query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Why Canadians are eating cucumbers from Mexico while they grow cucumber in greenhouses? | [
"Because it is cheaper to cultivate, grow and harvest and ship cucumbers from Mexico to Canada than it is to do the same in a greenhouse in Canada."
] | [
"It's grown in other areas that have different harvest seasons, and then shipped around the world to supermarkets. You can buy pumpkins and watermelons year round, as well, but when it's not the local harvest season the price goes up beyond what you might want to pay."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are some over the counter medications in bottles while others are in plastic sheets in a box? | [
"They're called [blister packs.](_URL_0_) There are a few benefits to them. Pills on one are less exposed to the environment, so they keep better- for some drugs, it makes a big difference. It's easy to label them, even if someone tears of a section with just one pill, to carry around. And, if someone is suicidal a... | [
"The same way any store stocks anything. They have a storeroom where they keep medications in bulk bags, boxes, and bottles. If you have a prescription, they just take the prescribed number of pills out of the bulk bag of pills for that drug in the prescribed dose. Liquid medications can be a bit different because ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why has the US become so much more successful than other former European colonies? | [
"After WW2 Europe needed to rebuild, America on the other hand was no where near the fighting and came out of the war with hundreds of new factories and an entire generation of workers. They were able to start manufacturing immediately and begin aiding Europe which established diplomatic ties with pretty much every... | [
"Because a large part of the population was fed a string of lies about how much better life would be out of the EU."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do we get sick from eating raw chicken and other raw meats but cats and other animals don't? | [
"It should be noted that you don't necessarily get sick *because it's raw*. You get sick because you haven't heated up bacteria inside the meat and killed it all. With the way chicken is slaughtered, shipped, and sitting on a shelf waiting for you at the grocery story, there's lots of time for contamination and bac... | [
"We can, and many in fact do. And contrary to popular belief, humans are no more likely to get sick or get parasites from raw meat than any other animal that eats raw meat is. edit: doesn't mean that this is 100% safe, just means more animals than people realize get parasites and/or get sick. That said, i eat raw ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What is this controversy about red coffee cups right now? | [
"It's not really a controversy. It's just some guy who wants to make people mad. Starbucks standard cup doesn't mention Christmas. That's it, that's the whole controversy."
] | [
"More importantly: why are you pouring milk in open wounds?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
With all the political arguments happening on reddit, I don't know what it means when someone is "left" or "right". | [
"Left and right signify what side issues you land on. Left is associated with being more liberal and right is associated with being more conservative. In our current political climate, this means Left is Democratic and Right is Republican, though there is a bit more nuance when you talk about individual issues."
] | [
"Reddit as a website skews young, especially on the default subreddits. Reddit also skews liberal (which I am too). As a result, you get a bunch of 15-18 year olds yelling about politics they have only recently started to be interested in and learn about and which they barely understand. They lack an awareness of c... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
what is the difference between a motel, hotel, and a hostel? | [
"Motel-\"Motor Hotel\". Cheap, usually low quality lodgings, intended for road travelers. Motels usually don't have a real interior, and are arranged like apartments, with rooms accessible from the exterior. Hostel-Cheap communal lodgings. Usually arranged more like a dorm, with shared bathrooms and assigned roomm... | [
"I believe motel actually is a contraction; short for motor hotel. Thus, in a motel you are able to actually drive right up to your room which usually opens to the outside."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why is St Patrick's day so popular in countries other than Ireland? | [
"It was celebrated in America originally because of a large amount of people with irish decent that took pride in their heritage"
] | [
"England is at the bottom, below Scotland and to the Right of Wales. It is one country. Great Britain and Britain are the same thing and mean the collection of England, Scotland and Wales. The UK is Britain plus Northern Ireland. The full name is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or for the ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer about Geography:"
} |
Why do hospitals insist on wheeling you out in a wheelchair when you are discharged? | [
"To reduce the chances of anything happening to you while you're still their problem. Though this doesn't seem to happen that much in the UK - when I had my gall bladder out a couple of years back I walked out about 6 hours later."
] | [
"The ambulance comes. They get cared for, taken to the emergency room, get treated. Then they start getting really large bills that they cannot pay and end up declaring bankruptcy."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Is time travel technically possible? | [
"we are all traveling through time right now! but really, time travel in the sci fi sense, probably not. maybe some conceptual stuff involving worm holes and other unproven physics, but otherwise, the only form of time travel we have is the fact that if I get on a space ship and do a few laps at near speed of light... | [
"Nothing can travel faster than light. It's the absolutely speed limit of the Universe. So it's terrifically difficult to answer this question."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why does washing or soaking sore feet help them feel better? | [
"Because being in water reduces stress on the muscles. Also, if the water is warm it relaxes the tension in the muscles."
] | [
"Cold compresses do not help with healing, they reduce swelling which can make the injury more pleasant. It is like taking a painkiller, we don't do that to make the wound heal faster."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How did the Baby Boomers "screw up" the economy? | [
"In my Country (The UK) The older generation got on the property market when housing was cheaper (when compared to the average Salary at the time). Now housing is ridiculously expensive. I'm talking 9 times the average salary to buy a 2 bedroom apartment in the south of England where the majority of jobs are. The B... | [
"Here's what I learned from this thread: - Life wasn't really that good anyway - It's my own fault for not saving - My standards are higher than people back then - We have too many bills now - Women joined the workforce - The politicians did it - The jobs went overseas - Corporate executives are taking more money t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How shazam really works ?? | [
"It's been asked a lot, latest being 10 days ago: _URL_2_ _URL_0_ _URL_1_"
] | [
"I knows what you are listening to , the more you use spotify the better the selection gets."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
why are food labels required to state that there is no known difference between rBGH and non-rBGH products, but the same is not true for GMO vs. non-GMO foods? | [
"These are not mandatory labels, they are voluntary. The activists are pushing for mandatory labels for ingredients derived from GM crops. Ironically the same ruling which struck down mandatory rGBH labeling will be used on any law requiring labeling forgm crops"
] | [
"In Chemistry, it means anything made of carbon. With food, it means stuff grown without using synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or genetic modifications or from animals raised without the use of growth hormone or antibiotics. So there is a real definition that can be measured, but it's questionable whet... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about science:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence about science:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why do we say words in certain orders, and then find it so weird to say it reverse? | [
"It's the same brain pathway creation on display when you attempt to brush your teeth with your nondominant hand. You can do it but it doesn't feel right Your brain has long term memory that has pathways formed over thousands of repetition. When you change the game, saying a common phrase in reverse or using your n... | [
"In short, it is super hard work for the translator. They sometimes have to change the meaning a little bit in order to make the words fit. But often they are just able to try out different words to find something that fits, since there are many ways to say the same thing."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why isn't there really low levels of oxygen in densely populated cities due to a lack of trees? | [
"The atmosphere is made of gases. They mix, really easily. Plus most of the world's oxygen isn't made by trees, it's made in the oceans by plankton."
] | [
"There is a thing called oxygen poisoning which is the result of too much oxygen in the lungs. However if you lower the pressure you end up with just as much oxygen as in normal atmosphere. This is used in some space capsules and in space suits."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
How does cooking spray have zero calories? | [
"All calories can be rounded to the nearest 5 calories. I believe anything under 5 can be rounded to 0 (it may be anything under 2... I'm not sure). But it's definitely an artefact of rounding, likely only possible because a spray of cooking oil contains such a small amount of liquid. Drink 1L of the stuff though, ... | [
"It means it contains 0 calories which in reality means it could contain 0.2 or 0.5 calories. Before you go chugging it, check what else it may contain like sodium or caffeine. Water is best."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why does it become dark immediately when I switch off the light? What happened to the photons of light that were emitted by the light source? | [
"You mean are photons that were emitted just previously still traveling at the instantaneous moment the light turns off? Well, yeah, but they move at the speed of light. In case you don't realize how fast that is, light could circle the earth over 7 times a second."
] | [
"The light would bounce around in on the walls in the box. Every time a bounce occurs, most of the light's energy is transferred to heat in the walls. And since the light moves at the speed of light, it will very quickly bounce many times, and all of its energy will be absorbed by the box in the form of heat. It wi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why don't I have cell reception in hospitals? | [
"I do IT in a major hospital. I can answer this. The walls are super strong and/or thick. Having a fire would be a HUGE issue in a building full of oxygen tanks and disabled people. Due to the fire risk the buildings are kind of compartmentalized. In case of a fire, it shouldn't be able to spread very far. The down... | [
"We're not supposed to use our phones at gas stations?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why do muscles start shaking when i try to keep them still/at a precise location? | [
"Because your nerves and muscles aren't 100% accurate, making your movement undershoot or overshoot the location you want your body part to be. To compensate your nervous system keeps adjusting the amount of strength your muscles need to contract by to. ie undershooting - > increasing contraction - > overshooting- ... | [
"Because you weren't moving and gripping things (at least not much) while you were asleep. So your muscles are colder and more stiff because of the lack of movement. However once you do start moving, and your muscles warm up, you'll be able to do things normally. This is the same reason as to why your legs or arms ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do services like 1and1 possess the capability to sell domain names? Who owns them before they are bought? | [
"No one owns it before you buy it. When the West was being settled, and the government offered \"free land,\" you still had to pay to have the deed recorded at the county level. Registering a domain is exactly the same concept. No one owns it before you do, but it costs money to acknowledge your newfound ownership... | [
"You can totally register a domain name independently. Go to a registrar with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and register the name you want. You pay around twenty dollars and get that registration for a year; you have to renew it if you want to keep it. Or, you can go to a website l... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is it so hard to rebuild your credit? | [
"For the same reasons you are less likely to trust a criminal, even if they aren't currently in jail. Past actions are a decent indicator of future actions. If you failed to fulfill your past financial obligations in the past, a lender sees that as a sign that you are more likely to fail at paying them back on time... | [
"Isn't it just another way to take your mind off it?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Health:"
} |
How does hit detection work in first-person shooters? | [
"[check out this video by Gameranx that talk about bullet physics in games](_URL_0_) the player basicly have a lazer pinting straight ahead, if a enemy is touching the lazer when the player press the trigger, the enemy will get hit. some realistic games have a delay from the player pulling the trigger to the enemy ... | [
"The engine creates the game's graphics (including environments, lighting, animation etc), sound, gameplay (including things like physics, mechanics, AI, etc), basically everything that you see and hear in your games. It is the 'behind the scenes' software that the developer used to make the game. Different engines... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why do my ears pop when my flight is ascending? Isn't the aircraft's cabin pressurized? | [
"It is pressurized, but not to the same air pressure as the airport. It's usually pressurized to the equivalent to being just over a mile in altitude although it can vary depending on the aircraft."
] | [
"At high altitudes the atmospheric pressure is very low - there's less air than there is down at the surface. If the plane wasn't pressurized there wouldn't be enough air to breathe."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How are movies that were not shot in high definition re-released as Blu-Ray? | [
"Films are shot on analog FILM media. Film is 10x better quality than bluray cause its supposed to be watched on a 100ft screen, not your average 50inch screen"
] | [
"They draw in new subscriber's, movies can be shown in theaters, movies and tv shows and be syndicated on television or sold to consumers (like iTunes/Google Play or Blu-ray)."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why are there so many different types of buttons (clothing)? | [
"Well it comes down to personal preference and style like almost anything in the clothing industry does. Wouldn't it be more efficient for all shirts and pants to be the same? It would standardize and save money for everyone. But then you would lack a competing economy necessary in a capitalist society. Another fun... | [
"It has a few different meanings in different contexts. What setting are we talking about?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about finance:"
} |
What's the deal with salmon? Surely they don't **always** spawn in the same river where they were born. | [
"I can only answer the 2nd question. They don't give up. They try to swim up the rapids until they die of exhaustion or get eaten by bears or other predators. But the first option is not common since they evolved over thousands of years to ace those rapids with ease. Those who don't, well, natural selection takes c... | [
"They don't want to drown in the water that fills the soil where they are. So...they move topside. It's not a foolproof strategy, needless to say."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
What accounts for people having their own distinct voice? | [
"The different shape of their vocal cords and projection area (the mouth and throat) combined with different uses. That is to say, the way your \"vocal area\" is shaped, and how you manipulate it with the muscles in the area greatly effects the sound that comes out."
] | [
"Because children also have access to the internet."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why is it that light-colored objects like white t-shirts become clear when they're wet, but things like hair become darker? | [
"the fibers in a shirt absorb water. when the fibers absorb the water they expand and allow more light through. the exact opposite happens with hair like fibers. they absorb the water and stick to each other. therefore they let less light though. the color also plays a role. light colors will absorb less light than... | [
"Without getting too chemical/physical, the light bounces off of the rough edges of the dry paper and reflects back to your eyes. When it’s soaked in a liquid, the light travels through more uniformly and doesn’t bounce back as much, so you can kinda see through the paper. It’s the same reason ice is more transpare... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do they make those super tall piles of dirt at construction sites? | [
"Dump trucks to dump the stuff, bull dozers are used to push it into a pile. If the base gets too big they use a back hoe and scoop up piles that that they place on top."
] | [
"IIRC, they use spray bottles full of adhesives to make the sand stick, then shape the sand into the sculpture."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why does printing off money cause inflation? | [
"Printing money doesn't create wealth; it just redistributes it. Imagine an economy with an output of 100 pillows with $100 in total currency. Each pillow is worth 1% of the economy, or $1. If I print out $100 I haven't increased the wealth of my economy. Each pillow is still 1% of the economy, which is now $2. All... | [
"They increase the pay. This is fine because the government prints more money, in higher amounts. Not that it really matters because money is completely worthless at that point. In the worst hyperinflation, money at the current price becomes worhtless in less than a day. The thing is that any ability companies had ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
What is 4chan, and particularly /b/? | [
"4chan is an imageboard. Imagine Reddit with pictures for subjects instead of actual subjects. Don't just ask about it, head on over and check it out for yourself. You'll get a much better understanding of how it works. Here's the very work-safe literature board; _URL_0_ You're not going to get a virus, no one is... | [
"Reddit, why do people put Reddit in the title, Reddit?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:"
} |
Why does Reddit hate the Koch brothers? | [
"Not sure if trolling. If not...they own the second largest privately owned company in the United States and contribute lots of money to right-wing politicians. They are philosophically on the opposite end of the spectrum as the majority of Redditors."
] | [
"What about the US election do you want explained, specifically?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why does running your credit report often lower your credit score? | [
"In the UK, [it doesn't](_URL_0_). > Credit-application footprints can affect your credit score, but other search footprints, such as those created by ID checks or quotations, cannot. I don't know if the same applies in other countries. But if running a credit report *does* affect your score, it would be because p... | [
"That's not true. Soft inquiries on your credit don't lower your score. That's for things like background checks, or anytime you check your own credit. Hard credit inquiries do lower your score. A hard credit inquiry happens when you apply for credit somewhere. So, it's not just looking at your credit that lowers... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How is the value of a new floating currency determined? | [
"every morning in the market square they will auction off one forex. however many goats the winning bid is gets translated to their weight in salt and the salt is then sold on the open market. the value of the salt then becomes the price of one forex for the day. this process is repeated at 4:37 every morning."
] | [
"The cost of a single episode is in the millions."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why is every known tax higher in California yet the state is having a financial crisis and provides very little to no extra service to their citizens? | [
"Simple, Prop 13, which severely limited Property Taxes and killed a major vein of cash to every local government in California: _URL_1_ Sadly, the way it is written it is unlikely to change anytime soon."
] | [
"Basically high taxes, unemployment, income stagnation, bad schools and rising rent make it both better to leave the state and difficult to justify moving to the state. For businesses, taxes are so high that it makes almost no sense to open up shop in the area. On top of that the best candidates for employment are ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Jet wing tips. Why are some flat, some have vertical section that goes up and some have a section that goes up and down | [
"A Wingtip device or winglet's can increase performance, fuel efficiency and or safety by reducing vortex's and increasing lift (without increasing overall wingspan) on the wings tip and smoothing the air flow. This wasn't copy and paste but here is one [source](_URL_0_) of info anyway."
] | [
"The vast majority lift comes from the angle of the wings rather than from the shape of the wings. You can fly upside down as long as you tilt the wings up a little more than usual Most stunt planes have symmetric wings rather than a flat bottom and curved to because being symmetric makes it a bit easier to stay up... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What makes an ACL injury more severe than an MCL injury? | [
"The ACL attaches the bottom of the femur to the top of the tibia and is accompanied by the PCL. The MCLs are on either side of the femur attaching it to the tibia. The ACL moves the femur back on the tibia when you stand up straight. This is called screw home position. It allows you to stand without using much of ... | [
"Well, ligaments are the tissue that attach bones to other bones. The ACL, and MCL, are important because they're connecting the top and bottom halves of the leg. With a torn ACL, your leg has veeeeeery little support at the knee. Its difficult to put weight on it, and even more difficult to apply any force to push... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do we have fancy unhackable standardized lotto machines but when it comes to voting we're still in the 1980s? | [
"The major difference is the voting system cannot provide the voter with proof of their vote. That would make it possible to buy votes. A rich, bad actor, could offer $X for each person's proof they voted a certain way. With this limitation, many technically feasible solutions for accurate and safer voting systems ... | [
"Man you Americans and your retro credit card Tech. Wireless terminals, chip and pin and contactlees has been standard in Europe for a good few years now. Feels wrong to let someone take your card away now."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer about Technology:"
} |
How does a zipping program such as winrar, 7-zip etc. works? | [
"Let me give you a super simple compression algorithm: number followed by a character. I want to compress AAABBCDDDD. This compresses to 3A2B1C4D. I went from 10 characters to 8, which is not particularly impressive, especially because you have to have the \"rules\" for the compression at the beginning of a compres... | [
"Yes you got it. Its a compressed file that decompresses on the fly when you play it. Its similar to winzip or winrar which are other lossless compression formats."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why don't rovers on other planets or satellites in space ever take true video? | [
"Probably because videos take a relatively large amount of storage space compared to photos, and they would take very long periods of time to transmit. Seeing as how there's no real added value to a video versus a picture when nothing is moving, there's not a great reason to do it other than \"because we can\". \"B... | [
"Some locations we're very cautious of landing on because of potential biological contamination, like Europa. That being said, we could totally land an object there and rove around. But satellites let you see the entire surface. You probably want to find interesting landing sites first, then send your rover, which ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How did the first computer coding get "written" if there wasn't a "language" to write it in beforehand? | [
"Computers cannot understand programming languages directly. They have to be \"compiled\" or \"interpreted\" into the native language of the computer. This \"native language\" is simply an arrangement of 1 and 0 bits that tell the computer what to do. For humans, reading a long string of 1's and 0's is tedious and ... | [
"Because it hasn't been programmed to recognize that fact. Computers have gotten much faster over the years, but at the end of the day, they aren't \"smart\", they just very precisely follow instructions that are given to them. If a person hasn't created a particular ability into a piece of software, it's not going... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How can you ever be sure that two things that reproduce asexually are in the same species? | [
"You can genetically sequence them and if their genomes match up (barring minor mutations) then you can say they're the same species. You can also use a series of tests, such as growing them in different environments and using chemical markers that react differently to different byproducts, to determine how they re... | [
"This is going to depend on how you want to define an organism. One could argue that they are the same, since they will share a vascular system and will exchange the products of photosynthesis between the two distinct tissues. I would argue that they are separate. They still retain individual sex organs and under t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why do I get tears in my eyes after I yawn? | [
"We use a lot of muscles in our face while yawning. This causes tension on the eye lids. And this opens the lacrimal glands."
] | [
"And why do I have the urge to cough when using them?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What rule, or how is it that in American Football you're able to get away with "fake plays"? | [
"Why not? The team with possession followed all the rules, the ball was hiked, making it in play, and quarterbacks are allowed to run with the ball. What the team with possession probably did is not give a a snap count (like \"hut, hut, hike!\"); however, while this is done 99% of the time, it isn't required. So, s... | [
"I ask as someone who plays rugby, where a try is essentially the equivalent of a touchdown and lateral passes in a 2on1 situation are a common feature. Though I suppose in rugby it’s not legal for the defender to slap the ball down once it’s in the air after being passed."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
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How does the autofocus system on a digital camera know when something is in focus? | [
"Most or all DSLRs use computer analysis. The camera scans the image and looks for hard edges that contrast when something is in focus. When it can see, for example, black pixels next to white pixels, it knows that it must be in focus, because if it was blurry, there wouldn't be a clear separation between black and... | [
"For the most part, the front cameras do not need to focus a large landscape or a lot of detail, because a selfie's main point of focus is the person's face. On the other hand, the back camera has a lot of different types of photos it has to deal with, and so require a more powerful camera that can take photos ran... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
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Why do you have to fast before getting certain blood tests? | [
"it depends on the blood tests, however, its typically to get rid of all the fats and sugars that are suspended in your blood following a meal. If you fast, then your body will process those fats and sugars from your blood. Whats left over are the risiduals which are produced by your body (ie, chloresteral, insulin... | [
"Your doctor is having a go at you. Allergy tests cost betwen $60-$1000, depending on whether bloodwork is required. Fire him and go to a different medical center."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is our breathing involuntary until we start to think about it, then it becomes voluntary? | [
"Evolutionarily, there were advantages for us to be able to control our breathing (hide from predators in silence, swim under water without downing, avoid noxious odors etc.). I can't think of any beneficial reason to stop your heart from beating, which almost immediately impairs our brain, which is our biggest evo... | [
"It's the same instinct that makes you hold your breath when you're about to put out some serious physical strain, why exactly we do it is not sure, some say it's to focus on the physical activity without the bother of breathing. But for pain it's indeed counter-productive. Edit: Came to realize we probably hold ou... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Psychology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Psychology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Biology:"
} |
Common law and civil law. | [
"Assuming that you're asking about the difference between the two - common law does not have a 'masterlist' of specific rules, but instead refers to how previous similar cases have been judged in order to judge new cases. Civil law, on the other hand, does have a 'masterlist' to refer to outlining the proceedures f... | [
"You signed an agreement about limitations and their liberties with the service."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
can someone explain how and why analogue is different than digital in context of computer processing power? | [
"Computers are digital, they can’t comprehend analogue signals. Any analogue signal must first be converted into a digital approximation for the computer to understand and store. To that end... there’s no such thing as a “difference in processing power”, as analogue signals don’t exist from the computer’s point of ... | [
"Im not an expert but I can point out that they aren't the same types of data. NASA is basically sending text and images and the time it takes to transmit doesn't matter. Phone companies are in the business of transferring instantaneous high quality audio. They are two different problems with different acceptable s... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Science and Technology:"
} |
why does taking a hot shower make any burns you have look 1000x worse? | [
"When your skin is hot, the underlying blood vessels expand to allow more heat to be shed as it is carried by the blood. This also makes the skin appear more red than usual. Burned skin results in a thinner layer of skin until it can fully heal, so it appears even more red than other areas. If the burns have left s... | [
"I have ulcerative colitis and when my stomach can't digest the food and makes my stomach hurt it relaxes the muscles and makes the pain go away 100%."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the document about health:"
} |
When did Americans get stereotyped as "lazy"? | [
"I think it's more of a insult than anything. I don't think Americans are lazy at all since we are over worked. If a company is somewhat good they will give 10 holiday days off."
] | [
"As a red blooded Scot I am unaware of a \"greedy\" stereotype. Do you mean \"miserly\"?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why do we only smell smells when we inhale? | [
"I'm by no means an expert in biology, but I did work in odour analysis for a number of years. When you inhale. You bring outside air in over the olfactory receptor cells in your nose. When you exhale, the airflows over a slightly different pathway, plus some of the odorous molecules are absorbed by your body If yo... | [
"Because 90% of what we think is taste is actually smell. Which is why people who have lost the ability to smell lose interest in eating as well. When you breathe, you also smell, if you reduce breathing, you reduce smelling and your sense of taste declines."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do our favorite Songs get annoying at some point? | [
"I think it's similar to watching the same movie over and over again. You know exactly what will happen next and your brain starts to crave new information."
] | [
"You can only say the same thing over and over for so long."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How are vendors outside of stadiums able to sell NFL/MLB/NBA/NHL licensed merchandise without getting shut down? | [
"The merchandise is licensed not the vendors. They are perfectly legal as long as they have the licensed tags."
] | [
"Most of the money comes from the TV contract. The TV station that shows the games has to pay a lot of money to the teams and the NBA. There are two other important sources of Money: Ticket/food sales at home games, and merchandise. The team makes a lot of money on selling tickets, beer, food and other stuff at ho... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why are there a heart-shaped holes on the doors of outside toilets in movies? | [
"I've mostly seen hearts, stars, crescent moons and green clovers so me thinks it for ventilation."
] | [
"Because they're not allowed to use chewing tobacco in the dugouts anymore"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
What's the difference between GDP and GNP? | [
"If a South Korean Factory makes and sells a $10 widget that is +10 GDP for SK. Now. If the factory spends $8 (on parts labour etc) and makes $2 profit, which is sent back to the American owners, then that's +8 GNP for South Korea and +2 GNP for the USA."
] | [
"Not a huge strain. The total cost to the country is about $182 Billion per year, a bit under 1% of our annual productivity."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Are there any animals (identified as animals) that can both see and feed upon single celled organisms? | [
"It depends upon what you think of as a single cell. An egg is a single cell, algae can be single celled though living in colonies, fungi like yeast are again single cells."
] | [
"They can't? Some fish might be able to see better in low light, just like some land animals, but nothing can see in pure darkness."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
how come you can hear the sea in a sea shell? | [
"You are actually hearing the blood flow through your ears producing natural vibrations."
] | [
"Imma answer your question, but first let me tell you about this time I watered the lawn on a warm july afternoon, there were clouds in the sky and childrens laughter.... ok seriously, who knows, maybe they just like to hear themselves type, or create an emotional connection to the recipe, perhaps they are just kil... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why do Americans generally not learn any second languages? | [
"The TA in my first semester German class in college was from Germany. She was fluent in German, English, French and Spanish. She said the more languages she knew the better her job prospects would be in Europe. She also referred to English as 'the language of commerce\" and explained that is why people across the ... | [
"English is the language of business in Europe and Pacific Rim. American kids learn English as their primary language. European and Asian kids don't, so they learn it as a secondary language at a young age."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How does a small child know intuitively that, for instance, a chihuahua and an Irish wolfhound are both dogs when they look so different? | [
"A small child would absolutely *not* instinctively know that. A small child that knows what a dog is in general (say, they grew up with a golden retriever) will recognise similar dogs as a dog but might not recognise a chihuahua, or a yorkie, or anything radically different as a dog. A small child might also rec... | [
"Okay, so. Picture a dog (canis lupus familiaris). What dog did you picture? Actually, it doesn’t matter what breed of dog you pictured, because it’s still a dog (canis lupus familiaris) no matter if it was a schnauzer, boxer, beagle, or even chihuahua, they’re all just dogs. Those are different breeds, or strains,... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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} |
Domain Name System (DNS) | [
"Every computer on the internet has a number, an IP address. Those computers are responsible for things like showing you a website. But it would be difficult to remember numbers for each site you want to see. So we made DNS, which takes names like _URL_0_ and figures out the right number for you."
] | [
"The search bar is your friend: * _URL_3_ * _URL_1_ * _URL_2_ * _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
How/Why would water boil in space due to pressure, despite space being deadly freezing cold? | [
"Not a perfect metaphor but I'll take a shot. Imagine a ball pit. On earth, gravity keeps all the balls in unless something pushes them out. In zero gravity, the balls would be free to float away without anything touching them. Water, and liquids in general, are similar. In this situation, Pressure from the air, ou... | [
"Your thinking of it wrong. Cold doesn't transfer to things, heat transfers to things. You can't add cold to a system, you have to take away heat. On earth we have air, which is heated by the sun, and things will lose heat to the air around it until they are at equilibrium. However, in space there is no air for an... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text about Science:"
} |
How can a file which is deleted from a drive, freeing up the amount of memory it originally took up, then be restored? | [
"When you \"delete\" a file, you're just telling the computer to forget that it's there, and use the space *when it needs to.* The computer doesn't go and wipe that section of hard drive, because that would be a waste of time--it just overwrites whatever's there the next time it needs the space. That means you can ... | [
"It doesn't go anywhere. Just like deleting stuff on your computer, the operating system simply changes the memory addresses the data is in as available to be overwritten. The data is still there at first, just not accessible without some unique tools. And future data writing is now allowed to write over it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do we stop being horny after an orgasm? | [
"After we climax, hormones are released that make your johnson go down, and want to chill out, because pumping the same thing after already ejaculating in it is counterproductive to the fertilization process, so its an evolutionary method of making sure the sperm that entered the vagina, stays in the vagina. Howeve... | [
"Because if sex is not pleasant for them, the men are much less likely to ejaculate into their vaginas."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
why does Chrome for iOS reload every tab every time I go to another tab/screen and then click back? | [
"Probably to conserve memory usage. But their methods of doing it are fairly aggressive."
] | [
"What is happening when you hit the back button is that you are going back to the previous page, which (in this case) is actually a redirect page that sends you back to the page you are trying to leave. If you are using Chrome, right click the back button, and select the page to which you want to return."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does the GOP hate unions? | [
"Unions in the United States overwhelmingly support Democratic candidates, with money and with substantial volunteer time. As a practical matter, the GOP doesn't like unions because they fund and support the GOP's political opponents."
] | [
"Follow up: What *were* his reasons for siding with the British?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What's all this Victoria/shutdown crap all about? | [
"This has been asked quite a few times within the past couple of hours. Copy-pasting my answer: A key organizer/moderator of the AMA subreddit named Victoria was terminated from her position with little to no explanation from the higher-ups. She made sure all of the AMAs were set up and went smoothly. The backlash ... | [
"i have no clue what's happening, all i'm hearing is a lotta angry people and bad press. Hoping there's 2 sides to every story. Also who's australia in debt to anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
If food contains so much energy in the kilocalorie scale, why can't we use that energy to power our homes? | [
"We do, its called diesel fuel. They have similar energy densities, and this is why petroleum is the most common form of transportation fuel. For stationary power plans coal is more common, but it is pretty much the same thing, a complex hydrocarbon. Edit: also Ethanol, we straight up turn corn into car fuel someti... | [
"The classic way to determine how many calories something has is to light it on fire and see how much energy it releases by measuring how much heat it produces. But now that we know how many calories are in so many ingredients, we can estimate it pretty well without doing this for each product."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
In the scientific community, peer-reviewed research papers that are subject to criticism and competing theories seem to produce information that is often eventually regarded as "true". Why isn't there a similar system in the world of global news, politics, and economics? | [
"\"How fast is the speed of light\" has an objectively true answer. \"What are optimal tax rates in this place under these circumstances\" does not. You're asking for something that relies on opinion."
] | [
"You assume perhaps that all funded research is either accurate, methodologically sound, or done with intellectual honesty. Too, you may be upset in this particular case because dietary issues are something you know about and have experience with. Think of how many hundreds or even thousands of topics you know noth... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
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Why is it easier to recall someone's voice than his/her smell? | [
"When you meet people you don't often smell them or distinguish between people by their scent since our noses are not that powerful (unlike a dogs) and most people don't have that distinct a scent unless they are wearing perfume. It is much more likely that we hear someones voice and therefore our brain uses that a... | [
"On a tangent, the ability to visualize images is not universal. Some people just don't have it. That does not mean they can't be creative or can't have great imagination, but mental recall of images or visualization of images just is not an universal ability. I'm partially affected, but in my case it only seems to... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Psychology:"
} |
The Bermuda Triangle Phenomenon | [
"There is none, unless you're the type that watches those Ancient Aliens type shows. In the past there were some fairly high profile wrecks / disappearances. There *are* more total incidents of crashes, accidents, etc in that general area than in many other areas, but this is a good example of correlation vs causat... | [
"High Crime + Dwindling Population + Crumbling Infrastructure + Diminishing Jobs = Perceived Shithole."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why does the back of my head and neck tingle with pleasure when I watch videos of people working with their hands? | [
"It's called [ASMR](_URL_0_) and it is not entirely understood. It can be triggered by a varsity of stimuli and each person is different, but it is a pretty good sensation, isn't it?"
] | [
"Why do the glands in my neck burn like high hell when I'm holding back tears?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Psychology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Psychology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do modern games, with limited graphics, that look like a super nintendo could play them, require 512+ Vram? | [
"Even though they were simple by today's standards, old console games were programmed *very* efficiently because the hardware wasn't very powerful. With today's modern hardware, most video game designers don't need to be as careful or efficient about how many resources their game uses. This goes for nearly all soft... | [
"There should be a framelimiter that prevents the game from running in like 200fps. When more sprites come on screen more resources are used but it should be negligible for a modern day computer. If you get slow downs it could be because poorly coded video drivers, your computer could be poorly optimised (I highly ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about videogame development:",
"pos": "Represent the document about videogame development:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Technology:"
} |
What is a dysfunctional family? | [
"Most families have two parents and children of some age. It is the job of parents to a) provide for the family b) nurture their children as they grow and c) to love each other. A dysfunctional family occurs when either a, b, or c is some how so poorly done that the reverse of what should happen is the reality for ... | [
"How is this different from a standard mutual fund?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How does solar energy get turned into the energy that makes my arm move? | [
"First, a green plant uses the solar energy to drive chemical reactions that build energy-containing molecules out of smaller pieces. The plans creates sugars and starches. Second, you eat the plant, and your body uses these molecules to drive a wide range of chemical reactions that keep you alive. One of these man... | [
"Heat already is energy, it just gets converted into a different kind. The heat is used to boil water to create steam and the steam is used to spin turbines. It's kind of like how we get power from coal, only with a different heat source."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How is Taylor Swift so effectively keeping her new album (1989) off of Youtube and other media outlets when many other albums are leaked and uncontrolled days before the release? | [
"She is very quick to have them pulled down. She is acting....Swiftly."
] | [
"Lots of ways. Advance copies of albums are sent all over the place to get reviewed, radio stations get them, record stores...and those are the more legit ways. It only takes one upload of it somewhere for it to end up on thousands of hard drives. Honesty though, i suspect many of the \"leaks\" these days are done ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why do higher volumes through earbuds/headphones hurt less in noisier environments? | [
"I'm no scientist, but I think it's just because we adapt depending on how loud our surroundings are. If you're in a crowded public place, everything around you is already loud, so it isn't as jarring as if you were in an empty room and it started playing at the same volume. Our ears aren't designed to have headpho... | [
"Active noise cancelling headphones have a microphone attached that listens to background noise and then plays other sounds that cancel out that background with a trick of physics, so you barely hear anything of constant, unchanging noises like engines. Noise isolating headphones just close around your ears and blo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post about Technology:"
} |
Does eating late make you fat? Why do so many people say it makes you fat? | [
"Eating more calories than you burn makes you fat. Eating late could potentially be a factor in that, especially if you are the type to either get so hungry you over-eat or who bridges the time between meals with snacks, but it isn't like if you eat a certain meal at six pm you'll stay slim, but if you eat that mea... | [
"Try to eat the same amount of calories in say brown bread or sugar - one fills you up and one doesn't. ie it's not calories that makes you feel full."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How do brain transplant work? Are they real? And if not, why? | [
"They are not real. The reason for this is due to immensely complicated vasculature (vein/arteries) and the even more complicated nerves connected to the spinal cord. Consider that the spinal cord varies between 1/4 and 1/2 inches in diameter and yet it carries nearly all signals sent between the brain and the body... | [
"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 title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument about Health and wellness:"
} |
The non-standard states of matter | [
"The BE condensate is basically a super-cooled set of dilute matter that has fundamentally strange properties because bosons, unlike fermions, can occupy the same quantum state as eachother. This yields some strange phenomena such as superfluidity (0 viscosity) and superconductivity (zero resistance of electron flo... | [
"Residual images in the individual cones of your eyes."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment about Physics:"
} |
Why do most people not keep memories of being a toddler or even a young child?? | [
"It's because it takes a while for human cognitive skills to form, in particular what's called episodic memory. That's where we remember a specific event. As adults we are able to understand what happened, put it into a context regarding cause, effect etc., and we are able to verbalize what happened in our own thou... | [
"My memories of being 10 are the same now as when I was 30. My memories of being 30 at my age now (62) are much clearer than the memories I had of being 10 when I was 30. However everyone is different and this might not be the experience you have."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Can anyone explain Texas Hold 'em LI5? | [
"Texas Hold 'em is a type of poker where the dealer gives each player two cards. After this, the dealer lays down three cards (called the flop), then one card (the turn), then one more card (the river). These five cards can be used by all players to create the best set of cards. Between each step of the game, the p... | [
"Yes its possible Probable? Dont know Impossible? Doubt it & #x200B; Wont know till you test or show symptoms"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do people's eyes burn when they're tired or exhausted from lack of sleep? | [
"When you are tired, the blink rate slows down and the eyes are not properly lubricated, causing irritation. Studies suggest that computer users blink much less frequently, about four or five blinks per minute. _URL_0_"
] | [
"There are a lot of nerves in our faces. Stimulating these nerves helps to keep you awake. This is why you see babies doing this a lot when they are tired and don't want to go to sleep yet."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Biology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Biology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why my beard itches when is getting longer but than eventually stops after some time? | [
"You eventually get used to the additional amount of manliness you are exhibiting, therefor it stops itching after a while."
] | [
"Because you can't reach it to scrub it well in the shower...so it suffers from a lot of dead skin cell build up which makes it itchy. And even if it's not itchy, once it's scratched you realise it WAS itchy."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why does the body need metals like zinc? | [
"Some special type of enzymes need them to work. They are also part of some cellular structures. So if you do not have them, some cells do not work properly and some chemical reactions made by these enzymes just not happen."
] | [
"Deficiencies in the body. For example, you might crave bananas because your body is low on potassium."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why aren't urinals used in households? | [
"A conventional lavatory pan has two advantages - it can be used by males and females, and you can do a number two in it. Even if you're in a 100% male house, you're still going to need somewhere to poo. A urinal takes up more or less the same amount of space as a conventional lavatory pan, so if you're going to fi... | [
"We aren't at a stage where it is socially palatable to milk women on an industrial scale yet."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
how did mexico get to be such a massive lime honcho? | [
"Potatoes were made in the Andes and are now popular in Ireland and East Europe. Tomatoes and Pasta aren't native to Italy but an Italian would slap you if you said their aren't part of their cuisine. Central America is a good place to grow them and the culture incorporated them into their culture. That's the magic... | [
"thats because the second world countries are doing quite fine the term comes from the cold war era first world: nato & allies (usa, germany, norway..) second world: commies & allies (china, russia, cuba) third world: no block (and therefore irrelevant on the world stage, which usually meant: dirt poor. this is why... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
why bolt action shotguns and pump actions rifle stopped being a thing? | [
"The reason the bolt action shotgun fell out of favor is because a rifle action on a shotgun is non-intuitive. Shotguns are typically used for waterfowl or upland hunting, where snap shots are common, and reloads need to be rapid. A pump allows you to keep both hands in position and keep the shotgun shouldered. Bol... | [
"I feel like this is a question that should be answered by a panel like this. a popular question on this subreddit is why, on the on-set of WWII, America was the only country with a semi-automatic rifle while everyone else were using bolt-action rifles. Is this an accurate depiction of the arsenals of the different... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How does one design a CPU? | [
"I would really love to see a ELI5 of this, since knowing roughly how to explain it i can't really see how it can be simplified to that level."
] | [
"How are you going to change the filter?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why were all animals bigger before? | [
"Roughly 300 million years ago, giant insects scuttled around and fluttered over the planet, with dragonflies bearing wingspans comparable to hawks at two-and-a-half feet. Back then, oxygen made up 35 percent of the air, compared to the 21 percent we breathe now.If the atmosphere in the past held more oxygen, trach... | [
"Its really hard to believe nothing existed. Even with all these theories."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about biology:",
"pos": "Represent the comment about biology:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why is 1-ply toilet paper used in public restrooms? You use more than you would have if it was 2-ply+, and you piss off everyone that uses your business' toilet.. Surely there isn't actually any profit from doing this? | [
"Yeah but it's really hard to clog the toilet with it. Personally I'll hold my poop for days rather than use a public toilet. Nothing says home like dropping a deuce."
] | [
"They take up too much space and are impractical for a house. The reason they have them in public toilets is they're more efficient when lots of people need to use them. It's not like you'll have more than one person using the toilet at the same time in your house."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What happens if there is a sudden revolution/uprising in a country where the Olympics or World Cup is soon to be held? | [
"If it couldn't be moved, it would likely just be canceled. This actually happened in both 1940 and 1944 because Japan and Germany, respectively, would have hosted the Olympics in those years. They were cancelled, obviously, due to World War II."
] | [
"A boycott is still possible but more than likely it would be the FiFA sponsors that would end up forcing a venue change. Qatar would probably be better off now than if the games were actually not held there. They lack the infrastructure to deal with the number of people expected to attend in person, and have essen... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
How do telescopes that capture images very far away (hundreds of light years) get a good sharp shot when you know that the earth rotates slowly | [
"The telescopes are mounted on motors that move it to compensate for the rotation of the earth. This is true for even moderately expensive personal telescopes."
] | [
"Not really. The human eye isn't that good at gathering light. The Andromeda Galaxy is a bit over 2 million light years from Earth. In the sky it is 6 Full Moons across. That's huge. Why can't we see anything more than a small smudge in the sky? Because the human eye sucks at gathering light. In space that wouldn't... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Space telescopes:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Space telescopes:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:"
} |
Climate Change and Why It's Controversial | [
"It's not. There is very little disagreement between climatologists and the like about it. However, non experts, with political agendas, try to pretend that there is."
] | [
"Being Black Does Actually Have (Relatively Minor) Health Consequences, It's Just That They're Obviated By Modern Life. There's An Energy Cost To Have Extra Melanin, Even A Small One, So If You Don't Need It It Won't Be Selected For. Melanin Reduces Vitamin-D Uptake From The Sun If Sunlight Is Lower Than You're Ada... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do some materials ‘feel’ wet when actually they are just cold. | [
"> Why do some materials ‘feel’ wet when actually they are just cold. We don't have \"wetness sensors\" on our skin. We can detect pressure and changes in temperature. Typically speaking water is difficult to change in temperature and a good conductor of heat so it feels cold. But things like metal can also be good... | [
"Because the moisture content of the food item is balancing out with the moisture content of the surrounding air. Hard foods tend to be dry and will therefore absorb moisture and end up softer. On the other hand, soft foods will lose moisture and end up dryer and therefore harder."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Food Science:"
} |
Why don't we launch rockets into orbit along the equator? | [
"It is slightly more efficient near the equator, which is why most rockets are launched from southern states in the U.S. rather than northern states. However, the increased efficiency of launching from even closer to the equator isn't worth the added costs and complications involved of transporting rockets to count... | [
"Its not about height, its about speed. The shuttle needs to reach a speed of 17500 MPH to be able to go around the earth without hitting it - essentially the trajectory of the shuttle at that speed matches the curvature of the earth."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Aerospace Engineering:"
} |
Why is it okay for emergency exits to open only after 15 seconds? Isn't that not what emergency means? | [
"In a fire, those doors release automatically when the fire alarm goes off. The reason they have a 15 second delay from just pushing the panic bar is they're in areas where theft can occur and they don't want the doors opened unless it's actually an emergency. The alarm/delay/unlock discourages them from being used... | [
"The most dangerous times during a flight are takeoff and landing. Most of the restrictions during take off and landing are there to ensure that in the event that shit hits the fan there is nothing impeding evacuation of the plane. If the plane has an extra rough landing and loses a wing you have just 90 seconds to... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why airlines overbook flights? | [
"They know that most of the time not everyone will show up. Either they'll change their mind, get caught in traffic, forget their documents - for whatever reason, not everyone will be there. They want to fly a full plane. So they sell 102 seats on a 100 seater plane, and sometimes they have to compensate people whe... | [
"Because certain countries still allow smoking on flights."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why can Google Maps always find me, even with airplane mode on? | [
"Your GPS still works when airplane mode is on, because GPS functions by *receiving* signals, not by sending them. Essentially, the phone listens for timing signals sent out by multiple satellites at known locations, and uses that information to triangulate its own position. So as long as you have the map data cach... | [
"It's still doing things even if you're not using it .. connecting to cell towers, searching for new towers if the current one is going out of range, searching for WiFi if you have it enabled, downloading updates, etc etc. It has a mind of it's own and does things even if it's just sitting in your pocket."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
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