query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
What happens in your brain when you tell yourself to focus harder? | [
"You have two general types of distractions, emotional or your senses. When you focus you tell your brain to regulate your emotions. [The limbic system does that.](_URL_0_) To filter out sensory information you use the [the pulvinar nuclei of the thalamus](_URL_1_) which play a major role in attention, and filter ... | [
"Your brain is telling your body to make room."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
What do people mean when they say "my religious right", and why does this hold up in any legal context? | [
"UK perspective here. The first attempts at a right to religious freedom in Britain can be traced back to a pair of proclamations made by James II of England and VII of Scotland in 1687. These Royal Indulgences granted broad religious freedom in England by suspending penal laws enforcing conformity to the Church of... | [
"I like the question, but can someone substantiate the premises first? What distinguishes the two in the first place, and *are* communes actually less successful?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does data on a hard drive become "fragmented"? | [
"The computer has files of varying sizes. These take up varying amounts of spaces on the hard drive. Say you write to the hard drive 3 different files. One takes up 5 \"spaces\" the next 2 spaces, and the last 5 spaces. Later, you delete the 2 space file. Now you've got 5 occupied spaces, 2 free spaces, 5 occupied... | [
"It's pretty simple. The computer tracks the location of each free space on the hard drive. When a file is deleted, instead of physically removing each bit on the hard drive (very slow) the computer simply adds the file's location on the hard drive to the list of free spaces. This is important to know because when... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why are some isotopes radioactive? What is radioactiveness actually? | [
"Radioactivity is basically a measure of how unstable a particular isotope is. The more unstable, the more \"radioactive\" an isotope is. Radioactivity is dangerous because when a nucleus decays it splits into a bunch of pieces that go flying out and can damage the things around it. A nucleus is composed of neutro... | [
"Neutron activation analysis is a technique used to determine the distribution of elements in a sample, similar in a lot of ways to mass spectroscopy. You take a sample and bombard it with neutrons, which transforms its atoms into radioactive isotopes. Each one of those isotopes decays with a unique signature, whic... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How is enough oxygen supplied for long space missions? | [
"\"rebreathing\" technology. Basically the air around us is made up of ~21% oxygen. The rest is nitrogen (78%) and other gases like argon, methane and so on. When we breathe in, our lungs only extract about 5% of that 20%, replacing that volume of missing gas with the Carbon dioxide we are exhaling while the rest o... | [
"Truthfully, we don't really know, that is part of the mission of the International Space Station. To monitor the effects long periods of weightlessness have on the human body."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
If I dug a hole from the US to the other side of the world and jumped feet first, would I come out head first on the other side? | [
"If you did this through the North Pole, you would come our feet first, ignoring air resistance. If you did this anywhere else, you would slam into the side of the hole because Coriolis effect."
] | [
"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 query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do 2-party governments work? Surely one party would always have a majority in the goverment, and therefore win every vote. | [
"Not necessarily, especially in countries like the US. Here in the US, the elections of our executive branch are separate from the elections of our Representatives, which are again separate from the elections of our Senators. What this means is that you can have a Democratic President, and a Republican controlled H... | [
"It's not an issue because one party has the majority of the seats. And since that is the case, there is no chance the opposition can make the law fail as long as there is no known opposition to the law within the majority party too. Basically, wether the vote is 400/100 or 4/1 makes no difference. The vote in itse... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why are most large explosions compared to how much TNT it is equivalent to? | [
"Explosives used to consist of lots of different mixtures, and it was hard to express just how much energy would be released with a particular explosive. They weren't very consistent. Trinitrotoluene is one chemical that explodes via a predictable chemical reaction: a certain amount of TNT always corresponds to a c... | [
"An atom bomb and a nuclear bomb are two terms used for the same type of weapon. They both use the concept of fission, which means they split atoms to create energy. A hydrogen, also know as a thermonuclear bomb, uses the concept of fusion. Instead of splitting atoms, they combine them to create even more energy. ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
What happens if a pregnant woman continues to carry a dead fetus after it dies? | [
"It would begin to decay, which could lead to infection and death for the mother. That said, when a fetus dies it's generally expelled by the uterus in a fairly short time."
] | [
"The umbilical cord is not connected to the woman, it is connected to the placenta. After a woman gives birth to a baby, she will also give birth to the placenta."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do night-vision goggles make everything look green? | [
"Humans evolved to detect green. Our eyes can pick up a green signal that is 10 times weaker than red or blue. Since we can see small amounts of green, we can also see small changes in shades of green. If you need to show a picture to a human using just one color, green is the best way to do it"
] | [
"Night vision goggles have a few tricks up their sleeves. First of all, they use infrared light - infrared light are like colors of light that your eyes can't see - but they're around us all the time. This helps to see in the dark because there can be more infrared light around than visible, especially at night. Th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
In general, are free mixtapes or EPs that are released online copyrighted? If so, why go through the trouble? | [
"> If so, why go through the trouble? There isn't any \"trouble\", copyright automatically applies unless they explicitly waive it."
] | [
"It could be people involved with the creation and distribution of the album. If they are working on the songs or creation of the discs, they obtain copies of the music. I imagine this makes up most of the people that leak songs before a full release. Some radio stations or certain individuals may receive advanced... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why does everything that is cooked in oil becomes crispy and brown, while everything cooked in water doesnt? | [
"Oil has a much higher boiling temperature than water does; more energy faster = charring (dry, \"fried\" outside)."
] | [
"Certain flavors are enhanced or dulled by temperature. Cold makes it hard to taste sweet. This is why melted ice cream or warm soda taste too sweet. Heat makes bitter less noticeable. This is why cold coffee tastes bad. And why cold vegetables can taste bad. Also changes in temperatures can cause fats to solidify.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do you need to change the oil in a car | [
"Motor oil is made of chains of hydrocarbons. The longer the chains, the more viscous the oil. Engines are designed to use a certain range of viscosity to lubricate the moving metal parts of an engine. Over time, these hydrocarbon chains will start to breakdown into shorter chains. At some point, this causes viscos... | [
"Go for a drive in your car and replace some of the engine components while your at it. Basically the same concept."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post about Technology:"
} |
The power of a brand. For example, why do people wait in long lines for days to pick up an iPhone, but nobody does so for Samsung or Microsoft products. | [
"Because no one that uses Samsung or Microsoft products gets a chub when the shove their new phone in someone's face on launch day and say \"LOOK! SEE WHAT I HAVE? AREN'T I COOL?!?!?\""
] | [
"Why pay for the next Star Wars movie when old episodes of Buck Rodgers is available for free. They are pretty much the same, right? While many people see porn as a single use commodity, there is a core of hardcore porn fan (hardcore fans, not the porn). They have performers and series they like and follow, and whe... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is wearing fur taboo, but no one really cares about wearing leather. | [
"I think it's seen as acceptable to wear leather since they didn't kill the cow just for the leather. Pretty much the whole cow gets used. No one is buying fox steaks though, so the rest of the animal is wasted. A lot of vegans won't (or say they won't) wear leather though."
] | [
"Animal exploitation, animal cruelty and many animals are killed as 'by-products' to support these industries ie. male chicks for eggs. Vegans also don't eat honey, many don't wear leather or use make-up etc. that is tested on animals. Imagine giving animals the same rights as a human and you essentially have the v... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Is aspartame actually bad for you? | [
"It depends on whether you believe scientists or emails that have a subject line that starts with FW: FW: FW: FW:. Health agencies have set limits on the daily amount, like 40 mg/kg in Europe. That works out to about 16 cans of Diet Coke safely in a day. But even that doesn't appear to be based on a demonstrated is... | [
"Diet Coke contains Aspartame, which is an artificial sweetener that many people believed for a long time helped contribute to cancer, specifically brain cancer. While there are people that will argue this is true and swear by it, the overwhelming majority of the medical industry believes that it is not carcinogeni... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do we use radar to figure out where it's raining and where lightning has struck? | [
"Rainfall appears on certain types of radar - it reflects the radar signal back to the dish, which is also able to detect the motion of raindrops (Doppler radar). Wikipedia has more details [here] (_URL_0_). Lightning detection is different - it doesn't use radar at all. Instead, receivers pick up the burst of stat... | [
"Because of differences in the temperature of the upper atmosphere. If it's below freezing up in the clouds, snow will form even if it is above freezing on the ground."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Music files are simply files made up of encoded data. Why can't we run a program to artificially create more songs by inputting random data into an MP3 encoder to create potentially new songs? | [
"If you randomly throw data together, you'll get the musical equivalent of monkeys playing with typewriters, random gibberish where 99.9999% of the results will sounds that aren't really music. There are more advanced programs that work to make pleasant music, but trying to make pleasant sounding music is not an ea... | [
"In some cases, the extensions indicate the container types and not necessarily what is in them. Most times, like in the example case, the extension indicates the types of CODEC (file compression) was used to reduce the audio. The [MP3 uses MPEG1 (or 2) Audio Level 3](_URL_1_) but the [WAV is a container type that ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What is the connection between Greenland and Denmark? | [
"Greenland is a country within the Kingdom of Denmark, similar to how Scotland is a country within the UK. Greenland has been aspiring to greater autonomy, and Denmark has completely, putting them on a track to assume increasingly more control of their domestic affair. Despite this, Greenland remains economically d... | [
"Why do some parts of the world call gasoline petrol?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do dogs sniff their own butts? | [
"Dogs have glands in their butts that emit a smell they use to identify themselves. Hence why dogs sniff each others butts. And I guess dogs like to smell their own for reaffirmation and perhaps to get the smell dialed in case they get lost and need to backtrack."
] | [
"It's how dogs check each other's news feeds."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why does having 3 sex chromosomes result in down syndrome instead of a 3rd biological sex? | [
"That's not what Down syndrome is. Down syndrome is when chromosome 21 has an extra copy. It has nothing to do with sex chromosomes. To answer your question as stated, humans only have two possible sex chromosomes, so there are only two biological sexes."
] | [
"It would completely depend on the species since not all organisms have sex regulated the same way. In humans, the X chromosome contains some important genes that are not present on the Y chromosome. As a result, a YY human could not develop. However, it would be possible to have a XYY human. This could happen nat... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do I sense when I'm about to be shocked by static electricity? | [
"I think I know what you mean by that... What happens when you get close to a highly charged static source which is usually an accumulation of electrons (a negative charge) is that the hairs on your arm or head or wherever which are neutrally charged initially start to have their own electrons repelled by that neg... | [
"Why do the glands in my neck burn like high hell when I'm holding back tears?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why does the milk I bought have a super long shelf life? | [
"It's the extra pasteurization that does it. By pasteurizing it at a higher temperature, they give it a longer shelf life. However, that's only before opening. After you open it, it has the same fridge life as other milk that has just been opened."
] | [
"It's not a good idea to consume dairy that is past its used by date. If that date was a month ago you're going to have a bad time."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do girl scout cookies have a cult following? | [
"Perceived scarcity. Since they only come out once a year, people and our natural hoarding instincts come into play. Kind of like how people fiend for the McRib or the shamrock shake from McDonalds."
] | [
"The average American eats 18 pounds of bacon per year. No one had to start anything. The love was there from the start."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Does MENSA even amount to anything? | [
"I'm not a member of MENSA, but I've heard from friends who are that the primary benefit is having access to a group of intelligent, like-minded people. Sort of like a support group for smart people. It can also carry clout with other members of MENSA."
] | [
"According to who? You? What applies to you does not apply to everyone. This doesn't belong in ELI5."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why do so many people recommend "no-kill" shelters for adopting a pet? Isn't it better to adopt from a "kill" shelter - you're actually saving a life? | [
"Because if I went to a kill shelter with the wife, she'd realize all of the animals would die if not adopted, and my house would become a zoo..."
] | [
"They hold the opinion that domestication is itself unethical. Since you can't 'un-domesticate' a dog or cat, they consider destroying the animal the most humane thing to do. This is why PETA shelters have 80%+ kill rates, which are significantly higher than other animal shelters. If you find a stray dog or cat, a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
How can a (forensic) pathologist tell if a certain injury was caused postmortem? | [
"I thought it has to do with blood pooling and bruising. Like basic biological functions like that wouldn't exactly happen if you're dead..."
] | [
"Somethymes what seems obvious may distract from an actual cause. For instance, if someone dies from a fall, it may be found that the fall was the result of something else, like drugs, a heart attack, etc. Additionally, someone might attempt to disguise a murder by making it seem like an obviously accidental deat... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
why some people are "nightowls" even though humans a supposed to be active in the day time | [
"In addition to what others say about how there are fun screens and toys and gadgets keeping us awake (I consider myself a night owl if only because I'm terrible at going to bed on time. Gotta play one more game of Overwatch), there's also a theory I've seen floating around that there's supposedly a predisposition ... | [
"I know what you mean, my sleep cycle is pretty strange too. There's such a thing as delayed sleep phase disorder, maybe you should look into that. Basically, your natural rhythms are shifted by a couple of hours (if left to my own devices, I naturally sleep between 4am and noon)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why can't we use entanglement to send information? | [
"Point A doesn't get to 'send changes'. Point A measures their half of the pair and record a measurement. That's it. They don't get to choose what they measure or affect what point B will measure in any way."
] | [
"The quantum particle *is* in two distinct states at the same time. That's what makes quantum computers different from \"normal\" computers; normal computers can't do that."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Do the Green Bay Packers pay taxes? | [
"The Packers are subject to federal and other state income taxes, but enjoy tax-exempt status within the state of Wisconsin."
] | [
"When Green Bay started playing, there was no NFL. There were teams like the Decatur Staleys (became the Chicago Bears) and the Portsmouth Spartans (became the Detroit Lions). The team has managed to stay in Green Bay because of the amazing support of the fan base. The Packers are the only publicly-owned (owned by ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What causes unconsciousness when hit in the head/face really hard? | [
"The brain striking the skull. There are particular angles that you can strike the head (google \"the button\" in boxing) that have a higher percentage of making the brain hit the skull and making a person blue screen."
] | [
"It depends on where you hit your head. It's kind of like anywhere else, it won't hurt if someone hit your hand for example, but if you accidentally hit your \"funny bone\" on something, it'll hurt hard af. It's same on the head. The frontal lobe, which is like responsible for thinking, logic, judgment, etc etc is ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Biology/Medicine:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Biology/Medicine:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
If I am a US citizen, and oil is found on a land where the government owns, shouldn't I get piece of the pie ? I know the government owns the resources, but how do we citizens benefit from it ? | [
"If the government wants to, they sell it to the highest bidder and take the money into the federal coffers. So it winds up reducing the amount of debt the government takes on by a little. You benefit with less of your tax dollars being spent on debt service."
] | [
"That other country, who would want the tax revenue from the mega-rich company. Just because you buy land from a government doesn't mean that they no longer have sovereignty over that land."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
LI5, why do flies love to gather on cows faces, and is there anything that can be done to stop it? | [
"Most of the time they drink the tears and feed off of the bacteria in the eyes. They will cause eye infections but do keep the \"sleep\" or \"eye booger\" to a minimum. It is also easier to get to their sweat there because of less hair."
] | [
"Because it could startle them and they might attack you. It is a myth that it will give them a heart attack or put them into a coma. \"They\" say the best thing you can do is gently lead them back to bed."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why do so many Indians have the same last name (Patel)? | [
"According to wikipedia, Patel means \"village headman\". It's similar to Americans being named Miller or Smith."
] | [
"Surnames historically came from a few things: 1. Your job 2. Your father's name 3. (rarely) Your mother's name 4. Where you come from 5. Your physical appearance 6. A description of your personality More common jobs, or first names, therefore lead to more common surnames. (e.g. Smith, Johnson) Sadly I can't help w... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why can't the US simply stop importing oil from the Middle East? | [
"The oil market is global. If we need more oil from (for example) Venezuela, then their current customers will need more from the Middle East. Shifting suppliers just doesn't have much net effect. What we *can* do: 1. Reduce the total amount of oil we need, through efficiency and the use of other energy sources. 2.... | [
"The west buys their oil and provides them with financial and military support to keep the Totalitarian Sauds in power, keeping the country just stable enough that it can keep providing oil to the rest of the world."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
If I want to support an app developer, should I buy the premium version or continue with ads? | [
"Always buy. Here's how that developer makes money with ad networks: - They usually get paid when a user installs the game/app that is show in the ad. They'd get anywhere from 50c to $5 per install - Sometimes they get paid just when a user just clicks an ad - To work it all out, most developers calculate their \"e... | [
"Free apps often use one or more of the following to earn money. 1. Micropayments - Most of the app is free, but you can pay with your credit card to unlock extra features or perks. 2. Ads - You have to watch ads while you use the app. 3. Trial version - The app is just a free trial version for a paid version of th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Technology:"
} |
How does every single person have unique DNA? How are there so many variants? | [
"Humans have over 19,000 separate genes, many of which may vary freely from one person to another. So the number of possible combinations is way *way* more than the number of people who have ever lived."
] | [
"Identical twins are pretty much genetically the same. Since the same babies are derived from the same egg, they will have almost identical DNA. The only differences will really be due to environmental differences between both twins. That being said, if you have seen twins before, you will notice that despite being... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why is fathers day celebrated on the same day in US/UK, but mother's day isn't? | [
"The UK combined a religious holiday, \"Mothering Sunday\" that was part of Lent, where you would traditionally return to the church you grew up in (your mother church) with the holiday celebrating your mother. The US, being more protestant and not as tied to the liturgical calendar as Anglicans and Catholics does ... | [
"It can never be on the 21st because it's the fourth thursday of November. So it rolled over to the 28th which is the last day it can be."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
[Theory of relativity] - The twin paradox | [
"That's **not** the actual paradox by the way. The other people have explained how time dilation works, but here is the real problem: One twin flies away at near lightspeed, one waits on Earth. Time goes slower for the twin in the spaceship, he ages slower and so on. But if you see it from the perspective of the t... | [
"Theory that the whole universe could be explained via 2D mathematical explanatory mechanisms. Much like the hologram."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why do super drunk people tend to lean way back when they walk? | [
"Their equilibrium is off or impacted by being intoxicated and their brain / body is trying to compensate the only way it knows how."
] | [
"If you can hold your liquor, you can get quite drunk without it showing too much. If you are getting sick, acting like a dumbass, falling down, etc you do not hold your liquor well."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is it easier to cycle when gears are changed? | [
"Gearing alters the distance over which force is applied. Imagine trying to jump three feet straight up; you probably can't, right? But think about spreading it out by jumping three inches twelve times. That is much easier. It is much like using a lever, where you do the same amount of work but in a way you can exe... | [
"It's easier to get the motor revving on its highest setting then it's lowest. Going the other way around would likely still require having it spin fast at first."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
For girls (or boys who know what it is) a band above your knee. | [
"It's called a garter. Back in the day, stockings used to be made kind of like high socks, so girls would wear a garter on their thighs to hold them up (like suspenders for socks). Now stockings and socks are made with elastic tops so they stay up on their own, but sometimes girls will still wear a garter because i... | [
"Because don't wear your socks for more than one day."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why can't we put metal objects in microwaves but most of them come with metal oven grids? | [
"Only metal with sharp edges/points are not recommended. So things like forks and aluminum foil aren't good to use, but since the rack has smooth edges, it is perfectly safe to use. Edit- Who's downvoting me? The rack doesn't have any sharp edges that would cause sparks."
] | [
"microwaves heat food by shooting microwaves at it. Water absorbs those microwaves, vibrates and heats up. Thats not to say nothing else absorbs it, certain ceramics do as well. Its actually part of which products are microwave safe and which aren't (along with usually BPA content)."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Physics:"
} |
When a person is outside of a locked car trying to open the door, and a person inside is hitting the unlock button, why is it that when they both do it at the same time the door doesn't unlock? | [
"It is different in different cars. One way to think about is that when you pull the car handle it pulls a rod inside the door and activates a release unless the lock is blocking the release. When you pull with the lock on it puts some tension on the lock mechanism so if you push unlock while the door handle puts t... | [
"On some elevators, yes, nothing happens. On those elevators it is for show, because people expect it to be there, and because it's cheaper for the elevator manufacturer to leave it in than to build a second version that doesn't have them. The button works on most elevators though. In the ones I've seen, you have t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why do teeth become yellow? What happens to it for it to look yellow? | [
"Teeth aren't actually white. That's just vanity and marketing that makes people think they are supposed to be white. Teeth are porous so they can absorb substances from what you eat, drink, smoke, etc. - which can affect their color."
] | [
"Whitening toothpastes essentially just bleach your teeth. It isn't good for them. Teeth are naturally a light cream color varying from person to person - in fact, the brightest white in your mouth is usually hardened plaque."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What do anarchists want? A lawless society with every person fending for themselves? | [
"Anarchists certainly don't want a society where people have to fend for themselves, no. Community is a central feature of anarchism. Anarchists don't reject structure in society so much as hierarchical structure. They want power to be decentralised and they want communities to organise by democratic means, namely... | [
"Some Americans believe that having an armed populace is crucial to defending against tyranny. Imagine someone wanted to take over the country from inside, creating a dictatorship and removing citizens' freedom. This would be harder to do if the people have guns."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
If temperature is the agitation of molecule, why stir my coffee makes it colder faster? | [
"With the agitation you add a minimal ammount of heat to the coffee, but by moving the coffee that's touching the walls or that's near the surface you also increase the rate at which it cools down."
] | [
"All objects are made of particles as you know and heat is a result or effect of the vibration of these particles. The more the particles are vibrated, the more energy that is released, the higher the temperature. The heat/energy flows from a higher temperature/energetic object to a lower temperature/energetic obje... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why can't I sell my organs? | [
"ELI5 answer: we don't want people to do things because they are desperate for money. A program that allows people to sell their organs would arguably end up only being used by people who are desperate for money and have no other viable way of making money. A similar argument is used to keep prostitution from being... | [
"In the real world why would anyone want to be a politician?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
In a non gay marrying state, If a married woman changed gender to a man would the marriage be nullified | [
"It's iffy. A lot of places who are against gay marriage are also against Trans marriage and have a rule saying that ones gender is what it says on their birth certificates. So they really couldn't stop it, but you know they would try to."
] | [
"even in a marriage between a male and female you have the choice who keeps their last name if last names get changed at all. same in a gay marriage."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
what would happen if a nation decided to wipe clean its debt? | [
"Well, if it wiped clean it's national debt without the OK of the debtors., it would financially ruin the country. Nobody would ever loan any money to the government ever again. Hell, they wouldn't even be able to get a charge account for phones. They'd have to go prepaid for everything. And then there are all the ... | [
"Sure, let's start by following my rules. Oh, you want to make rules too? Well I don't like your ideas so we will never merge. Now try integrating a country ruled by a religious dictator who's citizens believe (under penalty of death) that his dictates are authorized by God? How about a country that believes your e... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does Germany and Japan handle atrocities of WW2 like concentration camps and Unit 731 in their history books? | [
"Not a historian but I have been to both countries. Germans are very ashamed to even give you directions to the concentration camps. Japanese still sell some comic books and even video games aggrandizing WWII. The Germans make education on such atrocities mandatory, the Japanese do so much less."
] | [
"a) Post WWII Nuremberg trials were very German centric. We also ignored Japan's war crime against China (Unit 731, Nanjing massacre, etc) & Korea, Russia's war crime against Germany (a lot of rapes), England's fire bombing of German cities, and many more. b) Nuclear bombs weren't a war crime at that time. No one g... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How can Banksy STILL remain anonymous? How is that even possible in 2013? | [
"Banksy doesn't design on the wall directly. He creates stencils in advance which are then painted on. So perhaps Banksy himself never directly applies the graffiti, but just has his agents do it for him. His art is popping up in NYC right now, but he may very well be back in England, designing remotely. If he's fa... | [
"Ok, give me $1000 and then I won't pay it back. Does that sound good to you?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are drone strikes "worse" then normal tactical bombing. | [
"They are not. Drone strikes take out a building. Standard tactical bombing take out a block. Bombing runs with planes take out a city. Drone cause a lot less collateral damage than any other bombing technique. The issue is that by having it automated it seems that people are not in control of it and that it is no... | [
"I have to disagree with usaf0906. While Americans generally think of using guided missiles (and usaf's name might betray his bias), a surgical strike is any kind of strike that tries to precisely target a military objective, with the fewest amount of non-military casualties or damages. Using a SEAL team in the way... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
in the simpsons series 3 episode 17, mr smithers goes to don mattingly's house ... | [
"I think it's just an inversion of the usual trope that celebrities / athletes are unapproachable. Don Mattingly was at the peak of his career when that episode was made, the joke is that rather than living in a huge mansion with a gate and servants, he's acting more like a bored housewife, doing the dishes and inv... | [
"Follow up question- how do people see me in the street: handsome mirror timaldinho or burn that photograph timaldinho?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why aren't lie detectors used in the U.S. court of law? Wouldn't that make it a lot easier to decide rulings? | [
"Because lie detectors have not been conclusively proven to be effective. All the evidence suggests that they are prone to being fooled or giving false readings. For that reason they are not applicable as evidence in a court of law."
] | [
"In the US, the Founding Fathers made a system based on the belief that it's better to let a guilty man avoid punishment than an innocent man found guilty. As such, there's many ways to appeal a conviction. You can argue evidence is unconstitutional. You could argue your trial wasn't fair. There are several levels ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text about Law and Justice:"
} |
What is that shivering feeling you get right after you finish peeing? (Male) | [
"It is actually known as post-micturition convulsion syndrome, and there are two schools of thought, but no definitive answer, since I guess scientists believe they have better things to study. Firstly, some believe it's a response to a sudden drop in temperature. The loss of sudden warm pee from the body and the f... | [
"Your urethra, (the hole your pee pee comes out of) is constricted by the recent boner. The burning sensation is normal after ejaculation. God mode challenge: pee with a boner, dont lose boner."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Health:",
"pos": "Represent the answer about Health:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why are my new towels not as absorbent as my parents' old ones? | [
"new towels have all sorts of chemicals in them. You have to wash those chemicals out through repeated use. It's like breaking in any other new item."
] | [
"I know for bath towels specifically, the fabric softeners leave a waxy film on the fibres, making them less absorbent. I used to work for a cleaning contractor, and our microfibre cloths would become worthless if we forgot, and added a sheet of downy! They would also streak the hell out of mirrors and windows."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
why are people so against drone use when its no different than an FA 18 dropping a bomb? | [
"The further you remove killers from the killing, the easier it becomes for them to do. An FA 18 pilot is still faced with the consequences of what he just did. Drone pilots sit in a container full of computer hardware somewhere pressing buttons. Some of them have gone on record talking about how far removed they a... | [
"Basically the same as an air-strike. A missile armed UAV which is REMOTELY CONTROLLED (important point most people miss) is deployed in the strike area and the operator finds the target and destroys it. Really, the only difference between an air-strike and a drone-strike is that the former has a guy in a plane whi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
there any 'science' to choosing which scenes go into trailers? | [
"No, there's no science. Film is an art form. The point of a trailer is to entice the viewer to see the movie by showing some of the cooler/funnier/more exciting parts of the movie and implying that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The problem arises when the trailer actually contains the only good parts of the... | [
"I believe they add whatever is on the screen during post production, which eliminates the bands"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
What is a thread in programming? | [
"Imagine every thread being a worker under you, that has an individual timetable. A normal program gives you one worker by default, doing the stuff the source code wants it to. Each thread you open \"hires\" another one, where you can assign work to it, splitting some calculations you need basically at the same tim... | [
"Could you explain a bit more about your question?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Can someone explain what tax deductible means? | [
"The money you make is called income. You don't pay taxes on ALL your income, but just on a part that's called taxable income. Certain things you spend money on, you get to take away from your income to figure out your taxable income. So let's say my tax rate is 20%, and my income is $1000 dollars. Then I'd owe $2... | [
"As an on-topic question, can someone please ELI5 what a recession is exactly?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why do we as humans need such varied diets when animals in the wild don't. | [
"We don't need very varied diets. There were cultures before globalization kicked in that were eating more or less the same assortment of foods for thousands of years. We've found that eating a variety of foods can increase our lifespan and overall health, so today it is strongly recommended that we get fruit, vegg... | [
"No. We can domesticate a lot of animals, but not all of them. Domesticated animals need to be able to thrive in a human environment. Pandas need specific temperatures and food, so we cannot domesticate them. So it's all about if they can live in our environment or not."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How come we give drugs that can be fatal if overdosed for people depressed and/or suicidal? | [
"The idea is that if they take the correct amount initially then they'll be much less of a risk as the treatment continues. People in extreme cases can be cared for in hospitals where doctors will control dosage. There are very few drugs at all which are 'safe' to overdose on. So there isn't really an alternative o... | [
"The same reason any drug requires a prescription, the drug has an unexceptionable level of possible harm to consumers. In addition having several possible side effects, if misused it can lead to renal failure. Getting a prescription is easy if you need one, this girl had an inhaler she was denied by idiotic school... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How is it that aircraft engines can handle large amounts of water and sand during ingestion tests but are incapacitated by small birds? | [
"For the same reason that your lawnmower can flawlessly cut large amounts of grass without any issues but if you were to say, run over a stump it might break a blade. Yes, a bird is a lot less dense than a stump. But aircraft turbines rotate much, much, much faster."
] | [
"The dust is very abrasive to jet engine parts. When airport landing patterns get above a very low dust concentration, flights are cancelled for safety reasons. Sure, once you take off you can fly around the cloud, but if the engine fails on takeoff this is not much consolation."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why would Putin and Obama leave something as important as their Crimea negotiations to ambassadors? Isn't it way too important for anything less than Sec. of State or Russian equivalent? | [
"The Secretary of State is like the captain of a team, it doesn't mean they are the best ball player. Also, ambassadors are specialized in certain areas. An ambassador to Russia would have a lot of experience dealing with Russian bureaucracy and culture, which gives them an advantage over a generic representative."... | [
"If the president didn't know about them, how would we know about them? How would we know if any even exist if they are of that level of secrecy?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer about Politics:"
} |
Why when I have a migraine does pushing on certain parts of my skull make the pain go away? | [
"There aren't pain receptors in the brain itself, but in the meninges, the membrane around in that connects to the skull. When you push, it disrupts those receptors. Its in the muscles and veins of the head and neck where tension develops, so by pushing you are artifically relieving some tension that results in pai... | [
"Just my personal experience.... Headache= “ouch, my head hurts” Migraine= “oh shit, I can’t see properly, I can’t focus, I can’t speak coherently, I feel like vomiting...oh and my entire head face neck and back hurts” A headache for me is like a dull pain in an isolated area. It’s painful but not debilitating. A ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
If I won the 450+ Million dollar Powerball tonight, what happens next? Should the winner call an attorney, a tax lawyer? Should it be claimed right away? | [
"Employ these 4 people: Lawyer Investor who is paid by the hour Tax pro Receptionist to answer your phone and tell everyone \"no, you can't have $X\""
] | [
"Their best bet would be to donate the winning lottery ticket to the charity before the ticket is turned in to the lottery. Once they accept the prize, they create a taxable income, and I believe the max they can deduct is 50% of your Adjusted Gross Income. Of course, it goes without saying you should consult tax a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why it's called a semi truck. | [
"The \"semi\" doesn't refer to the truck. It's called a semi truck because it's built to carry what's known as a semi-*trailer*: a trailer which doesn't have front wheels on it, because it just slides on top of the truck. (There are full trailers that do have front wheels, but they're much rarer.)"
] | [
"No, that's why it's called American Sign Language."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do the web sites that charge for reverse number lookups and background checks get their information? | [
"They buy the information from other data aggregators."
] | [
"A lot of it is pre-existing database information from municipalities and private firms. You can buy most of it for yourself too if you know where. Some systems also integrate a user updated database that can quickly track changes based on individual reports and third party tracking."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What exactly has gone wrong with The new release of No Man's Sky? | [
"People wanted ALL OF IT. People got SOME OF IT. Developers working hard on giving them SOME MORE OF IT. Eventually people will get ALL OF IT (on DLC)"
] | [
"One of these is not like the others."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is there no color on magnified images. (i.e. images of bacteria) | [
"It all depends on which type of method you use for magnification. If you use an ordinary optical microscope you will actually see colors. Optical microscopes are however limited in how small things they are able to see. Therefore different kinds of electron microscopes are used to see smaller things. Because \"col... | [
"Due to the poor resolution when zoomed out the image creates something called a Moiré pattern. _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:"
} |
Why is it that rope does not unwind or untwist? | [
"The natural state of string is to be straight (not twisted). So all the strings (either natural or synthetic) want to be straight. They are individually twisted and then straighten out by twisting into each other. So their new natural state is twisted together, but they are acting as if they are straight so they d... | [
"Paper is made out of fibers which are basically very thin sticks put together. So if you crease it some of them will break and it can't be properly uncreased."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why Do We Have Squatter's Rights? | [
"It's a doctrine from English common law and better historians than myself can fill in the blanks, but in its most basic form (in the 1600's), there was still empty land in England and Wales and a rumor went around that if you build a cottage and tended to the land it would belong to you. This morphed over time int... | [
"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:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why is there so much hate towards comic sans? | [
"I have asked this myself and the answer I was given was twofold: * 1- It was, and often still is, overused. As a standard microsoft font it's seen as the go to \"wacky-fun-font\". * 2- It's used inappropriately. As a wacky-fun-font you probably shouldn't use it for your flier about breast cancer or email about you... | [
"Better question: why is there censorship at all? Are we really supposed to be ashamed of the fun bits of life?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Biology:"
} |
Is the Chinese government worried about Chinese students in America becoming opposed to the government? | [
"Relevant thread: _URL_0_ TLDR: Nothing really, since it is untrue that Chinese people are heavily oppressed and interested in toppling the government as portrayed in US media."
] | [
"You made the mistake of thinking that the primary intention of the US government when going to other countries is to promote freedom."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
The "odor" coming from Jahi McMath. | [
"Just went to read the article and it looks like that part has been edited out. Just fyi."
] | [
"I think you just answered your question. Christianity."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How do painkillers like Ibuprofen work to relieve pain? | [
"It is basically a blocker of certain chemicals in the body which directly mediate pain, inflammation, and fever. By blocking these chemicals you therefore block the pain and inflammation. The minute details honestly aren't super interesting unless you like learning about cellular communication."
] | [
"Ibuprofen, Naproxen, and aspirin are all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). All are used to reduce fever and inflammation, as well as help with pain. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is not an NSAID, which means it does not reduce inflammation. It still reduces fevers and helps with pain, but since it does no... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
If knife throwers can learn how to throw a knife with such accuracy it always misses and lands right beside the assistant, why can't NBA players learn to make every shot? Why can't dart players learn to throw constant nine darters? | [
"Well with the NBA there is the problem of the other team blocking and moving the whole time."
] | [
"I am no expert here, by far, but, it seems like the backboard is another unnecessary step in getting the ball in the hoop. If you can get the ball to go directly into the hoop why would you try and make it bounce off something before going into the hoop. The fewer steps the better right? I also know it's kind of a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is it that when my microwave is on, my WiFi stops working? | [
"They share similar wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum, so interference is most likely the cause. How powerful is your microwave? Are your router and microwave nearby?"
] | [
"My iPhone constantly connects to my Apple Watch and my Bluetooth headphones at the same time."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
- Why are power lifters often overweight? Olympic lifting relies on an individuals muscle strength and not counterweight. So why do the strongest lifters have significant fat? | [
"Powerlifter with two world records here. When lifting extremely heavy weights, it's important to cushion your joints, tendons and ligaments to reduce damage. A diet low in fat (like those of body builders as they near competition) would not allow for enough fat to effectively do this. Also, when trying to pack on ... | [
"For linemen size and strength is of utmost importance, if they are not careful focusing on this will cause them to lose enough speed, agility, and endurance that they are not capable of passing a general fitness test. Think of Sumo Wrestlers (who are also pro-athletes). They have similar issues."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What is the difference between NoSleep and CreepyPasta? | [
"NoSleep is supposed to be for true, scary stories. The problem is, you don't have to verify your stories, and no one can claim a story fake, thus people who want to give people a good scare post here. CreepyPasta is just scary campfire-like stories. I used to love NoSleep, but unsubbed a few months ago because t... | [
"I knew I saved this document/post for a reason! This was posted in r/rpg_gamers by RCizzle65 about a month ago (Warning: Spoilers for all current KH games): _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How can we put an estimated time until death on our own sun? | [
"we can estimate/calculate the mass of the sun. we know how gravity and temperature works. we know the rate of consumption of hydrogen. from there, it's just making a model of the sun and running the calculation forward until it starts expanding. it's not like the Sun in 234224324.34 years will suddenly explod. i... | [
"This is really cool! Is there an easy way to search through it for a particular topic?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Astronomy:",
"pos": "Represent the text about Astronomy:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
The US refers to millionaires and billionaires in US dollars; how are similar concepts handled in other countries? | [
"In India 10 million rupees is called a **crore** and someone who has that much wealth is a **crorepati**."
] | [
"The richest people hold very little of their wealth in actual currency; most of it is tied up in various investments. The answer depends on how those investments are doing."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do countries around the world have different outlets? Why couldn't we have decided on one before? | [
"> Why couldn't we have decided on one before? Who is we? The United Nations or even the League of Nations before it existed long after Electricity became a thing. Plus even if they had the foresight for it there would be no consensus, the world would probably be split into two or three sockets surrounding the poli... | [
"If I recall correctly, they did decide to convert to the metric system a good number of years ago. so the obvious answer would be any other way then that."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
We know that vision is light reflecting from into our eyes, sound is vibration. But what is smell, what is going in the molecular level that makes a substance produce odour? | [
"The presence of actual molecules themselves. When you smell shit, it's because there literally are tiny pieces of shit in your nose right now that are bumping into a special kind of neurons."
] | [
"Smell travels through water the same way it travels through air: particles of the thing being smelled are carried on various currents (air or water). Those particles enter some orifice of the animal which make contact with olfactory sensors, triggering an electric impulse that is interpreted by the animal's brain ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is security clearance not required for POTUS and many other "powerful" politicians? | [
"If there were such a requirement, it would effectively mean that the military or the government can restrict who can be elected president. That doesn't sound like a good idea."
] | [
"The President is the head of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government. Every agency of the Federal Government falls under the Executive Branch, which means the President is the boss of all of these employees, and can put a gag order on any of them. The President is not the boss of someone in the Legislative ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Politics:"
} |
What makes a country determine what side of the road people drive on? | [
"What I heard was that the sword was the weapon of choice for many years in, for instance, England. Horsemen and pedestrians tended to pass to their left so their sword side was not exposed. In North American the pistol was popular so people leaned towards passing each other on their right so their holster side was... | [
"The American government does not care what the rest of the world thinks."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
How is it that so many chemicals found in nature just happen to be perfect fits for receptors that exist independently in our brain? | [
"* Describing ligand-receptor fits as \"perfect\" is generous. Pretty much all the time they're more of a \"Eh, close enough\" affair, and there's a lot of room for different molecules other than whatever the receptor usually binds to fit too. In fact, it's often precisely this imperfect matching that causes unusua... | [
"There are many safe plastics. The reason many plastics are poisonous is that they're rather similar to the kinds of molecules that make up your cells, and can damage or interfere with them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What makes mucous slimy? | [
"Mucus is slimy because it has lots of proteins and other chemicals in it that like to stick together. That's really all it is. \\* *Mucus* is the slimy stuff. *Mucous* is the quality of being like mucus, or of having or producing mucus. The difference is important."
] | [
"Drink more fluids allows the production of more liquid mucus, which is easier to cough up than less liquidy mucus"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
How do split depth GIFs appear to be 3D | [
"Basically, it's forced perspective. Because the bars that are placed in the GIF that are edited to make them appear as a reference at a fixed plane in space. When something crosses the plane, it appears as if it has come closer to you."
] | [
"Motion is blurred to make frames fit next to each other more. Surroundings are kept out of focus. Movies also generally look better than graphics made in real time, think of playing a game at super Jesus graphics and only getting .05 fps. But then stacking those frames side by side to make a 30 fps film after you'... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about videogame development:"
} |
How do names work in the US? | [
"In the US, people will call you whatever you want. You could say, \"Call me Chocolate,\" and most people would."
] | [
"The main reason is because of the religious background of the United States."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
When one has migraines, why (occasionally) is there areas where vision is lost? | [
"I know this one. There are blood vessels near the optic nerves specifically where the nerves from each eye come together. During the migraine the blood vessels swell and push on the optic nerve. This pressure on the nerve is what distorts the vision. First time it happened to me I thought I was going blind forever... | [
"I suffer migraines, and I can tell you that the medical science community has about as good a grasp on this as you do. The biggest difference is the onset of multiple symptoms as opposed to the tension felt in the head during a headache. I will also experience aura symptoms and double vision immediately prior to t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why does water at 55 degrees Fahrenheit feel so much colder than if it is 55 degrees Fahrenheit out? | [
"Your body generally does not measure temperature. It measures heat flux. Heat flux is the rate at which heat is transferred. Water happens to conduct heat far better than air, which is why the effect you described happens."
] | [
"In general, heat tries to equalize, and the larger the difference between two temperatures, the faster it happens. Think of it like this, a thermos full of coffee is 70° and the outside world is 15°. A thermos full of milkshake is about 5° and the outside world is still 15° So there's a larger temperature gradient... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why there are so many land mines in Africa? | [
"They're a cheap, easy way of keeping people (enemy soldiers) out of areas where you don't want them to go. There's been a string of wars in Northern Africa (including World War II) where landmines have been used to block off enemy advances. The problem is that people aren't always very good about keeping track of... | [
"If you think treatment of animals is bad in China, you have to seriously look at the treatment of people in The Republic Of China."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I thought the jury decides guilty or not. Why does Judge Judy reach verdicts by herself? | [
"You can have a trial by jury or with just a judge. That said, Judge Judy is actually acting as an arbitrator in a civil law case (not criminal cases), where the participants agree to be on tv and live with her decisions."
] | [
"In the US the Judge can overturn a guilty verdict but they cannot overturn a non-guilty verdict. Now if the jury tampering can be shown to the Judge they can throw the whole thing out of court, or throw the jury out and reschedule with a new jury."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do domesticated animals (dogs, cats) like to be pet? | [
"It is a relaxing experience that reminds them of when they were young and being groomed by their parent(s) Edit: spelling"
] | [
"Fish is a popular example with cats, mainly because of house cats. If you were to talk about all \"FELINES\", you wouldn't associate fish with most of them. When was the last time you saw a Lion, Cheetah or Jaguar eat a fish in the wild? Most house cats are curios creatures and will want to play with the moving fi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
why does where a player in the NFL went to college matter more than in MLB? | [
"It's largely in part because there's a lot more pedigree associated with football colleges than baseball colleges. It also has impacts on schemes/playbooks for offense and defense that they were brought up in, whereas there aren't too many \"styles\" of baseball play."
] | [
"People dont like when one team is always winning. In college football its Alabama. In pro its the Patriots."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do people enjoy singing along to songs? Whats going in our brains that gives us pleasure when we accompany a song? | [
"And why can't we stand it when the other person in the car with us decides they want to sing along too..."
] | [
"I think it depends on many factors. Some of them might be: The compatibility of the emotion of the music with your mood at the time Your personal liking for that style of music The artists' skill The quality of reproduction, if recorded The feelings of people around you For music to affect you as you describe, unl... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the comment about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the comment about Science:"
} |
Why does time seem to speed up as we all get older? | [
"Grandpa described it like this. \"When you're young, each day represents a large part of your time on earth. When you're 5 you've only had 60 months alive, and most of them you don't remember anyway. But when you're 50, there's been 600 months. Each day is a lot smaller slice of the pie of life then when you were... | [
"I think it has more to do with psychology than physiology: adventure is more important to children than comfort. Our priorities shift as we get older."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Can someone try to characterize the three waves of feminism (USA)? | [
"Broadly, 1st wave: Women should be accorded simple dignity like voting rights and property rights. Susan B. Anthony was sort of the quintessential 1st wave feminist 2nd wave: \"A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle\" Women are every bit equal to men and anything that says otherwise or any data that wou... | [
"I like the question, but can someone substantiate the premises first? What distinguishes the two in the first place, and *are* communes actually less successful?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
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