query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
What is the difference between Catholicism and Christianity? | [
"All Catholics are Christian, not all Christians are Catholics. The Catholic church is a subset of the Christian faith led by (currently) Pope Francis in the Vatican. They are one of (if not the) oldest sects (group) of Christianity. There are many other sects of Christianity, including Methodists, Eastern Orthodo... | [
"The main reason is because of the religious background of the United States."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Does poor sleep lead to depression? Or is it the other way around? | [
"Potentially both at the same time. You're depressed so you get poor sleep. The poor sleep makes you more depressed. This along with several factors is why depression is often described as a downward spiral. Each of the factors makes the other factors worse."
] | [
"Suicide. Chronic depression, especially when combined with other mental illness, drastically increases a person's chances of attempting suicide."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why can't we just switch our brains to a new body when our body is dead, so we can live forever? | [
"Our brains deteriorate like the rest of our bodies, and if we have worn out one then the other is likely to go soon as well. We don't currently have the ability to attach a brain so that it can control a new body but even if we did, it would just be an old brain in a younger body."
] | [
"Basically, as we age, our cells make copies of themselves using a set of \"directions\" that gets worse with every copy as our life goes on. Eventually these cells cannot reproduce as efficiently, and our organs become less efficient as a result. No matter how healthy a person is, it can only slow down the imminen... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
How can some people allegedly survive years without any food? | [
"Literally without *any* food (but with water) you die from scurvy or similar malnutrition ailments within a month or 2. There have been morbidly obese individuals that survived more than a year on water, vitamin supliments (to fend of scurvy), and small amounts of baker's yeast while under medical supervision. Thi... | [
"They'd die from lack of nutrients long before they died of lack of calories, so the extreme weight makes little difference."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
how are there still mathematical formulas/problems "un-proven/solved" and why can't a computer do it? | [
"Computers are great at doing calculations but they can't think -- at all. Largely, doing mathematics requires thinking, not calculating. With unsolved problems in mathematics, there's nothing to compute or calculate, so a computer won't really help you."
] | [
"Computing is basically mathematics. Being 5 you must know how difficult some math problems are to solve, so we keep inventing things that make it easier. But, your calculator can only do so much, it has a small brain and cant calculate some big number. Bigger brain calculators (your laptop/pc) can do bigger math ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about computing:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence about computing:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Do urban poor black youth have a harder time moving up than poor immigrant asian youth? Why? | [
"I would also like to pull out the idea of prevailing societal norms. What Asian stereotypes exist? Good at math, strict parents, over-achieving, etc. What Black stereotypes exist? Thugs, no-parents, under-achieving, etc. This means a lot of teachers, mentors, and the like may have a subconscious expectation for bl... | [
"Asian men are far less attractive to White women than Asian women are to White men."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
- How did surnames come about? | [
"I can only speak for England/western Europe, but yes they did. Surnames were used to differentiate between two people of the same first name, and generally either denoted their occupation (eg John Smith for a blacksmith, or John Miller for a miller) or their father's name (John Davidson, as in \"son of David\")."
... | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
If the government has laws forcing people to protect themselves(seat belts, motorcycle helmets, etc) why aren't yearly mammograms and other cancer screenings mandatory? | [
"The government built the roads and has a vested interest in not having to scrape you off. You don't technically have to ride on roads, but when you do, you have to follow the rules of the government who designed built and paid for them. As for cancer screenings, they can be costly, invasive and collectively our so... | [
"In california the supreme court ruled it unconstitutional so it isn't legal there. In other states the courts have not found it unconstitutional, because (according to the courts) it wasn't a means to discourage men, but a means to increase the number of women attending, like seniors discounts, or student discount... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How did the Beatles "change" music? | [
"A lot of how they \"changed\" music was in the technical aspects, as outlined in the following Wikipedia article: _URL_4_ Stylistically, I wouldn't say that The Beatles really heavily marked the course for how music would progress (unless you're Oasis). That said, they are definitely one of the most iconic groups ... | [
"It was something of a pop culture touchstone for the generation. The Beatles were popular before the album, SPLHCB simply pushed it over the edge. The band stopped touring for a while after becoming tired of the screaming crowds who would yell OVER their music. After a year and a half of studio solitude the fab fo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why do hotter flames burn blue or white and normal flames burn orange and yellow? | [
"There are two issues here: 1. The colour of the flames: That is related to what elements you are burning. See fireworks which can be green or red or yellow or blue, depending on the kind of metal. 2. Yellow flames of a burner is due to incomplete burning, you will end up with charred objects if you put something i... | [
"The color. We know (because of complicated math) that certain colors correlate to certain temperatures. Specifically, these colors are wavelengths of light that we can see, and different wavelengths mean different amounts of heat. Think about a candle flame: the blue center of the flame is hotter than the redder-c... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:"
} |
Why do balloons make such a loud noise when they pop? | [
"A balloon is essentially a vessel of compressed air. When the balloon pops, all of the air inside is released instantly and forms a pressure wave as it disperses to return to atmospheric pressure. You perceive the pressure wave as a loud noise when it strikes your ear drum."
] | [
"How do we make sound? By moving air molecules. Fill a balloon with air molecules which are bursting to escape, and you'll hear a nice boom as they go wizzing past. Fill it with water, and all you get is water falling to the ground. For a little more information, the water will actively be trying to go down, wher... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Do animals inbreed/practice inset? If they do, do they minds deteriorate after each generation because the genes mix? Why do genes do that? | [
"Incest alone won't cause all hell to break loose on a genetic level. It is (usually) only unhealthy when practiced by a small group for many generations. The reason is simple, lets say there is a recessive gene that causes a disease, or a bad trait. Now, lets say the Smith family has that gene. Lets say that there... | [
"Because the screwed up ones die off, generally because they're not strong enough to live (or sometimes killed by their parents, I've seen this first hand), so they don't pass on their bad genetics. Humans tend to try to keep their offspring alive no matter what."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about Biology:"
} |
Why can my computer only uninstall one program at a time? | [
"Uninstalling programs involves more than just deleting files. It also has to modify some shared system resources. Trying to uninstall multiple programs at once can result in the two uninstallers overwriting each other's work and you can end up with the computer in a bad state."
] | [
"Doesn't windows have a compatibility mode? Right click on the program. select properties. Select Compatibility tab. Then roll back from the start until you find one that runs. Let me know if this works for you."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
if raisins are dried grapes and wine is the liquid from grapes – could they be made simultaneously to prevent wastage? | [
"Not really. Only water is removed from grapes for raisins by evaporation. Wine needs crushed grapes (with the solids filtered out)."
] | [
"Well with plums to prunes it’s even weirder!! Grapes dry into raisins. When juiced we say grape juice! No such thing as raisin juice! Plums dry into prunes. However, there is such a thing a prune juice! How does prune JUICE exist if it’s dry plums? How can you juice something that’s been dried??"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why aren't there any other animals that are as technically or industrially advanced as us humans? | [
"Because we would have killed them. There were actually other species of early humans, but they were driven to extinction by us."
] | [
"What does \"intelligent\" mean? As intelligent as humans? Not quite as capable, but close? Parrots and a few other kinds of birds are quite intelligent and relatively small. Octopuses are generally very intelligent, and some can be very small. Cuttlefish fall into this category as well. I won't pretend I have an a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about biology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer about biology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How does a drug like Adderall cause the brain to become more focused, and are there any natural supplements that have the same effect. If not, why not? | [
"I don't know what the OP is trying to do but natural alternative does not equate safe."
] | [
"If you drink coffee every day to wake yourself up in the morning, you will eventually become addicted. How would this contribute to you becoming addicted to alcohol, tobacco or methamphetamines? They're completely different drugs with different effects, different feelings and, most importantly, different chemistry... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Where/how did the subject of leaving the toilet seat down come from? | [
"My bf and I agreed to lower the lid on the toilet when we are finished using it. This way, no matter which of us need to use it next, we will each have to lift something (me the lid, and him the lid and seat). This makes it more fair and stopped our grumbling! Though when we each had our own places, it was almost... | [
"A follow-up question: Why do some people love that feeling while others detest it?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why can't Walmart just copy the designs of nicer dress shirts? | [
"The design of dress shirts has only changed marginally in many decades. They can and do copy the designs of nicer dress shirts, and even nice dress shirts are often copies of another design. However, what qualifies a dress shirt as \"nice\" isn't some gaudy or impressive design... then it's not a dress shirt unle... | [
"They buy stuff that doesn't sell at cheap discounts. They're probably buying stuff at 10-20 cents on the dollar. Also all the knock off brands."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Which is more efficient at using energy? The Human body or an engine? | [
"Muscles operate with an efficiency of 18-26%, whereas most internal combustion engines have an efficiency of about 18-20% (70% for jet engines and 85-90% for electric motors from wiki). Overall, jet engines should have the highest efficiency (assuming chemical energy as the primary source). Sources: [1] _URL_1_ [... | [
"It is powered by an RTG, a device that uses the heat from the decay of radioactive material to generate electricity for a long period of time."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Who wrote the bible (The original one I guess?) And where did they get their sources? | [
"The Bible is separated into various books, and those books were written by different people over a very long span of time in a variety of languages. The Old Testament was written before Jesus lived, a lot of it long before, and is also used as holy text in Judaism. It was written mostly in Hebrew. The New Testamen... | [
"The bible isn't a book. It is a collection of several books, oral histories, and letters, that eventually got edited down to the 66 books we seen in most modern bibles. Asking how many times it has been rewritten isn't really meaningful."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why did men's pants move down from the "natural waist" to the hips? | [
"Is this why old guys wear there pants up to their arm pits?"
] | [
"Because \"panties\" is a diminutive of \"pants,\" which used to be two separate garments, one for each leg and tied together at the waist."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
What determines how much space there is on a hard drive? | [
"Take a pencil and draw a circle on a piece of paper. Make dots filling the inside of the circle, but do not allow any of them to touch. Now use a sharper pencil. Now a mechanical pencil. Now a pin. The point is, consider each fragment of data as a dot. The way they get more data on new harddrives compared to older... | [
"A lot of hard drives, a lot of servers, a lot of bandwidth."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
That terrible pain in your jaw that you get sometimes when you eat something sour | [
"It's your salivary glands going into overdrive. Next time you eat something sour, pop it into your mouth only briefly and leave your mouth open. You will produce a lot of drool all at once. Also, you can google images of where your salivary glands are and see that the sensations match their locations."
] | [
"It's called a sweet spot (papilitis). Caused by different things for different people, but usually after eating very sugary or acidic foods. Pineapple for me, being very sweet and very acidic, always pisses off at least one tastebud, and it gets exactly as you describe: A single tastebud very swollen and painful.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
The stigma surrounding the F-35 fighter jet, and what the better alternative would be. | [
"Short version? Because it was built to satisfy a rather difficult requirement, thus compromising the overall design. The plane has three variations: an air force variation, navy variation, and marine variation. The marine variation required the plane to be able to take off vertically (VTOL). Objectively it's kind ... | [
"Well, first off, the F-22 and F-35 are not the same type of aircraft, and we can't just substitute one for the other. They do different jobs, and are deployed differently. The navy cannot accept or deploy F-22s, for instance. Secondly, the machinery is in motion, and contracts have been signed."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
If the answer to my connectivity problem is always "Unplug and plug in your router", why don't manufacturers put in an easy-to-use on/off switch? | [
"Serious answer: It's one more moving part that could break, and it costs maybe 1 cent extra. Slightly-less-serious answer: I work in phone support, and you would be shocked by how many people can't find and press a power button, even it it's *the only button on the device*. Most people can at least manage to unplu... | [
"It's doing the same thing as rebooting your computer. It clears out everything in memory and loads it \"fresh\" from storage. If you want to automate it to a degree, plug it into an outlet that's controlled via a home automation protocol, or one that's controlled by a wireless remote. Or hell, even a clapper if yo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the passage about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the passage about Technology:"
} |
How does water evaporate? | [
"> The boiling point of water -the point at which the liquid becomes gas- is 212F/100C, yes The boiling point of water is 100c, yes. But it is not the temperature at which liquid becomes gas, it is the temperature at which water *boils,* which is a specific 'bulk' phenomenon, where the entire liquid is energeticall... | [
"moving air helps your sweat evaporate faster, and when sweat evaporates it helps cool down your body."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why do people with Down's Syndrome have an almost identical eye shape? | [
"[There](_URL_4_) [is](_URL_2_) [a](_URL_3_) [search](_URL_1_) [bar](_URL_0_). tl;dr a \"syndrome\" is a common set of features that are generally present in a disorder. When a child has Down Syndrome, which is a third 21st chromosome (normal people only have two of each chromosome), the features that occur tend to... | [
"Because people who have the same problem generally have the same cause for that problem. Take, for instance, Down's Syndrome. It's caused by having 3 copies of the 21st chromosome instead of just two. Every single person with Down's has this problem, and every single person with this problem has Down's. Along with... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Medical:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Medical:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about biology:"
} |
What info can cookies access about me or my browsing history? (Other than the cookie's originating site login info) | [
"Cookies are just a storage form that certain websites use. As such it can contain any information that the website thinks is necessary to record on them, including \"who\" you are so if you return they know you are the same computer as before and they can internally combine the information from before with the new... | [
"Google Analytics is a service that Google provides to the owners of websites to let them see who visits their website. When you load a page that is set up to work with google analytics, a piece of code on the web page sends some information to Google which is used to compile data that can be accessed by the websit... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Weather Maps and how to read them. | [
"If you're talking about regular maps. [This looks like a nice key to everything.](_URL_1_) Wave maps [like this](_URL_0_) show how tall the waves are and in what direction they're going in."
] | [
"One of these is not like the others."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why does a 1 meter sea level rise matter so much? | [
"A lot of the world's population lives only a few meters above mean sea level. Lower Manhattan for example is 1.5-2m above sea level on average, Miami is about 2m above, and New Orleans is almost entirely below sea level."
] | [
"Yes, but since the sea is extremely wide, the effect is too small to measure. If all the ice on Greenland fell into the sea, *that* would raise global sea levels by a few metres."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
What's the difference between winter, all-season, and normal tires? | [
"summer tires: awesome in summer, disaster in winter winter tires: horrible in summer, awesomeness in winter all season tires: meh in summer.....aiiight in winter the difference is in the tread depth and design and the stiffness of the rubber. winter time is also colder than summer time, so rubber is naturall har... | [
"From [this link](_URL_0_) > Q: Can I leave my snow tires on all year? > A: You can, but it's not a good idea. Snow tires tend to be noisier, plus the softer compounds from which they are made means they will wear out faster, especially in warm weather. Wear is critical, because winter tires rely on their deep tre... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do worms arise on the concrete after it rains? | [
"Because in the now moist environment they can move above land to environments they could not previously reach easily (the other side of the concrete barrier)."
] | [
"Because the ground takes a long time to get below freezing; also it takes a long time to freeze large amounts of water just like it takes a long time to freeze something in the freezer.. Secondly, contaminants in the water like salt lower the freezing point of water."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do deaf people learn sign language? | [
"The same way hearing people learn to speak. The kid's parents will point to something, usually say the word so the kid can see how their mouth moves, and make the sign. I learned sign language and lip reading this way after being born with only one working ear drum."
] | [
"No. You have many different sign languages, and some languages differ between countries. American Sign Language is different from British Sign Language."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How Beethoven made music without ever hearing it? | [
"He didn't start losing his hearing until he was 26, so he knew about the sounds of different instruments, notes, keys, and tempo. he just had to imagine how the music sounded in his head after he became totally deaf."
] | [
"How can you sing along mentally the first time?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does China support North Korea | [
"Because SK is an American Ally, and NK presents a buffer between the US and China. This is one of the reasons they dont want the peninsula unified, because China doesn't wan the US right on their doorstep."
] | [
"Because the US, Russia, and Israel are powerful enough to get away with it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does my skin perceive a breeze as a cooler air temperature? | [
"Moisture on your skin is evaporated. The state change from liquid to vapor requires energy for which the net result is a cooler temperature on your skin. It's why we sweat."
] | [
"When you feel \"wet\" what you are actually feeling is a very localized change in temperature. This is transmitted through gloves/latex. Touch a cold water pipe with water running through it and you'll think the pipe is leaking."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Science:"
} |
Why do vehicles like cars and bikes have inflatable tires instead of solid tires? | [
"Sit in a shopping cart and have someone push you around the parking lot - be sure to hit some holes in the asphalt."
] | [
"A lot of the energy required to drive a car actually goes into spinning the wheels. And, the heavier the tires, the more energy it takes....especially if that weight is on the outside (tread) of the tire. If tires were made of metal, your fuel efficiency would suck. Also, metal tires would destroy roads a lot fast... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Automotive technology:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about Automotive technology:",
"neg": "Represent the argument about Automotive technology:"
} |
Why do people with down-syndrome tend to share very similar facial features? | [
"Down syndrome is caused by a mutation called *trisomy 21*, where the 21^st chromosome in such a person has three copies instead of only two. Since the cause is always an extra copy of only that chromosome, that's why Down syndrome causes the same cognitive, facial and body features in all those with the condition.... | [
"It implies that your normal expression is slack-jawed with your mouth hanging open, which tends to be associated with low intelligence. Further, breathing primarily through the mouth is a common symptom of Down's Syndrome, and likely other mental and/or developmental disorders."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Medical:",
"pos": "Represent the passage about Medical:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
The term "illegal per se" in the context of US Law | [
"The act is inherently illegal. For example sex is not illegal per se; it might be illegal with a lack of consent, but there is also legal sex as well. Some things are always illegal no matter the surrounding circumstances and those are illegal per se."
] | [
"Essentially nothing beyond \"what do we call this thing on official paper.\" There are not distinct rights or legal differences between states and commonwealths in the US."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
If soaps emulsify fats, why do sink drains (esp. in kitchens) still get greasy pipes? | [
"Because PVC pipes are non polar so they catch more grease naturally. If you look at old galvanized pipes you’ll notice they attract less grease and more minerals like calcium and iron."
] | [
"Because most the stuff that you put down your toilet is a semi-solid or break down very easily under flowing water. that is why you're not supposed to put sani wipes or feminine products down the loo because they do not actually break down like paper or poo. in the same regard, you should not pour grease down you... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why do the FBI and CIA use polygraph ("lie detector") tests on their employees, if polygraph tests are considered pseudoscience and so unreliable that US courts don't allow them as evidence? | [
"In its most basic sense it is used mostly as an intimidation factor during interviews in order to judge the interviewees confidence and competence."
] | [
"> How does a police sketch work? Not very well, as it turns out. In reality, police sketches are almost comically unreliable. Sketches are one of several cop tactics that continue to be used, despite the fact that there is no evidence that they work effectively, and actually quite a bit that they don't. Things li... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Does it really matter if your outdoor water faucet connected to your hose is on or off? Water isn't going anywhere, but I read somewhere that you shouldn't keep it on? | [
"Hose connections aren't that great, and the constant pressure isn't good for the hose. The gate valve in the faucet is extremely strong and can resist the pressure from the water supply almost indefinitely. The rubber in the hose and the cheap seals in the connections are much less robust. If you just left it on a... | [
"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 title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
How do most fast food places have such a consistent product? | [
"Consistency does not happen by chance, it's the whole idea. Everything is measured precisely, cooked on the same equipment for the same duration, sourced from the same supplier, and packaged accordingly. This is done to increase the likelihood that you'll go to their restaurant. It might not be the best burger in ... | [
"That's exactly why. They don't make enough money to make the menu, but if they have the ingredients they might as well sell you some food."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How can the US prevent illiquidity by constantly raising the debt ceiling? | [
"Here's an quick sum up of everything you got wrong by CGP Grey: _URL_0_"
] | [
"How do people continue to function when they have student loans, car payments, and a house mortgage? In the government’s case, it’s in the form of bonds issues, called Treasury notes or treasury bills, with various maturity dates. As long as the debt payments are a manageable part of the budget, then there is no p... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why can alcohol companies advertise their product but not show the actors drinking their product? | [
"So first you must realize that the US has few regulations on ads. Most of our regulations are self-imposed. The FCC doesn't have any guidelines in place for alcohol consumption in advertisements. Many broadcast networks, however, still stick to The Television Guidelines as a rule of thumb for advertising, which ba... | [
"The happy imagery is designed to get you to want the product they are selling. The dangerous side affects is to conform to federal regulations related to advertising of medications."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
why my pubic area is itchy after I shave my pubes | [
"You've made small abrasions on your skin with a dull razor. The skin that covers the pubic area is extremely sensitive, and even a brand new set of blades can still cause tiny scratches. Not enough to bleed, but they will itch. Moisturize the area afterwards. It will help a bit."
] | [
"It comes from fibers of your underwear, and it gets mechanically walked into your belly button from your belly hair and movement. Trim the hair leading upto and around your belly button, and it'll stop. The smell? Well... How sweaty are you?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How some people seem to gain muscle mass rather quickly while some people have to work harder to get the same achievement. | [
"Hormones, especially androgens play a significant role in muscle development. The level of available androgens can depend on a lot of factors including race, genetics, life-style, food habits etc"
] | [
"Moving the muscles requires energy. Which means our body draws upon fat reserves for energy. Moving the muscle also tears it microscopically. and encourages the body to grow new muscle to protect and heal the torn bits of it. This in turn burns energy as the body heals after a workout. In your case, you would be... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why are the trees still standing with green when the homes are charred? _URL_0_ | [
"The level of moisture in living trees is much greater than that of lumber and other building materials."
] | [
"you see it all the time. Note the lines going in every which-way in this video: _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:"
} |
When I put my shake contents in the blender (eg fruit, protein powder, spinach, unborn children) it fills up half of the glass. After mixing, it's tipping the brim. Why does that happen? | [
"You've mixed air into the solution, which takes up space."
] | [
"My guess is that the sugar/pulp sink to the bottom when it sits in the fridge for a long time, so pouring without shaking first produces a cup of thinner, more bitter juice, whereas shaking the bottle first allows the sugar/pulp to spread throughout the rest of the juice evenly. Also, bubbles. I like when my orang... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why are insurance companies not ripped off ALL the time? | [
"If you get caught you can face huge fines and a number of years behind bars. Insurance companies do investigate suspected fraud and they are good enough at catching it that the punishment is often enough to make people too afraid to try it."
] | [
"Banks are a business like any other, and want to make money. Why give all your profits to consumers?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are teeth so often crooked? | [
"Most people's faces aren't even, most noses aren't straight and most eyes aren't exactly even either. That goes for hairlines too. People are imperfect. Usually people the vast majority of us find attractive are people who have more symmetrical features. Teeth have never been straight. Society decided along the w... | [
"A cavity, enamel loss, damage to teeth which leads to microscopically exposed nerves etc. Your teeth should not hurt when you are eating sweets. Ask a dentist. Like, quickly."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are vehicles built with the ability to greatly exceed speed limits if you're not supposed to? | [
"Cars are engineered to accelerate quickly, which is legal in the United States and sells cars. In order to accelerate quickly, you need powerful engines and short gear ratios. Well, these characteristics aren't good for engine wear or fuel economy, so taller gear ratios keep you at top legal speeds at fuel efficie... | [
"A (standard) car that can drive at 80mph safely is easily going to be able to go 150mph unsafely. So basically, just because a car can go up to 150 mph, doesn't mean it can do so entirely safely. You also have to consider that some people who buy cars that can go above 200 mph are the types who can afford to drive... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How did Facebook know I might be friends with a person in another city, when I've given them almost no information? | [
"Perhaps that person has you in a virtual address book on their email, phone etc which they have given permission for FB to link through. You gave FB your name, it sees your name on his contact list and suggests the connection."
] | [
"Google your full name. Find you on Facebook. Make a fake Facebook profile pretending to be a male in your local area with many mutual friends. Add you as a friend. Go to the \"friends\" part of your profile. Search by your last name. Locate all of your family members. By process of elimination, identify your mothe... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about cybersecurity:"
} |
Why can't climbers parachute down Mt. Everest after climbing it? | [
"Someone hang-glided down a year or so ago. It was an extremely dangerous proposition even for the very experienced climber and hang-glider, though. Up that high the air is thinned, you don't get the lift you might expect, and sudden gusts can get you killed regardless of experienced. Even if you make a landing, i... | [
"Pilots don't require oxygen unless they are flying at an altitude of at least 14000 ft. Most mountains are not 14000 ft above sea level. Climbers who climb the tallest mountains in the world do require supplemental oxygen once they reach a certain altitude."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How can police confiscate your phone as evidence for taking photos from a public space of a crime scene when the first amendment protects freedom of the press? | [
"They can't, not legally. You see stories about this, but not one where a bystander has been sentenced by a judge for refusing to turn over their phone. Some people believe that the press have legal protections in this matter not available to the public. This is a lie often told by police. Don't fall for it."
] | [
"> real scaring of unsuspecting people Unlikely to be illegal just on its own if no physical or long-term emotional harm was caused. However, depending on the nature of the prank it could be interpreted as a breach of the peace, which would be illegal. > police impersonation Impersonating a police officer is a cri... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How does the Reddit Hug of Death work and why does it kill websites? | [
"Imagine i poke you. No big deal right? You can carry about your daily business without issue. Now imagine a million people are all trying to poke you, you ain't gonna get anything done. It's the same when you try to access a website, you tell it you want some info and it sends it to you. When links be posted on po... | [
"Why are empty threads showing up on the front page? This makes no sense."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why is it so hard to fulfill "Daily reddit gold goal"? | [
"Could be that it's 231 minutes for just one server. Reddit has a lot of servers."
] | [
"Would it be against the rules for me to ask for clarification on the term \"realignment elections?\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Economics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Economics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Probability and Stats | [
"Could you be more specific as to which particular concepts you're having difficulty with?"
] | [
"MR is Memory Recall MC is Memory Clear M+ is Memory add M- is Memory subtract Think of them like the Copy and Paste for the Calculator."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Do sound (waves) exist in the third dimension? If not, which? Does energy have a such a measurable property? | [
"Yes, sound exists in 3D. Sound \"waves\" are the result of patterns of alternating high and low pressure zones in a medium (typically fluids like air or water, but also in solids like walls and such though they typically reflect most of the sound). In all (real) cases, sound always radiates spherically from the so... | [
"Basically, a crystal is a repeating, fixed pattern of atoms in the 3 dimensions of space. This physicist is hypothesizing that a similar structure can exist when you include a dimension of time, since time and space are related."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
How do New York City and State, for example, routinely elect Republican Mayors and Governors, despite always voting overwhelmingly Democratic in presidential elections? | [
"I'm not sure I would say they \"routinely\" elect Republicans, but to answer why overwhelmingly Democratic states/cities sometimes elect Republicans, it's because state Republican politicians in blue states like NY tend to be much more moderate than national Republican politicians. A good example would be Mitt Rom... | [
"Each political party has a number of members who each want to be the party's chosen candidate in our general elections. The primaries are mini-elections held where only members of the respective party can vote (only Democrats can vote in the Democratic Primary, only Republicans in the Republican Primary), and they... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Nascar. Is there a difference in the cars/driving that really makes one driver better than the other? How to people like Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson win so frequently? | [
"_URL_0_ This clip from Top Gear UK does a fantastic job of explaining why Nascar is an incredibly skill based sport. The drivers that win are the best."
] | [
"> anyone unathletic can drive Anyone can also throw or catch a football, but that doesn't mean the professional's who play football are not athletes. Same goes for motor sports, you can't take any person driving on the freeway and put them into a 500 mile race and expect them to do well at all."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How Did Sikhs Come to Be, And What Do They Believe In? | [
"Sikhism is based on the spiritual teachings of Guru Nanak, the first Guru, who started the religion around 1520. The first 10 Gurus wrote the Guru Granth Sahib, the religion sacred text. Three Pillars of Sikhism are: 1) Meditation on God and reciting and chanting of God’s Name—Waheguru. 2) Life as householders an... | [
"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:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why isn't the shortest day of the year the middle of winter? Or the longest day the middle of summer? Rather than the first day of each. | [
"Because the seasons are based mostly on the temperatures. The coldest day of the year isn't actually the shortest day of the year, because it takes time for the sun to start heating things up again. Likewise, the longest day of the year isn't the hottest because the earth retains that heat for a while and the days... | [
"No, it's fairly arbitrary. It's close to (about 11 days later than) the position where the earth's axial tilt points away from the sun (from a northern perspective). This is the winter solstice. The 'new year' was most likely decided upon due to being mid winter in the northern hemisphere, so this is not coincide... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How is code organized and added on to for large video games? (e.g. halo, battlefield, etc.) | [
"By any well run company into many different parts. The idea is that everything should be broken down into the simplest methods that they can be broken down into. Easy to test and easy to build on. For a simple game it will look sort of like this _URL_0_ For a complicated game imagine the same but a lot more boxes... | [
"DirectX does have a competitor, called OpenGL. It's used on the PS3, as well as OSX, Linux, and Windows. It has it's pros and cons vs. DirectX. (Most notably, DirectX only works on Windows and Xbox.) Some examples of OpenGL games include Quake, Angry Birds, Amnesia, Minecraft, Unreal Tournament, KOTOR, and the Mac... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why are wooden boxes with locks called "CHESTS"? | [
"The word comes from Latin “cista”, a chest or casket, which comes from a Greek word for a basket. The word “box” actually comes from “pyxos”, the box or boxwood tree."
] | [
"I think maybe a better way to say it would be: *STOP POSTING WRONG ANSWERS*"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What happens and what does it feel like to die from hunger? | [
"Once your body has used up the easily burned food in your stomach, it starts to consume fat cells and mucle mass. Once your body has run out of energy in either fat or consumable muscle cells, you body will start to consume your vital organs. Some organs will start to swell, which is why so many images of \"starvi... | [
"A lot of nerves in your ear canal link to most of your body. Tickling them makes your blood pressure drop and thus leads to pleasure. At least that's what I read. Correct me if I'm wrong."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Health and wellness:"
} |
How did we calculate Neptune's record wind speed accurately at over 2100k/h when it is so far away? | [
"The unit is not k/h as that would be 1000/h and per time is a frequency not a speed. km/h is a speed. IF you take two images with a time between them of the planet you can see how a cloud has moved. Remove the rotational speed of the planet and you get the wind speed. You can see a video about that here _URL_0_"
... | [
"Well, if it moved at a constant rate of 1.6 inches per year, after 4.2 billion years, it would have moved about 106,000 miles. It's current distance from the earth is about 240,000 miles, so 4.2 billion years ago it would have been about 130,000 miles away. As it happens, the rate at which it's drifting away is ac... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about astronomy:",
"pos": "Represent the document about astronomy:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How come a feather and a coin/bowling ball fall at exactly the same speed in a vacuum? | [
"It's more sensible to ask why they wouldn't? The only reason that a feather falls slowly in normal human experience, is because it's not heavy enough to push air out of the way - the air delays its descent. In a vaccum, there is no air so it falls at the normal standard speed of any object."
] | [
"In a resistance free environment, momentum and its direction will remain constant regardless of mass changes. Therefore, the object will continue on its previous path. Same principle as dropping an elephant and a penny from a height in an airtight environment for example. They will both accelerate at the same rate... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage about Physics:"
} |
Why it is so hard for us to view images of people breaking bones? | [
"Nobody likes to be reminded of their fragility & mortality..."
] | [
"Maybe because we know so little about it and even less about how to deal with those with mental illness."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
How Britain(with a small landmass compare to other big countries) was able to conquer, make an empire back in the days? | [
"Being an island nation was essential to British strategy. Since it is easier to defend you could do with a smaller military which allows more money to be invested. The Kings of Medieval and Tudor England had an efficient taxation system and could levy taxes on the nobility. This allowed them to punch above their w... | [
"I am sure you want absolution of the country and not an answer but the answer is that the US was one of the two global superpowers that became the one global superpower and it has had a LOT of effect over the last 60 years. Go back before that and england played a similar role. Sailing around the world and making... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
I've seen some videos where someone gets punched in the face, and even though it looks like a light slap, they sort of collapse into a gentle heap. How does a knockout happen like that? | [
"You just gotta have the brain make strong contact with the skull and it shuts down or makes them dizzy. Hitting someone in the jaw is a good spot to do it. I wouldnt recommend hitting someone in the temple because you could kill them."
] | [
"Actually, yes. The arteries going up to your brain have pressure sensing bodies in them; hit these just right and your body thinks the pressure is way too high, panics briefly, and drops the pressure going in. This means your brain doesn't get enough oxygen and you can get knocked out for a few seconds. I've had i... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Biology/Medicine:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text about Biology/Medicine:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why do more asians wear glasses than any other race? | [
"Honest opinion here. It is probably due to the fact that schooling is much more emphasized in Asian families, with the required studying comprised of close up reading. This creates nearsightedness in developing eyes of youngsters when it is not balanced efficiently with activities that develop farsighted vision."
... | [
"Asian men are far less attractive to White women than Asian women are to White men."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why do different regions have different accents? | [
"Have you ever had an inside joke? Or has someone in your family ever made a funny comment where something was sort of mispronounced, and then the rest of you picked up on it and stated using it? Good. Now pretend you are a little kid learning to talk by copying the cool big people. When they speak a certain way, y... | [
"Why do some parts of the world call gasoline petrol?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why does half-and-half have a 2 month expiration date if milk expires in 3 weeks or so? | [
"The water in milk is host to the bacteria that spoil milk. They cannot live in pure fat -- butter doesn't spoil by \"going sour\" (bacterial action) it only \"gets rancid\" (oxidizes). The less water you have, the less bacteria get to live in their happy place. Half and half is half cream, thus, has less water co... | [
"Unless a product has been stored in extremes of temperature, pretty much everything is good to eat until the expiration date. Keep in mind that many fresh products (like meat and dairy) may be labeled with sell by dates, not expiration dates."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
What is the benifit to the US being off the gold standard? | [
"I heard that if you feed leprechauns to unicorns they will shit rainbows. Turns out when you ask animal experts they tend to disagree. I heard that Global Warming was a hoax, but it turns out when you ask climate scientists they tend to disagree So you heard that returning to the gold standard would attenuate the ... | [
"Can someone please just eli5? I don't understand any of this. What does this mean for me? A citizen of the United states."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why are we harder to move when unconscious? | [
"When we're conscious but are still being moved by someone (I'm going to guess it's because they're trying to help you because you're extremely weak/tired/injured?) We still comply with the movements, and often try to assist with the movement as much as we can. When we're unconscious we won't comply with the moveme... | [
"A better question might be: why is your grammar worsens when you're drunk?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Psychology:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about Psychology:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why do doctors cup your balls and ask you to cough? | [
"There's a condition known as a hernia, where the wall separating your scrotum and the rest of your insides is weak or has a hole in it. Coughing makes stuff poke through."
] | [
"There's no sphincter there. There's vaginal muscles but if you tell girls on their periods to flex them you'll get stabbed in the face."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How come I wake up a minute or two before my bus stop more or less like clockwork when I fall asleep on the bus? | [
"It's probably a combination of a bunch of subtle clues that you subconsciously pick up on. It could be a pattern in the stops right before yours, subtle changes in the scent of the air near your stop, specific sounds that you only hear near your stop, the absence of the voice of a person who gets off right before ... | [
"Speak for yourself. Alarm clock goes off. I hear it for a few seconds, then am out like a light again for hours. I've been late many times to work. Can't seem to break the cycle of extreme blissful, tranquil sleep right about the time I'm supposed to get up. Edit: removed minor rant"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Biology:"
} |
[Meta] Can we have an ELI5 FAQ? | [
"Also /r/askscience: [FAQ](_URL_0_). I agree; this would be a great addition. Frequently asked questions are especially frustrating because the search feature makes it difficult to find the answer. If a question is asked frequently enough that it's annoying then that means there are a ton of posts where all of the ... | [
"There's a [section](_URL_0_) devoted to this in our Popular Questions wiki."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Political Science:"
} |
Why does the stock market exist, and why is it such a big deal in our economy? | [
"Companies have to have owners. For smaller companies this is usually one person or a group of people. These are called private companies. When companies start to get really big the owners decide to sell stock in their company. Each stock represents a small part of the company and anyone who owns stock actually own... | [
"How can my car not run if the gas tank is almost full? The answer is you forgot to put any oil in the engine and it seized up. That's a bit of an absurd analogy, of course, but the point is that the DJIA is just *one number,* and doesn't tell the whole story of, well, anything really. It doesn't even tell the whol... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Economics:"
} |
What happens when you shoot a gun in the air and the bullet comes back down? | [
"If you shoot it straight up, it eventually slows, stops, and then falls to the ground, its rate of descent ultimately at its terminal velocity. If you shoot it up but at an angle, it falls 'down' at up to terminal velocity (depending on how far it initially traveled up) but will also have some lateral momentum in ... | [
"Let me answer your question with another question: if you tape a grenade to the back of someone's head and pull the pin, what happens to the front of their head? Same thing, more or less."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What effect does more cores and slower speed have on a CPU versus having less cores and a higher speed? | [
"A simple way to think of it is like a highway. A quad core only has four lanes, but a higher speed limit. The 8-core has 8 lanes but a slower speed limit. The 8 lane highway will be able to processes more cars/second, but no car will go quite as fast as on the four lane highway with the higher speed limit."
] | [
"Slow memory means that the CPU can't get the data fast enough to do CPU-intensive tasks. In practice, you might see a 5-10% change in performance by going to faster RAM. The only place it makes a sizeable difference is if your CPU has integrated graphics - in that case, you're basically trying to \"feed\" two devi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What happens when you run batteries of different voltages in parallel? | [
"This is not unlike the electrical system of an automobile. The battery is twelve volts, and the alternator produces slightly more, say, 12.5 volts. That extra half-volt trickles back into the battery, recharging it, while the rest of the car's electrical system is getting the current from the alternator. So with t... | [
"There are two big reasons why we have lots of different types of batteries. The first is that different electronic devices require different voltages to operate. That is why you have AA batteries which are 1.5 volts, car batteries which are 12 volts, and 9V batteries which are of course 9 volts. The other reason ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Can I own a personal ATM machine? | [
"You can certainly buy one. If you want it to actually talk to the bank you can go to any number of distributors that will install in in your living room for X amount of money/month. Or you can start your own business; I know a guy who did it. Lots of paperwork. Lots of cash so the gov't makes sure you aren't laund... | [
"You can walk up to a drive-up ATM."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
- If electrons are constantly losing energy while being in an atom, why don't they fall to the nucleus? | [
"Big objects, like the sun, planet, and baseballs, behave how you're describing. They would lose energy spinning in circles. Electrons though are too small. They don't obey classical laws. They obey quantum laws. (Quantum means really small.) Electrons aren't really spinning around the nucleus. They're doing someth... | [
"There are several ways. The easiest is an incandescent light bulb. The electrons are forced through a thin wire. They bump into the electrons of the atoms in the wire, giving them energy. Add enough energy and the metal gets really hot. When it's hot enough, the electrons have to occupy orbitals that are farther f... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is hydrogen peroxide odorless in the bottle, but smells like vinegar when it touches your skin? | [
"It's called 'oxidation' and that is what H2O2 (Hydrogen Peroxide in fancy talk) does - it's reaction with organic material (your skin, for example) will give off a smell kind of like vinegar when it reacts. Here's a fun experiment - cut up a potatoe into slices and put Hydrogen Peroxide in a cup. Dunk the potatoe ... | [
"Acidic means a substance has a pH of less than 7. Caustic means than the substance can burn or corrode other substances through chemical action. Usually people use caustic when talking about chemical burns on living tissue. Coca-Cola has a pH of 2.5, which means it's acidic. But if you spill it on your hand, it wo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why do humans generally perceive themselves more attractive in the mirror rather than the front cameras of their phones? | [
"It's the angle: we look straight on in a mirror whereas in photos /selfies the camera is usually angled showing lines, bulges, etc."
] | [
"Oddly enough, the reason you don't like how you look in photo's is because you are much more accustomed to (i.e. spend more time) looking at yourself in the mirror. This is from a little thing called the mere exposure effect, in which people develop a preference for how a thing looks simply because they are more f... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How does Hillary's comment saying that victims of sexual abuse "should be believed" until evidence disproves their allegations not directly step on the "Innocent until proven guilty" rule/law? | [
"I don't know the context, but I would hope she was saying that allegations should always be investigated, rather than simply dismissed out of hand."
] | [
"Because he's not guilty of anything, he's never been charged, there's never been a trial. Regardless of personal opinion, the presumption of innocence is a legal thing, therefore he's innocent until proven guilty - hearsay and conjecture mean nothing, trial by media doesn't stand"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why does the rumble of thunder last so much longer than the actual lightning strike that causes it? | [
"It's got to do with the way the lightning bolt is oriented compared to you. For all intents and purposes a lightning bolt happens in a single instant. And the shockwave, aka the thunder. Forms along the path of the lightning at that very moment. Now even if the bolt travels straight down from the cloud to the eart... | [
"It is just lightning that is too far away for you to hear the thunder. It takes the right atmospheric conditions for you to see it. It is often called \"heat lightning\" but there is nothing different about it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
If there are millions of Reddit users, why do front page posts only have 3 - 4000 upvotes? | [
"A) this is asked a lot, please use search B) Each subreddit is only used by a small fraction of the total users, so most reddit users never even see those posts. Of the small fraction that actually sees it, theres an even smaller fraction that actually votes. Of the fraction that votes, there are always a certain... | [
"Your front page is a composite of the front pages of all the subreddits you are subscribed to. It doesn't ask \"what are the top 10 posts overall from all your subs,\" it asks \"what are the top posts from each of your subreddits.\" In this way a post with 10 upvotes on a small subreddit you are subscribed to has ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why does heating up and cooling down some types of metal make stronger? Can I use it to strengthen my kitchen knives? | [
"Steel is the main one here. The metallurgy of steel is a huge topic: a steel object is made up of steel crystals with different properties, and if you heat and cool steel in particular ways, you make them change to the type with the properties you want. For example: a sword needs a sharp edge, so you want that ed... | [
"Both of these things are made with extreme heat, which changes the chemical properties of the substance."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why does Radio Shack need more than $62 million to close its stores? | [
"OP, they have contractual obligations that thy must meet. Such as: leases of stores, local vendor contracts, utility obligations. Et cetera."
] | [
"It was a combination of things and people will argue which one was the nail in the coffin. Either way, once someone is nailing your coffin, you're in pretty bad shape regardless of which nail goes in last. The store was losing ground to places like Amazon and WalMart and wanted to turn itself around. Bain Capital... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why zombie related movies, video games, comics never seem to decrease in popularity? Why do we like zombies so much? | [
"I always felt that the zombie thing is a common fetish because living in a zombie world essentially means other individuals can be seen as inferior mindless objects, mere inconveniences and threats that you can dispose of at will while you wander freely through the world, taking what you want, doing what you want,... | [
"Maybe that is exactly why they make those movies. Just going on a limp here, but it could very well be a form of escapism, just like zombie and apocalypse movies are an escapism genre for the west. (Just look at all the people who say they want a zombie apocalypse so they can get away from their current life)."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
if I were to drive directly towards a radio tower, would the music speed up? | [
"Yes, but imperceptibly. The tempo would get multiplied by roughly a factor of 1 minus your speed divided by the speed of light - and since you're moving *way* slower than light is, this factor is very very very close to 1."
] | [
"They never actually \"stop\", but there is a point where they become so weak that the background noise overpowers them. (that depends on how strong the signals was when it started) Also, they stop when they hit something that doesn't reflect them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:"
} |
Why is it legal for me to share a textbook with a friend but illegal for me to simply pirate a copy? | [
"Because the First Sale Doctrine says that the publisher of a book loses physical control of the book after he sells it, after that, the purchaser is completely free to dispose of the book as he wishes (including loaning it out or destroying it). But the law explicitly forbids copying the book without permission."
... | [
"Because the books, CDs, and movies were bought by the library for the purpose of loaning them out, so if you get them you have to return them and then you don't have them anymore. Basically it's all about agreements. They agreed to not give out infinite copies to anyone, and so they get to share these things with ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does WiFi work exactly? And does a slowdown/buffering signify an issue with the WiFi/router? | [
"WiFi is a short range radio broadcast that communicates with your device both ways. Slowdown can be caused by your router. If you live in an urban area, a very common issue is that most routers use the 2.4ghz spectrum to broadcast, and you might be competing with hundreds of other networks. Try getting a dual ban... | [
"Quite likely you are just being defrauded by your ISP provider, Just because you are paying for it does not mean you are getting it. Your download speed will be determined by your weakest link. Get a friend to come by with a laptop and check the download and do a ping test. If you can hook up with a CAT 5 cable do... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How can the speed of light be constant? | [
"High school physics teacher here. I show [this video](_URL_0_) to my students and they usually get it. It's excellent! Be sure to watch parts 1 & 2 if you want to get special relativity [the answer to your question]. For a much bigger and more complicated answer, watch parts 3 & 4"
] | [
"It expanded faster than the speed of light. Speed of light (or more correctly of causality) is the speed limit for things traveling through space. Space itself has no such limitation."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the post about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why does the media (TV, news, etc.) blur out licence plates on vehicles? | [
"I worked for a televisions station and we would do it because everyone else did. Years ago you could get information on any person if you had their license tag. I also worked for a law firm and I would go down to the courthouse with a tag number and get every detail about someone from their tag. Now you cannot. So... | [
"Usually the brands are censored on TV shows because the producers of the show either asked for the brand to pay for an endorsement op and they said no, or they don't want to piss off any brands that did endorse the show by putting another brand on for free. Plus there's always a risk that the brand owners may not ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How the Double-heading (Double engine/locomotives) railways work efficiently ? | [
"Multiple-unit train control - basically single control for all the engines running one train have been around in different forms from 1920's"
] | [
"> How does the subway stay on the rails? Gravity. It works underground just as well as on the surface. > How does the subway train pick which rail it is going to stay on [Animated railroad switch image](_URL_0_) from wikipedia explains it well."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do new release novels come out first in hardback then months later in paperback? | [
"You got it in one in your original post. The cost of producing a hardback book is maybe a dollar. The cost of producing a paperback is maybe $0.50. But the hardback sells for $20 or $30 and the paperback sells for $10."
] | [
"Sometimes the rights haven't been sold or the author hasn't allowed their book to be made in electronic form yet. It happens with TV shows as well on streaming services such as Netflix."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Publishing:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Publishing:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
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