id stringlengths 5 6 | input stringlengths 3 301 | output list | meta null |
|---|---|---|---|
6whkb3 | if i touch a puddle that has an electrical cable in it, i'll get shocked. if i throw an electrical cable into the sea, why will not everything in the entire ocean become shocked? | [
{
"answer": "I believe it is either the density that gets smaller due to the large volume of the sea water, or energy loss during the travel?",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "When you are shocked it's from electrons flowing through your body. Electrons on a finite thing. There are only so many o... | null |
35ogut | What is taught about Stalin in Russia? | [
{
"answer": "As someone who has had Russian history and currently still posesses a book called 'The Book for Future Admirals' (aimed at 10-14 year old kids, part of the school history 'recommended reading list' as per 1994), I can only answer what was said in the book and my limited personal experience with the... | null |
4uo1s4 | I have a blanket that's fuzzy on one side and slick on the other side. When I lay under it fuzzy-side down, is it really keeping me warmer, or is it just my imagination? | [
{
"answer": "An important aspect to heating and insulation is 'dead air' which is trapped air. Air is a pretty good insulator and will trap heat effectively as long as it cannot move around. Comforter blankets are puffy for this very reason. While I can't say anything specific about your blanket, the fuzzy side... | null |
1hzh99 | Could/does epigenetics cause changes in genetic sequences over time? | [
{
"answer": "Epigenetics is more of a function of regulating gene expression, rather than making changes to the base pair sequences themselves. \n\nIn order for changes to be inherited, as you suggested above, it would indeed have to happen in gametes. However, there is evidence that epigenetic marks can influe... | null |
uxy8o | What are the effects of solar radiation or solar storms on electronics in space? | [
{
"answer": "Radiation causes two main types of issue in space electronics, each with several sub-categories. Broadly speaking, radiation can cause a temporary failure to occur (a \"soft error\") or it can cause permanent damage (a \"hard\" failure). There are several techniques to try to deal with each. I'll ... | null |
6nw7mf | When did American sports teams become so intricately connected to geographic regions? | [
{
"answer": "Can you clarify what you mean? Its not like teams and clubs in other nations don't have fan bases based on their locality among other factors. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "What gives you that impression? While I confess I'm not quite that up on sports organization outside of th... | null |
1e8m3l | How do we know that the first homo sapiens emerged in Africa and didn't just all move into Africa from Europe or the Middle East and then back out again? | [
{
"answer": "the species homo sapiens itself emerged from Africa. there were older, archaic populations in Europe and the middle east, but modern humans replaced them (and interbred with them in the case of neanderthals). This has been shown with genetic evidence. the most genetically diverse populations of ... | null |
c5o6yt | how were the adaptation of 5.56 nato rounds political? | [
{
"answer": "After WW2 different countries started looking into assault rifle rounds. It was a promising development for infantry arms. The Soviets had quickly developed their own 7.62x39mm in 1943 and were working hard to make it their mainstay. \n\nNATO countries looked at developing their own round. The US ... | null |
py1qe | How do you build large structures in violent water? | [
{
"answer": "I believe the nice folks over at [r/askengineers](_URL_0_) might have an answer to your question. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "The violent waves are likely only present during the Winter months. As such, building is done during the calmer, Summer months.",
"provenance": nul... | null |
1z53l9 | How does current Amish culture differ from very early Amish culture? | [
{
"answer": "Please no personal anecdotes people. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "That's somewhat difficult to answer, because [the Amish are very diverse](_URL_0_), especially if you throw in their Anabaptist cousins the Mennonites. People generally believe these folks want to preserve a cert... | null |
1js463 | how many combinations are possible for the unlock screen 9 dots on a droid phone. | [
{
"answer": "[According to Google engineering ](_URL_0_) there are **389,112** total sequences. Sequences are a minimum of 4 in length:\n\n > Not only are nodes connected by adjacency and knight's moves; they can also connect via 2 steps along a line, or a peg jump, if the middle point is already used. That mea... | null |
2rp7ln | why can't i draw mohammed? | [
{
"answer": "Muslims have a ban on art in general. Traditionally they aren't supposed to draw anything \"real\" because only allah is the creator. That is why most Islamic art is based around geometry. \n\n",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": " > Where is it written that Mohammed should not be draw... | null |
avvsbp | how is the wired transmission of data different than the wired transmission of electricity/power in terms of the physical properties of what is actually "sent" down the line? | [
{
"answer": "Transmitting electricity in order to power homes/devices can be done as either Alternating Current (AC) or Direct Current (DC). DC means the electricity only flows one way. AC means it quickly switches direction, usually 50 or 60 times per second depending on the country.\n\nAC is typically used fo... | null |
1wo7pt | Are there any energy sources that are known to us and exist within our planet but didn't get harvested yet? | [
{
"answer": "Thorium would make an excellent fuel for nuclear reactors, but no one has worked out all of the details of using it. India is working on the problem, I believe. The reason it would be great to use is that it is much harder to use the process and byproducts to create weapons. \n\nSo when you have a ... | null |
279cw7 | why is it so hard to understand when multiple people talk on things like skype or google hangouts but easy to understand when in person. | [
{
"answer": "You can determine the source of the sound when it's \"live\", but you cannot when you're listening to people talking through their microphones. They all talk at about the same volume as well.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "... | null |
1yco2m | What is the evolutionary explanation for having a network of neurons in our gut? | [
{
"answer": "That question can really only have speculative answers. Having a separate (but connected to the CNS) enteric nervous system frees the brain from having to control a lot of repetitive digestive tasks. In addition, the ENS still functions even when \"disconnected\" from the CNS. Basically, even if th... | null |
6672u1 | why does the red cross have so many restrictions on blood donations that involve travel to europe? i thought most european countries had a better healthcare system than the us. | [
{
"answer": "Because of outbreaks of mad cow disease that occurred in the UK, from 1986-1998, which killed hundreds of people and is pretty much impossible to detect if you're a carrier.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Its because you may have been infected by mad cow disease while eating there... | null |
1jmgd7 | Why is it that animals, such as gorillas, can gain large amounts of muscle mass naturally. Whereas humans need to physically make an effort to "get bigger"? | [
{
"answer": "Because humans and gorillas aren't the same species. Their muscles are adapted for force where ours are adapted for fine, precise control. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "22411733",
"title": "Growth hormone in sport... | null |
7693kl | What's the highest decibel sound we could possibly create? | [
{
"answer": "At 1atm background pressure, the highest sound pressure level possible is a little over 214 dB. This happens when the nulls in the pressure wave form a vacuum. If you exceed the energy needed to create such a sound, it will travel as a shock wave and not sound. \n\nThere are plenty of things in the... | null |
5gc3p9 | I've heard about western movies where the horses were deliberately injured or killed, and other mistreatment of animals. Does anyone have any examples of this, with specific movies/shows? | [
{
"answer": "The classic example of this was the 1939 film *Jesse James*. \nOne scene in the film involved sending a hoarse over a cliff. This scene ended up killing the horse (not from the fall, but rather the horse later drowned before it could be rescued from the body of water it had fallen into). This trig... | null |
47emok | how can lottery winners go broke having assets to sell? | [
{
"answer": "They probably DO sell their assets during their spiral back into poverty. People who regularly play the lottery are often not that fiscally responsible and are often harassed by both family and strangers due to their very public windfall (several have been killed over disputes with family who felt ... | null |
2pl8u1 | does a fireplace give of any adverse effects? | [
{
"answer": " > Does this mean the fireplace in my living room is heating the room due to thermal radiation?\n\nAssuming there's a fire in it, yes, at least in part. So are you, by being in the living room.\n\nEverything above absolute zero (in other words, everything) gives off thermal radiation. This is not a... | null |
4vyh78 | why does water soak upwards, appearing to ignore gravity? | [
{
"answer": "So you understand that gravity is pulling it down. The 'problem' is that it isn't obvious what exactly is pulling the water up! \n\nYour answer is the capillary effect. In a very broad sense, water molecules have a negative end and a positive end. Opposite (charges) attract, so all those water mole... | null |
22ae02 | what exactly does the "black box" from a airplane do or tell us? | [
{
"answer": "It gives us all of the data about the aircraft (location, speed, heading, altitude, systems performance/problems, etc.) and a recording of the voices in the cockpit for all of the time leading up to and through the crash.\n\nBasically it's a huge piece of the \"what the hell happened\" puzzle.\n\nI... | null |
4nqtbs | why do computers use red, green, and blue to create any color when the primary colors in "real life" are red, green, and yellow? | [
{
"answer": "Aren't the primary colors Red, Blue and yellow? ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Subtractive vs. additive colors. Short version, mixing pigments works different than mixing light wavelengths.\n\nLong version: [Here](_URL_0_)",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Red Blue... | null |
1xdv3m | how did eli5 go from a place to ask legitimate questions about complex topics to a place to air out one's own sociopolitical opinions like a dae question? | [
{
"answer": "It didn't, and such questions are explicitly banned: \n\n > Don't post just to express an opinion or argue a point of view. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "If you find a post that doesn't belong then downvote, report, and move on.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": n... | null |
2zde5t | AMA - Bronze Age Archaeology and History | [
{
"answer": "I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to time periods like bronze age,iron age etc....So,when exactly was the bronze age and what exactly is it's significance?",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "So the Sea Peoples... There are all kinds of theories about just who they were or where... | null |
crgg1f | how exactly can the u.s. "buy" greenland? | [
{
"answer": "It can't really. Both Denmark and the people of Greenland would have to agree it and both parties thoroughly don't have any reason to. It's just a situation where our idiot president is trying to figure out a way to make some positive press about himself. Plus he is a pompous toddler who thinks he ... | null |
7fijbd | what are the arguments for the insanity defense? | [
{
"answer": "The purpose of the criminal justice system is to get justice for the victims and hopefully rehabilitate the criminal into a productive member of society. You cant rehabilitate a crazy person by shoving them into a cell. They arent gonna magically stop being crazy once their sentence ends. Its not l... | null |
375f8f | why did ireland hold a popular referendum on same-sex marriage, as opposed to only passing it through parliament like countries such as the uk? | [
{
"answer": "Because in Ireland it needed a change in the constitution which specially protects marriage. A constitutional change can only be made via a referendum. The UK doesn't have a written constitution, nor are there any other laws requiring a referendum in such cases. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
... | null |
4ivntj | why does uploading slow down my whole internet? | [
{
"answer": "Downloading stuff is essentially a fast sequence of \n\n > \"Here's stuff you need to memorize, there's thing A, then thing B, then thing C, then... ...And finally, we have thing Z. Did you get all that?\"\n\n > \"Yeah\"\n\n > \"Okay, so, here's how it continues, there's thing 1, then there's th... | null |
34r0oy | why do you sleep in till noon even though you went to bed early? | [
{
"answer": "There are a few reasons:\n\n1. You need rest. Perhaps you have not slept enough recently. Or perhaps you are you and growing. Maybe you are sick.\n\n2. You are depressed.\n\n3. You aren't actually sleeping well. Your total actual sleep is not enough. This could be everything from a form of ins... | null |
2v8qsm | what is isis's endgame goal here, to terrorize people into believing muslim faith? | [
{
"answer": "Islam arose from a small tribe of desert warriors who achieved military victories against two ancient and powerful empires - the Romans and the Persians. It consolidated those victories and added those cultures to its Arabic roots, eventually fielding armies as far as Portiers in western Europe, th... | null |
39s6tv | How did the candle making industry respond to the invention of the lightbulb? | [
{
"answer": "Gas or oil lanterns were the primary means of illumination at that time, at least at any sort of scale",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "44017",
"title": "Candle",
"section": "Section::::History.:Modern era.\n"... | null |
f5w45c | what is a copycat suicide? | [
{
"answer": "Copycat suicide usually refers to someone killing themselves in the same manner as someone else, similar to copycat murder. So like, if someone who wants notoriety or admires the attention the suicide victim got, hears about how they went about it, goes out and uses the same technique to end their ... | null |
2i423p | if most cables are just copper wire, what makes one cable different from any other? | [
{
"answer": "Different numbers of wires in the cable, different wire thicknesses, and different amounts of shielding.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "There's a couple of variables. \n\nCAT5 cable for example is twisted pair cabling. Inside the CAT5 cable there are 4 pairs of wire that have been... | null |
2o91sv | How would a peasant in medieval times learn that his king was dead? | [
{
"answer": "A tag on question: Do a peasant even care that his king was dead? or Do peasants even know who their king was?",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "hi! you may be interested in some previous related posts\n\n* [If you were a peasant living in the countryside during the Middle Ages and ... | null |
2412fv | why do humans get floating spots in their eyes when they look at the sun for too long? | [
{
"answer": "The cells in your eyes trigger synapses by releasing chemicals. Enough chemical gets released and it saturated the receptors leaving a lingering visual artifact that will clear once the chemical clears out.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"... | null |
34ksj9 | Were there successful tunnels connecting east and west berlin? | [
{
"answer": "There were and still are: the U-Bahn. Several stations were bricked up and their tunnels narrowed so that at least one line from the west could still run under Alexanderplatz without being rebuilt.\n\nIn 1987 or so there was a TV series about subway systems in various cities -- New York, Seoul, Mad... | null |
761xqi | why does it take babies such a long time to learn basic motor skills compared to animals that are able to do it close within a month or even as soon as they're born? | [
{
"answer": "The human brain is amazingly complicated, more so than that of pretty much any other land critter. In order for that to work, we need big heads. The problem with this is that the human pelvis is too narrow to squeeze out a baby if the baby's head were much bigger than it is, so the brain is less de... | null |
84hfbp | how does expelling diplomats from your country punish the other country more than yours? | [
{
"answer": "It's really more about the diplomats being, or enabling, spies. If they're not inside your country, it's a lot harder for them to do that. Also, the purpose of the embassy isn't as much about relations between the government of the UK and Russia, it's more about the businesses of the UK and Russia.... | null |
k5dh2 | Supposing the human eye was capable of processing infrared light, ultraviolet light etc. what would be be seeing? | [
{
"answer": "We already do have photoreceptors that detect different ranges of electromagnetic radiation. We call them cones: _URL_0_\n\nIf we had another type of cone, we would see a wider spread of electromagnetic radiation (assuming that our anatomy also adapted to this type of light).\n\n",
"provenance"... | null |
4lnwce | why are antibiotic resistant bacteria such a big deal? shouldn't the immune system be able to fight bacteria without the aid of antibiotics? | [
{
"answer": "No... we should be dying a lot faster than we are.\n\nOne of the big points of civilization was that we stopped dying to disease as much as nature intended. We *killed* one of the four horseman of the Apocalypse!...\n\nExcept that we didn't... or at least the horseman is swinging back with a venge... | null |
94hrem | how do the currency exchange store gain profit? | [
{
"answer": "Take a cut of the traded amount. \nTrade in a dollar for 2 pounds and they might take a 20 p cut leaving you with 1.80",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "You have 5 cookies. \n\n\nYou want 2 muffins. \n\n\nEvery one knows that 1 muffin = 2 cookies. \n\n\nI tell you that I'll trade yo... | null |
27i9ej | In the interviews of the first Band of Brothers episode, someone says 4 guys from his hometown committed suicide because they couldn't enlist for WWII. Was this common throughout the country? Or is there any record of this happening? | [
{
"answer": "[Band of Brothers clip in question.](_URL_2_)\n\nAside from the overwhelming feeling of guilt one might place on themselves for not being able to fight for their country in a time of need, I've read several accounts of stigma against males who didn't go to war for any number of reasons. I wouldn't ... | null |
kj2b2 | Is there an evolutionary/practical reason for males to have a sexual refractory period? | [
{
"answer": "It actually comes from the way our penis is shaped. The head of the penis is designed to push out rival semen from a vagina. If there was no refractory period between sex, we would be constantly pushing our own sperm out. That would reduce the chance of conception. ",
"provenance": null
}... | null |
ca668t | Do women have a better sense of smell than men? | [
{
"answer": "This got me interested so I did a quick bit of research and found this: _URL_0_ \n\nIt’s a pretty small sample size but interesting nonetheless. This doesn’t prove that women smell better than men but the fact that they have more olfactory neurons & non-neuronal cells would support this idea. Thi... | null |
1f9e8q | Did a celebrity culture exist in the Middle Ages? | [
{
"answer": "Abelard (1079-1142) is one example of a medieval celebrity, at least insofar as he and his lover Heloise depict him in his *Historia calamitatum* or [*Story of My Misfortunes*] (_URL_1_) and her letters. Besides the hoards of students he attracted, he was a popular musician. He says this about hi... | null |
1aiqj0 | What society was the first to develop a financial market (stocks, securities, bonds, etc)? | [
{
"answer": "The first center of modern banking and commerce as you recognize it was Amsterdam around the 16th century. \n\nI don't know enough about it off hand to give you a detailed answer, but you can do some bibliography mining on wiki to get you started. \n\n[Link](_URL_0_)",
"provenance": null
},
... | null |
3o36s3 | Would the low Atmospheric Pressure on Mars make it easy to walk in heavy winds? | [
{
"answer": "So for wind the force felt is a drag force, given by F = mdot*V = rho*V^2 *A. During the storm they claimed that it would hit the escape vehicle with a force of approximately 9600 N. If we assume the vehicle is about 20 times larger than them, and they have an average mass of about 70 kg, then they... | null |
igk56 | (thought experiment) What is the biggest possible living organism? | [
{
"answer": "Here's a great paper relevant to this. _URL_0_",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Just to give a scale of what has already been achieved ;):\n\n > The largest living fungus may be a honey fungus[83] of the species Armillaria ostoyae.[84] A mushroom of this type in the Malheur National... | null |
2x8zi3 | if the moon has no atmosphere, why couldn't you make a satellite that orbits one inch off the ground? | [
{
"answer": "The satellite has to be essentially falling perpendicular to the surface of the moon to maintain orbit and escape velocity. No atmosphere just eliminates air resistance for the satellite which in turn would lower the velocity requirements of the object to maintain an orbit because there is less to ... | null |
azec28 | why are my (f) nipples censored but not male nipples? | [
{
"answer": "I think its mainly down to the sexualisation of the female chest compared with the male chest. A topless man isn’t seen to be sexual, compared to a topless female. Its been that way for a long time, so it will probably take a long time before it equals its self out. Just my two cents though. ",
... | null |
34aepx | how do people keep large predators as pets? | [
{
"answer": "Are you referring to legally, or practically?\n\nLegally, if you have enough money, there are ways of owning basically any animal you want. In some countries, it's far easier.\n\nPractically, like any other animal. Train them, tame them, keep them well fed, and in a strong cage. \n\nWith that said,... | null |
ph52t | what is the fair trade movement and where is it headed? | [
{
"answer": "Fair trade is paying labor more than the market has determined they're worth.\n\nIf it got more popular, things would get a LOT more expensive very fast, and anyone with a low skill service job would suffer immensely while low skilled labor in manufacturing and farming would probably benefit somewh... | null |
fwuzj | Regarding Plank units, I just noticed an incredible pattern. Is this just coincidence or is there a deeper reason for it? | [
{
"answer": "I have no idea what you're talking about.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Planck units are just units defined solely from physical constants (ie, they aren't defined based on anything from human history like seconds, meters, kilograms, etc are). They don't \"mean\" anything. Devi... | null |
1dnky5 | If you attach a running jet engine to the inside a completely sealed and indestructible box with wheels, will the box move? | [
{
"answer": "Look at it from the outside of the (sealed) box: there is a box. \n\nWhy would it move?",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "It starts like this with the jet in the middle of the box:\n\n I J I\n\nThen the jet turns on. It pushes air to the left and moves to the right\n\n ... | null |
2e7241 | What did polygamous sects/cultures do with all the "superfluous" young men? | [
{
"answer": "This has been asked before.\n\n_URL_0_\n\nIn summary, in societies where polygamy was accepted but not common, competition was kept down by a combination of\n\n1. Only very rich men being able to afford multiple wives.\n2. Men dying in war or in dangerous occupations such as mining\n\nIn societies ... | null |
2c160d | In 18th century Europe, how was artillery deployed offensively during battle? | [
{
"answer": "All the way back in the 17^th century Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus sort of revolutionised the usage of artillery by equipping his infantry with light and mobile pieces for direct support. Then during the latter half of the 18^th century we have another revolution in artillery, thanks to the Frenc... | null |
6o0w32 | why are mating rituals, such as octopuses ripping off a tentacle or a praying mantis eating the males head, passed down? do they just learn it by instinct? | [
{
"answer": "First, your examples are not mating *rituals*. They are mating behaviours.\n\nOctopus rips off ~~tentacle~~ arm, because that arm (called *hectocotylus*) is actually an autonomous female-seeking semen carrier (yes, octopuses are *that* freaking weird/awesome). Praying mantis female simply would ea... | null |
f5x0td | How 'absolutist' vs 'feudal' was the Carolingian Frankish Kingdom? | [
{
"answer": "(Expanding [on this previous post](_URL_0_))\n\nThe reality of public service in Francia essentially crumbled along Merovingian collapse during the late VIIth century.\n\nWhereas public service was more or less maintained under the strong rule of Clothar II and Dagobert I, the decline of royal auth... | null |
1wsiah | is there a physical example that negative numbers represent? | [
{
"answer": "Debt is the most real example I can think if.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "I asked my bank manager about this once and he said that that '-' symbol means to keep giving him money or he will take my house.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Temperature scale. Physic... | null |
27bt4m | why do people who plead guilty to a crime they committed serve reduced sentences/punishments? | [
{
"answer": "Because they save the state the time and expense of a trial, and the prosecutors are guaranteed that they will serve *some* time. There's always the possibility that someone can go to court and be acquitted.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Generally, the prosecutor of the case woul... | null |
3d8ose | How is the atmosphere of a gas planet determined? The atmosphere is also gas, so...? | [
{
"answer": "It can often be determined by examining the light that is given off by a given planet. Since different chemical compounds absorb, scatter, etc. at different wavelengths you can determine what is present by figuring out what light we can observe from the planet. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
... | null |
a1u98l | what’s the difference between “sex work” and prostitution? | [
{
"answer": "Prostitution is a form of sex work, sex work is all work that incorporates sex (escorts, prostitution, stripping, cams, etc).\n\nIt's like how a not all rectangles are squares, but all squares are rectangles. All prostitution is sex work, but not all sex work is prostitution. ",
"provenance": n... | null |
6mn2yg | Why are scientists using Xenon to detect dark matter? | [
{
"answer": "Before I get into why xenon, I'm going to spiel a little bit about how these class of detectors work. LUX/LZ is one of a number of dual phase noble element time projection chambers that are being used to search for a possible dark matter candidate called a WIMP (weakly interacting massive particle)... | null |
35mpsc | why is the media trying to prove that osama bin ladens death is a fraud? | [
{
"answer": "bin Laden death conspiracies have been around since even before the raid in Pakistan. Part of the reasons is that, as far as conspiracy theories go, it is pretty plausible. No body, no footage, just a quickie burial at sea, you don't have to swallow too much to believe he is in a CIA prison somew... | null |
zjku2 | Is a running computer an efficient space heater in the winter in lieu of electric heating? | [
{
"answer": "Mostly yes, except for some of the energy being converted to mechanical energy instead of heat by the fan.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "[Here's how many watts your pc uses](_URL_0_) and [here's how many a space heater uses](_URL_1_).\n\nI don't know how much heat your pc puts of... | null |
1qxhif | why don't humans eat one giant meal instead of periodically eating throughout the day? | [
{
"answer": "Because it's easiest to run the digestive system consistently and slowly, and hardest to ramp it into a big workout then idle for most of the day. Imagine being asked to lift 500kg once rather than 25kg 20 times.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "this is what i do most of the time, a... | null |
1ckq7e | The institutional targeting of blacks by lynch mobs: a myth? | [
{
"answer": "This is utter BS, but I'm not sure I can respond in a historical way (not sure this question even belongs here, maybe r/politicaldiscussion?) Go read \"The New Jim Crow\" by Michelle Alexander. Black men are incarcerated at higher rates than men of other races, but it's not because they commit mo... | null |
259svg | who exactly were the blackfoot? | [
{
"answer": "The \"pieds noirs\" (\"blackfeet\") were French (and other European) settlers living in Algeria (mostly) or Morocco or Tunisia before these countries became independent from France.\n\nMore specifically, the term is usually applied to those settlers who returned to France during or after independen... | null |
366ngr | I'm learning about WWI and I have a few more questions that I can fit in a title. Can someone help? | [
{
"answer": " > What happened to Poland? I was confused about this because Germany was so worried about Russia on it's eastern front, and I was like \"I thought Poland was a land buffer?\". I know Poland existed before 1914, so why isn't it on the WWI maps I look at?\n\nPoland was a \"buffer\" but it was also ... | null |
wi371 | maps. specifically, why is there a debate over which map is the most accurate? | [
{
"answer": "Peel an orange. Now, lay it flat on a table without tearing, smushing, or otherwise mangling the skin. It's not possible. There are many different \"projections\" of the earth that are used to make maps, but they will always either make nice shapes (rectangles) with very distorted images of the lan... | null |
en0v6s | how does makeup become expired? | [
{
"answer": "As my wife explains it to me, cosmetics can become subject to bacteria, a sort of spoilage. I would further speculate there are volatile compounds that will age out, go rancid, or otherwise underperform in its function - the cosmetic won't apply right, or hold, might smell, might fade, etc. Cosmeti... | null |
vqy7i | Are there any hypothesis/theories out there to explain why Protons always have a large mass while Electrons are small? | [
{
"answer": "An electron is a fundamental particle. A proton is three quarks, bonded together. A very large proportion of the mass of a proton actually comes, basically, from the bonds rather than the quarks themselves. So it's to do with the substructure of the proton, and the lack thereof in the electron.",
... | null |
72fsy1 | what sort of deals do companies such as spotify and netflix cut in order to get music/tv shows/movies? | [
{
"answer": "I was featured as a vocalist in the song for a semi local band and they were saying that they really wouldn't be able to pay me because they only get like 9% royalties. \n\nBefore anyone talks shit, being featured in a band like that is payment enough to me. They helped me get my name out there. ",... | null |
88x1m5 | Why are there no Egyptian sources on the first Persian Empire? | [
{
"answer": "There *are* some Egyptian sources about the Achaemenid empire. For example, one of the most interesting artifacts from the Late Period in Egypt is the [statue of the physician Udjahorresnet](_URL_1_), now in the Vatican Museum. The statue describes the invasion of Egypt by Cambyses. \n\n > The Grea... | null |
xk2zo | Would a blade cut from diamond match the strength and reliability of blade forged from steel? | [
{
"answer": "Worse. While diamond is incredibly *hard*, it is not particularly *strong* (like steel). Hardness is the ability of a material to resist abrasive wear and tear, meaning that diamond is perfect for use in cutting tools and abrasive applications such as polishing. Strength is the ability of a materia... | null |
11vod7 | Are there any good biographies on Ben Franklin? | [
{
"answer": "You should start with his autobiography, and then read *Benjamin Franklin: An American Life*. However like most of the famous founders there are a multitude of good biographies of Franklin. ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "Read the one he wrote. Its' great, but he died during the m... | null |
4cb5xl | During the Carboniferous Period, what percentage of the planet's land was covered in forests? | [
{
"answer": "We don't know, frankly, because a) the fossil record is woefully incomplete, and b) we have no way of knowing whether biomass density or photosynthetic efficiency would have been exactly the same.\n\nIn addition, a lot of oxygen comes from oceanic cyanobacteria - *Prochlorococcus* ([Partensky et al... | null |
26f2yh | If you could see into space 'forever', would starlight completely fill the night sky? | [
{
"answer": "This question dates back to 1576 and is known as Olbers' Paradox. If one considers there to be a fixed average density of stars in the universe, which extends out to infinity, with some average Luminosity, then when we sum up all of the light that hits the Earth from here to infinity then yes, the... | null |
6vspkz | What is happening when a text message or email isn't delivered for a long period (ie months) and suddenly is? | [
{
"answer": "This can have many causes, a likely reason is that it failed the first time you tried to send it and was moved to a retry' list by your email program, but is never sent without a trigger, then one day you do something that reminds your email program \"hey, I could check the retry list and try and s... | null |
eq8dgm | how is it that some illnesses like influenza or the common cold are considered “seasonal”? | [
{
"answer": "1) During the winter, people spend more time indoors with the windows sealed, so they are more likely to breathe the same air as someone who has the flu and thus contract the virus (3).\n2) Days are shorter during the winter, and lack of sunlight leads to low levels of vitamin D and melatonin, bot... | null |
1366iq | Is the common belief that scientific grow was hindered by religion in the medieval times correct? | [
{
"answer": "_URL_0_ \n\nThis is a good read on the topic ",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "This has been answered dozens of times. Use the search bar to your right. Short answer, no.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": "No, in fact for much of the time religion and scientific advanc... | null |
3isa60 | how does computer encryption stop snooping? | [
{
"answer": "This is a great question - it seems intuitive that if A and B have never heard of each other before that there's no way they could set up encrypted communication in such a way that other people couldn't listen in.\n\nBut amazingly, it is possible, thanks to a system called private/public key crypto... | null |
1gi9a3 | What happens to the human body in the first week after death? | [
{
"answer": "**Warning: Post contains some pics of dead bodies/gore**\n\nIn most cases, bodies are found within a few hours of dying, so the body can be treated and preserved before the nasty post-mortem changes take hold. It very much depends on temperature, but it will generally take a couple of days before a... | null |
721lq0 | how do scientists "discover" planets ? do they have some powerful telescope that can zoom in a million times and "see" a planet in view as if you saw the earth looking from the moon? | [
{
"answer": "That is rarely possible. Usually they notice a star getting darker periodically as a planet passes in front, or a star wobbling periodically as an orbiting planet's gravity tugs it around. (The wobble is especially easy to detect because it subtly changes the star's color, thanks to the *Doppler sh... | null |
68sb9k | if you can represent yourself in court, why can't you have anyone you want represent you? | [
{
"answer": "Well you can, but they'd have to agree to represent you, and be qualified to represent you. You don't have to be qualified to represent you, but you're a unique case... mind you a judge can still decide that you *need* representation and assign you a public defender anyway. \n\nI mean, you *could* ... | null |
3vg5xb | The Great Emu War, what sparked it? | [
{
"answer": "TL;DR: Emus. Lot and lots of emus, eating farmers' grain.\n\nLonger version:\n\nAfter the First World War, Australia gave a lot of previously unfarmed land to veterans to farm. This meant that many farms were now in areas previously grazed by emus. To make things worse, there was a drought, reducin... | null |
16snip | what is the said hoax between manti te'o and his girlfriend? | [
{
"answer": "Manti Te'o is a one of the best college football players in the country. Some of his fame has come from the inspirational story of him overcoming tragedy, such as when he dealt with the pain of his grandmother and girlfriend both both dying within a day of one another. Following those events, Te'... | null |
1osshl | how hackers 'jailbroke' apples ios software? | [
{
"answer": "From a technical perspective, there's really no difference between illegal hacking and jailbreaking your IOS device. In either case, you need to use a creative trick (called an \"exploit\") to get the target system to run some code you want it to run (typically, to disable any other security it has... | null |
1rco9n | When did modern infantry begin wearing body armor? | [
{
"answer": "The invention of kevlar was the necessary condition for the re-introduction of body armor. \n\nIn 1978 the Body Armour was adopted by the U.S. Military for use in the flack jacket and in the PASGT (Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops) helmet.\n\nBefore that it was rather desperate attempts wit... | null |
jllhx | what do scientists actually mean when they talk about the "holohgraphic universe" | [
{
"answer": "A hologram is a two dimensional projection of a three dimensional object. Stephen Hawking was the one who came to the realization that the event horizon of a black hole could act as a hologram, preserving information about all of the material that’s gotten sucked inside. More specifically, the surf... | null |
1ph0bb | how do people get roles for tv shows, movies, etc? | [
{
"answer": "You start at a casting agency as a background actor or something. I used to be signed up to one where you pay a membership fee. The more you paid, the more exclusive deals they could get you. Then it all depends on your talent. So pretty much: be good at acting -- > have $$ -- > Pay casting agent... | null |
bdsygd | why can we eat some leaves (salad, basil, mint...) and not all like herbivores ? | [
{
"answer": "Eating leaves is not the same across all leaf eaters. For example, Koala Bears and Cows are both herbivores, but Koala Bears can eat eucalyptus leaves which cows cannot digest. Getting the same amount of nutrition from grass is done differently from species to species. Rabbits for example, will ... | null |
b4la1j | how is it that when you are muscle sore, even moving is a big deal but when lifting again it is fine? | [
{
"answer": "Your sore muscles are like a lazy roommate. They whine and complain over the smallest actions. But as soon as they think shit hits the fan, they feel fine and act like they can do anything. Your body does the same, but with some natural painkillers",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": nu... | null |
4sfvvh | why was japan's railway system not nationalized? | [
{
"answer": "If i recall, I asked this when i went for a visit. The japan railway was initially started by private companies covering certain portions of the map. Eventually, they integrated and interconnected but the whole system is one big mess of several railways.\n\nAmazingly they still run it like clockwor... | null |
g7tx3 | Conspiracy nuts saying the Japan reactors could go nuclear explosion. How possible is this? | [
{
"answer": "None. It's none-possible.",
"provenance": null
},
{
"answer": null,
"provenance": [
{
"wikipedia_id": "31314830",
"title": "Japanese reaction to Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster",
"section": "Section::::Meltdowns and radiation.\n",
"start_para... | null |
1eb1rm | How common was the reutilisation of Ennemies arms during WWII ? | [
{
"answer": "As I understand in the Battle of the Bulge the US Army captured a King Tiger tank and proceeded to paint US stars on it. Here is the photograph here. _URL_0_ According to the page it was 'From the 2.Kompanie/schwere Panzer Abteilung 506 captured by American troops. 15 December 1944.' The extent of ... | null |
1olffg | If the French lost their holdings in North America after the Seven Years War, how did they later sell it in the Louisiana Purchase? Did they some how get their land back between 1763 and 1803? | [
{
"answer": "Although egavactip has indeed outlined the situation, the name of the treaty that gave it back specifically was the Treaty of San Ildefonso in 1800. (Technically the third treaty of that same name) This was a secret treaty, and its discovery by Jefferson is in part what would push him to have Rob... | null |
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