query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1 value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
How can wood be "Fire-Hardened" without burning to ash? | [
"Fire-hardening involves removing moisture from the wood, then burning off an outer layer. The fibers are burned away from this section but much of the lignin, which is a complex repeating molecule (or polymer) is left behind. These tightly interlock to form a smooth, waterproof surface that can be deep enough to p... | [
"Step 1: Contractor comes and collects them. Step 2: Material is either autoclaved and incinerated or simply incinerated. Step 3: Resulting material is formed into hot dog shapes and sold to tourists on 5th Ave."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How do colors work in space? Are the photos we see the true colors of planets, nebulae, etc. or is everything actually gray scale to the human eye? | [
"A little of both. Things in space really do have colors - Mars is red, Saturn is yellow-y, etc. Mostly depending on their dominant chemical makeup. (Mars, for example, is literally rusted, thus the red color.) However, many images from space telescopes and such are... well, not fake, but deliberately colored towar... | [
"They don't all look white. To the naked eye, Mars is visibly red, Jupiter and Saturn are yellowish. Many stars are reddish or bluish as well. The colors can be quite faith and hard to notice, because your color vision isn't very sensitive unless there is a lot of light."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How does the Wayback Machine work? Do deactivated accounts and deleted posts still get stored even if you don't archive them in the _URL_0_ website? | [
"They have maaaaaaassive servers in the petabyte range. (It's a major source of funding stress for them I think – getting more and more storage) edit: [9 PB + 20 TB/mo](_URL_0_) i was wrong They regularly crawl through the web (so your personal webserver won't be accessed unless you host a semi-popular forum or som... | [
"Because post titles can't be changed once submitted and it would be impossible to auto format a post before the data exists on the subreddit."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why is battery still required for the car's engine to keep running? | [
"During the operation, the battery just serves as energy storage in case electrical demands exceed the output of the alternator at any given time, which is rare. But in most cars, the alternator (which converts mechanical energy to electrical energy) is connected to the belt. If the belt snaps, no electricity is ... | [
"The jump start doesn't charge the battery, it just starts the car. When the car is running, it charges the battery."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
If Spider-Man is a mutant, why isn't he considered part of the X-Men? Does Magneto consider him on the mutant side? | [
"Spider-Man is not a mutant. He falls into the \"Altered Human\" category of Marvel Supers, along with other characters of similar age, like the Hulk, the members of the Fantastic Four, and the Silver Surfer."
] | [
"Quicksilver and Scarlett Witch are mutants, but they have also been a part of The Avengers team pretty much since its beginning. Fox have the rights for the X-men, but Marvel has the rights for The Avengers, and Quicksilver and Scarlett kinda fall in the middle, which gives both companies the right to use them - a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How knowing mathematics is important for learning how to code a computer | [
"As a web developer, I wouldn't say I use much mathematics, what I do use is logic. Maybe math is heavily suggested because it forces you to think logically? On a side note, I know certain programming like motion (for games) and such does deal with math."
] | [
"Statistics is a branch of mathematics. The math does not change, but how you apply it does, and that is what tailor made classes do, teach you how to apply the math."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
If the average human body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, why does 98 degree weather feel so hot & have the potential to cause a heat stroke? | [
"because our bodies generate heat and need cooling. at 98 degrees it wouldn't be able to cool very well."
] | [
"Who says it's so much worse to have a body temperature of 36 degrees than 40? Hypothermia is 35 degrees or lower. All things being equal, very low and very high body temperatures can both be fatal."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why is burnt food a carcinogen? | [
"First, you have to understand what cancer is. Cancer is when some of the cells (tiny pieces) in your body start growing and making new cells much faster than they're supposed to. The part of the cell that tells it how to grow is called the DNA, and it looks like a long, curled up chain. The shape of the chain is l... | [
"Monosodium Glutamate. It is a very savory-tasting compound found naturally in many savory foods, like anchovies, beef, soy sauce. Is it no more dangerous than table salt, it just gets a bad rap. Salt itself has been shown to be a lot less unhealthy than previously thought, and MSG is included there."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why does my cat want to cuddle then suddenly attack me viciously? | [
"He doesn't want to cuddle, he wants warmth, just let him do his thing, then, pat his head, don't over stimulate him. You'll want to know your cat well, after the Facebook thing..."
] | [
"Why do you stare at your dog when it's taking a shit?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Animal behavior:"
} |
Explain like I am five the real life historical undertones of LOTR. Please. | [
"Tolkein himself was adamant that his work was about individual people standing up for what is right, not a veiled reference to any particular war. The most important chapter, according to the author and many readers, is the next to last- \"The Scouring of the Shire\", which was left out of the movie. As to Potter,... | [
"Can you explain the question like I’m five?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
how does bone marrow actually manufacture blood? | [
"Pharmacist - Bone marrow contain a special type of stem cell. These divide and multiply. Under the influence of various hormones, some of them mature into the various cellular components of blood. While there are many types of such cells they are generally referred to as white or red blood cells. One of the treatm... | [
"No. Red blood cells don't have DNA, and new cells would soon be made by your bone marrow anyway. Edit: Grammar"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Biology:"
} |
How did English surpass French as the "lingua franca" of the world? | [
"The UK's international influence from trade and colonization had eclipsed that of France by the mid 19th Century. At about the same time, US influence was on the rise, especially in the New World and the Asian Pacific. Then in the early 20th Century, multimedia took off with the US in the center of it. Music and m... | [
"Very often, it is English. English is what's known as a \"lingua franca\". A lingua franca is any language that is used by people with different native languages to communicate with each other. There are several lingua francas in different parts of the world and for different purposes: for example, Swahili is a li... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
In America, how do multimillionaires and billionaires store their money if they are only insured up to $250,000 according to the FDIC? | [
"Investments. And their cash assets are just spread over several banks...or just over the insured limit. Most people with net worth over $5 million have most of their wealth in growth or income-generating investments like stocks, companies or real estate."
] | [
"FWIW savings accounts can almost always be found that have higher rates than t-bills. 1. A savings account is not risk-free. Comparatively speaking, a US Treasury is. 2. The insurance that protects savings accounts is limited to 250,000 dollars in the US. If you want to put more than that in the account, you're s... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
how do shopping cart anti-theft wheel locks work? | [
"There is a braking device inside the wheels which contains a radio receiver. Around the boundary of the store grounds is a transmitter loop, much like an invisible dog fence, putting out a signal. When the cart crosses the invisible fence, it receives the signal from the transmitter and triggers the brakes inside ... | [
"Because their appearance is meant to be a deterrent. You can even buy fake cameras that are just intended to scare off shoplifters."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
How do doctors, nurses, etc. tend to sick people constantly without getting sick all the time themselves? | [
"Im an ER doctor. I got sick all of the time x 10 years. I just took a year off and didn't get sick at all. It's prompted some soul searching."
] | [
"Prevention isn't simple. Prevention requires many steps. For example, one of the steps is convincing people you aren't trying to kill them and that you're not just making up a disease. People who have often not had even a basic education. That isn't simple. One of the steps is convincing them why you have to take ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about News and current events:"
} |
Why would anyone willingly take Fentanyl if it’s going to kill them outright, and why would a drug pusher would willingly kill his clients with it? | [
"\"Yo man did you hear Joey died from an OD last week?\" Ya? He must have had some Strong shit and fuck up. Ya Mikey has the best shit in town if even Joey OD..we gatta get some. Something like that"
] | [
"There are people, such as the US Customs and Border Protection Agency, whose job it is to prevent bootleg medicines from entering the US. So, in order to get it, you'd have to smuggle it in, and that's going to add cost and danger to the process."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
What are the results of the Indian Elections, and what does it mean? | [
"People are giving out pros and cons, but this means there is a bias. Without bias, the elections have no meaning. A party has been elected democratically in India, and it is just like any other election. Pros and cons, and \"what does the election mean\" come with perspective. If you are not an Indian citizen you ... | [
"What does the Pope handle on a day to day basis?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are so many people on /r/politics and /r/worldnews rooting for Chris Dorner? | [
"Because Reddit generally hates cops and the united states. It is the cool thing to do."
] | [
"Here's how I did it. Read a few articles every day. If something interests you, crack open Wikipedia and read more background on it. Ask questions to well-informed people in your life (or online). And get your information from multiple sources, I can't emphasize this enough. I usually use the New York Times, The E... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:"
} |
What is the difference between a "good" quality watch and a "poor" quality watch? | [
"It's all style. High-end watches are [Veblen goods](_URL_0_): They're in demand *because* they're so expensive. A fancy mechanical Rolex will keep much less accurate time than any $10 Timex with a quartz crystal."
] | [
"Because when you're paying 1000 for a watch, you're really paying for a piece of jewelry that happens to also function as a timepiece."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What's the logic behind the majority of dishes being round? | [
"This is likely due to durability and history of being made on a potters wheel. To the first point, corners and points are the easiest pieces of a piece to snap off. Being round eleminates corners and makes all edges equally strong. To the second point, a very common method of production of ceramic dishes is on a p... | [
"More importantly, what's the difference between hot and best?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What can one do to help the environment? | [
"Don't have children. Reducing the number of humans is a sure fire way to reduce humans impact on the planet."
] | [
"Because it is worth a lot of money to the government!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What molecular attribute governs bouncy-ness | [
"Elasticity and electromagnetism. Basically, when the ball hits the floor, it deforms elastically. Atoms and molecules are pushed together, against their own repulsive forces. This stores energy. Once there is no more energy to store (the ball has stopped), the molecules use that stored energy to return the ball to... | [
"They influence factors like metabolism, appetite, subconscious activity (neat) and decrease water retention"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
United States "territories and possessions" | [
"A territory is a part of the United States that is not a state or the District of Columbia. People living there are US citizens, but typically do not have all the rights of people living in states, nor do they have all the obligations. Basically, they can't vote for president, they can't elect representatives, and... | [
"Essentially the same with some minor differences ie states technically have independent governments while prefectures are subdivisions of the country"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about American government and politics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about American government and politics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does 60° water feel way colder than 60° air? | [
"So you're standing in your birthday suit in a 60 degree room. You're a little chilly, but there's a tiny pocket of air immediately around you that has been warmed up by your body, so you're comfortable. Unless a fan is turned on, which disturbs your warm air pocket. That pocket is gone when you're in 60 degree wat... | [
"I don't think they are colder than the room, it just feels that way. Unless you keep the room at 96.5degrees F, most room temperatures are much colder than normal body temps"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
How did Michael Jackson change skin color? | [
"He had vitiligo, as confirmed from his autopsy, dozens of sources, pictures of his hands and legs, and by himself. He used make-up to even it out and some people claim he bleached his skin to speed up the process. In the end, his skin looked very pale and was very sensitive to the sun, that's why he wore clothes t... | [
"Too catchy to ignore, too generic to like."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why not construct concrete homes in the tornado alley instead of rebuilding every time? | [
"Cost, odds, and aesthetics. The odds of being hit by a tornado are very small - they aren't that wide and only touch down for a few miles, usually. So odds are a house isn't going to get a direct hit by a tornado. Then it is a question of cost and aesthetics. Since home builders and buyers know their house is ver... | [
"In states like California, the wooden homes can withstand earthquakes (and is cheaper than the other earthquake code approved material, steel reinforced concrete) because they're flexible and can bend a bit. So what homes are made of is going to depend on where you are. Are you on Long Island in New York? The hous... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
In regards to alcohol, what does proof and percent by volume really mean? Is one more important than the other? | [
"The term \"Proof\" is a holdover from less scientific days, where unscrupulous people might try to sell you watered down booze. You'd mix a bit of the liquid with some gun powder and drop a match. If it burned, that was \"proof\" that the beverage was not watered down. In modern times \"proof\" is quantified prop... | [
"Hard drinks have alcohol, soft drinks don't. To be considered a soft drink the alcohol content must be less than half of a percent of the volume."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
the appeals process in the American court system. | [
"There are a *ton* of court cases, and everyone has to wait their turn in line, this just takes up a lot of time waiting for a court to hear your case. In addition, lawyers and prosecutors need time to build their cases, gather evidence and do a variety of administrative procedures to ensure everything is going rig... | [
"They usually sue that other government in their own court system as that is who has jurisdiction in the area. In that case their authority comes from themselves."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
why do airport security take sharp objects off you (safety razors, safety pins, nail scissors) and then allow you to buy them at the pharmacy in departures? | [
"The TSA exists mostly as a show of force to dissuade people from trying things in airport security zones. If a clever person really wanted to get something nefarious in, they probably could, but most people simply aren't that dedicated. By making everyone subtly hate the TSA, the mythos that they are unbeatable pe... | [
"Large screen devices like laptops or tablets will just look like blank squares on the x-ray scanner. So they won't be able to see if you're hiding something underneath it or not in your bag. Same reason why they make you take out *everything* from your pockets, even cigarette packs, when you do the Back Scatter ma... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
The difference between rar files and zip files | [
"One reminds you every time you use it that it hasn't been purchased; the other doesn't."
] | [
"Yes you got it. Its a compressed file that decompresses on the fly when you play it. Its similar to winzip or winrar which are other lossless compression formats."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why do we use the color red for stop, yellow for caution/slow, and green for go? | [
"I know the answer to this, I just cant explain it that well because its been a while since I have heard the reason. Basically the red light that travels from the light can travel the farthest due to its longer wavelength. This means it is easier to see from farther away, even if its shady/cloudy/foggy, etc. Green ... | [
"They should treat it the same way they treat a four-way stop. Look both ways, cross when safe. Traffic yields right of way to pedestrians."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do car batteries have a positive and negative side which need jumper cables to charge, rather than a simple plug system like most other batteries? | [
"Batteries all have a positive and a negative side. I am not quite sure what plug you are talking about that most other batteries use. The terminals are often standard but the location of the terminals is determined by the layout of the battery and can not be standardized across different types of batteries. Milita... | [
"Most of the time when more than one battery is used the purpose is to increase the voltage. To do this you put the batteries in series , this involves connecting the positive of one battery and the negative of the other battery together. By placing the batteries in an alternating direction it is easier to wire the... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is gas lighting? | [
"Maybe you're looking for a practical example? A good way to begin is by moving everyday objects into new places and pretending they have always been there. Move a lamp from one corner of a room to another. When they notice or comment say, \"What? No, that lamp has always been there.\" Act casual."
] | [
"What do you want to know about them exactly?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Does time pass at the same rate for 2 stationary objects 500 million light years apart? | [
"It depends on where in the universe you are. Time dilation occurs when spacetime is warped, and while relative motion is one way to cause this, perhaps the more common way is simply having mass. Everything that has mass distorts spacetime and causes time dilation, and the more mass the larger the distortion. Assum... | [
"The speed of light is the same relative to **everything**. No matter what is your point of view, you will see light moving away from you at the speed of light. If you are riding an object moving at 25% the speed of light and emit a beam of light, you will see that light moving away from you neither at 125% or 75% ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument about Physics:"
} |
Why do militaries paint missiles? Aren't they just going to explode and get destroyed anyway? | [
"Missiles spend most of their operational lifetime not exploding. The paint is for those times."
] | [
"It acts as camouflage against the sky when seen from the ground. In WW2 we preferred green and brown on top to provide camouflage against the ground when seen from above, but now anything that's likely to see you from above is likely to fire a missile at you without ever seeing you, so camouflage won't help."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What is the case for keeping the electoral college versus just using the popular vote? | [
"The Electoral College is a check on the electorate. The people could vote for a charismatic populist despot (like Hitler) and the supposedly well-informed and impartial Electors could cast faithless votes to either elect someone else, or send the Presidential Election to Congress. This reflects the fear of pure de... | [
"We live in a representative democracy not a direct democracy. In a direct democracy, each person votes on each thing. In a representative democracy, you vote in people to do the decision making. That's why we have things like congress. But also, we have the Electoral College. When you vote, your state gets a certa... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about history:"
} |
If the FDA allows rounding in food labels, which allows food labels to say something has 0g of trans fat when it actually has > 0g, why don't we measure trans fat in milligrams like with sodium? | [
"Fat is a macronutrient and is measured in grams. Sodium and other minerals and vitamins are micronutrients and measures in smaller increments."
] | [
"For one, they may be mandated by law to do so, i.e., all mass produced food items must have a label, all labels must list a serving size, etc. Also relevant - many \"zero calorie\" foods actually do have some small amount of calories. The rule, I believe, is < 5 calories per serving size is considered \"zero calor... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is it when a body part falls asleep, we perceive it as a static-y feeling? | [
"The very short version is that you've restrictied the blood flow to a particular extremity. Nerves being the nessicary sensitive bitches they are rely on lots of blood to function properly. If that's cut down, you get the \"jerking off hand of death\" for 5 - 20 minutes as the blood flow restores normal function.... | [
"Sometimes the floating feeling is the fluids in your ear sloshing in just the right way and you sort of think you're falling. The feeling could also be a sort of sensory deprivation where you don't feel anything new touch your body except from the sheets."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Health and Wellness:"
} |
How a Turing Machine works and how it is important to computers | [
"A Turing machine is a very simple computer. It's just a long strip of \"paper\", combined with a machine that can write on the strip, read from the strip, and move the strip around. It's important to computers because it's believed that Turing machines are *equivalent* to computers. So if you prove that something ... | [
"A Turing Complete programming language or computer is one that's capable of simulating an arbitrary Turing Machine. The Turing Machine was a hypothetical computer proposed by Alan Turing. Basically, if your programming language has: * if, then, else * goto * basic math * arrays then it's going to be Turing Compl... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What happened to Mongolia? | [
"Genghis Khan's empire was huge but unstable. It broke apart almost immediately after his death. As time passed on the last remnants of the empire simply faded away. Most simply assimilated into local culture (like the mughals of India) and others were just conquered by more powerful and stable empires like in Chin... | [
"Well except for Canada, right? Toronto Blue Jays."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does the word closet have two different meanings ? | [
"what are the two meanings you think it has?"
] | [
"Goose - Geese; Moose - Moose; nice, nicer nicest; good, better, best; tow - towed; go - went; English is weird like that. The word's origin determines a lot of its variations. It is almost on the verge of making no sense; but if you study the language deep enough you will patterns emerging. That is why spelling b... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What happens to your body when it has a seizure? | [
"here's a scenario: -normal person's brain = quiet and organized students in a classroom -person brain during epilepsy = detention room with students that were given sugar and everyone is all over the place and crazy and no one can control them. basically, what happens in a person's brain during epilepsy, is the ne... | [
"Your body is telling you to quit smoking. Listen to it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
How do indoor shooting range backstops work? | [
"I was going to write out a long post on this, but it turns out someone has done it before me and even has pretty pictures. [Here is a good rundown of indoor range backstop options in a PDF.](_URL_0_) The two basic approaches are angled barriers that deflect bullets into a catchment area, or soft materials like san... | [
"They wear ear protection, simple as that. Ear plugs or noise-blocking headsets are required safety gear at most shooting ranges."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
how massive public companies go private. For example, Dell going private a few years ago and Michael Dell apparently banking off the transition. Follow-up: the Dell and EMC merger. | [
"so, in the specific instance of the Dell privatization, Michael Dell took out a giant loan from several financial institutions and made a deal with the major stockholders to purchase the stocks. He also used that money to buy a significant number of public stocks and use his newfound majority to 'purchase' the rem... | [
"Possibility 1: more stores than you think are fronts for laundering illegal money. #2. could be a specialty store with a loyal local customer base. #3. Best buy may have made a series of bad decisions."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How do gas masks work? | [
"There are 2 types. One type is a air purifying, the other is air supplying. An air purifying would use filters of different types to \"clean\" the air you breath. For instance, a P100 air filter would clean out dust and debris, as well as some organic material. Air supplying is obviously, as it sounds, providing y... | [
"How much do they cost vs how much will they generate."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
How are those metal soaps able to take off the smell of food from our hands? Like that of fish and other quite pungent food? | [
"It doesn't work. Here is a site that talks about it: _URL_0_ or you can do some more research online. There isn't much else to say."
] | [
"Instead of the unpleasant smells, you smell the very strong smell of (whatever matches are made of) burning. The burnt smell overpowers the poop."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
The movement of long string-like things through the air/water | [
"It’s a ripple in the air-filled material propagating through the arms, a traveling wave of vibration. These waves originate from the movement of the larger body, which all the arms (which are all about the same) are connected to. So they all move in about the same way. The light weight in air and the bulkiness—an... | [
"Fluids and gasses are moving about in a really foldy tube which contracts to move things around. It's pure mechanical noise of the process."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment about Science:"
} |
I´ve been reading that Iceland didn´t bail out their banks but bailed out the people. What does that mean, and how did they do it? | [
"They basically said \"we will bail out domestic depositors, but not international investors\". Most of these international investors had already been bailed out through their own banks who expected Iceland to make good on its promises. When Iceland reneged on the deal, there was a lot of pressure on Iceland to mak... | [
"If the banks can use your money instead of their own, they are more likely to invest much more risky. The debate is banks don't want to use their own money to make risky investments. Therefore, if they use your money to make risky investments that go bad, the government must bail them out to prevent a collapse."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do we forget most of our dreams after waking up? | [
"Recalling dreams has a lot to do with mindfulness of one's conscience, your inner dialogue, imagination, etc. So I think we often forget our dreams because we just aren't trained to recall them. But then you might remember a dream that was intense or had an emotional response. I feel like the same thing is true fo... | [
"What about the kind of DÉjà Vu where you dream something but don't remember dreaming it until it happens in real life? This happens often atleast monthly."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Psychology:",
"pos": "Represent the passage about Psychology:",
"neg": "Represent the passage about Cognitive Science:"
} |
Why does eating uncooked dough make your stomach sick? | [
"Most doughs have eggs in the ingredients. You can get sick from uncooked eggs / bacteria. regardless of eggs, bacteria tends to only go dormant when it's cold. Bacteria can pop right back to life at room temperature and even in your gut. It takes about 160 F to kill bacteria. Cook your food throughly first. Except... | [
"Try eating some food before hand. Some people experience pretty bad stomach aches when drinking water on an empty stomach."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
What's the difference between Spotify Radio and Pandora? | [
"The difference is mostly in their aim. Say you like the music of pink floyd, and go to pandora. Pandora will create a playlist of progressive rock, psychedelic stuff, and some pink floyd, with aims of showing you the varied musical world revolving around pink floyd, opening the proverbial pandora's box. Now say yo... | [
"Because now you can play demos for free over the internet on the major consoles, through Xbox Live and the PS network."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why is it that you can *feel* like you're forgetting something? | [
"Simply put: Because you're remembering that you had to remember something, but you're not remembering *what*. Hence, you feel like you're forgetting... something."
] | [
"Do you mean...*why does getting ready to sleep feel good when we're tired?*"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about Biology:"
} |
E: How come intangible assets (e.g. patents) do not depreciate even though they have an estimated useful life (i.e. they expire)? | [
"Accounting student here, about to graduate. They do depreciate but they give it a different name. Its called amortization."
] | [
"It is when a company buys a non-consumable good they will keep indefinitely. A printer is a capital expense, paper for the printer is not. They are accounted for differently because they represent one-time purchases as opposed to recurrent expenses. You are usually allowed to deduct depreciation of goods purchase ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Economically, what would happen to the world if all of the Walmarts were to shut down? | [
"Their business would move to other companies. In time, another company (probably Target) would move into the space left by Walmart, and would become the new Walmart. So, in essence, nothing substantive would happen, other than a name change."
] | [
"Because a large part of the population was fed a string of lies about how much better life would be out of the EU."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How is it possible for female ducks to have evolved with protective vaginas? | [
"The female duck isn't abstinent; it wants to *select* the best drake (male duck) to mate with. Ducks only mate once a year, and often form monogamous pairs, so it may be \"beneficial\" for drakes to rape female ducks to increase the chance that the brood that is hatched that year contains the drake's DNA. However,... | [
"They evolve together like everything else. The animals that had mutations that didnt allow them to reproduce with their species died and that was the end of their genetic line. There is actually a crazy example of this in bed bugs. Bed bugs copulation is extremely violent, so the females evolved to have thicker ch... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
how does the sit in that is going on in the House of Representatives work? | [
"The House is in recess right now (could be wrong though) so the representatives there are basically sitting in protest and to draw attention to their cause. The House can go ahead and try to put a bill to vote or they could convene in another location if the Speak of the House decides to. That is in the procedural... | [
"why would he not be allowed to vote?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why modern cars have more of a whine/hum and older cars have roar/rumble. | [
"Older cars tend to have a larger and slower engine, while newer ones usually have small, fast running engines. Also, there wasn't really any insulation around the engine or in the actual muffler to stop sound. If you were to chop the muffler off basically any new car with a decent sized engine, you'd see it sounds... | [
"They could. They could dramatically increase the noise reduction of household appliances, but would you still be willing to pay for a blender with an extra $50 of sound proofing added? Also, most methods I can think of will increase the heat of the motor, which will shorten its lifespan. Some of the noise you hear... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why do we "dance" when we have to pee really bad? | [
"Anything to take your mind off of the urgency. Alternately, you could slam a car door on your hand to take away the pee urge."
] | [
"Why does a post about the need to urinate make me have to pee?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer about Health:"
} |
What is that sensation where you hear something inside your own head when falling asleep sometimes? | [
"_URL_0_ I experience this on a regular basis. Just wait until you are able to interact with the noise... Not a good time."
] | [
"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 question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
How did the court come up with the punishments for crimes. eg. 15 years maximum for GBH. | [
"They make it up! With the war on drugs came a big dick measuring contest with who's going to be \"tough on crime\". The 24 hour news cycle solidified this. Let's say youre a politician trying to make their mark and you hear about this new drug that the kids are using. Well marijuana carries a one year sentence(mis... | [
"This often happens when someone commits multiple counts of a crime that has a minimum sentence. If I am convicted of 12 counts of a crime that has a minimum 12 sentence, I am looking at 144 years."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Law and Justice:"
} |
What long term damage does weed have on your body? (Assuming that you smoke 5-6 times per week) | [
"Inhalation of any particulate matter (smoke, dust, air pollution, etc) is bad for your lungs, with potential results such as obstructive lung diseases like COPD."
] | [
"Some people are predisposed to get lung cancer, some people are more resilient. Also, some people smoke way more. waay more. a pack is 20 cigarettes, and there are people that smoke MORE than a pack a day. I'm an ex smoker and at most i only smoked five cigarettes a day. there are people that can't kick the habit ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about health:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment about health:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
If there is no such thing as "zero gravity" but only things constantly falling, is the entirety of the Universe constantly falling towards somewhere or are things only constantly falling towards each other due to gravity? | [
"Yes they are, which is why you get spiral galaxies. However the falling towards each other is offset by the original expansion of the universe from the big bang."
] | [
"The thing is that everything is relative. What is stationary? You can't assign a velocity to something without that velocity being relative to something else. For something to be stationary then, two or more objects have to have no velocity with respect to each other. For example, if you are riding a train is that... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the comment about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the comment about Physics:"
} |
How do our bodies create a vacuum to inhale air? | [
"Your diaphragm relaxes. Naturally your body wants to be full and your diaphragm contracts to push air out. Then it relaxes to pull it back in."
] | [
"Hot air is less dense than cold air so there is actually less oxygen present in it for your lungs to pass into your bloodstream"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do sounds early in the morning appear much louder than they are during the day? | [
"Less ambient backround noise. The world is still asleep, so the normal noise of life (traffic, kids, electricity humming in lines etc) is not as loud as it would be during the day when the world is awake."
] | [
"Sound travels better through cold air because it's denser. This means that the soundwaves are stronger when they reach you than they would have been in warmer, less dense air, so they sound louder."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why don't phone batteries limit charging after reaching some threshold charge percent? | [
"They do. Any device powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery has a charge controller. Batteries are charged by applying a voltage greater than the cell voltage of the battery. If lithium ion batteries are left with a higher voltage applied after they are finished, they could catch fire."
] | [
"There’s no easy way to measure the charge level of a lithium ion battery, especially at higher charge levels. Battery controllers won’t pick up self discharge that happens over time so charging the device that’s been sitting for a while to full and leaving it on charge for a bit is necessary to recalibrate the dev... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why exposing a company with factual information can end up getting you sued? | [
"They can sue you if they feel like it. They have the right to sue you. It might get thrown out in court by a judge, but it doesn't mean they can't sue you, make you rack up legal bills in your defense or whatever until a judge sees the case and makes a decision. Simply suing someone is generally a bigger threat th... | [
"You can sue for anything, but you are not likely to win many things. Damages for receiving a negative review are one of the things you are not likely to win. In fact news of a company making a lawsuit for bad reviews is such bad press it is most likely to make them lose even more profits."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why are models usually stoic? Won't we find a smiling person more engaging, therefor attracting us more to the product? | [
"If the model is physically beautiful but the shot is moody, serious, and appears aloof and unrelateable to the viewer it creates a kind of mystique and unattainable vibe (cold, aka \"cool\"), which gives the product its own appeal. You don't want to be friends with the model, but you want to be them. Runway model... | [
"Some years ago, advertising researchers believed that commercials with some kind of an \"open/unclear\" message, coerced the viewers/consumers into a more active engagement with the commercial. I believe the hypothesis went something like: because there is no clear information on the product, the viewer would tend... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why is it that most singers close their eyes when singing? | [
"Why do I stick my tongue out when learning new song on my guitar? No doubt the act of closing their eyes can be part of the performance, for show, but it is also part of getting into the moment, concentrating, and settling nerves. I don't know of any studies on the topic and a quick search didn't turn up anything ... | [
"How can you sing along mentally the first time?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
"Who are you wearing?" | [
"The red carpet is basically a celebrity fashion show. The designers loan the celebrities clothing for free, in exchange for having their name mentioned. Reporters are interested because when someone wears a good-looking new design, they want to know who was the clever designer who made it. It is like appreciating ... | [
"You see nothing wrong with this plan, do you?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why car manufacturers name their cars after the year after they are first released | [
"Marketing. Would you buy a 2010 Toyota when you could have the 2011 Ford?"
] | [
"Sometimes there are certain import restrictions or it is more expensive to import the whole car than it is to import the individual pieces. Additionally, by assembling in their own country, they can put 'made in England/Italy/Japan' on it which can be an important part of their brand identity. If you, for example,... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
A question from r/adviceanimals: Why do gifs load slower than HD video? | [
"A gif is a series of images played in succession, like a flipbook. Videos are encoded. Very smart people do fancy things to make it so that the file is smaller. For example, a lot of the time, most of the stuff on-screen isn't moving, so the computer doesn't bother drawing it again: the software just says \"yeah, ... | [
"Pretty much the only reason is that Imgur has a very small file size limit for GIFs. Minus either doesn't have a limit or it's big enough that I've never had to worry about it before. Also I've never had a problem with loading Minus GIFs before (they're just as fast as Google or Imgur) but I think it must have som... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do some wires, such as phone chargers, eventually become fussy and work only when placed into a very specific position? | [
"Cables like that are made up of a bunch of very thin wires inside. If you abuse your cables, such as by coiling them up very tightly, you can break the internal wires or the connections between the wire & the connector. Treat your cables well - don't coil them up tighter than they were when you bought them. Pull o... | [
"The little holes on the end of the prongs match up with little nubs inside the outlet. These help hold the plug in firmly and prevent it from working its way out of the socket."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is all life on earth based on RNA/DNA ? | [
"The simple answer is that it works so well. A system which works well has advantages of anything else. So there are more descendents using it than any other. One interesting variant is mad cow disease and its relatives. This is not life as we know it but the proteins are copied. So the disease is propagated withou... | [
"> So how do Animals make Carbon They do not make carbon, they take in carbon from the food they eat. Ultimately this comes from plants which form sugars by taking the carbon out of CO2, releasing the O2 as a waste product. No organism is *making* carbon, only using carbon which already exists. > and how do they m... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How can movies show little kids smoking cigarettes? | [
"The cigarettes are most likely vaporisers, with fake cigarettes so that it looks real. Most movies I've seen of kids smoking were from decades ago though, when smoking was thought of as normal. I actually haven't seen many recent films where children.are smoking."
] | [
"The *real* question is, why do we think puppies and kittens are *way* cuter than babies?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why is body odor usually confined to the armpit, even when a lot of people take extra measures to protect against it? | [
"The human body has two types of sweat glands: eccrine and apocrine. Eccrine glands are present all over, and typically secrete sweat that is mostly made of water. Their purpose is to keep your body cool when you're exposed to heat or enduring intense exercise. Apocrine glands, however, are located in targeted area... | [
"Sweat itself has almost no smell, and tastes maybe just a little bit salty. What makes sweat smelly is the bacteria on your skin and their byproducts. You might want to work on your personal hygiene."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why do arcade games that use game cards have to still count the tickets by ones or twos on the card swiper screen? Can't they just instantly put it on your card? | [
"You don't notice digital transactions as much as physical ones. One common piece of advice is to tell people to deal with daily small transactions in cash; you're less likely to buy that bagel and coffee every day if you have to pull cash from your wallet every time, rather than if you just mindlessly swipe a card... | [
"The POS contacts a central database and informs them that the card with the barcode XYZ has been activated for X dollars. When you swipe the card later the database informs the POS it has X dollars on it and the POS tells the database that Y dollars of it was used when it gets used. You could store the value of th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How come a drug developed to treat one disease, can be found to treat other unrelated diseases? | [
"Imagine you have two circles of friends, circle A and circle B. Sometime circle A is feeling down and needs cheering up, and sometimes circle B is feeling down. So what you decide to do is pick one person from circle A and cheer them up, in doing that they go back to the other people in circle A and cheer them up.... | [
"Antibiotics aren't a one-size fits all. It's possible that it could impact multiple illnesses, but not necessarily the case. They might have different mechanisms of action that are, or are not, effective on some other illness. For instance, viruses are not impacted by antibiotics at all."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What's the point of having and operating CCTV if you can rarely actually identify anyone using it? | [
"Detterent. Cheaper insurance. And even though you may not be able to identify people, it still serves to show what happened, which is often useful for insurance and legal purposes."
] | [
"So that if they get broken into overnight the surveillance will actually be able to show something."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is a photocopying machine so huge compared to a normal colour printer? | [
"There are very small photocopiers too. On the large ones, most of the extra size is for complex paper handling: several large supplies of different sizes of paper; a collator that can make 10-20 separate copies of a whole document; sometimes an auto-stapler; a high-speed jam-resistant paper feeding and duplexing m... | [
"Do you want to try printing 15,000 pages a year on your $40 Best Buy special ink jet? Yeah, neither does your teacher. Plus they may be paying out of pocket for the expenses related to that printer, whereas they wouldn't be with the school office copier."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do we know that two identical snowflakes have never existed and never will? | [
"We don’t in the sense you are thinking of. They mean statistically negligent. Like if I told you that you would never get struck by lightning while winning the lottery. Technically speaking there is a chance, but the odds are so low we are comfortable verbally using a definitive statement."
] | [
"They can be turned into snowflakes if they are formed in the same way, but snowflakes only form the way they do because they are grow from tiny droplets freezing high up in the air. If they are on the ground or in a big falling rain-drop, they will freeze into far less organized and symmetrical ice sheets or pelle... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Which is a better, more practical healthcare option? | [
"At 630 a month? You should probably be looking into Medicaid. The Obamacare marketplace is for people that make too much for Medicaid. Part of this rollout was also a boost to how much you could make and not still qualify for medicaid--however, many (red) states chose to not take this option. The federal governmen... | [
"What do you mean by downfall? This is still a dominant part of current culture."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do birds fly from standing still? | [
"It certainly is not effortless, their wings are part of their body and flapping hard enough to shoot off the ground takes a lot of effort. Their bodies are very light and their wings very large comparatively so a big strong flap pushes enough air to propel themselves."
] | [
"How can you look out your window and still see the interior of your house?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How come so many games are called top game or game of the year? | [
"\"By Who?\" is the million dollar question, and also the answer. My game can be called game of the year by review site number 57, while your game is called game of the year by review site 58, and somebody else's game can be game of the year by review site 59. As long as somebody calls it game of the year its all l... | [
"They are just very selective in what they are number 1 in. Number 1 in rock, number 1 in pop, etc."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post about Music:"
} |
How/why did China's population grow so large so fast? | [
"Holy crap, something I can actually answer! From what I remember in my Chinese history class, Leader Mao wanted a strong army and felt a large population was necessary. Lots of campaigns were led to convince people to have as many kids as possible. It didn't take long before the country had a massive population. T... | [
"How was the US able to increase its GDP by over 80% in 6 years? That seems like a historically ridiculous pace."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
What is in magnets that make them magnets, as oppose to a piece of iron or other metal. | [
"Permanent magnetism is caused when most of the electrons in an object have their spins aligned in the same direction. There isn't really a way to ELI5 it."
] | [
"Iron in your blood isn't ferromagnetic, which is the property you associate with everyday iron. This is the reason it isn't affected by everyday permanent magnets."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Where do "smells" go after they have dissipated? | [
"Think of a glass of water being the gaseous area around you... The smelling zone... You now drop on drop of liquid food colouring into the glass, the dark heavy first impact area of that droplet represents, let's say a fart. After the initial impact of the fart it begins to dissipate into the rest of the water, t... | [
"Fun fact: most of the things that we call flavors are actually aromas that have floated up our throat and into our nasal cavity."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How come we don't get burns (or worse) on water slides? | [
"The water acts as a thin barrier between you and the slide, so that reduces the friction to the point where you wont be burned. As long as you're wet, you should be ok with a brush against the side (where the water doesnt flow), but sliding down when everything is dry would result in some serious friction burns."
... | [
"it's not really about it causing any kind of damage, they're wondering why you don't get sick of it after that long."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why do humans need a variety of sustenance in order to stave off malnutrition, but many animals can live on only a single food? | [
"We eat a variety of foods to live *optimally*. In theory, you can survive off a singular diet, and as long as you get enough calories, you will live. However for optimal brain development in children, for the longevity of our bodies and living many years without disease/illness, we eat lots of different foods. For... | [
"It’s very possible. And despite what others are saying: There is no need for nutritional carbohydrates. The body can make as much glucose as it needs from other energy sources. There is no need to eat the whole animal. The fact that peoples which have a traditional diet of all meat tend to eat the whole animal jus... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How can an Air Force pilot become so good at maneuvering something as complicated as an aircraft? | [
"There's lots of room for trial and error. That's what simulators and trainers are for. Then, once you're flying in real top-line planes, you don't start off flying inches off the ground - you pratt about well off the ground to start with so you have time to recover. People who've flown both often say flying models... | [
"The main use of a drone is that if it gets shot down nobody dies (in the plane at least). There isn't much risk to human life in looking for a plane crash. You seem to be operating under the assumption that drones are somehow cheaper to operate than a manned aircraft."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
If climate change is such a massive problem, why can't the government create laws to begin to limit the usage of items that increase greenhouse gases, until they can gradually completely ban it? | [
"You wanna tell Americans they can't do something? Good luck with that."
] | [
"For one year? No. Halting humans' effect on the environment will require a permanent shift in how we act. At the moment, this permanent shift won't be too painful - however if we put it off for more than a couple of years it will be. It would require everyone to produce less greenhouse gas - to use less electricit... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I'm from the UK and only heard about Comcast recently; what is so bad about it? | [
"Cable company and ISP. People get mad at their admittedly poor customer service and their state reinforced local monopolies (rarely do ISPs compete with each other in the US). Then a bunch of people whose mothers pay their cable bill come to Reddit to complain that they aren't getting free gigabit to their house."... | [
"They've lost a lot of customers due to a lot of changes to their service. I know that I, for one, cancelled my service as soon as they jacked up the prices."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do the battery meters in phones/laptops/other electronics 'adapt' to changing battery life as a device ages? | [
"Short answer - badly. longer answer - they monitor the amount of energy that they are using and cross reference it with the measured battery voltage. If the battery voltage gets low enough that it's a good assumption that it's nearly dead, then the device re-calibrates its own estimate of what the capacity is."
] | [
"So the chemicals and components in a battery decay over time, and with extreme charge levels. Discharging more deeply, or charging to a higher level, both induce wear on the battery chemicals and the components, and over time, this will reduce the overall charge the battery can hold. This is the primary reason why... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Bodybuilding, power lifting, strongman, crossfit training, calisthenics, etc. What's the difference? | [
"Largely it's the goal of the training. Power lifting is strictly about developing strength for specific types of lifting. Body building is about developing muscle tone and size, but not necessarily strength. Calisthenics tends to use lighter or just body weight, with a goal toward overall aerobic fitness. Crossfit... | [
"For starters, you need to specify what kind of workout. That is, Weightlifting, or Cardio. Weights are used to build strength and muscle mass, while cardio is exercise that involves maintaining a high heart rate to burn calories, get in shape, and (depending on what kind of cardio you do) tone muscles. You need to... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do DDoS attacks work? | [
"Imagine a web server to be a bit like the queue at the post office. Most bigger websites have more than one cashier (server). In the queue, there are lots of people like you and me, asking the servers for a page. DDofS is basically when you get all your mates to queue up, and when they get to the front of the queu... | [
"**To Summarize**, although the motivations could include political , revenge, fame, and petty trolling, their is also a financial incentive. They can make money by: 1.) Leveraging for Blackmail: Pay us money or we will take you offline again like we did before. 2.) Others can leverage for Blackmail even if they d... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
If an overweight person goes several days without eating to lose weight, what are the unhealthy side effects this has on the body? | [
"Fasting is fine, short term fasting with good liquid intake is not going to be detrimental for a healthy individual. Good luck keeping it up though, the will power required is astronomical."
] | [
"Most likely it's withdrawal. When the body relies on lots of calories and carbohydrates it freaks out when the supply is reduced. You may want to consult with a doctor in case there's an underlying medical issue causing the symptoms. Right off the top of my head I know a drastic change in diet if you're diabetic c... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about Health and Wellness:"
} |
How do computers "delete" data? Where does that data "go"? | [
"it doesn't go anywhere. imagine a hard disk as a tiny record(yeah, like the one your dad listens to kiss on) the pieces on a drive are arranged to signify certain code that the computer reads and provides you with data. when you delete something that part of the drive is now free to be written over. the thing is ... | [
"The recycling bin is basically a folder in your computer that files end up in when you do a normal delete on them. Other than that there isn't much special about it. When you \"empty\" your recycling bin you're having the computer actually delete the files, which gives you more space on your harddrive."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
The battle of Stalingrad (lack of Russian armor) | [
"Most of the fighting in the battle of Stalingrad happened inside the city itself where armor is not all that useful. Tanks are powerful in open country because they can bust a hole in the enemy's lines and then move into their rear areas and wreck their command and supply units. Inside a city a tank is basically r... | [
"Thanks! Where these armies where most of the Soviet casualties occurred?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does the concept of Universal Basic Income work? | [
"The idea is that instead of need based aid, which requires a huge, inefficient bureaucracy to administer, you just give everyone a set amount of money. Welfare, education, health care, retirement, all of those, at least in part, are provider for with a basic stipend everyone gets. Those who don't need it will sti... | [
"Could the rebuilding of Japan after WWII be considered a partial colonization by the United States?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do (did some) hunting tribes survive living of an all-meat-diet (like some Inuit tribes)? | [
"They eat a lot of things like organs, fat, and bone marrow that contain more nutrients than the normal cuts of meat you'd find at the grocery store. It's entirely possible to meet your nutritional requirements on a totally carnivorous diet if you're willing to eat the \"gross\" parts of animals."
] | [
"I would like to extend this question towards neolithic inland dwellers and paleo/mesolithic general population. Given the amount of salt we are consuming today, it's hard to imagine how and inland people would be able to get \"enough\" salt even without excessive sweating. Mining of salt is known to have occured ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What would happen if you put sunscreen (or some form of spf) on plants/trees? | [
"Plants have a waxy coating, cuticle, on their leaves which protect against the environment. The underside of the leaf opens at night and allows the leaf to respire. The plant also produces flavonols that protect against uv rays. Basically nothing will happen to the plant of you applied Sun block unless you applied... | [
"For: wash off pesticides, dirt. Against: why the hell would there be anything against washing your fruit."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
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