query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Why does glue harden so quickly out of the bottle relative to inside? | [
"Glue hardens when the water that's mixed with the polymers evaporates. It's much much harder for water to evaporate from inside of a bottle."
] | [
"It has to do with what's around them while they freeze. Try this experiment. Place two trays next to each other on a shelf. The ice will pop out of both trays just fine. For the next batch place the trays on top of each other. The top tray's ice will come out just fine while the bottom tray's ice will stick and cr... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does nearly every forum/social website use emoticons, but it seems like an unspoken taboo to use them on reddit? :( | [
"Different places have different cultures. I'm guessing it's just the upvote system. Emoticons look childish, so they get upvoted less."
] | [
"A lot of us spend a lot of time on reddit. Either actively or subconsciously we tend to write in the same tone as the material we read. (_URL_0_)[Go to the tone section.] This possibly contributes to redditors all seemingly writing the same way. TIL, YSK, EMSK, TIFU, and a whole bunch of other acronyms and short ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
With all these posts of Edward Snowden applying for asylum, I'm curious, how does one wanted by a government apply for asylum? | [
"Typically you go to country A, which grants you temporary entrance which your case for asylum is being heard. Sometimes it gets difficult. You might have to hang out in country C for a while, hoping they don't deport you to B, or sneak into A illegally and hide out until asylum is granted."
] | [
"Iceland is a very socially conscious nation and also doesn't have much of a stake in international affairs. The people of Iceland would oppose extraditing Snowden and have very little to loose by standing up to the US government. Ecuador has modeled itself as a regional power opposed to the US interests. In 2006 E... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do voter ID laws suppress votes? | [
"Most prominent case I can recently remember occurred in [Alabama in 2015](_URL_0_). The Alabama state house decided to close over 30 DMV offices across the state for budget reasons. However, these 30 DMV offices were all from counties that had a higher percentage of minority residents. This required residents to ... | [
"Yes there’s more to it. A very popular technique right now is voter purging, where voters are deleted off of the rolls, so when they go to vote they don’t show as registered voters, so their vote doesn’t count. According to the Brennan Center, between 2014-2016, states removed 16 million voters from the rolls. Fou... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why do we "lose our voice"? | [
"Long answer short: Vocal chords are muscles that vibrate to create sound. Just like working out your biceps or legs, you strain the muscle. The same thing happens to your vocal chords. That's why your arms hurt after you do bicep curls, and why your voice hurts when you scream (sing, yell, talk etc.) for a long ti... | [
"How do you know that you don't sneeze in your sleep?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Difference between quantum psychics and normal psychics and what is the point of quantum computers? | [
"Quantum physics is like physics but with all the common sense taken out. Normally you'd have to be in either place A or place B. Quantum physics doesn't care for your petty imaginings of how the world should work and sticks the same electron in place A and B at the same time. Similarly, you can prove that light M... | [
"No need to an ELI5 because there is no answer to this question. Science has plenty of hypothesis, but there is no answer yet. One of the great remaining mysteries in medicine."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why can I whistle in tune but cannot play/understand bars and chords on an instrument? | [
"because you haven't practiced it. when whistling, you learn within the first few minutes that 'if I do this, this sound comes out'. when you're given an instrument, there's a *lot* more things you could do to produce different sounds. eventually you'd get the hang of it, but there's just a lot more possibilities, ... | [
"Play a C on a piano, then play a C on a trumpet. It sounds different, and this is because C on a trumpet is actually not the same as a C on a piano: C on a trumpet is B♭ on a piano. So let's say you have a trumpet player playing a melody, and you're on the piano providing the harmonies. You have a copy of what the... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why do we look different in a mirror and in a photograph? | [
"When you look in a mirror you're seeing yourself backwards. As in the sides of your face are flipped. When you look at a photograph the sides of your face aren't flipped. The reason it looks different is because the two sides of everyone's face have small differences. You don't notice them because you're used to ... | [
"The actor can see the camera in the mirror, but because the camera is not directly in front of the mirror, it cannot see itself. Find someone who is looking into a mirror. Now stand to the side, so that you are no longer in front of the mirror. You can see them, but you cannot see yourself."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What is the difference between disc and disk? | [
"In medicine, it's disc for ophthalmologic terms (terms pertaining to the anatomy of the eye), and disk for other parts of the body. In other areas there's no real consensus on which is which and people basically use whichever spelling they prefer like with gray and grey."
] | [
"More importantly, what's the difference between hot and best?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why doesn't Comcast give customers the fastest speed that they possibly can. | [
"Because business. First, it *does* cost them money to provide. Customers are wired together into cable segments. Each segment has a finite amount of bandwidth. If customers use twice as much bandwidth, segments can only have half as many customers, so they need to install more equipment and wiring. Second, it redu... | [
"Your ISP is advertising Megabit (Mb) speed not Megabytes (MB or MBytes). Megabits/8=Megabytes. If you are sold 15Mb download, then expect ~1.9 Megabyte download. With my time warner cable, I pay for 15Mb and get 1.9 Megabyte. There isn't any need for overhead or requirements about other users being on the network.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Internet speed and service:"
} |
Why is Nuclear energy so controversial? | [
"Three main reasons: 1. The potential for disaster, a la Chernobyl and Fukushima. Say what you will about how poorly designed those reactors were and how much we've learned from those disasters, it doesn't make people feel safe. 2. Nuclear waste. Currently in the U.S. we have no long-term plan for disposing of it e... | [
"Context? What is a \"smart meter\", and where is this controversy based out of? Who is involved? Thanks!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Who, if anybody, will legally be at fault in the event of two driverless cars crashing into each other? | [
"No one knows yet. One of the biggest obstacles to driverless cars is a legal framework that covers these kinds of situations. California and some other states have pass some laws that start to address this, but there is still a lot of things to figure out."
] | [
"No, the fault lies with the driver that ran the red light (assuming that caused the accident). Being drunk and behind the wheel does not make you blameworthy in every accident."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why did diarrhea use to kill people regularly up to the 1900's but now my body just recovers on its own? | [
"It's not diarrhea itself that killed many people in developing countries, rather so it was dehydration and loss of nutrients that killed."
] | [
"Well, it was a bacterial infection in a time of no antibiotics. Everyone got it and the people who survived were then immune. There was also a genetic selection for survivors over several centuries and in the end it didn't die completely out. The Yersinia plague still infects people today. Mostly, we don't share l... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
- The "Brain Storm" / "Green Needle" Audio clip | [
"Almost positive it has to do with your brain making up for the lack of real distinguishable sound. Similar to the blind spot in our eyes that our brain \"interprets\" what we should be seeing in that area based on our surroundings (based on what we think the sound is saying.) someone correct me if I'm wrong."
] | [
"Relevant entertaining and informative youtube video Electrocution in Water: _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why can't camera phones always film in landscape mode no matter what direction they are being held? | [
"Because the camera sensor is rectangular. You could have such a setting, but you'd have to lower the resolution of the final image. Using this as an illustration: _URL_0_ Black outline is the phone, blue outline is the sensor (though it's far smaller in real life). The red outline is what would need to be used if ... | [
"It had a tiny sensor called an accelerometer that measures which direction the tablet is accelerating. Absent funny motions, it mainly picks up gravity and knows which way is down, so it rotates the screen to stay right way up. It assumes your head is upright. This is actually wrong when you're lying on your side... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why does frost form on my front and back windshields but not my side windows? | [
"Woah man. I'm from Albuquerque too, and I was thinking of this EXACT question this morning! Small reddit..."
] | [
"Cold glass meets humid air. The water vapor in the air condenses on the glass. Like a cold drink on a hot day. As you drive along, the air hits your car at the speed you're driving into it, not letting the vapor have enough time to condense into water again. Your windscreen also heats up as the inside of the car h... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How were the first metals mined? | [
"Copper the first. You can find its ore in fairly pure forms and cold work it(beat it into shape with a big rock) into stuff like bowls. Then they discovered that heating it made it softer and easier to work Then it was found that melting it and mixing it with tin(also easy to find on the surface) resulted in Bronz... | [
"You may get better answers in /r/AskAnthropology. The earliest smelting pre-dates history, back around 9000 BCE. So we don't have a written record of why or how the practice started. That makes this more an anthropological/archeological kind of question."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why can't sparkling wine not from the Champagne region be called champagne? | [
"That has been the law in Europe for some time, and the law in America since 2006. Any American company that labeled their sparkling wine as Champagne prior to 2006 can continue to do so, but no new labels can use the word. Europe has a lot of such laws, called PDO (protected designation of origin). America has som... | [
"Just like there are different breeds of dogs, there are different breeds of cows. Kobe beef comes from a Wagyu cow. European or American farms can't produce it because Kobe beef comes from Kobe. If it doesn't come from Kobe, it's not Kobe beef. Same thing applies to Champagne. Champagne is a region in France. Spar... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why is pride considered to be part of the 7 deadly sins? | [
"Its important to know that the 7 mortal sins are not themselves sins. They are the 7 things that lead to sin. That is why murder is not one of the sins, nor is rape or theft. Wrath Lust and Greed on the other hand are the causes of sin along with others. So Pride is one of the 7 because it leads you to believe you... | [
"I believe what we're missing when we think of the seven deadly sins are the seven virtues to combat it. Humility against pride. Kindness against envy. Abstinence against gluttony. Chastity against lust. Patience against anger. Liberality against greed. Diligence against sloth. These were taught side by side, but a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Are things expensive in Australia because of the high minimum wage? Or is there a high minimum wage because things are expensive? | [
"Prices for most goods were traditionally very high due to Australia's isolation and low population -- it was expensive to ship stuff here and not a lot got shipped when it did. As that has become less and less of a problem, most prices remain high because people already established themselves as willing to pay th... | [
"Not really. I mean, there will be an increase in the price of certain products but it's not going to be an increase in equal proportion to the minimum wage hike. Like, you're fast food burgers aren't going to suddenly cost twice as much. They might go up by...like, a quarter. And I mean as in 25 cents, not 25%. An... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Economics:"
} |
Why do people who lived through Vietnam War hate Henry Kissinger? | [
"Initiated the illegal expansion of the war into non- combatant Cambodia & Laos, dropping thousands of bombs (which are still killing people today) and creating conditions that brought about the rise of Pol Pot & the Khmer Rouge & the deaths of millions. This was done *after* the so-called Paris Peace accords and w... | [
"What's a Tory, and why do so many people seem to hate them?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
VIDEOGAMES - Why is Final Fantasy 7 (seemingly) the most popular in the franchise?? | [
"This is arguable, but a few points to consider... * It was Square's first 3D Final Fantasy. Every FF prior to 7 was 2D, and used sprites. * It was widely marketed, where a lot of RPG's prior to that might have been lucky to have an ad in gaming magazines, FF7 had TV commercials. Not that it was like the first game... | [
"No, they're not all connected. Most of them are standalone stories, in fact. There are a handful of paired games, where the setting and sometimes characters are the same, but for the most part they're independent of each other. I think that accounts for a lot of their success, actually. There's always a new story,... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I understand why we have 2 ears and 2 eyes. Why do we have 2 nostrils? | [
"_URL_0_ Most people only breathe through one nostril at a time, its called a nasal cycle. I don't know much about it I just remember reading an article or a TIL some time ago. Check out that article."
] | [
"I love to know the answer too. I've been wondering why most species need 2 parents not 3 or 4 or more."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How are pillars build into water? ( especially for old bridges on big rivers) | [
"Depends on how deep they go. When they built the Brooklyn Bridge, for example, they built huge [cassions](_URL_1_) so they could work on the river bottom to get the footings right. Other times they just build [cofferdams](_URL_0_) around the base of the pillar. Generally you're going to have to get down there...Yo... | [
"The tunnels don't go through the water but through the ground under the water."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
how are lead aprons or suits flexible? | [
"the lead inside isn't a solid plate of lead. it's lead pellets. and it bends just like a sandbag can be moved and twisted"
] | [
"the cost is too high, titanium weighs more, Titanium is also paramagnetic, which might cause issues with some electronic functions."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Technology:"
} |
- Why do creams like Bengay or RubA535 make my skin feel hot, but not on the hand that rubs it in? | [
"Your fingers have less nerve endings than other body parts. That's because they are used to grab pretty much anything. If they were too sensitive to touch, then more things would hurt, you'd touch fewer things and be less likely to do anything -- meaning our evolution would have been less likely."
] | [
"Menthol. While it feels soothing to thick skin, like your back or legs, it is not made for sensitive skin."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why is thirst/dehydration easier to ignore than hunger? | [
"Only at first....all things being equal and starting at once, eventually hunger subsides in advanced malnutrition. Starvation can take weeks. Dehydration doesn't start with a bang like hunger..but it creeps up slowly and hits harder. First, you are just thirsty. Then, *really* thirsty. And it gets desperate. Your... | [
"Alcohol is a diuretic: it makes you pee. You've probably noticed that. Even drinking something like beer, you pee out more than the water that was in the beer. So, you pee a lot, you get dehydration. Common symptoms of dehydration? Headache, nausea, muscle pain, exhaustion. Also known as a hangover. How do you tre... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Assume I am charging my phone, and the power went out in my city. If electrons flow from high to low, what is stopping the electron from flowing backwards? | [
"Trying to be truly ELI5: The power coming out of the wall is 120V AC. AC stands for alternating current, which means that the flow of current for things plugged into the wall is going back and forth, positive and negative, very rapidly (60 times a second). Your phone's battery supplies DC current to the phone to o... | [
"They have a chemical inside that is capable of holding extra electrons. When you charge them, you use the energy from the power plant ( or solar panels/ wherever the hell it comes from) to pump the chemical to a higher energy state (lots of extra electrons). When you discharge a battery you complete a circuit from... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:"
} |
Aspertame/sucralose vs sugar, how it breaks down, is it really any better for you, and what are the negative health consequences of them? | [
"Sucralose doesn't break down so just passes through your system, but aspartame is broken down into three things: Aspartate, a common amino acid. Methanol (Into mildly toxic Formic acid). Phenylalanine, Another common amino acid (but toxic to those with phenylketonuria, a rare disease). Aspartame thus does not prod... | [
"Per se not actually bad for you like most things are bad. Studies show that it may mess with how your brain processes sweet signals without calories versus regular sugar and it messing with that in a negative way. They have shown to cause cancer, but in those studies the doses tended to be very high, on the order ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do pop ups on most streaming websites work ? The kind that pops when you click on the play button, and must repeatedly be closed ? | [
"I'm not sure if you're looking for a technical answer or what. But those kinds of ads are built by computer programmers, who can make your computer do almost anything, given enough permissions to the machine. Usually, these ads function off of JavaScript and/or flash, which allow access to the browser. Also, cleve... | [
"I believe some websites put a little \"stop using adblock\" message under where the ads appear so when using adblock and the ads are gone users will see that message."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
How does a car know to activate the anti-lock brakes when it is sliding? How do anti-lock brakes release the brake if the user is still pressing it? | [
"Speed sensors detect rapid deceleration in tires to see if they're locking up. The ABS controller then opens/closes valves that control the brake lines to increase/decrease pressure on the brake so that the tire keeps accelerating (doesn't lock up). You'll feel it yourself on the brake pedal as a sort of \"pulsing... | [
"ABS releases and reapplies the brakes rapidly to prevent/minimize skidding (tires work better if not skidding, so it makes you stop shorter). Traction control usually does two things. It cuts the throttle when acceleration causes skidding (again, tires work better when not sliding, so it improves performance). It ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
why do Aquariums feed dugongs lettuce? Lettuce doesn’t grow underwater | [
"The price of lettuce is substantially less than aquatic based plants. This makes it cheaper to use it. Also marine veterinarians have seen that it is healthy for the animals as well. Most veggie eating animals can eat lettuce and most greenery so where it grows doesn't matter. It is such a simple plant I don't th... | [
"you can eat grass...you probably just wouldn't like it and wouldn't get many nutrients out of it!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do we think about the universe from more of a horizontal standpoint and not a vertical standpoint? | [
"That's how human brains are wired. To us, the world is horizontal, because that is how we interact with it. We travel miles horizontally, but mere feet vertically."
] | [
"No, they weren't. If anything, they were about on par, if not a bit dumber. True, they were geniuses, but our current geniuses have what they knew plus some, and therefore are more. Albeit we, as a society, have what the Great Thinkers had plus more, we also have different scales to think of. Back then, it was con... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why does a pocket of puss form when you burn yourself? | [
"It shouldn't be pus. Pus means there is an infection actively being fought. The clear fluid is called \"serum\". It's meant to puff the dead skin out to create a pillow/bubble. This then all works together to keep the raw, sensitive skin beneath from being damaged while the blister heals."
] | [
"Why do the glands in my neck burn like high hell when I'm holding back tears?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How did languages first get translated? | [
"The same way a child learns their first language, except you have something to compare it to, as opposed to nothing. So for concepts that exist in both languages (most concepts) it's easier to learn because you can translate it something you already know. Other times concepts don't translate directly and you end ... | [
"Because the written form of the language does not change as fast as the spoken form. Go far enough back, most of them were pronounced."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
What's stopping someone from taking the presidential office and ignoring lobbying efforts from campaign contributors for four year? (Assuming he/she doesn't get re-elected.) | [
"The fact that you can't do much with out congressional approval and funding. Lobbyists aren't as big a problem with presidents per se, since like you said they only face one reelection. But president's are seriously restricted in the types of initiatives they can pursue if Congress is fighting them (see present da... | [
"Because they own the government. It takes big huge steamy piles of money for a candidate to get elected. Wealthy donors give wads of money to a candidate. Should that candidate get elected, she/he/it/they now need money to run for reelection. Wealthy donors can essentially manipulate the candidate (now mayor, mp, ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
In films, a syringe wielding character will often inject his victim wherever he manages to jab the needle. Depending on what chemical was being injected and where it ended up, what might be the effect or lack thereof? | [
"[](/twinurse)This is a fairly broad question with a lot of variables to take into account. In general, though, if you're just stabbing wherever and pushing the plunger, what you are doing is known as an **intramuscular** injection. Basically the drug is being deposited into the soft tissue, where it will gradually... | [
"There are lots of things that if you were to inject them into your bloodstream you'd be harmed but that if you eat are easily destroyed by your stomach without doing notable or any harm. When a spider bites you it's straight to your blood."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How exactly does Chromecast work? | [
"The Chromecast plugs into your TV. From a Chromecast-enabled device (e.g. your Android phone), you can use the *Cast Screen* option to stream whatever is displayed on your device onto your TV screen. There are also a number of Chromecast-enabled applications like Youtube that allow you to stream specific multimed... | [
"Because Chromecast is streaming directly from Netflix. It's not going through your computer. Think of your computer as the remote control for the Chromecast."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Fiber Optic leading to high quality surround sound | [
"Light is just an easy way to transmit data quickly. With digital encoding, you can easily encode multiple channels into a fast stream rather than going the old school method of having a cable for every channel. Then a digital to analog converter (DAC) takes the digital information, converts it to analog so you can... | [
"You are using the Internet. TV studios generally use satellites, which have more latency."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why animals can only hear within certain frequencies. | [
"Our eardrums vibrate - but that's not how our brain senses sound. The eardrum only transfers the sound from the outer ear to the inner ear. Within the inner ear is the cochlea, the part that actually senses the sound. The cochlea is filled with a fluid, and the sound is transferred into this fluid. Along the insid... | [
"Sound waves traveling at different speeds produce different pitches. Sorry, that's all I got"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about Language and Communication:"
} |
What will happen if Congress can't figure something out by Thursday? | [
"There is unlikely to be an immediate catastrophic effect, but expect bond yields to start climbing Tuesday or Wednesday if progress isn't seen. While the ceiling might be legally hit if all payments are made beginning Thursday-Monday, the true cash crunch likely wouldn't be hit for a couple of weeks after, at whic... | [
"Republicans want to defund Planned Parenthood. Democrats don't. Congress needs to agree on a new spending bill or the government will shut down. Some Republicans want to include a defund PP measure in the spending bill, forcing Democrats to either vote to defund PP or vote against the spending bill. If no one back... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
the sun has a peak on instesity at wavelengths that correspond to the Green color, does it has any association with plants being Green? | [
"A good explanation is given here _URL_0_ There isn't a consensus answer why plants are green. But some ideas are that by reflecting the green light it prevents the leaves from over heating, the leaves are already getting all the light they can use (photosynthesis also needs CO2, so if you are shining a really brig... | [
"The simplest explanation seems to be that some electrons are traveling so fast because of the way and order the orbitals are occupied that special relativity causes some certain electrons to tend to accept lower frequencies, and since they are usually in the ultraviolet range they start absorbing more blue which g... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why does the filming of Soap Opera shows always look a certain cheapish way? Can't they afford better cameras? | [
"It's not so much the cameras as the lighting. Soaps are filmed quickly, using multiple cameras. In a movie, when you switch from one angle to another, the director will generally take the time to change the lighting to accommodate the new point of view. The director of a soap can't afford to slow down a production... | [
"Just because they aren't in a studio doesn't mean they don't have their own lighting. For a major production like that they most definitely did."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why are orcas black and white while other whales are generally bluish grayish? | [
"Orcas aren't whales. They're the largest member of the dolphin family if i recall correctly."
] | [
"Mammals only have 2 types of pigment in fur/hair: eumelanin (black/brown) and pheomelanin (red/orange). Combinations of these pigments give a wide range of colors, from black to light brown to auburn to orange to yellow blonde. Absence of these pigments results in white, and in icy habitats, bears with little or n... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why water isn't flammable? | [
"Fire is what happens when oxygen rapidly combines with some other compound, releasing a lot of energy. Water is what's left when oxygen has finished combining with hydrogen. You could think of it as \"hydrogen ash\". There's no spare energy left in the molecules to release by combining into other stuff."
] | [
"water can have varying quantities of other chemicals and minerals, depending on how and where it was processed/bottled. It's not pure H2O. That would be distilled water."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Is making porn still big business with all the free porn nowadays? | [
"I'm not sure I understand what you are asking but the big studios are still producing porn to stream online for a fee. People are paying to have access to a certain theme, actors, or studio. If you are asking about DVDs, yes. There are still people buying them. Think of rural areas that have slower internet speeds... | [
"Because the first hit is always free. Free porn is advertising for paid porn sites."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How do Jellyfish leave fossils? | [
"The soft parts of animal bodies don't fossilize. But it is possible that after an animal dies, it could become covered with other material like ash or silt or mud before the soft tissue rots, and even after it's organic material has vanished, it's \"shape\" might be left as a distortion between the layers of mater... | [
"Turtles... Turtles keep the jellyfish population in check. If there were more Jellyfish more species would evolve to eat them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Is the probability of flipping a coin and getting the same result as last time 1/4? | [
"The flips are independent. 1/4 is your chance of getting heads or tails two times in a row, not the chance of getting heads or tails any particular time."
] | [
"You are more likely to score a heads on 2 coin flips. The *average* roll on a die of side N is calculated as 1/N + 2/N + 3/N... + N/N. However, the variation in a single die roll is much higher with a high-sided die, so an individual set of rolls is less likely to be average. Put another way: The odds of getting ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why have humans evolved so far as to lose their thick coats but still grow hair on their heads and faces? What purpose does it have? | [
"I will admit I don't know much on the leading theories of why we have specific hair patterns, so this may not be the reason why we have the hair we do BUT: Despite the fact that we like to frame it this way, evolution doesn't have \"goals\" or intentions. Sometimes selecting for some traits accidentally leads to s... | [
"Other animals most definitely do, but the main difference is they are generally covered in fur or hair whereas humans are not, so ours are much more visible."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about biology:"
} |
How does Autism give some people incredible logical ability? Does it 'unlock' capability we all have, or provide additional capability? | [
"We people with autism (and its spectrum) have a certain parts of our brain undeveloped, but other parts are developed greatly. Mainly the one that is undeveloped is the small brain (cerebellum) so that we lack of social skills and body coordination (though maybe Messi is an exception). For the overdeveloped brain ... | [
"We know that genetic defects can easily render a person mentally retarded, and we know that education and focus can make a mentally healthy person into a very intelligent person. Maybe some people have genetic mutations that allow them to achieve \"genius\" at certain subjects, but there is no hard evidence for th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
f humans are 95% similar to chimpanzees then why aren't there more chimp-human organ transplants? | [
"Because organs have to be a lot more similar than that. Even among humans, you can usually only get organ donations from close relatives or strangers who happen to randomly match your cells' markers."
] | [
"> ...why are all species so distinct? Many species aren't particularly distinct. Certain species of rabbit and certain species of cat, for example, are aesthetically similar. Various species of bird are similar to one another, as are various species of fish, plants, etc. > ...why do we have chimpanzees and people... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about biology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about biology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Biology:"
} |
How do competitive eaters fit all the food they eat in their stomach? | [
"You eat massive amounts in training and it stretches out your stomach. The stomachs of competitive eaters are much more elastic than normal people."
] | [
"To get that jacked jaw look that's all the rage nowadays, you need to progressively chew harder things. Start with almonds, work your way up to diamonds. You'll have the jaw of your dreams in no time."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why do Star Wars fans love Boba Fett so much? | [
"He barely speaks, his armor is badass, and he is very good at what he does. Mostly because his armor is badass, though."
] | [
"Scientology isn't as popular as they want you to think it is."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text about Religion and Crime:"
} |
Why do people hate on Prius owners? Is it because the car is low quality? Is it because of the audience the car attracts? Or is it some sort of combination of these factors? | [
"As far as I can tell, the cars themselves work fine. The most common complaints deal not with the cars but the owners. Basically, while there are plenty of cars that are hybrids and/or get good gas mileage, the Prius has a unique, identifiable look, so it has become the stereotypical hybrid vehicle. The idea many ... | [
"Welcome to the human race. Where your shiny makes you better than the trolls. That really is about it. Why do people pay so much for a Lexus when a Toyota is literally the exact same car? It's entirely a status symbol folks are willing to pay for to feel superior. It's who we are."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How do officers issue you a ticket when you are a pedestrian or cyclist? | [
"They ask you to identify yourself. If you refuse, they arrest you, and if you lie, you've commuted a crime. So most people just tell them the truth."
] | [
"Obviously the driver would be liable if they backed into her, the best option is to call the police so they can come ticket her for impeding traffic or jay walking or any of the other countless illegal things she is doing."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What is happening in my brain when I'm in a mood where everything makes me irrationally angry? | [
"Look for physical causes: you could be hungry, tired, or suffering an allergic reaction without realizing that it *is* an allergic reaction. People think allergies are only about itchy eyes and sneezing, but they can cause sometimes extreme irritability, as well as severe depression, while never causing a single s... | [
"Because it helps to take your mind off of the embarrassing thought. I do that a lot when I'm hung over."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How did prostitutes manage not to constantly get pregnant back when there were no condoms or contraceptive pills? | [
"a lot of people think that there's a high chance of getting pregnant per every encounter... that's not really true. If you only are \"active\" or so to speak in times other than someone's peak fertility, odds are they won't get pregnant. That does not mean you should have lots of unprotected sex. Wrap that shit, ... | [
"There is no reasonable reason to stop people from having the contraceptive pill. The reason people are trying to stop people from using the contraceptive pill is because the church is against contraceptives."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
According to the commercials, the US Mint makes thousands of silver and gold coins and never circulates them until the commercial gets them. Why? | [
"The US Mint sells uncirculated coins, in rolls or bags, [on its web site](_URL_0_ ). Collectors of all kinds buy them. Some companies try to sell them through commercials, to folks who aren't big enough collectors to buy them by the bag."
] | [
"Well, they don't print very many $2 bills, and they don't always print them. However, the bill is a tradition, and they're seen as enough of a novelty that the government makes money off the printing of them, and that's why they get printed."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why do helium balloons on a string deflate, but helium balloons on a stick never deflate? | [
"Helium balloons on a string are normally latex balloons. The ones on the stick are usually made of Mylar. There is a different amount of insulation between the two materials and the outside of the balloon causing one to float longer than the other. From what I understand anyway."
] | [
"Those things have holes in them for the air to escape. So they have to replace the air that is lost. Why are there holes? Think of a balloon, if you slam a balloon against the wall (analogy for kids jumping on castle) the balloon will burst. But if the balloon is not tied, when you slam it the air will escape and... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
what would happen if I plugged my power bank into itself? | [
"If the device is what I think it is (portable battery), then plugging it into itself will create a rather low powered space heater. Ie, the bank charges itself, slowly wasting electricity due to some inefficient parts."
] | [
"You plug it in the laptop via a USB port, and in the mobile phone via a micro USB port. This means you use two different ports on the powerbank as well. This decides if you're charging the bank or the device."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
how does the material on the other side of a sticker keep the glue sticky? | [
"It doesn’t. The glue does in fact dry out (that’s why really old stickers have that crusty yellow stuff if you leave them out for a long time). However, if you’re referencing the waxy paper that the stickers originally come on, the wax paper allows the sticker to not be exposed to the surrounding air, therefor the... | [
"Boiling it down to simplest terms, an eraser is stickier than the paper so the graphite sticks to the eraser and off the paper."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What is Cognitave Behavioral Therapy? [CBT], how does it effect ones self and how do I "do it"? | [
"Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on changing negative attitudes, beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors, and replacing them with more healthy ones. It has been shown to be quite effective in treating many kinds of mental illness. To \"do it,\" you should look for a therapist who specializes in CBT. It's not somethin... | [
"Physical therapy: physical therapy is a collection of exercises and practices that can strengthen and heal your body in order to reduce pain and recover from injury Talk therapy: a collection of therapeutic techniques that can help patients learn to cope with problems, overcome emotional pain, and understand life,... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
there's not water on mars okay, but what would happen if say we took a bottle of water and poured it on mars? | [
"It would probably freeze long before the ground could absorb it. Mars is always below freezing and the temperature can get as low as -133C/-207F with an average around -55C/-67F. Then it would sublimate (go directly from a solid to a gas) away into the atmosphere. Nothing exciting."
] | [
"Mainly the air! There is shit in the air like spores. Then something can have turn bad on their own. But mostly its BC of the air. There was this microbiologist that did tests about this he put broth in a flask and it would spoil in like three days. Then he make a long curved(horizontal) neck on the flask and fill... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why are women not allowed to become priests in the Roman Catholic Church? | [
"It has to do with Roman Catholic beliefs of vocation. Roman Catholics believe that people are called by God to fulfill certain roles. A Catholic could be called to marriage as the majority are, the priesthood if they are male, or to become a nun if they are female. Nuns and priests fulfill different roles within t... | [
"How'bout this: Jews don't recognize Jesus as the Messiah, Protestants don't recognize the Pope as the head of Christianity, and Baptists don't recognize each other in the liquor store?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
The benefits of cheap, free, limitless energy (fusion or otherwise). | [
"Well if we could produce free energy, there are a lot of large implications. It would completely change the political landscape. Would the west be so interested in what's going on in the middle east if there was no oil? Would the relationship between Russia and Europe be the same if Europe wasn't relying on Russia... | [
"Energy storage We simply have no way of storing the concentrated power but short duration involved in a lightning strike. People have imagined capacitor storage banks, heating piles etc. but as yet we have not created a technology that can store that energy quickly enough Any other method of storing energy in pre... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer about Science and Technology:"
} |
Why does YouTube not show number of likes in search results? Why does YouTube list widely disliked videos(thousands of down votes) at the top of search results? Why do they keep really bad videos? | [
"SEOs (tagging) of YouTube and paid prioritization bring those god-awful videos to the top"
] | [
"> How many views do you need to make $1k (say) from YouTube? It varies a lot depending on the type of content, but approximately a million views. > And why do so many YTers say how much my thumbs up and subscription \"really helps the channel\"? Don't forget to like, leave a comment, etc. Doing those things doesn... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why have we only just discovered Proxima Centauri B, despite discovering thousands of other exoplanets hundreds of light-years away? | [
"Because it is relatively small and most of those other exoplanets we've found are supergiants. Planets so big they significantly block out the light from their star, or even shift their star in space, are much easier to find than a smaller planet even if it is a lot closer."
] | [
"Anything will orbit the Sun that is closer to the Sun than to other stars, is much lighter than the Sun, is not fast enough to escape the Sun's gravity, and does not orbit any other object. The closest star to the Sun is Proxima Centauri, over 4 light-years away. The farthest Pluto gets from the Sun is less than 7... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
How can something like solving a rubik's Cube have a world record when there's a chance of getting a easier pattern to solve than others? | [
"*Any* arrangement of the squares (for a 3x3x3 cube) can be solved in 20 moves or less, so it doesn't really matter what you're given."
] | [
"Four reasons: A. They get fifteen seconds to look at the cube for 15 seconds before solving, which is usually enough to solve the first layer efficiently. B. They have special cubes designed and lubricated for speed. C. They memorize many, many, many algorithms (sequences of moves) that are basically the most opti... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How can a photo look so perfect in the viewfinder, and then look like crap in the photo? | [
"There are a couple things going on here: 1. The film or the sensor in the camera reacts differently to light than your eyeball does. 2. Even with an SLR style camera what you're seeing through the viewfinder is going to be different from what's actually going into the camera. 3. When you're walking around looking... | [
"The first photo is taken by a pro photographer with knowledge of lighting, composition, poses, and is taken of a well-dressed, important-looking man. It was taken on a film even though it was very early film. This photo took hours of preparation to take. The second photo was snapped by a $30 webcam. The goal of a ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Would a vegetarian man's feces make good compost? | [
"It doesn't matter vegetarian or not. Any human feces must be composted at high temperature for 6 weeks before it's safe to use as fertilizer. Even then, don't assume I'm right, ask an expert."
] | [
"From what I've heard, our diet makes our feces useless as fertilizer. We evolved to eat something akin to the paleo diet (high in meats), and predator feces isn't good fertilizer anyway. Processed foods don't come out with good nutrients either, this is why dog shit is actually bad for your lawn if your dog eats k... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why do only some displays display HDR? Isn't a display just a series of pixels that display different color values? What makes an HDR display different? | [
"An HDR screen is a different concept to taking HDR photos. Although both relate to using a wider range of colours. A non-HDR screen only has 256 different levels of red, green and blue. So there's only a certain range of colours and brightness it can display. HDR screens increase this so there is a wider range of ... | [
"Full disclosure, with some newer technologies maybe this has changed, but it used to be that screens were designed to present as black as possible without any kind of light source behind them. When the color black was required, the television/monitor would simply not display any colors to that particular “dot”. So... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do ducks and some other birds fly in patterns? | [
"V-shape formations are more aerodynamically efficient for the group. The air directly behind a wing is pushed downwards (called downwash), and the air behind and to the side of a wing is pushed upwards (upwash). This is due to the vorticies formed on the wing tips. Flying in the downwash is harder, and flying in t... | [
"Because they have a better chance of not being eaten by birds, most of which sleep at night."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why do you have to pee much more frequently when drinking alcohol compared to water, soda, etc.? | [
"Alcohol, specifically ethanol in this case, acts on your kidneys only indirectly. Ethanol inhibits the release (or production, I can't remember which) of Vassopressin (a hormone) from the posterior pituitary of the brain into the bloodstream. Vassopressin is what acts on the kidneys by increasing water channels in... | [
"You'll feel bloated and full if you drink it all at once. If you're exercising or playing sports it's very important to drink smaller amounts every now and then so you won't feel full."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why are some people more sensitive to light than others. | [
"Depends on your eyes. If you have blue, green, or grey eyes then your eyes have less melanin, which is the pigment in your iris that protects your eye from light. If you have less melanin you can't block out the light as well as those with darker eyes. You may also want to go see an optometrist. There are some con... | [
"So what is it about human physiology that makes this work differently for us?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
What do homeless people in New York City do at a time like this? | [
"Lets not forget die. Hundreds of homeless in the US will simply freeze to death over the winter. If that wasn't depressing enough, the terrible part is that some who do will have chosen not to use a homeless shelter for very good reasons. There are still far more homeless than beds in shelters, this means lining u... | [
"What does the Pope handle on a day to day basis?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is it that whenever I have a stuffy nose, one nostril feels like the Sahara Desert, and the other feels like the Amazon Rainforest? | [
"throughout the day, your body switches between left and right nostril to breath through. Normally, when not sick, we dont notice that the body does this, but when sick we are paying attention to our nose much more. its called the nasal cycle"
] | [
"When you breathe cold dry air the nose will release mucus to protect the sensitive spots on your lungs and some of that mucus will run out your nose which is what causes runny noses. On the other-hand your nose dries up because there is no need for this in the temperature you are used to. Hope that answers your qu... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Health:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post about Health:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post about Health:"
} |
Why does blowing on glowing hay make fire where as the same bowing on a matchstick extinguishes the fire? | [
"Hay is basically a hollow tube. When you blow on it, it creates a low pressure zone at the top of the tube and draws air (with oxygen) up through the tube helping to fuel the fire. A match stick is solid so blowing on it only serves to reduce the oxygen."
] | [
"You spot that comment on the cinnamon video? Dry things have a habit of igniting. Not all of them, but a large portion. Dust, like cinnamon or makeup powder, or fine micro-particles of grains (usually pieces of stems or leaves of the grain plant) can ignite very easily. One particle burns up, which burns another a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
What makes red hot nickel balls so good at passing on their heat energy? | [
"Its really just a few people that do it. Nickel has a melting point of 2651°F. Steel has a melting point of 2800°F, so really, I think the guy who started the RHNB videos just had a big nickel ball and decided to see what happens when you put a red hot nickel ball onto things. Pretty much, any metal object (that h... | [
"Can you see the small glowing red bars? They have electricity flowing through them, that is how toasters produce heat."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
How did Victorian novels and literature deal with teenage issues when it was a conservative society? | [
"Well drugs weren't really an issue back then. Alcohol and marijuana and tobacco were more or less accepted. It is only in the 20th century when those things became taboo. As for sex and rebellion, have you read Shakespeare? He and other playwrights covered those themes extensively especially in tales such as Romeo... | [
"The concept of teenagers as a distinct group identity is actually a fairly modern construction that had a lot to do with the postwar boom in the US and the profitability of youth culture. I would assume that dynamic never really existed in North Korea and the government oppresses teenagers the same way they oppres... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
What were we actually hearing during the classic dial-up sound? | [
"The modems are testing each other to make sure they are data modems, exchange capabilities, and test the line for the best connection."
] | [
"A blueshifted, speeded up version of the history of Earth."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why does adding numbers and symbols to a password make it more secure | [
"It increases the \"depth\" required for a brute-force attack. If you knew, for example, that a password were all lower-case letters, you would have to try only 26 characters for each position. For an 8-character password, there are 26^8 possible passwords to try. If you use upper and lower cases, it goes to 52^8, ... | [
"For maximum paranoia, take the combo Serpent-Twofish-AES. It means you data is encrypted thrice which slows the process though. No matter which you pick, the weakest link tends to be your passphrase. To get peace of mind, pick something of at least 20 characters (which isn't that hard to remember if it's a sentenc... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why does olive oil have 100+ calories per serving and olive oil cooking spray have 0? | [
"For the same reason that a Tic-Tac which is 100% sugar can be sold as sugar free Rounding The FDA says that you can round the values so if your product has less than 0.5 grams per serving you can report it as having 0 grams. My cooking spray says to use a 1/4 second spray(0.25 grams), if the entire spray is only a... | [
"Nope, natural products contain saturated fats, it has nothing to do with cooking. For example, olive oil contains about 13% saturated and 85% unsaturated fats. Butter, on the other hand, has a lot, and so does coconut oil."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
The USA military ranking system. | [
"There is a huge difference between rank progression in wartime, vs promotions in peacetime. For instance, a \"bird colonel\" in the Army during peacetime, might have 25 to 30 years service and probably be in his 50's. During WW2 there were \"bird colonels\" who were in their late 20's and had less than 6-8 years... | [
"Tawain does have a military and international support and recognition. _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
What is the evolutionary purpose of aging? | [
"This is sort of like asking \"What is the engineering purpose of wear and tear?\" It's not so much a feature as it is a basic question of entropy: things just break down over time. That being said, without death evolution wouldn't work; older generations need to make room for younger generations in order for them... | [
"So what is it about human physiology that makes this work differently for us?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why aren’t all bullets pointy like a needle tip? | [
"My understanding: A needle-like tip would cause the round to go straight through the target. The blunt tip slows the bullet as it strikes and causes the round to \"mushroom\" causing greater damage and providing more \"stopping power\". Certain military rifle rounds are much more pointy than, say, a handgun round ... | [
"Vests use fibers, very strong fibers made from Kevlar or Spectra. These fibers will stop most blunt objects but knives are sharp, they can both cut and/or separate the fibers and allow penetration. Very sharp bullets can do the same thing. Soft-armor piercing handgun rounds are pointy and basically do the same thi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do candles suddenly have a completely different smell when blown out? | [
"The smoke, gases and fumes that appear when you blow the candle out have been being burned by the candle for fuel so you don't smell them."
] | [
"They are coated with a petroleum or tar substance which is what burns. Here is a fun experiment: get a metal tray and some cotton balls. Try burning a cotton ball. Now dip one is rubbing alcohol and light it. Burns hot and fast, eh? Now smear some Vaseline on one and light it. Now it burns a long time. Kind of soo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Science:"
} |
Why is it harder for an American to (believably) imitate a British accent than it is for a British person to imitate a an "American accent" | [
"Source please. I suspect you're thinking that Brits can imitate an \"American accent\" better because you are not very familiar with it versus you are very familiar with a \"British accent.\" You're naturally going to be more perceptive of mistakes in your own dialect than another ones."
] | [
"Not sure what you mean, there are various American accents as well that are portrayed in movies. A guy from Texas isn't going to speak the same way as a guy from New York, and a guy from New York doesn't speak the same way as a guy from California. These accents are solidified in plenty of movies."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why are black, brown, blonde, and red/orange the only really natural hair colors? As apposed to people being born with blue or green hair for example. | [
"Probably the same reason there are so few bright-blue deer - it would get you eaten by a wolf or a bear. All natural hair colors are fairly effective camouflage."
] | [
"A lot of people seem to think that there is a gene for \"I have this color of hair for the rest of my life,\" but this isn't true. Most genetic expression is far more complicated than the average layperson assumes. Different colors of pubic hair is actually pretty common. My cousin is blonde and has red facial hai... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
The rules of cricket and how it's played | [
"I hope this sites will help to you.. [How to play cricket](_URL_1_) [Rules of Cricket](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"Many games don't guarantee a winner. Ties are common in almost all sports, from Boxing to Soccer. The remedy is a tie-breaker, which is just another round (or extended time), the same thing that happens in tic-tac-toe. It's an easy game to play, an easy game to learn/explain, and requires almost nothing in the way... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why can't people agree on medical facts? | [
"It's very difficult to definitively prove or disprove a lot of things. Take, for instance, the idea that eggs are good for you. Well, first, you have to define \"good\"; do they cause everything to improve? Some things? Do they cause more things to improve than things they cause to deteriorate? Do they cause impro... | [
"Why did it take so long for anyone to figure out anything? There's no good way to answer this question."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment about Education:"
} |
What makes DMT the "most" illegal drug? | [
"unfortunately drug culture through prohibition and the crowd it attracts accrues the most dumb myths and language."
] | [
"Its an amphetamine, It isn't necessarily healthy for you and it can become habit forming. Need a better explanation?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do cough syrups work? | [
"\"Cough syrup\" is a generic name for a wide variety of medications, all designed to reduce coughing. They have one or more active ingredients, especially: -One of a number of cough suppressants that reduce how often you cough - One of a number of expectorants that thin the mucus do that when you do cough, you get... | [
"To clear the urinary tract so as to prevent UTI's."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why are black, brown, and blonde the only hair colours? Obviously slight variations exist, but wheres the navy-blue, green, purple, and yellow? | [
"Bright colors are used for a few reasons in nature. 1) as a warning - animal is poisonous or venomous 2) to attract a mate - people speak so not really necessary for us 3) camoflage - green can be a color for camoflage except only in certain evironments. People used to be nomadic and settled down in many dif... | [
"A lot of people seem to think that there is a gene for \"I have this color of hair for the rest of my life,\" but this isn't true. Most genetic expression is far more complicated than the average layperson assumes. Different colors of pubic hair is actually pretty common. My cousin is blonde and has red facial hai... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why do people go to 'For-profit' schools instead of community colleges despite the fact that they're insanely expensive and don't offer good career prospects? | [
"They get sucked in by the marketing. Commercials on TV. And they will dump a shit-ton of loan money on you just by signing your name. You won't even realize how much debt you're in until you graduate and you realize that you have to pay back $140000."
] | [
"It's a 2 year college based in a specific county. Generally only residents of the county it's based in can attend the community college. You can get an associate's degree there or transfer out to a 4 year college/university. Unfortunately they've gotten bad publicity of late because it's seen as low class to go t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What does it mean to die of "natural causes?" | [
"It's mostly a distinction used in the legal profession. Technically being eaten by a lion is a very natural way to die, but we wouldn't call that natural causes. A cause of death can be accidental, murder, disease, or natural causes. Accidental is you fall off a bridge. Murder is somebody pushed you. Disease wou... | [
"No, dying of an infection now is worse."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is AIDS usually connected with homosexuality? | [
"it is much easier for men to give people HIV through the bodily injection of semen than it is for women to give HIV. HIV can easily go from man to man or man to woman, but not so easily from woman to man or woman to woman. M to M to M to M to M, and you see why it has such a devastating effect on the gay male comm... | [
"What you talking about, Willis??? HIV and AIDS are epidemic in rural India and Southeast Asia. They're also rising in parts of China, but they won't release official figures."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why are most other resolutions named by their width (1080p, 720p) but 4K resolution is named after its height (3840, instead of 2160)? | [
"I think the width and height are backwards in the title, but I know what you mean. I think it's a marketing ploy. 1080p and 720p are technical terms related to screen resolution and refresh rate (720i refreshes every other line of vertical resolution at a time, and 720p refreshes all lines at once). A TV manufactu... | [
"720p is 1280x720, which is 921,600 pixels. 1080p is 1920x1080, which is 2,073,600 pixels, or almost exactly 2 megapixels."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why do you think you look one way when looking in a mirror (good) and then worse when looking at pictires/front facing camera (bad)? | [
"The others have mentioned the reverted image, and to an extent that is correct. However, when you begin to look at cameras, the focal length of the camera can affect what you look like, by exaggerating some of your features etc. Here is a pretty cool [example](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"No. When you look at the side of your face you see the same thing that everyone else does when they look at the side of your face. If people saw the side of your face/head when they looked you in the eye they would be looking you in the ear. That would be weird. It seems you're asking \"do people see me as attract... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
How does a food company determine what a serving size is? | [
"They're required to put the nutrition on their labels, but after that it's fair game. They typically want to put a nice number on there for calories but will disguise by dividing it and calling it a \"serving size\". People will see \"100 calories\" and like that part, even if there are 10 servings and the whole t... | [
"Companies that produce both “regular” and gluten-free varieties of a product want to make this difference very easily, visually distinguishable. It’s essentially a marketing decision."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why is more fiber suggested as a cure for both constipation and diarrhea? | [
"For diarrhea, the fiber will bulk up your stool because it is non-digestible. The little fibers will bond together like paper or plywood and solidify the excrement. For constipation, it's sort of the same deal. The fiber is non digestible and comprises a good part of the stool. This time it helps though because it... | [
"For the most part it's the other way around. People get dehydrated because they have diarrhea due to sickness, etc. When you have diarrhea you aren't absorbing the water from your digestive tract, which causes the dehydration."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
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