query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1 value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
How hasn’t natural selection weeded out individuals with bad eyesight, fatal allergies, and everything of the sort? | [
"For natural selection to work, those individuals need to be culled from the gene pool before they reproduce. None of the disorders you mentioned aside from anaphylaxis is fatal. And anaphylaxis is well controlled with epinephrine."
] | [
"Yup. Just like if a different one of the thousands of sperm in your ejaculate was the one that impregnated her egg. Might change the sex or sexual orientation, hair and eye color, likelihood of certain diseases or aptitudes, height, intelligence, etc. But don't think about it too hard. That way lies madness."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How are emergency numbers (e.g. 911) handled near borders of countries? | [
"Well in the EU it's the same for all countries and they route 112 to the nearest emergency dispatch. While standing in one country and being connected to a different countries cell tower could cause issues they generally inform the correct emergency service and worst case a German ambulance will pick you up in Bel... | [
"It is not the number to the police station. It is the number of the emergency call center. The local phone company knows where your phone is and what ECC serves that area. When you dial 911, they route your call to that location. You can get police, fire, and other emergency services by talking to a trained operat... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Telecommunications:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Telecommunications:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Telecommunications:"
} |
why a diesel engine is so much more powerful than an gas engine. | [
"It isn't. An equal size diesel and petrol engine will produce different horsepower, and the gasoline engine will make more of it. The difference is that a large diesel engine making the same amount of horsepower as a gas engine will make loads more torque and consume less fuel. This is why trucks and tractor trail... | [
"Nothing bad will happen, but you are just wasting money, it doesnt offer you any benefits. To take advantage of premium gasolines your car engine needs to be built to operate at higher compression in the pistons, sports cars will be built like that, but a honda civic is not."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why can you remember nothing about a subject, but as soon as someone reminds you about one small piece of it, the rest comes flooding back? | [
"Neuroscientists have discovered that when someone recalls an old memory, a representation of the entire event is instantaneously reactivated in the brain that often includes the people, location, smells, music, and other trivia. Recalling old memories can have a cinematic quality. Memories often seem to play out i... | [
"It is stored into our long term memory. The tune of the song triggers that memory/path in the brain and it recalls it. It's like when someone asks you a question and you have no idea, but they prompt you with a small detail and suddenly you remember everything about it, like you just learned it. Something trigger... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Cognitive psychology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about Cognitive psychology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Is there anything, legally, that prohibits the immigrants in the detention centers in the US from leaving? | [
"They were caught trying to illegally enter the USA which is covered under Title 8, Section 1325 of the U.S. Code (U.S.C.), or Section 275 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (I.N.A.). They are being held for processing right now. Due to them being a flight risk, they are held in detention until a trial date ca... | [
"Contrary to popular belief, if an illegal immigrant has a kid in the US, they're still at risk for deportation if caught, in which case the child is sent back with them. Also, pregnant women sometimes have difficulties getting Visas (particularly tourist Visas) in order to dissuade people from trying in the first ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
How did cursive become basically a requirement for schools? | [
"Until the 1990s home computers weren't really widely available, so people actually wrote things out by hand in large quantities. Sure in the late 1800s and beyond you could use a typewriter to be extra official, but if you ever have the chance to actually use one you'll see why people often opted not to. Handwriti... | [
"It's just so incredibly useful in business, science, etc, that many countries mandate English classes in primary and/or secondary education. It's required in the the Netherlands and Sweden, for instance, as well as a bunch of other countries. In other times, one might have preferred to study French or German, as t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How can music streaming numbers get tempered with? | [
"The company can change the numbers to whatever they want. There's nothing that stops them from doing it. It's their system, they control it, they can do whatever they want, there is no third-party oversight or audit. Of course, if they juice the numbers, they also likely have to pay the licensing fees on the highe... | [
"If I can ask a follow-up: How did these companies respond to being targeted?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
When we see rainbow in nature, why is it U-shaped? | [
"It's actually circular. You're seeing sunlight refracting back towards you at a specific angle, and there's always a circle of pathways that make the correct angle. Usually half the circle is blocked by the ground, but if you're high enough to be above the rain you can actually see the complete circle."
] | [
"White light is made by all the rainbow colors, and what we see in a rainbow is the white light of the Sun being separated in all of the colors of the rainbow because of little drops floating in the sky. These little drops are called prisms, which is fancy for \"Thing-that-separates-white-light-into-its-composing-c... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
The criteria required for an organism to be a different species from other similar organisms and why there are many different variations in humans yet we're all the same species. | [
"In sexual animals, all that is required is that the species must be able to make *viable* offspring. A kangaroo and a dog cannot make a baby. A horse and a zebra can, but a zorse is not viable, since it cannot make children. Thus a horse and a zebra are different species. There are very rare exceptions to this, bu... | [
"You can genetically sequence them and if their genomes match up (barring minor mutations) then you can say they're the same species. You can also use a series of tests, such as growing them in different environments and using chemical markers that react differently to different byproducts, to determine how they re... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Biology:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about Biology:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why do things discolour when left out in the sun? | [
"The energy from the solar radiation (usually referred to as UV spectrum) energizes and changed or breaks down the molecules that either absorb /reflect different parts of the spectrum. Thereby changing what is reflected back at us and we sense as color. Oh damn it’s Explain it like I’m 5. Um, okay... It's becaus... | [
"From rusting and oxidization. If metal is in contact with the moisture in the air it will rust."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
How do railroad crossings know to go down when a train is approaching? | [
"My dad told me there was a current sent through the rails and when the train would get close the current would short out through the axels of the train cars causing a trigger to the signals. As a kid He would lay wire across the rail to put the crossing arms down to stop traffic as a prank. That was the 50s and pr... | [
"I BELIEVE: Usually, there are sensors in the road under the pavement that sense the weight of the vehicle, and then that info goes to the stop light. At least that's how it is where I'm from."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage about Technology:"
} |
Why is grass wet in the morning when it hasn’t rained in ages? | [
"It's dew. When the temperature drops below the 'dewpoint' the water molecules in the air can condense on to surfaces, making them wet"
] | [
"It simply means coming up with ideas to explain things we see. Those ideas then are put to the test and discarded or validated. - Deduction: Winter is cold. Winter starts next month. So it will be cold next month. - Induction: Last winter was cold, the one before was cold, and so on. So next winter is probably go... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How can a single speaker, such as earphones, produce highs and lows at the same time | [
"[This figure should help explain it.](_URL_2_) A shows 4 waves each with different frequencies and C shows what you get when you combine those waves together. (Ignore B and D). A combination of different sound waves creates a single wave with a unique pattern. So instead of a speaker moving in and out by same amou... | [
"At low volumes, many of the frequencies don't reach your ear at an audible level. The speaker may not reproduce everything perfectly, or some frequencies do not carry enough energy to make it all the way to your ear. So, the music sounds weird because it's incomplete."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
What is social mobility? | [
"Social mobility in the context you're describing is the ability of a person or group to move across socioeconomic stratas. The main question is generally whether an individual can accumulate wealth and become a social elite despite not having been born into this elite class."
] | [
"Advertising, selling info, and premium versions of the free stuff."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post about Technology:"
} |
Why can all the areas in our mouths repair itself with new skin, but our gums can not? | [
"Our cells can only figure our their function from their surroundings and interactions. A wound in the skin of our mouth is surrounded by other skin cells. The new cells see those surrounding cells and realizes they should function as skin. The gums attached to your tooth are different. They expect a firm attachmen... | [
"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 question about Health and Medicine:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about Health and Medicine:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why does everyone hate on Nestle | [
"Because they use water that we think of as a public resource (it's hard to really believably own water) and then sell it to people, often ruining the water supply or at the very least profiting off of a resource that ought be the publics. To many it feels like paying someone to sell you a nice lawn and then having... | [
"And to hijack this in a related way, what were the alternatives to \"America.\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
why does a broken leg essentially mean a death sentence for a horse? | [
"Horses legs are under high tension with tight tendons from the knee down. This means that when they break they often shatter. That same tendon situation also means there fairly little blood flow down the leg which makes healing slow. That means that the horse would have to spend a long time on only 3 legs, somethi... | [
"I guess it's that if you get one removed, you're still facing the rest of the charges. Or something like that."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why does the sky turn green(ish) when heavy thunderstorms / tornadoes are imminent? | [
"Tornadoes typically happen around very tall storm clouds, which scatter light and make the sky mostly blue, and they typically happen later in the day with the sky tinted yellow/red from the sunset. & #x200B; You mix the deep blue with the yellow red and you get a greenish sky"
] | [
"It doesn't. That may be a coincidence you are noticing. It can thunder without rain (heat storms, etc). It can rain without thunder."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do movies shot on 35mm today look more vibrant and high resolution than 30 years ago despite film technology not drastically changing in that time? | [
"The same is also true for audio, but the ability to capture video data has outpaced the ability to process that data and display it. In the case of video, 35mm film has a roughly 11880 x 7322 resolution in an ideal scenario. With film in excellent shape and proper processing, remasters can be done with excellent q... | [
"George Lucas wanted all films to be shot digitally. He invested a lot into the digital process and Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones was one of the first feature length films to be completely shot digitally. So basically Disney is saying fu to Lucas who was trying to push digital film adoption with the success of... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why do humans take so long to reach full-size compared to other animals? | [
"There’s no pressure to grow fast. Some of us grow faster than others but no one generally dies because they’re late bloomers. If it was the case that human children faced some kind of predation then the faster growing ones would survive to sexual maturity more frequently and the genes that caused the faster growth... | [
"Why are noses different in size, why are people different heights, why do we have different hair colors?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about biology:",
"pos": "Represent the answer about biology:",
"neg": "Represent the answer about Biology:"
} |
What does the "cap space" in NBA actually mean, and how it is used and calculated? | [
"All of the teams in the NBA (and many other pro sports leagues) agree to limit the amount they pay their players to a certain total, this is called a salary cap. This helps prevent teams with lots of money from buying up every good player while smaller market teams can't afford to compete. Next year's salary cap i... | [
"What do you mean? Your question needs to be a bit more specific. Are you asking what it is? Or how it's set? Or how the payments are made?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why would anyone buy a bond with a negative yield? | [
"Lots of reasons: 1. you're buying \\_your own\\_ bond. Most bonds require a liquidity level in the issuer to match obligation out there, and buy buying back they can decrease the liquidity level required. 2. they may be effectively trading \\_currency\\_ - e.g. they currency it's issue in is going to change in val... | [
"Because at maturity you've got a 14% return in Brazil money. They could have 15% inflation for all you know, the money could be worth less."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment about Finance:"
} |
Why do TV video clips from the 90s and 2000s look so low quality? | [
"Video has progressed this far...... We went from 240p to 480p then 720 and 1080 Now we are close to commercial 2k and 4k standard video format. Just that's it's currently minimum industry standard to stay at least 720"
] | [
"The visual quality did not go down. Most likely, the average quality of videos has gone up, and now that you have other videos to compare the old ones to, you will notice the flaws of the earlies ones. You should be prepared to experience that again and again. I'm 34, and if look at the video games I used to play... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
why is it that when you massage your own scalp/body you feel no satisfaction vs. the pure satisfaction when someone else massages you? | [
"Your brain has a LOT of things its keeping track of and doing without any thought or effort needed from the conscious mind. One of those things it keeps track of is exaxtly this. Your brain knows its you doing it. Similarly, the part of your brain that helps you navigate obstacles in a busy room isn't entirely con... | [
"The inside of your ear has an incredible amount of nerves in there. Also there's very fine little hairs inside of your ear. When you massage those nerves and stimulate those hairs it sends a signal to your brain and in return it feels good. Also keep in mind it doesn't feel good for everyone. Some people absolute... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Psychology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about Psychology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
In recipes, why don’t we bake cakes and other baked goods to certain temperature, like we do with meat? For example, if I’m cooking brownies isn’t there a standard temperature at which they are done? And wouldn’t that make it easier to not over or undercook them? | [
"Cooking meat to temp is primarily to kill off bacteria. While it does affect the result in terms of texture and taste, it doesn't change the overall structure of what you're eating. A steak is still a steak at 135° or 160° or even raw at room temp. Baking is more of a chemical process. Just getting the center of a... | [
"Every oven is different, some ovens might be able to get to 400 degrees in 5 minutes, and some might take 20 minutes. Or maybe you just made a batch of cookies and your oven is already hot. If you just put your food in the oven for X minutes, it would come out differently depending on how long it took your oven to... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why does the moon appear to be larger when it's just raising than when it's high up? And why does it look more yellow during this time? | [
"It's all about perspective. The moon appears to be bigger when it's rising, because your brain has something to compare it to (hills, skyline, mountains, horizon etc.). Without anything to compare it to, it's difficult for humans to judge the size of things. As for the yellowness or the moon, I believe it has some... | [
"A lunar eclipse is when the moon passes through the Earth's shadow. Much like the sun temporarily being blotted out by the moon, the moon will temporarily be dimmed as Earth passes between it and the sun. You should expect it to turn red and darken, then brighten over the course of about four hours. It is differen... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
- Why do nightmares cause you to get bad/poor sleep even though you are sleeping? | [
"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."
] | [
"Sleep paralysis. It paralysis your whole body apart from your diaphragm and eyes. It happens every night when you fall to sleep. Some people wake up during it unable to move until their mind recognises your awake and breaks the paralysis. It happens so you don't live out your dreams and potentially do something ve... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Health and Wellness:"
} |
How does your body know when you have chewed your food enough to swallow? | [
"Practice. Years and years of constant practice. We use our tongues and the other senses of our mouth to \"test\" the texture, moisture, and consistency of food constantly as we consume it and consider whether it is to a state in which we can easily ingest it. Sure, it's not an exact science but we can pretty well ... | [
"Pour a bunch of sugar on a piece of paper. Put the sugar and paper in your mouth and chew it. Once you don't taste any more sugar, spit the paper out. Do you think you just consumed some calories even though you didn't eat any paper? The answer is yes. Same concept applies to gum."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does pediatric feeding therapy often involve force feeding? | [
"This is a severely autistic child. A child with this level (presumably) of autism might not eat _at all_ without a physical intervention. At severe levels the neurologic development that you'd hope would suppress resistance to interaction in favor of consumption of getting to eat just isn't happening. So...\"no m... | [
"Drinking from a hole in the nipple where the stream and amount of liquid is regulated is much easier than drinking sips/gulps of water while lying down. When you drink water lying down, you are increasing the chance of aspirating water into your lungs, which increases the risk of aspiration pneumonia (serious for ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Where do cell phone towers get their power? | [
"Towers have backup batteries, they are indeed hooked up to the grid, but in the event of a blackout they have backup power for 3-4 hours."
] | [
"Countries regulate their radio communications and the towers constructed above a certain height. It is your government. The cost of this is generally prohibitive. So you need a lot of money, licenses to operate, permission to construct the tower, and of course power to the tower. Do you own the land?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do smoke detectors work? | [
"There are two types. These are simplified explanations. The photoelectric ones shine a light through an air gap onto a photocell. If smoke is present, the light which hits the photocell changes. The change is sensed and triggers an alarm. The ionization type contain a tiny amount of radioactive material which emit... | [
"Batteries and yes they need to be replaced from time to time."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why is it better/easier to learn a second language at an early age? | [
"Because leaning as a kid is built into our brain. We are setup to learn as much as possible when we are children. Especially language. And this gets less and less pronounced as we grow up."
] | [
"English is the language of business in Europe and Pacific Rim. American kids learn English as their primary language. European and Asian kids don't, so they learn it as a secondary language at a young age."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
what exactly happens when you experience a heart palpitation, the brief pounding or fluttering in your chest? | [
"Usually this is because your heart is simply put, just beating faster because you were doing something that required your heart to increase in speed to keep the blood flow through your body to keep up with whatever is happening around you. For example, short runs up your stairs, maybe picking up a heavy object tha... | [
"The release of adrenaline (more accurately called Epinephrine) is a hormone released by your adrenal glands, preparing you for a fight or flight scenario. The release of adrenaline speeds up the beating of our hearts and it's that fluttering sensation that makes it feel like our 'heart is dropping', when somethin... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Can someone explain to me how Powerline Adapters(Networking) work in terms of sending data packets over an electrical line? It confuses me that there is no data interference when the powerlines are already occupied with 110v. Thanks | [
"The power lines have 110v but it is at a steady, relatively slow frequency. The data transmission is done just by wobbling the steady wall power frequency slightly, something within the normal margin of error for power delivery but also recognizable by the right hardware looking for it."
] | [
"Depends on the equipment and network. Most of the stuff you're likely to find uses your home's existing power wiring as a local network. It sends radio signals down the wires in the walls, on top of the slow-changing AC power signal. The signal can't get through the power transformer outside your house."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
why are statues of men in the Roman time period always portrayed with tiny genitals? | [
"Because having large genitals was seen as barbaric and uncivilized, therefore the ideal male form was to have smaller, minimized genitalia. It was an aesthetic choice based on the era's preferences."
] | [
"Hi! When I lived in Africa (peace corps) the sexual objects in my tribe were the knees. Women wore skirts but were not shy about being topless. Breasts were seen as only semi-sexual, much like legs are seen here in the states."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why does boiling water soften potatoes, but hardens eggs? | [
"The composition of potatoes and eggs are different thus resulting in the different changes when they are subjected to high temperatures [via the boiling]. Potatoes contain starches in a compact form known as granules and when they are heated they swell and absorb water. This makes the straches more soft and allows... | [
"It makes the proteins hard. Have you ever spilled egg on your hand and tried to wash it off with warm water? It makes it into a gel. This is the same thing that happens with anything high in protein. Like semen."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How do surgeons create a sterile field for surgery? | [
"Scrub you down with disinfecting agents, then open up many packs of sterile drapes to create the “field”. Wash their hands then put on sterile gloves (generally two sets) in a specific manner so as to not ever touch the outside. Also the surgical gowns are made in a way such that you never have to touch the outsid... | [
"A cholecystectomy is the surgical procedure for the removal of the gallbladder. Laparoscopic describes the method used for the surgery. Essentially they cut 3 or 4 holes in the abdomen that are about and inch in long and insert laparoscopes into the holes. Each laparoscope has interchangeable tools that are used t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why are laptop and tablet batteries often split into several smaller cells instead of having only one large cell? | [
"If you hook multiple cells together in series where you put positive to negative that increases the voltage but keeps the amperage the same. Three 1.5 volt AAA cells connected in series become a 4.5 volt battery with 1000 mAh. Hooking them in parallel puts their amperage together but keeps the voltage the same. T... | [
"Because you can make the device smaller, thinner and lighter when the battery is directly connected to the device and you don't need the additional hardware required for a removable battery."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
What are Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) & if the supplement form is of any use. | [
"They are 3 of the essential amino acids, meaning they cannot be produced by the body. Leucine, isoleucine, and valine. They are also used in certain medical treatments. As long as you eat enough protein, whether it is animal or plant based, and don’t have a disease that causes issues with them, you don’t need to s... | [
"Multivitamins are a dietary supplement of what's called micro nutrients that are essential to proper body function. Now, the best way to get these would be eating food based on your body's needs, however literally hundreds of independent dietary studies have shown that this simply doesn't happen in about 92% of Am... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
why is using cruise control more efficient than simply maintaining the speed manually? | [
"When you drive without cruise, you tend to speed up and slow down quite a bit, by a few kph. Every time you speed up that couple kph, you waste a small amount of gas. Then there are up and downhills, which both suck up your gas. You tend to speed in both, and on larger uphills might give way more gas than nececsar... | [
"the change in velocity and amount of force used to move your vehicle would use more energy than simply traveling on a flat surface at a constant velocity"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is heat bad for batteries? | [
"This happens due to a variety of factors and depends heavily on the cell chemistry. One prominent factor is the increased rate of side reactions at high temperatures that lead to loss of conducting ions. There’s also a contribution of accelerated degradation of the material structure if exposed to higher temperatu... | [
"What source says that alcohol is bad for your teeth?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
a human body always pees when it has to take a dump, but not want to take a dump every time it has to pee? | [
"The muscles used to have a bowel movement cause pressure on your bladder, causing you to release both. You're better able to isolate the muscles of your bladder."
] | [
"It seems to come as a surprise to my dog, every time he farts the noise spooks him. Also do you go sit on the toilet or go outside every time you fart?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What happens in the body that triggers hunger? Is it a time based thing or blood sugar or something? | [
"It's a bit of everything. There's a hormone called ghrelin that rises when fasting and then drops off after you eat. Blood sugar is part of it and represents short term reserves. There's another hormone called leptin which is related to body fat and represents longer term reserves."
] | [
"A lot of it is to do with a natural body clock. Your brain has a specific time of day relative to your patterns when it releases whats basically a sleep chemical. Trying to sleep without it is a struggle against your own body"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If oxygen isn't very flammable why is it needed for fires | [
"Its not flammable, but oxidizing. A fire needs three Things: a flammable substance, a certain temperature and oxygen. Oxygen is What reacts with the flammable substance in an exothermal reaction, in the course of which heat ist released"
] | [
"Nope. Methane is only flammable because we have a lot of oxygen in our atmosphere. Without an oxidizer of some sort, it won't burn."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why does mint flavored stuff taste fresh? | [
"The receptors in our mouths that sense cold are also triggered by menthol, an organic compound found in mint. So basically menthol makes you think your mouth is cold. Similarly, spicy food triggers the same receptors the sense heat."
] | [
"Your mouth would taste like nothing if it's very clean. If it's not clean it still tastes like nothing because your used to it. If you want to taste it drink some water. You'll say \"eww! The water is gross.\" Turns out the water is just fine. It just brings out the bad flavor in your mouth. Brush your teeth and t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
What makes a good haircut? | [
"Go to a licensed barbershop. Not a salon or discount place. Ask for a gentlemen’s cut. Haircut should run you $30-40. Ask for a scissor cut. Long on top, taper fade on the sides. This is pretty much the traditional ww2 style haircut everyone has. If you want to have a more extreme fade, you can ask them to use cli... | [
"What makes a good cigar? A committed Cuban."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If someone has a condition which obstructs their airflow/ability to breathe normally, wouldn’t this cause a steady loss of oxygen to the brain and therefore lead to progressive brain damage? | [
"No, because blood flow (and therefore oxygen) isn’t fixed. In case of hypoxia (low oxygen level in the blood) or blood loss, there are some organs who receive more blood while others don’t; the formers are called “noble organs” (I’m Italian, it’s a direct translation, maybe they’re called something else in English... | [
"Choking someone by compressing their trachea (like a strong headlock) would result in inability to oxygenate blood which would affect all organs. One might lose consciousness, but the lack of oxygen would also affect the heart and could result in deadly arrhyhthmias. On the other hand, choking a person by compress... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is the sensation you get from expecting a certain movement that doesn't come, for example expecting the elevator to stop and feeling like you're accelerating when it continues? | [
"To put it simply: muscle memory and habit. You took hundreds if not thousands elevator rides in your life, you know how it goes, even unconsciously your body adapts to it. When something out of the ordinary breaks the rutine you are used to, that feeling you asked about happens"
] | [
"Sometimes the floating feeling is the fluids in your ear sloshing in just the right way and you sort of think you're falling. The feeling could also be a sort of sensory deprivation where you don't feel anything new touch your body except from the sheets."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence about Health and Wellness:"
} |
How do the grooves in records actually make sound? | [
"When they're recorded, a needle cuts into the wax at various depths based on the amount of vibration caused by the original sound. Then when they're played back, it works in reverse: as the needle passes through the grooves and moves up and down over the contours of the vinyl (which match the contours made by the ... | [
"First what decade is it? But to answer your question, if you look at the tape adaptor, you will notice there is no tape but rather a metal head. This head creates the magnetic signals that would be present on the tape to tell your stereo what tones to make."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does one word end up meaning several, completely different things? | [
"The borrowing of a related word from another language which becomes the original word's main meaning. A good example is the English word \"magazine\", originally a French word meaning something like \"warehouse\" or \"storehouse\" and retaining that meaning when talking about a ship's powder magazine. Then in the ... | [
"More words with similar meanings add depth. A slightly different meaning can be more exact than other words that are close."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why does our skin prickle when we start to sweat? | [
"Judging from the other comments, this must be far from a universal thing, but I know what you're talking about, OP. I have psoriasis, and I frequently get a terrible feeling of itchiness when I am in humid conditions and sweaty. I also get it after taking a shower. Why? No idea. My cause may be different from your... | [
"Yes, as long as your body is trying to shed heat it will sweat. You just won't notice because you are wet."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Biology:",
"pos": "Represent the passage about Biology:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Keynes-ian economics | [
"Government spending (e.g. build roads, hire teachers etc) can stimulate the economy. Before him, neoclassical economists thought this was not possible because of crowding out. If the economy has a limited production capacity, any increase in government spending will crowd out private spending, thus having no overa... | [
"You're basically asking the fundamental question that underlies the field of macro-economics. There isn't any correct answer as far as we know. Plenty of economic theories have been developed to tame the cycle and they've all failed. Plenty of converse theories have been developed to explain why it's futile and th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
what is the main differences between air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles? | [
"There are a lot of differences, and a lot of similarities based on the missiles in question. The one largely Universal difference is in Explosive Yield. Air to air missiles tend to pack less explosives, because aircraft take less force to destroy than a reinforced bunker, and the missile may have to pull hard Gs ... | [
"The Wiki's article [isn't bad.](_URL_1_) First generation: Initial use of turbojets, swept wings, full-flying tails. Second generation: Supersonic speeds in level flight, first *practical* guided air-to-air missiles. Third generation: All-weather capability, analog electronics, maneuverability enhancements like sw... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What exactly is the Hatch Act? | [
"The Hatch Act prohibits most executive branch employees from engaging in partisan political activity as part of their official duties. Spending money on a political campaign is something totally different and I'm not sure why you think they're related."
] | [
"Only if the federal government let it. See: American Civil War"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
why dont factories have green houses to suck up their co2 emissions and create oxygen? | [
"Way to much CO2 to be absorbed by a simple little green house. If you ever worked in a factory and saw how much waste they produce and scale it for CO2 emissions you get a feel for how much they blow out there. Also most emissions are really contaminated with not juat co2, which would kill off the plants"
] | [
"the chemicals used in plastics and other chemicals would be released into the air/atmosphere. 1. you don't want to breathe that shit in 2. its bad for the environment when other things breathe that shit in 3. bad because of global warming."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
If fluorine is such a dangerous substance, why is fluoride, a derivative, not similarly dangerous? How do you safely add fluoride to water, and why is it beneficial for teeth? | [
"Because compounds and their constituent elements are different. Hydrogen and Oxygen will, separately, readily combust in a fiery explosion. However, that explosion happens simply because water is way more stable than Hydrogen and Oxygen separately. Once they're bound up in water, they can no longer make that trans... | [
"They died before it mattered. Their diets had far less sugar in it, so their teeth didn't wear as fast, and they had fewer cavities to deal with. By the time they started losing teeth, they were probably already old and close to dying anyway. As modern medicine started increasing the expected lifespan, dentures we... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
The Greek naming dispute with the, now, Republic of North Macedonia | [
"The problem is that the term \"Macedonian\" has some baggage beyond just the region. Makedon was a hellenic kingdom that Alexander the Great hailed from. Makedon was Greek speaking and Greek in culture. Their capital was Pella, which today is situated near Thessaloniki in Greece. North Macedonians are actually fro... | [
"Kosovo's self-proclaimed independence has been recognised by 108 UN countries, and one non-UN country, the Republic of China (Taiwan). The remaining Serbs from North Kosovo want to remain in the Republic of Serbia, but Serbian majority towns are now rare in the Albanian-dominated, partially recognised Republic of ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How does soap work? Does it kill the bacteria present on our skin? | [
"Soap is an emulsifier, which allows oil and water to mix. The bacteria on your hands are clinging to/living in the natural oils on your hands, and the soap allows the water to mix with the oils and wash the bacteria away."
] | [
"Hand sanitizes are basically pure alcohol, sometimes with some fragrance added. One of the properties of alcohol is that it dissolves lipids (fats), which is also found in bacteria. Basically, hand sanitizes dissolves parts of bacteria and kills them. It has no way to distinguish between \"good\" and \"bad\" germs... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Science:"
} |
Why does starting or cancelling a print job seem to take so long? | [
"Printers are truly awful, and mainly because they are different from other pieces of tech in that they cannot be fully virtual. Transistors can flick on and off incredibly quickly, so sending information across the world digitally is very efficient. But a printer is basically a mechanical pen that has a small comp... | [
"Actual ELI5: Because the programs are busy doing things, and if you click shut down they get a chance to finish what they are doing. If you hold the power button down they get cut off in the middle, which can mess things up if they are doing something important."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Technology:"
} |
How does software control hardware? | [
"The pin is wired to a driver transistor inside the chip. That transistor is like a switch, it connects the \"power\" pin to the \"output\" pin when the gate voltage is high. The transistor's gate is connected to one output bit of an output latch that's addressable in the computer's memory or I/O address space. The... | [
"Cs - writing code and algorithms IT - maintaining hardware and networks Is - design and maintaining data systems - how to collect and process data"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
how did Einstein realize that light will bend near heavy objects? | [
"The curvature of space and time was something that was implicated in a lot of mathematics before Einstein, so there were a lot of hints that straight things were actually curved. It took him 10 years from special to general relativity so it took a genius 10 years to sort out the implications of special relativity.... | [
"Gravity itself is bitchy hard to explain. General Relativity describes it as a curve or distortion in space-time caused by mass...If you think of space-time as a two dimensional sheet of rubber, gravity is the dent that would be made by a thing lying on the sheet. The bigger the thing, the bigger the dent. Einstei... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What's a shell, subshell, an orbital in an atom? What's the difference between them and an orbit? | [
"A shell is the area around an atoms nucleus where electrons spend most of their time. Shell and orbit are the same thing. There are 4 'sub-shells' that can make up a 'full shell' : s, p, d and f. Not all are used though, so the first 'main' shell is just an s 'sub shell' and the second 'main' shell is an s and p ... | [
"Being a chemically reactive metal is just a property of MOST elements in the s-block. Rather, to be put in the s-block, the valence electrons has to be in the S orbital. Hope that helps."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why does Humidity make the temperature feel 20 Degrees hotter? | [
"High humidity means that sweating is less efficient. That makes it a lot harder for your body to cool itself down."
] | [
"Yer not alone in askin', and kind strangers have explained: 1. [ELI5: Heat rises, yet it is cold on top of a mountain. E ](_URL_2_) 1. [ELI5: If heat rises, why is it freezing cold above the clouds? ](_URL_1_) 1. [ELI5: If heat rises, why are higher altitudes generally colder? ](_URL_0_) 1. [ELI5: If heat rises, w... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
How is Cooking Oil Made? | [
"Take seed or fruit. Grind it. Collect oil. Vegetable oil Cooking oil is made from corn, sunflower, peanut, rapeseed (canola) Or alternatively rendered animal fat. Beef fat makes tallow, pig fat makes lard."
] | [
"Being Black Does Actually Have (Relatively Minor) Health Consequences, It's Just That They're Obviated By Modern Life. There's An Energy Cost To Have Extra Melanin, Even A Small One, So If You Don't Need It It Won't Be Selected For. Melanin Reduces Vitamin-D Uptake From The Sun If Sunlight Is Lower Than You're Ada... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does the East coast of Canada get so much colder and get so much more snow than Southern/Central Europe that it lines up with on a map? | [
"[The Gulf Stream](_URL_0_) > The Gulf Stream influences the climate of the east coast of North America from Florida to Newfoundland, and the west coast of Europe. Although there has been recent debate, there is consensus that the climate of Western Europe and Northern Europe is warmer than it would otherwise be d... | [
"The reason why the climate appear to be different is because of the distribution of land. The southern hemisphere has a lot more water than the northern hemisphere. Since water temperature doesn't change too much throughout the year, the temperatures and climate in the south are more steady throughout the year. Al... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does CGI in recent movies not seem as realistic/detailed as Avatar (2009) with recent developments in filmmaking and computer animation? | [
"I think part of it was that almost every bit of every scene in Avatar was CG, so there wasn't as much of a chance for anything to be obviously out of place. When there's just one CG element in the scene, it can be really obvious and look really fake."
] | [
"Because the original daleks were created in the 60s/70s when they didn't have all the fancy modeling products and methods that they do today."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
why dont acids and bases melt through the containers they are kept in? is there an acid/base that could potentially be so strong it melts through everything and just finds its way to the center of the earth? | [
"For the container, they are kept in nonreactive things, like glass. As far as the strength to melt to the center of the earth, in theory yes. You would just need lots of it no matter how strong it is. It also may need some help getting through water tables. If you mix 14 and 0 yes it becomes 7. But that doesn’t no... | [
"2 reasons. The thing you are trying to clean off might be solid or semi solid at room temperature but turn in to a liquid if heated. And increasing the temperature also makes it easier for things to dissolve in to the water."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument about Chemistry:"
} |
how do media agencies quickly find video clips in all of the media that’s been recorded over the last few decades? | [
"They have metadata for all the clips in their libraries. They search the metadata and then look at the matching clips. So, they're not searching \"all the video clips\" but rather \"all the clips they have\". After that, it's all Google/YouTube."
] | [
"Most advertisements aren't created specifically for YouTube: they are intended for TV spots. They are simply shoehorned into the YouTube videos without much planning, and sometimes the product name isn't included in the first five seconds. Your question raises an interesting point, however: as more and more advert... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
why is it better to be relaxed than tense if falling from heights? | [
"It's like the same thing as you can break spogotter but then u be cooking teh spogotter and then u cannot break it anymoar"
] | [
"Its something thats hard to know. A small change usually has little to no effect, but sometimes it can make all the difference even though it shouldnt. Maybe by talking to a pretty woman/man on the street youve saved them from absentmindedly walking out in front of traffic 10minutes later, you'll never know."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why haven't we been back to the moon in almost 50 years? | [
"Why would we? That's the multi-million dollar question right there. There is no scientific, economic, or political reason to send a manned mission[s] to the moon. Pretty much anything we could ever need done could be done with automated robots more easily anyways."
] | [
"You missed an outbreak of Measles, which hasn't really existed in the United States for about 30 years."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is it so hard for juries to convict a police officer when they shoot an unarmed civilian and there is clear evidence of excessive force? | [
"Well, there isn't usually \"clear evidence of excessive force\". Maybe the policeman thought the suspect had a weapon. After the encounter, a thorough search reveals no weapon, and now the force looks excessive. But, at the time the officer made the decision it wasn't so clear, and that \"reasonable doubt\" makes ... | [
"Kelly Thomas was a homeless man with some pretty severe personality disorders (bipolar, schizophrenia, etc). He had a criminal history with the police because he lived on the street. The police were called because someone thought he might be breaking into cars. When the police showed up, some sort of physical alte... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Law and Criminal Justice:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument about Law and Criminal Justice:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How come sometimes your teeth hurt right away after eating something super sweet? | [
"A cavity, enamel loss, damage to teeth which leads to microscopically exposed nerves etc. Your teeth should not hurt when you are eating sweets. Ask a dentist. Like, quickly."
] | [
"I think I know what you're talking about. I get a super tingling feeling after I eat something semi-tart after not having eaten anything for a long period of time."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How does clicking a box actually confirm that you're not a robot? | [
"It looks at how you click it. If you instantly move the mouse to the location and click it then it can be suspicious of it being a program instead of a user with a mouse. If the movements are suspicious then it makes you go through a special type of captcha, an identification captcha (like where it has a picture o... | [
"This is only an assumption, but I would say the purpose is to make sure you're not posting pictures that you have no right to be posting."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do some plants have sweet fruits which makes you want to eat it, but at the same time thorns that stops you from eating it? | [
"The thorns make it harder to eat the plant especially for large animals. At the same time small animals like birds that can fly far can eat them without any problem. The design of plant is a compromise between spreading seeds and not getting eaten. For extreme plant like cactus there is some animal that can eat th... | [
"Survival. If you think of all the unpleasant smells, they are normally associated with things you do not want to eat. For example rotten meat, if the smell wasn't bad we would be tempted to eat it and could become sick. It's our bodies way of saying \"don't put that in your mouth\" :)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Biology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text about Biology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text about Science:"
} |
Why do tires need to be hollow and filled with air? Why can't they just be filled in with rubber? | [
"Air weighs less than rubber. Rubber costs more than empty space. The ride quality would be worse. But there are some interesting designs for airless tires that may revolutionize how we design tires."
] | [
"Helium is the smallest stable molecule there is. It is so small that it can fit between the molecules of most solid materials. So keeping helium in a rubber balloon is like keeping water in a cloth bag. It will slowly leak out over time. Blimps use denser and thicker materials for their balloons but still have to ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Automotive technology:",
"pos": "Represent the post about Automotive technology:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
We often see animals "adopting" and feeding babies from other species. How come the babies don't die from "malnutrition"? Is the milk of any mammal suitable for any other mammal? | [
"Technically milk from any mammal is not the same for any mammal, as cow and goat milk is not enough to sustain a newborn baby. I believe it varies between humans and animals. Human breastmilk is designed for humans and humans alone. Maybe animal milk is more universal and made up of the same basic proteins so that... | [
"Puppies, kittens and AFAIK all other mammals can process lactose when they're young. This ability is lost after the young are weaned so only adult animals are lactose intolerant."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
What’s the difference between a municipal area and a metropolitan area? | [
"A municipal area is defined by law with strict boundaries. Basically if any city has certain ordinances or taxes then that applies to those lviing in the municipal area. Metropolitan area is kinda more fuzzy as it looks on how people interact in a region. for example where they live and where they work, or shop, e... | [
"It's a big system. It also carries a bit from state to state. Are you interested in the application process? Policy? Logistics?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do people vomit due to radiation? | [
"Vomiting and diarrhoea are the body's reaction to poisoning, to void any toxin remaining in the digestive system before it is absorbed. Evolution has never been in a position to develop a specific mechanism to cope with radiation and the damage it does is interpreted as poisoning, hence that response."
] | [
"Do they use this in an emergency room when someone is suffering from some form of toxicity? Nope."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is it that when you put your ear up to a seashell/plumbing pipe/anything circular, you can "hear the ocean"? | [
"It mostly is **not the sound of blood flow** in your ears. It is ambient sound bouncing around inside the cavity before reaching your ear. But don't just take my word for it, go get a cup right now and listen into it from an inch or so away. Hear that rushing sound? Now press the cup to the side of your head aroun... | [
"Yawning opens an air canal that pumps air into your ear from inside. (Sneezing, blowing nose, etc does that also). Changed pressure makes it harder to hear, because ears aren't as sensitive to vibrations due this. Sort of like banging a drum (or any similar surface, really) sounds duller if you press your other pa... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How does long exposure to the sun cause our skin to burn and/or tan? | [
"The sun's Ultraviolet radiation (which we can't see) damages our skin. If you are exposed to too much of it, you get a sun burn, which is not a burn in the \"I touched something hot\" sense, but as in a radiation burn. & #x200B; Our skin will try to protect itself by creating melanin (which is dark in color). Th... | [
"My grandpa had so many freckles he looked tan :) Freckles are clusters of melanin in the skin. Tans are when your skin produces more melanin because of exposure to ultraviolet rays. You can naturally have freckles, you can’t naturally have a tan. Tanning will always on some level be harmful for your skin and lead ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post about Science:"
} |
Why are Andromeda and milkyway colliding? How common is it for galaxies to collide and what are implications of the collision? Lastly, since our universe is ever expanding isn't it the case for galaxies to move away from each other rather than colliding? | [
"> Why Because they are very close to each other, and are attracted by the gravity of the other. > How common are they Very. Most galaxies are in groups and clusters. Galaxies thus tend to have a lot of neighbors in close proximity, which increases the collision rate. > What are the implications Not all that muc... | [
"It's because everything (on the very large scale) is moving away from everything else in every direction, and the further two things are away from each other the faster they are moving away from each other."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
If I suspend a weight in the center of a lateral string and the string is anchored on both sides to a solid structure. Is the total weight felt in full on either side or is the weight distribution halved for each side? | [
"Neither. Each string will have a greater force as a function of the string angle from horizontal. Perfectly horizontal strings would have theoretically infinite force, while a string hanging straight down with the weight at the bottom would have the force of the weight of the object. This is why when you wrap obje... | [
"The tube would be pulled towards the ball bearing with the same force, when the ball bearing comes to a halt at the front of the tube, the two forces would cancel each other out and you would have net zero velocity."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why are animals that are much stronger, faster and can easily kill us afraid of us? | [
"Two reasons. First reason is that animals will tend to avoid conflict at all cost. Attacking anything carries a certain level of risk, and that risk can end up killing the animal. Breaking a bone for example, is pretty much a death sentence. Especially if you are a predator and require a significant caloric intake... | [
"Cats don't usually attack people as much as dogs do. That and people are generally more afraid of bigger dogs."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If you're short-sighted when you're young but gradually become long-sighted when you age, is there actually a point where you have perfect vision? | [
"Are you talking about how old people need reading glasses? That’s not because you’ve become far-sighted. It’s because the muscle that control the lens in your eyes weaken, and it happens to pretty much everyone. If that’s what you’re talking about, the answer is no. They just get bad at both near and far sight."
] | [
"In 20/20 eyesight, the lens of the human eye focuses light to fall exactly on the retina. If the lens isn't shaped right, the light will fall ahead of or behind it, and the image will be blurry when it gets to the retina. Glasses fix this by bending the light before it hits the eye to make the light fall on the re... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How do fat burner pills work? | [
"That question is impossible to answer because there is no standing \"fat burner pill.\" Anyone can call whatever they want that. And they don't have to prove that any of them work. So in summary, there is no way to know what they contain (and like all supplement aren't regulated and may not contain what the ingr... | [
"Juicing means steroid use. What specifically are you doing?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do chess sites detect cheating? | [
"_URL_0_ has some sort of \"advanced algorithm\" that they refuse to release. To me, this proves that the decision is highly subjective. That said...Basically the moves of a player are run against an engine and if they match too closely for too long a period of time, it becomes progressively more likely that the pl... | [
"There are computer programs that will automatically buy the tickets quicker than any human can. The scalpers use these."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What are the advantages (and disadvantages) of animals having larger males vs larger females? | [
"This is based on the type of animals and need to attract or defend. In certain types for example bird males are more colorful because they need to attract the females. In this case, females choose the male based on their ability to sing, court, and color. They want to choose the best possible male mate for their ... | [
"Men and women look different (sexual dimorphism) because of the presence or lack of the Y chromosome and different gonads which in turn leads to different hormones. Natural selection has selected certain features in males and females which made them reproductive successful. Males for example are larger and stronge... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about biology:",
"pos": "Represent the passage about biology:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
How antennas receive signals | [
"The metal car does also \"receive\" the signal, and you could in theory detect the signal on it, but because its geometry and electromagnetic properties aren't tuned to the types of electromagnetic radiation that makes up the signal, it will be very difficult to get the useful information from the received signal ... | [
"They use the headphones as antennas to receive the radio signals"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why does our body cringe when we remember something embarrassing? | [
"Follow up question, ELI5 how to utterly crush them before I fully convulse and have to verbally talk myself down."
] | [
"You can be happy a hundred times and survive, it just takes one real harm to die. We remember the negatives to protect ourselves from the risks."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do hunters bother wearing any kind of camo when they have orange vests on? | [
"The bright orange isn't noticeable to the animals they are hunting. What *is* noticeable is a particularly human-shaped outline, and the camoflauge helps break up that distinctive shape."
] | [
"Mostly, you get hunting accidents by unsafe hunters (obviously). They may take a shot when they haven't properly identified a target, shoot through brush, or hunt in too low of light. They may also drink a few beers with the buds which impairs their judgement. But you could also see a real deer (or game animal), b... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
why do lamps take two clicks to turn on and off? | [
"Most likely you are dealing with a 3 way lamp switch. Off-low-high-off I haven't seen one in a long time, but there used to be light bulbs with 2 filaments in them, and the switch would light one for low, then both for high. If there is just a regular one filament bulb in it, you still have to click through both l... | [
"What kind of tv do you have? Just off the top of my head do you have auto motion plus turned on?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Electrical engineering:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Electrical engineering:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What's the difference between mechanised, motorised and computerised? | [
"If something is \"mechanized\" it utilizes a mechanical advantage. Things like levers, gears, screws, etc. Motorized means that it incorporates some sort of motor...electric, internal combustion, whatever. Typically means that it is also mechanized. Computerized things include an electronic computer system. ... | [
"A machine like the one that makes the spring in your example is a collection of different technologies combined into a new system (pneumatic arms, motorized discs, etc. \"Carving\" would be more along the lines of a CNC mill or lathe, a laser cutter, or water jet machine that has programmable paths."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
When you are having joint pain and you spray pain relief on it, what actually happens? | [
"Generally, it's a topical anesthetic, like menthol. All it does is penetrate the skin to the nerves and deaden the nerve's pain signals for a small amount of time."
] | [
"A change in blood flow to the head area. Whether it is muscle inflammation or chemicals, the change in blood flow isn't regarded as a good thing to your brain. The sensors on your veins and arteries will send a signal to your brain saying something changed and a pain signal is created. The more the change, the wor... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Since CO2 is basically food for trees, won't extra CO2 make trees grow faster and bigger so earth will self-adjust the level like other cycles in nature? | [
"Well, CO2 isn't really like food for trees, but that's not the point. Trees (all photosynthetic organisms really) can only consume and utilize a certain amount of CO2, sort of like how once you eat to the point of being full, you can't eat any more no matter how much food is on the table (not to reinforce the idea... | [
"Burning \"fossil fuels\" like oil and coal is worse than burning trees (which was our main fuel until the mid 1800's) because it releases carbon that has been hidden away in the earth for millions of years instead of hundreds like with trees. Carbon dioxide is a \"greenhouse gas\" which means it acts like the glas... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Does the location of where I plant trees matter? | [
"It does matter. Different types of trees have different sun vs shade requirements as well as how much space they need to properly grow. That being said, trees can withstand a lot. Look at your typical forest- the trees are densely populated and yet manage to survive. The ones that don’t just become fertilizer for ... | [
"Absolutely, but right now our best bet is to look for conditions that we know are able to support life."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about science:"
} |
How did the KGB work? | [
"The KGB was a network of informants. They had their ears everywhere. & #x200B; This presented the problem. If you said something that someone thought might get them favor, they passed it on. Eventually, it would reach the ears of an actual KGB agent, who were allowed to do whatever they saw fit to eliminate dissi... | [
"How do you think they stay rich? ;)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How the human body can lose tolerance to alcohol if it has not been exposed to alcohol over a long period of time. | [
"Here’s my response from your first post that got removed. Not sure if you can see it anymore: Well, your body is always trying to maintain homeostasis, or a constant healthy state. When you regularly consume alcohol, your body learns this and is prepared to adapt its metabolism of the drug and other things to main... | [
"This is pretty much a myth. The total amount of alcohol that you drink has a far greater impact on making you sick than how many different types of alcohol you mix together."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why does a water stream break up into droplets after falling from some height? | [
"Air resistance. Y’know when you swing your arm through the air or jump on a trampoline and it feels like wind, even if it’s not windy? Water can’t hold itself together after a certain amount of force is applied to it, so it breaks up after gaining enough speed."
] | [
"Both! First you would get a drop like, say, a raindrop, which is traveling at terminal velocity. Raindrops falling from the sky are typically hitting the ground at terminal velocity. Then the drop in your magic infinite tube would continue going along at terminal velocity leaving a trail of water vapor behind it... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why are our bodies so sensitive to even small temperature changes? | [
"Well outside temperature and inside temperature are very different. Your body works extremely hard to maintain your internal temperature and so when that goes off its VERY noticeable. Effectively all of the chemical processes that happen in your body are optimized for your normal body temperature and when you heat... | [
"So what is it about human physiology that makes this work differently for us?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
what’s the worst that FaceApp can do now that they “own rights” to so many faces? | [
"First, they down own your face. Just the images you create with their app. But they own them good. Appleinsider has done a breakdown of their privacy policy. \"Essentially, if you make something in FaceApp, FaceApp can do whatever it wants with what you've made. Not only can it repost your images without your per... | [
"You have to look at the long run. What happens if something you do in private suddenly becomes illegal? The government could prosecute you and have plenty of evidence. What if someone hacks and leaks their database. Ever talk shit about your work over email? Your boss? That's grounds for termination. Bad things ha... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
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