query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Why do computers become slow over time? | [
"Another dup post, but maybe part of the answer is that people forget how to use them efficiently, such as searching first. See: _URL_0_ _URL_1_ _URL_2_"
] | [
"Mostly it has to do with how much software you have installed on your device. The more stuff you have running the more computing power each application takes. When you first open your phone it has very few things running in the background. But, after you install Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, etc. those p... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are spaces not valid characters when entering a username, password, or similar fields on a computer? | [
"They are totally valid. There's no reason why you can't use any character you like. What usually happens is that a programmer will try to protect the system from malicious attacks by limiting the \"special characters\" allowed when inputting data. If the special characters are escaped correctly and they're taken i... | [
"To ELI5 /u/FrancescoRizzi's explanation. The website generates a unique token, which is generally stored in a cookie on your computer. Each time you access the site it sends the cookie which identifies your connection as you."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does he government pay a premium for everything it's involved in? | [
"its not *just* the govt... youd be surprised at business to business pricing too. Its very lucrative to target this stuff, perhaps because business's are so *sticky*, its hard to change suppliers, and you can often just bop along for years and years without anyone stopping to think if they could save their company... | [
"Because they don't need it. The government makes enough money off of selling the country's oil to do everything that they want to do."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Where do the missed rounds go when planes shoot at other planes? | [
"Most plane fights are fought with missiles nowadays, back then though the bullets would just fly for awhile and finally start to just fall. Most of the time landing in the middle of nowhere."
] | [
"They don't dogfight like in the movies. It's done nautical miles apart from each other. Evasive maneuvers are countermeasures and machine guns are guided missiles. If it's truly one on one, the fight is over long before either plane is actually hit."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
how does fingerprint authentication store the fingerprint information? | [
"Fingerprint scanners are basically capacitive touchscreens minus the screen part. Fingerprints are made of ridges and valleys. When you press your finger against a scanner, it registers what parts of your finger are ridges and what parts are valleys based on what touches it. It then takes several parts of this inf... | [
"Don't forget to take into account how much of the finger the phone based scanner is actually scanning versus a stand alone finger print scanner which will take a larger picture of the finger for more data points for verification. For instance the scanner on my Iphone is tiny compared to the finger print scanner th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Technology:"
} |
How does the sun generate heat? | [
"The sun produces a massive amount of energy due to the nuclear fusion reaction in its core, in which the element hydrogen is converted into helium. The temperature in the core is about 13,600,000 degrees Kelvin, and this heat is transferred into the next layer through thermal radiation. After that, the heat is car... | [
"Repelling each other requires energy. Some of that is released as heat."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post about Physics:"
} |
How can cups stack within eachother without the cup getting smaller the higher you go? | [
"Stackable cups are *tapered* so that they're smaller at the bottom than at the top. They also stick out past the top of the lower cup somewhat, allowing them to regain the extra space lost by being inside the lower cup. If they had to completely fit *inside* the lower cup then, yes, they'd have to constantly get s... | [
"If the plastic is not able to handle the weight it will stretch. If you stretch the plastic just a little bit then it can still hold roughly the same amount of weight but if you stretch it further it is getting thinner and can not support as much weight as before. But if you have two plastic bags inside each other... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
how do animals/insects know that altruism is a benefit to the passing on of their genetic material? | [
"They don't have to \"know\" anything. If altruistic behaviour is passed on genetically *and* it improves the likelyhood of offspring of altruisitic individuals having offspring themselves, it's automatically increased in the population. Selfish behaviour would be passed on the same way if that was more likely in s... | [
"Different animals have different strategies. Remember that from an evolutionary point of view, all that matters is passing on your genes by any means. Workers ants are all infertile. They won't be passing on their genes anyway. So there wouldn't really have any been any pressure to develop internal competitive dri... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Social Sciences:"
} |
Lightning goes from the ground up to the cloud? | [
"(I kinda suck at science words so I am really explaining it like a 5 yr old) Well basically what happens is the cloud has one magnetic charge and the ground has the oposite magnetic charge and they are trying to meet since oposites attract. A \"leader\" leaves the positively charged cloud heading towards the groun... | [
"How do you even take a picture of the center of a tornado?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why are sports injuries allowed to be reported in detail | [
"> How does that not violate HIPAA law? HIPAA would prevent a doctor from just handing out detailed information on the injury of a patient, sports icon or otherwise. What HIPAA *doesn't* prevent is the sports organization which employs that patient releasing details on their injury as per their prior agreement in t... | [
"Other answers are better than mine, and it was touched on, but I want to let an important point be known. This practice is not only not gone, it is commonplace. Most attempts are thwarted by majority shareholders, which is why it's been quiet recently. Takeovers take a long time to pull off."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why is that when a textured wall gets painted over dozens of times, the texture stills shows through clearly? | [
"Well unless he strips it is forming layers, but very very thin ones when dry were talking around like 2 to 4/1000th of an inch per coat so it would take a large amount of coats to actually fill in the texture with paint. The actual thickness of course can depend on the paint used and the method of application."
] | [
"The new ink would cover up the old ink, but some of the old ink would still be visible, like putting on a new coat of paint without applying a base coat first. Additionally, your skin color changes as you tan, sunburn, etc. The tattooed spot would stand out just as obviously as the original tattoo, but look even w... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why do some people enjoy the smell of their own farts while finding farts from other people disgusting? | [
"The smell of someone's fart is based on the mix of bacteria in his digestive tract. Each person has his own unique \"bacteria profile.\" A human has ten times the amount of bacteria in their intestines as he does cells in his body. The gas that comes out when you fart is a byproduct of these bacteria's digestive p... | [
"Your body does not determine that. Your brain does. You are pre-programmed to find certain smells disturbing - those indicate danger. Rotten food, for example, would be dangerous and your brain reacts to the smell of it by making you feel disgusted. In general, though, this is a very subjective thing. What smell... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Psychology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment about Psychology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment about Science:"
} |
Why was Colonial Europe's civilization so much more powerful than the rest of the world? | [
"Check out a book called *Guns, Germs, and Steel,* by Jared Diamond. His thesis is that a natural abundance of domesticable animal and plant species, coupled with advantageous geography, helped mankind invent agriculture and form cities. This started in what we now call the Middle East, and spread westward into bot... | [
"Well, you can contrast Northern Africa from Southern Africa. For most of history, Northern Africa wasn't any less developed than the most developed parts of Europe or the Near East (although it fell behind in the early industrial period). In fact, Carthage and Egypt were among the wealthiest, most advanced civiliz... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
My girlfriend snores. Once it starts, I gently shake her, not until she wakes up, just until the snoring stops. What is going on the makes her stop snoring, and am I hurting the quality of her sleep? | [
"It is possible her sleep position is responsible. I snore when I sleep on my back. I trained myself to avoid sleeping on my back by sewing a small pocket on the back of a T shirt. I put a marble in it and sewed it shut. When I roll onto my back the marble is so uncomfortable I roll onto my side. It's gotten to the... | [
"My snoring wakes me up all the time XD Seriously though, I believe it's because when you're snoring, you're often in a deeper sleep cycle. When the person next to you snores and wakes you up, you were probably in a lighter cycle and more easily roused."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
If banning guns in the U.S. would create a huge black market for guns, why doesn't the UK seem to have this problem? | [
"The UK didn't have more guns than people when they banned guns. There's too many guns currently owned by private citizens and not registered with the government for a ban to be effective."
] | [
"People who say that want gun manufacturers to stop making guns. They hope that rising liability/insurance costs will cause the companies to go bankrupt, ending the supply of guns. It's got nothing to do with reason."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How old movies are able to be re-released in HD? | [
"Most old movies were shot on 35mm film. 35mm film is generally thought to be equivalent to a resolution between 4k and 8k, so scanning it for sale at effectively 2k (1080p is a bit less than the 2k standard), only requires a good print and high quality scanner. One can usually get 2k resolution out of even 16mm fi... | [
"Many old TV shows and movies were shot on celluloid film. It has a great picture but the networks broadcast the shows digitally. Digital tech wasn't what it is today 15+ years ago thus greatly decreasing the quality of the picture. Now that digital HD has caught up to Celluloid more or less, the broadcasts can loo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Roman architecture is so revered for being one of the strongest and best engineered. Yet, so few of their important buildings remain. What happened? | [
"A couple factors: **Age**, **Location**, **history** * **Age**: Rome was founded almost 3000 years ago. The colosseum was built almost 2000 years ago. In that time materials physically fail (wood rots, concrete erodes). People also broke roman structures down for materials from time to time * **Location**: Rome... | [
"I am not an expert on architecture but I think it has something to do with the time at which most of these buildings were made. Also keep in mind that even in cities with artistic buildings many will still be very basic looking because it is spatially and economically efficient."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why hasnt the technology in news rooms been able to figure out how to get rid of the delay between studio and field anchor communication; shouldn’t that be easy to solve in 2018? | [
"Alot of it has to due with latency ( the time it takes for the data to get from one point to another). That's why when the news has someone on satellite phone there is a second or 2 delay. The Satellites that we use for TV are in geosynchronous orbit, which is 35,786 km (22,236 mi) above Earth's equator, and the s... | [
"They have rather large production crews that work behind the scenes to do exactly that. It's not like the announcers are doing it. That combined with modern computer technology let them do it in a way that seems rather seamless to the viewer."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why do cigarettes tend to taste worse towards the end? | [
"The material closer to the filter (tobacco, paper) will accumulate tar from the previous parts of the cigarette that were burnt. This tar and combustion residue becomes a greater percentage of what is being burnt the closer you get to the filter of a smoked cigarette. Like barbecue, the longer you leave something ... | [
"1. A cigarette is made of dried and fine tobacco leaves wrapped in thin paper while pipe tobacco is made of coarse tobacco leaves placed in pipes for smoking. 2. A cigarette has two flavors, regular and menthol while pipe tobacco has many flavors, ranging from spicy to fruity to sweet. 3. The flavor and aroma of c... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does water conduct electricity if neither hydrogen or oxygen are conductive? | [
"Water itself is actually an insulator. Its the impurities in the water that can conduct electricity."
] | [
"So salt is composed of two elements, Sodium, a metal and Chlorine, a non-metal which makes NaCl. Metals like sodium form what are called positive ions and non metals like chlorine form negative ions. These two ions are attracted together and form a bond. However when put into water the bonds break up and the water... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why don't we have intermissions during long (3hrs +) movies anymore? | [
"The author here lays it out pretty simply. _URL_0_ > Contrary to popular belief, the theater owners I’ve spoken to say they would like to have the option — they could sell more concessions, where they make the real money — but their contracts with the studios prohibit intermissions. > I’m guessing the studios wa... | [
"I'm speculating that there are three reasons: 1. The target audience are teens and young adults who tend to stay up late. 2. It is rerun the next day at 2 or 3pm, I can't remember which. 3. A lot of people watch it online on its official site or on Hulu and gets ad revenue that way."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How is this all legal? Onlive | [
"It's pretty much using the [Phoenix Company](_URL_0_) approach. Yes people lost shares, but once the true scale of OnLive's business dealings, and specifically the trouble they were having paying off their debts, became known, those shares would have been worthless anyway. Personally, as an investor I wouldn't hav... | [
"And to hijack this in a related way, what were the alternatives to \"America.\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do HD re-releases of old movies work. | [
"Movies were shot on film, which is higher res than the vhs they distributed to you. But as long as they have the matters they can now convert that more closely to hd. Its like if 8 years ago on vacation you took a 2 megapixel picture of the mona lisa but this year you took your iphone and shot a 10 mega pixel phot... | [
"Can you give an example? Most TV show DVDs are on multiple discs."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why is video rendering always used as a benchmark for PC components/builds? | [
"It is one of the most demanding tasks you can do on a modern PC -- it uses *huge* amounts of CPU power and a *lot* of memory access."
] | [
"Because core count isn't nearly as important as marketing would have you believe. Even the clock speed isn't a 100% reliable way to see which CPU is better. If you want to compare AMD and Intel CPUs in the same pricerange, google their benchmarks in various games. That'll give you a more accurate reading of how th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why are there flights that take longer than 12 hours? | [
"Earth may spin 1 rev/day, but planes spin with it so the spin of Earth doesn't matter at all. Its just about the speed to get from A to B. i.e. Why doesn't a boat just take 12 hours around the world?"
] | [
"Indianapolis is Eastern Time; LA is Pacific. More than likely, that elapsed time is 4.5 hours once you take the time zone changes into account. 5:01 AM in LA is 8:01 AM in Indianapolis. Indy to LA is more than 1800 flying miles. To cover that in 1.5 hours would mean flying at more than 1.5 times the speed of sound... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does human hair decompose? | [
"Hair takes a very long time to decompose. It is made up mostly of proteins that take the form of a \"coiled coil\" which is extremely strong. There are also types of chemical bonds in hair called disulfide bonds that resist most decay processes. Hair will decompose eventually (like any other organic material) sinc... | [
"> Do the nutrients consumed by the person/plant get converted into something? Yes."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If surface area does not affect friction then why is it almost impossible to seperate these two books? (Picture included) | [
"Increasing surface area does affect total friction between two surfaces. What it doesn't do is affect the coefficient of friction of each surface, which is the same regardless of surface area."
] | [
"Wheels reduce friction. if that same 500lbs block was on ice ( with a layer of water in between) you would be able to move it as easily or even easier than on a wheel ( because there is still friction, just a lot less)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
how long will it be before we run out of metals? | [
"Metal itself isn't going anywhere, looking at the big picture. Gigantic skyscrapers or megastructures that arguably hold the most metal will erode and disappear in mere centuries, eventually returning to the soil. Minerals and terrain regenerate slowly, but they do, given enough time. They might be increasingly di... | [
"whats the point of hospitals if we are all going to die anyway"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why do "points off the bench" matter as an NBA statistic? | [
"Ideally a basketball team will have 5 starters who play most of the game. However, most players can't play a full 48 minutes becoming fatigued and less effective. Part of basketball strategy lies in how you give your starters a break. One at a time, or in groups? Do you wait until the other team rests theirs, or k... | [
"The statistic isn't meant to be significant, it's meant to increase hype. Similar to the college football championship. It's a promotional number masqueradeing as a meaningful statistic."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why do companies write EULAs and ToS in legalize and expect everyone to understand them? | [
"I think you're operating on a bad assumption. EULA's and ToS's aren't written with the expectation that customers will understand. They're CYA legal documents written to arm and defend the company in the event of legal proceedings. The product is for you, the legal documents are for them."
] | [
"well, the simple answer is that if you install software onto your computer, it could do whatever the hell the programmers/developers want it to do, whether they make you aware of it or not. And if it could do that, it'd be described in the vaguest of language in the software's End User License Agreement (EULA). Yo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why Do Devices With Dead Batteries Work After Taking The Batteries Out and Putting Them Back In? | [
"Sometimes a thin film of corrosion builds up on the battery terminals disrupting the flow of electricity. Taking the batteries out and then putting them back in scratches that film and allows the electricity to flow again."
] | [
"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 query about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What is the difference between a lawyer, a solicitor and a barrister? | [
"In England, a *solicitor* does the paperwork side of lawyering. A *barrister* is a lawyer who is licensed to argue cases in court. A *lawyer* is a generic term for both of them, however I suspect it is a more common term in the USA than in the Commonwealth."
] | [
"Having a law degree isn't the same as being a qualified and experienced lawyer."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Sometimes a doctor says for example that a 50 year old person has the body of a 70 year old person because the body is in such a bad state. How do they determine that? | [
"GPs see lots of 50-year-olds. They also see lots of 70-year-olds. If you see thousands and thousands of them over years of practice, you get a good feel for what sort of physical condition you can expect from the two age groups. This can be based on things like general physical ability (how well can they sit and s... | [
"The lifespan changes have to do with our health, not our biological makeup. 40-year olds of older times looked like 40-year olds of today, but were much more likely to die from sickness or violence."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment about Biology:"
} |
Why does a fly hover around people, even when they don't have food? | [
"To the fly, you're a giant covered in oil, sugar and water - which is a major food source to them. Your skin produces a ton of oil and sweat that combined emits a ton of odor (to the fly), meaning that they believe that you have a ton of food. If you're wearing red clothing or have red hair, flys will just believe... | [
"It's because of the vibration of their wings. Flies can make a lot of noise too, but they don't go near your head to bite you at night."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
. Why did Americans blame the troops during Vietnam? | [
"Because they were killing and raping innocent people. Pictures and TV broadcasts were being shown of the soldiers doing horrific things. Example (NSFW) _URL_0_"
] | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
How can Diet Mountain Dew have concentrated orange juice, but no calories? | [
"If a food or beverage has very few calories (fewer than 4 per serving, I think) then it can be labeled \"0 calorie\". Basically they are rounding down, which means it must have only a teeny tiny bit of actual orange juice in it :P"
] | [
"No, but it also contains 25g of sugar per 8 oz, which is roughly the same amount of sugar that's in Coke. Take a vitamin and drink some water instead."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How do sail boats go faster than the wind? | [
"They are actually sailing parallel to the wind and/or upwind, which is not with the flow of the wind. The sails act like a wing, creating lift which is counteracted by the keel to result in forward motion. Since they are sailing into the wind, they never outrun the wind, instead as they go faster, the apparent win... | [
"In really high altitudes there is moving air called \"Jetstreams. In the northern hemisphere the jetstream generally moves from west to east. The planes can ride this jetstream giving the plane more thrust, vs if the plane travels east to west it has to overcome the drag created going against it. Think of it like ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What does it means to be given an "Honorary Degree" and why do institutions do this? | [
"It depends. Sometimes it's just given to link a university with a famous person. Other times it's given to people who have done private work in that area but they don't hold an actual degree in it. Think of some sort of \"mad\" scientist working in his garage but doesn't actually have a degree but ends up discover... | [
"It's only meant to be a gesture. Universities generally note that the recipient can add the letters after their name, but should not use the title Dr. except in interactions with the school that granted the degree. Most honorary degrees are specially titled along the lines of LL.D (Doctor of Laws) or Sc.D. (Doctor... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I've been told the universe will expand forever, but given enough time, wouldn't black holes eventually consume everything in the universe, and eventually each other leading to a singularity? | [
"No, black holes don't have any magical 'suck' power. They're objects with a gravitational pull like any other. You can orbit a black hole. You can escape from orbit of a black hole. The special case is if you pass within the event horizon. Outside of the event horizon it is basically like orbiting a planet or star... | [
"Because we don't know that the Universe comes from nothing. One theory about the end and origin of the Universe is the Big Crunch. Where the Universe stops expanding and begins to contract, bringing everything into a single point where there is a big bang and the Universe is reformed. In this way the Universe is a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
why are stocks worth anything? | [
"Stock in a company gives you ownership of that companys assets. Gold doesn't pay dividends either, yet its popular for investing in. The only real difference for an investor between gold and stock is that gold is likely to be more predictable in value."
] | [
"what are you talking about? anybody can buy stock in the stock market. How is it only for rich people?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What happens when a programming language is open-sourced? | [
"Open source languages mean that the source code for the framework and runtime is available. This ensures that even if Microsoft drops support for .Net, it could be picked up and supported by someone else. The other benefit is that third parties can support .Net on things other than Windows (like Linux, for example... | [
"Because Java is everywhere! The more popular something is the more it will be exploited."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
America's (potential?) new healthcare system. | [
"The American system (the well go to after Obamacare is declare unconstitutional) is a free market system. Except that you can't sell insurance across state lines. Except that it has cover random thing that the state mandates like acupuncture. Except that the state can regulate where and when hospitals are built. E... | [
"How would the president conduct a hostile takeover without the military? Also a takeover of what?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why don't Republicans like Donald Trump? | [
"As a Republican*: * He's only known for his business acumen, which he doesn't have. He inherited almost his entire fortune, which he has only managed to lose, and has declared bankruptcy to protect the part of his wealth he hasn't blown on shitty business deals * He's an enormous asshole. He has sued, more than on... | [
"What's a Tory, and why do so many people seem to hate them?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why do phone carriers no longer offer unlimited data plans? | [
"Imagine a restaurant with a $10 all you can eat buffet. They probably charge $8 for a regular meal, so even if most people eat a little more than normal, they are still ahead. Even if an occasional hungry person eats $20 worth of food, they will still come out ok. Now let's Overeaters Anonymous starts hanging out ... | [
"The only advantages are that you can choose any provider and you can get a prepaid plan. If you text/ring a lot, it's better to not get an unlocked phone and just get a contract."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Does producing light or heat deplete the # of electrons in a circuit? | [
"There are always the same number of electrons in your wire. The energy comes from the electric field which causes the sea of electrons to drift in a specific direction, but even when they're drifting you'd find that any section of the wire still has the same amount of electrons as it should. If electrons were bein... | [
"To add to the question - does the number of protons an atom have affect the conversion to pure energy? So what would it take to convert iron to pure energy compared to helium?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why is no medicine delivered through the nose like cocaine? | [
"Lots of medications are nasal delivery. I've used allergy medicine that was just a spray bottle. It's not just localized either, it's absorbed into the body."
] | [
"Chemicals dissolve in the mucus which coats most of the surface in the nose/back of throat. It can diffuse through the cells and enter your bloodstream directly. Same thing when you put something under your tongue, like lsd."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
How would a constant radio transmission be received from an object moving away in space? | [
"There wouldn't be \"gaps\", as you put it - but you're not far off. Communication usually takes the form of radio waves, and what happens is the waves get stretched out - the wavelength goes up, and the frequency goes down. This is known as \"red-shifting\", because white light gets slightly redder when it gets st... | [
"Why would the attraction of a black hole make anything travel faster than light?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Science and Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about Science and Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about Physics:"
} |
How do tax shelters "hide money"? | [
"By not reporting information to foreign governments. When you have a local bank account, your government can request information from the bank (sometimes with a warrant or subpoena) if they think you're hiding something, like income that you didn't report to the tax authority. Because you could just as easily have... | [
"Well it depends on how they are paying less taxes: 1. Tax breaks. Some companies can pay less taxes based on certain traits of their companies 2. Tax breaks (cont.). Many companies apply for tax breaks that they technically qualify for but aren't the intended recipients of. 3. Tax Loopholes. Through knowledge and ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Pathology wise, what is actually happening to the brain? | [
"Brain cells (grey matter) start dying causing atrophy (the brain loses volume). On top of that we got abnormally processed proteins (tau and amyloid) setting inside and around brain cells speeding up the process, similarly to Alzheimer's and other dementias. Depending on which areas are affected we get different s... | [
"Concussions are still relatively unknown, but the underlying process is that shear forces damage your brain cells. This also messes with some of the chemical functions of the cells, which interrupts their normal function and makes you more prone for future concussions. It is actually quite rare to black out during... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Biology/Medicine:"
} |
When a digital picture is resized to be smaller in resolution, how does the computer determine which pixels to 'remove'? | [
"When you shrink down a digital picture in the computer, the computer turns lots of pixels into less pixels by guessing what would fit best in its place. Here's a crude example: let's say you have two pixels: [20] and [10] then the computer can replace those two by [15] there ya go you've made your picture twice as... | [
"The most common type of compression is lossy compression. Think of a video file as a series of jpeg files, which is a type of lossy compression for still images. When you want to compress a still image using JPEG compression, the computer is looking for parts of the image that look similar to each other and group ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
If one day we have the biggest earthquake/rift under Pacific Ocean and somehow create a new continent, what is the legal process of claiming an ownership? Will there be war again? | [
"there are treaties in place to handle such events. basically, it's a question who lands and sticks a flag there first. an agreement russia got cheeky with at one of the poles."
] | [
"Essentially, on the scale of nations, there's not really legal rules exactly. Its more like, if you can convince everyone that it is yours, then it's yours. For my money, I would instead make a deal with the US or your large power of choice. \"Let me own this whole island, and I'll be part of your country.\" The o... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why isn't there a law that stops copycat bills from being written/voted on again just months after it was voted against? | [
"A couple of reasons: Firstly, how do you define the agenda? Can only one healthcare bill be voted on per year? Only one bill discussing Medicare? Only one bill discussing cuts to Medicare? There are lots of bills on similar subjects- they don't all have the same agenda. Secondly, remember that the point of resubmi... | [
"Not for a trial but delayed for an investigation. If someone was able to do that, no further executions would take place until measures were put in place to prevent it from happening again."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How come we can send probes / satellites into space without much protection while theres a huge amount of space debris? | [
"Because space is REALLY big, and debris is spread out over such a large volume of space, impacts are very unlikely. If you're talking about man-made debris in Earth orbit, most of it is tracked and thus can be avoided, and space agencies are generally careful to either de-orbit used satellites or place them into a... | [
"very very limited. space outside of Earth's atmosphere is dangerous. this is where the ISS is. primary danger is micrometeoroids that can puncture. basically putting your space ship in front of a machine gun and hoping all the bullets miss you. space outside of Earth's magnetosphere is even more dangerous. i... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Science and Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Science and Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
When it is dark, does nothing have color? Science dictates that color is light, so if there is no light on a colored object, does it have no color? | [
"Science does not dictate that color is light. Color is how your eyes and brain interprets light wavelengths. So you could say that black, is the color your brain creates when your eyes cannot pickup any visible wavelength."
] | [
"Colors we see are perceived by light rays (certain wavelengths) that are reflected. Meaning the object doesnt absorb that color. For example, apples reflect the color red. White reflecting all colors essentially and black reflecting no colors. Since black is absorbing these colors and light rays contain energy it ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How people and animals have "instincts" and know things they were never taught | [
"Think of it like the difference between hardware and software. A computer has a hard wired boot up sequence for example, that will run when power is applied. All the other programs have to be installed (\"learned\") Over millions of years, a number of vital processes like suckling at the breast or a strong reacti... | [
"It is reasonable to assume at that point that laughter is independent of language. A similar question with probably the same answer is \"why do blind people smile when they are happy when they have never seen a smile before?\" Both of these actions probably evolved into our genetics before language developed."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about Psychology:"
} |
Why is AM/PM system still in use in some areas? | [
"Because it's still an effective way to tell time? That's like asking why the 24 hour military clock is still used....because it still fucking tells time."
] | [
"In which countries is it even done this way, except the US?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I'm an American. What exactly does the royal family do? | [
"This was a very informative video that I watched a few months ago,all of this guys videos are awesome. Explains in depth what they do,and how they get so much money for doing so little. _URL_0_"
] | [
"I don't think anyone wants to officially advertise that their country is evil."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Current Russia-U.S. relations | [
"The United States and Russia are the two richest people in the neighborhood, they have some of the biggest houses, have the nicest toys and have a lot in common. They both had bad breakups with their parents, the US took over a guest house, kicked the parents off the property and ended up owning more land than the... | [
"The Russians and Americans attitude to economics due to their different histories are fundamental to their approaches to the world in general and their attitude to each other at the start of the cold war in particular. For more information on this - _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why Anime Characters typically look White/Caucasian/European, and not Asian. | [
"In Japan it is taken for granted that most anime characters (unless otherwise stated) are Japanese. As far as why they have big, round eyes, the answer is that most anime as we know it is influenced by the work of one man. Osamu Tezuka who is known as the \"father of anime,\" kind of the Walt Disney of anime in a ... | [
"Hispanic/Latino is not considered a race by the US Census Bureau. It is considered a cultural identity. You can be Hispanic White (the majority), but also Hispanic Black, Hispanic Native American, etc."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How does the common signature hold so much power confirming identity? Anyone could copy it and there are much better tools available. | [
"Signatures don't confirm identity, they affirm it. When you sign something, you're making a promise that you're the person named in the document."
] | [
"Because not everyone who needs documents signed has computers. In many ways if you need a piece of paper that has a signature, sending it from machine that reads paper directly to machine that prints paper could certainly be more efficient. SO the main reason is that we're still dependent on paper records for thin... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
What happens to medicines when they reach their expiry date? | [
"Most medications remain fine and OK to take. There are a few exceptions though. _URL_0_ > An update on the Shelf Life program published in 2009 established that 88 percent of tested medications worked fine more than five years past their expiration date, which admittedly just confirmed previous research. The more... | [
"Sell by date- this is when the store should remove the product. This is often erring on the side of caution. Best by date- when a product's freshness begins to drop. Your food should still be good for a period of time afterwards. Expiration date- your product is inedible once this date has been reached."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do we need different currencies in the world? What's the worst thing that can happen if we had just one global currency for every country? | [
"The advantage of multiple currencies is that if one country has economic booms or busts they can tweak their currencies so they are worth more or less to either slow down or speed up their economies. Take Greece as an example. If they were still on the Drachma, they could devalue their currency and make their expo... | [
"That often is done, but coming up with a new currency, printing it, and handling all the logistics of getting that money to banks so people can trade in their old currency for new currency is not cheap and takes quite some time. Also, if you haven't handled the issues that caused the hyperinflation in the first pl... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Finance:",
"pos": "Represent the text about Finance:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why does the wind always flow from the ocean to land at a beach and never the other way round? | [
"Land normally heats up faster than water. During the day, the air above the land also gets warmer and rises, causing a slight low pressure to develop above the land. The air above the sea doesn't warm up as much, so is at a slightly higher pressure. The onshore breeze is the air moving from (relatively) high press... | [
"Because of the rotation of the earth, the wind tends to flow from west to east. So when you fly towards the east, the wind pushes the plane. When you fly from east to west, you are flying against the wind, which slows the plane down."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are we afraid of things that go bump in the night? Or to put it another way: Why are we afraid of things we know aren't real? | [
"This happened to me this morning, lol Basically it's how our brain deals with superstition. The first humans needed to be careful during the night in order to detect possible predators or potential danger, this ability has prevailed, but now there's very little chance of a cougar jumping on us while we sleep. When... | [
"Phobias are more of an extreme fear of something. Lots of people claim to have arachnophobia when all they do is go 'eugh, spiders' at the sight of one. An actual arachnophobe would legitimately have some sort of panic attack if they saw a spider. Really, it's just humans being humans. Why do you think we're afrai... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Can you naturally reproduce the effects of drinking an energy drink by long-term diet change? | [
"I've found cutting out sugar, especially from soft drinks, has made me feel more energetic. Also keep well hydrated and try to keep your vitamin intake high, most importantly vitamin B12. Hope this helps!"
] | [
"Caffeine requires more intake to feel the positive effects after regular use. Caffeine, however, always raises blood pressure. Maybe stop drinking coffee for a week and start again."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Did the Greeks look at the gods as actual beings or more like representations of different elements of the world? | [
"Herodotus recounted actions of deities as if they were real entities and not fictional personifications of natural forces. For instance: > The Scythians who plundered the temple were punished by the goddess with the female sickness, which still attaches to their posterity. I seem to recall some more direct interv... | [
"Monotheists (mono = 1) believe in 1 god-spirit animating or standing apart from the universe. Examples: Christianity, Islam, Judaism. Polytheists (poly = many) believe in many gods animating the universe's events. Examples: Hinduism, some variants of Christianity where Mary and other saints are venerated as demigo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
- How is it that women can "not know" that they're pregnant and give birth to a surprise baby? | [
"I heard a story about this on NPR once. The conclunsion was, denial is a powerful thing. It is certainly not limited to women, as I am sure there are thousands of men who die each year from not getting lumps inspected, or just smoking until their lungs bleed. They just do not allow the reality to enter into their ... | [
"Any baby with serious issues just died quickly - at that time maybe half of all children died before the age of 5 anyway. Also, the norms of society said that women shouldn't be going out and getting hammered, and people also understood that when a woman is pregnant, be careful or there may be a miscarriage. There... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do bibles, dictionaries, etc use thin bible paper over normal grade paper. | [
"Because those books are really long. Using normal paper would make them physically larger and heavier. Having to hold a bulky book is much less comfortable for the reader."
] | [
"Actually, \"we\" don't use many different sizes; most of the non-US world uses standard sized A4 for basic correspondence and general use."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How does cannabis affect the accuracy polygraph results? | [
"I know Marijuana increases your heart rate. ProTip. If you need to fake a polygraph tighten your asshole for every question you answer honestly and relax when you lie. It gives a false stress response when you tell the truth, so the regular stress response you give when you relax doesn't show a change."
] | [
"Affect is a verb. Alcohol affects the brain. Effect is a noun. You study the effect of alcohol on the brain."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is "eye-witness" testimony enough to sentence someone to life in prison? | [
"Current law student, Eye-witness testimony does not hold the same weight today in courts as it used to. As a law student we are taught that of all types of evidence eye-witness testimony is the least reliable. You would never be sentenced to life in prison solely on a witnesses testimony now a days, there would ha... | [
"A death sentence is irreversible. So we go to extremes to make sure the person is really guilty. There have been actual cases of people who were discovered to be innocent after 15-20 years on death row. Which do you think is a bigger injustice: for a guilty person to sit in jail for decades instead of being promp... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Law and Justice:"
} |
Why is French so complicated? | [
"Chinese is horrid because you can't tell how to pronounce a new character. English is known for its bizzare amounts of homophones. French has lists and lists of conjugations to add to words when you want to refer to different subjects, i.e. he, she, they. Welsh just looks like the sign writer was sneezing or somet... | [
"What's to explain? Why we have it? How it works?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
how is it "wasting" water by running your tap down the drain? | [
"You aren't wasting 'water', Earth, and most watersheds are a closed system. You are wasting \"clean water\" it takes energy and resources to deliver clean drinkable water to your faucet. The waste is in expending that energy when it is not necessary. In some areas (California for example) there is not enough clea... | [
"because public toilets use thick 1\" piping with sufficient water pressure/capacity to initiate a flush. Your little 1/2\" plumbing in your house would have the worst flush ever, just turning on a faucet and expecting it to take care of your business."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why do we not have a society with two shifts - a day and a night shift? All the machinery and offices are just sitting around doing nothing at night. | [
"Basically because most people enjoy sleeping at night."
] | [
"I’m not an expert on paper mills, but I know that sugar factories hire way mor employees and ramp up production at night because they can be louder, since there’s no traffic going by them during those hours. It could be the same deal there."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
The meaning of 2/10 n/30, or 3/15 n/45 in accounting terms | [
"It has to do with a % discount of payment due if paid within x timeframe. So 2/10 n/30 means you'd get 2% off if you paid your bill within 10 days, otherwise it's full price and it's due within 30. Source: freshman level math with business apps course."
] | [
"The fed is giving loans when it \"prints money\". 1. debit to cash 2. credit notes payable 3. period interest handling (interest expense, interest payable)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How exactly Martin Shkerelli defrauded his investors. | [
"He did not make his investors more money. He paid them off with new investors and then paid those new investors off with funds from one of his companies."
] | [
"Companies bid to buy the recipes for things like twinkies."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why are all animals symmetric, yet plants are not? | [
"Actually, not all plants are asymmetrical (think of flowers like the Tiger Lily, or palm trees, or vines, for example), and not all animals are symmetrical (think of sea sponges, or flatfish, or placozoans). And no animal is truly *perfectly* symmetrical, of course. But I get your point. Some degree of symmetry is... | [
"The 3rd gene that they have on the 21st chromosome suppresses many genes that allow for faces to be varied, and end up looking mostly the same as a result."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Medical:"
} |
Why would Apple want to make their own chips for Macs? What is wrong with using Intel chips? | [
"Quite simply the same reason why they are making their own X or Y of several other parts or even services all together. More control over the process. Less depended on other companies. Possibly lower costs (if not now then in the future)."
] | [
"ARM is a company that designs the chips. Then another company buys the instructions to make ARM chips and can modify the design (Apple does this). Then Apple pays another company to actually make the chips using the instructions that Apple has modified. It used to be Samsung, but for their most recent devices TSMC... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
how did some animals develop the trait of using venom? | [
"Venom evolved from saliva, which has enzymes in it. When an animal bites another animal, any of those enzymes that get in the wound which provoke a reaction in the prey's system might make it easier to kill the prey. If that helps the animal hunt and survive to reproduce, its saliva traits will get passed on. Over... | [
"Primates do not have claws because we lived in trees. Fingers are very good for grasping and holding on to branches. Claws would have gotten in the way of that. Primates are too large to use claws as climbing tools. Our diet (mostly fruit and dead animals) did not require us to have the large, powerful claws that ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about biology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text about biology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
What is it that makes humans like listening to music? | [
"You sort of answered your own question in regards to the random noises. We don't listen to music because it's special, music's special _because we listen to it._ Like any art, the fact that humans find meaning in it is the only thing separating it from random noise. As for _why_ we like some types of noise over ot... | [
"So what is it about human physiology that makes this work differently for us?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does the Earth's crust not collapse under the weight of huge buildings? | [
"Large buildings are given special underground support structures called *foundations* that spread the load or anchor it to strong, stable layers of the crust. Deep down, the crust is made of rock and other strong materials which are already under countless kg of weight, and won't be hurt by a bit extra."
] | [
"It would collapse under its own weight before it could reach that height. The limiting factors are the strength of the material comprising the mountain to resist deformation, versus the force gravity exerts on the mass of the mountain. As it grows, the weight of the mountain eventually deforms the material underne... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
When restarting a computer, how does the computer know to turn back on after shutting itself down? | [
"When shutting down a computer, it starts a long list of operations, such as close files, terminate programs, and so on, with the very last instruction being \"turn off power\". On a restart, it does exactly the same thing, except that last instruction is \"reboot\"."
] | [
"Depends what you mean. If you press the button and let the system go through its shutdown process everything should be fine. If you hold it for a few seconds and force the system to just shut down in the middle of what its doing you risk data corruption."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Technology:"
} |
Why are drugs like psilocybin, LSD, mescaline, DMT, etc. illegal? | [
"Wasn't the whole 60's hippy movement viewed as a threat to traditional society? Where people protested war, wanted to live life instead of slaving away at a corporate job somewhere? That was the real threat of the drug, it's societal implications, not necessarily individual effects or health issues. There was a gr... | [
"They aren't the same chemical. Only mushrooms are/use psilocybin. LSD is a man made chemical called Lysergic acid Diethly amide (aka \"acid\"). They're both hallucinogens, but act on the brain and body in different ways. However, both have therapeutic and recreational uses under the right conditions."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How do car manufacturers pick what what side to put the gas opening on? | [
"The gas cap is always located on the side opposite the exhaust :) Except on those cars that have an exhaust on both sides, or 4 in the center."
] | [
"The wheel on the left side of the car turns the opposite direction to the one on the right. Some parts are mirrored, but that's more expensive, because you need a \"left\" and \"right\" part. Where possible, the same part is used on both sides, which can make it \"backwards\" relative to the other side. Different ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is being a "snitch" such a bad thing? | [
"Because it implies a lack of trust within a group that share a common interest of unifying factor e.g As a student if my friend freely admits something I did to a teacher then he has betrayed an existing trust, both to me and to other students in our class."
] | [
"Blasphemy, taking the lords name in vain... ie using it in a negative context is to some as bad a swearing if not worse."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Linguistics:"
} |
How does the NFL Draft work? | [
"Selection order is inverse order of how well teams did last season; the worst-record team goes first, and the Super Bowl winner goes last. However, picks can then be traded between teams. Players don't *have* to play for the team that drafted them, per the 13th Amendment. However, no other NFL team can sign them ... | [
"How are you going to change the filter?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
In the case of video games, why is there more than one company on the box and what do each of them do? | [
"There a lots of logos from different companies. When a game is developed the developer will not just use one type of technology to develop nor will they develop every aspect of the game from scratch. What you see are the companies that make technologies such as 3D graphics engines, sound engines, physics engines a... | [
"Control over every aspect of the presentation. The brand image is of great importance to said companies, and they are not willing to let third parties with a less vested interest in said brand image do anything that might tamper your perception of it. So, there you go, X company will even stock its own product, an... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
How does Rogue One fit into the Star Wars universe? | [
"Rogue One will tell the story of how the Rebellion stole the Death Star plans that Princess Leia was transporting in the beginning of *A New Hope.* So it fits into the few months or so immediately before Episode IV."
] | [
"The books are what they call the \"Expanded Universe,\" meaning stories that the movies didn't cover. Most of them take place after Return Of The Jedi, showing the final defeat of the Empire, the building of a new government (first called the New Republic, later reformed as the Galactic Federation of Free Alliance... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are F1 cars so much safer than normal road cars? | [
"Harnesses designed to prevent injury. Helmets designed to absorb collision. Fire retardant suits to protect the driver. Body shells designed to crumple and absorb the damage while protecting the driver. Walls designed to absorb and transfer impact. Medical teams that are dispatched within seconds. Millions o... | [
"It has gotten easier and more cost efficient to build a car. The problem is, technology has also continued to evolve. If you were building the cars of 60 years ago, they'd be much cheaper. Why aren't we building those cars? People are willing to pay for safer and more advanced vehicles."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What happens inside my dishwasher? | [
"Here's a GoPro vid of what goes on inside there: _URL_0_"
] | [
"How much water is in the bath? How much is in the kettle? How hot is the bath water?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why does it take my pharmacy 30-40 minutes to fill a prescription? | [
"It's not necessarily not busy just because nobody's physically there. There could be a bunch of people who called in ahead of you, or who call while they're filling your prescription. For some things, there's also additional oversight required; the pharmacist might have to confirm that you really do have the presc... | [
"You're gonna need to wait 5-8 business days for an answer"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
how my girlfriend can be colder than me all the time until she is under a blanket/asleep at which point she becomes a human space heater? | [
"Actually, that's exactly the point. There's a number of reasons her body could be less insulated, the most obvious potential one being amount of fat, but the end effect is that her body doesn't keep as much heat trapped inside for warmth. Imagine if the human body was like a car: Your heater won't be very effecti... | [
"It tends to regulate your body temperature. I always sleep with my window open and fan on every day of the year. I use sheets in the summer, comforter in spring and fall, and comforter with a possible added blanket on top for winter. If my body gets too hot the release of heat from my head, being in cold air can t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage about Science:"
} |
How were cartographers able to make increasingly accurate world maps as early as in the 16th century, when we weren't even airborne? | [
"They used *triangulation*, or measuring triangle shapes. You start by picking two places, and measuring, with a measuring chain, rod or a trundle wheel, the distance between them. Then you choose a third point that you can see from both places, and measure all the angles. Then using mathematics, you can calculate ... | [
"Most of Earth's land (and population) is in the northern hemisphere. Putting most of the important parts on the bottom of the globe didn't make much sense when all the maps were being drawn in the 18th and 19th centuries."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Physics:"
} |
How does a company poach an executive from another company? | [
"There is a concept called [tortious interference](_URL_0_) in the law, usually captured in statutes. Most basically, it says that there are certain behaviors that go beyond normal competition and can be the basis of a lawsuit. One of the commonly recognized forms of this is inducing someone to breach a contract. ... | [
"Because it is harder to fire a government employee."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why are schools in the US primarily funded through local property taxes? Wouldn't the education system be better as a whole if all schools received equal funding? | [
"Education is a state matter. The federal government has no authority under the constitution to involve itself in schooling. Your proposal would require a constitutional amendment."
] | [
"School vouchers are funding blocks for the states from the federal government to pay for schools, instead of using taxes directly for public schools as is done now. Very loosely, that would force public schools to shut down in favor of private and charter schools."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why do people develop such a strong connection with professional sports teams that have absolutely nothing to do with them? | [
"People are tribal, and always have been. We associate with and express loyalty for all sorts of groups and ideas: schools, celebrities, books, political parties, religions and so forth. \"Us vs. them\" is as old as civilization, and professional sports are a safe, socially-acceptable way to express that latent, v... | [
"I did research on this in college for psychology. Turns out the more invested in outside events, especially sports the lower the self esteem of the individual. Now having a healthy relationship with a sports team is ok and being happy or disappointed when your team wins and loses is ok, but the people that get tru... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How do we know how long light has been traveling from a star until it reaches earth? | [
"We know because we know the speed of light, and we can measure how far away the star is using a technique called [parallax](_URL_6_). Distance / Speed = Time"
] | [
"A light year is how far light will travel in one year. If something is 600 light years away from earth, it will take light 600 years to travel from that object back to us."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Astronomy:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Astronomy:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How are people going to acquire oxygen on mars? | [
"Two basic ways. First is bringing some oxygen to the planet by compressing in it tanks. Another, more long term way is making \"earth-like\" chambers on Mars like greenhouses. Throw some plants in there, and woo oxygen."
] | [
"As far as we know right now, there isn't a way for us to get enough fuel to Mars to be able to fly back."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
If someone is questioning whether something is a placebo, does it still work as one and why? | [
"There are some studies, [one cited in Wikipedia] (_URL_0_), that suggest that a placebo can still work even if the subject is aware that it's a placebo. This is ongoing research. Of course, placebos only work if the condition is amenable to a placebo in the first place. It's not magic e.g. it's only going to work ... | [
"Your doctor is a bit dim if he thought that was sufficient reasoning. It is true that most substances don't pass the blood brain barrier. But brain drugs are mostly selected *because* they can pass the blood brain barrier. It's not really disputable that the drugs will have an effect on the brain, the only questio... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do people sometimes CC: themselves on emails? | [
"For their own records, plus to make sure the email actually sent and went through the email system instead of sitting in their outbox/sent items folders."
] | [
"If I can ask a follow-up: How did these companies respond to being targeted?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why do seashells sound like the ocean when you put your ear up to one? | [
"Yarr, the ocean is my favorite place! And yer question be [answered by those what came before ye.](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"The air in your nose. For the water to go in your nose the air has to go out first. It is like putting a glass in water upside down, as long as the glass stays upside down the air stays in the glass. Once you turn the glass the water comes out. Your nose is the same way, as long as you keep your head up water won'... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
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