id stringlengths 5 6 | input stringlengths 3 301 | output list | meta null |
|---|---|---|---|
2meo1t | Why does the body burn muscle before using fat reserves? | [
{
"answer": "Because parts of your body like your brain or your blood cells are very very dependent on glucose. Even with induced ketosis (which in itself takes 3 days of not eating - your glycogen reservoir is used up about a couple of hours after your last meal) you still need it. Gluconeogenesis, the process... | null |
2t9pmh | how come babies and young children can fall asleep so fast? are they chemically different than adults? | [
{
"answer": "Na, they just have no worries like bills, exams, relationships etc. Ignorance is clearly bliss. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "I can fall asleep in 2 min sometimes. I say: \"Time to sleep, good night.\" *brushes teeth and gets to bed* and I am out",
"provenance": null
},
... | null |
1q84n4 | what is laissez-faire economics? | [
{
"answer": "When the economy is free, or mostly free, from government involvement. This means the transactions between private actors are not forced, nor the actors coerced.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Thnk of it as hands off economics. The government does as little as possible. Not just f... | null |
5qoepv | drm and how it actually stops pirates instead of just making it more difficult for me to play my movies on my many devices, etc... | [
{
"answer": "DRM on movies *is* dumb.\n\nWorst case, people can just record their screen while watching a movie legally.\n\nBest case, people just remove it.\n\nIt's only an inconvenience for the legal buyer. Same goes for games (aside from Denuvo, which hasn't been cracked yet and actually has stopped piracy, ... | null |
h2qqq | How is the "RNA World Hypothesis" generally viewed in the scientific community? | [
{
"answer": "The first paper on it, from 1986, has been cited over 900 times. That's a lot.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "I don't know how often it is referenced, but I think it is a viable hypothesis of the origin of organisms. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "In astrobiolo... | null |
7zpetu | what is germany doing differently then america where america is trillions of dollars in debt while germany has a several billion dollar surplus? | [
{
"answer": "In the EU, there is a rule that requires every country to either keep it's debt below 60% of gdp, or actively on decreasing it.\n\nNow, enforcement here has been generally lax, but it tightened up with the financial crisis. Since Germany is above the debt limit (a result of the reunification), they... | null |
378ly5 | how is it possible that military aircraft like the b-52 are still in service? do they just replace all the computers? | [
{
"answer": "There are modernization programs to upgrade avionics, weaponry, etc. One of the most extreme examples is the mig-21 which has been flying for quite some time with occasional upgrades to the electronics. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Yes, they upgrade the planes over time. The ai... | null |
9r3zpr | Is someone trying to develop electric airplanes? | [
{
"answer": "Unless there is an unprecedented breakthrough in battery technology, electric airplanes replacing regular commercial jets isn't something that's going to happen.\n\nThis is due to the fact that fossil fuels have a very high energy density compared to batteries. High end lithium ion batteries clock ... | null |
2k0esw | are all neutrinos majorana particles? | [
{
"answer": "We don't know yet if neutrinos are Majorana particles, but if they are, then all of them are, because they are excitations of the same field.\n\nIf neutrinos are Majorana, then the lepton number is not conserved. It is easy to see this if you consider a pair production of a neutrino and an antineut... | null |
2xqv6a | would it be possible to change a planet's atmosphere, terrain, etc enough to make it capable of supporting life | [
{
"answer": "Yes. There have been pretty detailed discussions of how to terraform Venus, Mars, and some of Jupiter's moons for Human life. The problem in most cases is the cost - they are almost always immensely complicated and long-term plans (on the order of centuries if not millenia). But it's certainly poss... | null |
6xdyo1 | why are americans needing to crowdfund disaster relief efforts whenever they occur (katrina, sandy, harvey)? does the us really not have money aside for such things? | [
{
"answer": "It is there, it's just not quite as large as it needs to be, and many times the fund is kind of a, here is food and water and shelter you're Good, they ask for money to rebuild their home and lives not just survive in a tent",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "America does have disaste... | null |
53qv7g | why do bathroom scales give incorrect readings when placed on carpet? | [
{
"answer": "bathroom scales us a spring if they're mechanical or a load cell that's basically a spring with a little electronic sensor on it if they're digital. the spring deflects when you stand on it, and the readout is a gauge that measures the deflection of a spring and displays it in units you can underst... | null |
2k20s4 | when i want to type an apostrophe, i would hit the key next to the enter key on my keyboard and get this character ' but why does this alternate character ’ show up in text that i have copied off the web? are they meant to be used interchangeably? | [
{
"answer": "The prevailing wisdom is ' should be used for feet or minutes, while the curlier ’ should be used as a quote or apostrophe.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "692735",
"title": "Alt key",
"section": "Section::::... | null |
1rckb4 | what happened at dunkirk, and why are the french held in unfavorable light in regards to it? | [
{
"answer": "The BEF (British Expeditionary Force) was holding its own but the French forces to their south fell back. This put the BEF in danger of being surrounded and cut off so they had to fall back. They fell back to Dunkirk where over 300k British soldiers were rescued, minus their heavy equipment, by a... | null |
6i0g3k | how do companies perform background checks on prospective employees? | [
{
"answer": "For most private companies, it is typically a check of your references, your past employers, your criminal convictions, a credit check, and/or a social media search.\n\nFor a government job, it can include a thorough criminal check, including criminal records beyond convictions that are not publica... | null |
82blbf | why is tanning viewed as attractive when any kind of tanning is bad for you? | [
{
"answer": "Pale skin used to be fashionable because tans were a sign of being someone who worked outdoors with manual labour, whereas paleness indicated a level of luxury.\n\nConversely, these days people are typically lumped into office/shop/inside jobs so having a tan implies a life of luxury like going on ... | null |
3raxvc | If Jordan is a mostly Sunni country, why is it a big deal that the king can trace his lineage back to the prophet Mohammed, pbuh? | [
{
"answer": "The Shia/Sunni divide was mainly a debate about who should lead the faithful after Muhammad's death (which then lead to further splits on mainly judicial and interpretive issues).\n\nSo while the Sunni do not believe that the leader of the faithful must be a descendant of Muhammad, his family does ... | null |
1hks9o | Can anyone help u/nochains identify some Nazi memorabilia? | [
{
"answer": "Those are *Kragenspiegel* (collar patch) from a SS uniform, specifically from [*SS-Totenkopfverbände*](_URL_0_). These were units tasked with the administration of concentration camps.\n\n[SS-Scharführer in Mauthausen](_URL_1_)",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "The second one is most... | null |
8i06cv | what determined the age groups for ratings on media such as movies, games and tv shows? | [
{
"answer": "This is not a perfect answer, but it paints a picture on how these standards are influenced by social norms, history, politics and so on _URL_0_",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "13673176",
"title": "Million Dollar Pas... | null |
24gd28 | How do our skin cells stay together so that they form a solid surface? | [
{
"answer": "Skin cells -- formally, [squamous epithelial cells](_URL_0_) -- form [interlocking pieces](_URL_2_), kind of like puzzle pieces, that are held together by protein structures called [desmosomes](_URL_1_) -- sort of intercellular velcro. The surface isn't really all that solid either; it's fairly por... | null |
2uj3ed | Was Martin Luther (the reformist) sexist? | [
{
"answer": "Judging historical figures against modern morality and norms is generally not a good idea. Specifically in regards to sexist ideas, the overwhelming majority of historical figures prior to the mid 20th century would be considered sexist just by adhering to the beliefs of their times.",
"provena... | null |
179tet | Whats known about the pre-Christian religions in Poland? What happened to them? | [
{
"answer": "To add to this question. Lithuania was the last country in Europe to give up Slavic Paganism ~1000AD(?). When did other countries do so and were they official transitions or simply the effects of missionary work?\n\nEDIT: thank you all for the responses!",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answe... | null |
e6c8eg | why aren’t there drug dealers for insulin? | [
{
"answer": "Insulin is harder to produce. If I remember right it is made with engineered yeast or bacteria.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "21091725",
"title": "Insulin (medication)",
"section": "Section::::Principles.\n... | null |
3p8bbz | What about black and white film makes it easier than color film? | [
{
"answer": "If you are interested in a historical perspective, we're doing a joint AMA with /r/AskHistorians on 10/22 on the History of Science! I encourage you to pop by and ask your question about the history of film there as well! ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "There are a couple reasons ... | null |
3vthdu | 4d shapes | [
{
"answer": "There is no reason you need to or should be able to visualize it.\n\n4D shapes are entirely a mathematical construct. Just understand what they are/what properties they have.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "I don't really understand this concept well enough to thoroughly explain it... | null |
33hotn | What were the religious beliefs of the Varangian Guard and how did they interact with the religion of the Byzantine Empire? | [
{
"answer": "The Varangian Guard originated as settlers and emigres from Northern Europe who traveled southwards and sold their services as mercenaries to the wealthy nobles around the Volga River, the Caspian Sea, and the Black Sea. \n\nThroughout the history of the later Byzantine Empire the emperor became mo... | null |
7tjfkv | How would blood react in extreme cold (-40 c or less)? Would it clot up faster, would it flow normally, or would it just freeze? | [
{
"answer": "From my understanding, the blood plasma would freeze, even though it’s freezing point is lower than pure water. The RBCs would rupture die to water forming ice crystals inside of it and expanding. WBCs would act the same. \nAll of that would happen if it was just exposed to the environment directly... | null |
plwtb | Why did the North Koreans not choose to revolt during and after the event of the N.K. Famine? | [
{
"answer": "Because as far as the general populace is concerned their problems aren't a result of the leadership's actions.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "They blamed others for it ~ specifically they blame the United States. The North Korean propaganda machine is strong and has instilled in ... | null |
88loh4 | How developed are the chicks inside eggs when they're laid? | [
{
"answer": "It takes just a little [over 1 day](_URL_1_) after a chicken's egg has been fertilized (or not) until the egg is laid. At that point, the yolk of a fertilized egg contains a [blastoderm](_URL_2_) of a few dozen cells. It is just enough to tell if an egg [is fertilized or not](_URL_0_) to the naked ... | null |
67e46x | why is it more difficult for a lefty batter to hit a lefty pitcher, then a right handed batter to hit a right handed pitcher | [
{
"answer": "Practice. \n\nAt the end of the day there are far more right handed pitchers to practice against than left handed pitchers. \n\n",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "It's not. It's easier for either to hit the opposite, so easier for lefty to hit righty, and vice versa. The reason is ... | null |
2eefn7 | why does ingesting grapefruit and grapefruit juice interfere with my anti-anxiety medication? | [
{
"answer": "I've come to the conclusion that grapefruit is a drug. And has drug interactions.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "It affects how effectively your body absorbs the medication.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Grapefruit, or more specifically an enzyme in grapefruit, ... | null |
15recj | For tidal power generation, what is the prime source of energy that is being tapped? Is it the potential energy between the earth and the moon? If so, is tide power slowly pulling the moon into the earth? | [
{
"answer": "Tides are caused by the Earth spinning relative to the Moon. Friction between water and land slows the Earth very slightly. So the energy used is the kinetic energy of the Earth.\n\nWe will not move the Moon, instead by dampening the waves (if you will excuse the pun) we are slowing the Earth in it... | null |
3g86ds | how/why putin is not considered a dictator? (or at least the head of an authoritarian regime?) | [
{
"answer": "Putin is indeed considered a dictator in some political circles, and his policies and media utterances are looking a lot like fascism. However, there are diplomatic reasons why politicians use more moderate language. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{... | null |
mwoaw | Is it possible to program an unbeatable chess algorithm? | [
{
"answer": "This might be better suited for /r/chess. But you may want to read into the concept of a [solved game](_URL_0_). A game is considered \"solved\" if there is an algorithm like you describe that will always lead to a win. Tic tac toe, for instance, is solved. So is checkers.\n\nAs of now, chess i... | null |
1508ch | Does the ovary that releases the egg rotate every month during ovulation? Can an ovary accidentally release multiple eggs? | [
{
"answer": "Which ovary releases the egg per month is [apparently random](_URL_0_). That link describes the process by which this occurs, but if it was **TL;DR:** Hormones stimulate the growth of follicles across both ovaries, but usually one side outpaces the other. Sensitivity to the ongoing hormone release ... | null |
2sih7a | why are there no full bulletproof body armours, or why are they not being used? | [
{
"answer": "You would more or less have to look like this:\n\n_URL_0_\n\nAnd that's very very heavy, and very very cumbersome. Imagine wearing this suit hours and hours, every day, for years and years. It just can't be done. \n\nPlus, you'd be giving up a whole load of other safety measures, like being able to... | null |
2qbgbz | why do amazon's prices fluctuate so drastically? | [
{
"answer": "Vendor with the cheap price sold out, and it automatically displays the next lowest price from the other vendors ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "[Amazon adjusts prices 2.5+ million times daily using algorithms](_URL_0_)",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"pr... | null |
4x6ahd | why do almost all police cars have the same wheels/rims? | [
{
"answer": "Most US police forces buy cars specifically made for the police force or buy cars in fleets. This means police generally buy multiple cars of the same car model. \n\n",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Often times it's because they're the lowest, base-model, steel rims available for t... | null |
ktxz3 | How do physicists prove the existence of subatomic particles? | [
{
"answer": "It really depends on the particle in question. For instance, the existence of the neutrino was first made obvious when it was noticed that in beta decay (a neutron decaying to a proton + electron), the electron emitted could have a range of energies/momenta, whilst the proton remains fairly station... | null |
6vildx | Did the Romans discover South America? | [
{
"answer": "Did the Romans have ships capable of crossing the Atlantic?",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "The short answer is there is no historical evidence for any sort of substantial or prolonged contact between Rome and the Americas; that is to say, there is no surviving account of an expedi... | null |
23vppo | what do scalpers do with unsold tickets? | [
{
"answer": "They generally don't have unsold tickets. After the event starts they will likely drop the price to get rid of them to any bargain shoppers still hanging around.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "1676368",
"title": "Ti... | null |
azvlsq | how do researchers get schedule 1 substances for studies? | [
{
"answer": "From regulated suppliers, for example \n\n_URL_0_",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "26787729",
"title": "UIC College of Pharmacy",
"section": "Section::::Academic programs.:Doctor of Philosophy Programs.\n",
... | null |
1tch1o | if bank check security features have been developed after decades of check fraud how can we now take pictures of checks to deposit them? | [
{
"answer": "Balance of risk of fraud vs attracting customers. And u can only deposit 1000 max with a photoed check",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Even if some one gets a fake check into there account it will be caught eventually (usually within 2 days) and the money will be removed from sai... | null |
63sth2 | Are all tetrahedral molecules non polar? | [
{
"answer": "It's more about the symmetry of the charges than the geometry that determine whether something is polar. For example water is bent and it is polar but it's not just the fact that it's bent that let's you say aha its polar. You need to consider electronegativity. Oxygen's electronegativity is much h... | null |
26fx5d | what does full development/maturity of the human brain really mean? | [
{
"answer": "25 is the age for men. Women mature slightly earlier.\n\nThis refers specifically to frontal lobe development, which doesn't finish until the body is firmly done with puberty.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Generally it means that the person becomes less impulsive and weighs risks... | null |
56wol3 | why do most perishables expire in exactly 24 hours, one month, one year, etc? is this a coincidence or are they just rounding up/down, and if so then what validates expiration? | [
{
"answer": "They do no such thing. I have never had perishable expire in just 24 hours, and I rarely ever see any that expire in exactly a month. If they last more than 2 months they are not perishables so no perishable expires at a year. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Expiration dates are a... | null |
aeimh9 | How do we designate stellar areas? | [
{
"answer": "Since each planet and moon has a unique name, wouldn't it be enough to say \"Base 6, Luna, Sol system, Milky Way galaxy, Laniakea Supercluster\"? I mean, it doesn't seem relevant if the base is on a moon or a planet, as long as you know the name of the celestial body. Perhaps you're asking whether ... | null |
2y5zy8 | How bright does the Earth's core glow? | [
{
"answer": "Assuming black-body radiation. Since Earth's core temperature is quite close to Sun's surface temperature (both around 6000 K), imagine standing on the surface of the Sun.\n\nOr to put it into perspective, we can use the brightness data from [the wikipedia page on Sun.](_URL_0_) It says the luminan... | null |
1sgv7u | Is it possible to bring a dead cell/tissue back to life without using any kind of living cells/tissues? | [
{
"answer": "Exactly what do you mean? On the cellular/molecular level, the definition of \"life\" gets a bit dodgy. \n\nThere are some ways your question could be answered \"yes,\" though. Humans are brought \"back from the dead\" after brain death. \n\nThings like cells, bacteria, and simple organisms can be ... | null |
1v6pc8 | difference between angel investors and venture capitalists | [
{
"answer": "Angel Investors generally provide the capital to get a venture off the ground. Legal startup costs, proposals, grants applications and such. Venture capitalists provide the funds necessary to launch and sustain the venture until it can generate revenue by itself.\n\nAngels generally have more risk ... | null |
54nsec | if you killed someone on the four corners monument, which state's laws would you be prosecuted with? | [
{
"answer": "[Slightly NSFW.](_URL_0_) \n \nSince it's a serious crime that is inter-state, the federal government will likely step in. \n \nAlso, it's a national monument and in Indian Reservation territory, even more reason for it to be the FBI. \n \nDouble also, simply searching Google about this (\"f... | null |
1kavqo | I'm debating with someone about the Big Bang, they are saying it can't be true because of the Law of the Conservation of Angular Momentum. | [
{
"answer": "Can you provide more information as to how they believe it contradicts the Big Bang?",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Nothing about the big bang theory contradicts conservation of angular momentum. Without more explanation of their argument, we can't really give you a better explana... | null |
zuw03 | A question about voyager entering intergalactic space | [
{
"answer": "As HoldingTheFire says, the velocity is basically the vector sum of the earths movement and the movement relative to earth. So, it will indeed be dragged along relative to us, unless it hits something which is unlikely.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
... | null |
geybv | What would happen to you if you were to consume 5lbs of sugar all at once? | [
{
"answer": "The LD50 of sucrose in rats is 30g/kg. Five pounds of sugar is about 2268 grams. You'd hit the LD50 at about 75lbs of body weight.\n\nThe LD50 in rats is per [wikipedia.](_URL_0_) Not being an expert, I can't do much with this information. I just don't know enough about the rat/human LD50 equivalen... | null |
10urcp | the concept of qualia. | [
{
"answer": "Basically, it's the belief that every person perceives things differently. For example, when we're little, we're taught that a certain color is red. You and I both agree that that color is called red. When we see it at a traffic light, we both know when to stop because we both know that as red. But... | null |
3jacmg | what is the difference between "all of our servers are busy" and "we took too long to make this page" error pages on reddit? | [
{
"answer": "From our standpoint as users, nothing at all. From Reddit's standpoint, one of them means the backend computers told them \"sorry too busy\" and the other means that the backend didn't respond at all.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikiped... | null |
1kp812 | Why did Israel give back the conquered territories of the six day war? | [
{
"answer": "As for why they won, a few points:\n\n1. Momentum. Israel attacked after Egypt advanced into the Sinai, without waiting for the actual attack. This allowed the IAF to effectively control the air over the Middle East throughout the war, making Arab advances difficult.\n* Better planning. This is ... | null |
19s76j | why don't dogs' paws get extremely cold in the snow? | [
{
"answer": "I've heard that the pads of dogs and cats paws can get frost bitten and extremely dry. So they recommend putting booties on dogs if the temperature is incredibly low and lotion on their paws or something to keep them from getting too chapped",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Their p... | null |
5ry0ff | Who were the marine paratroopers? | [
{
"answer": "In May 1940, the acting director of the Division of Plans and Policies, U.S. Marine Corps, issued a memo asking for ideas about the employment of parachute troops. The training of groups of Marines to become paratroopers began in October 1940, and continued at a snail's pace; the 1st Parachute Batt... | null |
6c4xt8 | why do 3rd party travel sites often list rooms as available at hotels that claim they are fully booked? | [
{
"answer": "Because hotels often sell their vacant rooms to third part distributors for a discounted rate as to forgo the risk of not being able to fill them. \n\nIf I have 100 vacant rooms available for next weekend, I know I am unlikely to fill them all, so I sell them at a discount to a third party who will... | null |
1ik1yd | How was (or is) the authenticity of holy relics in the Catholic Church determined? | [
{
"answer": "(N.B. this is my first time posting in this subreddit. I've tried my best to follow the rules, but any advice on improvement would be graciously welcomed, thank you)\n\nFirst off, I notice you use the past tense, so let me clarify something really quick before jumping into the rest of my answer: ... | null |
67k0p6 | why is there usually a little 9 next to the gas price? | [
{
"answer": "I'm no expert but I believe that it's a well known rhetoric in social economics that people are naturally attracted to X.99 prices as opposed to X.00 prices. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "The price at gas stations is almost always with 9/10 of a cent. So it's actually 3.499 per... | null |
effwm6 | Why were top loading/side loading machine guns like the Madsen and MP-18 popular for a time then fall out of use? | [
{
"answer": "Top-loading machineguns like the Madsen and the plethora of designs we see in WW2 (ZB.26, Bren, Type 99, FM 24/29, etc) were intended for fire from static positions using the bipod. Being light machineguns, they were crew-served weapons, and doctrine of the time across most armies had the gunner's ... | null |
azhytg | “World War II in colour” is amongst the most famous modern documentaries covering the War, but does it have any glaring historical inaccuracies? | [
{
"answer": "I'm going to focus on Episode 2: Lightning War. \n\nI wouldn't say that both of these are 100% false, but they are inaccuracies that play into pretty standard tropes of the war that remove some of the nuance that I think is necessary in studying the conflict.\n\n The episode details what it calls ... | null |
mzek7 | why devices like ipods or zunes die quicker depending on how loud they output music | [
{
"answer": "The device needs to make a 'prominent' signal.\n\nBasically, it's converting electricity into sound energy. A louder sound energy needs more energy to produce.\n\nLouder sounds needing more energy is intuitive too. Making things move needs energy since you're affecting the world with physical motio... | null |
18yb1i | common forms of democratically electing officials. | [
{
"answer": "The truth is that there's no *best* way to run an election. There's several different ways, but each of them has advantages and disadvantages and many will work for some countries better than they will for others. There's also an argument to be made that we don't always want the government to repre... | null |
2zld7s | what is the actual story behind the theory that the us invaded the middle east for oil? | [
{
"answer": "There is no story.\n\nThe trade of oil is important to the economy. If it were to stop, there would be chaos. This is why the US has a massive oil storage (so that in the event of a temporary disruption, the economy won't come grinding to a halt).\n\nInstability in the middle east causes threat to ... | null |
1oj944 | how are tv shows such as "bar rescue", or any of the home renovation/makeover shows able to afford these huge and i would assume expensive renovations? | [
{
"answer": "I'm sure it's like extreme makeover where sure, you get it for free but then they get stuck with the taxes on everything. There's a lot of money made in commercials and endorsements though. Plenty enough to cover the part they pay",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "The short answer is... | null |
4ulyaw | what's with so many movies/tv shows using the same coffee cups? | [
{
"answer": "[Here's a brief history.](_URL_0_). The cup does have a name.\n\nSimply put, it's recognizable and simple. Movies often include the Wilhelm Scream as well, for no other reason than it's a tradition. Like games have Easter Eggs, so do movies. In fact, if you watch many famous directors' films, y... | null |
5hpyet | how does google maps know if there is "an accident on i-85 s is causing 30 min delays"? | [
{
"answer": "Google pays for access to official government traffic info, in addition to crowd sourced info like Waze. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "They have access to official Department of Transportation cameras and reporting\n\nThey have access to local news reporting\n\nAnd, due to the ... | null |
1s88h5 | Economics after the French revolution | [
{
"answer": "Is this a homework question? It says in our rules:\n\n > Our users aren't here to do your homework for you, but they might be willing to help. Remember: AskHistorians helps those who help themselves. Don't just give us your essay/assignment topic and ask us for ideas. Do some research of your own,... | null |
401lb1 | Why wasn't Hanover incorporated into the UK? | [
{
"answer": "I actually have written about this topic a bit before: _URL_0_ \n\nThe thing to remember is that there was a personal union, not a political union, although Hanover's foreign policy and government in exile were at different periods run out of London. Hanover was a possession of the crown, but had i... | null |
dptmv8 | how do recruitment agencies, such as lucas group, work in terms of finding you a job? do you pay them from your future salary, or are they even legit? | [
{
"answer": "Agencies like this are paid a fee by the company they have been contracted by. They will help you prepare your resume, highlight your skills and send you for interviews they have set-up with the contracted companies. If they say that you have to pay them, or owe them a part of the wage then it’s no... | null |
1oz9q3 | How did people of different religions interact in the ancient world? For example, how did the Roman adherents feel about Egyptian beliefs? Was there religious controversy? | [
{
"answer": "Using Herodotus as a source, the Ancient Greeks seemed to have viewed other polytheistic religions as being pretty much equivalent to their own. Sure, other cultures might worship in a different manner, not worship some gods, but, you know, no big deal. Here's some stuff from Herodotus' Histories, ... | null |
d1c67c | Did an Ionian Crusade happen? | [
{
"answer": "Do you have any more information about this book? I can't seem to find anything about it, but I imagine it might be in Greek?\n\nIn any case, Matteo (or Maio) is a rather enigmatic figure. It's not clear that he was really an Orsini, or where he was from. He may have just been some random irate tha... | null |
4ny6w3 | How much did the Mashal plan, and things like it contribute to the recovery of Europe and Japan post WWII? | [
{
"answer": "It was quite helpful. While it only constituted roughly 5% of the GDP of the areas in which it was rolled out, as a morale boost, it had a tremendous effect. America emerged from the war with a GDP worth about 45% of the world's. It was largely untouched by bombs (Pearl Harbor and the Aleutians asi... | null |
2sino3 | How does the elemental composition of 'average' planets change over a universe's lifetime? | [
{
"answer": "I think the answer to your question is kind of tricky, since it is a fantasy universe, you could say the planet has a platinum core for magical reasons. \n\nIn the real universe, iron is the heaviest element in any abundance because anything heavier is formed by relatively rare events like supernov... | null |
e29rnk | Did medieval cities have addresses like we do today? | [
{
"answer": "This being the European Middle Ages, the land where people spelled their name however they felt like that particular day (Beutler, Buetler, Beutlerin, Buttler, Bettlerein, Bütler...), it should not come as a surprise that addresses were likewise, shall we say, *less than systematic.*\n\nA good exam... | null |
1u7d1e | Were there any Roman stone castles? | [
{
"answer": "Yes, of course. The great [Theodosian Land Walls](_URL_0_) of Constantinople are perhaps the most notable examples of Roman achievement in fortifications. Many technical innovations in Western castle construction came after experiences in the East, on crusade.",
"provenance": null
},
{
... | null |
inp4f | Is plant breeding and animal domestication considered evidence of evolution? | [
{
"answer": "Yes. Although the primary force of evolution driving changes in domesticated organisms is artificial selection rather than natural selection (at least initially). ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "796412",
"title": "E... | null |
3so9jm | what is the difference between a sponsorship and an advertisement? | [
{
"answer": "What you're referring to is more frequently called underwriting. \"Underwriting\" and \"sponsoring\" can usually be used interchangeably (some organizations draw distinctions, though), but the FCC sets the rules for broadcasters and they call it underwriting. \n\nWhen you pay for an advertisement, ... | null |
1z77ky | Why were book titles of the 19th and 18th century so long, as well as give away the plot? | [
{
"answer": "We discussed this quite a bit in my 18th Century British Novel class. You're on the right track with advertising. The long titles got people interested and piqued their curiosity. Also, keep in mind that the 18th century marked the very beginnings of the novel itself. Up until then, there were none... | null |
42mbd9 | why is being on your tippy toes so important to ballet? | [
{
"answer": "Pointe technique (French: [pwɛ̃t tɛknik]) is the part of classical ballet technique that concerns pointe work, in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully extended feet. A dancer is said to be en pointe when the dancer's body is supported in this manner, and a fully exten... | null |
zrp2w | Wednesday AMA | World War One, Early 20th C. English Literature | [
{
"answer": "Ok. So there's this comedian, can't recall him name though, who talked about the reasons behind WW1. He had a narrative going linking supposed German railroad ambitions between Berlin and Baghdad and abundance of oil in \"Mesopotamia\". Then he went on to describe WW1 as the invasion of Iraq by Bri... | null |
fjoop6 | How popular were Jainism and Buddhism across the Indian subcontinent around 769 AD? | [
{
"answer": "While it's hard to speak with certainty for this time period in particular, it's unlikely Jainism was the dominant belief system in India at this time. A more convincing argument could be made for Buddhism as the dominant tradition among the ruling class, while the faith of the people had likely re... | null |
1lbwu4 | how you become eligible to be knighted and the process that follows | [
{
"answer": "I thought you had to be british, and have done something the queen recognized as worthwhile for the country (business, sport, celebrity, etc)",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "The most common Order of Chivalry is The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, which has five \"ranks.... | null |
tqy5s | Why do bags of chocolate inflate in the freezer? | [
{
"answer": "it contains water.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "7089",
"title": "Chocolate",
"section": "Section::::Production.:Storage.\n",
"start_paragraph_id": 81,
"start_character": 0,
"end_par... | null |
3cblnr | why did different species of leaves evolve to be different? especially if they are from the same place, what's the point? | [
{
"answer": "Things don't evolve 'because of a point,' evolution is a random process that occurs generation to generation. Natural selection tends to favor beneficial outcomes, which makes it look 'after the fact' like things have evolved specifically to fit their circumstances. \n\nSince the species you are re... | null |
30yqy2 | To what extent were Nelson's manoeuvres at the Battle of Trafalgar influenced by the tactical genius of Admiral Ackbar? | [
{
"answer": "The tactics of the Rebellion are built more on speed than the perfidious Nelson. The Rebellion did not have the level of ship building nor material advantage to fight a large and lumbering opponent. I would argue that their tactics are more based off of the Danes fTom The Gunboat War rather than Ne... | null |
8zz6c5 | what is the difference between movies and films? also directors and filmmakers? | [
{
"answer": "I forgot who said it but .... “a movie , you see and forget about in a day or even an hour after leaving the cinema. While A film, is a movie that you see and you think about weeks , months or even years after seeing it and it’s meaning is still more relevant to you than ever.”\n\nA director is a c... | null |
tgfni | If the moon was covered in a mirror like material would it look like a second sun? | [
{
"answer": "No, in the same sense that a reflecting metal ball under a lamp does not look like a second lamp.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "265006",
"title": "Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems",
"section"... | null |
4g8dre | During WW1 & 2, how were senior ranks in the new divisions filled? | [
{
"answer": "During WWII, most, if not all, of the commanders of the new infantry and armored divisions (on paper, major generals, but brigadier generals did serve as acting division commanders often) were career officers that had begun their military experience fighting on the ground as enlisted men or low-gra... | null |
5ywv4z | why were the the bodies of those who died of a fatal dose of radiation at the chernobyl disaster still considered toxic and buried in zinc lined coffins? | [
{
"answer": "Radioactive fallout \n\nWhen Chernobyl exploded it not only sent out massive amounts of radiation but also massive amounts of radioactive material (fallout) which landed in the surrounding area rendering everything it touched (including human bodies) radioactive. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
... | null |
16oruo | Does a prism divide beyond the visible spectrum? Beyond what we consider light? Where does the effect end, and what causes it to stop dividing the electromagnetic spectrum? | [
{
"answer": "Yes, this was actually how infrared radiation was discovered: someone (~~I forget who~~ William Herschel) noticed that a thermometer in the path of the refracted light would still heat up even if it was below the red part. Ultimately it is determined by the wavelength-dependent index of refraction.... | null |
1s9fhf | the difference between client, server, and driver. | [
{
"answer": "Client and Server are related to each other. In the simplest terms, a client is an application that takes input, sends data to a Server to be processed, gets returned information, and presents the output.\n\nA driver, on the other hand, is something related to hardware. It basically contains a mapp... | null |
1kgtrw | how do/did pirate radio stations get shut down? | [
{
"answer": "Probably using a dish antenna, like satellite TV uses, and triangulation. The antenna picks up signal strongest from where it is pointing at, so they take three readings from three different places and trace the lines back to the source. Assuming that the signal is all they have to go on, this migh... | null |
9w8tc9 | why do some religions prohibit contraceptives? | [
{
"answer": "Answer. Math. More children = more faithful followers. Like learning a language children are going to be the most receptive and impressionable. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "I grew up Mormon. While I don't think it was prohibited, it was very frowned upon. The reasoning I hear... | null |
17j3lc | how do different waves travel long distances without any distortion? (ex:radio, wi-fi, cellphones, space transmissions) | [
{
"answer": "Layman's version: There is distortion. Engineers make sure devices use enough power to overcome distortion.\n\nAdvanced: Engineers make a link budget that adds transmitter power output and antenna gains. Losses are included such as free space loss, attenuation, atmospheric lens loss, radome (or oth... | null |
1ocm6g | Do we know exactly which molecules fit in all our neurotransmitter receptors? | [
{
"answer": "No, there are a hell of a lot. We know a lot about a lot of them, which you can find (many of) on _URL_0_ the protein data bank. The thing is, because there are so many, and you have to crystallise each one to run xray crystallography on it to find out it's structure, or NMR on some smaller ones, i... | null |
2sc3ct | . will reclassification of internet as a utility have ramifications for personal privacy and government surveillance? | [
{
"answer": "It doesn't seem like there'd be *more* government monitoring, since they are already monitoring it as deeply as technically feasible.\n\nThe classification would not make a difference in that regard. The government already has laws governing how and when it can monitor your traffic. ISPs do not s... | null |
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