query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Why is it that when I'm in a busy area, a festival or large community event, my phone struggles to send/receive message and make phone calls despite having full service? | [
"Capacity is limited. You might be right next to a tower, but if the data bandwith (not only necessarily internet) is exceeded you can't have adaquete service."
] | [
"The bus needs to get the WiFi from somewhere. That somewhere is basically a cell phone and reception is bad in a lot of areas. What little comes through is shared by twenty passengers who want to watch porn at the same time."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is my head voice sound different than my actual voice | [
"This recent thread may be enjoyable reading for you. _URL_0_"
] | [
"The same reason that some people get taller and some don't. The same reason some people have darker skin than others. Simply put- we're born that way. Now of course, it's not that black and white. People can do vocal exercises to increase the amount of notes they can sing (called increasing their \"range\"). Howev... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Language and Communication:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence about Language and Communication:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why do venomous predators such as texas coral snakes have bright colourful body? | [
"Exactly, that's the point. Most prey are found by their heat signature, and high quality color vision isn't a feature of most snake prey. If you're super poisonous and most birds would die if they bite you it doesn't do you any good if they have to bite you to find that out. You still get bit and that could kill o... | [
"they don't. chameleons change to fit their mood. they don't change to camouflage. on other hand, animals like cuttlefish and flounder, use their eyes to see what to colors and patterns to change to"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If saltpeter is so dangerous and outdated, why do recipes still list it as an ingredient? | [
"It's still available. Google search is your friend. _URL_0_ saltpeter or potassium nitrate, like many other nitrates are possible carcinogens. Sometimes it's necessary in food, but there are risks with using it. It's up to you to do the research on health risks and see if they are acceptable. Saltpeter when used ... | [
"Some of the salt is replaced with potassium chloride which has a similar taste and the benefit of potassium which can be difficult to get in your diet. There might be other substitutions that I'm not aware of."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are expensive things such as cologne, alcohol, and other liquids always in very fragile containers? | [
"Three answers so far, and all three are incredibly stupid. The real answer is that glass is inert, in ELI5 terms, it doesn't screw up the aromatic qualities of the liquids you store inside it. All plastics pretty much will cause alcohol, cologne, etc to degrade rapidly. In glass, they tend to last a lot longer."
] | [
"The short answer, you're willing to pay for it. Tap water is a few pennies a gallon. Fancy bottled water is more, because it's fancy bottled water. It's marketed differently, packaged in a nice bottle, stored in a store fridge ready to drink."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
The difference between a women's bicycle and a men's bicycle. | [
"The cross bar makes the frame stronger, with significantly lesser flex. It is not a \"man\" thing, but just better mechanical design in general. Traditionally women's bicycles had lower cross bars to allow for skirts and other similar clothing."
] | [
"If you'll notice on a woman's frame, the top bar slopes down, while on a man's frame, it's a horizontal bar. The reason for the downward slope on a woman's bike is so the rider can wear a skirt without it bunching up then stretching around the bar. However, there is no difference in the feel of the ride or integri... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is the supply of gold considered inelastic and its demand elastic? | [
"There is only so much gold in the world. There is some gold mines but they do not produce much gold and does not shut down or start up very fast. The supply of gold is therefore pretty much fixed and will not change over time. However the demand for gold changes all the time. In good times people buy jewelry and i... | [
"Elastic means that it is sensitive to price changes. Inelastic means it is not sensitive to price changes."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
How are different varieties of cheese made differently? | [
"Different ingredients, different storage situations, different flavirong, different length of time they are aged."
] | [
"The answer to your question differs very greatly depending on where you live."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why fantasy realms share so many similar characteristics | [
"Easily identifiable tropes/clichés allow readers to quickly understand points. If you give a character a flute or a harp, they understand they are a musician. If you give them a floogle, you need to explain a floogle. Things like swords and bows, there are only so many ways to kill people, and some are more icon... | [
"If you believe in aliens, it's because of aliens. If you like things that are a little more realistic, it's because solid stone as a building medium really only lends itself to certain types and shapes of construction, especially when your tools are primitive."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
How did Denmark become such a large pork exporter? | [
"Only a guess but i know Denmark from a lot of visits. In the rural areas you often see massive Pig Farms. 1) Geographically very flat, lots of farmland 2) Pretty stable weather, not too hot in the summer and not too cold in the Winter 3) Property value in central Denmark is quite low so big industrial farming is p... | [
"The United States are *not* the wealthiest or most advanced country on the planet. And what exactly do you mean by anxiety?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Where do physical bacteria cells go after they die to say, sanitizer? | [
"Where do any dead things \"go\"? Nowhere.....they just kind of stay there.....dead......until something moves them."
] | [
"They would not decay much as they would freeze solid pretty quickly. Once frozen, the gut bacteria would no longer be able to grow."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Science:"
} |
How do we know the earth is experiencing global warming and not just a downturn in temperature that oscillates over the course of millions of years? | [
"Because scientists have very good methods of measuring the carbon dioxide levels in the air that can go back thousands of years: _URL_0_ . The carbon dioxide levels in the air are directly related to the temperature of the world. You can see that there is an oscillation in the temperature that repeats every 100,0... | [
"Every scientist believes in climate change. It's climate change caused by human activity which some don't believe. Some scientists argue it's just part of the Earth's cycle, like how ice ages started and ended before humans existed."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do cooked vegetables grow bacteria (and therefore must be refrigerated) but raw vegetables don't? | [
"Cooking breaks down the vegetables and exponentially increases the surface area that the bacteria can start working on. As an experiment, try chopping up some salad into very fine pieces. They'll go bad by the end of the day while the unchopped ones are still good to eat for at least a day or two."
] | [
"the inside of the bottle is sterile when it's sealed at the factory, and opening it exposes the inside to the bacteria in your home. If the food is suitable for growing bacteria, it will go bad soon after the bacteria is introduced, but would be fine if the bacteria were never introduced in the first place. This i... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why is the color red associated and used as a "bad" color? | [
"It is not. Red is not only associated as a bad color, it is however in some situations like the examples you give. So why red? Well, there are multiple theories/answers and I'll cover some: red attracts attention. This is a natural occurrence and it might be hardwired in our DNA because of evolution: blood is red,... | [
"Depends upon what culture you belong to in China for example red is considered to be a very positive colour."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How does my body understand EXACTLY how to regrow the surface of my fingerprints if I happen to burn or cut them? | [
"It doesn't. Your fingerprints are the result of underlying structure in your finger. It just grows back the same way it grew in the first place. It's like how the roofing guys know exactly the shape of your roof...they don't, they just follow the existing frame. If you really screw up your fingers so that all the... | [
"I think you're confusing how skin and muscle *heal*, with *regrow*. Your organs heal on a daily basis from natural cell death and the toxins you ingest or are exposed to (such as alcohol), just like how your skin and muscle heal. But if you remove a muscle from the body, like if you removed a kidney, neither of t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
I have a somewhat oily skin. Why do my eyes burn in contact with that oil? | [
"If your eyes have a burning sensation from post-exercise, or during perspiration, the most common reason for this is the salt being perspired onto your skin. Salt is an irritant to sensitive areas such as the eyes."
] | [
"I wash my head with a special shampoo to reduce the excess of brightness produced by my sweat. Sounds funny but it's true."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why only the top 3 get prizes all over the world? | [
"Three is a number that has a certain significance to people (esp. in occult settings like religion). Also it is often considered a lucky number. See [the wikipedia article on \"3\"](_URL_0_) for many more cultural references"
] | [
"And more importantly how do I get one for myself?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about biology:"
} |
Why do we write papers in school? | [
"You're 100% right. Reading and writing are useless skills."
] | [
"Why do people in Western countries use forks?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How do celebrities and politicians keep an email address/cell phone without the contact information being leaked? | [
"They only communicate with the people they trust."
] | [
"The people you are referring to feel that their personal information is just that, personal. It's theirs. In the same way that it is seen as rude to ask someone their weight or age, people don't like their info being out in the wild. Also, when information is sold out to other groups, it's typically advertisers wh... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
In music, why are time signatures in fractions that can be reduced not done so? Like, why is 6/8 time not 3/4 time? | [
"6/8 is **one** two three **four** five six (or, **one** and a **two** and a) 3/4 is **one** and **two** and **three** and"
] | [
"At the beginning of the piece it will say which (if any) notes are to be played sharp or flat. The specific combination will tell you what key it is. It is simply a memorization thing at that point. C time signature is *not* the key of C. C time signature is just a short-hand way of saying 4/4."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why doesn't or why can't Youtube normalize decibels? | [
"A) extra processing on their end for each video, which would add up to quite a lot, for a feature they don't necessarily want. B) robs the uploader of stylistic choices ( a muted video or a loud video) C) would completely wreck some types of videos. For example, for a video that is mostly quiet then has a loud jum... | [
"Because the uploaders of the proper version haven't enabled the option to play it back on mobile devices."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence about Technology:"
} |
Why would raising the minimum wage be a bad thing? | [
"my company employees 23 people between $9.20 (min in OR) and $12. We would employ more if our budget allowed. Our payroll expenses alone are around 15% of our companies net. If minimum wage were raised to $15 in our state we would release 7-8 people from service. Theres really no other option for us. Three years ... | [
"There are many (not all) Republicans who oppose automatic increases because they have constituents who oppose any minimum wage at all. There are many (not all) Democrats who oppose automatic increases because they don't want to lose the issue. The ability to make raising the minimum wage a campaign issue every few... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
how do you lift 'with your legs' and not with your back | [
"Basically you want to keep your spine, from the small of your back to your neck, as vertical as you can. Keep your back straight and your head up, bend your knees to lower yourself until your hands can grip the load. Then straighten your legs to stand up again and walk away with the load. [Some good images](_URL_0... | [
"you actually aren't leaning forwards, you are pushing your hips backwards. this will put your center of gravity into the back. it just looks like leaning forwards because the muscles move in the same way."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment about Physics:"
} |
What are DJs actually doing during their concerts? Isn't it just a matter of pressing 'play'? | [
"If we're talking about club DJs that play for a smaller audience: they do mix tracks and adapt their musical style to the mood of the crowd. If you're thinking about David Guetta, Avicii and the likes: they don't do anything else than to be on stage and pretend. Their sets are pre-recoded successions of songs some... | [
"Mixing and blending songs is not easy at all. I know now they have all sorts of computer programs that do it for you but back in the day, it was just 2 turntables and a few crates. Being able to seamlessly blend songs together is difficult it took me about a year before i was comfortable blending songs without sto... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
what shared trait defines all dinosaurs, with their diverse body shapes and sizes? (small velociraptor vs. huge diplodocus?) | [
"They *are* in clade dinosauria Clade Dinosauria (dinosaurs) contains Order Saurichia (lizard-hipped dinosaurs) which contains Suborder Theropoda (beast footed dinosaurs) which contains Clade Tetanurae (stiff tailed dinosaurs), which contains Clade Coelurosauria (hollow tailed dinosaurs), which contains Clade Manir... | [
"Alligators first appeared ~37 million years ago. Dinosaurs went extinct ~66 million years ago, so no, they didn't exist at the same time - well, if you don't count birds as dinosaurs. Alligators are standard lizards with a sprawling gait - their thighs are held basically horizontal. Dinosaurs are all descended fro... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Biology:",
"pos": "Represent the passage about Biology:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
How does our ear detect the sound vertical location ? | [
"You know those curves and dips of your outer ear? They (called pinnae) serve the function to not only catch sound waves but to alter the frequency of the waves depending on which angle the sound waves came from. This is also how we know if the sound is in front or behind us."
] | [
"You are changing the volume of your mouth which changes the echo characteristics."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post about Physics:"
} |
If we cover enough of the planet in solar panels and covert maybe 20 percent of the incoming sunlight to electricity, would that reduce global warming to a measurable degree? Why or why not? | [
"If you *replace* the other power sources such as coal and oil, then yes it would cause a reduction. Nuclear power is a much more realistic option on a large scale."
] | [
"Fusion is a very efficient, very clean (at least, in the sense of greenhouse gases) source of power. If we perfected it on a large scale, it could become cost-effective not to rely on power sources like oil and coal, which produce huge amounts of pollution - among other things, greenhouse gases."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How do scientists determine the composition of atmospheres from Earth? | [
"There's a Cosmos episode that should cover this. They basically take a prism and split the light coming from a celestial body into a spectrum. There will be darker lines in that spectrum. Each group of lines corresponds to an element, depending on which frequencies of light are most easily absorbed by that element... | [
"Other solar systems are very far away, and planets are not very bright objects. This means that we can't take pictures of them like we can with distant stars - instead, we mainly find them when they pass in front of their star, dimming it down for a while, or are so massive that they influence their star's movemen... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What do doctors ask you to count backwards from 10 when administering anaesthetic? | [
"Just as another way of seeing when you're unconscious. They don't always ask to count backwards: they may ask you to recite the alphabet, or anything else that would involve you talking uninterrupted. It's not necessary, but for as long as you are still communicating to them, you are obviously still conscious."
] | [
"You don't die because the people administering the anesthesia are highly trained in how to put you under and keep you under safely. They know how to calculate the correct levels. They monitor your breathing and heart rate. They're watching you the entire time. They're not picking up random people from the street t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
What does gargling do anyway? Rinsing your mouth makes sense, but what purpose does gargling bubbles into your open mouth even serve? | [
"It's simply a method of rinsing your throat, typically with a substance that treats inflammation and/or kills some viruses or bacteria. Without gargling you would likely end up swallowing much of the rinse liquid."
] | [
"It's a detergent called sodium laurel sulfate, and it is used in toothpaste make the foam you get when you scrub with toothpaste. The foam helps pick up the debris you scrape away from your tooth surfaces and carry it away. It also happens to block the sweet and salty receptors in your mouth from working, so all y... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How inequality can be a good thing. | [
"Financial or economic inequality can be good because if everyone was financially equal we would have nothing to work towards and no one would be motivated to do anything if they were just going to remain equal anyways. That's why we need competition, so people will work hard and create progress for the human race.... | [
"The US could pay for universal health care several times over. Affording it is not the problem."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
whenever I eat late at night I feel more hungry in the morning than if I didn't eat, why? | [
"When you eat late, your stimulate your pancreas to signal cells to start swallowing up nutrients. As they do this, your body takes notice of the declining blood nutrition level and releases hormones which stimulate your hunger drive. Since you're asleep, however, these hunger hormones just build up and you notice ... | [
"Am i the only one who looses their appetite after drinking ? I tend to not even want food until like 3 pm the next day"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Health and Wellness:",
"pos": "Represent the passage about Health and Wellness:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why does eating something help with an upset stomach? | [
"In the case of hypoglycemia one of the symptoms is nausea so you eat something , your blood sugar goes back up and you feel better"
] | [
"Try eating some food before hand. Some people experience pretty bad stomach aches when drinking water on an empty stomach."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Health and Wellness:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text about Health and Wellness:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why do spiders wrap up bugs stuck in their webs instead of just eating them or biting them to poison them? | [
"Most spiders like to eat their bugs alive, and wrapping them up keeps them from going anywhere while the spider eats them."
] | [
"The issue is how long it takes the venom to kill. When something like a venomous snake bites a human, if the person even dies, it will take several minutes at the barest minimum or several hours in a more likely scenario. In the wild though, these snakes use their venom to hunt. They strike at a prey item like a r... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Please use the Search function for Israel/Palestine aka middle east conflict questions. It much quicker and has been answered well again and again. | [
"Sorry to be pedantic, but it may be more useful to link to the search results sorted by top: _URL_1_ It gives results that have the most discussion. In particular, these three most popular threads: [Ok, here's a really difficult one...Israel and Palestine. Explain it like I'm 5](_URL_0_) - 1 year ago [ELI5: The Is... | [
"Please use the search function as stated in the rules. This question is frequently asked and answered."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Can dogs make sense out of electronic picture such as a TV showing humans or a Skype call with a human they're familiar with? If not, why not? | [
"From my experience, it seems that some can but most can't. Ditto for mirrors. If you think about it, it's kind of weird that humans *can*. Your screen is just a flat surface with blobs of color. The fact we can *see into* a flat surface and our minds create the perception of a 3D space is weird, and almost complet... | [
"That's kind of like asking if animals recognize painting, architecture or poetry for what they are. As far as we know, animals don't have the capacity to appreciate or understand the concept of art. I mean we've all seen videos of pets watching tv and reacting to what's happening on screen, but they're not aware t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do we board airplanes front to back instead of outside-in? | [
"Purely efficiency-wise, yes, a combination of back to front and outside in is best. But there are class overlays of course. In first class, you can board whenever. If you're already at the gate, why not board, get situated and have a pre-departure drink? Some people like to wait and board last, and that's their o... | [
"The earth is a sphere and the moon orbits roughly along the equator. So those in the north the moon is in the southern sky so it waxes from left to right. In the south the moon is in the northern sky so the moon waxes right to left. Imagine a train on a track moving west. If you're standing north of the track faci... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Aviation:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Aviation:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Astronomy:"
} |
Why people (usually teens) pretend they are not interested in someone when they really are? | [
"When revealing emotion to another person, we become vulnerable to their response. When a person has low self esteem, often the risk of this vulnerability appears to be greater than the reward. Also, at that age we are dealing with a complex storm of hormones, perceptions, social environment, and a lack of experie... | [
"Because there IS a threat. Embarrassment. Most people care about what other people think whether they admit it or not. You might also risk sounding like an idiot in front of superiors, potential spouses ect."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
As an Englishman, who knows very little about US politics; is there any chance Romney might actually win? | [
"Always remember what you read on the internet always has a liberal tint to it. The thoughts of the every day joe sixpack american is much more difficult to gauge. Be very afraid of the legions of old people that will come out to vote republican because its what they have always done. This time around Obama wont h... | [
"I'm tempted to say those people just don't get out enough, but I suppose it's because it's all too close to call. Nobody knows who is going to win - if *any* party is going to win, or what will happen at all."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why reaching the speed of light is impossible? | [
"As we go faster and faster our mass increases. An increase in mass requires more energy to make us go even faster. As we approach speed of light, our mass approaches infinity and will need infinite energy to reach speed of light. Only mass less particles can travel at the speed of light."
] | [
"That is a moot question because it asks for parameters that are not possible, i.e. being at the edge of the universe or travelling faster than the speed of its expansion. It's like asking somebody to explain what would be farther north of the northpole."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the answer about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the answer about Physics:"
} |
Why do my eyelids twitch when I'm tired? | [
"As for my understanding, it is not tiredness, but a lack of potassium. Eat a banana and it should stop."
] | [
"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 question about Biology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Biology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What are the biggest differences in the sound between 48000Hz and 192000Hz sampling in terms of hearing? | [
"Sampling rates or bit rates? Those are different. From a signal perspective, 40 KHz is all the faster you need to sample to perfectly reconstruct the audio. This is from the [Nyquist-Shannon sampling theorem](_URL_0_), which states that you only need to sample a signal at double the highest frequency of the signal... | [
"I personally can't tell a difference between 128 and 192, 192 and 256, or 256 and 320. However, there is a noticeable difference between 128 and 320. Less of a difference between 128 and 256 or 192 and 320. However, there are people who are much more sensitive and can tell a big difference. It also depends on your... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What exactly happens when you "Break the seal" while drinking | [
"It's just a saying. When you first start drinking it takes time for your stomach to move the liquid through to your small intestine and then onto your kidney's to start filtering out and fill up your bladder. That's why you can drink 3 or 4 before needing to pee. However by the time you drink the 5th and 6th beer ... | [
"If I'm not mistaken it's called \"In with the good, out with the bad\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why can animals like Sudan the Rhino interbreed with family members and be genetically sound when humans can't? | [
"because there is no other option to continue the species. The exact same issues exist, and it could be bad, but the alternative is extinction. So between the two options we typically try for life, but ya, just because it is the best option doesn't mean its a good option."
] | [
"We define a species as being able to produce offspring that can breed, if two individuals make an offspring that is sterile (can't have offspring) then they are from different species. Like lions and tigers can make a young, but that young can't reproduce. Dogs are the species with the most differences in it, and ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post about Biology:"
} |
How are people able to think themselves sick? (somatoform disorder) | [
"We don't feel sick because we are sick: we feel sick because certain patterns of neurons in the brain fire. Most of the time, they are firing because we are sick, but not always; and doctors aren't sure why they fire when we aren't sick. And the real answer is \"we don't know\". In many ways, somatoform disorders ... | [
"You actively suppress self-inflicted sensations. Fun fact: many schizophrenics *can* tickle themselves."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why does Red wine get better as it ages? | [
"First, not all red wine is better aged. That $10 bottle at the supermarket is best enjoyed now. Overall though, aging has to do with these things called tannins that are really bitter particles that come from plants, grapes in this case. We don't know exactly why aging wine makes the tannins less bitter, but it do... | [
"Wine is usually sold right away after being made, and then \"aged\" to the preference of the owner. Hard alcohol is aged as part of the production process, and so it's important to know how long it aged before it was bottled. Think about it like this: You care about the year of the wine because you want to know i... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why can't you be communist and have an iPhone? | [
"Because iPhones are an epitome of capitalism. Underpaid labourers being exploited by their wealthy employers get peanuts for their 14 hour days while the company reaps in massive profits to redistribute to the shareholders that have provided no labour at all. These workers don't own the means of production or have... | [
"It's not our job to police the world, thats why the world hates us."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
The effects frictions have on the space shuttle during re-entry | [
"Friction doesn't have much of an effect, it's the compression of the air below the craft that causes a huge amount of heat as the air particles are forced together."
] | [
"Safety at launch and cost. A lot can go wrong with the shuttle and escaping during launch problems is difficult."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is an aneurysm? Can epilepsy cause an aneurysm? | [
"While I'm curious to hear the well thought out responses that I hope will come, I primarily want to give my condolences for the death of your father. Internet hug, fellow redditor."
] | [
"Muscle atrophy, serious bed sores or ulcers. Blood clots forming which could lead to strokes, heart attacks and pulmonary emboli. Nothing good."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Antenna Extensions. Like a telescoping antenna on an obsolescent cell phone, or the controller for an RC car. How does the small increase in length of the antenna affect its functionality? | [
"There are two things about antennas you need to know: * The minimum length of an antenna is based on the wavelength it needs to pick up or receive. Longer is usually better. * The shape of an antenna does not necessarily have to be long and straight - it simply has to be a certain total length to be effective. FM ... | [
"They use the electrical shield in the headphone cable as an antenna. No part of the device itself is long enough to use as a reliable antenna at broadcast radio frequencies."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why can you stare directly at the sun when it's setting, but can't when it's high in the sky? | [
"I've never learned this myself, but if I had to take a guess I would say that it's because during a sunset the light from the sun has to travel through a longer stretch of atmosphere before it gets to your eyes, because it's hitting the atmosphere at an angle now, as opposed to during the day it's more of a straig... | [
"Venus's orbit lies between Earth's orbit and the Sun. During the day you can't see Venus for the same reason you can't see any stars - the Sun is too bright. During the night you can't see Venus for the same reason you can't see the Sun - it's \"behind\" the Earth. The only time when Venus is visible is either rig... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
why do living animals require sleep? | [
"When asked, after 50 years of research, what he knew about the reason people sleep, William C. Dement, founder of Stanford University's Sleep Research Center, answered, \"As far as I know, the only reason we need to sleep that is really, really solid is because we get sleepy.\""
] | [
"The biological process required to sustain it. We would basically making a cow, without starting from a cow."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Health and Wellness:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do companies afford to give away their products for free? | [
"It's usually just a promotion. Give away a small bit of product for free in hopes of gaining future business. Many companies invest millions on marketing already, so they just portion off some of the money already invested in billboard ads or commercials and use it to ship a limited amount of free samples to poten... | [
"You give them information for free, then they sell it back to you. That's my experience."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do large companies destroy unused products instead of donating them? | [
"If people knew that they could not buy the item and just wait and it would be donated to them, then they would stop buying the item. When people work to get donations \"in kind\", this is one of the key things they work on, convincing the companies that the donations won't cannibalize their own sales."
] | [
"Because it's not profitable. Companies will fight tooth and nail to gain an advantage over their competitors, whether it be cutting costs, researching new technologies or anything else that helps them sell better. But once their product is I the consumer's hands they simply don't care. It's not their responsibilit... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do you need charge in your phone to get through airport security? | [
"Well, the thing with a phone is that when you x-ray it, it looks like a bunch of electronics with a large portion of something that is heavily packed in the middle. (the battery is the large portion thing.) So, without going into too much detail, it looks pretty much the same as a radio controlled explosive. By te... | [
"ELI5 why you are putting your fingers on the computer's screen."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Do these "what is your ethnicity?" DNA tests really work? | [
"They can. Certain genes are associated with certain ethnicities, and archeogenetics are a booming science. Wikipedia has [an actual list of relevant haplogroups by ethnicity](_URL_0_). Keep in mind that whoever is soliciting you a test may still have no credentials and be talking out of their backside. And because... | [
"Your question...is not a question, and it's not really clear what specific information you're looking for. ELI5: what do you actually, specifically, want to know about mental illnesses and therapy?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Where did all these black people stereo types start from? (Watermelon,Grape whatever etc..) | [
"They started from racist thought, the process of noticing something one person does and applying it to their entire race. The human mind tends to do this. (It an example of categorical thinking.) There's a branch of mathematics called statistics that deals with measuring how valid categorical thought is. One of th... | [
"Bald people are HARDCORE, no laughing matter unless you want to get hurt lol. Few examples are Walter White, Bruce Willis in Die Hard 4, Vin Diesel(sorry if spelled wrong), The Rock Johnson etc"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I'm not even a painter but I end up imagining absolutely beautiful designs, and come up with rich harmonious full orchestral melodies during sleep. But its so hard to do when awake and conscious. Why does this happen? | [
"The short answer is that you don't think that creatively when dreaming either: you just think you do because the rational part of your brain isn't functioning and your irrational part fudges over the flaws."
] | [
"As an aprtist I can tell you that I sometimes get a clear image of how I want something to look but I improvise while making it on canvas. Both happen, at varying levels for different people."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
why does a cut by the fingernail hurt so bad | [
"We have a bunch of nerves in our hands and fingers because we regularly use them for touching stuff. Those nerves can also sense pain. Your legs don't need to be nearly as sensitive so their nerve density is lower."
] | [
"It's easy, they don't bite it full force, just the way you don't instantly snap a pencil by chewing on it"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
When coaches are fired by a team, why do they often get hired by another team? How come the other team simply doesn't hire some other promising coach? | [
"A belief that the firing team had different strengths and weaknesses than the hiring team, such that the hiring team will be a better fit for the coach's skills."
] | [
"I'm assuming by you saying \"manager\" you're talking about the GM of the team that trades players etc. Mostly because their job is to assemble a winning team, and if they aren't winning, they aren't doing their job. If other people don't do there jobs properly, they get disciplined and the such. Same goes for spo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
UK Elections and Candidates (2015) | [
"What's a Tory, and why do so many people seem to hate them?"
] | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why does my ball sweat smell more pungent than my normal sweat? | [
"Sweat itself has almost no smell, and tastes maybe just a little bit salty. What makes sweat smelly is the bacteria on your skin and their byproducts. You might want to work on your personal hygiene."
] | [
"Sweat doesn’t smell but the bacteria that builds up in a warm damp place does which is why the armpit can still smell even when there’s no sweat."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
In quantum mechanics, what do they mean when they say a particle takes "every possible path"? | [
"A basic difference between classical physics and quantum theory is the fact that within the quantum world, certain predictions can only be made in terms of probabilities. As an example, take the question whether or not a particle that starts at the time A at the location A, will reach location B at the later time ... | [
"The uncertainty principle is a consequence wave mechanics. Take the probability density of a wave with a single well-defined frequency. That wave exists everywhere, so you can know the frequency but you have no idea of the location of a particle represented by that wavefunction. Any wave function that is localized... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post about Physics:"
} |
What would happen if everyone stopped paying taxes all at once? | [
"Do you like driving on roads and highways? Those are tax funded. Do you like drinking clean water? That's tax funded. Do you like having police and fire dept? That's tax funded. Do you like having salt on roadways in winter? Public transportation? Public schools? Parks and playgrounds? All tax funded."
] | [
"All non-essential offices are shut down. Workers don't get paid. Nothing gets done. ...and then everyone forgets about it two years later & elects the people who did it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How does a plane land if the wheels malfunction? | [
"It depends on the size and age of the plane. A lot of smaller planes have fixed landing gear, so they just land on what they have if they have a burst tyre or one of the wheels falls off. On most planes, large or small, with retractable gear, there is an emergency gravity release system - this uses gravity to lowe... | [
"The story put it really badly. He hid in the landing gear housing and fell out when the landing gear was lowered before landing."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do you wake up during a car ride when you arrive at the destination subconsiously? | [
"When you're on the highway, the car makes a steady louder noise. When you get close to your destination, there are stops and turns so the engine noises rev up and down a lot more, and the turning pushes you back and forth."
] | [
"Depends. What kind of waking up are you talking about? The one where you have no chance to go to sleep again (insomnia style) or more like waking up, realizing it’s still bed time, rolling to the side and going back to sleep?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Biology:"
} |
Could a US president just decide to nuke a country without any oversight? | [
"Part of the security measures of most nuclear weapons programs, is the chain of command. President can order a nuclear attack, but he can't push the button to launch. President has to order someone in the pentagon to launch. If the staff at the pentagon think the president is not sane, they can just as easily ign... | [
"The US did vote, they elected the president to represent them on matters such as these (sometimes with and sometimes without congressional input or oversight). That's literally how a representative democracy works."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why are so many website where you don't enter any information using https now? | [
"One of the things we learned from the Edward Snowden leaks is that encryption is the only thing that works. Even if you don't enter any information, entities both public and private are cataloging the sites you visit, when, from where, how long you stay. It may be innocuous for you to visit _URL_0_, but if you're ... | [
"Only if the connection you have with the online site isn't secure, or if they keep that information (which they're not supposed to). The purpose of the code is to prove you're holding the real card. If no one is allowed to ask for it, why would you even have that code?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What exactly is fire? | [
"Good question, lots of people know what a combustion reaction is, but not what \"fire\" is exactly. The reaction itself isn't very important to understand, all you need to know is that when something burns, it releases CO2, which is a gas. Now, imagine a forge. When the metal in a forge gets really hot, it starts ... | [
"Maybe let's start with: what is ring tone rap?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
So I think of gut flora as little guys eating soup from a bread-bowl, but they also live in the bread-bowl. Are there any conditions where they basically look at our actual gut lining and say, "Hey, guys, we can eat this too!"? Also, why doesn't the soup kill them? | [
"Most of the flora live in your intestines, which are not hugely acidic compared to your stomach. The acids are neutralized as they leave the stomach. Pathogenic organisms can and will eat into the lining of your gut, that's what makes them pathogenic, but your regular gut flora has developed not to do that. If it ... | [
"Your intestines have certain bacteria that you get from certain food. If you don't have the right diet, meaning not eating right amount of everything, the bacteria that you get from eating vegetables for example won't be living in your gut if you are not eating vegetables. And your intestines get sad that said bac... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What is Political Science? | [
"Someone will surely have a better explanation than I give but simply put it is how all aspects of government work and who runs it. It was amazing seeing how mathematically predictable an election can be studied. If taught by the right professor, which I guess could be said in most any case, it is an extremely fasc... | [
"In brief: - To expand territory - To exploit resources - To escape enemies - For protection against enemies - For less competition"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument about Psychology:"
} |
Why can I drink water and eat salty food but not drink saltwater? | [
"You can drink salt water, it just has a LOT more salt than you think. A liter of seawater has around 35g of salt. That's about 5 or 6 teaspoons of salt. Seawater is about 3 times as salty as the human body, so if you drank a cup of seawater, you'd want to drink 2 more cups of freshwater to balance everything."
] | [
"They don't. You can hydrate perfectly well with coffee, tea, beer, sports drinks, water, juice, etc."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How does tilting your rear-view mirror up at night allow you to see a dimmer version of what's behind you? | [
"Car rear-view mirrors are not just simple mirrors, they are actually a prism. There is a weak reflection off the front surface and a strong reflection off the back surface. The strong reflection from the back surface is normal (day) mode. Tilting it lets you see the weak reflection from the front surface (night mo... | [
"Car door mirrors are actually curved outward a little bit to give the driver a better field of vision from that mirror. However, because of the curve, things seen in the center of the mirror tend to look smaller."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:"
} |
People tell me to let my faucet drip in cold weather because "moving water doesn't freeze". Why, then, do rivers and oceans freeze? | [
"Okay I'm at work, so this will be quick. You can Google it if you want a more in depth analysis. Letting your pipes drip has nothing (at least very little) to do with keeping water flowing so it doesn't freeze. It is about releasing the pressure that builds up in the pipes that can cause a rupture in cold temps. W... | [
"It doesn't \"go\" anywhere. It's not flowing. The water in your pipes doesn't go anywhere when you shut off the faucets."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are some candies, like Kit Kats made by Hershey in America, but made by Nestle everywhere outside of America? Are both companies owned by the same parent company, or is there some weird licensing agreement for the recipes, or something else entirely? | [
"In 1969, Hershey received a license from Rowntree's to manufacture and market Kit Kat and Rolo in the United States. As of September 2013, Hershey continued to make and market these brands in the U.S. under license from Nestlé, owners of the Rowntree brand. [source](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"There's a possibility Nestle manufactures the noodles differently for exporting to countries which are more stringent with their checking. However, there's also the possibility that it was a shakedown by the government, possibly due to some bribe that Nestle refused to pay. That's the sorry state of politics arou... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
I have heard that philosophers are often divided by two broad camps between thinkers of the Aristotle vs the Plato traditions. What distinguishes the two in terms of principles, tensions and/or general views? | [
"The best explanation of this is in the book \"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle maintenance\". It's a lengthy book, but extremely easy to comprehend and entertaining to read."
] | [
"Some historians believe that their job is to be an impartial and objective narrator of the past, minimizing the impact of their personal biases- the 'modernist' position. Some believe that such objectivity is undesirable or impossible, and are deeply skeptical of any attempt to strive for it- the 'postmodernist' p... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
In discussions - what is a strawman and how is it applied? | [
"Let's say you and I are with friends and we want to order 1 XXL pizza to feed us. Now we need to decide on toppings. You say, \"I really want peppers and onion on the pizza!\" I say, \"We should not listen to Seferes, he is trying to make us all vegetarians. Let's instead order pepperoni because we don't want to b... | [
"I have no explanation for you, I just want to say that as you inform yourself on this, be careful not to take a strawman view of a particular brand of Christianity and use it as your model of religion."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do some country names' English translated forms translate into words completely different to their origins, for example Magyarország (Hungary), Hrvatska (Croatia)? | [
"Relevant here is the word's \"etymology\", that's the history of how the word came about. I like to check the Wiktionary entry for a word to see its etymology. You asked about [Hungary](_URL_1_), so let's see: > From Medieval Latin Hungaria. Well what's [\"Hungaria\"](_URL_0_)? > From Hungari, Ungari (“Hungaria... | [
"It's a suffix that means \"of\" or \"pertaining to.\" So Croatia is the country of Croats, Serbia is the country of Serbs, Academia is pertaining to academics, etc. Not every word that ends in \"ia\" has this meaning. Media for example is the plural form of medium which is a word borrowed from Latin. Likewise triv... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Language and Translation:",
"pos": "Represent the answer about Language and Translation:",
"neg": "Represent the answer about Linguistics:"
} |
Why the UK would want to leave the EU? | [
"Lots of Brits feel culturally too different from Europe to want to be in a political and economic union with them. Some feel that Britain is being too constrained by the EU, and want the freedom that pulling out brings. Some feel that the EU is too wasteful. Some feel that other EU countries work against the UK's ... | [
"What about the people who live in N Ireland and LIKE being part of the UK?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
when you get something in your eye, where does it go if it never comes back out? | [
"At the inside corner of your eye is a little hole called the tear duct (technically the *nasolacrimal duct*). This is an exit valve out of your eye down into your nasal sinuses. Tears are constantly being produced by glands in your eyelids, and that tear fluid constantly flows over the eye before exiting through t... | [
"Your bumhole doesn't open up completely. Poo gets squeezed out, it doesnt fall out. If some water does splash up it doesn't go into your bumhole, it stays on the outside. I'm going to do some experiments and I'll let you know exactly what happens."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Health and Wellness:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Health and Wellness:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
If data in analog signal travels in form of waves then how does it travel digitally in solid coper wire? | [
"The difference between analog and digital signals isn't so much about the mechanics of the signal within the wire but how it is interpreted. With an analog signal it is a continuous value, so a smooth wave conveys a smooth transition between any given point. For example if the wave transitions between values of 1 ... | [
"The simplest way to explain it is. Light on=1 light off =0. Now you have a binary signal. In reality I believe they send multiple frequencies of light down the wire and use the interference to send the signal (the term would be beat in acoustics I'm not sure if it's the same in optics)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
The Susan G Komen stuff going on at the minute | [
"To avoid all of this donate money to your local county health center/food bank/ school charity. I know my county clinic does traveling mammograms and lectures at the college. You can see where your money is going (as well as directly benefit from your donation if need be)."
] | [
"I don't get these at all, but with the regularity of these threads it seems that everyone else in the world does. What gives?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How is the average IQ level continuing to go up when it seems likely humanity isn't getting any smarter? | [
"It isn't. IQ is set to an average of the population, so the average intelligence of the population is always IQ 100. It's a normal distribution with mean of 100 and standard deviation of 15."
] | [
"Age is a factor in IQ. So by definition it will go down if you don't get smarter with age."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why isn't light blocked by air molecules? | [
"It is. It's just not blocked much. It's like running: running through the air is pretty easy: not much getting in your way. Running through the water is harder; and running through a solid object is even harder. Light works the same way, only it moves differently, so some things (like smoke) allows your movement t... | [
"We can't see them because there's no light reflecting from them. We can observe their effects on the surrounding space."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do you words start sounding funny when you repeat them? | [
"It's called semantic satiation - a distinct pattern of neurons in the brain keep firing each time you hear it and the brain reactively inhibits the strength of the firing each successive time. Without the distinct patter at full strength, your brain won't fully interpret it. Eli5: Your neurons are like muscles, th... | [
"Because you've been saying it your entire life. You're used to saying it in that order, so it sounds natural to you now."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do streetlights occasionally turn off and turn back on? | [
"Street lights that go off at night is a sign that the lamp is near the end of its life"
] | [
"Turning the lights off uses no power. Turning them on uses almost no power, except for some fluorescent models where it can use up to 30 seconds of power. Short answer: turn them off, especially if you're likely to be gone for much more than a minute."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Electrical engineering:",
"pos": "Represent the answer about Electrical engineering:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
why do Dutch people curse with sicknesses ? | [
"Because sickness sucks a lot more than getting fucked or having your mom fucked? Source: not dutch"
] | [
"Why do British people say mate or git?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
The difference between a Polar Vortex (responsible for last winter's extreme temperatures) and an Omega Block (responsible for the current outbreak) | [
"The polar vortex is a persistent vortex which is in the upper atmosphere (there are two of them, one over each pole) . Think of them like a permanent hurricane of cold from \"The Day After Tomorrow\", except instead of breaking the laws of physics it is just normal cold weather. Last year, it dipped to the south o... | [
"The Gulf Stream and North Atlantic drift are major ocean currents that drive warm water from the Carribbean to Western Europe. This results in much warmer temperatures than one normally encounters at these latitudes. Also worth noting is that the winter in the NE US ongoing is exceptionally cold and snowy, analogo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
why does tilting my cup not foam up the beer? | [
"When the beer hits the bottom of the glass, it splashes around creating low pressure areas where a bubble can form. When it's poured down the side of the glass, the low pressure pocket occurs on a thin film, and the gas escapes instead of forming a bubble."
] | [
"I think pouring it at an angle causes less agitation of the soda meaning less fizzing up. Let's say that you are the soda. Pushing you off of a tall building is like pouring the soda straight down into the cup. This is gonna make a big mess; a lot of fizzing up. But if you get pushed down a hill (pouring it at an ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why does quickly lifting my coffee cup as I drive over speed bumps work to keep me from spilling!? | [
"Its something called Inertia. According to wikipedia \"Inertia is the resistance of any physical object to any change in its state of motion including changes to its speed and direction or the state of rest. It is the tendency of objects to keep moving in a straight line at constant velocity. \" Basically if somet... | [
"Not an answer: Does it? I've never tried this before. When I feel it start to rise, I somehow manage to still the reflex in the same way I can still my diaphragm with hiccups. Doesn't work all the time, but sometimes it does."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why is it that modern professional athletes are/seem so much more talented than original teams in the past? | [
"A lot of it has to do with a larger talent pool. An average NHL hockey player in 1975 would have made about $30K, or $130K in today's dollars...and that only after spending years in the minor making a lot less. Consider the uncertainties inherent in professional sports, a lot of potential hall of famers might have... | [
"Most of the best male American athletes choose to play sports other than Soccer. Women's soccer is a top dog sport by comparison and attracts some of the best athletes."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why don't we exploit the full potential of solar energy? | [
"The start up cost is pretty expensive which is one issue, another (and bigger) issue is storing said power. We really have crappy batteries in comparison to our energy generation, fortunately companies like Tesla are making some good headway with new storage methods. Lastly, and more depressingly, there are many p... | [
"Because it's pretty much the most efficient way we have of converting heat into usable energy."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
How Marijuana Is Legal By State And Not Federal Law... | [
"For the second part of your question... yes. Federal law takes precedence over state law. However, the current position of the US Justice Department (basically the federal government's criminal enforcement division) is that they won't go after marijuana possession in states where it's legalized. It has different r... | [
"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 Reddit question about Law and Politics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text about Law and Politics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
How do vinyls work? The music kind? | [
"Sound, whether musical or otherwise, is a sequence of vibrations that travel through the air. When they run into something, they push on it, usually just a little bit (unless its really really loud). If sound hits something like your inner ear or a microphone, those vibrations can be used to make a signal (your ne... | [
"Are you asking how a wheel works ?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why its okay not to wash your jeans? | [
"It's not okay. Your legs do sweat, they shed skin cells and secrete oil. People who don't wash their clothes regularly are gross."
] | [
"Your body is telling you to quit smoking. Listen to it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
What about shaking up a soda causes the pressure within it to rise? | [
"Because soda is a carbonated beverage, meaning it contains dissolved CO2. CO2 dissolves in water at a low concentration (0.2–1.0%) and creates carbonic acid (H2CO3) according to the following reaction: H2O(l) + CO2(g) < = > H2CO3 Water is usually chilled and CO2 is subjected to high pressure to move the equilib... | [
"They don't, it only appears that way. When pressure decreases in a fixed volume, temperature also decreases. When pressure gets too low, spraying no longer works, you shake the can, only then do you notice how cold it has become."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
What's the deal with cultural appropriation? | [
"Some people just live to be offended. They need a crusade."
] | [
"It's not about the method but the motives."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
What is the difference between an alternator and a generator in a car? | [
"An alternator is a type of generator that lacks a commutator and only produces AC power. Generators can be built to produce either AC or DC power."
] | [
"Because you are using gas to power your car and power the motor on the air conditioner instead of just using gas to power your car."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
How did humans become so intelligent and how and why are we conscious? | [
"Don't have many answers but I do remember learning that the massive increase in protein we received when we started eating more and more meat helped to skyrocket our brain capabilities...this theory could've changed though in the years since. Oh and I specifically mean the cooking of meat, not just eating meat. ... | [
"It's not about how big your brain is, it's how you use it. Human brains have been shrinking for the last few thousand years, but by all accounts we're getting smarter. It's about how wrinkly your brain is."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How a diesel engine works | [
"It's an internal combustion engine just as a gas engine is. There's a block, and heads, and a crank, and pistons, valves, and so on. It's a lot like a gas engine in some ways. But diesels have way more compression than gas engines do, and they don't use spark plugs at all. Where a gas engine squeezes a fuel/air mi... | [
"Are you asking how a wheel works ?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
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