query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
How come wood or paint becomes reflective the finer the sanding process go? | [
"The smoother a surface is the less diffrence there is in reflection of light. Its the same thing when you take a standard sheet of steel and grind/buff it down to be extremely smooth. Youll have almost a mirror because most of the light is now reflected in a uniform manner."
] | [
"Well unless he strips it is forming layers, but very very thin ones when dry were talking around like 2 to 4/1000th of an inch per coat so it would take a large amount of coats to actually fill in the texture with paint. The actual thickness of course can depend on the paint used and the method of application."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Planes use flaps to land and to take off. So why do they retract them while they are on the ground, ie why not just leave them deployed? | [
"People keep mentioning the possibility of damage to extended flaps (which I'm sure is a secondary reason), but the main reason is to keep the plane on the ground. Flaps are designed to create significantly more lift at low speeds at the expense of increasing drag. They deploy them on takeoff and landing so the pla... | [
"Contrary to what Hollywood would show you, planes don't just fall out of the sky when their engines stop working. Instead, they turn into gliders, which can travel for long distances as long as they're okay with slowly descending towards the ground. If the plane was high up in the air, and traveling at cruising sp... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How does a store know I'm stealing something? | [
"I’m not sure if I can write enough words for ELI5: Sensors by the door don’t work for everything, it’s only certain high value items, such an item will have a little strip on them that the cashier passes over something several times to deactivate when you buy it. I guess the strip is probably an RF chip, but I’m n... | [
"I'm a little confused. Let's just say you work at Kohl's so I can use a store name. So the customers go to a Kohl's across town, buy the clothes, then return them to your Kohl's? Or do they steal them from that Kohl's, then return them to yours? Do you think the receipts are faked? Or am I missing something else? ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do speakers work? | [
"It sounds like you understand the mechanics of how a speaker works. It simply vibrates in a way that creates a complex wave of energy in the air. If you zoom in on a sound wave in an audio editing program you’ll see a complex shape made up of the additive and subtractive peaks and valleys of multiple frequencies. ... | [
"Are you asking how a wheel works ?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why does exposure to air make food go stale? | [
"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"
] | [
"Because it's been contaminated as soon as you open the lid. Refrigerating it will lengthen its shelf life. You could leave it out but it won't stay good as long. The fridge slows the growth of bacteria because of cool temperature. Mayo has eggs and oils in it that go bad."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
why is is still hard to fall asleep when you’re sleep deprived? | [
"When you are sleep deprived, your body produces more cortisol (stress hormone), which among many things, keeps you awake. It is one of our evolutionary adaptations in which when danger is present (or in modern day, stressors), our body is able to somehow keep going despite decreased sleep."
] | [
"Teen here, it doesn't matter what i do, i cannot fall asleep before midnight. the only thing that has offered me any help is sleep aids, but they make me wake up feeling just as shitty as if i went to bed late anyway. but i'm just a kid that needs some prick to tell me to \"turn off your phone and go the fuck to s... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Sleep and its effects on the body:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Sleep and its effects on the body:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
what exactly is Tinnitus and is there a way to get rid of it? | [
"I found this remedy on Reddit somewhere. It sounds silly, but it seems to work for me. Place your hands behind your head with the tips of your middle fingers touching with your hands over your ears. Your index fingers should be resting at the base of your skull. Place your index fingers on top of your middle finge... | [
"You can't cure the sickness, but you can treat the symptoms. That's all these medicines are doing. It provides some relief."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
when a helicopter's blades are spinning incredibly fast, why do they sometimes look distinguished as if they're actually barely moving at all? | [
"Are you referring to videos of helicopters? Because this shouldn't happen in real life. As for the videos, the rate of the spin of the blades simply matches the \"shutter\" speed of the camera, so that every time an image is generated the blades happen to be in the same or nearly the same position"
] | [
"Look up \"wagon wheel effect (it's 2 a.m. local and I'm too lazy to source) Basically, the \"spokes\" on the hubcap are slightly offset from when our eyes last saw them (because it takes time for our eyes to register each position), giving the impression the wheel is spinning backwards. You can get a similar effe... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why does it "feel good" to look at someone that cute? | [
"When looking at something or in your case someone attractive, your body releases some happy hormones which make you feel good. This is because of the fact that our bodies are biologically always in search for a mating partner and the 50 year man is most likely not a prefferable mating partner for you."
] | [
"Your brain tricks you into thinking it's you even though you know it's not, it makes you emotionally invested in something its envisioning happening to itself/you. Its why porn turns you on, why sports make you agitated, why seeing people eat makes you kinda hungry. But, I'm high. So I could be wrong. [7]"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are OLED screens pentile and do they support full RGB patterns? | [
"PenTile is a trademark of Samsung. Blue LEDs are the hardest to make, and the advantages of PenTile are: a) You only need one blue out of 5; b) the blue can be larger so that the amount of light produced is equal. What are the VR benefits you'd expect from lower blue levels? I can't think of any."
] | [
"OLED - organic light emitting diode. Each pixel, made of an organic material that can be electrified to emit light, can be turned on or off. Usually sharper images. Either PMOLED (passive matrix) or AMOLED (active matrix). QLED - quantum light emitting diode. Technology called quantum dots which can also be turned... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Gnats. Why do they buzz around and annoy me without biting? What is their purpose? | [
"> What is their purpose? That is the wrong question to ask about biological creatures. In order for something to have a purpose there must have been an intent behind it, and an intent requires an intelligence. There was no intelligence or intent behind the origin of animals and there is therefore no purpose. They ... | [
"It's because of the vibration of their wings. Flies can make a lot of noise too, but they don't go near your head to bite you at night."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does medication that lowers your blood pressure help ‘raise’ your johnson instead of medication that raises the pressure? | [
"A lot of drugs that lower blood pressure (including Viagra) are Vasodilators. This means that they cause your arteries to widen. This increases blood flow which lets more blood make its way to 'your johnson' so it can do its thing."
] | [
"Side effects: better blood flow and lower strain on your heart. And ya know, normal surgical risks."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
What causes the “dope lean” when someone is overdosing on heroin/another opioid? If opioids are meant to loosen you up, why does the body appear to be locked in that position? | [
"Pretty much it comes down to their body still functioning, even in a really messed up state. They aren’t technically unconscious, and their natural instinct to stay upright is still going strong. Their body keeps falling but the natural reaction to straighten back up before they collapse happens."
] | [
"There's a lot of addictive substances out there, and not all work exactly the same way. With cocaine, for example, it over-stimulates dopamine receptors so the brain starts closing some of them off in response to try and adapt to the increased dopamine activity. This makes the cocaine have less effect, so you need... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
- How do they track fish population? | [
"Here’s one way I remember hearing about: You throw a net in, you get 20 fish, and tag them all. Then put them back. (This is how you would do it for lakes, I think) Later, you cast your net, and again pick up 20 fish. If, for simple math example, you found half of that (10) to be tagged, you’re going to assume tha... | [
"How are you going to change the filter?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
At point point to we say some "died of old age" or "it was just their time" vs enumerating a specific cause like heart failure? | [
"The idea that we're fated to die and that it just happens is itself going away. There's always a specific reason, and we're getting better at identifying it. If the person was 95 and suffered heart failure, it's appropriate to say \"died of old age\" because basically, your organs have already severely degraded an... | [
"this sort of touches on why dying with cancer is so popular, when you live in a social health care country it gets hard to die from other things. also old people usually die from compilations to something that is completely curable in a younger person, just can't handle the cure. and gets weirdly marked as \"cause... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why do you feel tired if you get too much sleep instead of feeling extra well-rested? | [
"If I'm not mistaken, sleep cycles or something like that, so you keep sleeping and slip into another cycle which you interrupt when you wake up."
] | [
"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 title about Sleep and its effects on the body:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about Sleep and its effects on the body:",
"neg": "Represent the argument about Health:"
} |
How does double jeopardy work when someone is falsely incriminated? | [
"In the US, courts do not find individuals \"innocent.\" You are either \"guilty\" or \"not guilty.\" \"Not guilty\" doesn't mean \"innocent\", it simply means the government failed to meet the burden necessary to establish your guilt. You could very well still be guilty, it just couldn't be proven beyond reasonabl... | [
"No. Double jeopardy only prevents you from being tried for a crime when when there has been a final adjudication of the case on the merits and all appeals have been exhausted. If a grand jury decides not to indict, there has been not been a final adjudication."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
what is that sound you hear when you close your eyes and squeeze hard? | [
"Come join us on r/earrumblersassemble You are contracting your tensor tympani muscle which is in the middle ear. The sound can also be heard when the neck or jaw muscles are tensed as when yawning deeply."
] | [
"do they squirm when you squeeze them? if so yes."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Health and Physiology:",
"pos": "Represent the answer about Health and Physiology:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why don’t our butt bones give us bruises when we sit? | [
"Sudden impacts cause damage to the blood vessels which bleed into the surrounding tissue, causing a bruise. Leaving on something generally involves a slower increase in pressure. However, this pressure can still cause damage if sustained for long enough. Pressure sores are a huge problem in patients with long ter... | [
"We wear clothes. We care what we smell like. We have butt cheeks because we need large butt muscles to keep us on two legs."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why are there many gpu manufacturers (zotac, Asus, msi...) but onlz 2 pc CPU manufacturers? | [
"They're graphics card manufacturers, not GPU manufacturers. For the GPU the two largest manufacturers are nVidia and AMD, it's pretty much like with CPU's. They develop and create the GPU. Third party graphics card manufacturers can then make a deal with Nvidia to use their GPU. The GPU design can't be changed, b... | [
"The big three specs on a computer are the CPU(the brain), the graphics card (what renders games and stuff), and how much ram you have (it is super high speed memory which can significantly impact how smoothly the computer runs). Other things might be what storage is in the computer or peripherals (like monitors, m... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why do Wifi routers need to have antennas visible when mobiles phone doesn't? | [
"They can. There are many routers available without external antenna. However, it's a use case thing. The external antenna is a bit better, and is adjustable to help you get the most out of your router, which is something you're going to set up in a corner somewhere and leave. It's not a big deal if it's got some ... | [
"Well, whenever I want to listen to the radio on my phone I must plug in my earphones. The wire serves as the antenna. Maybe the reason it can't pick up TV broadcasts is similar. Television antennas tend to be bigger than those of personal radios so that might make it impractical."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does ventilated air not become warmer? | [
"Theoretically it is, but the change is almost unmeasurable. Make that fan do 30000 rpms and you could measure it. Pressure changes would have more of an effect on air temperature than friction."
] | [
"As the hot air rises out of the tower, it draws cooler, denser air in at the bottom. There may or may not be fans helping this. The shape improves convective airflow, and makes this work more efficiently."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are the sounds of the beach so calming? | [
"I would highly recommend listening to [The Hidden Brain Podcast](_URL_0_) called Our Better Nature. It talks all about the research showing the importance of nature on mental and social wellbeing. It discusses research done on having people smelling grass or looking at pictures of a forest while having an MRI take... | [
"It blocks out distracting sounds, and sounds a bit like the noises you heard when you were in your mother's womb."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why after a couple of days of getting 8 hours of sleep, I feel more more energized with a night of 5-6 hours of sleep? | [
"How energized you feel when you wake up has nothing to do with how much you sleep, but has to do with when you wake up. When you sleep you go through [many stages of sleep](_URL_0_). If you wake up when you're in deep sleep (stage 4), you feel like crap. If you wake up when you're in light sleep (stage 1), you fee... | [
"You get used to it. Technically you can be fully functional with 2 hours of sleep a day. Look up polyphasic sleep and Buckminster Fuller who reportedly took 4 thirty minute naps a day for two years. Anyway, it really sucks when you start, but you can adjust your sleep schedule to require less hours, basically by g... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Health:",
"pos": "Represent the text about Health:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why are infections of the colon so much less common than urinary tract infections despite the fact the colon appears to be the ideal environment for bacteria to thrive? | [
"The colon is expected to have bacteria in it and is protected from it. Whereas urine is sterile so the urinary tract is not very protected from bacteria as it rarely encounters it."
] | [
"Somewhat. Bacteria can be a little more difficult than viruses. Some types of bacteria (such as enterococcus) have thick capsules that make it more difficult for the immune system to respond. If the condition that caused the sepsis in the first place is allowed to recur or continue, you can get reinfected. Also, r... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
how do skate boards stick to feet in the air? | [
"They don't stick to your feet at all. You might notice that skaters often reach down and grab the board when doing certain jumps. My guess is that they only appear to stick together, because all things fall at the same rate. So the skater's feet falls at the same speed as the skateboard, so they stay together."
] | [
"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 Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
why does restricting blood flow to an area make your veins pop out even more in that area? | [
"Pressure. Veins are \"drain pipes\" for the blood that has already been pumped through the body to get back to the heart. They are low pressure compared to the higher pressure in the arteries. By pinching them off and restricting this pressure, the veins dilate (expand and \"pop out\"). So you are not really restr... | [
"Blood is rushed to those areas for repair thus causing the feeling of more heat in a specific piece of your body."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Health and anatomy:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text about Health and anatomy:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text about Science:"
} |
Why do rockets spin on their way up? What purpose does the spinning serve? | [
"Spinning helps with keeping a projectile straight, for bullets, arrows, rockets, and sports balls. If you are American and watch football you’ll have noticed when they throw it they put spin on the ball, or throwing a vortex (the football with fins on it) the fins are angled to provide spin that gives it balance.... | [
"Fighter jets are air breathing. There is no air in space. For the same reason, there's no sonic boom in space either."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What does Einstein meant when he said a person in free fall wouldn't feel any force / weightless? | [
"> Is the feeling of falling just the wind hitting my body? Yes. In an atmosphere, you would only feel the pressure of being forced through it (The wind blowing against you). Without an atmosphere, you wouldn't feel anything. Only the initial acceleration would be felt. This is the same reason when driving on the ... | [
"This is like asking \"how does speed cause motion\"? The concept of gravity includes its effects on time, you just don't normally notice because the effect on Earth is so tiny. Are you sure you aren't really asking *how we know* gravity slows time? I could answer that."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
How do apps like Apple Maps and Google Maps know how much traffic is present on a road? and how do they calculate the destination times accordingly? | [
"There are many ways. One such way is to buy anonymous data from cell phone companies who track how many of their users move from tower to tower and how quickly. Given the geometry of cell sites, they can tell which users are likely on a nearby highway at a given time and track them as the move down the road and co... | [
"\"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 title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why do things get sun bleached through a window but you don't get a sunburn when sitting near a window? | [
"Ultraviolet rays are broken down into two types: UVB and UVA. Normal windows block most UVB rays which are the ones responsible for sunburn. However, they still let in UVA rays, which can still cause bleaching."
] | [
"because they aren't exposed to direct sunlight very often. If you lay out with your palms up/lay face down with the soles of your feet directed at the sun for a prolonged period of time, they would get burnt, just like any other part of your skin."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why is the water in our drinking glass clear and colorless but all the water in Earth’s rivers /lakes/oceans blue? | [
"Normal white light is made up of a mixture of colours. Water absorbs the red light a bit. Only a tiny amount of red light gets absorbed by a 2 inch wide glass of water. But when you look across even a few meters, like a swimming pool or even bigger, almost all the red light is gone, and it looks blue. This absorb... | [
"Rain is fresh water, so the salt is left behind in the ocean when water evaporates. The rain flows into rivers lakes and streams, so they are fresh water. When a river runs into the ocean, perhaps in a bay, it mixes and becomes salt water."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do our stomachs that are protruding by bed time flatten overnight? | [
"Food in the stomach gets broken down and partially digested, and is then moved into the intestines for further digestion. After a full night's sleep, by the time you wake up, your stomach is emptied of food (on average it takes about 4-5 hours for the stomach to empty after a full meal, depending on what you ate).... | [
"You stomach and intestine has strong \"smooth muscle\" that crushes food that you don't control. Imagine that if you have food in you, your pounding on food. Now think that there's no food in you, your pounding your own hand. An empty stomach can have varying levels of discomfort on people, and on your case to the... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage about Health and Wellness:"
} |
why people on antidepressants must avoid grapefruit. | [
"Compounds present in grapefruit can inhibit a liver enzyme (cyp3a4) that some antidepressants are metabolized by. Inhibiting the enzyme will result in higher blood content of those substrate, which may be an issue"
] | [
"there are certain compounds that your body can't break down and it stays in you liquid waste (urine). besides coffee, this occurs with many antibiotics and asparagus. all pretty gross!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
How do they trap the air inside bubble wrap without leaving a hole for the air to escape through? | [
"The bubbles aren't blown up like a balloon; rather two sheets of plastic are \"stamped\" together in a honeycomb pattern, leaving empty (air-filled) bubbles."
] | [
"Basically, in order for the liquid to leave the straw (and fall out the bottom), something has to take its place. Normally, air comes in the top and replaces any leaving liquid. With your finger over the top, air cannot get in, and so no liquid can leave."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
why does calling internationally cost so much more than local calls? | [
"The increased cost reflects the cost of maintaining the cables and infrastructure needed to make those calls. Contrary to commonly head belief International calls use underwater fiber optic cables, not satellites. But even so the cost of laying and maintaining those fibers is very expensive, and that cost is passe... | [
"+1 is the international country code for the US and Canada. As long as you're not actually making an international call it's unnecessary."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Telecommunications:",
"pos": "Represent the answer about Telecommunications:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Where does the wax in a candle go when it is burned? | [
"Up in smoke. But no really, the materials break down and get expelled into the air. It's fuel for the candle."
] | [
"They are coated with a petroleum or tar substance which is what burns. Here is a fun experiment: get a metal tray and some cotton balls. Try burning a cotton ball. Now dip one is rubbing alcohol and light it. Burns hot and fast, eh? Now smear some Vaseline on one and light it. Now it burns a long time. Kind of soo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:"
} |
Why does mac-n-cheese not taste cheesy after you reheat it? | [
"So macaroni and cheese changes when it gets cold in a few different ways. The oils in the cheese sauce get cold and harden up and separate, while the macaroni continue to absorb more water. Some water is also lost if it isnt in an air tight container. This turns what is left into a starchy and oily mess. You can r... | [
"Yer not alone in askin', and kind strangers have explained: 1. [ELI5: Why do french fries taste awful if reheated, but something like pizza is comparable whether fresh or reheated? ](_URL_3_) 1. [ELI5: What is it about french fries that make them taste so bad when reheated compared to other foods like pizza? ](_UR... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about Food:"
} |
I’m watching the Bart’s Comet episode of The Simpsons and I was wondering what Principal Skinner is saying while looking through the telescope: ”six hours nineteen minutes right ascension, fourteen degrees fifty-eight minutes declination...” And so on | [
"As you probably know, the Earth is divided up by imaginary lines called latitude and longitude. Any position on the Earth can be described by its latitude and longitude. We do a similar thing to describe the location of objects in the sky. Right ascension is how far the object is from an arbitrary \"east-west\" po... | [
"Well of course it's possible, just get ready for a long time spent saying \"Five hundred million, six hundred and seventy-eight thousand, four hundred and thirty-**one**, Five hundred million, six hundred and seventy-eight thousand, four hundred and thirty-**two**\" Even if you spoke fast enough to say each number... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
The feeling you get when it feels like someone is near, or someone might be watching you, what is that? How do we sense it? Is it just a gut feeling? | [
"Honestly, your brain has a lot of signals coming in from our 5 senses each moment... We filter most of those out. Add to that confirmation bias and psychic BS in pop culture and we are all convinced we can \"feel the presence of others\" while we probably just heard something/saw something but didn't interpret it ... | [
"I suppose if you've been blind all your life, you could never fully understand what it means to see. Or that if you've been deaf, you could never appreciate music. Language is limiting. The best way I could describe it is that the sensation of emotions is very much like physical sensations, but they're more mental... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Biology:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about Biology:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How do weed killers just kill the weeds and not surrounding plants, flowers and grass? | [
"Depends on the weed killer for specifics, some are non selective and kill any plant they contact. Like Roundup prevents the plants from making the amino acids it needs. And will kill almost any plant. Selective herbicides that you might use on a lawn are selective broad leaf killers and generally don't harm grasse... | [
"Let's say your body is like the lawn in front of your house. You've got grass, and some bushes, maybe a tree or two. All of these are good things you want to keep around. But then some ugly weeds start growing in your yard and your dad wants to get rid of them. He goes to the store and buys some weed killer and s... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why are G-protein receptors the target for more than half of the drugs? | [
"G-protein receptors are very common receptors that need to be activated in order to trigger a cascade of reactions within the cell. They are involved in a large amount of common processes that can often go wrong in people (e.g. inflammation, glucose homeostasis, etc.). This makes an obvious target for drugs becaus... | [
"The treatment which the biotech company calls MuTaTo (multi-target toxin) is based on SoAP technology, which belongs to the phage display group of technologies. CEO of the biotech company Dr Ilan Morad said they started with identifying why other cancer-related drugs and treatment are not working and then they loo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Whats the meaning of battery mAh, how will I know if the charger’s output affect my phone’s battery? | [
"mAh stands for milliamp hours. It basically the max storage capacity of the battery. In general the output from a charging block (the part that plugs into a wall) determines how fast your battery will charge. Standard small blocks allow you to charge at 1 Amp. Larger blocks will let you charge at 2 amps or more. ... | [
"I have two chargers on my desk, one which says 12W and one which says 10W. The 12W charges my phone faster. The more power they are able to provide, the faster the charging will go. Have a look for the power values of the two chargers."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
How come your car's aircon needs topped up and recharged, but your fridge in your kitchen does not? | [
"Your fridge is a pretty well closed off system where all the joints can be firmly sealed, and then it never moves for 10-20 years. Your car has a lot more flexible hoses and seals because it has to move the refrigerant from a compressor somewhere in the engine bay to your AC unit and back, and it does this while ... | [
"There's oil in the compressor part of the freezer (the engine bit) that can leak out if the freezer hasn't been kept upright during transport (which you don't know for sure it hasn't if you just bought it). Letting it stand upright lets this oil settle back into the compressor meaning it's less likely to cause iss... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do people start laughing when they are experiencing despair? | [
"Laughter is the response to absurdity. If you were suddenly overcome by crushing despair, wouldn't you laugh at the absolute ludicrousness of the notion? I would. I mean, what else are you supposed to do?"
] | [
"Because it helps to take your mind off of the embarrassing thought. I do that a lot when I'm hung over."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do flavors in foods “marry” after sitting together. Why does it taste different than eating immediately after combining? | [
"Flavors can be carried by fat, water, alcohol etc. Letting a mixed food sit for a bit before serving allows time for the flavors to be extracted from the components, but also for the flavors to be absorbed into the other ingredients."
] | [
"Why *does butter taste more salty when *it’s melted? This is because all flavor, especially salt, is greatly dulled when in cold items, versus warm/hot items. This is also why Chefs will add more salt to dishes served cold, than in dishes served hot."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
If I dissolve tylenol in a cup of water and drink it, will it take effect sooner since it's already disolved? | [
"Yes. You can also chew it or break it into pieces and swallow it. More surface area means it will digest and absorb more quickly."
] | [
"The medication absorbs/passes through the mucous membrane under there. There are a lot of blood vessels under your tongue, so it's able to get into your blood stream faster than if you swallow it and it has to go through your digestive track."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
The economics of skyscrapers. With all the advances in transportation, networking, and the rise of inner city costs, why do companies still find it financially beneficial to set up shop in congested areas? | [
"Most urban cores with skyscrapers are centrally located and/or have transportation that funnel people toward them from all directions of the metro area, which gives companies the widest area from which to recruit. The younger workers who live downtown can easily commute by bike/transit/ride share, while the older ... | [
"We've had our skyscraper race already. We've proven again and again we can build them as tall as anyone else. But some of these newly-developed and newly-wealthy countries want to prove that they can, too. And beyond a certain height--50 stories, or so--a taller skyscraper is not necessarily more cost effective th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
What is 5Ge that AT & T is offering and how does it differ from 5G? | [
"5Ge is the rebranding of AT & Ts LTE evolution which is a quicker slightly more advanced LTE network. Real 5G is a giant leap ahead on technology. So the biggest thing is download speeds. 5Ge would be between 50 and 100 Mbps. Which is good but real 5G can be closer to 1000 Mbps. AT & T is hoping people will think ... | [
"That's gonna depend on what part of the world you're in. 2G, 3G and 4G relate to specification of each wireless standard for GSM technology. They indicate generations \"G\" of the wireless standard. 2G was essential EDGE data and 3G included HSPA and HSUPA, and so forth. However in the USA some carriers, think it ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Technology:"
} |
What Nietzsche meant when he said 'God is Dead'? | [
"He meant that the Enlightenment killed the possibility of belief in God due to the rise of scientific rationalism. It also has to do with the moral vacuum that was left in Western Civilization since we couldn't point to a divine being to justify what is right and wrong. But, that lead to Nietzsche's belief in the... | [
"Pre-modernism: We have the truth. Modernism: We can find the truth. Post-modernism: There is no truth."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does petting/playing with our pets make us happy? Even if the pet is sleeping we still feel happy just from touching them? | [
"My link was removed, because I didn't also explain. First here's that link again: _URL_0_ While researchers aren't 100% sure why, when we pet our dogs, look at them, or even just think about them, our brains release some \"happiness\" hormones, like oxytocin. Oxytocin is the same chemical that mothers' brains rele... | [
"Same here. When I'm upset, my cat comes sauntering up to me purring like a motorboat to comfort me. If I'm crying, he curls up next to me and wipes away my tears with his cheek. The purring is very soothing. If he didn't care about me, he wouldn't bother to do any of this. I think it just depends on the temperamen... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
What is the purpose of different processors on the same phone? | [
"Samsung has a contract with Qualcomm to use their chips in the United States. Do some research on it as it's kinda interesting! They've been locked in with Qualcomm for a long time. Everywhere else samsung produces their own Exynos chip."
] | [
"Because those are stored in different parts of the brain."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Neuroscience:"
} |
How come your organs, skin and bones can heal, but not teeth? | [
"Teeth do heal, the reason you need fluoride in water is because it helps your teeth repair damage. It's just pretty common to have teeth get decayed way past the limits of what can heal. Like your arm can heal a scratch in a few days but if you cut your arm off it's never growing back. If you have a microscopic we... | [
"Cut your finger tip off and the finger print will not grow back. Obviously there is a layer which will regenerate. We survive because our skin will absorb a lot of punishment and regenerate. But we will not grow a new finger if lost. The regeneration layer has the genes to reproduce your skin complete with the fin... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Health and Medicine:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Health and Medicine:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do bugs flip over when they die? | [
"All bugs, insects, arachnids, chiadropods, etc, have in their genetic programming a deep-seated desire that is borderline biological imperative to learn how to breakdance. As death rapidly approaches, they realize they have left this innate biological drive unfulfilled and quickly start attempting to rectify that,... | [
"They hide under plants when it's sunny. Otherwise they'd dry out. When it's rainy, they can move around without danger of drying."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
why is it so hard for me to sleep without background noise like TV or the radio? | [
"You probably learned this behavior overtime. By intentionally or accidentally sleeping with background noise, you developed a sleep pattern that now requires external noise... so its a routine. These sleep routines can be both good and bad. But they can be broken with time and patience. Try sleeping without noise.... | [
"Actually the counting sheep's doesn't work. I read something about it but I'm too lazy to do the research right now. Anyway what you have to do is take your head off things. Read a book, try to think about a movie. Don't watch TV or use your tablet because the blue light they emit is bad for your sleep."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why when inhaling water vapor (like in a hot shower or humidifier) is fine, but even the slightest inhalation of liquid water stings our sinuses for a period of time? | [
"Percentage and volume. Even 100% humidity like in your shower is still like 99% air. You just see the vapor because the water molecules are bigger and tend to clump together and refract light differently. If you took all the vapor out of the shower assuming you have a normal sized bathroom you'd maybe have a cup o... | [
"Breathing in through the nose filters the air much better than through the mouth due to the nasal passages and other nosey stuff that goes on. Because of this, less particles such as pollen, dust, and other irritants get into your lungs. Also, it \"treats\" the air with moisture from mucous making the air much les... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment about Health and Wellness:"
} |
Why does 70 degree (F) water feel so cold yet 70 degree air is fine? | [
"Water is a fantastic at absorbing heat. It sucks the heat right out of basically anything put into it including your body. Since your body is built to operate around 98.6 it is quite obvious to your senses when 70 Degree (F) water is sucking that away. We experience that as a feeling of cold. Air on the other hand... | [
"This is a classic example of relativity. Its all in the perspective of you and the surroundings you are in. Hot and cold are only relative to other things. Compared to lava, your stove is cold, and compared to liquid nitrogen, ice is hot. During the summer, in your house at 21C(70F), the outside is hotter than t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How does your brain determine what to remember and what to forget? | [
"I don't think we really know. Last I read we basically think memories are sets of connections between different cells in the brain that need constant maintenance. Imagine something like a book where each word is a cell and the paper (connecting them) rots away if left too long. They're thought to be stored in cata... | [
"Well, your brain knows what's interesting and fascinating to you so it's easy for it to interest and fascinate you in your dreams."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Psychology:"
} |
Why is it easy to remember one of someone's mistake than remembering hundreds of good deeds from same person? | [
"People are different so there could be many different reasons. It is possible that you are a simply a very unforgiving person, or that the mistake is particularly heinous."
] | [
"You only remember the good and forget all the little things that made it mundane. Also you won't fully know the value of something until you no longer have it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why do automatic car windows have to exert so much force that it can break bones or cause serious injuries, at the least? | [
"How many times have you seen that happen?"
] | [
"Now think about what happens in a car wreck. The body is fastened to the car via seat belt so in an accident, the neck is the moving part which gives you whiplash. In a motorcycle accident , your entire body is in motion as you flail across the horizon to your new destination. So there is no worry of whiplash in a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why do cavities hurt? | [
"Cavities hurt because the protective layer( enamel ) is damaged causing the nerve to be exposed to decay and bacteria which can cause inflammation."
] | [
"Question 1: Do you have a cat? Question 2: Do you floss? That might help. Question 3: Do you sleep with your mouth open? This can dry out your mouth which leads to bad breath."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Health:"
} |
How do fingernails and toenails work? | [
"No it isn‘t. It‘s like the nail is resting on the skin underneath. And when the nail is growing longer it’s some kind of „gliding“ over it. Had a work accident back in 2017 where i lost my nail from left middlefinger. So i could see this nail grow back from the scratch."
] | [
"> ELI5: Why do the nails on my ring fingers grow faster than the other nails? You're weird Just kidding. Most of it has to do with blood circulation. Some people's fingernails grow at different rates. Some people find that different fingernails on one hand grow at different rates . Some people find that their fi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do so many low-quality youtube videos loop over from the beginning midway through the video? | [
"To pad the runtime and try to make more revenue. Longer videos = more money. 10 min YouTube videos make the most per ad click for the time they are. Short videos don’t make as much. Longer videos make more money than shorter videos, given they have the same number of subscribers and views. Solved!"
] | [
"The grey bar means nothing. Rather than loading the entire video for you to peruse through, youtube only loads a few seconds ahead of where you are to save on bandwidth because more often than not, the video is abandoned before it's watched."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence about Technology:"
} |
How does telephones actually work? How can someone in other part of the world hear my voice or sounds through the telephone with almost no delay? | [
"The telephone networks are a lot like the internet in most ways. When you dial a phone number the phone tries to connect to the phone at that number, your phone company works out if you are allowed to make that call or not, and then your phone breaks your voice down into little digital packets and sends them to th... | [
"Because the signal needs to go from where the question is asked, to a modem, to a cell tower or dish array, to space, back to a cell tower or dish array, to another modem, and then then to the speaker wherever the interviewee is. It takes time for digital information to travel, even on \"live\" television."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
If a gigantic tsunami is coming at you, why can't you just dive into it like a normal wave and swim to the top? | [
"If you see video of the Tsunami that hit Phuket , Thailand you’ll notice that it wasn’t even a wave that “hit” land just a torrent of rushing water, like a huge river just showing up and washing everything away."
] | [
"Water gets in your lungs, and your lungs can't separate oxygen from water, and so you suffocate. So why does water get in your lungs? Maybe the seas are rough and the waves just keep sloshing over you and pushing you under. Maybe you swim for a while but eventually get exhausted and then drown. Depending on what ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How did they record music before computers? | [
"Quick and dirty ELI5: the process changed over the years but magnets and tape were one of the more popular ways prior to laser on discs. Tape is still used today to store data as is magnets with disks (conventional hard drives)."
] | [
"What if you want a printed version of what was said?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why do you get hangover? | [
"Ethanol is essentially a poison that we can tolerate up to a certain amount. Ethanol particles are really small and when they pass through our brain cells, it interferes with their ability to talk to each other. Ethanol is also diuretic, meaning it makes us pee more (just like coffee) which causes dehydration. So... | [
"Why do the glands in my neck burn like high hell when I'm holding back tears?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
"Too much oxygen things go boom" It means Oxygen can be used as fuel like a gas stove, or lighters, or that some mundane things like clothes/footwear can ignite from friction in a concentrated oxygen room? | [
"Too much oxygen means that things we don't normally think of as explosive or even flammable, things like metal, can burn or explode. Stuff burns because it combines with oxygen. Normally, air is only 20% oxygen, and the more oxygen you provide, the easier and faster it burns. If you use pure oxygen at high pressu... | [
"Burning causes things to expand, heat up and release gases. if its in an enclosed space such as a pipe, grenade casing, gas can, etc... then the pressure from these reactions builds up causing the big bada boom."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
planes normally charge some money if your check-in luggage is over weight, why do they charge extra even if my luggage is 26kg(let's say allowed is 23) and my gf has a 17 kg check in. Our combined is under 46 but it's still charged. is it just a scam to earn more money? | [
"Some airlines do allow a combined figure. Usually because angry customers will just open both cases and move stuff over. I think it depends on how much of a scumbag the company is. I would expect Ryanair to charge you."
] | [
"They don't sell every seat on that plane for 14 euro. A few seats get sold for 14 euro. And as there are less seats and more demand, the price of the remaining seats rises. Additionally, they get a lot of money from the fees you have to pay on top of the seat itself. Wanna bring a bag? Better pay 50 euro for that.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How does Tesla Autopilot work? | [
"You can look at Tesla’s autopilot in two ways: highway autopilot and full autopilot. Currently, Tesla’s use sensors and cameras to read the lines on the road, knowing how to stay in lane without the driver touching the wheel. The next step, and the largest breakthrough in driving, will be full autopilot. Using... | [
"Initiation - Let's build a truck (or whatever thing) Discovery - What should it do, what's needed or wanted Design - Here's how we should make it Build - Make it Test - Does it work as intended? Sign Off - Customer agrees it works and it's done Warranty - Fix anything that doesn't work later"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If most bodies of water are filthy with poor visibility under just a few feet, how are fish and sealife able to see where they are going and what they are doing? | [
"Fish can detect movement with their lateral line. Also Fish dont have human eyes, they evolved to see whats important and in different conditions."
] | [
"Also, bear in mind alligators spend a lot of their time basking, not moving. A lot of their prey comes from animals not paying attention and wandering too close. If their eyes are on the side of their head, they can see prey approaching from a much larger angle."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How is blurring added to photos and videos and how can be removed? | [
"Natural blurring in photos and videos is from the focal point and depth of field. This cannot be removed. Blurring by software can be altered but will be different in case by case scenarios."
] | [
"They used to manually add color to each frame of a black and white film in order to \"colorize\" it. Today, computers can be used to automate much of the process, though it is still hard to get the colors so right that they look perfect 100% of the time. edit: the original film was in black and white."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why is it hard to breathe after overeating? | [
"When you breathe in diaphragm moves down to abdominal cavity, leaving more space for lungs to expand above diaphragm. When there's a stuffed stomach taking up space in the abdominal cavity that's harder to do."
] | [
"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 question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why is Australian wildlife so much more intense/dangerous than the rest of the world? | [
"In Australia, an average of about 3 people per year dies from all the different animals you'd expect in a typical \"deadly animals\" documentary combined. Mostly great white shark attacks which exist across the globe. If you're looking for species that are Australian only, it is less than 1 death per year. & #x20... | [
"Many are eaten around the world, from insects to dogs and cats to snakes and other reptiles. It's not common in Europe or N America, but that's not the world."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
What makes a continental breakfast, “continental”? | [
"It's a British term where the \"traditional\" English fried breakfast is large with eggs, bacon,fried bread, fried tomato, and a few other things. The \"continental\" breakfast is traditionally served cross the channel (I.e. on \"the continent\") which is a smaller fare just to get you going. This is something lik... | [
"Answer me this: why is pizza so delicious?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why can some pain be mitigated through pressure? | [
"The gate control theory of pain. If you overstimulate certain nerve fibres, for example by rubbing a wound, it will overwhelm the pain stimulus that is entering the spinal cord at the same level and block it."
] | [
"The part of the brain that controls physical pain also controls emotional pain. Hence why it feels physically painful in a breakup, loss of family member or derailment of what you wanted to be doing. NSAID pain relievers can help in these situations since it is the same part of the brain that activates the pain."... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
nightmares? Why would your brain scare you? | [
"There are theories that say dreams/nightmares are your brain \"trying to prepare you for future potential threats\"."
] | [
"No, because they are unconscious. Do you remember hearing stuff while asleep?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How are we able to know other animals spectral sensitivities? | [
"The cone cells in an animal's retina have pigments in them which absorb light which the cone then detects. It is possible to measure the spectral absorption of these pigments, which gives a good idea of what the animal can sense."
] | [
"Since humans existed. Sentience is the ability to feel or perceive the surroundings, and *most* animals can do these things. Dogs are sentient, for example."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How exactly does our brain "direct" blood to a specific body part, e.g. for an erection? | [
"Your circulatory system is just an interconnected series of pipes that goes around your body starting and ending at your heart. Like water pipes, you can increase or decrease the flow of these pipes. Your body directs flow by releasing certain signalling chemicals into the blood which makes the vessels (pipes) eit... | [
"Blood is rushed to those areas for repair thus causing the feeling of more heat in a specific piece of your body."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument about Science:"
} |
Why do movements in video games look so overly "smooth"? | [
"Former game dev here, & #x200B; There is actually a really big problem: the uncanny valley. In aesthetics, this refers to the degree of an object's resemblance to human appearance and your emotional response to it. In short, the closer we get to making something human, the more your mind and emotional response is... | [
"Animals are easier to make with more rudimentary graphics. Big, cartoony, less subtle details, and they can be colorful. Compare [Crash Bandicoot](_URL_0_) and [Goldeneye](_URL_1_), which were released only a year apart. The Uncanny Valley comes into play a little bit as well, in that a odd/exaggerated human will ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about videogame development:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about videogame development:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why do so many otherwise great TV shows struggle to end their stories well? What is it about the creative/production process that makes this so difficult? | [
"Simply put, it's easier to tell a 2 hour story than what amounts to an 80 hour story. With a 2 hour movie you spent 20 minutes introducing your characters, build your story a little and then spend 20 minutes ending it. If you've got 65 hours story building, it would feel very cheap to spend 20 minutes on ending it... | [
"Movies are short and don't allow much time to form a bond with the characters. In television shows, there is plenty of room for character growth and viewers to get attached. Part of the issue with TV stars is that we build this attachment to a character to a point where that actor IS that character."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How can two people in the same environment feel completely different temperatures? | [
"Because you produce different amounts of heat. Your body doesn't actually feel temperature, it feels the rate at which it is losing heat. If you aren't losing heat fast enough then you feel hot, if you are losing it too fast then you feel cold. Tons of different factors into heat loss like insulation and metabol... | [
"A follow-up question: Why do some people love that feeling while others detest it?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
How do we know what the random digits of Pi are? How do we know it's infinite? | [
"We have figured out that pi is equal to certain kinds of equations. For example: 1/1^(2) \\+ 1/2^(2) \\+ 1/3^(2) \\+ ... = π^(2)/6 The more terms you compute for the left-hand side of that equation, the more accurate a representation of π you can create. In reality we use more efficient algorithms, but they are a ... | [
"Basically, prime numbers are hard to find. Why? cause they don't seem to follow any sort of logic. However, Riemann suggests that there must be some function that would allow all the zeros in this function to be a prime number, and in doing so would make us an algorithm for finding all of them. This is hard to do... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Mathematics:",
"pos": "Represent the text about Mathematics:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why are birth control methods only 99% effective at most? | [
"Operator error, manufacturing defect, and plain ol' smarter-than-your-average-sperm make sure that no non-permanent surgical method is truly 100% ironclad effective. Even if it was that good during internal tests, the manufacturer wouldn't make the claim for legal reasons. The only proven 100% effective form of bi... | [
"Long term hormonal birth control use has several rare, but significant side effects that require you to be educated and check up with a doctor from time to time. For example, smoking and long term birth control use at the same time increase risk for blood clots in the lungs. Plan B, or emergency contraception, is ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do birds fly so low to the ground when crossing roads? Whenever I’m driving they fly right in front of my car when they could fly at any other height? | [
"Some species of birds inhabit grasslands and low shrubs and don't really fly that high unless they're migrating. They'll fly low across the ground to different feeding or nesting areas and they do that throughout their territory, including across roads."
] | [
"The deer sees a large, foreign, potentially predatory force moving towards it at high speed. The deer decides to run. They don't understand that the car is going to stick to the road, so they might run across the road as part of their 'pick a direction and run.' If they run any other direction, chances are, you do... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Animals:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Animals:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
2hy is it hard to swallow with an open mouth? | [
"Having your jaw open hinges back and pushes against your esophagus thus restricting flow of foodn"
] | [
"It's psychological, not physical, your brain is clentching your sphincter: _URL_0_ And doesn't affect everyone. Source: can pee anywhere at anytime in front of anyone."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Health:"
} |
How to people that karate chop or punch a cement block not break their hand? | [
"It's a trick, the blocks are not very strong, and they are being punched or kicked in their weakest points, while also leveraged over air or a block that wedged to cut through. It looks impressive, and that's the point."
] | [
"Its not breaking stone, its breaking cinder blocks. First after years of training, your skin is tougher and bones harder, but that's not the key. Anyone who has done this will tell you that the cinder block is easier than wood, and that's pretty easy. These materials where selected because of their ease in breakin... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
why is some water reflective (I. E. Water mirrors) and other transparent (I. E. Bottled water) | [
"From air into water, it's a function of lighting. Water surfaces reflect some of the light that hits them from air. If the alternative is otherwise dark, like a water mirror, then you can see this reflection. This is how \"one-way glass\" works. If there is light coming through the water, like a bottle, the reflec... | [
"You can see through glass, but if you take that glass and chop it up in a pile you cant see though it anymore. Snow and ice work the same way. See wiki article for refraction"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Science:"
} |
How do creatures that live or dive down to deep sea depths avoid being crushed by the pressure ? | [
"Pressure *differential* is what crushes things. You can't go down 20,000 feet because the inside of your lungs and intestines and skull is at 1atm of pressure and the water is pushing in at a devastating 600atm. That's enough force imbalance to crumple a submarine like a pop can. Deep sea creatures dont have these... | [
"We can. We operate oil wells in extraordinarily deep locations, and there have been several people who have taken a submarine to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest location on the Earth's surface. The reason we don't do it more often is because the pressures at the bottom of the ocean are really intense... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How do thermometers work and how do they calculate what "it feels like." | [
"Thermometers often exploit the fact that materials expand/contract depending on temperature, and different materials do it at different rate. The \"feels like\" temperature is a mix of the real temperature and the humidity. Humidity decreases the ability for sweat to remove heat from the body, so it makes the body... | [
"The temperature sensors in your body only detect differences in temperature. The inside of the mouth is much warmer than the skin on your body. The temperature in the mouth is close to to body temperature (98.6 degrees F) which is why you can measure your body temperature by sticking a thermometer in your mouth. T... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Health and Medicine:"
} |
Why don’t adults get excited like children do? | [
"Been there, done that. Laughing comes much more naturally to kids because there are so many new first times seeing or experiencing humorous things. Also, the media (and fail compilations) deadens us over time. And another great source of laughter is when things are funny, but you're not allowed to laugh because yo... | [
"Is it me, or has this never happened to anyone else?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are we more tired after waking up from a long nap compared to a short nap? | [
"Sleeping has a cycle your body and brain goes through. this varies between light and deep sleep. If you wake up in light sleep you are fine, if you wake up in deep sleep you are groggy. The cycle is roughly 90 minutes long with light sleep at the start and deep sleep towards the end."
] | [
"Most likely, yes. Your sleep cycle is divided into parts like deep sleep and REM, and you go through several such cycles every night during a normal eight-hour rest. Now, if your three-hour rest was interrupted halfway through a cycle, that can be very disruptive. But as long as you are able to get a high quality ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Sleep and its effects on the body:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about Sleep and its effects on the body:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why does the reflection of my car in a car that’s in front of me sometimes appear upside down and sometimes not? | [
"It depends if the reflecting surface is convex (curved out towards you) or concave (curved out away from you). Look at your face reflecting in both sides of a spoon for another example. You can imagine that light traveling from the top of your car is reflected downwards, in the concave case, and will be perceived ... | [
"It's an illusion your mind creates to make sense of an object in the horizon. If you look at the rising moon upside down you'll notice it's small again."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does water taste different at different temperatures? | [
"Assuming that it's the same water and not from different sources which may contain different salts.. there are 2-3 major factors 1. The temperature itself. When water touches our taste buds, the temperature sets off slightly different responses to the brain. 2. The material. Chilled water may be stored in any co... | [
"How much water is in the bath? How much is in the kettle? How hot is the bath water?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How do a Atomic Clock works? | [
"As you know, atoms have electrons orbiting the nucleus. What you may not know is that you can adjust the energy level of an atom by hitting it with radiation of the proper frequency. It won't want to stay at that higher energy, though, and it'll drop back down, re-emitting that energy. In the case of the cesium at... | [
"The things that are touching get tangled. ELI25 Version: Pursue a Ph.D. in Material Science...we still don't have all of the answers."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does our voice sound deeper when we slow-mo but sound more high-pitched when we fast forward? | [
"Sound is a vibration. When you slow the speed of a recording, you slow the speed of the vibrations in it, which lowers the pitch. When you speed it up, you speed up those vibrations so it sounds higher pitched. Think about it this way: Al has a really deep voice, and when he says \"Wow.\" his vocal cords vibrate 1... | [
"They'd have the singer sing at a much faster speed, then they'd slow down the footage so the lips match the words but the singer seemingly moves in slow motion"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Language and Communication:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Language and Communication:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
why are wall clouds/hail clouds green? | [
"Have you noticed how the color of sunlight seems to change throughout the day. The sun doesn’t change, it’s how much of the Earth’s atmosphere the light from the Sun has to travel before hitting your eye. The atmosphere is very very thin compared to the size of the Earth. At noon the Sun is brightest white/blue be... | [
"Tornados form in mesocyclones. Another effect that the mechanics of a mesocyclone create is hail. Strong storms often have what is called a \"hail core\" which is a large section of the storm where hail vertically penetrates the storm from the ground to very high up in the parent cumulonimbus cloud. Light passes t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why does our vision appear blue after having closed eyes in the sun for too long? | [
"Your visual system tries to adapt to current conditions in a variety of ways. In this case, closed eyes in bright sun mean a lot of reddish glow from the light that manages to penetrate your eyelids. You brain starts adapting to this by turning down how strongly it responds to red. When you open your eyes, your re... | [
"The pupil of your eye is a hole that let's light in. When it's dark, the pupil gets bigger to let more light in so that you an see better in low light conditions. When it's bright, the opposite happens. Amazingly, both eyes are controlled separately. Next time you get up to use the bathroom in the middle of th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why do children seem to frequently get the stomach flu but you hardly ever hear about adults getting the stomach flu? | [
"Ummmm adults get the flu all the time. The \"stomach flu\" isn't actually the flu, it's some sort of gastrointestinal issue that may trigger some flu-like symptoms. And adults have a more robust and better developed GI tract so it can generally tolerate more than a child's can"
] | [
"Symptoms vary a lot with any sickness but influenza is probably the most frequently mistaken 'amateur misdiagnosis' out there. A lot of people attribute bouts of gastroenteritis(i.e. tummy trouble) to 'the flu' when it's around flu season. In reality, gastroenteritis is not a normal symptom of true influenza."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
why are some of the Waybackmachine snapshots links broken/missing? | [
"There are many possible reasons. Maybe it was missed in the copy, or lost along the way to archiving. Some things have been removed through court orders or other legal actions. Maybe it was hosted on a different site, and that site had different robots instructions which led to it not being archived. There is no w... | [
"They have maaaaaaassive servers in the petabyte range. (It's a major source of funding stress for them I think – getting more and more storage) edit: [9 PB + 20 TB/mo](_URL_0_) i was wrong They regularly crawl through the web (so your personal webserver won't be accessed unless you host a semi-popular forum or som... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
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