query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Exactly what is going on inside testicles that requires them to be cooler than body temperature to do their job? | [
"\"Everybody knows\" ... I didn't know .. :("
] | [
"Your heart hate slows in a warm environment because it doesn't have to work as hard to keep your body warm."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why war is bad for the economy | [
"War is good if the government buys your stuff. See these charts for [Boeing](_URL_0_), [BAE](_URL_2_), [Lockheed Martin](_URL_1_), all of which get tons of money from the US government to build weapons. The Iraq War kicked off in 2003, you can see that it was very profitable, at least until 2008 when the markets s... | [
"Because China cares less about footie than the USA does."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Can you get a mental illness, without being born into one? | [
"IIRC, schizophrenia, generally comes on and develops in people in their late teens and early twenties. Otherwise, undetected nor suspected prior to that. My sister in law, after having a fairly normal childhood and young adulthood, was diagnosed when she was 33. mental illnesses, such as histrionic, borderline, an... | [
"The same way a successful human can come down with cancer or heart-disease. The brain is physical; depression is a physical condition. It is better to think of it as brain disease rather than a problem of attitude and outlook."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Rudamentary Social Behavior | [
"Ask open ended questions, which are questions that the other person can not answer with a simple \"yes\" or \"no\". Doing this means the other person's answer will lead to further conversation, rather than dead silence after the question is answered. And ask questions about the other person...nothing creepy, just ... | [
"Relevant entertaining and informative youtube video Electrocution in Water: _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why is mercury harmful for us? | [
"1. Inhibits DNA repairing 2. Alters the ability of cell membranes to select what materials pass through them. 3. Alters enzyme activity 4. Interferes in the transmission of nervous impulses to the body 5. May induce the immune system to attack itself 6. Interferes in the function of endocrine glands 7. Kills good... | [
"All soft drinks have chemicals we would not otherwise consume. Phosphoric acid is used to give soft drinks a \"tangy\" flavor. Too much Phosphoric acid could remove some of the Calcium from your bones. Some soft drinks, such as Mountain Dew, have Brominated Vegetable oil to give them a cloudy appearance. Too much ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is it so common for two movies with similar plots to be released at the same time? | [
"Two reasons: 1) It isn't anything but a statistical coincidence. Look at how many movies get released in a year compared to how many are the same and you'll see the number is actually pretty small. 2) Some idea will be \"hot\" so movie studios try and capitalize on it. Movies are often completed and then held for ... | [
"Look closely, most of them use weasel words. In addition, \"#1\" is ambiguous. Was your movie the highest grossing this weekend? Well, it's \"#1!\" Did your movie have the best reviews this month? It's \"#1!\" Was your movie the highest grossing rom com involving a wood chuck released in the month of may on a Tues... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why can't we observe the whole universe? | [
"The rest of it is so far away that the light from it hasn't reached us yet, so we have no way to see it."
] | [
"Why would the attraction of a black hole make anything travel faster than light?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:"
} |
Why are there no drugs that make us dramatically intelligent? | [
"There's a million ways to break a car, ranging from baseball bats to sugar in the gas tank. Making a car go faster isn't nearly as easy."
] | [
"Asthma medication for people that don't have asthma supposedly gives them better cardiovascular performance and lets their lungs breathe better. Doesn't make a difference in my experience though."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
What is a LAN Party? | [
"Normally when people play multiplayer video games, they are all sitting in their own houses on playing with each other wirelessly. A LAN party is when those people get together, to do the same thing, but under one roof."
] | [
"Bot explained how bots work. Thank you Internet."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
The process of stomach-pumping | [
"1) Docs insert a tube in your nose and down your throat 2) Docs pump a small amount of (clean) water down the tube into your stomach 3) Docs pump a small amount of water + stomach contents back up the tube and discard it 4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 many times"
] | [
"Because the feces are carrying excess stomach acid iirc..."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Is there any truth to this internet tale " if your parents have all boys or all girls they've broken a chain lasting hundreds of years" | [
"Your father had a father and his father had a father all the way back to the beginning. If you are a girl and have no brothers then your father is the first not to have a son in his paternal line."
] | [
"They get one from a child and it grows as they grow. I don't know if it's the same for every organ but I assume so."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why is do movies look fluid when shot at 24fps but when a video game is at 30 fps of below it looks very janky and slow? | [
"This is a common question, so doing a search might give you more answers. A big reason is that if, for example, a person is moving across screen in a movie, each individual frame will have that person slightly blurred (or very blurred if he's moving very quickly across the screen), but a video game will give you a... | [
"because that speed is just the recording speed. You also need to play it back at 240fps for it to be real time. If you played the 240fps file back at 60fps it would be quarter speed"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about videogame development:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about videogame development:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do really hot things sometimes feel cold and cold things feel hot? | [
"You hand is filled with sensory receptors. Some are warm some are cold. They NEVER do both. Cold does cold and warm does warm. Sometimes, they get confused and send the WRONG single. This called paradoxical cold and paradoxical warmth. Take a pen and lightly poke around your knuckles. Some places will feel warm wh... | [
"Because cold things such as ice and people are blue and hot things like metal and people are red."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why does the ISS not melt if the thermosphere is 500°C +? | [
"The ISS (or anything else in the thermosphere) doesn't have any problem with the temperature because there's basically no air, it's almost a vacuum. Hot gas heats up cold objects predominantly by running into it, and there's so little of it in the thermosphere that an object sitting there gets collided with suffic... | [
"> Does this mean that when it's day time on the moon, the moons dusty surface is really hot? The peak temperature of the Moon's surface is about 106 degrees Celsius and it drops to -183 Celsius at night."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Are cyborg enhancements ever going to be a thing, and if so how far are we from it? | [
"I think it'll be a thing. Think about your phone. It's a portable device that responds to touch and voice commands, has global communications and GPS, allows near-instantaneous lookup of any information humans have ever researched, and functions as an entertainment system as well. Going back 30 years, don't you t... | [
"It's considered highly unethical, but the science of selective breeding is well established and would work just fine in humans too. So no, it's not pseudoscience, it just leads down a dark road sometimes."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How do bookmakers determine odds for unpredictable but likely events? | [
"Initially they will make a very educated guess in setting the odds and then as bets come in on one side or the other they will adjust them to make sure the money is even on either side. Even money on both sides ensure they make money regardless"
] | [
"There is a big difference between a random person gambling on a game, and a person who could affect the outcome gambling on a game."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
When you put your hand up to a fan, you can easily feel air blowing, but can hardly (if at all) feel the air when the fan is set to exhaust mode? | [
"When you blow air, it creates turbulence on the positive side. On the negative side, the air is pulled from all directions, and is not yet disrupted by the force of the fan."
] | [
"The sound you hear from the wind is the wind being picked up by your ears. If you turn your head in a way that your ears don't pick up the wind, you hear the noise a lot less."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Is there a shortage of food on the ISS at any given time? Do they ration? Or does everyone have 3 full meals a day? | [
"They plan ahead and provide enough food for several months. If a resupply mission fails then they look at how much food is left and ration it out for an extended period. I think 2 or 3 supply crafts failed before the last resupply this month, and they still had plenty of food left over. There is always an emergenc... | [
"They eat a lot of high calorie foods, and they eat a lot of meals. High tier swimmers might eat 4 or 5 big meals a day, plus snacks in between. They burn calories like crazy too."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Sports:"
} |
Why has there been so little action taken by Governments against Climate Change? Wouldn't the long term economic repercussions of inaction outweigh the short-term benefits of ignoring it? | [
"Two reasons: Voters are short termist - what matters to them is that they lost their job due to the car factory closing, not that in 50 years temperature will rise by 2-3 degrees (the effects of which, whilst serious, are incomprehensible to them) basic game theory - If no one else cuts as much as you, you still s... | [
"They reject evolution because it scores them votes with conservative Christian voters. They reject climate because the **implications** of it would result in increased regulation & decreased profits for their supporters in Industry."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How much power does the Queen of England actually have today? Can she have someone killed on the spot? | [
"The queen has very little power. She has control of her estate but she is entirely bound by the laws of the land and is also bound by laws dictating how she can deal with the government. She is rich though."
] | [
"Well, the old way was to have a revolution (see America overthrowing their status as a British colony, see France overthrowing the monarchy, etc.) However I expect Jamaica's plan would just be to amend their constitution. Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of Jamaica at the same time that she's the Queen of the UK, C... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
If you binge eat do you pass most of the calories or do they actually turn into body mass? | [
"You absorb less, but still absorb some; there is a point of diminishing returns. Your intestines have various transporters that determine where nutrients go, but these transporters have a limit. If you override that limit then you will defecate out whatever the nutrient is. With glucose for example, your body can ... | [
"The actual weight of the food isn't relevant to weight gain. A potato will contain much more dietary fiber and water than an amount of chocolate with the same calories. to gain weight your body needs to absorb the calories and then store those calories as fat, you don't store the actual weight of the food. Eating ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Can POTUS pardon anyone in the US, or only those charged with/convicted of federal crimes? | [
"Constitution, Article II, Section 2 > The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive D... | [
"Nothing. The President can only be impeached if he himself has committed \"treason, bribery, [or] other high crimes and misdemeanors\". Being the beneficiary of the crimes of some other foreign government is not grounds for impeachment so long as they were acting without his knowledge or consent. If, however, it c... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What does IQ actually measure? | [
"IQ tests measure a set of cognitive abilities, which have been more or less agreed upon of being indicative of \"intelligence\" (psychology is aware that intelligence is a concept that is somewhat hard to define, but they have to try). The tests are then taken by an amount of test subjects to establish a baseline ... | [
"What's to explain? Why we have it? How it works?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
The insurance term "Act of God". | [
"> It's a legal term, and essentially refers to unforeseeable events for which nobody can be held responsible. It could just as well be called flibbolugy, the fact that it refers to God is legally irrelevant. ... > They don't actually mean Jehovah did it. It's just a phrase meaning some freak accident coming out o... | [
"Monopoly or Oligopoly and Cartel behaviors along with a broken copyright system."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why do we still need courtroom sketch artists? since we now have the technology to capture actual images. | [
"no photos cameras allowed while court is in session. supposedly to protect the innocent"
] | [
"There was a very brief period from the invention of cameras to the invention of photoshop where you could have good proof that someone existed. Other than that, not so much."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why does medicine taste so terrible? | [
"It was not created for the taste. In fact, as a precaution, to prevent children from eating medicine and overdosing, medication is not made to look or taste like M & M's or skittles. Just a little thing they do to keep children from dying. I hope you do not mind."
] | [
"Does it taste good? There is your answer"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are antidotes almost always shown as a liquid in movies and television? | [
"Liquid medicines are typically faster acting as they are more readily absorbed by the body. Taking an antidote pill might not be enough to save you from the poison that will kill you in 10 minutes for example. At this point is is likely just a trope though."
] | [
"For the same reason they're socially acceptable in movies, television, advertising, video games and literature - because they sell."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer about Entertainment:"
} |
Why are there so many fights in ice hockey? | [
"When america and Canada were starting out there was a huge fight over where the border should be. Hundreds of thousands of people fought and in a little town on the boarder (no longer exists) a bar fight started and spilled out into the streets in the middle of winter. They use sticks and rocks to pummel one anoth... | [
"Because there are giant metric fucktons of money in keeping things how they are."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment about Science:"
} |
How does automatic brightness on a phone work? | [
"Your phone has an array of sensors, one of which is a light sensor. Usually located near your phone's camera this sensor can detect how much light is hitting your phone, using this info and taking into account things like the time of day your phone does its bets to adjust the brightness to fit your needs. Ton of ... | [
"What kind of tv do you have? Just off the top of my head do you have auto motion plus turned on?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
why does Netflix (and other videos) get stuck at “99%” buffering? Shouldn’t the percentage accuracy display the time left? | [
"\"loading screens\" are notorious for their prime purpose is to placate the user that something is happening, and not for being accurate or honest. Unless the people who coded Netflix's loading % function come in here and tell us how it works, you can assume its either right or wrong but we have absolutely no way ... | [
"It starts off downloading at near zero bytes per second. So it calculates it'll take near infinite time to finish. As the download rate picks up, the amount of time to finish goes down. That's also why it'll fluctuate. If you have an unstable connection of some sort your download will flux from say 2MB/s to 1MB/s.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment about Internet speed and service:"
} |
Where did the money go? | [
"There never was any real money, it was all estimates of worth. You estimate that your car is worth 100k$ but when you sell it you only manage to get 60k$. This does not mean that 40k$ magically dissapeared, it means that the 40k$ never existed and you simply over estimated your cars value."
] | [
"Now you too get to see the terrible deleted comments! Welcome!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How is data stored on IDs or other forms of that sorta thing? What is stored on these bars that tells the card reader what it is? | [
"If it's done properly, it should only be a reference number which allows the computer system to retrieve the data. Putting the actual data on the card itself is fraught with security problems."
] | [
"Its not the strip, its the device your swipe into and the internet. The strip is just an identifying mechanism to tell whose account to draw from."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the comment about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why are animal infants smarter than human infants? | [
"In order for humans to walk up-right their hips had to narrow, because of this the baby's head (and therefore brain) couldn't be as big. Therefore, human babies are actually born before they are fully developed and are *much* more reliant on their parents. I don't have the sources right now, but there are interest... | [
"First, not all of them do. Elephants and crocodiles can live to be 100. Second, it has a lot to do with metabolism rates."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Biology:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about Biology:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How Julian Assange lives at the embassy? Does he rent a room, who makes his meals, who would be his neighbors? | [
"I know for sure that the policemen outside the Embassy, who stand there all day and night and must arrest him immediately if he leaves, are paid for by the taxpayer. If I remember correctly, the figure is over 5 million a year. Where he's concerned, he does have guests (Lady Gaga spent many hours there a while ag... | [
"It's kind of like this: you've got this guy and he's living in an apartment with all these other guys. He keeps his portion of the apartment tidy and gives a lot more than his share in rent each month because some of the other tenants can't afford to pay. Add to that, there are rules in the apartment that he doesn... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
If we are inside with lights on and it is dark outside, why can't we see through the window? | [
"Good question. Basically, the light of the reflection of the inside is brighter than the light coming from the outside. So technically you see the outside as well, but the reflection is much stronger. When you switch off the light, there's no longer a strong reflection and you can see through the window. Fun fact... | [
"Generally, insects follow light. Daylight still shines through a closed window. The insect doesn't understand why it can't reach the outdoors if it can see it. If you are having trouble with this and you want the insect to fly out, then close all your blinds, turn off all sources of light, and open a door. This al... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why aren't burn victims kept numb during healing? | [
"Some numbing agents have toxic chemicals in them so using them on an open wound is a bad idea. Plus there's no way of knowing who is or is not allergic to said chemicals. As far as 3rd degree burns go, the nerves are usually killed from the burn anyway so there's no need for pain meds."
] | [
"In some cases, it's because the undiluted product is dangerously strong and can cause damage to the area if it's not mixed properly. Tacrolimus, used topically at 0.1% or 0.03% on psoriasis and ecsema, can also affect the way the body fights infection since it's an immunosuppressant also given orally after organ t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Are other abimals more inbred than humans? Are other animals aware of who their siblings/cousins are and do the instinctively know not to mate with them? | [
"It depends on the animal. Most of the \"higher\" animals have some sort of aversion to their siblings and/or parents unless they are specifically inbred (such as in breeding programs). However, insects really don't, for two reasons. First, insects have a breeding pattern that basically assumes a high death rate fo... | [
"Until kids go out in the world and meet other people, their best friend is mommy or sister or cousin. Our families are the first people to show us love. It's (hopefully) pure and unconditional. Your little brother didn't want to marry you because you were hot, or because he wanted to have sex with you, or because ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about biology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about biology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How exactly does a railgun work? How feasible would one be as a weapon system? | [
"Huge electric current produces huge magnetic field inside the the barrel. Field produces force against the projectile and accelerates it out of the barrel. The advantage is that the weapon isn't limited by the propellant in the gun, only the electricity generated on the ship. Navy ships have the ability to generat... | [
"The limousines are basically luxury tanks, and they contain a lot of secret technology and defensive measures. Letting them be sold to museums puts that information at risk. How large and fast a projectile can they stop? How much fuel do they hold, and how quickly can they accelerate and corner? Do they have conce... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why has no one crossed a dandelion with a carrot or parsnip, thus creating a nutritious vegetable that grows wild as a weed? | [
"Carrots do grow wild as a weed; they're extremely common in North America, although they aren't native. [Wild carrots are Queen Anne's Lace](_URL_0_) and they grow in almost every vacant lot. People seldom eat them, because they have reverted to wild genetics, which makes the root smaller and more fiborous. Also, ... | [
"A plant is only a weed if you don't want it. If you plant a field of corn, anything that's not corn is unwanted. I n a residential yard, some people say dandelion is just a weed, but dandelion is a healthy, normal plant, and is even useful as nutritious leafy greens. Dandelion used to be eaten more widely until it... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why is it that if you go to bed hungry, you no longer feel hungry when you wake up? | [
"I'm certainly not going to do this justice but it has to do with glycogen stores in your liver. Your liver and to some extent muscles store up glycogen from the food you eat and then at night your body burns this glycogen."
] | [
"And how is it when I sleep for 12 hours, I wake up as though I didn't sleep at all"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Sleep and its effects on the body:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment about Sleep and its effects on the body:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment about Sleep and fatigue:"
} |
why doesnt this truck have a license plate? (link enclosed) | [
"> I thought all vehicles required an identifying license plate They are. > Does this person get pulled over more because they do not display their plates? It's possible that they just bought the truck and don't have plates yet, or someone vandalized it and stole the plates."
] | [
"i can't wait to hear this answer. (night person here)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
What's the difference between Republic of China and People's Republic of China? | [
"As an ELI5: The Republic of China was the legitimate government of China from 1912, which then fought a protracted civil war against Mao Zedong (Chairman Mao)'s Communists. Mao won the war and pushed the Republic of China out into Taiwan, where it still remains. He proclaimed the People's Republic of China to be t... | [
"I actually just wrote a paper on this. Heavy industry in China actually underwent incredible growth during this period, with heavy industry output increasing by 230% from 1958-60. Global output of resources such as coal and steel increased, resulting in China becoming a global leader in those industries. The numbe... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Since there is a finite number of nucleotids in the DNA, does this mean that there is a finite mutations, therefore we can evolve only within a certain set of possible mutations? | [
"No, because some mutations cause bases to be added to the DNA sequence."
] | [
"First of all that's not a scientifically established fact, just a working assumption based on a relatively large sample. Now, for your question. It basically comes down to the fact that the amount of possible configurations is many orders of magnitude larger than the amount of living humans, coupled with the high ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why doesn't inbreeding work out in the long run? | [
"> Natural selection should get rid of deleterious alleles This is exactly why inbreeding causes problems. Recessive alleles that are deleterious can \"hide\" from natural selection in heterozygous individuals (people with one dominant allele and one recessive allele). Inbreeding increases the chances that an indiv... | [
"A trait of sickle-cell Anemia is that it makes the people that have it resistant to Malaria. Now, under normal conditions, having sickle-cell Anemia would be a purely negative trait. However, in areas where Malaria is common, such as sub-Saharan Africa, having Sickle Cell Anemia might actually improve your chances... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
What the 2038 problem is. | [
"Most computers store dates as the number of seconds that have passed since Jan 1, 1970. They use a 32 bit number to store this. In 2038 that number will overflow, meaning that to many computers, dates will appear to be Jan 19, 2038 one second, and Jan 1, 1970 the next second. This could pose problems, just like Y2... | [
"End of the world: No End of civilized society: definitely End of mankind: 50/50 Its all speculation though."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why does the boiling water that overflows onto my stove create a mess. Shouldn't it evaporate? | [
"Even if the water is at the boiling point (100 degrees C or 212 degrees F) It still takes some more heat energy to get it to actually evaporate. This extra energy is called the \"heat of vaporization.\" The water near the bottom of the pot evaporates first, this is why the boiling bubbles start at the bottom and ... | [
"Humidity doesn't escape from crockpot so food can't burn like it happens in oven when all the water has evaporated."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
What stops smokers from claiming tobacco credits for not smoking? | [
"As soon as you're in the hospital and the doctor reports that you smoke, or especially if you're in the hospital for something smoking-related (say, lung or throat disease/discomfort) your policy gets cancelled. The carrier refuses to pay out on your claims, because you lied on the application. Bad stuff."
] | [
"Tar is part of the tobacco, that's true - but there are hundreds of other chemicals that are added to to cigarettes. The big tobacco companies claim that these additives make the cigarettes more flavorful and provide a more pleasurable smoking experience. Others have argued that they make cigarettes more addictive... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
TV makeup and why it's needed. | [
"Lighting. Television cameras need powerful lights shining on people to make them show up properly. Those lights will wash out most people's looks unless make-up is used. Whereas, real life has much less milder lighting being used, so no make-up is necessary."
] | [
"Because they're the only ones who think it's important."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does ASMR sooth people? | [
"This question is impossible to answer and anyone who says otherwise is guessing at best. ASMR is not yet studied well enough because there aren't ways to reliably measure it."
] | [
"ELI5: Why do I yawn when I read this!?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why does Microsoft maintain multiple different programming languages? | [
"Well they don't maintain C++, they maintain their own compiler and IDE for C++ which is standardized by ISO. They make and maintain all the tools they feel are necessary to make money. There's no language perfect for every task and MS has their fingers in many pies so naturally there are many languages that work v... | [
"In case it isn't already there. It isn't part of the operating system (Windows XP, say, was released in 2001 so isn't going to have something released in 2005). Since the game needs it, it is going to be installed. Why do all games need it? Because it contains all the basic building blocks of the C++ language whe... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is it that makes the hair on my arms etc. stops growing by itself when it's about 1-2 cm long but the hair on my head keeps growing "forever"? | [
"The hairs don't stop growing at all; the hairs in places other than your head fall out more often than the hairs on your head, so they have more time to \"live\" and grow for longer. There are disorders where hair on other parts of the body grow too fast and make people have a sort of \"fur\""
] | [
"Hairs don't stop at a maximum length, they just fall out when they've grown for a certain amount of time. Then a new hair starts growing in it's place. So the maximum length of a hair is the amount of time it can grow before being shed times its growth rate. If you have a dog or a cat you might have noticed that i... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Biology:"
} |
How do internet browsers make money? | [
"Searches are the only way browsers make money. Specifically Firefox has 80% of it's revenue from search referrals Google Chrome doesn't have to make money because Google makes all it's profits from ads. Safari, Internet Explorer and the like make zero dollars."
] | [
"Why can't you? What type of internet do you have?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why does a pound of beef jerky have less than a pound worth of calories? | [
"There really isn't such a thing as a \"pound worth of calories\". One is a measure of energy, the other of mass. The closest thing I think you might mean is the number of calories contained in a pound of human fat, which isn't exact. That being said, protein (which beef jerky largely consists of) has fewer calorie... | [
"Chocolate bars are considered unhealthy because they're calorie dense without much of anything in the way of vitamins. You might have heard the term \"empty calories\" before. It comes from an idea that you're only meant to eat 2,500 or 3,000 (or whatever) calories a day, and you shouldn't waste calories on things... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Selling shares on the stock market always works instantly. How is it possible that there is ALWAYS someone looking to buy what you have at market price? | [
"Because when you say sell it at market price, you're saying 'Sell it for literally whatever someone is willing to pay' If there was literally no one willing to pay anything for it, the stock price would hit zero."
] | [
"Profit (technically) doesn't matter when it comes to stock. When you see a \"price\" for a stock, that's not the price sticker of the stock like an item on a shelf in the store, that's just the average price people are willing to pay for a share of it. You can sell your stock for less, you can sell it for more, as... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is it that we find sodium chloride tastes good, but bicarbonate of soda does not? | [
"Because sodium and chloride are both vital to our survival, so our taste receptors have evolved to like the taste of salt. Bicarbonate of soda has one component of salt, the sodium cation, so it does taste a bit salty. But the anion is bicarbonate (HCO3-) which is a base and tastes bitter and unpleasant. No, the ... | [
"In purely scientific terms, a salt is simply the solid byproduct of a neutralization reaction. You're likely thinking in culinary terms, where “salt” is understood to mean sodium chloride. Since Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate and not sodium chloride, it doesn't taste like table salt."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
In movies where there is some kind of nuclear detonation, why is there a massive delay with the pressure wave? | [
"The speed of sound within air is 340.29 meters per second (761.2 mph) at sea level. That means that an explosion a mile away takes about 4.63 seconds for the sound to be heard. If you are looking at a city from a few miles away you may be in for a wait for the sound to arrive. Light moves much, much faster."
] | [
"Yes, it's possible. All you would get would be a massive gamma/x-ray burst. There would be no heat, there would be no shock wave, and there would be no fallout. However, without the air to absorb the gamma and x-rays, the initial burst of radiation would be much more dangerous over a much longer distance. Also, if... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
when you buy a burial plot do you purchase it forever? If so, how do graveyards remain profitable? If not, what happens to your remains? | [
"In the UK when you buy a plot you have a lease on it. Usually for at least one hundred years, often longer. So until at least one hundred years after the last person is buried in the cemetery all the graves remain intact. It is often longer. Eventually the graveyard will be left to get overgrown. In cities where t... | [
"It's not there as a benefit to the seller but to the owner of the property. If they sell it, they lose it forever & have no control over it. If they lease it, they can impose conditions on it. Like, let's say you want somebody to make beer in your town. You give them a great piece of land. After 5 years, they deci... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why are there so much stigma against the poor and disabled on welfare? | [
"The main problem is that those who can work don't. Don't think many have a problem with those who are unable to work due to a disability"
] | [
"Because they were being used to make intolerant comments and justify hate towards other people."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How do truckers run things like the AC and TVs when they park overnight without draining the battery? | [
"Some trucks have things called APUs (auxiliary power units). These are practically the same thing as a small Honda generator that you'd use on a campsite. The small generator runs much more efficiently than the truck's engine. [Here's an APU](_URL_1_). Also, if they're parked at a truck stop or similar location, t... | [
"Your car has a battery in it, which it uses to start the engine and run the radio and other things. When the cars engine is running, there's a part called the alternator that takes over from the battery and powers all of that stuff. In fact, it produces more power than the car needs, and it uses that extra power t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
"Feeling" a laser pointer? | [
"A store bought laser pointer of the 5 mW variety is too weak for you to notice. For a test, close your eyes, and have a friend point it at your arms or hand, and see if you can tell which one. If it was a green laser pointer, like a 500 mW laser pointer, it can be powerful enough to light a match, so you'd defini... | [
"It is most likely number 1. It's like a scaled up and computerized version of \"Guess Who!\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Technology:"
} |
What is Juniper and why is everyone freaking out because it has a back door? | [
"Juniper is a hardware manufacturer that makes networking equipment. The internet relies on equipment like this to function. A backdoor is an intentional hole in a security system that allows someone to get in when they shouldn't be able to. Think of a robber slipping in the backdoor of your house because you never... | [
"You know how your computer isn't constantly becoming part of a botnet? You're welcome."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
What are hair partings? How do they form? Why do different people have different partings? | [
"Barber here. Nothing really controls your parting. You can part it wherever you want really. Usually a certain place looks best given any cowlicks you might have."
] | [
"The genes that control your beard are different than the genes that control the hair on your head. Sometimes the express the same color. Other times they don't."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
what happens with this spinning thing in microgravity? | [
"That's super cool! In any spinning object there is a secondary spin, called precession, that involves shifting the rotation axis. Usually it's just a wobble, like a child's top slowly oscillating as it spins. That handle/clamp/whatever it is has a pretty well defined preferred rotation axis. The precession can't m... | [
"its the direction of the cloud that originally formed the planets."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Science and Technology:"
} |
Why picking only 10 people for a data study is worse than picking > 30 people. | [
"Use some dice. The average value of any single die being rolled should be 3.5(that the average of 6,5,4,3,2 & 1). However when you roll it once it's very possible for you to get really far away from that 3.5 number. Personally I just rolled a 6. That's super far away from that 3.5 we suggested earlier. Do you thin... | [
"The other one time out of twenty, the margin of error is more than 3.3 percentage points. Let's say the result of the survey was 50% yes. This means that half of the respondents said yes to the survey. Now what does that say about all the people who didn't answer the survey? If only two people were asked, it doesn... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why is it illegal to sell your own organs? | [
"Lots of reasons - 1) People could feel forced into selling body parts when low on cash (since they'd obviously be very valuable) 2) People would be literal walking cash machines for murderers 3) Organ donations would cease to exist and therefore only the wealthy would get a shot at purchasing the orgasns"
] | [
"It's illegal to drink in public wherever you are."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Guy Fawkes and Anonymous | [
"4chan collectively identified with V, as a disfigured, anti-authority psychopath, and the mask he wears is both a practical way to remain anonymous in public and an appropriate symbol for an anonymous group of internet misfits. Basically, Anonymous likes the mask for all the same reasons that V wore it. But usuall... | [
"Kolechians shitheads. And no rumors. Glory to Arstotzka."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do I become a Shaolin Monk? | [
"Find a monastery, and petition the head monk to let you join. Protip: They won't. Protip 2, electric boogalloo: Even if they did, you won't get magic kung-fu powers."
] | [
"Question 1: Am I a celebrity? * Yes: Move onto question 2 * No: Who gives a shit about you? Question 2: Do I like to look terrific in photographs? * Yes: Move onto question 3 * No: Use your iPhone for nude selfies Question 3: Do I mind being raped? * Yes: Call Annie Leibovitz * No: Terry's your man!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
How come some countries' money is cheap and others' expensive? | [
"What's stopping a country from secretly printing a lot of money and exchanging and buying things it needs from another country without the other countries realizing that they have been duped with their now deflated trade off?"
] | [
"It does. This is exactly what sets the exchange rate of currency across countries. If lots of people want US dollars, the US dollar gets stronger. If no one wants US dollars, it gets weaker. If the Federal Reserve prints lots of extra US dollars, the US dollar gets weaker."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
If people are preparing start a colony on Mars, why can they start one on the moon instead since it's closer to earth? | [
"well, mars has a lot more resources than the moon, for one. it has water under it's surface and at the poles, and has a lot of mineral wealth that simply isn't present on the moon. not to mention a wealth of carbon dioxide and other compounds that could be converted to breathable oxygen not to mention that Mars ha... | [
"It means if we ever want to establish some sort of human-habitable station on the planet, we can potentially save a lot of fuel since we might be able to use martian water instead of flying it out there from earth. Also, since water is essential for life as we know it, it means there's a greater chance of finding ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What causes moonlight? | [
"Sunlight reflecting off of the Moon's surface which then travels down to earth."
] | [
"Crashing in the ocean > crashing in populated areas."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
when in a moving vehicle how can an insect fly around freely without being sucked to the back? | [
"Inside the car, the air is moving at the speed of the car. It feels very different if you roll down a window and stick your arm out. The fly flys in the air, not the car. Since the back window of the car is pushing the air to move it forward, the fly is going from place to place at high speed but not experiencing ... | [
"Presumably the suction on the back side of your fan was strong enough to suck in mosquitos, who were struck by the fan blades and killed; then blown out the front onto your bed."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why is 3-ply bathroom paper standard in Europe but not in North America? | [
"I wonder this too, because 3-ply is apparently also the standard in Australia, but it's not even available here in the United States."
] | [
"I have never seen a store selling single rolls of toilet paper... ever. Is that a regional thing?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How come isotopes that have a half-life of, for example, 1000 years, which have been on Earth for billions of years, not all decayed away already? | [
"Half-life is the statistical probability that half the atoms in a substance will have decayed in a given time. A half life of 1000 years means that after 1000 years, it is extremely likely that only half the original mass of substance X will remain. So it isn't even a given that all the atoms will have decayed, it... | [
"There is an isotope of carbon which is radioactive. It decays at a steady, known rate and we also know the amount in the atmosphere across a long period of time. Plants and animals take in carbon from the atmosphere (all isotopes) and so they can be expected to contain a proportion of carbon isotopes matching that... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Astronomy:"
} |
- Why Do files and other insects lock their legs when they die? | [
"Insect legs are not powered by muscles like mammals. They are essentially hydraulically actuated. When the ant dies, it stops putting it the pressure to extend the legs and they curl up. Edit: This explains spiders. Not really insects."
] | [
"Relevant/expansion to the question: Why do we make noises when we feel pleasure in general? And pain?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What makes a boomerang return? | [
"When you throw it, the \"wing\" is spinning. The side furthest from you is going forwards into the airflow, so in effect is going faster and generates more life. This pushes the \"outside\" of the circle it's making upwards, tilting the wing always towards the centre, which makes it fly in a circle."
] | [
"Why did you think this was the right sub?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why is it so hard for some people to eat in the morning? | [
"It's a myth. Eat when you're hungry not when you feel like you should because everyone else is."
] | [
"Isn't it just another way to take your mind off it?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence about Health:"
} |
How do cities form? Government wise, public schooling, libraries? How do we get from 'people near each other' to an organized community? | [
"Every town/city is different in the order they grow and establish services. It depends on when it is needed. They start off as just a few people working around each other. Eventually the guy that does his normal farm work and keeps fixing the road is spending too much time fixing the road. The community comes tog... | [
"They can't... or at least... not on a scale that we would recognize as a country. A country without a government would just be a bunch of people living in a geographic area... with none of the connections, services, or bonds that would give them any real semblance of identity on an international scale. As soon as ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Did one group of people "invent" agriculture, or did the whole ancient world essentially take the same step with no other influence? | [
"IIRC, there were three or four areas that developed agriculture independently; the Middle East, China, Central America, but in West Africa it's unclear. After it developed in one area it spread to the surrounding regions."
] | [
"There may be better resources, but I thought \"Guns, Germs, and Steel\" (_URL_0_) had a nice explanation about how civilization came about there. Also, understand that there was an enormous amount of human history (not recorded) prior to settling down and farming. Basically, the area around Persia had a lot of the... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text about history:"
} |
Why are people who get OTT cable services like Vue or Sling considered "cord cutters"? | [
"Cord cutting is a general and broad term meaning anyone who is not (or no longer) receiving traditional cable or satellite TV service, but instead get the same or similar content through any other means, it could be online, over the air, or just cut it off completely. I.e. They don't get \"traditional\" TV service... | [
"you can only get 60 channels on cable. Without net neutrality you may eventually be limited to 60 websites."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How are there so many million dollar homes in California if the median income is only about $70K? | [
"Because most people in the area aren't selling their houses, but a lot of people want to buy. If there's more people willing to spend a million dollars on a house than there are houses for sale, then you end up with a ton of houses worth a million dollars and a lot of people who can't afford to buy a house."
] | [
"Consider cost of living for a moment. In the 1960's, when Mad Men is set, the average income in the USA was just $5,310 per year. The average new home cost only $12,700 (Draper could buy a brand new home every single year), and a brand new car costs an average of just $2,600. Average household items were also very... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why do we classify venus fly traps as plants? | [
"Yes...plants vs animals vs fungi vs bacteria are all classified as such due to their cell structure"
] | [
"we know that it happens to all living things eventually. We also know that from a physiology standpoint death is no different for humans as it is for dogs, or ants, or elm trees."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why are things that are *almost human looking generally more frightening/scary/chilling than something completely inhuman and grotesque? | [
"It's called [uncanny valley](_URL_0_). > One of the main points of the theory to explain this is that people are not as affected in an emotional way by the object if it is easy to tell it is not human. After a certain point, people start to feel emotionally about it, but feel bad emotions because it is so nonhuma... | [
"> Not everyone is scared of ghosts or zombies You're right. And the people who aren't scared of zombies don't feel (as much) horror from them as people who are terrified of zombies. But *everyone* is afraid of being eaten alive - or worse, being bitten and then slowly losing control of themselves and *becoming* a ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How come in some cartoon movies, especially older ones, essentially the only song played is the main theme song, but played at a different tempo or with different instruments? | [
"Partly because it is thematic. If they cut into some other song, viewers might look for connections that aren't there, but if it just a version of the theme song, you know it is just setting a mood. Copyrights also come into play. Music holds a copyright separate from a movie or TV may appear in, so any new music ... | [
"A good portion of songs (especially pop songs) are within a certain range of tempos. Try choosing a slower song or faster song. I just chose Mad World by Gary Jules and it doesn't quite sync up, maybe try a much faster tempo found in classical music. One thing you have to remember is the fact that your perception ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Animation:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about Animation:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
How are chameleons and octopus able to camouflage? Is it voluntary? | [
"Chameleons and octopus use different techniques to change colour, afaik octopus are just super smart and do it at will. But chameleons change colour as their body temp changes, usually a green or blue when cold and a red/orange/yellow when its hotter, when it is mating season it gets super colourful"
] | [
"The only reason reptiles like snakes are brightly colored is to alert predators that they are poisonous. Birds are brightly colored to attract mates. Fish are brightly colored to attract mates and alert predators they are poisonous. Amphibians like frogs are brightly colored to alert predators they are poisonous. ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
- how / why does Catnip work? | [
"\"Although no one knows exactly what happens in the cat's brain, it is known that the chemical nepetalactone in catnip is the thing that triggers the response. Apparently, it somehow kicks off a stereotypical pattern in cats that are sensitive to the chemical. The catnip reaction is inherited, and some cats are to... | [
"While we wait for an answer to your question, could you give me an ELI5 on what Marjorana fermion is?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about biology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about biology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What is Cortisol and what effect does it have on my body? | [
"It's basically a hormone that causes a \"stress\" or \"wake up!\" response. Coffee increases cortisol levels."
] | [
"Medications generally directly interact with your endocrine system, and that system regulates almost everything in your body, including metabolism and hunger. So in most circumstances yes, that would be the cause."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
What happens to ppl who have been MIA in a war or etc and after few years they come back? | [
"You're not required to register with a gov for employment or anything. The only legal requirement for employment is legal working status, verifiable by social security number. Even if you're MIA, your SSN is still valid. The local nor state gov doesn't actively keep a list of persons that reside there. You coul... | [
"Because its very difficult to live with PTSD and also seeing a bunch of people that are almost like family on the battlefield dying in front of you."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
What is the purpose of the air bubble inside chicken eggs? | [
"Eggs shrink as they develop. Even if they're not fertile they still shrink as water slowly evaporates. Bird eggs have both a leathery shell (mostly collagen) and a hard shell (mineralized with chalk). The leathery shell membrane peels back from the chalky outer shell, and that's what makes the bubble. Technically ... | [
"Alcohol changing the density of the liquid in your inner ear."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How does Akinator, the Web Genius, work? | [
"Like this: [1](_URL_5_) [2](_URL_6_) [3](_URL_0_) [4](_URL_3_) [5](_URL_2_) [6] (_URL_4_) [7](_URL_1_)"
] | [
"Related question: What if I want to become a mercenary? What do I do?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What Santorum Fundraiser meant when he suggested women put aspirin between their knees? | [
"He means for women to keep their legs closed. It's derogatory towards women because it implies that women who want birth control are just sluts who are spreading their legs for men. Notice that he doesn't suggest men just keep it in their pants. Rush Limbaugh (a very conservative radio show host) was just recentl... | [
"Extreme incompetence or criminal negligence. Take your pick!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why professional thieves are interested in stealing famous art and artifacts if they can't sell it because they'd be caught? | [
"Either they want it for themselves or they have a black market buyer. In general, they'd get caught if they tried to sell it to someone legitimate. Selling it to a specific person is far less dangerous."
] | [
"Obviously, someone might steal it from you if you carried it around with you. And if you steal something, you can't just put it in the bank now, can you? Especially if you're an outlawed pirate."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why does some ice appear clear, whilst other ice appears frosty? What's the difference, and what causes said difference? | [
"Air bubbles and the size of the crystals as the water freezes. If water is agitated as it freezes, or if it's frozen quickly, it'll form smaller, tighter crystals, and keeps bubbles of air from forming, which will leave it clear. If you want to have nice, pretty clear ice cubes, boil the water first."
] | [
"The main difference is the temperature. The warmer it is, the slushier the snow. Slushy snow is great for packing, so snow forts and snowballs. Powdery snow happens when it's colder, which is nice for winter sports. There are other atmospheric factors that can change how snow falls, but temperature generally has ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Science:"
} |
When you right click while using an old computer and it freezes for a few seconds, what is it doing? | [
"the question is a bit general, but usually the computer wants to display some menu when you right click. What happens is that the computer has to collect information about what to display (and what will happen when you click something), but this task might be delayed because the place the computer looks up informa... | [
"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 Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Technology:"
} |
if a woman falls pregnant to 2 different men (ie. twins with different fathers) and one fetus absorbs the other, does the surviving child carry the DNA of all 3 adults? | [
"Yes! The child would be what is called a [chimera](_URL_0_)! He/she would have some areas of the body made of the twin's cells and some of its own cells. There was actually an instance where a chimera woman almost lost her kids because they were found to be not a genetic match, but they actually were hers and *her... | [
"It depends on the kind of twins. Twins can happen due to one of those things: one egg cell is fertilised by one sperm cell but splits early into the growth process and develops into two seperate babies (identical twin) or the female body produces two egg cells during ovulation which are then fertilised by two diff... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about biology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument about biology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
why does the NFL think it should be paid by its Superbowl half time performers? | [
"Because the NFL has a midas complex going right now. For the last 10-15 years, everything they touch has become gold. The exorbitant fees their members get paid to put a BankOne logo on goal post padding indicates everyone just wants to capture the eyeballs the NFL brings. To add to that, the NFL offers a lot mo... | [
"You forget money from licensing, clothes, hats, figurines, etc. Plus advertising at the stadium. Sales of the private booths, Revenue from renting out the stadium to other venues, like concerts. And of course revenue from showing the games on TV. Plus I'm sure I'm missing a few other revenue sources for them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are cans in Hawaii shaped differently than regular soda cans? | [
"This is an older design of common cans. Let this guy shed some light on it in the most interesting can-related video ever produced: _URL_0_"
] | [
"If you are referring to coke and pepsi it is because they use different kinds of sweeteners in the glass bottles than they do in the cans."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What are the tiny components on a computer's motherboard and what do they do? | [
"Most of the switching logic happens inside silicon chips. These are covered in plastic to protect them. Most of the other components are capacitors and resistors. These are components that are much cheaper to make out of different materials. They are mostly used to regulate power levels. It is for instance very co... | [
"Sure! * Monitor - Let's you see stuff the computer wants to show you * Keyboard/Mouse - Let's you put information into the computer, control things * Harddrive - Stores information in the medium/long term (SLOW) * RAM - Stores information in the short term (FAST) * Optical Drive - Let's you read from disks using l... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Computer Science:"
} |
Why do women have easier physical standards than men in the military? Shouldn't it be the same? | [
"It depends on the country/military. In the Canadian Armed Forces (where I'm a recruiting clerk) the fitness test is the exact same for both men and women. Both genders qualify for all the trades and physical aptitude isn't even tested until a member joins. (The first fitness test is during basic training, except i... | [
"First, let's make a difference between true feminists, whose goal is sex equality, and female sexists, whose goal is to be more powerful than men. Female sexists sometimes wrongly identify as feminist, and give true feminists (who can be any gender) a bad reputation. So why aren't women part of the draft? That's a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
How can animals run so fast without tripping on a rock and falling? | [
"I suspect if you took off your shoes you would be better at it. But I have wondered this before, particularly about horses. I doubt they can see where they are stepping most of the time and definitely not when they are walking across rivers and such. It probably has something to do with reflexes. A tennis player i... | [
"Your depth perception is compromised when it's above the ground making it harder for your brain to figure out how to put one foot in front of the other without tripping. Edit: spelling"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:"
} |
Why does it feel almost as good to scratch an itch as it does to have an orgasm? | [
"My god. If you think scratching an itch feels as good as an orgasm than you have never actually had an orgasm. Join the club with the rest of us. Trust me, an itch is no orgasm."
] | [
"One possibility is like when you scratch an itch. You might stop and pause to make sure that the itch is gone, realize that it isn't, and start scratching again. But who knows. I'm not a cat."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
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