query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1 value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Why do household smoke alarms use D batteries instead of the more common AA batteries? | [
"D-cell batteries last longer. Every smoke detector I've ever seen used 9-volt batteries though."
] | [
"A) 9 Volt batteries only go in one way, there's virtually no risk of connecting them backwards (and thus, rendering a device unusable) like you have with AA, AAA, C & D cells. B) They provide 9 Volts while other common cells only provide 1.5 Volts. If a device is better operated with higher voltages, it's easier t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why does going 100mph in a car feel so much faster than going 500mph on an airplane? | [
"Because of parallax, which causes things that are closer to appear to be moving faster that those farther away, even if moving at the same speed. In a car, the stuff you're looking at to judge your speed (road markings, plants on the side of the road, etc) are only a few tens of meters away. In a plane, you're kil... | [
"It's actually pretty similar, but when the rocket reaches a higher speed the gasses get diluted very quickly. Think revving your engine to 4500rpm in your garage vs driving on the freeway at 75MPH."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Physics:"
} |
- What are antioxidants? | [
"Antioxidants are compounds that were thought bind to \"free radicals\" and render them inert. In the same way iron \"oxidizes\" and turns to rust, compounds within the body degrade over time, releasing free radicals, which cause cell damage because they are looking for an atom to complete their outer layer of elec... | [
"Antibacterials are agents that only kill and stop the growth of bacteria, while antibiotics are agents that kill and stop the growth of bacteria and fungi. All antibacterials are antibiotics, but all antibiotics are not antibacterials. Antibacterial is one of the class of antibiotics."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence about Science:"
} |
How does chameleons know what color to change and how they do they change? | [
"Chameleons don't actually use their color change for camoflauge much. They use it for social signalling, and reaction to temperature. So it's kinda like how you \"know\" to turn your skin red when you are cold or embarassed. It's a reaction to internal physical processes. Chameleons actually change color by u... | [
"Walking sticks aren't chameleons (which don't change color to disguise themselves either). They can't change color. That walking stick is brown all the time."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
If the sensation of heat is molecules of high-energy colliding with your skin, why is wind, or moving at high-speeds through stationary air, cold? | [
"Because the [average speed of any random air molecule is 1,520 ft/s](_URL_0_), or ~1,036 mph. Wind speed is negligible in comparison."
] | [
"Some shower water evaporates after landing on your skin, absorbing heat. The water also loses some of its temperature before it reaches your skin. A 38 C hot tub begins to feel too hot sooner than a shower because you don't have the evaporating or the reduced water temp. Air has no cooling effect like this, so yo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
When guys inject testosterone they get bigger muscles etc. What happens if girls inject estrogen? | [
"Limited experience, but in the condition poly-cystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), there are large cysts in your ovaries that produce extra estrogen and progesterone. Your liver then turns all that estrogen into... testosterone! There's other complications, but one thing that happens is excess androgen production. This ... | [
"They take androgenic hormones. Men don't grow hair on their face because of the Y chromosome, they grow it because of testosterone. So if you give a woman testosterone, she'll start growing hair too."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
How is Amazon able to get away with paying so little tax? | [
"A common practice is for a profitable company in a high tax zone to funnel the profits through a shell company in a low tax zone. They often do this by taking out ludicrous loans, or paying extortionate franchise fees to the shell company, which conveniently costs more than the profits made. The shell company then... | [
"Because companies are both trying to get you to pay as much as possible for stuff while also trying to keep your wages as low as possible. As both increases their profits. So the money goes to the already rich business owners."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
You see in movies/TV often where someone has a clear cut lawsuit against a company, but find out “they have million dollar lawyers that will tie you up in court and bankrupt you in fees” How much of that is reality versus Hollywood? | [
"A little true, a little false. Thing thing about large companies is that they don't want to pay those million dollar lawyers either. They will always take the cheaper option. If a lawsuit is totally false, but they have to pay those million dollar lawyers to prove it, most big companies will settle and pay someone... | [
"A big part of it is lawyers. Expensive lawyers have teams with a lot of experience who can find loopholes in the law and holes in the prosecution's case that makes it easier for them to get off light, or at least drag the case out until the prosecution decides it's not worth the resources fighting it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Law and television court shows:",
"pos": "Represent the text about Law and television court shows:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Where and how does all the debt people need to pay go when they eventually pass away? | [
"When someone dies, all of their stuff is bundled up as their \"estate\", it's all their money, things, property, and other assets From this estate any outstanding debts are paid. If there is stuff left over then it gets inherited by those called out in the will. If they had more in debts than the estate is worth t... | [
"Because while they know they can't immediately pay it back, they know they eventually can and when purchasing rather expensive items such as a car or a house, many people need to take out loans to be able to afford them. Debt is not bad. It lets you spend more money now and boosts the economy and your credit ratin... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If the human body is constantly reproducing cells (including skin), then why don’t tattoos completely disappear 7ish years after getting them? | [
"The outer layer of your skin regenerates and replaces dead cells, however, the inner layer is protected and does not regenerate at the rate that the outer layer does. Tattoo ink is deposited to the inner layer. Tattoos DO fade over time and need touch ups. Also, if the tattoo is too shallow, the ink “falls out” a... | [
"Short answer: The same way bad haircuts do. Longer answer: The human body is an amazing bit of engineering. It's constantly repairing itself, protecting the more vital organs from harm, and adapting to the environment as best it can in a way that human beings haven't even come close to replicating with technology.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
If zero times anything is zero, and infinity times anything is infinity, then what is zero times infinity? | [
"\"Infinity\" is not an element of the standard real number system, so if you want to say something like \"infinity times anything is infinity\", you have to choose an alternate system of numbers that actually includes infinite values. There are several of these, which appear in different areas. Using the extended ... | [
"You can't divide by zero because it won't give you a single answer; instead it gives you every answer. When you say that 10 divided by 5 is 2, you are also saying that 2 multiplied by 5 is 10. But because every single number multiplied by zero is zero, if you divide by zero you get every single number."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Who “owns” the GPS system? | [
"The \"GPS\" system is owned and operated by the US Air Force. It is managed by the 50th Space Wing, Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado. & #x200B; There are other satellite navigation systems that are run by other countries."
] | [
"It's a big system. It also carries a bit from state to state. Are you interested in the application process? Policy? Logistics?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How does our brain know precisely how much strength to use, or not use, when throwing an object a desired distance? We can generally get it pretty close to where we want even if we’ve never thrown it to this spot before. | [
"Practice. You’ve never thrown it to that spot. And maybe you’ve never thrown that object. But you’ve thrown other objects at other spots. So your brain makes a prediction that you are able to implement."
] | [
"When you throw a ball to someone, you don't take a ruler and measure the distance each time. When you first started playing catch, you didn't usually get it exactly to the target. But after practicing you were able to get get a \"feel\" for how hard and at what angle you would need to throw it. This \"feel\" is ho... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why does the sound of running water make people need to pee? | [
"Association. When you pee it sounds like rushing water. Then when you hear rushing water you think pee. Its how advertising works."
] | [
"When you pee at home, say the word \"waterfall\" three times before you start to pee. When you're out in public, say the words to yourself and you'll find it to be much easier. The key is being consistent."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do baby birds just know that they need to break free from their eggs, which would be the only place they have ever known? | [
"Instinct. Same as why a baby sea turtle crawls to the ocean, or a baby duck follows it's Mom around or any mammal that knows to suck on it's mother's teet for milk."
] | [
"Try reading [this](_URL_0_). It sounds as though baby birds with developed feathers normally will leave their nests and spend some time on the ground, so the best thing you can do is leave them where you found them, and just make sure your dogs don't get to them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do some products require refrigeration after opening, but can be on a shelf for long periods of time prior to? | [
"An item can be packed in such a way that specific conditions are maintained: such as the content being completely free of bacteria or not containing oxygen gas. Once opened, those conditions can no longer be upheld, and microbial growth and/or oxygen exposure will lead to product spoilage much quicker."
] | [
"The actual plastic in the bottle will decay and somewhat \"poison\" the water inside. Note however that no company would put the expiration date as the point at which the water becomes dangerous. In other words, the expiration date gives a rough estimate for when the bottle is probably becoming a bit unhealthy, bu... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Food storage:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Food storage:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why in sand dunes is there no gravel or small pebbles? Only sand for miles? Wouldn't there be small pebbles at least? | [
"Wind pushes the grains around. The heavy stuff doesnt move as well as the light stuff, so it gets left behind. The too light stuff gets blown away completely. What is left is sand, too heavy to fly away completely but light enough to move alot."
] | [
"Sand is everywhere. It's just ground up rocks after all. There's a lot of rocks and they've been grinding together for a very long time. Rotting plants make dirt, and in places where it won't get washed away the dirt will overwhelm the amount of sand. In places where dirt doesn't get laid down, or gets washed or ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How can a computer beat a human at chess? No matter how pro a player is, a computer can always beat him. How? | [
"Being a good strategist at chess basically hinges at how many iterations of the board you can predict. If you're only thinking of the next move, playing against someone experienced you'll always lose basically because they're thinking five or ten moves ahead. A computer program might, for example, be able to loo... | [
"Because we *wouldn't* be the ones coding it. We already have machines that can code themselves. Neural networks allow you to feed them enormous piles of data and will learn how to do just about any task from that data. This is how we have computers that beat the best Go players in the world now: someone fed every ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
- why do you get tired after crying? | [
"Crying is usually due to some emotional stress, which is very exhausting. Your brain is one of the biggest energy burner."
] | [
"it's not really about it causing any kind of damage, they're wondering why you don't get sick of it after that long."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Biology:",
"pos": "Represent the post about Biology:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How do civilizations so distinct and distant from one another (like the native americans and the inhabitants of ancient China for example) shared the same technologies, such as the bow and arrow and the spear, being that there is no way of having a technological interchange between them? | [
"All humans originally came from the same area in Africa, so any inventions from before we spread out would have stayed with people in different areas. It could also be that they are simple things to make and they work well, so both civilizations could have invented them independently and decided to keep using the... | [
"One of my linguistics professors once explained that language was likely to have existed as early as 30,000 years ago because archaeological evidence has shown that it was at about that time that a certain New Guinea tribe (if I remember correctly) crossed a particular stretch of water in boats or rafts or somethi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about History:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about History:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why if arms and legs are exposed to the sun for the same amount of time, do arms typically come out more tan/burnt? | [
"The sun is above you. The first thing it hits is the arms. Your body and clothes provide an intermittent shield of shade to your legs. If you were to, say, sunbathe by laying on a lounge chair and don't move, your legs will tan equally as fast. In some cases, even faster than your arms since the arms have more sun... | [
"Yes, that's what tanning is. It's a reaction by your body to stimulate melanin production, making your skin darker and more resistant to burning. Melanin is why people with pale skin will burn more than tan, while dark skin will burn very rarely."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How do electric fences shock things if they are only touching one end of the wire, not allowing it to complete the circuit. | [
"Electricity likes to flow to earth ground via the path of least resistance. The wires on electric fences are not insulated. When built, the electrical resistance of air is greater than simply continuing along the wire. When an object that also has contact with the ground touches an electric fence, the object is no... | [
"Circuits must be complete for current to flow, they're not completing the circuit Once they are touching the line there is no path for current to flow well because air is a terrible conductor. All 4 of those wires are at the same potential so there is no path between them. There is no good path from the wire throu... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why do crickets only "cricket" at night? | [
"Crickets are found chirping, or cricketing at night because they are nocturnal and most active at night. They create that noise by rubbing different parts of their wings together. They stop when people or predators are nearby because they can sense vibration and they believe the best way to hide is to be completel... | [
"* What are people made of? **The ancient remains of a star!** * What is the whole world made of? **Rocks!** * How does our hair stay on? **It's attached to us!** * Why do vampires like to eat blood? **Cause they're thirsty!** * Why do I have five fingers on my hand and not seven? **So they can fit in our pockets!*... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do people not bleed constantly during surgery? | [
"Smaller bloodvessels that are cut close themselves through blood coagulating but for bigger arteries surgeons have clamps that close the vessels to prevent a bleed out. Thats is why its extremely important to tell a surgeon or dentist or who ever is going to cut you in anyway if you are taking any blood thining m... | [
"The mouth is a wet place filled with bacteria. If you did not clot fast you would be very likely to get an infection and die. The Anus also clots very quickly for similar reasons. Generally speaking people on blood thinners inform their dentist of the medications they take, and if necessary they will stop taking ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text about Health and Medicine:"
} |
How does a weighing machine work? | [
"In general scales use springs with a known spring coefficient. This means that the designer knows how much force is required to extend a spring a certain distance. This distance can then simply be translated to a weight. Digital and electronical scales usually use something called a \"strain gauge\". In general th... | [
"Are you asking how a wheel works ?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I've heard many times that honey is actually a superb home remedy for burns. How true is this, if at all? What's the science and chemistry behind it? | [
"It's at most *maybe* true. There was a metastudy conducted in India on whether honey was useful for healing burns, and its findings were that honey can be effective for improving the healing of minor, surface burns; its effectiveness was not proven on deeper or more serious burns, however. Since there's only one s... | [
"If you believe that honey has healing properties, boiling water supposedly breaks down the enzymes or whatever responsible for those attributes. Like a lot of \"natural medicine\", it's not really based on any science. If you just like something sweet in your tea, it doesn't make a lick of difference."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
When you close your eyes, why do you sometimes see small, floating black spots? | [
"It’s actually the vitreous humor (jelly-like material inside your eye) clumped together. More common when looking at bright lights and/or if you are near sighted."
] | [
"Don't quote me on this, but I wanna say your eyes try to pick up on images or shapes in the dark rather than completely relaxing. Like how you can sorta hallucinate in the dark because your eyes want to make images out of it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why do people find destroying things so enjoyable? | [
"There is a tactile response when you break something that is known to reinforce that behavior. There is also a power dynamic that comes into play where you can impose your will on the object."
] | [
"The same place that Trolls come from. A sense of satisfaction and power derived from ruining someone else pleasure. Very sad."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How can radiation change our DNA? | [
"The radiation itself doesn't actually change our DNA, it damages it. Radiation is very high energy, so it can ionise our DNA, i.e. it can knock electrons off our DNA thus breaking bonds holding it together. Our body tries to repair that damage, but sometimes does it badly or makes mistakes, and the result can be c... | [
"What source says that alcohol is bad for your teeth?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How do scientists explain the creation of the first single cell organism? Did it have parts like the mitochondria we know today? | [
"Firstly, mitochondria only exist in eukaryotic cells, which make up multi-cellular organisms. Most single-celled organisms (prokaryotes) do not have mitochondria. Prokaryotes are very simplistic in comparison to eukaryotes. They have no nucleus, and no cell membrane. The current theory is that pre-biotic molecules... | [
"The cells have all the traits we associate with living things. They eat food, they procreate etc. The cells in the human body isn't all that different from the cells of single cell organisms."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How does the body of a pregnant woman decide when to give birth? (Water breaking, etc.) | [
"Thinking back to uni biology about 20 years ago I believe that when baby is big enough, the baby will put pressure on the bottom on the uterus that triggers the release of Oxytocin. Oxytocin then triggers contractions and dilation. Next step is baby"
] | [
"The main concern is that the placenta, the sack surrounding the baby, will no longer be able to supply the baby with food, blood, and oxygen. Complications aren't generally expected though and if necessary the baby can always be delivered when a doctor sees fit. Source; EMT in Paramedic school."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
How does changing a country's debt from the USD to its local currency benefit that country? | [
"Other countries can't control the value of USD. If they have USD debt and the value of the dollar rises against their local currency, their debt gets bigger. Many emerging markets are having this issue right now. They took out a bunch of USD loans in the aftermath of the 2008 crash, and now that debt is getting ha... | [
"It is important to understand why specifically a currency is under pressure. In Venezuela for example the government is printing money and if they stopped printing money (because they adopted the USD) they wouldn't have money to spend on those things they are currently printing money to pay for. In Canada, where t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Finance:"
} |
How do filmmakers/artists make a bright/blinding white compared to a normal white? | [
"Contrast. If a scene is largely dark, a bright spot will appear brighter than if that brightness were to fill the whole screen. Likewise if a scene is dark and then cuts to a completely white screen, our eyes will have to adjust to the change in brightness, and it will appear brighter than it actually is."
] | [
"I think because most light sources are more on the yellow side of the spectrum. Invert that and you get blue.."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why do blockbuster movies like Avatar and End Game have there success measured in terms of money made instead of tickets sold, wouldn’t that make it easier to compare to older movies without accounting for today’s dollar vs a dollar 30 years ago? | [
"Industry news focus on money because studios want to make money off releasing the film. The amount of money made versus the amount of money spent on making and marketing the film is what people in the film sector are interested in. It's not supposed to be a scientific comparison, and not relevant for whether the m... | [
"Because they can be, they're not going to get anymore out of you. A big budget game will generally appeal to a huge audience so even though it has a massive budget it sells a huge volume of units which makes up for it A lower budget game is likely a bit more niche, it is unlikely to move a ton of units but the peo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do seemingly non-perishable items — like rubbing alcohol, dental floss and body lotion — have expiration dates? | [
"While there is actual chemical breakdown where certain items eventually do become less effective or physically break down (items from 1970 would likely not be very effective for instance), most of it's marketing designed to get people to toss stuff out and replace it. It's even the same with foods: The 'best by' d... | [
"Unless a product has been stored in extremes of temperature, pretty much everything is good to eat until the expiration date. Keep in mind that many fresh products (like meat and dairy) may be labeled with sell by dates, not expiration dates."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why is it that Asians get the Asian blush? I understand it has something to do with an enzyme, but what is the trend between this issue with alcohol & Asians primarily ? | [
"Basically when you metabolise alcohol, it is as with a lot of drugs broken down in the liver. You generally have 2 main enzymes for this. Alcohol dehydrogenase which breaks down the alcohol into acetylahyde, and then Acetylahyde dehydrogenase which breaks the products into vinegar like substances. Acetylahyde is t... | [
"Melanin is what gives us our skin color and helps us tan/is thought to help protect the skin from the sun. Black people have more, hence darker skin and all those handy anti-sun benefits. However, humans simply so not have high levels of melanin in their palms and soles regardless of their race - so there is very ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How does the US Tax system work? | [
"I’m not a CPA, but in a nutshell yes everyone who is employed gets taxes taken out automatically each paycheck however, sometimes they take too much or not enough because of the plethora of deductions individuals might be eligible to claim. Every year we must report any income and deductions we are eligible to cla... | [
"It's a big system. It also carries a bit from state to state. Are you interested in the application process? Policy? Logistics?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do metal detectors only sense metal? | [
"They're looking for materials that interact with a magnetic field. Out in nature, this is almost always a conductive metal. There are other materials that react to or interfere with the magnetic field and could produce a false reading, but they're pretty rare. You're unlikely to stumble across a deposit of magneti... | [
"No. Maybe (and it is a huge maybe) they could use iron rods to detect magnetic fields generated by buried power lines, but that is exceedingly unlikely. The real question is why they would ever try to do this when we have real tools that can actually accomplish the task."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Aristotle’s virtue ethics. What makes his theories important? | [
"Which part? Its been a while, but from what I remember in order to be a good person we have to find the golden mean to our character. Not too cowardly, but not too reckless, finding the balanced 'courage' in between. So on and other similar stuff. Im sure someone who has studied this more recently can break it dow... | [
"Atheism was still a crime punishable by death in Scotland, although he never publicly say said he was an atheism, but his philosophy was viewed as a philosophy of an atheist. Also in contexts of philosophy, one the most important work in philosophy Kant's Critque of Pure Reason was an repudiation of Hume."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
We close our eyelids when we sleep. How do we "close our ears"? | [
"You don't. Your brain is listening all the time for any noises that might mean danger but apart from that it doesn't process them further while you're sleeping. Think of it as a kind of stand-by mode."
] | [
"Closing our eyes protects them and stops them from drying out and also we don't need to be able to see when we are asleep. There are however, some people who don't close their eyes when they are asleep (and they are definitely asleep) so it is possible to sleep with your eyes open."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What is a second mortgage for? | [
"It's just another loan, with your house as the collateral. If you own your home, a lot of your wealth is the home itself, which means you can't use that wealth to pay for things. A 2nd mortgage converts some of that wealth from property into cash so you can spend that wealth."
] | [
"Fees By loaning out the money that customers invest By establishing a relationship that may lead to a car loan, mortgage, or wealth management services later on."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why doctors offices overbook then fall behind schedule consistently | [
"Because there is a certain % of cancellations that can be measured over a large sample size. So if you are a doctor and you see that you have, let’s say, a 10% cancellation/no show rate then you will start to overbook by 10% so that you - as a physician - aren’t sitting around waiting. Sometimes statistics don’t p... | [
"Because they have limited resources, and they take the most critical cases first. Add to that that so many ERs are clogged up with people who use it as their primary physician anytime they are sick."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
What actually physically happens when hard drive "fails"? Does it just ''wear out''? | [
"In a platter drive (the older, typically larger capacity ones), they have one or more thin discs of metal on a central spindle, and one or more arms with a sensor that act almost like a stylus on an old vinyl record player. When those drives fail, one of the following has typically happened: - Physical failure of ... | [
"An SSD is faster because it can write data at almost the speed of electricity (I assume it's a bit more complicated than that, but this is ELI5). Traditional hard drives are slower because they have moving parts. A platter has to spin and a needle has to be pointing at the right spot on the platter. In an SSD noth... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
In an action film, the hero climbed on top of a fast moving train, then jumped forwards from one carriage to the next to get to the front of the train. Is it possible in real life, and whats the physics behind it? | [
"Yes it's possible. The only thing making it difficult would be the rushing air pushing you back."
] | [
"The idea is to give as big a window of safety as possible. If you put the barriers down just 5 seconds before the train came, someone could go across slowly and get hit. If you put them down 30 seconds before the train came, someone could stall out on the tracks and not have enough time to restart their car. When ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How can artists release music after they have passed away? | [
"2 things. The recording and releasing process takes time. A recording may happen one day, but then many months could go by in producing the rest of the song. Tweaking the background music, changing the volume levels here and there, etc. So it could be possible for someone to record an entire album die, and then th... | [
"They pay part of what they make to the record companies that have the rights to the songs. They get whatever is left."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
DC splitter question | [
"Probably not, 1.5A is not enough for 4 hard drives. Most HDD's draw 6-9 watts (0.5 - 0.75 amps @ 12v). At most, I would put 2 on one power supply. Too much load on a PSU can cause a voltage drop and that can cause the HDD's to malfunction. & #x200B; Also, this is more of a /r/techsupport post."
] | [
"I need an ELI5 for whatever this question means."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do administrators try to deny a disaster is happening when a disaster is truly happening (better explanation to my question in desc.)? | [
"In the specific instance of Chernobyl, they didn't believe it was possible for the reactor to explode. Too many fail-safe mechanisms were in place for that to possibly happen. It just so happened that one of those fail-safes was flawed. They knew it was flawed before hand, and didn't address the problem. Russia is... | [
"Not really sure if this is really a ELI5 topic, as its less of a explanation but just a question (might have better luck on a politics subreddit) As for the question his promise to shut down of guantanamo bay can objectively be considered a failure."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
When a car is stationary, where does the engine’s power go? | [
"That is where a clutch comes into play. When you are idle the flywheel disengages from the clutch plate and stops the engine from transferring power to the drive train. When you start moving again, the clutch and flywheel press together and power is transferred back to the drive train. There is some slippage ther... | [
"The AC in your car does not use electricity. It uses a compressor driven by a belt attached to your engine. The amount of energy or 'work' required to drive the compressor is significant and causes the decrease in fuel economy."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why some materials can/cannot scratch other materials | [
"It is a property of the material called hardness. Higher hardness always wins the battle. What determines hardness is the strength of the molecular bonds of the material."
] | [
"Depends on the metal and also on the process that they receive to be able to withstand the conditions. Usually, jewelry will be coated with some metal that won’t rust or even paint to protect them and will be made of materials that are unlikely to rust."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Is economics a science? | [
"It's considered a social science, like political science, sociology, psychology but not a natural science like chemistry or physics. Social sciences don't have hard and fast rules that are replicable, because you can't isolate experiments in the real world like you can in science labs."
] | [
"Salutations, Could you please point me in the direction of some cogent books/articles that address the historiographical debate surrounding histories status as an art or a science."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about News:"
} |
When a company offers a direct listing for a new stock, how is the initial price point determined? | [
"In the case of a direct listing, the original share holders put up their shares and determine the value themselves (no underwriters involved). It is much cheaper for the company but it is also considered extremely unsafe. There are no protections against the price swinging violently. This can lead to your shares n... | [
"Because the company's involvement ends after the first sale. So Stocks 101: There are two markets for stocks - the primary and secondary. The primary market is when a company sells shares for the first time (an IPO) or when they release new shares. The money investors pay goes directly into the company's bank acco... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does alcohol dry things out? | [
"Alcohol and water are miscible (they can mix). If you place electronics in alcohol, it will reach all the tiny corners where water is hiding and mix with it, “diluting” the water. Then the alcohol evaporates, so the remaining water is now spread out over such a large volume that it evaporates quickly as well. The ... | [
"Drinking water doesn’t do anything, unless you dilute the alcohol beforehand. Any amount of alcohol damages your body’s cells."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
In the news I'm seeing that Iran shot down a US drone. My question is: would the US allow a drone from Iran to freely fly around the US or shoot it down as well? Or was it part of an agreement that the US can fly whatever they want in Iran? | [
"It’s claimed by the United States that the drone was in international air space and Iran shooting it down was an act of aggression. My thing is: it’s an unmanned drone! It’s not anything to raise hostilities between Iran and the US."
] | [
"Russia still has planes flying around? I didn't think they did that anymore. They are carefully watched and the airforce will have planes handy to scramble and stop them if need be. We cannot force them out of flying where they legally can fly, so we just take measures to make sure that A) It never comes to that a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
What happens in species that can hibernate which prevents musculature atrophy? | [
"They do experience muscular atrophy but in those animals which have evolved to hibernate, their brain basically twitches the muscles while they sleep to maintain the strength. It's an involuntary muscle action, same as you don't stop breathing and your heart doesn't stop beating while you're asleep."
] | [
"They manage to live so long because the important parts of their bodies do not become weak with age, as in the case of humans and birds. In fact, they continue to grow very, very slowly for as long as they live. Their body does not need much energy to survive. Slow metabolisms AND a slow, sedentary lifestyle means... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do fruit flies start? | [
"Fruit flies don't come from expired food, they are only attracted by it, so when they smell it, they come rushing for it. They dont come FROM the food, they come FOR the food."
] | [
"It could be worse. Some species of fish don't even touch."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Batteries... If a battery provides 1Ah, then it provides one amp for one hour, 2 amps for half an hour, or 500mAh for 2 hours, right? So how does one control that number of amps? | [
"You use various resistors. Think of a resistor like a water dam. The higher the resistance, the slower the water flow is. In this case, water flow is current flow (measured in amps)"
] | [
"There are three important pieces of information you need to know to calculate charging time. 1. The capacity of the battery. This is usually measured in watt-hours, not simply watts. A watt hour is an amount of energy needed to generate one watt of power for one hour. 2000 Whr would mean that your battery could pr... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How do life insurance companies make money? | [
"Simple - By never selling a policy like the one you described. Most policies will have limitations built in. They might expire at a certain age, or after a certain time. If they don't expire then the monthly payment is calculated to cover their expenses *on average*. And that is where their business happens - on t... | [
"Insurance companies try to get the very best price that you (or people like you) are will to pay. This involves the company using data analytics to find the perfect price point for every kind of customer. Source: I work in the industry. I build the rules that optimise prices."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What are those tiny little numbers on the bezel of my wristwatch and why do some of them rotate? | [
"That depends on the type of watch that you have. If the numbers go from 0 to 60 (and usually those are the spinning type), it is intended for keeping track of time since you started something. They’re called dive watches, used by divers to keep track of how long they’ve been underwater. You spin the arrow to the ... | [
"Historically, it's for pocket watches. These days, it's just for lighters or whatever you want to do with it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Is there any reason to worry about products like silicon food storage and baking mats leeching chemicals into food? | [
"Your concerns are valid about baking. At reasonable temperatures, silicone won’t create an issue, but at around 300F, siloxane can transfer to food, and just before 400F, it can start releasing formaldehyde (although the amount is not a huge concern). Silicone is still better than non-stock bakeware, but glass, ce... | [
"I have not investigated the science behind it but what I have been told sounded plausible enough for me to get a stainless steel flask. Over time the plastics break down and leech hyrocarbons into whatever is in the container. Most plastic bottles have warnings about keeping them out of sunlight because UV light q... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
- Why is it better to eat several smaller meals rather than a few big meals? If it equals the same amount of food why does it matter what each meal size is? | [
"I think the answer to this question depends on what your specific considerations are. For example, one major advantage of eating many smaller meals is that it helps keep your blood sugar levels consistent throughout the day. If you only eat three big meals, your blood sugar will be extremely high soon after you ea... | [
"It depends on how much you eat. But typically, after eating high calorie foods high in carbs at once, a large amount of blood has to go down into the stomach area causing less blood to be in the head, promoting exhaustion. That's another reason why they recommend small frequent meals over eating a lot at once."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How come certain plant species and animals, etc can reproduce asexually with no issues developing in the offspring, but when creatures like us reproduce sexually, inbreeding with someone close to us results in lots of health issues and deformity? | [
"First, the dangers of inbreeding is greatly overstated. For most of human history we lived in small tribes and villages and... you know. You have to inbreed consistently for many generations to see a real problem. Species that clone themselves *do* have this problem, and it's precisely why reproductive solutions t... | [
"Biologist here. The answer is, they just can. There's no exact rule book for what forms viable offspring. When a sperm mixed with an egg, it either works or it doesn't. Then when the cells start to divide it either works or it doesn't. Then when the organs develop it either works or it doesn't. As you may have gu... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about biology:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about biology:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Biology:"
} |
How come is possible to have different versions of extremely high level stuff made for the same purpose ? | [
"You are describing *mature technology.* When a problem has been understood for a very long time, and the situation has not changed, everyone arrives at a best solution that doesn't vary much. For example, the concrete used to pave streets is fairly similar in most places. But things like moon rockets have only bee... | [
"Your question doesn't quite make sense. Are you referring to something specific? What makes you think that a computer is built for a specific programming language?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
What makes adult teeth shift out of order? Why can’t they eventually shift back into place by themselves? | [
"As I understand it, your teeth are held in place by some kind of fibrous structure. They're not, as a lot of people believe, embedded in the bone. Your gums tend to swell and reduce as you apply stress to them. And you get stuff caught between them. Also, if your clench your jaws and/or grind your teeth, this can ... | [
"The point of braces is to move the teeth and *hold them there* while the bones that hold them in place regrow to hold them in their new position. If you took your braces off now, your teeth would be back where they started in an hour or two."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is the electric universe theory? | [
"It's basically pseudoscience that postulates that electricity describes most of the features of the universe. It's generally said to be at odds with modern Physics though, and tends to be popular among the conspiracy types."
] | [
"Are you asking what caused the Big bang? No one knows."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Does being in hotter weather cause me to tan faster? As in if I sit in the same spot at the same time with no clouds will I tan faster in 90 degree weather vs 75 degree weather? | [
"The thing which impacts your tanning rate is the amount of UV radiation coming from the sun. UV radiation *also* makes the air temperature higher, but air temperature is also dependent on weather and other factors. It's possible for a day with high UV index to be chilly, or for a day with low UV index to be hot; h... | [
"Is that backwards? I feel like 70 in the winter is warm af and 70 in the summer is cool af. Likely because your body acclimates to the certain temps outdoor, and to heat or cool your house is warmer or cooler, etc. Also, lower humidity in the summer compared to outside and the lower humidity will feel cooler... ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why do gas prices fluctuate so frequently? | [
"people are unusually sensitive to gas prices. Maybe because they get no enjoyment from it, they just treat having gas as normal and buying gas as a problem. So gas stations compete on price by selling as low as they think they can. As global commodity prices fluctuate the gas stations adjust their prices. Also... | [
"Taxes, refining costs, transportation costs, and, of course, the amount that consumers are willing to pay also factor into the cost of gasoline."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Economics:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about Economics:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why is it whenever its foggy I see better through my smartphone camera than in real life? | [
"Your phone adjusts to reduce glare. Fog reflects a lot of light. Turning on high beams in fog blinds you because the light is reflected back. A camera adjusts to take in less light when it is bright so it has less glare"
] | [
"Wait, people can't see clearly under water? This is a serious question, because under water I see as well as I do normally with my glasses."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why and how are paradoxical statements expressed mathematically? | [
"Paradoxical statements are frequently used when trying to prove that some mathematical fact must be true. In order to prove something must be true mathematicians assume the opposite is true. If the opposite of what you want to prove somehow leads to a paradox that means logically the thing you tried to prove must ... | [
"The way he is learning seems simpler to someone else. Perhaps it actually is simpler, and just seems complex to you because you haven't studied it. However, changes to curricula are nearly always ideologically motivated, rather than evidence based."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:"
} |
Why does beer get a 'head' when it is poured, whilst other fizzy drinks such as cider and soda do not? | [
"The foam on beer is stable because of the proteins in it, so the bubbles break less easily and a head can form. Fizzy drinks like soda contain much less protein so the bubbles formed are less stable, pop more easily, and are therefore much harder to foam."
] | [
"It does. However, due to the different chemicals present in soda vs carbonated water, the bubbles that carbonated water produces are larger, thus they pop more easily. Soft drinks produce tiny bubbles, which take longer to pop and thus a foam is produced. Nonetheless, if you shake a bottle of carbonated water and ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why does inflation occur? | [
"Currency is just a reprentation of wealth to make trade easier. Wealth usually grow overtime through human work, you cut down a tree, you transform that into plank, you make an house. At this point it's the law of supply and demand. The more wealtht here is, the more demand for currency there is, because people wa... | [
"The more money printed the less it's worth. Why QE is so controversial. But that is what happens constantly."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why sitting is more relaxing and comfortable than standing? | [
"Standing requires balance, which is a constant sense requiring the shifting of muscles so we don't fall over. This is why leaning on something while standing is easier than standing. While we're good at maintaining balance, it's something that isn't necessary while sitting."
] | [
"It's a stress event. It's like asking why are you tired after a road trip, but not after sitting around the house all day. Driving may not be the worst thing ever, but it's certainly more taxing than watching Netflix on your couch."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What happens to ants and their nests when it rains? is there any damage with weather? | [
"Yes they can get damaged or flood with whole sections collapsing. But ants have power in numbers. As long as the queen is ok she can keep pumping out workers."
] | [
"They don't want to drown in the water that fills the soil where they are. So...they move topside. It's not a foolproof strategy, needless to say."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why are there so many more islands in the Pacific than Atlantic? | [
"The Atlantic ocean is on two tectonic plates which is divided north to south down the middle known as the mid-Atlantic ridge. This plate boundary is divergent which means the plates are moving away from each other with molten rock creating new sea bed at the boundary. When these tectonic plates run into the contin... | [
"They're really not that close. South Africa is as close to the south pole as southern USA is to the north pole."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why don’t I notice American Accents On TV Shows/Movies? | [
"Nothing I'm saying has scientific backing, but I think the midwest American accent has become standard in the film industry. You don't recognize likely because of the amount of exposure to it?"
] | [
"Clearly you've never watched *Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives* late at night."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why can diarrhea be so painful? | [
"Your digestive tract is basically just one long series of muscles and sometimes diarrhea causes those muscles to spasm or even cramp up just like what happens to your legs sometimes, causing very acute pain and discomfort."
] | [
"You may be experiencing prostatitis. Swelling of the prostate. It puts pressure on the bladder and creates the sense that you need to urinate even if your bladder is empty. Caffeine and alcohol can increase the chances of experiencing this. It can be non-infectious or infectious. You'll need to see a doctor to fin... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
how did we manage to discover bread and other pastries? | [
"Bread is just mushed up grain and water left to sit for a while and then heated. Over time, the process has been refined to produce better results. Pastry follows the same path but adds refined animal fats - probably after people realized how good bread dipped in roasted meat drippings tasted."
] | [
"It helps to have easy access to wheat, rice or corn - the basic building blocks of...or never mind :)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
when watching a live sports broadcast, why does radio tend to deliver audio feeds a few seconds before transmitted via television? Why are they not equally quick? | [
"_URL_0_ Gives the broadcaster time to delete nudity, profanity, or anything else they don't want going to air. With radio, it's just the play by play guys on the microphone. Far less likely for something unwanted to go to air, so they don't need to worry about it."
] | [
"Depending on which specific service/company you are getting your signal from, they may not be on exactly the same amount of delay or such from the live event or they have some additional technical things going on which delays the signal. It's not uncommon for different services to be slightly off sync with each ot... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
when you put a speaker next to a microphone, why is the feedback always really high notes and not whatever pitch the microphone heard last? | [
"Suppose you have a sound with a certain frequency of its wave. The speaker, microphone, amplifier, etc. don't operate instantly so when what the microphone hears comes out it is going to be combined with whatever the current ambient sound waves are. Even with a constant tone it is unlikely to be precisely synchron... | [
"Telephones have omnidirectional condenser mics. They pick up sounds that are very close because of a compressor/gate built in. There is a null point toward the back of the mic-coil and that's why things on the other side aren't picked up as loud. If you put the phone to a loud speaker the other person won't be abl... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why are animals and fauna no longer as large as they once were? What has changed about our world that mega fauna and mega animals no longer exist? | [
"We don’t *actually* know but some theories are that temperature of the earth was the major factor for mammals getting so big. If the ambient temperature is lower, the heat/energy of a larger mammal is much easier. For insects (and maybe plants), there was a much higher concentrations of oxygen in the atmosphere t... | [
"All dinosaurs didn't die. They just lost their position of dominance due to rapidly changing climates. The species which survived evolved into contemporary avians."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about biology:",
"pos": "Represent the document about biology:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Can we use science to create a “poopless” food? | [
"No. A significant amount of the waste you expel comes from processes in the body such as the death of blood cells which give poop it's characteristic brown color. No amount of nutritional tailoring is going to stop the death and discarding of body cells and metabolic waste."
] | [
"I literally do not know of a single pro to a privatized prison."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why can’t hybrid animals (e.g liger) reproduce? | [
"Female ligers can reproduce. There is a documented example of a female liger that produced healthy offspring with a male lion. All the males are sterile. Big cat sex (male or female), like human sex, is determined by presence of sex chromosomes. The individuals with XY are male sex. The difficulty is that the X an... | [
"What if the DNA is close enough, such as in a primate - I believe Chimpanzees may be 99% similar to humans on a genetic level? (please correct me if I am wrong) There have been documented cases of animals breeding inter-species offspring - such as Ligers (Lion/Tiger hybrid) and Zonkeys (Zebra/Donkey hybrid). A li... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
; why do commercials say something will be aired live, but they show previews of said live event that hasn’t happened yet? | [
"They often show rehearsals so you have an idea what it will be like, or sometimes just an earlier performance by the same artist."
] | [
"license expires, they pay for a license to show the show/movie, when it expires they cant stream it any more."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
airplanes cruising altitude when flying over mountains | [
"So I'm not a commercial pilot, but a private pilot. Mountains come with eddies, also known as mechanical turbulence. Basically, as the air passes over and around the mountains, it is disrupted and so causes swirling action that can affect planes. I don't believe that altitude changes much over high mountain range... | [
"TYL the highest mountains in florida are landfills."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do zippers work? | [
"Organized tangles is how I've heard it described. The tracks are malleable and have 2 positions that are forced to change shape by the little car that runs along them, basically making the tracks 'tangled' and untangled in an orderly way"
] | [
"Are you asking how a wheel works ?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is the specific reasoning for teaching a lot about the industrial revolution in school? Why don’t they cover more topics related to war and peace? | [
"It's a singular unique event that massively shaped society like nothing ever before it. It also even reshaped war itself in huge ways Vs. War. War never changes Jokes aside, war is lots of the same shiza repeated over and over for slightly different reasons and outcomes. So only the most important/impactful are c... | [
"Re Britain and the revolutionary war: they don't. In the grand scheme of things, considering how vast our history is and what's shaped our current climate, the war of independence wasn't that big of a deal. We touched upon it in a history course I took, but it wasn't part of our compulsory education. As for German... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do attachments from email much safer to open in protected view? What does editing a document do to make it dangerous? | [
"depends on the document but word, excel, ppt, etc can run script/macros that mess with your computer. protected mode disables all of that so it can't mess with your computer."
] | [
"Microsoft made a number of not smart decisions for the way Outlook Express works. * Preview of messages by default - this let viruses written into attachments be loaded just by selecting a message. * Integration of ActiveX let messages do all sort of nice tricks like automatic forms, embedded audio and video and s... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do human teeth get infected and die off so easily? | [
"Because we didn't evolve to eat so much sugar and sweetened processed food, which leads to tooth decay also we didn't evolve to live to be 70 either, that's just a side effect of our many modern comforts we've invented."
] | [
"Bacteria have adapted to live off sulfur in boiling water, a cat's mouth is easy to adapt to by comparison. It's warm, wet, and frequently contains food - so yeah, something definitely lives there. That said, there's not a lot of funding for feline dentistry research so it's not very well understood. Cats don't ha... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
When it comes to pain, why is our initial reaction to grab/hold the affected area despite the possibility of causing more pain? | [
"There's a theory that the mechanoreceptors (pressure receptors) can overpower the nociceptors (pain receptors) in your skin. Hence the scientific fact that we all want someone to give kissy kissies our boo boos wah wahs."
] | [
"1. Injury, however minor, may cause an immune response. 2. The introduction of foreign anything to the body typically results in an immune response, usually whatever you've been injected with (with some exceptions). The potential immune responses from these combined causes often results in swelling. This swelling ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Biology:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about Biology:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
What exactly is a Ddos attack, why is it dangerous, and how does it work? | [
"It’s like if you wanted to play a prank on your teacher so you got everyone in your class to call your teacher’s phone number at the same time so that they wouldn’t be able to use their phone for anything else for the time being. It’s dangerous because then they might miss out on some important phone calls. It w... | [
"Generally they can start by scanning your ports to see if theres any vulnerabilities they can exploit. In some cases they can even find your location just from the IP. This can lead to doxxing. If they find a vulnerability then what happens next depends on their intentions and what the vulnerability is, it can be ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
why is leap year a thing? | [
"A year is one revolution of the earth around the sun. That takes 365.25 days. Because you can't put .25 of a day on the calender, one day gets added every for years. That day is Leap Day and the whole year is referred to as a leap year"
] | [
"how can people in a very hot climate practice snow sports?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is the last name "Smith" so common? | [
"Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I was once told that in certain cultures last names were frequently related to your job. The Smiths were the local blacksmiths, the Bakers were the local bakers, the Potter's were pottery makers, etc. And that is why these names are fairly common even if they aren't all relate... | [
"People got those last names because they were from that country. If you're in England and have two Johns and one is French, you might call him French John or John French. Same deal with other countries. On a related note, the name Scott comes from the country Scotland. For some odd reason though, it has made the j... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
How do we know it takes plastic hundreds of years to decompose when it has only been around since last century? | [
"We can track its decomposition, calculate the speed it’s decomposing at, and extrapolate how long it will take until there is nothing left."
] | [
"The oil was formed over literally millions of years. And we *are* using it up. At current consumption rates it could be gone in well under 200 years."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why does the word "hour" get get an "an" in front of it instead of an "a" . I thought "an" was used before a vowel? | [
"Whether or not you say “an” or “a” is determined by the sound of the first letter not the letter itself. In “hour” it makes an “o” sound so the correct thing to say would be “an”."
] | [
"The two pronunciations of the word \"the\", that is, sounding like 'tha' or 'thee,' follow the same rule as \"a\" vs. \"an.\" When the *the* follows a vowel sound, you use 'thee' (ex. The Apple). And if the doesn't, you use 'tha' (The car). They are both only one word, however."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
The difference betweens cars that are V4, V6, V8, etc. | [
"V is the layout style. the number is the # of cylinders. V means that the cylinders form a V shape with equal number on both sides of the V in pairs of 2. the other common engine designs is the inline \"l\" where all cylinders are vertical in a line. the flat/boxer \"h\" where all cylinders are mounted horizontall... | [
"Inline engines are easier and cheaper to produce than V engines. But, larger inline engines such as 6's and 8' are too relatively large, so manufacturers opt for a V engine to save space. An inline 4 can easily fit in most automobile engine compartments, so they opt for the cheaper to produce inline 4 over a more ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
why can’t one device connect to two Bluetooth devices at once? Could this be made possible in the future? | [
"My iPhone constantly connects to my Apple Watch and my Bluetooth headphones at the same time."
] | [
"Umm...kinda? Internet of things is the idea of connecting small devices to the internet that normally wouldn't have an internet connection. For example, smart light bulbs are an IoT device. All of these things require some programming which is in the domain of Computer Science. What are you trying to figure out, e... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does the stomach let fluids through without the stomach acid flowing out with it | [
"It doesn’t. The stomach’s digestive secretions pass into the intestines with whatever food / fluids you’ve ingested. This usually takes about 2 hours for fluids and 6 for solid food. As someone else has already said, the acids are then neutralised by secretions from other organs"
] | [
"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 Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
why is rainbow curved? | [
"Rainbows are actually circular, you just usually don't see the lower part of them because the ground is in the way. You know how a prism can split up light into a spectrum? The same thing can happen with a rain drop. If you have lots and lots of water drops in the air for some reason their combined effects is such... | [
"how can people in a very hot climate practice snow sports?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Where are expirement results posted to? | [
"What you are talking about bugs me to no end. Most of the time those news articles fail to capture all the nuances. They are published on scientific journals like Nature. Use Google Scholar to search for information instead of just Google to find what you are looking for."
] | [
"What are you using it for? Where are you located?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
how do we know when our bodies are burning fat? Is it when we’re hungry and our tummies have the rumblies? | [
"We don't \"know\" ourselves. Hunger doesn't necessarily mean we're burning fat, it just means our stomachs are empty. We will first use up other resources, like ketones, and then we'll move on to fat burning, but that will be some time after we start to feel hungry, generally speaking."
] | [
"Because you have so much mucus flowing into your stomach you feel full and don't produce the hormones that make you feel hungry."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Health and Wellness:"
} |
Why does frozen food taste different to fresh? | [
"When water freezes it takes more space than when it’s liquid. Most food is composed of living cells. These cells are filled mainly with water. When the food is frozen, some cells are damaged because they are stretched out due to the water inside them freezing. This causes the food to be a little different and ca... | [
"Most microwaved vegetables are healthier for you , compared to fresh. Look it up."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment about Food:"
} |
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