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1m6dmi
Why is hot metal softer?
[ { "answer": "This is somewhat tricky to answer because metals have many different structures and atomic arrangements, depending on the material. In an ideal metal, the atoms are held together by a metallic bond in a perfect, repeating crystallized structure. In an actual metal, these crystallized structures sti...
null
1zsxbm
Are there any entirely fictional people commonly taught in history classes in North America?
[ { "answer": "Do you mean as a way of illustrating an \"average\" person? It's a common thing to 'create' people in order to help children understand more complex ideas from a relatable viewpoint. For instance life in a 13th century English manor-village is more easily understandable if you create a villager who...
null
ahfd0l
what are and how effective are sabermetrics, and can they be applied to other sports?
[ { "answer": "Sabermetrics in baseball is a statistical analysis of performance. The idea is to shift away from aggregate measures like \"hits per at bat\" which have tactical dependencies that consider who's on which base and the overall state of the game. Instead, statisticians look at measures like OPS+ (ru...
null
ze3xi
How was marriage viewed in the 1800s - early 1900s as opposed to now?
[ { "answer": "For much of Korean history, marriage for most was quite like a business arrangement between families. Women as well as men worked in the fields or in craft industries - men and woman with strength and skills were valued. Family leaders looked to marry their sons and daughters to people who could ...
null
2ljk2n
what are the financial advantages for video game developers to make their game for one system only?
[ { "answer": "People answered for consoles, I'll give my answer for PC.\n\nSome PC games will not play well on consoles. When the consoles got Civilization it was an entirely different game. If they tried to make a Civ gMe that works on consoles and PC the PC fan base would be pissed off because of the consessio...
null
6yaybj
what's the deal with those tar pits in the usa?
[ { "answer": "Those are most likely the La Brea tar pits. It's a popular tourist attraction and they're in a public park, so they're happy to get the money.\n\nThe pits are naturally-formed (tar is naturally formed along with other petroleum from primarily plant biomass) but they're exposed due to the result of...
null
974dmv
"Under God" was added to the US Pledge of Allegiance in 1954; what was the background behind this change? Was there any controversy accompanying it at the time?
[ { "answer": "The change to the pledge was part of a broader movement over the past decade in the United States to distinguish Americans from \"godless Communists\" during the Cold War. There was a rise of civil religion—church attendance and profession of belief in general Christian principles tied closely to o...
null
7vgs6j
why are brass, copper, and bronze used in pluming?
[ { "answer": "They're very corrosion resistant, considering the constant exposure to water. They're also very malleable (meaning they're easily shaped into tube and pipe) and not toxic, plus it is easy enough to be bent by hand rather than having to fabricate exact curves and lengths. In addition, the three meta...
null
689ih3
what happens to a file when it is uninstalled from a computer?
[ { "answer": "Your computer saves things by changing the ones and zeroes on disk. It doesn't matter what those bits were before you saved something, so there is no such thing as \"empty\" memory. As such, there's no point in \"deleting\" anything, as it would be equivalent to just saving random bits on top of th...
null
610nc0
what are moments, skewness and kurtosis in statistics? ;-;
[ { "answer": "Did you find this [article](_URL_0_) ?", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "Somewhat vague explanation: If you're familiar with the basic shapes of polynomial graphs ([example showing degrees 1-6](_URL_0_)), then you can think of each moment as \"how well does my distribution 'resemble'...
null
79mzam
What was the decision making process behind choosing Normandy as a target for invasion as opposed to Calais, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, etc?
[ { "answer": "Forgot to mention in the title, in World War 2 of course", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "Choosing a landing site required finding a compromise on a number of factors. The chosen site had to be within aircraft range of the UK, so the beachhead could receive fighter cover and air sup...
null
l4s0b
How would I go about testing and documenting a theory/hypothosis without being a scientist?
[ { "answer": "One option is to contact a research centre at a local university/hospital/etc that performs research in the particular field, and attempt to get them on board. Unless it is blindingly obvious that your study would be beneficial, you will want to be extremely well prepared to have any chance of conv...
null
w9xmf
Is there a material so dense that smells can't get through?
[ { "answer": "That's not a hard requirement. Depending on the size of the molecule just a thin sheet of plastic wrap could stop smells. The steel of a gas bottle certainly stops the diffusion of gas.", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "Not really answering any of your questions, but acetylene isn't ...
null
fjjk1l
Did the confederacy during the civil war ever make any music? Like a confederate "Hail to the chief"?
[ { "answer": "[This older answer of mine](_URL_0_) focuses on one of the most popular songs of the Confederacy.", "provenance": null }, { "answer": null, "provenance": [ { "wikipedia_id": "1328293", "title": "Kathleen Mavourneen", "section": "", "start_paragr...
null
1oyz1z
Why do people use "old timey voice" when mimicking historical people from the past 150 years?
[ { "answer": "Public speakers, leaders, and entertainers in the 19th century were almost always trained in elocution. It was an important part of education - search for elocution in this 1857 [McGuffey's Reader](_URL_0_) for an example, and in passing to marvel at what was expected of 19th century schoolchildren...
null
2f7xvy
stud finders / stud sensors
[ { "answer": "They are mini metal detectors. They don't have a long range and are usually fairly accurate unless the stud is buried deep or there's some other piece of metal that distracts it.", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "There are two types, one senses metal, the other senses density. _URL_0...
null
4fmsf6
How do they polarize glass?
[ { "answer": "There are many different ways, one is simply placing a PVA (poly vinyl acetate) foil on the glass. This material approximately has the consistency and thickness of plastic wrap. The manufacturing process begins by heating and stretching PVA to five times its natural length, making it even thinner. ...
null
11qpz3
Are taste buds (human and animal) programmed from birth to 'like' or 'dislike' certain flavours?
[ { "answer": "Can't answer your question entirely, but the sense of smell comes from chemical receptors, which are genetically programmed. However, it's a receptor, and it doesn't indicate that you like or hate something, necessarily. For instance, Durian fruit: Most people who've grown up without tasting it ...
null
nwaog
wittgenstein
[ { "answer": "I agree with the above post - you'd have to narrow down what you want to know about Wittgenstein. However, you're in luck! As there exists a comic book which explains various bits of Wittgenstein in a very simplified manner which I've copied below. Hooray!\n\n_URL_0_\n\nIt's mainly about Russell, b...
null
23rz6r
how is it possible that our brain is able to calculate trajectory (e.g. throwing an object at something) so easily (especially if i'm so bad at math)?
[ { "answer": "Thank your binocular vision, try to make the same shot with on eye closed.", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "what you are doing is what most physicists do when looking into new equations or formulas - \"first approximation\"\n\nyou aren't predicting the trajectory with a high degree ...
null
he6a7
What is required for a car to hydroplane?
[ { "answer": "You can hydroplane on very little water, all you need is enough to coat the surface of the road. \n\nWhat keeps you from hydroplaning is the tread on your tire. At speed the treads act like a high speed pump, channeling water into the tread pattern where it is expelled by the spinning of the tire. ...
null
362ylz
Silk Road Reading
[ { "answer": "*Travels of Marco Polo,* and for the highly entertaining historical fictional twist, *The Journeyer* by Gary Jennings", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "Also, *Foreign Devils on the Silk Road* is a really fascinating and engaging look at history of excavation of the Silk Road.", "...
null
5lrp0l
why do we get that strange feeling in our head when something sharp and long is pointing right between our eyes?
[ { "answer": "Doesn't work for me. Maybe it's because I don't use my left eye? Maybe it's related to the Ajna chakra point (third eye) and I mediate almost daily? Can you explain the sensation.", "provenance": null }, { "answer": null, "provenance": [ { "wikipedia_id": "38650559", ...
null
27wwt6
In protracted conflicts and wars, especially where soldiers were conscripted, does the 'quality' of soldier decrease as the war goes on?
[ { "answer": "It would rather depend on the nature of the state and its army at the time.\n\nIn Britain, there is no indication of a deterioration in the quality of the army as the Napoleonic wars went on, and I have read at least one suggestion that the turnover in officers was beneficial to the purchase system...
null
2rlmei
color wheel versus visible light spectrum
[ { "answer": "With visible light, red doesn't come after/before violet and violet doesn't come after/before red. On the color wheel it does because it makes finding relationships between colors easier than a straight line. Green being the opposite of red has everything to do with color theory in art and nothing ...
null
1b3kgo
How fast are the particles in the LHC moving relative to each other?
[ { "answer": "The last c in your equation should also be squared and then you get \n\n2vc/(1-v^2 )=0.99999999999999999999999999999988*c\n\nAnyhoo, From the view of the LHC the relative velocity of the particles is just 2*v*c The velocity addition comes into play when assessing the velocities from the refernce sy...
null
237a2a
class warfare
[ { "answer": "Class warfare is the idea that one class of people, usually the rich or well-to-do, either take action to prevent the poor from \"rising above their station\", or support policies which help suppress the poor, or are otherwise implicitly assisting in the suppression of those of a lower class, or ar...
null
3x1u5d
what is self-healing plastic and how does it work?
[ { "answer": "I'm not an expert but I believe that self-healing plastic is a typical long-chain polymer material that contains pockets of liquid plastic. When the material is broken, these pockets of liquid plastic get broken open and the liquid fills the gap created. The liquid then solidifies to heal the plast...
null
4p0pi2
Religious relic?
[ { "answer": "I agree with Bodrk43: it looks like a benchmark or surveyor's mark of some sort. If it's a US Geological Survey benchmark, then destroying it is a crime. If it was set by some other agency or a private party, I don't know what the law says but I would be hesitant about destroying it. \n\nI'm a memb...
null
51jnjz
Have there been female rulers with harems?
[ { "answer": "Follow up question: the Ottoman and various chinese dynasties had harems where concubines competed for political influence, and occasionally one concubine rose to the top of the entire governemnt, fir example Wu Zetian. What happened to the institution of the harem during the these periods? Were a...
null
2l2on1
what really happens when people die of "old age" or "natural causes" ?
[ { "answer": "what happens is the family and doctors agree it is not worth determining what the actual cause of death was.\n\nactual cause is often heart failure, but frankly could be almost anything that isn't blatantly obvious from an external inspection.\n\nedit: stroke is another common cause. may actually b...
null
cj1ugu
Western texts talk at length about Eastern goods received from the Silk Road such as spices and silk. What Western goods went east through the Silk Road of Antiquity that were in high demand for Eastern traders?
[ { "answer": "Perhaps [this answer](_URL_0_) by u/Mighty_Dighty22 to a similar question can shed some light while we wait for other answers.", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "With respect to the Roman period, we have a few clues. *The History of the Later Han Dynasty* *(Hou Hanshu*), compiled in t...
null
plg3r
how things such as albums and photos are leaked onto the internet.
[ { "answer": "It's a good real world example of how a secret is something you tell NOONE. Once you tell anyone, it has a very good chance of not being a secret for long.\n\nAn imaginary scenario would be something like the chapter of a book sent to a lot of people during the process of publishing. If one of th...
null
1zzjro
pluto's orbit
[ { "answer": "Pluto isn't actually an oddball. Most dwarf planets have highly eliptical, angled orbits. [see this side-view image of the solar system with several dwarf planets and kuiper belt objects highlighted](_URL_0_)", "provenance": null }, { "answer": null, "provenance": [ { ...
null
l9u7s
why such widespread poverty still exists in the 21st century.
[ { "answer": "It has become institutionally acceptable for American Corporations to lay off literally millions of people and then ship those jobs overseas while paying maybe $3 a day.\n\nThe reason other countries accept these jobs goes back to the complicatd post ww2 cold war era of **de**colonization and subse...
null
gd95d
When two photons interfere, what happens to their energy?
[ { "answer": "Every destructive minimum has a corresponding constructive maximum.", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "Interference is a wavelike phenomenon, so you can't think of it in terms of what happens to discrete photons. Destructively interfering light doesn't hit your retina because the dest...
null
1bwi5d
what philosophical assumptions does science make? what are the 'beliefs' inherent in scientific inquiry?
[ { "answer": "That induction works, which is a perfectly fine assumption to make. Generally we assume that our senses aren't lying and what happens today and yesterday and tomorrow will probably keep happening in the same way given the same inputs forever.", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "One of ...
null
zumia
Would the Third Reich have supported the creation of Israel?
[ { "answer": "I think this is a fair question to ask, given that much of the groundwork of the Jewish state was well in motion by the time of Nazi Germany (Third Reich is a propaganda term they themselves coined).\n\nYour recollection is correct. From the beginning of the mass murder of Jewish people in what bec...
null
vz4ip
warts.
[ { "answer": "You can have the virus (HPV) on your body without necessarily having any visible effects of the virus. Not only that, but there are many different types of HPV that only affect certain parts of the body, so it's possible that your finger wart may have come from a different surface of your skin, wh...
null
4h1a4f
how can a single strand dna hold almost a zettabyte of digital storage?
[ { "answer": "i hate to sound flippant but the answer is that our current technology has storage density limitations that prevent us from doing the same thing our DNA does. Data does not inherently take *any* space really. at least, not any more space than the synapses firing creating the idea. \n\nChemical stor...
null
1rili0
why do we still have single cell/simple organisms?
[ { "answer": "Bacteria is the most successful thing on this planet with about 5*10^30 individuals. Some scientists estimate the total weight of bacteria exceeds that of both plants and animals. So a better question to ask would be why we are even here?\n\nYou have to keep in mind that evolution is not a straight...
null
akia5i
Why are most psychedelic plants native to Latin American countries?
[ { "answer": "There are many psychedelic plants native to temperate and even artic countries. I think the reason so many come from the tropics (where most Latin American countries lie) is because the tropics have the highest level of biodiversity of any ecosystem. Probably as a result of moderate year round te...
null
hd3o5
Does one have greater sense if the sensory organ (nose, mouth, eyes) in particular is larger than normal?
[ { "answer": "No. Perception is based on the amount of receptors. While you could potentially link the size of the sensory organ to the number of receptors, I haven't seen that it makes a difference. \n\nExample: A dog nose is thousands of times more powerful than a humans, yet not much larger. This is because t...
null
2zvivg
How do black holes combine?
[ { "answer": "Scientists have never observed black holes merging, but it is possible. Almost every galaxy contains a black hole at it's center, so scientists have said it is most likely to happen when two galaxies collide and their supermassive black holes at the center collide. \n\nA black hole forms when a lar...
null
3irkqy
How were battles fought during the Flowery Wars involving the Aztecs, in terms of tactics, weaponry, etc.?
[ { "answer": "According to Ross Hassig, flower wars were pretty much the same as other conflicts. The exception being is that armies would not make use of projectiles. Part of this reason is that projectiles can easily kill a person, but projectiles are also impersonal in that you cannot easily make claim to a c...
null
30xarj
why netflix's "recently added" column has all the newest releases, while it's "new releases" contains mostly movies that have been on netflix for months-years.
[ { "answer": "It's based off of your recommended shows/movies so if you have a specific taste, the newest movie in that category might be a year old.", "provenance": null }, { "answer": null, "provenance": [ { "wikipedia_id": "10964573", "title": "Vudu", "section": "...
null
1dmbtn
Why is beer foam white, and not the same colour as the beer?
[ { "answer": "the light is scattered through the thin film of the bubbles, causing it to look like a homogeneous white.", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "Not all beer has white foam. Porters and stouts have dark foam. Also the foam is called head.", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "A...
null
959c4r
with the epa allowing asbestos again, what exactly is it, what are those commercials saying, should i be scared, and if so what can i do to prevent harm?
[ { "answer": "Asbestos is so dangerous because when it breaks, even just a little, it has a tendency to produce long, thin fibers of asbestos. These are *supremely* dangerous in how they can rack up lung damage with repeated exposure. Asbestos that easily produces fibers is called friable.\n\nBefore we took as...
null
425p5u
In Ontario, Canada. Why are there two towns/cities named "London" and "Paris"? Did the names have any influence from the much larger, famous European counterparts?
[ { "answer": "I have a great book called [\"Ontario Place Names\" by David E. Scott](_URL_0_). He has tracked the history and meaning of the name for pretty much every hamlet/village/town/city in Ontario. Some are quite brief and he cannot determine the meaning of the name, but he usually goes into more detail f...
null
3unt5v
Can zygotes fully develop to term in vitro/without a mother?
[ { "answer": "Impossible at this time.\n\nTypically right now IVF embryo transfers occur at about day 5 or 6 after conception when the embryo is about 60-100 cells in the blastocyst form.\n\nOn their own they start dying more rapidly if left to grow after that. Ultimately for them to survive with current technol...
null
3olwx0
when driving does a change in air pressure determine how much fuel you use (mpg) etc..
[ { "answer": "Yes...but not very much. Also, fuel gauges aren't all that accurate.\n\nProbably the most noticeable effect on MPG, for the same trip at the same speed, is wind. Headwind or crosswind will decrease it, tailwind will increase it. Many other things affect MPG: Cargo/passenger in your car (more we...
null
j3szh
what does it mean when someone "itemizes" their taxes? also is this somehow related to deductions. actually, eli5 deductions as well.
[ { "answer": "When figuring out your taxes, there are certain things that the government has decided you don't have to pay taxes (or can pay less taxes) on. Because you're deducting them from the amount you have to pay, they're called deductions. They are for things like raising children or business expenses if ...
null
6zvkpl
Were there any Confederate generals who were anti-slavery? On the other side of that coin were there any Union generals who were pro-slavery?
[ { "answer": "I do not believe there were any Confederate Generals who were anti-slavery. In 1861 it was actually quite dangerous for any American citizen to express anti-slavery views while in the South. You will see quotes from men such as Lee which indicate slavery is an evil but Lee is also recorded as voi...
null
ft9gco
AITA for asking some maroon friends to help me steal from the Spanish only to accidentally spark a four-year-long scorched earth campaign against my allies?
[ { "answer": "NTA. Now, I normally don't support things like stealing and interfering in other people's affairs, but it sounds like good came out of it (the Maroons freeing slaves). Yes, there might have been a lot of deaths, but sounds like the end result was good and that's what's important. Sorry about your b...
null
45ycr8
Why are there so many things named "Columbia" in the United States. Does it have any relation to Columbia the country?
[ { "answer": "Only insofar as they have the same source: the name of Christopher Columbus.\n\n\"America\" is kind of an odd name, taken from cartographer Amerigo Vespucci. But it caught on, the way things that are kind of counterintuitive will sometimes.\n\nThis left a kind of unsatisfied urge to name it for Col...
null
1104uo
helpful maps
[ { "answer": "Could always try /r/mapporn there is loads of useful images there.\n", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "_URL_0_ is my goto map website.", "provenance": null }, { "answer": null, "provenance": [ { "wikipedia_id": "19877", "title": "Map", "s...
null
16dmcl
Does chemotherapy affect the health of a male's future offspring, conceived years after treatment?
[ { "answer": "Be careful answering this post, as it borders on asking for medical advice. Linking to relevant papers is probably okay, but telling OP whether or not he should have kids wouldn't be... Obviously it's up to the mods to define the line of what's acceptable.", "provenance": null }, { "ans...
null
icz6s
If there really was another planet orbiting the sun opposite the earth as some people claim, how would we know?
[ { "answer": "Yes, it would affect the orbits of other planets. Also, other planets would affect its orbit, so it would be hard put to stay exactly on the opposite side.\n\nThere is an [equilibrium point, L3](_URL_0_) on the opposite side, but it's not stable. Instead of being like a valley, it's like the top of...
null
ujf7c
[Meta] New r/askhistorians official policies.
[ { "answer": "Excellent changes. Have you thought about adding more mods to help you enforce them? ", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "This is my favorite subreddit and if stiff moderation is needed to remain that way, I approve. ", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "Sounds great, loo...
null
3sf652
why do next gen video games all require downloading new content immediately after purchase? why can't they sell complete games out of the box anymore?
[ { "answer": "Printing discs, boxing and shipping take a while to do, and because games have to be shipped to retails days before the release in order to ensure that they have them available for purchase that day, this packaging process has to start early.\n\nYet the development of a game doesn't stop the moment...
null
mksz5
why small businesses are considered "good"
[ { "answer": "Keeping money flowing is what creates a good economy and the most direct way of doing that is by making sure the money you are giving out doesn't get stockpiled in some giant vault or sent out the country.\n\nIf you spend $100 at a local butcher that money is probably going to get spent elsewhere i...
null
kefjc
Couple questions about planetary orbit.
[ { "answer": "Tidal Locking.\n_URL_0_\n\nThe moon is tidally locked with the Earth, it is slowly getting farther and farther away and is in fact slowing down our days. It does spin on its own axis once per month. But since it revolves around us at the same rate, we are only seeing one side.", "provenance": ...
null
5xawd4
how do they declare certain aquatic organisms as extinct, when we haven't explored a huge majority of the oceans?
[ { "answer": "The same way we do on land, really. It is basically the reasoning of 'if we haven't seen any trace of species X in a good number of years, most likely they are extinct.' Sometimes those assumptions are correct. sometimes they are very false. (Like with coelacanths) \n\nThough note that unexplored p...
null
2jmyvw
How does it happen that an entire volume of data can become corrupt when the writing of only a small portion of it is interrupted?
[ { "answer": "In your case it seems was damaged the File Allocation Table (FAT). This file system can be read and written by a wide range of devices, but it is very fragile because of how data is arranged logically. In most cases you can fix the problem with a specialized application, like chkdsk under Windows.\...
null
28uils
how would half the gravity on earth, and in another scenario double the gravity on earth affect us in everyday life? also, could we survive without any gravity at all?
[ { "answer": "Not exactly an expert, but I'm an undergraduate Physics major:\n\nAssuming that Earth has ALWAYS had the gravitational attraction of Mars or Jupiter, it would affect us very little. Our bodies would have evolved along with all other life on Earth to match whatever the gravitation of Earth is. Howev...
null
1w12rs
Why is there virtually no outside sources for the Kingdom of Israel during the time of David & Solomon?
[ { "answer": "Part of the answer is that most people stopped being interested in the area. The Egyptians gave up campaigns in the Levant around 1175 until Shoshenq around the early 900s (who is mentioned in 1 Kings 14 although some dispute this), and New Kingdom pharaohs didn't name their adversaries (certainly...
null
4kn48c
if networks cancel a show mid-season and have filmed the rest of the season, why aren't the rest of the episodes released online?
[ { "answer": "Well sometimes they are, so there is no rule/law against it.\n\nHowever the show makers often do not have the license / copyright to their own shows. So it´s not up to them to release the episodes however they want.\n\nThe network on the other hand who does have the rights, doesn´t really have an i...
null
awmwkv
Was homosexuality seen as normal in the middle east prior to 1885?
[ { "answer": "...kind of.\n\nNot \"homosexuality\" as we think of it today, though. That is to say, an outright sexual relationship between two adult men would not have been regarded as acceptable behavior. However, under certain limited circumstances same-gender love and (depending on whom one asked) even same-...
null
2v03mz
why was synth used so much in 80s music?
[ { "answer": "Simply put, because it was new, it became popular very fast, and people liked it.", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "Synthesizers became popular very quickly due to their marketed ability to 'create the sounds of any instrument imaginable'. Up to a certain extent this is true. A synth...
null
g5la9
How do colony species like ants and bees evolve to their present states?
[ { "answer": "The queen mates with drones from many different colonies. If you just consider that, genetically speaking, the colony is the organism, not the individual bee, there's no reason for there to be less diversity.", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "This is no small question. This is THE q...
null
28f1i8
why is the us police force becoming more militarized and more powerful? or is this a misconception?
[ { "answer": "I'm a cop. Its hard to argue that police isn't becoming more miltarized but I think its vastly over rated. Two agencies in my county have a bearcat (like a tank with no big gun) but it it rarely used and all the agencies borrow it when needed. Aside from a taser, I have received no new weapons si...
null
627tzs
why does the us model of the samsung galaxy s8 have a different processor than the global model?
[ { "answer": "Qualcomm owns many many patents in the US basically forcing any company to use Qualcomm's modem to connect to wireless signals. Companies are free to use any SoC (System on a Chip) they want, the Galaxy S6 used the global SoC version but used a Qualcomm modem. The big issue is Qualcomm prices thin...
null
9z5yc7
how exactly does the us "cut someone off from the dollar market" with sanctions?
[ { "answer": "The US tells banks that they cannot do business with \"someone\" if they want to do business with US regulated banks or the electronic funds transfer network. This doesn't exactly prevent them from spending dollars, but they have to do it with bundles of currency. As many a drug cartel discovered...
null
7vxpf1
animals with rabies live normally but infected people die in a week?
[ { "answer": "Animals die from rabies too.\n\nPeople will show symptoms of rabies after being bitten anywhere from weeks to months. ", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "Animals with rabies typically *don't* live normally. It is generally a disease with rapid deterioration and usually fatal. ", "...
null
72a12w
Romance of the Three Kingdoms is one of the most famous works to come out of China, however it is not historically accurate. What is a historical description of Cao Cao, Liu Bei, et al.?
[ { "answer": "Add on-- which (if any) of the central generals that are not real. I.e. Did Lu Bu exist? Guan Yu? Zhang Fei? Sima Yi?", "provenance": null }, { "answer": null, "provenance": [ { "wikipedia_id": "157837", "title": "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", "sectio...
null
4zod1t
how does the acid in lead acid batteries not consume the lead?
[ { "answer": "It does- in fact, that's how it works. It turns it into lead sulfate, and when all the lead has been so turned, the battery is dead. Charging a battery gradually turns the lead sulfate and water back into lead oxide and sulfuric acid.", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "It does! The le...
null
1k8600
Do historians in the US/Europe study the south american independence wars and consequences?
[ { "answer": "Of course it is! One of the most known scholars of this period in Europe is Professor John Lynch, who is Emeritus Professor of Latin American History at the University of London. He's written several great books on the topic, amongst them the best biography of José de San Martín available in Englis...
null
6aoqql
how come people say "drinking the kool-aid"when referring to cults?
[ { "answer": "It's a reference to a famous cult that committed mass suicide by drinking poisoned Kool-Aid. (IDK if this is known outside of the US but \"Kool-Aid\" is a sugary drink that kids like.)", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "In the late 70s a cult committed mass suicide when about 1000 peo...
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10joow
To what extent is the body able to heal deep lacerations and non-lethal bullet wounds?
[ { "answer": "If the damage is too severe, then fibrosis is the mechanism of repair. And example is a muscle tear, usually called a strain. This is where muscle cells are torn apart, or there may be damage from a cut. In this case the body has to fill in the open space of missing tissue with scar tissue, this is...
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svjid
atlas shrugged
[ { "answer": "Rand is generally disliked by Redditors but Atlas Shrugged is a great book and I would wager that at least 80% of those who bash the book and it's author have not read it.\n\nBefore I launch into something here, have you read it and are looking for some clarification? Are you considering reading it...
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1kni2u
If I was standing on Phobos or Deimos, could I throw a ball fast enough to make it goes into orbit around the moon itself?
[ { "answer": "Phobos and Deimos have escape velocities of about 40 km/h and 20 km/h, respectively. The speed required for a circular orbit at surface level is (escape velocity)/sqrt(2), so 28 km/h and 14 km/h. That's well below the typical speed of a pitched baseball.\n\nHowever, both Phobos and Deimos are so sm...
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m7ex6
why is it cold during summer further up north if over there the sunlight lasts longer?
[ { "answer": "The reason it's cold in the north, even in summer, is about the angle that the sunlight hits the earth. Far north the sun is in the sky for a long time but it never gets very *high* in the sky. In the far north the sun barely gets up over the horizon for much of the day. The sunlight is shining on ...
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9qt0p2
Why was the Black Sea historically a freshwater body?
[ { "answer": "The base level and salinity history of the Paratethyan basins (i.e. the Dacian Basin, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, and Aral Sea) is complicated to say the least. One flaw in the logic regarding these basins is the assumption that they are completely endorheic, in reality they have a complicated history ...
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33up1f
Can smells evolve over time? For example, do we know that a pineapple or our body odor has always smelled the same way?
[ { "answer": "Both your examples almost certainly have changed over time. Body odour for sure - different countries have different body odours due to diet and what comes out in sweat so that will definitely have changed as human diets changed. \nThe smell of pineapple is linked to the chemicals in it. As they'v...
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1iestn
From the beginnings of the Republic until the fall of the Western Roman Empire, did Roman architecture change significantly and, if so, how?
[ { "answer": "Roman architecture is a HUGE topic - they tended to borrow bits and pieces from here and there (Etruscan arches, Greek columns...), and adapted their architecture depending on where in the Empire it was.\n\nThere's actually a really good online course here: _URL_0_ which may be worth a look if you...
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2vh4f4
would an oil heating system use more oil keeping a house a constant temperature all day or turning it off and bringing it back up to temperature?
[ { "answer": "A lot depends on your home. The size, type of heating system, amount of insulation, how tight the house is all play a factor. With that being said, I can't ELI5 but I have a lot of experience in home building/home performance. It's what I do. I typically recommend setting your away at work tsta...
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2hi4hp
When did supermarkets first appear?
[ { "answer": "Various elements of the modern supermarket arose in different places, mostly in the 1920s.\n\nThe first self-service grocery store is thought to have been a Memphis Piggly Wiggly opened in 1916. The concept was patented and franchised to other operators. Customers entered through a turnstile and ...
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1oct4r
Was there a strong national identity for Israel before it was formed in 1947?
[ { "answer": "First of all Israel officially came into existence in 1948 when David Ben Gurion declared the birth of the country. \n\nNow to actually address your question. It is hard to get a perfect answer when it comes to this as the idea of an Israeli national identity is closely tied to the idea of a Jewish...
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38wrqb
How does the human body remain stable as we walk?
[ { "answer": "Walking is surprisingly an extremely complicated process when you look at all the system involved. Let me give you a brief walkthrough of the process.\n \nSo first you have your inputs: places where you body gets information before actually walking. The major ones are the vestibular and visual syst...
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1397l2
i thought jordan had a constitutional monarchy, yet it appears that democratic movements have flaired up in the region. eli5
[ { "answer": "Good question. If you don't receive an adequate answer here in ELI5, you might try /r/middleeastnews or even /r/islam", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "Jordan does have a constitutional monarchy, and the king has been enacting democratic reforms in the past year or so.\n\nThe thing ...
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40mqdt
Will you help me identify a snake? Pictures in comments.
[ { "answer": "It's neither a boa nor a viper based on the head shape (too narrow/not triangle-shaped). That leaves the elapids and colubrids. I can't do much research on my phone, but the Lyre Snake (Trimorphodon) looks like the one. I'm guessing it's about 40cm? Not quite an adult. They are venomous, but rear-f...
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355pik
why do i drive down the road and sometimes people flash their headlights once or twice before we pass?
[ { "answer": "There are cops behind them, don't do anything stupid.\n\nOr you are already doing something wrong, like not having your lights on at night.", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "Here in South Africa some people do it to warn people of Traffic Police, Roadblock or an Accident / obstructio...
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de9n3h
how does slag glass form?
[ { "answer": "Slag is a byproduct of metal refining. It's essentially impurities in the metal that are removed and is often kinda glassy. Originally slag glass had slag mixed into the glass to give it the appearance. However, later multiple colors of molten glass were mixed together to get a similar effect.",...
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5nudv5
how do you build synthetic molecules?
[ { "answer": "The best way I can explain it is to think of going on a road trip. To get from A to B, there are several routes you could take. You want to stop at a particular tourist attraction on the way, so that eliminates some of the possibilities. Another route is notorious for constant traffic jams, so that...
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2yfcjs
landfill. surely it's a really really bad idea to fill holes with a partly rotting, gassy, mix of crap? won't we run out of places to put it?
[ { "answer": "The landfills here get filled over and then holes drilled in to the rubbish. Then they put pipes coming vertically out of the rubbish to vent the gas.\n\nSo I suppose in a few hundred years or less the rubbish disintegrates and the gas escapes. ", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "Gene...
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q0jlq
linear alegbra: what the difference between linear independence and linear dependence is.
[ { "answer": "Let's say I give you a set of vectors. If any one of those vectors can be constructed as a combination of any of the others, then the set is said to be \"linearly dependent\". If the set isn't linearly dependent, we call it \"linearly independent\".\n\nOne way to check for linear independence is to...
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2vu2ib
what is mega doing? why do i have to wait forever twice?
[ { "answer": "A lot of complicated encryption.\n\nRemember Megaupload? It was a site for hosting files on for download, based in New Zealand, much like Mega, but it was quicker. Unfortunately for them, US law deemed it illegal because it had lots of copyright-infringing files on it, and had the New Zealand polic...
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3xevxt
why do the skeletons of people that died hundreds of years ago have perfect white teeth but mine will yellow within days without brushing?
[ { "answer": "Because those skeletons aren't maintaining an active bacterial culture in their mouth. Your mouth is warm and moist and constantly intaking nutrients and those nutrients feed a munch of bacteria that also damage your teeth. Also those skeletons often died young in a world which didn't have the same...
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4g3xka
Penrose diagrams for evaporating black holes?
[ { "answer": "In Penrose diagrams, the horizontal coordinate is normally **radial**, so it goes from zero to infinity. The vertical axis is time, and each point corresponds to a spatial two-sphere at that given radius and time. For a given time, the left-most boundary is r = 0, the center of the spacetime (which...
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3mgu1q
why doesn't america join russia fighting isis in syria on the ground?
[ { "answer": "It's dirty fighting and I don't think any western country wants to get that deep just yet. It's very expensive, the largest cost being soldiers' lives.", "provenance": null }, { "answer": "* Russia is not fighting on the ground, they are providing arms and support and are starting to fl...
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