query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1 value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Interest savings account | [
"The reason is to encourage you to put money in the bank. They then use that money to loan out to *other* people at a higher rate, thus making them money. If you take a loan out from the bank, interest starts immediately, and it would be pro-rated whenever you paid it back. Therefore, you would lose money if you tr... | [
"Very briefly it sums to about this Accounting - management of money and numbers / finance - analysis of market for investment"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why haven't avocados been bred to have tiny pits? | [
"You can't just \"breed\" things arbitrarily to have whatver quality you want. You have to find one that naturally mutated that feature, then breed that plant. For example, no one bred seeds out of grapes. They found a grape vine that mutated to grow no seeds, then they grafted that vine over and over until seedles... | [
"They were genetically modified over years of agriculture to be more easy for human consumption. Take Cuties for example, they are basically oranges that were bred to be *even more* easy to peel and eat, for children. Oranges used to be a lot more like qumquats. Small, hard skin, and bitter. Thanks to years of bree... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
If speakers are just magnets, what happens when you blow a speaker from playing audio too loud? | [
"You tear the membrane that the magnet is attached to, a thin surface that is meant to vibrate the air to make sound. [Here are some pics.](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"Generally one speaker is designed to sound good at very low energy, very close up; the other is designed to put out many times that amount of power, and if it started playing in your ear, it could damage your hearing. So they mount it separately, facing the other way. it's also used for speakerphone."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Are the leaders of Islamic State actually religious, or do they just use Islam as a way to recruit followers? | [
"Let's take just one example from the scripture they say they follow: **And whoever kills a believer intentionally,** **his punishment is hell; he shall abide in it,** **and Allah will send His wrath on him** **and curse him and prepare for him a painful chastisement.** This is from the Qur'an. Chapter 4, \"an-Nis... | [
"The simple answer is that for Muslims who feel like they are culturally isolated and downtrodden, ISIS is attractive because they actually seem to be winning. ISIS propaganda is very good at making them look like the only Muslims who are able to stand up to the United States When you have been on the losing side y... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why do we jump our clocks forward on the 13th? Why not on the vernal equinox instead? | [
"Hour changes are generally planned for the early hours of a Sunday morning, so that not many people are up and getting confused when the clocks change. You go to bed in one time zone, and when you wake up it's another, rather than having to skip an hour completely or, worse still, have extreme confusion at two con... | [
"If someone is due to be executed on October 1st, they do it right when it turns october 1st, right after midnight."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Law and Justice:"
} |
What happens to dust particles that get in to the eyes and lungs? | [
"If they truly get deep into your lungs, they may become trapped there, but that's a relatively hard place to reach. Most are caught before then in mucus lining your airways. Tiny moving cilia work in concert to gradually move this mucus towards your throat, where you either swallow it or cough it out. Dust in you... | [
"They are loose particles in the air that settle because there is no wind to blow it away. It's some parts skin, dirt, hair and other stuff that made its way into your house."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Health and Wellness:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Health and Wellness:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
The Tim Tebow Controversy | [
"Some of it is team rivalry, and those people don't like seeing specific teams win or other (their chosen) teams losing. So, part of it is people getting their underwear in a knot over what is (in all fairness) a very good Football team. On Reddit, specifically, the large Atheist community rejects athletes who pray... | [
"High Crime + Dwindling Population + Crumbling Infrastructure + Diminishing Jobs = Perceived Shithole."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do insurance companies deal with huge disasters, like hurricane Harvey or Katrina? | [
"\"Reinsurance\". Basically insurance for insurance companies to insure against getting hit with too many claims."
] | [
"It's the deadliest hurricane to hit the US since 1928. It's also the costliest natural disaster to ever hit the US"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do so few smartphone companies use stock Android? | [
"Custom UI means the users get used to that one experience. Companies hope that users will keep buying their products for that experience (e.g. what Samsung is doing with TouchWiz). Differences are mostly selection of default apps (branded apps by phone manufacturer) and UI when we are talking about traditional pho... | [
"Because if the best Apps are blocked, there's less reason for someone to buy the phone."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
why is everything Windows (or at least not Mac) referred to as PC when PC is a general term for Personal Computers? | [
"It isn't a general term. Pc is a platform. It was originally an IBM trademark. Computers nowadays are PC clones."
] | [
"Mac OS had been calling them applications for a long time. Their application file type is .app while Windows uses .exe (which stands for executable). There are technical difference but I’d argue this is MOSTLY a tradition/preference. Maybe Apple liked that name since it reminds you of *Apple* and these *App*licati... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
How come we see large bodies of Water as blue? | [
"Well, this is the thing. Large amounts of water appear blue right? Oceans, lakes, icebergs, swimming pools, even a white bath full of water will look slightly blue-ish. Of course it's because water *is* slightly blue. You just need a decent amount of it before that can be seen. A glass of water doesn't have nearl... | [
"No, it will not be the same. The atmosphere in earth is responsible for the colors we see. A subset on earth is red and orange, but the sunset on Mars is blue."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Calories - Weight gain | [
"If you ate 2200 calories worth of chocolate, and you burnt 2200 calories a day, you would not gain weight. If you ate 2100 calories worth of chocolate a day and nothing else and you burnt 2200 calories a day, you would actually lose weight. That said, there is a massive difference between weight loss and health. I... | [
"Normal person: Nothing People with interest or rely on the fed goverment: short term problem."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How does sucking in your gut work? | [
"Your organs mainly go up. Between your tummy and your chest, there's a muscle called the diaphragm. It is normally used to breathe (by pushing down to make room for air in your chest) but you can also use it to suck your gut in (by pushing up, so that there's more room in your tummy). You may also notice that, wh... | [
"It means that the food contains chemicals that can help to reduce inflammation. It will not make you harder to set on fire."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What causes the brown parts of a banana and should I eat it? | [
"It's fine to eat, it's just because of a natural process caused by ethylene which is a natural compound released by almost all fruit during the ripening process. High amounts of ethylene cause the yellow pigments in bananas to decay into those characteristic brown spots in a process called enzymatic browning."
] | [
"You can't reverse something from being rotten, to edible. The title is misleading. It's not a rotten banana, it's just a little bruised. If I ha to guess, I'd say all he's doing is removing the bruised look of the banana, but the taste and texture of the banana would likely remain the same. Softer and mushier than... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Despite living in famine stricken countries where food and medicine is in such short supply, why do people still have children when there's such high risk of child mortality? | [
"In many countries children are your retirement plan. If a country lacks the social safety net to protect the elderly then people tend to have large families so that their children can support them later in life. They invest time and resources into their children with the assumption that they will be paid back late... | [
"So, for starters, only helping poor Americans doesn't make a lot of sense. The poor Africans don't deserve help less because they're further away. More importantly, the average disadvantaged American has a staggeringly high standard of living when compared to the average disadvantaged African. The American lives i... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Sociology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Sociology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why, when writing formal (letters), are (married) women sometimes referred to as Mr. (female's full name)? | [
"If you know it's a woman, Mr. would be an error. Some women see this mistake, I have a friend called Gene Smith, her real name is Genevieve. She pronounces Gene like gene (the bit of DNA). She gets a lot of mail to Mr. Gene Smith, because if you google \"gene smith\" you get images of a bunch of guys. In workplace... | [
"Because \"his\" is the male possessive for \"him,\" while \"her\" is the female possessive for \"her.\" It's irregular."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Rather than have two separate sexes, why are not all species hermaphroditic? | [
"All the previous commenters are talking about animals that practice self fertilization or are asexual. I think you are actually asking about animals where each individual produces both sperm and eggs, and any one animal could have the choice to be pregnant or impregnate another? In animals that are hermaphroditic,... | [
"1. That book and the movie contained a lot of bad science. 2. A lot of animals are gender fluid. 3. It appears that on some animals (such as the frogs used in the book) the gender specific genes are present on both sets of chromosomes. So XX can be either male or female as needed, but so can XY. 4. Not all animals... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why is it that when I'm not hungry but I eat something anyways, I instantly become hungry? | [
"The human body has a mechanism to ignore hunger if it goes on without food for a certain period of time (To stop the feeling of hunger so you can focus on finding food) so now that you got food it says, \"Oi mate, that's my part, you need more food.\" On a more technical side the brain [stops releasing the leptin... | [
"First, Lucky you. Second, your desire for sex goes to basically nothing. Like eating a really good meal till you're full. Yes, you enjoyed it, but well, you're full, you're not going to eat that meal again, you just need to wait till you're atleast a little hungry again."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Health and Wellness:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Health and Wellness:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Apache (The software) | [
"Apache is a web server. When you make a website it is a collection of files on a computer somewhere. When somebody wants to see your web page, they type in your address and a request goes to your computer. The web server software gets that request and sends you the correct files, including any needed processing, s... | [
"There is also [this](_URL_0_) image that explains main differences between the two."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is it so hard to make realistic water/liquids in video games? | [
"Water is made of lots of tiny particles, and these particles are constantly moving, colliding, and changing velocity. Solids have lots of particles, but they don't move, and you don't have to calculate their speed, or how they change position. It's harder for a CPU to calculate how to display water since there's... | [
"Do you mean medically or like how a computer program simulates the way water/fluid looks/moves on the screen?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is way harder to find species where females have to impress males for matting? | [
"Because growing a baby intrinsically requires more resources than providing sperm, therefore more care must be taken in selecting a mate. Waste a bit of sperm on a bad genetic partner? No big deal. Waste a pregnancy on one? Big deal."
] | [
"likely so we copulate more frequently (maybe with more partners) to increase our reproductive success and bonding in pairs. also because if they took longer we'd probably never do shit else"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about biology:",
"pos": "Represent the comment about biology:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why do some flavor combinations taste so well together (Peanut butter & Jelly, pork chops & apples, Lamb & mint, etc)? | [
"Contrasting flavors are often a successful combination because they balance each other; this prevents you from feeling that a given flavor becomes excessive. So considering the 3 examples you give, we have salty/savoury flavors of peanut butter, pork chops, and lamb, which are combined with tart/fruity flavors of ... | [
"We're the only species who has invented stuff like Twinkies, Ho-Hos, Nutella, Toblerone, Reese's Pieces, sugar cane cola, macadamia nut ice cream, rocky road, cherry jam, Dr Pepper and honey chai latte."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text about Dentistry:"
} |
Why is japanese porn censored? NSFW | [
"Follow up question: Is there a name or category name for non censored japanese porn?"
] | [
"i thought this was gonna be a question about why nudity is OK PG-13 in movies, but a total controversy in 18+ M games..."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why does bread get tough when left outside a bag/box for some time, but crackers get soft in the same situation? | [
"Bread has a lot of moisture (google says 40%). So, leaving it out leads to the liquid evaporating out and drying out the bread. Crackers have very little moisture, that's why they can last much longer than bread. So, when you leave them out, they absorb the moisture from the surrounding environment."
] | [
"The bag is open so the moisture can get out in case the bread just got out of the oven and is still releasing vapour. You are supposed to close the bag once you have started on eating the bread in order to conserve it well, or put it in a cloth bag or tea towel at home. If your un-started French bread gets stale a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What did Obama do to deserve the Nobel Peace Prize? | [
"He didn't deserve it. Even Obama acknowledges that. It's been said that it's sometimes given as a form of \"pro-active shame\" on somebody who might be a war monger. As a way to encourage them to be peaceful."
] | [
"There were 278 people nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize this year, so it's not that big of a deal to be nominated. Putin was nominated for helping to defuse the potential US conflict with Syria."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
why do they always the need to change up the UI of a big social media app? | [
"It’s so they can tell their shareholders/stockholders that they are adding value and keeping their product “relevant”"
] | [
"Because their app is s total POS. Scrubbing barely works in the app, yet it works in the mobile site... Every time they update it, which is every two minutes, the fuck something else up. Rant over.. Apologies... Serious answer, perhaps the mobile site defaults to a lower quality in some respect."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Technology:"
} |
Campaign financing - Pros and Cons | [
"off the top of my head Pros - tax payers are not funding the bill for campaigns. - governments can spend more than their budget. - (some) businesses can get what they want Cons - not representing the views of the people, answering to the highest bidder. - technically bribery - not really in the spirit of a democr... | [
"Liberals support change while conservatives believe in tradition."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why is it that normal pencils will rub off with an eraser, but color pencils won't? | [
"Color pencil pigment is carried by wax, which only smears around when it's written on something and then erased. You're essentially writing with a form of grease that carries a coloring agent, and like rubbing your finger across a greasy frying pan, doesn't remove it that well without some other form of chemical h... | [
"I'm not 100% sure, but I believe temporary markers have an additional chemical in them that keeps the ink from holding on to the surface, while permanent markers do not. The reason I think this is because if you draw a line permanent marker, then draw over it with an erasable one, it will allow both marks to be er... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is happening when the internet stops working, and then somehow working after i replug/restart it? | [
"I assume you mean the router/wifi. A router takes internet traffic from all the devices in your house with internet and funnels it out to your provider. Then all the returning traffic (websites, videos, etc. your devices asked for) has to be sent out to the right device. It's sort of like working in a mailroom, bu... | [
"The phone gets charged to 5% before booting back up. This is so that it doesn't turn off immediately right after you unplug it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do TV shows and movies look "different"? | [
"Most films are filmed in 24 frames per second. Where as most TV is filmed using higher FPS, like above 30FPS."
] | [
"The film that was used to film movies was not low quality. The film was very very very very high quality. All they do on Blue-ray is make it so you can see movies how they are supposed to be seen. Old=/= bad quality."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why light travels at that precise speed in vaccuum (and not higher)? | [
"_URL_0_ Check out the top comment. Doesn't exactly answer your question ( I don't think anyone has an explanation for why the speed of light is exactly what it is ) but should help wrap your mind around why that speed is significant."
] | [
"It has been confirmed by observation and experiments which match the theories perfectly that photons are massless. There isn't an easy ELI5 way to answer it without math or physics jargon. Photons are energy moving at the speed of light. Nothing with mass can move at the speed of light."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Physics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:"
} |
Why does your body's immunity tank with sleep deprivation? | [
"When you don't get enough sleep there is a decrease in the number of T cells (major player in the immune system) and an increase in the factors that cause inflammation. Inflammation without reason can lead to tissue damage, which also makes it easier for pathogens to start an infection because part of your immune ... | [
"Everything gets worse as we age. Your bodies ability to rapidly respond to stress deteriorates as you age. Getting drunk isn't any different."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Health and Wellness:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Health and Wellness:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
On most microphones there is a metal grate that you sing or speak into, why does this not distort or muffle the voice? | [
"The short answer is that the openings in the grate are wide enough to as to avoid any major impact. It *probably* does make a tiny difference, but it's an acceptable trade-off for the sake of the microphone element's protection."
] | [
"A windscreen simply deflects the full force of wind (or even a person's breath) away from the diaphragm of the mike, the part that vibrates and is used to convert mechanical to electrical energy. It also helps keep dust, grime and saliva from the top of the mike."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do people lose weight during sleep? | [
"You body is taking in oxygen, and breathing out oxygen plus hydrogen (water) and oxygen + carbon (carbon dioxide). That is basically how *all* long term weight is lost, and over the course of 8 hours, it adds up. Also, you perspire while you sleep, and that contributes too. In addition, bathroom scales are not te... | [
"Your brain is telling your body to make room."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How important a consistent sleep schedule is? Why? | [
"For starters you title your ELI5 wrong when sleepy. The real issue is that your body has a natural sleep rhythem an as a result you will feel sleepy at certain times more than others. This sleep rhythm is slow to change, and sleeping at times when you are normally awake will cause your sleep to be lighter and shor... | [
"Who is brushing their teeth before breakfast?!?!!!?? Brushing teeth is one of the last things one does before leaving the house."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do most men get a feeling of regret right after finishing jerking off? | [
"Woah, that can't be right. Masturbation is one of mankind's best tools. When I was single and thought I liked a girl I would spank it before calling her. If I still wanted to talk after getting off that was a good sign. I have never felt guilty about masturbation btw."
] | [
"Guy goes through a \"Refractory period\" after ejaculation. This period is meant to give the man time to recover and produce more seminal fluid. This time can vary but usually guys can pop a stiffy again after 15 to 30 minutes. If your heart is set on round 2, I'd spend that time cuddling and kissing, but NOT touc... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Psychology:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Psychology:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What is actually happening in a person's body when they build up a tolerance to a drug or alcohol? | [
"\"Reward\" or \"pleasure\" comes from your Nucleus Accumbens in the brain, which is partly mediated by the Ventral Tegmental Area. Along with other structures, the VTA stimulates the Nucleus Accumbens with neurotransmitters, most commonly dopamine. Drugs alter the effectiveness of this stimulation. After awhile, y... | [
"If you drink coffee every day to wake yourself up in the morning, you will eventually become addicted. How would this contribute to you becoming addicted to alcohol, tobacco or methamphetamines? They're completely different drugs with different effects, different feelings and, most importantly, different chemistry... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why not go for the backboard? | [
"I am no expert here, by far, but, it seems like the backboard is another unnecessary step in getting the ball in the hoop. If you can get the ball to go directly into the hoop why would you try and make it bounce off something before going into the hoop. The fewer steps the better right? I also know it's kind of a... | [
"Rave you read from both to confirm that they work?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
How is currency/money in banks and other financial institutions safe-guarded from computer-based attacks? | [
"Insane amounts of backups. The record keeping is highly regulated and by law the banks/financial institutions must follow the rules of having the information secured, AND backed up in a number of ways. Worst case scenario, they would have to stop all transactions and fix their databases. Source: I build these sys... | [
"Yes, all the transactions must match between the accounts. When you first create an account, it's balance is zero. Thereafter whenever the balance changes, there must be a complete record of where the money was from or where it was going. This isn't just a single system, though. There's multiple redundant systems ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence about Technology:"
} |
When a live sports replay is "brought to you by Home Depot" and other oddities, how is this effective marketing? | [
"It's known as brand building. They are trying to make you remember their brand name on a deep, visceral level. Their name just becomes part of the language. So, the next time you think about needing a tool or building material the first name that springs to mind is Home Depot. They're hoping that this association ... | [
"These companies don't get prime placement (at the beginning of the show) By having something quirky, it makes them more memorable. I find myself saying their slogans in time after my favorite shows on Netflix. It's marketing/branding."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Sports and Advertising:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Sports and Advertising:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Advertising:"
} |
With almost everything having a generic version these days, and all of the competition in the furniture business, why isn't there a Sleep Number clone on the market? | [
"If there's no competition for a product, it could mean a few things: * The company making them holds a bunch of patents which prevent a competitor from legally making clones * The start-up cost is really high to start producing clones * The inventing company has so much name-recognition that it's impossible to com... | [
"It's too expensive and there's nothing of worth on the Moon."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
why do computers use exponents of 2? ie 32, 64, 128, 256 etc | [
"Because computers are all based around binary (base 2) math. Computers use binary, as oppose to base 10 or any other style, because the simplest form of data transport and storage is a system that only knows 2 states. Computers are really all about taking very big hard problems and breaking them up into massive nu... | [
"Because they lie. If you look on the box it probably says something like \"1TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes\", but that's not how it actually works. In computers 1kb=1024 bytes. This is because everything in a computer is basically factors of 2. So if you start doubling 1 it goes... 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256,... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why have a European Union and not just massive country? | [
"Forming a big \"country\" comparable to the United States would mean the creation of something like the USA's federal government. This means that the individual states would have to give up some power and control over their own rules/people to this government. This is a tough sell. The European Union grants them a... | [
"Because Canada does not benefit from that. Why do you think Canada *should* have the same size military as the US?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are electrical lines slack between poles? | [
"Because if they were pulled taut, then a strong wind could bend the poles away from each other and snap the lines, loosing high energy power lines onto the ground below which can be extremely dangerous. A little bit of slack is just fine."
] | [
"Ice is heavy. If power lines get covered with too much ice, the weight could cause damage to either the lines or the supporting poles. A bunch of overhanging icicles on power lines is also a serious danger for pedestrians and motorists below."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What happens to a text message when the receiving phone is turned off? | [
"> And also, once the receiving phone is turned on, how does the text message service detect that? When your phone connects to the network, it performs what's evocatively known as a \"handshake.\" This process of establishing the connection informs the network where to direct a call that will terminate on your hand... | [
"Your friend's iPhone has registered itself on Apple's iMessage servers. Your phone, as soon as you type his number into the To box (or bring up a previous conversation with him) will ask the iMessage servers if they recognise him phone number. If they do, the message goes as an iMessage, otherwise it goes as a tex... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is Android Insecure if Linux is Generally Very Secure? | [
"Who told you that Linux is secure ? vulnerabilities keep popping up everyone and then, some of them are huge !! In fact, vulnerabilities in things like bash mess up everything based on that bash, so vendors have to change their proprietary firmware to address the vulnerabilities. Android seems to be more insec... | [
"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 document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Whatever happened to all those 1-900 psychic / astrology lines from the 1990's and early 2000's? Why isn't that a thing anymore? | [
"They moved online, hotline number s like that just changed with the time as More people got intratnet."
] | [
"Slightly unrelated, but my Grandmother watched QVC so much in the late 1990s/early 2000s that the phone number was permanently burned into her CRT tv screen."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
What's with getting goosebumps when you have the craps? | [
"Probably the diarrhea is due to your body detecting some poison or pathogen attacking your body. One way to help fight it off is to increase the temperature in your body, and the hypothalamus turns up the normal temperature your body tries to maintain. Your body then recognizes that it is colder than it thinks it ... | [
"Slightly offtopic, but why do my eyes leak when I yawn?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why are firearm designs so old, specifically handguns? | [
"Because they are reliable. And there is a small reason for making a new design when the old one is still making money. Hope that helps :)"
] | [
"The barrel is just a tube with a very particular shape. The cartridge can simply fall out if nothing holds it in. The bolt of a rifle is kind of like a key. By inserting and rotating, it locks. You can't rotate your house key 90 degrees in the lock and pull it back out again, and it's the same way with the rifle b... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
What does it mean when a drug addict has "collapsed veins"? Why do they have to keep looking for different veins over their bodies? | [
"Because when a vein is injured, as it is normal with the rest of our body, it starts an acute inflamatory response. The idea of an inflamatory response is to repair the tissue to what it was before. When a tissue is repeatedly injured in the same place over and over again, the inflamatory response turns to a chro... | [
"Even people with legitimate reasons for frequent injections can have difficultly with veins. Being able to carry blood and being able to handle a needle injecting something are different. Veins scar which can make it very difficult to insert a needle. They can become fragile which causes them to break when inject... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Does the ban on news outlets from the White House press briefing violate freedom of the press? | [
"No. Those outlets remain free to report whatever they want to report. The 1st Amendment does not guarantee anyone access to White House press conferences."
] | [
"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 question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why is it when it rains in a baseball game the game gets postponed til further notice but in American football the players play through any weather? | [
"I was a house league umpire for a few years. For us, we would play in the rain until we had puddles forming. Most baseball diamonds are made with very rough dirt that can not only get extremely muddy, but can cause some nasty infections if you end up slipping in/on a puddle and cutting yourself on the rough dirt (... | [
"I think has to do more with road conditions more than temperature it has to be like really cold before they will cancel for temperatures usually. But if there's snowy, slushy or icy road conditions than that can put people at a safety risk when commuting to and from. That's how it works here where I live, I also h... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
If circles and spheres are actual physical things in the universe, and Pi helps define circles and spheres, doesn't the fact that Pi is an infinite non-repeating decimal say something important about the physical structure of the universe? If it does, what is it? | [
"I have read every comment here, and I have no idea what you're asking. Pi is a number. It is irrational, but it's just a ratio between two things. There are many irrational numbers, and it doesn't mean anything."
] | [
"I think another thing that should be pointed out is the singularity is the point where the math of general relativity falls apart, and scientists don't really understand what's going on there or what it physically is. It's like you solve an equation, and the answer is 1 divided by 0. It makes no sense and we're no... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Mathematics:",
"pos": "Represent the answer about Mathematics:",
"neg": "Represent the answer about Physics:"
} |
Why isn't it good to have a lot of vitamins at once? | [
"The difference between a thing being healthy, and a thing being unhealthy, is quantity. Vitamins are necessary for human survival, but you can also overdose on them. Overdosing on vitamins can have various dangerous effects, depending on the particular vitamin. That being said, even if you don't eat enough to suf... | [
"Why do you say that it's logical that breakfast be the heaviest meal of the day?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Announcers always say that downhill skiers should be "in the air" as little as possible because it slows them down. It is faster when skis remain on the ground. How could that be? | [
"Consider a uniform 45 degree slope. The shortest way down is along the plane of the slope. The curved path through the air that results from a jump is a longer distance."
] | [
"They are going down a hill (if it was flat or uphill, this would not have worked). By planking on his seat he was able to dramatically reduce his wind resistance - he made himself more aerodynamic. As crazy as it sounds, not having your legs be a big windbreak can sometimes be just as beneficial to your speed as p... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Sports:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment about Sports:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
What would happen if you took off your helmet in space ? | [
"You definitely wouldn't explode or anything dramatic like that. There have been a few astronauts who were exposed to vacuum or near vacuum and were successfully revived. IIRC less than 45s or a minute is survivable."
] | [
"How the fuck do you accidentally throw a bowling ball at something above your head?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
How do car parks know how many spaces are available? | [
"Is there a barrier on the entrance and exit? Barrier on the entrance goes up, -1 parking space. Barrier goes up at the exit, +1 parking spaces. Start with a known quantity, cos we can count the number of bays, deduct 1% to allow for dicks parking in two or more bays, and away you go. When the number reaches Zero, ... | [
"There could be a few reasons. Firstly, it might just be that the developer of the store bought a parcel of land - it was either buy the whole lot, or not buy it at all. Rather than have a patch of brown earth at the corner, it was decided that it would be better to pave it over. Also, there is the fact that you re... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why does Soda become flat(uncarbonated) when you shake it? | [
"Left alone, CO2 dissolved in the soda will come out of solution and go into the air. Shaking it provides way more opportunities for an individual CO2 molecule to be exposed to the air and in a position to leave the solution, so the rate of CO2 leaving the solution increases."
] | [
"Depends. With beer it goes into the bottles flat but they add yeast. The yeast its the starches in the beer and burps out gas. That's what makes it fizzy and gives the bottle pressure. With sodas(I'm assuming on this one), they make it fizzy before and then add it into the bottle. Once the bottle is closed, some o... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
What causes differences in the appearance of ice (ex. see-through vs. white)? | [
"It's the purity of your water. I saw it on Nat geo on a show called \"going deep with David Reese\" the purer the water the clearer it is"
] | [
"Do you maybe mean light refracting through the atmosphere?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What exactly happens when you look at an eclipse without eye protection? Is it the same as looking directly at the sun on a normal day? | [
"For the love of all that is good and pure, do a search before posting. This has been asked 4000 times in the last day."
] | [
"A lunar eclipse is when the moon passes through the Earth's shadow. Much like the sun temporarily being blotted out by the moon, the moon will temporarily be dimmed as Earth passes between it and the sun. You should expect it to turn red and darken, then brighten over the course of about four hours. It is differen... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
During a divorce why isn't custody entirely up to the child? If they're old enough to properly understand and make decisions? | [
"Until a child is 18, they aren't considered developed enough to be making legal decisions. They can testify and favor a parent, but it doesn't make a definitive choice. Once that child hits 18, they're allowed to live with whoever they want."
] | [
"The priority of Family court is not being just or finding out the proper paternity. The priority is the welfare of the child. So if you have provided for the child for years and the child depends on you financially for their well being you have to pay. The court doesn't are if you were lied to it cares that the ch... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Law:"
} |
What exactly are dogs trying to find when they sniff around looking for a place to go to the bathroom? | [
"I think they're looking to see if other dogs/animals have left their scents around. Once they've figured that out, they leave their own mark signifying their claim on this territory: \"I know you peed here earlier but this is my land now.\""
] | [
"When there is poop, there is animal. If there is no poop, then predators will not be able to locate dog that easily. It's an instinct thing, the same that makes dogs roll in dead things to mask their smell."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Top people on Instagram likes | [
"It's a formula that is, as you've stated, based on your interaction. You like their stuff, they like your stuff, Instagram realises this and makes you see more of each other. Facebook does this too and so will almost every social media site."
] | [
"Advertisements or from people who subscribe to premium service."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
What are cycles in a log-log paper? Why do the scales from one to ten keep on repeating? How does plotting on it is done? | [
"Now that I see your slide rule picture, I will tell you how to multiply with it. Slide the 1 on the C scale over the 2 on the D scale. Now read off under the 3 on the C scale, and you should see a 6 on the D scale, because 2X3=6 Feel free to ask questions if you don't understand anything I posted."
] | [
"Basically you can think of a dimension as just an axis with values. The further away from an imaginary starting point, the higher the value. In geometry (and understanding of space) we use spatial dimensions to get coordinates of an object for example, but duration would go on a spatial dimension, and nothing forb... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
What is China planning with docking their aircraft carrier in Syria? | [
"The middle east is in a real state of flux at the moment and the Syrian situation means that there is currently a struggle for power. Both the Russians and China are now moving in so that when the time comes, they will have a hand in dictating who comes to power, as it's in their interests to have influence in the... | [
"Most Likely the US and European Countries in NATO will conduct air raids on Syrian military and government positions like what happened in Libya."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is personal space so exorbitantly big in Nordic countries? | [
"My guess would be that because of the very sparse population most of the inhabitants in the past never had to face city conditions with compact space and large crowds. Personal space gets smaller only with urbanization and Nordic countries haven't had that large urban settlements to really change the perception of... | [
"I sincerely doubt there's much difference in personal liberties between America and Western Europe."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
If principle photography is done AND a teaser trailer is out, why wont the new Star Wars be in theaters until next December? | [
"Post Production. This is when all of the CGI, sound mixing, editing, scoring and much much more is done. Additionally, they're will probably be reshoots. Therefore, the one year gap gives them plenty of cushion time."
] | [
"You saw a trailer, not a full screening. The movie was not done being edited in July. You did not see the full film."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
ELI11: Historically, why bladed weapons produced in the Middle-East/South Asia tended to be curved (like a scimitar), while in the West, straight (like a broadsword)? | [
"There's a lot of factors, and there are definitely examples of Western curved swords (cavalry sabers, for example) and Eastern straight swords (the Chinese jian, for example). One factor is the types of armor in common use. Some types of armor protect better against slashes, others against stabbing. Straight sword... | [
"The transitions are a bit muddy and have shifted through history but a dagger is a double edged knife, a dirk is a dagger that is 6\"-12\" and a short sword is 1'-2' in length. Then you have numerous kinds of longer swords. But the answer to your question is 1'."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
If you don't eat meat, you're a vegetarian. But what are you called if you don't eat fish. | [
"No meat, but still fish = pescatarian No meat, but still able to eat eggs and such = vegatarian No meat at all, not even anything that comes from an animal (eggs, caviar, etc...) = vegan"
] | [
"It is considered meat. There are some people who say it isn't meat, but those people are wrong."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why does nausea seem to come in waves? | [
"It can come in waves as the natural movement (muscle contractions of the digestive system known as peristalses) is reversed, and involuntary contractions in the walls of the stomach and esophagus force the stomach contents out"
] | [
"if it's a random pain that goes away in under a minute in a random spot, it's called \"idiopathic pain\", meaning the cause is unknown. It's far more common than you think, most people I know get it at some point. If it becomes more frequent or is recurs in a specific area, go see a doctor."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What does it mean to be an American? | [
"Where you are free to have your own thoughts and live your life the way you desire within the limitations of the law."
] | [
"In the real world why would anyone want to be a politician?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do Americans make so much money compared to mainland Europeans? | [
"Who's more likely to tell you their salary: a rich person, or a poor person?"
] | [
"Because our country is so wealthy even the poor are pretty well off compared to the middle class in most other countries."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do game developers secure their code for their game in that way that it simply won't be copied by any other game company/game developer? | [
"Most games are written in C++. When you program something in C++ you run the code through a program called a compiler, which turns it into a form that the computer can run. You can't get back to the code that was originally written from that, too much information is thrown away. It is possible to inspect this comp... | [
"Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo(and maybe game developers) don't want to release the tools(the dev kits are real hardware and the software isn't made for the public) they use to make games on consoles. And on PC modding is not associated with niche little modifications to the game or bad things like making games unplayabl... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
When a town or a city elects a dog or a cat for mayor, how does that end up working? | [
"It is never official. Typically it only occurs in unincorporated towns where they don't have government at anything lower than the county level. Such communities will often elect an unofficial mayor as sort of a spokesman. Since there are no real laws covering this, there is nothing stopping them from getting sill... | [
"Suppose a politician does this. You may have noticed that elections are held periodically. This means, among other things, that a politician may be out of a job in a few years if things don't go their way. How much funding do you think their campaign is going to receive the next go around if they pissed off all th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is an excess of (salty) saliva produced when about to vomit? | [
"The belief is that it's to protect your teeth. Stomach acid is very destructive to tooth enamel. Saliva helps dilute and neutralize the acid."
] | [
"It's a reaction by your salivary glands. You can even get this pain in *anticipation* of something before it has even reached your mouth! It seems to be caused by the salivary glands kicking into overdrive and being unable to discharge the saliva as quickly as they are producing it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why have Christianity and Islam been so successful? | [
"They are both religions that place a heavy emphasis on evangelizing and spreading the word, and were both adopted by peoples who were highly mobile, both as traders and invaders."
] | [
"> Why does Islam attract many more radicals and extremists than with other religions? Socioeconomic factors. A thousand years ago, it was pretty much the reverse."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
How E. Coli bacteria contaminates vegetables. | [
"Poop from cows, chickens, etc., is used to fertilize vegetables. Sometimes, that poop contains bacteria like e. coli which gets on the outside of the vegetables. If the vegetables aren't cleaned before people eat it, then people can get sick. The easiest way to keep yourself safe is to always wash your vegetables ... | [
"What sounds worst? Plant-eating bacteria or flesh-eating bacteria?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
How did they get the carriages into the Glasgow underground? | [
"There is an above ground depot at govan with tracks leading between the depot and the main lines. The depot was built in the 70s, prior to that the cars were craned in through a hole"
] | [
"How about through that opening on the side of your head?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do most countries limit work/travel visas to 30 years age or less? | [
"I think the type of working holiday visas that allow people to stay for a year and work a while doing so, is usually restricted to age 18-30, because it is primarily intended for students who take a year abroad. There tend to be plenty of other visa types that don't limit the age of the applicant like this."
] | [
"You don't have to be a citizen of a country to live in it, and some countries have visas that allow you, for example, be in a country 6 month per year for 5 years."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
how can a tv remote sit around all day not wasting it’s batteries and immediately be picked up and used (without having to be turned on), while something like a game controller must be turned on first before use, and if you left it on all day it would drain the batteries even while not in use? | [
"a tv remote is a usually one way communication and uses IR. the remote emits a signal when a button is pushed and the tv receives it. it's like using smoke signals. a game controller communicates through bluetooth which is active two way communication. just by keeping it on and idle, it'll consume power. and cont... | [
"No, charging is intelligent in phones. You can leave it plugged for life and it will only charge when it's needed."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why are tech and thought leaders so worried about A.I.? | [
"There is a great documentary about this issue, it’s called “The Terminator”. It will explain everything!"
] | [
"We’re the product, not the customer. Facebook is providing us to the companies that pay to advertise on it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text about Technology:"
} |
how does the tab on the rear-view mirror work? Dimming bright lights but still letting you see out the back window | [
"There is a piece of glass in front of the mirror that is angled away from you when the tab is in its normal position. In the normal position you are looking at the reflection from the mirror and not the glass. When you flip the tab the mirror becomes tilted so it no longer reflects the light toward your eyes, but ... | [
"Having a light on next to the turn signal makes it harder to see the blinking. This could contribute to an accident by hiding the signal."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
how does urinating after sex prevent a UTI if the urethra and vagina are not connected? | [
"Penis goes in and out. Penis rubs vagina juice against urethra at every stroke. Pee to cleanse out Vagina juice from Urethra. The end."
] | [
"It's a small bit of fluid and mucus from two different glands that are activated when a man gets aroused, it acts as a way to lubricate and change the acidity of the vagina to ensure that sperm survives for fertilization. Men have no control over it, and it leaves the urethra during both masturbation and intercour... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
What is holding us back from making a space elevator right now? | [
"we don't have a material strong enough to make the elevator shaft. all materials we have today would simply snap from its own weight if we make it 250 miles long and tried to dangle it like a string."
] | [
"Our only chance for continued existence as a species is space exploration."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Technology:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Technology:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Science:"
} |
When driving and getting tired to the point where falling asleep is a real concern, why does simply pulling over and getting out of the car for a minute re-energize you so much? | [
"Like the other comment said, you're getting your blood flowing. In addition, switching up the task you are performing keeps your brain engaged. If you're driving in a downtown area where you have to watch other drivers, check for pedestrians, switch lanes often, etc. you are probably not falling asleep because th... | [
"Driving is so routine to you that your brain can do it on autopilot. Just like how you don't think about walking, you just do it. Either that, or you are very sleepy and you actually fall half asleep while driving. This is dangerous, obviously, since any sudden or unexpected event on the road will kill you in a f... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Sleep and its effects on the body:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Sleep and its effects on the body:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Psychology:"
} |
What are the heights of mountains measured against on planets without seas? | [
"The Datum. Simply put, imagine running a bulldozer over the surface, smoothing down everything that sticks up, and using that stuff to fill in all the troughs and holes. The resulting surface is the reference."
] | [
"By drawing an imaginary line through the planet along the axis that the planet spins, and assigning the top end as north and the bottom end as south, relative to the north and south of the Earth. Yes, this is an arbitrary assignment -- for all we know we're upside down to the rest of the aliens in the universe."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Physics:"
} |
Why don’t airports and air travel companies update from the staticky ATC systems to something that is able to be more clearly heard and understood. | [
"Your cellphone also loses signal if it goes into a tunnel. Your cellphone is fm radio, pretty, nice, but weak signal. Plans are on lower frequencies, AM radio. Shittier quality but a much stronger signal strength."
] | [
"We do get a lot of telemetry from aircraft. There are very few spots where they aren't in constant contact with Controllers or other aircraft. The amount of info that a black box collects is several orders of magnitude higher than what we get through satellite updates and pings from the engines and ARINC and SITA... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument about aviation:"
} |
why would an international football team have a goalie that's never saved a penalty in his career? | [
"Firstly, he's young for an international keeper so will have faced less penalties skewing the statistic. Secondly, saving penalties is a tiny fraction of what a goalie has to do."
] | [
"I read the same story earlier on the bbc too. I took it to my wife who is head of PE and she just laughed at how ridiculous it was. The coach can not be blamed for how poor the opposition is. He should be commended for building a strong team and then putting out a second team at half time. What could he of done? A... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
How do the big YouTube channels (pewdiepie, Yogscast, etc) avoid getting three strikes from frivolous/bogus copyright claims? | [
"They aggressively pursue their rights. Every-time they get a strike they reach out to YouTube and let them know what happened. Given their size and value to YouTube they likely get handled very quickly."
] | [
"Youtube doesn't monitor every upload. The \"Takedown Request\" service is reactionary - so it needs someone to actually report it as infringing a copyright. Plus with the way the current ContentID system works, you need to claim it as *yours* to get it taken down. So many end up staying up until, whoever owns it r... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why can't we just rinse out our glasses instead of scrubbing with soap? | [
"When you're washing glasses, you're trying to get rid of more than just old liquids. There could be bacteria or other invisible substances stuck to the glass, for example."
] | [
"For: wash off pesticides, dirt. Against: why the hell would there be anything against washing your fruit."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What makes a safe space different than a dorm room for these college protestors? | [
"There are students who may not feel safe in their Residence Halls, whether it be the campus, the building, or even their roommate. This is brought on from a variety of factors which can include home-sickness, poor roommates, rude/insensitive floormates, and more. Safe is a relative term, and the feeling of not bel... | [
"The social justice movement has become something of a telephone game in the US. At the core, there's good ideas, but down the line certain self righteous individuals take them to illogical extremes. Like with trigger warnings. Saying \"Hey, if you could put a warning before any descriptions of rape or sexual assau... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do the lead vocalists get most of the spotlight in music videos? | [
"They typically assume the role as 'front man.' It isn't always the singer, it's whomever you will remember the easiest. The singers voice is usually the most identifiable part of music, so they usually get the spotlight. Aesthetics play into this heavily too, put the prettiest face out there and people will be mor... | [
"I think the idea is so that you focus on the music, and not what the artist is wearing. This makes particular sense for backup performers because you don't want the audience's attention drawn away from the main performer."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why are manual transmissions still so prevalent in cars in Europe? | [
"I think the main reason it that **we're just used to it**, and it's a vicious circle. If you want to get a driver's licence, you need to choose whether you learn it for a manual or an automatic car. The latter option doesn't allow you to drive a manual one, so everyone picks the former one and learns to drive a ma... | [
"These machines exist. They are relatively popular here in the UK."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
After being breached, how do Corporations/governments determine exactly what data was compromised and what wasn't? | [
"They can retrospectively study the event logs for activity - altering logs across a broad spectrum of devices to mask a specific activity would probably be harder than stealing all the black ops projects the US is doing. So hackers usually don't bother with this part, they just want the treasure. Plus the more thi... | [
"If a good hacker didn't leave a footprint then the company wouldn't know about the leak, and you would never hear about the company having a leak. The Sony hack wasn't noticed by Sony. It was the hacker group that publicly exposed the hack."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How woman's periods sync if they spend enough time together. | [
"They don't really \"sync up\" as in their bodies are somehow talking to each other. A woman's cycle isn't exactly a month long, so it's going to have some variance about when in the month in shows up. If two women have cycles that are close, but not the same in timing, and are trending towards moving towards each ... | [
"It's about pair bonding. If you fall asleep next to your partner you are likely to wake up next to them. It's to promote bonding."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How do temporary usage rights work products? (e.g. Sonic the Hedgehog in Wreck-it-Ralph) | [
"I'm not sure what you're asking here, can you clarify? If you're asking how they can get rights to use characters that belong to other companies, the answer is that they simply ask. A contract is signed, money changes hands, or doesn't, and the movie gets made. Often part of the deal with characters like that is t... | [
"* Equipment to develop the game on. * Employee salaries (artists, programmers, writers, etc.). * Constant costs (office space, rent, power, etc.) * Licensing fees (many games use already-created game engines); Ogre3D, Source Engine, etc * Bandwidth/Distribution/Marketing costs Just a few."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why can Bicyclists ride on the road well under the speed limit but walking on the road is illegal when sidewalks are present? | [
"The posted speed limit is a maximum, not a minimum. There sometimes is a minimum, for example freeways usually have a minimum of 45 mph, and bicycles aren't allowed there. They ride on the road because bicycles are vehicles."
] | [
"Speed limits are only enforced on public roads and they are subject to change at any time. Additionally, I can take my personal car onto a privately owned road and drive as fast as I want."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Driving and traffic regulations:"
} |
Why do babies fall asleep faster if rocked to sleep? | [
"It's a natural response that reminds them of being in the womb. Same goes for swaddling. Babies like to be warm and held tight."
] | [
"There are a lot of nerves in our faces. Stimulating these nerves helps to keep you awake. This is why you see babies doing this a lot when they are tired and don't want to go to sleep yet."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why does my voice sound better after drinking black coffee? | [
"Warms up the old sound box and throat ya little five year old!! Goo goo gaga"
] | [
"This is not an informed response but I get a burst of energy about an hour after drinking too much orange juice."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How do mood rings work? | [
"The chemical that makes up a mood ring is a thermotropic liquid crystal, just like in liquid crystal thermometers. The molecules that make up the liquid crystal, when heat or cold is applied to the ring, start to kind of twist, and therefore refract or absorb different wavelengths of light, which is what accounts ... | [
"If magnets are magic, is gravity magic too? Fundamental forces, yo. They run the universe."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.