id stringlengths 5 6 | input stringlengths 3 301 | output list | meta null |
|---|---|---|---|
2idv02 | When a woman, who has had her womb transplanted, has a child, will the child share her DNA or the DNA of the organ donor? | [
{
"answer": "The womb is also called the [uterus](_URL_1_). This is the organ in which the fetus develops, but it does not contribute to the genetic make up of the child. A fetus is created by the combination of sperm and egg. Eggs are created and stored in the [ovaries](_URL_2_). \n\nThe [woman who just succe... | null |
aqmzrr | Why did bayonets mostly replace pikes as an anti-cavalry weapon by the end of the 17th century? | [
{
"answer": "The early modern period-- the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th century is often referred to as a time of \"military revolution\", a term associated with Michael Roberts' 1955 lecture of the same name. While Geoffrey Parker and others have raised good points about some of the more exuberan... | null |
5kvvq3 | since there is a color that is all colors combined, is there a scent that is all scents combined, and what would it smell like? | [
{
"answer": " > By color of all colors I'm referring to black since this is the color you see when all waves of color (visible light) are reflected back to your eye.\n\nYou mean white, not black. White light is all wavelengths of visible light (or, at least, equal levels of the three you do sense).\n\nScents ... | null |
1ttcsf | the process of photo restoration | [
{
"answer": "Cracks and folds are removed by carefully hiding them, either hand-painting over them, or simply copying nearby textures over them. Missing parts are painted.\n\nFaded parts of the foto are simply restored by taking the color that are present, and amplifying them (like turning up the volume).\n\nTh... | null |
77jb19 | how do bacteria think? | [
{
"answer": "There is a grievous, fundamental misunderstanding of biology here. I don't know what you think thoughts are, but they are really not at all related to the immune system, performing \"actions,\" or bacteria. \n\nLet's start with a really simple chemical reaction. When you mix baking soda and vinegar... | null |
1xu04i | does the weather/environment determine the development of our personality? | [
{
"answer": "[From John Grohol, PSY.D](_URL_0_): I was browsing a blog the other day and saw an undated (recent?) entry suggesting that research shows that “weather has little effect on our mood.” The entry relied heavily on a recent study (Denissen et al., 2008) that shows that although a correlation between ... | null |
27irwn | How important was the transfer of equipment/capital that the allies gave to the USSR during World War 2? Was the USSR dependent on it? | [
{
"answer": "Hello!\nAnother related question, how much did the supply of Allied apparel affect the combat strength of the Soviet army during the continuation war against Finland? I've heard anecdotes that one of the key reasons Finland was forced into an armistice was that the useful equipment used in the cont... | null |
cndd9x | What advancements allowed aerial warfare to evolve from triplanes to precision drones within a century? | [
{
"answer": "You may want to be more specific - countless technological advancements have contributed to the kind of combat aircraft we see today. If we ignore electronics (which nowadays are arguably the most important part of combat aircraft design) and armament, the biggest areas of improvement are engines a... | null |
10c5it | What would happen if a nuclear weapon was detonated next to a nuclear power plant or next to another nuclear weapon? | [
{
"answer": "The only real difference would be the increased fallout and radiation from the spread of radioactive material during the explosion. The other material wouldn't achieve the critical pressures/temperatures required to set off a chain reaction and it would just get blown into the atmosphere by the bla... | null |
2lngen | Is time quantized on extremely small (quantum) scales? | [
{
"answer": "As far as we know, and according to our current models, time is continuous. There are some proposed models of quantum gravity where time is quantized at very small scales, like around the Planck scale, but we lack the experimental accuracy needed to access those scales, so as of now we can't know f... | null |
8btc3j | why does the air from my table fan feel cold? | [
{
"answer": "Sweat can be a factor (evaporation cools you, of course).\n\nHowever, more commonly, it's because the air is far below your body temperature, so the more air per minute you're exposed to, the more cooling effect there is. Your body doesn't perceive external temperature, per se, but the rate and dir... | null |
2smsp6 | paying a copay instead of full deductible. | [
{
"answer": "Your policy will tell you when the copay applies, and when the deductible applies. You need to check there, as almost every policy is different.\n\nWith that said, typically things like normal visits (annual physicals, OB/GYN visits, etc.) only require the copay, while unscheduled emergency count a... | null |
580yf0 | In Battlefield 1 the military phonetic alphabet is quite a bit differnt as we know it today (Apples instead of Alpha, Butter instead of Bravo, etc). When was it changed into what it is today? Why was it changed? Or does Battlefield's version have no basis on historical reality? | [
{
"answer": "Yes, this is based in history. The British went through numerous versions of the phonetic alphabet and during the WWI period, it was indeed Apples, Butter, Charlie, Duff, etc. [Tables here](_URL_0_)\n\nDue to issues with differences in the phonetic alphabet, and difficulty in pronouncing certain wo... | null |
1ed443 | what exactly do the brackets mean when used in interviews like this: "[we want to] change social attitudes toward downloading." | [
{
"answer": "It is a way to shorten a longer quote. For example, if the original quote was:\n\n\"We at the university, through partnership with both the intellectual property holders and the telecom providers, feel the best approach is to change social attitudes towards downloading.\"\n\nSo the stuff in bracke... | null |
5qdh99 | When did Europeans figure out that certain birds were migratory and where did they think the birds migrated to? Where did they believe the birds went in winter before that? | [
{
"answer": "Pliny the Elder in Natural History seems well aware of bird migration in the first century AD. He claims cranes fly from the east of India: \n\n > The tracts over which they travel must be immense, if we only consider that they come all the way from the Eastern Sea.\n\nBut he doesn’t know where st... | null |
6gzxh8 | how does a plant 'know' how old it is? | [
{
"answer": "It doesn't. Plants don't age the way animals do. They show symptoms of aging as their structure becomes too large and woody to carry out its functions, but their growing cells are no older now than they were when it first sprouted. There are plants that have been cloning themselves for tens if not ... | null |
4kp12u | different types of alcohol. i just got a job at a duty free, and i need a crash course quick! | [
{
"answer": "In a broad sense, **dry** is the opposite of **sweet**. Sweet alcohols are just that- sweeter. Dry is literally a lack of sweetness, not necessarily a taste on its own. Dry and sweet are often used to describe wine and gin, among other alcohols.\n\n**Wine** is made from fermented grapes. It can be ... | null |
27v7ix | how does a park like disneyland know when everyone has left the park. | [
{
"answer": "They actually have an after hours crew of around 600 that maintain the park. If someone were left behind, they'd be caught. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "And they have video surveillance. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "On another note, how do they keep losing ... | null |
3c1c63 | What was the first democracy where over 50% of the population could vote? | [
{
"answer": "Do you mean \"where over 50% of the adult population could vote\"?\n\nSince in most democracies approximately half the adult population are women, your question can be re-phrased as which democracy first had both, broad adult suffrage and women voters? That would be the British colony of New Zeal... | null |
ecyvny | What of the era of Biblical Judges is corroborated by archeological or textual evidence? | [
{
"answer": "The historical accuracy of events portrayed in the Bible change depending on the books and division of the Bible. Generally, the farther back in the past a Biblical story takes place, the more likely it is the details of the story are inaccurate if the story has any basis in history at all. For exa... | null |
57u2i3 | why not everybody is capable of moving their ears and other body parts? | [
{
"answer": "Some of it is due to lack of practice and realizing you can. Physical therapy for instance helps people locate weakened or atrophied muscles using electrical stimulation so you can find them and learn to use them again.\n\nSo for those that can raise a single eyebrow or whatnot, it comes with pract... | null |
197pyz | How did Imperial Germany Treat its Minorities? | [
{
"answer": "I'm mostly familiar with things from the minority-side of things, not the German side. But Imperial Germany did emancipate its Jews, giving them political rights, along with other countries during this era. This (along with the enlightenment) produced new religious movements in Judaism, particula... | null |
3kseu2 | why is ford's stock (~$30) significantly cheaper than nissan's stock (~$1,100)? | [
{
"answer": "Prices of individual shares are not as relevant as the overall market cap of the company. Share prices can be driven downward by having stock splits, which most companies do when the per share price becomes high. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Simple. Stock price is a function of... | null |
1r3vm4 | What discoveries in the natural sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) have had evident and dramatic impacts on the course of history? | [
{
"answer": "In physics I would note electricity, and electromagnetic theory (which allows radio) is perhaps a separate discovery. The steam engine is also an obvious one, or if you prefer theory you could say thermodynamics - but the applications side was clearly first here. I guess this could also be consider... | null |
17xbjk | how a double-blind study works, and why it is considered so reliable | [
{
"answer": " A double blind study is when neither the scientist nor the participants know what the study is about. \n Say that we have researchers studying the effects of a new drug. group A will receive the drug, and group B will get a placebo. No one in the test groups know who has which.\n If the rese... | null |
8sa19r | Why is the fine structure constant called "fine structure"? | [
{
"answer": "Atomic spectra have gross, fine and hyperfine structure.\n\nThe gross structure corresponds to the energy levels which result from non-relativistic solutions to the Schrodinger equation, with no allowance for the effects of electron spin.\n\nFine structure results from taking account of relativisti... | null |
uc90a | What happens when a charged particle moves faster than the speed of light in a material? (Cherenkov radiation) | [
{
"answer": "The particle is \"trying\" to generate a wavefront that is propagating faster than light could in that medium. Since that can't happen, you get higher energy emissions instead.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": " > What is going on at the atomic level in the material that causes this?... | null |
d6pscg | How did Tobacco come to Japan in the 19th century? | [
{
"answer": "It isn't known exactly how tobacco first came to Japan. In the mid-to-late 16th century, tobacco was spreading in East Asia and South-East Asia, probably through multiple routes: Portuguese sailors/traders from Europe or Brazil, Dutch sailors/traders, Spanish sailors/traders from Mexico and the Phi... | null |
2xijbz | why are there still "living fossils that have barely evolved in 100s of millions of years? | [
{
"answer": "If there's a species is still quite a good fit for their environment and no string of beneficial mutations come up to eventually mold a new species, the species just sort of stays the same.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "3... | null |
3463ba | Are there any animals that can see microwaves? | [
{
"answer": "the wavelength of microwaves is about 12 centimeters, so you'd need an animal that had rods/cones that big, right? maybe a blue whale or something.\n\nlight is in the 500 terahertz range, microwaves are in the hundreds of mhz range. That's orders of magnitude difference.",
"provenance": null
... | null |
1peopq | how was tim tebow so successful in college but not in the nfl? | [
{
"answer": "The NFL is a much more competitive league. Just because he was great in College doesn't mean he will necessarily be able to compete at the NFL level",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Because he doesn't have an accurate enough arm or a quick enough release for the nfl. You can get aw... | null |
9s35e7 | how are westerner's "chinese" name decided ans given? | [
{
"answer": "Yep mostly phonetic. Generic names such as Mark is normally translated to 马克 (Mah-Ker) while Paul is translated to 保罗 (Bao-Luo). Same thing applies for names that aren't common as well...but im not sure who decides for the famous ppl oops",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "According t... | null |
1zj7no | What was the "known world" for Asian people in ancient times, roman times, etc. ? | [
{
"answer": "The Han Chinese knew a decent amount, but largely shrouded in myth. Here is a list of historical documents:\n\n_URL_0_\n\nThe ones translated by John Hill are the best. There are descriptions and names for the chief cities of the Eastern empire, primary exports, notable flora, some not entirely no... | null |
332i1t | what's the 'clicky' noise when shaking some types of aerosol cans? | [
{
"answer": "Metal marble in the can to help stir the paint",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "It's a ball bearing, it's there to help stir up the product. Inside the can, there's a solvent, the product, and a propellant. When the can sits idle, the product separates out from the solvent. \n\nWhen... | null |
1mkv61 | How was Erotic Literature received by the public in the 17th Century? | [
{
"answer": "\nHey! A question on my field!\n\nFirst, 'erotic literature' (very good use of the correct term) was first printed in the late 1490's, the pioneer in the field being Pietro Aretino, of course.\n\nThe short answer is... What public?\n\nThe public, by and large could not read. Reading was still mostl... | null |
7v6gog | how do airlines get your checked luggage on the right plane when there is a short layover? | [
{
"answer": "If you fly a lot you notice the flight to LA on Spirit airlines always leaves from gate A2 for example. Most connections you make are with the same airline. The guys handling the bags at a landing sort the bags. Most are headed to the local baggage pickup. Most of the remaining ones are headed to a... | null |
3c4e58 | When (and where) did the concept of "paper money" began? | [
{
"answer": "You might want to check out:\n\n- [When did the Monetary system using \"paper money\" we have today start?](_URL_0_)\n\n- [What are the earliest dates for paper money?](_URL_1_)\n\n- [How did they prevent counterfeiting of paper money before modern things like holograms, fluorescent ink, and microp... | null |
sbaut | How do optical illusions appear to be moving? | [
{
"answer": "I'm an artist who creates optical illusions. The big reason this particular type of illusion works is because the value of the lines lead the eye. Other moving illusions can force the perspective with the thickness of the lines. It is the same principle shown in [this famous illusion](_URL_0_) but... | null |
6fyoxo | Are their any instances where a historian has run for public office in the US or elsewhere? | [
{
"answer": "Former speaker Newt Gingrich was an assistant professor of history at West Georgia College before being elected to Congress.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "8585275",
"title": "Richard Norton Smith",
"section... | null |
2f8c1r | why are deer extremely sensitive to even the quietest sounds (rustling leaves), but run out in front of cars like they don't hear them? | [
{
"answer": "Maybe they hear the car but think it's farther away so they don't care. Like they hear it, 100 feet away and think the car can't possibly travel at 70 mph to hit me in time, so I'll just run across this road.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Every creature's ears are sensitive to di... | null |
214eu8 | If two galaxies collided, would there be collisions? | [
{
"answer": "It's really true. The space between stars is really quite large.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "If you count molecular hydrogen, yes there are collisions. The clouds of hydrogen will press against each other, eventually increasing in pressure (mass accumulated in one region), and... | null |
49dyw6 | Where can I go to research famine, persecution, and diaspora around the time of German Unification (~1870s). | [
{
"answer": "Additional question (if permitted by mod overlords, please delete if not): is there a good english language book on this that does not look at this purely in reference to the lead up to the world wars?",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "\"The Long Nineteenth Century\" by Blackburn is ... | null |
51tzo1 | why are chip bags so loud? | [
{
"answer": "Its because of the type of plastic that they use to make the bags. Because chips go stale rather quickly when exposed to oxygen they use a a high density plastic and pack them with gas(not sure what kind nitrogen?) To keep them fresh until you open them. The type of plastic they use is stiff so it ... | null |
20kpti | Do we have any primary sources which explicitly accuse Edward II of being a homosexual or is this theory based on innuendo and conjecture? | [
{
"answer": "An anonymous chronicler writing during the civil wars of the 1320s, wrote that:\n\n > ...upon looking on him [Piers Gaveston] the son of the king immediately felt such love for him that he entered into a covenant of constancy, and bound himself with him before all other mortals with a bond of indis... | null |
1ol505 | the difference between standard deviation, standard error and variance. | [
{
"answer": "Standard deviation and standard error are both functions of the variance, so we can start by trying to understand the variance first.\n\nThe variance is something that, intuitively, measures the \"spread\" of a distribution. It is how far away on average points from your sample will be from the mea... | null |
21satt | how rockets like the saturn 5, the soyuz, and the space x rocket stay pointed up and straight. eli5. | [
{
"answer": "Before they launch, they're held in place with scaffolding.\n\nAfter launch, the force is controlled and directed such that up is the direction they mostly go in, with very minor adjustments in the nozzles to change direction.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": ... | null |
1loxza | how can houses in detroit be on sale for a dollar? | [
{
"answer": "Rent it to who? Those houses sometimes don't have basics like running water. Which means you need to invest money into it. So it's really not a dollar. And investing money in those neighborhoods just may not be worth the possible but likely no sale.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "... | null |
1xxeb0 | math constants. | [
{
"answer": "We just found them as we investigated things. \nTake Pi; when people were investigating circles & their proportions, someone noticed that every circle's circumference was always about 3 times it's diameter. 'That's interesting' (the words preceding 99% of all major discoveries ever!) and so more ... | null |
15nn84 | why wont my graphics card run certain games? | [
{
"answer": "Newer graphics cards come with new features, which the old ones don't support. If a game requests a feature from the card which it doesn't have, it'll likely give up.\n",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "18949896",
"tit... | null |
1d8jnp | How strongly does the IQ bell curve correlate with achievement? | [
{
"answer": "[Here's](_URL_0_) a paper that attempts to relate Piaget IQ tests to standardized test scores for school achievement, and finds little overlap.\n\n[This](_URL_2_) study states > When success measures were regressed against intelligence and personality scales or factors, intelligence did not accoun... | null |
2sz1e7 | how bad does the situation have to be for a person to seek asylum from another country? and how demonstrable does the threat have to be? (proof) | [
{
"answer": "Hop the border, turn yourself in, and apply for asylum. You'll be granted temporary stay during the trial. If you can demonstrate the need of jumping the border to save your life, you will be granted permenant residency.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "It depends on the country you... | null |
eeum9m | why does the solar system get drawn like a glat plain? are all the planets on the same vertical level? if they are, what happens if we go up? | [
{
"answer": " > Are all the planets on the same vertical level?\n\nYes\n\n > what happens if we go up?\n\nNothing, you just go up. What do you expect? Hit a ceiling?",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "_URL_0_\n\nThe orbits aren't all perfectly aligned. Ceres has the most noticeable tilt, the other... | null |
3y2uh1 | biologically we have evolved to have carbohydrates as our main source of energy. why are they such a taboo in the health and dieting scene? | [
{
"answer": "Carbohydrates are a very good source of energy which means that you don't have to eat much of them to get your daily calorie needs. Since your stomach is basically a flexible bag which you can stuff with food whilst it spends a few hours digesting, if you fill the bag with carbohydrates you will co... | null |
6xr9o2 | how to differentiate nuclear blasts from earthquakes | [
{
"answer": "Earthquakes are sinusoidal and logarythmic.. bombs make 1 wave and then small echoes are seen.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "With different listening points they can place the epicenter in 3D. Earthquakes happen very deep in the earths crust. Bombs are detonated near the surface ... | null |
eyx3o1 | how were prescription glasses made accurately before the invention of modern technology? | [
{
"answer": "What modern technology do you envision? Spherical lenses were entirely within the abilities of technology 500 years ago. Prior to that we didn't really bother with glasses.\n\nAlso prescriptions sure didn't exist. Such glasses were fairly limited to the wealthy.",
"provenance": null
},
{
... | null |
23eg35 | What makes Great Man theory rock/suck? (i.e. What are the major current historical interpretive practices?) | [
{
"answer": "So basically, history in the last 50 years has moved from the \"Great Man History\", or more specifically the standard politico-military histories that were oh so popular during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, towards cultural/social history. \n\nThe difference between cultural and social h... | null |
7ys5qf | is there any way jerking off can result in infertility at some point? | [
{
"answer": "Infertility, no, not at all.\n\nBut it can result in a mild case of impotence, if you get used to a different kind of stimulation than actual sex provides.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "26758367",
"title": "Birth C... | null |
27puxs | why are there chechens fighting in the pro-russian side in eastern ukraine, when they originally were fighting against the russians in the chechen wars? | [
{
"answer": "They do what they are paid for by Russian (and Chechen) government.\n\nFor now Chechnya is governed by Russian puppet who gets loads of money and will do anything Putin asks him to do.\n\nWhy Chechens and not Russian from other regions? I guess they are cheaper and have better skills for purpose.",... | null |
2gu28k | why do i see rusty looking spots on the sidewalk and road? | [
{
"answer": "The reinforcing rebar or steel mesh encapsulated in the concrete is rusting.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "It can be from some fertilizers or weed killers.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "2168691",
... | null |
15zlwt | What are the negative effects of a low carb/high fat diet? | [
{
"answer": "Well.\n\nWhat happens during a LCHF-diet is that you force your body to burn fat, and only fat. What happens when you metabolize fat is that [ketone bodies](_URL_0_) as produced, leading to a state of ketosis. Ketone bodies *can* be used as an energy source by the brain and other cells, as in the c... | null |
70px4n | from a business standpoint, what are the benefits and disadvantages of paying employees weekly, biweekly, twice a month, and monthly? | [
{
"answer": "A weekly or every-other week basis can simplify operations: everyone knows that pay periods close one day, and checks are written on another day of the week, regardless of the calendar date. \n\nA monthly or bi-monthly basis can screw with that, as pay periods and payroll processing may not concu... | null |
1urayr | if the universe is expanding so rapidly, why do we see no visible change locally? | [
{
"answer": "Because the universe is so huge and we're so small.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Because on the local scale gravity effectively prevents the effect of the metric expansion of space on objects. Think of it like having having two treadmills facing back to back so that when they a... | null |
2u0osd | Why are gases more soluble in cold liquid, but solids are more soluble in warm liquid? | [
{
"answer": "There are 2 different things going on here. First gasses dissolved in a liquid. The ability of a normally gaseous substance to remain in a liquid is dependent on the kinetic energy. Remember that the equilibrium STRONGLY favors gasses staying gasses. At high temperatures, there is so much kinet... | null |
aiayrb | . why does room temperature coffee taste ‘cold’ but room temperature milk tastes ‘warm’? | [
{
"answer": "Because most coffee you drink is hotter than room temperature, so in comparison to what you expect the coffee to feel like, a coffee at room temperature would feel cold.\n\nBut we usually drink milk from the refrigerator so when it's a room temperature it's hotter than what you expect.\n\nAnd the r... | null |
6wp7v7 | How did China come to have so many massively populated cities? | [
{
"answer": "One thing to keep in mind is that administrative boundaries work differently in China than in the United States. Municipal administrative units usually include most of the suburbs of a city, and some of the outlying rural areas as well. The most extreme example of this is Chongqing which is the siz... | null |
9nfqv8 | how does viewing violence affect people's mental health? | [
{
"answer": "I’m not sure there is really a correlation there. More likely people already predisposed to some kind of mental health problem can be affected by viewing violence.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "It doesn't, slightly surprisingly. There is no correlation between the media you consu... | null |
1kr8rk | What caused the United States to have the highest infant mortality rate among western countries? | [
{
"answer": "The [Congressional Research Service](_URL_3_) investigated whether inconsistent recording of births could be the cause of our bad infant mortality rates (IMR) and found that it does not ~~really affect~~ fully explain the results. (There is some effect from the inconsistent recording, but it isn't... | null |
zlek9 | What was the general sentiment felt by WWII veterans towards Vietnam, the Korean War, and the veterans returning home from those wars? | [
{
"answer": "Purely anecdotal\n\nSpeaking to Australian Vietnam vets, many were denied admission to their local RSL's, many were told Vietnam 'wasn't a real war' by WW2 vets, and that the strongest condemnation they received was from veterans. I wish I had a source other than anecdote; these were guys from RSL... | null |
4wi7qe | When world war 2 ended, why did German soldiers want to surrender to the western allies rather than the Soviet union? | [
{
"answer": "Couple of reasons, since the invasion of the USSR in 1941 German treatment of Soviet prisoners had been horrendous, kept in wire enclosures until they starved, succumbed to disease, or were simply summarily executed (among the first victims gassed at Auschwitz were Russian PoWs). With no quarter gi... | null |
52zhep | why haven't we come up with an easier way to get to the top of mount everest? | [
{
"answer": "The reason they want to go there is *because* it is dangerous and difficult and life threatening. They aren't going up there for the view and to get a tan. \n\nRegardless, standing at that altitude has seriously life threatening effects. Climbers need to acclimate for weeks to be able to sur... | null |
2l2etx | Why were the Islam?Christian preachers unsuccessful in penetrating the religion deep into India? | [
{
"answer": "You seem to be asking 2 different questions. 1.) \"Why were Islam and Christianity unsuccessful in getting converts in India\" and 2.) \"Why wasn't Hinduism completely eradicated by a monotheistic religion.\" These are two different things, and let me first say that Historians can't exactly explain... | null |
35jeiw | why does david cameron want to scrap the human rights act and replace it with "the british bill of rights"? | [
{
"answer": "_URL_1_\n\n > In a speech to the Strasbourg assembly, Mr Cameron said the whole concept of human rights laws was in danger of becoming \"distorted\" and \"discredited\" because of the court's decisions.\n\n > \"We do have a real problem when it comes to foreign national who threaten our security,\"... | null |
a0zh3g | In a period of twelve years, Germany went from an emerging democracy to a dictatorship that eventually committed genocide. How? | [
{
"answer": "When Germany was defeated in the First World War (in 1918) it caused a period of chaos which would eventually lead to Hitler. The defeat created a revolutionary situation and forced the Kaiser out of power. A new and very unstable democracy was created- the Weimar Republic. Germany's economy and so... | null |
49zbxr | Why has there never been (widely known?) geopolitical conflict between Canada and the United States? | [
{
"answer": "Anytime there has been something of that description, Britain was always the motivator. \n\nIn Canada's position there are a few things discouraging it from picking a fight with its neighbor. \n\n1.) Canada has always had a population dearth relative to the United States. Less people means less res... | null |
5elczb | Is it true that a lot of old-timey sailors couldn't swim? | [
{
"answer": "This is a broad questions, and as a result there's a lack of definitive statistics, but there seems to be a fair degree of consensus that for the most part European (and by extension early American) sailors were comparatively poor swimmers. For much of the period at least into the 19th century, mor... | null |
rhdxu | So what's the upper limit on man-made global warming? | [
{
"answer": "The thing scientists are most worried about is a positive feedback loop in the climate, where if you pass some tipping point, you have runaway warming. I'm not a climate expert, but a positive feedback loop would put the upper limit quite high. \n\nHere's a fake example made up off the top of my he... | null |
by3gs6 | How were the anarchist/syndicalist (or pro-Republican in general) areas of Spain governed before and during the civil war? Did the militias enforce or enact any laws? Did they police their respective communities? | [
{
"answer": "Governance before the civil war is tricky. The easy answer, of course, is that the Spanish government (whether the left or right was in power) was still in place prior to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, so areas with significant anarchist (or other leftist) presence were being governed by th... | null |
u9rhs | Questions for Hitler?
| [
{
"answer": "Well, to start, Hitler was chancellor of Germany in 1933: he was running the show in 1933. You want to talk to him in the 1920s, it seems, so:\n\nDo some research on the Beer Hall Putsch of 1923 - that's his first grab for power, but it was ultimately unsuccessful. And while serving his ridiculou... | null |
3hbjit | I'm no expert of either, but there seem to be some key similarities between Ancient Latin and Greek, like the -us/-os and -um/-on endings. They even have the same word for "I." Did either peoples notice the same thing and suspect that their languages could have come from a common source? | [
{
"answer": "~~I'm not sure which \"other people\" you are referring to.~~ The Romans thought that Latin was a dialect of Greek. Modern linguists believe that they are both part of the Indo-European language family and therefore have a common linguistic ancestor. [This article](_URL_0_) will probably interest ... | null |
7ubyqa | Blown up army sizes in Xerxes march on Greece | [
{
"answer": "Hi! You might enjoy the answer I gave to this question [here](_URL_0_). My view is that we need to be thinking about these numbers less in terms of \"true or false\" and more in terms of \"plausible or implausible in a world without written records\". In the context of his own work, Herodotos made ... | null |
4tkmne | does mutually assured destruction (ie. nuclear weapons) deter nations into waging war against each other? | [
{
"answer": "Lets see. Why would you start a fight?\n\nYou want something that other guy has.\n\nYou really hate that guy for whatever reason.\n\nA couple of other reasons exist, but the concept is the same.\n\nNow, if that guy has something that will instantly kill or severely hurt you if you attack him, even ... | null |
1jg6fe | can someone explain the chandraskhar limit in simplistic terminology? | [
{
"answer": " During a star's lifetime, the outward pressure exerted from all of the thermal energy being created by fusion in the core holds the volume of the star up against the force of gravity created by all of that mass. When a star uses up its nuclear fusion fuel supply, there's a number of end scenarios ... | null |
17ovps | how is it possible that we can have orgasms in our sleep, without any physical stimuli? | [
{
"answer": "You can orgasm without physical stimuli while awake as well. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "All physical sensation is just impulses interpreted by the brain. No need for the actual stimuli, just need the part of the brain that responds to the stimuli to activate.\n\nSame idea as... | null |
7a0e3t | The Great War: African Theatre Literature? | [
{
"answer": "Hew Strachan tackles Africa in his \"The First World War,\" volume 1. I believe you can buy those sections as one unit on Amazon. He'd be a good place to start. I suggest mining the references and going from there. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
... | null |
3p1b04 | how dubstep/rap artists can manipulate the computer/synthesizer to get the beat/sound the way they want it? | [
{
"answer": "Well they use specific programs designed to augment sound waves. It started out with having the change the actual circuitry of the physical device to produce such sounds, now you can literally just layer loops and press play, if your a lazy fuck. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": nul... | null |
1v050e | when i shower and someone runs water, i freeze. hotels? 100's of showers, no such problem. | [
{
"answer": "Hotels have ridiculous tankless water heaters that flash heat water in-line, so they don't retain a huge tank of water like most household water heaters. If your house is older, it probably isn't plumbed very well and/or you have a small/inefficient water heater.",
"provenance": null
},
{
... | null |
2s2krf | Question about North American arrow heads. | [
{
"answer": "In areas where natural copper could be found the nuggets were cold worked by natives into a variety of tools including arrowheads. One of these areas was located around the Great Lakes and is called the Old Copper Complex. Copper arrowheads and other tools were also used in Alaska and the Yukon. \n... | null |
7tqo02 | Why can extreme hot weather cause mass power outages/blackouts? | [
{
"answer": "The main reason is that electricity usage is highest during heat waves, because everyone's air conditioning is running at full blast.\n\nThere's a second less important reason, which is that fossil fuel and nuclear power plants are less efficient in hot weather. They use outside air and/or water t... | null |
1ohck4 | modern sociology claims that race is a social construct devoid of any biological foundation. if so, how does forensic science work, or anthropological dna-based migrational studies? | [
{
"answer": " > how does the government get away with race-based financial aid? (affirmative action)\n\nIt's a social construct, but the harm done to those communities was social, and still real. Let's say we make up a category \"ABCers\", and said you were a part of it, so you should be abused. Even if that... | null |
fhhp61 | why do things we do on the internet begin with "e-" instead of "i" for internet? | [
{
"answer": "\"e-\" stands for \"electronic\". \n\nRegular mail is sent on physical paper, but \"e-mail\" is sent *electronically*. It's \"e(lectronic) mail\".",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "41440",
"title": "Online and offline"... | null |
3j0was | How did cups become a symbol for victory? | [
{
"answer": "hi! always room for more info on this, but you can get started on this earlier post\n\n* [Why are trophies often cups?](_URL_0_) - featuring responses from /u/TheJucheisLoose and /u/ConventionalAlias\n\nif you have follow-up questions on this locked post, ask them here & page the relevant user by... | null |
357wnj | if i leave the milky way, am i immediately in another galaxy or in a big empty part of space with different galaxies to choose from? | [
{
"answer": "There are large empty spaces between galaxies that have almost no matter in them at all. Except maybe dark matter, but we still don't understand that well",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "If you left the Milky Way, you'd be floating out in deep space. The galaxies are not all touc... | null |
d1io73 | why can't doctors diagnose cte in a living person? | [
{
"answer": "Because the physical degeneration thought to be involved in CTE can only be observed in autopsies. It doesn't really show readily or conclusively is regular brain scans which look for neuron activity or chemical processes. Cracking open a living person's skull soley for research or diagnosis purpos... | null |
tkkr5 | if clouds are water in a gaseous state (aren't they?), why aren't they at a greater than boiling temperature, and is evaporating water boiling? | [
{
"answer": "Let me try to put this in a 5YO level of understanding. \n\nRemember when it was December and you went outside and you could see your breath? That was water vapor. The water inside you was not boiling. If it was, you would have been boiling, and we don't want that to happen. \n\nRemember in the sum... | null |
yzhh1 | is x86 software made for 32-bit os or 64-bit? | [
{
"answer": "If it just says x86 then it is probably 32-bit. It will still work just fine, but unless you have a reason otherwise, you should typically get the 64-bit version, which should be labeled x86_64.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "BiPolah is right, x86 means 32 bit, a 64 bit OS can run... | null |
ep4rxl | what is the simplest way to explain gauss' law and how its used? (algebra based physics) thank you in advance | [
{
"answer": "You can tell how much charge is in an enclosed space by looking at the electric field along the boundary.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "21462",
"title": "Normal distribution",
"section": "Section::::Related... | null |
27pz6g | Was the Sherman tank a name resented by US soldiers from the south during WWII? | [
{
"answer": "If this question isn't relevant, feel free to remove mods.\n\nGiven the nicknames M3 Lee, M3 Stuart, M3 Grant, and M4 Sherman, why were Union and Confederate general names given to tanks, or any modern weapons for that matter?",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Follow-up question: Was... | null |
31n4fd | Do we really know anything about Mayan warfare? | [
{
"answer": "Maya records do give us a good look at the nature of (and possible motivations for) a variety of military endeavors. Let's take a look at a few.\n\n* Palenque and Calakmul were two of the many pairs of constantly competing city states, located just south of the Tabasco region in southern Mexico. So... | null |
1v6dhe | Why was North Vietnam able to field such a massive army that easily over-ran the south when the Americans left? Why did the south not have a more capable or large enough army to hold them off? | [
{
"answer": "In pure numbers the Army of South Vietnam was of a similar size to that of the North. However the tactical position they were faced with in 73 could not have been more dissimilar. The North had good control of it's territory, an experienced army with a stable command structure, and a large groundsw... | null |
4ghjrd | i often hear how states around the country are hemorrhaging due to the lack of teachers, why isn't there a greater demand for teachers? | [
{
"answer": "There is a demand in terms of students who need teachers. But the lack is due to the budgets of the states, who tend to undervalue teachers, as is traditional.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "There is a great demand for teachers, there is not a enough budget for them. Teachers in m... | null |
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