id stringlengths 5 6 | input stringlengths 3 301 | output list | meta null |
|---|---|---|---|
e49op3 | How did belief in Greek Mythology die out and what replaced them ? | [
{
"answer": "The basic answer for the broader definition of Greek Myth/Religion is Christianity, but I think that broad definition isn't necessarily what most people think of when they say \"Greek Mythology\" today. The storybook version of 12 Olympian gods and series of concrete stories about each of them neve... | null |
rtnj8 | When I am all alone, and there is no noise in the room, and it is all still and quiet, there is a sound in my ears/head that is similar to a ringing of the ears, but it's not quite the same. What causes that? | [
{
"answer": "[Tinnitus](_URL_0_): \"the perception of sound within the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound\". \n\nCauses are varied, so check the ~~Zelda~~ link for more on that. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "210... | null |
6ela6e | How was Garibaldi able to conquer Southern Italy with only 1000 or so volunteers? | [
{
"answer": "You're asking a lot of questions, which is understandable; Wikipedia is not a complete source of information by any stretch of the imagination. Let's begin in the beginning. \n\nAfter the eighth century, Southern Italy was contested three ways between Arabs, the Byzantine Empire, and \"Lombards,\" ... | null |
34h6t0 | - if hiv can take up to 6 months to show up on a blood test, how do they know donated blood is safe? | [
{
"answer": "They generally eliminate high risk classes from donating blood. There are a lot of reports that confirm that HIV transmits faster from certain ways over others. They make sure to ask people questions about their lifestyle to figure out whether they represent one of those high risk classes.\n\nFor... | null |
1uqoy9 | AMA - 20th Century American Popular Culture | [
{
"answer": "How did mainstream American music transition from a \"Sinatra\" sort of genre to these different sort of post ww2 genres such as Elvis, the Beatles, etc. Were there any reasons or contributing factors, or was it just a regular progression of music that occured? Sorry if I'm being too broad, just in... | null |
2n0chc | How do you think someone in a coma would react to psychedelics? | [
{
"answer": "[This question was asked a few years ago](_URL_1_) and didn't get much of an answer. I don't know if you'll be able to get much more than that, but good luck to you.\n\nI had a look on Google Scholar for you for any reports linking use of psychoactive or psychedelic drugs with [locked-in syndrome](... | null |
1utz1o | When is a species no longer considered invasive? | [
{
"answer": "There is no 'right' answer! You can either take the stance of 'it would never have got here without human help, therefore it is invasive' or 'it has adapted to the environment, therefore it is now native'. Which of these you take depends on personal viewpoint as much as anything else.\n\nHumans als... | null |
5igz5z | how'd the yahoo "hacking" happen? | [
{
"answer": "According to [the post from Yahoo](_URL_0_) \n > For potentially affected accounts, the stolen user account information may have included names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, hashed passwords (using MD5) and, in some cases, encrypted or unencrypted security questions and answe... | null |
8fn7e4 | Are there any known examples of jump discontinuities occurring in the natural world, (not related to manmade systems)? | [
{
"answer": "Definitely. One example of a natural jump discontinuity would be the [triple point of water](_URL_0_) - plot \"number of phases in equilibrium for water\" as a function of temperature and pressure, and you'll find that most of the parameter space is one, a 1-dimensional curve along which the value... | null |
nzejf | Why don't we and other animals have eyes in the backs of our heads? Wouldn't having a 360 vision be a massive benefit? | [
{
"answer": "It would also have a massive cost.\n\nThe entire visual perceptual pathway, from the retina to V1 to MT (where motion detection happens), takes up a large amount of space in our cranium. To add a second set of eyes, facing an entirely different direction, would require the duplication of the existi... | null |
2qdrs2 | Why were there so few German-American organized crime groups? | [
{
"answer": "It's hard to say something didn't happen, but we can say why other groups did turn to organized crime. Ethnic groups who were blocked from traditional employment often attempt to break out and make it by turning to crime. We can see this in the heavily discriminated against groups of the Italians, ... | null |
1b8d87 | Would it be possible for a human to stand on an asteroid or comet as it speeds through space? | [
{
"answer": "If the asteroid in question had enough mass for it's gravity to hold you down, yes. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Yes. Why wouldn't it be? \n\nIf your velocity relative to the asteroid or comet is 0, you wouldn't fly off of it or something.",
"provenance": null
},
{
... | null |
3bih4k | why do we find the natural human odor to be so offensive? are there other animals who are put off by the smell of their own species? | [
{
"answer": "Well, that's not \"natural human odor\" you're smelling. What you're smelling are actually mostly the chemical byproducts of bacteria eating all the oils and things in your sweat.\n\nThese bacterial byproducts are actually some of the same chemicals that make some cheese smelly and even some of the... | null |
nywdq | Any good book on history of education? | [
{
"answer": "Hi, a while ago I commented on a similar question. [You could have a look here](_URL_0_), perhaps it could be useful to you as well?",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "1230710",
"title": "The Education of Henry Adams",
... | null |
1wtx2f | Why are salts of hydrochloric acid and organic bases called "hydrochlorides" instead of "chlorides"? | [
{
"answer": "Acid-base reactions don't necessarily result in water being produced, that is only true for the simplest case of Arrhenius theory in which the acid always provides a proton and the base a hydroxyl group. A more general theory of acid base reactions is [Bronsted theory](_URL_0_), which still defines... | null |
5jw3g3 | security codes on credit cards | [
{
"answer": "It makes it harder to use stolen credit card data for online purchases without the physical card. The 3 digit code is not stored on the cards magnetic strip, it's only printed on the card itself, so if the card's data is surreptitiously stolen using a card skimmer, they don't get the code, and theo... | null |
5rr4dv | I've heard there was hand-to-hand fighting in Stalingrad. Is this true? If so, why weren't guns sufficient? | [
{
"answer": "Hand-to-hand can be something of a misnomer, in that it is often used as an example of hyperbole to indicate the ferocity of urban combat, and is not necessarily literal.\n\nThat being said, urban warfare gets up close and personal, and Stalingrad is in the running for most brutal urban combat of a... | null |
fd1y5y | Was Greek civilization derived from Egypt | [
{
"answer": "Civilisation is one of those loose terms that, the more we think about it, the harder it is to define. I'm assuming you mean the general sense of identity/values/aesthetics/social structures and so on that we consider to be 'Greek.' The answer really isn't simple.\n\nFirstly, to say there was a sin... | null |
61a8pg | how can a baseball player throw 95 mph baseball when a boxer's top punching speed is around 25 mph? | [
{
"answer": "Because the speed of a pitch comes from the whip of the arm accelerating the ball. The punch is just arm movement. The two are not connected when it comes to speed. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "1377339",
"title":... | null |
38qqgi | when and why will the current tech boom end? what are the implications for the overall economy? | [
{
"answer": "\"Tech\" is a very big field with many sub genres if you like. The 70-90s boom was the personal computer, 00s-10s was the the internet era and to a certain extent it's still going. The next few years will see lots of wearables, IoT and all things 3D printing related. We expect to see interesting de... | null |
da3enz | How long did it take to Christianise the people of Denmark and other parts of the Viking world (Norway, Sweden, Iceland etc)? | [
{
"answer": "It depends on the region; The Jelling Stone in Denmark announcing the establishment of Christianity as the religion by Harald was still significant even if it didn't mean the whole country was converted yet. As did the Icelandic þing decision of 1000 and Saint Olaf's supposed completion of christen... | null |
37xrsi | why do games nowadays get sold at normal price unfinished? is it just for money, or is the gaming industry creating such massive games they can't release all the content at once? | [
{
"answer": "I'm 33 years old and was heavily involved in gaming when I was a teenager. I'm not the most OG guy around, but I remember a \"back in the day\" story or two.\n\nYou are remembering with rose colored glasses what \"then\" was like. Back then games were routinely released with game killing bugs. W... | null |
1t5zxs | How does a bit in a computer turn on or off (1 / 0) without something to do it manually? | [
{
"answer": "It's all capacitors and transistors which are in effect electronic switches. [Here's a description of how DRAM operates](_URL_1_).\n\nIf that explanation is too complex/in-depth, you can look at [how a latch operates](_URL_0_). This is different in principle than DRAM (memory) but it's an electroni... | null |
ebnmfl | Did Sweden out of fear cooperate/facilitate the invasion and conquest of Norway by Nazi Germany? | [
{
"answer": "There's a lot of myths about this and I've [previous debunked](_URL_0_) some of them, for more reading. So, to try to keep this short:\n\n**Invasion of Norway**\n\nSweden most certainly did not aid the _invasion and conquest_ of Norway. Sweden was no more aware of the impending invasion than Norway... | null |
1q7l87 | need some physics help to explain why or how this works? (xpost from r/lifehacks) | [
{
"answer": " > ...mainly just the idea as to whether the flower pots actually do help generate more heat and faster.\n\nDefinitely not. The flower pots are only insulating the heat given off by the candles, so it won't dissipate as fast (the same way a thermos works, essentially). Since the room is so small, a... | null |
1woj0j | why is it that when you quit smoking you get sick and cough so much. | [
{
"answer": "Nicotine is a physically addictive drug meaning that your body developed a physical dependence on the drug being in your system.\n\nWithout the nicotine your body starts to go through withdrawal symptoms until your nicotine dependence is gone.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Basica... | null |
mtr5w | If the sun suddenly disappeared from the center of the solar system, how long would it take the Earth to freeze and for life on Earth to die off? Minutes? Days? Weeks? | [
{
"answer": "There would be no gravitational interaction with the Sun, for the planets to orbi, so they would continue in a straight line in the velocity direction of when the gravitation interaction stopped, they would no longer be \"falling\" towards the Sun. Though if any of the planet's got close enough to ... | null |
qyu3n | Why is it that I can see both Venus and Jupiter in the night sky at the same time? | [
{
"answer": "You may enjoy [this.](_URL_0_)",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Imagine being on the surface of Earth and looking in the direction of [Venus and Jupiter]( _URL_0_). Also, this gives you a good idea why we can currently see them for just a few hours around sunset right now (in the U... | null |
6njlvs | how is the price of a book determined? | [
{
"answer": "Supply and demand. Books with small publishers and high demand are expensive. Famous authors are expensive. Books that are considered up-and-coming stars are given better jackets and priced higher than new books that the publisher has deemed serviceable but not amazing. However, new books cost more... | null |
53ua2z | Why are face transplants so rough? | [
{
"answer": "There are so many nerve endings. Not like with most plastic surgery, where it's one area of the face that is fixed. This is an *entire face*. \n\nI would assume there's a lot of tissue damage/tissue death involved as well. It's just a really difficult task.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"an... | null |
2ffh5o | How effective were ironclad warships? | [
{
"answer": "As /u/Superplaner pointed out, the lack of many notable clashes in the short span where Ironclad Battleships were the Queen of the Seas makes judging their effectiveness a little hard to manage. One of the few we have is the Battle of Hampton Roads, and all the evidence points to the Union Fleet's ... | null |
2mdtnf | At roughly what time in history did European weapons become technologically superior to those found in the rest of the world? | [
{
"answer": "Why were the comments deleted? ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "So, apparently the people who answered you removed all their comments. So I'll try and give you some basic guidelines, but this is pretty far from my expertise:\n\n1) First of all, the level of technology did and still... | null |
2bdgtw | what are the major differences between aerobic and anaerobic exercise? | [
{
"answer": "Aerobic exercises are often classified as cardio and endurance work outs. They focus on doing light exercises for long periods of time to help the blood flow and help muscle groups learn to work for extended periods of time. This is what's most often recommended for people who are working out just ... | null |
k9zbq | please explain me why some people believe the world trade center catastrophy was a conspiracy act | [
{
"answer": "There are conspiracy theories on every subject imaginable (the most ridiculous within the past 30 days would probably be [this](_URL_1_) ), so it shouldn't be particularly surprising that there are conspiracy theories about 9/11. My experience arguing with \"truthers\" is that they generally don't ... | null |
uoy08 | My uncles were born identical twins, yet their personalities seem to contrast each other. Is this a known thing? | [
{
"answer": "If they're identical (monozygotic) twins then technically they were the same ball of cells at some point. Monoamniotic/monochorionic monozygotic twins split at around day 10ish post-fertilization (just past the blastocyst stage), but most other twins split prior to that. Depending on when you def... | null |
5hwxb1 | if older cartoons and animated movies were drawn by hand, how did they get the coloring so even and clean, unlike paintings for example? | [
{
"answer": "It all depends on the medium used. For example, paintings often use canvas (usually with a rough surface for better paint adherence) and acrylic or oils, which tends to be thick and don't evenly mix throughout all the layers an artist applies.\n\nFor early animators, however, the medium used in ear... | null |
b67wqp | why does tea taste sweeter after it cools down? | [
{
"answer": "You generally tastes less when drinking really hot things or really cold things, partially due to how fast you tend to move it to parts of your mouth that are less sensitive, and others are signals being mixed with how hot/cold/pain you are feeling.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": n... | null |
4ell91 | What would happen if two faults on opposite sides of a tectonic plate shifted simultaneously? | [
{
"answer": "First, the Cascadia subduction zone is on the western edge of the North American plate, but the New Madrid seismic zone is an intra-continental feature, i.e. it is in the middle of the North American plate. The eastern edge of the North American plate is the [Mid-Atlantic Ridge](_URL_1_). \n\nGoing... | null |
3p28b7 | canadian's election are really close. can you explain what we should know? (young guy that knows nothing and want to make the best decision) | [
{
"answer": "As a fellow first Time voter, I have the dilemma of listening to the politicians speak agreeing with somethings they say, then they say something else and I think \"and YOU want to lead this country\". I am told to vote for the person I cringe the least at. Like the good ole saying \"politicians ar... | null |
8rbt5l | why can't we build a car that generates its power from the wheels turn like a windmill | [
{
"answer": "Because energy transfer isn't perfect, and the energy you'd expend getting the wheels to turn is WAYYY more than the energy you'd get back trying to use the spinning wheels to turn a generator. \n\n",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia... | null |
4rufmx | In medieval Europe how often would you encounter people who carry either a sword or bow? | [
{
"answer": "Medieval Europe is a vast area and time. People you could meet in England in the 1100s would be different than France in the 1250s, and Italy in the 1300s. Can you narrow it down a bit?",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "In European medieval cities (with the exception of a few German ... | null |
b8dxyd | why are illicit drugs cut with dangerous chemicals? | [
{
"answer": "When you're making drugs \"at home' (ie - not a professional lab), you tend to cut corners and not buy everything from the most reputable chemical suppliers. Maybe you need a strong acid, why not grab battery acid or concrete cleaner? A strong base means you use lye-based drain cleaner. A solven... | null |
12ihbi | Why does the temperature drop just before sunrise? | [
{
"answer": "I'm not sure what you mean. Excluding outside factors like cold fronts, the temperature doesn't suddenly drop just before sunrise.\n\nJust before sunrise is the coldest part of the day because cooling takes place throughout the night while the sun is not up (again, excluding fronts), but there's n... | null |
5cienk | How Do I find out who is buried on my parents' old property when some of the graves are marked only with stones? | [
{
"answer": "Not asking you to dox yourself at all, but depending on the county it might be worth contacting the county historical society and/or the local newspaper, to see if they have archives going back to the early era of when the area was settled. If I remember correctly, UNC in Chapel Hill has a newspape... | null |
1atygi | Was there ever a more global language than English? | [
{
"answer": "English is widely spoken throughout the world, but isn't nearly as dominant as you might think. It's second to Mandarin in terms of total speakers, and Spanish (a very global language), Arabic, and Russian aren't very far behind. A solid tip in the economy that lasted a few generations could totall... | null |
6g1wth | What are the origins of playing cards? | [
{
"answer": "Follow-up question:\nHow did certain cards in various games gather their names, such as the left and right \"bauers\" of Euchre or the \"vixer\" and \"old lady\" of Solo?\n\nIf I understand correctly, the games I gave as example are historically of German origin, which could have a role in the nami... | null |
1xl4ih | what happens to fines paid to government? | [
{
"answer": "I'm sure there are a million and two different stories if you followed any of the money, but generally speaking it counts as revenue for that level of government. Like taxes and bond sales and then it gets allocated in some budget limited only by the administration's imagination and spent/wasted/bu... | null |
3omehk | I read that caffeine in coffee has a half life of about 4 hours. It's this true? If so, why dies it only decay at this rate after the coffee is brewed? | [
{
"answer": "4-5 hours. The half life is only in regards to the metabolic half life inside the body. A lot of enzymes break down caffeine into other compounds and this process takes time. Some is also expelled through the urine. \n\nNatural degrading of compounds does not happen in the same way. It is a totally... | null |
1j0cmu | How can Orcas jump so high? | [
{
"answer": "It's all about velocity, the faster you can approach the surface of the water, the higher you can jump. However it's not an issue of being better swimmers in general, sharks are neutral buoyancy, orcas are positive buoyancy. This means orcas store energy as they dive, and this gets converted into ... | null |
15wcnt | how do the rsa securids work? | [
{
"answer": "Normally, when you log into a server your user credentials are stored in some kind of database. This may be a *nix based system, or in Windows this will typically be Active Directory (AD).\n\nTo overly simplify things, the database would just have a list of username:password, you enter your userna... | null |
b3zf68 | why are the french riots with the yellow vest protestors not being reported at all in u.s. media? | [
{
"answer": "A combination of the fact that many people in the US don't care about foreign affairs to begin with and don't understand the reason for the Yellow Vest protests / riots and are therefore not interested, and that even if people did understand what the protests were about, they've been going on for s... | null |
765op1 | during the war of the currents, tesla and edison battled over superiority between alternating current (ac) and direct current (dc). why is alternating current regarded as more superior than direct current? | [
{
"answer": "It is not really superior. Automobiles use direct current.\n\nThe one really important difference up to now is that transformers can be used to step up and down the voltage with alternating current.\n\nAt the power plant the voltage is stepped up tremendously to be carried on high overhead wires. H... | null |
34kgn7 | Are there any measurable differences between two hydrogen atoms? | [
{
"answer": "No. :)\n\nThat's a quite significant feature of quantum mechanics. They are completely indistinguishable. And this is a relevant feature when doing calculations in thermodynamics (more precisely in statistical mechanics). ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Nope. A hydrogen atom is on... | null |
2y5804 | a breakdown of the marvel universe leading up to avengers: age of ultron. | [
{
"answer": "They were once all separate heroes but they were eventually all recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D., a US government agency dedicated to detecting and neutralizing threats, both on earth and elsewhere.\n\nIt is a lot to go into so I agree with homeboi in saying check out /r/marvel or /r/marvelstudios ",
... | null |
an4bli | Is CBD oil effective at treating anxiety/depression? | [
{
"answer": "It is not a homeopathy type cure because there is actual science to support it's use, although there has not been a lot of research into the area until fairly recently. A systematic review (including studies up to 2015) found that:\n\n & #x200B;\n\n*Existing preclinical evidence strongly supports C... | null |
65kcsz | How did hunting wild animals in Africa change after the introduction of firearms? | [
{
"answer": "Well, first I should note that there was quite a bit of variation. Firearms were being traded to the states of West Africa in the early 1600s, but in interior Central Africa they were still fairly rare and recent introductions in the 1830s. By the same token, use of firearms for hunting varied in d... | null |
78zg82 | what is this warm feeling that starts from the top of my face and goes down towards my body. | [
{
"answer": "Are you an alcoholic by any chance?",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "691224",
"title": "Hot flash",
"section": "Section::::Signs and symptoms.\n",
"start_paragraph_id": 3,
"start_character": 0,... | null |
6f4fep | Why do some stars produce four lines that protrude from the star whenever a photograph is taken from them? | [
{
"answer": "This is actually because the telescope that images the star has a secondary mirror that is held in place with four support beams, and that causes an interference pattern that looks like what you're describing. [See here](_URL_0_)",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance... | null |
as2lsq | how is it possible that the world collective debt is bigger than world collective wealth? can't we just annul all of the debt that shouldn't be there and go on? | [
{
"answer": "I think that debt IS wealth. If you got rid of the debt, it would remove all the wealth, because the wealth is made up of receivables. That’s one reason why you wouldn’t get a lot of support for this idea from the wealthy. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Theoretically that would b... | null |
1ayw89 | How long does it actually take to form a 'habit'? (Or, is there any truth to the '21 days to form a habit' axiom?) | [
{
"answer": "Habit formation for eating, drinking, and exercise behaviors [has been shown to vary greatly](_URL_0_), taking anywhere from 18 to 254 days. Moreover, in this study, it tended to follow an asymptotic curve, and \"the median time to reach 95% of asymptote was 66 days.\"\n\nWhile this isn't neurosci... | null |
h7o7w | In medicine can 400mg vs. 600mg of some medicine actually mean they are stronger, not just quantity ? | [
{
"answer": "The activity of the drug molecule is unchanged.\n\nI think the biggest concern is accidental overdose - doubling up on a 600 mg pill has a bigger impact than doubling up on a 400 mg pill.\n\nOn the flip side of things, I can see 3x 400 mg pills dissolving much faster than 2x 600 mg pill, even thoug... | null |
5ghll7 | how does an old hospital get sanitized before being turned into another kind of institution? | [
{
"answer": "Would I be correct in understanding that you feel hospitals are DIRTIER than restaurants?\n\nThis seems to be a pretty strange thought, could you explain why you believe there needs to be extra steps taken other than the cleaning they do anyway?",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "It's... | null |
rv67z | Is there ever a case where a noble gas does react
with something? | [
{
"answer": "Sure. It's more common for the ones with higher atomic number. The outer electrons are shielded by the inner ones, so they're more free to form bonds.\n\nWikipedia has its own article on [noble gas compounds](_URL_0_)",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "The weakest bond in chemistry is... | null |
frdy0 | Why will two pendulum clocks mounted on a common wall synchronise? i.e. How does coupled oscillation work? | [
{
"answer": "The second pendulum will make the wall move slightly, this movement is transmitted to the first pendulum. It's broadly like [two pendulums joined by a spring](_URL_0_) (a coupled oscillator), but with the wall playing the role of an extremely stiff \"spring\". \n\nThe fact that pendulums are \"inan... | null |
88hvdq | Why wasn't Australia conquered and split by European powers as Africa was? | [
{
"answer": "You may find this thread useful, particularly the response from /u/agentdcf:\n\n_URL_0_ ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "39582",
"title": "History of Australia",
"section": "Section::::Early European explorat... | null |
1vjxmo | why can't spinal discs be "re-hydrated" later in life? | [
{
"answer": "If your doctor didn't explain why, get a new one. He/she obviously doesn't care",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Yeah sure you'd have to expect an explanation for treatment. Sadly I csn offer no bearing of expertise on such a matter but it came across in your question that your doct... | null |
2euv49 | how does this .jpg file move like a .gif but when downloaded shows up as a .jpeg | [
{
"answer": "It's lies.\n\nThe filetype isn't determined by the extension - not in this context anyway - it's determined by metadata in the file that says it's a gif.\n\nMy image reader on the desktop chokes trying to read it because it naively trusts file extensions, but the file utility shows clearly it's mar... | null |
17csvr | Can somebody build up a tolerance to electricity? | [
{
"answer": "There is a difference between \"not being in pain from x\" and \"being immune to x.\"\n\nPain tolerance is one thing, but a taser works by using electricity to create physical convulsions. This is direct stimulation of the muscles we're talking about. Adapting to THAT would require evolution to pro... | null |
381u8z | difference between nightmares and night terrors | [
{
"answer": "The basics are that nightmares you wake up from and remember.\n\nNight Terrors you don't wake up, can call out / yell in your sleep, yet you won't remember that particular dream ( although you can remember the feeling the dream gave you )\n\nSource: Have had both Nightmares and Night Terrors consi... | null |
4mv8ek | how do we know that gravity curves spacetime and is not a force? | [
{
"answer": "The theory which describes gravity as the curvature of spacetime (Einstein's general theory of relativity) makes a lot of predictions. And many of those predictions [have been verified](_URL_0_), which lends support to the theory.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "U/robusetceleritus ... | null |
1fb82n | How similar are modern day version of the Torah when compared to the oldest known versions? | [
{
"answer": "Let me clarify a few terms: (1) by \"Torah\" I am going to assume you mean the entire Hebrew Bible/Old Testament rather than only the Pentateuch, (2) by \"versions\" I'm assuming you either mean \"manuscripts\" or a more esoteric scholarly concept of \"the earliest attainable text\" - I'll address ... | null |
6eizt0 | what do doctors do with the empty space after a half brain removing surgery | [
{
"answer": "The procedure is called a hemispherectomy (hemi = half, sphere, ectomy = removal) and they don't do anything with the empty space. It ends up filling up with cerebrospinal fluid. It's not like they are going to put a prosthetic brain in there for cosmetic purposes, haha.",
"provenance": null
... | null |
19wlxx | the different types of pencils 2b,b,whatever else there is | [
{
"answer": "Pencil leads come in a variety of hardnesses, obtained by altering the ratio of clay to graphite in the pencil. More clay makes the lead harder, but also means it makes a lighter mark. They are often used for engineering drawings because they produce a sharp, clean line without much variation in th... | null |
1qbk8m | LCD screens and Duck Hunt | [
{
"answer": "As you already know, light guns need a CRT to work. Using a silicon (or any other covering) sadly wouldn't help at all.\n\nWhen a CRT screen draws the image, it draws each pixel at a time - usually starting at the top, working left to right and then down a line until the whole screen is drawn. It t... | null |
3nkwok | How do you tell how long has a person been dead? | [
{
"answer": "One way is by measuring body temperature. Given someone's weight and the temperature of their surroundings and their current temperature one can extrapolate how long the body has been cooling down from normal body temperature. Hopefully others can step in and explain other methods.",
"provenanc... | null |
2fhvw8 | What's the difference between Deep Blue's algorithm and Monte Carlo Tree Search? | [
{
"answer": "The difference is in how they decide which move to take. \n\nDeep Blue has a function to tell how good the board is for him. He uses this function to decide which move to take.\n\nOn the other hand, for some games no well working function to rate a board is known (like go). For such one uses the MC... | null |
8dc2tx | given the fragmented instant messaging market and the failure to create a standard protocol, why aren't there email clients that make using email more like instant messaging? | [
{
"answer": "Huh? \n\nEmail essentially already is instant messaging, if the user utilizes it in that way. You can get notifications that pop up on your computer that tell you that you just got an email, and it's essentially instance. Your phone can tell you that you just got an email, and it's essentially ins... | null |
3y3if0 | Zebras in the middle east? | [
{
"answer": "[Horses actually originated in the Balkan region, with the oldest fossils found in present day Ukraine.](_URL_1_) Regardless, the common ancestor was likely found on the Supercontinent of [Pangea](_URL_0_), and when the division of the continent occured, the old common ancestor was split into two g... | null |
14vppq | Is it better for a computer to never turn it off, or to turn it off regularly? | [
{
"answer": "Every piece of the board is engineered to last a certain number of cycles, so to some extent it's true.\n\nThat number of cycles is far more than the number a normal user would hit before the hardware becomes obsolete though.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "The TL;DR on all of the ... | null |
5wt455 | why are saltwater aquariums so hard to maintain, but the fish can live in the ocean with a lot more variables? | [
{
"answer": "The oceans are very large. The food or waste from a fish is a super tiny fraction. In only 100 gallons of water, it can build up and cause problems.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Because fish have evolved to live in the conditions of the ocean, and these conditions hardly fluct... | null |
873t09 | what is an elementary function? | [
{
"answer": "The elementary functions are a set of well known functions such as powers of x, roots of x, exponentials, trigonometric functions and their inverses, and most importantly any combinations of them, for example e^sinx + x^(2).\n\nNon elementary functions are those that can't be written like that. For... | null |
5jvdb4 | if temperature affects air pressure, would the temperature on a planet with a thinner atmosphere feel different than the same temperature on a planet with a thicker atmosphere? | [
{
"answer": "How temperature feels is subjective because it is a feeling. Factors such as humidity may impact how temperature feels but humidity is related to much more than how thick the atmosphere is and its quite localized. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
... | null |
5twwla | where does water pressure come from? | [
{
"answer": "In short, pumping stations and water towers.\n\nWater is pumped from it's source, which could be a well, river, lake, etc. It's usually then treated/cleaned, then pumped up to a water tower. Gravity takes it from there.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Pressure is created by thro... | null |
6ovlzj | why does an emergency door have a grill / bars inside its window? | [
{
"answer": " > I'm almost certain that every emergency door have a window and a grill in it.\n\nMany do not, but it is a common feature in such doors to allow some vision of what is past them. You can avoid walking into a fire or smoke hazard with such a feature.\n\n > Why does it have those? It doesn't mean... | null |
xbu86 | - the recent hate on nbc | [
{
"answer": "Only speaking from personal experience, but I'm not happy with the lack of online viewing available. \n\nI get my tv through an antenna, and nbc doesn't broadcast in my area. So I am out of luck, and have no (legal) way of watching the games. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "From t... | null |
9irq21 | Why can't people with O-Negative blood donate platelets? | [
{
"answer": "O- is in short supply due to the demand as universal donor.\n\nB- is just an insanely rare blood type, less than 1% in caucasians if I remember right. Important because the only 2 types this type can receive (without risking sensitization to D) is b neg and o neg. \n\nTheres no reason they couldnt ... | null |
xx7gn | If you can't hear thunder (but can see distant bolts of lightning) are you still in danger? | [
{
"answer": "The odds of getting hit by lightning are pretty low no matter the conditions, but if you're super scared of things, it is very remotely possible to be struck by a [bolt from the blue](_URL_0_) 15 or 20 miles from a thunderhead.\n\nI've been a lightning watcher all my life (56 y) and so was my dad. ... | null |
3t10pn | Why did some areas of Africa quickly convert to Islam, some convert slowly to Christianity, and others keep worshipping tribal gods? | [
{
"answer": "The answer is that they didn't convert all that quickly at all. Those areas that did convert to Islam did so quite gradually. Much of Northern Africa, as former Roman provinces, were Christian during the Arab conquests, but gradually became more Muslim over time, often thanks in part to economic pr... | null |
2l7t57 | what happens to the human body when it experiences spontaneous decompression? does it just pop? | [
{
"answer": "\"Coward, Lucas and Bergersen were exposed to the effects of explosive decompression and died in the positions indicated by the diagram. Subsequent investigation by forensic pathologists determined Hellevik, being exposed to the highest pressure gradient, violently exploded due to the rapid and mas... | null |
lhw81 | Why can't I cleanly wipe the condensation off my bathroom mirror after a shower? | [
{
"answer": "Condensation is caused by the relatively cool surface of the mirror pulling moisture out of the air. The water vapor in the air essentially loses energy, that is, cools off and phase changes into water, when it encounters this surface. \n\nWhen you wipe it, you get rid of the droplets that have f... | null |
bi1cxp | During timeperiods with more oxygen in the atmosphere, did fires burn faster/hotter? | [
{
"answer": "Yes. And during periods with lower oxygen levels, fires burned more slowly or not at all. Some natural fuels will burn at high oxygen concentrations but not low. [This article](_URL_0_) examines these relationships. Wildfires may actually act to stabilize atmospheric oxygen levels. If the conc... | null |
9cyq38 | How accurate is the information that Leif Erickson actually discovered North America? | [
{
"answer": "Hi, not discouraging others from answering here, but you may be interested in a few earlier posts\n\n* /u/400-Rabbits in [Did Vikings ever make contact with North America before Christopher Columbus?](_URL_2_)\n\n* /u/textandtrowel in [What do we know about Vinland?](_URL_3_)\n\n* /u/A_Crazy_Canadi... | null |
uih0q | why fat forms where it does | [
{
"answer": "I'm sorry if the answer is incorrect but my lecturer told me that it has to do with gender. \n\nMale: The stomach.\n\nFemale: Buttocks.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "3757348",
"title": "GLUT4",
"section": "... | null |
3rwuzk | When (and why) did capital punishment start being carried out by lethal injection? | [
{
"answer": "The history of lethal injection is an interesting and *horrible* one. Lethal injection was first suggested as a procedure in 1888, by an American doctor, incidentally a year after the abolition of capital punishment in Maine. In some ways, lethal injection has always been a very American thing. At ... | null |
smm23 | What are the differences in the metabolisms of someone who can't get fat and someone who gains weight easily? | [
{
"answer": "While this doesn't quite answer your question, perhaps it will give you some information that is part of the answer. \n\nHuman microbiota (all the microbes in and on you) work has exploded in the last 10 years. One huge piece of research to come out of this is that [lean people and obese](_URL_0_)... | null |
7pvdew | how does a build up of lactic acid in an athlete's muscles cause them to sometimes thow up | [
{
"answer": "Throwing up is one of a few things the body just defaults to when it senses something is geberally wrong. Better safe than sorry, maybe it's something you ate, let's throw up just to be sure. Makes sense from an evolutionary stand point.\n\nAlso, when so much lactic acid is built up, it'll sometime... | null |
9rroux | is paying off a mortgage like paying rent? | [
{
"answer": "...Sort of? It is a regular bill which needs to be paid so it seems similar. However a major difference is that the money paid into the mortgage isn't really gone in the same way as rent. You are gaining equity or ownership of the property so when it is sold you get that money back. You can even se... | null |
3bwkhy | why are veterans held in such high regard in america and why do some veterans walk around in uniform when not on duty? | [
{
"answer": "Because they fought for our country. They risked their lives for us. I think they deserve a little damn respect.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "2943008",
"title": "Social alienation",
"section": "Section::::... | null |
1fn87e | How did kingdoms with two simultaneous kings come about and how did it work? | [
{
"answer": "On your tangent: \"state\" is just a generic (and somewhat ill-defined) word for a sovereign political entity, it doesn't imply anything about the form of government. Kingdoms are states.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "[Diarchy](_URL_1_), the rule of a single kingdom by 2 kings (o... | null |
ysmzi | Could a planet theoretically exist which is much larger than earth but made of less dense materials and therefore still have earth gravity? | [
{
"answer": "Here is an easy way to estimate this sort of stuff without having to use calculator or even pen and paper:\n\nThe surface gravity is proportional to mass and inversely proportional to radius squared. Mass is proportional to r^3 * p where p is density.\n\nThis gives: surface gravity is proportional ... | null |
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