id stringlengths 5 6 | input stringlengths 3 301 | output list | meta null |
|---|---|---|---|
29boqw | why is an arrow such a universal symbol for direction? | [
{
"answer": "Is it understood by all humans? \n\nIt may relate to our ability to universally understand pointing, (humans are one of the few species that instinctively understand pointing. Dogs, dolphins and elephants do too I believe,) it may activate the same piece of evolutionary instinct to interpret the si... | null |
1b061p | Is uniformity of the CMB a de facto requirement of The Standard Model, and if so, is there a distance scale at which it must be manifest? | [
{
"answer": "Well, I'm not a physics expert, but I do not think that it matters to the CMB radiation that the universe might be infinite. Recall why this radiation exists in the first place.\n\nAt first the universe was too dense and full of energy for photons to travel through it. It was opaque. As it expanded... | null |
6m4e1b | How accurate is this video that explains why the Bible is true and trustworthy? | [
{
"answer": "Ok, this question is more theology and philosophy than history, but there are some historical matters, and some critical thinking, so I'll address that as much as I can and nod towards the theological and philosophical. For the record, I'm an atheist with an evangelical background.\n\nThe claim is... | null |
osras | why is taking melatonin every night bad for you? | [
{
"answer": "Your brain makes its own melatonin. Taking small amounts to shift your sleep schedule once in a while is OK, but taking large amounts consistently can stop your brain from making it normally. Also, in large quantities over time, taking melatonin can apparently lead to depression.\n\nAlso, most mela... | null |
3sy551 | how is it that i receive spam emails from names in my own address book? | [
{
"answer": "You are also in their address books. \n\nSomeone hacked your friends, and spammed everyone in their address books.\n\nIt happened to me twice this week, from different friends.\n\nI know the common factor wasn't me, because I do not use an address book.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answe... | null |
zzmcf | Can someone explain the War of the Roses to me? | [
{
"answer": "Whenever I come across concepts that are just confusing and I don't have the background to obtain a fuller understanding, I often check out Simple Wikipedia. As a resource, it tends to not assume that you, the reader, have a lot of background knowledge on the topic.\n\nFor instance: _URL_0_\n\nThis... | null |
cslwdb | Where do commonly referenced races in mythologies originate from? | [
{
"answer": "First, fictional fantasy stories can be described as \"highly derivative.\" In other words, authors steal from one another like nobody's business. Tolkien invented much (although even he drew inspiration from many sources), and many fantasy authors after Tolkien simply borrowed much of what he craf... | null |
38kqdb | How were warship fleet attacks coordinated before the advent of radio communication? | [
{
"answer": "On the level of the individual Squadron or Fleet you would have signal flags. Which are still very much in use in every navy and every civilian vessel afloat. You could spell individual words or some flags had complex meanings such as \"divers out\" or \"maneuvering impaired\". And navies would hav... | null |
w9rjq | In flatland, would the 3rd dimension be time? | [
{
"answer": "It could be. However, answer me this. \nWhat is the second and third dimension to us? Is it width and height respectively, or length and width? \nThe dimensions are arbitrary named and you would be correct if you named time as the first or second dimension. \nSo yes, if in flatland you de... | null |
1mob8g | why is uranium necessary for a nuclear weapon? | [
{
"answer": "Plutonium can also be used. The material used must be radioactive enough to split fairly easily, otherwise a chain reaction is not possible.\n\nNote also that uranium has to be enriched, because the main component (U238) is not radioactive enough, so the small amount of U235 present in uranium ore... | null |
7p9v7p | how do military aircraft intercept hijacked commercial planes? | [
{
"answer": "Former navy, we did flight ops with helos to intercept subs and track em. Intercept is kind of a blanket term. You can \"intercept\" the plane or boat and guide it to a destination of your choice but that is a gentle hand approach. Imagine two bouncers at a bar standing next to you...you will prob ... | null |
fx6lb | Aerodynamics Application | [
{
"answer": "Golf balls are spherical; and with dimples on them, they are begging to be spun in the air. The dimples increase the range of flight for the golf ball because of lift (and low air drag because of no flow separation). A car with dimples on it would be similar to a car with a spoiler on the back end.... | null |
xvdl1 | What are the limiting factors for mountain size and height? | [
{
"answer": "I don't know the answer to your question but you might find [Olympus Mons](_URL_0_) an interesting example of how large mountains can get on other planets. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "The tallest mountains on earth are not in the himalayas. They are [Mauna Kea] (_URL_0_) and [... | null |
23a7hl | How much of history is decided by so-called "great people" and how much is just the situation that creates them? | [
{
"answer": "What you are asking about is called [Great Man Theory](_URL_0_) and while certainly there will be preferences in academia overall for or against certain theories the truth is that it is opinion (albeit based on evidence and logic). \n\nNone can answer \"what ifs\" as a fact by the nature of the que... | null |
5zxrt1 | what happens if a type 1 diabetic cuts sugar from their diet? | [
{
"answer": "Long story short: they still need insulin because they literally produce none but the body can produce its own sugars, which it can't carefully regulate without insulin. \n\nSugar is the fuel for the brain, and the brain will not function without it, which is why the body has safety mechanisms in p... | null |
4vu16w | I'm a young woman in Salem, 1692. How likely is it that I will be accused of being a witch? Who is most likely to accuse me? | [
{
"answer": "There are a number of issues that come into play with each accusation in the Salem Witch Trials. This is my area of expertise, so I'll try not to be too wordy, but please ask if you want more detail on any area.\n\n1. Likelihood of an accusation depended on the family. The families to focus on in... | null |
5ql0rb | could an identical twin get off on a technicality if we can't know that it wasn't their twin that committed a crime? | [
{
"answer": "Yes. In the U.S. and many other places juries are instructed to only vote guilty if the prosecution has shown \"beyond a reasonable doubt\" that the accused is guilty. If all of the evidence applies equally well to one twin as it does to another then there is a reasonable doubt and the accused wo... | null |
3z8nf7 | why is it cheaper to fly from montreal to usa's west coast or latin america than to most canadian cities? | [
{
"answer": "It's a function of two things: international agreements on air travel service, and the high cost of offering air travel (costs to airlines).\n\nThere is an international agreement that, among other things, ensures that only domestic carriers can operate domestically (e.g., only Air Canada, West Jet... | null |
58hdsx | if we are able to run simulations and determine where planet 9's orbit is. why are we unable to locate it in the sky? | [
{
"answer": "What we have done is calculate a range of possible orbits. However we do not know where in its orbit it is. In any way it is very far away and relatively tiny at that distance. Imagine you know someone dropped a rubber duck in the Pacific ocean two years ago and you know exactly where and when they... | null |
4bmbhh | the canadian federal budget 2016 | [
{
"answer": "First let's look at the surplus/deficit. \n\n[Historically](_URL_3_) and [proposed future](_URL_1_). The $30B deficit is still significantly smaller than the $55B deficit in 2009. That doesn't mean it's good or bad, it just means that $30B isn't in any way unprecedented.\n\nCanada's [public Debt to... | null |
nvfnr | Do electrons physically spin the way wheels and tops spin? Or does the word spin mean something different when it comes to electrons? | [
{
"answer": "No, not in the way that you think of a ball or top spinning. It's a a wave function that depends on probability to determine how it's actually spinning but it can actually be spinning multiple ways at the same time. I hope someone comes along to help. I love [this site.](_URL_0_)",
"provenance"... | null |
nqiel | induction heating on a stove vs. a traditional gas or electric eye | [
{
"answer": "I've never heard of induction stoves until now, but I think I understand the difference. With a gas or electric stove, the pot is heated through direct contact (conduction), like when your feet touch hot asphalt. The gas stove spews hot gas which touches the pot, and the electric stove heats the po... | null |
d9erdl | why is it ok to shake spray deodorant but no canned air? | [
{
"answer": "Normal aerosol cans contain both the desired product (deodorant, paint, etc.) and a pressurised gas that acts as a propellant. If you let the cans sit for a while, these two things will separate out, and if you press the nozzle you'll just get a blast of mostly propellant. You have to shake these... | null |
86dz1k | what is a difference between red, blue and green laser? | [
{
"answer": "When light travels it travels like a wave going up and down. The number of times it does this in a second is called it's frequency. The visible spectrum of colour we can actually see is actually quite small. But at the slower end you have red and the faster end blue.",
"provenance": null
},
... | null |
4igy31 | This is my grandmother during World War 2 in her Nazi uniform. Can you tell by her military uniform, what her role was during the war? | [
{
"answer": "There is very little to go on with her uniform since its only partially shown, but based on your mother mentioning batteries, she may have been a Luftwaffenhelferinn, who were auxiliaries of the Luftwaffe and manned flak guns and searchlights in anti-aircraft gun batteries. Comparing what we can se... | null |
5i7vw2 | the difference between yellow journalism and fake news. | [
{
"answer": "The purpose of yellow journalism is to sell news through exaggeration and sensationalism. It focuses on scandals a rumors, and hides behind inaccuracy behind poor research. It relies on misleading headlines, unqualified experts, pseudoscience, and artists conceptions. While sometimes it makes st... | null |
3wcfsa | is the music on record vinyls altered in any way to compensate for the difference in speed between the outer and inner part of the vinyl? if so, how? | [
{
"answer": "Yes.\n\nFirst, how do a vinyl record work? Prior to first, how does sound work? Sound is a wave. More waves (higher frequency) reaching your ear make for a higher-pitched sound, less waves make for a lower pitch. Stronger and weaker waves mean louder and softer sounds.\n\nNow, a vinyl works by \"tr... | null |
3nmq06 | Why are sound waves sinusoidal? | [
{
"answer": "You can get any function (as long as you don't do crazy things like infinite numbers of discontinuities, and often even then) by adding together sine waves. Sometimes it's useful to consider something as a sum of sine waves. For example, with sound a sine wave will stimulate one receptor, so by loo... | null |
2ou1ox | how do television channels work? in fiber optics or traditional cable, how does the tv differentiate between different channels? | [
{
"answer": "Different channels get carried on different frequencies (just like how AM/FM radio stations have different radio frequencies). Your TV/cable-box tunes into the frequency that the station is being broadcast on, hence your TV/cable-box has a 'tuner' built-in.\n\nFiber Optic TV service is (normally) c... | null |
1pdr83 | Did pirates ever attack/siege settlements or did they pretty much exclusively prey on shipping lanes? | [
{
"answer": "Uh, yes. All the time.\n\nSome of the greatest events in the history of the Caribbean were \"pirates\" attacking settlements. You have Morgan at Maricaibo/Gibraltar (a raid so devastating it essentially reduced Gibraltar to a ghost town). \n\nYou had l'Onnalais who also raided Gibraltar.\n\nYou ... | null |
6ubjfs | What did Anglo-Saxon Briton's international relations look like? | [
{
"answer": "This is a question where the answer really depends on the period. Between Augustine's mission to Canterbury in 596 and the Norman Conquest of 1066, Anglo-Saxon England evolves from dozens of petty kingdoms, down to 5 major kingdoms by the mid-ninth century, three by the start of the tenth century a... | null |
1dty78 | If a small object is in orbit of a larger object, will the smaller object crash into the large object eventually? | [
{
"answer": "If the two are in an isolated orbit with no external perturbations, the orbit will still decay over a very long time due to gravitational radiation.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "[Roche radius](_URL_0_) all up in here. In the radius- collision. Outside- perfectly fine.\n\n",
... | null |
1r7dv9 | why are scorpions arachnids and not decapods? | [
{
"answer": "The claws on a scorpion are called pedipalps. They are like the \"feelers\" of a spider. Some spiders have long pedipapls as well, and looks like they have ten legs. This is very different compared to a crab claw which is classified as a pinoer or its first leg. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
... | null |
aw4j58 | what's the whole problem surrounding captain marvel? why was it receiving bad reviews before even premiering? | [
{
"answer": "There is a rating system to build hype. The “if you want to see this” button. People were abusing the button and making it look pretty negative. At the same time things were updated to make sure movies couldn’t be negatively effected before release.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": n... | null |
16g9ro | Could we be leaving bacteria on the moon with the potential to survive and evolve? | [
{
"answer": "It's possible that some bacteria has been to the Moon and back via Surveyor 3 (a Lunar probe), as it was collected by Apollo 12 and returned to Earth. During analysis *Streptococcus mitis* was found in the probe's camera. It could have potentially been contaminated prior to launch and managed to su... | null |
1ww3jb | why don't vegans eat eggs. | [
{
"answer": "You could make the same argument about things going to waste about milk, or meat.\n\nVegans don't eat eggs because they have chosen not to make use of **any** animal-derived products. \n\nThe reasons for veganism (as with any lifestyle choice) vary but for many vegans it's a conscious belief that a... | null |
e1zkzc | why does phosphorus encourage algae blooms? | [
{
"answer": "It's a powerful fertilizer, which is why farmers spread it on their fields. Most plants, including algae, are normally constrained in their total growth by how much phosphorus is available to them.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "There are some chemicals which are available in limi... | null |
ijp8w | If a parent's DNA is damaged after birth, will the DNA passed onto offspring contain similar damage? | [
{
"answer": "Depends where the damage occurs. Even before birth only DNA damage that occurs in your parents gametes (reproductive cells) may be passed down to offspring. Any other DNA damage to all other cells do not affect the offspring (not counting for any epigenetic effects of course [which is a newer area ... | null |
20x4lt | why $1,000 is called a "grand". | [
{
"answer": "There was a time when the $1,000 bill was the largest denomination. Around this time is when the word 'grand' was being used to describe large things 'grandprize', 'grandslam'. So the largest bill became known as a grand.\n\n_URL_0_ \n\n_URL_1_",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": nul... | null |
aql4o2 | why do large towels tend to have a seam that's 3/16ths away from the end? why have the seam at all? and why put it where its at? | [
{
"answer": "It helps hold the end of the towel together. The extra structure keeps it from unraveling.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "28067176",
"title": "Seam (sewing)",
"section": "Section::::Types.\n",
"star... | null |
6lzum9 | Good books for learning about scientific thought in The Dark Ages? | [
{
"answer": "You'll hopefully find some good suggestions in the ['History of Science And Technology' section of our Books and Resources list.](_URL_0_) \n\n*God's Philosophers* by James Hannam is on that list - it's solid history. Which is not to say it's unbiased, because historians are humans with biases and ... | null |
bgwbx5 | how do mobile chipset manufacturers achieve incremental performance improvement year after year? | [
{
"answer": "big upgrades include transistor size where you go from 14nm to 10nm etc. Right now on mobile phones, flagship androids that came out this year and the iPhone from last year use 7nm transistor size. The smaller the transistor, the more transistors you can fit and better performance.\n\nSometimes it'... | null |
1ij76m | How powerful of a blast would be needed to stop an F4 tornado assuming it could be detonated in the center at any height? | [
{
"answer": "Any explosion powerful enough to disrupt a tornado will do much more damage than the tornado itself. [I've done some rough calculation in the past](_URL_1_), and it turns out a moderate (2.4 Megaton) blast could probably disrupt a tornadic supercell while at the same time [killing almost everyone w... | null |
2jkf69 | dark circles/bags under eyes? | [
{
"answer": "Fatigue can cause dark circles, but for those of us who always have them, vitamin K is effective -- but not perfect. \n\nOn the fatigue side, some good sleep and lots of water will help. \n\nBags are mild swelling or puffiness under the eyes which are common as you age. With aging, the tissues arou... | null |
1u5ery | when i'm passing urine, why does it froth some of the time but not others? this is into water without any cleaning products in it. | [
{
"answer": "The froth is from the amount of protein in your urine. The times you will most notice this is in the morning when the content is highest. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "The timing of the froth will probably coincide with any meals you have eaten which are high in protein. Occasi... | null |
1rkkaj | how can we distinguish older movies from newer movies that look like older movies? | [
{
"answer": "Mostly by film stock/optics. A film enthusiast just can \"tell\".\n\nAlso by costumes. Period films can subtly seem contrived.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "174251",
"title": "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of t... | null |
3oo10m | what are the pros and cons that have occurred due to the legalization of marijuana in colorado and other states? | [
{
"answer": "Citations or links to studies that back up your claims are always appreciated.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "The only negative really is a sense of nostalgia for the adventures that you'd have to go on to get weed during the some of the dry times.\n\nA [typical](_URL_0_) night o... | null |
1nsgqg | why causes long wait times in the er? what can be done to shorten wait times? is this bad for patients? | [
{
"answer": "It's called triage. As each person arrives they are assessed and then put into the queue. Just because they arrived last doesn't mean they get seen last. If they're the next worst off person they'll go in next. \n\nA few years ago I was in an ER here in Australia. A guy was yelling at a nurse b... | null |
2n6o22 | are humans the only animals (with similar sleep patterns) that get groggy in the mornings? if so, why? | [
{
"answer": "Dogs get groggy. Mine's a real jerk until he's had his morning cup of coffee.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "I'm by no means an expert, but many people believe that our morning sleepiness is due to the human lifestyle rather than just being human. Your dog didn't stay up all night... | null |
5jegaa | Why does pyelonephritis(kidneys infection) causes mental confusion? | [
{
"answer": "The main reason is because the kidneys are made to filter out compounds that are toxic to other organ systems, including the brain. The main one of clinical importance is urea, a byproduct of protein metabolism. This is what is measured in a BUN lab and when it is so elevated and causes symptoms,... | null |
8xgxxz | how does eye black work? | [
{
"answer": "Less light reflects off of black than lighter shades like skin tone. Combined with our tendency to sweat (and make our cheeks even more reflective), an unpainted cheek can push a lot of unwanted sunlight into your eye.\n\nMatte black strip fixes a lot of that.",
"provenance": null
},
{
... | null |
4gk9g3 | I can throw a baseball a lot further than a ping pong ball. I cannot throw a bowling ball nearly as far as a baseball. Is there an "optimal" mass or mass to diameter ratio for a ball to throw it as far as possible? | [
{
"answer": "There are a lot of details which this answer will not contain, but this will give you the tools to start thinking about the question. \n\nThe reason you can't throw a ping pong ball very far is that it is that the force of the air resistance causes a large acceleration on the object. The force on t... | null |
z8qcx | Meat pulls away from bone when done cooking, how? | [
{
"answer": "The connective tissue that connects the bone to the meat dissolves around the same temeperature as when the meat is fully cooked.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "24559497",
"title": "Meat on the bone",
"secti... | null |
1pzn4n | If light could instantly reach it's destination, what would we see? | [
{
"answer": "It is moot to discuss this since it's a fundamental property of the universe, that mass-less particles travel at c. \n\nTo propose a hypothetical situation where light could travel at greather speeds than the speed of light means creating a universe with fundamentally different laws of physics, whi... | null |
754lj3 | in america, why are some counties in the midwest squares? | [
{
"answer": "lacking any natural bounderies like lakes, rivers, mountains, ect. and lacking notable demographic trends that might lead to funky gerrymandering, squares are about as logical a choice as any for dividing localities.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Because they were arbitrarily dr... | null |
b66q95 | What determines how large (or small) the flame on the wick of a lit candle is? | [
{
"answer": "Fire needs three things: an ignition source, oxygen and fuel. Once it's lit, the size of the flame is determined by the ratio of oxygen to fuel it has access to. A bunsen burner has a bigger flame because (1) it's burning pressurized gas, and (2) it's nozzle can be adjusted to allow more or less ai... | null |
3l3hab | do transgender people who have had sex reassignment surgery feel pleasure during sexual intercourse the same way that people born that sex would? | [
{
"answer": "Yes, they feel pleasure. Whether or not they feel pleasure the same way people born that sex would is impossible to answer. It's hard enough to even find two people of the same sex that feel sexual pleasure the same way, or from the same things. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "... | null |
4a9r14 | why do people [write] like this in some articles and posts? | [
{
"answer": "The words in brackets are a word that wasn't actually said by the speaker, but was included by the writer in order to clarify what is being said. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "It's usually because the person who made the statement didn't say the word in the brackets, but that's ... | null |
3kjn6b | when my computer is running slow, what is actually occurring? | [
{
"answer": "A number of things can affect computer performance. You can have the hardware running slow (due to malfuntion, overheating, lack of stable power etc.), additional programs/actions being used by the computer at the same time (virus scans, downloads, background programs etc.), or innefficient use of ... | null |
bsc7y9 | how bonds and interest rates and bonds and stocks are related | [
{
"answer": "Stocks typically have higher rates of return than bonds. But bonds are much less risk. So there risk /reward trade off made by investors when they choose to invest their money. As interest rates rise, there are investors who are willing to flip from stocks to bonds based on their personal risk/rewa... | null |
asl4zk | why aren’t we allowed to lower the salaries of politicians? so that we can be sure that they are running not for money but because they really want to serve? | [
{
"answer": "Mostly because it would become a tool to control the have-nots. Lower the the salaries of politicians until it a burden even for those who want to serve. Net result is that the only people who would run wouldn't be the people who want to serve, but the people who are financially able. \n\nSide note... | null |
2jmueo | why are some companies able to directly compare their products to their competitors' whereas others use terms like "leading brand?" | [
{
"answer": "depends on the industry. if an industry has a clear leader, one that people buy because they know the name, then that's what other companies compare their product too. but it doesn't do much good to say we're better than one of the many competing options you may have heard of.",
"provenance": n... | null |
13ryfe | Soviet Space Program | [
{
"answer": "I think the premise of the question is misleading. Other than being beaten to the Moon, the Soviet space program didn't really decline \"so rapidly\". The Soviets continued to send probes that landed on the surface of Mars and Venus. The USSR was the only country to operate semi-permanent space sta... | null |
u2ifa | In the split second before someone is about to collide with another moving vehicle, would it be more beneficial for them to tighten their muscles, or relax them? | [
{
"answer": "[Drunk ~~drivers~~ trauma victims have a higher rate of survival than their sober counterparts](_URL_0_). It's possible that the alcohol-induced relaxation may help survivorship during that trauma, though as far as I'm aware, that idea is still speculative. \n\nIn general, any structure with some \... | null |
54y13e | how are video games optimized for hardware? | [
{
"answer": "Regarding console to PC, you have to remember that consoles run very little in the background, they have their emulation software and that's it. \nPC's run a hundred different little processes and programs constantly, just to stay running. Then you have your sound card programs, your graphics suite... | null |
48shlu | Egyptian and Inca cultures never met? | [
{
"answer": "Most of what that article is pointing to are artifacts of the Incan Empire, not the pre-Inca cultures. The empire was founded in 1438 by Pachacuti, about 3 millennia after the pyramid of Khufu. There is no way that these cultures met, not just because of the vast oceans and great distances, but t... | null |
1jomyr | why / what incentive do girls have to post their pics on /r/gonewild? | [
{
"answer": "curiosity, experimenting, the lulz, it is not their picture...",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Advertising. Also, on my throwaway I do it because let's be honest. It's fucking fun. I feel special :3 ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Attention. Girls like it when u s... | null |
7fy509 | Did Charlemagne commit a genocide against the Saxons? | [
{
"answer": "It is extremely hard to apply modern notions of war crimes like genocide to the pre-modern world. While there have existed behaviors that were condemned as outside the \"normal\" scope of war since time immemorial, there has rarely ever been an attempt to codify these taboos and enforce them acros... | null |
21ngyz | how did simply browsing webpages infect your computer with malware? can they still do that with today's modern browsers? | [
{
"answer": "Through security faults in software you are using, that software could be the browser, a plugin like flash or java, or even the OS itself.\n\nlet's say somebody has found a security vulnerability in the way that your browser renders certain types of image files that would allow somebody to take con... | null |
8v5vd4 | is plastic pollution still a problem if i properly dispose/incinerate all my trash? | [
{
"answer": "Incineration generates a ton of air pollution or toxic waste so I’m not sure if that can be considered a solution or “proper”",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Beyond just waste, creation of plastics involves petroleum, and the more we can get away from that, the better for everyone.... | null |
3ubocj | Why can gold and aluminum actually bond? | [
{
"answer": "I will not be able to answer the question completely as I am not that deep into theoretical chemistry but I will try to clarify things a bit. \n \nThe definition of an alloy is very broad and will vary depending on who you ask so I will use two sub categories. The first one is solid solution, thi... | null |
676wn3 | why are prescription narcotics frequently cited as a major contributor in the opioid crisis when they only make up 34% of pharmaceutical-related er visits and just 17% of all drug-related er visits? | [
{
"answer": "People are given prescriptions for problems, but then develop dependencies on them. When they can't afford the prescriptions anymore they often turn to cheaper alternatives. The cheaper the alternative, the potentially more dangerous since it'll probably contain other potentially deadly chemicals. ... | null |
1oo987 | Was there ever a "war" between Native American tribes before European settlement? | [
{
"answer": "Archaeologists and Anthropologists who studied the Mayan Civilization of Central America, used to think that the Maya were peaceable people who built their pyramid cities, studied the stars and the calendar, maintained trade routes, but did not engage in wars.\n\nThere was vociferous denial of any ... | null |
115fc4 | What is “personality” and how does it differ from a “personality disorder”? | [
{
"answer": "The definition of when a personality becomes 'disordered' is a social construct. There is no accurate yardstick, and often the diagnosis is highly subjective with psychiatrists disagreeing about cases.\n\nGenerally disorders are diagnosed when behaviour is seen as dangerous, outlandish, or eccentr... | null |
36hm7y | Why did Pakistan launch a geonocidal campaign against the Bangladeshis? Wernt they West Pakistan at the time? their "people", as well as being majority Muslim. | [
{
"answer": "I think you mean \"East Pakistan,\" but nevertheless the reasons for the war were numerous. Bengalis actually comprised the majority of the Pakistani population at that time, but they were being treated more or less like a colony by West Pakistan which controlled the organs of the state. By this I ... | null |
ku70r | How easy it is to weld metals in space/vacuum? | [
{
"answer": "Just to get you started, this is a real phenomenon known as [cold welding](_URL_0_).\n",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Turns out (follow the references on [this page](_URL_1_)) that metals *can* weld in space, at least to some degree. \n\nThe main issue is that the welding of two b... | null |
4noifr | Suppose you throw a coin an infinite amount of times. What are the chances that an infinite streak of heads is going to come up? | [
{
"answer": "1. If at any point an infinite streak of heads starts, then that's all that happens for the rest of the coin flips, according to the typical meaning of doing \"infinitely many repetitions\" of something. [1]\n\n1. From this, your intuition should probably be that it's very unlikely to occur, since ... | null |
2ibm1m | how do countries get themselves out of debt? is it possible for a country to achieve zero debt? | [
{
"answer": "The easiest way is just to declare all previous debts null and void. As countries with masses of people with guns to back it up such declarations typically stand (although borrowing in the future will be tricky).",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "It is possible, but in general it is ... | null |
4kbbag | Why did king Charles IX order the killing of Huguenot leaders? | [
{
"answer": "You are right to see that there is something *odd* in Charles IX's decision to have the Huguenot leaders killed. \n\nThe first attempt to kill Coligny ( the one that only wounded him, on the 22nd of August ) is more than likely not on the hands of the King, Catherine de Medicis or the crown but ins... | null |
23ja4a | Is it possible to perform not an organ transplant surgery, but an organ implant surgery? | [
{
"answer": "Strictly speaking, we already do implants! Kidney transplants usually just leave the original failing kidney in place, leaving patients with an awesome 3 kidneys. Though not stem cells, artificial hearts have been implanted to replace a failed heart. Dick Cheney famously had this procedure, and for... | null |
1voqg0 | is it better to hold in your pee, or is it better to pee at the first signal? | [
{
"answer": "Always making a habit of holding it when you really have to go pee helps the formation of kidney stones in the long run. I wouldn't recommend it. When you have to go, the best thing to do is go.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id"... | null |
1wlkau | What led to Bloody Kansas? | [
{
"answer": "Bleeding Kansas came about as a result of the 1854 Nebraska-Kansas Act. This invalidated the previous Missouri Compromise, which had made all new states admitted to the Union either slave or free, depending on whether they fell above or below the 36°30′ north parallel. Under the Nebraska-Kansas Act... | null |
33cv4o | why does rewinding feels slow and choppy when you connect a multimedia hard drive / usb to a tv, but doing fast forward is quick and neat? isn't all zeros and ones in either direction? | [
{
"answer": "Video files are compressed using a technique that involves \"keyframes\" and \"deltas\". In a nutshell, the video starts with an image of the entire scene. This is called a keyframe. But then the next frame will only show the things that have **changed** from the previous fame. This is called a... | null |
1covfo | Is there a limit to the trauma the body can endure where it can no longer heal? | [
{
"answer": "Doctors will try to fold muscle and skin over the amputation to provide a more functional stump that can support the patient's weight and let them use a prosthetic limb as painlessly as possible. Once they removed the damaged tissue, there probably wasn't a lot left for them to work with.",
"p... | null |
1s6yr4 | Which country was more instrumental in defeating Nazi Germany, the US or Russia? | [
{
"answer": "History is not Call of Duty, where at the end of the fun everyone's scores are neatly laid out for your viewing pleasure. \n\nThis stupid debate retains its popularity, like all stupid debates, precisely because there is real no answer to this deceptive question. It poses as a serious academic deba... | null |
2rmqrw | why do 'bad children' get gifted coal? | [
{
"answer": "Santa has always been linked to coal. St Nick comes down the chimney, trudging sooted footprints on the carpet and leaving gifts in stockings on the mantle. \n\nTwo ideas seem to go around.\n\nFirstly it seems to be that santa wouldn't bother even bringing anything down the chimney for bad children... | null |
7tw8ud | birth control pills say to use a secondary form of prevention if you miss a day. why is this, when most pills have a whole week of placebo pills? how is skipping a day make it ineffective when you skip 7 days at the end of your pack? | [
{
"answer": "The placebo pills are meant to line up with your period - they allow your body to return to its normal cycle to allow the period to happen normally. Since you were taking the pill beforehand, ovulation never happened, which means that there's no egg to fertilize during the placebo pill time. \n\n... | null |
a44vfo | if you paint a spacecraft with 'super-black' paint, would it be invisible (from earth)? | [
{
"answer": "Yes, unless it happens to pass in front of the sun or moon, so it would silhouette against it.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Downside - painting it super black will cause it to absorb more sunlight, making it hotter. You would have to balance that with a larger cooling system. ",... | null |
12p6bs | How did modern western civilizations morals/ethics originate? | [
{
"answer": "Greek philosophy, Roman law, Judaism, Christianity, Age of Enlightenment...",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "21208262",
"title": "Western culture",
"section": "",
"start_paragraph_id": 2,
"star... | null |
232fwl | Why are East Asian countries ethnically homogenous? | [
{
"answer": " > Why are East Asian countries ethnically homogenous?\n\n**Short answer / TL;DR** — They aren't.\n\n**Longer answer** — I can't speak for Japan, but at least in China, the number that are being reported are not accurate. To start, the People's Republic of China has 56 official ethnic groups, the t... | null |
64sjwj | why do police officers who break the law and abuse their power get "placed on leave" and not fired? when their is clear empirical evidence. | [
{
"answer": "They are effectively suspended while the investigation happens. Would you like to be immediately fired if you did something wrong at your job and have no investigation? They are people too and entitled to the same rights when it comes to them possibly losing their jobs. ",
"provenance": null
... | null |
a0mof9 | how is water/waste recycle in a space station environment? | [
{
"answer": "Urine can be filtered and purified to be drinkable again. \n\n Solid waste on the ISS at least is usually stored in waste tanks and later studied when it's returned to earth with the astronauts. \n\n \n\n ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wi... | null |
4i0uwy | what are we doing to preserve data for future generations-- thousands of years down the road-- to make new discoveries that build on our research? | [
{
"answer": "The digital media which we store data on may have a lower life span than a stone tablet, but we aren't just leaving it around to decay. Future astronomers will presumably be able to reference historical data which was copied from hard drive to flash drive to futuristic holographic media, to metasta... | null |
17uk90 | how does my ipod know what time it is if the battery dies and i put it in a charger? | [
{
"answer": "Your iPod has a small backup battery called a CMOS battery. This keeps the clock running even when the main battery is dead.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "3225638",
"title": "S1 MP3 player",
"section": "Sec... | null |
2d4yz8 | same parents children 50% same genes? | [
{
"answer": "Humans have 46 chromosomes, which occur as 23 pairs. Keeping it simple, half of each pair comes from the mother, the other half comes from the father.\n\nThis means it's possible for a couple to have over 70 trillion genetically unique children (2^46 combinations).\n\nOf course the real number is a... | null |
7mz9op | wil dna be the same at birth as at death | [
{
"answer": "Yes, mutations do happen when your cells divide and the DNA doesn't copy correctly. This is how cancer happens. A mutation in a specific cell happens where it doesn't die and just keeps growing and copying itself. Most mutations do nothing (or just cause the death of the new cell and that's wher... | null |
3gjj35 | how can someone justify restricting voting rights? what are the unbiased beinifts from doing so? | [
{
"answer": "Restricting voting rights is a way to limit the amount of votes one's political opponent might receive. Typically, voter ID and registration laws affect minorities and the poor, who typically vote Democrat, so by making it harder for these groups to vote, Republicans effectively reduce the pool of ... | null |
1idfgr | why do cold things go warm, and warm/hot things go cold? | [
{
"answer": "That's a really interesting question. I can tell you are thinking. Sadly your French fry simply won't get hot again and your cheese will never just get cool. \n\nBoth of them work actually work in the same way. It's not that some things get cool and others get hot. Both of them get closer to roo... | null |
201j3f | Does Empty Space have a Reference Frame or is it Possible to have 0 Velocity? | [
{
"answer": "There isn't a universal reference frame, any inertial frame is equally valid.\n\nThere *is* however a reference frame in which the cosmic microwave background is most isotropic, and we are moving about 600 km/s relative to it. There is nothing special about physics in this frame though.",
"prov... | null |
a06w4x | if cooking a protein would mess its structure, how does the body use it as a nutritional value? | [
{
"answer": "Our bodies break down proteins into their amino acid components, then use these amino acids to create proteins specific for our bodies and our bodies needs.\nCooking or heating a protein otherwise typically makes it non-functional, but it’s nutritional components (amino acids) are still there. ",
... | null |
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