id stringlengths 5 6 | input stringlengths 3 301 | output list | meta null |
|---|---|---|---|
1gz03u | what is a centromere? | [
{
"answer": "During mitosis, a cell splits its genetic material in half, with each daughter cell getting an equal number of chromosomes. Before the chromosomes are split up, the DNA has to be copied so that way there are 2 copies of each chromosome to be split up later. After DNA replication up to the anaphas... | null |
5ny66i | why do powerful drag racing engines sound so terrible when they're in idle? | [
{
"answer": "When you have a fixed cam profile, as is the case for the majority of racing engines, you can either have a smooth idle or good power at the top RPMs. Race engines spend most of their time turning fast and don't need a smooth idle.\n\nLots of road-going vehicles made now have the ability to switch ... | null |
dawpij | why does light oscillate? | [
{
"answer": "The oscillation of photons does not stem from a force. The oscillation is not movement as you would normally think of it. What happens is, an electric field collapses and forms a magnetic field next to it as it collapses. This magnetic field then collapses and forms an electric field next to it. Th... | null |
3klx1i | url shorteners and why can't webs just use it "natively"? | [
{
"answer": " This is a commonly posted topic here. Please see [these previous posts.](_URL_0_) If they don't entirely answer your question, you might create a new post with\na more specific question.\n\nTry our handy Search function sometime. :-)\nFor best results in most cases, use 2 or 3 general, common word... | null |
bec4y8 | Why is Israel hiding its nuclear project? | [
{
"answer": "Hi there -- u/restricteddata has written on this topic before. Not discouraging further answers, but [this post in particular](_URL_0_) may be of some interest to you.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "The US in the 1960s tried to strongly discourage Israel from getting nuclear weapo... | null |
4n1e3v | why do we put gnomes in our gardens? | [
{
"answer": "Because they look nice. Seriously, that's just about it. Putting statues in your garden started during the Renaissance and was dwarves and the like and has stuck around since. The standard lawn gnome comes from 1800s Germany.\n\nSource: _URL_0_",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
... | null |
3krtcu | Why did the French wear blue uniforms during WW1? Did this not leave them poorly camouflaged? | [
{
"answer": "It was a longstanding tradition. Other countries had recently adopted camouflage uniforms, and in 1912, French Minister of War Adolphe Messimy saw their advantages and tried to change the French uniform. However, there was mass protest. The colorful uniforms, it was felt, were linked to Army pre... | null |
1trfqn | why is there such a high education requirement for menial jobs? | [
{
"answer": "Define \"high education requirement\" and \"menial jobs\".",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Without an example given can't really accurately comment. I can say however that even on the most basic construction site there are a lot of safety issues to consider to avoid serious injurie... | null |
3rs0ut | Did Hitler actually take away guns from the Jews? | [
{
"answer": "From an [earlier answer on this topic](_URL_0_)\n\nit was actually Weimar Germany that instituted wide-scale legislation restricting firearms in 1922 with the *Republikschutzgesetz* (law for the protection of the Republic). Under the rubric of \"endangering public safety,\" the *Republikschutzgeset... | null |
1hpon9 | Who were the Denisova hominin? | [
{
"answer": "History is only the story of humans that have left records; it isn't the study of things that have happened in the past unless they were recorded (hence this is PREhistory). You are thinking of anthropology. Try /r/anthropology for details.\n\nEdit: Here's my take: They're a recent find, so the stu... | null |
1jjllk | Did the Native Americans of the Great Plains and the West communicate with tribes farther east about the presence of white settlers before they actually met them? | [
{
"answer": "There are a couple complications to this questions. First, for the southern Plains at least, contact with Europeans began in 1540s when de Soto's expedition into present day American Southeast attempted to retreat back to Mexico through Texas and when Coronado's expedition marched from the American... | null |
2ksobn | My mom inherited a bunch of Roman Catholic artifacts. Here are a few of them. Anyone know more about them? | [
{
"answer": "You may want to cross post this to /r/whatisthisthing in case you don't get the answers you're looking for over here.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "The book leaves look legit. The art gallery was a real place and their plate helps to establish provenance. It will need more verifi... | null |
6aif8t | what does it mean to testify before (us) congress? | [
{
"answer": "The House of Representatives and the Senate have, like the Parliament of the United Kingdom, a \"power of inquiry.\" To assist in their lawmaking power, they can call individuals to testify before the houses or their committees to investigate a matter. The people summoned before the committee are r... | null |
8pkl25 | if tv remotes emit infra-red rays, then why does camera lens pick violet rays being emitted from the remote? | [
{
"answer": "First, a quick introduction to how camera sensors work:\n\nCamera sensors actually just see in \"black and white\". That is, they only measure light intensity, not frequency. The sensor itself doesn't know if a photon hitting it has the \"red\" wavelength or the \"blue\" wavelength. \n\nTo figure o... | null |
7a3z49 | Was there any existing plans on how the Axis countries would coexist in the event they won WW2? | [
{
"answer": "Check this answer by /u/commiespaceinvader, it's quite in depth.\n\n_URL_0_",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "37537066",
"title": "French Indochina in World War II",
"section": "Section::::World War II.:Increas... | null |
b4px7u | why is it necessary to shoe and maintain shoeing horses, but wild ones are fine? | [
{
"answer": "Wild ones don't walk of roads or pull vehicles on roads. This exposes them to a different sort of wear profile, which they have evolved to handle naturally. Working horses are doing unnatural things, so they have to have tools to do their jobs well, just like people.",
"provenance": null
},... | null |
1mzyko | *Why* did the Luftwaffe fail to beat the RAF? | [
{
"answer": "\n- RAF operated over it's own territory, it's fighters could stay in the air longer, it's pilots were not permanently lost after bailing-out, and aircraft forced to crash-land could be recovered. Also, bomber losses are much harder to replace in terms of manpower and treasure - fighters are relati... | null |
1l9ng5 | how can social security be in trouble when people pay through a social security tax to fund it. | [
{
"answer": "Well, its a little more weird and complex than that.\n\n\nFirst, you are paying in but the people who currently need it are drawing on your funding of it. As will you from the people who pay after you.\n\n\nSecond, the politicians love to tweak things and they made a few major tweaks. Here is one... | null |
2dzl0v | The Battle of Britain has ended and I've just turned 18. I want to join the RAF as a fighter pilot. What is the recruitment process like? If I were successful, how long would I be training for before my first flight into battle? | [
{
"answer": "I can partially answer your question, but I think other people with more knowledge would be able to give you a little more information.\n\nInitially, the RAF was very much an \"an old boys club\" and crew were expected to have attended public schools such as Eton. Although losses changed this very... | null |
4jsnte | why is a root canal preferable over say an extraction/implant? | [
{
"answer": "Root canal or implants are not the only options. There's also the \"old way\", extraction and a dental appliance (dentures). The emphasis on keeping all your teeth is relatively new - in past times, dentists had no compunction about yanking problem teeth. Not all countries place such an emphasis on... | null |
1mhuln | Has there ever been a time in history when white people have been persecuted because of their colour? | [
{
"answer": "In Zimbabwe, after the end of apartheid, there have been a lot of incidents of white people being targeted because of their [race.](_URL_0_)\n\nWhile kind of understandable because of the earlier apartheid situation it is whites being persecuted because of race.\n",
"provenance": null
},
{
... | null |
3z9659 | Did the Roman navy use heavy armor and shields or were they lightly armored? | [
{
"answer": "Are you asking about marines or rowers? The vast majority of the people on any warship would be unarmed and unarmored rowers huddled below decks on their benches. Marines, however, were most certainly heavily armored and armed, that is well accepted. Both the Greeks and the Romans essentially emplo... | null |
eznb9x | how do insurance companies like geico, progressive, etc. have so much money to spend on ads? | [
{
"answer": "There are roughly 265 million vehicles on the road in the US. Roughly 87% of those vehicles are insured. That leaves you with about 230 million vehicles insured in the US. \n\nThere are approximately 6 million car wrecks a year in the US. I'm assuming some of those vehicles didn't even need to have... | null |
1cjc0l | Are there any theories on different ways to generate gravity besides having mass? | [
{
"answer": "It's not *real* gravity, but one idea for *simulating* gravity (which would be useful for space ships and stations in a microgravity orbit: spin a circular disc around at a constant velocity to generate a centrifugal force, making the outside of the disc exert a normal force back on you to counter... | null |
lob3k | Does dreaming have any effect on the qualify of sleep? | [
{
"answer": "Dreaming occurs during the R.E.M. cycle of sleep, the most important aspect of it. [This question](_URL_0_) also hinges around the same area that you are prodding at, as there is information there as well.\n\nAs far as dreaming having a DIRECT effect on quality of sleep, that answer has yet to be s... | null |
axi301 | why are sit-ups harder to do with your hands behind your head, rather then free? | [
{
"answer": "Have you ever looked at a teeter-totter before? If one person on the teeter-totter is sitting at the very end and person on other side is sitting closer to the middle, then there's an imbalance and that imbalance spreads outward from the middle, which is called the fulcrum. Even though the two peo... | null |
fslx3t | why is quarantining for a few weeks so effective? wouldn't it just start spreading just as bad as soon as the quarantine ends? | [
{
"answer": "That's why quarantine may not only be a few weeks. It's hard for people to gage how long it will take for this to pass because what started as a few weeks could turn into months if people keep going out and spreading this virus.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Viruses, like all liv... | null |
650x5b | why does it feel like there's less viruses on the internet nowadays? | [
{
"answer": "Anti-malware is better than it's ever been, and malware is better at hiding than it's ever been.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "*Fewer\n\nAnd the purpose of viruses has shifted from being some piece of code that just fucks your system up, to being motivated by money. Modern malwar... | null |
22vqst | why do boxers get paid so much? | [
{
"answer": "If anything, why do athletes get paid so much? ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "11237801",
"title": "Ring girl",
"section": "Section::::Controversies.:Payments.\n",
"start_paragraph_id": 18,
"... | null |
3hq3wo | What is the difference between amplitude (volume) and loudness? | [
{
"answer": "Amplitude is a feature of a signal, usually periodic signals like sine-waves. It is a measurement of the 'height' of the signal, the distance from the lowest point to the highest in whatever units the signal is in. If we were measuring the signal sent to the speakers, it would be measured in Volts,... | null |
2l6o1g | why do musicians (famous and average) choose to publish music through record label companies, as opposed to going to pandora/spotify/itunes radio/all the others directly? | [
{
"answer": "For a lot of musicians, it's still easier to let someone else handle all of the details of dealing with distribution, marketing, and production. And since record labels have been doing this for a long time, they tend to have the resources to handle all of that pretty efficiently.\n\nRecord labels ... | null |
cszfvk | During WWII, did German U-boats attack ships traveling from the UK to the US as well? | [
{
"answer": "Yes, westbound convoys were attacked, often just as heavily as ones heading eastwards. The goal of the German submarine offensive was to reduce the amount of merchant shipping available to the Allies. If it could be reduced far enough, then Britain would not be able to import the supplies it needed... | null |
teio3 | What do emission spectra reveal about stars? | [
{
"answer": "As you've already recognised, we can deduce the composition of a star from the spectra, assuming we know enough about the placement and surroundings to compensate for various shifts. From this we can classify the star, and with just a bit more information about their luminosity, we can more or less... | null |
10nghn | Obviously spices were central, but to what degree were drugs included in "the spice trade"? | [
{
"answer": "Opium is your answer. Go look into that.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Read David Courtwright, [*Forces of Habit: Drugs and the Making of the Modern World* (2001).](_URL_0_) It's hilarious that someone put the main OCLC entry under \"Juvenile audience,\" because it most certainly... | null |
3ig8cs | is there a way commercial banks are creating their own money (digital or paper) without anyone knowing? | [
{
"answer": "Okay, this is going to be complicated, but bear with me. \n\nEconomists have names for different types of money. M0 is the sum of all the dollars bills and coins printed by the treasury. Banks do not increase the M0 supply. \n\nBut there are several other types of money that economists count - trav... | null |
f0xcdo | what causes eyes to get fatigued from reading for too long? | [
{
"answer": "We actually have muscles in our eyes. These muscles constrict and relax to change the shape of the lens, which is how our eyes focus. Reading or looking at a screen for long periods of time requires these muscles to hold themselves in specific position in order to focus on what we're looking at. We... | null |
55sqlg | How did the Romance language-speaking enclaves in former Dacia survive amongst Slavs, and how did they expand to the borders of modern-day Romania? | [
{
"answer": "The people speaking Proto-Romanian, the ancestor of Romanian language, are thought to have lived in a rather small area, hence the distinctive lack of dialects of Romanian (with the exception of Aromanian and other southern dialects which have split around a thousand years ago).\n\nThe exact area w... | null |
7itd15 | what does it mean to have something notarized? | [
{
"answer": "A document that's been notarized has been approved by an a neutral and trusted public official called a notary public. Basically it means the notary witnesses and confirms the identity of the person or persons signing the document and that they understand what the document does so there's no questi... | null |
4s3an9 | if we created a magnet that was say 1 inch in diameter and was a kilometer long, is it possible we can create monopoles on each end (north side doesnt connect to south side) | [
{
"answer": "by definition, no.\n\nevery north and south side of the magnet will connect. If the magnet is 1 long magnet of uniform orientation, than thats what it will be.\n\nIf you force opposite poles together, or separate magnets with a non magnet filler, then your just moving the goal posts, but each magn... | null |
9xn98i | What did Augustus (Roman Emperor) read and study growing up that prepared him for office | [
{
"answer": "In terms of direct evidence for Augustus himself, we only have a very short description of his education in Suetonius (Life Of Augustus 84):\n\n\"From early youth he devoted himself eagerly and with utmost diligence to oratory and liberal studies. During the war at Mutina, amid such a press of affa... | null |
aldo84 | Great Grandpa was official photographer for WW2, recently found a torture picture and POW. Anyway to find out more info? | [
{
"answer": "Hello there! You're right, we don't have a lot of desire to host pictures of people being tortured. \n\nAs your question is related to looking for identification/information regarding military personnel, our [Guide on Military Identification](_URL_0_) may be of use to you. It provides a number of d... | null |
8bi2av | how can the bootes void, or the great void as it is sometimes called, be filled with stars and galaxies and still be called a void? | [
{
"answer": "Because our definition of \"void\" (in regards to space) is not just _URL_0_ just means less than average density of matter compared to the rest of the observable universe.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "2336870",
"... | null |
3xarf8 | why don't more companies collaborate on everything? | [
{
"answer": "Because if there is no competition, your company doesn't have the chance to win more money than the rest. It's like the prisoner's dilemma:\n\n _URL_0_",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "A company is a group of *people*, and each *person* is competing with every other person to sell u... | null |
bb5ftv | Will all stars in the universe die eventually? | [
{
"answer": "Stars form from the free gas floating in the galaxy. This gas condenses and collapses into star clusters. Each star cluster has a mix of stars of different masses.\n\nThe most massive stars will explode as supernovae, throwing a lot of gas back into the galaxy, which can then mix around and collaps... | null |
s4glp | How does wasp and hornet killer work? | [
{
"answer": "I fucking hate bees, but at the same time I must acknowledge the vital role they play in pollinating things. So I guess it's a love-hate relationship we've got going.\n\nMany of the more popular wasp & hornet sprays use resmethrin (an insecticide of the [pyrethroid](_URL_0_) family). The insect e... | null |
l9hhd | - could someone explain to me the ethical theories of plato, aristotle, kant and mill by giving examples? | [
{
"answer": "Plato: The well-being of the soul *(\"eudaimon\")* is the highest goal of thought and action. This is achieved when each member of society commits to his *ergon*, his natural duty. Batman's natural duty is to protect the common good. Thus Batman's obligation to himself leads to an obligation to his... | null |
wtaex | Where does the heat from the Earth go? | [
{
"answer": "Well, into space...",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "41077022",
"title": "Earth's internal heat budget",
"section": "Section::::Global internal heat flow.\n",
"start_paragraph_id": 9,
"start_ch... | null |
bcvnd2 | how do rocks (track ballast) able to support a train? | [
{
"answer": "1) I assume the gravel is compressed when it is installed, e.g. with a heavy roller and/or a vibrating plate, so that if it's going to move down and fill a hole then it does that while it's being installed, not when a train is on it.\n\n2) The rails and sleepers do a good job of spreading out the l... | null |
fbwnf | How long can you survive drinking only water distilled from your own urine? | [
{
"answer": "Well, you also will have fluid losses other than urinary evacuation (sweating, water vapor in your breath), if the system is closed, ie no additional water is added, you will run out.\n\nOn a related note, I have read that drinking the water from a healthy bladder is acceptable, purportedly certain... | null |
ed1ymk | why are most houses that were made recently so ugly? | [
{
"answer": "The first reason is survivorship bias. There were tons of ugly buildings in the 50s. For example [Nissen huts](_URL_0_) were a cheep and fast way to build and ugly ass garage or barn and were very popular until the 60-70's. You don't see many today because people tore them down whenever they got t... | null |
18rbq6 | Have there ever been proposed additions to the English alphabet? | [
{
"answer": "The two most notable ones off the top of my head were thorn (which got replaced by combining t and h) and ash (**EDIT:** which is apparently NOT related to the mushed together AE that pops up still in fancy spellings of encyclopedia.) \n\nWikipedia has a [surprisingly robust article](_URL_1_) about... | null |
4f1y8b | Is the sun soft or hard? | [
{
"answer": "To use your terminology, the edge of the Sun is rather soft. Take a look at [this graph of the matter density profile of the Sun](_URL_1_). Close to what we usually take to be the edge of the Sun, the density is about 10^(-4) g/cm^(3). This density is comparable to the density of our atmosphere on ... | null |
8bx6zu | What was the endgame for the Soviet Union in the Cold War? | [
{
"answer": "I think that question is too far raging, and it'd be better served as something more focused, its a little bit like asking:\n\n\nWhat is the US endgame in the 21st century? Does it involve an eventual military conflict?\n\n\nIf you're interested National Interest's Robert Farley and Zachary Keck ma... | null |
2ntw4c | what would happen if an illegal immigrant claimed that she had always lived in that country and had simply lost her id? even if they didn't believe her, what country would they deport her to if they didn't know? and if she had no money, would they just keep her locked up forever? | [
{
"answer": "If she has an id she is in a computer somewhere. They would look it up ,then they would ask questions, then serve warrants.she'd spend time in jail or an immigration center till we decided what to do with her. Unless you're implicated in something more serious i consider illegal immigration up ther... | null |
bjt1jy | How fast does something have to travel in earths atmosphere before it begins to heat up? | [
{
"answer": "When the air is hits an object going through it, it gets warmer, because kinetic energy energy gets converted to heat.\n\nThis also applies to your hand out of the car window scenario, however it is only about [0.4°C](_URL_1_) (assuming 100km/h speed; 20°C ambient temperature). However, in this cas... | null |
1158cu | If you took a breath of pure oxygen could you hold your breath longer than if you took a breath of normal air? | [
{
"answer": "Yes. The current world record holders do this in conjunction with other breathing techniques to expel as much CO2 as possible before they hold their breath.\n\n_URL_0_\n_URL_1_",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "the urge to inspire is based on blood CO2 levels",
"provenance": null... | null |
d125bh | How do one way hashes work? | [
{
"answer": "A one-way hash is a function which is easy to calculate forwards, but difficult to invert.\n\nFor example, SHA256 is conjectured to be a one-way hash function. An easy way to see the SHA256 hash of any string is to use an online calculator like this one: _URL_4_\n\nIf you have an input, say 'flopdo... | null |
26pb51 | How can we tell if a trait a characteristic about a person is genetic or environmental? | [
{
"answer": "You might want to take a look at [epigenetics](_URL_0_), which is a study of where the rubber of genetics meets the road of environment.\n\nBasically *biological functions* are entirely due to protein activity. Protein activity is influenced by many factors, but the big ones are genetic and enviro... | null |
8m4rsx | Did monotheism only develop in the ancient Near East (Akhenaten, Zoroaster, Judaism, etcetera), or have there been other instances of it in other parts of the world? | [
{
"answer": "Your question almost answers itself, because a presumed historical Zoroaster (who we will for convenience define as the composer of the Gathas) would definitely not have lived in the Near East. Instead linguistic and textual evidence suggests he would have been from _Bactria_ or thereabout, roughly... | null |
2107o5 | why do i have an explosive bowel movement very shortly after eating indian food? it can't be getting through the gi tract that fast, right? | [
{
"answer": "Many GI reactions are due to something simply being in the tract. When you eat some exotic food, your body may react to the unusual foods and spices regardless of where the food is in the digestive process.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "It is because you failed to offer a gift to... | null |
1ww28f | What forces /physical causes give a frisbee its lift, and why can't we manipulate them to create a flying saucer, similar to how we can utilize an airfoil to make a flying airplane? | [
{
"answer": "The force that gives lift to a frisbee is the same aerodynamic lift utilized in a regular aerofoil ([Bernoulli's Principle](_URL_0_)). That lift force isn't balanced along the length of the disc and is generally larger at the front. Under normal circumstances this torque would cause unstable fligh... | null |
21i1qi | motherboard types | [
{
"answer": "It's basically just that each type of CPU needs a different motherboard, hence all the different kinds. Some boards also have different features, such as integrated graphics.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "[Maybe this should help..](_URL_0_)",
"provenance": null
},
{
"... | null |
8azn1x | does epidural anaesthetic during childbirth inhibit uterine contractions | [
{
"answer": "Epidurals for child birth generally are analgesic, not anesthetic. \nAn analgesic is something that blocks pain (at the doses typically used for labor it isn't always 100% effective at that, but it definitely knocks it WAY down in terms of severity). It still allows you to feel pressure (to know w... | null |
o2zho | How does an electric motor turn electrical current into physical force | [
{
"answer": "Get a magnet, a battery, and some wire. Put the magnet near the wire, then connect both ends of the wire to the ends of the battery. The wire should jump or move. This is because a current generates a magnetic field. If you coil the wire up, you multiply the magnetic field from the wire. You c... | null |
a017i3 | why do shoes/tires have better grip with less surface area touching the ground? | [
{
"answer": "Since you (or your car) have a constant weight, smaller area means more force per unit area. Uniform large surfaces don't give water, snow, whatever, an easy path to escape from under you, which can also cause slipperiness.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "They don't. The greater t... | null |
u78gt | Where would I find a cuneiform translation of a line from Gilgamesh? | [
{
"answer": "_URL_0_\n\nClear sketches of the original tablets are way at the end",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "16081647",
"title": "They have pierced my hands and my feet",
"section": "Section::::Explanations and inter... | null |
3rarra | Are there more even numbers or whole numbers? | [
{
"answer": "You are asking about the [cardinality](_URL_1_) of a set and you have more or less stumbled upon how we define the size of sets. We say that the sets A and B have the same cardinality (written as |A| or |B|) if there is a bijective correspondence between the elements of A and B. This means there is... | null |
e2ml09 | How did ancient engineers (Roman or otherwise) determine elevation in order to build water projects? | [
{
"answer": "The Romans had no good way to measure absolute elevation (i.e. height above sea level). They occasionally attempted to measure the height of mountains; but since they did not have barometers (or any concept of atmospheric pressure), they had to rely on [rather haphazard trigonometric methods](_URL_... | null |
8snvzp | At high altitudes how does unconsciousness due to hypoxia occur in 10-15 seconds if you can hold your breath for up to 3 minutes? | [
{
"answer": "Short answer: You can't hold your breath for 3 minutes at high altitudes.\n\nAt high altitudes, there's a lot less air. Air exerts a lot of pressure, it's just normally balanced by having a similar pressure inside and outside of your lungs so you don't notice. However, if you try to hold your bre... | null |
8pzvgm | why do wood pigeons hoot in the same melodic pattern? | [
{
"answer": "Many bird species have a very specific call that they all do. This is how they recognize fellow members of the same species at a distance",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "1332031",
"title": "Spot the Pigeon",
... | null |
dqxxd5 | what is the process of a catholic confession, from walking through the church doors, to walking out afterwards? | [
{
"answer": "when I was younger the confessionals were located in the back of my church. There was certain times that the priest held confession. The confessional was a booth separated by a screen you could do it anonymously or looking at the priest. I don't remember if he said my child. \n\nSo you go in and... | null |
20ltvh | - how does someone get into whiskey/bourbons and able to pick up tastes? | [
{
"answer": "Just like in beer, it takes training. You have to try a lot of different types and compare notes.\n\nIt helps to find one or two you really like, drink them a bit to become very familiar with them, then compare others to your \"base\".",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"prov... | null |
9gdjw2 | why was half life 2 considered such a milestone in gaming? | [
{
"answer": "At the time it was the pinnacle of a game engine, also had a interesting story and great voice acting. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "It had amazing graphics and physics at the time, just compare [it's character animations](_URL_2_) with a similar game at the time like [Far Cry](... | null |
4ks3fx | can hard liquors ever go bad? | [
{
"answer": "Hard liquor such as vodka have near limitless shelf lives when unopened, however, once the seal is broken and the liquor has been exposed to the air it will only last around 6-8 months",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Whisky is matured in wooden casks for up to 50 years and it doesn... | null |
wkpqu | How does Mithras fit into Zoroastrianism? | [
{
"answer": "Sorry for the briefness and oversimplification...I browse this forum too late at night...but here goes:\n\nA yazata is anything to be worshiped in Zoroastrianism. Ahura Mazda is the highest yazata. The divine sparks are all manifestations of different qualities of Ahura Mazda, and they are yazata a... | null |
2pb9ip | How was China able to stay so technologically advanced compared with the rest of the world throughout most of its history despite having little contact with other civilizations? | [
{
"answer": "Firstly, China engaged in much more trade than you're suggesting. The silk road, running from central China through Central Asia and the Middle East to Europe was the longest trade route throughout much of human history - there was plenty of technological exchange, such as the spread of gunpowder t... | null |
cwyuam | what is piezo-electricity and what are its uses ?? | [
{
"answer": "Piezoelectricity is an effect found in some solid materials that causes a charge to build up when it's under stress (an applied force). This relationship makes possible to use electricity to cause deformation of the material, known as the *converse piezoelectric effect*. This basically means you ca... | null |
umqq5 | What is the physical volume of a visible rainbow? | [
{
"answer": "_URL_0_\n\nA rainbow is a refractory effect. You're seeing light refracted from a collection of water droplets that happen to be in the correct position relative to you and the sun for you to see it. Someone standing in a different location seeing the 'same rainbow' is seeing it refracted from a ... | null |
4h6e25 | what is a css subreddit? | [
{
"answer": "CSS is cascading style sheets. Basically it enables admins of specific subreddits to create a look and potentially change some functionality (like removing downvote buttons) to help enforce the feel of the sub.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "\"CSS subreddits\" as a specific phrase... | null |
1ys64t | Can an α-particle ejected from a radioactive nucleus capture 2 of the nucleus's electrons and become a helium atom? | [
{
"answer": "Captured from the atom that is undergoing the radioactive decay? I would say - impossible. \n\nImagine a marathon runner trying to get two drinks at the same time from a water station. Except that instead of running, he is driving an Indycar while blindfolded.\n\nI am guessing it is something like ... | null |
1xy5hf | in what way is the unionization of european states similar than or different from the unionization of early states and territories of the us? | [
{
"answer": "Different. They're not forming a federal government with explicit foreign affairs and military \"supremacy\" over the individual states. That is, local militaries are not being disbanded, and individual nations within the EU can maintain varying degrees of foreign relations with external countries,... | null |
uvlu0 | Can someone explain the new prenatal DNA tests to me? | [
{
"answer": "you mean paternity tests? or chromosomal screening?\n\nThe [American Pregnancy Association](_URL_1_) can answer your questions, or the [Prenatal Genetics Center](_URL_0_)\n\nOr maybe you're referring to the new [non-invasive screening process](_URL_2_), it actually reduces the risk of miscarriage ... | null |
3ysrnf | How do you view old scholarly secondary sources? Should their conclusions be discounted because newer sources on the same issue exist? | [
{
"answer": "In general, the further a source is from contemporary historiography, the more skeptically I view it. Scholars of the past worked in different ways, with different biases, than we do today. In particular, approaches to race and gender from before the 1970s were very different than today, and it's i... | null |
af7t5c | why are salty and fatty foods the tastiest things to eat when your drunk. | [
{
"answer": "They're always the tastiest, but when you're drunk the voice in your head that would usually say \"no that's bad for you\" just says HUNGRY",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "You crave salty things because the alcohol is causing you to dehydrate. The craving is your body’s way of tryi... | null |
ngyyn | How do forensics deal with identical twins? | [
{
"answer": "Identical twins have identical DNA that cannot be distinguished from each other.\n\nThey do have different fingerprints, though.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Starryrach is correct. Identical DNA, but their fingerprints and *tongue-prints* (random trivia) are different. ",
"p... | null |
un26v | When did the U.S. turn away from having a major religious presence in the government during the 20th century? | [
{
"answer": "I'm not certain on this answer at all, but I'm willing to bet it died, quickly, with Kennedy. His religion was a very touchy subject, so it would have been prudent of him and his administration to downplay religion.\n\nIt's also worth noting that religion became a more important part of America's p... | null |
3h4kl7 | why are some words considered more offensive/rude than others, despite meaning a very similar or even the exact same thing? i'm referring to swear words mainly. | [
{
"answer": "Similar question has been asked more than once today. It's weird.\n\nAll languages have curse or swear words; words used to describe acts, ideas, or concepts that are considered taboo by the culture that uses said language. These can vary widely from culture to culture, of course, but the common ta... | null |
16h1qt | When did the idea of secession from the United States become almost unthinkable? When did people start thinking of the US as an unbreakable collection of regions subject to a federal government? | [
{
"answer": "As a practical matter, the Civil War decided the issue, however, the Supreme Court officially ruled on the issue in Texas v. White in 1868.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "The idea of succession up until the Civil War fluctuated based on the political climate. Several times, certai... | null |
28zou3 | why is it that i wake up right before the good parts | [
{
"answer": "I remember reading that the \"good\" part gets you excited and that excitement is what may contribute to you waking up.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "I believe it has something to do with your brain not being able to create something it has never experienced. If you do research o... | null |
68bdct | If time is dependent on speed, what is the reference point? | [
{
"answer": "There isn't any special reference point that matters. Your results simply depend on whichever reference frame you happen to find most convenient.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "74263",
"title": "Frame of reference",... | null |
2sinku | why do patents expire? | [
{
"answer": "So that a patented device or technique or medicine cannot remain proprietary forever. This is important because it would then allow for people to later build upon whatever was previously patented to continue advancement in creative, industrial and scientific endeavors.\n\nThe idea of patents (and c... | null |
3d3wjf | how did internet explorer and chrome end up so different? | [
{
"answer": "Internet Explorer has a lot more history than Chrome has.\n\nIn the mid-late 90's, Microsoft had managed to tie in business deals with a lot of PC manufacturers, governments, schools, and so on to make Windows the default operating system on something like 95% of the personal computers in the world... | null |
h0tnt | What if Venus turned out to be more like Earth?
| [
{
"answer": " > Also, consider that intelligent life arose on Venus around the same time as humans on Earth, at what point would we both be detectable to each other?\n\nProbably a little after we both developed radio. If not the first probes sent to Venus would have probably have found them.\n\n > How would hi... | null |
mzhdg | why do you need to apply pressure to bullet wounds? | [
{
"answer": "pressure slows the bleeding and helps promote clotting. \n\nEither that or they are afraid the bullet will shoot back out of the wound and kill someone else.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "pressure slows the bleeding and helps promote clotting. \n\nEither that or they are afraid... | null |
2hxmcd | how were large purchases made in gold coins during the middle ages? i.e. 2 million gold pieces? | [
{
"answer": "It wasn't. A couple chest of gold could buy whole states",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "For large purchases you'd have gold in a bank, you'd then get a bank note (precursor to modern money) for the amount in question, you'd give the person the bank note and if they went to the ban... | null |
11w8h4 | what exactly happens when you see a beam of light? | [
{
"answer": "The space between the light source, and whatever it is being shone upon is not empty. In fact, it's got lots and lots of stuff bouncing around in it. Light is hitting those things and bouncing off them in not-quite-random directions. Dust motes, smoke, water vapor, etc. Your eyes are picking up... | null |
4a9nzr | why isn't the board game go as popular or mainstream around the world as.chess? | [
{
"answer": "Partly the game isn't popular because not enough people play it. Without opponents, you don't practice. Without practice, you don't get better. And if you suck, the game is no fun. \n\nI own a board, and have taught a few friends the rules. But despite being so simple, the strategies are deep and c... | null |
2zyp6i | when muslims want sharia, what does that mean? does it mean that everyone, even non muslims should abide by those rules as well? | [
{
"answer": "Yes, that's what it means.\n\nChristians and Jews are specifically given the right to pay a tax, so long as they demonstrate that they are subservient to Islamic authorities, and are exempt from some of the prohibitions imposed on Muslims, but those exemptions are mostly religious proscriptions. Th... | null |
18s9ft | why doesn't earth spiral closer and closer to the sun due to the sun's gravity? | [
{
"answer": "Because the Earth has enough velocity (that is, kinetic energy) to keep from falling into the sun. \n\n**WARNING: BUCKET ON A STRING ANALOGY APPROACHETH**\n\nSo you've got your bucket on a string, swinging around you. Gravity wants to pull it towards the Earth, but it's literally standing straig... | null |
6r5m3g | why are humans not tired anymore shortly after contact with water on their bodies, for example in the shower after waking up in the morning or splashing water in their faces? | [
{
"answer": "It's an instinct thing. Our body's associate water on our face with one of two immediate hazards. One rain and foul weather. And two being in a large body of water and being at risk of drowning. Our body places priority on not dying and thus we are kept alert",
"provenance": null
},
{
"... | null |
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