query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1 value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
- What's happening in North Carolina? | [
"A couple days ago NC amended the state constitution (each state has a constitution separate from the national constitution) to define marriage within the state as \"one man + one woman\" (i.e. no homosexual marriages or polygamy.) Obviously, this has upset the people in favor of gay rights. This is reminiscent of ... | [
"Did you mean in the USA, or in Japan?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are we able to put our hands through liquids but not solids? | [
"Liquids can be very complicated but are still liquids. The molecules in liquids are fairly short and do not bond much with each other. I am putting in these qualifiers. That is because water is special and has polar properties. Colloids can be very complicated. In solids there is much more bonding going on. Molecu... | [
"Sound doesn't need air to travel. Sound travels through liquids and solids too. So your ears don't only pick up sounds through the openings. They pick up sounds inside your head too."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text about Science:"
} |
What is conclusive and what isn't regarding the effects of artificial sweeteners? | [
"Saying \"artificial sweeteners are bad for you!\" is a bit like saying \"liquids are bad for you!\" There are a number of different artificial sweeteners. No, they DO NOT \"TRICK YOUR BRAIN.\" Yes, they can cause weight gain and insulin resistance, chiefly through changing gut bacteria. Use _URL_0_ to search for s... | [
"To date, there is no proof that there is any effect whatsoever. Doesn't mean that it's impossible, though."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What would happen if you were swallowed whole by a whale? | [
"Well, actually you'd die from hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain) before you'd even reach the stomach."
] | [
"Poetic justice: A man kicks a dog. He is later eaten alive by wolves. Irony: A man kicks a dog. Later, a dog saves his life."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
The Charlie Charlie Challenge. | [
"_URL_0_ Here's an explanation for the Ouija board. I imagine that this is very similar. If you're playing the six pencil game then you're actually moving the pencils yourself. As for the version with two pencils in a cross shape, it's just simply someone blowing on it - again not on purpose. Try it yourself, get t... | [
"Bot explained how bots work. Thank you Internet."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
When they 'sweep for bugs' in a room what are they actually doing? What all are they able to find? | [
"The purpose of a bug - which is a listening device (or video) - is electronic. Which means to operate it must either be on to record, which uses/sends signals. Or it must be sending what it's receiving back to someone or some thing. Usually there are two types. Ones that send information back to someone and ones ... | [
"They don't want you to \"case\" their security measures and protocols, by recording what they do and analyzing it later for how you can break through illegally."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
why do kids cry when they get tired? | [
"Humans might just crave more attention from their parents than other animals. Consider that caring for children is veeery important for humans, it might be evolutionarily advantageous for babies to cry when they're tired, so that they are looked after more and aren't left to sleep where they can be eaten by predat... | [
"why do we yawn when we read about yawning?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Babies and their crying behavior:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Babies and their crying behavior:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What does "integrated" or "dedicated" or "onboard" mean in reference to graphics cards? | [
"Integrated graphics cards use your computer's RAM and processing power and aren't very good for running 3D programs. Dedicated cards don't because they have their own and are definitely better at running 3D programs. Also, Integrated = Onboard; Dedicated = Discrete. If I'm not mistaken, the 7560D is the *integrat... | [
"A CPU can be considered a \"jack of all trades\" processor. It packs many functions under the hood to be able to do all sorts of things. At one time before graphics cards became pretty much standard for playing PC games, they even did the processing for that. A CPU can and in most situations has other chips helpin... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are we so pleased with flattery even when we know it's being done to get us to do something? How does the brain understand that it's not true and yet still get so pleased? | [
"Just because it is prompted by an alterior motive doesn't mean the observation itself is invalid. As someone approaches you to decide how to break the ice they are still looking for some feature they can believably comment. If you have messed up shoes they aren't going to say nice shoes because it will come off as... | [
"For people with fragile self-esteem or low self-confidence, showing admiration for someone can make you feel vulnerable. There is the basic hurdle of knowing how to say something complimentary without sounding creepy or awkward. Even if you're not socially awkward, though, there is still the risk of rejection, tha... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does a female paradise-bird decide if the performance of a male is good enough? | [
"Well how do **you** know someone is sexually attractive? It's a mixture of instincts and experience. Does he look healthy and colorful? or is he injured or dirty? Does he look like someone you've had good experiences with? Is he the right species in the first place, or does he do the wrong dance? And how desperate... | [
"Most species have a method of proving that they are physically fit enough to reproduce. Some like Salmon do this by getting to a hard to reach spawning ground. Some like deer have males fight each other to prove who is stronger. And for many birds they have dances that prove they are healthy and in good control of... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why adware and spyware makers and utilizers arn't prosecuted for unwarranted wiretapping or hacking. | [
"> Edit: BTW SpyHunter seems to be the best scan/removal tool around. Most others I tried, scans returned clean or very few threats. Just because it finds lots of errors does NOT mean it's good. A quick google search shows that Spyhunter has a history of deceptive advertising and other shenanigans. I would not be s... | [
"It's most likely due to the fact that lyrics are copyright protected and the websites you are visiting are cataloging and distributing lyrics illegitimately (without seeking the appropriate licenses/permissions from the copyright holders). This means the sites may have to earn funding through unethical or illegal ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are all adverts on porn sites of such poor quality? [NSFW] | [
"Sometimes advertisers purposely make their ads look like they're written by non-english speakers. I get spam on a daily basis with people pretending to be \"a young russian lady living in the boonies of ukraine. I love meeting your acquaintance on my profile\" and crap like that. They're trying to make it seem \"... | [
"Mostly ads, there is a reason when you go to sites like that you are bombarded with spam and pop ups."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why do people that "look" friendly, and have friendly facial features, generally end up being nice and friendly? | [
"[Roald Dahl had a theory.](_URL_0_) From \"The Twits\": > “If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until you can hardly bear to look at it. > A person who has good thoughts cannot ever ... | [
"A certain type of man, especially on the internet, that says he's nice, but more often than not isn't. They firmly believe they own women and if you hold open a door for a woman and be nice to her, you deserve to get laid. And they can get pretty mad about it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is the difference between blackheads and whiteheads? | [
"The oils in a blackhead are oxidized due to a hole in the skin. This changes the color to a translucent yellow-brown, which appears black when in the skin. A whitehead is not exposed to air, and the oil does not oxidize. Thus, it stays white."
] | [
"Acne is also common on the back and upper arms, many people suffer with acne there. But to answer your actual question, it's because the facial skin is more porous than skin in other places leaving it more susceptible to blockage which leads to a minor infection aka: acne."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why do many bullet effects in movies (Ex. Saving Private Ryan) look so much better than bullet effects in Tv shows? (they look like sparks) | [
"because there is both more time and money spent on details in films. Tv shows have to work quickly enough to produce 40+ hours of content in a year and turn a profit for each episode. film has a year to produce 2 hours of content with a giant profit margin."
] | [
"It actually can, but it doesn't look as good. People have become used to seeing what they expect blood to look like in movies, and a more realistic version actually looks less real than than the real thing."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
What is the ringing sound in our ears every once in a while, and why can no one but ourselves hear it when it happens to us? | [
"the sound is a fault in your ears commonly known as tinitus. The reason no one else can hear it is because it is your ear that sends a faulty signal to your brain, thus you \"hear\" the ringing noise"
] | [
"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 Reddit post about Health:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about Health:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about Health and wellness:"
} |
How gas masks work and their effectiveness. | [
"The round thing on the front is a filter. If you have a Brita water filter at home, you know how a filter works; stuff comes in, bad stuff stays in the filter, and purified stuff goes through. The gas mask does the same thing, except to air, and filters more compounds than a Brita does."
] | [
"They are more effective than not having one at all."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
What is the reason for making a throwaway account? | [
"So that when you admit to killing your drug addicted brother in law it can't be traced back to you and get you arrested. (Seriously this happened). Plenty of users use the same name across multiple sites and its possible to identify who they are if you try, sometimes you want to talk about stuff that you don't wan... | [
"More importantly, what's the difference between hot and best?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why does Spotify play so many ads for features on the application instead of payed ads by advertisers? | [
"If you subscribe for premium you pay a monthly fee. I think its more profitable for them to increase paying users than it is for other companies paying for add time."
] | [
"They sell ads to companies... those ads get displayed at the beginning or the middle of some popular videos, and YouTube shares the proceed with the owner of the video."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why did coins use to have a hole? | [
"Some kinds of coins were produced by pouring metal into molds which were then broken apart and the rough coins stacked onto a rod where they were clamped and then the sides ground down to size in batches of hundreds at a time. Square holes were even more helpful in that they tended to resist twisting in this proce... | [
"Because the on dollar bill isn't worth faking. If you are going to put the time and effort into making fakes, you want them to be valuable. Also, the one does have some small anti counterfeit measures. They have tiny drawings in certain areas and some other smaller designs."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why does radio have more commercials than TV? | [
"Also consider radio's principle audience are drivers - literally captive audiences because they're stuck in their vehicle. If all the stations play their commercials all at the same time, you'll learn this flipping through the channels, eventually settling on a channel in defeat. Eventually, commercials will kick ... | [
"Because TV doesn't exist to show you sitcoms and sports. Sitcoms and sports are what fill the space between commercials. And the price of a commercial depends on viewership. Great athletes will attract more viewers so the commercials will command a higher price."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why doesn't someone just make a new site like Youtube? | [
"There already *are* a lot of sites like Youtube. They're just not as big so many sites that like to embed the video files may not support them."
] | [
"You know, you COULD just search for this on Google."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What do blind people see, and how does it affect their sleep cycle? | [
"They don't, imagine what you see out of your elbow. Thats what blind people see."
] | [
"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 query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
How come there aren't vitamins named after every letter in the alphabet? And why did they name vitamins after letters anyway? | [
"This [video](_URL_0_) explains it very well. It comes down to being historic, the people who discovered the vitamin named it, but some vitamins were actually two substances and some were the same substance with two names. This lead to this confusing system of vitamin names."
] | [
"I can't explain it but thank God someone else noticed. Every time we go to the grocery store I get mocked by my gf because of my astonishment that there are probably 15 different kinds of freaking Cheez-its. Is this a great Country or what?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What does a 'kernel' do? (computers) | [
"The kernel is like a traffic cop. It stands between your computer's hardware and the applications that you want to run. It allocates memory, keeps track of file systems on your disk drives, and it divides up time so that each program gets its turn to use your computer's resources."
] | [
"Yarr! Yer not alone in askin', and kind strangers have explained: 1. [ELI5: What is open source software and why is it such a big deal? ](_URL_4_) ^(_36 comments_) 1. [ELI5: What does it mean when software is open source? How come others can't just look at the coding of closed source software? ](_URL_1_) ^(_17 com... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
What's the difference between ibuprofen, acetaminophen and Naxproxen? | [
"For those who are not in the US. Acetaminophen = Paracetamol"
] | [
"For any other Americans who are confused, paracetamol is the British term for acetaminophen, aka Tylenol."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
- why do we sweat when we eat really spicy food. | [
"You don't have a \"hot/spicy\" taste receptor. Capsaicin oil, the chemical that makes things taste spicy is actually doing so by triggering the heat receptors in your mouth that normally tell you if food is physically hot. The exact opposite of effect is triggered by Menthol, which chemically triggers the cold rec... | [
"I think I know what you're talking about. I get a super tingling feeling after I eat something semi-tart after not having eaten anything for a long period of time."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How did colors come to be such an important source of symbolism? | [
"Colors have always been a source for feelings. Certain colors create certain feelings. For example: [Yellow and Red make you hungrier which is why McDonalds and countless others use those colors.] (_URL_0_) [Red is a powerful color that makes people more aggressive and attractive](_URL_1_) Blue is seen as more sta... | [
"Colors are associated with certain moods. It must be noted, however, that this is a cultural thing; some cultures may have colors that represent different moods than for me or you. How exactly do they affect your mood, though? Do you get angry when you see red?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How is it possible to still be susceptible to chicken pox if you've already gotten an up to date immunization shot for it? | [
"No vaccine works perfectly for everyone. Some people don't develop a strong immune response for one reason or another. This is one of the reasons it's important to vaccinate everyone. When enough people are protected, it's harder for a virus to spread to the people who aren't protected."
] | [
"> I just don't understand why kids who aren't vaccinated are a threat to people who are Because vaccines aren't 100% effective, and there's a small chance that, even if your kids are vaccinated, one of them can still contract the disease that he/she is vaccinated against."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why do you need a NASA lens to record candle lit scenes on film, yet the human eye is as small as a mobile phone camera and can see low lit scenes just fine? | [
"Our brain is incredibly powerful and can 'compute' the dynamic range and the white balance of everything we see. Even the the most expensive sensors on the best cameras available today can't recreate the wide dynamic range our eyes do for us, at least not without combining multiple images. Example. When driving th... | [
"> Why can you not see the stars? Stars are dim and the scene being shown is in broad daylight. The camera is calibrated to allow you to see the bright objects in view which means the stars simply won't show up. If the camera was adjusted so they could be seen the entire image would be overpowered by the glare from... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about science:"
} |
How is it you can legally stream a video game but not a real sports game? | [
"Actually, video game publishers *could* shut down streaming of their games if they wanted to, but (for the most part) they don't want to. The legality of streaming a video game isn't set in stone yet. Game publishers own the performance rights to the characters, logos, music, and pretty much everything in the game... | [
"They want you to subscribe to the TV channel, not be able to watch for free online."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
How do those bid one cent websites make money? | [
"Because: 1. You pay something like $0.60 to place a bid and raise the price of the item by $0.01 2. You lose that $0.60 forever, *even if you lose the auction*. So if something raises in price from an initial $0.01 to $10, that's 999 bids, which, at $0.60 each, is $599.40 that the company has made in non-refundabl... | [
"Yes, they make money since they are cheap to make."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why do professional swimmers wear 2 caps when competing? | [
"So I was actually wondering this out loud the other day while I was watching the Olympics with my wife, and not 10 seconds later the commentator on the TV actually explained it. He said occasionally you will see some swimmers wear their goggles with the strap on the outside of their swimming cap, but most wear the... | [
"As a swim instructor and swim team member, I am an expert on this issue. My expertise is known across the world (don't look me up its classified). Anyway, yes you do sweat, and a lot. Just as you would when playing football or soccer, you sweat while swimming. Lots of people think they aren't sweating because they... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
(From my 6 year old Nephew) If mosquitoes suck blood out, why does your skin puff up? | [
"Our body doesn't like mosquito spit - it thinks it's going to make us sick - so it sends things called *antibodies* in our blood to go fight it, and that makes that part of the skin swell up. ([More info](_URL_0_)) Edit: [Here's another good answer](_URL_1_), which goes into why the bites itch, if your nephew gets... | [
"* What are people made of? **The ancient remains of a star!** * What is the whole world made of? **Rocks!** * How does our hair stay on? **It's attached to us!** * Why do vampires like to eat blood? **Cause they're thirsty!** * Why do I have five fingers on my hand and not seven? **So they can fit in our pockets!*... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
why is "colored people" offensive but "people of color" not? | [
"It's complicated. But to reduce it down to the basics, the phrase \"colored people\" was one of the ones used during segregation in regards to which facilities were available depending on skin color. Repeating a phrase that was very heavily used in conjunction with segregation is an easy reason why it is considere... | [
"It's a newer, preferred way of saying something introduced because the previous way was offensive to an oppressed group of people. For example, we grew up referring to police officers as \"policemen,\" but that isn't politically correct because it excludes women. Or, we can't say \"retarded\" because it's no longe... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How do electronics just 'die' all of a sudden or over a long period of time? | [
"What about corrosion from moisture? A friend moved from SoCal (dry) to Taiwan (humid) and they found many of their electronic things died much faster. Same with my hearing aids. It seems that storing them at night in a dehumidifier of sorts prolongs the time between service."
] | [
"Nope. Cell phones and most other mobile devices are solid state electronics. So long as they stay within their happy temperature range they will chug along for a very long time. Whether they are powered on or off doesn't really change their useful life much. Where you could run into issues is with the battery. Eve... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do you sweat sometimes even if you feel really cold? | [
"You sweat to release the heat building in your core. You feel cold because on the surface you are but inside your body is still heating up and needs to release that heat through your pores."
] | [
"There are about a thousand different reasons why someone might sweat while they are asleep. i.e. the answer is going to vary from person to person."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Sleep and fatigue:"
} |
how does a digital camera/phone know it's in focus? | [
"Three main way: contrast detection, laser autofocus, and phase detection. Contrast detection- the camera changes its focus until the object it thinks should be in focus has the greatest amount of contrast, where the biggest difference between black and white occur, this is where the object is its sharpest. Las... | [
"* Fixed focus for a known distance * powerful flash for high speed exposure * decent camera * Camera is automatically triggered in such a way that it knows you will be in frame because of the speed of the coaster doesn't change much. The thing that takes so long on cheap hand held cameras is all the automatic adju... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
If a body is interred in concrete, will it mummify or decompose - will it leave a big hole where it was like a fossil? | [
"[This experiment](_URL_0_) suggests that partial mummification happens, but yes, bodies still decompose (more slowly) because of the bacteria within our body eating us once our immune system ceases function."
] | [
"Petrification, as in fossilization, is when the wood is buried and minerals in the ground water seep into the cracks in the wood, while at the same time the wood slowly rots out. By the time the wood is gone, there is stone left in the shape of the wood. Organs, like your heart, can also be petrified if your body ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why does adding an 's' to 'http://' suddenly make it more secure? | [
"Adding the 's' makes your browser connect to the server in a totally different way, verifying that they server is the one it says it is, and scrambling all information sent to or from the server."
] | [
"everything before \"._URL_1_\" gets sent to reddit, that stuff is normally referred to as a \"subdomain\" (_URL_1_ is the domain) and your browser doesn't really need to know what to do with it. It just knows, for example: _URL_0_ Let's send this to _URL_1_ and it'll know what the ABC means. In this case _URL_1_ j... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why Does String Cheese taste better when pulled apart, rather than when just biting into it? | [
"Likely more surface area. Reminds me of Kramer from the meat slicer episode of Seinfeld. 'the flavour has nowhere to hide'"
] | [
"Cheese almost always tastes better when it's at room temperature. A very thin slice of cheese is more likely warmer than a thick one. As a test, take the thick slice and leave it out until it reaches room temperature. It should taste the same is the thin one."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why do a majority of women have long hair, and men have short hair? | [
"It used to be that men would cut their hair so it would not be a hindrance in battle, or while working jobs like blacksmithing (i.e., getting in their eyes, or getting pulled by their enemies). It became a cultural norm."
] | [
"Hair gets brittle with age, short hair has fewer split ends. Curly hair covers up bald patches better than flat hair. They're mostly styling/coloring their hair anyway, may as well curl it. It's the fashion of their generation. Why do teens style their hair as they do? Because their friends are doing it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why are mercury compounds more dangerous than elemental mercury? | [
"Many mercury compounds are more readily absorbed by the body. Even if you drink mercury metal, almost all of it will just pass through your digestive system. Inhaling elemental mercury vapor causes problems over time, though. On the other hand, dimethyl mercury will readily pass through even the skin into the bloo... | [
"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 ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
If someone patents an "idea" which I later come up come up with, use, market, and sell that idea (with documentation) am I infringing? How? Why? | [
"You can't really patent an \"idea\" - patents are for actual *inventions*. A proper patent application requires a detailed description of *how* the invention works. You couldn't walk in and patent the idea of a \"flying machine\" - you actually have to design & detail how an aeroplane works. A patent only covers t... | [
"Copyright only protects what you say. You can copyright a description of a machine, but that wouldn't prevent people from making the same machine with a different description. Trademarks protect your product's identity. This prevents people from selling the same product under a confusingly similar logo/trademark ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why does VLC work when DivX and QuickTime don't? | [
"VLC has a large number of codecs built-in to the program itself. It doesn't rely on your operating system being set up correctly. So, when a codec is missing or misregistered, other players simply fail but VLC uses its own internal copy of the codec."
] | [
"You pretty much summed it up. MP4 is a so called container format. That means while the file extension always is the same, the video within may use one of several codecs. Now I know that the Xbox will play WMV MP4 just fine while it'll never play a Matroska MP4. So that's the most likely reason why some play and s... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
How does someone escape from child pornography charges? | [
"If the police had a search warrant to go through his house and get his computers, then the most likely answer is that the search did not turn up enough evidence to satisfy the prosecutors that they would win at trial. Prosecutors really don't like to lose, so they generally don't take on a losing case unless there... | [
"First things first, why would a 5 years old ask questions about cocaine?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do you need to pee after sex? | [
"Don't know for certain but I always assumed it was to clean out your urethra, all that thrusting probably jams bacteria up there you know? Can someone who actually knows a thing confirm?"
] | [
"How do you know that you don't sneeze in your sleep?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why do parents need to refer to their toddler's age in months instead of years? (Example: 18 months, 24 months etc.) | [
"Because babies grow and change and learn stuff so quickly that years just aren't accurate enough. Source; I have a 13 month old son."
] | [
"When you're 5, five years is 100% of your life. When you're 50, five years is 10% of your life."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do power cord prongs have holes in them? | [
"Two main reasons: the outlets themselves contain a mechanism that grasps the plug by the prong holes, making it harder to remove (or accidentally fall out). Also, some manufacturers lockout their devices by putting plastic warning labels threaded through the prongs, in order to get your attention before you remove... | [
"Son, the best way to charge any electronic device, is to plug the plug thing with the prongs into an electrical outlet generally located on a wall."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Electrical appliances:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about Electrical appliances:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
In Oman, why is using Skype against the law, the Facetime not? | [
"The reason it's banned has less to do with encryption and more to with Oman trying to protect local telcos by forcing voice calls to at least go through registered (and approved) channels. The concern is that VoIP would hurt telco profits. Oman does seem spotty in which VoIP they block and which they don't, I'm n... | [
"The same way it does in America, except instead of your company blocking facebook at work your government blocks political material at home."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why things are louder when I wake up? | [
"I'm just guessing here, but I like to think it's every animals instinct to be more sensitive to sound when being in a vulnerable state. We have this to sense possible danger or quickly perceive what's happening since we are suddenly analyzing are surroundings. Then again I'm just guessing. Some expert should give... | [
"Your face is swollen when you wake up from sleeping? You might want to stop sleeping hanging upside down, mate."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
When we are hot and sweaty after a workout, we want to take a hot shower but want to drink cold liquids | [
"Why would you want to take a hot shower after you work out? Just to be even more hot? I've never heard of that. I've always wanted to take cold showers to cool off."
] | [
"When you're hot outside, your body is having trouble regulating it's body temperature. It's not comfortable to be like that because... that's how your body tells you it's having trouble. When you take a hot shower, you're cleaning yourself off, and more importantly, you get out afterwards, and it's cooling and ref... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about Physics:"
} |
How does _URL_0_ sell their items at such a low price? | [
"The catch is that you have to pay for each bid, whether or not you win the auction. If they get lots of people to bid, the fees add up to much more than the cost of the item, even if an individual person doesn't pay much."
] | [
"Does it help to rephrase the question as \"How does Amazon afford advertising?\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
If a camera lens is a circle, then why is the picture a rectangle? | [
"The lens is a circle but bends light so that it hits a rectangular sensor (digital) or rectangular film in the desired way"
] | [
"The person in the photo is probably looking directly into the lens. Just imagine the lens of the camera are a pair of eyes. The photo generated is exactly what the lens of the camera sees."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How does traffic work? | [
"Too many cars on a roadway mean people can't leave enough space between cars for proper response to braking or unexpected maneuvering. A person driving below the flow of traffic in any lane means everyone behind them has to either slow down or merge to another lane to pass them. Braking and merging mean other cars... | [
"> Is there anything more to it? Turn left."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How did toddlers get over ear infections before antibiotics? | [
"Sad reality is, with any kind of infection, before antibiotics you'd probably just die, or in the case of your son, hopefully just lose hearing in that particular ear. It's as simple as that, really, which is why we experienced such a huge population growth since we came up with antibiotics."
] | [
"Because over use of antibiotics leads to antibiotic resistant bacteria like MRSA. Doctors already prescribe them too much, imagine what a layperson with no medical knowledge whatsoever would do. By the way, the flu is a virus; antibiotics have absolutely no effect on them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why is it safe to eat undercooked steak, but not undercooked chicken or fish? | [
"the thing with steak is that it's one solid chunk of meat, and as long as you sear the outside you've killed off the harmful stuff. with chickens, there's much more processing, so higher risk of more bacteria. if the chicken was not exposed to bacteria you totally can eat it raw. same thing with fish. fish is prob... | [
"Related question: What color is human meat when it is cooked? Edit: cooked in the same manner as pork or beef or chicken or whatever"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
What's the point of 'C' and 'K'? | [
"Most languages are not intelligently designed, but naturally grew out from older languages over time. Standardized spelling and grammar is pretty new, and it's quite extreme to start abolishing entire letters just because you think it's neater. For English, there is no single authority on proper spelling and gramm... | [
"There is a post on the frontpage on the topic: _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why is the word 'number' abbreviated 'No.' when there is no "o" in it? | [
"It's the first and last letters in Latin \"numero\". _URL_1_ _URL_0_"
] | [
"\"An\" precedes a vowel sound, not the starting letter, hence, a half an hour would be correct. Half has a \"h\" sound where hour has an \"o\" sound."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
"It's in our nature to destroy ourselves." | [
"That quote is based on a Freudian concept. According to Freud, we are driven, at our very core, by two instincts: the life instinct (eros)--the need to live, create, procreate, experience pleasure etc; and the death instinct (thanatos)--the need to come to rest, to destroy, and to return to the state whence we cam... | [
"\"His should look like mine\" And the cycle continues"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post about Circumcision in the US:"
} |
why can't we print/make more money to solve global problems? | [
"Money is just an abstract representation of the overall \"value\" of the economy. Printing more money does not make the economy contain more \"value\" (i.e. the number of goods and services do not increase). Thus printing extra money just makes the money itself worth less."
] | [
"what makes you think society is fiscally dependent on the stock market?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What is that "light" left in our vision after something like a camera flash? | [
"Your eyes got a bit over-stimulated and it takes time to adjust the eyes back. If you go out and it's quite bright your pupils get smaller so that less light gets in, and vice versa. The idea is to try and get the best amount of light through to the actual sensors in the back."
] | [
"No the light of the lamp goes in all directions The reflection on the mirror is just a fraction of the light from the original light source"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is the difference between .jpg and .jpeg files | [
"The reason for the different file extensions dates back to the early versions of Windows. The original file extension for the Joint Photographic Expert Group File Format was ‘.jpeg’; however in Windows all files required a three letter file extension. So, the file extension was shortened to ‘.jpg’. However, Macint... | [
"Turns out that if you take a .gif with animation and rename the file type as .jpg, the code that displays the image still figures out that it's a .gif. all of the animation will still play. If you download the one you gave for an example and check the properties, they show that it really is a .gif."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why do women generally prefer warmer temperatures? | [
"They have smaller bodies, smaller mass. When you are just skin and bones it is hard to stay warm."
] | [
"A follow-up question: Why do some people love that feeling while others detest it?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why some applications in Google Play have a high rating ( > 4.0), despite being either a horrible app in general, a scam, or clickbait? | [
"Averages are easy to manipulate, especially given who tends to leave ratings. If my company makes a clickbait app; and has 20 people working for it, it's going to take 5 0-star revies to lower the rating to 4 (because we all voted it up). If each of us makes 5 accounts to upvote our app; it will take 25 0-star rev... | [
"There is no malware. \"Malware\" is a catch-all term for \"bad\" software (the \"mal\" prefix comes from the Latin for \"evil\"). It covers viruses, trojan horses, browser hijackers, etc. As far as bloatware, there's some software made by Microsoft that they're trying to increase the user base for, but very little... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why do a lot of Jewish last names have words like silver or gold or stein in them? | [
"According to the Christian bible, usury (the act of making loans for personal profit) is a sin. Being a banker was seen as being dirty. Jews had no such qualms and became successful money lenders, working in the finance and jewelry industries. Silver and gold and stein (rock/jewel) became part of their name, as ma... | [
"They are relevant names in that culture, mostly religious. Large Muslim influence in the middle east and Mohammed becomes a popular name Christians also use biblical names like John, Jesus, Matthew, David, Sarah, Mary, Michael. Last names tend to be associated with professions, locations or family lineage. Smi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
How does a movie that is seemingly destined to be awful and fail (e.g. Dumb and Dumber To or Horrible Bosses 2) still get massive budgets and make it to theaters? | [
"Being awful =/= to being unprofitable. Huge movies like that are almost always money makers and studios, directors, actors, theaters, and investors all like to make money."
] | [
"Because Hollywood figured out that that is the safest way to make money. Movies cost a lot of money to make, and investors want as little risk as possible, so they go for properties that have built in fan bases that are gonna get seen opening weekend regardless. That means remakes, reboots, sequels, and adaptation... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
how scientists know what wavelengths are visible to different species? | [
"Two basic methods. 1. They can directly measure whether the retinal cells respond to different signals. 2. They can associate lights in different colors with the presence of food (the food is behind the door where the light is on), and see if the animal gets the signal or not."
] | [
"there are different gasses in the atmosphere when light goes through them the light changes color and there is mostly one kind of gas at the right spot that makes light green! (i don't remember which)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
why does alcohol burn small cuts | [
"Normally your skin protects you from corrosive substances like alcohol, but when you have a cut, obviously that defense is gone. Alcohol kills cells, your body doesn't like that, so it sends a type of pain signal to your brain, which your brain interprets as an unpleasant burning sensation."
] | [
"because the flame isnt hot enough, so it's basically just spitting the gas residue onto the snow."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How do hip-hop or dance producers sample only the bassline or only the percussion from an existing record? | [
"I used to do this for fun, it's not as difficult as one would think once you know what you're doing. Vocals are usually mixed as a center (mono) channel while the instruments are usually mixed as stereo (left and right). With a little bit of work, you can extract the information that's the same in each channel and... | [
"A cover is an artist playing the song of another, on their own instruments. A remix is a DJ using the original recording of a song and reassembling it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about music:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about music:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why is swimming freestyle underwater so much less effective than swimming breaststroke, yet above the water it's the opposite? | [
"Each swimming stroke can be broken down into two parts - the pulling phase, which propels you through the water, and the recovery phase, which \"resets\" your arms so you can pull again. The difference between the two strokes is in the recovery phase. In freestyle, the recovery involves flinging your arm up over ... | [
"When you and I jump straight up, we can push ourselves upwards over the span of a few feet if we crouch down first. When a whale or a dolphin jumps, they can start off deep and get a \"running start\" towards the surface to build up speed. Humans can do this too, but only horizontally, which is why the world recor... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do cats not get sick from licking their ass all day long? | [
"Cat saliva has antiseptic properties. Even their asses are no match. This does not mean that anything they find in their asses won't harm them. They're prepared for most things they would find in there."
] | [
"- They're not licking the air, they're licking their nose. - Your blowing air into their face dries up their highly sensitive nose, which is kept moist at all times. - Their reflex is to lick their nose and reapply the moisture. They can't avoid that reflex any more than you can avoid blinking when I blow air into... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
What have we discovered aboard the International Space Station and why should we care? | [
"Well most importantly how to survive in space. But if that doesn't grab you here is a list. _URL_0_"
] | [
"Why go on holiday to the caravan park this year when you know you're going to go on holiday to DISNEYLAND next year? There's still things for us to Do on the Moon - places yet unmapped, below surface exploration, samples to collect. Sure we're going to Mars, but that doesn't mean we should Not go to the Moon as we... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do people say that they want to have deep conversations but it turns out they don't? | [
"Nine times out of ten they're probably hoping one specific person will message them as a result of their post and aren't really interested in talking to anyone else."
] | [
"It’s usually a shitty excuse people use to say they want to be alone but i guess it could also mean that somebody wants to discover things about themselves that that didn’t previously know."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do some nuts, like cashews, contain so many calories? | [
"Nuts, like most seeds, exist to provide fuel for a new plant to grow. They're completely packed full of energy. While seeds like wheat are made up of carbohydrates, nuts are packed full of fats. Fats are much more energy dense than carbs so nuts are a high calorie source of food - that's why you routinely see them... | [
"To put it simply, you need a lot of different things in food to stay alive. Multivitamins don't contain much more than what the name says they contain: vitamins. Fruits and vegetables, however, contain sugars, minerals, unsaturated fat (the healthier kind of fat) and more."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Where did the "S" rating originate and why is it better than "A+"? | [
"It originates in Japan, the land of all the crazy things. Because it's known that if you get less than a C you have failed there would only be 3 grades you could get if you finished a level (as they often did not have +- modifiers), S class was introduce something difficult to give people a sense of achievement an... | [
"When the MPAA ratings were introduced in the 1960s, X was used as the highest rating, equivalent to the way R is used today. Porn producers in the 1970s picked up use of the X-rated banner, and using XXX came about as a play on that, indicating that they are more extreme than X-rated. The MPAA soon dropped usage o... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How much of the price of gold is perceived value (as an alternate currency) vs it's value as an industrial metal? Are other "precious" metals similarly valued? | [
"Can't find my source now but ~10% of gold is used for industrial use the rest is in jewellery and financial use(~40% jewellery 60% financial. So A huge chunk of it's value is as you call it perceived."
] | [
"Gold tends to hold it's value (and increase in value) during times of economic uncertainty. This is because it is a valuable commodity not directly tied to any industry or government. When we talk about investing in gold we aren't talking about physical gold in most cases. Investors buy gold-backed investment vehi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Economics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Economics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why do some countries wash their eggs and some don't? | [
"The US washes eggs due to the belief that the coatings and dirt on eggs carry disease Everywhere else does not wash eggs because they like to leave the egg's natural coating which keeps any bacteria outside the shell Unwashed eggs can be kept at room temperature, washed eggs must be refrigerated People in places w... | [
"There's usually not much you can do to sway their minds. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do you have to eject a thumb drive before removing it from your computer? How does not ejecting damage your computer? | [
"Imagine someone is writing on a piece of paper. By asking the computer to remove the drive you are letting that person finish their sentence and the writing makes sense to the next person reading it. By yanking out the drive without telling the computer, you are ripping the paper from that person whilst they’re tr... | [
"You put in removable OS installation media, like a CD or a DVD or a flash drive. The computer will boot from the installation media, which will then allow you to install the OS on the hard drive of the computer."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is time distorted in space? | [
"'Why' is a bit of a tricky question to ask about knowledge such as this. We think they are related because that is the most elegant and consistent explanation for the available evidence. The universe seems to work according to logical rules which we tend to describe as mathematics. Physicists had to figure out how... | [
"Why would the attraction of a black hole make anything travel faster than light?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment about Physics:"
} |
What is actually happening when a single taste bud decides to stick way out and get super sensitive? | [
"Your taste bud is getting inflamed because it was likely damaged, such as when you bite your tongue, eating something sharp, or something too hot for your mouth."
] | [
"I have read that the saliva in your mouth is a very strong pain killer rivaling morphine in potency. This may or may not be accurate coming from the internet as the source. The reason for the bumpy feeling (when you rub it against other objects is because your nerves are expecting to connect however one set is not... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How would the suicide net planned to be implemented on the Golden Gate Bridge and other similar structures work? | [
"A very large majority of people who jump off of structures like the Golden Gate Bridge and survive say that they immediately regretted taking the jump, and if they were to land in the net it would be unlikely that they were to try again. However, if you block off the sides of the bridge, someone's just going to fi... | [
"The planned location right over the country's largest river probably has something to do with it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Whats going on in our brains when we "snap" and go crazy? | [
"Sounds a bit like an [Amygdala Hijack](_URL_0_). In the case of an Amygdala Hijack, what happens is that the brain sends sensory input to both the Amygdala and the Neocortex. The Neocortex is the thinking part of our brain, and the Amygdala handles a bunch of emotional things. Now the Amygdala will check if it's i... | [
"No. Subliminal messages can only make you more likely to do something you would already do like get up and pour yourself a soda. It can't make you do anything you weren't going to do in the first place. So unless you're a homicidal maniac already a video with violent subliminal messaging won't make you go on a kil... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why is it easier to be angry and upset than to be happy and polite when you’re tired? | [
"The short simplified answer is that politeness and such things require more energy and computing power to generate than just being aggressive and defensive, which are more basic instincts. So when you're tired less energy is devoted to keeping up pretenses, so to speak."
] | [
"It basically means that if you are too proud to apologise or acknowledge you are wrong you will lead a lonely existence. People don't want to spend time with people that can't admit they are wrong sometimes."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
What is the point of bail? | [
"> but if thsy were kept in jail wouldn't that havw better chances of stopping them from escaping? Sure, but the point of bail is that you pay some sum in order to leave jail, and are incentivized to return at the appropriate time in order to receive those funds back. If you do not, you forfeit the money. If you a... | [
"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 post about Law and Criminal Justice:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Law and Criminal Justice:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is soaking a wound in warm salt water or swishing salt water around in your mouth good for combating infection? | [
"Soaking a wound in salt water can kill bacteria because it essentially draws the water out of the bacterial cells. However it's important to note that for wound care soaking in salt water is generally not recommended. This is because while salt kills bacteria it also kills healthy cells that are necessary for woun... | [
"Normally your body does a good job of getting rid of your everyday bacterial infections. You might have several colonies of harmful bacteria thriving inside your body but you won't even notice. However, when your immunity system is busy dealing with a widespread viral outbreak, like the flu, bacteria might take ad... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How can a single radio frequency carry two audio signals (for stereo left and right)? | [
"A radio station is not 1 signal, it's 3. Since you are even asking the question, I assume you have a notion of the concept of frequency. Now, let us say that you have a radio station around 100MHz. What you will do is transmit a strong signal on the 100MHz wavelength. Not an audio signal, just a strong signal. Do... | [
"It's called stereo sound. If the music was recorded in stereo, and your device supports stereo playback, then the different parts of the music will play from each speaker."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How does your body figure out when it's full? | [
"Your brain receives many different types of signals that tell you you're full including nutrient concentrations, glucose levels, external signals (such as knowing that an empty plate should mean you're full), and (most importantly) physical signals from your digestive tract telling you that it's full of food. Thes... | [
"Your brain is telling your body to get something off of itself."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What do the laws recently passed in Montana, Texas, Utah, and Oklahoma about being Sovereign States free from the government actually mean? | [
"What laws? I'm not seeing any evidence of laws passed in those states that made them Sovereign States free from the government. There have been a few attempts by states to pass laws saying \"You know Federal Government, we're still in charge!\" but those laws aren't really binding in any shape or form. The real is... | [
"In short because it is a federal law and federal law applies to all states. Now, the argument can be made that the federal government does not have the Constitutional authority to have such a law (I would guess it would be argued as a violation of the 9th amendment). If a case related to this law went to the Supre... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If some humans have Neanderthal DNA while others don't, does that mean some humans are at least somewhat of a different species than others. | [
"The definition of species is indeed somewhat loose but most agree on the basic that successfully interbreeding and having fertile offspring means that you are part of the the same species. This is why many people now think that Neanderthals should be considered a different subspecies of humans not a different spec... | [
"They actually have descendants living today. We are their descendants. They evolved into a few other species of which Homo sapiens is one. Species is a human concept. If you traced your line back to Homo erectus you'd never see an offspring come from a parent who belonged to a different species."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do doctors get away with grossly overbilling insurance companies compared to cash customers? | [
"Medicaid and many insurances generally only give 1/3 of the asking price if they pay at all. This has forced doctors to inflate their prices just to get enough to cover their own expenses."
] | [
"In a word: greed. The U.S. Health care system is a for-profit business. One tactic for maximizing profits is to obscure the true costs so as to stifle competition. Another tactic is to use fear to make a sale. What's more important than your health? To be fair, though, it's becoming more and more common, especiall... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why did the Romans put olive oil on their bodies after bathing? | [
"Normally it was done before bathing, not after. They would rub on oil then remove dirt with a small hook. They would then rinse the oil off, then they would soak in the baths."
] | [
"People used all sorts of stuff throughout time. The ancient Greeks used stones and pieces of clay. The ancient Romans used a sponge at the end of a stick that was shared by the community. When not in use, it was stored in a bucket of heavily salted seawater. Fast forward to colonial America and people would use t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What qualifies as a religion under the freedom of religion protection laws? | [
"It has less to do with how old/established the religion itself is, but whether the religious practices infringe on someone else's rights. For instance, there have been a number of cases where parents opted to deny their children medical treatment and instead go for Christian faith healing, then were arrested for c... | [
"The first amendment guarantees freedom of the press. It's been part of the US for as long as the US has existed."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
if there are 30 people in a room all making the same noise at 10 decibels what would be the level of noise produced | [
"Decibels are logarithmic - for every 10 dB you go up, you multiply the volume by 10 - going up 20 dB multiplies the volume by 10 twice, or a hundred times the original. So we can see immediately that since you're multiplying the level of sound by 30, which is between 10 and 100, our volume increase must be between... | [
"You have to add decibels properly, they do not add linearly as they are a log scale. If you are listening to music through one speaker at 85 dB and add a second speaker also at 85 dB then your total volume becomes 88 dB, not 170 dB because 2x power results in +3dB If you have a speaker playing at 85 dB and you pla... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are fleas the size of a speck of ground pepper but they can jump so high? | [
"Part of the answer is the relationship between size and mass. If an animal is half the size, it's one-eighth the weight - so the smaller an animal is, the stronger it is in relationship to their weight. This allows very small animals to perform relatively amazing feats of strength. Additionally, fleas have a speci... | [
"It's probably connected, as the spider tries to build its web larger. One thing to remember about spiders is that they are much smaller than you and much closer to what they are looking at, so what is so thin that our eyes can not focus on it is relatively thick to a spider the size of a pencil point."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
How a group like Lizard Squad could take down such a large money filled network | [
"They didn't hack it. They DDosed it. A 5 year old can DDos."
] | [
"Because the internet was designed to survive s bucket holocaust and something as juvenile as shutting down a site is useless. Also, laws vary. The United States isn't the only country that hosts websites"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is it that I find my reflection somewhat attractive but dislike how I look in most photographs/videos? | [
"Your face is mirrored. You are accustomed to looking at your face in the mirror and have grown to like that look on the account of you seeing it every day when you look into anything reflective. But as soon as you look at your face in a photograph (which is how you really looks) your brain notices that something i... | [
"No. When you look at the side of your face you see the same thing that everyone else does when they look at the side of your face. If people saw the side of your face/head when they looked you in the eye they would be looking you in the ear. That would be weird. It seems you're asking \"do people see me as attract... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
If Amphetamine is a relatively cheap and non-difficult drug to produce, why does the Adderall brand cost so much? | [
"A for-profit industry that can set it's price for brand-name medications at any value they feel the market will bear."
] | [
"That's pretty much how the illicit drug market works (though the \"recipe\" would NOT be in a medial journal). Figure out how to make desirable medications (Oxycontin, fentanyl, and any of the other opioids are popular), make it in a sketch lab, sell it on the street. Methaqualone isn't universally illegal. It's S... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I thought Ebola was totally incurable? | [
"The fact that we do not have a cure for a disease/condition does not mean that the disease itself cannot be overcome. There's no cure for cancer, for example, but people manage to defeat cancer fairly frequently."
] | [
"Ebola is generally perceived as difficult to pass. America is not Liberia... trust me... There's a reason it spread so bad over there. Source: I was in Liberia when it started"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are pennies still made when it cost more than 1.8 cents to make one? | [
"The purpose of making a physical currency is not for profit, but to maintain a medium of exchange which will make the economy liquid. The price of each currency unit to produce isn't particularly relevant."
] | [
"Dimes used to be made of silver, and nickels used to be made of nickel (actually a nickel/copper alloy). Because silver is more valuable than nickel, it takes less silver to make 10 cents worth than it takes nickel to make 5 cents worth."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
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