query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Why do we call some countries by a different name than their natives do? | [
"Very true regarding Germany which we in English named after the tribe called the \"Germannen\". They named themselves after the tribe called the \"Teutsch\". The French named them after the tribe called the \"Allemannen\". The Romans named them after the \"Tudesci\". And so on. Im guessing some other groups had le... | [
"Some Western names are English translations of names in other languages, and some Western names just sound like names in other languages. Also, there are Christians all over the world so there might actually be Vietnamese people named Anthony or Vincent."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why does most of the internet use a font where lowercase "L" and uppercase "I" are indiscernible? | [
"Not all web sites specify a font. If you look into the settings for your browser, you can probably find a place where you can select your preferred font. I think the website can override your choice though."
] | [
"When writing in cursive (as was the norm when the letter was named), the \"w\" actually looked like \"uu\" without the space in the middle."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If I was to replace all of my blood instantaneously with blood of another person, what would happen? | [
"Well, it would be a shock to your system. And if the blood wasn't a good match, probably a very bad one. It would also be fatal to the other person who's blood you've taken. So, I don't advise it."
] | [
"There is on that I heard about where they need to remove all the blood in a patient's body in order see how the blood was affecting some aspect of the body that would have otherwise killed them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Biology:",
"pos": "Represent the answer about Biology:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
why hair grows in my pubic regions | [
"The hair is there to catch the smells your body produces. To our modern noses they smell kind of funky but to out animal selves they smelled like sexy deliciousness. Your armpits & pubic regions produce a lot of pheromones & the hair traps it so when a lady comes around she can smell your funk & hopefully get turn... | [
"They have very crinkly beard. The curlier a hair is the more likely you will have ingrown hair when it grows out. Many women have the same problem shaving bikini line."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why does it seem like there is almost no Russians on Reddit? | [
"They don't use Reddit, they use Dota instead I think"
] | [
"What do you mean by downfall? This is still a dominant part of current culture."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why are my photos horrible and professional photos look amazing? I used to think it's because I don't have a nice professional camera but I've seen pro photos taken with a cell phone and they make mine look like garbage in comparison. What's the deal? | [
"First of all, by the time you see a pro's work, it's been through a lot of processing, like PhotoShop and the like. Cropping for the optimal composition, bumping colors up, enhancing clarity, etc, beyond what the camera itself is capable of. And it takes a lot of time to develop an eye for composition, that is, th... | [
"I majored in Photography in college. The answer is: Yes, it's much different now. Before college I had hoped to become a staff photographer for a newspaper, because I loved photojournalism and loved breaking news. But by the time I had graduated basically everyone had multi-megapixel cameraphones, and the whole wo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Photography:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Photography:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
if it is possible to travel to other star systems, does the expansion of the universe affect the distance of the trip? | [
"Assuming you're planning to stay within our galaxy (and you should plan to stay within our galaxy), the expansion of the universe would have no effect. Gravitationally bound objects like physical bodies, solar systems and individual galaxies don't experience the expansion and will stay together. Our galaxy will e... | [
"From your perspective not necessarily anything special. The gravitational forces are immense, but they were immense before and after that point. The only thing that changes is that there is no longer any direction you can go that will lead out of the black hole."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer about Physics:"
} |
How does a headbutt work? | [
"The aim of a headbutt is to land your forehead onto the nose of your adversary. Your forehead is broad and strong while the nose is quite fragile. The result would be a little bit of daze for you, but blood and pain for your dance partner."
] | [
"Are you asking how a wheel works ?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why are most humans generally scared, startled, or grossed out by most bugs, even ones that don't pose any kind of threat to them? | [
"Non-dangerous bugs look a lot like dangerous bugs. Like, indistinguishable unless you're an entomologist/arachnologist. (The same goes for snakes, etc.) So it was an evolutionary advantage ( = you were less likely to die and thus more likely to breed) to just be scared of and avoid *all* bugs."
] | [
"Tarantulas aren't very dangerous. They're big and creepy and such, but they're not dangerous. Likely the same applies to whichever \"big beetles\" you mentioned. The general trend among all animals is that animals won't attack significantly larger creatures unless directly threatened."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why do some sounds (e.g chewing) sound louder with earphones plugged in | [
"Bone conduction is sound being conducted to the inner ear through the skull. Tapping on your head, chewing, things like that. When you block your ears, you effectively block out everything else and only hear what is conducted through the bones."
] | [
"Sometimes, one of my ears will go deaf for a few minutes and all I can hear is ringing (think being too close to a grenade in Half-Life 2 when it goes off). This is different from tinnitus, because I have both. What's going on there? Also there is no trigger. I'm thinking perhaps sudden drop of blood pressure to o... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Health:"
} |
Why do hedge fund managers earn multihundred million dollar salaries when hedge funds earn less over the long term than throwing darts at the stock pages? | [
"Because OP with M are willing to pay them. If you think that that is bizarre, consider how some people are willing to pay their own money to see Will Ferrell movies. There is no accounting for taste."
] | [
"A hedge fund is just a kind of investment fund (rich people give bankers money to invest in certain things, with the intention of getting more money in return after a certain period of time.) These bankers usually go to college and major in finance, get jobs at investment firms, and grind their way to the top. The... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
The phisiological difference between white meat and dark meat | [
"Dark meat is the muscle animals have, which they use frequently (like legs) So it contains a lot of myoglobin, which is constantly carrying oxygen to supply the muscle with energy. This also contributes to muscle growth. White meat (like chicken breast) is the muscle that's only required for short, brief bursts of... | [
"Pork only has one type of meat. It is only birds that have the two types of meat and it is the different types of muscle that they have for walking and for flying."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Few questions related Christianism. Please help me by explaining them in basic words. | [
"1) Jesus is God in Christianity. They are one and con-substantial. 2) Jews don't recognise Jesus as being divine. 3) The Bible is a collection of scriptures written over a long period of time. The Scriptures as we see them today were put together in the late 4th century. The New Testament contains the Gospels. 4) ... | [
"You need to elaborate the question quite a bit."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
The difference between low weight and high reps versus high weight and low reps | [
"This is a handy chart I ran into one day. A huge guy at the gym explained it this way. High weight low reps makes muscle more dense/strong. Low weight high reps makes muscles larger. _URL_0_"
] | [
"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 = ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
How does catnip work and does it affect any other animals? | [
"Catnip contains the feline attractant nepetalactone. Nepeta cataria (and some other species within the genus Nepeta) are known for their behavioral effects on the cat family, not only on domestic cats but also other species of cats. Several tests showed that leopards, cougars, servals, and lynxes often reacted str... | [
"If you drink coffee every day to wake yourself up in the morning, you will eventually become addicted. How would this contribute to you becoming addicted to alcohol, tobacco or methamphetamines? They're completely different drugs with different effects, different feelings and, most importantly, different chemistry... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about biology:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about biology:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How to understand a mathematical formula? | [
"WAYYYYY too broad of an ELI5 to be able to respond to. You're pretty much asking us to explain an entire branch of science."
] | [
"Can someone please answer this question? This is such an interesting question."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Is the speed of light a literal physical speed limit in our universe, or is light simply the fastest thing we have found so far? Is faster-than-light travel speed physically possible? | [
"It is the ultimate speed limit. You have to learn a little math to understand why, and get some concepts down. The simple term is 'relativistic effects.' As things get towards the speed of light then the effects of relativity take hold. To increase the speed of a material object, something with mass, it takes more... | [
"(All is just to the best of my knowledge) Most physicists believe photons have no rest mass and so MUST travel at the speed of light in order to satisfy our current understanding of physics. Technically, it could be possible that photons actually do have some tiny mass and if that is the case then they actually CA... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the answer about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the answer about Physics:"
} |
How do people make torrents to tv shows with no commercials and in such high quality almost immediately after it has aired on tv? | [
"The video feed to the TV is split to also feed a digital video recorder; the digital video file is broken up into smaller chunks while recording so you are able to edit the earlier footage while new footage is being recorded. You are able to edit out the commercials this way. And as soon as the whole episode is co... | [
"Those are usually very early releases. They're sourced from korean hotels that have a deal with the studios to show the movies early on their pay per view. The people who get them record the movie while it plays, with some kind of dvr or appropriate hardware and software on their computer. Its hardcoded as you sa... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What exactly happens when someone’s social security number gets blacklisted? | [
"It means someone is trying to scam you, because there is no such thing as having your social security number \"blacklisted.\" It is a common scare tactic scammers use to get people to tell them personal information like name, date of birth, SSN, and financial details."
] | [
"They are checking your id against numerous databases to see if you have outstanding warrants for your arrest, if this is a repeat offense, if your license is up to date, if your license has been revoked, etc."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
"Dolby surround sound". How it's different than normal surround sound? | [
"[Dolby](_URL_0_) is a company which designed a system for surround sound. When something says Dolby surround sound, it simply means that it uses that companies technology."
] | [
"Are you set up for 5.1 somehow, while only having stereo speakers? Is the volume on your center channel turned way down? I dunno, it all works fine at my place, both on stereo and 5.1 setups."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
When I get an x-ray, why does everyone else have to wear some kind of protection or leave the room but I'm all good? | [
"The risks of things like x-rays are cumulative - the risk of receiving 1 x-ray is negligible, but if you had 20 of the things per day, over your entire career, the risks would multiply. So it is safe for you, because you are only having one. But the radiology nurse or dentist is present for many of them, so they n... | [
"The scrubs aren't for the sake of the patient - they're to keep blood and bodily fluids off the practitioner's clothes, and to allow them to quickly change into clean scrubs when it does happen. When they're treating you they should be wearing sterile gloves. If you're actually having surgery they will change into... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
why can I still remember cringe moments from years past, but still can't remember important things for my classes? | [
"in a word-stress. anything that happens under stress is remembered better."
] | [
"Quick. Tell me what happened on your 6th birthday, without cheating, asking your parents, or looking at video footage? Ok, what about your 15th? Can you tell me anything about that? Maybe a bit, but I bet it's blurry and you had to think pretty hard. Ok, what went down at high school? Can you give me any specifics... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Cognitive psychology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post about Cognitive psychology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
How is it that basically every country has a national debt? | [
"Maybe, but this has two parts. Debt, in the US for example, is mostly owed by the government to it's own citizens. Also, a country can have debt owed and owned at the same time, even to the same country. The US government could owe a German company money while a different company owes our government. Debt can b... | [
"What do you mean by downfall? This is still a dominant part of current culture."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How Indian finger math works? | [
"So you might have heard of an abacus. Its a physical calculator that you operate by sliding beads along a hand held rack. These kids are using an imaginary abacus in order visualize and quickly perform basic math."
] | [
"Are you asking how a wheel works ?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
The "Fiscal Cliff" for us that are totally confused. | [
"Last year, when the congress was so deadlocked, they couldn't even agree on what should have been a routine debt ceiling increase. The Democrats wanted to increase revenue and continue the stimulus, the Republicans wanted to cut taxes and spending. So they struck a perverse deal. They would pass the debt ceiling ... | [
"Only if the federal government let it. See: American Civil War"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why do checks and balances only apply to branches of government and not political parties? | [
"The parties in the U.S. are not part of the government, they are merely collections of individuals who have freely chosen to work together politically. They're no different, fundamentally, from a work/school clique."
] | [
"The Hatch Act specifically prohibits employees of the Federal Government from using the personal influence and official authorities given to them by their job, to interfere with an election. The Act has provisions which specifically allow the President, Vice President, and other high-ranking members of the adminis... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why can't astronauts or satellites take high quality cameras to anywhere they are going and take nice pictures of planets and space? | [
"There are several problems. Firstly, cameras have mass. Delivering a kilogram to orbit costs $2500 to $12500, which makes for one costly camera. Then there is the fact that \"nice pictures\" have absolutely zero scientific value compared to... much less nice, much more detailed, images, often not in the visible sp... | [
"Just as many stars can be seen from space. The pictures we see from space are normally taken facing the sun, the moon, or the earth. In those pictures the objects in question are far too bright the camera isn't able to get light from the stars. But we have **plenty** of pictures from space facing away from earth/s... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does 'image processing' have such a large impact on gaming? | [
"A lot of televisions have high *input lag*, while computer monitors try to minimize this. This isn't related to the *refresh rate* of the screen, which is what you mean by \"Hertz.\" (Hertz are the unit, but \"inch\" isn't the same as \"length.\"). Slow controls aren't really a problem when you're just watching te... | [
"Your question doesn't quite make sense. Are you referring to something specific? What makes you think that a computer is built for a specific programming language?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about videogame development:",
"pos": "Represent the answer about videogame development:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
How does the UFC charge $60 per event, whereas other sports like the NFL, NBA, MLB, etc, are free to the viewer? | [
"MLB is not free by and large, NBA is not free by and large. NFL is the only one that (in market) is almost always free. I live in a very big tv market, with a team in every sport, and I've seen less than a handful of baseball games on tv this year, with just a few more expected for basketball."
] | [
"> many games available on standard cable packages like college? Because they make more money the way it is currently setup. It's pretty simple at that. They have limited games on broadcast TV which they charge crazy rates for, which in turn is a limited amount of games people can watch which means everyone is watc... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How can a dog tell where a smell is coming from? How do they know which direction to move? | [
"You'll notice when dogs are smelling they move their head from side to side. They're basically scanning to see what position had the strongest smell; this allows them to figure out directionality."
] | [
"Their sense of smell is so good they can sniff a butt and get all sorts of information about each other."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
why do lemons float and lime sink? | [
"It has to do with buoyancy. If an objects weights less than the water it displaces it will float, if it weight more it will sink. So simply put a lemon is less dense than water while a lime is more dense. [Good old Archimedes' principle](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"do they squirm when you squeeze them? if so yes."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What prevents countries from achieving a global monopoly for any given commodity? | [
"If China started buying gold and platinum, they price would begin to increase drastically as the available supply shrinks. Also, gold is pretty useless, so it wouldn't affect anything other than the price of gold. Platinum is actually a useful metal, though. The US does not have a military monopoly, as is evidence... | [
"A very vague question that has lots of answers but in short: * Industrial success * Almost constant innovation in multiple sectors and industries * Military success, monetary and financial domination (especially in setting up the US Dollar as pretty much the de facto international currency in global transactions)... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why do YouTube videos stop playing when you back out of the app? | [
"I think it was to stop you from using it to stream music for free. It's much more inconvenient for you to use it for music streaming if you have to keep the screen on and the app open."
] | [
"You are using the app right? This is something that YouTube specifically doesn't want you to do. It is a feature of YouTube red, so you can get that if you're willing to pay money. If you have an iPhone, you can also get it with a bit of a work around. You have to start the video in Safari and then lock the screen... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Technology:"
} |
Why some people use only toilet paper to clean themselves after doing their business. | [
"Cultural differences. I grew up in a country that used water+soap to clean afterwards, but when we moved to Canada we were kinda surprised that people were fine with a few wipes of tissue."
] | [
"Urinals don't require you to fully take your pants down. Using a toilet does."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
How can ESPN lose 10 million subscribers. Don't you have to pay a standard cable package? | [
"No, most cable providers these days allow you to pick and choose groups of channels to add to your bill. Cordcutting is actually forcing cable providers to abandon the 'standard package'. ESPN, ESPN2, and about a dozen other sports networks come bundled in a sports package that can be added separately. There's als... | [
"There is open air TV. I have open air TV and receive 44 channels and their associated digital offsprung. I think he last time we counted there were 101 channels, but there still isn't anything on. Also, there are some rules about Public Access Television, where you could produce a show. But why pay for all the stu... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
why are babies generally considered "cute" and old people are generally considered "ugly" | [
"Babies have large eyes! Babies have large heads! Babies have soft skin! Old people do not. Humans are programmed to find babies cute, so that we didn't kill off our species by throwing them out of the cave when they cried for the first time. We have no such programming for the elderly."
] | [
"For the ugly people it's called mere-exposure effect. Things you often see seem to be prettier over time. I think attractive people are kind of intimidating and you are to shy to see their flaws in the beginning."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Who are the Rothschilds, and why are they important? | [
"They're a pretty old family from Europe that have been involved in banking for more than two hundred years. They've financed a lot of wars and governments over their history, and in general had/have a lot of clout because of their lending. They tend to get accused of being involved in a lot of conspiracy theories ... | [
"What's a Tory, and why do so many people seem to hate them?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How does a store make money on gift cards for another store? | [
"Yes they make money. The most common way is that they get paid a fee per card that they sell. So while you give $20 to walmart and receive a $20 card in return from Sony, Walmart only gives Sony $18 of that $20, and keeps the $2 fee for themselves."
] | [
"There's usually anywhere from a $1-$5 surcharge for buying a gift card. Additionally, the vendors may sell the gift cards to the third party in bulk at a little less than face value."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does the Jodi Arias trial get so much national attention when there are hundreds of murder trials that go on every day? | [
"Jodi is an attractive female and society is astounded when attractive females commit horrible crimes. Its the same reason Casey Anthony was so popular."
] | [
"The data that show racial bias among police officers does not show significant differences based on the race of the officer. It seems that black officers are just as likely to profile black men as white officers are. As for the news coverage, the news is covering this mostly because of the aftermath, meaning the p... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
the ending to the sixth sense. | [
"Bruce Willis was killed in the very first scene by the man he had been trying to treat. The entire movie Bruce Willis is actually a ghost the can only be seen by the boy and he is unaware of the fact. That's why he never speaks directly to his wife and why no ever speak directly to him at the end of the movie he f... | [
"Related: what happened to the similar but different term Lakonia?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why is there no market for transportation that fits between a normal city car and a motorcycle? | [
"Pick any two: Big enough, fuel efficient, or cheap. I think most people are going to opt for \"big enough to accomplish what I need in a given day\". So if you're a family with two working parents and kid(s), you're going to want 2 cars that are both large enough to hold the kids and friends/groceries/luggage/spo... | [
"Yes, but perhaps real estate is cheaper than the equipment needed to cover the entire land?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do I like the sound of my voice, and feel more confident talking, when I have a cold? | [
"I'm with KingRobotPrince here, I like how my voice sounds deeper when I have a cold. In fact, when I get that voice, I record the greeting on my voice mail."
] | [
"You're used to the sound you usually hear when you talk. However, this is not how you actually sound. Your actual voice is higher than what you hear due to the sound passing through your head. Since you rarely ever hear yourself recorded, you naturally have an aversion to it. If you got used to hearing your record... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Language and Communication:"
} |
Why is gasoline so expensive in some states, (California), while its as much as two dollars cheaper in most other states? | [
"Some states like Washington and California have heavy taxes imposed on gasoline by the state government. California's high prices are also due to their required emissions laws, while Washington State's are due to part of the gas tax going to pay for public transit and infrastructure maintenance. States with cheap ... | [
"Well, oil is a global product and the price of a barrel of oil is roughly the same everywhere in the world. If you mean gasoline, you might be surprised to learn that the US is actually among the very cheapest of all the developed countries in the world. The average price of a gallon of gas in Europe is $7.75! A ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Economics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Economics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Economics:"
} |
How have jeans managed to stay in style for so long? | [
"Function. They're made of extremely durable material and are worn by most industrial and construction workers. Since people wear them to work so often they've remained \"in style\""
] | [
"As we get older, we recognize a craze is just that--a craze. Why invest time and money in something that won't be around six months to a year from now?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
what is the purpose of the plastic liners underneath soda caps? | [
"It creates an airtight seal, like a washer."
] | [
"Look under the cap. There is a rubber or paper gasket. This seals against the top of the bottle neck. The threads are not the the part that seals it. I did some work at a place where all they make are little rubber gaskets for bottle caps."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
If earth is closer to Venus than Mars why are we not trying to send people to visit Venus first? | [
"Venus is essentially biblical hell. It can get to nearly 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The clouds are sulfuric acid and drop acid rain. And the atmospheric pressure is 100 times stronger than it is on earth. Venus is basically hell. Mars on the other hand, although cold and having a poisonous atmosphere is habitable b... | [
"In the time it takes for the rocket to get to Mars the Earth had moved far ahead of Mars because it circles the sun about twice as fast as it is much closer. So... you have to wait months on Mars until the Earth rounds the sun and catches back up to Mars so it will be in the right spot once your spacecraft makes t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do most Americans only have a choice of one or two cable tv / internet companies? | [
"Large telecoms have successfully lobbied to pass legislation making the creation of competition increasingly difficult if not outright impossible. Many telecoms also have federally blessed agreements not to compete with each other in certain areas. Large telecoms also use their ownership of other media companies t... | [
"They're just two competing companies that offer more or less the same service, possibly with other perks. It's like asking the difference between Ford and GM. As a consumer, the only really difference to you is that some places accept one but not the other."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about Finance:"
} |
Why don't dreams seem weird when we are having them? | [
"If you were to walk through a hall with pictures on the wall, you wouldn't find it weird that you see one with a tree, the next with a pirate ship, the next with a falling apple, etc. Dreams are much the same in that they are the unconscious brain processing separate things from when you were awake. These separate... | [
"Actually we remember our nightmares more than we remember dreams, (because when we're having nightmares we're more likely to be woken up during the REM stage) That's why it seems that we tend to have more nightmares than dreams."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Psychology:",
"pos": "Represent the answer about Psychology:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why do spicy foods burn your lips, even if the food never touches them while eating? | [
"Capsaicin is the oily substance in spicy foods that causes the burning sensation when you eat 'em. The inside of your mouth gets coated with the chemical, and if you lick your lips or get any saliva on them while the capsaicin is still active in your mouth, then you'll spread the burning feeling."
] | [
"Cold numbs your taste buds. So it's not less spicy your mouth just doesn't register the capsaicin like it would if the wings were hot."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
why do certain types of grapes (commonly green) leave you with a dry feeling in your mouth? | [
"A thing called tannins which is found in many types of organic things. It has a bitter taste and produces the saliva response that you're mentioning."
] | [
"The taste of sour is basically formed by your taste buds reacting to a low PH. But because Low PH means what's in your mouth is a form of acid, it can also eat away at the soft, delicate bits of your tongue, making your mouth feel raw or sore. It also depends on your personal sensitivity level and how long the sou... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
If medical marijuana if effective at alleviating the symptoms of illnesses, why don't drug companies produce a tablet or inhaler containing the active ingredient (THC?) that a patient could obtain legally with a prescription? | [
"??? It's called Marinol and it has been available by prescription for over 10 years."
] | [
"It impairs cognitive ability, but only short-term. Any negative effects on cognition appear to dissipate within 25 days. There does not appear to be long-term effects on cognition/memory. For your body, smoking it increases the risk of developing lung cancer. It appears to cause lung cancer about equivalent to smo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text about health:"
} |
Why don't more websites host their downloads via torrents? | [
"Torrenting requires people to already have a properly configured client. For a lot of people that's an intimidating requirement, and the current Internet culture is (understandably) such that most people would rather accommodate ignorance than try to correct it. For downloading a Linux distribution, if you've alre... | [
"You can distribute any files via the BitTorrent protocol. One cliched example is Linux distros, but anywhere where you expect a lot of traffic and want to serve it while minimizing server bandwidth, BitTorrent is a good option. Blizzard uses it to distribute patches, for example."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
What is the process of "scrubbing" before surgery | [
"The goal of scrubbing in to surgery is to reduce the number of bacteria on the surgeons skin so as to reduce the chance of infection in the patient. to do this, doctors scrum thoroughly with bactericidal soap (generally beta dine surgical scrub) and make sure to get all parts of their hands. This includes cleaning... | [
"The jist I'm getting from searching is mostly about the increased circulation after the stretch."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why do news publications acknowledge it as the "Democratic People's Republic of [North] Korea" when it so clearly is not a republic or democratic society? | [
"Because that's the name of the country. It doesn't have to make sense to us, but that's the name. I knew a girl named Chastity in high school and I know for a fact she didn't deserve that name. But we didn't change her name for her."
] | [
"Socialism and communism are very closely linked -- in fact, socialism is a stepping-stone on the road to communism. The party that ran the USSR was the Communist Party. You shouldn't pay too much attention to names, though. The official title of North Korea is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and \"democ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
One day they're there and the other day gone after construction! How on earth are cranes made!?? | [
"I presume you're talking about tower cranes - the type with the tall metal lattice tower? They actually build themselves. The very first thing that's done is that the bottom section of the tower is put in and, on top of that they put a special section of the tower that can move up and down, before plonking the top... | [
"And more importantly how do I get one for myself?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about biology:"
} |
How filibusters became part of our Governmental procedures and why haven't we eliminated them? | [
"Part of the reason nobody \"fixes\" the filibuster is because you never know when you're going to end up needing it. A majority party in congress may want to get rid of the minority party's ability to filibuster, but won't because they never know when they'll be the minority party again and need to use it. That's... | [
"More or less a way for corporations to literally be above the law and do whatever they want, among other things. Cross your fingers it doesn't go through."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why do we go through so much security to get on an airplane but virtually none for any other mass transit? | [
"Because a hijack or a bomb on a plane is \"spectacular\", and that's what makes air transport such a nice target for terrorists. Add to that the fact that many people are already nervous about flying, and that the numbers are small enough to make it reasonably manageable. Now imagine trying to screen everyone usi... | [
"They may have more bomb sniffing dogs walking the airports, extra police walking around observing... most of the security is at one checkpoint, checking people who are about to board a place. But as the Belgian attacks showed this week, there is also a need for more patrol of people who have no intention of going ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What's going in in Iraq now, mid-2012? | [
"Warning: typing this from my phone. If requested i can clarify once i get home. Coalition \"combat\" forces are out. Peacekeepers, contractors and consultants are still in-country, but combat operations are over. The provisional government is now more or less in control, and \"democracy has kicked in.\" There are ... | [
"See brexit? See the US elections? That's what didn't happen this evening :p"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Do animals from different countries understand each other? | [
"I dont think anyone have made a worldwide study on this, however. I seen an Attenborough documentary where he explains that (cant remember what animals) have local dialects. And the further apart the less simelarities they had in thier calls and stuff. Based on that, i think you can assume that animal language ... | [
"Domesticated animals, such as dogs, evolved and were bred as domesticated to be more used to humans. A way to get used to humans is to be able to comprehend their body language, which can be wildly different than in the animal kingdom."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment about Animal behavior:"
} |
How does it makes sense to make James Holms pay restitutions when he is in jail and has no money. | [
"Sometimes famous prisoners can make money writing books or selling the rights to their story. Court rulings like this are a pretty standard way to ensure a prisoner doesn't indirectly profit from their crimes."
] | [
"It's just so that even if future laws allow him to cut 10% or 50% off his prison term for good behavior he still isn't getting out. When he dies in prison he'll be treated just like anyone else, his remains will be released to relatives."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why didn't the indigenous populations of the Americas spread any disease to the Europeans? Why was the spread of disease so one-sided? | [
"The rate of disease and rate of evolution of new diseases are related to the population and population density of a group. The more people there are the more closely they live together, the higher the chances of bacteria or viruses evolving to be harmful to that population. There is also a greater chance that the ... | [
"More prepared than medieval Europe. We have vaccines against the black death, so even if it became totally antibiotic resistant we could boost immunity to it that way. It also spreads through infected fleas via rats, neither of which is a huge problem in the western world anymore, so it would have a hard time esta... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about History:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about History:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
The Elder Scrolls series up until "Skyrim". | [
"The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages had some great stuff but it's not really for five year olds. [Here](_URL_2_) is the main lore page and [here](_URL_0_) is the beginning of the history. Based on previous Elder Scrolls games you will not need to have played the previous game to enjoy them and understand the story.... | [
"It's like when the Jarl of a hold gives you the title of \"Thane\" in Skyrim."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why is there a flu "season"? Also, do other viruses and bacteria have time frames during which they are more active? | [
"It's cold outside. Everyone goes inside to be warmer, and to avoid hypothermia. Now you have many people concentrated in a small area. Germs now pass along easier. Viruses die quickly without a host but now they can find hosts easily."
] | [
"I'm not sure that changing season does, but when it gets to winter everyone spends more time inside with other people and so infections (common colds, flu, etc.) can spread more easily and more people are sick. Other seasons come with other problems too - e.g. during the spring/summer change pollen is much more ab... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Medical:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text about Medical:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
How are people able to fall prey to Nigerian scams so often? | [
"If you send enough e-mails, you're bound to reach someone with little or no (common) sense."
] | [
"The same reason you get viagra and penis pill spam in your email. Some people are unbelievably stupid and willing to spend money to prove it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Psychology:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Psychology:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What is the Windows Command Prompt for? What can be done using it that can't be done in the GUI? | [
"Quite a lot of technical stuff that doesn't really matter to most people but is important for system admins, etc. A poor example off the top of my head is the arp command, you can use that to configure and modify static [ARP](_URL_1_) mappings. I'm sure a Windows sysadmin could come up with something more commonpl... | [
"DOS was the operating system. Windows was just a graphical interface that could do many of the things you would use DOS for such as moving or viewing files. Windows ran on top of DOS just like Solitaire runs on windows. If you had a computer, you would know how to run DOS. You didn't need programing skills, just ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
the benefits of being legally married | [
"I've been married a few years now and most of the benefits are more subtle. that is, the way in which you and your husband/wife are viewed by others. In the words of Alec Baldwin from The Departed “Marriage is an important part of getting ahead. It lets people know you’re not a homo. A married guy seems more stabl... | [
"Tradition, that's all. It's also a good way to annoy outsiders. They're legally the same thing as states."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Marriage:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Marriage:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Where does the money come when your rate is favourable ? | [
"Imagine you buy a bar of chocolate for £1. Before you get a chance to eat your chocolate, there's a newsflash - the chocolate factory has burned down, and there's a national shortage of chocolate! The pregnant lady down the street has a chocolate craving, and, being a pregnant lady with a craving, she's going to g... | [
"The take their income from stocks, dividends, investments and bonuses, rather than from a fixed salary."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
why don't companies like yellow cab update their model to be more like Uber? | [
"If you bought a taxi, license, the meter and signed a franchise agreement with someone like yellow cab, you did so based on certain revenue expectations. As /u/homeboi808 said, a medallion sells for a lot of money, if you bought it on certain revenue expectations, lowering your price and therefore net revenue mig... | [
"Because ford own the patent of having this in the windscreen. You will see them on their high end cars. Even carried along into jaguar when they used to own that"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why in some cultures only the receptive partner is considered "gay?" | [
"I think it has more to do with the receptive partner being the one in violation of gender roles. Men are expected to be the *penetrator* during sex, so to be the one being *penetrated* is considered unmanly. They're the one \"deviating from the norm.\" This obviously only applies to gay men though. I don't know if... | [
"It's synonymous with bitch when attempting to insult another male and expose his lack of manliness. Comes from the cuckolding fetish exhibited by submissive males who derive sexual satisfaction by watching their partner get fucked by another guy."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do brands and designers become high end? For example, what’s so great about Jimmy Choo? | [
"Some people decided it was a trendy brand, or it had some celebrity endorsement, or high quality/rare/expensive materials. High end fashion is one of the most subjective industries in the world and relies on the vanity of people with more money than common sense."
] | [
"Different, but not too different. That's the golden rule. That's why you aren't attracted to trees, for example."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about biology:"
} |
Why do people think Seth Rich is the DNC leaker? | [
"A guy called Wheeler claiming to be a PI hired by Rich's family told a Fox affiliate in DC that Rich had contacts with Wikileaks before he died. Then later it comes out that he doesn't really have evidence and he wasn't really hired by Rich's family. Last I heard Wheeler is claiming the Fox reporter he talked to p... | [
"> CNN reporter Chris Cuomo said on air that its illegal for a citizen to study wikileak emails, is this true? Nope."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
How my touchscreen on my smartphone still works after the glass is broken. | [
"The screen on your smartphone is made up of 2 parts: The glass screen on top and the digitizer attached to it underneath. While the glass is what you are touching, it isn't connected to the board, whereas the digitizer is plugged into the board, but never touched. Then you have the different types of touch screens... | [
"ELI5 why you are putting your fingers on the computer's screen."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
how hard is it for a homeless person to get a job after they become homeless? | [
"It's essentially impossible. Studies have shown, however, that if you buy a homeless person a suit and tie and lend them a place to stay for a month or two that they almost always find work. Salt Lake City and New York City are pioneering the research into this 'Housing First' initiative, along with a number of sm... | [
"The state will step in (if you are in America) and the now young adult will be put on disability. or if the disabled person is not able to partially care for his/her self they will most likely be sent to a special needs nursing home."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Can a dead body wash up immediately or does it have to become bloated first, how does that work? | [
"Anything in the tidal zone can wash up to shore. Sort of a crap shoot if it is going to go out to sea or wash up. Mostly dependent on of tide is coming in or out. Also body- dependent factors contribute to buoyancy - male or female or , more to the point, lean muscle mass (sink) vs fat (float), died by drownding (... | [
"To stop them from decomposing, for example to stall for embalming or maybe evidence. A human body isn't exactly pleasant after lying around at room temperature for a while, trust me."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
How do computer programs work? | [
"A computer program is a series of instructions. They look like this for instance You might make a sandwich: 01 Get the Peanut Butter 02 Get a knife 03 Get Bread 04 Ready Peanut Butter 05 Spread Peanut Butter on Bread 06 Close Sandwich 07 Put Away Ingredients Now, if you want to make 100 sandwiches: ... | [
"How are you going to change the filter?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why is eye contact seen as aggression in some animals? | [
"The way I see it (pun not intended) is that some animals see it as a challenge to dominance, that if you don't avert your eyes from them you are trying to act superior to them, I'm sure someone will be far more correct on this than me though. TL;DR Looking them in the eye is a challenge to their dominance, avoidin... | [
"Men are physically larger and stronger. That goes a long way in the animal world."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Animal behavior:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence about Animal behavior:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
How come some soap leaves my skin feeling "waxy" after the shower? | [
"First, it's been a few years so someone please correct me if I'm wrong. The way it was explained to me is that extremely basic chemicals will break down your skin just like an extremely acidic chemical might. In the case of soap, your skin is actually (sorta kinda) turning into this soapy material as well because ... | [
"Shampoo is much more mild .. Shampoo doesn't have enough 'oomph' to clean your body properly. Body wash, on the other hand, is too harsh you use in your hair on a regular basis. The whole reason Shampoo was invented was because regular soap left peoples' hair dry and damaged."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
There only 12 notes; are musicians limited by this? | [
"There are only 26 letters in English. Are writers limited by this?"
] | [
"Apparently they are worse than discriminating colour than we are because they see colour in a very different way rat we're still trying to find out."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
The differences between a nation, a state, and a nation-state. | [
"A nation is a group of people with several factors in common like land inhabited, religion, ethnicity, language, or culture. A state is the government over an area of land A nation-state is a state that governs an area that primarily consists of one nation."
] | [
"\"Commonwealth\" is meant to emphasize the fact that the government exists for the common good of the people living within that political entity. In the US, there is no legal or political difference between a commonwealth and a state. It's literally just the name and nothing more."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Social Sciences:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Social Sciences:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
If constellations aren’t real, why the personalities stated for each zodiac seems legit? | [
"Because horoscopes are intentionally made to be vague and easily attributable to anyone. This is why in double-blind tests there's no established pattern of recognition better than random chance in picking one's own horoscope. Basically, make every horoscope vague enough, and people will see something about thems... | [
"Constellations are just how patterns of stars appear from earth. The stars may not even be close to each other, due to differences in brightness. In the last few thousand years, the shapes of constellations have changed slightly, Anson a few thousand more many will appear different again."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Astronomy:"
} |
How do repressed memories work? | [
"most of the time repressed memories are false memories created by an unskilled therapist. _URL_0_"
] | [
"Because depression is a mental illness caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. How affluent you are doesn't affect it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What happens to a charger that's plugged into a power outlet but doesn't have a device attached? | [
"Not much. It does draw a minimal current, but it's neglible. It won't affect the lifespan in a meaningful way (the charger is probably one of the last components in the computer to die anyway...). So, don't worry about it."
] | [
"If there is nothing plugged in, then no it will not use any electricity. For electricity to flow, there must be a complete circuit, and to complete the circuit you must plug something in. Some devices draw current even when they are off if they are plugged in, that may be what she is thinking of."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
With 44 presidencies since 1789, why is it we only hear of a select few? | [
"First, the US has 44 administrations, but only 43 different presidents. Grover Cleveland was the only US president to hold 2 non-consecutive terms, so both his terms are counted as different administrations. Even in such a small group as that, you can't expect every president to be a stand-out. William Henry Harri... | [
"We get to overthrow the government every two years. This is what elections are for. Unfortunately, it seems that we always get the Congress we deserve."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How can Banksy create an entire themepark (Dismaland) if nobody knows who he really is? | [
"Banksy has an agent, and all communications with him go through that agent. The agent is the one who confirms if something is really done by Banksy and is generally accepted as the authority on his works in the art community."
] | [
"I don't know about \"artists like Banksy\", but he (she?) makes a lot of money selling original copies and prints of his work for huge sums, showcasing in galleries as most artists do, and selling several books of pictures of his work. Also I think he does some commissioned works for companies and events. Despite... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are the repeating radio signals quickly dismissed as being potential signals from extraterrestrial lifeforms? | [
"They compare them to what manmade signals would sound like. They dont appear similar at all. They arent dismissing them easily. They are heavily investigating them and can tell they likely arent from a source which would be intelligently controlled. The wave patters just dont match to something that would purposef... | [
"When NASA talks about the SETI (search for extra-terrestrial intelligence) project, what they are talking about is detecting signs of life that has advanced far enough in terms of intelligence to be able to send signs of their existence (e.g. radiowaves) far enough into space for us to be able to detect them. As o... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Foods with 1 or 2 grams of sugar/serving--what difference does this relatively small amount of sugar make? | [
"I advise you to weigh 2g of sugar, and see for yourself that 2g is not all that small! It adds alot of extra flavor, try it out :)"
] | [
"1. The amount of calories food is the amount of energy your body can extract from it. Some food doesn't contain any usable energy, for example water or salt (the body still needs them, but not for energy). 2. In the US, food companies are allowed to mark certain items as having 0 calories if they have less then a ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What do people do with the ash after a volcanic eruption? | [
"as far as getting it off it is a challenge. If it's super fine then you often need to combine it with sawdust or something that will allow you to sweep it up easier. Then after it's taken to a disposal site they will often cover it with a layer of soil to prevent it from blowing away in the wind. Several layers of... | [
"Molten rock is what is in the centre of our earth where it's very, very, hot. Pressure within the volcano builds and eventually erupts. No one \"makes\" lava, it's a natural product"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
If hospitals can ban smoking as bad for your health, why can't they ban fast food? | [
"Well, in many cases they do restrict stuff like that, but it's impossible to catch everything. In any event, the comparison isn't a good one, because a patient eating food that's not good for them doesn't harm the people around them in the way smoking does. There's a big difference between making yourself sick and... | [
"> It doesn't make sense for a government to pass laws to restrict a business owner in a free enterprise market. But it does make sense. Just because it's a private company doesn't mean it's not subject to the laws of the land. The Government passes laws that say that private companies can't engage in murder, that ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Could I gain resistance to my nut allergy if I ate small bits of almonds, slowly increasing how much I ate on a routine? | [
"I think that's a question best answered by your doctor, and not random people with questionable google search skills. As you already know, people with strong allergies can have fatal reactions to the allergy. Edit: There are people who can get an allergic reaction to the airborne peanut dust from someone else eati... | [
"Ok, I can't speak for anything other than my own specific food allergy, and even that has yet to be proven outright. I am allergic to peanuts. Not tree nuts or any other nut, just peanuts. I've been hospitalized for ingesting all forms, peanuts, peanut butter, peanut oil, and peanut flour. When I was a kid my gran... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Health:"
} |
How did mass murderers express themselves before guns existed? | [
"There were lots of axe murders 100 years ago. Most households had axes so they were a weapon of convenience. There are multiple cases of mass murder like the Villisca axe murder and some theorize that several Midwest murders (Iowa, Kansas, and Colorado) were the result of a train hopping serial killer."
] | [
"Follow up, if this warrant a new post please tell me: How did politicians and the general public react when they found out these companies were aiding Nazi forces in WW2?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
What causes us to "jolt" awake when attempting to take a nap or sleep? | [
"It's called a [hypnic jerk](_URL_0_) and there are a number of possible causes listed."
] | [
"Most likely it has more to do with where in your sleep cycle you are when you wake up. We go through several levels of sleep throughout the night, with the deepest being what is called REM (Rapid Eye Movement. Your eyes literally move up and down very quickly) sleep. In REM sleep, you are in your deepest sleep and... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Health and Wellness:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Health and Wellness:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Sleep and its effects on the body:"
} |
What's the deal with TTIP? I hear a lot of people saying it's terrible, but is it THAT bad? | [
"I wouldn't base your opinion on the TTiP from what you're told on Reddit. These kinds of agreements are very complex and to understand exactly what they mean is no easy task. People like to take sections of these document out of context and write off all of the benefits. I'm no expert. But neither are the people ... | [
"The one thing that's in my mind is \"what the fuck is going on here?!\". All these scandals and coverups, I just don't trust the government - that they are watching out for me. They are just trying to keep a lid on everything. I'm a little afraid to post this in all honesty - who is listening and what do they want... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Planets and Orbit. How do planets and objects in space orbit things without one falling towards another? | [
"> but wouldn't the speed of orbit have to be absolutely perfect so the object wouldn't float away or get sucked in towards the other object? Yes, it would. The trick is that the required speed *changes* as the distance between the objects changes, so orbits can self-correct for minor variations."
] | [
"> When the moon orbits the earth, it is actually falling towards the earth. It doesn't hit the earth because the earth is moving. The earth is orbiting the sun. No, it doesn't hit the Earth because the *Moon* is moving relative to Earth. The movement of the larger body has little effect on orbits, especially since... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Science and Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about Science and Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
What happens after someone posts their bail? Are they off the hook? What happens after? | [
"Posting bail just means that they don't need to stay in jail waiting until their trial. They still need to show up at their trial, but the bail money is insurance that they will attend and aren't going to try and run away. When they attend the trial, the money is refunded to the person who paid it. If the person r... | [
"Flight risk is a big part of setting bail. How much money a person has when they are arrested effects their ability to flee justice."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why are traffic circles/roundabouts so rare in the United States? | [
"They take up more space than a standard cross or T intersection without providing sufficient benefit to merit that space. They are not friendly to pedestrians because there is no pause in traffic. Without having a pulse of traffic you make it harder to control traffic farther down the road."
] | [
"There is much greater adoption of public transportation in Europe than in the US."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why do we have to be called regular names when there are so many possible names? | [
"Because most parents don't really want to set their kids up for years of ridicule. You just know if a kid has a name like @ or # or 123, they're probably going to be bullied. And the system wants to protect against the 0.1% who don't give a shit about their child's welfare. And just want to give their kid a ridicu... | [
"The other names are extremely common and some (if not all) of them are associated with positive figures as well."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
What would be the pros and cons of raising the minimum wage? | [
"If you're on the minimum wage, you can actually lose hours or even your job. The cost of labour increases when the wage goes up, reducing profit. The business can react by either increasing prices or reducing costs. They might be able to live with one increase without adjusting too much, but what about another in ... | [
"The cost of living in Australia is much higher than the US. As a result the minimum wage in Australia will most likely always be higher to make up for higher prices on goods on services. There has been talk of increasing the US minimum wage but even with legislation to do so it would still likely be much lower tha... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why is it considered bad to crack my knuckles? | [
"It's not, that's just an old wives take that it will cause arthritis. It will not. Whether you crack your knuckles or not has no bearing on if you get arthritis. Cracking your knuckles simply relieves pressure in the joint."
] | [
"EIL5: Why can't I stop sitting with my legs crossed, even though it hurts my knees, and why does it hurt my knees?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do we get goosebumps? | [
"Goosebumps serve the purpose of making our hair stand on end. Each hair is controlled by a little muscle and when this contracts to make the hair stand up, a little bump forms. It is mostly thought to be a remnant of evolution and not needed anymore. Our ancestors had far more body hair and making hair stand on e... | [
"A lot of nerves in your ear canal link to most of your body. Tickling them makes your blood pressure drop and thus leads to pleasure. At least that's what I read. Correct me if I'm wrong."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Health and wellness:"
} |
Why do some highways appear reflective like a mirror when you look at the road from a very shallow angle? This usually happens when approaching a gentle hill. | [
"It's called a mirage. Light is refracted(not reflected) through the heat waves coming off of the road. Refraction means the light bends. Reflection means the light bounces."
] | [
"Light from the sun reflects back slightly better from the grass when looking almost directly opposite the sun. That direction of course is going to be right next to the shadow cast by the drone."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
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