query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1 value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
- Why do boxers and other top sports stars have, and listen intently to, trainers and coaches that NEVER reached their level? | [
"Because the ability to coach is different than the ability to perform at a high athletic level. Being a top athlete, first and foremost, requires you to win the genetic lottery and have natural athletic talent. There are plenty of people who were just as good as top stars and worked just as hard, but they were a ... | [
"They are professionals, they don't just wing it, they practice for weeks with recordings of themselves."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about Language and Communication:"
} |
How can our relatively tiny eyeballs simultaneously absorb all the photons bouncing off something as large as the moon so that we can see it as a whole? | [
"They're not. If *your* eyes were absorbing *all* the photons bouncing off the moon, nobody else would be able to see it... plus your eyes would probably boil. Your eyes detect the minuscule proportion of photons that reach your pupils, and no more than that. Visible things scatter reflected and retracted light in... | [
"The problem is the scattering of light, and the scale of things. You can see those distant galaxies. But those galaxies are literally thousands of light-years across. A typically large galaxy is believed to be approximately 100,000 light years across. Compare that to a quarter on the ground, you can see we aren't ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the argument about astronomy:"
} |
The difference between my voice and my recorded voice. | [
"Your own voice resonates in your skull, which makes it sound a little lower and deeper. Think of it like singing in a big concert hall, where your voice echoes off the walls and creates a fuller sound. The sound of your voice literally echoes through your skull, but the echoes are so fast your brain doesn't sort t... | [
"Projection, the ability to sound loud and to make your voice carry long distances. Source: Was a tour guide."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Language and Communication:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Language and Communication:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is it illegal in Kentucky to carry an ice cream cone in your back pocket? | [
"_URL_0_ Apparently people used to stuff food into their back pockets to get horses to follow them. That way if they were caught they'd have an excuse that looked like they weren't actively trying to lead the horse away."
] | [
"Driving is on PUBLIC ROADS is a privilege. On private land, it is your right. Believe it or not, if you own a large enough piece of land, it is completely legal for you to drive 120 mph while drinking vodka without wearing a seatbelt or even clothes for that matter..."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why is DNA evidence always stored in paper bags instead of plastic? | [
"I had to look it up, but the answer is apparently moisture. Paper bags are permeable to moisture where as plastic holds in moisture. Anything that is wet goes into paper; anything dry goes into plastic. More specifically, moisture promotes bacterial and fungal growth as well as promotes enzymatic activity. Any one... | [
"1) Plastic is cheaper than glass. Plastic is also much more durable. 2) The substances stored in plastic are known not to react with the plastic bottles."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How can deaf people who've been given Cochlear implants understand speech? | [
"> the woman has been deaf since birth and therefore has obviously never heard sound before Not true. \"Deaf\" doesn't mean \"completely unable to hear anything\". Deafness is a range, and not a binary on/off description. Her hearing was just really, *really*, **really** poor. But she **had** heard before (badly),... | [
"The blind person could sign while the deaf person could speak. Depending on deafness and when they became deaf, a person who is deaf is still understandable."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
why do LED torches have multiple small LED's instead of one big one? | [
"Some of them (the nice, expensive ones) do have a single LED, such as Mag-Lite. Low-output LEDs are much less expensive to produce, so cheap flashlights often will have 25-50 of them (a dead giveaway is their very bluish tint); their overall light output is typically less than those with a single LED. When purchas... | [
"Okay, well the brightness of a filament bulb depends on the size of the filament and how much voltage you shove through it. The more voltage you run through a filament, the hotter it gets, the more light it produces, and the more fragile it is and shorter the lifespan. Dashboard bulbs run less voltage than normal ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why does America send so much aid around the world when it’s own people have a massive homelessness, drug, healthcare, infrastructure problem? | [
"Foreign Aid is to a large part a geopolitical tool. It also has a humanitarian aspect, but mostly it is political. This is not only about America (USA), but an answer in general. You are making sure countries are pro-you and stabilised (edit: regarding the *government*), people from there do not move (for example... | [
"Wealth inequality and a lack of social safety nets. There's a lot of wealth in the country, but that doesn't mean everyone is wealthy. A lot of that wealth is concentrated in just a small group. So some people are still very poor, or suffer from mental illness issues that make it so they can't maintain a job or ho... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about International relations:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about International relations:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are spiders unable to crawl on another spider's web? | [
"Spider webs are made up of both sticky silk (for catching stuff) and dry silk (for walking on). Spiders memorize where it's safe to walk and where it's not when building their webs, but a spider on a unfamiliar web won't know where the different types of silk are."
] | [
"They can, but are careful so generally they don't. They can make different kinds of web. Sticky web for catching prey, and non sticky web for walking on. So, flies and Mosquitos and such of course can't see the web or don't notice it, get stuck on the sticky strands, then the spider runs along the non sticky stran... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
A note from your friendly, ELI5 mods: Please, no more meta, "what ELI5 is/isn't" posts or arguments. We'll be removing them. | [
"Thank you, those posts honestly get in the way of my enjoyment of the subreddit."
] | [
"Just FYI, this isn't Askreddit, all topics are \"serious\" and the mods work very hard to remove jokes from every thread."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why I see slightly different colours out of my left and my right eye | [
"My optometrist explained it as: It has to do with the Blood, if you lay on your side, the blood will pool more into the eye closest to the ground. It visually makes the image your perceive warmer in one eye versus the other."
] | [
"Follow up question, why do I have like three times as many hairs around my left nipple than my right one?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
why does crying and being sad make you so tired? [Psychology] | [
"Emotional stress and trauma is both physically and mentally draining. Being overwhelmed in some cases can lead to blackouts. Tears, for example, obviously use water and potassium-so excessive crying can lead to dehydration."
] | [
"Ahoy, matey! It sees many of our fellow redditors think and feel differently late at night. Yer not alone in askin', and kind strangers have explained: 1. [ELI5: Why do I get negative thoughts the longer I stay up? ](_URL_0_) 1. [ELI5: Why does it seem that people always have more sad thoughts/are in their feeling... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Biology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment about Biology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment about Psychology:"
} |
If this is the "explain like I'm 5" subreddit, and everyone here obviously knows that, why does everyone put "ELI5:" at the beginning of every post? | [
"Did you try readinng the rules? > Posts must begin with \"ELI5:\" > Posts only > Reported as: 10. Posts must begin with \"ELI5:\" > This is meant to help identify ELI5 posts on the frontpage or /r/all or any other collection."
] | [
"I am not a scientist, but I know it's because the hair grows sideways under your skin and eventually starts bunching up under your skin, causing pain. This should explain better though _URL_0_ For future reference, the first guideline on the sidebar says to start your post with (ELI5), not end. If you are on mobil... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does my dog go around in circles before pooping? | [
"To find the best playce of course. He probably has to check, whether no other dog had the same idea before."
] | [
"It seems to come as a surprise to my dog, every time he farts the noise spooks him. Also do you go sit on the toilet or go outside every time you fart?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why TV shows like The Walking Dead can have extreme on screen violence but cannot air swear words? | [
"In America, foul language (and nudity, for that matter) tends to be much more heavily censored than violence is; in other areas (say, Europe), the opposite is often true. E.g., In Germany, graphic violence is more or less taboo. To put it another way, there's Kyle's mom from the South Park movie (I'm paraphrasing,... | [
"Porn websites can't be blamed for school shootings, so gaming websites have more reason to cover their asses."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
How does the paint on the 2015 Bugatti change color? | [
"That is a video filter. The car doesn't actually change color. Had you not noticed that everything in the background also changes color?"
] | [
"Marketing. Would you buy a 2010 Toyota when you could have the 2011 Ford?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
A priori and a posteriori with easy examples | [
"A priori means independent from experience, thus 2 plus 2 will always be 4 and can't be changed. It will always exist no matter what - we can't influence the answer. A poseriori means you have observed it happen. Like President Trump is the president of the US. That's based on what you observed. That knowledge wou... | [
"Its just the results of observation plus math. More recently also computation and virtual modeling."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
What Do ISPs Gain From Throttling Internet Speeds? | [
"It keeps them from having to upgrade their network. You could offer everyone the top speed but then if more than X number of people used it they would run out of bandwidth and it'd all come crashing down. They throttle in order to keep this from happening so everyone gets the speed they pay for ideally. Now they'v... | [
"Being Black Does Actually Have (Relatively Minor) Health Consequences, It's Just That They're Obviated By Modern Life. There's An Energy Cost To Have Extra Melanin, Even A Small One, So If You Don't Need It It Won't Be Selected For. Melanin Reduces Vitamin-D Uptake From The Sun If Sunlight Is Lower Than You're Ada... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What do people mean when they say something "became a commodity". | [
"Commodities, generally speaking, are goods and services that have little to no differentiation across a market. Gold, for example, is a commodity because all gold is basically the same; there's no functional difference between gold mined in Colorado and gold mined in West Africa. Agricultural and mineral raw mater... | [
"Let me answer that question with another question: what do you think \"lobbying\" is?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
What's happening in North Korean government following the death of their leader, and how this impacts on South Korea + other affected countries. | [
"Short Answer: Nothing. The transition seems to have gone smoothly. North Korea is still just a dictatorial, backwards, and dear leader worshiping as ever."
] | [
"How would the president conduct a hostile takeover without the military? Also a takeover of what?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How can goats climb near-vertical walls without falling? | [
"Their hooves have rubbery bottoms that help stick and the two halves can move somewhat independently that allow them to grip onto sheer surfaces. Source: [What If You Had Animal Feet!?](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"They climb using the hairs and little microscopic hooks. Think of it like rock climbing. If there weren't any type of way to hold on to something with your hands and feet you wouldn't be able to climb a nearly vertical wall. Same is true for the spider. The tub is a smooth and relatively vertical surface for them ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
What makes that distinct smell when you heat up an old toaster? | [
"Crumbs wouldn't smell different after a few weeks. It's dust on the heating coils. Same smell you get when you first turn on central heating for the winter."
] | [
"Is it possible that the plastic is softening a bit and that's why it's drooping? Also, this is the first I've heard of someone leaving the lid on when microwaving."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What are the protocols put in place if a country sends out a nuke? | [
"Both the US/NATO, Russia, and China have extraordinarily complicated list of options in the event of a nuclear event. The current plans are of course among the most classified stuff in existence. The chance of shooting down a single missile is very very low, many missiles is simply not happening. Shooting down a ... | [
"It means they are restricting international trade on certain items."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
What will happen on first contact? Who is in charge? Etc. | [
"I am not sure who is in charge, or what the response will be, however lots of people have developed Post-detection Policies (or PDPs). A post detection policy is a set of guidelines and rules put together that give us information on how to react if we meet extraterrestrial life. At the moment, I am not sure which ... | [
"What's to explain? Why we have it? How it works?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is the purpose of the propeller on current hologram projectors? | [
"> Wouldn't make more sense to have a screen, grid, or lens (as conventional projectors have) for the holographic object to project from? In no case does an image \"project from\" the device. A spinning arm tries to fulfill the goal of having an image in an area where there doesn't appear to be a screen. When the a... | [
"Why do some parts of the world call gasoline petrol?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why does a bigger budget mean better CGI movie effects? Isn't it all made with software? | [
"Its made by people who know how to use the software. CGI is not easy. You need talented artists who know how to use 3D modeling software. Better artists cost more, but are able to make better visuals."
] | [
"So a really cool technology called photogrammetry is being used a lot more often these days in media, where high quality pictures, images, and videos are being taken and the images are then converted to code, which shows up as a 3D model rendering. That's not the answer to your question though. Many talented artis... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Cthulus, HP Lovecraft. Is it real Mythology or is it just old horror books, is it actually good/scary/cool? | [
"They are just old horror books. They were written by HP Lovecraft, who was not the greatest writer of all time, to put it mildly. They are interesting though."
] | [
"Can I ask what Sci Fi book that is it sounds like an interesting premise."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why do they call it Legend Of Zelda and not Legend Of Link? | [
"Because you are Link, and his name is whatever you put for him. His name doesn't matter, and for all the games history knows his name changes from game to game. The one constant is Zelda because after the first Zelda was cursed to sleep forever the king decreed, \"So that this tragedy would never be forgotten, he ... | [
"Because you just happened to be listening to music when your \"The Complete Goosebumps Series by R.L. Stine\" arrived at the door."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence about Science:"
} |
How were Romans able to build fountains ? | [
"The fountain was located downhill from a river, and water from the river was delivered via a closed pipe, so that it arrived under natural pressure (from gravity). Yo ho ho! Yer not alone in askin', and kind strangers have explained: 1. [ELI5: How ancient Roman fountains worked ](_URL_6_) ^(_6 comments_) 1. [ELI5:... | [
"We are amazed because building massive structures without sophisticated machines and tools seems amazing to us today. We haven't \"lost\" anything though. People kept right on building amazing structures right the way through history. The pyramids, the Acropolis, the Aqueducts, hundreds of amazing Cathedrals, etc.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why does it seem like soap operas are filmed with different cameras than regular shows? | [
"Soap operas tend to be filmed on video with no post-processing to speak of, so the feeling is similar to news shows, reality shows, etc. They are also filmed in higher frame rates which, as it turns out, makes them seem less cinematic."
] | [
"They encourage laughter, and they do work, even on you. You only really notice them if the show isn't funny. Reddit constantly complains about the laugh tracks in the Big Bang Theory, a show Reddit generally dislikes, but I have never once heard someone complain about the laugh tracks on How I Met Your Mother, a s... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do evolution deniers use the laws of thermodynamics to prove their case against evolution? | [
"They take the notion of entropy, and point out that current scientific knowledge points out two things. First, entropy is always rising. Second, complex biological organisms decrease entropy. That sounds like a contradiction, right? That's the argument they make: there *must* be some divine intervention or, accord... | [
"There isn't just one reason. For some people it's religious, their beliefs simply do not allow for anything other than an unchanging, purpose made Earth. For other it's ignorance, having no familiarity with the evidence for historical climate change. For others it's confusion, conflating terminology, mostly confla... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What are we hoping to learn from landing on an asteroid? | [
"If you are referring to the recent Rosetta/Philae landing on 67P, it is actually a comet that we are landing on, not an asteroid. If that is what you are referring to then I believe it is the life-cycle of a comet as it travels around the sun and simply the task of landing on a tiny rock barreling through space th... | [
"There's no wind in space, but there's wind in Jupiter's atmosphere, just like there's wind here on Earth. The probe will reach Jupiter the same way that other probes have been sent to planets before."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Even though birds can't taste the capsaicin in hot peppers, does it still burn like the core of a thousand suns when they defecate? | [
"Humans don't \"taste\" it either. Humans have receptors that register it as pain. Spice is literally a sensation, not a taste, which is why you feel it on the way out too. Birds dont have receptors sensitive to capsaicin anywhere in their body, so it doesn't burn coming or going"
] | [
"Human bodies are not 100%/efficient. There is a good amount of food value in solid human waste. When you eat something spicy its spiciness usually comes from a chemical called capsaicin which irritates all tissue it contacts (in mammals). This why you can irritate your eyes if you rub them after handling jalapeños... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do we keep discovering new amazing things in astronomy when it takes millions of years for said discoveries to develop? | [
"The universe is very big, we estimate there are over 100 billion galaxies (each containing an average of 100 billion stars) in the observable universe. With that sort of number, it's almost guaranteed that somewhere, something interesting is happening at this moment."
] | [
"The only way we could see an image of the past earth would be if it were reflected back to us. If there was some gigantic mirror out in space then we could look at it to see what the Earth looked like in the distant past. But, for many reasons, this isn't practical. But, we can't directly catch up with the image o... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about astronomy:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about astronomy:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why does petting animals give us physical comfort? | [
"Most mammals have special sense receptors that respond favorably to gentle touch, which is why the vast majority of mammals will enjoy being pet (or petting something soft). So gentle stroking feels good to them, almost as much as it feels good for you to do it. We also have a certain chemical in our body (oxytoci... | [
"Pleasure pathway in the brain is stimulated by doing something that benefits the health of your body - getting rid of waste."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are some people able to function on much less sleep than others? | [
"Very few people can actually function properly with a good amount of sleep debt. Most of those people just get used to it, like a high functioning alcoholic."
] | [
"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 post about Health:",
"pos": "Represent the answer about Health:",
"neg": "Represent the answer about Health:"
} |
why don't girls have Adam's apples | [
"Adam's apples are found on both women and men they just show up more prominently in men as a chunk of bony cartilage that's wrapped around the larynx. Also known as the laryngeal prominence, the Adam's apple sits right on top of the thyroid gland, so the area is fittingly called the thyroid cartilage. Grown men ha... | [
"The best things come in pairs, breasts, testicles, sandwiches, butt cheeks, you get the gist."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
the difference between a thrift store, a flea market, secondhand store, and a "goody store" | [
"Thrift store is an established location that takes donations of used things and resells them. They often are run by non-profits that use the donated goods and funds to help disadvantaged individuals. A flea market (or swap meet) is typically a venue containing a number of independent vendors. They may be selling a... | [
"First they'll have a week or two of Going Out Of Business Sales. Then whatever is left over they often look for places to donate. Like toys to charity, food items to food banks. There are also liquidators who specialize in getting rid of stock through all sorts of channels. There's a lot of independent retailers w... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I often hear a deep rumbling noise that that last several minutes while outside, almost like thunder but on clear days or nights that seems to come from above me, is this a known phenomenon and what is it? | [
"Do you consistently hear it? Day after day? Are their times? I dread to post the following link because it feels to 'conspiracy theory' for my skeptic tastes, but it is not an unheard (ha) of phenomenon. _URL_0_ However, there have been cases where the deep hums that can last a while are actually minor tremors th... | [
"To everyone posting, I think it's normal to hear a ring (or at least imagine a ring) that isn't tinnitus. I've had this since forever. I don't think there's often a time when I don't hear anything at all, even in complete silence... there are exceptions, like being outside at night when its snowy."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Health:"
} |
If the U.S can use drones in foreign countries, how is it that these foreign countries aren't capable of doing the same thing to the US? | [
"The US would shoot it down. Most of the time, US drones operate in places were there aren't really ~~air-to-~~ air defenses, so the drone is fairly safe. Also, very few countries that would want to operate drones have a base close enough to operate drones from, whereas the US has bases all over the world. EDIT: Ai... | [
"The first one would mean the US is invading Mexico. You can't just take an army and go into another country and blow shit up and kill people. Mexico has their own police that should do that, and they partner with Americans and get support from Americans all the time. Similar thing with the second situation. State... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Munching Noises (More in Description) | [
"You don't? Really? I hate the noise my mouth produces when eating pop corns at the cinema, it doesn't let me hear the movie. Anyway, I guess is because we are not really able to be annoyed by something we do. For example, have you have tried to leave the toothpaste's cap open? Isn't that annoying as hell when some... | [
"Sleep - Shake Unconscious - Splash Coma - Wait and Hope Vegetative State - Wait and Bury"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What exactly is Quantum Dot Technology for TVs supposed to do? | [
"The basic idea is that they're made of a material that absorbs a wide range of light, and then re-emits most of the absorbed energy as a very fine-tuned frequency of light. Being powered by light re-emission rather than electricity means that you can use them as passive filters to improve the light quality of the ... | [
"Some parameters that might be different: * Brightness. A TV that's not bright enough will be difficult to watch in brightly lit environments, like a sunlit room. * Contrast. The difference between the brightest and darkest color the TV can display. Higher contrast means deeper blacks and brighter whites. * Color r... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
What is the difference between cheap shampoo and expensive shampoo? | [
"Source: I used to be a chemist for a private label cosmetics manufacturer. The more expensive brands have higher quality fragrances and a higher surfactant to water ratio (lower priced ones are essentially watered down). Also, many have silicones to make hair shiny and silicones are expensive relative to other sh... | [
"Shampoo is much more mild .. Shampoo doesn't have enough 'oomph' to clean your body properly. Body wash, on the other hand, is too harsh you use in your hair on a regular basis. The whole reason Shampoo was invented was because regular soap left peoples' hair dry and damaged."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Which version of the bible is "the bible" | [
"None of them. Before Constantine the roman emperor made Christianity romes state religion there were different sects of Christians and hundreds of gospels competing for attention. When Constantine adopted it he called for the Christina elders to make one book everyone could rally around. Mark, Luke, Matthew, etc. ... | [
"The Quran and the book of Mormon are additions to the bible but the catholic church refuses to accept them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If we can build the Keystone XL pipeline, why don't we build a giant water pipeline from the Great Lakes to California to alleviate the drought problems there? | [
"Because keep your hands off our water. But seriously, there's a whole ecosystem going on over there, and mass-draining the water will fuck with that. A ton of goods get shipped in and out of Detroit and other cities via freighters, and if the water level drops too low, it could cut off supply chains. Tourism would... | [
"Their waters are polluted and they are draining their aquifers. The are building a lot of infrastructure to help convey water from places that have it to places that need it, and working on cleaning up the pollution. But a lot of people will be drinking bad water in the meantime."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Transportation:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer about Transportation:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How is outer-space relevant in modern warfare, what would space combat look like? | [
"It's where satellites are, and satellites are the backbone of modern communications and photo-reconnaissance technology. The GPS satellites, for example, allow the US military to guide vehicles and weapons to anywhere on the globe with a tiny margin of error. That's a *HUGE* advantage in a fight. Reconnaissance sa... | [
"Well, the most obvious reason would be to study alien technology to gain technological advantages , which would give a political and offensive advantage over other countries."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does hitting hard surfaces with your fists make your knuckles stronger? | [
"The same way that walking barefoot for an extended period of time makes the sole of your foot more durable and tolerant to pain. The skin forms calluses (another example is callus formation at the finger tips in guitar players). Another phenomenon is something called Wolff’s law. The link below explains this law.... | [
"It's not, that's just an old wives take that it will cause arthritis. It will not. Whether you crack your knuckles or not has no bearing on if you get arthritis. Cracking your knuckles simply relieves pressure in the joint."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why are American houses often of such poor quality? | [
"But are they? I mean you are talking the dry wall in a house. There is no point of putting harder/heavier/more expensive materials on the inside of the house. As you have the studs in wall in case you need more support. Also take into consideration many houses in the US are built along the coast and made to withst... | [
"I am not an expert on architecture but I think it has something to do with the time at which most of these buildings were made. Also keep in mind that even in cities with artistic buildings many will still be very basic looking because it is spatially and economically efficient."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
why is there no thunder or lightning during a snowstorm? | [
"I've seen and heard lightning in a snowstorm. Worked at a ski resort as a lift operator, nothing more scary than lightning when you're sitting in a metal shack at the top of a mountain. The weather people call it *thundersnow*."
] | [
"Lightning strikes the same place all the time. Go to anywhere that has tall isolated buildings and you'll see them get struck over and over during a thunderstorm."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How and why do spider webs become cobwebs? | [
"> How do the webs lose their \"stickiness\"? They get covered in dust. Spiders frequently rebuild their webs in new locations. The old, abandoned web ends up collecting dust, which makes it less sticky, just like covering a piece of tape with dirt and debris makes it less sticky."
] | [
"Spider webs are made up of both sticky silk (for catching stuff) and dry silk (for walking on). Spiders memorize where it's safe to walk and where it's not when building their webs, but a spider on a unfamiliar web won't know where the different types of silk are."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why does the raidio only play certain songs by an artist and not any song that is good by them? Even old artists with no albums to promote. | [
"To put it simple, it's been analysed that the audience stay on the station when the music is recognisable."
] | [
"They announce the most popular songs first so that it grabs your attention and more people keep listening for that song to play, then go to commercial (it's called a teaser so you wait through commercials) then play them in reverse order so you wait for your song to come up. The radio world is all about getting yo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Music:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about Music:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Music:"
} |
How come it seems no one on the east-cost of America is able to handle and prepare for a snowstorm? | [
"I live in coastal New England. One thing to note is our winters are extremely unpredictable. Last year we had like 20 feet of snow, this year we haven't had any (and am only getting a few inches from this storm). How do you budget in something that can cost anywhere from five million to nothing. Another thing to ... | [
"Cost and the low likelyhood of a repeat occurance in that specific area. also most people don't want to live in a bunker, they want to see the sea"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why is it a bad idea to freeze food that's been defrosted? | [
"Ice crystals form during freezing. These crystals cause microscopic damage to the food by poking tiny holes in the food's structure. When thawed the food's texture has changed. A second freeze-thaw cycle makes the problem worse. The food's quality after the first thaw is not as good as fresh, but still acceptable.... | [
"because you're going to eat it. Cooked meat can be dangerous if you leave it in the fridge for a few weeks. Just like raw meat. The difference is that if you put raw meat in the freezer, you can save it for a few months. Cooked meat can be left in the fridge for a couple days, but still is subject to rotting. Bein... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
I’ve stood every single day of my life, so how are my legs and back still sore after a day of work when they should be used to the strain? | [
"Your body doesn't handle standing all day well . It didn't evolve that way. Standing and moving takes a lot of muscle effort for us to maintain and is very hard on our joints."
] | [
"Your sore muscles are like a lazy roommate. They whine and complain over the smallest actions. But as soon as they think shit hits the fan, they feel fine and act like they can do anything. Your body does the same, but with some natural painkillers"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is it sometimes so hard to remember someone’s exact face? | [
"I'll be mainly referencing How to Create a Mind by Ray Kurzweil. According to the book, the brain's working mechanism heavily relies on redundancy. The more you experience something, the brain creates more and more pattern recognizers for you to recognize. In the case of faces, for people that you see often, your ... | [
"how do you remember a song? Or a picture? How do you remember your dog's name? Memory itself is poorly understood, but there's nothing about any one sense that makes it impossible to remember."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
If California is in a drought, why not build water desalination plants by the Pacific Ocean to make water readily available for everyone? | [
"Because a large scale plant costs literally a billion dollars and takes years to design and build. It's extremely expensive and requires a lot of approvals, environmental assessments, etc. This isn't something you can do on a whim."
] | [
"When people speak of conserving water, they aren’t concerned about global stocks of H₂0. We’re not going to run out of oceans. What people are worried about is running out of *useful* water. For example, Texas is in a drought and faces water shortages. Technically speaking, we’ve got an almost endless water supply... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Science:"
} |
The mindset of very rich people that are trying to get even richer | [
"You ever seen the show \"Hoarders\"? Some people do that with money."
] | [
"It's not bad to be super rich. However, it is bad to have huge swathes of people who are very poor, as it leads to an increase in crime and only worsens as time goes on. Having super rich at the same time leads to civil instability, especially when the poor folks literally are getting poison tap water and they pay... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How am I able to sleep eight hours without having to take a piss yet I can't even last three or four hours on a long car ride? | [
"When you sleep, your body secretes anti-diuretic hormone (also called vasopressin), which instructs the kidneys to reduce urine production (the inability of some young children to produce this hormone at high enough levels is what causes bedwetting). When you are awake, this hormone is not produced, your body make... | [
"Speak for yourself. Alarm clock goes off. I hear it for a few seconds, then am out like a light again for hours. I've been late many times to work. Can't seem to break the cycle of extreme blissful, tranquil sleep right about the time I'm supposed to get up. Edit: removed minor rant"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Health:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment about Health:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment about Biology:"
} |
Do atoms or molecules have colour? | [
"When a photon interacts with the electrons on the outside of an atom, some of the interactions result in a photon of a different wavelength (= color). Certain molecules hold their atoms in a way that causes them to absorb all but one color and reflect that color, and we call these molecules pigments."
] | [
"We're not transparent because light interacts with atoms. Food and liquid does touch us; \"touching\" just means something subtly different than you're used to. It's not true that an atom is 99.9% empty space. The electrons of the atom are spread out over that space. Atoms don't always repel; they can bond with ea... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument about Physics:"
} |
Why do our public universities spend enormous sums of money on football/basketball coaches? Why do they need athletic teams at all? Universities should focus on education. | [
"Money. People watch sports, which earns them more money. Money they can then put into education."
] | [
"Because small private schools lack state-funding, lack large, research oriented programs that draw in grant money, and lack major athletic programs to draw in revenue. These reasons (and others, I'm sure) make it so that if small schools want to keep the lights on, they have to charge more in tuition. It is not, i... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
How does the world look like to People with stereoblindness | [
"Every picture you see on the internet simulates stereoblindness. Another trick is to cover one eye and try to go about your normal activities."
] | [
"Because those facial features are a symptom of Down's Syndrome."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about biology:"
} |
EL5: Bill Nye and the irony of green plants. | [
"Plants can not absorb green light, it is reflected away and is why the plant looks green. The reason it is ironic is because \"green light\" is emitted from the sun more than any other color. Basically the plants excluded the most common wavelength of light from being part photosynthesis, which is rather ironic."
... | [
"No, that's why it's called American Sign Language."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why doesn't tin foil burn your fingers when its been in the oven for 15 minutes? | [
"Aluminum has a low [specific heat](_URL_0_) - the change in energy required for it to increase or decrease in temperature is relatively low. That is to say, not much energy is stored in a piece of hot aluminum (compared to, say, an equal mass of hot water). Since aluminum foil is so thin, you're talking about a ve... | [
"Crumbs wouldn't smell different after a few weeks. It's dust on the heating coils. Same smell you get when you first turn on central heating for the winter."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do we take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for anxiety and depression, instead of just taking serotonin? ELI5ish. | [
"A *very* ~~convoluted~~ ELI5ish explanation. Serotonin is a messenger molecule that causes many different reactions. Let say that cells are like machines with switches, messenger molecules switch them on for some time before they switch back off. Serotonin works on many switches in different parts of the body - b... | [
"It depends what drugs you're talking about. Each drug works slightly differently towards a desired effect. For examples, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) work by blocking the receptors that bind to and destroy serotonin (the brain's happy chemical). Since your brain naturally doesn't produce enough ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why does it feel like every damn book is "#1 on new york times best seller list"? | [
"There is more than one New York Times bestseller list (the lists are split up into different genres/categories), so more than one book can be #1 at the same time, just not on the same list. Also, these lists are frequently updated (I believe weekly), but you get to claim the title forever. So a book may have been ... | [
"[Take a look at how many categories the NYT Bestseller List has!](_URL_0_) The bestselling Political or Food books might be selling millions less than Young Adult Fiction, but they can still have a #1 spot on that list, even if The Fault in Our Stars stays on top for months!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why were women's doubles badminton players deliberately trying to lose in the Olympics? | [
"Think of it in groups, where the top 2 teams in each group continue on to the next round. Let's assume, in the next round: * The Winner of Group A plays the 2nd place team of Group B * and * The Second place team in Group A plays the winner of Group B If the 2nd placed team of Group A was a particularly strong tea... | [
"Well in London 2012, in the women's epee fencing semi-final, the timekeeper delayed starting the clock so that time wouldn't run out and the German fencer would have time to score a touch on the South Korean fencer. So whatever system is in place, it's clearly not perfect."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why haven't scientists genetically engineered trees to grow faster than they do now? | [
"The thing about fast growing plants is that they usually have very little biomass compared to slower growing plants. Things that grow quickly would be things like corn and bamboo. Things that sequester more carbon are the things that grow more densely and more slowly. I'm no botanist, and what I know of p... | [
"We can and do genetically modify plants to be more drought tolerant, but there's only so far you can push nature. Plants will always need water."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do things like Vending Machines know which paper Bills are being deposited? | [
"They use optical sensors to determine the location of markings on a bill. Since the markings on each form currency are unique to that specific amount, its very easy to set it up so it knows which markings correspond to a value. Its the same idea as bar code readers, at least as far as detection goes."
] | [
"Like at a bank or airport? There's nothing exciting going on behind the scenes, they're just a \"money store\". If you have US Dollars and want Yen, they take the USD and give you Yen. They then buy somebody else's Pesos with those dollars."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Why are some people trying to add "Art" to STEM and calling it STEAM? Isn't that the exact opposite of the purpose of promoting STEM fields? | [
"The idea is that the arts are intertwined with STEM at this point, which becomes obvious if you think of something like product design or communication. I can tell you that I work for a software development company and I wish a lot more developers had *some* kind of background in the arts. Even something as basic... | [
"The \"arts\" referenced in the \"Bachelor of the Arts\" (BA) are the \"liberal arts\", defined as: > academic subjects such as literature, philosophy, mathematics, and social and physical sciences as distinct from professional and technical subjects Basically, all of your academic disciplines, other than business... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why do scientists assume that without liquid water, a planet cannot have life? Why can't aliens function off a different substance, why must it be water? | [
"More about likelihood, then absolutes. Of course a planet without liquid water could sustain life, but in our experience, only planets that have life, to our knowledge, are those with liquid water, to which life is dependant."
] | [
"Ok, you have been tasked with searching planets for life. Oh boy, where do you even start? You barely even have any telescopes. You live on Earth. All life on Earth is carbon-based and relies on water. This is an absolute fact and you know it to be true, because you're one of those squishy life-forms. You did the ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about science:"
} |
Could Texas vote for Independence? | [
"We fought a war over that question, and the winning side was the 'no' side."
] | [
"They have not chosen to apply to be States yet. Puerto Rico was close to voting to apply for statehood a few months ago though."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence about American government and politics:"
} |
How can it be possible to be declared innocent of a crime when there is video and audio of the event? | [
"The point isn't to be declared \"innocent\", more \"not guilty\". The distinction is important because innocent means \"we know he didn't do it\" which is nearly impossible to know. \"Not guilty\" means there's not enough evidence to convict someone of a crime."
] | [
"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 post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If 10% of accidents are caused by wet roadways, why can't we create a tire type that doesnt hydroplane and is easily fitted for all vehicle types? | [
"Because we need to have tyres that work in all weather conditions, including completely dry roads. Producing a rubber compound that was super effective in wet conditions would likely involve a fairly soft tyre surface with loads of grooves to disperse water - if that tyre were driven on dry roads, it would introdu... | [
"No... Smooth tires grip better than textured ones. Your intuition is correct. NASCAR, Indy car, and other race cars use smooth tires. Road tires use tread because the real world isn't a perfectly maintained race track. We normal drivers have to worry about rain, sand, oil, etc. The tread helps with those as the ex... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Automotive technology:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Automotive technology:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Automotive technology:"
} |
Why do phones sound so much worse when on speaker? | [
"The energy in a sound signal dies off pretty fast the farther away you get from it. This is fine for really small speakers that you put *very* close to your ears like headphones, earbuds, and telephone speakers. When you switch to \"speaker\" mode on a phone the speakers used are still very small and the power die... | [
"Because headphones don't need anywhere near the amount of power that portable speakers do, and can be directly powered by the device. put a pair of headphones on a desk and stand back a couple of feet, and you get the idea of how much more volume is coming out of portable speakers."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What exactly is a Diplomat and why do we have them? | [
"Trade agreements, negotiation of travel between boarders, military cooperation, cultural study, national security advisory...."
] | [
"In the real world why would anyone want to be a politician?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why don't your palms grow hair? | [
"Animals evolved to not have hair on palms/soles of feet in order to have better traction for movement. Dogs, cats, primates, etc - all mammals have areas of hands/feet without hair. Primate have broader palms instead of the pads you see on the feet of other mammals, so our entire palms are hair free for practical ... | [
"Why do you have so many lips and chins?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Biology:"
} |
How can bird/predators eat bugs or insects that are venomous? | [
"There's a difference between poison and venom. Poison takes effect when eaten or inhaled. Venom takes effect when injected into the blood, typically through a bite or sting. Their predators may produce a natural anti-toxin or, in the case of those that prey on venomous creatures, are just really good at avoiding g... | [
"Bright colors in plants are to attract bees and insects for pollination. Bright colors in animals/insects make them easily spotted by predators, so these bright colored animals/insects die out - except for the very venomous/dangerous ones, i.e poison dart frog or those with low selective pressures, i.e birds where... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why African Americans are not given the prefix of their country of origin while European's are? | [
"Because Black Americans who are descendants of slaves usually don't know their family's country of origin. Slave owners and traders were not interested in the ethnic origins of their slaves and kept only the most rudimentary records. Many Black Americans find it impossible to trace their families back more than a ... | [
"Race: Really roughly defined thing based off of secondary characteristics from genetic background. Definition changes with time. [Those with freckles and the olive-skinned Italians and Greeks didn't used to be thought of as 'white'; now they are included.] IE: White, Black, Asian, etc. Ethnicity: Group with a well... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post about Social Sciences:"
} |
What exactly is the Internet, where does it exist, how am I receiving it, and who is sending it? | [
"This is like asking where does mail exists. The Internet is a collection of devices all around the world that communicate using IP. There are major data centers for peering/etc but the answer is it's all around us."
] | [
"Just because you create something doesnt mean you get to decide how it works. The internet costs money to operate. It costs money to run cables to your house. It costs money to operate the servers that handle domain names etc etc. Whos going to cover those costs if everyone simply gets it for free?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If lower frequencies mean less energy, why does bass seem so much more powerful than treble? | [
"Because the described frequency/power relationship assumes the same amplitude. Bass can be played at higher amplitude without being uncomfortable, and frequently has dedicated (large) speakers for it (woofers and subwoofers). Thus, the bass is played at a higher amplitude. There is also the association of low-freq... | [
"Ex audio technician here. Good answer Razakel. OP - Getting rid of feedback can be a lot harder than you think, especially in small rooms. On a big stage you can avoid it by putting the microphone behind all the speakers. In smaller areas, this isn't always practical. Instead, you need to equalize - reduce the am... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Does fire weigh anything? | [
"Fire is in itself a really fast reaction with oxygen, releasing energy in the form of heat and light. The answer to your question depends on what you mean by fire. If you mean the reaction, no, that doesn't have mass, just like walking doesn't have mass. If you mean the flame though, that is actual chemical comp... | [
"Because water turning a lighter color is harmless. It's lightning, not lightening. Sorry, couldn't resist. :-)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do people (and pornstars) manage to fit so much stuff in their ass without doing crazy damage? Is everyone built like that? | [
"The same way you do anything. Practice. They start small and ease their way up over a few years (Crawl- > Walk- > Run). They also learn to control the 2nd sphincter which allows them to go deeper (Very dangerous if not done properly or with care). Source: Asked DirtyGardenGirl how she got to be the way she was, 3... | [
"I pretty much always come like that. If I'm going to pull out I have to tell my wife to watch her eyes. If it's doggy style I can shoot right over her and hit the headboard. It's a source of entertainment for both of us. When masturbating I have to be careful not to shoot myself in the face. I'm in my early 30s an... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
How does this 64K algorithm generate a beautiful 6 minute long video with no resources? | [
"Most programme code nowadays is large because it has to be flexible and react to a variety of exceptions, test inputs, perform garbage collection, and play nice in an operating system with other programmes. This code doesn't have to do any of that. It takes direct advantage of in-silicon data processing. It doesn'... | [
"This may be more effectively done by showing rather than telling, try playing with this - _URL_0_ - for a range of very small to very big numbers and where they fit as a unit of length in the universe."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Scientists grow beating heart tissue from plants | [
"Scientists grow bigger by beating up the heart tissue from innocent plants?"
] | [
"A normal cell has a predetermined cell type assigned to it from the start. A stem cell has no such assignment yet, and therefore it can be pushed to become heart tissue, lung tissue, kidney tissue, etc. Stem cells are vital to our research into growing new organs, limbs, etc. for people who need them. However, the... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
why is it generally taboo to ask someone how much they get paid even when you guys are friends? | [
"Generally because it can cause tension, if you work with that friend on they work in similar roles and you earn considerably more - while you might expect them to be happy for you - many people are simply annoyed by it."
] | [
"because they advertise it too low then some people wouldn't bother applying. and if they advertise it too high then some people wouldn't bother applying. so they don't advertise it at all and so you come in and interview and they ask you what your pay history is and try to make the lowest offer they think you'll ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are television channels such as TruTV allowed to advertise that what they show is true, when it obviously isn't? Isn't this false advertising? | [
"I believe (though I could be incorrect) that a false advertisement claim can only be filed if the advertisement somehow put the plaintiff in some sort of danger or caused a financial, legal, or moral burden to them or their family. The use of \"or\" was rampant in that sentence, but in my sleepy state I can't thin... | [
"Mocking companies is perfectly legal - satire is a very well protected aspect of free speech/free press. In order for something to be slanderous/libelous it has to meet two critiera: * It must be untrue * It must be something that a reasonable person would believe to be true The vast majority of what Oliver says a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
When couples get married, why does the wife take the last name of the husband? | [
"Historically women were, by today's standards, sold. Their original last name tells you that they are still 'possessed' by their father. The new last name tells you that they are now 'possessed' by the husband. Many of our marital traditions are carry-overs from this paradigm."
] | [
"Given the kids' family histories, they'll eventually be called husband and wife assuming one is a boy and the other a girl."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why does sleep feel *so* good? | [
"Anything that you need to survive feels good when you need it. Try not breathing (for just a few seconds) and see how good that first breath feels. Or try not eating for several hours past mealtime. You feel very hungry, and the food tastes *so* good. Sleep is the same way. When you need sleep, it feels very good... | [
"Answer me this: why is pizza so delicious?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why has no country yet extradited Polanski to the US if he is so easy to find and a convicted fugitive? | [
"Polanski is a French citizen. France (like many nations) won't extradite its own citizens to face foreign charges. That policy is very common and dates back to Greek and Roman laws (upon which most European legal systems are based). He's cautious in his foreign travel not to travel to nations that would extradite ... | [
"Not being a citizen doesn’t exclude you from justice. It just means you’ll likely be expelled from the country after you serve your sentence. Assange committed crimes against the US government and thus they’re requesting he be extradited to US soil to face justice. Whether you and I believe Assange is innocent is... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why is, no matter the colour of the shampoo, the foam always white? | [
"Because the bubbles that make up the foam are so thin that the pigments that make up he color are too thinly spread to matter much. Instead the light is fractured everywhere by every bubble making it effectively reflecting white light."
] | [
"To the best of my knowledge, this is just marketing buzz words to get people to buy your product. All dye does is color your hair, the same way brown paint will color an object brown."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
What is the connection between oysters and Thanksgiving? | [
"This is the first I've heard of this; however... Oysters, clams, and lobsters are a readily accessible food item in New England where the first two-hundred odd years of American culture more or less developed, and the food remains a staple (icon?) of the entire diet of the region, sort of in the way cows are assoc... | [
"Why do you say that it's logical that breakfast be the heaviest meal of the day?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Listening to the State of the Union, I notice what sounds like intentional coughing, constantly, after President Barack Obama's statements. Is this on purpose and, if so, what purpose does it serve? | [
"You are crazy, how many people are in there? You don't think a room full of old, mostly men isn't going to have some \"dad sounds\" going on in the back? People fall asleep in those things, even if it's there party's president."
] | [
"There are three groups in the chamber: The democrats - they will rise in support of anything the president says, that they agree with (which is pretty much all of it) The republicans - they will rise once or twice when Obama is talking about something they agree with The supreme court - they will not rise for most... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Are some Japanese songs written specifically for anime in mind, having 90 second cuts? | [
"Both; depends on the anime. [death parades OP is just a real song by the band BRADIO](_URL_0_) its not hard to cut a song to a shorter version; remove a verse or two etc. but then theres also [shows like jojo, who have custom songs written](_URL_2_) [btw all of jojos openings are amazing](_URL_1_)"
] | [
"Sung words have meaning identified by neighboring words and sentence structure. The words are sung without tone. This can be specifically used for lyrics with double meanings, just like lyrics in English songs can be with select word phrase same pronouciations. You've seen these on YouTube labeled misheard lyric... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What exactly is a black box? | [
"It's a general term people use when they deal with a functioning component without necessarily knowing or needing to know how the component works. You know *what* the component does, but not necessarily *how*. For example, when you run [black box testing](_URL_0_) on a software package, you are examining the outpu... | [
"More importantly, what's the difference between hot and best?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
What is the point of a telemarketing business that hangs up or is just dead air when you answer? | [
"Much of the time it is because of a technology known as \"predictive dialing\". A computer dials hundreds of numbers, knowing that a certain number will be busy, most will not be answered, some will be answered by answering machines, etc. The program continually monitors how many calls are likely to get picked up ... | [
"That was a call centre's computer calling you. They dial loads of people simultaneously, some of whom will pick up, and say 'hello', or make a noise of some kind so the computer knows someone's there. You then get transferred to the operator to be lied to about PPI/old car crashes/fake lotteries/phone upgrades. If... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How do freeways or Highways get their number assigned? Is there any rhyme or reason to it? | [
"For the US interstate highway system: _URL_0_ > the numbering scheme for the primary routes, east-west highways are assigned even numbers and north-south highways are assigned odd numbers. Odd route numbers increase from west to east, and even-numbered routes increase from south to north Three digit numbers are ... | [
"There is no really set answer to this. Some say streets are in cities or towns, and roads are between cities. Some cities have \"streets\" running one way, say north to south, and \"avenues\" running the other way. Some have the names all mixed up with respect to direction. Often, the developer of an addition gets... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does our body process foods with large amounts of artificial additives? | [
"This is really going to depend on the specific additive. The word artificial in your question is probably the least useful one. Your body doesn't really care how a substance came to be, it will do what it can to either turn it into something else, absorb and piss it out, shit it out, or some combination of all of ... | [
"It is not about the carbs, it is about the vitamins, minerals, and natural fiber."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Do fish not feel pain like mammals do? Why is it so acceptable for us to do things like shove our fingers in their gills or drag them around by hooks in their mouths? | [
"Nobody knows. There brains are simpler than a mammal's. But they still react to pain and such. On the other hand, it's not difficult to make a computer program that reacts to \"pain\", and few people would consider that sentient. It probably mostly comes down to tradition and the fact that they're not as cute. If ... | [
"I don't know fif the lobster actually suffers or not, apparently the jury is still out on whether they feel pain, but if they do, the lobster only suffers for a few moments as opposed to suffering its entire life. The industrial treatment of pigs and cattle is ghastly in both its severity and duration."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why is the contraceptive pill only 99% effective? What makes it fail? | [
"The 99% effective is not to account for failure nessisariy, it is to prevent a law suite. If the claim was 100% effective and for some unknown reason someone became pregnant, the company who manufactures and markets that contraceptive could be held liable. There would be little statistical proof of even 99%, but ... | [
"It means that there is an incredibly slim chance of you getting pregnant, but for legal reasons the company can't say it is 100% effective."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Does "Student Athlete" status vary from sport to sport in the NCAA | [
"Ryan Donato is no longer eligible to play NCAA hockey. He has joined the Bruins. He's still a junior at Harvard (and still attending classes apparently) but he isn't allowed to play hockey for the Crimson anymore. This was something that he chose, to turn pro early and forfeit his remaining NCAA eligibility."
] | [
"I am not sure what you are asking. Population of cities has no bearing on the category division a football team is in for college football. What matters for those are the size of the school, and the record of the team. Many of the Universities in NYC do not even have sports teams."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
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