query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1 value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Why does corporate technology seem to cost way more than the consumer equivalent? | [
"If you kept your data on a single $75 SATA drive, don't be surprised if it just disappears one day due to a crash. Enterprise level storage arrays are much more expensive. That $23,000 is likely for solid state storage (aka flash) and not SATA. It's in an array that is fault tolerant and probably has software to c... | [
"Making a standard and getting people on it costs money. And there's no profit for doing it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How does a Transistor work and why is it so important? | [
"The easiest way to think of a transistor is like an electronic switch. You can turn off the flow of current by applying a much smaller current to the transistor. So imagine the flow of current in a circuit like cars on the street. The transistor is a stop light. When the light is green, the cars can flow. When 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 Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about Computer Science:"
} |
why does Obama have a high approval rate among foreigners | [
"When people aren't subjected to the day-to-day politics of a particular country, it's easier to see a foreign leader favorably. For instance, Francois Hollande most certainly has a higher approval rating in America than he does in France. His policies wouldn't make for a viable candidate in the United States, but ... | [
"Because American politics have become more aggresive and confrontational, the people on the opposing side are more likely to demonise and hate the sitting president than before. In actual fact his current approval rating (46%) is slightly above average for a president at this point and far above bushes rating (33%... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
- How a bill becomes law | [
"I will let School House Rock handle this one: _URL_0_"
] | [
"It's a big system. It also carries a bit from state to state. Are you interested in the application process? Policy? Logistics?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What is nymphomania and how does one become one. | [
"It can be like a drug addiction because of the chemical reactions that occur in the brain. You just wouldn't develop any type of dependency. However the craving, and desire is just as strong in all addictions."
] | [
"What we consider to be normal behavior or the normalization of behavior is usually very conscious and the result of effort. Remove inhibitions from the equation and personality differences become more exaggerated between individuals and less consistent within a particular individual. Source: My mom is an alcoholic... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about alcohol and behavior:"
} |
What is it about swimming that allows Michael Phelps to win so many medals? Why aren't there similar repeating winners in other sports, such as track and field that has multiple races with various distances? | [
"There are four different types of swimming strokes as well. If there were separate 100m and 200m dashes for regular sprinting, running backwards, crawling on all fours and hopping like a rabbit as well as relays for each type of running you'd eventually see a sprinter win a mountain of gold like Phelps'."
] | [
"The Olympics isn't about what country wins the most medals. That sort of emphasis on quantity overvalues countries with more athletes. The emphasis is on individual events. The medal count is just for fun. Who is to argue that a gold medal in the free skating competition is equivalent to a gold medal in skeleton?"... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How do Kickstarter payments work? What prevents the receiver from just running away with the money? | [
"To my knowledge, nothing stops them. In fact there have been numerous complaints of people never getting what they order off of Kickstarter. It's very much buyer beware."
] | [
"There are a lot more steps involved than you see. From your perspective as a customer, you see the the money leave your account immediately when you make a purchase; but in reality there's a lot of processing that goes on and banks talking to each other and checking with each other before passing the money over. J... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why we get shocked when we lick the top of a 9v Battery | [
"It works because you're completing the circuit, allowing electrons to pass from the positive terminal, through your tongue, to the negative terminal. As far as it being cruel, I've stuck my tongue to a fair share of 9v batts in my time and never felt anything more than a tickle or vibration feeling."
] | [
"If you hook multiple cells together in series where you put positive to negative that increases the voltage but keeps the amperage the same. Three 1.5 volt AAA cells connected in series become a 4.5 volt battery with 1000 mAh. Hooking them in parallel puts their amperage together but keeps the voltage the same. T... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How is NASA 100% sure microbes aren't attached to the rovers and similar probes? When 99.99% sure means we're possibly spreading our alien microbes to other worlds. | [
"They aren't, and in fact, they're quite sure there _are_ microbes. They just get all of them they can."
] | [
"There's nothing stopping it from happening theoretically, but for now, NASA is trying very hard to prevent contaminating Mars with life from earth. Any kind of organisms that could be found on Mars should be studied, and if you just ship a bunch of extremophile bacteria from earth to Mars, you contaminate the pla... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about science:",
"pos": "Represent the document about science:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are our pupils more sensitive than the white around it? | [
"The white part of your eye (called the [sclera](_URL_0_)) is opaque, and is what primarily holds in the [eyeball juice](_URL_1_) that fills up your eyeball. The iris is the muscular stuff that can constrict and change the size of your pupil. Your pupil isn't a structure: it's a hole whose size is changed by the c... | [
"What color is the skin of most of the people who make and utilize those drawings? Theres your answer"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
What's going on in Texas with planned parenthood and medicaid | [
"The government gives money to various programs. One of which is Woman's Health. The Woman's Health program gives 40 million dollar to Texas for Woman's Health clinics. One of the largest Woman's health clinic is Planned Parenthood group which does Pap smears, gynecological exams, and mammograms. Planned Parenthood... | [
"A big fuss over the past few weeks is involving healthcare and reproductive rights. Republican governments in particular have been criticized for campaigning to reduce access to family planning resources, and the recent assult on the ACA isn't helping out here."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What does it mean to say something is post-modern? Does it just mean "meta"? | [
"Not really an explanation, but here's an interesting way to put it: Pre-modern: This is the truth. Modern: We can find the truth. Post-modern: There is no such thing as truth."
] | [
"The question should be *why is existentialism*. I'll show myself out."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is Aum Shinrikyo? What do they believe/work towards? | [
"They were a sort of Buddhist doomsday cult who were led by a man named Shoko Asahara, a spiritualist and a con man. They were responsible for the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system in the late 1990s. I don't think they exist under that name anymore, I seem to remember reading about them rebranding themsel... | [
"They want to establish an Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. That's what ISIS stands for."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Differences between copyright, trademark and patent. | [
"Copyright is automatic, and protects all original artistic works, including photography, visual arts, film, music and writing. Another person cannot use your work without your express permission. Trademarks are specific business identifiers, and cannot be used by others to make it look like they are associated w... | [
"Trademarks only cover uses that you can show could cause confusion to a consumer. So you can have Apple Computers and Apple Apple Company, and neither is infringing on the others' trademark."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why do babies and young children add -ey sounds to the end of words (ex: Doggy, eggy ducky)? | [
"I think it's just mimicry of adults talking to them that way."
] | [
"One way is to say it slowly. If the sound is in both syllables, or crosses the syllable, it's probably a double letter. \"Bunny\" is \"bun ny\". \"Letter\" is \"let ter\". \"slowly\" is \"slow ly\". \"Syllable\" is \"syl la ble\". It's not a perfect rule, but every rule in spelling has exceptions."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
What is happening when we suddenly forget something, then go back to a previous activity and remember it? | [
"Memory is heavily rooted in context, like the room or environment in which a memory is made. This is called the Encoding Specificity Principle. When you are going about your life trying to accomplish some goal you will occasionally forget what exactly it was that you were trying to do, however it is important to n... | [
"It is stored into our long term memory. The tune of the song triggers that memory/path in the brain and it recalls it. It's like when someone asks you a question and you have no idea, but they prompt you with a small detail and suddenly you remember everything about it, like you just learned it. Something trigger... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How far does a speaker move in and out when it vibrates? And do the air molecules next to it move the exact same distance? | [
"This parameter in speaker design is called XMAX and can be in excess of 2\" peak to peak for subwoofers designed to produce high sound pressure levels. Source: worked in mobile audio retail for a number of years."
] | [
"Sound travels faster when it's cold because being cold is a result of the atoms moving less than when it's hot. Therefore cold air is denser, and sound travels faster in denser objects. This is because sound is just a chain reaction of molecules bumping into each other, and the speed in which that \"wave\" travels... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text about Physics:"
} |
Why can other animals eat raw meat from a corpse but humans cannot? | [
"We can! The danger comes form they way the meat is prepared before it is given to us. America is notorious for poor regulation of sanitation standards for butchers and farmers. In America it is just safer to assume your meat was poorly handled and contaminated, because it most likely was/is."
] | [
"We can, and many in fact do. And contrary to popular belief, humans are no more likely to get sick or get parasites from raw meat than any other animal that eats raw meat is. edit: doesn't mean that this is 100% safe, just means more animals than people realize get parasites and/or get sick. That said, i eat raw ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Relativity (also difference between general and special) as well as string theory | [
"Special relativity: The speed of light is the same in all reference frames. You can't accelerate to the speed of light. You can't travel at the speed of light unless you're massless, in which case you must travel at the speed of light. Time passes differently in different rest frames. General relativity: As above,... | [
"It is usually not that they suddenly discovered \"new\" math, but rather that they used mathematics (universal law) to prove a concept (in your example, special relativity)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
If weight gain/loss is as simple as energy in versus energy out, how do some competitive eaters remain slender? | [
"They are not eating contest level calorie numbers as part of their normal diet. When they train they eat lots of low calorie high volume foods like cabbage and lettuce and drink a lot of water to stretch their stomachs and only eat the contest meals a few times in training for the competition. The occasional massi... | [
"It doesn't turn into fat. Muscle is made of proteins and fat is made of fats. Protein will not just magically turn to fat. This is one of those things that for some reason people in their 40's and 50's seem to believe along with many other nonsensical things. I believe that this myth stems from the fact that if yo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why is there sometimes a slightly enjoyable "shiver" after urinating? | [
"Well, I don't know if I'm doing this right, but since I've wondered myself, here's what I found so far: > According to Sheth, our parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for “rest-and-digest” functions) lowers the body’s blood pressure “to initiate urination.” One leading theory behind the shudder is that pee... | [
"Related question: why does it feel so GOOD to crack a joint? There's like a palpable relief sensation, what causes that?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How does motion interpolation work? | [
"There's a million approaches to interpolation. One is: have a good algorithm to find consistent \"control points\" on the image. Corners on places of high contrast, etc. Notice how those control points move between frame 0 and frame 2. Calculate a new intermediate frame by taking the average of (frame 0 warped to ... | [
"4k on YouTube is a higher bitrate than 1080p. That's where the extra \"quality\" comes from. There is no extra resolution, of course. Part of it may also be the placebo effect."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why do we know very little about sleep/dreams? | [
"Dreams are entirely subjective, usually with no outward signs to gather info from. We've only (relatively) recently started creating machines that can read our brains to help us learn more about mental processes. To contrast, we've had thousands of years to study the rest of our bodies."
] | [
"Maybe because we know so little about it and even less about how to deal with those with mental illness."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Psychology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Psychology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are metals with low melting points (eg mercury and lead) more poisons or harmful? | [
"They're unrelated. Gallium, indium, bismuth, sodium, potassium, rubidium and caesium are all metals with low melting points that aren't particularly toxic. Gallium melts slightly above room temperature. You could have it melt into a puddle in your hand and suffer no ill effects. Indium is a soft metal that melts ... | [
"A metal is generally a material that is hard, usually shiny, and can be shaped. It can either be an element or a mixture of elements. A metal that's made up of a mixture is called an alloy. Steel for example, is a mixture of iron and carbon. Bronze is a mixture of copper and tin. The rare earth metals are a speci... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
In purely practical terms, what is life like for illegal immigrants in developed western countries? Can they drive? Get married? Have children legally? Get healthcare? Get a job? | [
"I've worked in construction in Toronto for 12 years alongside illegal immigrants from all over the world. Typically there will be an ambitious worker that will take the lead and find a way to get a driver license, SIN or a business number, and start to get work contacts and hire other workers. Those people tend to... | [
"Many countries have immigration laws that forbid this. If you violate those laws, the police can deport you. Also, being an illegal alien makes it difficult to get a job or do any other sort of business in that country. In order to enter some countries, you also have to prove you have plans to leave, like a return... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why are sites such as Netflix and Youtube able to stream high definition video on relatively slow internet, while other sites struggle to stream that same quality of video on even the best internet? | [
"Compression is a wonderful thing. When you go to Netflix or YouTube, you aren't actually streaming 1080p or 720p. The feed you're getting is highly compressed, and your computer then renders and upscales it once you've received it."
] | [
"In the general sense there's no difference: you're just uploading data to a server. But the actual difference comes from the encoding of the video, which in case of streaming is usually done on lower resolution/bitrate to accommodate the usually slow-ish upload speed. If it takes you three hours to upload under on... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do we attribute some quotes to characters, while others to the author? | [
"The difference lies in whether or not the quote is representative of the ideals and opinions of the author. Is it something the character just says, or something the character believes (but the author doesn't, necessarily), or is it something the character said because the author was deliberately using them as a v... | [
"I'm new to this, are we allowed to discuss the intent or narrative of the author and the context in which this was written even if it's within the last 20 years?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment about Literature:"
} |
What are the concepts of intrinsic value and instrumental value in philosophy? | [
"Say the only thing want in the world right now is some chocolate. That has intrinsic value, it's all you currently value. But there's a second class of things you value, things that allow you to get chocolate. So in this situation money would have instrumental value, because it allows you to buy chocolate. So you ... | [
"In general it is the belief that there is no inherent purpose or value in existence."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What is my cat doing when it's looking at nothing? | [
"Perhaps you have mice or insects in the walls and your cat can hear them?"
] | [
"Why do you stare at your dog when it's taking a shit?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Animal behavior:"
} |
Why do a lot of companies develop apps for iOS first, when Android holds 70% of the 'Smart' Market? (inspired by the new Reddit iOS app) | [
"For many reasons, but the most obvious commercial reason is this: iOS users consistently spend more money buying apps, and buying in-app purchases, than Android users. Even though there are more Android users than iOS users, they spend less money."
] | [
"Reddit is partnered with 'Alien Blue - The most popular reddit browsing app by downloads and use' and may have even bought them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
What are the advantages of using a Bullpup-Style rifle over a conventional one? | [
"Bullpup rifles provide barrel length of longer rifles(M-16), but overall length closer to carbines (M-4). The barrel length helps increase bullet energy and long range accuracy, while the shorter overall length makes it more manageable, especially in close-quarter fighting."
] | [
"This is actually different from country to country, as specific laws can vary as to how guns are classified. Here is a broad set of guidelines, though: * Rifle: Gun with a shoulder stock firing a full-power rifle caliber round * Assault Rifle: Gun with a shoulder stock firing an intermediate-power rifle caliber ro... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why is the movie Frozen seen as a metaphor for homosexuality? | [
"Elsa has a condition that is shameful, and that her parents want her to hide and never let anyone else see. If they could cure it, they would, but they can't. Elsa suppresses her feelings and lives a sad, unfulfilled life hoping that no one figures out the truth about her. When people do find out, they react poorl... | [
"I believe the most widespread theory is that is just simply more culturally accepted for women to engage in homosexual behavior"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why do months have different number of days? | [
"Does anyone here also use their knuckles to check the months with more and less days?"
] | [
"Why is election on weekdays instead of weekends?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How the spread on sports teams works when betting? | [
"Team A is playing Team B. If the spread is Team A plus 3.5 then If Team B wins by 3 or less the bettor wins. If Team B wins 4 or more, the house wins. No tie bets, regardless of the rules of the sport."
] | [
"Bookies make their money on the vig. You bet 110 in hopes of winning 200. No matter what happens the bookie gets to keep the $10 If the bets come out disproportionately on one side, the bookie will \"lay off\" the risk by placing a bet with another bookie to offset the bets he's covering. For example bookie is hol... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
why did animals grow larger in the past? Is this because of human development? It seems like sharks, birds, turtles, snakes, etc. used to be a lot bigger | [
"We are a short period (relatively) since the last mass extinction event. Small animals flourished because of the conditions and have been evolving since. Some of the largest animals you see now are survivors of that mass extinction. There just hasn't been enough time passed to let evolution take it's course and al... | [
"Because there are no large predators like the T-Rex around anymore. Throw in the humans are much smarter. If we were to ever encounter such an animal, even though we would be like bit size doggy-bags of blood, flesh and deliciousness, we would find a way to kill it. It's happened with almost every other predator ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about biology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about biology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are products in airports priced so abnormally high when compared to other businesses? | [
"Because they have a monopoly. Once you're past security, you can't leave to shop at their competition. You have to pay their prices or do without."
] | [
"Wal-Mart is notorious for selling lower quality versions of similar products at other stores. They have other angles, but above all, keep an eye on the quality at Wal-Mart, it is noticeably less than other stores."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why do the pupils in our eyes dilate when we see someone that we are attracted to? | [
"recent graduate from an optometry school in texas.. this is tied into the sympathetic nervous system if you know anything about \"fight or flight\" thats this system. An increase in the sympathetic nervous response results in pupil dilation to allow us to take in more visual stimuli if your life was really in dang... | [
"Mirror neurons? The same reason happy movies make us happy, and the same reason we are more likely to yawn when we see others yawn, or feel sad when we see others cry. We empathize with the characters in horror movies."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
why does one get heartburn after eating specific food? | [
"From what I understand, each body, while very similar, contains moderately different ratios of stomach acid. Some things offset certain balances resulting in heart burn."
] | [
"Your teacher is an idiot. Talk to a doctor about the best way to beat a type of cancer. That being said, a diet high in vegetables and low in red meat would lower your chances of getting cancer in the first place."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do companies put so much value into the price of their stock on the secondary market? | [
"A few reasons. 1. They have a legal duty to do their best to deliver a positive return for investors. 2. Issuing more stock to the market is a good way to raise capital. For that to work, you have to have a high stock price at the point at which you sell your stock. 3. Many companies' executives are paid, in part ... | [
"It's decided by what people are willing to pay for it on the international market."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How do soda companies get the soda in the can and make the poppable tin tab, without letting the soda go flat? | [
"The top of the can with the tab is all one premade piece, and the can is another. The soda is poured into the can, then a machine \"folds\" the edges of the can and the top together."
] | [
"That's actually a large part of it. Aluminum cans are sealed with plastic on the inside to keep the soda from dissolving the metal, but glass doesn't need to be sealed. The sealant in aluminum cans leaches a tiny bit into the soda (because the carbon dioxide and other compounds in the soda just work that way), but... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about Science:"
} |
Why do some memories get stronger with repeated thinking and some weaker? | [
"I'd say state of mind. Why else would dreams be so vivid and 20 minutes later no recollection of what the hell happened."
] | [
"Because you are remembering the last time you filled out that paperwork and how it reminded you of that particular event. Memories are always being rewritten and reshaped. Most of the time when you think of a memory, you aren't really remembering the original memory, but instead remembering the last time you remem... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why aren't leaves the same color as solar panels? | [
"Of course chlorophyll is the obvious answer, because it reflects green light rather than absorbing it. But the next question is \"why isn't chlorophyll black?\" Some say it's because the plants would absorb too much heat that way, but that might not be true for all or even most plants. The answer may be because pl... | [
"It's not air pollution. It has to do with the way light refracts on particles in our atmosphere."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why would anyone pay money to subscribe to someones stream on Twitch when it's already streaming for free? | [
"Because Viewers know that Twitch Streams are not free. Someone, somewhere, is creating the content and spending time doing so. If they never have any payment for doing so then they will stop doing it. This could be because they are annoyed at not getting paid or because they simply cannot carry on doing whatever i... | [
"There is someone streaming a video game, and ads are occasionally shown. Twitch takes a cut and the streamer gets some money. The tournaments are not set up by twitch. Watching is fun for some people. Streaming from a DS is a pain, but not impossible. I however don't know the specifics. To stream on twitch you don... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
How would China devaluing its currency affect dollar denominated debt? | [
"China devaluing their currency would have the benefit of reducing the world market prices for their exports, boosting economic growth, but will make foreign currency denominated debt more expensive to service, since firms (and individuals?) will need to spend more RMB to buy the same amount of (for example) dollar... | [
"Other countries can't control the value of USD. If they have USD debt and the value of the dollar rises against their local currency, their debt gets bigger. Many emerging markets are having this issue right now. They took out a bunch of USD loans in the aftermath of the 2008 crash, and now that debt is getting ha... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
How a website like craigslist still exists after there have been many murders related to it? | [
"Even more murders have been related to the telephone, and yet those are still around. Just because there's a very small subset of people who misuse something, that doesn't mean that the whole needs to be shut down."
] | [
"Generally, it is not legal. There are two reasons people get away with it: 1. The cops aren't patrolling Craigslist, so they get away with it because nobody knows it went on. Although, more and more cops are starting to use Craigslist to hunt down Prostitutes and Johns, so this is becoming less frequent. 2. The co... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
I bought a tabletop weighing scale. Why there is this sign written on it? "Not for commercial use" | [
"because there are different (more strict) standards for calibration on commercial scales. these would be scales used for deli/grocery checkouts and stuff. so that consumers don't get ripped off. _URL_0_"
] | [
"My money would be a faulty scale. Did you try weighing your suitcase on a different scale?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why console gamers and pc gamers cant play together in matchmaking? | [
"Simply, the console players would get crushed. The amount of finite control a mouse+keyboard offers over a controller is pretty apparent."
] | [
"3 Main reasons: 1. It takes a lot of extra processing power to generate the split screen aspect. 2. Its development work they would rather put towards their more lucrative multiplayer (usually with microtransactions) 3. they sell more copies of the games to groups of friends who want to play it. Now all of those a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How come we don't make Italian Holocaust/Nazi Jokes? | [
"Because when the war turned against them, they overthrew their fascist government and switched sides. Mussolini is not given a free pass. The man is often listed among other monsters of history. But in the popular consciousness, the Italian people redeemed themselves, so they didn't bear the same guilt as the Germ... | [
"It wouldn't be African-American if they're in Jamaica..."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do viruses kill living things, if they need a living host to continue to exist? | [
"Accidentally. Often, it doesn't actually end up killing enough hosts as to prevent the spread of the disease, which is what makes them continue to exist. For example, if it made a person explode violently into billions of tiny airborne particles which would then be easily inhaled by other people, and it lay dorman... | [
"Other than the fact that they can both make you ill they are completely different things. A bacterium is a microscopic single celled living organism that reproduces by binary fission (splitting itself in half). It can make you sick either by producing a toxin or reproducing to the point where it starts to crowd ou... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why do I function less when I get more hours of sleep than usual? | [
"There are two main factors at play here: 1) Your body likes consistency. If it's used to getting 6 hours of sleep, it expects to get 6 hours of sleep that night, and will regulate its daily hormonal cycle accordingly. Messing with that in any way, even if it provides more rest, will make your body confused and str... | [
"If you're not tired, and you feel refreshed when you wake up, you are probably OK. Not everyone needs the same amount of sleep."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Health:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence about Health:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence about Health:"
} |
Why MLB parks are different lengths and yet, baseball tries so hard to keep even and accurate statistics with Homeruns | [
"/u/upvoter222 makes good points, but to add a bit on that: A smaller ballpark does not necessarily mean the odds of hitting home runs is greater. For example, Coors Field is actually pretty average regarding dimensions (with an insane 415 feet to straight-away center), yet it's largely a hitter's playground. This ... | [
"Well, the quote is talking about the importance of pitching versus the importance of hitting. If you look at a plot of average runs scored per game for the entire season (2,430 games are played in a MLB season, so you can get a really good sample), you'll find that the number has dropped significantly compared to ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Sports:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Sports:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How can congress sneak CISA into the NASA bill? | [
"Congress makes its own rules. There are very few rules for Congress in the Constitution. The rest they write themselves. They can even ignore rules they write if no one in Congress objects."
] | [
"Its a bill spending all the money on the military this year. Because no one wants to be the guy voting against the troops, its a good place too add controversial amendments. One would allow U.S. citizens accused of terrorism to be held forever by the military. (more complicated but you wanted tldr)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do conspiracy theorists often claim that there is significance to words/phrases being spelled/played in reverse? | [
"Conspiracy theorists, almost by definition, find patterns in things that are not patterns, or logic in things that are not logical."
] | [
"I'm not a sign language speaker, but the guy I'm researching for is and we've talked at length about it. The biggest thing to note is that sign language bares little resemblance to spoken language, and it's not as simple as it seems. Context, body language, mouthing the words all contribute too. Became of this I ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do you feel full faster if you eat slower? | [
"It takes some time for the chemicals responsible for fullness to be released and move from the stomach to the brain. When you eat slowly, these chemicals are released gradually and so your brain's levels of them rise gently. When you eat quickly, you suddenly shift from no fullness to tons of fullness, but it's de... | [
"What's the point in eating if I just poop most of it?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
If you pour water in front of a light, how does it have a shadow if it's clear? | [
"It's not completely clear, if it were you wouldn't be able to see it. So the part that is deflecting light and hitting your eye allowing you to see it also blocks/absorbs the light and creates a shadow"
] | [
"All things reflect back light. Even rocks, like the moon. Mirrors are so smooth the light comes back in the exact same way it went to the mirror. It's light coming from things to our eyes that let's us see them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about Physics:"
} |
Why do people feel the urge to shake their leg, jiggle their foot, etc.? | [
"Muscle contraction is the only way to squeeze blood back up from the lower legs. When sitting still, contracting the calf muscles allows the blood to be squeezed up and avoids pooling."
] | [
"It's a learned behavior. The dog associates the good feeling of scratching an itch with making the scratching motion with its leg. When you're hitting the spot, that triggers the dog's learned behavior, so it starts waving its leg around as if it were scratching an itch, kind of like how you might start twitching/... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is the difference between shower gel and body wash? | [
"The primary difference between the two is texture, Gels are firmer and more gel like while body wash is more like liquid soap. Gels also often have more fragrance and \"go farther\""
] | [
"Shampoo usually contains chems to soften hair fibres. So using a soap would not give same results. Body, hand and face soap are more or less the same, main difference being their smell and container."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Science:"
} |
Why don't "large", sluggish animals like Crane Flies and naked snails have more enemies? | [
"Slugs, at least, are eaten by a wide varity of species of all types and classes. However, like many prey species, slugs have evolved to produce huge numbers of offspring--and for slugs in particular, being hermaphrodites means both halves of a mating pair can and will bear young. I believe the average litter (if t... | [
"(Looks like the previous two commenters are shadowbanned... sucks to be them!) Crabs are detrivores, near the bottom of the food chain. Crabs will even eat other crabs. Only the aggressive crabs who are willing to defend themselves survive."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How can game programming be so amazing? | [
"> it can't be a bunch of \"if\" and \"elses\", Actually, yes kind of is. Modern languages have ways to allow you to write a lot of machine code in fewer hand-written lines of code, but essentially it all gets converted back into a set of instructions which all basically get and set register values, test comparis... | [
"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 query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does a computer trash can work ? | [
"The Trash Can/Recycle Bin works like another folder until you empty it. When emptied, the computer will make the space on the hard drive taken up by the file be able to be overwritten. The file will stay there until the computer writes something over it. You can secure delete the trash on Mac, which means the comp... | [
"Are you asking how a wheel works ?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
cars like VW Beetle proved that a motor can be refrigerated by air. Why this kind of design never succeeded to be the most popular and water/liquid refrigerated won? | [
"Just because somethings possible doesn't mean it's a good idea. Liquid coolants have a *much* higher heat capacity, and so can absorb much higher amounts of heat from the engine. This is good, because the engine generally runs more efficiently as it's operating temperature increases, but this necessitates a better... | [
"An engine is basically an air pump that converts fuel into useful work (power over time). That work can be transfered to a vehicle (car engine) or used to generate electricity (back up generator), or power some system of machines to get a useful output (think of a factory). The limits are basically only one's imag... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why is pink considered a 'girly' color? | [
"It actually used to be seen as a very masculine colour, before the 20th century. The idea was that it was a shade of red, and red is a strong colour, representing passion, blood, and other such things."
] | [
"It originated in France. It might interest you to know that up until around the 1940's, pink was a *boy's* color, and blue the girl's color. It gradually switched in response to French tradition."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How the women's only screening of Wonder Women is affected by antidiscrimination laws | [
"Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination by employers \"on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.\" However, Title II of the same act prohibits discrimination \"based on race, color, religion, or national origin in hotels, motels, restaurants, **theaters,** and all o... | [
"It shows that they disapprove of the way they've been treated by the reddit administrators. Kind of like sit-ins during the civil right's movement."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How can there be any HD videos of WW2, when there wasn't any HD cameras back then? | [
"\"HD\", today refers to a digital image that is 1920 pixel wide x 1080 pixels high - this is about a 2MP image. Video from WWII is shot on real analog film - silver halide crystals on film. Analog film does have a \"theoretical max resolution\" that it can be scanned at, and compared to today's HD picture it's ver... | [
"I think you're a tad confused. Eons ago (2007ish) not many people had cameras that could make high definition video, or internet that could upload high definition video in a convenient amount of time. The quality doesn't deteriorate at all, it was just poor to begin with because of the nature of video sharing way ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
How does a Frisbee fly? | [
"Bernoulli's principle - Lower air pressure above the Frisbee gives it lift and allows it to stay up. The angle at which its thrown, spin and wind all ad to its direction."
] | [
"Are you asking how a wheel works ?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why do dogs drink out of the toilet, even though you give them fresh water? | [
"As far as the dog's concerned, a source of water is a source of water. All he'll care about is that there's always water there, it's clean (by the dog's standards) and at a convenient head height for drinking. Dogs are also creatures of habit and will keep going back to the same places for food and water just beca... | [
"Clearly because you are a dog. Really tho...\"Most people like to drink water that is very cold. In the bathroom, the water is often very cold because the person getting a drink first uses the water closet (toilet) and flushes. This starts the flow of cold water. Then they wash their hands, which continues to flow... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What's preventing us from completely abandoning paper money going 100% cards or credits like in Science fiction? | [
"Because not everyone is on a card and we would need a system that gives away free banking for everyone to be on a card and then we would need a free system to allowing people to trade between each other. Other wise there would be a lot of people and children who would have no way of having money and would make lif... | [
"If by \"cashless society\", do you mean to only rely on electronic transfer of funds or do you mean going back to a barter system?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why must government prohibit recreational drug use? | [
"Have you ever lived next to a meth user? I rest my case."
] | [
"Welcome to the one of the strongest arguments against the prohibition of firearms."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
There are, for example, 50 clouds with rain in them at the sky. What makes them all release the rain exactly at the same time? | [
"Clouds are so large that generally one cloud covers the immediate vicinity around you. So it appears that rain starts and stops simultaneously in all directions from the perspective of a person on the ground. But if you look at a rainstorm from an airplane, you can often see pockets of rain and non-rain across a f... | [
"It would not stay pointing in any given direction, the same at the north pole."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Meteorology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about Meteorology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
On the back of my dove deodorant, it says to ask a doctor before use if I have kidney disease. How is deodorant correlated with kidney disease?? | [
"Deoderants and Antiperspirants contain aluminium. Aluminium is abosrbed by the skin and enters the blood, in healthy people, the level of aluminium found in Antiperspirants is safe as it is rapidly removed from your body via the kidneys in urine. But in people who have kidney problems, aluminium can accumulate in ... | [
"In some cases, it's because the undiluted product is dangerously strong and can cause damage to the area if it's not mixed properly. Tacrolimus, used topically at 0.1% or 0.03% on psoriasis and ecsema, can also affect the way the body fights infection since it's an immunosuppressant also given orally after organ t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do so many people in america have peanut allergies where as in here in the uk barely anyone does? | [
"_URL_0_ The UK is one of the top three countries in the world for the highest incident of allergy (The Allergenic Invasion, 1999)"
] | [
"Some off topic thing: I know at least two small kids that are very picky eaters and won't eat anything other than a couple of things. One of those kids even landed in the hospital because she would not eat anything for several days and became very weak and frail. How can a human actually be this kind of picky eate... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How does HD Radio work, and what makes it clearer than non-HD FM radio? | [
"HD radio uses the same type of radio waves as normal radio but the information is digital instead of analog. Analog audio can get warped and distorted as it travels over the air due to interference. Digital audio doesn't have the same problems. A digital receiver only has to tell if the signal is a 1 or a 0 at an... | [
"AM has poorer sound quality compared with FM, but is cheaper and can be transmitted over long distances. It has a lower bandwidth so it can have more stations available in any frequency range. FM is less prone to interference than AM. However, FM signals are impacted by physical barriers. FM has better sound quali... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why are planets spherical, is it possible for planets to be Halo or flat edged? | [
"The reason planets appear spherical is because gravity compresses the planet into a shape that most evenly distributes the gravitational force among the planet's mass."
] | [
"Gravity pulls you toward the center of mass. So near the edges and corners, gravity would be pulling you at a non-right angle to the surface. Earth wouldn't stay that way for long, though, geologically speaking. The gravitational forces would pull it into a sphere. That's why all planets are spherical."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why do your ears and nose slowly and continuously grow throughout your life? | [
"Because while bone growth stops in early adulthood, cartilage growth doesn't. Your ears and nose are mostly cartilaginous, so they continue to grow as you age. In addition, aging skin loses elasticity and underlying fat pads, making it sag more and the cartilage more prominent."
] | [
"A lot of nerves in your ear canal link to most of your body. Tickling them makes your blood pressure drop and thus leads to pleasure. At least that's what I read. Correct me if I'm wrong."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer about Health and wellness:"
} |
Why cars like Toyotas cant look like Lamborghinis | [
"I believe body types are copyrighted or trademarked, so you can't just throw a lamborghini body on. Also, the frame of the car would have to change, which means you'd be changing the seating, the engine mount, etc - and since the size of the space under the hood isn't the same, you'd be redesigning the engine also... | [
"Because companies will always make more money selling many mid-range cars than they will selling a few high-end luxury cars. Volkswagen's profits are many times that of Bentley or Lamborghini."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is it that even when I'm close to my router, i never have wifi speeds close to what I'm paying for on my internet plan? | [
"A common point of confusion for people when talking about internet speeds is that they are usually quoted in \"bits\" while the computer measures in \"bytes\". A bit is a single unit of binary information which is either a zero or a one. A byte is a standard functional unit of information composed of eight bits. A... | [
"They can, My in-laws don't have internet in their house, they just have a hotspot device that they turn on and off when they need internet. But generally, wi-fi is faster and more reliable than cellular data. Even 4G LTE is not as fast as AC internet speeds."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Internet speed and service:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Internet speed and service:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
why didn't Bruce Jenner go to jail after the fatal car crash | [
"The investigation determined that it was an accident, not a criminal act. Sometimes shit just happens when people drive cars."
] | [
"OJ was a star football player in college, and in the professional league. So a lot of people liked him from that era. He was a so-so actor post sports. The thing was, this was the first time a trial happened live. The whole country watched the OJ police chase on TV. Every part of that trial was a media circus. S... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why does medical research need so much of donated money when pharmaceutical companies are super rich and can afford to do the research themselves? | [
"Pharmaceutical companies make drugs. They do not invent new surgical techniques, new equipment or new courses of treatment. Even in situations where the solution turns out to be different drugs, the reason pharmaceutical companies are super-rich in the first place is that they spend their money on those avenues be... | [
"Vast amounts of it go to profit to drug and pharma companies, who then put a lot of it into research into new drugs and medications (and other medical research). No other country can do medical and bio-chem research on even the same level of the US, hell they might as well give up they are so far behind. It is so ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Are there gradual forms of depression or is it purely binary? | [
"As someone who is very depressed, it's gradual. Never binary. You have good days, you have bad days."
] | [
"The same way a successful human can come down with cancer or heart-disease. The brain is physical; depression is a physical condition. It is better to think of it as brain disease rather than a problem of attitude and outlook."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How did popcorn become associated exclusively with watching movies? | [
"From the Smithsonian magazine: [Why Do We Eat Popcorn at the Movies?](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How were the transatlantic network cables put in place? | [
"With a really big cable laying ship. There's no need for weighing them down. The cables are quite heavy by themselves. If a cable breaks a specialty cable laying an maintenance ship goes out, finds the break, brings up the cable, and repairs it or splices in a new cable section."
] | [
"There are lots of physical telephone cables under the Atlantic and elsewhere. These trace their history back to underwater telegraph cables that were laid in Victorian times. [Map of Atlantic cables 1858](_URL_0_) The British Empire worldwide was similarly connected in this era. More recently (post WW2) saw the de... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Technology:"
} |
The difference between "Damnit", "Dammit", and "Damn it" | [
"\"Damn it\" is the proper spelling. \"Dammit\" is a colloquialism, showing how people tend to pronounce it as if it were one word. \"Damnit\" is a compromise between the two. I've rarely seen it spelled this way. Aside from that, they all have the same meaning."
] | [
"It doesn't mean anything. It's like \"Rama Lama Ding-Dong\" or \"Give Peace a Chance.\" --Homer Simpson"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
When did lobsters become a hot food commodity for the wealthy when it used to be fed to slaves and servants? | [
"From what I understand, they used to be so plentiful that they could be gathered from the shore. When they had to start actually fishing for them their value increased because of the cost of traps, boats, and time."
] | [
"It's actually pretty common to eat horse meat in most places. In most of Europe and Asia, for one, you can find horse meat in supermarkets along with beef or pork. It seems to be a mostly American taboo stemming from the fact that horses were seen as companions rather than livestock, kind of like cats or dogs, a c... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Last night I had a deep logical conversation with a character in my dream. How is this possible? | [
"Why would you presume it to be not possible? You are, presumably, capable of logic, and the 'you' and 'character' in your dream are manifested by you, so they are presumably capable of logic as well. The only means to measure the grasp of the logic is your own experience, so even if you have a poor grasp of logic,... | [
"As someone who has to explain on a regular basis that \"that noise I just made was involuntary\" I am extremely interested in the answer of this question."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Can I just fill up potholes? | [
"You can, but generally you are breaking a law. Or at least an ordinance. Plus, your patch *sucks* and will form another pothole shortly. DIY asphalt patching simply isn't capable of standing up to the sort of abuse that road get -- unless the person doing it themselves is a professional with professional-grade equ... | [
"Is there a company name printed on the side of the truck? If yes, review info online. If no, enjoy trichinosis!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is it when counting numbers teen comes after the number but every other number after that the number comes at the end ? | [
"The suffix [-teen](_URL_0_) originally meant \"ten more than\". So thirteen is 'ten more than three', fourteen is 'ten more than four', and so on."
] | [
"In English (at least American English) unless you have a bunch of zeros in a row you almost always say \"O\" for every single number, not just time."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Isn't being a Nazi and being an American a conflict of interest? Didn't America fight against Nazis in WWII? Why are Nazis allowed to exist in America today if they weren't allowed here during WWII? | [
"In America we have very strong free speech laws which means that you can say whatever you want as long as you are not directly threatening someone. You can not ban a political opinion just because it it is deplorable, even if the whole country is against it. We fought Saddam Hussein too, it is not illigal to suppo... | [
"Every state has Confederate apologists in it. It's the modern way to fly the Nazi flag without flying the Nazi flag. The Confederate flag, whatever it may have once represented, is now the flag of American White Supremacists, de facto Nazis, and other far right-wing extremists like the Bundy family, whose patron, ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about History:"
} |
Why does sitting in a car or on a plane for over an hour without standing up put you at risk for blood clots, but laying in a bed for 8+ hours a night is perfectly okay? | [
"Laying in a bed for 16+ hours a day will put you at risk for blood clots, along with numerous other maladies like bed sores. Big problem for patients that are confined to beds for extended periods. It's just a matter of how long you're sitting around."
] | [
"Good posture generally uses muscles to hold you in a certain position, requiring effort. Slouching basically means relaxing these muscles and letting the weight of your body rest on ligaments and joints. It’s always easier to not put in effort. Also, slouching is only really bad if you do it for a long time with ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why doesn't AAA kill all their useless perks and just make membership cheaper? | [
"Those discount deals don't cost AAA anything. In fact, they probably get paid by the partner companies: it's marketing (advertising) for the companies. AAA is essentially selling their customer list, and advertising directly to them. And of course, AAA gets a benefit as well, since their members feel they are gett... | [
"You're charged for convenience. They still make a ton of money so the only reason they would lower the cost is if they could make more."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
When astronauts are in space and they use trusters what are they trusting against to move forward? | [
"Thrusters don't work by thrusting \"against\" anything. They work based on the conservation of momentum. When you throw something in one direction, what remains has to move in the opposite direction for the momentum of the entire system to remain the same. Imagine standing on a skating rink wearing ice skates and ... | [
"A satellite is an object that is orbiting around something else. A spacecraft is an object that is designed to fly in outer space. As for manoeuvring in space, they can use thrusters or reaction wheels. If you want to learn more about space flight, play Kerbal Space Program"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
why does an analog clock's second hand continue to move, but stay in the same position, when the batteries are low? | [
"It's not a feature, it's that the second hand requires a certain amount of force to be moved. If the motor running the clockwork doesn't have enough power to move the second hand all the way, it just keeps chugging ticking half seconds and falling back to its initial spot. The reason it doesn't stop entirely is b... | [
"If you take a basic wall clock and watch the minute hand, it moves very slowly, doing one rotation every 60 minutes. However, if you take a camera, and leave it to take a picture of the clock every hour, and watch those pictures like a movie, you'll think it doesn't move at all. Now take that camera and make it ta... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Magnetism allows objects to affect the velocity of other objects (pulling or repelling them). Where does the energy that creates that force exactly come from, since energy can't be created nor destroyed? | [
"In order to move the magnet and the thing it's pulling on to a place where they'll interact, you have to do work *against the magnetic field*. If you put a bowling ball on top of a step ladder, you're doing work against the gravitational field. When the bowling ball rolls off and squashes a pumpkin or something,... | [
"It doesn't need energy to stay in the same place, just like the shelf doesn't need energy to stay where it is (the shelf is also held up by electromagnetic forces between the atoms in it). You would only need energy if you were moving the magnet to where it has more energy (like pulling it further away from the ot... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Physics:"
} |
Why is the human tongue so strong? Evolutionarily, how did it develop that way? | [
"The tongue is something that often gets taken for granted. When you think about it, it is incredibly important for eating. It's main job (beyond speech) is to move food around in your mouth to the optimal teeth for chewing. Moving a piece of food from one side of your mouth to the other is not in itself very diffi... | [
"There were other apes that did but they've gone extinct. Having opposable thumbs means that our grip strength isn't as good as it would be if we didn't have them. But at some point in humanity's past having opposable thumbs became much more of an advantage than being able to climb trees faster."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Where did the idea of people becoming angels when we die come from, considering that bibically angels are another species altogether? | [
"Its just misunderstanding. Because the origins of the angels is rarely discussed. Honestly most people never talk about those early parts of the bible that explain the angels place in things because its kind of embarrassing.. Like how angels would rape human women because seeing their hair made them super horny. I... | [
"People believe in various different gods and goddesses and have for a very long time, ghosts are surely not as illogical as that Also, a lot of people don't like the idea that when they die, they stop existing so the belief in ghosts kind of comforts that feeling"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How is all of our poop disposed of when it is flushed down the toilet? | [
"To add a little more detail: Bacteria is added to the pool that can eat the organic (formerly living) material out of the poop. After awhile, the food like stuff is eaten out of the poop. Then new bacteria (anaerobic) is added to the next pool. This new bacteria will eat anything that wasn't eaten before. The anae... | [
"It ends up in the sewer. From there is goes to a sewage plant to get treated. Once it makes it through, it gets dumped back into a creek/river."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why do energy drinks come in metal cans instead of plastic bottles? | [
"Ever seen a Rockstar or Monster in a clear container? they look really nasty. i always thought that's why they're in cans."
] | [
"Beer will go flat sooner in plastic bottles, as it is much more porous (microscopically) than glass. By the way, beer is commonly sold in plastic bottles in places like ball parks."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
If you buy a $999 computer online during Tax-Free Weekend, are you exempt from taxes? | [
"Under Georgia law, you won't pay sales tax on a computer costing under $1000 during the tax holiday. So, you should be able to go in with $1000 in cash, buy a $999 computer and walk out with a dollar."
] | [
"You do. You just have to pay it yourself come tax time. You can only be charged sales tax online if you live in the same state as the site you're buying from. If you don't, you're supposed to, as part of your state taxes, calculate how much you spent on online purchases, then pay the state sales tax on that. The a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
why is everybody mad about the Sodastream issue, but not Victoria's Secret which manufactures garments in Israel? | [
"What's so bad about having something made in Israel?"
] | [
"Everything would be vastly more expensive - minimum worker wages, varied required insurances, taxes, etc would drive the cost of various devices through the roof. This isn't mentioning the small part child labor plays. So, if you enjoy that iPod / laptop / drone / ??? - light a candle to the poor sods that built i... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why do people hunt rhinos for their horns? What do the horns have that you can't get elsewhere? | [
"As in, what do they physically have that makes them desirable? Nothing. The horns don't contain any special chemicals that make them valuable. They look cool though, so they can be used for decoration (which is terrible really because you could make something that looks like rhino horn without killing rhinos. But ... | [
"The rapid industrialization of Asian economies means that there are a lot more people in the Asian middle class who want to be able to show off their means. As a result, demand for \"traditional\" remedies (they aren't actually that old, but that's a story for another time) has skyrocketed. Those remedies were fro... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
how is it that my cellphone gps can still show my live position on a map if I lose cell reception? | [
"GPS does not have anything to do with your cell reception its a seperate radio that communicates with GPS satellites. Your phone talks to at least 3 of them to pinpoint itself and tell you where you are. This is how you can have signal and no GPS and vice versa. Your phone can also use tower triangulation to figu... | [
"everybody using an android phone with their location on in one area sends data to google. Google uses this to populate areas. It also uses the same way to tell us where traffic is etc"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
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