query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Why does PETA steal and kill pets when their entire program is passed on saving the lives of animals? | [
"Can you post a link to the article, because I've heard this before.I've also heard PETA kills more animals annually than shelters do"
] | [
"Pro: If I am going to commit to caring for a dog for the next 10-15 years, I should be able to get the dog I want, and breeds give me a good idea what kind of dog a puppy is going to grow into. Con: There are thousands, if not millions of dogs that are euthanized every year because no one wants them. Every dog cre... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
What are radio waves? | [
"Waves themselves just transport energy from one place to another. The distance a wave penetrates into a material is determined by the amount of energy the wave has, or its frequency. That is why lower frequency waves such as radio waves cannot penetrate as far as gamma waves."
] | [
"Are all of your electronic made by Apple?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why did the boats used by American’s on D-Day have a front hatch? Why didn’t they use side/ back hatches and use the front as cover, instead of running head first into machine gun fire? | [
"Doors on the front let you unload into shallower water, ideally straight onto the beach. Remember these guys were carrying a lot of weight, if they got into water over their head they were going to drown, there was no way to swim and many soldiers did drown after going over the sides or leaving boats that couldn't... | [
"Deck space. Guns required a carriage as well as a port-- when they fired, they would kick back HARD. They also required a crew of several human beings, who also needed space to move around. It wasn't that big of a deal to turn broadside, that's where the armor was, and there was a lot more real estate to mount gun... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why is it republicans say Obama administration didn't create jobs when the unemployment rate is the lowest since 1973? | [
"Keeping it politically neutral - the unemployment rate measures the unemployed who are actively looking for work. This has shrunk drastically, as working age people (particularly in the 20s-30s) have dropped out of the workforce. Some hiding out in graduate programs, some probably becoming permanent wards of the s... | [
"Raised taxes. The congress/senate promised to cut spending if he raised taxes... he did, they didn't. But the difference was positive enough (with help from the dotcom boom) to create an actual surplus. Now, a lot of people discount Clinton as just 'lucky' but he had a solid plan, but yes he was helped along by th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do astronauts never dress comfortably in space? | [
"In 0 gravity astronauts have to be careful about what they have in space [like the corned beef sandwich that almost got everyone killed](_URL_0_). The suits they wear don't have any fluff or other weird things that can fly off the fabric and get into the electronics and cause problems."
] | [
"They need to exercise everyday to make sure their muscles don’t waste in the weightlessness of space. Take a look at Scott Kelly’s daily routine during his year in space."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why does experience matter in playoff sports? | [
"All people are saying is that experience *matters*, not that it's a trump card that guarantees a victory, which is what it looks like you're arguing against. It would be tough to really make an argument that experience doesn't have any impact. Just about everyone gets nervous butterflies they first time they are i... | [
"How would you define \"winning\" a presidential debate?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is the difference between HTTP and HTTPs ? Does it really matter? | [
"The 's' stands for \"secure\". It means that the communication between your browser and the web server is encrypted, so no one can intercept this traffic. It is important when you are sending and receiving sensitive and personal data such as your password (when you log into the website), your e-mails, your bank ac... | [
"Because HTTPS has nothing to do with being hacked or not."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
If copyright protection ever actually runs out for Mickey Mouse, how could he be used by non-Disney parties without violating trademark law? | [
"Copyright and trademark are two different things. If Disney ever fails to have their politicians extend the copyright and Steamboat Willy falls into the public domain, it won't mean that you can freely violate Disney's trademarks. You will be able to copy, view and show the animated film without paying Disney and ... | [
"It's in the name: a copyright is your \"right\" not to have someone else \"copy\" your art. A trademark is a \"mark\" you use to distinguish your goods from your competitors in your trade. The movie \"Incredibles 2\" is subject to copyright, because its an artistic work. No one can copy the movie itself or any art... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why are cartridge based video game systems inferior to disk based ones? Also, why did cartridge based system not have load times? | [
"They are larger and hold less data. They are also significantly more expensive to produce. They don't have load times because there's no moving parts. It's solid state memory. No laser needing to read a disk."
] | [
"Early versions of the PS2 had an entire PS1 stuck inside. The first generation of the PS3 did the same thing with the PS2. Later PS2s, the second generation PS3 tried emulating the older console. The Xbox 360 had some sort of translation layer (similar to an emulator). The first approach is expensive and requires ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why doesn't water spill immediately out of a glass when it passes the top? | [
"It is related to surface tension, yes. Both of them are related to water's unusually high cohesion (attraction of one water molecule to another). Basically, think of it like the climax of an action movie. Some of the water molecules are hanging over the cliff, but their loved ones are NOT GOING TO LET THEM GO, DAM... | [
"Pressure! When you cover the end of the straw and lift it out of the glass, you lift a column of liquid as well. The weight of this column pulls down against your finger, effectively pulling a vacuum. Once you've lifted the straw free of the glass, atmospheric pressure will push against the liquid at the bottom o... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Steve Jobs once said there was a maximum screen resolution that we can see and we had reached it. Why are phones getting 4K and even higher resolution if we can't see the difference? | [
"- He was wrong; it was part of his job to make the iPhone look as good as possible, so naturally he said its display was basically perfect. - Resolution relates to pixel density. 720p looks good on a 3\" phone, but is blurry garbage in the cinema. Phones are bigger now than they were a few years ago so you need hi... | [
"We had the technology to record videos at much higher resolution than we had technology able to display that footage equally well. We could record video super detailed, but our TVs and media couldn’t display it that well."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do pets hoard things? | [
"Not an explanation for the hoarding cause I'm dumb, but I'm pretty sure that cat just happens to get the caps stuck under there coincidentally. My cat has a few spots where she likes to play where things easily get stuck under. You move it and you find balls and caps and all sorts of things she was batting around.... | [
"Dogs aren't eating extreme amounts of sugar like humans do."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post about Dentistry:"
} |
Where does everyone's poop go? | [
"The poo part of sewage is destroyed by an anaerobic sludge digester, which is a big tank a bit like a giant blender full of poo. Bacteria eat it and turn it into methane, carbon dioxide, and ammonia. The full process is [rather complicated and like a Rube Goldberg machine for destroying poo](_URL_0_). Anything the... | [
"Uh, where do you expect them to go?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
who is my second cousin once removed? what is he/she removed from? | [
"First cousin - you share a grandparent (but not a parent, of course). Second cousin - you share a great-grandparent (but not a grandparent). Second cousin once removed - removed from your second cousin by one generation - that is, the child of your second cousin."
] | [
"It's stop after the first level. I have a brother-in-law, my wife's brother. When he gets married, his wife is not my sister in law. she is just my brother-in-law's wife. Siblings in law are your spouses siblings and that is it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
ELI6 Infinity. I have a 6 year old kid who is recently fascinated by these very large numbers he can imagine. He often ask about infinity. How could I explain it to him? | [
"I would use the concept of division: If you cut something in half, then cut it in half again, then again, then again ... how many times can you do that? The answer is infinity, because no matter how small it gets, you could always still cut it in half."
] | [
"Infinity is a concept, an idea. It is not a number and it follows its own rules which are not always consistent depending on the infinity type in question. You cannot remove a finite number of 1 and get infinity down to a finite number. By definition there are an never ending stream of '1' that make up your infini... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How is it possible that a VPN can actually reduce your ping time / speed up your connection? | [
"It could come to the fact that VPN Points of presence are located at the edge of the internet backbone. Which means that the route taken by the VPN packets are more direct than the packet routed by your ISP thru the entire internet. The analogy is the car vs train. The packet is the passengers in the car and if yo... | [
"Other traffic is using the same network as yours when you are downloading using the Internet. As traffic levels fluctuate so will your download rate at times."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment about Internet speed and service:"
} |
Why can't we write Braille like the regular alphabets? | [
"Imagine trying to read the word \"Ill\" (other word for sick) in Braille. Not easy. Other characters that are easy to confuse: E and F, O and Q, X and K, U and V. The Braille alphabet is designed to avoid these confusions."
] | [
"It's a common stylization, possibly because there is no \"lowercase\" in most East Asian alphabets."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why democratic countries have political parties | [
"Parties are the most efficient way that we have (so far) to organize groups of similarly-minded people that are large enough to have an impact on elections. In systems like America's, where you need 50%+1 of the vote to win (called [first past the post](_URL_1_)), we inevitably end up with two opposing parties. In... | [
"As far as I can tell this is no more true in East Asia than elsewhere. In general authoritarian governments are resilient because they use arbitrary force to suppress competitors and rebels."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do muscles produce so much force when they seem to be pulling/pushing at angles that would seem to decrease the overall force output? | [
"The answer is what it seems to be at first glance. Muscles are actually very strong. It's true a lot of muscles work at a mechanical disadvantage, but it's weighed up against the ability to do more with the arm. If the arm was built so the bicep muscle was attached at the point of maximum mechanical advantage (li... | [
"The door takes the same amount of force to open, assuming it is hinged equally. It takes more effort to pull though, because the human body is more effective at pushing than pulling due to the number of muscles involved and the higher ability to gain leverage."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Is it possible for someone to enter a house through a chimney à la Santa Claus? | [
"You've got a couple of problems: 1. pretty much all modern chimneys have a pipe in them, they aren't the shape of the rectangular chimney we think about. They are typically less than a foot wide - much smaller than a person. Once upon a time you'd have a brick chimney that was an actual rectangle on the outside AN... | [
"Hopefully this isn't forbidden in the rules, but may I ask a question? Are there any urban legends which have been proven true? For instance, has there been a murder by gang members when an individual flashed their lights at a car one night? Did a scuba diver get sucked up in a fire fighting helicopter and plunge... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
How does international law even work? | [
"Short answer, there isn't really a practical method of enforcing international law other than voluntary participation. Long answer, international law is a series of UN backed treaties, ranging from human rights and genocide (UDHR, Rome Statute) to business and patent law to environmental agreements. However, coun... | [
"Because there is no law to do so."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are Scandinavian countries so socially progressive? | [
"I think this might be a bit of a controversial answer, but here goes: They are ethnically homogeneous. Socially progressive laws are much easier for people to accept and clamor for the more they see commonality between their neighbors. People in Scandinavian countries are all very similar as compared to the differ... | [
"Countries with a better educated populace tend to have higher levels of atheism as people are less inclined to believe in superstitions. The Swedish education system is one of the best in the world."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why would it be so terrible for America to offer incentivized sterilization for parents already unable to support the children they have? | [
"Mostly because the old white rich men who are in charge of things don't directly benefit from it. Because people think with emotions, not logic. And years of capitalist sentiment combined with years of anti-communist propaganda (and the belief that socialism = communism = bad) means that those in power have a stro... | [
"They don't just murder the second child, so couples can still end up having multiple children either because they want to or by accident. The government just incentivizes having only 1 child."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
If we see red, blue, and green light, why are the primary colors red, yellow, and blue? | [
"Red, yellow, and blue being primary colors (the RYB color model) is just one color system that was created primarily by painters in the 16th-17th centuries before we really understood how light works or developed our scientific knowledge of color and additive versus subtractive color. It works for what it does, bu... | [
"Brown isn't a color in its own right. It's a phenomenon of our brain interpreting a certain mix of colors. Edit: brown can be made from mixing any two colors on opposite ends of the color wheel: yellow and purple, blue and orange, red and green."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What are the small circular mettalic holes on the sides of shoes for? | [
"The holes in the converse is for venting air. The shoe is specifically designed as a sports shoe for dry flat surfaces (basketball) and can therefore become quite sweaty. The holes provides good ventilation to prevent the buildup of sweat."
] | [
"Not an expert, but it might have to do with touching the very tiny hair on the skin of your nose."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What is the point of Kirchhoff's First Law? | [
"If your circuit splits up into different (parallel) paths, it tells you that the sum of the current in the paths will be the same as the current before they split up (and equally, the sum of the currents in paths that join together will give you the current in the section after they've joined together)."
] | [
"Because in a vacuum a moving object has no resistance acting on it. Clarify the second part of the question please."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does your brain do things in the wrong order? Does this have a special name? | [
"I'm not expert on brains or anything but I might know the answer here. Somewhere in your long term memory is the fact of where you put milk and where you put a bowl and to say it really simply when these memories are retrieved form long term memory they could get mixed up so for a brief moment you actually believe... | [
"I am not familiar with this phenomenon. Could you go into some more detail about that?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about Science:"
} |
Is there any legitimate reason sandwiches taste nicer when cut into triangles or is it all in the head? | [
"I actually prefer mine uncut, my aunt used to cut them to be nice and i would go get 2 new pices of bread cause i didnt like it like that. I think its just all in your head"
] | [
"Because you're not very good at making sandwiches, apparently. I don't agree that a sandwich made by someone else is better, all ingredients being the same I always prefer a sandwich that I made myself over one made by someone else."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
why do my smoke detectors flash and beep during lightning strikes? | [
"possibly because smoke alarms use a small ionizing material to detect smoke. a lighting flash outside ionizes the air in the surrounding area. or maybe the electronic circuits inside the alarm are being induced by the massive electrical discharge outside"
] | [
"Why do they randomly twitch just once? I dunno. Why do you get a twitch that won't go away? Potassium deficiency. I used to get eye twitches all the time before I figured it out."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment about Health and Wellness:"
} |
" Constitution free" zones where our rights are modified, limited, or nulled. What? | [
"\"Constitution free zone\" is an ACLU term that was meant to bring attention to the 100 mile border zone surrounding the country and the \"functional extended borders,\" like airports. The 100 mile thing is shit It is true that your 4th amendment rights regarding reasonable suspicion for a cursory search are suspe... | [
"well their rights are not regarded any more important than any one elses, but their rights are not being granted, upheld etc. Ours are."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
How do luxury watches like Rolex keep so many stores open when you hardly see anyone ever walk in there and buy anything? | [
"Selling one watch every 1-3 days is enough to make a profit, also the price for servicing watches can range anywhere from 40-2000 dollars (new parts, watch straps etc)."
] | [
"In places that sell expensive jewelry, they normally just let their employees borrow things while working so that they look nice in front of the customers."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
why did cans stop being stackable? | [
"Not all cans are like that. I've got cans of pet food in my cabinet that stack perfectly. I've got cans of Bumblebee tuna that stack just fine too. It's most likely just that particular brand's decision to use a different can. Maybe that type of can is cheaper or maybe they can save money on manufacturing by using... | [
"They cost less money to produce, and as it takes 5 seconds to open a can with a can opener, there's not a large incentive for consumers to demand that all cans be easy-open."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What would happen if a state (Kansas) declared bankruptcy? How does that compare to when a person or city (Detroit) declares? | [
"So while the State cannot go bankrupt, certain organs of the State can. For example, an Airport Authority could go bankrupt even though it might be thought of as a State agency in the popular mindset."
] | [
"The debt crisis itself is relatively simple. The Puerto Rican Government owes about $80,000,000,000 and is having trouble paying the interest on that debt, due to a weak economy and social distrust of the government. Why the US Congress is involved is a little more complicated... but basically boils down to Puerto... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why in most democratic countries the president can't stay for more than 2 terms. Can't the people let them stay longer? | [
"Mostly it is to prevent a popular president from accumulating too much power in the government. A leader who stays too long tends to make the organization about himself whether he wants to or not. Things get structured around how he operates, and people defer to him based on his experience. When he leaves his post... | [
"> not representing the people? That's opinion. Maybe in their view they are representing the best interests of the people. However, there are no laws permitting a congressman (house) to be impeached or recalled. They are elected every two years and if they are doing a poor enough job, they will not get reelected. ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why do so many child actors lose control of their lives as they grow up? | [
"I was under the impression that they didn't have much of a childhood. It was taken away from them when they became actors. Since they started working so early and had so little freedom, once they do get away from it, they tend to break free and make poor choices."
] | [
"I think it has more to do with psychology than physiology: adventure is more important to children than comfort. Our priorities shift as we get older."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
why did humans choose to migrate to locations with harsh climates? | [
"In brief: - To expand territory - To exploit resources - To escape enemies - For protection against enemies - For less competition"
] | [
"In Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, Jared Diamond argues that that the gaps in power and technology between human societies originate in environmental differences, by which farm-based societies conquered populations of other areas and maintained dominance, despite being vastly out-numbered wit... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Psychology:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Psychology:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
We know that Humans can contract potentially deadly diseases or viruses from animals but are there any viruses that humans can carry which are equally as deadly to the animals? | [
"I know that the common cold can be deadly to smaller primates. When working in a zoo, if you have a cold, you MUST wear a mask and gloves at all times."
] | [
"Simply put, they came from the same way the flu or any other virus originated. At various points in history, viruses mutated such that they could be transmitted sexually."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about biology:",
"pos": "Represent the document about biology:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Can the space shuttle make the trip to the moon and back? | [
"The first reason is because our space shuttle fleet does not exist anymore. That's a bit of a hurdle. Secondly, the shuttle is not designed to be equipped with boosters of the necessary power to get out of low earth orbit. Getting to the moon requires a TON of thrust. Much more than the shuttle was ever intended t... | [
"As far as we know right now, there isn't a way for us to get enough fuel to Mars to be able to fly back."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why and how does ambient sound help you concentrate or fall asleep? | [
"Just a guess: It's something to listen to without paying attention. Put another way, silence alone is distracting. Also when it's quiet, any small noise is going to get your attention. Turn on some white noise, rain sounds, etc. and you can basically stop listening to anything. There's nothing for your brain to lo... | [
"Does natural lighting, in fact, make it easier to concentrate?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
How volatile is C4 before connecting a trigger device to it? | [
"C4 is one of the most stable explosives , its near impossible to set off by accident as it needs a very high impact force to set off , you can burn C4 safely. you can shoot it safely (though these rent recommended) . C4 is normally set off with a detonator ( basically a bit off another easier to set off explosive)... | [
"It's a power inserter. It injects a DC voltage to be used by an antenna amplifier further down the line."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why do concerts generally start so late? | [
"Liquor, liquor, liquor. The longer you wait the more booze you are likely to buy. This applies to all concessions, but the markup on booze is particularly fruitful. Edit: Spelling."
] | [
"To share with others or so that they can relive it later. Plus, recording a min or so of the concert isn’t going to stop someone from “living in the moment” considering the shows typically last much longer than that."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How were audio frequencies measured in hertz before computers? | [
"[Helmholtz resonators](_URL_0_), for one- Helmholtz published his *On The Sensations Of Tone* in 1862. You'll notice that he used the older term 'cycles per second.' Later we began using Hertz's name for the same unit of measurement, as it's shorter ^_^"
] | [
"Have you never seen an analog clock before? Ever? The stopwatch was invented in the 1600s. Those were used before lasers and digital clocks."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How do two countries define their national borders? | [
"it's just historical reasoning and agreements between countries. they can be respected (like post WW2 treaties), or not. in old continent, borders are based on historical boundries of countries and on natural borders (rivers, mountains, etc.) or on post WW2 agreements (like in case of Poland, where historical boun... | [
"Because the IOC is more interested in a group’s conception of national identity then their status as independent states."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do clouds that are about to storm turn dark? | [
"Storm clouds are much taller than normal clouds, so they more effectively block the sun and appear much darker from underneath."
] | [
"Cumulonimbus clouds are the ones that rain, and they are very thick and dense. Their density is *why* they rain in fact, it's too much water too close together so it clumps up and falls out of the sky. They will block more of the Sun's light than any other type of cloud, so that's why it gets dark when it rains. ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is art worth so much? | [
"Firstly, art, such as paintings or sculptures isn't worth according to time necessary to create or level of skill of the author. The worth of art is primarily derived from the story of given piece of art or story of the author. Like any other product in economics, price of art is calculated by demand and supply ra... | [
"Because it is worth a lot of money to the government!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why do we feel the need to explain our own thoughts to ourselves? | [
"I think a large part of this is just a consequence of consciousness. The right hemisphere of our brains uses intuition to detect patterns, but it's the job of the left hemisphere to analyze those patterns to see if they hold up to rationale. I like to think that the right hemisphere of the brain is sort of like a... | [
"Maybe because we know so little about it and even less about how to deal with those with mental illness."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
why do many major league player's sports contracts always include a deferred annuity portion? | [
"I'm not sure how common they are, but here are some possible reasons why a sports contract would include one: 1) Athletes are notoriously bad with money. Annuities provide a more stable source of income rather than giving it all to the player at once. 2) Because the salary is deferred, the team has more time to ... | [
"A college athlete absolutely can do this. 99% of the time its financially beneficial to enter the draft because of the garaunted money and years that are rightfully theirs according to the cba agreement"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How did the Christian Church become established after Jesus' death? | [
"Lots and lots of missionary work and being implanted right in the middle of the Roman Empire. A lot of people attribute the Roman emperor Constantine as being the catalyst the really pushed Christianity forward to become a world religion. Happy Easter!"
] | [
"the Emperor Constantine adopted and practiced Christianity. He also ordered old Roman temples destroyed. are you going to go against the Emperor?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Who are the "regressive left" and why is their political stance a problem for society? | [
"The 'regressive left' is a very small but very vocal group that could best be described as a \"liberal\" equivalent to the alt right. I put liberal in quotes because they really aren't that liberal. This question is loaded and will probably be removed, but here's what most people have a problem with. First is that... | [
"I feel like the alt-right is part of the response to mainstream bullshit such as third way feminism, identity politics, black lives matter etc. It's mainly a millennial conservative political movement born on the internet. They care the most about free speech, the right to avoid political correctness, the right to... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why do bombs "whistle" when they are falling. | [
"They have whistles placed on them for effect and intimidation. If they didn't they wouldn't make a sound at all, and most of them dont."
] | [
"Also, a lot of those bombs were detonated underground/underwater, which doesn't cause nearly as much particulate fallout as bombs detonated above ground."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
The differences between president, prime minister, and a premier. | [
"Presidents are generally directly elected. Prime Ministers or Premiers are generally regular representatives who are elected by the other elected officials. For example, in Australia, the people have no direct say in who their Prime Minister is. We vote for our local representative, and then those local representa... | [
"the Prime Minister is the Head of Government the President is the Head of State and Government the High Comissioner is the Head of Government A Head of State, best example would be the Queen is usually a figure head and does not have much role in the actual structure of government. A head of Government: Isn't a fi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Can someone explain how to restrict my roommate's internet access LI5? | [
"You need to buy a router with QoS capabilities essentially, it's exactly what it sounds like, quality of service. the easiest way to think of it is that each person by default is given 100% QoS. this means they have unlimited download speed. by changing the QoS to 50% (in actuality, it's a number not a percentage)... | [
"The fee pays to provide the service for free calls without paid service. Edit: More of an explanation."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Telecommunications:"
} |
Where does all the seized money from a drug bust end up? | [
"In the US, it gets spent on law enforcement. Other assets also get seized and sold. _URL_0_"
] | [
"Most police departments are taxpayer funded. Where do you think the money is going to come from?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why is sleeping called "getting some Z's"? | [
"Because zzzzzzz became associated with the sound of snoring or sawing logs."
] | [
"Are you sure you're not just falling asleep 30 minutes earlier than you think you are?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
The difference between Sociology and Anthropology | [
"Sociology, as one of my professors once put it, is \"all fucking statistics.\" Anthropology is the study of all humans, in all places, at all times as well as all associated cultural and material artifacts."
] | [
"Meta-cognition is cognition about cognition. Meta-Linguistics is language about language. Meta-Philosophy is philosophy about philosophy."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
how do games know when they have been pirated? | [
"They don't know when to use the measures - they use them 100% of the time. For example, a CD key is a code printed on the physical case of the game (or manual) that needs to be entered to install the game. All copies of the game, original, storebought, bootleg, etc. need to have the code entered. The goal is that... | [
"why do mods cringe when people refuse to search the archive?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
How can so many people have awful eyesight? Shouldn't not being able to distinguish a person, or say a deer, from 10ft have gotten my ancestors killed long before they passed on that gene? | [
"Some possibilities: 1) Not all vision issues are heritable, therefore not subject to selection pressure 2) It did work enough even if it was less than ideal. Those poorer of vision didn't die more to the extent required to really breed it out of us 3) The vision didn't really go until the person was old enough the... | [
"You just had to deal with it and find another way to cope. Keep in mind, a lot of what we need glasses for these days is a) being able to perceive precise things, like words on a page, b) being able to perceive fast and far away things, a car moving towards us at 45 mph and c) dealing with the effects of aging. If... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How do services such as Spotify and Overdrive make sure that you don't permanently download their material? | [
"The files are not in a standard format. You couldn't just take the files and play them using another media player app. The Spotify player knows how to decode the files into a normal audio stream and then sends it to your sound card. If the process used to encode the Spotify tracks was known, then it could be rever... | [
"Downloading music is only illegal if the rights holders of the music don't get paid for it. There are many music apps where you can download or stream music for a fee."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do dogs play fetch? | [
"Domestic dogs (and cats) have been preferentially bred for being non-aggressive (amongst other things) for thousands of generations. As a result they are psychologically a weird; they act alot like immature wild dogs (and cats). Wild dogs don't bark, but wild dog pups do. (Again, same with meowing in cats) This is... | [
"Why do British people say mate or git?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why do Americans make fun of Canadians so much? | [
"I don't think jokes between Americans and Canadians don't have anything to do with animosity, really, it's because we're very similar that finding flaws and giving each other some grief over it is kind of a way to assert the few differences we really have. In the U.S. anyway, it's a way to point out the absurditie... | [
"Why do British people say mate or git?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why is it that you only start to feel the effects of flamin' hot cheetos once you stop eating them? | [
"The crunchy stuff cools it off as you eat. Once you are done eating you are only left with the hot stuff."
] | [
"I always thought it was your salivary glands going totally nuts for a second because they know it's about to be on like donkey kong. Whenever I have a bag of sour rope candy, just thinking about eating it is like opening the flood gates of saliva."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
What happens to the guy who loses in a presidential election? | [
"We can look at the last few: 2012's loser was Mitt Romney, [who has mostly retired from political life](_URL_0_). 2008's loser was John McCain, [who remains a Senator from Arizona](_URL_1_). 2004's loser was John Kerry, [currently Secretary of State in the Obama administration](_URL_2_). 2000's loser was Al Gore, ... | [
"How would you define \"winning\" a presidential debate?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
why nasal congestion seems to switch from nostril to nostril periodically while sick | [
"Nasal inhalation (breathing in through your nose) is done favouring alternate sides every few hours or so. While you do take in air through both nostrils every time you inhale, you take a majority in through one or the other depending on a (seemingly random) cycle. Your brain switches it from left to right several... | [
"There are many causes. Your nose is lined by mucous membranes that produces secretion, which is important to give humidity to inhaled air. For instance, have you ever walked out in a cold winter morning and your nose immediately starts to get runny? Dry air causes your skin to dry up which can cause nasal bleeds. ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Health:",
"pos": "Represent the text about Health:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why don't speed limit signs show m/s instead of km/h (in the EU)? | [
"For the same reason you don't see salaries measured in trillionths of a cent or people giving their height in nm. It's not a convenient unit. Nobody uses meters to express the distance from Tübingen to Ghent. Km is the norm. By the way, the signs in the UK are in miles per hour..."
] | [
"Imperial vs. metric systems: 60MPH = ~100KPH > \"The time it takes to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h or 0 to 27 m/s) is a commonly used performance measure for automotive acceleration in the United States and the United Kingdom. In the rest of the world 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) is used\" _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What are the implications of the newest NSA scandal? | [
"Realistically, unless you're planning on ordering from a pretty obscure manufacturer and deeply care about whether the NSA can access your data, don't worry too much about your particular laptop. The ramifications are basically the same as all the other NSA leaks: there is absolutely no avenue of intelligence they... | [
"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 query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why aren't there any "positive" diseases? | [
"The very basis of our lives is based on a beneficial \"disease\" Mitochondria was once an independent bacteria that found its way into eukaryotic cells. This is perhaps one of the most beneficial infections of all time because it allowed cells to use oxygen for energy production. There's also bacteria that \"infec... | [
"Why are there so many questions that amount to \"why are people different?\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why does lightning not strike in a straight line? | [
"It's following the path of least resistance through the air. Since the air is not homogeneous, it has varying amounts of resistance throughout it. So the lighting zigzags through the areas with the least."
] | [
"Lightning strikes the same place all the time. Go to anywhere that has tall isolated buildings and you'll see them get struck over and over during a thunderstorm."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are NFL players tearing ACLs and other ligaments more now than they did 20 years ago? | [
"The ACL is a major ligament when it comes to stabilizing the knee during deceleration. With the players being bigger, heavier and faster then the strain on this ligament is increased. Also the focus on head injuries tends to cause defenders to hit lower which ultimately means more leg injuries."
] | [
"We can only speculate, but here are a few informed guesses. 1. There aren't as many MMA fighters as there are players in other sports. 1% of 100 people is 1. 1% of 1000 people is 10. 2. MMA is bare knuckle. That means that fighters have a limit to how much damage they do. In gloved boxing, fighters are able to hit... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why can't dopamine be manufactured? | [
"While we can create dopamine, there's no way to enjoy the dopamine without injecting it into our brain. It's much simpler to just take another drug that causes dopamine production."
] | [
"Dopamine cannot cross the blood-brain barrier so injecting dopamine wouldn't impact the brain."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are movies released earlier in some countries and later in others. Why can't they all be released on the same day? | [
"they sometimes release it earlier in other countries to predict how the movie will fare in its country of origin. for example, I remember awhile back that fast and furious 5 was released early in Australia and it dominated a competing movie there, so it gave the production company a sense of what might happen in t... | [
"Copyright law allows the person who makes the show to control who can see it. If Netflix buys the rights to show the program in the US, they can only show it in the US. If the rights to show the program everywhere are about the same, Netflix might buy that. If the rights to show the program everywhere cost a lot m... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Media:",
"pos": "Represent the comment about Media:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
The difference in an allergy pill vs sleeping pill when both have 25mg dipenhydramene. | [
"Pharmacist here: you are getting the exact same main ingredient, Diphenhydramine. The over the counter labeling and directions will be different on the packaging but you could use this for either allergy or insomnia purposes. The cost is purely set by the manufacturer and retailer."
] | [
"It is. It's called benadryl. Advil is known for ibuprofen so it would make sense that if it has Advil in it, it would also include ibuprofen. Note: Pfizer makes both benadryl and Advil"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Can someone explain what call options are? | [
"An option is a right to buy (call) or sell (put) a share at a defined price in the future. E.g. a call option to buy 50 XYZ shares for $1 each on Feb 1, regardless of what the share price is on that day. If I buy this option for $20, and on Feb 1 XYZ shares have gone up to $5 each, I can exercise my option and buy... | [
"As an on-topic question, can someone please ELI5 what a recession is exactly?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does /u/LinkFixerBot fix every damn link people post incorrectly? | [
"LinkFixerBot is a bot. It's a software program that runs on a server somewhere that uses the [Reddit API](_URL_0_) to periodically read through all the threads in a bunch of subreddits looking for instances of \"r/ < whatever > \" and posts a reply with \"/r/ < whatever > \"."
] | [
"people make them because of people like /u/DontTacoBoutIt who use upvote bots to get 3-pages of reposts to the top of various subs in 1 day."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How come it smells so much worse when someone else goes to the bathroom? | [
"The real reason: You are adapted to not find the smell of your own shit repellent, because you must be motivated to do it and find it relieving to do so. That means your own shit smell is fine to you as you are doing it. If you shit, leave it alone, and come back to it a few minutes later, all those associations a... | [
"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 query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
I have brown hair. Why is my beard black with a few brown hairs? | [
"The hairs that grow in that part of your body are programmed to grow in a different shape than the ones on your head, but a different colour as well. It's the same reason why eyebrows differ from pubes and chest hair and nose hair. Each type of hair gets a different amount of melanin, impacting its colour, and ot... | [
"As best as I know, different areas of hair growth have many different properties. Not just speed but in some cases color. I have a beard and while most of it is black a little bit on each side of my chin is orange. Some parts grow faster and its just coincidence that for you its neck thats faster. Joke answer, you... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If we know that leptin suppresses hunger and triggers fat-burning, why hasn't a leptin pill/injection been developed to treat obesity? | [
"Leptin is not used physiologically as an acute (i.e., short-term) sensor of energy. Instead, it evolved as a \"famine sensor\" - leptin is normally secreted by fat cells, and when all of the fat is used up, leptin is no longer produced. This signals only when there is no fat, i.e., during periods of extreme famine... | [
"Leptin sensitivity, insulin sensitivity, ghrelin and other hormones cause different appetite levels for different people. That's an oversimplification but basically leptin is one of the main hormones that puts the \"brakes\" on hunger. Thinner people have high leptin sensitivity and therefore recognize feelings of... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
What causes this to happen when I pour Kool-aid? | [
"There's so much stuff dissolved in the water from the Koolaid that the surface tension is different, causing it to stick to the glass instead of pouring like water."
] | [
"Because Coke isn't pre-mixed for you. What they are doing is mixing Soda Water with Coke Syrup, the result is the Coca-Cola you know and love."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What advances in the past few years have made it possible to manufacture LED lights that are so much brighter than previously? | [
"The development of efficient blue LEDs is the key. The 2014 Nobel prize in physics went to three Japanese scientists for their work in the 1990's. A white LED is really a blue one with red-green (yellow) phosphors on it . The blue mixes with the red-green and makes white."
] | [
"Red LEDs were the first and easiest to make. As they researched on, they found out how to make green, and worked out orange and yellow. The process for all of these is cheap, and close to identical. Blue LEDs are only a relatively recent invention. Their components are expensive and construction is difficult. So b... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Tapering off medication. How the dosing works? | [
"u/kikimbap nailed the biggest point of your taper being set up as a 25mg dose reduction vs a set percentage reduction: the available tablet size. There are three ways to set up a dosage taper; change the dose, change the time between doses, or both. Generally when tapering off a medication the patient has been o... | [
"That's all about encouraging patients to ask for the drug by name, rather than the generic version. Brand awareness 101."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why is captcha still a thing? Wouldn't it be easy to write a program that could read them? Or isn't there a better, easier way to determine that I'm human? | [
"Unless you want websites scanning your computer for botting programs or using your webcam or possibly fingerprint scanners to determine if you're human. Then no."
] | [
"That's a Google ReCAPTCHA. The checkbox is actually a small program that is watching how you use the webpage - what browser version you're on, what plugins you have, the order you fill out the information boxes, and how you move the mouse. Then, the program uses that information to make an educated guess on whethe... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Technology:"
} |
How do the fish or creatures that live mariannas trench sea level resist the colossal pressure? | [
"The pressure is \"crushing\" for us because our bodies contain air. We have air in our lungs, air in our eardrums, and air in the submersibles we put in the water. This creates an enormous pressure differential. Sea creatures don't have any air in their bodies, the pressure difference between 20ft in depth and 20,... | [
"It would just burst some w here close by. It takes the path of least resistance and the geysers aren't connected around the world"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why was Suicide Squad widely regarded as bad? | [
"Critics have been critical about the plot in particular, saying that the 3rd act was predictable SF crash-bang film-making. I think they were hoping for something a bit more genuinely subversive to match the insanity of the characters. Jared Leto's Joker was particularly underwhelming, compared to the great Jokers... | [
"2 was pretty bad and burnt a lot of fans who had enjoyed the original, and 3 came four years after without much advertising or hype and was even worse. It looked like, and felt like, a cash-in sequel to a lame sequel. World came 14 years later, after people had plenty of time to forget how bad 2 & 3 were, and peop... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Exons and Introns (in biochem) | [
"After transcription in eukaryotic cells, the mRNA is processed/spliced. Long sections of it (introns, called that because they stay in the nucleus) are cut out. The remaining material, exons (because that's what actually leaves the nucleus) are what the ribosomes actually read to build proteins. This system exists... | [
"Crash Course has a couple of episodes explaining DNA, replication and protein synthesis. DNA Structure and replication - _URL_1_ DNA translation and protein synthesis - _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How come my twins have blue eyes when both my husband and I have brown eyes. | [
"Genes work like this: we have two sets of genes for everything (only exception is the gender-specific ones), one passed on from the father, one passed on from the mother. Which of the two sets of your parents you inherit is entirely random. This simply means that both you and your husband inherited one set of bro... | [
"What about his grandparents ? Gene are not just what his parents look like but grandparents and great grandparents and so on. Neither of my parents have red hair, but my sister an I do. Where did it come from? Well my moms dad as well as my dads moms mom both had red hair."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What was the Spanish Inquisition? | [
"Something nobody expected! On a slightly more serious note, Spain had recently been (re)conquered by catholics (muslims used to rule there for a while). Lots of peasants were muslims or jews and had been forced to become christans. The inquisition was the \"police\" that made sure they were behaving like proper ca... | [
"One of these is not like the others."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I have just seen a Cambodian food market on a travel program; in this market a stall was skinning and de-heading live frogs. The frogs were then seen, headless, hopping around directionally, continuing with normal full body movement. What is the process that allows this to occur? | [
"Not all movement starts with the brain, especially in frogs. When the doctor taps your knee with the rubber hammer the doctor is looking for a deep tendon reflex. This is not linked to the brain. There are walking centers in mammals. If they are stimulated the legs will begin walking motions. There is some hope t... | [
"Headless chickens only run around when they've been improperly beheaded. The base motor, biological and instinctual functions of the body are controlled by the brain stem, higher thought is in the cerebellum. This is true even for chickens. When you don't cut low enough, a good part of the brain stem in the chicke... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do "discoveries" in math happen and why do they matter, given that our number systems are man made? | [
"Let me use a slightly different approach: Suppose you are the inventor of chess. You came up with the concept of putting 16 pieces on each side, then gave each piece certain rules of how they can move. Does that mean you know any specific strategies, openings or maneuvers? Can you say what the best moves are? Not ... | [
"What he wants to show you is how mathematics is really born out of abstraction of real life situations. The key part of what defines mathematics is abstraction, not having to deal with concrete entities but only with the relationships between entities. This is a very modern view of mathematics, although it was alr... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Mathematics:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Mathematics:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do we feel sadness and what is the root cause of it? | [
"We don't really know why emotions make us feel certain ways, but we do know what causes the specific feelings. Your brain considers physical sensations and sensations caused by your mind to be the same thing. We don't know why it works this way, but it does. Since sadness is mental pain, the brain treats it simila... | [
"If they are depressed for too long, it becomes the new normal for them. When they move out of depression, it can be a strange experience for them and want to return to that state. It has to do with what the person believes is the normative behavior."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why can't Sweden's garbage system work in the U.S.? | [
"It's difficult to answer this without sounding condescending. Basically there is a tradition or expectation in the US that if something can't be done for a profit it's not worth doing. There is very little political will to push for \"the greater good\" especially with services that are left to the states, countie... | [
"It's illegal in a huge number of jurisdictions already. Where do you live?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do hangnails occur? | [
"Biologist here to talk about hangnails! Never thought I'd be saying that. So we tend to get hangnails more during the winter months. Our skin and nails get dry and more brittle due to the cold, dry air. If you wear nailpolish and are using remover frequently or other harsh chemicals this can also cause hangnails ... | [
"Question 1: Do you have a cat? Question 2: Do you floss? That might help. Question 3: Do you sleep with your mouth open? This can dry out your mouth which leads to bad breath."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment about Health:"
} |
- I have a cold. Where the hell are all the boogers coming from?!? Why are some clear and some green? | [
"Your body makes boogers to trap the sick, and get rid of it. The color depends on how sick the sick is."
] | [
"* 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 question about Health and Wellness:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Health and Wellness:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How can the US have debts and still be considered as the richest country in the world? | [
"By a pure genius move. Like it or not. Nixon cut a deal with the Saudis for arms. All oil would be sold in dollars. The rest of OPEC got in line. So now anyone wanting oil must pay in dollars. No matter which country they buy from. Where do you get dollars? Exchanging your currency for USD. It was a brilliant mov... | [
"China has 1.3 billion people, more than four times that of the U.S. (319 million). So it's not that strange to assume that the size of China's economy will surpass that of the U.S. The U.S. is not hugely in debt to China: less than 10% of total U.S. debt is owed to China. China also has debt to the U.S. In today's... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
What has changed about Obamacare since a year ago? | [
"Common questions typically get the \"search first,\" etc thing from a moderator and a slew of users who want to be helpful. I'm going to head that off and say this post is approved, it specifically mentions previously posted threads *and asks for the changes*. Thank you, OP, and good luck. Also a brief guidelin... | [
"No we don't. There are programs like Medicaid and Medicare for certain groups (seniors over 65 are eligible for Medicare, and Medicaid is usually used by Americans who are medically unable to work), and children are covered under their parents' insurance until age 26, but Americans not in one of those groups have ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
what is the point system for? (The up/down voting?) What does the karma do? | [
"Upvotes and downvotes are a way crowd-sourcing the sorting of comments. Instead of a central group of moderators picking out the best comments to 'feature' and scouring the boards for bad comments to 'hide', which would be an insane amount of work, reddit leaves the job up to its users. Everyone does a little bit,... | [
"I think best is most up votes and top is most karma. Maybe its most comments."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why doesn't the poliovirus evolve as rapidly as the flu virus does? | [
"Part of the reason that flu can be really dangerous is that it infects so many species. Swine, birds, humans etc. Not every strain can infect every animal. But some animals can be infected with many types of strains, and when infected with more than one type at a time they act as a mixing basin, allowing new combi... | [
"Why sickness happens more often in February: During cold months (like February) people tend to spend more time in indoor environments, where closer contact means easier spread of viruses (sneezing, coughing). Furthermore, viruses like the rhinovirus and influenza virus replicate at a higher rate at lower temperatu... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about Medical:"
} |
What's the youngest acceptable age to start drinking alcohol? | [
"There are minimum age laws because there is really no way to measure something subjective like maturity. So government uses a metric that is objective, like the age of legal adulthood or some other number, because it is measurable and enforceable with the lowest cost. In my anecdotal experience, I haven't met man... | [
"Why do you say that it's logical that breakfast be the heaviest meal of the day?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
how are telephone numbers assigned? | [
"Area Code = first three numbers = part of city or state where you live. Next three digits = smaller, local area identifier. Last four digits = your phone."
] | [
"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 paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
fast twitch muscle fibers | [
"It's most probably a mechanical issue in that he takes it lower than you. If it was muscle fibre composition you would crush him in every exercise, not one specifically."
] | [
"Stimulates blood flow to carry nutrients to muscle fibers to help them regrow. E: Changed red blood cells to just blood. i was wrong when i said red blood cells transport nutrients."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why is there a revival of feminism nowadays? | [
"You're probably either just noticing it, or being exposed to it more. Feminism has been alive and well for decades. It's getting a lot more outspoken as it attempts to criticize other movements and subcultures (skeptics, gamers, science, etc.) that have been free from such criticism in the past, though. Maybe that... | [
"You all seem to be asking a lot about communism here."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
why can't we just purify saltwater from the ocean into drinking water? | [
"We can. It's just way more expensive than building a freshwater reservoir. Salt water has to be boiled into steam and then the steam is cooled into purified drinking water. That requires a ton of energy."
] | [
"Several ways: Desalination: turn water into steam. Salt and dirt doesn't become steam. Steam is clean. Turn steam back into water. Water is clean and not salty. Reverse osmosis: force water through a tiny screen. Dirt and germs are too big and stay behind. Distillation: pretty much the same as desalination except ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
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