query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Why does my car's steering wheel need to be jiggled occasionally in order for the engine to start? | [
"Your steering wheel is locked. You must move it to release the pressure on the lock in order start the car."
] | [
"The transmission is detached from the engine. The engine still spins, but it doesn't spin the wheels or anything. It's just like when you're in neutral, and you press the gas, it makes a lot of noise and uses a lot of gas but doesn't actually make you go anywhere."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do very large meteors appear green when streaking across the sky and is it the same reason why the Aurora Borealis is green? | [
"I think it has to do with the actual makeup up the meteor it self . Certain gases will burn a different color when entering the atmosphere ."
] | [
"The earth has magnetic fields on each ends of the poles. The sun gives off its own waves that travel toward the earth; when they hit these poles, the electromagnetic particles collide and create the northern/southern lights, e.g. aurora borealis and australis. It's really rare to see them outside of either of the ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does a pot of boiling water produce more steam when I remove it from heat? | [
"Less steam comes off, but more visible steam comes off. for a little while you're producing steam that cools and condenses in close/dense proximity to the boiling water. You're seeing it return to water vapor. When you're on the heat it turns back to vapor of a larger spatial area and looks less....steamy."
] | [
"Air is a very poor conductor of heat. When you put your hand in a 200 C oven, it starts to heat up, but much more slowly than if you dipped your hand into a pot of 200 C oil. So long as you don't keep your hand in the over for very long, you will not get hurt."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:"
} |
Why does it seems like the Japanese government is "better" than many others? | [
"You may be suffering from selective bias. You can find all sorts of places online that have compilations of fistfights in the Japanese parliament. Also, Japanese culture generally has a deference to authority--at least verbalizing it, anyway. I'm sure they hate their politicians as much as we do (see below), they ... | [
"Follow up, if this warrant a new post please tell me: How did politicians and the general public react when they found out these companies were aiding Nazi forces in WW2?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How to view saved .gifs/make a .gif album | [
"Gifs often don't animate in image viewers or image editors. They are intended for websites. Try opening them using an Internet browser like Opera or Firefox. HOW TO DO THAT 1 Save a GIF to the desktop. 2 Right-click the GIF to pull up the options menu. 3 Select the \"Open With\" option. This will pull up a small l... | [
"Gifv is an imgur project to convert gifs into more compressed, faster loading video file types. The v ending is what they are using the signal the change in format. _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why Jews are depicted as being greedy...for thousands of years? | [
"A thousand years ago, the most prominent bankers of the day were Jewish, partly because many non-jewish religions at the time outlawed effective banking. All successful bankers have to understand the slightly complicated concept of \"compound interest.\" But most of their profits have always stemmed from giving lo... | [
"Scientology isn't as popular as they want you to think it is."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Religion and Crime:"
} |
Why does "night air" smell/seem different to day air? | [
"I'm coughing all day if I sleep with the windows open. I don't have any regular seasonal allergies. When I say it's the night air making me sick I get crazy looks.???"
] | [
"The same reason people \"smell rain\", we don't actually smell rain, our noses just work better in high humidity. Same reason farts smell more in the shower."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are some countries allowed nuclear weapons, and other not? | [
"Countries that have nukes: America, Russia, United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, and North Korea. And probably Israel, but officially, they don't. It's a bit harsh to say the US used nukes \"in anger\". It was a display of overwhelming force to end a war, averting a long and bloody ground campaign. Gene... | [
"The nuclear non-proliferation treaty says two important things: 1. All countries have a right to research and develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, and the more-developed countries should help them. 2. The goal for the entire world is global nuclear disarmament, the permanent abolition of nuclear weapo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why do people slap their knee or their chair's arm rest when something is really funny? | [
"It's because you're at such a high level of an emotional reaction, that other forms of release are necessary to come back down, an association of negative feedback with positive feedback if you will. Laughing only does so much at once, so a physical release decreases the amount of stress the stimulant puts on the ... | [
"Here's a follow up question: Personally, when I see something that makes me wince, like serious violence, I feel a tingling sensation all over the back of my head. What's the deal with that?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why does content that appeals to people's emotions spread faster than content that appeals to people's reason? | [
"CGP Gray has a pretty good take on this question. [This Video Will Make You Angry](_URL_0_) Time: 7:25 Subject: Transfer of ideas from person to person. It is a pretty awesome video if you feel like giving it the time to watch."
] | [
"PR: Making sure the public sees your company/person/government in the best way. Usually refers to making a company appear in a better light when someone screws up. Marketing: Making a consumer want to buy your product. Propaganda: Trying to influence a group, often using skewed facts that provoke an emotional resp... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
If soap comes into contact with dirt, does the soap become dirty, or does the dirt become clean? | [
"Generally speaking, soap doesn't \"clean\" anything in the sense of changing dirt into something else. Rather, soap works by making it very hard for dirt to stick to your hands/dishes/clothes/etc... This is why it's usually paired with scrubbing and water, all of which are designed to get stuff we think of as dir... | [
"Say you have one dirty spot on you. A shower washes away the dirt because of the flowing water. A bath dissolves the dirt and spreads it evenly all over you as you soak in the dirt containing water. It is obvious what is more hygienic."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why doesn't a smoothie kill my hunger as much as just eating the fruit that went into to? | [
"The human body is satiated by the ACT of eating as much as the amount of material that goes into the stomach. Slurp down a smoothie and you're done in ten seconds. Eating the fruits and veggies that went into it requires chewing and swallowing, and the result goes down your throat in little chunks rather than a l... | [
"The normal positive aspects of milk (Vitamin D, calcium, protein) will all be in chocolate milk. The downside is that chocolate milk usually has quite a bit of sugar added to it. Edit: and as for milk with chocolate cereal, it depends entirely on the cereal. You'd just get bits of the cereal leaking into the milk,... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do we "shush" people to try to quiet them? | [
"The \"S\" sound is very high frequency, so is easier to place in three dimensional space. The purpose of \"Shush\" is to draw attention to your face, so that you can convey to the noisy person your displeasure in their conduct (via the means of a stern gaze). The need for a high frequency sound is so that you can ... | [
"I've never heard it being bad and can't think of a reason it would be. I would bet people have said that because it's disruptive to them, and they're hoping to scare you into stopping. I know I do it, and now and then, people will bring to my attention that I'm shaking the table in class."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
why do people look down on community college if they teach you job skills? | [
"Elitist attitudes. 4-year colleges cost a lot of money, whereas community colleges usually only charge a small fee, so it'll be wealthier people going to university, and poorer people going to community college. Rich people look down on poor people, ergo, people look down on community college students. I'm not say... | [
"although lots of what we learn may seem useless, it helps you put into context what is happening today. it helps you form opinions about events and experiences in your lifetime and helps give you the ability to reason and what not. that being said, there is no excuse as to why we don't learn more stuff that can be... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How do modern people reconcile religion with their lifestyle and education? | [
"> For those who say they can still be faithful to their religion while being educated - what about when science directly contradicts something written in holy books? The thing is, you don't need science to contradict the Bible in a literal interpretation. The bible itself is at various points contradictory. That m... | [
"Because very few Christians use the Bible as a rigid guide for their daily lives. Among Christians, as with people of any other religion, poorer people tend to have more children than wealthier people."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
What's the difference between a router, a hub, and a switch? How do they work differently? | [
"I usually explain it to my friends using phones: & nbsp; Switch - You can call anyone in your area code but can't get anyone outside of your area code. & nbsp; Router - You can call people in your area code(switch), but anything not in your area code is forwarded from the switch to the router. The Router can for... | [
"Assuming you're asking about the basic function of each device in an internet connection setup, here ya go. Modem: The device which connects you to your internet connection. It allows only one single connection, yes just one. That's its only job, to deal with the connection to the internet. Router: Plug this into ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is there a 'whoosh' sound when you drive past parked cars? | [
"The moving car in your example emits a lot of different noises, the engine, the tires on the pavement, and the wind, they all 'come out' of the moving car and bounce on the parked cars and back to the moving car, that's the 'whoosh' you hear from the moving car, your own sound bouncing back."
] | [
"There's a wire loop embedded in the pavement just before the light. When you drive over it, it senses the engine, like a metal detector does in an airport, using magnetic fields. This causes the light to cycle."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is it difficult to write programs that take compiled code and return human readable code? | [
"Code readability is so much about the naming of variables and functions. Naming signifies what part of the code does, and allows the programmer to build up a picture of the execution for themselves."
] | [
"The same way you know if your looking at English, compared to Spanish or German. There are certain nuances in the code. From syntax formatting (the way it's written), to variable declarations, to a dead give away the file extensions. Many programming languages must be typed a certain way for the compiler to work."... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
What exactly prevents the DMV or Tag office, or any government operation like that, from working exclusively online? | [
"Because not everybody is online, or is in a position to use a computer, and may need personal assistance."
] | [
"For better or worse (and there are arguments for both sides), there is no one government authority that handles this stuff. So the state departments of licensing may have no idea whether someone is legally or illegally in the country."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why is "diversity" said to be a good thing for society? | [
"From the standpoint of evolution, the more you can diversify DNA in reproduction, the better. The opposite of inbreds, so to speak."
] | [
"They aren't, intrinsically. Just look at various Communist regimes which impose \"equality\" upon everyone, but invariably suffer from economic collapse in the end. Not to mention the fact that \"stable and secure\" can also be interpreted as \"stagnant and unchanging\". Of course, the other extreme of massive dis... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How are devices like cellphones and laptops still able to keep track of time even after their batteries are removed but my clocks need to be reset every time the power goes out? | [
"Cellphones are a bad example because they'll synchronize their time with cell towers as soon as they get powered up again. Laptops have another battery explicitly for keeping the clock going and ensuring low level settings are preserved, just like desktop PCs."
] | [
"If there is nothing plugged in, then no it will not use any electricity. For electricity to flow, there must be a complete circuit, and to complete the circuit you must plug something in. Some devices draw current even when they are off if they are plugged in, that may be what she is thinking of."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
How do so many mobile games rip-offs of games like Candy Crush, Clash of Clans, Slot machines, (ect.) make money and get players in such an over-saturated market? | [
"because even 0.01% of an oversaturated mobile app market of 50billion is still a butt load of money. and that's incentive enough for a company to try to get a slice of the pie."
] | [
"Zynga has been known for a long time to steal people games, re skin and sell them for a profit. They have done it to titans like EA and The Sims, to small indie devs and games like Tiny Tower."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why do toilets overflow when they're clogged? | [
"Because the water that would normally go into the bowl from the tank/reservoir has nowhere to go. Same thing that would happen if you clogged your kitchen sink and turned on the faucet."
] | [
"Check the O-ring of your toilet. If it's leaking then your toilet will refill it's tank to get back up to a proper water level. Essentially it flushes without you flushing and we all know what happens when you flush while in the shower."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Physics:"
} |
What is an RSS feed and how do I view one? LI5* | [
"RSS stands for **R**eally **S**imple **S**yndication. Think of it as a blog, but in a specialized format. To use RSS you have to have an RSS reader. There are web based ones (such as [Google Reader](_URL_2_)), desktop-based ones (such as [Feedreader](_URL_1_)), and some specialized ones (such as [gPodder](_URL_0_)... | [
"We have a detailed explanation of the Android permissions we need and why we need them on our help site which you can find here: _URL_0_. (Mods, hope linking to the answer is okay)."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why do Justice system in US solely works on DA? If DA is corrupt/inefficient/unreliable and victim loses a serious case like rape due to DA, why he can't hire a best criminal attorney and prosecute criminal? | [
"The US doesn't work solely by District Attorneys. The Federal court systems have US Attorneys. Local courts may have other names. The reason is because the state (government, or 'The People') is who is bringing charges against a criminal, and the District Attorney's office is the one that has the power to act on ... | [
"You are given a public defender. That lawyer is shit out of luck as far as the public is concerned. Ethically it's a lawyers job to best represent their client. Serial rapist/murder/baby killer a public defender has to do everything within their power to defend the accused. \"Innocent until proven guilty\" Most p... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How can stadiums oversell their capacities without violating some kind of fire code? | [
"As long as they don't actually let too many people in, they're not violating fire code."
] | [
"Industries are generally only regulated when they need to be for the health and safety of the public, or when the consequences of not being regulated can have a significant negative impact on the economy. None of that applies to concert venues. And in your example, the fees *were* disclosed before you purchased."
... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Mosiquito in Elevator | [
"The entire elevator, box, air, and occupants, is a system. All accelerate and such at the same rate. Therefore everything remains, relative to the eve valor, stationary. In other words, everything in the elevator is entirely separate from the outside world and moves relative to itself, not the exterior."
] | [
"X does make that sound in the word Xylophone. Also: Xavier Xander Xenophobia Xanthum Xanadu *Xenon thanks /u/bovfem"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How is a television show that has different writers and directors for each episode able to stay so cohesive? | [
"The different writers try to create a cohesive final product, and there can even be a master plan for the story arc of a season. Each writer examines the master plan and previous episodes before writing their own and makes it match the same \"feel\" intentionally."
] | [
"British Drama/sitcoms are generally written by one or two people (i.e. the creator of the show or perhaps a comedy partnership). Whereas American shows are generally written by a team of writers including the creator of the show. For British shows, the creator(s) has a vision of what they want to do (and a limited... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
If a company makes and copyrights a game, and shuts down in the future, do they still own the rights to the game? If not, who does? | [
"When a company shuts down, it doesn't just go -pop- like a soap bubble. Its assets -- including its intellectual property assets -- are either sold off to other companies or retained as property of a shell corporation that still exists as a legal entity but is no longer doing business."
] | [
"> How is covering a song less of a legal problem than sampling a song? In the US music industry, there is something called mechanical royalties. You can cover any song you want, but you have to pay the original artist a portion of what you make on it. > Also, if they don't have final say on their intellectual pro... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why is it that in older houses the light switch to the bathroom is in the hallway? | [
"Wet hands, but more specifically because now we have GFI recepticles that negate the danger of water+electricity by tripping a breaker before you dead yourself."
] | [
"It's a lot harder to electrocute yourself when the switch isn't in the same room as your wet body. That said, I've never lived in a place with the switch on the outside but I like to live dangerously."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
#BlackOut on Tumblr Today | [
"It's just some little thing of having black people post pictures of themselves on social media. Kinda just to share what everyone looks like, and show that there are a lot more black people on some services that the typical stereotype is more \"white tweens\" and just in general to show there is a bunch of black d... | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How can we colonize another planet without transferring a dangerous amount of biomass from Earth? | [
"Do you mean dangerous in the sense of infecting the other planet? If we're colonising another planet I think it's safe to say we've decided its ours to do with what we please."
] | [
"Among other many reasons to have a colony on Mars, perhaps the major reason is right now all Humans (and for we know, all life) in the universe is on (or orbiting) Earth. There is a chance (although very small) that all life on our planet will die due to a meteor, supervolcano, nuclear war, etc. within our lifetim... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence about science:"
} |
How can scientists accurately predict things that will happen in space years away, yet not accurately predict the weather for the week? | [
"The atmosphere is a far more complicated system than space. In space, you have one major force acting on everything -- gravity. Any given object of any size to be of interest to us is affected by gravity in completely predictable ways. The atmosphere is a far more complex system, one that we are still learning abo... | [
"It absolutely does. The change is just small that over the course of human existence which is only a few hundred thousand years, let alone the few hundred years that we've been able to reliably measure, the difference is too small to matter. The orbits of the planets are stable over long periods of time, but dynam... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Science and Technology:"
} |
Why do most movies/TV shows/commercials use Mac computers instead of PC? | [
"Answers here are incorrect, Apple repeatedly states that they DO NOT pay for product placement. However, they do work closely with hollywood to give free hardware in hopes that the hardware makes it on to the set."
] | [
"The same reason they you don't see them use google when searching for things but always use some generic search engine. There are strict laws regarding product placement in movies and TV shows. In France it's against the law to even mention facebook or twitter on TV."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Was 2016 really terrible compared to other years ? If not, why did people start complaining about 2016 when bad stuff happens every year ? | [
"Everyone in the States remembers 9/11. Well we got our own 9/11 in 2015 & 2016 in Europe. In November 2015, terrorists attacks in Paris killed 130 people. 2016 kicked off in state of fear: reinforced controls, armed men in the streets, a lot of celebrations cancelled etc. In March 2016, the same terrorist cell hi... | [
"It's not a modern phenomenon at all, what makes you think it's only been happening for the last 20 years?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Gentrification:"
} |
Why would you face legal problems if you spend money your bank gave you in error? | [
"It's not your money. You know banks don't give out free money as a gift, you know it's not yours, you have to give it back. You're not being held liable, in as much as no penalty is being handed out - you just have to give back what you know was never yours."
] | [
"They get your money. Would you give money to a bank if you didn't get anything in return? The interest is a payment to you so you'll give them your money."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Can someone please explain Roth IRA vs. 401K (like i'm five) | [
"You contribute to Roth IRA with post-tax dollars and get to take out your money when you retire tax-free whereas a regular 401k takes pre-tax dollars but you get taxed when you take it out. Simply, Roth=Pay taxes now Traditional=Pay taxes later As for what is better for you it depends on your situation and what yo... | [
"1) 401k vs IRA - two different types of accounts you can put retirement money in. 401k limited to $17500 per year from you, and your employer can match some, all, or more. IRA limited to $5500 per year. More if you're old. 2) Roth vs Traditional - exist for both the 401k and the IRA. Roth means you pay taxes now, ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why do our brains find animation that falls in the "Uncanny Valley" like in "The Polar Express" disturbing, yet find the distorted renditions of humans in cartoons like "Up" Pleasing to the eye? | [
"As things get closer to being \"real looking\", the mind begins to notices the things that are \"wrong\" more and more. With unrealistic characters, our mind understands they are not real, so it doesn't consider the \"wrongness\" of the being. With movies like Polar Express, Avatar, etc with highly realistic-looki... | [
"Not so much anymore. A lot of modern shows use digital puppets and asset replacement to change characters' facial expressions. Just look how lazy and boring looking modern Simpsons and Family Guy are. Animation reuse, of course, goes way back. Look at old He-man episodes to see some really blatant examples."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Can you theoretically shake a bottle of water so fast that the water molecule rub against each other so much that the water boils ? | [
"If you had an indestructible bottle and an arm moving at incredible speeds, sure. XKCD did [a breakdown](_URL_0_) of a similar question a while back."
] | [
"Temperature is the measure of the random molecular kinetic energy of a substance. LN2 boils at a very low temperature, at -195 degrees C (-320F or 77K). When things get colder, the motion of the molecules that make up that substance slows. Just like if you were to take an empty milk jug and fill it with scalding h... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why aren't Bluefin Tuna more commonly bred? | [
"It's not as profitable as you would think. Bluefins require *massive* amounts of food per pound of weight gained. They also are 1000+ lbs so you need a huge amount of space and heavy duty equipment to do it. The land and equipment eats into that profit tremendously, but the big reason is that their diet of fish is... | [
"Turtles... Turtles keep the jellyfish population in check. If there were more Jellyfish more species would evolve to eat them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why do I never hear anything else about 99% of newfound scientific research? | [
"The articles are hyperbolic. Discoveries are almost never as amazing as they are presented, or they are only that amazing in very specific circumstances which aren't that practical in real life. Of course, even when one of these studies really is amazing, there are other issues. They require *tons* of testing, to ... | [
"Its really hard to believe nothing existed. Even with all these theories."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What is actually happening when you get a random ringing in one of your ears and sound becomes muffled? | [
"I thought this was just me! Sometimes for no reason, one of my ears gets muffled and my tinnitus gets worse in that ear for a short amount of time, but then it returns to normal shortly after. Is that the sort of thing that you're talking about, OP? All the replies so far seem to be talking about this happening ov... | [
"You are blocking your ears from hearing things outside your body, so your ears are hearing the sounds resonating within your body easier. That's why you hear your heart beat and stomach rumble easier with your ears covered."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Health:",
"pos": "Represent the comment about Health:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How come when I need to wake up at a certain time in the morning, if I think about that time, I wake up at that time? | [
"Biological clock. The subconscious is on 24/7, whether conscious awareness is asleep or awake. You've communicated your desire to the subconscious, and it has responded. The fact that you can indicates you have a developed subconscious and a good relationship with your subconscious. You would probably be a good hy... | [
"I have the same problem, but I do remember my dreams if I'm woken up in the middle of them. Set your alarm clock to an early time than usual, see if that makes a difference"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
why aren’t decks of cards the gold standard for cryptography? | [
"While you might think this, there are not that many possible decks of cards. Only 80.658 x 10^66 . OK, that seems like a lot, but 2^4096 , the number of 4096 bit encryption keys is 1.044 x 10^1230 , a substantially larger number. Even 256 bit keys have 1.157 x 10^77 values, more than your decks of cards. Computers... | [
"ok, Why still used? because its an established method that has been around for a while. He has a monopoly on the industry, and he has revised his methodology over time to include other media types. Figure out a better way? Sure why not, just become a statistician and go for it? But odds are, hes hired some already... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How come "Frisbee" hasn't become a generic trademark like Band-Aid or Xerox despite the fact that everyone calls every flying disc a Frisbee? | [
"Because Wham-O protects their mark by vigourously suing the pants off of any one even remotely trying to profit off the name. One of their more well known suits was against the movie \"Secret of NIMH\" where the main character's name had to be changed from Mrs Frisby to Mrs Brisby."
] | [
"McDonald's gets more publicity in general. Their name is virtually synonymous with fast food. Think of other things that are brand names, but are so ubiquitous that their brand names are synonymous with the item: kleenex, band-aid, iPad, etc."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does bottled water have a 'best before' date? | [
"Two reasons; firstly by federal law anything produced that's consumable must have an expiration date. Secondly the bottle that water is contained in is usually very slightly porous, so the water can pick up smells and tastes from the outside world and the taste will decrease in quality over time."
] | [
"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 post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I just read 'The Big Short' and it makes no mention of the role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the crisis. Yet other, seemingly credible sources blame the existence of these agencies almost exclusively. What is the truth of their role? | [
"If you're going to make money off of a book deal and movie, it's a bad idea to point fingers at multi-billion dollar companies with top-tier legal teams and imply that they scammed the entire nation for their own gain. You don't need to be a lawyer to know that's a lawsuit waiting to happen. 9 out of 10 members of... | [
"The government has already fined some of them and taken a controlling stake in others. Ultimately the laws in place in 2008 encouraged that kind of sub-prime lending and the dubious rating that banks were using to pass those lemons off on eachother. Politicians wanted to increase homeownership rates and had encour... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Signal to noise ratio. | [
"This is a measure of how well the \"good stuff\" in a transmission comes across versus the unwanted \"bad stuff\" or noise. It can applied to lots of different types of transmissions; electrical, radio frequency, etc. For instance, if you're on a radio and you can barely make out your buddy because there's so much... | [
"Arbitrary, likely measured from FPOC with the surface."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post about Science:"
} |
In The Princess Bride, Wesley beats Vizzini because he built up an immunity to iocane powder. Is it actually possible to build up an immunity to a poison? | [
"Yes. _URL_0_ It is called Mithridatism after a king, Mithridates VI, who, so the story goes, was so fearful of being poisoned he ingested small amounts of poison over time hoping to build up an immunity. It depends on precisely how the body deals with the poison, and it doesn't work for everything. Some poisons ju... | [
"No. Antibiotics fight infections in the body through subtle means that the bacteria can become immune to. Bleach kills all living things and one cannot become immune to it. It's like how a human can become immune to a virus, but can not become immune to falling into a volcano. Unfortunately, bleach cannot be used ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Microbiology:"
} |
How bacteria in pools don't mutate to be able to deal with chlorine as we see with superbugs and antibiotics. | [
"The same way you can't mutate to deal with getting hit in the head with an RPG. It's just too deadly. Antibiotics are meant to be strong enough to kill the bad bacteria, but not too strong as to harm your body, so they have to work in a different way than chlorine."
] | [
"Basically what happened was that antibiotics were used so often, even for simple stuff such that the bacteria became resistant by natural selection. Once in a while, mutations may create a bacteria resistant to antibiotics. When antibiotics are used, all bacteria not resistant are killed off, leaving only resistan... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are advertisement on the Internet that are scams not against the law? | [
"Nearly all scams *are* against the law, and intentionally advertising an unlawful scam is *also* usually against the law. The problem is discovering, and proving, that it's a scam."
] | [
"The same reason they you don't see them use google when searching for things but always use some generic search engine. There are strict laws regarding product placement in movies and TV shows. In France it's against the law to even mention facebook or twitter on TV."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
what makes the “pop” or click noise when you stretch? | [
"TLDR version; we don't know. Not the fun answer, I know, but the truthful one. According to some theories it is related to gas moving around creating 'vaccuum bubbles' in joints that cause the actual sound. According to others it has to do with dissolved bubbles of gas dissolved in the lubrication fluid. Research ... | [
"As far as I know they are air bubbles from the joints ( at least that is what is happening when you crack your fingers )"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Health and Wellness:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer about Health and Wellness:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
If muscles take a day or two to fully repair, why do people work out every day? | [
"They tend to work out different muscle groups, giving each area a rest while working out different areas."
] | [
"You used muscles you do not normally use to a degree you do not normally use them and you stressed those muscles. It is the exact same thing as happens when you work out and are sore afterwards."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why does the back of a car collect more dirt than the front of a car? | [
"So I think most of this has to do with aerodynamics. The front of the car is designed to \"slice\" through the air instead of pushing it. The back is *usually* an after thought aerodynamically. Now consider hatchbacks, like my Crosstrek (Subaru). It has a rear windshield wiper like most hatchbacks. Why? When dr... | [
"Cold glass meets humid air. The water vapor in the air condenses on the glass. Like a cold drink on a hot day. As you drive along, the air hits your car at the speed you're driving into it, not letting the vapor have enough time to condense into water again. Your windscreen also heats up as the inside of the car h... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why is zero so important in mathematics and how did using a zero change the history of maths? | [
"Because it was a step towards the better understanding of mathematics. There was great debate among Ancient Greek mathematicians whether or not zero should be a number. The most common counterargument boiled down to: \"How can zero be a number, since it describes nothing? Nothing is not a number. It's the absence ... | [
"Math is so pure and simple, facts are facts and concrete rules define all the relationships. Only Barbie thinks \"Math is Hard\", but her head is full of hair. Counting started before written history, systematic numbers were defined by the Sumerians, number place was invented by the Babylonians. More kinds of math... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
How do the high explosive shells of naval artillery explode on impact? How do the armor piercing shells explode once they've penetrated armor and are inside a ship? | [
"Shells that go off on impact use a simple [contact fuze](_URL_2_). Armor-piercing shells (like HEAT rounds), however, don't actually explode inside anything. Rather, they explode just outside the armor, sending forward a jet of molten metal which does the actual penetration. These types of warheads are called shap... | [
"A few reasons: 1) muzzle velocity. The theoretical speed of a projectile is much greater, providing better range, accuracy, and penetration. 2) projectile size and cost. Using EMF to launch a projectile instead of gunpowder dramatically shrinks the inventory of firing charges and shells you need to keep on a ship.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do we put "The Congo" and "The Bahamas" but we don't say "The Canada" or "The Japan"? | [
"Congo and Bahamas are regions (the Bahamas refers to the entire region including other islands) Canada and Japan are countries You might not say the Canada but you would say the North"
] | [
"Where do you mean? Europe? The US? Middle East? Africa? Eastern Asia?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why exactly does the Pythagorean theorem work? | [
"Because that is how Euclidian space works. There are a number of proofs, but they all boil down to that relationship being part of the definition of the \"triangle\" concept\"."
] | [
"Isn't it sine, cosine, tangent, and cotangent? They are called trigonometric functions. I am certain they have pretty good, intuitive explanations of what trigonometric functions are all over the web!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What is the practical difference between installing the 64 and 32 bit versions of programs? | [
"If you run a 32-bit OS, then only the 32-bit version of the program will work. On a 64-bit OS, you're right, you get a choice. I can't speak to any particular application, but in terms of generalities, 64-bit apps tend to faster at raw computational tasks, but they can be slower at tasks that involve complex data ... | [
"You are on a 64 bit operating system, so Program Files is for for 64 bit programs. And Program Files x86 are programs that still use 32 bit."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why can't MP3 players have incredible amounts of storage, like 500 GB or 1TB? | [
"There are three reasons: cost, size, and shock. Cost: More of something takes more money. MP3 players that cost lots of money aren't going to sell when you can buy smaller ones for much less. Size: Just like cost, even with flash memory more storage takes more space. Your Nano wouldn't be very nano to cram enough ... | [
"There's no trouble. They are just expensive. A 256GB Micro SD card is similar in price to a 256GB SSD. SSDs are extremely fast and reliable compared to microSD, and can handle many more read/write cycles."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why can't humans recall anything from their unconscious mind, how do we bring it back into conciousness? | [
"With the right techniques it's easy to recall all sorts of information from the past, but 95% of it might be fake. Memory's a funny thing, you form memories as you think about them, so over time its tougher to tell what's real and what's not. The more you think about something that didn't happen, the realer the ex... | [
"Cognitive psychology student here: To put it simply, you don't have the mechanisms that allow you to store and recall memories until you're around 3 1/2 years. Until that, you have what's called childhood amnesia. From that moment on, when you're 7-10 years old, you go through a period that's called reminiscence b... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
How do speakers make more than one frequency at a time? ELI5 please! | [
"Imagine it like ripples in a pond. If you throw in a pebble into still water, there will be a simple ripple pattern of a certain frequency. If you throw in that pebble and another anywhere next to it, they will each make their own ripples which will then crash into one another and make a more complex ripple. This ... | [
"Because music makes use of a far wider range of frequencies than our voice. It also includes bass and other things our voices don't use. Most of the technology of the phone is made for voice and not for music. ELI5: Our voices are a lot easier for phones than music is."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Technology:"
} |
Why are ice skates named what they are? Ice skates have an actual blade on the bottom. Shouldn't they be called ice blades? Also why are roller blades called what they are when they don't have blades on the bottom? | [
"So... you've got things a bit confused here. The chronology is as follows: Bladed skates (originally with caribou bone or something similar). Bladed skates (metal) Roller\"skates\" (with \"roller\" in there to let you know the difference) Inline skates (aka Roller\"Blades\") Does that make sense now? They're \"b... | [
"Bowling shoes have to be smooth on the bottom because the bowler is meant to slide a bit during his throw. Normal shoes are meant to have grip, which would prevent it. Bowling alleys will rent these shoes because most people don't have a pair and the alley doesn't want you scuffing up their floors with your shoes,... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do so many injuries/illnesses improve so dramatically after a NIGHT of sleep as compared to an entire DAY of similar bedrest. | [
"Sleep cycles are when your body releases growth hormone. So that's the time when tissue that has been damaged by the injury/illness gets repaired. Essentially, you wake up stronger than you were when you went to sleep. This doesn't happen during periods of consciousness, only when you reach REM sleep. So \"resting... | [
"Yes there is truth to that. First of all you need to make sure that you have a simple cold, flu etc. 2nd, drinking plenty of water, eating correctly and resting are great NATURAL ways of getting over a relative illness. By not taking medication, you are MAKING your antibodies fight their own battles. NOW, the reas... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Health and Wellness:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Health and Wellness:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How come sometimes when yawning you get a crackle in your ears? | [
"Yawning can open your Eustachian tube, which allows pressure to equalize inside your ear. If the pressure isn't equal, it can pull your eardrum taut. The 'crackle' is the eardrum moving, which as you may know, is part of the mechanism that signals your brain about sounds."
] | [
"Haven't you ever had that weird itch in your inner ear? Like, between your throat and your ear, when you have a cold? That's definitely on the inside."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
how SNL can use copyrighted material without getting into trouble? | [
"First Amendment has been said to protect parody and satire. They can get in trouble for libel, if their jokes are determined to be outright harmful to the brand, but just making fun of somebody is protected."
] | [
"The studio that produces the TV show owns the copyright to it, and has the money to hire lawyers to enforce those copyrights. YouTube doesn't own the videos you see, those belong to the people who make them. If your funny cat video makes it on TV, you are not as likely to hire a lawyer. In fact, there is a good ch... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why cats do their business in a litterbox while dogs have to be taken outside. | [
"Cats instinctively bury their poo. You *could* train a dog to poop in a litterbox, but it wouldn't bury the poo, so you'd just end up with a bunch of gross poo on top of a sandbox."
] | [
"Cats instinctually want to bury their business. So showing them a place to do this just makes their life easier and better."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Would an obese person survive longer than a normal one without eating? | [
"Yes, this is the whole purpose of storing fat. When a person goes without eating, their body begins breaking down fat reserves and burning them for energy. When the fat runs out, it starts breaking down other parts of the body, like muscle. Eventually, there isn't anything to burn, and you die, unable to support v... | [
"There was a study where a man who was morbidly obese took supplements and didn't eat for a very long time. He eventually got skinny, then died in his 40s. Moral being proper diet and exercise is the better route"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why is it unhealthy/more difficult for hunger’s sake to eat a 2000 calorie breakfast instead of lighter meals throughout the day? | [
"Your body doesn't need 2000 calories all at once. If you eat a single 2000 calorie meal, then your body will use however many calories it needs at that moment, and then store the rest as fat to be used later. However, when you need calories a few hours later, it won't immediately dip into your fat reserves. Instea... | [
"With almost no amounts of daily exercise, you need about 11x your body weight in calories to maintain your weight, and you need to consume 3500 calories less to loose 1 pound. So your average 180lb man eats around 1980 calories a day, your average 350lb man eats 3850 calories daily. So, if a 350lb man starts only ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why was denazification in Germany so effective while rebuilding a democratic government in Iraq was such a massive failure? | [
"National identity. Western cultures tend to have a very strong national identities whereasArab and Middle Eastern countries have more cultural/religious identities. So, when nazi Germany goes kaput, the majority of the civilian population falls back of a very strong German identity. However, when Sadam is deposed ... | [
"After WWII, Germany was completely destroyed and remade as the Allies saw fit, it was almost a completely different country than pre-war Germany. Plus, Germany was an essential ally during the Cold War, which made it easier to forgive them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is it so much more enjoyable to spend hours and hours doing repetitive tasks in a video game than it is at work? | [
"Usually video games have a reward system in place that you can easily track your progress and see a \"real\" reward for it in real time. If you grind more enemies, you get more points, new items, new stats, unlocks, etc. Numbers go up. Even on something like Minecraft, you may set out to simply dig a really big ho... | [
"Part of it is because that is all they do, all day, every day. You'd be pretty good at it if you spent that much time."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why is it considered ideal to have mild inflation? Why not zero inflation or mild deflation? | [
"Deflation would cause people *not to buy anything* because it would be worth less in the future, and so they would save money by stalling their purchase decision. Zero inflation would cause people to save too much money, as bank interest rates would be more attractive, therefore slowing spending, and in turn slowi... | [
"The graph shows the inflation rate - how fast prices are rising - and not the actual price itself. The Euro has maintained low to normal inflation since it started, currently sitting at 2% and never above 3% in the last five years. That is thanks to deliberate policy by the European Central Bank. Many other centra... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
why can i lift something heavy one day and not the next ? | [
"Because your muscles tear and, until they're repaired, they're weakened. It's like a cooldown on a D & D spell."
] | [
"dehydration after sleeping too long. stretch your limbs when you get up and drink some water and eat something you'll be back in shape faster."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Sleep and its effects on the body:"
} |
How student loans can have such high interest rates. | [
"In the ideal world, loan rates are tied directly to credit (your established trustworthiness with other peoples' money) and any collateral you're putting up. Home loans are so low because they have the property to backup the loan. No pay, lose the house. Same with car loans, even though cars don't hold their value... | [
"You can't file bankruptcy on student debt. It's good for the banks, not you."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
why do the effects in older movies (some not even 10 years old yet) seem so cheesy now yet back when the movie was released it seem so real! | [
"When we haven't experienced something that much, we pay less attention to the details. If we ate bacon for the first time, we'd get blown away by the taste no matter how it was cooked or where it's from - it's unique, delicious and memorable. After eating it every day for a month, we might develop a preference for... | [
"If a movie uses music or pop culture references that are popular at the time....then it may not age well. For example, in 10 or 20 years, people (young moviegoers) may not know who Miley Cyrus is....so putting a Miley Cyrus joke/refference in a movie might be funny today but not funny then. Also, movies that foc... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How come I can't pull my seatbelt? | [
"*Because you car is locked *because you have no arms *because someone stapled the seatbelt to the chair *because you car is filled with concrete maybe you should embellish your question if you want accurate explanations."
] | [
"I think the real reason is so that you can't turn the brightness down so low that you can't see the screen to turn it back up."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why was the Hatfield/McCoy feud such a big deal? | [
"For an in depth but easily accessible discussion, [SYSK](_URL_0_) did really nice episode. But the tl;dl reason is that it was a massive, bloody bout of lawlessness that overlapped with the new era of journalism. Few incidents like it were documented nearly as well, and stopped existing as more rule of law came to... | [
"It's probably worth reading the novel \"Bonfire of the Vanities\" for a decent walk through of the factors that frequently cause cases like these to become a massive news story."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is it legal for states to ban gay marriage if church and state are separated? | [
"Sure, religion accounts for the opposition to gay marriage. But the government can define marriage (the legal contract) however it wants. In some states the government defines marriage as something that must include a man and a woman. Its like how most government offices are closed on Sundays. It's because church ... | [
"You *can* mix religion an politics, you just can't *establish* a religion. Laws don't need to have a reason, just a majority. Your religion might tell you that businesses should be closed on Sunday, and you and your like minded friend might elect politicians who agree. But the law itself, while motivated by religi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
How do cars move? How do the wheels even move and stay in place? | [
"[This](_URL_0_) is how a ball bearing works, there are hundreds in a car."
] | [
"The plane isn't propelled by the wheels. It doesn't matter what is happening to them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the comment about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
What makes a sleeping pill cause your body to sleep? Why do white blood cells not attack if your body is being affected? | [
"Sleeping pills all work a bit differently, so it depends on the pill. Basicly, though, they work by slowing the activity in your brain and making it react less to stimuli. Your white blood cells work by using antigens, chemical markers that fit into a receptor site and are recognized as foreign or self. If there ... | [
"Your body creates little warriors that patrol around. They're supposed to be smart and identify if the things entering are a threat or not. But sometimes, they get confused and decide that thing is a threat. So everytime this particular thing enters the body, they will all attack it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text about Health and Wellness:"
} |
Why don't your stomach contents come out of your stomach when you're upside-down? | [
"Long science words: gastroesophageal sphincter. Like you're five: the bottom of your esophagus closes up like a butthole to stop food from coming back up your throat."
] | [
"Something to do with the position of your stomach, aparently you're more likely to get acid reflux laying on one side compared to the other."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is the pronunciation in the English language so illogical compared to other languages? | [
"Have you tried swedish or portuguese? Evey language has its perks. They are old, living things, and as they age new words from neighboors get added, and not all of them are adapted very well."
] | [
"It's non Phonemic, meaning that the writing system and the actual spoken language don't align. In fact technically there are no silent letters in the language, there are extra (vestigial) letters in the writing system. Also French is mild compared to English (at least to me, as a foreigner to both). Night? Are yo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why technology rapidly increased in the 20th century | [
"The printing press. No really. You can pretty much draw a smooth line from the end of the Dark Ages, through the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution and the Modern Age, that shows a steady increase in the rate of technological change. And it hasn't slowed down, either. Cell phones and the internet have chang... | [
"Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. So it highly improves efficiency of mass production by analyzing it. The result is that we can feed 8 billion people globally instead of only 2 billion people. Without the Infrastructures that exist i... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are box office records reported in dollars or other monetary receipts rather then just number of tickets sold which don't automatically increase with inflation? | [
"The movie industry doesn't care about how many people saw it. They care about money made. It is meaningless to give free showings to boost your movie views if no one paid to see it."
] | [
"It's simply an adjustment for inflation. Money generally loses value over time, so if you are to state how much a person or company was worth 100 years ago it's better to adjust that figure for inflation. That way it is more easily interpreted with today's understanding of how much a dollar (or whatever) is worth.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
What is “vape tongue” and why does it happen? | [
"Imagine you want to buy a candle, so you start smelling a few to see what you'd like, but after a while, it gets a bit difficult to smell anything besides candle. Your loved one walks over, \"hey what do you think of these two perfumes/colognes?\", but they just smell identical. It's pretty much that."
] | [
"Do you also cough when eating popsicles and frankfurters/hot dogs? If so, it might be your technique."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is rape in India highlighted so much in the world media, when countries like the US and UK have more than 10x more rape cases per capita? | [
"Because the rapes are so horrible, stuff happening on public buses with a large group of perpetrators. Stuff happening to tourists. You also can't trust the statistics because rape is rarely reported. The Indian police are known to blame the victim, thus discouraging reporting. Also the way in which rape is report... | [
"Getting accurate crime statistics is difficult, and comparing statistics between countries is even more difficult. Rape is probably one of the most difficult comparisons to make, because of the massive cultural differences in how it's defined by the criminal laws as well as how comfortable victims are reporting it... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How much space is under controlled observation. I mean how much long distance of a space we can easily observe & point out any small object like small asteroids. | [
"Depends on the scale you're talking about. But we try to detect most of the objects bigger than 100m across if they're within 5 million miles: _URL_0_ Of course, that's the goal: we don't detect all of those objects, and we don't object many more smaller objects, so that range may be too big."
] | [
"They have jets to move them a little bit and there are whole teams planetside that are responsible for watching space debris and analyzing if and when they will collide."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Science and Technology:"
} |
What is radiation, and how does it hurt people, exactly? | [
"Radiation is high energy (really, really, fast moving) sub-atomic particles or really really high energy waves. They cause damage because, despite being small, they have so much energy that they can break chemical bonds, like the ones that hold your DNA and cells together. In effect, radiation is nothing more tha... | [
"So what is it about human physiology that makes this work differently for us?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why the old AOL Dial-Up sound was so obnoxious. | [
"Sorry, can't answer scientifically. But I think you are confusing the word obnoxious with sublime. Some of us have very fond memories of that sound, so speak for yourself. :) And get off my lawn!"
] | [
"Really? Nobody is going to mention the sound that defines it all? That overproduced snare drum with reverb just SCREAMS 80s. It's unmistakable. Fortunately it petered out in the early 90s."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
whats so bad about buying stuff from ikea? | [
"Nothing? I guess people perceive it to be cheap furniture that's bulk made out of not the finest Italian hand stitched leather but I don't have a problem with it(plus they make great meatballs)"
] | [
"Imma answer your question, but first let me tell you about this time I watered the lawn on a warm july afternoon, there were clouds in the sky and childrens laughter.... ok seriously, who knows, maybe they just like to hear themselves type, or create an emotional connection to the recipe, perhaps they are just kil... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
What is the difference between torrents & magnet links? | [
"Torrents store the metadata within files which you download and open up with your BitTorrent client. Magnet links store the metadata within a URI, which your BitTorrent client is set up to handle. You'll notice that you don't have to download a file in your browser when you use magnet links, whereas using torrent ... | [
"Similar to downloading files from a server, except you download it from other users, who are \"seeding\", i.e. have the complete files. This gets asked quite a bit, use the search function on the sidebar."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
When filling out application forms, why do they ask for your Resume only to make you fill it out all again anyway? | [
"The resume is for the hiring manager to read. The information you fill out is for the hiring database so they can do a search on relevant qualifications and experience, and that determines *which* resumes the hiring manager will even get to see."
] | [
"I can't give you the best information, but usually this is something your academic adviser would help you with. Can you not solicit their help? They want your name and address because you will be asked to revise elements of the article."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What makes someone a morning person or a night owl? | [
"For me it's my eyes. I find daylight to be harsh. While at night everything is darker and more calm. I think night is just a lot more enjoyable. Less commotion and distraction."
] | [
"There are about a thousand different reasons why someone might sweat while they are asleep. i.e. the answer is going to vary from person to person."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Sleep and fatigue:"
} |
Why does everything hurt more when you're cold? | [
"The nerves in your hand get much more sensitive when they're cold. Also, your veins constrict, and blood runs less to your extremities and more to your vital organs to preserve heat. This makes your skin more rigid, which causes pressure to be applied to these already sensitive nerves. So everything is getting les... | [
"Why do the glands in my neck burn like high hell when I'm holding back tears?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why does twisting a damp sponge get more water out than just squeezing it, without having to apply anywhere near as much force? | [
"It has to do with the area where the force is applied. Squeezing (or compression) will be applied in the area immediately in contact with your hand. Twisting (or torsion) will carry the tension as angular moment throughout the whole surface of the sponge."
] | [
"I haven't taken many physics classes, but I believe it relieves the stress on the bottom of the bottle when you squeeze it. This allows the bottle to be able to be squeezed easier and not have the bottom pop out. If the bottom pops out the bottle wouldn't be able to balance on a flat surface."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
I'm starting a new youtube channel where I explain stuff. The first episode is about the science of candle flames, and I thought you guys might be interested! | [
"I like this. However, pictures are awesome. Your pictures with the flame on the drawing board? Good stuff. The video with candle/flame? Good stuff. Your face? Great face for TV, but I don't want to see it the majority of the time. It makes the viewer lose interest over a period of time. Personally, I liked learnin... | [
"This is one of the most creative and interesting ELI5 questions I've seen in a while. I'm not sure if it has an answer, let alone an ELI5 one, but I want someone to try. Thanks for not asking what bit coins are for the thousandth time."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
why do I feel dizzy even if I close my eyes while spinning? | [
"It is your inner ear that is mainly responsible for feeling dizzy, not your vision. You have a series of tubes filled with fluid. As you move around, upside down, sideways etc, the fluid shifts and you brain uses it to determine exact how your body is positioned to help you balance. When you spin around, you shake... | [
"dehydration after sleeping too long. stretch your limbs when you get up and drink some water and eat something you'll be back in shape faster."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the answer about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the answer about Sleep and its effects on the body:"
} |
What do server farms/data centers create? | [
"> but what does the farm actually make? Is it upping the RAM of the site? The server farm *is* the site. A website is just a series of files which are accessed remotely. They exist on a computer which is connected to the computer on which you are viewing them. The computer that holds and provides the files which m... | [
"A (usually) large building built to hold lots of computers and storage. It'll have communications so people can access the computers, uninterruptible power, air conditioning, fire suppression systems (which aren't water based), a lot of security and IT staff. Often they'll be anonymous warehouses on industrial est... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why is it so hard to heat up mashed potatoes in the microwave? | [
"I could be wrong, but I think it's because of the density of mashed potatoes. I think it's hard for the radio waves to reach the more covered parts of the mashed potatoes. I'm not sure if that's the right answer though, it's just a guess. But you could spread it out over a bigger plate, and then heat it. That's w... | [
"It doesn't, if you reheat it the right way. (Stop using the microwave.) In fact, I actually prefer some foods the next day. Lasagna is so much better on day 2, freshly reheated out of the oven."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Food:"
} |
Why are elections anonymous? | [
"If elections weren't anonymous, you could be threatened to cast your vote a certain way. Imagine mobsters who demand to see your voting slip, and will break your kneecaps if it's not for who they \"suggested\" that you vote for. Or a boss who will fire you (or at least make your life difficult) if you don't vote t... | [
"What about the US election do you want explained, specifically?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
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