query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Why don't we breed endangered species the same way we breed cattle or dogs? | [
"Because we have nowhere to put them. Species that are endangered generally aren't endangered because they aren't breeding. They are breeding just fine. They are endangered because humanity is taking / altering their habitat or because of poachers. Neither of those problems are solved by breeding them."
] | [
"By the same way botanists have been cross-breeding plants for centuries. Desirable attributes in plants (be it a colour or bloom characteristic in a rose, or the dank mellow high you got from that nug of sour diesel you got from your bro Gleason down around the way) are selectively bred by those wanting to produce... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why haven't algae based biofuels taken off yet? | [
"Cost per gallon. Algal crude costs somewhere around $7-8 per gallon to create. Current projections are that if that can come down to around $4-5 per gallon, then it's viable. If we can't hit that mark, then it's not viable. There's also the concern of retuning the entire automotive fleet to run on biofuels (althou... | [
"The energy isn't stored. This is the biggest hurdle for renewable energy sources to overcome in order for use to move entirely away from traditional power plants."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
How well can fish see when they are out of the water? | [
"Same way you would tell if you were underwater. Moving around would feel different, and you wouldn't be able to breath"
] | [
"Your eyes are made of lens that reflect light so it hits the nerves in your eyes and sends that information to the brain so your brain can make out an image. Well light moves different through different mediums and water refracts light much more than air. Basically put our eyes did not evolve to be able to see lig... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
I was recently diagnosed with coeliac (gluten allergy) and of course need to change my diet. How does this come about when for the last 30 years or so I was fine? | [
"Celiac is an autoimmune disorder. It is not an allergy. You absorb gluten as well as nutrients through villi in your intestines. Because your immune system immune system thinks that gluten is a foreign invader, it will try to destroy it. In the process, it will actually destroy your villi, meaning eventually you n... | [
"It's not a problem now. It's just a fad diet which took off a few years ago. There is a very small minority of people who legitimately cannot have gluten. The most common reason is Celiac disease, though I believe there are other conditions which also result in gluten being problematic. Admittedly, many people wit... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do we "need" to eat before taking any type of medication? | [
"It depends on the medicine. The reasons to eat before taking the pill: it is digested and absorbed into blood faster, it won't damage stomach (eg aspirin or ketorolac can, it is not funny when you take a pill to alleviate pain and get strong stomach ache then), it can help to digest you meal (usually ferments)."
] | [
"Your teacher is an idiot. Talk to a doctor about the best way to beat a type of cancer. That being said, a diet high in vegetables and low in red meat would lower your chances of getting cancer in the first place."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
The difference between graphite and graphene | [
"Graphite is made up of many layers of graphene. Graphene is a one-atom thick sheet of carbon atoms."
] | [
"The rubber uses frictional force to scrape away the graphite marks. In other words, super-fine sand paper."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
The riots in Hamburg (G20-summit) | [
"Well, it's been going on since 1999, I think Seattle was the first big protest against World Trade Organization. It's basically rich guys setting global prices and the people think they should have a say in those closed door meetings. G20 is a little different (these are countries' leaders not corporations) but it... | [
"Since the UN was only founded in 1945 and still in the booting-up phase (and they still have to put up with certain nations #cough# USA #cough# holding back funds for political reasons), they didn't have much to do with reconstruction in Europe. Instead, the USA implemented the [Marshall plan](_URL_0_)."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
If sound travels faster through solids than gasses, how come when there are solids in the way (i.e. walls), one can hear less? | [
"Whether you can hear a sound or not has nothing to do with the speed of transmission at all. It has to do with how much of the sound energy gets through the material to your ears. Some materials absorb sound energy the way a pillow absorbs the kinetic energy of an object."
] | [
"It's because of air bouncing around. Think about how you can hear the wind because it moves things around and even if there's nothing to move, you can hear it whistling past buildings or thumping into walls. Well, even a tiny breeze makes noise but usually it's so quiet we can't hear it or don't notice. That's wh... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Let's say that I have $5,000 in debt, and two credit cards with $10,000 limits. If the payments are due on different days, what stops me from just using one care to make the full payment on the other cards debt, and then reverse it every month? | [
"Many credit cards, in my experience, don't allow you to just \"pay by card\" on your debt. That said, they do offer Balance Transfers which is where you do what you suggested above and then tack on another 1.25-12% for the service of moving your debt to them."
] | [
"Let's say you have a $3000 balance on credit card A with an 18% interest rate, $1500 on credit card B with a 24% interest rate, $1000 on credit card C with a 24% interest rate, a medical debt of $4500 from a surgery you needed when you weren't insured. a debt consolidator would cut checks for these four debts and ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
How do North Koreans learn enough to defect? | [
"They do occasionally hear about the outside world to learn through word of mouth, hacked tv and radio. If you want a very good idea of defectors, read a book called Nothing to Envy. It tells the stories of some defectors during the late nineties. I highly recommend it."
] | [
"Why aren’t Americans trying to speak the Native American language?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
If there is a wage difference between genders, wouldn't the companies hire women for cheaper labour and thus more profit? | [
"Because there is no wage disparity. Companies pay the same wage for the same position, unions would eat them alive if they didn't. Do you think a company pays more to one janitor than the other because one is female? This is how they came up with that skewed number showing a wage gap: They took the salaries of all... | [
"All the other answers are right in their own ways. Another possible answer is that one of the only incentive for a company to raise wages would be to attract workers. We currently live in a world where having a job is a \"privilege\" (unless you have a high qualification job). Since more workers want jobs than emp... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
how DUI check points and "No Refusal" weekends dont violate constitutional or individual rights of a citizen | [
"Because the courts say so. Driving is not a constitutionally protected activity. You agreed to the terms of the privilege when you applied for a license. You also agreed to the terms of inspection and temporary detainment as a part of that privilege"
] | [
"Because of the 4th amendment (rights against illegal search and seizure). More or less if it violates someone's constitutional rights regardless what it is it's not admissable."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do they create space on hard drives and why is it so expensive to increase the space by just a bit? | [
"Hard drives store data magnetically. The read/write head hovers over the platters on a cushion of air. Most HDD's have one or two platters, some *really* expensive ones have more. Space is defined in a hard drive using a unit system known as CHS or \"Cylinder Head Sector\", Cylinder defines how far away from the c... | [
"When stating drive size for sales, a GB is 1 billion bytes and actually on your computer a gigabyte is 1.07 billion bytes. This means, your \"8 gb\" flash drive actually only has ~7.2 GB as interpreted by your computer. Why this is, is because of the convention they originally chose when building and selling hard ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why does it always feel like there's somebody behind you in the dark? | [
"It doesn't feel like that to me. I love the bliss of the night. Generally, evolution gave us a better safe than sorry mentality. Checking if someone isn't sneaking up on you is easily done at little cost to you. Facing the consequences if someone does happen to be sneaking up on you is very costly. Any impetus to ... | [
"He's warming up for the eventual possibility that you are going to drop him in water. Why else are you holding him over the water anyways."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Biology:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about Biology:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
After taking a sip of water, why do many ppl make the 'refreshed' sound of audibly exhaling? | [
"i would suspect that its because you interuppeted your breathing rythm by stopping it (holding your breath) to drink then exhaling the pressure build up. - of course if you took a breath before you drank."
] | [
"Saliva and mucus rushing out from your mouth and getting pushed to the back of your nose because your lungs are ejecting air out due to stimulation of your sinuses. It's kind of like when u puke and u get that gnarly taste from the puke but in nose form."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What keeps vandals from stealing train tracks? | [
"In the US, train rail is welded. This makes it more stable, albeit at some increased heat trouble, and very hard to steal. A typical welded piece could be a mile long and when you cut it the sensors for continuous train control (where it is deployed) would detect a loss of signal. It's a lot of work to steal, a fe... | [
"Other than street urchins and tykes, who is stealing apples from a store front?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What constitutes resisting arrest? If I just go ragdoll when arrested, would that count? | [
"If you do not comply with the officers instructions, then you are resisting. They will instruct you to do certain things with your hands, and to get into certain positions, and if you just go rag-doll and refuse to comply then you will be treated as non-compliant and resisting arrest. It's passive resistance, not ... | [
"You need to pull over. You aren't allowed to break the law and you can and will be charged. That being said, it's the same as self-defence. If you can prove that what you did was what a reasonable person would do under the same circumstances (as judged by a jury) then the charges will most likely be dropped. Pract... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
- Why does Stephen Curry get fined for flopping once, when other players in the league are known for doing so regularly without it being an apparent issue? | [
"Flopping has been an embarrassment to the NBA for at least a decade now. It's the main reason I limit my viewing. The NHL handled flopping correctly, penalizing it as embellishment and sending the offender to the penalty AND a fine. The reason the NBA IMHO has started this nonsense now is they are trying to bring ... | [
"Because it's a low risk, high reward play. Soccer is a very strategic and low-scoring game, so any advantage you can possibly glean is usually worth it. Couple that with the fact that most high level soccer organizations are relatively tolerant of it, and that's why players flop. Flopping is fairly common in the N... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
why do eyes roll back when people die? Or is that made up? | [
"It's fiction. When a person dies, their eyes stay fixed where they were at the moment of death."
] | [
"Breathing you actually don't need to tell your brain to do. Like when you are asleep you still breath even when you are not thinking about it. Fun Fact: If your kid ever threatens to hold his breath till he gets what he wants, if you let him he will pass out from lack of oxygen and will start breathing again whil... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Biology:"
} |
What are the spasms your body makes right as you are falling asleep? | [
"The cause of this is as your body falls asleep your brain wont receive any messages from a muscle so it sends a strong message to check if things are still responsive causing a violent jerk"
] | [
"Your body is mostly paralyzed while you sleep, which does most of the work, but that doesn't always work, I used to roll of the bed quite often when I was young."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Health and Wellness:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about Health and Wellness:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why isn't there a bigger concern about chiild obesity? Why don't kids learn in school to not be compulsive eaters? | [
"We do teach them that. In my middle school and highschool at least. Everyone had some sort of \"Health\" class (the name varied), as well as PE. Often they would be every other day. They taught basic nutrition, some of the more common eating disorders, and sometimes sex ed. However teaching it doesn't mean kids wo... | [
"In all honesty it's because this country is a mess. Mandate that every child MUST be vaccinated a segment of the population will scream \"The government shouldn't tell me what to do with my children!\" But that same segment rants about how the government should be doing more to make sure their kids aren't fat, the... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
the difference between Normally Open switches, and Normally Closed switches, and how it pertains to energized state. | [
"Electrician here. In electrical terms \"closed\" means allowing current to flow. If a circuit is \"open\" that means that there is a break in the line, thus not making a complete path. We consider the non-energized state to be normal in a switch. For example: on a relay, if the coil is deenergized the normally op... | [
"The switches are connected with two wires - one wire connects the \"up\" position in both switches, and the other wire connects the \"down\" position. When the two switches are in the same position, electricity can travel through the wire that connects them. When the switches are in a different position, the circu... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
why does ones eyes tear up when getting hit on the nose? | [
"My thoughts are that it's because our eyes, ears and nose are all connected. We hold our nose and blow to equalise the air pressure in our ears. Eating spicy food makes our eyes and nose water. When we blow our nose hard our eyes will be affected and may tear up."
] | [
"you feel powerful, and theirs no risk of someone punching you in the face."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Biology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Biology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why the US has trade relations with China (a communist country), while Cuba is still under embargo (also a communist country) | [
"Because Nixon saw that China had potential to become a very wealthy trading partner and liberalized relations (and because Nixon was a Republican, it was quite hard for conservatives, also Republicans, to argue he was wrong). Cuban relations remain chilly because Cuban anti-communists represent a very important vo... | [
"China hasn't been communist for a very long time. We call it socialism with Chinese characteristics. A mixed market economy with enough room for both the government and the private sector. It's extraordinary, the sheer number of foreigners who think that China is communist because of the communist party. North Kor... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why is post-dating legal? | [
"There is no reason that it should be illegal. It simply takes the statement \"I'll give you the money on Friday\" and turns it into a legal promise."
] | [
"Is it legal? Yes. Is it smart? Double Yes. Why? Because no one can say they paid their rent without having proof."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
When your arm goes numb from sleeping on it, what causes that "pins and needles" sensation when the blood flow is restored to your arm? | [
"It's a somewhat common misconception that the numbness is caused by a lack of circulation. It's actually because you've put engouh pressure on a nerve somewhere along its path so it stops working properly. And when it starts to come back it works a bit weirdly which causes the pins and needles. From [National Inst... | [
"Though people say it's due to you cutting off blood circulation, that's not the actual reason why your leg feels numb. It's really more about your nerves. Whenever your foot \"falls asleep\", the path connecting it to the brain get squeezed up or blocked and so it kinda cuts off communication with the brain. Now, ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How is Rule XIX of the U.S. Senate constitutional? | [
"It's literally in the Constitution. Article 1, Section 5, Subsection 2: \"Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.\" The Senate created Rule XIX for itself to govern the behavior of it's senators."
] | [
"Amendments to which constitution? There are so many of them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
The Flat Earth Society | [
"its more or less a joke. There are some conspiracy theorists who still believe that the earth is flat, and that the government/NASA is lying to them, but so much of their community are people just trying to have a laugh that it invalidates everything. I mean, invalidates it more than their ridiculous theories anyw... | [
"_URL_0_ It says here: Base 21, Mios Woendi, Biak Mios Woendi on wiki: _URL_1_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How can a picture taken with a camera look better than with human eyes? | [
"You're probably looking at a picture that has HDR techniques applied to it - essentially they take several pictures - some adjusted to bring out the details in the shadows (but bleaching out the highlights) and some to bring out details in the highlights (but voiding out the shadows) and then all the exposures are... | [
"Yes, that is what they look like. However, due to the fact that electron microscopes only capture black and white, the first picture was actually colorized by an artist."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
What are [brackets] doing around certain words? | [
"It means that the word in brackets was not explicitly said by the person quoted. Generally this is used when the quote would be ambiguous or excessively long without truncation."
] | [
"The left side is vertically aligned, which is easier for certain tasks, especially those before automatically changing cursors were available for things like highlighting and putting the typing line. Edit: Messed up my axes."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
the term zombie candidate? | [
"A candidate that is (politically) dead but still walking. In the current Republican race, Carly Fiorina is an example of a zombie candidate."
] | [
"Same difference between color and colour. Continent-based spelling differences."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why is attendance so mandatory in Highschool/College? Why can't you just pass the tests? | [
"Attendance isn't mandatory in most college classes. But if you don't show up, you're not very likely to do well. Besides that, the most important classes are the ones where the test is a shitty way to determine if you know things or not. Since the real world is not going to have too many situations where you're lo... | [
"If you go on to a college and get a 2 year or 4 year degree, no one will give a shit about GED vs HS degree. All they will look at is your collge experience. Colleges may look at the the GED as not as good as the HS degree when accepting you, but, if you kill your SATs or ACTs, they will over look that. Also, if t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is the yellow of gaming glasses or darkening on phones better for us than the normal brightness? | [
"You know how staring at a phone or computer with no other lights on makes you tired? This can be caused by the amount of blue light emitted from the device. This blue light can cause eyestrain and blurred vision if there is prolonged exposure. Yellow-tinted gaming glasses function in a similar way brown/yellow-tin... | [
"The picture doesn't emit light to hurt your eyes, it's just white/yellow where the sun is in the picture."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
When working out why is it better to do 3 sets of 10 as opposed to just 30 reps? | [
"By taking a break you can lift more weight over your 3 sets. You might only be able to do 10 pounds of weight if you do a set of 30 without stop, but you will likely be able to do say 25 pounsd with 3 reps of 10 with breaks in between. Generally more weight & fewer reps = muscle building Less weight & more reps = ... | [
"HIIT is exactly as it says, it is training done in intervals at high intensity A HIIT running plan might be 10 minutes long but with 30 seconds of all out sprint followed by 30 seconds of walking then 30 seconds of sprinting then 30 seconds of walking. You'll notice this impacts your body very differently from 10 ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Before people understood what a viral or bacterial infection was, what did they think was happening to them when they became sick? | [
"A very common theory for a very long time was the concept of humors. The four humors were blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm. The theory was that we have a certain balance of each humor in relation to the others, and that illness came from our humors being out of whack. For example, cancer was thought to b... | [
"You catch a cold by getting a virus. Cold can suppress your immune system and make you more susceptible to getting sick, but cold by itself cannot directly make you sick. You have to be exposed to the cold virus to get a cold."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What was Enigma, what was it used for and why were the Enigma Codebreakers such an important part pf the Allies' victory? | [
"I could try to explain it to you, but this video is all you really need: _URL_9_"
] | [
"I recently listened to a podcast that was about the British operation ‘Mincemeat’ in WW2. Can anyone recommend any books/websites/podcasts that are about British or American secret missions that involved out of the box thinking? Edit: does not specifically need to be about WW2."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Literature:"
} |
why some countries spice a lot their food and others don't? | [
"Typically countries use a lot of spice when spices grow well in their climate, or when their climate is very warm and thus foods are prone to go bad. Countries with neither of these attributes tend to have mild food, other than immigrant groups who came from spicy-food countries."
] | [
"You can buy it in every grocery store in half of asia. Whatever you don't like about it is not sufficient to prevent it's wide distribution by humans, let along other animals."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why do different things require different size of batteries? AA vs C vs D etc? | [
"They contain different amounts of power; i.e. the bigger the battery, the bigger the item it can power and the longer it can power it for (Depending of course on how much power it draws) AAA: 250 – 1200 mAh AA: 1800-2600 mAh C: 8,000 mAh D:12000-18000 mAh"
] | [
"There are three important pieces of information you need to know to calculate charging time. 1. The capacity of the battery. This is usually measured in watt-hours, not simply watts. A watt hour is an amount of energy needed to generate one watt of power for one hour. 2000 Whr would mean that your battery could pr... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
what 'Stalemate' is in chess. | [
"It's when it's your turn, and you're not in check, but you have no legal moves. (If you're in check, and have no legal moves to stop it, it's a \"checkmate\" and you lose.) The game ends in a draw if that happens."
] | [
"Related: what happened to the similar but different term Lakonia?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How can police "refuse" to release dash cam footage? | [
"It's legal because when it comes to evidence the police answer to the courts not individuals. If a judge request the video or any other evidence that is involved in a trial the police have to turn it over. If the general population requests anything the police don't have to turn over anything. This is for good rea... | [
"Depends. Police or the DA can handle it. One of them will decide whether there is enough evidence to support an arrest and decision to charge with the crime. In order to find out if there is enough evidence, a good PD of DA will try and gather facts. Pin the victim down on as many details as possible while being ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
How does car hotwiring even work? | [
"When you turn the key in a car, it just turns a rotary switch. A switch is just a mechanism that connects wires. If you know the right way to connect the wires, you don't need a switch to do the job. Now, a lot of newer cars make this impossible because of various security features (like chips in keys) but on olde... | [
"That's exactly how car insurance works. Can you clarify your question?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why are some better known Youtubers allowed to use copyrighted music, whilst other smaller channels are penalised almost instantly? | [
"Because they are large enough to ask for permission. You try and you'll never get a response."
] | [
"So it basically says that social media companies need to have a filter for copyrighted material. This mean that on websites like Reddit, twitter, facebook...etc. If you tried to post a popular meme for example and this meme uses copyrighted material then it would automatically get taken down. If the companies didn... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How can someone tell something about a person by analyzing their handwriting? | [
"They can't. It's pseudoscience and is as effective as polygraphs and tarot cards."
] | [
"The idea that everyone has a unique fingerprint isnt really scientifically proven. There is a real possibility that you and someone else currently living have identical fingerprints."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do shows feature newborn babies in the episodes? (Like when a character gives birth and the camera shows newborn?) | [
"These scenes often cause people who know what's what to groan, because they see that the baby is actually several months old. Very lifelike dolls are also used. But some shows will also arrange to use an actual few-days-old baby - with permission of the parents, of course"
] | [
"First, they take the time to explain things to them, and prepare them, and they have their parents/guardians present. And kids who can't handle it probably don't survive long in the industry. Second, when filming a movie it's not nearly as scary as the finished product. Think of it with out the jump-editing, with... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do films increasingly have a half-dozen or more production companies logos shown at the start of the movie instead of just one? | [
"Rights get more complicated movies are becoming more frequently based off existing material with rights coming from different places there's more \"parts\" to a movie requiring different companies (like various forms of CGI or sound mixing) A simple explanation is that for every logo you see, at some point some co... | [
"They're not really for you, the viewer. Studios know that nobody ever sits through the credits and actually watches them. The different artists and technical people who worked on the movie would like to put it on their resume for later jobs though, the credits are mostly for their benefit."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
why sometimes when you put food in the microwave you hear lots of sparking sounds, then take it out, and your food is still cold/warm | [
"Microwaves don't really heat food itself, they mostly heat the water *inside* food. But microwaves don't heat the water evenly. It gets heated in little sections, and those hot parts spread heat to all the cold ones. That takes time though. When food snaps but doesn't get hot its because the water in those hot par... | [
"When you cut a grape in half lengthwise, but leave a skin flap connecting the two halves, the result is more or less the right length for it to act as an antenna for the microwaves. A modern microwave has a lot of power (about 1000 watts). The grapetenna isnt connected to anything, so the energy its absorbing tend... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
What would it mean to find water on Mars? | [
"They already have. There's all sorts of water frozen at the poles. Are you talking about, say, liquid water reservoirs underground at the equator? If so the answer is \"A LOT\". A decent reservoir of water that could be purified would make a mars dome habitat with the ability to grow its own hydroponic plants MUCH... | [
"Other people have covered the practical aspects, but there's also human nature to consider. We have an innate, burning curiosity that leads us to explore new places and invent new things, for no other reason than to find out if we can or to learn something new. Terraforming Mars would be right up there with explor... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about science:",
"pos": "Represent the document about science:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is it more difficult to drown out the sound of people talking around you when they're speaking in a foreign language? | [
"maybe because it's such a distinct sound you cant really ignore it. If someone is talking in English you can completely understand them, you'll only listen to them if they have something that catches your interest. When someone from a foreign language speaks, you do not know what they are saying and just hearing p... | [
"Partial answer: I know it doesn't just have to do with volume but also what is heard. For example, if you say someone's name in a normal voice when they are sleeping, they are much more likely to wake up than if you said a random word like \"cookie.\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text about Biology:"
} |
Why do perfume/cologne commercials make no sense, let alone tell how they actually smell? | [
"Because it's about name recognition, they don't expect you to see it and think \"oh I'm going to buy my wife white diamonds by elizabeth taylor\" it's so when you go up to the counter at the department store you think \"oh white diamonds by elizabeth taylor I recognize this!\", and on a subconscious level if the a... | [
"There is like a billion dollar industry all revolving around making women smell like different things. Women are excited when men smell good because they try so little and it's so rare. It's just expected women will be wearing 80 types of scented things at all times 24 hours a day."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How is a computer programmed to *not* play a game optimally? (Chess, for example) | [
"Many programs work by searching through thousands or even millions of possible moves. Not just what move is next, but what will happen after that, and what will happen after that. When you reduce the computer's level, you tell it to examine fewer possible moves, less far into the future, before making its decision... | [
"There's different approaches. You require the ability to write computer programs. The \"making it learn\" part usually follows this pattern. * 1.) Give the computer a problem. * 2.) It guesses a solution. * 3.) You score it's solution. (More likely, you've given the program a way to score it's own answers) * 4.) ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
How can I make an informed decision when voting if candidates can lie about anything and aren't held to their election promises? | [
"The best you can do is not look at what they SAY they've done, but look at what they've ACTUALLY done. Did they say they created a bill which helped something? Go read the bill. Do you like it? Do you think it actually helped? Was there some other factor that could've been the real helper that the bill just piggy... | [
"Because lying isn't illegal unless you're making factually inaccurate claims about a product in an effort to make people buy that product or when you're making factually inaccurate claims about a person that cause damage to that person. Don't get me wrong--I think that politicians should basically be considered to... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
How Do We Know Krakatoa was the Loudest Sound Ever? | [
"It's just a little bit of hyperbole to emphasize how freakin' loud Krakatoa was. To be technical they should say it's the loudest sound in recent history, and the loudest since it occurred. They don't mean to seriously claim that no event ever before, here or on other planets, has never been louder."
] | [
"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 title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How exactly do arm prosthetics work? | [
"Not sure of the science behind it, but you manipulate the prosthetic through tensing the remaining muscles in the arm. The prosthetic senses these electric impulses or contractions and operates the prosthetic."
] | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does my skin itch but when I go to itch it I realize it's way farther underneath my skin and cannot seem to itch it no matter where in proximity to the itch I am itching..? | [
"I had the exact same problem when I received 2nd degree burns. You couldn't get to it, but you know it's there. Take some Benadryl, NyQuil and drink warm milk, fall asleep, them it'll be gone by morning, or just whenever you wake up. You're probably from the south if you said you itch an itch. I am too. :)"
] | [
"From what I learned ( I have no source ). But the grass makes little incisions in your skin because its actually kinda sharp. Then the oils and other stuff on the grass gets in there and irritates your skin, thus making it itchy. Ever notice how grass kinda gives you an itch that can't be satisfied with a good scr... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If palms of our hands don’t have pores and oil glands, how can they get sweaty? | [
"While our palms don't have sebaceous glands, that doesn't mean they don't have other sorts of pores and glands. In fact, when it comes to sweat glands (specifically, eccrine glands), our palms are among the most densely covered areas of our body."
] | [
"Everything contributes to acne, but the cause of pimples is things like sweat, dead skin cells, \"skin grease\", and bacteria clogging up your pores. These clogged pores then become infected and inflamed, which is a pimple. The reason your back gets them more often than say, your arms, is due to a number of reason... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Health and Wellness:"
} |
why is synthetic things thought of to be not natural, isn't it made out of natural elements? | [
"Synthesis is the combining of elements that don't combine naturally. \"Synthetic\" describes more the process of creation rather than the individual parts that make it up."
] | [
"you're mixing chemistry and biology here. existance of elements have nothing to do with their usability for organisms. elements are not created by them, elements are not created by chemical reactions (any reaction. doesn't matter if it's in lab, or in your body). edit: spelling"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about chemistry:",
"pos": "Represent the document about chemistry:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Chemistry:"
} |
How does hypnosis work and is it just exaggerated for showbiz or is it genuine | [
"I think in showbusiness, hypnosis is exaggerated and showy. However, there *is* real hypnosis, which is super useful in medicine and therapy. Hypnosis is designed to create a state of \"hyper-suggestion\" in the person being hypnotized, so that they're more likely to do what the hypnotist asks. It doesn't work on... | [
"Aside from people with serious mental illness, there is no scientific evidence that it's anything other than cheap theatrics."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do I wake up not needing to go poop when I go to sleeping needing to poop? | [
"You feel the urge to poop because stretch receptors in your anus indicate there's material present. Basically, your large colon deposits poop, ready to be released into the wild, and that stretches certain sensors. If you don't #2 for a period of time, the colon does what is known as reverse peristalsis, and takes... | [
"If you're getting up that often to pee you might have a medical issue. I drink a tall glass of water before bed so that it forces me to get out of bed in the morning and make some coffee while I pee."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Health and personal habits:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Health and personal habits:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do SWAT teams always have camo on, even when it does nothing to conceal them? | [
"If it's a house/building raid, they usually *don't* have camo on. They usually have a black or blue on in those types of raids."
] | [
"Why would they? Clearly marked police presence is a crime deterrent. Very few police activities involve being sneaky and doing undercover stuff (though that's what you see on TV and the movies). A lot of what police do, like helping people, really isn't possible if you don't know who they are."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How Lucid Dreaming Works | [
"From another perspective, I could answer how it feels like it works when it happens to me. It feels like there are two tracks in my mind when I am dreaming. One is the dream, usually very vivid, and the other is \"me\" observing the dream. The \"me\" part knows it is a dream. It feels like conscious thought, but ... | [
"Sleep - Shake Unconscious - Splash Coma - Wait and Hope Vegetative State - Wait and Bury"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
When the black loading screen of a video-game is happening, what is actually going on 'behind it'? | [
"When you want to paint a picture you need all sorts of things. You need clean brushes, the right paints for the job and new clean pieces of paper. While the game is loading. It's clearing away anything it doesn't need and getting the graphics card ready to draw a new picture. It's cleaning off your paint brushes.... | [
"When they are showing something happening on a computer, they just need to convey what is happening. Something like a progress bar filling up that says \"virus installation\" isn't likely to exist in a real life scenario, but that's what the viewer needs to understand. Making sure the viewer understands what is ha... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why do some plants require more shade than others? | [
"Because they'll get a nasty sunburn otherwise. Shade loving plants are either small and sheltered by big trees or from perpetually foggy areas, so they didn't produce as much sun defense as plants from sunny areas do."
] | [
"There are certain elements plants need in order to grow, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur etc. The more of those are found in the soil, the better faster plants are going to grow."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why isn't technicolor used anymore? | [
"Technicolor was the second colouring process for videorecordings and was much better than the first, Kinemacolor. It was amazing at the time but it's pretty shit compared to modern color video."
] | [
"Context? What is a \"smart meter\", and where is this controversy based out of? Who is involved? Thanks!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
64 and 32 bit, and the differences? | [
"32 or 64 Bit describes the length of numbers in binary the processor calculates with, which means there's a maximum number the processor can handle. For 32 Bit that is 2^32 - 1 so about 4 billion. 64 bit means bigger numbers, bigger calculations. 64 Bit can handle 2^64 - 1, which is 9,223,372,036,854,775,807. But ... | [
"Is there any reason why you chose 1116 in particular?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
why are processors getting smaller and smaller, even in larger devices like gaming consoles? why dont they use the same processing techniques to make larger chips while using the same amount of transistors etc, wouldnt that make it easier to cool or run faster without getting hotter? | [
"Actually, no. By making the circuits smaller, they require less electricity. Also, different parts of the circuit are closer together, so signals take less time to get from one component to another, which makes everything faster. On top of those concerns, you have economy of scale. Most companies desire the faste... | [
"It's for the same reason a decent laptop costs $300 and a desktop with those same specs costs $200. Miniaturization is *expensive*. You not only have to figure out how to cram all of those same components in a smaller space, but you now also have to deal with heat dissipation. And in the case of a phone, you can't... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do they fine traffic violators(parking tickets) instead of offering educational services? | [
"If you have a driver's license, you were already taught the rules. Everybody over the age of five knows you stop at a red light. It is a very easy ticket to avoid and if people are so concerned about their finances they can simply, you know, not run a red light."
] | [
"if it was based on income, does that mean that the unemployed or retired can speed as much as they want and not get a fine? Also, wouldn't it give the police incentive to stop nice looking cars to get higher fines?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How can a colour have no wavelenth? | [
"Some colors we perceive are actually a *blend* of two or more colors, each of which does indeed have a wavelength."
] | [
"Whether or not light is present, they have properties that cause them to reflect certain wavelengths of light, so I think you could argue they still have a color. Neat question though. What is color? The reflected wavelengths or the properties that cause certain wavelengths to be reflected?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How do apps like shazam and soundhound work? | [
"It's like a fingerprint. Shazam has a huge library of songs for which it has already analyzed the frequencies and created a \"digital fingerprint,\" like a [spectrogram](_URL_0_). When you use it to identify a song, it performs this same analysis on the music it's \"listening\" to and compares the results to its l... | [
"ELI5 Snapchat. I dont use it, does it not allow screenshots?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why don't larger clothing sizes cost more? | [
"The cost of the cloth or materials that go into clothing is often not a significant part of the cost. the expensive parts of creating clothing is the design, dying, treatment, fitting, shipping and marketing. if they did bother to charge different prices for different sizes, the resulting increase in managing the... | [
"They don't make them, just buy them at a distributor for a lower price and put their name on it. They can afford to do so because they don't have to advertise or spend money on packaging or placement. They already have a place on their shelf to sell the product for lower than the competition. At least that's my 5 ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why don't peacocks go extinct eventhough they have such disadvantages | [
"You have to take into account the types of evolutionary pressures a species is subject to. Any feature is not a necessary disadvantage. It will depend on the environment. A species of snake that lives in caves could after generations, lose the ability of sight without a direct impact on its survival. On the contr... | [
"Because they are pack hunters, and therefore don't have an evolutionary benefit from increased size. Feline species usually hunt alone, and therefore have an advantage if they are giant sabletoothed monsters. You should also keep in mind that chihuahuas and basically every dog 'kind' you see we not evolved that w... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why is there an heroin epidemic in North America? | [
"For a good while American doctors were heavily pressured and outright bribed at times into playing fast and loose with their opioid prescriptions. The company that created Oxycontin even went so far to claim that it was a a low risk way to deal with pain due to practically no chance of addiction. This was obviousl... | [
"Hey, just to clarify, Ep 106 was on marijuana. Are you thinking of 108 with Keri Merritt, on poor whites and slavery in the American South?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
why did so many Slavic countries abolish their monarchies immediately following World War 2? | [
"They didn't \"decide\" a damn thing. Each of those countries was occupied by the Soviets after the war, who supported the rise of communist governments. Those governments, in accordance with communist ideology, abolished the existing monarchies. Also, \"Slavic\" does not mean \"Eastern European\". Hungary, Romania... | [
"Montenegro springs to mind, which gained independence from Serbia through a referendum in 2006. However, this breaks the 20 year rule on this subreddit so I won't go into too much detail about it. One independence I can talk about is the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1992/3, which is sometimes referred to as th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment about history:"
} |
How can space bend? or have curvature? | [
"A lot of the words we use to describe these processes are kind of crude approximations of what actually happens, because the core processes are very difficult to conceptualize and happen in ways that we can't easily perceive except in very very extreme cases. Ergo, because we can't actively perceive this behavior,... | [
"I would argue there is no difference if the math works out. Either way that is Newtonian physics, aka old physics. General relativity says gravity is just your path through spacetime. That doesn’t push or pull really."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Physics:"
} |
The British Political Parties. | [
"_URL_0_ sums it all up pretty well. Some personal opinion from an Englishman who is not at all politically savvy: Conservatives or Tories are essentially the upper class running the country, ruining it for everyone except the mega rich. Labour party are essentially the working class ruining the country for everyon... | [
"British Empire -- > Post-WW2 / Cold War America -- > British and American pop culture -- > Silicon Valley."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
If Earth is only 4.5 billion years old, how was NASA able to view a star with the Hubble Telescope over 5 billion light years away? | [
"If your car is only two years old, how can you use it to drive to a house that was built ten years ago? Something being 5 billion light years away simply means that the light from that object has been traveling for 5 billion light years before we see it. The age of the Earth is not relevant in that calculation."
] | [
"We see everything as it was in the past. Your elbow is about 1 nanosecond away at lightspeed. The moon is about 1.3 seconds away. Some stars we see may not exist anymore because they have become a supernova."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about astronomy:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post about astronomy:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post about astronomy:"
} |
Why do babies have to have their burps/other gas manually expelled and does it work on adults? | [
"Babies are super useless at doing anything themselves, so you have to help. Having trapped gas sucks for everyone, but I bet it sucks more for a tiny person who has no idea that gas even is a thing, and can't move around to force it out. If they need to release that gas and can't on their own, they scream and hurt... | [
"Do you mean spitting up? Like when you burp a baby and they spit up milk/formula? It can be caused by a lack of control over their underdeveloped digestive system (being laid down immediately after feeding), being over-fed milk/formula prior to being burped, or drinking milk/formula too quickly (burping up air-bub... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Can someone please explain to me(like im five) what it is with an EMP that disables electronic devices? | [
"Do you understand how radio works? Electricity moving in a wire in the transmitter creates a wave in the electromagnetic field that surrounds us. This wave moves electricity in the receiver, creating a signal that the receiving radio uses. Well an EMP is just a really short, extremely strong radio pulse. It create... | [
"It works but media has wildly wildly mislead you on what it is and if you look up what it actually is you will basically say \"oh, is that all\" in it being a guided meditation state instead of it being wacky mind control power."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
What is the debate around the Free Basics app Facebook made in India and Egypt? | [
"It's against net neutrality, it's sort of like the television plans, it's free access to Facebook and certain other websites Facebook approves, you will have to pay to access for other sites (something like $5/mo for Youtube, $2/mo for Reddit, etc.)."
] | [
"Corruption in the government was being shared on twitter so they blocked it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are the sums of odd numbers equal to squares? | [
"The easiest way is to think about square numbers as literal squares. You can break a square down into a series of concentric L shapes, each containing the next odd number. c | c | c -|-|-|- **c** | *b* | *b* **c**| *b* | a If you want an algebraic proof, consider 2 consecutive square numbers: n^2 & (n+1)^2 . Expan... | [
"Basically we look at these things with the fairly intuitive method of matching. If we can come up with a way to match every element of one set with every element of another set then we say the two sets are the same size. With this method we can see that it is easy to match every even number with every odd number b... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about Mathematics:"
} |
What are dogs sniffing for before they go poop? | [
"Dogs (canines) are territorial creatures. If they have to do their biz~, they can accomplish two things with one act. They smell for traces of another dogs poop or piss to locate it. By going on top of that, they are representing dominance over the other as they have marked their territory over another's mark."
] | [
"Why do you stare at your dog when it's taking a shit?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Animal behavior:"
} |
Why aren't there any cross-country taxi services? | [
"Buses. Buses are as close as you'll get. It's because the cost in fuel alone would rival that of a plane ticket, but then there is the added cost of maintenance, the fact that you would need to stop for hours a day in order to keep driving straight because the cabbie would need to sleep. Not to mention the fact th... | [
"Additionally, do we have documents on the public perception of electricity?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
severe allergic reactions to solids in the air | [
"People with food allergies are allergic to specific things in the food, called allergens. These are usually protiens, which are very small particles. They are so small and light that they can be lifted up into the air and carried by a breeze. Think of how dust can be carried by a breeze. This process is called ae... | [
"they have a high iron content in the skin"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do TV channels/shows know how many views they are getting? | [
"The Nielsen Company. I believe they have around 10,000 US households and they give them a special device that logs when each user is currently watching tv. This is also how demographics (age, race, etc.) are gathered."
] | [
"Ok, Netflix has two models. On the rental side, they buy the discs from distributors and they generally have to buy \"special\" discs that cost more so they have the rights to rent them out to people. Video stores used to have to do the same right up until they stopped existing. As far as the streaming side, I wou... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why do rappers often have another guy up on stage during live performances who raps the end of some of their lines with them? | [
"Hype man. Performing on stage believe or not is physically demanding especially if you're on tour all the time. That's why a lot of them pass out. So when the rapper is up there he has to balance out his energy so the crowd can still feel the vibe. The hype man will get the crowd hyped up so the rapper can focu... | [
"The producer in music is the one who manages the recording of a song/album, but in rap, it's a little more - the producer is usually the one who writes the instrumental part of the song. The rapper, the one whose name appears as the artist, does the lyrics on top. Kanye can write a really catchy beat, and he got f... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do buffet restaurants make profit? | [
"They make food cheaply and charge more than what most people eat. Most people will have 2-3 servings. They generally charge enough to pay for 5-6, thus the few that eat more than 6 are more than compensated for."
] | [
"Because lunch is a slow time for most sit-down restaurants. So they lower the prices to get people through the door."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why do all living creatures have to die, why can't we live for ever? Also why does there have to be a deterioration of the living being at some point in their life? | [
"We don't have to. Google's Calico division is working on curing death, as well as Aubrey Degrey's SENS organization. No guarantees, but it's looking like it'll be between 20-50 years before we have something concrete."
] | [
"We never really die of old age, we just succumb to a disease or something that our body has become less resistant against. Becuase our bodies are weaker we die from small things easier. So overall we really don't die of old age. The older you get from like fifty the weaker you get."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about biology:"
} |
What makes some melodies "catchy" and others not? | [
"Basically it depends on how easily one can sing the song. Composers will choose easy intervals and simple rhythms to make it as easy as possible for the audience to remember what was played or sung. This goes back to Mozart and even farther. You would most likely remember a Mozart tune better than you would a Wagn... | [
"There really isn't a complete answer, because no one really fully understands why it happens. I heard an interview with a scientist on NPR a few months ago who studies this phenomenon (often called earworms), and here are some of the reasons she supplied. 1. Earworms often have a simple and singable melody. A song... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:"
} |
How do we know the half life of Uranium 238 is 4.5 billion years if we haven't been around long enough to test it? | [
"Basically the same way a paramedic/nurse can work out your pulse in beats per minute without counting your heartbeat for a whole minute. Half life is an example of exponential decay, and so it follows a very regular, predictable mathematical pattern. If we have data about how it has decayed over time now, then we... | [
"It would still reveal about when the person died. I don't think current carbon dating methods are going to be accurate to within a decade for example. Carbon dating allows us to deduce when the living material was grown. Dating bones will tell us when the bone was formed but not necesssarily when the organism died... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Astronomy:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Astronomy:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
You are thirsty. Your body needs water. How long does it take for the water you drink to "rehydrate" you? | [
"I'm not sure, but I figure if I put a slightly accurate answer in here, someone else will explain why I'm wrong in great detail and you'll get your answer that way. You're welcome in advance. I always notice that if I'm really thirsty, I'll feel a bit tired as well. If I drink water, I feel more awake in about 15 ... | [
"Time. The majority of water you ingest is absorbed in the large intestine. & #x200B; Drinking water, assuming your stomach is relatively empty, takes only a few minutes to pass into the large intestine and be absorbed. & #x200B; Hydrating food on the other hand can take hours to get to the large intestine. And e... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How do we, as humans, perceive time? | [
"Your body has a reminder system, or a bio clock which tells us that we did something before, at almost the same time of the day. This works only if we had done it repeatedly, for example sleeping or waking up. If we donot have access to daylight, this clock can go horribly wrong after long isolation."
] | [
"This is the ultimate question of our own being. It is such a complex process that the best we can do is make educated guesses as to how we came to be conscious and so intelligent."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text about Science:"
} |
Why does blocking out someones eyes in a photo/video make them unrecognizable? | [
"It depends. If you cover just the eyes, it will not disguise anyone. The person will still be identificable. Maybe it will be a little more difficult, but that's it. If you cover a larger area, you are covering the area where humans take most of their cues for recognizing someone. You could still be showing enough... | [
"The second one is known - the color receptors in your eyes temporarily get overloaded so when you see it in black/white your brain is\"fixing\" the perceived colors. The first one though... what the actual fuck?! Apparently your brain is only \"seeing\" the facial features that stand out? Maybe? Very damn weird. T... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do TOTP apps and cards work? You can scan a QR code to pair, press a button on a card a few times but how does it know to pair to a specific program or app, and how can each one work 100% of the time? | [
"TOTP works like this: 1. Generate random string: KlObowfX8trAVzd8 2. Choose a timebase. Eg, current UNIX time: 1503411873 3. Choose interval. Eg, 60 seconds. So we're in interval 1503411873/60 = 25056864 4. Choose algorithm. Eg, SHA-1 5. Calculate SHA1( KlObowfX8trAVzd8 + 25056864 ) = 4757ce2bce6feacf3f3a5861ab4aa... | [
"The button (it's part of a system called WPS) allows the router to send the password to your speakers without you having to type it in. Yes, it's less secure than having to type the password in. That's why you have to push the button for them to connect- it means you need physical access to the router in order to ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
The relationship between the clutch, the accelerator and the brake in a car | [
"The clutch slips to allow you to apply less than 100% of the engine's torque to the transmission. Depending on the gear selected, the engine might not be able to apply enough torque to propel the car without stalling (exceeding the engine's maximum torque). You can press the accelerator to increase engine speed, w... | [
"Synchromesh dog collars. It's a little part inside the transmission that resists you pushing the gears together when they are not aligned. The feedback lets you snap the gear into place without damage. In an automatic transmission, there's also a torque converter serving the role of the clutch in a regular transmi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How do projectors project the color black? Isn't black just the absence of light? | [
"They don't. It's your stupid human brain tricking you into seeing black. In fact, the lack of a real black is one of the problems with projectors."
] | [
"Black is what we see when the material absorbs all wavelengths of incoming light. White (pure 100% white) is when all wavelengths are reflected. Grey would be the case when all wavelengths are absorbed at (about) the same percentage. The darker the grey, the higher that percentage is. With that said, it's fairly e... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How is it that i'm left handed but do some activities like a right handed person would? | [
"As I understand it, left/right-handedness isn't a 100% binary thing. You can be left-handed for *most* activities, but still be right-handed on a few/some others depending on how you were taught, how you grew up, etc."
] | [
"left handed and can use scissors effectively, of course after years of practice but it still hurts or is at the very least uncomfortable, as most are made to fit in a right hand. Try using lefty scissors and you will know. Power tools are the worst for lefties."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What the Beatles did to the world | [
"Well, they were not only the definitive rock band at the time, but were highly experimental. For example: they were the first rock band to make usage of a stringed quartet in a pop song--I believe that song is Eleanor Rigby. They helped popularize eastern/world music, shedding light on traditional Indian ragas and... | [
"To be a little less specific, what did people think the future in general would be like before the Industrial Revolution?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
What kind of healthcare options do Americans living in poverty or homelessness have? | [
"I see some on here saying \"Medicaid\" and ERs. This is misleading. First Medicaid only applies to certain populations of the poor while others are left without. Obamacare did not fix this as half of the states and the ones with the highest rates of uninsured do not offer Medicaid to people just because they are p... | [
"Pregnant women qualify for Medicaid, which is paid for by the government, if they do not have insurance. The Medicaid cuts off for the woman after the child is born, but will continue to cover the child until it's 18 years old if the mother cannot get health insurance for the family from a private insurance compan... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Who profits from medical bills? | [
"Everyone, to some extent. A big chunk goes to insurance. A large part of the higher cost of healthcare in the states is due to administration: figuring out who exactly pays for the service, and how much to pay. Single payer systems are much simpler to administer. Beyond that, doctors at least tend to be paid bette... | [
"Inefficiencies. Who gets the money in the long run. Are we paying extra just because private practices cost more or the stupidity that is insurance?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
The use and subsequent decline of the long s ("ʃ") | [
"The [long s](_URL_2_), or *ʃ*, was a way of writing the soft s sound. It came from the ancient [Roman writing style](_URL_0_). Always pronounced essentially as we would today, it grew out of fashion as it became more and more similar to the letter *f*. Although different regions lost it at different times starting... | [
"In actuality, we didn't really \"replace\" V with U. Instead, V was split into V and U, depending on where in the word it was used. This started sometime in the late middle ages, probably not earlier than AD 1300. [From Wikipedia's article V](_URL_0_): During the Late Middle Ages, two forms of 'v' developed, which... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why is the "www" in a URL replaced with something like a number in the end like "ww28"? | [
"Because they want to, basically. An URL is read from right to left, and each word narrows down the area a little more. .com, .uk, .se, .me is countries. Then you have a domain, those are most often one company (even if a company can have multiple domains). This is .facebook. , .google., .youtube., and so on. Some ... | [
"It is an address. It does not go there without it, most browsers translate (or will add _URL_2_ to the request without showing it to you) this before sending the request. **EDIT: Also www. is a place holder for subdomains as well. ex: _URL_1_ is not the same as _URL_2_.example.com Understanding a URL for you who ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
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