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Why are people so politically charged?
[ "Mostly because our lives are directly impacted by who our government officials are. In America we vote to have Laws passed, therefore everyone who votes whether they are for Or against this law they are all entitled their opinion. Some political views such as abortion are extremely heated, and both sides do have v...
[ "Are you saying we should be more racist towards cats?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why do many languages have different letters from each other, but numbers are written is the same way everywhere?
[ "Actually, numbers [aren't written the same everywhere](_URL_0_). There are other variants in use across the world, too." ]
[ "Each country has its own name in its own language. The phonemes (the sounds which make up a language) of every language are unique to that language, so to speak the true name of a country would require someone to learn part of the phonemes of their native language. The result is that someone wanting to learn the n...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
How Do Fish, Dolphins, Sharks and other Aquatic Creatures sleep?
[ "Disclaimer: I'm not 100% sure on this I read somewhere that they kind of switch between the right and left side of the brain, the alternation gives each side time to rest without actually sleeping." ]
[ "Question 1: Am I a celebrity? * Yes: Move onto question 2 * No: Who gives a shit about you? Question 2: Do I like to look terrific in photographs? * Yes: Move onto question 3 * No: Use your iPhone for nude selfies Question 3: Do I mind being raped? * Yes: Call Annie Leibovitz * No: Terry's your man!" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:" }
What would happen if the US dug itself out of debt?
[ "If we had no debt at all? We'd probably be worse off. Debt for governments is good. The US isn't in any \"trouble\" right now. We have no problem paying our bills, and will continue to do so." ]
[ "Since the population of Canada is just over 35 million people, you would need at least 35 trillion dollars to do this. This is more money than anyone has. It's more than double the GNP of the entire United States in 2011. So, yes this would probably wreak havoc on the world economy." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the post:", "neg": "Represent the post:" }
If you were to put a person in a tub of room temperature water, and raised it a few degrees at a time, could you kill them without discomfort?
[ "What comes to mind is the boiled frog experiment. The basic \"idea\" behind it is that if you put a frog in a pot of water and slowly raise the temperature, it'll die before jumping out. This is a widespread myth but it's untrue. It's likely based on experiments done in the mid 1800's, where scientists found out t...
[ "The temperature of the cells need to reach a certain temperature to die, that takes time. If you put a pot of water on a source of fire, it doesn't evaporate instantly." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit answer about Science:" }
- what makes it possible to hoist 2 ton cannon up a cliff using a "block and tackle"?
[ "A block and tackle multiplies your force because you pull a lot on the rope and the weight moves only a little bit. If you had one loop a the top and bottom then you would pull the rope 10 feet and the weight would move 5 feet but would only require half the force. If you had 10 loops on both end then you would mo...
[ "1 climb down the valley and across with a really long rope and pull it tight when you get to the other side. 2 attach a string to some kind of projectile and use it to pull a larger rope across." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why do some beards have spots and is there a way to avoid them before growing out a beard for the first time?
[ "Beards have spots because those are places you do not grow facial hair. This is determined by genetics and if you have them there is no way to avoid them or to make the beard grow more thickly. You simply will be unable to grow a beard that looks normal/proper." ]
[ "Beard oil doesn't make you grow more hair. It keep the skin under the hair moisturized and keeps the hair silkier and less rough-feeling. Any claims that it'll cause you to grow more hair are BS. It will simply keep your existing hair in better condition." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
How can the universe expand into something if the universe is considered everything?
[ "> Why is it expanding? As far as we can tell it's always been expanding, and nothing is stopping it from continuing. In fact, our latest observations suggest it's picking up speed. Due to what? We have no idea: that's \"dark energy\". Figure that out, and there is almost certainly a Nobel Prize waiting for you. >...
[ "No, but it's easy to see how one would make that mistake. When people picture an expanding universe, they often see a 'finite object' expanding. Rather, the universe is and always was infinite. So too, we think, is the material in it. What is happening is that over time, it is becoming less dense. Over time, there...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title about Physics:", "pos": "Represent the document about Physics:", "neg": "Represent the document about Physics:" }
Why does Pepsi lose it's fizz/carbonation so much faster than Coke?
[ "Because the carbonation is different. Less CO2 dissolved in Pepsi than in Coke. The bottle size can play a role too, usually big bottles are less carbonated." ]
[ "Soda doesn't release more carbonation if you open the cap fast. If you open it fast, as you typically get capped soda from a vending machine, the pent-up carbonation comes out all at once. If you open it slowly, the pent-up carbonation comes out little by little, giving the appearance of less carbonation being rel...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the post:", "neg": "Represent the post:" }
Why do certain vehicles like a Toyota Tacoma have unreal resell value, while others such as a Ranger are deemed useless at a comparable age?
[ "It's believed that at 200k miles, the Toyota will still be going strong, while the Ford will be scrap. I don't have any statistics to back this up, but I've seen several Toyotas live through several generations of Fords and Chevys." ]
[ "Because such a company would be instantly priced out of the market by preowned cars. There's already a virtually inexhaustible supply of \"baseline\" cars at every price point imaginable. You can't build new cars for under the two grand you'd pay for a '91 Civic." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Why do you need to “come out”?
[ "That's because most people are straight. It's not surprising if you are what 99 percent of people are." ]
[ "Let me put it this way, it couldn't hurt." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Why do people go for coffee/tea/a drink as a way of meeting each other for a chat?
[ "It's an open, public place, and it's something fairly non-committal. If you sit down for a full meal, you're there for probably the better part of an hour. If you grab a coffee, you can chat for as long or short as you like depending on what's going on. It's also pretty cheap, only spending a few bucks for a drink...
[ "In Ireland, \"tea time\" or \"having your tea\" is actually a colloquial term for the evening meal, as well as the actual drink. And to make it even more confusing, many refer to lunch as \"dinner\", and the dinner as \"tea\". But pasically, praesartus is correct. People routinely drink tea throughout the day in b...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit text:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit text:" }
Why do only 5-10 people answer questions or provide discussion in a classroom?
[ "Some people don't know the answer. Some people are shy. Some people are scared of being seen as a nerd." ]
[ "IMO, this looks like a failure. Currently, the top five posts are five different answers. Can anyone ELI25 and send me in the right direction?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the paragraph:" }
Before there was cameras or forensic science, how was it possible to prove anything beyond a reasonable doubt?
[ "The key word is \"reasonable.\" You can always come up with increasingly unlikely scenarios for a situation but they have to reasonably fit the evidence. For example, if six separate people all say they saw me kill Billy Bob, my clothes were soaked in blood, and the knife that was used to kill him was engraved wit...
[ "Yes. Despite what you see on CSI the police don't spend $100 million dollars in order to investigate every case of bubble-gum theft. Secondly our legal system is based on an adversarial process. If the state has evidence that it believes to be good evidence, then it will present it. The defendant can then question...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
The accent from the 1940s/50s that no one seems to use anymore
[ "It's the Transatlantic accent; an artificial accent used by broadcasters meant to sound equally acceptable to Americans and British: _URL_0_" ]
[ "Speaking for myself it's because a lot of my favorite bands and singers are American. The pop/rock genre doesn't sound quite right if you assume an Irish accent." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
How are daily fantasy leagues NOT considered a form of gambling?
[ "Gambling or not is irrelevant. The law says fantasy games are allowed and poker isn't. The law also says that betting on horses is legal subject to a separate law, and betting on horses is certainly gambling. People can debate you on your comparison up there, but it really doesn't matter. the law says poker is i...
[ "In fantasy football, you build a team of players.from the real game. If they do well (eg. Score a touchdown) your team gets points. The team with the most points wins. Normally, a group of friends just plays for fun. It gives you a reason to be interested in more games because you might have players from half a do...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the argument:", "neg": "Represent the argument:" }
Why do words sometimes seem like they're spelled wrong when I think about it for too long?
[ "Gestaltzerfall, which is basically a more pedantic way to explain when you stare at the particular character, or words in this case (as the term was originally referring only to this phenomenon occuring with japanese kanji characters), and a part of your brain whose job is to store the visual information wears out...
[ "Because you've been saying it your entire life. You're used to saying it in that order, so it sounds natural to you now." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit post:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit post:" }
Why do I have to close unrelated apps/programs when installing an app/program update on my Mac and/or PC?
[ "Internet browsers can often use plugins from other software/suites e.g. Microsoft Word/office. If the browser is open during the update (i.e. the plug-in is busy) then this might cause a failure to update microsoft office completely, as it also needs to update the plugins." ]
[ "You might have a lot of background stuff like Steam, Skype, Spotify set to turn on when the computer goes up, you might wanna get CCleaner and check to see what starts up when you open your computer." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post about Technology:", "pos": "Represent the comment about Technology:", "neg": "Represent the comment:" }
the gender wage gap, and if it's a "Myth" or not.
[ "It's real. Women get paid less than men for the same work (on average). The \"myth\" part that has caused recent attention is that the figure 0.77 $ for women per $1 for men has been used a lot and it turns out it's not accurate because it wasn't controlled properly for hours. Women also work (on average) fewer h...
[ "To try to improve areas that men are worse off in, the same thing that feminism is (supposed to be) about, but with genders reversed." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:" }
Why has the global temperature spiked so dramatically in the last 10-20 years even though that's the timespan we've become aware of global warming and started trying to combat it?
[ "Guess what happened before 20 years ago? Rampant pollution while being oblivious. \"Just exhaust it, planet Earth will pick up the slack and balance out\" was the mentality back then." ]
[ "It's only become an article in various sources because 400ppm is a nice round number. There is no real scientific reason why 400 is really bad but if it still had been 398 we would have been ok. That article is really more sensationalist than anything else. Furthermore we are still adding more CO2 to the atmospher...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:" }
Whenever there is a race, why do the cars sitting all the way in the back still have to finish first?
[ "There's a qualifying round before the main race where the racers try to set the fastest time. They are lined up in order of their qualifying time." ]
[ "Because you want you to sit on the side closer to the middle of the street and oncoming traffic. Just because you have a better view of traffic from there." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the text:", "neg": "Represent the text:" }
The arguments against GMO's
[ "Diet in America has been going through fads in the past decades. The argument against GMOs is as much social and emotional as it is scientific. Most people don't read scientific journals, so their understanding of the issue comes from less objective or reliable sources." ]
[ "GMO is just a tool, and there are different meanings. Anti-GMO is anti-science. Trillion of meals with GMO have been served without issues." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query about science:", "pos": "Represent the paragraph about science:", "neg": "Represent the paragraph:" }
Why are most skyscrapers gray or blue and not other colors?
[ "Well, skyscrapers are covered by glass on the outside. Glass is light, resistant and allows you to have great views. If the sky is blue, the building will look blue. If the sky is cloudy then it will look gray. Look at a skyscraper when the sunset is happening and it will reflect a different color. Also there are ...
[ "It's 100% guesswork. The colors are made up. That being said, it's reasonable to assume the sky is not going to be purple, and the persons dress at the wedding is going to be white, not bright yellow. The fire truck is probably red and the street lights are likely red as well. Trees are probably green and so is th...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the answer:", "neg": "Represent the answer:" }
Why is debating another person so appealing?
[ "Debating forces you to examine your own thoughts more closely. It challenges your mind. It's like sports, only better because it's your brain, not your muscle that wins or loses." ]
[ "This is exactly what we are doing all the time. How are you thinking this is different...?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the comment:", "neg": "Represent the comment:" }
Where does Europe end?
[ "Europe's Eastern border is usually drawn at the Ural River, the Ural Mountains, the Caucasus Mountains, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Turkey is in both Europe and Asia - the western bank of the Bosphorus is in Europe, and the eastern bank is in Asia. Western Russia is usually seen as being in Europe; again, t...
[ "Did you mean in the USA, or in Japan?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:" }
How do our bodies acclimate to hot/cold temperatures?
[ "Our brains have a \"thermostat\" (this is one of the jobs of the hypothalamus) to maintain a constant body temperature. It controls heating/cooling functions like sweating, shivering, and keeping blood circulation closer to our core to conserve heat or circulating it to our extremities to cool off by dissipating h...
[ "The same reason you sweat: it cools you off. Cold water helps keep our body temperatures where they should be when you're overheated and dehydrated." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post about Biology:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Biology:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
What's the difference between an LP, EP, single, etc. when talking about collections of music?
[ "A single is generally one track. An EP (Extended Play) is longer than a single, but shorter than an album. Usually once the runtime exceeds about 25 minutes, or four tracks, it becomes, technically at least, an album or LP (Long Play). The difference between Album and LP generally is accepted to be that an Album...
[ "Most of those names go back to vinyl records. Single, 7 inch 45 rpm (that's the setting on the record player and refers to speed) EP 12 inch 45 rpm LP 12 inch 33 rpm LP and Album is interchangeable, sort of. Pink Floyds The Wall is an album that contains two discs, or two LP's. A Mix tape comes a little later with...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
How was the first computer program made if there was no program to make it in?
[ "It was hard coded into the computer. These computers were built to do one thing." ]
[ "Because it hasn't been programmed to recognize that fact. Computers have gotten much faster over the years, but at the end of the day, they aren't \"smart\", they just very precisely follow instructions that are given to them. If a person hasn't created a particular ability into a piece of software, it's not going...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the post:", "neg": "Represent the post:" }
How can large companies like Costco, Nordstrom, Sephora, etc. afford to have such generous return policies?
[ "The more generous the return policy, the more likely people are to impulse buy. While some take advantage of return policies often, most don't. Therefore you have net gain for the company." ]
[ "In general, major brands often pay to be on the shelves of major retailers, so while Target might not get a cut of the profits from selling iTunes gift cards, they still get paid by apple to have them on their shelves." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title about Business:", "pos": "Represent the text about Business:", "neg": "Represent the text:" }
Why I can't hear the American accents from movies and TV series, but can clearly hear it in real life.
[ "Not sure what you mean, there are various American accents as well that are portrayed in movies. A guy from Texas isn't going to speak the same way as a guy from New York, and a guy from New York doesn't speak the same way as a guy from California. These accents are solidified in plenty of movies." ]
[ "The British accent? There are British accents that sound harsh and vulgar, but I guess it's due to a certain image. There's the southern belle that sounds refined and regal and that's an American accent. That's for the secondary question. To the first, I dunno. I'm an American so I don't know how hard it is for a ...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:" }
how do businesses get paid in China? Does the government take all the money they receive?
[ "AFAIK their economy works like Capitalism but their government/laws run like Communism. Their system has evolved. I apologise if I am wrong." ]
[ "They actually provide goods. They're not taking money from customer a to give to customer b." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document about Finance:" }
Why do cigarettes need to contain so many dangerous chemicals if it is the nicotine that keeps you buying them?
[ "Seems that a lot of people here have missed the main point. Cigarettes go out pretty easily. They add one chemical to keep it burning despite windy conditions, one to keep it from burning too quickly, another to keep it burning consistently and another to make sure that they don't burst into flames outright. To th...
[ "It's not the tobacco that's addictive. It's the nicotine in cigarettes that is addictive. Hookah does not typically contain nicotine." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the post:", "neg": "Represent the post:" }
Why doesn't the surface of a pool of paint dry or crust up?
[ "The solvent has to 'migrate' through the paint to escape into the air. The surface can't dry til the solvent is practically all gone. (Once it's mostly dry, the migration slows and the inside does take longer to get completely dry.)" ]
[ "Because they are no longer contained in the glass, the liquid can spread out across the table and will tend to become flatter." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
why have some famous people of Jewish ancestry anglicized their last names ( john Stewart, bob Dylan, Natalie portman, etc.)?
[ "Many performers are concerned that if they seem too ethnic, they run the risk of being discriminated against and not getting some parts. Particularly when you're trying to break into showbusiness, it's important to take any good part you can get. Nowadays, discrimination is probably less of an issue than it was in...
[ "No. Al Capone, gangster, is referred to by two names. Same goes for Jeffery Dahmer, Jim Jones, Charles Manson, Saddam Hussein, and Elizabeth Bathory. Hitler and Stalin just get one name. Sometimes people just go by three names, like Jamie Lee Curtis, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Neil Patrick H...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:" }
Why don't they give brain scans to detect mental illnesses?
[ "If it was possible to diagnose mental problems that way, that would be a good idea. But most problems are caused by things too subtle to be seen on an MRI. Hormones, for instance, or other chemical imbalances." ]
[ "Because people shouldn't be allowed to die from treatable illnesses, and clinical depression is a treatable illness." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post about Healthcare:", "pos": "Represent the post about Healthcare:", "neg": "Represent the post:" }
Does the president or other heads of state have to clear customs the same way normal people do when visiting a country?
[ "No, as high-ranking officials of another government, they're covered by special diplomatic rules that allow them to dispense with that sort of stuff." ]
[ "Usually the US find someone travelled to a banned country via passport stamps or banking transactions. At that point the federal government fines the person. The easy way to avoid this is to only use cash and ask border agents not to stamp your passport. Cuba has a reputation for not stamping the passports of Amer...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
When selling stock in the US, why is there such a capital gains taxation disparity between short-term and long-term holdings?
[ "day trading is akin to income, you do it with a hope of actively earning money. long term holdings are considered passive investments. commissions are not the govts concern. Promoting safe and responsible investing is beneficial for investors and companies, which is the govts concern." ]
[ "Cost basis is the amount you paid for the stock... Let's say you want to sell stock that's currently trading at $50/sh. You originally paid $33/sh. for it. The $33 is your cost basis, and your capital gains would be $17/sh. ($50-$33). In your original scenario, you don't provide enough info/context. You'd have to ...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
why humans can grow adult teeth, and knee caps, as well as repair broken/fractured bones, but can't regrow them if they get removed?
[ "Both teeth and knee caps are things that we are born with. Specifically, if you didn't know, we are actually born with all our adult teeth. When they \"grow\" in they're actually just shifting out from their little storage zones in our skulls - there are plenty of kinda spooky pics on google showing both baby and ...
[ "It mostly has to do with healing speed. Scar tissue grows very fast to repair the wound without much regard for anything else. If something causes the wound to heal slowly, normal skin cells will have time to replicate and grow instead of scar tissue. On a small scratch, if you keep picking the scab off every time...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question about biology:", "pos": "Represent the document about biology:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why do we get those weird wrinkles/lines on our faces or body after sleeping?
[ "The skin was pressed against a fold or wrinkle of fabric which created a lump, which in turn caused a temporary indentation in your skin. This happens after sleeping because you don't move for a long time, but could just as easily occur while awake if you didn't move." ]
[ "Your face is swollen when you wake up from sleeping? You might want to stop sleeping hanging upside down, mate." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the post:", "neg": "Represent the post:" }
How did Western European countries end up colonizing the world, instead of some other civilization?
[ "Short answer. Geography Long answer. Go watch guns, germs & steel The basic premise is that because of Europeans ability to grow a large variety of low effort high calorie foods in their temperate climate they gained an advantage over other civilizations" ]
[ "It has to do with medieval Europe. Everything East of them was the East (also called Orient). The terms came into use before travel was possible across the large oceans by Europeans. The reason that the Americas are the West is that we are descended from Europeans. Europe colonized the Americas and left their cul...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
How do the balance sheet and income statement work together
[ "Assets - Liabilities = Capital + Income - Expense. In your example above this would create a balanced entry." ]
[ "Accountants organize numbers and verify numbers. There are many types of accountants and they each to a degree organize (or verify) money to where it lawfully belongs, strategically belongs, and aesthetically belongs so that clients, management, gov authorities, or shareholders can easily interpret. The tasks perf...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:" }
Why do we grunt when we push/lift/pull heavy objects?
[ "* Because our core instinctively tenses up to support our lower back, and air is squished out of us * Grunting actually tenses up your core more, forming a symbiotic grunt-squish relationship. * To assert our dominance over a heavy inanimate object to anyone within earshot." ]
[ "I'm not a fitness guru by any means, but when you lift you tighten muscles and push hard. People might have to train themselves to not strain the diaphragm as well (the muscle that pushes your lungs). Sort of like training your pinky not to move when you flex your ring finger." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
What do internet service providers actually have to pay for when supplying you internet?
[ "Their hardware needs to constantly be maintained and replaced. It's a good practice to swap out all of your switches and routers every 3 years when they're as heavily used as the ones they have are used. Then there's the cable infrastructure out to homes. It needs maintenance less often, but it does happen." ]
[ "Several internet companies will make their service slow to protest the companies that own the cables that connect us to the internet being allowed to give preferential treatment." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Whats stopping billionaires from starting up there own micro-nations to act as tax havens?
[ "The fact that there is no land, anywhere on Earth, that isn't claimed by another country or reserved by international treaty. So, really, the only way to start a country is by force of arms." ]
[ "Because there are countries in the world where you don't pay taxes. So, since in the US you do pay taxes, it's not to smart to have your money or your corporate office in the US. If you move to a tax-free nation, you get to keep your cash! There are whole movements on, for instance, the European tax-free island of...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the sentence:", "neg": "Represent the sentence:" }
Why does grease on my hands take so much more effect to take off compared to say getting some on my legs
[ "Pure speculation, but I imagine it’s because the deep grooves and wrinkles in your palms trap and maintain grease more easily than your smoother, less tough skin in say your thigh or calf area." ]
[ "The point of soap is to cling to and loosen up stuff that won't rinse off your hands with water alone (like oils). Water interferes with this action a bit because you're not applying the soap directly to the stuff you're washing off: there's a layer of water in between. I lather up dry like that when I'm trying to...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the answer:", "neg": "Represent the answer:" }
What is a Solid State Drive (SSD), and why should I use it on my computer?
[ "SSDs are getting cheaper per GB and getting larger. I use a 256GB SSD because I don't need to store all that much data at one time. I'm not a pack-rat like some. An SSD is a hard drive with no moving parts. This cuts out the slowest part of the read/write operations on conventional hard drives which is moving the ...
[ "Sure! * Monitor - Let's you see stuff the computer wants to show you * Keyboard/Mouse - Let's you put information into the computer, control things * Harddrive - Stores information in the medium/long term (SLOW) * RAM - Stores information in the short term (FAST) * Optical Drive - Let's you read from disks using l...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document about Computer Science:" }
Why does grunting, groaning or generally making little noises when you are in pain help the pain level go down?
[ "your brain can only take a certain amount of input, and can only focus on so much at a time. By vocalizing, you're focusing your brainpower on an output and a feeling other than the massive pain input that your brain wants to focus on. Another method that's been proven to work are things like virtual reality sims ...
[ "You mean like when you sprain your knee or something? Pain is only as strong what our brain focuses on. So giving it an active distraction i.e walking, will occupy it until the temporary pain has stopped. You can't 'walk off' a pain if it isn't temporary." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the post:", "neg": "Represent the post:" }
How does the draft work in NASCAR? And how come they can sling shot around another car?
[ "When a car goes very fast, the air in front of the car is compresed and the air behind the car get stretched out. The high pressure air in front of the car pushes the car back. The low pressure air behind the car also pulls the car back. My fancy diagram: ++ [ < --] -- When a second car is following the first car ...
[ "Where racing events like formula 1 are about how well the cars are built. NASCAR focuses more on the driver. Stock cars go fast, and that's about it. They don't handle very well, and are very hard to control. It's like a rodeo bull, it's got a lot of power, but it's not very cooperative Put a bunch of them togethe...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the post:", "neg": "Represent the post:" }
what will happen if a number of infants are isolated?
[ "FWIW, the Nazis tried this to discover the \"original\" language of humans. Obviously no reasonable entity would try this for ethical reasons. The speed at which they would develop a language, if they did, is also very important. There have been several cases of feral, non-speaking children who could learn to func...
[ "Because the medical common \"unit of blood\" represent too large a proportion of their total blood - it would be unsafe for them to donate." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the post:", "neg": "Represent the post:" }
Why were most of the more well-known fighting styles (i.e Kung Fu, Karate, Judo, Aikido, Muay Thai, Sambo, Tae Kwon Do) all from Asia? Were there many styles of fighting that Europeans developed?
[ "Boxing, wrestling, fencing, and jousting are examples of western martial arts that are very well known. In the 1800s, when Europe had increased trade with Asia, the Asian styles became popular in the West because they were more exotic. There are many more less well-known [Historic European Martial Arts](_URL_0_...
[ "The short answer, is that the difference in martial arts are where they originated. The slightly longer answer is that there isn't much difference between any martial art and another. The longer answer is that Judo, Jiu Jitsu, Aikido, and Hap Ki Do are martial arts that focus more on grappling, how to respond to s...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Confederate heritage
[ "The Civil War is, without a doubt, the single most researched event in American history. There are more books and studies on it than everything else having to do with America combined. There is no question, none, zero, that slavery and its future in the United States was the central issue that led to secession and...
[ "The state of South Carolina still flies the Confederate Flag over their statehouse which they claim is a symbol of their heritage. It offends many, including most African Americans, because they see it as a symbol of racial discrimination and slavery. Along with symbols of Apartide the Charleston shooter displayed...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why did the Greeks not just climb Mount Olympus to see what was up?
[ "Imagine you are a Greek. You ignore the warnings from the priests telling you how the gods will strike you down, and decide to climb the 10,00 foot mountain anyways. Well, once you get to a certain point, the air thins out. It becomes cold, even downright freezing, and all of the trees have vanished. At that point...
[ "Yes, if you happen to be Zeus the king of Olympus!" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the argument:", "neg": "Represent the argument about Physics:" }
Without meaning to be disrespectful. What stops someone with social interaction conditions (such as Asperger's and other such ASD'S) from emulating what is considered normal human interaction, even though it may be foreign or unnatural to them? (Or alternatively is it possible, just unusual).
[ "Conditions like Asperger's, or mental health issues like bi-polar disorder, or conditions like borderline personality disorder affect a person's perception of, understanding of, and interaction with, the reality around them. These conditions have biological bases which strongly affect how the person reacts to thos...
[ "They don't. People with similar disabilities share similar traits. You notice the ones with these traits because you associate them with mental disabilities. Many people that are intellectually delayed are relatively \"normal\" in appearance. They simply are less able to develop adaptive behaviors that help with s...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document about biology:" }
can you be tracked online if using prepaid cell phone sim cards? How? Is this a truly secure anonymous internet?
[ "SIM cards on their own cannot be tracked but once inserted in a phone it can be tracked through the SIM's serial number and the phone's IMEI number. These details are automatically sent to the nearest network tower. GSM phones can be located using the signal information pretty accurately without even GPS. Each p...
[ "Internet cafe, public wifi, making a hard copy of a video and delivering it to the media. Using Tor. Really, if you get caught doing anything on the internet, it's because you're not trying very hard to be secret." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
How were the 32bit Windows 2000 Advanced Server and Datacenter Server OSes able to support more than 4 GB RAM?
[ "I don't know the innards of those survive Windows versions but I know how it's usually done, because I've designed and built hardware with 16 and 32 bit CPUs that support way more memory than their address bus allows. The problem is that the CPU needs a way to say which byte of memory to read, and on a 32 bit CPU...
[ "Program Files stores 64-bit programs, Program Files (x86) stores 32-bit programs. The difference is that, amongst other things, the 64-bit programs can utilise more RAM and bus. Hence more efficient programs will be the ones in the non x86 file, especially in more modern, high end machines." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the post:", "neg": "Represent the post:" }
what is actually happening to an app on my phone when I update it? Does the file get deleted and then the entire new app downloaded?
[ "An app is made up of dozens of individual code files that each accomplish one part of the larger task. When the developer makes changes to the app, not all of those files will have changed. When it's packaged for an update, only those changed files included, so it's only them that are downloaded by your phone and ...
[ "They store the updates on the hard drive. All files have to be loaded into RAM before they're used anyway. When the game goes to load a file, it checks the hard drive to see if there's an updated version. It doesn't actually update the disk." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the sentence:", "neg": "Represent the sentence:" }
Why is customer support always so bad?
[ "A lot of the problem boils down to the fact that customer service reps are treated like shit by everyone they interact with. Customers only call is when they are already unhappy. Even before the menus and waiting, the customer is in a bad mood, and will take out all of their frustration on the first person that an...
[ "Others might be able to provide support for less, but are they going to be as good as the guys who wrote the software in the first place? Probably not." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:" }
Why are heavier elements found together in the same location?
[ "When the Earth was much hotter, and everything was much more liquid, things could flow a lot easier. Just like putting oil in water, these molten metals and minerals will tend to separate out due to their different densities. They then cool and solidify, and billions of years later humans find them in clusters. El...
[ "The early universe was composed mostly if not completely of hydrogen. So the oldest stars will be almost completely made up of hydrogen. As stars go through their nova and supernova phases, they create heavier and heavier elements which are incorporated into the next generation of stars. You will obtain a larger s...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Astronomy:" }
Why are 99% of ads which are supposed to be funny so unfunny? Surely multi-billion dollar companies could afford comedic ad writers?
[ "They get group tested to hell and back, scrutinized backwards and forwards to eliminate any possible offense, to fit specific demographics, to fit in allotted time,etc. Small companies generally do better at this, as they just go with the initial idea (saw a Bigfoot themed ad for a mattress protector that was fun...
[ "They are selling things, just not to you. Just because you're not a member of their targeted demographic doesn't mean their commercials are pointless." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:" }
How can rockstars like Keith Richards and Ozzy Osbourne do so many hard drugs and consume so much alcohol over their lifetimes, yet still live into old age?
[ "You have picked two people who are MASSIVE statistical outliers. Even science is fairly confused by their survival. I believe they were studying Mr. Richards to understand how he's still breathing." ]
[ "Livers aren't prone to fail over time due to alcohol, that is the wrong way to look at it. Livers valiantly extend the lives of people dead set on drinking themselves to death, holding out for as long as they can." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title about Entertainment:", "pos": "Represent the text about Entertainment:", "neg": "Represent the text:" }
How are humans the only species to have a higher consciousness?
[ "You are assuming a lot of things about consciousness . First by saying \"higher\" you assume that it's not binary. Secondly you assume that other animals isn't as conscious as you, even though I'm pretty sure a cat is more \"present\" than you, and I think a cat have a larger understanding of the \"now\" than peop...
[ "No. No animal is capable of that kind of detailed thought to establish a religion. None of even close." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
How does Germany not have a crazy high rate of alcoholism and related crime when it has relaxed liquor laws?
[ "People who are happy and secure generally don't drink to excess, or when they do, don't commit crimes. Germany has a strong economy, a strong social safety net, widely available substance abuse treatment, and a rather effective police and judiciary. As various attempts at alcohol prohibition worldwide have proved,...
[ "It depends which country in Europe you are talking about the UK for instance smoke fewer cigarettes per person than the USA. This is probably due to the high taxes, strong warnings and bens from smoking in public buildings. However Greece Germany and Belgium have much higher cigarette consumption and have lower ra...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the paragraph:" }
How can a third-party candy company sell the actual name brand candy under their own third-party name?
[ "SwedishFishCompany has capacity to make 100,000 Swedish Fish per day. SwedishFishCompany only sells 90,000 SwedishFish per day. SwedishFishCompany has a choice. Slow down production by 10,000 per day, or sell the extra to another company at a reduced rate. SwedishfishComany chooses to keep it's workers em...
[ "They don't produce them, they just pay other companies to produce products to their specifications & print their logo on the product. Sometimes those companies are the same ones that are producing the name-brand products. Sometimes they're factories that specialize in producing store-brand products." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:" }
Why does America (or any country) have a fiscal deficit?
[ "Actually it pretty much is simply to avoid inflation. Assuming you know how inflation works, look at what happened in Germany after WWI. They owed a lot of countries a lot of money, and instead of paying back that debt over many years, which most countries do, they decided to just print money in order pay back the...
[ "I think a better question for this topic might be what is national debt and how does it translate into a monetary amount." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:" }
I want to understand Image Macros
[ "I need somebody to ELI5 that question for me." ]
[ "Can you be more specific as to what you mean by \"effective\"?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit text:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit text:" }
How come westerners are lead to believe that it's very dangerous to eat raw or pink chicken, while raw and pink chicken breast meat is a common dish in Japan, and yet the Japanese doesn't seem to get sick by it?
[ "You have to prepare the meat properly: _URL_0_ > You can prepare chicken in such a way that will kill off disease while leaving the flesh cold and uncooked. In Japan, this is called “toriwasa”. The idea is to cook all the of outward facing meat fibers to kill of disease that may have made contact. Since these dis...
[ "It's safe as long as the fish comes from safe sources. That is to say, it's safe as long as you are eating in a decent place. Raw fish is *not* safe as a concept, at least not safer than cooked fish. Some fishermen in Japan, who eat raw fish in the boat, get diseases from them." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why don't people seeking physician-assisted suicide just overdose on their regularly prescribed pain medication?
[ "I think you're missing the point. Any one can kill themselves any number of ways. The only limit to the number of ways you can off yourself is your imagination. What is up for debate here is whether a person has the right to kill themselves by being assisted by a physician. A physician can give a cocktail of drugs...
[ "Big Pharma pressured/paid doctors to prescribe opiates to people who don't really need them. Opiates are more or less watered down heroin, and are addictive in and of themselves. People prescribed opiates for a long time quickly become addicted, and then start to develop a tolerance. Many stay on painkillers as lo...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
What were the evolutionary benefits (if any) to humans enjoying certain "music" or having some sounds appeal to them.
[ "You're assuming that the enjoyment of music is the purpose of an evolutionary advantageous skill, but it's actually probably just one (of many) applications of an evolutionary advantageous skill. The skill is *pattern recognition*. Early agriculture was made possible by our ability to recognize (seasonal) patterns...
[ "We honestly don't know, but it is culturally universal. Clearly humans feel some connection to it that animals and other biological organisms do not in the same way. Perhaps some could claim it's a form of mate attraction, similar to birds singing or whatever, as it does tend to have that effect, as does many hu...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit post:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit text:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit text about Science:" }
Why the OJ Simpson case was such a big deal?
[ "It was a big deal because it was obvious that he murdered his wife and his wife's friend. Anyone who followed the trial could see that fact clearly. The fact that he was acquitted does not assuage his guilt." ]
[ "No one knows who did it, so they just stopped discussing it. The media can only ride out a mystery for so long, then it's time to move on to the next thing. Edit: Yes, I know there are exceptions such as a certain airplane." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Why the population of Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and China so high compared to other nataions in this world
[ "Rice, rice, baby. Of grains available to the pre-industrial world, rice yields the most calories per acre of land. At the same time, it is labor intensive, and requires more people to farm it. You wind up with a staple that both supports and requires more people, and that leads to a higher population density." ]
[ "Theoretically, a higher population would be enough. In practice, it would be hard. Developed countries tend to have low population growth. Also most of Canada is very cold. Most northern countries (Russia, Sweden, Finland, Mongolia) don't have a high population density." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about World Affairs:" }
Why do most people get nauseous when reading in the car?
[ "It is generally caused by a discrepancy between the motion being reported by your inner ear and the motion observed by your eyes. As the car moves, your inner ear is constantly aware of the movement. Whilst reading, your eyes are mostly seeing a static image, the book. The fact that the two don't add up and give s...
[ "A follow-up question: Why do some people love that feeling while others detest it?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the argument:", "neg": "Represent the argument:" }
does plugging my ears with earplugs do any damage to my ears?
[ "No, soft foam earplugs can cause no damage unless you leave them in for days at a time or somehow manage to stick them in far enough to hit your eardrum. This should be next to impossible though." ]
[ "It is a symptom called tinnitus. It is a 'ringing in the ears' that happens when you experience loud noises. The little hairs that sense sounds in your ear get damaged. When you get tinnitus after a night out, you have done damage to your hearing. Most of that damage will probably heal, but if you keep doing it, y...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Health:" }
why is pointing at something considered rude?
[ "Cultural norms vary, but as I understand it, pointing at \"things\" isn't rude and is often necessary to communicate clearly. However many people consider pointing at another person aggressive (accusatory) and therefore rude if the situation doesn't warrant an aggressive reaction. It may also be considered rude ...
[ "You don't want to look down, that's a sign of submission. You don't want to look left or right, that's a sign of deny. It's also an alternative way to raise your arms." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document about Biology:" }
How does a heat seeking missile work?
[ "First attempt at ELI5. an aircraft engine and fuselage all generate heat. This radiates away from the aircraft in the Infra Red spectrum of light. Humans obviously cannot see this mostly, but IR cameras can. By using some smart tech to determine shape and the front or rear of an aircraft by interpreting an infra r...
[ "There are 3 main ways to \"lock\" on to a target this way for air-to-air targets Radar: Either the missile, or plane, or both, shoot radar out at the other plane, and the missile tracks its target based on radar Infrared (heat): The missile has a camera in it that seeks out heat from the exhaust/engine of the oppo...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
to someone who doesnt live in America BlackFriday? is it really that good?
[ "Black Friday is the way the American population \"kicks off\" their Holiday shopping season. Lots of stores open at Midnight and stay open all day, most if not all stores have really good sales that make staying up that late tempting. It's good in some ways if you are looking for something specific, I have a frien...
[ "a better question would be who thinks it's a good idea to go to times square on NYE at this stage?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
In 2008 oil was "running out" and the price of a barrel of oil sky rocketed. Fast-forward seven years and there's a surplus?
[ "A couple things happened. First, fracking allowed access to oil that was previously economically unviable to extract. But with the high oil prices and refined techniques and equipment, it eventually became viable. With the increase in supply, the price started to drop. OPEC countries were expected to lower their s...
[ "Oil is a traded commodity whose price is determined by how much the speculators think it will be worth in the future. FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) can cause folks to panic in either direction price-wise. After 9-11 the FUD said that there was going to be war in the middle east. War causes scarcity so the specula...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why do retailers purposely damage/break their unsold items before throw it to the garbage? Why don't they donate it instead?
[ "Two part answer: 1. Retailers break things to discourage dumpster diving. If you knew that Best Buy was going to throw out all their electronics, you would see lines behind Best Buys to go through their trash. Obviously, people don't like it when other go through their trash. 2. Donating certain things is just c...
[ "The first thing they do is try to unload the old stuff at a discount. If that doesn't work they'll either sell it to discount retailers or push it all to other markets where it won't compete with new products." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Why does my mechanical watch say not to adjust it between 9pm and 4am?
[ "On a lot of watches, the date pinions start engaging around 9pm and fully disengage around 4am. If you adjust the time or date during that time, you run the risk of damaging the mechanism (such as slipping a few gear teeth)." ]
[ "It’s not so much fatigue as clock watching... such as “oh, it’s already 2am, I’d better get some sleep!” vs. having no idea whether it’s 10pm or 2am." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
why does it take so many writers to write pop music?
[ "Pop music is science not art. It requires architects, not artists. All the pieces have to come together to make it appeal to the most people. Typically, they piece together teams whose members each possess a different expertise, again much like a building is built, to make it \"work.\"" ]
[ "you say random, but can you name the book or author please?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the argument:", "neg": "Represent the argument:" }
How does space-time dilation work?
[ "I forget what redditor explained it this way to me, but this is the best way I can describe it: Think of space and time being orthogonal. That is, they are set perpendicular to one another, like X and Y are on a graph. Taken together, they are space-time. You are always moving through space-time at speed *c* (the ...
[ "I would argue there is no difference if the math works out. Either way that is Newtonian physics, aka old physics. General relativity says gravity is just your path through spacetime. That doesn’t push or pull really." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the comment:", "neg": "Represent the comment about Physics:" }
Why is it an "exclamation POINT" and a "question MARK?"
[ "It *is* [exclamation mark](_URL_1_). Depending on where you live. And the question mark is also known as an [interrogation point](_URL_0_) although that is a less common thing to call it." ]
[ "I would guess it's because, compared to proper typing, caps REALLY GRABS YOUR ATTENTION the same way someone shouting would. It's a \"HEY WHAT I HAVE TO SAY IS IMPORTANT SO PAY ATTENTION\". Shouting works much the same way so they go hand in hand. Just my guess though." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why is the idea of a president "running it like a business" so controversial?
[ "Because government is not a business. Business exists to make a profit for owners or investors, government exists (at least in the US) to protect the rights and interests of the people. These are fundamentally different aims. If the government were to run like a business, it would not be able to fulfill its duties...
[ "There's an awful lot of us who voted for him not because we thought he was so incredibly great, but because he'd be less awful than his opponent. As for why public opinion has soured lately, it's his role in the Snowden affair, mostly." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the post:", "neg": "Represent the post:" }
Why do planes shake when going through clouds?
[ "Usually it's cumuliform (puffy) clouds that do this. While enough moisture in the air will cause clouds to form, any source of lifting will cause these clouds to fluff up. That air movement will, obviously, also effect the airplane and push it around. It's basically the same as turbulence you get in clear air. Th...
[ "I'll actually explain like you're 5 and not just explain it. The air is thinner the higher you go, so the plane can go faster. There are less clouds higher up, so there is less weather. The higher up you go, there is more space for planes. Also, if you get hit during the flight, you can glide the plane for longer....
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why do we find stuff "oddly satisfying?"
[ "Great question. To my knowledge there is no science on oddly satisfying videos and why we find them so enjoyable. However, it probably stems from human's liking symmetry so much. There have been studies where humans find the face that is symmetrical more attractive than the one that is not. A lot of oddly satisfyi...
[ "Creating content other people enjoy? Why are movies a thing? What do the creators get out of it? Why is youtube a thing? What do the creators get out it? Why (was) vine a thing? That's probably the more direct western analogue." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question about Psychology:", "pos": "Represent the document about Psychology:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why it takes so long for NASA to prepare one launch
[ "cuz it's a machine going into fucking space" ]
[ "As far as we know right now, there isn't a way for us to get enough fuel to Mars to be able to fly back." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:" }
The different coloured circles on carton boxes or packaged snacks
[ "Those are all the colors used to print the package. If the graphic don't come out right you can check which circle of color didn't print and replace that cartridge." ]
[ "The main idea behind baggage x-rays is that a bag has to be scanned thoroughly in a short period of time, and that different items are to be scanned. To help with that, they use colours since we are more prone to notice colour difference. The colours vary with density- increasing tends to blue so the dense metals ...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the post:", "neg": "Represent the post:" }
Why are DNS addresses "backwards"?
[ "I don't think this answers your question but if you think about it, street addresses are written \"right to left\" as well. Take Google's HQ address for example: 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States The top level domain in this case is the country, United States, which is at the end of ...
[ "You don't actually \"buy\" anything. You rent it. Much like you rent an apartment. You rent it from the ICANN for a fee. This rental, much like your apartment rental, has a time constraint to it. The root DNS servers get their information from ICANN, so when you type in your browser \"_URL_0_\" your computer goe...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Why do you get extremely hot right before freezing to death?
[ "When you are cold, the blood vessels near the surface of your body constrict, reducing the amount of warm blood exposed to the cold and limiting heat loss. Your body can only keep that up for so long, and when it finally gives up, the warm blood comes rushing back to the skin, giving the illusion of being too hot....
[ "Why do the glands in my neck burn like high hell when I'm holding back tears?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:" }
When we really have to pee, why does walking or moving lessen the need "to go" in the moment?
[ "Needing to urinate is something which can be suppressed by the sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system activity, or becomes more obvious when parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system activity predominates. Exercising shifts the balance towards the sympathetic nervous system." ]
[ "Always making a habit of holding it when you really have to go pee helps the formation of kidney stones in the long run. I wouldn't recommend it. When you have to go, the best thing to do is go." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title about Health:", "pos": "Represent the passage about Health:", "neg": "Represent the passage:" }
What exactly is Effective Demand?
[ "There *was* no mention of a constrained market in Econ 101, because it's a complicated concept; this is why you should ignore everyone who tells you that they know what economic policies we should have because they took Econ 101. Anyway. Suppose that I want buy a smoothie every time I go to work out. My demand for...
[ "Alternative title: \"Explain Like I'm 5 the experience of being 5.\"" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the text:", "neg": "Represent the text:" }
How does externally applied "fat burning" gels work?
[ "This is just a hunch, but they just do not work. The only way to lose fat is to consume less calories than you burn through out the day. So you can eat the same but exercise more, consume less calories and don't exercise any more/less or a combination of eating less calories and exercising more. It really is that ...
[ "Follow-up question: would suppressing your immune system with sleep deprivation and binge drinking improve your symptoms?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit text:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit text:" }
Why does fresh cut grass smell so potent?
[ "Because it's traumatized! Grass (and many plants) release chemicals when they are cut or injured that do a few things. The compounds help speed the healing of the grass by causing them to form new cells and act kind of like an antibiotic to prevent infection. The chemicals (called green leaf volatiles) from some...
[ "It just masks the smell with something even stronger." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the title:", "pos": "Represent the argument:", "neg": "Represent the argument:" }
Why do I see a shadow on the inside of my eye when I push my finger on the outside edge of my eye?
[ "Your finger pushes against your eye and distorts the lens that focuses light on the back of your eye. A small indentation can create a black spot where light doesn't focus, or focuses very poorly. It's similar to how you can have dark spots on the bottom of a pool by distorting the surface." ]
[ "They do it to see the back of the inside of your eye through your pupil. They can determine whether you are at risk for glaucoma, among other things, this way. Edit: the veins you see are on the front of the inside of your eye. You can see them because of the light reflected off the back." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the question:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Why does only one nostril clog up with mucus when I'm sick?
[ "Surprisingly, about 80% of people breathe out of one nostril at a time, alternating about every 2.5 hours. Research the nasal cycle for specifics. The one you are not using clogs when you are sick. Some research indicates that this can throw off the nasal cycle, but it hasn't been proven to my knowledge." ]
[ "It's basically snot. Your eyes are actually connected to your sinuses, so mucus from your nasal cavity can come through your test ducts. Also the reason you get a runny nose when you cry. The eye crust helps clear dirt from your eyes while you sleep. Just keep clearing it away like you do. It's not dissimilar to b...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query about Health:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Health:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Health and Physiology:" }
What actually happens when a computer game crashes?
[ "So, I'm not a game developer but I am a software engineer. When we write software, we build in certain traps for errors that we can handle, called exceptions. For example, if you try to load a file but it can't be found or accessed, the program might handle a FileNotFoundException. In this case, the programmer can...
[ "Well, that depends. We need more information. Which vehicle broke the traffic laws?" ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit question:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit text:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit text:" }
How do sharp angles on a vehicle affect a radars ability to detect it, such as the USS Zumwalt
[ "Imagine each surface is a mirror. And you are a miles away with a really strong flashlight. The angled surfaces reflect your light off to the sides and you won't see your light reflected back at you." ]
[ "Radar can't see through hills. If you are close to the ground, the buildings and hills will mask your position from a radar at the target." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:" }
Why do cameras have a maximum SD card capacity?
[ "Digital cameras basically run an OS much like a computer. If the kernel, or BIOS, was limited to addressing a maximum size of 64 GB on a storage device, that's simply all it can see. I should note that it doesn't mean there's anything nefarious going on, necessarily, it's just a limit of the architecture they're u...
[ "The DSLR likely has a much larger sensor which is more difficult to read that quickly. Also there isn't as much of a call for that much processing power in a DSLR." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the query:", "pos": "Represent the document:", "neg": "Represent the document:" }
Since gender is considered fluid rather than binary, what is the point of sexual reassignment surgery and how is it considered more than cosmetic?
[ "That's assuming that everyone holds the same beliefs about the fluidity of gender. Not everybody who wants sexual reassignment surgery believes that gender is completely fluid. Some feel more masculine than feminine or vice versa, and want their sex to represent that. Others are perfectly okay with living in the m...
[ "This is going to depend on who you ask. To some people, transgender is someone identifies as the opposite sex, lives as the opposite sex, but does not get surgery. Transsexual would be someone who identifies as the opposite sex, lives as the opposite sex, and gets the surgery. A lot of people are moving away from ...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the post:", "pos": "Represent the passage:", "neg": "Represent the passage about LGBTQ+ terminology:" }
How come airlines are able to stream live satellite TV to their entertainment systems, but have trouble providing stable on-board internet access/Wifi?
[ "Beaming TV to the plane is a one way connection. WiFi and Internet require asking for data and waiting for the requested data to arrive, then asking for more. Satellite TV is just a constant stream of data, just show what you get. Missed a packet? Too bad, pick up from the next keyframe. Don't want the data? Turn ...
[ "On a plane set up for a wi-fi connection, it's either through satellites or the good old ground cell network. A satellite connection requires line of sight to a satellite in the network that's orbiting, and up at standard cruising altitudes of common commercial jetliners, that is no problem to obtain. Another opt...
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit title about Technology:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Technology:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit document:" }
Why do TV actors earn residuals upon re-airing for their performances, but recording artists don't earn a dime when their music is played on the radio?
[ "This answer is gonna be totally unsatisfying, but its the answer Because thats just how the business model those industries work. Yes I know, unsatisfying. Here's some details. For actors, they are members of unions, and these unions have negotiated rates and pay like this. The unions are VERY strong and active an...
[ "The music label makes most of the money off a sale of music, with the artist usually getting a percentage, which is negotiated based on how big the artist is. Top 40 musicians make money at concerts and doing endorsement deals in addition to sales of music." ]
eli5_question_answer
{ "query": "Represent the Reddit query about Music:", "pos": "Represent the Reddit comment about Music:", "neg": "Represent the Reddit comment about music industry:" }