id stringlengths 5 6 | input stringlengths 3 301 | output list | meta null |
|---|---|---|---|
980bnl | benjamin libet's free will experiment. | [
{
"answer": "I'll try. Libet instructed his subjects to make a small wrist movement whenever they felt like it. He also instructed them to note the time on a clock regarding the moment they first became aware of deciding when to move. Of course they were all wired up to have their brains activity recorded. \n\n... | null |
ax8vuu | Are rocket launches (to space) generally straight or curved? | [
{
"answer": "As I understand it, getting something into orbit is more about going sideways really fast than going up really high. You have to go a bit up to get above the atmosphere but then go mad fast in the same direction as the Earth is spinning.. That spin gives a nice like speed boost.\n\nPut those 2 need... | null |
7bk5ka | Need access to archives, what should I do? | [
{
"answer": "I'm a librarian and an archivist. First off: contact your library. If librarians only advised on issues we were personally subject experts on we'd have to shut down right now. You think I answer questions about eunuchs all day? Of course not. Librarians are familiar with how to find anything, that'... | null |
2uiwr7 | if salt is so bad for cars, why do we use it on the roads? | [
{
"answer": "salt is good for not dying in car crashes and car crashes are worse for cars then salt.\n\nSome places use other things, but salt is really cheap compared to most alternatives, although sand is pretty good.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "No other options that are as effective and ... | null |
24ybu2 | How could have people found and colonized islands in the Pacific almost 2000 years ago while it have took much more effort to do the same with the America? | [
{
"answer": "Keep in mind \"America\" can mean everything from northern Canada/Alaska to Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America and these lands (in the north) did have humans on them far before the Vikings landed. Remember that there was a land bridge during the last glacial period (more than 10,000 ago... | null |
466c12 | how can websites display an overloaded page if they're overloaded? | [
{
"answer": "Modern websites, especially popular ones are not a standalone computer running a webserver. They're usually part of a full network of servers. \n\nFront end web servers that receive a request from users. Web caches that store commonly requested pages and data. Databases and file servers for a lot o... | null |
3t1nlb | what is stopping me from taking a loan out to pay another loan and then taking a loan out to pay that loan? | [
{
"answer": "This is commonly done and is sometimes called *rolling over* a loan. The problem is that the amount due will keep increasing due to interest charge, and eventually it will be so large that no one will be willing to loan you that much.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "If you are doin... | null |
5p945b | why do scuba divers go into the water backwards instead of front first? | [
{
"answer": "In short, divers have two main ways to ‘jump in’ from a scuba dive boat:\n\nThe Giant Stride Entry (requires a stable platform from where to step off; common in larger boats)\n\nThe Backward Roll Entry (preferred technique when the boat is smaller, less steady, and lacks a secure platform or ladder... | null |
aly1ye | how is it that we are still discovering galaxies that are relatively close to our own galaxy when we’ve discovered millions of galaxies that are much farther away? | [
{
"answer": "So... look at the sky. \n\nNow. With your hand make a circle \nNow through that circle, focus on only the sky you can see in the perimeters of your hand. Imagine zooming in almost endlessly, finding millions of different cosmic clusters just in those small confines. \n\nNow pick another random par... | null |
baufa8 | do animals have body clock? | [
{
"answer": "Well seeing as how humans are mammals. And mammals are animals. And we have have one. \n\nYes other animals do too",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "14470771",
"title": "Light effects on circadian rhythm",
"sec... | null |
4xotfc | why does your appetite decrease in extreme heat? | [
{
"answer": "Your metabolism's job is to regulate the temperature of your body. \"Metabolizing\" food is basically like setting it on fire in your body and using the heat for energy. \n\nIn the extreme heat, your body temperature is already high. So your body doesn't burn the energy it has as aggressively (your... | null |
2dsjy5 | what exactly is petrified wood and how does it become petrified? | [
{
"answer": "It's when it's turned to stone after millions of years. The wood becomes buried underground where it's preserved because of the lack of oxygen, and as water flows through the ground on top, the minerals enter the wood and replace the organic material. Eventually all of the organic material is repla... | null |
2c8iw2 | How close to the original texts is the New Testament today? | [
{
"answer": "I guess I'd tackle this question by first addressing what \"in the texts today\" means. Biblical versions in modern languages are translated from what's called *critical editions* of the NT. A critical edition is produced by taking the earliest manuscripts of the NT we have, comparing their texts a... | null |
2qc4ny | Generation War or Our Mothers Our Fathers | [
{
"answer": "Disclaimer: I liked Generation War, for what it was, a piece of entertainment; and fairly decent combat scenes.\n\nNow, with that out of the way, I do agree there needed to be a huge suspension of disbelief. My eyebrows merged with my hairline when the 'Token Jewish Friend' made his first appearanc... | null |
6vux7r | In the Middle Ages, in times of war, how likely would princes participate with their father? | [
{
"answer": "I can specify for Early Medieval rather than necessarily High Medieval, although there is some considerable overlap. In essence, the answer boils down to the fundamental values of medieval kingship. A medieval king has three major responsibilities: to defend his people, to justly uphold the law, an... | null |
pytmo | why can they lose 10lbs+ a week on the biggest loser when weight loss resources for us normals say not to lose more than 2lbs a week? | [
{
"answer": "What's more discouraging is the more common scenario, where you think you're going to lose 10 pounds a week and then gain 1 because you don't realize how hard dieting is.\n\nThe Biggest Loser, like all TV, is about entertainment. A realistic diet program would have half the people losing no weight ... | null |
es70dl | how do some cities (e.g.) baltimore, washington, d.c., st. louis, etc. have neighborhoods that are very well developed and safe, but then, just a mere 5 or 10 miles away, there be a very impoverished and dangerous neighborhood? | [
{
"answer": "Because of the segregation of the races way back when it was societally acceptable to publicly oppress certain peoples.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "1. Wealth distribution and property values make a self-feeding cycle. More money in one neighborhood means better upkeep of buildi... | null |
2ed2xn | What was the first song with the I-V-vi-IV chord progression? | [
{
"answer": "[Andalusian Cadence!](_URL_2_) Also known as the Diatonic Phrygian Tetrachord--sometimes written as i-bVII-bVI-V (or, in the key of A, the descending sequence A, G, F, E)\n\n [the Dorian tetrachord--](_URL_1_) A popular melodic pattern of Ancient Greece[5] offers a possible starting point for the A... | null |
1910sa | If the Moon was created by an asteroid hitting the Earth, why didn't Earth get knocked out of its orbit around the Sun? | [
{
"answer": "Because the earth is a whole lot heavier than the moon. Even an asteroid large enough to crash and knock out a moon-sized piece of the Earth would barely change the orbital speed of the Earth. Think of it like standing on the highway and throwing a rock as hard as you can at an oncoming semi-truck... | null |
8oagqu | why do most foods taste terrible while going through chemo, but others have no change at all? | [
{
"answer": "Haven’t experienced it myself, but I thought they purposefully gave abnormal/weird tasting foods to chemo patients because patients start to associate their shitty nauseous feeling with what they ate and they don’t want patients to develop an aversion to normal foods. ",
"provenance": null
},... | null |
7na8cu | Happy New Year, AskHistorians! You may now have historical relations with 1998. | [
{
"answer": "Awesome! I'm looking forward to many enlightening discussions of the cultural significance of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time!",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Don't forget the year the British formally handed over Hong Kong to China. That should lead to some interesting questions ... | null |
b9gce6 | do animals see different stars than those we see? | [
{
"answer": "Animals that can see stars see the same stars we do, but they don't all see them the same way. Bees and reindeer can see ultraviolet light, and there are a few species of mantis shrimp that can see colors and waves no other creatures on Earth can see.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer":... | null |
bu8hf1 | Why did Londoners reject Empress Matilda in 1141? | [
{
"answer": "We don't exactly know, unfortunately.\n\nThere were legitimate reasons for English people not to accept her as queen. When William I died in 1087, William Rufus immediately went to London to be crowned at the Tower; when William Rufus died in 1100, Henry I immediately went to London to be crowned a... | null |
7ncyiv | time crystals, can this idea be simplified? | [
{
"answer": " > Time crystals, can this idea be simplified?\n\nThink about a salt crystal, it has a regular cubic structure which repeats in each of the three spatial dimensions. You can imagine a 3D lattice with each axis having a repeating sequence of atoms bonded together.\n\nNow imagine that time is a dime... | null |
3an0wm | why do i shake when i'm really hungry | [
{
"answer": "Sounds like low blood sugar. You may have a prediabetic condition. It would be good to see a doctor.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Hmm I don't think this relates to the majority of people. Seems like a personal condition. I would for sure get it checked out if you feel that you... | null |
1vwszs | During World War II on the Pacific Front, how did American fighter planes get on equal footing with superior Japanese A6M2 Zeros? | [
{
"answer": "[By developing this.](_URL_0_)\n\n\nAlso by [capturing one of them,](_URL_2_).\n\nWhat was known was that the thing could turn like a beast and climb like a Valkyrie. It was very maneuverable and fast. Nothing the US had could come close to it. However once the US captured one they found that it co... | null |
s1oi0 | entropy, enthalpy, and hess's law | [
{
"answer": "**Entropy** is the amount of energy in a system that is not available to do work - that is, it is \"waste heat\" that isn't useful. We know from thermodynamics that entropy is a measure of how likely a particular process will happen. Because a process that produces more randomness in the system is... | null |
3cw18g | If the Hubble Telescope was in orbit around Alpha Centauri, pointing at our solar system, how many of the planets and other orbiting bodies could it see? | [
{
"answer": "If we were lined up just right then they could probably see a transit of Venus and Earth. Essentially a mini-eclipse as the planets crossed the disk of the sun. The problem with Jupiter and Saturn is their years are so long they would take a long time to be confirmed. Jupiter takes 12 years to go ... | null |
5myq5k | why does medicine get into your system faster than food? | [
{
"answer": "Most pills are basically small molecules designed to disolve and go right in. Most food is large molecules that need to be broken down first.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "1099396",
"title": "Drug interaction",
... | null |
5rmrw9 | what are the actual benefits to eating ones placenta? | [
{
"answer": "That's about it. Nutrients. Granted, you could get the exact same nutrients from food, too. The placenta is there to provide nutrition to the *baby*, not the mother, and even then usually only before birth.\n\nEating one's own placenta isn't terribly uncommon in the animal world, but that has more ... | null |
7i88d0 | Were there any women that left an impact during Renaissance Italy? | [
{
"answer": "Oh, yes! I have [an earlier answer](_URL_0_) on \"Renaissance women\" bouncing off the idea of Leonardo da Vinci as a \"Renaissance man\" that might interest you. :D\n\nBut that post was narrow in scope to intellectual/polymath types. There were so many more ways that individual women made an impac... | null |
7coj1h | Why did Saudi Arabia back Communist South Yemen against the US backed Republic of Yemen in the 1994 Yemeni Civil War? | [
{
"answer": "The Saudis had long backed and had long-standing connections with traditionalist forces in North Yemen. In the 1962-70 North Yemen Civil War (really a proxy war) they backed the Zaydi Shia Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen against the Egyptian-backed Yemen Arab Republic. The death of Nasser in 1970 he... | null |
6pao9h | how are asynchronous calls used? | [
{
"answer": "Synchronous call - I'll drop you off at the store and wait her until you come back\n\nAsynchronous call - I'll drop you off at the store and periodically check to see if you are done\n\nMost calls are synchronous because the caller usually wants something right now and can't really proceed without ... | null |
1asxyr | how when using a proxy such as tunnelbear, google maps can still pinpoint my correct location. | [
{
"answer": "can't be sure of the exact method, but at the very least you can be sure that Google Maps was not relying on the IP address of your http request to determine your location. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "In modern web browsers on some types of computers, a mechanism is provided t... | null |
2zeo4x | Is there a physical reason for why some mental tasks require more effort? | [
{
"answer": "The best why I can describe this is how a computer works. A computer processes data and displays that data on a screen. A single core computer is of like the windows 95 or 97 version. The more cores you have the better the computer processes data. This is kinda like what IQ means. IQ isn't how smar... | null |
54fo76 | - how does high octane fuel actually benefit a car in the real world? | [
{
"answer": "In a car meant to take regular, no. In a luxury or sporty car designed for premium/super, yes. \n \nEngines use gasoline by igniting it, high octane gas ignites at a higher temperature than regular octane does, so it can withstand more compression. \n \nWith modern cars, there is no real negat... | null |
1dbgcc | What's causing the strange ice behavior in this video? | [
{
"answer": "Hi there, since this is a crosspost linked to a very popular video on Reddit at the moment, I figured I should welcome some redditors unfamiliar with AskScience.\n\n Welcome to AskScience! We have a few specific rules on this subreddit, you can find them on the sidebar that way --- > \n\nIn a nuts... | null |
1kw4m3 | let's say i have 10.000 dollars and wanna get into the stock market. what do i do? | [
{
"answer": "Go to a quality site like _URL_0_, create a portfolio (used to be free, now it might require basic membership of around $7 a month, not sure), and set the parameters (such as how much the assumed cost is per transaction fee, account value, etc...)\n\n\nNow, this imaginary portfolio will be tracked ... | null |
1oa4yv | Tidal effect of the Moon on Earth in perspective.. | [
{
"answer": "There are a couple of diagrams [here](_URL_0_) that illustrate the direction and *relative* magnitude of tidal acceleration over the surface of the earth.\n\nNote that I would not describe this exactly as \"the moon's gravity tugging on the Earth's surface water.\" This can at least potentially be... | null |
kcgxv | can someone [eli5] all or at least most of ron paul's ideas? | [
{
"answer": "Honestly an ELI5 is just going to tell you want to think. There numerous lists and sites out there which go over his stance (as well as others) on individual issues.\n\n[Use the search](_URL_0_), there are 20 threads on Paul here. Check r/libertarian too.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"an... | null |
582vvv | when a body of water reaches boiling temperature, why does it not all become steam at once? | [
{
"answer": "_URL_0_\n\n > Latent heat of vaporization.\nIt's generally accepted that water always boils when it reaches exactly 100 Celsius. This is not entirely the case, but we'll assume that it's true for the explanation since it illustrates the point.\nOnce water hits 100 degrees, all heat added to the sy... | null |
22ene3 | How exactly does cartilage "join/stick" to bone? | [
{
"answer": "Cartilage transition happens in 4 zones, with details [here](_URL_1_).\n\nAll parts of the cartilage is important for load distribution, but where a transition from cartilagenous histology to more bone-like histology appears at the *tidemark* zone. A really good picture of this can be found [here](... | null |
b1pnpn | when you drink a glass of water, how does it get around your body to become saliva or tears? | [
{
"answer": "The water you drink travels through your digestive system to get absorbed by cells lining your small intestines and large intestines. These cells pass the water on into your bloodstream, and hence water circulates as blood around your body.\n\nBlood vessels supply the cells in your body with water,... | null |
2ln2bm | why are human penises so long compared to most other primate penises? | [
{
"answer": "There's a very interesting theory about this, called the sperm (or semen) displacement theory. It goes a little something like this.\n\nWay back when, humans, and in particular, human males, weren't so much into the pair-bonding thing, and women regularly had sex with multiple men. This meant that ... | null |
42i80w | if i drive at a constant speed up and over a hill, coasting down the other side, will the extra fuel i consume on the way up be equal to the fuel i'll save on the way back down? | [
{
"answer": "No. You'll burn extra fuel getting up the hill, but you won't save that much going down the other side, because your engine will be (at least) idling, which consumes some fuel.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": " In my personal experience of driving a manual transmission car around C... | null |
mazx5 | us school system from 0 to phd. (details in post) | [
{
"answer": "0-4ish: pre-school, this is optional but is correlated with higher socioeconomic status and attending is shown to be a good predictor of future success.\n\n5-11: kingergarten (grade 0) and grades 1-6, this is called elementary or primary school.\n\n12-13: middle school, or junior high school. grad... | null |
5p1grl | differences between summer seasons on the north and south hemispheres | [
{
"answer": "Quick little answer here: \nThe reason for the seasons is because of the angle of the sunlight hitting the earth. When it is summer, the lift is hitting more directly than in winter. Back to different seasons for different hemispheres: because the earth is tilted, when the sun's light hits the eart... | null |
8py7t9 | Who/what have been the biggest and most interesting gangs in history? | [
{
"answer": "It you'd classify them as a \"gang\" (I would) Blackbeard's pirates are interesting.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "80408",
"title": "Gang",
"section": "",
"start_paragraph_id": 2,
"start_cha... | null |
1hws3a | regarding numbers, if i have an infinite decimal such as .999999.... is it the same as 1 because it infinitely approaches 1? | [
{
"answer": "I think the easiest way to explain it is: 1/9 = 0.111..., and 9 x 0.111... would be 0.999... for the same reason that 4 x 111 = 444. So we have 9 x 1/9 = 0.999..., and 9 x 1/9 = 9/9 = 1. So we have 1 = 0.999...",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "First, we must define what \"0.9999...\... | null |
5uunuk | what's with all the smoke or steam that comes out of the street in big cities, primarily new york? | [
{
"answer": "It's steam and it's most likely blowoff from the steam heating system. Power plants generate excess steam and instead of dumping it into the air, they pipe it all over the city to heat buildings. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_i... | null |
2jhwf2 | What influence did the Iroquois Confederacy, Pre-Kings Israel, and other non-Hellenstic precedent have on the forming of the U.S. Constitution? | [
{
"answer": "I'm probably going to offend you in saying this, but this sounds a *lot* like a homework question. If so, we can provide you with good sources, but we can't answer it for you.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "39108393",
... | null |
742kfp | why is happening psychologically in a murder suicide when the victims are not even people the killer knows? why would somebody who intends to take their own life want to kill others before doing so? | [
{
"answer": "Typically such a person believes he has been treated unjustly by society, so he is striking back at society in general -- which includes basically everyone.\n\n_URL_0_",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "They may believe that they have been mistreated by society as a whole and want rev... | null |
gc28a | Chances of survival in a tsunami? | [
{
"answer": "This should be a last resort (you dont realy ever want to be in a situation where you are in the water). I have seen people say grab onto something which can keep you afloat, a log or part of the surrounding infrastructure still above the water level (try to get out of the water). There are also re... | null |
76fn6p | why do aerial pictures of cities show flat top buildings from different angles? | [
{
"answer": "If you wanted a picture of every building from exactly overhead you would need to fly exactly over every one. That is a ton of flying, it is much easier just to fly where you can see them.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "232... | null |
6qbnm8 | why do "luxury" cars have bad gas mileage, while 15-20 thousand dollar cars have good gas milage? | [
{
"answer": "There is no reason for luxury cars to make the sacrifices in performance to give them good gas milage as their buyers can easily afford gas. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "People who can afford and purchase luxury cars aren't usually concerned by mpg. Also these cars often serve ... | null |
1vbkd8 | how/why do we simultaneously have eye contact with another individual although we were not thinking about it. | [
{
"answer": "random chance and recognizing false patters. \nHow many faces do your eyes shift to in a full room? 10? 20? A hundred? How often do you catch people's eyes just at the right time? Maybe once? It's not that it happens that often, its that when it does happen, its memorable.",
"provenance":... | null |
2lmjhu | if transistors in computers are so small and there are billions of them, then how are computers so cheap (relatively speaking)? shouldn't it take a lot of effort to put all of the transistors in the right places? | [
{
"answer": "The process of making computers is in fact very very expensive, but because they are mass produced the price of an individual computer is relatively cheap.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": " > Shouldn't it take a lot of effort to put all of the transistors in the right places?\n\nTra... | null |
1dw8ac | why are brains wrinkly? | [
{
"answer": " > that doesn't answer why a smooth brain wouldn't be able to hold the same amount of grey matter with a similar volume to a wrinkly brain.\n\nYour head can only get so big before your neck can no longer support it. So in order for more neurons to fit in the skull, the increase in surface area must... | null |
7okist | how do theft detectors in shops know you've bought the item? is it to do with scanning the barcode, or is there something else that gets scanned? | [
{
"answer": "They have those sensors at the doors and security tags on items. When you checkout they remove or disable the security tag. So when you walk out the alarm doesn’t sound. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "They have a tiny chip inside them (RFID), and it gets magnetized at the fact... | null |
113g1q | entropy. | [
{
"answer": "Entropy is the disorder of a system. The universe is moving toward more disorder, or entropy. \n \nWhat does \"disorder\" mean? Well, chemical reactions that take place without any energy create more entropy, or chaos. For example, when you mix baking soda and vinegar, you don't have to stir th... | null |
6fffyj | why do some substances stain certain types of clothing while others don't? | [
{
"answer": "It's an inverse relationship - the less you want your SO to know you ate it, the more it stains.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Different fabrics have different molecular structures. These structures allow the colors to take different effects, and they bind with the fabric differ... | null |
oau80 | supply and demand, price elasticity of demand, marginal cost, and monopolies. | [
{
"answer": "Supply and demand work hand in hand to regulate price in an economy. When a new iPhone comes out, the demand for it is high, so Apple can charge a high price for it.\n\n But if Apple overestimates the number of iPhones it could have sold, it will flood the market with surplus iPhones (the supply of... | null |
1eba9j | why my two week disposable contacts need to be disposed of after two weeks? | [
{
"answer": "The fact that there are no answers yet just further confirms to me that it doesn't matter and I can keep wearing them indefinitely.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "A few different reasons, actually. One, the most prominent, is that your eyes will build up protein deposits on the co... | null |
2pzo9d | how do laboratories find out what chemical that random sample is? | [
{
"answer": "They have plenty of methods. Let's go with gas chromatography:\nVaporize your liquid and inject it into a gas chromatograph (a long column coated with an inert substance). The test substance moves through the column, interacting with the inert coating, causing the various chemicals inside it to sep... | null |
2mfkqn | How was literacy in colonial America leading up to the revolutionary? | [
{
"answer": "So, this really depends on where in colonial America you are talking about. It's really important to understand that there were deep geographical differences in colonial America. In New England, during the eighteenth century, the literacy rates were upward of 90%. This has a lot to do with the P... | null |
dcvibj | what is white feminism? | [
{
"answer": "The term is usually used when white women(mainly from higher economic classes) fight for gender equality while not being invested/interested in fights that other women face, like racism for women of color, homophobia for queer women and transphobia for trans women.",
"provenance": null
},
{... | null |
2httlo | Which offers a more "realistic" sound reproduction, high quality headphones or high quality speakers? | [
{
"answer": "It depends on the recording.\n\nMost modern music is made by recording instruments individually and mixing them together, with plenty of effects and some electronic instruments added in. There's actually no realistic way to listen to this music since the composite sound never existed on its own to ... | null |
g05ji | Does exposure to bacteria increase the immune system? | [
{
"answer": "Yes, that is what the adaptive immune system is all about.\n\nFor many things exposure to bacteria is necessary for a proper development. Things like immune function and GI development are often used as examples (in mice and zebrafish) as sterile (no germs) raised individuals lack the development s... | null |
56v92a | why do featurless/emotionless faces create feelings of unease and fear? | [
{
"answer": "I'm not a scientist. \n\nIt's some thing about blocking body langauge, expressions, or the popularity of an inexspensive prop in horror flicks. Clowns and Geishas seem to have similar issues with thier heavy make up on. \n\nHumans are use to seeing a constant flow of face changes to help figure out... | null |
1kqktr | What are the relative efficiencies of resting if I can't fall asleep? | [
{
"answer": "Older threads: _URL_2_\n\n_URL_0_\n\n_URL_1_",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Psychiatrist here. No. You can rest, but you cannot substitute for sleep. In fact, if you can't sleep, just laying there after a while is countertherapeutic, as you start allowing your brain to do other ac... | null |
ue82j | floating | [
{
"answer": "It's all about density. \n\nAs an object enters water, it displaces some of the water proportional to its *volume*. For example, a cube one meter per side will displace exactly 1 cubic meter of water when fully submerged.\n\nHowever, as you submerge an object, the water pushes back up on it, and ... | null |
1938en | For being one of thegreatest civilizations that this world has ever seen, how did the Indus or Harappan civilzation end? | [
{
"answer": "I feel like there has been a bubble of references to the Indus Valley/Harappan civilization (just called \"IVC\" from here on) this week. Was there a documentary on it or something? Regardless, I'm glad you brought the question here because there is an enormous amount of disinformation on it. The I... | null |
dph3u3 | why is gum brittle at first, then stretchy? | [
{
"answer": "The elastic, chewable properties of bubble gum come from the other ingredients, such as polymers, plasticizers, and resins that act as stabilizers. These ingredients give bubble gum its texture and elasticity.\n\nWhen gum is made, these ingredients are in a \"sleeping\" state and when you start ch... | null |
3juyd0 | "dolby surround sound". how it's different than normal surround sound? | [
{
"answer": "[Dolby](_URL_0_) is a company which designed a system for surround sound. When something says Dolby surround sound, it simply means that it uses that companies technology.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "87710",
"tit... | null |
e029qa | Is there a lifeform which does not use DNA/RNA for its genetic code? | [
{
"answer": "I’ve taken more genetics courses and read more genetics papers than I care to admit to, but I’ve never heard of such a thing. DNA/RNA is one of the basic necessities of life. Are you sure you didn’t read a paper that was extrapolating the idea of DNA-less life?",
"provenance": null
},
{
... | null |
46rypp | Why was the Golden Horde called like this? | [
{
"answer": "According to John Man^1 it was called this as Genghis's family was known as the 'Golden Clan', and the Mongolian word ord/orde meant a palace, or for the Mongols a tent. Hence Batu's (initial leader of the khanate) apparent use of a gold coloured tent as his 'palace', and the shift of ord/orde to h... | null |
2focxc | What did people in the 1800's use as conversational fillers (i.e um, you know, like) ? | [
{
"answer": "This recording of Thomas Edison from 1906 is full of \"uh\" as conversational filler or \"verbal disfluency\". It doesn't sound much different than speech today. I'll see if I can find an earlier recorded example \n_URL_0_ ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "All of this has only discu... | null |
2ipcbv | What kind of currency was in mesopotamia? | [
{
"answer": "The Mesopotamians didn't really use \"currency\" as such, which we can define as a centrally issued object having the function of store of account, medium of exchange and measure of value. In short, they did not have coins. But they did have standardized systems of weights and measures that, in pra... | null |
65ubl2 | who decides if art is 'good' and what it's worth? | [
{
"answer": "If someone wants it they'll buy it. If someone else wants it more they'll pay more for it. Eventually you've got an expensive work of art. As for why people want it, preferences are impossible to determine across a population.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Usually it's based on t... | null |
9av9sg | how can amazon prime carry / get any item anywhere in the world within 24 hours? | [
{
"answer": "They don’t deliver within 24 hours to every nation. I live in Singapore (just moved from USA) and it takes a minimum of 2-3 days to ship prime items from the USA. There are few items stocked locally that allow for true one-day shipping.\n\nThe cost of international shipping is also paid for by the ... | null |
4vywvk | Why do historians reject moral presentism? | [
{
"answer": "Something to keep in mind is that's a bit of an older post, and one that was written when the rules of the subreddit were still being hashed out. But that said, I would offer the simplest explanation that I can: \n\nWhat's the point of passing moral judgment on past societies? And how much time do ... | null |
9v0xeh | What are the consequences of missing a full night of sleep, if you make up for it by sleeping more the next night? | [
{
"answer": "It's going to be difficult to tell you the exact consequences because we just don't know. Everyone is different, but there have been studies done about sleep debt and the adverse effects it has on our health. The negative effects of sleep deprivation are *not* simply cognitive. I think your argumen... | null |
u8wn1 | How was Hitler able to build such a massive and powerful army during the great depression? And why didn't France and England stop him? | [
{
"answer": "The post-WW1 Reichswehr did not generally agree with the bounds of the treaty of Versailles, but its commanders (like Hans von Seeckt) did their best to abide by the letter of the law while maintaining the basic structure of a capable army.\n\nFor one thing, the General Staff was officially abolish... | null |
2icn8k | Do black holes have a "surface"? | [
{
"answer": "The answer to your question lies somewhere between \"no\" and \"we can't know\". \n\nIf the [no-hair conjecture](_URL_0_) holds, there's nothing you can know about a black hole except for its mass, angular momentum and charge. You're not allowed to know anything about the mass distribution within t... | null |
557o6r | The Roman Architecture was heavily influenced by the Greeks, but were the Greeks themselves influenced in this area by other civilizations? | [
{
"answer": "As far as Classical Greece goes, much of it was an indigenous development within the confines of that historical period, but it does build upon earlier foundations, which are also Greek, but not considered part of Classical Greece, namely Mycenaean and Kretan architecture. Mycenaen architecture lar... | null |
17evki | Why would an individual phospholipid switch sides in a phospholipid bilayer? | [
{
"answer": "The two surfaces of a typical cell membrane have very different lipid compositions because they need to have different physical properties. For example the outer surface of a mammalian cell's plasma membrane has mostly charge-neutral lipids, and thus presents am inert surface to the outside world... | null |
1jpqqr | Are humans, by preserving the weaker members of our species, hurting our evolution? | [
{
"answer": "Evolution selects the individuals who are most fit for their environment. This is not always the most physically imposing specimen (ask the T-Rex how that worked out) but rather one who is able to survive under the given circumstances.\n\nSince humans are a highly social species our \"circumstance... | null |
99iwzt | how is power generated in antarctica during polar night? | [
{
"answer": "same way it's generated during the rest o the year. big ass diesel generators and wind turbines. \n\n_URL_0_",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "1253269",
"title": "United States Antarctic Program",
"section":... | null |
8155it | Are there groups of animals where "A and B can have fertile offspring", "B and C can can have fertile offspring", but "A and C cannot"? | [
{
"answer": "[Ring Species](_URL_0_) sounds like what you're asking about. From the page:\n\n > a ring species is a connected series of neighbouring populations, each of which can interbreed with closely sited related populations, but for which there exist at least two \"end\" populations in the series, which a... | null |
nacyu | Are artificial satellite's orbits disrupted by the moon? | [
{
"answer": "Yes, absolutely. When planning the orbit of a spacecraft, the gravitational fields of the Moon, the Sun and even the other planets can be taken into consideration. For an Earth orbiter, the non-spherical shape of the Earth also significantly affects the orbit. Solar radiation pressure is another... | null |
1o4vsn | in movies, how do they film in governmental areas (ex. the capitol and the white house)? | [
{
"answer": "I'm not sure, but I think it's either with a green screen or a custom built movie set\n\nEdit: here's an example of what amazing things you can achieve with a chroma key (green or blue screen) and some talented artists: _URL_0_",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Movie sets and animati... | null |
3lckof | What was the Egyptian military like in World War 2 and after? | [
{
"answer": "Hate to be needy, but Ill ping some of the relevantly flaired users:\n\n/u/JoelWiklund /u/BeondTheGrave /u/British-Empire",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "1678525",
"title": "Egyptian Army",
"section": "Sectio... | null |
2mw3mr | How did they discover that Europa had liquid oceans underneath its ice? | [
{
"answer": "From Wiki:\n\nThe first hints of a subsurface ocean came from theoretical considerations of tidal heating (a consequence of Europa's slightly eccentric orbit and orbital resonance with the other Galilean moons). Galileo imaging team members argue for the existence of a subsurface ocean from analysi... | null |
2md8cm | What were the Germanic "Tribes" really like? Were they nomads without cities? Or were they more sedentary like Rome? | [
{
"answer": "Romans wrote a lot of BS about 'the Germanic tribes', mostly because they defined 'Germans' as 'those who are not like us and who live outside the borders of the empire'. This definition lumps quite a lot of people together, while still throwing in loads of cultural bias as well.\n\nIt is much more... | null |
1c7odz | Why are camera lenses the size they are, and why can't they be scaled down to phone-size? | [
{
"answer": "Miniaturizing the fancy lenses on SLR cameras would be a lot of work—they require extremely precise optical glasswork and tons of fiddly mechanical gizmos for focusing and such.\n\nThe really insurmountable difference between big cameras and small ones, though, is sensor size. The sensors used in d... | null |
2jqpa2 | how are games "ported" to mac or linux? | [
{
"answer": "Rewriting any code that's locked to a particular system to work for the other ones. The OS has 'toolboxes' for things, but each OS's is a different. You have to rewrite to use the other tools. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "They rewrite code that is designed specifically for Wind... | null |
68dcx3 | How do you weigh a blue whale in the ocean? Some kind of device or math? | [
{
"answer": "By the Archimedes' principle, a buoyant body (that is, stationary without expending energy to remain that way) submerged in water, is equal in mass to water of equal volume to the part of the body submerged underwater. For fully submerged bodies, that means it's mass is equal to the mass of the wat... | null |
mg34q | truecrypt full disk encryption/decryption | [
{
"answer": "Hi there! I use this at work. I'll give it a super ELI5 shot:\n\nImagine your friend wrote a paper in Swahili and gave it to you. Cool, but you don't speak Swahili. So what he did was also send you the phone number to a guy who *does* speak Swahili. You call him up, he comes over, and he reads... | null |
640zir | If one HotPocket takes two minutes to cook in a standard microwave, will two HotPockets take more time, less time, or the same amount of time? | [
{
"answer": "For microwave you will have an increased time. \n\nThe food will have to absorb twice the energy. \nSome energy will be lost in the oven itself. Also microwaves are not good at penetrating water and will only be good at heating the top layers. So that can case some water to evaporate. (Lost heat)\n... | null |
6nxzy2 | Can you trap a beam of light inside a box? | [
{
"answer": "You can not. There is no substance that exists that can bounce all light off of it. No matter what some photons are absorbed, and eventually all will be absorbed.\n\nYou can bounce light into a mirror sphere, but mirrors are not 100% reflective, so all light will be absorbed by the mirror fairly qu... | null |
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