does it matter if there is water instead of roads between a number of small towns? We have boats and bridges."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do companies like Visa or Mastercard work? and How do they make money? | [
"They charge a swipe fee ( or Merchant fee) for each transaction using a Visa or Master card."
] | [
"Chase is who is giving you the credit. They loan you money, you pay them back. Amazon sponsor your credit card. They get their logo printed on it. They may give you some kind of loyalty points for using it. But this is basically a marketing/sponsorship agreement between Amazon and Chase that helps Chase by increas... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why don’t airlines have parachutes | [
"Multiple reasons. Takes up too much space, the exit is too small, the height at which commercial airplanes fly as well as the speed would probably instantly kill people who would jump out."
] | [
"Regular seat belts don't have lobbyists to pay politicians to set needless expiration requirements."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
why when going to bed your leg or arm will suddenly jerk | [
"It's not unusual, and it's related to how the body handles a chemical called dopamine (this is an important chemical in the brain). The process of getting tired and going to sleep causes changes in the level of this chemical, and the body is also preparing to paralyse itself later (if you've ever had the can't-run... | [
"I get this too. Almost feels like a muscle close to the skin twitching? You feel like you should be able to see the throb, but nothing."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Health and Wellness:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Health and Wellness:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Health and Wellness:"
} |
If the US is a secular state why does the dollar bill say "in God we trust" | [
"Most of the references to God on things like money, in the pledge of allegiance, etc. were added during the Cold War. The Communists in the USSR were very anti-religion, so if something was proposed such as adding 'In God we Trust' to coins then any politician against that would risk being vilified as a Communist.... | [
"The treaty of Tripoli is normally pointed to by some as evidence that the original founders didn't intend The US to be a \"Christian nation\". Most laws or legal rulings regarding church and state relationship is based off of the 1st Amendment, which states: > **Congress shall make no law respecting an establishm... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Any Canadian you meet calls bacon "bacon", and ham "ham". Why do Americans think they call it "Canadian bacon"? | [
"Minor correction: Why is there a misconception that Canadians call ham \"bacon\"?"
] | [
"Bacon is, by definition, strips of cured meat from the belly of a pig. Turkeys aren't pigs, so there's actually no such thing as turkey bacon. Turkey bacon is pseudo-bacon. It is an abomination."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do you have to put your seat at the full upright position when taking off and landing in airplanes? | [
"So if you need to evacuate the aircraft the person behind you can stand up without having to bend over your seat. Upright seats and raised tray-tables clear as much space as possible to allow a quicker evacuation."
] | [
"Planes are thoroughly inspected before every flight to ensure everything is ok. Do you inspect your car every day before your commute to work?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why is it possible for a contact lenses prescription to be the same power in both eyes but an eyeglasses prescription to be different powers in each eye? | [
"Because of how optics work. Contact lenses sit directly on the eye, changing how much power is needed. Glasses sit farther away from the eye, so more power is needed to correct for the same vision. To better answer your question, glasses can be more precise in their correction, so -0.25 cylinder in glasses may be... | [
"Glasses with the wrong prescription, or poorly fitted glasses, cause eye strain, which will give you a headache. I don't know that it will cause long term harm, but it will feel terrible. Fitting glasses is an art, while determining the prescription is more of a science. The prescription includes an exact distance... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
why do mobile devices perform better when wifi takes over cellular but not the other way around? | [
"The trigger when you go from wifi to cell is because the wifi signal is so bad. The trigger from going cell to WiFi is because wifi exists, assuming it's always better. One is intentional. The other is a failure to connect. So of course it's bad when you have to fail over."
] | [
"Ill explain GPS and NFC. GPS is free because your not actually sending any data, all GPS is radio signals sending a signal from space. NFC is near field communications, it can be used for your phone to communicate with another device. This is a low range (an inch or two) feature that can allow simple data transf... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Technology:"
} |
How are they filming violent movie scenes casting children without traumatizing the young actors? | [
"The process of filmmaking is nothing like the finished , edited work. Scenes are shot out of order, you probably just had lunch with the monster who’s going to kill you in the next scene, and nothing kills the mood like seeing the bored PAs standing around craft services. Most sets will also take special care to m... | [
"Why is it possible to enjoy a movie like John Wick, were he relentlessly kills dozens of people, but when you see it in real life it's sickening and traumatizing?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What are the different "numbered" circuit courts, or circuit courts-of-appeal in the American judicial system? | [
"They are the appellate courts of the US federal court system. There are 11 \"numbered\" circuits and the District of Columbia Circuit that each have a defined geographical region under their authority. For example, the Seventh Circuit based in Chicago has authority over the US District Courts in Illinois, Indiana,... | [
"Essentially the same with some minor differences ie states technically have independent governments while prefectures are subdivisions of the country"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why does NASA have to wait until 2024 to land on the moon? | [
"We don't have any sort of rocket that can travel to the moon and back. We don't have a vehicle that can detach from that rocket and land on the moon. Takes a LOT of time and money to design and build those. Even 2024 seems way too soon. That's only five years. Plus, all the guys who worked on the Moon missions... | [
"It's really expensive, and not incredibly valuable scientifically to send humans to the moon. You are far better off spending those dollars on probes sent to other planets and moons in the solar system. The only justification for sending humans to the moon is to 1.) Prove you can do it, and 2.) One up the Soviet U... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do some devices and programs need to be rebooted/restarted when a new setting or update is applied to them? | [
"If your operating system is like a running car, it would be dangerous to replace parts while the car is running. So you shut the car off. Replace the parts, then start it up again. Basically when your computer starts, it has a chance to replace files and do other things before anything else is started and needs th... | [
"It can't. Updates can only happen when your computer is powered on. However, your computer can certainly detect that it has missed some updates when it comes up and start updating itself."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why can't we artificially make plastic decompose faster? | [
"Decomposition happens when something eats the thing that is decomposing. Ie. wood decomposes because fungi and bacteria are literally eating and digesting the wood. You can accelerate decomposition by improving conditions for the microbial life that processes whatever it is you're trying to decompose. Heat and hum... | [
"Water, fibre, and other things that humans don't digest into energy."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is it so crucial that a public company continue to grow at all costs? | [
"It's about increasing profits above and beyond that which you could invest for the same return elsewhere. If you can't make more money than that, the business shouldn't exist. This is the concept of opportunity cost... Beyond that, inflation renders yesterday's dollar worth less. You can't simply maintain profits... | [
"Uber generates a ton of revenue, and reinvests that revenue back into itself in order to grow market share and improve services, features and hiring lawyers. They may not create much in profits yet, but the company is creating value for investors as it continues to grow. At some point, the growth curve will level ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
passive aggressiveness | [
"No, no it’s fine. I’ll just stop cooking my breakfast to answer this post. It’s fine. I’ll just drop everything right now. No problem."
] | [
"[HowStuffWorks video explanation](_URL_0_) tl;dr * prevent brow sweat from getting in eyes * improve non-verbal communication"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why do the buttons on a calculator only go up to the number 9? | [
"Every other number can be expressed using the digits 0 through 9. So to save space for other numbers, only those 10 digits are given. And anyway the number of numbers are infinite."
] | [
"Exponential growth. Each fold doubles the thickness of the paper. If I gave you 1 penny today, and promised to give you twice as much money tomorrow, and twice as much the day after, and so on and so on, on day 30 I'm giving you over $5 million dollars. You can do the math on this yourself pretty easily though. O... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do dogs like to be stroked? | [
"Are you kidding? Who shouldn't want their back an head scratched all the time."
] | [
"Why do you stare at your dog when it's taking a shit?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Animal behavior:"
} |
How does looking at a bright light help with sneezing? | [
"It can trigger what's called the photic sneeze reflex. This reflex makes some people sneeze when they look at bright lights. The exact mechanism by which it works isn't fully understood. It's also genetic, so only people with the gene for it will have that reflex."
] | [
"How do you know that you don't sneeze in your sleep?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How did old hand-drawn animation achieve such consistent color? | [
"Finally something I can answer! I have studied under a traditional animation cel-painter that worked on Disney and Bluth films, I can give some background. When studios wanted to get colors to always match up, there were whole groups of people that spend all day being color scientists. They do lots of research and... | [
"It was one of the first movies made with the facial mocap technologies and updated mocap suits. It allowed for far better and more realistic CGI movements and faces. To many it was also one of the few 3D movies with good 3D effects."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
If food and drink labels must list all ingredients, how can products have "secret recipes"? (e.g. Coca Cola) | [
"You can know that your grandma's bread contains flour, salt, sugar, yeast and water. But without knowing how much of each ingredient to add, you can't replicate the bread she makes - yours might be saltier, wetter sweeter,... and then there's how you ckmbine and prepare those ingredients - do any of them need to b... | [
"Exactly what happened when someone did - nothing. Coca-Cola is not about the flavor. It would not be difficult to replicate Coca-Cola - although one known ingredient, the coca leaf extract, flavors from the plant that cocaine comes from, isn't available to anyone else because of drug laws. Coca-Cola is about the b... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
why do people come up with interesting ideas when they are in the shower? | [
"Because it's one of the few moments where you don't have any distractions but don't really need them either. It's just you and your mind in your own relaxing environment."
] | [
"you might be like me in that you don't know the best way to put what you are trying to say into words because of all the thoughts running through your head. that's my 2 sense"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Speech and Language:"
} |
Why are we groggy when we first wake up? | [
"Takes a minute for your brain/body to ‘boot up’. Especially if you aren’t getting enough rest. If you fall asleep and wake up naturally-ie on your own rhythm- you will find that you’re much less groggy."
] | [
"Your face is swollen when you wake up from sleeping? You might want to stop sleeping hanging upside down, mate."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Sleep and its effects on the body:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Sleep and its effects on the body:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How exactly does computer encryption actually work? | [
"10+10 = 20 but 17+3 = 20 or 12+8 or 9+11 or 13+7 If you're looking for 20 and you need 2 combinations for this 20 you're going to go through lots of numbers. On a computer, it's just a lot more complicated and you'd have to go through billions of combinations which is just not worth your time."
] | [
"Because HTTPS has nothing to do with being hacked or not."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
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