q_id
stringlengths 5
6
| title
stringlengths 3
296
| selftext
stringlengths 0
34k
| document
stringclasses 1
value | subreddit
stringclasses 1
value | url
stringlengths 4
110
| answers
dict | title_urls
sequence | selftext_urls
sequence | answers_urls
sequence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1jrc9i | why is the jump from 240p to 360p so extreme, but 360p to 480p is so minor? | Every time I'm on YouTube it tries to make my videos in 240p, but it looks like it was recorded with a potato. Once you switch to 360p, it looks perfect, but then switching 480p doesn't really do anything different at all. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1jrc9i/eli5_why_is_the_jump_from_240p_to_360p_so_extreme/ | {
"a_id": [
"cbhitjs",
"cbhivxq"
],
"score": [
3,
2
],
"text": [
"Part of this could be that if YouTube defaults a video to 240p, it's because the video was already recorded with a potato (great wording, by the way. I'm stealing that phrase). If you record something in 240p, even if you scale it up to 1080p it's still going to look terrible.\n\nHowever, the gains you get from adding pixels are much more noticeable on lower-quality videos. As you add pixel density, the increase in quality slows down significantly.\n\nAs an example of why, take going from 4 pixels to 6. With 4 pixels, you get basically nothing. With 6, you could have a face! Big difference. Now go up to 12 pixels, and you get a smiley face with hair. That's huge! Now get up to 240p, and you get a face, hair, facial structure, background stuff, and all kinds of other info. But now the picture is relatively clear. So you add more pixel density, and the details added don't really give your brain more info, they just make it look a little less blurry.",
"Think of it in terms of the increase. 240 to 360 is a 50% increase in quality. 360 to 480 is only a 33.3% increase. Every step up is a smaller increase percentage wise.\n\nAs an aside, the 240 resolution exists on YouTube because that was the native resolution of VHS. So, if you're watching an video of something that was converted from VHS, you won't see any significant increase in quality on any of the higher resolutions."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] |
|
54ln6v | how are meals like ramen or sichuan (which are largely based on fatty meats and lots of oil) more healthy than a meal like a burger? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/54ln6v/eli5_how_are_meals_like_ramen_or_sichuan_which/ | {
"a_id": [
"d82yh2f"
],
"score": [
10
],
"text": [
"It's not, necessarily. It depends on size and ingredients. \n\nAlso, \"Sichuan\" is an entire region (and an entire genre of cuisine), not a particular dish. \n\nAll in all, ramen has similar macronutrients to a burger. Plenty of fat in the broth and meat, some protein in the meat, and lots of carbs in the noodles. Comparing [this ramen](_URL_1_) to the [Little Cheeseburger at Five Guys ](_URL_0_) because they are similar in calories... they are *very* close in the amount of saturated fats (burger has slightly more), carbs (ramen has more), and protein. \n\nThus, ramen is not necessarily healthier than a burger. The difference may be that eating a big bowl of ramen is more filling (because more water) than a burger. Most people can eat a 1000 cal burger no problem, but a 1000 cal bowl of ramen is a pretty huge bowl... that said I've eaten 1000 cal bowls of ramen plenty of times. \n\nRamen is also usually eaten by itself. The burger might come with fries, and if you eat all those, it's a tremendous amount of calories. Throw a milkshake on top of that... man that's like 2000 calories in one sitting."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.fiveguys.com/menu/nutrition",
"http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/authentic-japanese-general-varies-by-restaurant-tonkatsu-ramen-pork-71749991"
]
] |
||
2lani1 | / what is color? | Theres a lot of information on the surface of this question but underneath is color based on atomic structure, compound, what? Is pure gold always the same color? Do atoms all reflect light the same way? I get that light reflected back is what you see as a color, but what causes the division of that light? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2lani1/eli5_what_is_color/ | {
"a_id": [
"clt0sbo",
"clt3nk0",
"clt427g"
],
"score": [
2,
2,
2
],
"text": [
"The atom is the smallest part of matter that still retains its physical properties (such as color). So yeah, if you get any fixed amount of gold atoms only, it will always be golden; the same golden. Since most objects are not made of single kinds of atoms, but substances, we have to think about the color of the molecule that composes that object. But since almost nothing is made of a single kind of molecule, we have to think about the product of that heterogeneity. That's why macroscopically, gold may be of different colors. Because it's not pure.",
"As you already know, the reason materials have a certain color is because they absorb some of the incoming light and reflect what is not absorbed. If you want to know 'which light' will be absorbed, meaning what frequency of light, you have to look at the quantum mechanical process of light absorption. \n\nSimply put, an atom cannot posses all amounts of energy. The energy levels are discrete, what means they are set at certain levels without there being a possibility of having an amount of energy in between those levels. Where those levels lie depends on the electronical environment of the atom. A single atom is surrounded by a cloud of its own electrons, whereas an atom that is a part of a molecule is surrounded by a cloud of electrons coming from the whole molecule, the so-called molecular orbital. \n\nWhen an atom absorbs energy, it can only absorb an amount that is equal to the difference between two of its energy levels. In other words, the kind of atom and the kind of molecule it is bound to determines which frequency of light can be absorbed. Typically, molecules with a lot of conjugated double bounds (like most colorants) absorb light very easily and therefore have a distinct color. \n\nPS: the principle described above is what happens on a atomic/molecular level. On a larger scale other effects start to come into play, like the scattering of light etc.",
"Color as you see it off objects is determined by a combination of reflection and absorption (these are inherently the same thing just different sides of the coin - the other option is transmittance, like glass). Something is red because it both reflects red light and absorbs other wavelengths.\n\nColor (as we think of it) is generally on a bit bigger scale than atom-level. The type of molecules affects reflective/absorptive properties. So does the structure of the molecules (silicon in sand form and glass form for example). So does surface texture. The angle of light can as well.\n\nOn an atomic level (like a single atom) most color probably ceases to exist in that most wavelengths of visible light will not interact with an individual atom. To have interaction, generally speaking, the length of the wavelength has to be within some magnitude of the object's size. The smaller the object, only the higher frequencies it interacts with. Hence why ash from a fire reflects primarily red (a long wavelength) but oxygen/nitrogen in the air reflects primarily blue (short wavelength) (which is also why the sky is blue). And cloud/fog reflects everything (thus appearing white) because water droplets are huge compared to ash particulates and individual O2 and N2 molecules.\n\nSo what is absorption? In the simplest sense its the conversion of light energy into something else. Generally that's heat which is then later re-emitted as thermal radiation."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
ebiii9 | how exactly do non-red blood cells get oxygen from the red blood cells? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ebiii9/eli5_how_exactly_do_nonred_blood_cells_get_oxygen/ | {
"a_id": [
"fb51w35",
"fb525i1",
"fb52e53"
],
"score": [
9,
3,
2
],
"text": [
" > How exactly do non-red blood cells get oxygen from the red blood cells?\n\nNon-red blood cells produce CO2 by reacting sugars or fatty acids with oxygen. \n\nCO2 combines with water in the blood to form small amounts of carbonic acid. \n\nCarbonic acid lowers the pH of the red blood cell. \n\nOxygen is released as the ability of haemoglobin to bind oxygen is pH dependent. \n\nNon-red blood cells use this oxygen to repeat the cycle ad infinitum. \n\nIn extreme cases lactic acid is produced from anaerobic energy production which causes pH to drop even lower, releasing even more oxygen.",
"Yeah, the amount of RBCs in your blood is staggering. Something like 30 trillion total. Each little mL has millions. Also, most of the oxygen content in your blood is bound to hemoglobin, but some of it just dissolved directly into the plasma.",
"Hemoglobin is made up of 4 subcomponents: 2 alpha hemoglobin and 2 beta hemoglobin. Each unit can carry one oxygen molecule, so four total. The way it works is, the more oxygen units the hemoglobin is carrying, the better it is at keeping or holding on to that oxygen. So in the lungs where concentration of oxygen is high, the hemoglobin is saturated with oxygen. Then in the tissues where oxygen concentration is low, the hemoglobin wants to get rid of all of its oxygen. From there it predominantly gets into the cells through diffusion until the oxygen makes it to the mitochondrial electron transport chain where it’s used to make ATP, which is what cells use for energy. For muscles cells, the exception is the use of myoglobin inside the muscle to help transport that oxygen more efficiently than diffusion."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
38ph05 | most 3d renders (like blender) can render via gpu or cpu? why not both at the same time for maximum efficiency? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/38ph05/eli5_most_3d_renders_like_blender_can_render_via/ | {
"a_id": [
"crws69l"
],
"score": [
16
],
"text": [
"It takes a lot longer to send information from the CPU to the GPU and back than you would think. Processors are fast, but transfer speeds between parts on your computer slow compared to that, so it would take longer to have both the CPU and GPU working on it at the same time than it would for just one of them to do it.\n\nImagine trying to draw a picture with someone else. That someone else is several miles away, and you have to send it in the mail every time you want the other person to make changes. Sure you have twice the man power, but it spend so much time in transit that it would take a lot longer to get done."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
||
24fgk9 | what causes the light pain in joints/injuries before a storm? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/24fgk9/eli5_what_causes_the_light_pain_in_jointsinjuries/ | {
"a_id": [
"ch6lvob"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Please remember to search before posting, as this question has already been asked, but I will answer anyways.\n\nWhat's happening is that part of your is more susceptible to changes in barometric pressure. (Fairly sure it's due to excess fluid, don't quote me, I'm not a doctor, I only play one on Reddit).\n\nIt's the same reason older people can feel storms coming in their joints, and so on. Because there is more pressure when a storm is coming, and less pressure when it's nice out."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
||
29boqw | why is an arrow such a universal symbol for direction? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/29boqw/eli5_why_is_an_arrow_such_a_universal_symbol_for/ | {
"a_id": [
"cijc40r",
"cijci6g",
"cijcj8j",
"cijdgww",
"cijdzut",
"cijfgra",
"cijg4zp",
"cijgrbg"
],
"score": [
17,
7,
3,
5,
2,
4,
7,
2
],
"text": [
"Is it understood by all humans? \n\nIt may relate to our ability to universally understand pointing, (humans are one of the few species that instinctively understand pointing. Dogs, dolphins and elephants do too I believe,) it may activate the same piece of evolutionary instinct to interpret the sign as a direction.",
"Actually some would argue it isn't \"universal\"\n\nWhen the pioneer plaque was sent out into space aboard the Pioneer 10 and 11 space probes they included information about humanity and they included an arrow pointing to our location at earth.\n\nAn article in Scientific American around that time criticized it saying \narrows are an artifact of hunter-gatherer societies like those on Earth; finders with a different cultural heritage may find the arrow symbol meaningless.",
"It probably has to do with the fact that the arrow is a weapon that predates recorded history which is common to several cultures and by its nature as a weapon indicates direction.",
"Two lines that converge at a single point heading in roughly the same direction. Seems reasonable to me.\n\nNow obviously I'm speaking as someone who grew up with an arrow as a standard symbol for me. I'm curious to know what other methods do people use to indicate direction except for arrows?",
"I'd argue it's only a \"universal\" symbol for direction because we live in the 21st century and it's had a good amount of time to spread around the world. I doubt the meaning of an arrow is intrinsic within humankind. Those untouched Amazonian (I think they're Amazonian?) tribes might not be as readily receptive of the arrow as a symbol of direction as you think, simply because they haven't yet been influenced by society.",
"---------------------------------- > thats why ",
"I know ELI5 isn't for speculation, but I'm not sure this question can be answered without speculation. So here's my theory: \n\nActual arrows (i.e., bows & arrows) have been used at some point or another in most parts of the world. If not arrows, then at least spears. These weapons fly in a direction. They're associated with direction. And they're easy to draw. I don't think there's a simpler, more intuitive symbol that is naturally associated with direction. Perhaps \" > \" but that's still arguably the arrow-head. ",
"An arrow has been used by all civilisations and tribes, no matter where you are, an arrow is an arrow. The poiting arrow is just a simplified version of an arrow, they used to use actual arrows for directions."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
osras | why is taking melatonin every night bad for you? | friends? thank you thank you. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/osras/eli5_why_is_taking_melatonin_every_night_bad_for/ | {
"a_id": [
"c3jra65"
],
"score": [
6
],
"text": [
"Your brain makes its own melatonin. Taking small amounts to shift your sleep schedule once in a while is OK, but taking large amounts consistently can stop your brain from making it normally. Also, in large quantities over time, taking melatonin can apparently lead to depression.\n\nAlso, most melatonin tablets are *way* too much — 3mg is a common tablet size, but the research I've seen says it's effective down at 300 micrograms, which is 1/10 that much. Split that 3mg tablet into 4 or 8 pieces and you're still getting a pretty high dose."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
3sy551 | how is it that i receive spam emails from names in my own address book? | I get spam addressed from people that I know. How do spammers know the names of my friends and people in my address book? Does it just mean my friends accounts are compromised, because it isn't actually coming from their accounts, instead of [email protected] it's coming from [email protected] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3sy551/eli5_how_is_it_that_i_receive_spam_emails_from/ | {
"a_id": [
"cx1e3ed"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"You are also in their address books. \n\nSomeone hacked your friends, and spammed everyone in their address books.\n\nIt happened to me twice this week, from different friends.\n\nI know the common factor wasn't me, because I do not use an address book."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
1mob8g | why is uranium necessary for a nuclear weapon? | Why can't any radioactive element be used? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1mob8g/eli5_why_is_uranium_necessary_for_a_nuclear_weapon/ | {
"a_id": [
"ccb2hbw",
"ccb2mmr"
],
"score": [
4,
3
],
"text": [
"Plutonium can also be used. The material used must be radioactive enough to split fairly easily, otherwise a chain reaction is not possible.\n\nNote also that uranium has to be enriched, because the main component (U238) is not radioactive enough, so the small amount of U235 present in uranium ore has to be extracted (enriched) to provide weapons-grade material.",
"The radioactivity of the substance is irrelevant, what matters is that it's fissile. (In the case of nuclear weapons as the exist today, anyway. In the future perhaps the fission reaction part will be entirely uneccesary to make a big boom.)\n\nA fissile substance is, by definition, one that can chain a fission reaction so as to cause the whole or at least a large part of a good mass of the substance to be fissioned all at once. \n\nFission is the act of an element being torn apart in such a way that releases (usually large) excess energy in the process. In fissile materials such a fission reaction will chain because when the first atom is fissioned its by products will produce, amongst other things, the trigger to cause adjacent atoms to also fission, and so on until the whole mass has fissioned and there's an obscene amount of energy bursting out of the mass.\n\n[See this](_URL_0_), it's a simple illustration of what happens. You shoot a neutron at an atom of U-235 (U-238 is the most common by the way, and it's not fissile. This is where the idea of 'weapons grade uranium' and the like comes from - uranium pulled out of the ground is mostly useless without processing.) and when the neutron hit it causes a reaction in which the atom breaks into two seperate smaller atoms and 3 more neutrons. The three loose neutrons produced fly off and do the same thing to any other U-235 atoms they come across.\n\nThe total mass of the two by-product atoms and the three neutrons from the reaction is actually smaller than the mass of the original atom, and as per E=mc^2 all the mass that is loss is made up for in the release of energy. This energy released is what gives you the Earth-shattering kaboom.\n\n"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://www.ap.smu.ca/demos/images/stories/Pics/Mousetrap/uranium_fission.gif"
]
] |
|
7p9v7p | how do military aircraft intercept hijacked commercial planes? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7p9v7p/eli5_how_do_military_aircraft_intercept_hijacked/ | {
"a_id": [
"dsfljc8"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Former navy, we did flight ops with helos to intercept subs and track em. Intercept is kind of a blanket term. You can \"intercept\" the plane or boat and guide it to a destination of your choice but that is a gentle hand approach. Imagine two bouncers at a bar standing next to you...you will prob listen if they are willing to beat your ass. This is especially true when you look at US policy for hijacked planes. \n\nTldr: shoot that bitch down.\n\n[Source](_URL_0_)\n\n If they don't comply I am unaware of any way to take over the air craft while it's in flight. The call then is to disable it risking casualties or destroy it. Maybe some one with pilot experience can weigh in. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"https://mobile.nytimes.com/2003/10/03/us/us-practices-how-to-down-hijacked-jets.html?referer=https://www.google.com/"
]
] |
||
5zxrt1 | what happens if a type 1 diabetic cuts sugar from their diet? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5zxrt1/eli5_what_happens_if_a_type_1_diabetic_cuts_sugar/ | {
"a_id": [
"df1vo7h"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Long story short: they still need insulin because they literally produce none but the body can produce its own sugars, which it can't carefully regulate without insulin. \n\nSugar is the fuel for the brain, and the brain will not function without it, which is why the body has safety mechanisms in place to create sugar for those times that you don't have sugar. \n\nSugar is also essential for DNA and RNA, which are the 'molecules of life'. The sugar gives them structure! Cells cannot replicate without DNA and RNA.. but to make them, we need to have the sugars to make them. Your body takes sugar and protein, does a few reactions, and makes the DNA and RNA from scratch. This is called de novo DNA/RNA synthesis (de novo = from new).\n\nYour body produces its own sugar from proteins and fats if you don't provide it with enough sugar. This process is called gluconeogenesis (Gluco = sugar, neo = new, genesis = creation). This happens after blood sugar begins to fall too low and the body starts to worry about where it's getting its next fix of sugar.\n\nIt can also release sugar from its own stores (glycogen, which is a long chain of sugar) during a process called glycogenolysis (glycogeno = glycogen, lysis = break down) which cleaves off sugar molecules from this long chain, providing the body with sugar. During times of stress, such as metabolic stress (fight or flight, illness, etc) or mental stress (ultimately leading to metabolic stress), your body is using these processes to provide extra sugar.\n\nNow.. the body has all these ways to make sugar, but how does the body make sure that it doesn't produce too much after you've had a rush of adrenaline or because you haven't eaten yet? How does it keep the levels from being too high, and if they are, how does it lower them?\n\nIt requires insulin.\n\nEven if they don't eat sugar, they will still have a blood sugar level because blood sugar is mandatory for life, and the body will find a way to produce what it needs."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
||
5ql0rb | could an identical twin get off on a technicality if we can't know that it wasn't their twin that committed a crime? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5ql0rb/eli5_could_an_identical_twin_get_off_on_a/ | {
"a_id": [
"dd037v1"
],
"score": [
8
],
"text": [
"Yes. In the U.S. and many other places juries are instructed to only vote guilty if the prosecution has shown \"beyond a reasonable doubt\" that the accused is guilty. If all of the evidence applies equally well to one twin as it does to another then there is a reasonable doubt and the accused would walk free.\n\nThis isn't a perfect way to get away with a crime—one twin could have a rock solid alibi or, by colluding with the other twin they could *both* be guilty of conspiracy to commit ____. However, there are cases where it has happened. [This](_URL_0_) article gives some examples."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2012/08/true_crime_with_twins_can_identical_twins_get_away_with_murder_.html"
]
] |
||
3z8nf7 | why is it cheaper to fly from montreal to usa's west coast or latin america than to most canadian cities? | Montreal-St Johns 488$
Montreal-Calgary 611$
Montreal-Vancouver 733$
Montreal-Winnipeg 470$
___________________________
Montreal- Great Bermuda 437$
Montreal- Seattle 417$
Montreal-San Francisco 395$
Montreal- Los Angeles 397$
Montreal-Houston 446$
Montreal-Miami 339$
Montreal Cancun 430$
Source:_URL_0_
I saw this morning the picture of the nice little painted houses in Newfoundland and I was like '' I should go on a weekend someday'' thinking a ticket would be cheap since it's 2h by plane. But I could go all the way to the other side of the continent for cheaper. Why is that?
The Old Battery, Newfoundland Canada after a snowfall: _URL_1_ | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3z8nf7/eli5why_is_it_cheaper_to_fly_from_montreal_to/ | {
"a_id": [
"cyk49xc"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"It's a function of two things: international agreements on air travel service, and the high cost of offering air travel (costs to airlines).\n\nThere is an international agreement that, among other things, ensures that only domestic carriers can operate domestically (e.g., only Air Canada, West Jet, and smaller Canadian airline businesses) can run routes between two Canadian cities. The agreement also states that international routes may only be services by an airline from one of those two countries.\n\nSo, when you fly domestically, you are limited to domestic air carriers. When you fly internationally, you may fly a Canadian airline or you may fly an airline from your destination.\n\nIt so happens that this limits Canadian Air Carriers. They can only service domestic routes or routes that begin and end in Canada. Because Canada is far north and isolated, this means international routes are always expensive to run. Still, they have to offer international destinations to Canadians or they will lose their relevance. They'll offer regular flights, but if those flights don't fill-up, they'll start to offer seats at cost. They won't make money off a lot of those tickets. If they cannot sell the at-cost tickets, they'll still fly the route at a net loss. Those carriers make-up the costs by charging higher prices for domestic flights."
]
} | [] | [
"https://www.google.ca/flights/#search;f=YUL;t=YYT;d=2016-01-23;r=2016-01-27;mc=m;q=montreal+to+st+john's+newfoundland",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/3z5pne/the_old_battery_newfoundland_canada_after_a/"
] | [
[]
] |
|
58hdsx | if we are able to run simulations and determine where planet 9's orbit is. why are we unable to locate it in the sky? | Why aren't we able to calculate it's location based on the effects we see on our solar system? If it does indeed cause the "tilt" of the sun we see, why can't we use that information to locate it? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/58hdsx/eli5_if_we_are_able_to_run_simulations_and/ | {
"a_id": [
"d90f2jo",
"d90m3n3"
],
"score": [
6,
3
],
"text": [
"What we have done is calculate a range of possible orbits. However we do not know where in its orbit it is. In any way it is very far away and relatively tiny at that distance. Imagine you know someone dropped a rubber duck in the Pacific ocean two years ago and you know exactly where and when they did so. You could go through all the current simulation programs and find out all the potential places the rubber duck could have gone which would have limited your search area. However even a fraction of the Pacific is a huge area and it would take you weeks or months to search though it for the rubber duck. Similarly we know kind of the area of the solar system where there could be a planet but it would take decades to look though everything.",
"Imagine that the Earth is the size of a Basketball. In this scenario...\n\n- the Moon would be ~2.6 inches (6.6cm, a little bit smaller than a baseball) and about 24' (7.3m) away.\n\n- Jupiter would be ~8.7 feet (2.7m, a beach ball the size of the tallest man in history) and about 7 miles (11.2km) away.\n\n- Planet 9 would be ~29\" (~7.5cm) and between 350 and 1250 miles away (570 to 2000km) and it doesn't emit any light."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] |
|
4bmbhh | the canadian federal budget 2016 | Could someone break down the budget and explain in more relatable numbers what it means for each group of Canadians? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4bmbhh/eli5_the_canadian_federal_budget_2016/ | {
"a_id": [
"d1ahh32"
],
"score": [
10
],
"text": [
"First let's look at the surplus/deficit. \n\n[Historically](_URL_3_) and [proposed future](_URL_1_). The $30B deficit is still significantly smaller than the $55B deficit in 2009. That doesn't mean it's good or bad, it just means that $30B isn't in any way unprecedented.\n\nCanada's [public Debt to GDP ratio](_URL_2_) has hovered between 80-90% for the last few years, and this budget won't change that so it's no worse for our dollar than we were in 2012.\n\nWhat this means for each group of Canadians is more complicated. If you look at [growth by Provence and industry](_URL_4_) you can see some trends -- e.g. in 2015 but Alberta has 47k fewer houses being built than in 2014, but Ontario has 80k more which is a sign of overall growth. You can also look at how different industries are doing by comparing [GDP by sector](_URL_0_). (The StatsCan web site is having some problems right now, but it gives a [breakdown of the GDP by industry](_URL_5_) when you can get at the other tables you can go further back in time.)\n\nThe new budget spends more, but does this directly rather than cutting taxes like the previous government did. From the accounting point of view these are the same, but generally funding projects directly costs a bit more to manage but gives more control and spending can't run away as easily. With a tax break you're never sure how many people will take advantage of it.\n\nI really haven't had time to go through all of the spending in detail -- particularly to compare it with previous spending, but a few things stand out:\n\n* Increased child care benefits for those earning < $150,000 (or $175,000 with two children), but decreased for those earning more. this should help reduce debt levels for individual families.\n\n* Increase Guaranteed Income Supplement for low income seniors, and Old Age Security starting at 65.\n\n* Investment in clean energy technology shows a shift from the previous oil based Energy sector. Over the last several years Canada has invested a lot in Oil/Energy, so with the price drop, it has affected revenue quite a bit so the greater diversification here would likely help the economy remain stable. But like diversification in your investments, it also means that we won't see great jumps when things go well.\n"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.tradingeconomics.com/canada/gdp-from-agriculture",
"http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/top-business-stories/analysts-on-tomorrows-budget-deficit-paranoia-is-mind-bogglingly-stupid/article29308661/",
"http://www.tradingeconomics.com/canada/government-debt-to-gdp",
"http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/canada-deficit/index.html",
"http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/indi02a-eng.htm",
"http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/gdps04a-eng.htm"
]
] |
|
nqiel | induction heating on a stove vs. a traditional gas or electric eye | I don't understand induction heating that well, and I certainly don't get why it can boil water in like 90 seconds. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/nqiel/eli5_induction_heating_on_a_stove_vs_a/ | {
"a_id": [
"c3b4r7r",
"c3b4r7r"
],
"score": [
2,
2
],
"text": [
"I've never heard of induction stoves until now, but I think I understand the difference. With a gas or electric stove, the pot is heated through direct contact (conduction), like when your feet touch hot asphalt. The gas stove spews hot gas which touches the pot, and the electric stove heats the pot with its electric coil.\n\n\nInduction stoves, on the other hand, use electromagnetic induction to produce heat. That's a really fancy word, but the basic concept is simple if you understand a little bit of physics. [All electric fields produce magnetic fields, and vice versa.](_URL_1_) Remember those experiments you did in 3rd grade when you wrapped a wire around a nail, hooked it up to a battery, and picked up staples with it? The same law is at work here. A ferromagnetic pot (like an iron one) is put on the cooking surface. Underneath the surface is a huge coil of copper with an electric current that produces a magnetic field. That magnetic field then causes an electric field in the pot. Then, since electricity generates thermal energy (like in an electric blanket), you get a pot that is heated *directly*, and not through contact with a heat source. \n\n\nNote how the induction stove is different from the electric stove. With an electric stove, the surface will heat anything up since heat is being given off by the heating element. With an induction stove, only ferromagnetic materials touching the surface will heat up since magnetism drives the phenomenon. You could touch the surface and feel nothing since you're not very magnetic.\n\n\nAnother thing to note is that while the coil of copper that runs the induction stove is a lot like the coil used in an electric stove, copper is one of the best conductors of electricity out there. [This](_URL_0_) means that it produces much less heat than whatever the stove coil is made out of, which undoubtedly has a lot of resistance.\n\nI think that about covers it, but if I made a mistake somewhere someone please point it out. It's been a while since I studied physics.",
"I've never heard of induction stoves until now, but I think I understand the difference. With a gas or electric stove, the pot is heated through direct contact (conduction), like when your feet touch hot asphalt. The gas stove spews hot gas which touches the pot, and the electric stove heats the pot with its electric coil.\n\n\nInduction stoves, on the other hand, use electromagnetic induction to produce heat. That's a really fancy word, but the basic concept is simple if you understand a little bit of physics. [All electric fields produce magnetic fields, and vice versa.](_URL_1_) Remember those experiments you did in 3rd grade when you wrapped a wire around a nail, hooked it up to a battery, and picked up staples with it? The same law is at work here. A ferromagnetic pot (like an iron one) is put on the cooking surface. Underneath the surface is a huge coil of copper with an electric current that produces a magnetic field. That magnetic field then causes an electric field in the pot. Then, since electricity generates thermal energy (like in an electric blanket), you get a pot that is heated *directly*, and not through contact with a heat source. \n\n\nNote how the induction stove is different from the electric stove. With an electric stove, the surface will heat anything up since heat is being given off by the heating element. With an induction stove, only ferromagnetic materials touching the surface will heat up since magnetism drives the phenomenon. You could touch the surface and feel nothing since you're not very magnetic.\n\n\nAnother thing to note is that while the coil of copper that runs the induction stove is a lot like the coil used in an electric stove, copper is one of the best conductors of electricity out there. [This](_URL_0_) means that it produces much less heat than whatever the stove coil is made out of, which undoubtedly has a lot of resistance.\n\nI think that about covers it, but if I made a mistake somewhere someone please point it out. It's been a while since I studied physics."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joule_heating",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday's_law_of_induction"
],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joule_heating",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday's_law_of_induction"
]
] |
|
d9erdl | why is it ok to shake spray deodorant but no canned air? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/d9erdl/eli5_why_is_it_ok_to_shake_spray_deodorant_but_no/ | {
"a_id": [
"f1gpfos"
],
"score": [
13
],
"text": [
"Normal aerosol cans contain both the desired product (deodorant, paint, etc.) and a pressurised gas that acts as a propellant. If you let the cans sit for a while, these two things will separate out, and if you press the nozzle you'll just get a blast of mostly propellant. You have to shake these cans to mix them together so that when you spray, you get the desired product too.\n\nCanned air is different. A can of compressed air contains a gas in both a liquid and vapour form (but mostly liquid). This gas is under pressure, and when you press the nozzle, it forces its own vapours out of the can. Because there's no separate propellant, there's no need to shake, and in fact, if you shake the can, you risk getting some of the liquid form into the nozzle instead of the vapour form, and if you spray out the liquid it can cause serious injury via frostbite."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
||
86dz1k | what is a difference between red, blue and green laser? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/86dz1k/eli5_what_is_a_difference_between_red_blue_and/ | {
"a_id": [
"dw4ai4z",
"dw4akbu",
"dw4hklh"
],
"score": [
4,
5,
2
],
"text": [
"When light travels it travels like a wave going up and down. The number of times it does this in a second is called it's frequency. The visible spectrum of colour we can actually see is actually quite small. But at the slower end you have red and the faster end blue.",
"Red light has a lower frequency than green, which is lower than blue. Lower frequencies require less energy an are easier to make. The technology to make blue lasers only emerged recently.\n\nOn the atomic level, lasers are made when (among other things) electrons change energy levels within an atom, emitting a photon. Different substances will cause electrons to emit photons with different wavelengths.",
"Follow-up: does this have anything to do with blu-rays storing more data than regular DVDs? "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
5i7vw2 | the difference between yellow journalism and fake news. | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5i7vw2/eli5_the_difference_between_yellow_journalism_and/ | {
"a_id": [
"db63ev4"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"The purpose of yellow journalism is to sell news through exaggeration and sensationalism. It focuses on scandals a rumors, and hides behind inaccuracy behind poor research. It relies on misleading headlines, unqualified experts, pseudoscience, and artists conceptions. While sometimes it makes stuff up, there is usually some grain of truth behind it, and inaccuracies are do to willful sloppiness. Supermarket tabloids are a modern example of yellow journalism.\n\nFake news is intentionally inaccurate news. Sometimes it is for comic effect, like *The Daily Show* or *Saturday Night Live*. Other times it is to mislead and influence the public."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
3wcfsa | is the music on record vinyls altered in any way to compensate for the difference in speed between the outer and inner part of the vinyl? if so, how? | I was thinking about this [C & H comic](_URL_0_) for god knows what reason last night when I was going to bed and this question came to mind. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3wcfsa/eli5_is_the_music_on_record_vinyls_altered_in_any/ | {
"a_id": [
"cxv4q2z",
"cxv5i1x"
],
"score": [
2,
2
],
"text": [
"Yes.\n\nFirst, how do a vinyl record work? Prior to first, how does sound work? Sound is a wave. More waves (higher frequency) reaching your ear make for a higher-pitched sound, less waves make for a lower pitch. Stronger and weaker waves mean louder and softer sounds.\n\nNow, a vinyl works by \"translating\" these waves into [physical ups and downs on the surface of the record](_URL_1_). If you take two sections of a record, one near the edge and the other near the center, and the former has twice the linear speed as the latter (it's twice as far from the center), then the groove in the vinyl encoding a given sound will also take twice as much space in the former. So, if a 10-second section of a song takes up two inches at the edge, it'll take up just one inch near the center (which makes the center relatively harder to read, which in turn increases distortion near the center).\n\n[Here's a not quite ELI5 explanation](_URL_0_), which you might find helpful. ",
"Vinyl has a constant speed of rotation, so provided you play it back at that speed, the differences cancel out - it's cut at the same speed at which it's played. There were techniques to change the quality of the signal as it neared the centre because loud sounds (big wiggles in the groove) could get too large for the stylus to accurately follow.\n\nCDs on the other hand, vary the speed of rotation as the head moves in and out, so that the speed of the head over the disc remains constant, which means the pits on the disc which encode the data are spaced evenly all the time, not closer as you get towards the middle."
]
} | [] | [
"http://i.imgur.com/J0fpiJ5.jpg"
] | [
[
"http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul14/articles/qa-0714-02.htm",
"http://i.imgur.com/D9EPIe8.png"
],
[]
] |
|
2ou1ox | how do television channels work? in fiber optics or traditional cable, how does the tv differentiate between different channels? | If the information all comes through a single wire, how does the television set pick out only the channel that you're watching? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2ou1ox/eli5_how_do_television_channels_work_in_fiber/ | {
"a_id": [
"cmqij1b",
"cmqj133"
],
"score": [
2,
2
],
"text": [
"Different channels get carried on different frequencies (just like how AM/FM radio stations have different radio frequencies). Your TV/cable-box tunes into the frequency that the station is being broadcast on, hence your TV/cable-box has a 'tuner' built-in.\n\nFiber Optic TV service is (normally) completely different though. Instead of carrying all the channels down the same cable (just at slightly different frequencies) and letting devices passively tune into those channels, Fiber Optic TV services usually operate more like the internet where your TV/set-top box sends a request to a server for a certain channel stream and the data gets sent back to the device using standard internet protocols like TCP/IP. \n\nThe difference is your TV service provider will typically prioritize IPTV packets over regular internet data packets in order to guarantee quality of service (i.e. ensure that you can enjoy high quality uninterrupted television streams).",
"Television is a broad spectrum of technology used to broadcast out. The simple version:\n\nYou have Analog and Digital Channels, both work off of similar technology just different technology and advancements.\n\nAnalog Television, which dates back to the 1930s, is a modulated Electromagnetic frequency, sending out high frequency signals from a Transmitter, to a Reciever. Typically, this is within the 5Mhz, to 275Mhz frequency spectrum for your Typical Over the Air RF frequencies. UHF, VHF and so forth.\n\nCurrent day technology, more specifically focusing on Cable television and Satalite, works a bit more efficiently.\n\nCable television, Uses a variety of mediums to transmit signals from what is called the \"Head End\". This Head end, is where all your programmers (NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX) Send their programs and information to. This portion is typically done Via Fiber Optic Cables or Microwave Antenna dishes. After it leaves the Headend on Fiber Cables, it is brought to the local neighborhoods and then to your homes. Usually this consists of Fiber to a Copper transition where Copper Clad Steel Coaxial Cable is used in the last Mile of transmission, though this can vary depending on your provider. Providers such as Verizon Fios use Fiber all the way to the house, whereas ATT Uverse, uses twisted pair copper to the house and delivers all content via the internet.\n\nFrom the content side, your channels are broken into 3 sub types: Analog, Digital, and SDV (switch Digital Video).\n\nAnd from here, they are sent out in a varying method of Broadcast, and SDV.\n\nCable Television uses frequencies between 5MegaHertz and 1GigaHertz to broadcast information out on. Analog channels, which are the largest, and are uncompressed format signals are broadcast on a \"Channel\" that is approximately 6MegaHz wide. Each of these 6MHz wide Channels can hold exactly 1 Video+Audio Analog frequency.\n\nFrom there, you get your basic \"Analog Lineup\" of which, most operators are doing away with due to its aging use, high bandwidth usage, and uncompressed state.\n\nDigital Frequencies are much more efficient. You can take Compressed digital content, and fit up to 12 \"Channels\" onto one Carrier channel. A Carrier channel is 6Mhz wide, which gives Cable operators the ability to use the same Channel as 1 analog channel, to broadcast up to 12 individual Digital channels at the same time.\n\nExample of what this causes though... Say You have 2 TVs. 1 is tuned to Channel 5 which in your city is CBS. Your 2nd tv which has a cable box, also gets channel 5, but also CBS is on another channel, say Channel 205. This is the difference in how they are now distributed, and cable boxes will have duplicates of the same content. However that Channel 5, is actually somewhere around 87Mhz in frequency, whereas Channel 205, can be associated with any digital frequency that is being used.\n\nAnalog Channels, back long ago, were numbered Sequentiallly to represent the Frequencies they were broadcast alongside. As digital has come about, it has made this model obsolete and operators can distribute more efficiently with regards to numbering.\n\nSwitch digital video is a newer embellishment on Digital content. It is more of an efficiency switch for the cable network that allows content providers such as Comcast and Time Warner, to turn off unused content channels that no one is watching to save bandwidth. This is done by detecting that no boxes in a neighborhood are not watching a specific channel, it is turned off so that the content frequency may be reused to deliver other content that you ARE watching. Say no one is watching Animal planet but 5 more households want to watch ESPN. The network can reallocate the unused streams to hodl the content you are actually watching instead of broadcasting out every channel and keeping every pipeline open.\n\nSDV is more of a burn as you drive concept. You only burn gas when you are driving. Broadcasting is more like a generator, you have to keep pouring gas into it to run the generator, even if no one is using the power.\n\nAnd that, is a very basic level introduction into How television works.\n\n"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] |
|
1r7dv9 | why are scorpions arachnids and not decapods? | A scorpion has 8 legs, but also 2 arms with claws for a total of 10 limbs. A crab has 8 legs and 2 arms with claws, totaling 10 limbs. Why is one an arachnid and the other a decapod? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1r7dv9/why_are_scorpions_arachnids_and_not_decapods/ | {
"a_id": [
"cdkc86i"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"The claws on a scorpion are called pedipalps. They are like the \"feelers\" of a spider. Some spiders have long pedipapls as well, and looks like they have ten legs. This is very different compared to a crab claw which is classified as a pinoer or its first leg. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
aw4j58 | what's the whole problem surrounding captain marvel? why was it receiving bad reviews before even premiering? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/aw4j58/eli5_whats_the_whole_problem_surrounding_captain/ | {
"a_id": [
"ehjtodm"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"There is a rating system to build hype. The “if you want to see this” button. People were abusing the button and making it look pretty negative. At the same time things were updated to make sure movies couldn’t be negatively effected before release."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
||
1ww3jb | why don't vegans eat eggs. | I understand that they don't want to take advantage of animals but chickens lay eggs periodically and if they're not fertilized and you don't eat them they'll just go to waste.
Edit: I feel like I have to emphasize the humane options when it comes to raising animals like free range or even raising your own hens. I understand the ethical problems of exploiting chickens in factory farming but there are humane options. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ww3jb/eli5_why_dont_vegans_eat_eggs/ | {
"a_id": [
"cf5vvua",
"cf5vxzo",
"cf5vyqe",
"cf5x7rh",
"cf5xb98",
"cf5y6qr",
"cf5zmd1",
"cf61e0v",
"cf673j5",
"cf69o6r"
],
"score": [
10,
4,
14,
3,
6,
2,
2,
2,
3,
3
],
"text": [
"You could make the same argument about things going to waste about milk, or meat.\n\nVegans don't eat eggs because they have chosen not to make use of **any** animal-derived products. \n\nThe reasons for veganism (as with any lifestyle choice) vary but for many vegans it's a conscious belief that animals should not be exploited in any way by human beings. Breeding and keeping hens purely to supply human beings with eggs would be considered animal exploitation by just about all vegans.",
"Well, egg-laying hens often live in pretty dire conditions (for instance, they are often packed into tiny cages) - and all egg-laying hens, free range or otherwise, end up getting shredded for low-grade meat.\n\nVegans are usually against harming animals. You can't really consume the products of a farm without signing up to some degree of harm - I mean, it's not like farm animals get to retire when they're too old to produce milk or eggs or whatever.",
"Because the chickens are locked up and abused and etc.. etc.. \n'Normal' hens would lay like 6 eggs a year, not 300+ they're bred specially for this, and like 99%+ of males born are killed as chicks. The hens are also just killed if they stop producing and the fact they produce so much leads to them living horrible lives in weakened bodies. \n\nI don't personally care because they're fucking chickens... but this is why vegans care.\n\n",
"It's not necessarily the living conditions of the chickens, nor the treatment (although mostly this is a huge part), because having your own chickens can avoid these problems. It's also the fact that it is the flesh/excretions of another being. To ingest these things seems both wrong and off-putting. And this argument is the same for all animal products.",
"There is still some level of variation of how hard core someone is even among vegans.\n\nSome vegans go so far as to not even consume honey because it comes from \"domesticated\" honey bees.\n\nBut as you're reading below, almost all vegans will avoid products from domesticated animals. According to their moral line of thinking, that entire species of domestic animal *should not exist*.\n\nEven though it's possible to purchase goods produced by domesticated animals that are treated in a more ethical manner (free range organic chicken/beef, are the easiest examples) buying those products still supports an industry where the vast majoirty of the animals are not treated in a manner that is satisfactory with the vegan's moral values.\n\nA small sliver of a minority of vegans do not have pet cats, dogs or other domesticated animals as pets because of the vast number of animals that die or are abused because of overpopulation, trendy breeding, puppy mills and the like. More of them simply get any pets they do own from rescue organizations and many participate in those rescue organiations.\n\n",
"There's two types of vegans. \n\nEthical vegans and Dietary. \n\nEthical vegans would say eating eggs is wrong because chickens are caged and *forced* to lay eggs all day long. To eat eggs would be to support the exploitation of animals. \n\nDietary vegans would say its wrong only because its an animal product - and that conflicts with their chosen dietary restrictions.",
"1. They don't like seeing chicken being locked up in tiny cages.\n2. Egg laying chicken are a different breed than the chicken we eat, so the argument that they go to waste isn't true.\n3. Since they are a different breed that won't be used for meat, there's no use for the male chicks, so they are usually killed the same day they're born.\n\n[Read more here](_URL_0_)",
"Once you have bred the chickens, ground up the male chicks, and confined the females so they couldn't experience any other source of fertilization or nest where you don't want them to, then yes they just \"lay eggs periodically.\" \n\nI guess as a vegan I feel like I take more into consideration than just the moment of egg laying.",
"There are different types and degrees of vegetarian and vegan, and different reasons for people making those choices. Generally speaking, however, vegan is a lot stricter than vegetarian. Vegetarians often only refuse to eat 'meat,' which they may define differently. For some (particularly in the UK, I've heard), that does not include chicken or fish. For many vegetarians, fish are still okay. (This is properly termed 'pescetarian'.) For most, though, *no flesh from any actual creature* is acceptable, including all birds and fish. But animal *products* that do not cause harm to the animals themselves are still okay. So most vegetarians are still okay with cheese, milk, eggs, and even fur or leather, as long as it's from animals who were not *killed* for it. (There is such a thing as 'fallen' leather, which is leather made from the hides of animals who died naturally, or in some way other than being purposely killed in order to use their bodies.)\n\nVegans go a step further, refusing anything from any animal, no matter what. So, no dairy of any kind, no eggs of any kind, no fur or leather of any kind, and so on. It's an attempt to completely separate the habits of human living from the lives of animals, by refusing to have anything to do with anything that exploits animals in any way, even in ways commonly judged harmless by most people. There may be exceptions. Most vegans I've known will wear wool, for example, because although wool is a form of exploitation (meant here in the neutral sense, not the pejorative sense), it does no harm to the sheep, and some wool breeds *have* be sheared for their own good, or they end up like [this](_URL_1_) one, all but unable to fend for themselves. (They would prefer that such breeds not exist in the first place, but that's a complicated issue.) Almost no vegans are willing to wear any leather, even fallen leather.\n\nFrom a vegan perspective, the eating of eggs perpetuates the exploitation of poultry. It's especially acute when you realise that most eggs come from industrial egg farms like [this](_URL_0_). (I've made a point to select what I feel is a neural image, but there are much nastier ones. Not all these places are clean and humane.) If your eggs come from local producers, such as a farmer's market, they're probably not farmed that way, and it might concern you less. But for most vegans, the very concept of egg farming is anathema to their worldview and how they feel about animals generally, and it's just easier to avoid eggs altogether; then you can at least be sure that you're not contributing to the exploitation.\n\nLike all personal decisions, veganism is has its complications, and is different for every person. It's therefore difficult and somewhat unfair to pretend to generalise about it. But the short answer to your question is that vegans disapprove of animal exploitation, even most humane versions, and choose to disassociate themselves from it through their food choices.\n",
"Vegan here, I'm not seeing an explanation that I would agree with completely. It is about ethical ways to treat chickens.\n\n **Typically** hens are treated terribly. Mass produced products and most commercial eggs, even those labelled [free range](_URL_0_) tend to be from hens who lived in spaces which don't provide the physical space, mental enrichment and clean air that are required to keep them healthy. Hens are often debeaked and that can be painful, and while the majority of farmers are not abusive in anyway, the hens are completely vulnerable. \n\nHowever some farms can do better. If you are willing to research farms, you can choose a farm where the hens actually have space to roam and hunt for bugs. What is wrong with those farms?\n\n* Male egg laying breeds are useless. They'll fight if there are too many on a farm (more than 1 is possible, but not a 1:1 ratio of roosters to hens) so the males are killed within days of hatching. \n\n* Hens only lay productively for less than half their natural lives. Then they are killed young. So eating eggs in no way doesn't result in the death of the animal from who they came.\n\n* No oversight. No one is looking out for the hens at all, at least not above a really unethically low standard. It's hard for even the best farms to make decisions solely in the interest of the hens and not profit/productivity - but more than that, there is no consequence for anything but the worst treatment.\n\n* We don't need eggs. Eating them is solely for pleasure, what is it ethical to do to an animal for pleasure? \n\nYou could rescue a hen, treat her as a family member and eat the eggs that she happens to lay and ethically I really wouldn't have a problem. (I'd feel better if you offer the eggs to her first though, since hens do like to eat their eggs, but I am sure you could find foods she'd like even better.) However, as soon as you want to make profit off of the hen you start needing to do things that aren't in her interest. Because at the point where you are selling her eggs, her value is as a thing. An egg producer, not a thinking, feeling, sentient someone."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chick_culling"
],
[],
[
"http://www.farmsanctuary.org/wp-content/gallery/eggs/batthens10_300_1.jpg",
"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oK6AyM9IAQ8/Tl6DbiXk3AI/AAAAAAAABh0/T4-_fbubbfE/s1600/shrek+the+sheep.jpg"
],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Free-range-hens.jpg"
]
] |
|
e1zkzc | why does phosphorus encourage algae blooms? | I know that the presence of phosphorus encourages algae blooms, but what is the science behind that? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/e1zkzc/eli5_why_does_phosphorus_encourage_algae_blooms/ | {
"a_id": [
"f8sl868",
"f8smemb",
"f8uqh1h"
],
"score": [
3,
5,
2
],
"text": [
"It's a powerful fertilizer, which is why farmers spread it on their fields. Most plants, including algae, are normally constrained in their total growth by how much phosphorus is available to them.",
"There are some chemicals which are available in limited amounts in the oceans and the runoff from farms where large amounts of fertiliser were used can add the missing chemicals which were restricting growth. \n\nWhat is eutrophication or hypertrophication? - water fertilizers and algae. - _URL_0_",
"Phosphorus is a building block for many useful compounds that promote growth. Eg ATP needed for energy to grow \nThe sugar phosphate backbone in DNA to replicate"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://youtu.be/gGDWsZNrF-8"
],
[]
] |
|
20x4lt | why $1,000 is called a "grand". | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/20x4lt/eli5_why_1000_is_called_a_grand/ | {
"a_id": [
"cg7jh3z"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"There was a time when the $1,000 bill was the largest denomination. Around this time is when the word 'grand' was being used to describe large things 'grandprize', 'grandslam'. So the largest bill became known as a grand.\n\n_URL_0_ \n\n_URL_1_"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.word-detective.com/2008/04/grand-one-thousand/",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_denominations_of_United_States_currency"
]
] |
||
aql4o2 | why do large towels tend to have a seam that's 3/16ths away from the end? why have the seam at all? and why put it where its at? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/aql4o2/eli5_why_do_large_towels_tend_to_have_a_seam/ | {
"a_id": [
"eggw6ua"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"It helps hold the end of the towel together. The extra structure keeps it from unraveling."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
||
bgwbx5 | how do mobile chipset manufacturers achieve incremental performance improvement year after year? | What do they improve and how do they do that ? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bgwbx5/eli5_how_do_mobile_chipset_manufacturers_achieve/ | {
"a_id": [
"elo6vp5"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"big upgrades include transistor size where you go from 14nm to 10nm etc. Right now on mobile phones, flagship androids that came out this year and the iPhone from last year use 7nm transistor size. The smaller the transistor, the more transistors you can fit and better performance.\n\nSometimes it's the way these transistors are arranged or how the cpu cache is arranged or how much more cache there is.\n\nSometimes all the components in the cpu itself can be rearranged and give better communication between each component and thus squeezing more juice and effeciemcy. There's lots of factors that can give these incremental upgrades"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
2jkf69 | dark circles/bags under eyes? | How/why does one get dark circles or bags under their eyes? Is this permanent?
FYI late night runescape marathons over the summer caused me to get some lmao. They've never went away | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2jkf69/eli5_dark_circlesbags_under_eyes/ | {
"a_id": [
"clcjoxi"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Fatigue can cause dark circles, but for those of us who always have them, vitamin K is effective -- but not perfect. \n\nOn the fatigue side, some good sleep and lots of water will help. \n\nBags are mild swelling or puffiness under the eyes which are common as you age. With aging, the tissues around your eyes, including some of the muscles supporting your eyelids, weaken. Normal fat that helps support the eyes can then move into the lower eyelids, causing the lids to appear puffy."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
1u5ery | when i'm passing urine, why does it froth some of the time but not others? this is into water without any cleaning products in it. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1u5ery/eli5_when_im_passing_urine_why_does_it_froth_some/ | {
"a_id": [
"ceeo8pa",
"ceep9pa"
],
"score": [
5,
2
],
"text": [
"The froth is from the amount of protein in your urine. The times you will most notice this is in the morning when the content is highest. ",
"The timing of the froth will probably coincide with any meals you have eaten which are high in protein. Occasional froth in the urine is nothing unusual and nothing to worry about. You should seek help if the urine is constantly frothing, regardless of diet, as this could be a sign of kidney issues. If the kidneys do not filter out the protein, more will be present in the urine."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] |
||
1rkkaj | how can we distinguish older movies from newer movies that look like older movies? | In other words, how can we know that movies by Charlie Chaplin were made in the 20s and yet we know that The Artist was made recently? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1rkkaj/how_can_we_distinguish_older_movies_from_newer/ | {
"a_id": [
"cdok13u"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Mostly by film stock/optics. A film enthusiast just can \"tell\".\n\nAlso by costumes. Period films can subtly seem contrived."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
3oo10m | what are the pros and cons that have occurred due to the legalization of marijuana in colorado and other states? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3oo10m/eli5_what_are_the_pros_and_cons_that_have/ | {
"a_id": [
"cvyx7wb",
"cvz0ruc"
],
"score": [
2,
2
],
"text": [
"Citations or links to studies that back up your claims are always appreciated.",
"The only negative really is a sense of nostalgia for the adventures that you'd have to go on to get weed during the some of the dry times.\n\nA [typical](_URL_0_) night on the town back then could be pretty interesting and kids these days really miss out on the social aspect of a chain of people all conspiring to commit a felony."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d0PJfUpaKu8"
]
] |
||
1nsgqg | why causes long wait times in the er? what can be done to shorten wait times? is this bad for patients? | I went to the ER for a friend. The wait times was ~8 hours, and many patients looked like they were waiting in pain (although the triage desk gives priority to the urgent cases). However, at another hospital about 5 miles away, the waiting time is ~2 hours. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1nsgqg/eli5_why_causes_long_wait_times_in_the_er_what/ | {
"a_id": [
"cclkzmg",
"ccllnf7",
"cclm1z4",
"ccln5o6"
],
"score": [
12,
2,
2,
4
],
"text": [
"It's called triage. As each person arrives they are assessed and then put into the queue. Just because they arrived last doesn't mean they get seen last. If they're the next worst off person they'll go in next. \n\nA few years ago I was in an ER here in Australia. A guy was yelling at a nurse because he'd been there for hours and was in pain. They told him that since he'd come in there'd been a number of other people arrive with heart attacks and even a few stabbings and since he wasn't going to die from either a bad sprain or a broken bone he'd just have to wait. He looked at me pretty pissed off because I'd been seen right away and then put back into the ER for observation since there were no beds available. I'd been bitten by a spider and reacted so too bad for him. ",
"A hospital needs to have a place to put patients. Each of those patients has a complaint that requires workup. If the problems of the patients who are being seen are complex, and the tests take a long time, or the patient needs to be observed before being sent home, then no one can take that bed. \nThere are nursing ratios. A nurse can't cover fifty patients. So if there are not enough nurses, then more patients cannot be seen. Same thing wi doctors. \nSome times patients need to be admitted, but the hospital is full, so patients sit in the ER (called boarding). That takes up a space. \nThe hospital 5 miles away was simply less busy, and probably takes care of less intense cases. They may also have implemented systems to streamline care via algorithms to get patients through the system.",
"Much of the waiting (I am not saying always, as clearly there are real emergency situations in ED's) is because many people go to the ER in lieu of seeing a normal Dr. They also go for things that are non-emergent, and or that have been taking place for a long time and for whatever reason they decided to go that day. Also, many people without insurance or jobs think it's \"free\" to go to the ER instead of a regular Dr, so they have a place to sit, food to eat and see the Dr and don't care how long they are there. They don't care that they are keeping actual sick people from being seen sometimes.\n\nSource: Used to be a paramedic in Cleveland.",
"Honestly. ER waiting rooms look bad, when actually its not. To those who aren't used to sick and injured people, the waiting room is a very weird place. A lot of people come to the ER with things that should be taken to a walk in. Lot's of people are just under the weather and need to take a tylenol and stay home. Lots of people need to learn to dress thier own superficial cuts and let them heal on thier own. \n\nWhen there is huge volume in the ER, the people who are deemed the most sick by the triage nurse go in first. When you wait a long time, that means you are going to be ok. If you see someone rushed in right away, shit is going down. Be glad you are not that person. \n\nIt sucks, but a lot of people just get hit with reality when they get to the hospital and they cannot deal with it. Life doesnt revolve around them and thier cough, cold or stubbed toe and its a hard pill to swallow. \n"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
2n6o22 | are humans the only animals (with similar sleep patterns) that get groggy in the mornings? if so, why? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2n6o22/eli5_are_humans_the_only_animals_with_similar/ | {
"a_id": [
"cmatket",
"cmaw7xb"
],
"score": [
3,
2
],
"text": [
"Dogs get groggy. Mine's a real jerk until he's had his morning cup of coffee.",
"I'm by no means an expert, but many people believe that our morning sleepiness is due to the human lifestyle rather than just being human. Your dog didn't stay up all night browsing Reddit, and (hopefully) gets plenty of regular exercise. If you are or know some people who are in great physical shape and work out almost every day, chances are they have much less trouble rising in the morning. Farmers, for example, have a job that's very physically demanding, but they're able to get up before dawn and start working every day. They have a rich diet of fresh produce, get tons of exercise, and go to bed early. \n\nI think very few creatures jolt awake and immediately start running around and making noise; every animal I can think of does have that brief quiet time of yawning and stretching and rolling over. But horses and bears and mockingbirds don't hit the snooze button for hours, because they go to bed on time. Nothing's keeping them up at night, and they're healthy. Also they don't have to go to work. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] |
||
8xgxxz | how does eye black work? | You know, the strip of black that a lot of baseball players put below their eyes I order to prevent the sun from being as bright in their eyes. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8xgxxz/eli5_how_does_eye_black_work/ | {
"a_id": [
"e235nlh"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Less light reflects off of black than lighter shades like skin tone. Combined with our tendency to sweat (and make our cheeks even more reflective), an unpainted cheek can push a lot of unwanted sunlight into your eye.\n\nMatte black strip fixes a lot of that."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
754lj3 | in america, why are some counties in the midwest squares? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/754lj3/eli5_in_america_why_are_some_counties_in_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"do3dulb",
"do3dvsm",
"do3e50y",
"do3emjw",
"do3fu5j",
"do3iwql"
],
"score": [
3,
3,
4,
2,
5,
10
],
"text": [
"lacking any natural bounderies like lakes, rivers, mountains, ect. and lacking notable demographic trends that might lead to funky gerrymandering, squares are about as logical a choice as any for dividing localities.",
"Because they were arbitrarily drawn on a map for administration purposes. Squares are easy to deal with, straight borders, easily calculable area, etc. \n\nThats about it.",
"Usually, there has been an informal minimum population required before territory will be considered for statehood, so states in sparsely populated areas had to be bigger. It is hard to keep a 500-mile border simple if you are using rivers and mountain ranges as borders.\n\nAlso, states in the east had over 100 years of colonial history to grow into their present borders organically and had a sense of colonial identity. In the western states, much of it was wilderness, and what was settled was recently wilderness., and much of the population was older than the territory. A homesteader doesn't really care if their land winds up in Montana or Wyoming, so no one is going to fuss much if you do the easy thing and just draw a straight line ",
"Counties are somewhat arbitrarily drawn, and there usually aren't enough land features to create natural borders.\n\nStates are the same, but less so. There's actually only three states that don't have a single natural border (Utah, Wyoming, Colorado).",
"It is an outgrowth of the surveying system used. [The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is the surveying method developed and used in the United States to plat, or divide, real property for sale and settling. Also known as the Rectangular Survey System, it was created by the Land Ordinance of 1785 to survey land ceded to the United States by the Treaty of Paris in 1783, following the end of the American Revolution. Beginning with the Seven Ranges, in present-day Ohio, the PLSS has been used as the primary survey method in the United States. Following the passage of the Northwest Ordinance, in 1787, the Surveyor General of the Northwest Territory platted lands in the Northwest Territory. The Surveyor General was later merged with the General Land Office, which later became a part of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Today, the BLM controls the survey, sale, and settling of the new lands, and manages the State Plane Coordinate System.](_URL_0_) Lands were surveyed with base lines, East West lines, and Meridians, North South lines. You can still find roads called base line roads, meridian, and terminator.",
"If you see a straight line on a map, the person that drew the line didn't live there.\n\nThe northeast was settled before states existed, so the town, county, and state lines all follow how the population lives because they were asked how they want their borders, often following geographical features that separate communities. The straight lines in the northeast are mostly because there was some dispute, and the politicians, who didn't live on the border, drew new lines.\n\nIn the midwest, the lines were mostly drawn before people moved in, so the people doing the line drawing just drew grids."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Land_Survey_System"
],
[]
] |
||
3l3hab | do transgender people who have had sex reassignment surgery feel pleasure during sexual intercourse the same way that people born that sex would? | To rephrase, is a brain that is accustomed to sensation caused by the genitalia of one sex capable of processing sensations from the genitalia of the other? Even if nerves are left largely intact during the surgery, I'd have to imagine that nerves in the penis and nerves in the vagina aren't quite the same, right? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3l3hab/eli5_do_transgender_people_who_have_had_sex/ | {
"a_id": [
"cv2uxfq",
"cv2wca5"
],
"score": [
3,
3
],
"text": [
"Yes, they feel pleasure. Whether or not they feel pleasure the same way people born that sex would is impossible to answer. It's hard enough to even find two people of the same sex that feel sexual pleasure the same way, or from the same things. ",
"Do trans women feel pleasure the same way? Yes. Do they feel the same thing? No. \n\nFeeling the same way: As far a trans women go, they obviously would feel penetration and pressure from PIV sex the same way any other woman would. \n\nFeeling the same thing: No. Because the tissue in a neo vagina and a natal vagina are not the same. The vagina is full of nerve endings and the neo vagina doesn't have as many. \nAs far as the clitoris goes the female clitoris and head of the penis are analogues. But the female clitoris has many more nerve endings in it. So even though the trans woman's clitoris is configured from the head of the penis, the sensations would be different. But again, she would feel pleasure the same way as any other woman. \n\nTL;DR: A trans woman feels pleasure in the same ways but doesn't feel the same pleasure. \n\nSource: Trans woman who has done a lot of research. I have no insight to provide on your trans men's procedures and anatomy though. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] |
|
4a9r14 | why do people [write] like this in some articles and posts? | I've seen this in several places but i have no idea why or what it means when people put certain words [in] these brackets?
Bear in mind I'm not a native english speaker | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4a9r14/eli5_why_do_people_write_like_this_in_some/ | {
"a_id": [
"d0yit8p",
"d0yiw91",
"d0yiyee",
"d0yizdy",
"d0yj3g2",
"d0yjr31",
"d0ylacw",
"d0yn0ti",
"d0yoitf",
"d0yyisa",
"d0z4g32"
],
"score": [
306,
53,
18,
2,
8,
13,
6,
9,
2,
42,
2
],
"text": [
"The words in brackets are a word that wasn't actually said by the speaker, but was included by the writer in order to clarify what is being said. ",
"It's usually because the person who made the statement didn't say the word in the brackets, but that's what they meant. The person writing the article fills in the word so the readers know what they're talking about. \n\nExample: \"Me and my buddy went fishing yesterday and caught a huge fish.\" Sentence with brackets: Me and [Tom] went fishing yesterday and caught a huge fish.\n",
"It's used for words that explain the perspective point.\n\nIf I were to say \"Yeah, John and I went to the store and talked to the clerk, he was rude when talking about David. He's never even met him\" It is confusing because the pronouns are being used in reference to each other and we don't know who is talking about who.\n\n\"Yeah, John and [Tom] went to the store and talked to the clerk. [The Clerk] was rude when talking about David. [The Clerk]'s never even met [David].\"\n\nIt makes it much more clear because it's moving from the second person perspective that I was telling the story in, to the third person perspective that you are hearing the story in.",
"It is usually used when quoting someone because they left a word out and the person writing the story includes the word to make it grammatically correct.\n\nex,as spoken; \"was standing on the corner when came by running\". To make the sentence make sense when writing it;[I] was standing on the corner when [he] came running by.\n\n",
"/r/NoSillySuffix uses [this] to tell which topic/subreddit their post comes from. They get their content from other subreddits that have the word \"porn\" in the title, often making it slightly awkward and NSFW. Instead of \"Quotes Porn,\" you simply get [Quotes]. \n\nHere is an example post: [Winter] The blue moment (Levi, Finland)\n_URL_0_\n\nHere, the original post is The blue moment (Levi, Finland) [1000x562] from /r/winterporn \n_URL_1_\n\n---\nIn addition, /r/relationships uses [27F] [31M] etc. to show what the age is of the people talking, to give some background information/perspective on the situation being discussed. \n\n\nThese are just a couple reddit specific usages of brackets:) hope that helps!\n",
"Also, many use it for tense changes in academics. If I'm quoting someone else's research in my own reports but their tense doesn't match, or they used a past participle but I need the the past tense only, such as changing 'gone' to 'went,' I bracket the words that I need to use and leave out the ones I don't use. If it changes the sentence structure significantly, I put in an endnote with the actual quote, and occasionally, if absolutely necessary, an explanation. ",
"One other thing, but only in certain posts in some types of subreddits.\n\nYou can use stuff like [m] to mean male and [f] to mean female. And there are other symbols, too. Heck, I think some subreddits are set up where you use brackets to tell it what tag to put on your post.",
"In addition to what others have said, brackets can also be used to correct errors in spelling or grammar in a quote. \n\nSay I received an email that said the following: \"George and I visited Washintin, DC, today.\"\n\nIf I wanted to quote that directly, I might write, \"George and I visited [Washington], DC, today.\"\n\nOther ways to fix the problem can include:\n-\"George and I visited Washin[gton], DC, today.\"\n\n-\"George and I visited Washintin [Washington], DC, today.\"\n\n-\"George and I visited Washintin [sic], DC, today.\"\n\nIn that last example, \"sic\" means \"see before,\" and is a way to indicate that the thing before was in the original, and not a typing error when the quote was written. So on tnis case, \"sic\" is telling the reader that Washington was misspelled in the original.",
"like /u/winstoncurlyfries said, they're words that the speaker didn't say, but they meant, so that the reader can get the context. \n\nFor example, Bob says, \"What don't I like about Greg? He is a great guy!\"\n\nThe quote in the newspaper would be, \"Bob had this to say:'[Greg] is a great guy!'\"\n\nBob said \"he,\" but without specifying that he's talking about Greg, the reader wouldn't know who Bob is talking about. \n\nOther times it's because the speaker spoke in a dialect or left words out. ",
"Brackets [] are used to interject the author's own words into a quote without the reader mistaking the contents within the quote as being what was exactly said.\n\nOne way this is used is clarify someone's direct quote that may have been unclear without context. \nFor instance, I could be a reporter interviewing an eyewitness describing Superman saving the live of an innocent bystander who said, \"And then he came in out of nowhere, lifted up the truck off of his legs and threw it into outer space.\" \nBut the direct quote uses \"he\" to describe two different people. In order to clarify who is doing what, I would quote the man as saying, \"And then [Superman] came out of nowhere, lifted the truck off of [the victim's] legs and threw it into outer space.\" \n\nAnother use of brackets is to translate something for the reader. \nExample: \"When the man found out that his house was destroyed by the tornado, he shrugged and said, \"*C'est la vie* [such is life].\" \nIn this example, I translated the french phrase into English, but I didn't want anyone to think that the man actually said, \"C'est la vie such is life.\" \n\nBrackets are also used to correct or point out a grammatical or spelling error in a direct quote without altering the quote. \nExample: \"Lily Tomlin once said, 'The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, your [sic] still a rat.'\" \n[sic] or [sp.] in brackets indicate that there is a grammatical or spelling error in a quote, but the error was made in the original quote and not a misquote by the author. It's a way to say, \"Yeah, I saw this error too and acknowledge it, but that's what was written.\" ",
"Another explanation is that here on reddit, sometimes people will put tags on thier post title. For example, when someone posts to askreddit and they don't want any joke answers they'll put a [serious] tag in the title. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/NoSillySuffix/comments/4a8av7/winter_the_blue_moment_levi_finland/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/winterporn/comments/4a8ajn/the_blue_moment_levi_finland_1000x562/"
],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
3kjn6b | when my computer is running slow, what is actually occurring? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3kjn6b/eli5_when_my_computer_is_running_slow_what_is/ | {
"a_id": [
"cuxxnos"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"A number of things can affect computer performance. You can have the hardware running slow (due to malfuntion, overheating, lack of stable power etc.), additional programs/actions being used by the computer at the same time (virus scans, downloads, background programs etc.), or innefficient use of resources (poorly organised files, badly coded programs, large amounts of clutter etc.)."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
||
bsc7y9 | how bonds and interest rates and bonds and stocks are related | I'm pretty okay at basic investing in stocks, but it's hard for me to understand how bonds work. How do changes in interest rates (Fed rate?) affect bonds and why? Why do bonds and stocks generally have an inverse relationship?
Bonus upvotes if you also explain like I'm 21. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bsc7y9/eli5_how_bonds_and_interest_rates_and_bonds_and/ | {
"a_id": [
"eon1644"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Stocks typically have higher rates of return than bonds. But bonds are much less risk. So there risk /reward trade off made by investors when they choose to invest their money. As interest rates rise, there are investors who are willing to flip from stocks to bonds based on their personal risk/reward profile. When it’s a difference of 8% with risk or 2% risk free, they take more risk. When it’s risky 8% or no risk 5%, suddenly the low risk option seems the better of the two for more investors. As more money gets invested in bonds, that money isn’t invested in stocks and creates a lower demand for stocks, lowering their return. So now stocks are only returning 7%, further narrowing the risk/reward trade off."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
asl4zk | why aren’t we allowed to lower the salaries of politicians? so that we can be sure that they are running not for money but because they really want to serve? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/asl4zk/eli5_why_arent_we_allowed_to_lower_the_salaries/ | {
"a_id": [
"egv2qio",
"egv2sk0",
"egv2tqm",
"egv2tzi",
"egv3lyo",
"egv508n",
"egv5jqg",
"egv9hlf",
"egvdjj5",
"egvpsin"
],
"score": [
27,
22,
18,
17,
5,
6,
8,
5,
4,
3
],
"text": [
"Mostly because it would become a tool to control the have-nots. Lower the the salaries of politicians until it a burden even for those who want to serve. Net result is that the only people who would run wouldn't be the people who want to serve, but the people who are financially able. \n\nSide note. Most of the money politician make come from things other than their salary. Book deals, speeches, etc... ",
"The salaries of politicians are high but not at extreme levels like corporate CEOs. Even if they were lowered, even if the salaries were eradicated, politicians would still be corrupt. That's because they get large amounts of money under the table through indirect means from companies or people who want them to vote certain favorable laws. They call it \"lobbying\".",
"Corruption. If you pay the police and politicians well enough it's a lot harder for someone to come and offer them \"incentives\" to do things.",
"If politicians started to change the salary to make it lower this would be an advantage for richer politicians because they are already well off. For poorer people who want serve their community, a low salary would be hard to live with because they are not already rich.\nEssentially, the rich will be at an advantage and the poor will have less of a day.",
"Pretty much all answers here are correct. Let me summarize them and add an additional reason.\n\n1. High salaries reduces corruption. If politicians get high salaries, they will be less inclined to take bribes since the salary should provide more than enough money.\n\n2. Low salaries means that people who have become rich(er) through other means have a lower bar to become politicians. This is of course highly coutry-dependent.\n\n3. Most people actually want competent people running the country. If the salary is shit, all the smart and competent people will want to have more lucrative careers than politics.\n\nNow, I am not claiming that these reasons actually work as intended/claimed, but these are the reasons nonetheless.",
"The simple reason why is that the US is a representative democracy. Citizens vote for representatives, and those representatives vote on laws. One of the things those representatives vote on is how much to pay themselves. ",
"You would have the opposite effect than what is probably good for society. It makes more sense to treat political people who have climbed high enough in power as we do judges - give them a high enough salary and lifetime compensation once they leave office and then bar them from taking private compensation after they leave. \n\nIf you want the best people to run for office and yet be immune from corruption, this seems to make more sense. Now it isn't perfect because some people will still be greedy - so you can, for example, hire their spouses or children, but you've definitely raised the bar since now, they have something to lose. \n\nI believe Singapore has implemented something like this. ",
"We are allowed to do this, and it does happen, although rarely. \n\nHowever, the US Congress is already overwhelmed by millionaires. Lowering salaries would just make it more likely that only the wealthy could afford to serve. \n\nIn Texas state reps are only paid a few thousand dollars per session, making it difficult for anyone with a typical job to be able to serve",
"What we want is the reverse: politicians whose **only** income is their government salary. Any other source of income should be assumed to be a bribe, insider trading, or otherwise illegitimately acquired. ",
"Low pay means you’ll only get wealthy people to run, who can afford to support themselves from past wealth. That’s already an issue with government, where those who run are wealthier than average and don’t really grasp the struggles of working and middle class people. The pay for elected officials is already well below what they could earn in the private sector, which also leads to conflicts of interest because passing legislation favorable to certain companies or industries can lead to lucrative jobs after serving in elected office."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
2jmueo | why are some companies able to directly compare their products to their competitors' whereas others use terms like "leading brand?" | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2jmueo/eli5_why_are_some_companies_able_to_directly/ | {
"a_id": [
"cld5692",
"cld5s46"
],
"score": [
3,
3
],
"text": [
"depends on the industry. if an industry has a clear leader, one that people buy because they know the name, then that's what other companies compare their product too. but it doesn't do much good to say we're better than one of the many competing options you may have heard of.",
"Companies could compare to competition, but they couldn't lie when doing so. So if your product doesn't really stand out from other competing ones it's easier to just compare it to fake \"market leader\" that doesn't really exist. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] |
||
54y13e | how are video games optimized for hardware? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/54y13e/eli5_how_are_video_games_optimized_for_hardware/ | {
"a_id": [
"d85wcll"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Regarding console to PC, you have to remember that consoles run very little in the background, they have their emulation software and that's it. \nPC's run a hundred different little processes and programs constantly, just to stay running. Then you have your sound card programs, your graphics suites, your update programs, and all of that (when it comes to running a game) unnecessary garbage. \n\nThe PC has to work ten times as hard just to stay running, so when it comes to playing the game you have fewer available resources on a similarly equipped rig. This is why you need to massively over power a console in order to run their equivalent games.\n\n\nOptimizing for hardware involves industry specifics. Let's say you optimize for Nvidia cards. Nvidia cards utilize a little software suite that helps the card configure for different games, whereas AMD has a different software suite for the same thing. Putting in a little bit of code that makes the game operate seamlessly with Nvidia's suite and not with AMD's suite will make the game work more smoothly on an Nvidia card, and these graphics companies are constantly trying to get the sole rights to each game that comes out."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
||
1jomyr | why / what incentive do girls have to post their pics on /r/gonewild? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1jomyr/eli5_why_what_incentive_do_girls_have_to_post/ | {
"a_id": [
"cbgr0ea",
"cbgrfuk",
"cbgrlfa",
"cbgsb00",
"cbgvatq",
"cbgxm4g",
"cbh2no3"
],
"score": [
5,
9,
6,
125,
17,
7,
5
],
"text": [
"curiosity, experimenting, the lulz, it is not their picture...",
"Advertising. Also, on my throwaway I do it because let's be honest. It's fucking fun. I feel special :3 ",
"Attention. Girls like it when u say they are pretty etc.",
"This needs to be divided into two questions:\n\n**Why would girls post pics *anywhere*? Why do girls want to be seen naked?**\n\nEveryone wants to be told they're sexy, but in general its more important for girls' self-confidence. Our society, the way we parent, our cultural expectations ([Gender](_URL_1_)) and even our instincts and hormones ([Sexual Dimorphism](_URL_0_)) all cause looks to be a more important factor for girls than it is for boys. In a way, it kind of makes sense to describe /r/gonewild as a sexy beauty pageant for adults.\n\n**Why post pics to /r/gonewild instead of finding boys in the real world?**\n\nIt would be hard to get this kind of attention outside of reddit because sometimes thousands of people are looking at these pictures, and often hundreds of people leave complimentary comments. You would have to go streaking in a stadium to get that kind of attention in real life.\n\nOn the internet you can hide your face and stay anonymous, but most importantly you have complete control over the situation physically. To get attention like this offline generally puts a girl in a vulnerable position where there's always the potential that a stronger boy could hurt her or touch her even if she doesn't want him to. Putting photos on the internet gives people control over the situation that they couldn't be certain they would have otherwise.\n\nAnd one last thing: even shy girls who think no one might like them and don't know where they can get this kind of attention in real life can feel sexy and naughty without having to find someone to compliment them. They can post pictures to an appropriate place and get nice messages from strangers :)\n\n**TLDR; Posting to /r/gonewild is safe, non-contact way to get told that you're beautiful by a lot of people and sometimes its especially important for some girls to hear that.**",
"Thought process: \"I think I have a nice body but not enough people tell me that to my face. I bet these sexless internet guys will have something nice to say. Here's my butthole.\"",
"Why do people post on reddit in general? There are lots of reasons, and karma is one of them. It gives them attention, validation, confidence, etc. Maybe if they had other things to post they would do that instead. Maybe they do post other things. But we happen to live in a society that places a high value on womens' appearances, and so /r/gonewild karma might be worth more to women, or some women, for that reason. ",
"Because sometimes it's nice to know that someone finds you attractive?\n\nA lot of people are self-conscious or have doubts over their physical attractiveness. Someone saying you look good naked is a HUGE boost of self-confidence to people. Hell, I know myself if someone said I look good shirtless I would feel extremely flattered."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_dimorphism",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender"
],
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
21ngyz | how did simply browsing webpages infect your computer with malware? can they still do that with today's modern browsers? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/21ngyz/eli5_how_did_simply_browsing_webpages_infect_your/ | {
"a_id": [
"cgequ8h",
"cgeqwmg",
"cgerd7l",
"cges34k",
"cgesgao",
"cgevvjn"
],
"score": [
21,
6,
3,
2,
2,
2
],
"text": [
"Through security faults in software you are using, that software could be the browser, a plugin like flash or java, or even the OS itself.\n\nlet's say somebody has found a security vulnerability in the way that your browser renders certain types of image files that would allow somebody to take control of it and execute code through it with a specifically crafted image file. In that case simply having that image on a website and having somebody with a vulnerable browser visit the site, would be enough for the site to be able to take control of your browser and through it attempt to infect your computer. \n\n[Here](_URL_0_) is an example of an announcement of an actual critical bug that existed in Firefox that relates to gif rendering that could have lead to arbitrary code execution (the ability to run code on your system) simply by visiting a site that had a specifically crafted gif.\n\nAnd yes it is still possible to be infected simply by visiting websites today, if the site happens to contain something that exploits an unfixed security bug in some piece of software you are using to display the contents of that site.",
"Hackers find security holes in one or more browsers and write code (e.g. JavaScript code) that attempts to exploit those security holes to gain unauthorized access to system resources on users' computers.\n\nFor example, it may be that a certain character sequence causes the browser's rendering engine to execute the code that follows natively instead of interpreting and processing the code as if it was HTML/JavaScript. This can inadvertently allow arbitrary code on a web-page to be executed with the same level of permission/privilege that the browser is running at.\n\nThis can still happen today, although it's much less common because the vast majority of these security holes have been already identified and patched/plugged. Nevertheless, there are zero-day browser attacks discovered in the wild every once in the while -- this is basically when a hacker discovers a new vulnerability in one or more browsers and starts actively exploiting the vulnerability (e.g. by creating and publishing malicious web pages on the internet) before browser makers have a chance to identify the threat and issue a patch/upgrade to protect against it.",
"It's absolutely still a real threat, even with modern browsers. Or any modern software, really. Just recently a report was released that attackers could use a .rtf file to attack a computer though the EMAIL PREVIEW PANE of outlook 2010. seriously. the email preview pane. There's no telling what is going to come around when XP goes EOL.",
"Web browsers are now very complicated. The more complicated, the more bugs. Some bugs can give an attacker control of your computer when they put particular things in their web pages. Web browsers are taking more steps to maintain security even when there are bugs, by building robust barriers between various internal parts of the program.",
"Many websites are hacked and can host malicious scripts. They also don't vet 100% of the ads they host, some of which may perform malicious attacks on viewer's browsers. The best protections I use are to turn off JavaScript by default, and to use a restrictive HOSTS file.",
"Even when you have the latest browser, there can be exploitable weaknesses in plugins, such as Adobe Reader, Flash, Java, and Shockwave, to name just a few of the more exploited.\n\nThis is why patching and updating your software is even more important than having anti-virus installed (not that you shouldn't do that, too).\n\nGiven that many attack vectors these days come through advertising servers, this can help, too: _URL_0_\n\nAlso: never run as administrator, unless you're directly engaged in administrating the system. Don't even open a browser from a privileged account if you can help it. Download your software and updates with lower privileges and run the installs as administrator."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.mozilla.org/security/announce/2012/mfsa2012-92.html"
],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm"
]
] |
||
8v5vd4 | is plastic pollution still a problem if i properly dispose/incinerate all my trash? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8v5vd4/eli5_is_plastic_pollution_still_a_problem_if_i/ | {
"a_id": [
"e1kriv5",
"e1ksnj7",
"e1ktla8",
"e1kvbqi"
],
"score": [
15,
2,
2,
5
],
"text": [
"Incineration generates a ton of air pollution or toxic waste so I’m not sure if that can be considered a solution or “proper”",
"Beyond just waste, creation of plastics involves petroleum, and the more we can get away from that, the better for everyone. One plastic bag takes as much petroleum to produce as it would take to drive a car about 11 meters. \n\n",
"Burning up plastic causes a ton of pollution. That black smoke you see when plastic burns is extremely toxic. It's a lot easier (and better) to prevent waste by not creating so much plastic, rather than creating and incinerating it. ",
"There is no proper way to incinerate plastic trash. As others have pointed out, it creates a lot of toxic gasses as it burns.\n\nThere's also not really an objectively \"proper\" way to dispose of it, either. Plastic doesn't typically biodegrade in a reasonable timeline. Most plastic will take millennia to biodegrade, so burying it in a landfill only delays the problem and creates another set of problems - namely, you have to spend energy (which usually means fossil fuels) to haul it to the landfill, then more fuel to cover it.\n\nThe main thing they're considering is that 100% compliance is not feasible. There will *always* be people who are lazy, ignorant, or just plain vindictive and won't properly dispose of their plastic trash. And there's no way to police an entire population, when there are so many *many* vectors for them to both acquire plastic trash and drop it. Instead, it's much easier to stop it at the source. If no one is allowed to hand out disposable plastic items that will become trash, you don't have to police the rest of the population."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
676wn3 | why are prescription narcotics frequently cited as a major contributor in the opioid crisis when they only make up 34% of pharmaceutical-related er visits and just 17% of all drug-related er visits? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/676wn3/eli5_why_are_prescription_narcotics_frequently/ | {
"a_id": [
"dgo71n4",
"dgoijet"
],
"score": [
3,
2
],
"text": [
"People are given prescriptions for problems, but then develop dependencies on them. When they can't afford the prescriptions anymore they often turn to cheaper alternatives. The cheaper the alternative, the potentially more dangerous since it'll probably contain other potentially deadly chemicals. \n\nIt's not necessarily that they cause the most harm, it's just they can be cited as creating the dependencies that end up becoming fatal. ",
"I had hernia surgery a while back. \nAfter the surgery I was given a prescription for Vicodin. I was given enough for two weeks of following the prescription. I made the prescription last 3 weeks. \nWhen I ran out of pills, I was very sick. I was going through obvious opiate withdrawal. \nIt was not an enjoyable experience that lasted multiple days. \n\nA year later I had multiple kidney stones. I was given a prescription of Percocet. Knowing what I went through before I was very cautious taking it. Only when absolutely necessary before trying to sleep, (the pain was the worst when lying down trying to sleep) and only when awake if it became unbearable. I never even finished the prescription. \nEven with my much lighter usage I still had a day of sickness once I stopped taking them.\n \n \nIt really doesn't take much for someone to get addicted to opiates. \n \nLacking sufficient willpower and/or support it can be very hard to get past that withdrawal knowing that 1 pill will make it go away. \nI was lucky as I am an ex smoker so I have been trough quitting an addiction. Most people don't have the experience."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] |
|
2ibm1m | how do countries get themselves out of debt? is it possible for a country to achieve zero debt? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2ibm1m/eli5_how_do_countries_get_themselves_out_of_debt/ | {
"a_id": [
"cl0n1ec",
"cl0n1ma",
"cl0sa8u",
"cl0t108",
"cl0tprs",
"cl0vk71",
"cl10x83"
],
"score": [
23,
15,
3,
12,
3,
7,
3
],
"text": [
"The easiest way is just to declare all previous debts null and void. As countries with masses of people with guns to back it up such declarations typically stand (although borrowing in the future will be tricky).",
"It is possible, but in general it is a bad thing for a country to have zero debt. Country debt is a field of investment. Without debt a country would not have many if not most of the bank investment options, schools would not be built, and cities could not improve things like roads and water supplies. ",
"Norway is not only out of debt, but has a surplus of over $8 billion. They're using it for all sorts of good things, such as investing back in local businesses, and one of the largest pension funds in the world.",
"Countries never get themselves out of debt (at least economically large ones). Large debt for a country is not a bad thing for a country unlike it is for an individual. An individual can only work for a limited period of time so accruing debt during that time is not bad (as long as it is manageable) however, an individual must retire at some point and if they have debt at that time there is an issue (no income=no ability to pay debt= default). However unlike individuals, countries never retire (at least hopefully). The idea is that the government will go on existing forever and because of that the country will be able to take out more and more debt, but the country will also pay its debt. IIRC the US has recently paid off the WWII debt to give some perspective of the time frames we are looking at. ",
"For the United States in particular, it would be very difficult to achieve zero government debt without making a lot of people very angry. The reason is that U.S. Treasury securities (pieces of paper that says you've given the U.S. government money now, in exchange for more money later) are a very, very popular form of safe investment, allowing people to use their money to make more money without much risk. To achieve zero debt, the United States would have to stop issuing those securities, and pay off all outstanding ones (or just declare them void without paying them off, which would make people even angrier). ",
"the Real Problem is the way \"money is made\" and here we need to look back a bit a history.\n\nYou see, back when Kings owned ALL the land (the original \"land lords\") and they either gave it to people to work on, and they had to pay 'taxes' for the things that grew \"on the King's land\"\n\nThey often gave big parcels of land to friends and other \"Lords and Barons\" and such 'aristocrats' who ruled over the peasants *for* the King, and would collect the \"land taxes\" for the King (and themselves ... think The Sherriff of Nottingham! lol)\n\n But seriously, when a farmer had run out of space for his cows/sheep (becoz they had bred) he would go to his Landlord and ask for some more land for his stock. \n\n This request was usually grated BUT *until the farmer had paid for the paddock* he had to give the King some \"interest\" which in this case was \"in kinder\" = 'baby' as in \"kindergarten\" ..... basically any *baby animal born on the new paddock* was the Kings! This was \"Interest in Kinder\" which eventually became \"interest in kind\"\n\nBUT:\n\nMoney *doesn't make little money* when put in a paddock (vault) together, and as \"fiat monies\" began to supercede old standards like gold and silver, the financiers had a big war over \"whose currency *should be used*\" and all sorts of secret deals and shifty shit started going on which would forever change the way finance was done!)\n\n And this fight (over who would 'own' the greatest currency) was, in fact, part of the reason which began the US Civil War!\n\n The British were not happy about the Yankees making their \"own scripts\" (aka \"paper money\")\n\n > During the American Revolution, a cash-strapped Continental Congress accepted loans from France. Paying off these and other debts incurred during the Revolution proved one of the major challenges of the post-independence period. \n\n > The new U.S. Government attempted to pay off these debts in a timely manner, but the debts were at times a source of diplomatic tension.\n\n \n\nThe Continental Congress\n\n > In order to pay for its significant expenditures during the Revolution, Congress had two options: print more money or obtain loans to meet the budget deficit. In practice it did both, but relied more on the printing of money, which led to hyperinflation.\n\n > At that time, Congress lacked the authority to levy taxes, and to do so would have risked alienating an American public that had gone to war with the British over the issue of unjust taxation.\n\n > The French Government began to secretly ship war materiel to the American revolutionaries in late 1775. **This was accomplished by establishing dummy corporations to receive French funds and military supplies**. It was unclear whether this aid was a loan or a gift, and disputes over the status of this early assistance caused strong disagreement between American diplomats in Europe.\n\n > Arthur Lee, one of the American commissioners in France, accused another, Silas Deane, of financial misdealings, while the third member of the commission, Benjamin Franklin, remained aloof. Lee eventually succeeded in convincing Congress to recall Deane. The early French aid would later resurface as one of the disputes behind the 1797 XYZ Affair that led to the Quasi-War with France.\n\n > **During the Revolution, the French Government also provided the Americans with loans, eventually totaling over two million dollars, most of which were negotiated by Benjamin Franklin.**\n\n > John Adams also secured a loan from Dutch bankers in 1782. After fighting between the Americans and the British ended in 1783, the new U.S. Government established under the Articles of Confederation needed to pay off its debt, but lacked sufficient tax authority to secure any revenue. The government struggled to pay off the loans, stopping payments of interest to France in 1785 and defaulting on further installments that were due in 1787. \n\n > *The United States also owed money to the Spanish Government and private Dutch investors, **but focused on paying off the Dutch because Amsterdam remained the most likely source of future loans**, which the United States successfully obtained in 1787 and 1788, despite its precarious financial state.*\n\n > **Under the U.S. Constitution of 1789, the new federal government enjoyed increased authority to manage U.S. finances and to raise revenues through taxation.** \n\n > **Responsibility for managing debts fell to Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton placed U.S. finances on firmer ground, allowing for the U.S. Government to negotiate new loans at lower interest rates**. \n\n > In addition, the United States began to make regular payments on in its French debts starting in 1790, and also provided an emergency advance to assist the French in addressing the 1791 slave revolt that began the Haitian Revolution.\n\n > *Although the federal government was able to resume debt payments, total federal expenditures exceeded revenues during many years in the 1790s*. Hamilton therefore sought additional loans on Dutch capital markets, although the improved U.S. financial situation made these loans easier to obtain. \n\n > **These *private loans from Dutch bankers* also helped pay off loans owed to the Spanish Government, back pay owed to foreign officers, and U.S. diplomatic expenses in Europe**.\n\n > In 1795, the United States was finally able to settle its debts with the French Government with the help of James Swan, an American banker who privately assumed French debts at a slightly higher interest rate. Swan then resold these debts at a profit on domestic U.S. markets. \n\n > *The United States no longer owed money to foreign governments*, although **it continued to owe money to private investors both in the United States and in Europe**\n\n\n_URL_0_",
"in 1835 the us gov. paid the national debt, did not last long before they got in debt again though\n\n"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://history.state.gov/milestones/1784-1800/loans"
],
[]
] |
||
1voqg0 | is it better to hold in your pee, or is it better to pee at the first signal? | People told me it is better to keep it in, so that the bladder stretches for the next time. Is this true?
Bonus question: How come I can keep a minute's worth of pee when I wake up in the morning, but later in the day I need to pee for five seconds worth? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1voqg0/eli5_is_it_better_to_hold_in_your_pee_or_is_it/ | {
"a_id": [
"ceueoph"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Always making a habit of holding it when you really have to go pee helps the formation of kidney stones in the long run. I wouldn't recommend it. When you have to go, the best thing to do is go."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
33cv4o | why does rewinding feels slow and choppy when you connect a multimedia hard drive / usb to a tv, but doing fast forward is quick and neat? isn't all zeros and ones in either direction? | I sticked a USB into my tv and rewinded the video a little bit, it was choppy and slow but ff is clearer and quicker... How is it possible? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/33cv4o/eli5why_does_rewinding_feels_slow_and_choppy_when/ | {
"a_id": [
"cqjnaq3"
],
"score": [
16
],
"text": [
"Video files are compressed using a technique that involves \"keyframes\" and \"deltas\". In a nutshell, the video starts with an image of the entire scene. This is called a keyframe. But then the next frame will only show the things that have **changed** from the previous fame. This is called a \"delta\".\n\nSo the video will have a single keyframe, and then a series of delta frames that are *part* of the image, but not the **full** image. Every so often, another keyframe will be used (especially when there's a major change in the scene, like cutting to a different camera), and then more deltas will build off of that new keyframe.\n\nFast forwarding is simple with this technique. Just show the keyframe, and then quickly apply the deltas as you move forward. It's just like playing the movie, only faster.\n\nBut what if you wanted to rewind by a single frame? Well, you don't know what the previous frame was, because it's not stored anywhere. Instead, you have to go back to the most recent keyframe, and apply all of the deltas that build up to the previous frame of the movie. This can't be done as quickly, so what you'll generally see instead is that rewinding will *only* show the keyframes, which can be done quickly, but results in a \"choppy\" image."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
2rmqrw | why do 'bad children' get gifted coal? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2rmqrw/eli5_why_do_bad_children_get_gifted_coal/ | {
"a_id": [
"cnha75e"
],
"score": [
12
],
"text": [
"Santa has always been linked to coal. St Nick comes down the chimney, trudging sooted footprints on the carpet and leaving gifts in stockings on the mantle. \n\nTwo ideas seem to go around.\n\nFirstly it seems to be that santa wouldn't bother even bringing anything down the chimney for bad children, instead he would just reach into the fireplace and fill the stocking with coal.\n\nSecondly, It was deemed suitable that bad children should provide fuel for their families in poor households. This coal would be used on the fire. Forcing the child to share and providing a good start to become a 'good' child for next year. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
||
7tw8ud | birth control pills say to use a secondary form of prevention if you miss a day. why is this, when most pills have a whole week of placebo pills? how is skipping a day make it ineffective when you skip 7 days at the end of your pack? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7tw8ud/eli5_birth_control_pills_say_to_use_a_secondary/ | {
"a_id": [
"dtfp0h2",
"dtfqzg4"
],
"score": [
12,
3
],
"text": [
"The placebo pills are meant to line up with your period - they allow your body to return to its normal cycle to allow the period to happen normally. Since you were taking the pill beforehand, ovulation never happened, which means that there's no egg to fertilize during the placebo pill time. \n\nHowever, if you miss a pill at another point of your cycle, it's possible that your body will react to the changed hormones and release an egg as scheduled - which means that it's possible for that egg to be fertilized and for you to get pregnant. To handle that possibility, it's recommended to use another form of birth control like a condom for a week or so, until that egg is no longer viable. Even on a normal cycle with no birth control, it's very very unlikely for someone to get pregnant during their period (usually it's the result of irregular menstrual periods and stuff like that). The rhythm method actually has a decent success rate, but \"decent\" doesn't usually cut it for pregnancies so we prefer the 99%+ of condoms and pills used properly.\n\nThe placebo pills only exist to help people remember the habit of having one pill a day. It's just the same to skip that week and take no pills at all, but then you have to get back into the habit of taking the pill each day after the placebo period is up.",
"It also depends on the type of birth control pill. Estrogen-progestin pills do a good job of stopping ovulation. Without ovulation you can not get pregnant. Now typically you start the pill within 7 days of your last menses. During your first use of oral contraceptives it’s recommended that you use another form birth control because a follicle may have developed before the birth control was started. So there can be breakthrough ovulation. However once on the pill the chance of breakthrough ovulation is decreased. \n\nWhen you stop the pill for the 7 days you get withdrawl bleeding. The decrease in the progestin causes the endometrial lining to shed. Its unlikely to get pregnant at this point because to get pregnant the fertilized egg would have to implant on healthy endometrial lining. \n\nNow skipping one pill for combined oral contraceptives doesn’t increase the chance of pregnancy that much. It is recommended that if you miss one pill then to take that pill as soon as you remember and then take the next one as scheduled. When you miss more then one pill then chances of pregnancy increase much more. If you had unprotected sex and missed more then one pill then emergency contraception is typically recommended. \n\nThings are different with progestin only pills. This doesn’t stop ovulation but more or less makes the endometrial lining less hospitable for implantation. This form requires the person to take the pill at the exact same time every day. Missing one pill increases the chance of pregnancy. So women have to be diligent about taking this type of OCP on time. \n\nThere are plenty of other options for women if they tend to be forgetful. Like nexplanon or IUDs like Mirena. But to end my rambling its important to note that a secondary contraceptive should be used in most cases as birth control pills do not prevent STDs. Unless you and your partner are in a monogamous relationship. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] |
||
a44vfo | if you paint a spacecraft with 'super-black' paint, would it be invisible (from earth)? | Seems like even tiny objects (e.g. ISS) are relatively bright in the night sky. If you were to paint a spacecraft with super black paint, would it be invisible to the naked eye from earth? ref: _URL_0_ | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/a44vfo/eli5_if_you_paint_a_spacecraft_with_superblack/ | {
"a_id": [
"ebbic1a",
"ebbitft",
"ebbz663",
"ebcovve"
],
"score": [
4,
8,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"Yes, unless it happens to pass in front of the sun or moon, so it would silhouette against it.",
"Downside - painting it super black will cause it to absorb more sunlight, making it hotter. You would have to balance that with a larger cooling system. ",
"Less visible in the visual spectrum\n\nPotentially more visible in infrared \n\nDefinitely still visible using radar",
"If you had a ship that would absorb everythin it would be totally possible to see it.\n\nSpace may seem black to us but with the proper equipment you can see distant starts and galaxies everywhere. The black starship would occlude them and be revealed.\n\nFor example [When Hubble Stared at Nothing for 100 Hours](_URL_0_).\n\nAnd it the ship truly happened to be in a spot that had no visble stars/galaxies behind it there would still be the cosmic microwave background radiation. Anything hotter than 3 kelvins could be detected.\n\n\n\nIf you are iterested in hard sci-fi you should check out Atomic Rockets. [Atomic Rockets: There Ain't No Stealth In Space](_URL_1_)"
]
} | [] | [
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_black"
] | [
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2015/04/24/when-hubble-stared-at-nothing-for-100-hours/",
"http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/spacewardetect.php#id--Strategic_Combat_Sensors--There_Ain't_No_Stealth_In_Space"
]
] |
|
64sjwj | why do police officers who break the law and abuse their power get "placed on leave" and not fired? when their is clear empirical evidence. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/64sjwj/eli5_why_do_police_officers_who_break_the_law_and/ | {
"a_id": [
"dg4njkm",
"dg4pz4r"
],
"score": [
9,
2
],
"text": [
"They are effectively suspended while the investigation happens. Would you like to be immediately fired if you did something wrong at your job and have no investigation? They are people too and entitled to the same rights when it comes to them possibly losing their jobs. ",
"If the world were completely just and fair, everybody would have this kind of protection with their employer. As it stands, police have this protection because it's collectively bargained for by the police union. Police unions are some of the strongest in the country, because police going on strike could have serious consequences, and therefore have leverage to negotiate these protections for the officers."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] |
||
a0mof9 | how is water/waste recycle in a space station environment? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/a0mof9/eli5_how_is_waterwaste_recycle_in_a_space_station/ | {
"a_id": [
"eaivg8v"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Urine can be filtered and purified to be drinkable again. \n\n Solid waste on the ISS at least is usually stored in waste tanks and later studied when it's returned to earth with the astronauts. \n\n \n\n "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
||
4i0uwy | what are we doing to preserve data for future generations-- thousands of years down the road-- to make new discoveries that build on our research? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4i0uwy/eli5what_are_we_doing_to_preserve_data_for_future/ | {
"a_id": [
"d2u10t2"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"The digital media which we store data on may have a lower life span than a stone tablet, but we aren't just leaving it around to decay. Future astronomers will presumably be able to reference historical data which was copied from hard drive to flash drive to futuristic holographic media, to metastable carbon lattice, etc.\n\nOur storage media strategy assumes that all civilization isn't going to vanish for hundreds of years between the people in the future who will want the data."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
17uk90 | how does my ipod know what time it is if the battery dies and i put it in a charger? | It doesn't connect to the internet either. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/17uk90/eli5_how_does_my_ipod_know_what_time_it_is_if_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"c88ycgh"
],
"score": [
13
],
"text": [
"Your iPod has a small backup battery called a CMOS battery. This keeps the clock running even when the main battery is dead."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
2d4yz8 | same parents children 50% same genes? | I'm bad to explain so I give an example:
Let say dad has black hair and mom has white hair and they have 3 children. One of those children got black hair and rest of 2 got white.
So how these 3 children have all 50% same genes incommon? To me it seems like these kids with white hair have more incommon than the one with black hair.
I'm sorry about my bad English. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2d4yz8/eli5same_parents_children_50_same_genes/ | {
"a_id": [
"cjm4p3q"
],
"score": [
8
],
"text": [
"Humans have 46 chromosomes, which occur as 23 pairs. Keeping it simple, half of each pair comes from the mother, the other half comes from the father.\n\nThis means it's possible for a couple to have over 70 trillion genetically unique children (2^46 combinations).\n\nOf course the real number is a bit different. If the parents had one chromosome in common then the number of combinations will be cut in half. Even then genes within chromosomes could be common between the parents (if neither of them has a red hair gene then they can't have red hair children).\n\nThe key is, even though children definitely share chromosomes with their parents, they don't have to share any with their siblings. It's possible for two children to have no chromosomes in common, although the odds of that happening are one in 70 trillion.\n\nAlso remember that genetics isn't everything. Identical twins can still have unique personalities."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
7mz9op | wil dna be the same at birth as at death | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7mz9op/eli5_wil_dna_be_the_same_at_birth_as_at_death/ | {
"a_id": [
"drxtqfy"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Yes, mutations do happen when your cells divide and the DNA doesn't copy correctly. This is how cancer happens. A mutation in a specific cell happens where it doesn't die and just keeps growing and copying itself. Most mutations do nothing (or just cause the death of the new cell and that's where that mutation stops)\n\nThis is one of the reasons why radiation is far worse for humans than it is for something like a flour beetle or a cockroach. Their cells divide less frequently, and getting doses of radiation when your cells divide (which is happening constantly in humans) is what causes the cellular damage."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
||
3gjj35 | how can someone justify restricting voting rights? what are the unbiased beinifts from doing so? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3gjj35/eli5_how_can_someone_justify_restricting_voting/ | {
"a_id": [
"ctypj52",
"ctyt4js",
"ctyv5tb"
],
"score": [
2,
5,
2
],
"text": [
"Restricting voting rights is a way to limit the amount of votes one's political opponent might receive. Typically, voter ID and registration laws affect minorities and the poor, who typically vote Democrat, so by making it harder for these groups to vote, Republicans effectively reduce the pool of votes for Democrats, thus improving their chances of winning an election.",
"_URL_0_\n\nLow information voters may make bad decisions. Voting restrictions can potentially be a tool to improve voter quality. \n\nFor instance, same day voter registration may only attract the uninformed. Closing voter registration a month before the election might be reasonable.",
"Uneducated and illiterate people are easy to manipulate. Unscrupulous politicians can easily benefit from this.\nIf also they are extremely poor they easily could be paid to vote for certain party (having corrupt police and juristic/legal system also does not help too much). Example - marginalized gypsy population in some EU countries (Bulgaria)."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condorcet%27s_jury_theorem"
],
[]
] |
||
1idfgr | why do cold things go warm, and warm/hot things go cold? | Say I have a French fry (hot), and a slice of cheese (cold). French fry goes cold, and cheese goes warm. But what if I left the French fry cold, and the cheese was warm? Would they go back to the first stage (fry hot, cheese cold)? Sorry for any grammar mistakes. On mobile. Also sorry for random foods,I am hungry. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1idfgr/eli5_why_do_cold_things_go_warm_and_warmhot/ | {
"a_id": [
"cb3cxx6",
"cb3cyxd",
"cb3d42o"
],
"score": [
9,
2,
2
],
"text": [
"That's a really interesting question. I can tell you are thinking. Sadly your French fry simply won't get hot again and your cheese will never just get cool. \n\nBoth of them work actually work in the same way. It's not that some things get cool and others get hot. Both of them get closer to room temperature. \n\nWhenever there are two things touching (like a French fry and air) heat moves from the hotter one to the colder one. In the case of a hot French fry in room temperature air, the french-fry is the hot one so it loses heat and the air gets the heat. The air gets a little warmer by the french-fry. For the cool cheese and room temperature air the air counts as the warmer one so heat moves from the air to the cheese. The cheese gets warmer and the air gets a little cooler. \n\nIt may seem weird but you can think of heat as a sort of a thing. It's actually a kind of energy to it more moves from place to place than it gets made or disappears. ",
"Everything tries to reach an equilibrium. So, in your example, the cheese warms up and the fries cool off until they're the same temperature. If you poured hot nacho cheese on something like chips, the cheese cools and the chips warm up.\n\nAlso, in both cases, that system is losing heat to the room to balance that out as well. This is why a hot slice of pizza will eventually get cold.",
"Heat is energy; it is the vibration of molecules on an atomic level. As a rule, energy flows from areas of high concentration to low concentration until everything has reached an equilibrium. \n\nYour fry has a high concentration of heat energy, so that energy flows out into the cooler air around it. Your slice of cheese has a low concentration of heat energy, so the energy from the warmer air flows into it until it is in equilibrium with room temperature. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
a06w4x | if cooking a protein would mess its structure, how does the body use it as a nutritional value? | Sorry for bad english | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/a06w4x/eli5_if_cooking_a_protein_would_mess_its/ | {
"a_id": [
"eaf2g95",
"eaf6ubp",
"eafs57x"
],
"score": [
4,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"Our bodies break down proteins into their amino acid components, then use these amino acids to create proteins specific for our bodies and our bodies needs.\nCooking or heating a protein otherwise typically makes it non-functional, but it’s nutritional components (amino acids) are still there. ",
"The heat doesn't normally break down the protein entirely. It's more like a knitted sweater being unraveled. Then enzymes in our digestive system can cut the thread into pieces.\n\nCooking actually speeds up digestion because it \"unravels\" the proteins. Just like it's faster to cut a loose thread in comparison to the thread knitted into a sweater.\n\nBurning protein causes the amino acids to react with sugars, so that means we can't use it as effectively, but as long as most of the protein is just heated, we still get the nutrition we need.",
"Fire and cooking were the things that really set out evolution going. As others have pointed out - cooking breaks down proteins and that allows our bodies to better absorb them.\n\n & #x200B;\n\nThere are raw foodies who enjoy uncooked foods. People eat \"cold cuts\" - raw meat with or without raw vegetables in a sandwich or as a snack. Sushi, fruits and salads are raw of course.\n\n & #x200B;\n\nBut cooking does allow for the amino acids from the broken proteins to be absorbed faster. Animals (eating all food raw) have specialized enzymes to break proteins down. Early hominids lacked those enzymes, but cooking allowed [Homo Erectus](_URL_0_) to eat more meat and diversify their diet.\n\n & #x200B;"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_erectus"
]
] |
|
dry18g | how do lumens work? how much brighter is one 800 lumen bulb than two 400 lumen bulbs? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/dry18g/eli5_how_do_lumens_work_how_much_brighter_is_one/ | {
"a_id": [
"f6lomss",
"f6ltx8f"
],
"score": [
34,
9
],
"text": [
"Lumens are like watts, but weighted to only include the light we can see; infrared and below is out, as is ultraviolet and above. So a bulb with twice as many lumens is twice as powerful, as far as we can see. The trick is that the human eye has roughly logarithmic sensitivity. If you saw a row of bulbs which were 100, 200, 400, 800 lumens, i.e., going up in brightness exponentially, you’d say their brightness was stepping up evenly. If you instead saw bulbs at 200, 400, 600, 800, you would think that there wasn’t much difference between the two brightest.",
"Lumens is a measure of how much light a source gives of in all directions.\n\nTo measure the light given in the direction of a specific angle you would use the unit candela.\n\nTo measure the light an area receives you would use lux.\n\nThese are all different ways to quantify \"brightness\".\n\nIn general though for a question fo two identical light-bulbs at the same distance and the same general direction from you, it basically works out the same.\n\nTwo 400 lumen bulbs will be as 'bright' as one 800 lumen light source.\n\nOf course if you put one much father away than the other or otherwise complicate things it becomes a different question.\n\nYou can think of lumen as being sort of like Watt with everything but the visible light ignored and weighted for the way human eyes perceives light."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] |
||
15ct1k | "ghost in the machine" | Can someone explain to me "the ghost in the machine" and how it is a counter to Descartes' "mind-body dualism" like I am 5? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/15ct1k/eli5_ghost_in_the_machine/ | {
"a_id": [
"c7lksbh"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Ill give it a whirl since there are no answers yet. To a 5 year old I'd say the idea is basically like if you were eating alphabet soup. If you had enough \"letters\" you'd eventually get words then maybe sentences, and so on. Ghost in the machine is the same except deals with lines of code that cause unexpected/random behavior from a program."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
2b23n2 | what happens after decapitation? | I've always wandered and i know it obviously cannot be tested in a human form but i am hoping there is some way this can be explained.
Thanks | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2b23n2/eli5_what_happens_after_decapitation/ | {
"a_id": [
"cj11imb",
"cj11iss",
"cj12a58"
],
"score": [
2,
5,
5
],
"text": [
"The loss of blood pressure means you pretty much instantly blackout. Any twitching, blinking, etc, is all involuntary motor function.\n\nAssuming the blade actually cuts through the neck properly a guillotine or similar is a pretty good way to go.",
"The point at which you cease to be \"alive\" and are \"dead\" isn't really clear-cut. However, brain function can exist as long as it has blood and oxygen, which it will for at least a few seconds. Even if you aren't dead, you are, at the very least, irreparable. \n\nHowever, this crazy Russian scientist decapitated dogs and successfully kept them alive for a few hours by essentially [bathing them in blood](_URL_0_). Very graphic video.",
"You become light headed...."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSrIkUXwsNk"
],
[]
] |
|
8rx58u | why is icing the injuries a good thing | Since inflammation is a natural process of healing injuries, then why should we use ice to reduce the inflammtion?
It would be helpful if someone can explain this to me. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8rx58u/eli5_why_is_icing_the_injuries_a_good_thing/ | {
"a_id": [
"e0uw10d",
"e0uw15c",
"e0uzval"
],
"score": [
5,
3,
3
],
"text": [
"Because inflammation can hurt. Icing causes blood vessels to restrict, prolonging the inflammation period that comes with an injury. As the area warms, blood will move in and inflammation will occur as normal, so the icing is for temporary pain relief. Obligatory I'm not a doctor, please feel free to correct. ",
"Icing injuries is mainly for long term benefit rather than short term. Yes swelling is a natural part of healing, but if a muscle is swollen for too long bleeding into the tissue can occur which can cause more severe problems down the road. For me personally, I find icing just takes the throbbing pain away from the affected area. Hope this helps at all.",
"Inflammation should not be confused with bruising. Ice is applied to bruises because your blood vessels are damaged and leaking blood, the ice helps restrict the blood vessels reducing the amount of blood lost and reducing the swelling.\n\nInflammation is usually caused by an infection or foreign body, in which case your immune cells gather in large numbers in and around the inflamed area. Although this is generally good as it helps fight the infection, sometimes too much inflammation can cause harm, and in that case you may take anti inflammatory drugs. Paracetamol is an example of an anti inflammatory drug."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
9l5iie | why do a large number of companies prefer to pay their employees hourly instead of giving a salary? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9l5iie/eli5_why_do_a_large_number_of_companies_prefer_to/ | {
"a_id": [
"e746lji",
"e748yle"
],
"score": [
2,
3
],
"text": [
"There are rules regarding who is paid hourly versus who is paid a salary that depend on the nature of the work being done. If you're working on the manufacturing line, you're going to be paid hourly, but if you're a manager, you'll get a salary. If you are a \"professional\" working for the same company (for example, an accountant) you'll be paid a salary. \n\nBeing mis-classified as management, and being paid a salary, is an easy way for a company to cheat an employee out of overtime pay. It's also something that companies get sued over pretty often. ",
"Other posters have already covered the nefarious reasons for doing this so I'll add a legitimate reason for it.\n\nThe short version is \"incentive alignment\". If I want to convince people to spend more hours working it helps to pay them by the hour.\n\nSome jobs are easily monitored for performance and it's easy to map that to time units. If I have a machine that needs someone to stamp 10 widgets per hour and I know that a person can stamp 5 widgets per hour, then hiring 2 hourly employees makes it really easy to map may expenses to output. If I need to adjust output I can relatively adjust my labor input to match.\n\nIf I put them on salary what do I do during times of heavy demand? Do I just ask the workers to put in more hours without changing their pay? Do I hire more workers and then pay them to sit around when I don't have work for them? None of those options are great but if I'm paying them hourly I can just pay them more to work more hours.\n\nBut some jobs are very hard to monitor and no one cares how much time it takes to do them, as long as it gets done on time. For example, if you make custom furniture I know that it's going to be hard to judge your work on an hourly basis since I can't easily differentiate between time that you spend thinking about how to modify the dimensions of my cabinet to fit into my house properly and time you spend just sitting around playing solitaire and billing me for it. So I'd rather pay you some fixed rate than an hourly rate."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] |
||
63fg4l | how do large cities not run out of number and letters combinations to put on license plates? what would happen if they did? | Title. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/63fg4l/eli5_how_do_large_cities_not_run_out_of_number/ | {
"a_id": [
"dftn6i2",
"dftn9no",
"dftngws",
"dftuorg",
"dfuirup"
],
"score": [
18,
7,
3,
2,
2
],
"text": [
"Because with a 7 digit license plate, there are over 78 billion unique combinations of letters and numbers. If any licensing agency somehow managed to exhaust that number, they would just add another digit.",
"California uses 7 characters for their license plates. With letters and numbers that means that each character has 36 options. This means there are 36^7 possible combinations of license plates. Which is more than there are currently people on earth.\n\nIn reality they are more limited than this: The first character is always a number for example, but they do not have to be.",
"They dont. For license plates with three letters followed by three digits there are 17,576,000 combinations there are not that many vehicles in most jurisdictions. Big places like california with over 30 million registered vehicles have 7 digit plates which increases the number of combinations.\n\n",
"In Chile, license plates were a combination of 2 letters and 4 digits. When license plates with the combination ZZ + numbers appeared, state gave new plates with 4 letters and 2 numbers. There are more letters than numbers from 0 to 9 so more combinations ...",
"Texas switched from 6-digit plates to 7-digit plates several years ago. They ran out of combinations of 6 digits and had to add a new one."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
4o91vr | how did artwork like the mona lisa, the last supper or the statue of david become so much more famous and well known than other lesser known impressive art? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4o91vr/eli5_how_did_artwork_like_the_mona_lisa_the_last/ | {
"a_id": [
"d4ap8zw"
],
"score": [
6
],
"text": [
"I'm not familiar with the Last Supper and Statue of David's history, but I do know that the Mona Lisa was stolen right out of the Louvre, and later recovered, which contributed significantly to it's presence in the public's eye."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
||
1gsdyp | why is it so cheap to buy items in america vs other areas of the world | Why is it so cheap to buy items in USA vs other areas of the world? e.g. Housing prices, groceries and living expenses.
I currently live in New Zealand where buying an average house costs around $350k-$500k NZD. Why is there such a price difference between the two nations and what are the major influences behind this? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1gsdyp/eli5why_is_it_so_cheap_to_buy_items_in_america_vs/ | {
"a_id": [
"canbyi3",
"cancatc",
"cancflq",
"cancsmd",
"cand1b1",
"candzag",
"canerwi",
"cangu7b"
],
"score": [
5,
74,
2,
12,
50,
10,
3,
10
],
"text": [
"I actually prefer the tax in the price so I have the money in my hand when I go to the register and can accurately determine how much I'm spending before I get to the register. ",
"It *totally* depends on where you live in the US.\n\n**Housing Prices**--go to San Francisco or NYC, and you'll see a moderate home costing more than $500,000 USD. Go to Nebraska, you'll see a home for less than $100,000. \n\nPart of it is geography. New York and other metro areas (San Francisco, Boston) are constrained. Manhattan is an island, so there is a definite limit to new housing. In the northeast (New York, Massachusetts, the rest of New England) there is literally *no* unincorporated land. Every town borders another town, so finding new space to build houses often means building *vertically*. In the Mid-West, there's a lot of flat open land, a lot of *unincorporated* land, and not a lot of people, creating \"suburban sprawl\" as new houses get built. (Can't find a house you like? Go a 1/2 mile outside of town and build a new one!)\n\n**Groceries**--Again, depends on where you live. A *lot* of land in the Mid-West is farm land, and then a lot of land in California is farmland. The closer you are to where your food is grown, the cheaper (and fresher) it is. Ask an Alaskan or Hawaiian, and they'll tell you about $9/gal milk and other ridiculous prices, because food needs to travel so far. The US tends to have a lot of farm subsidies as well, which keeps food prices pretty low (because farmers can and do overgrow). \n\n**Living Expenses**--Things like gasoline are way more expensive in places like Europe. Part of that is the fact that we have some domestic oil, part of that is the fact that we don't tax our oil/gas very much. Other random products that are produced in the US are sold to you more expensively because they're imports, and have to travel pretty far to get to you.",
"[The Story of Stuff](_URL_0_) film gives a good explanation about \"externalization of cost\" that explains how some products can be unfeasibly inexpensive in the west despite the costs of fabrication, packaging, transportation and distribution etc. etc. ",
"It's easy:\n\nAmerica has a HUGE middle class with a HUGE appetite for goods. That means foreign companies can sell a looooot of their goods, which also means they can sell it for cheaper. Since Americans have such great buying power, there are lots of sellers. So despite the fact that Americans are willing to spend money, companies can't simply charge what they want because then customers will buy from their competitors.\n",
"A few possibilities when compared to your country specifically:\n\n1. New Zealand has a much smaller population/economy, meaning there is a lot less demand for items, so it is more difficult to have the economies of scale.\n\n2. Combined with #1, New Zealand is relatively remote (compared to, say, lightly populated Canada right next to the US or lightly populated Estonia right next to the rest of the EU), which drives up transportation costs for goods.\n\n3. New Zealand may have more protective tariffs/import duties on goods imported.\n\n4. New Zealand may have higher taxes across the board (income, consumption, etc).\n\n5. New Zealand may have fewer natural resources and be therefore more dependent on other countries.\n\nWhy are goods in the US cheaper than almost all other countries? Pretty much the opposite of above -- giant economy, major trade center, low tariffs, low taxes, plenty of natural resources, plus a relatively business-friendly government.\n\nOf course, this is not without its hidden costs, as one might argue it's better to have higher taxes to raise the social safety net, or higher tariffs to protect local industry, or more regulations to protect the environment. But on the surface it makes the US appear to be a much cheaper place to live.",
"Don't forget the exchange rate -- $350k NZD is about $270k USD. Which still makes it more expensive probably but not as extreme.",
"My wife is from Argentina. She explained to me how trade is more restricted, thus many items are heavily taxed to the point where some things like iPhones are cheaper on the black market.",
"1. US produces everything. I mean everything. Meat, produce, diary, beer, wine, cars, clothing, electronics, you name it. This includes stuff made in other countries. Those clothes made in China? Well, you can't buy them in China. They are for export only. iPhone is made in China? You pay import tax if you buy it there.\n2. US has a huge buying power. We, or I should say they because I'm just a Canadian living here, buy a lot of shit.\n3. Cost is low. Immigrants, both legal and illegal, brought down the labor cost. Gas is cheap because US has the best refineries. US imports crude but export refined products. Saudi has all the crude. But it's worth nothing if you can't refine them. Then there is domestic shipping cost. US has the most advanced freight train system in the world. Other countries can shame US on passenger trains. But when it comes to ship large volume cheaply across the country, US is number one.\n\nThese are the important ones I can think of. Other comments also mentioned the vast land mass and lower taxes which I totally agree."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[
"http://www.storyofstuff.org/"
],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
6h9tbf | why is it bad for the government to have access to internet data? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6h9tbf/eli5_why_is_it_bad_for_the_government_to_have/ | {
"a_id": [
"diwmgcs",
"diwmkqc",
"diwmpel"
],
"score": [
7,
2,
2
],
"text": [
"Government agencies that start out with the best intentions, can be politically co-opted over time to have not-so-good intentions. Furthermore, individuals with access to data can easily use that data for nefarious purposes (how about blackmailing Phil?) And politically speaking it's incredibly hard, once you give access, to take it away.\n\n",
"What if Phil's wife's sister's husband (I think...) works at the FBI?",
"This is less about the internet, per se, and more about the way agencies are permitted to surveil. The big issue with Snowden was not necessarily about the fact that the CIA read our internet traffic, and more about the fact that the CIA had the power to conduct surveillance on US Citizens, (When their internet traffic crosses national lines,) which isn't supposed to be the case.\n\nIn addition, these aren't agencies we're trusting with our information, but also the people in these agencies. Compromising information can be used very very badly, if it isn't protected, and the best protection against misuse of information (take it from someone handling personally identifiable information every day) is not to permit access to information in the first place."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
3s1dh8 | how long does brain matter survive without perfect conditions? | I have this theory about life that I can't seem to shake, so I need some proof that I am wrong.
I have been taught the brain is basically electric impulses causing reactions to make us do what we do. Billions of connections that in total, create everything that I am.
My question is related to death; since all of our brains are different in one way or another, isn't it possible that when somebody dies gruesomely (shot in the head, high velocity impact, crushed skull, brutal ways go to) that their brain is still functioning, just not the same way?
I have this feeling that death isn't going to be an endless sea of darkness, I can't help but think that our brains will continue working until something major stops it, the only major thing I can think of is the end of the electric impulses that create the network of our being.
So, if someones head is smashed in, their brain matter is scattered but still touching, miraculously their heart is still pumping, wouldn't that person still be alive in a sense?
I'm trying to figure out how to explain death. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3s1dh8/eli5_how_long_does_brain_matter_survive_without/ | {
"a_id": [
"cwt77e2"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"The concentration of ions around a neuron is very important for it's survival. One way the ionic balance is regulated is through blood supply. A scattered brain will likely have inadequate blood supply, leading to neuronal impairment and death. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
3u4wnt | hedge funds, venture capitals, and futures trading. | I've tried to research online but I just end up confused. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3u4wnt/eli5hedge_funds_venture_capitals_and_futures/ | {
"a_id": [
"cxc1txu"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"Venture capital is money from small groups of investors or individuals who are willing to invest in private companies. \n\nHedge funds are investment funds that theoretically invest to do well if the general market does not. In practice, they are investment funds that are able to do exotic or high risk things in exchange for limiting investment to only wealthy people who are expected to understand the high risk of the investment.\n\nFutures trading is betting on the future market values of commodities. It is based on being able to make contracts dated in the future. If I grow corn, I can agree to sell my corn that will be harvested in 6 months at a price today. If the market price goes down, I get more. If the market price goes up, I don't get the extra. People who don't grow of need corn can also make these deals, but need to get out of them before the corn must be delivered."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
7c1ka4 | what is big o, big omega, and big theta notation? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7c1ka4/eli5what_is_big_o_big_omega_and_big_theta_notation/ | {
"a_id": [
"dpmf4g0",
"dpmk29y",
"dpmnodw",
"dpmq8qe"
],
"score": [
10,
7,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"When you have two sequences or functions, you are often interested in how fast they grow compared to one another. For example, suppose you have two functions f(n) and g(n) that tell you how many operations two different algorithms use to sort a list with n elements. As n gets bigger, if the number of operations f(n) gets bigger faster than the number of operations g(n) gets bigger, then you would say that g(n) is a more efficient algorithm. There are a variety of ways to make that idea more precise, and Big O/Omega/Theta are one of them.\n\n\"f(n) is Big O of g(n)\" means that the rate of growth of f(n) is at most the rate of growth of g(n).\n\n\"f(n) is Big Omega of g(n)\" means the rate of growth of f(n) is at least the rate of growth of g(n).\n\n\"f(n) is Big Theta of g(n)\" means f(n) and g(n) have the same rate of growth.",
"/u/BigSerene is very close to correct, but I want to rephrase what they said an add some clarification. Buckle up, because this is knee-deep in college-level computer science.\n\nBig-Oh notation is used to compare algorithms and determine which ones take more time than others to complete. But what is an algorithm? Well, it's a finite series of steps to solve a problem. Very handy in computing. Some algorithms are really slow, though. Some are fast. We want to find the fast ones and avoid the slow ones (assuming both of them get the right answer in the first place). In order to do that, we need to have a standard to compare them by. That's Big-Oh.\n\nSay I want to find a pair of matching socks. Once thing I could do is, for every sock I own, compare it to every other sock I own (at a rate of one sock per minute, for simplicity) until I find a match. In the worst case, I'd need to go through every sock I own, _for every sock I own_, to find a match. Let's write it in Big-Oh. The notation is written relative to the size of your input. Usually this size is represented as _n_, and in this case, it represents the number of socks I own, which can vary over time. We want our algorithms to run reasonably well regardless of the size of the inputs. This one runs in O( n^2 ).\n\nOne nice thing Big-Oh does for us is get rid of clutter. I'm going to avoid the actual definitions because this isn't /r/askscience, but the jist of it is that we can ignore any _constant-time processing_ that isn't related to how many socks we're looking through. Say I putzed around on my phone for an hour for no reason before I picked my socks. We could speed up by _not_ doing that, but it won't change or Big-Oh expression, because O( 60 + n^2 ) = O( n^2 ). Same story if I wanted to count up all my socks beforehand. O( n + n^2 ) = O( n^2 ). Or if I wanted to double-check something about each pair of socks I looked at. O( 2n^2 ) = O( n^2 ). It's really nifty and helps us compare algorithms without having to know the specifics of how the data is handled or preprocessed. Obviously the algorithms with the additional expressions will run a tad slower, but when you're processing a hundred million socks, those expressions are eclipsed (known as the asymptotic running time).\n\nThese next few explanations are a distillation of the definitions, to keep things a little simpler. Unless you want to get in deeper, just take it at face value that constants are ignored, and that all members of an addition expression _except the one with the greatest magnitude_ are also ignored, a la O( 1000 + n + 1000n + n^2 ) = O( n^2 ).\n\nBig-Oh says that, _at worst_, the approximated running time of an algorithm (how long it will take me to find my matching pair of socks) will be _no higher than_ the approximation given in parentheses (in this case, n^2 ).\n\nBig-Omega is similar and says that, _at best_, the approximated running running time of an algorithm will be _no better than_ the approximation given in parentheses.\n\nFor an algorithm to be Big-Theta( n^2 ), it has to be Big-Oh( n^2 ) _and_ Big-Omega( n^2 ).\n\nThose last two are mainly used in analysis, or to find the Big-Oh notation of algorithms that don't play quite as nicely as my socks example (say, algorithms that recurse). Hope that helps!",
"I'd highly recommend reading the article \"A Gentle Introduction to Algorithm Complexity Analysis\". It really helped me understand the concepts and how to analyze the complexity of an algorithm, along with the notation. _URL_0_",
"You've just done your laundry, and now you are sorting your socks. Obviously, the more socks you have to sort, the longer it is going to take. But it isn't a direct relationship, twice as many socks takes more than twice as long to sort becasue more socks makes the task not only bigger, more complex.\n\nBig O notation is an attempt to measure that complexity, to give you an idea how the time to get something done grows with how many things you need to work with. Some tasks, like counting the socks, have a simple linear relationship...twice as many socks takes twice the time. You could find a function that says t = 2n, which means if you have n socks, it will take 2n seconds to count them. This means the complexity is 2n, which for hand waving reasons we won't get into, simplifies to n. Similarly, if sorting socks can be described with t = 3n^(2), the complexity is n^(2).\n\nBut sometimes it isn't that easy, especially when you can anticipate exactly what kind of socks you are sorting. If they are all the same ankle length white athletic socks, they will sort faster than if every pair is unique. That's where O, Θ, and Ω comes in:\n\n* O means your algorithm is at least that **fast**, and in specific cases might be faster. An O(n^(2)) algorithm at **worst** is n^(2), but sometimes might be n or even better.\n* Ω means your algorithm is at least that **slow**, and in specific cases might be slower. An Ω(n^(2)) algorithm at **best** is n^(2), but sometimes might be n^3 or even worse.\n* Θ means while there might be some variance, your algorithm never significantly faster or slower. An n^2 algorithm never improves to n or worsen to n^(3) based on the data.\n\nBig O is by far the mostly commonly used of these, to the point people often say O when they really mean Θ.\n"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[
"https://discrete.gr/complexity/"
],
[]
] |
||
2zra7f | the first time you smoke weed it has little effects. why? | In my experience, and according to what most of my friends claim, it takes a lot of practice to start getting high on weed: the first times you smoke it, it doesn't do much.
Is it true or just a myth? Why does it happen? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2zra7f/eli5_the_first_time_you_smoke_weed_it_has_little/ | {
"a_id": [
"cplm54t",
"cplqjue",
"cplsla2"
],
"score": [
3,
2,
2
],
"text": [
"Ok, I'll go for it: the first time I smoked weed was when I was 17 years old. My buddies and I went to a local park and made a gravity bong (this plastic water bottle device that filtered smoke) very rudimentary. I had to bring a knife from my house to cut the bottle. Anyway, we all do it again and again until we hear a siren. 95% of the group gorilla panics and jets hella quickly. I feel nothing, and figure it's not for us. \nDespite the pull if herd panic, one dear friend summons the courage to remain. Let's call him E. We have a small pipe and a lighter and we really hit it. The wind was gusting so hard we had to stand in a corner facing the wall. He asks, \"are you feeling it?\" I don't answer; I'm too busy looking over his shoulder at the one light streaming though window. It's sharp contrast to the dark evening and the light draws my interest. \n\"Yeah, you're feeling it.\" \nWe call our buddies and find they're at an adjacent fast food place. We walk over through the orangle light of the park. I couldn't prevent it even if I tried. It exploded out of me with the eruption of 6 million asteroids striking a planet at once! \"Dude! I feel like we're in a Clockwork Orange!\" I laughed hella hard. We ran. It was fun. Went to the fast food joint, felt like I could taste the chemicals in the chicken. Still a great time. Just inhale really deeply",
"Anyone know if this is isolated to smoking, or does the same thing happen if the first time a person is trying weed they do it via an edible? I ask because all the people I know smoked long before they had their first edible.",
"I'll give a scientific answer that differs from the proposed wrong usage.\n\nSo THC is stored in fat cells. The first time you smoke, a large majority of the THC is immediately stored in fat and little of it is used to \"get high.\" The second time you smoke, your body tells you \"Hey there's already some stored in your fat, go ahead and break down more THC than last time.\" That continues for a few sessions, until your body reaches a point where it levels off and doesn't store anymore in your fat. \n\nSource: Neurobiology degree and a class called \"Drugs & Addiction\""
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
a0v4ak | how is graphene battery better than lithium-ion battery? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/a0v4ak/eli5_how_is_graphene_battery_better_than/ | {
"a_id": [
"eakjvxk"
],
"score": [
8
],
"text": [
"Several ways. First off is the material it's made from. Graphene is the name for a particular structure of carbon atoms. Carbon is plentiful here on Earth. In fact, we've got too much of it in the atmosphere. Lithium, on the other hand, is a comparatively rare metal, which must be mined and refined through processes that can have devastating effect on the immediate area.\n\nSecond is the charge time. Graphene batteries charge 5 times faster than Li-ion. With more and more Electric vehicles and hybrids hitting the roads, charge time is one of the biggest barriers to their widespread use. If you could cut the rapid charger charge time from 1 hour down to 12 minutes, you're starting to approach gas station stop times. \n\nThird is energy density. Lithium based batteries generally have an energy density of around 180 Watt-hours/Kg (For each kilogram of weight, the battery can sustain 180 Watts of draw for an hour). Graphene batteries run around 1000 Wh/Kg, and the Tesla Model S battery boasts an energy density of 2000 Wh/Kg. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
||
61o6op | why is poverty level related to diabetes risk? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/61o6op/eli5_why_is_poverty_level_related_to_diabetes_risk/ | {
"a_id": [
"dffywv1",
"dffz8xk",
"dfgunuo"
],
"score": [
3,
14,
2
],
"text": [
"Poor people typically buy the cheapest and quickest-to-get foods, which tend to be ones that are high in simple carbohydrates (starch and sugar). These increase diabetes risk. \n\n",
"Type 2 diabetes has a lifestyle attribute to it. That means that in many cases (not all) a person's lifestyle can have an effect on their chances of developing the disease. \n\nWhen you consume large amounts of carbohydrates (sugar, starch, breads, stuff like that) it puts pressure on your pancreas to produce insulin. You also start to develop **insulin resistance**. You are still making insulin (other types of diabetes like type 1 cannot make insulin) but that insulin isn't as effective. Therefore you need to make more and more. This basically tires the pancreas out and you develop type 2 diabetes.\n\nSo how does that relate to poverty? Carbs are cheap. Cheaper and more processed foods are going to, on average, contain more carbs. If someone is struggling with money, they may choose to buy something that is higher carb but cheaper. Overtime this can cause the insulin resistance described above.",
"Coming from someone living in poverty who has many relatives with diabetes, it's because poverty makes it next to impossible to buy decent food for yourself. Junk food is cheap, and stuff that is actually nutritious is really expensive. Poor people can't afford to buy stuff that's actually good for them, so it's a slippery slope that ends in diabetes and obesity. \n\nAnother factor is that many people in poverty are poor because they can't hold down a job due to mental or physical illness which can inhibit their ability to exercise. \n\nYet another factor is junk food addiction. (Yes, it's actually a thing, I'm not shitting you.). Many people in poverty become depressed due to the fact that poverty is next to impossible to escape, and the government is pretty unfair to poor people. This depression can lead to becoming addicted to foods that are pretty bad for you, which can lead to developing type 2 diabetes."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
399aat | why was american pharoah slower than the previous triple crown winner? | So I just saw that the last triple crown winner in the 70's raced the Bellmont stakes faster than American Pharaoh. Why is this considering athletic achievements generally get better each year (e.g. Runners, swimmers, overall athleticism)? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/399aat/eli5_why_was_american_pharoah_slower_than_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"cs1glbj",
"cs1gmf9",
"cs1goev"
],
"score": [
2,
3,
8
],
"text": [
"there isn't that much improvement if you're at the top .01% already. each race, you're only completing against that years competitors, not against every previous years competitors. so the fact that he was slower than a previous competitor is irrelevant. \n\nas far as him not being faster. what you say, is not necessarily true. at some point (that point is already reached), there is incredible diminishing returns. and this is why some records stay unbroken for years and years. ",
"Was it a close race, this time around? Is it possible that the horse wasn't running balls out?",
"The consensus seems to be that Secretariat (in the 70s) was a genuine freak of nature. You'll notice that most of this year's horses finished faster than most of that year's horses, so on the whole the entire sport has gotten faster and more competitive. But Secretariat was a statistical anomaly. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
7nkyu3 | how do bones heal when they break, and what's the difference between being young or old? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7nkyu3/eli5_how_do_bones_heal_when_they_break_and_whats/ | {
"a_id": [
"ds2mduk",
"ds2wkyz"
],
"score": [
13,
3
],
"text": [
"Your bones are alive. \nWhen your bones aren't broken, you normally have cells called Osteoclasts breaking down the parts of your bones that are worn out, and Osteoblasts rebuilding them. \nEven an Adult will typically replace 10% of their skeleton every year. \nWhen you break a bone, it breaks blood vessels in and around the bone. \nThis causes swelling and is the first structure for rebuilding. \nYour Osteoblasts then get to work. \nFirst they'll lay down a soft structure, mainly made out of collagen (same stuff that makes up alot of hair, skin, muscle and other soft structures in your body). \nThen they'll later add in calcium, which makes the bones hard. \nThis happens faster for children, but then again almost everything related to cell function happens faster for children. \n\n",
"The cells that live in the bones are continually breaking down and reforming the mineral structure, this is carefully balanced by chemical messengers (hormones). \n\nWhen a bone is broken, the cells begin an attempt to repair the break by reforming more bone to bridge the gap. The repair cells pull calcium from the blood stream, which is a core component of bone. \n\nOlder people typically have less dense bones, which is thought to be related to decreased hormone levels, among other influences like diet and exercise. Their bones are more likely to break. \n\nYounger people usually heal faster from all kinds of injuries, and bone fractures are no exceptions. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] |
||
4f1s2w | what is the difference in sound quality between "mastered for itunes" and an audio cd? | I can download a digital copy of an album that is "Mastered for iTunes" from Apple for $11.99, or I can purchases a physical CD of the same album from Amazon for $8.99 (with free prime shipping), which includes an immediate "Auto Rip" digital download. I can then add the "Auto Rip" digital download, or rip the physical audio CD, to my iTunes library.
So why would I pay $3 more to download the "Mastered for iTunes" version from Apple, when I can have a physical copy of the CD for less money? Is the "Mastered for iTunes" sound any better than the sound from the audio CD? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4f1s2w/eli5_what_is_the_difference_in_sound_quality/ | {
"a_id": [
"d256i9x",
"d258hgu",
"d258jyl",
"d25oq6d",
"d25pkfi"
],
"score": [
4,
11,
8,
2,
4
],
"text": [
"\"Mastered for iTunes\" generally means that the music has had the volume of the music squashed to the same level. The volume of quiet passages will have been increased, and the volume of loud passages reduced. This is done to make it sound as good as possible in decidedly low-fi in-ear headphones.\n\nMind you, today the CD version is likely to not be all that much better. It might still have some dynamic range left, but everything is made to be as loud as possible in low quality headphones.",
"Unless the CD was mastered woefully badly, you're always better off getting a CD than any compressed music (such as iTunes, or using Amazon's auto-rip). There's an off-chance that a badly-mastered CD will be worse quality than a properly-mastered AAC file (or whatever compressed audio you get), but it's not very likely at all. \n\nUnless you're downloading loseless audio (which I think AAC has a version of) - in which case you probably don't want it mastered for any piece of software, but for, you know, humans (: ",
"The difference in price is just the nature of digital media, I can go out and physically buy some Blu-ray's for cheaper than their digital counterpart. However, I usually find iTunes to be no more than $1-$1.50 more than the CD, so it being $3 is surprising, is the CD on sale? \n \n\"Mastered for iTunes\" means that the producer sent Apple the music files in a quality higher than CD (so like 24-Bit 96KHz or better), and then Apple themselves covert it to AAC. This allows for a much better file. Part of the mastering process as Apple describes [here](_URL_0_) is so that the \"loudness wars\" don't take over and make the file sound crappy. \n \nThe \"Auto Rip\" is likely just standard 320Kbps MP3 files, they won't sound as good as the Mastered for iTunes AAC files. However, you likely can't tell the difference. \n \nThe CD itself will sound better than Mastered for iTunes files, unless the CD wasn't mastered well, which does happen. \n \n**TDLR:** The CD is likely better, the \"Auto Rip\" is likely worse.",
"You probably know this but I'll post it anyway. To get a lossless digital copy of your cd you could rip it in flac or alac depending what software/hardware you're using. Use this software to rip your CDs:\n\n_URL_0_",
"Recording artist since I was in my teens, as well as some friends in the industry. A lot of audiophiles (cork sniffers) are going to tell you otherwise, but the brutal honest truth is you'll almost never be able to tell the difference between a quality 256kbps encoded MP3/ACC and a CD. MP3 encoding has come a long way and the entire purpose of its existence is to throw out information you'd never hear otherwise. A few things to consider:\n\n1. Most music genres don't take advantage of the extra fidelity offered by uncompressed audio. You need something with very nuanced background imaging like classical or jazz to really hear a difference and even then... you really have to have them side-by-side critically listening in a way you don't listen to music normally. You need the ambience of the room being picked up by the microphone and subtle microphonic differences to even start to decipher a difference.\n\n2. You need a good set of headphones or some really great speakers/room to pick up on these suitable differences. Your $50 earbuds aren't going to cut it and neither is your $500 stereo. We're talking reference monitors that people use to mix albums, or an industry standard Seinnheiser 280 HD Pro pair of headphones. Normal stereo equipment is mostly there to enhance/exaggerate the mix.\n\n3. Even with the ideal listening environment, and the most meticulous attention to detail by the recording engineers you're still talking about subtle differences that just aren't going to be apparent to the average listener. This isn't how we listen to music, we're too busy enjoying the tunes to be bothered with whether the crash cymbal sounds ever so slightly more brittle in this theoretical perfect listening environment.\n\nJust enjoy the music and buy it in whatever format you find most cost effective and convenient for consumption. A mastering engineer spent hours making sure your purchase would sound good on a variety of listening systems, and he did so using ears and training that's far beyond anything you or I will ever posses."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[
"http://images.apple.com/itunes/mastered-for-itunes/docs/mastered_for_itunes.pdf"
],
[
"http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/"
],
[]
] |
|
3tv876 | how do car keys wirelessly lock/unlock only your car? | It's always baffled me how when I click the unlock lock/unlock button in a massive parking garage, car manufactures manages to make it so only my car responds. Also, how do they have such good range for only having a little battery? I feel like the remote to my TV only has a range of 15 or so feet. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3tv876/eli5_how_do_car_keys_wirelessly_lockunlock_only/ | {
"a_id": [
"cx9hcvt"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"They transmit a digital code which only your car responds to.\n\nThey're actually rather more clever than that, because you could record this code and play it back to open a car that isn't yours - codegrabbing - so they change the code each time but in a sequence which the keyfob and the car know but which isn't obvious to others.\n\nThe sensitivity is because the transmitter is shouting quite loud but only on a very narrow frequency. It doesn't do it very often or for very long, so the battery lasts a long time."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
2kenql | how do i practice singing well? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2kenql/eli5_how_do_i_practice_singing_well/ | {
"a_id": [
"clkkbdj"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"I used to sing in a barbershop chorus, so maybe I can help! \n\nSo on a piano, you would practice scales, you do the same but vocally. There are different forms of this, the ones we used for practice improved on scales and our vocal range. \n\nI would search barbershop warm ups, as I can't really explain well in text haha. But to me that's a good thing to follow, as it's all singing and no instruments haha. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
||
j37tc | can someone please explain my credit score li5? | Specifically, what are the positive and negative influences on the score, but WHY are they positive and negative? Some of course will be obvious (I don't pay my bills, default on loans, my score goes down), but some are not (I pay off a credit card and cancel it, and my score goes down?).
Thanks LI5! | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/j37tc/can_someone_please_explain_my_credit_score_li5/ | {
"a_id": [
"c28r7co"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"part of your credit score is what's known as Credit Utilization %, the point of it is that someone who is currently having trouble paying off their current credit is probably going to have even more of a problem if they have even more credit available to them. \n\nNow, let's say you have 2 cards with a $5,000 limit, you owe $1,000 on one, and the other you owe nothing on and are considering closing.\nScenario 1: you close the account. You now have $5,000 in available credit and are using $1,000 of it, so you're using 20% of your available credit. That probably doesn't matter much to potential creditors, since 20% is still not too bad.\n\nScenario 2: You don't close it. You have $10,000 in available credit and are still only using $1,000 of it, but now you're only using 10% of your credit. Potential creditors really like that.\n\nSince Credit Utilization % makes up 30% of your credit score, I'd recommend never closing any line of credit, especially one which doesn't have an annual fee.\n\nBy the way, there's more about credit scores in this very subreddit right [Here](_URL_0_)."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/j2psb/how_does_the_credit_score_work"
]
] |
|
1nn3sd | how do cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, litecoin, and others work? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1nn3sd/eli5_how_do_cryptocurrencies_like_bitcoin/ | {
"a_id": [
"cck44fn"
],
"score": [
30
],
"text": [
"The description is long and involved and probably not perfectly ELI5; however, I'll try to do my best.\n\nThe first thing to realize is that Bitcoin, Litecoin, and most others all work in exactly the same way; the only difference is a couple of parameters have been changed. The consequences of those changes are not important at this level.\n\nAt the heart of this type of currency is the blockchain, which is just a list of transactions that anyone can view--you can take a look at [this](_URL_0_) page to see an example of what a page from this register looks like. This works off of a pretty simple principle: If I know that you have 5 Bitcoins and I see that you give 3 Bitcoins to Sally then I know that Sally now has 3 Bitcoins (assuming she had none before hand) and you have only 2 Bitcoins. It is this type of accounting that is done in the blockchain. You can literally follow any Bitcoin back through its entire history (it gets kind of complicated since coins can be split and merged, but the principle is still valid).\n\nSo, who keeps track of that public register? I do. But I don't do it alone--I have thousands if not millions of people helping me. The blockchain is kept by the collective work of all of the computers in the network. Whenever you decide to spend some Bitcoins your computer announces that fact to its friends. Those computers check to make sure that you aren't trying to spend money you don't have (which they can do because they can see how many coins you have received and how many you've spent) and if the transaction checks out then it sends the transaction to more computers, and so on. Eventually every computer in the world knows about the transaction.\n\nThis description may make you weary--you have to tell everyone all of your finances--but that is addressed in Bitcoin. Bitcoin is often described as anonymous, but it is more accurate to describe it as \"pseudonymous.\" That is to say, people are represented by their pseudonyms. Just as Samuel Clemens is represented by the name Mark Twain, I am represented by the address 1Aw8UU7Dqx9RweepuDdMkJQVtNNE7SrYqn (and dozens of others--I can create them at will). Without knowing the names associated with these addresses it is impossible to figure out who is sending or receiving the money.\n\n******\n\nAnother topic to be aware of is \"mining,\" the name of which I really dislike since it completely disregards the primary purpose of the act. When you send a transaction that says that you send 3 Bitcoins to Sally I can check and make sure that that transaction is valid, but you could also make a transaction that says you send 3 Bitcoins to Jeff, and you could tell computers in China that *that* is the transaction you intend to send. I can verify that your transaction to Sally is valid and someone in China could verify that your transaction to Jeff is valid, but when someone sees *both* transactions they have to figure out which one to accept--in fact, the *whole network* needs to come to an agreement as to which one of those transactions is valid and which one should be ignored.\n\nIn order to solve this problem computers vote on which one to choose. The system could have been set up so that each computer gets one vote, but that opens the system up to people who could pretend to have lots of computers by getting lots of IP addresses. Instead of one computer, one vote, Bitcoin uses essentially one CPU, one vote. That is to say, in order to cast a vote you have to solve a math problem. This problem is not that hard--computers can solve the problem hundreds of millions of times per second--but it takes some amount of time to do and faster computers get more votes. That is the heart of the system. I should mention that this is a horrifically simplified description of what goes on in \"mining.\" If you want I'd be happy to go into more technical detail--I'm trying to stay as ELI5 as possible and getting into the properties of cryptographic hash functions isn't standard five-year-old material.\n\nThe people who are undertaking this process of mining are running their computers as hard as they can, often 24/7. This takes a certain expenditure of time, effort, and money--both for hardware and electricity. In order to compensate them for this time they receive Bitcoins--about every 10 minutes 25 new Bitcoins come into existence and are issued to one of the people mining. At over $100 per Bitcoin that makes it worth it to a lot of people to try to compete to be the person who the reward is given to.\n\n******\n\nThe final thing to understand is the idea of a wallet. A wallet is just a file on your computer, but the term is also used to describe the program that uses the wallet. Unlike a real wallet, which contains cash, a Bitcion wallet contains keys. This means that if you copy your wallet you don't double your Bitcoin any more than you double your house when you get a copy of your door key made. These keys can be thought of as being to a public lock box--anyone can put Bitcoins into your lock box but only you can take them out. An important side effect to this is that if someone gains access to your keys (wallet file) then they can take your Bitcoins. Add to that the difficulty of tracking individuals in Bitcoin and you have the makings for a very profitable heist--Bitcoin essentially lets people be their own bank by giving them the tools to secure their money; with the sudden increase in the number of small \"banks\" there was a corresponding increase in the number of small bank *robbers,* who target the people who don't use the security tools available.\n\nThere are many wallet programs available, but the most popular seem to be the \"Satoshi\" QT client, which is the original; Electrum, which is a light weight version that takes fewer computer resources; and _URL_1_, which offers an online wallet--online wallets are inherently less secure but they do a good job of being as secure as they can and they offer an easy and free service. \n\n******\n\nI'm sure that there are plenty of other areas that I could go into. If there's something about Bitcoin you'd like to learn more about just ask and I'll do my best to explain. When I first learned of Bitcoin 2 and a half years ago I was absolutely *certain* that it was a scam, a pyramid scheme, or some other sort of hogwash that shouldn't be given the time of day. However, I've since gone and studied it in-depth and I think it's poised to be a very disruptive technology in the payment processing industry (vs Credit Cards, PayPal, Western Union, etc) and could even be used as a national currency in a nation in turmoil (this was seen to some extent with some of the Cyprus issues earlier this year). "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"http://blockchain.info/block-index/423695/0000000000000014f610524ccc5acc864f3d24b1e699cb683e636e456b660c71",
"Blockchain.info"
]
] |
||
2cfywj | why do lizards run in front of me as i walk on the sidewalk? | Strange question, but has anyone else noticed this? They always try to beat me before I step on them. Is it a territorial thing or what? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2cfywj/eli5why_do_lizards_run_in_front_of_me_as_i_walk/ | {
"a_id": [
"cjfam5b"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"They are just like squirrels that wait until a car rolls by before they dart across the road. They're bored and want to cheat death for fun."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
382p6z | how do terrorist groups like isis convince young girls in western countries that life is better in iraq/syria? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/382p6z/eli5_how_do_terrorist_groups_like_isis_convince/ | {
"a_id": [
"crrtiqy",
"crrtzql"
],
"score": [
20,
8
],
"text": [
"Generally, they have luck with any group because of outsider politics. Plenty of people feel marginalized and useless in Western society. Groups like ISIS preach a very well-defined set of social rules, in which these marginalized people imagine their life can matter.\n\nWhile objectively, people seem to be giving up a wide array of rights, they perceive it as gaining a proper sense of community and purpose, things which generally matter more to people.",
"[This story](_URL_0_) might help you understand "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/26/french-journalist-poses-muslim-convert-isis-anna-erelle"
]
] |
||
60wlpa | why does some antivirus protection software (norton, mcafee, etc.) make your computer run worse than it did before? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/60wlpa/eli5_why_does_some_antivirus_protection_software/ | {
"a_id": [
"df9uv4w",
"df9w2io",
"df9x89q",
"dfa0r8p",
"dfa7u20",
"dfaizlh",
"dfajplk",
"dfak9hv",
"dfaqu2w"
],
"score": [
5,
5,
85,
649,
10,
48,
4,
3,
10
],
"text": [
"Antivirus is difficult. It requires a lot of resources and access to attempt to secure your computer. This resource consumption can have severe performance impacts on how well the computer runs.",
"Technically each active background process would make your computer a little slower. Antiviruses do a lot of things on the background. For starters, they scan each file, local or remote, touched by your system. Scanning by itself is a complex procedure, as modern viruses employ encryption and other stealth methods to avoid detection.\n\nAlso, most antiviruses also monitor the data flowing through your network interfaces which is even more taxing. External devices are yet another vector of viruses and also demand heavy monitoring. The antivirus itself might also be a target of tampering, so it has to counter against that too.\n",
"Your antivirus is like a bodyguard. If i have a car I can transport that extra person with me with little problem. If all i have is a bicycle then i will really struggle to support him.\n\nYour computer might be a bicycle more than it is a car.",
"Think of it this way. \n\nLet's say that you're a company that receives a lot of postal mail. You could have the mailroom receive that mail, then take it directly to the recipient. That's your computer without antivirus.\n\nAlternatively, your company could have a room directly next to the mail room. The mail room receives a letter and gives it to the people working in that room. They open each and every letter and look for the contents of that letter in an old-fashioned 30-volume encyclopedia. If they find it in the encyclopedia, they throw it away. If they don't, then they put it back in the envelope, send it back to the mailroom and the mailroom then takes it to the recipient. That's your computer with antivirus.\n\nAntivirus slows your computer down because that's what it's doing constantly poking at what's going on inside your computer and asking \"is that a virus? No. Ok go ahead.\" Now, it's a computer program, so it's pretty fast at the encyclopedia search, and it has ways to speed it up. But, still that takes time. And, that's why your computer is slow.\n\nFor that reason, it's still true that if you want to download and install a large software package (especially an uncommon package), turning off the antivirus can speed up that process dramatically because it removes the \"let's check the encyclopedia\" check.",
"Two reasons:\n\n1. the job of antivirus software is to detect viruses. it is not to make your computer run faster. So they don't care about how much they slow down your computer. And in order to detect viruses, the AV software has to do a lot of work. Everything you send and receive over the network has to be scanned. Every byte you read or write to or from your harddrive must be scanned. It installs special drivers which get a sneak peek at *everything* your computer does, and that adds up to a lot of overhead.\n2. Antivirus software is generally crap. Don't use it. Serious security experts generally recommend using no antivirus, or using the one that comes with Windows (Microsoft Security Essentials), which is basically the only one that won't actively endanger you.\n\n\\#2 might be surprising, but the thing is that because AV software tries to be everywhere and see everything that goes on, and has full rights to mess with anything, that also makes it an attack vector: if you can hack the AV software, you've got control of a tool that already has access to *everything* that goes on on the computer. That means it can make you *more* vulnerable. And most antivirus software is shockingly insecure, so using it will typically leave you with a slower computer *and* make you more vulnerable to attacks than you were otherwise.\n\nInstall updates frequently, use a firewall, don't click on suspicious links, and delete your antivirus software. That's how you keep your PC safe.",
"Cybersecurity Engineer here.\n\nThe best ELI5 answer I can provide to you is this:\n\nThere's a thing inside your computer called a hard disk drive, and it's where all the stuff that you have on your computer is stored. Getting stuff in and out of the hard drive is a bit like turning on a tap of water in your house - the water can only come out as fast as the tap will let it.\n\nNow, the antivirus software is looking for bad software on your computer, and now and then it starts something called a scan, which is where it looks through all the stuff on your hard disk drive and checks whether or not it is bad or good.\n\nThe trouble is, the people who make the antivirus software aren't as smart as they think they are, and after lots of years they still haven't figured out how to do one of these scans without using up all the room on the tap.\n\nTL/DR - antivirus software consumes too much disk I/O on your computer because AV software engineers don't seem to realise that you're trying to use your computer while they scan for malware.",
"Here's John McAfee answering some questions about his software. \n_URL_0_",
"I like the mailroom analogy but to answer the actually question of the post, I'll put it like this. Bad antivirus software (norton, mcafee, etc...) have the mail room 5 buildings down and up 30 flights of stairs. Mail delivery is inefficient and time consuming. \"Good\" antivirus solutions have the mail room directly next door. It's more efficient and isn't bogging down the mail delivery process with inefficiencies ",
"OP is asking why *some* antivirus software makes your computer run worse (compared to others). He even mentions a few notorious brands. \n\nHe isn't asking how an antivirus works, or the general performance impact. He is asking about the difference between average and bad. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://youtu.be/bKgf5PaBzyg"
],
[],
[]
] |
||
cyukzx | how our respiratory system knows, that there is enough oxygen in air to breathe correctly? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/cyukzx/eli5_how_our_respiratory_system_knows_that_there/ | {
"a_id": [
"eyu9z8e",
"eyuapk1",
"eyuepym",
"eyuesj4"
],
"score": [
14,
2,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"It doesn’t know. As long as you aren’t in a vacuum, the suction cause by your diaphragm will fill the lungs with whatever gases are around you. From there your blood chemically reacts with the oxygen to take it through the body.\nIf you were breathing 100% helium, you wouldn’t feel like you couldn’t breathe. You’d get drowsy and go unconscious. That’s why carbon monoxide is a killer-your body prioritizes it over oxygen, you don’t know it’s there (odorless, colorless), you don’t feel like you’re suffocating and then BOOM you’re dead",
"Breathing regulation is done by measuring levels of carbon dioxide, the levels of oxygen are generally too high to notice much of a drop, but when the by product of respiration carbon dioxide starts to get too high the body breathes more to expel the carbon dioxide and at the same time increases the amount of oxygen coming in. - _URL_0_",
"It doesn't. That's why people die from lack of oxygen without realizing all the time. Your body only tells you when you have too much co2 and you need to exhale. It just a matter of having to inhale in order to exhale to get rid of the co2.",
"Short answer, it doesn't, though the body lets itself know there ain't enough by light-headedness and such.\n\nLonger answer, the lungs just throw whatever it picks up into the blood stream. The oxygen bonds with the blood cells for transfer and unbonding where the oxygen is needed. Everything else either bonds to blood but cant unbound (like carbon monoxide) or is recycled out of the system (like contaminants)"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://youtu.be/cF0rwEd05VY"
],
[],
[]
] |
||
677pso | how does salt water conduct electricity and normal water does not? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/677pso/eli5_how_does_salt_water_conduct_electricity_and/ | {
"a_id": [
"dgoc7l4",
"dgoc9hr",
"dgomzzc"
],
"score": [
3,
2,
2
],
"text": [
"So salt is composed of two elements, Sodium, a metal and Chlorine, a non-metal which makes NaCl. Metals like sodium form what are called positive ions and non metals like chlorine form negative ions. These two ions are attracted together and form a bond. However when put into water the bonds break up and the water is full of sodium and chlorine ions. these ions are able to carry the charge of the electricity.",
"Assuming \"Normal\" water means pure H2O. Pure water cannot conduct electricity as there is nothing in the water to transport the charge, whereas in salt water or water you get from taps has minerals and salts dissolved in the water which the negative ions of the salt can carry the charge through the water.",
"\"Normal water\" (tap, rain, lake... water) does conduct electricity, just not as well as salt water. It has ions in it which make it conduct electricity. \n\nDeionized water is a very good insulator. It has been used to cool TV transmitter tubes with 25,000 volt power supplies. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
7y009a | hiv came from siv, which affected primates...but where did siv come from? how did siv become what it was/is? ultimately, what created hiv? do we know? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7y009a/eli5_hiv_came_from_siv_which_affected_primatesbut/ | {
"a_id": [
"duchm8e",
"ducjasp",
"ducksqg"
],
"score": [
3,
15,
3
],
"text": [
"Are you asking for a specific 'ancestor' virus? I'm not sure that we know that, as SIV is quite old. Generally speaking, it is a virus which evolved from earlier viruses (similar to how living organisms evolve) several tens of thousands of years ago. It evolved with several species of primate in Africa, who themselves often can carry the virus without signs of disease, as the virus adapted to not kill off its host. It becomes problematic in some non-African (e.g. Asian) primates and humans, where those adaptations aren't effective, and as a result it can take us out. \n\n",
"The SIV that affects chimps (edit: I should clarify that one of the two HIV strains likely evolved from this, the other being from mangabeys) appears to be a combination of SIVs that infect mangabeys and spot-nosed monkeys, which chimps hunt. We have found evidence in lemurs (non-simian ancestors) that this whole \"family\" of viruses goes back at least 14 million years when mammals in Madagascar and mainland Africa last intermingled. If that's not how it was transferred and the virus evolved with the primate lineage, that pushes it back to 85-ish million years.\n\nBeyond that, we don't know. Viruses aren't like complex animals that reproduce and provide fairly straightforward lineages. They can combine and mutate very quickly and in ways that are hard to back-track, and their \"ancestry\" gets muddied up pretty quick.",
"One thing about viruses is that efficiency is king for them. They can't afford to carry around a lot of extra genetic material. For this reason, their genomes are very small and efficient, and they don't leave a lot of genetic history. \n\nRetroviruses are a bit of a special case, though. Even though they have very small genomes, those genomes integrate into the genome of their host and leave a snapshot. HIV, however, doesn't integrate into the germ line so we can't tell the origin of HIV, specifically. What can be seen, however, is that there are many retroviruses in our history and these all likely share a common ancestor with HIV. It's possible, therefore, that retroviruses have been with us since the emergence of Eukaryotic life. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
en14ph | how do sea animals avoid getting swept into the sky during hurricanes like cows do in tornadoes? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/en14ph/eli5_how_do_sea_animals_avoid_getting_swept_into/ | {
"a_id": [
"fdsvjud",
"fdsvzqx"
],
"score": [
2,
2
],
"text": [
"Some do, more with water spouts than hurricanes, but it’s still possible. That’s why there’s reports of animals raining from the sky dating way back through history. \n\nIt’s rare, but it does happen.",
"most sea animals can detect the changes in temperature speed of the water and other factors so they move away from hurricanes and big storms or move deeper so they're less affected by it. it is the sudden events of something like a tornado or a water spout that actually does pick them up and can throw them for miles."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] |
||
2hguhb | why do computer manufacturers still include usb 2.0 ports alongside 3.0 ports? | If they've already got a USB 3.0 chip in there, and 3.0 is obviously backwards compatible, what's the benefit to them of limiting some ports to the 2.0 standard? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2hguhb/eli5_why_do_computer_manufacturers_still_include/ | {
"a_id": [
"cksivgw",
"cksizic",
"cksn3vp",
"cksng5g"
],
"score": [
2,
4,
2,
10
],
"text": [
"The likely answer is to keep manufacturing costs down since few devices need a 3.0 connection.\n\nThere may be some reasons involving including the 3.0 drivers in the OS installation, but that was probably more relevant back when USB 3.0 was newer.",
"It's cheaper to build a 2.0 than a 3.0.\n\nAnd most devices aren't going to be able to use the speed -- mouse and keyboard, which are the two most common USB devices, won't benefit from the speed.\n\nIt's nothing new -- we saw 2.0 ports next to 1.1. I thinl eventually you'll see the phaseout of all 2.0 ports in favor of 3.0.",
"How much more expensive is it really? It's easy to say \"it's better so it must cost more\" but, I'm curious of the cold hard facts. I'd pay an extra $5 or $10 for a full usb 3.0 mobo.",
"There are a few reasons you still see USB 2.0 alongside USB 3.0.\n\n1) The Input/output chip found on Intel computers (Which is most computers you buy) only provides 6 USB 3.0 ports on desktops and 2 on mobile. This is a big limiter.\n\n2) It increases design complexity, there are 9 wires in 3.0 vs 4 in 2.0. Multiply that difference by how many ports we have 3.0 over 2.0 and you end up with a bunch of extra space used just for wiring. Going above the 6or 2 from 1) and you're adding extra chips and even more wiring yet.\n\n3) It costs more for the manufacturer to add more USB 3.0. Each of those chips to add USB 3.0 ports costs around 5-7$, each adding 2 ports, or around 10$ if it adds 4 ports. \n\n4) For the added cost and complexity, the majority of uses for USB ports don't need the extra speed. Input devices, various adapters, even USB sticks tend to be more than happy with what USB 2.0 can provide. Mass transfer to external hard drives, SSDs or high performance USB sticks are almost the entirety of devices that benefit from USB 3.0. More than 2 of these won't be used at a time very often.\n\n5) More USB 3.0 add-on controllers will take bandwidth away from other parts of the system. Add too many and something will need to give out, such as running your GPU with half it's normal bandwidth or lowering internal expansion.\n\n6) Legacy, modern Windows 8 or 8.1 tend to be happy to work on USB 3.0 out of the box (especially with the built in Intel or AMD ports) but Windows 7, various Linux distributions or tools that run outside of Windows won't always work. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
24yvec | how has the fcc gone from battling verizon in court to preserve net neutrality to now trying to destroy it, in 3 months? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/24yvec/eli5_how_has_the_fcc_gone_from_battling_verizon/ | {
"a_id": [
"chc0jql"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"I would not say the FCC is trying to destroy Net Neutrality. \n\nThey lost the court case, and in losing the case they lost the ability to enforce regulations on Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Now they can get that ability back but it would take an act of congress to do so. This leaves the FCC in the position of either doing nothing, or waiting for congress to enact legislation allowing the FCC to enforce net neutrality laws (and doing nothing until this happens).\n\nAs these kinds of changes have not even been proposed in congress, the FCC can only wait That is what you are seeing with the FCC. They have no options but to wait until new laws give them power again."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
||
wog5t | how does boltbus stay in business charging $1 fares? | Seriously. How do they do it and make a profit? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/wog5t/eli5_how_does_boltbus_stay_in_business_charging_1/ | {
"a_id": [
"c5f1zwm"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"The $1 tickets can be difficult to get sometimes, especially for high demand routes. If I want DC to NYC, I have to get that ticket around a month early. I think BoltBus strives on customers buying tickets within a closer window and paying full price."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
2qdvxz | why isn't anything being done about the ddos attacks on psn and xbl? | They've been getting attacked at random by the supposed "lizard squad" for a while now. How come nothing is being done to stop them? Or at least a secure the servers so they can't be DDOS'd? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2qdvxz/eli5_why_isnt_anything_being_done_about_the_ddos/ | {
"a_id": [
"cn579sj"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"You can't DDOS proof a server, thats why DDOSing is so effective, I bet microsoft and sony are doing their best to track down the attackers, after that they might deal with the hackers themselves (make them disappear) or alert the authorities which would result in prison time and really high fines. Hacker groups are really hard to track though thanks to the use of bots.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
|
6cpmop | how does computer virtualization work hardware and software levels. | I've been reading about virtualization in Computer Organization and Design, and Modern Operating Systems.
It feels like there is a bunch of technical information floating around in my head, mostly unconnected.
Can anyone explain the technical details in a succinct manner? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6cpmop/eli5how_does_computer_virtualization_work/ | {
"a_id": [
"dhwnwds",
"dhwst4d"
],
"score": [
2,
2
],
"text": [
"A physical PC is composed of various hardware bits presented to the OS by the BIOS. A hypervisor is a small piece of software that sits between the physical hardware and the virtual machines that *slices* up the physical hardware and presents smaller chunks of emulated hardware to these virtual machines. (i used the term emulated, but most modern hypervisors don't actually use emulation) \nin a ideal world this would be a 1:1 ratio. If your host has 12 cpu cores and 48gbs of ram, you could have 5 virtual machines each with 2 cores and 8gbs of ram, leaving a bit left over for the host. \n \nthere are various \"tiers\" of hypervisor depending on how they are implemented but they all take physical resources and slice them up into virtual resources. \n \nThe more advanced hypervisors like ESX and Hyper-V enable sharing of these resources between multiple virtual machines simultaneously. In our scenario above, we could give each of our 5 VMs 4 cpu's and 10gb of memory each, even though we don't physically have that much. Most systems only use a fraction of their total resources, your PC right now may only be using 20% of your CPU and maybe half of your memory. Hypervisors can share these unused resources between virtual machines with higher needs. \n \nSource: Software engineer specializing in Microsoft Hyper-V",
"This wont be precisely accurate and complete but it will be much simpler. I will assume your question is limited to PC-grade virtualization but mainframes have been doing it for much longer.\n\nIn 80s everything was done in DOS realmode. Software had direct access to hardware. \n\n\n\nIn the 90s we started \"virtualizing\" various components to get things like preemptive multi-tasking and letting many software components running at the same time and managed by the OS access a singular CPU. This was called protected mode instead of real mode. We also virtualized memory by creating a uniform (and separate) 4GB address space while a typical computer may have only had 4MB-16MB of memory (1/1000 of what was presented.\n\nWe also did stuff like \"Doublespace\" compression where what the OS thought was a second hard-drive was just another file on the same hard-drive. Everything that was hardware was basically transitioning to software\n\nEven back then you could sort of run multiple copies of DOS in a single version of Windows 3.1. It was not particularly reliable but non-games \"normal software\" would usually work at least for a while.\n\nEngineers figured out that they could write software that presented an entire BIOS in software and then run multiple copies of that. They were already doing this by modeling new CPU and BIOS designs software during the testing and development cycle and it eventually got good enough to be reliable. Unlike the DOS virtual machines, now we are running multiple 32-bit protected machines.\n\nAlong the way Intel and AMD are adding additional instruction sets in the CPUs to make this work better. OS vendors are also creating stricter driver models so that the OS vendor is controlling all access to REAL hardware and driver vendors are just allowed to build on top of that. Shitty printer drivers used to crash a lot of computers when they had direct access to printing and that went away.\n"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] |
|
bs39mf | what exactly is it that makes the noise of waves on the shore? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/bs39mf/eli5_what_exactly_is_it_that_makes_the_noise_of/ | {
"a_id": [
"eoik5s7"
],
"score": [
7
],
"text": [
"It's sound of millions of drops, bubbles and splashes of water hitting rocks, plus sound of billions rocks and sand particles colliding with each other as water moves them. Sound of waves hitting smooth concrete walls is noticeable quieter. And if water is still and just barely moves sand, you can hear faint noise of that sand moving, which is much closer to \"gray noise\", whilst usual waves hitting shores sound has much more distinctive ticks and hits and all that bubbling noise."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
||
dqjspv | how does free trade agreements protect local market? | How can free trade impact the local market, specifically, protecting them from what? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/dqjspv/eli5_how_does_free_trade_agreements_protect_local/ | {
"a_id": [
"f661usp",
"f663rh3"
],
"score": [
10,
2
],
"text": [
"Free trade agreements are the opposite of \"protecting\" local markets. A free trade agreement allows goods to cross borders untaxed, so that foreign goods and domestic goods can compete on a (somewhat) even field. If the domestic market can't compete, because it cannot produce as cheaply, then the domestic products will sell fewer units and lose money.\n\nProtecting markets means adding tariffs or quotas to foreign goods to artificially raise their prices, so that the domestic goods are cheaper by comparison.",
"There are no straightforward answers. Free trade agreements generally, but not always, leads to lower tariffs/quotas and is meant to increase the amount of trade between parties (countries)\n\n1. If a local producer has increased competition from an import, then prices might fall and demand might drop. Meaning if you grow bananas and the market has more imported bananas (due to free trade agreements) then you probably end up suffering.\n2. The reverse holds true if you are exporting. Free trade agreements might open up new markets. \n3. Then the question is whether it is predominantly an end product or a raw or intermediate good affected by the free trade agreement. For example - restricting imports on steel helps domestic steel producers (increases price) but this hurts domestic steel users (e.g. car manufacturers). So the impact is mixed (maybe 1000 more steelworkers but 10000 fewer workers in car assembly plants)."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] |
|
1p8a2w | why is florida the site of most, if not all shuttle launches in the u.s? why not something with more consistent weather like arizona? | Edit 1: Blew up I guess, sweet.
Edit 2: Apparently I should own KSP... | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1p8a2w/eli5_why_is_florida_the_site_of_most_if_not_all/ | {
"a_id": [
"cczqs97",
"cczqtl5",
"cczrryj",
"cczrt54",
"cczs51s",
"cczs7ra",
"cczscmx",
"cczsruo",
"cczssl7",
"cczszbx",
"cczt9tk",
"cczteyz",
"cczu1vq",
"cczu5kg",
"cczuv1k",
"cczuxkq",
"cczv97s",
"cczv9cb",
"cczva0t",
"cczvxfo",
"cczwc2p",
"cczwfij",
"cczwx05",
"cczxgiu",
"cczyc1u",
"cczyxok",
"cczzynx",
"cd00svn",
"cd01uw4",
"cd02kvf",
"cd036qt",
"cd03og8",
"cd03p0a",
"cd03qe1",
"cd03qt2",
"cd04gz5"
],
"score": [
578,
56,
93,
9,
2330,
2,
10,
4,
16,
5,
3,
5,
10,
5,
23,
2,
2,
2,
2,
2,
2,
9,
7,
9,
3,
3,
11,
2,
4,
2,
4,
2,
2,
4,
2,
2
],
"text": [
"One factor is the launch site's latitude - since it is farther south than AZ, it has a higher rotational speed, which means that the space craft have a higher starting speed to achieve orbit. This, in turn, means less fuel required.",
"Satellite and shuttle launches work best the closer you are to the Equator. The Earth's rotational speed is the greatest at the Equator, so it's easier to get an object into space from there. Florida is very close to the Equator and isn't entirely isolated.\n\nThe European's launch their satellites from French Guiana just for this reason. Also, there is a ship (I can't remember her name) that travels to the Equator to launch satellites.",
"There is water all around FL. Atlantic ocean and the Gulf of Mexico for stuff to land into instead of populated areas",
"The most efficient way to launch a rocket is to use the rotation of the Earth. After the rocket is through the thickest part of the atmosphere, it tips (pitches) to the east (in the same direction the Earth is spinning). Since rockets still fail once in a while, the ideal launch site is close to the equator with an ocean to the east.",
"The higher rotation speed thing people are mentioning is true, but minor. Big reason is safety--we don't want launches to occur over land. Since all launches from Florida go east, they head over the Atlantic if anything goes wrong. The reason we have a launch facility at Vandenberg (CA) is because sun-synch launches from the Cape would mean flying over land.\n\nAlso, a big reason to launch from the equator in general is for GEO satellites. Yes, it takes a bit less fuel to actually get to orbit, but the latitude you launch from usually determines your inclination. Inclination change maneuvers are extremely expensive, so if you can launch into a 0 inclination orbit you can save a lot of fuel.\n\nEdit: Just how minor is the rotational effect? [Less than one percent.](_URL_0_)\n\nEdit 2: This blew up since I went to the bars. I'll try to respond as much as I can!\n\nEdit 3: I'm going to bed. I'll try answer any other questions that come up in the morning. Otherwise, feel free to shoot me a PM and I'll do my best to answer.",
"Hey guys, I do believe its because of the earth rotational speed. Also safety, they do not want the external rackets landing in peoples backyards, or even on top of someones house. ",
"The number of comments that are giving the same answer is kinda dumb",
"Does it have something to do with the fact if you launched from Arizona, homeowners in New Mexico might complain about their houses getting crushed by stage one fuselages?",
"A factor I haven't seen mentioned is that space launch centers are dammed expensive, and we already had one at Cape Canaveral when the shuttle was designed - so we reused it. As for why we built a launch center there in the 50s, the land was extremely cheap due to being remote and kinda a swamp - and if you've ever seen recordings of the first US launch attempts, you know how important \"remote\" was. (I think the first 2 US tries exploded)\n\nAnd the Cape wasn't supposed to be the ONLY launch site. As I recall, the Space Shuttle was also designed for use by the Air Force, and would have launched from an Air Force base. (Vandenburg, for a polar inclination) Air Force involvement is the major reason for the size of the Shuttle's wings - merely landing requires a far smaller area, but the Air Force wanted the ability to land with a payload (soviet reconnaissance satellites) and the ability to crosstrack more than a thousand miles on deorbit - both of which required a larger wing area. If not for that, the Shuttle would likely have been much smaller and have a greater payload/mass ratio. Ah well. (Personally, I wish the Air Force had been allowed to continue X-15/DynaSoar development instead of mucking with the Shuttle program)",
"Florida is not used for Polar launches which is most geo mapping and spy satellites. But for general LEO its fine. \n\n\"Since polar orbits can allow full global coverage on a regular basis, they are often used for earth-mapping, earth observation and reconnaissance satellites, as well as some weather satellites. However, polar orbits require more energy than a typical eastward launch, as they do not benefit from the earth's rotational speed of over 850 miles per hour (1,370 km/h) at this latitude.[1] Achieving a polar orbit from a Florida launch site is possible, but because Kennedy Space Center has major population centers to both the North and South, polar orbit flights would require hugely inefficient maneuvers to avoid them, reducing payload capacity by 30% due to the extra fuel required to reach orbit.[2]\"\n\nSee: _URL_0_",
"Couple of other reasons in addition to latitude and having a large unpopulated ocean nearby. Back in the early sixties, many rocket components, such as the cluster engines for the Apollo rockets, were delivered already assembled. These components were too large to be transported by trucks, trains, or planes, so the launch site needed to be near a sea port for receiving purposes. \n\nAnd another small, but important reason: A large NASA facility in Florida delivers government jobs and money to a highly competitive swing state. Something the politicians appreciate.",
"Also, cape Canaveral is a good spot, isolated geographically and if you ever get here, space nutters, don't stop at KSC make sure to check the air force base tours which houses the older pre NASA space program. I mean they got real rocket engines just sitting there with no velvet ropes or anything. You can scrape soot out of the thruster and fiddle with fuel lines so ya.",
"There are no houses in the ocean. 1 explosion and a big splash, is a lot less catastrophic than 150 of them and a wildfire. ",
"They want the rocket to take off and fly over water so if it goes down it won't land on anybody's house.",
"Launches are to the East (to utilize Earth rotation)\n\nLaunches work better nearer the equator (to utilize Earth rotation)\n\nDisasters land in the water",
"Safety: Boom splash not boom crash. ",
"Wouldn't proximity to water be a factor? ",
"Florida has extremely consistent weather fyi. They have not had a hurricane since 2004 and their temperatures as a whole are mild year round.",
"You always launch east (the earths rotation), close to the equator (can change angle easily), and near a body of water so that debris from rocket stages just slashes into the ocean, VS smashing into people (same goes for launch failure. Splashing, not crashing)",
"So when shit blows up it lands in the ocean.",
"Cause debris goes over the ocean. (sorry if said before).",
"Stand 1 metre away from either of the Earth's poles. You will move at 0.13 metres per hour due to the rotation of the Earth.\n\nStand at the equator. You are moving at about 1600 KILOmetres per hour. The closer you are to the equator the faster a spaceship is already going when it's just sitting on the ground. This means that to get to a given altitude it will need less fuel when launched closer to the equator than if launched near a pole. ",
"ELI5: Because rocket fuel is VERY expensive they have to locate the rockets near a large source for the alternative. Lucky for us old people give off nearly the exact same amount of energy when combusted and Florida is a very popular retirement community ran by the US government. \n\nNow Calvin finish your Cheerios the bus will be here in 10 minutes. ",
"Florida is as close to the equator as you can get in the continental US, which makes it a little easier to achieve orbit. Also, it's a lot safer shooting the damned things out over an ocean.",
"I was on the KSC mega tour on thursday (including a trip inside the VAB) and this came up during the tour. Cape canaveral and later KSC were placed in floridas atlantic coast for a number of reasons. \n\nIt was remote and sparsely populated which meant it was good for secrecy (remember the base started in the forties as a missile test facility not a rocket launch site that developped over time)\n\nIt is right next to the ocean so safety is built in to an over sea launch\n\nThe weather is favourable all year round\n\nLand was dirt cheap it was acres and acres of swamp\n\nThe fact that its a long way south and gains an equatorial advantage is a very minor point and didnt come into the reckoning",
"The spaceport was built in Florida during the Mercury era. That is where the whole system for launching the largest vehicles was based. \n\nThe rest of NASA launch facilities, Wallop's Island VA, White Sands Missile Range NM, and Vandenburg AFB CA are all there to launch the smaller stuff, because it' it the way NASA's infrastructure has always been built. \n\nAlthough Vandenburg CA is now equipped to launch smaller orbital rockets, etc, the facility that is built for the large stuff is at Kennedy Space Center Cape Canaveral Fla.\n\nSo dependent is the area now on NASA that the region of Florida is known as the Space Coast. \n\nCurrently, with the gap in manned launch capability(The new manned launch vehicle is still several years away) the area is in a slump. They still have some money flowing down from DC, partly because, in all the Franchise relocation machinations,. the Washington Nationals ended up wit the spring training facility originally built for the Florida Marlins at Viera Florida. They HAVE BEEN looking around, and we can only hope that by the time they get their new spring training location nailed down, and the facility up and running, the new launch vehicle will be ready. ",
"A better question is: why are they launched from Florida but controlled from Texas...the answer to that one is all politics.",
"Florida is the closest place in the US to the equator, so the \"idealized\" calculations for gravity, air resistance, and the rotation of the earth are more accurate than anywhere else.",
"I just got through this topic in my astronomy course. We use Florida because it is closest to the equator. Hawaii is a nonoption because we'd have to ship everything out there. The reason we want to be close to the equator is because it is farthest from the center of the earth. Now remember, earth isn't a perfect sphere and some parts bulge as it rotates. Because the equator is farther from the center of the earth, the magnitude of the force of gravity is less here. This is critical. It lowers escape velocity and the distance the space ship would have to travel. The real way this is calculated is the object goes from the radius of the earth to infinity. Bigger radius = less distance to travel. Sorry if this doesn't help, I'm still drunk from last night. \n\nRedit: also you launch things east and there's just water so nobody will die except the crew",
"Florida is actually closer to space. The atmosphere around the earth has an egg like shape. The shape also makes the exit through the atmosphere much easier on the ship. It's referred to as the scrambler effect.",
"I love how the question, and several of the responses, assume that the shuttle is still a thing.",
"Florida is closest to the equator. The speed of the earth's rotation provides speed to the launch so that the rocket uses less fuel to achieve escape velocity, and the rotational velocity is the greatest at the equator. This is also why rockets launch in the direction of rotation.",
"Because Florida sucks\n",
"Guys it isn't rocket science, wait a second. ",
"Arizona = Deathly Hot in Summer and Dust Storms. At least in the PHX area.",
"Primarily, because Florida is close to the equator, and because it is on the eastern coast. This means launching most of the time with the Earth's rotation already assisting you, and launching out to sea where spaceship parts don't kill people on the ground and an evacuation can put astronauts in the ocean, which they are more likely to survive.\n\nI looked but could not find one in a 2-minute search, but find a video of a launch, and right after launch, the speed display will already show the shuttle going well over 900mph. That is the speed in reference to a theoretically stationary Earth. All craft launched directly or almost directly in line with Earth's rotation get about a 850-900mph head start. That saves a lot of fuel and allows for a lot more payload."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/10/why-do-we-launch-rockets-from-cape-canaveral/"
],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandenberg_AFB_Space_Launch_Complex_6"
],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
Subsets and Splits
No saved queries yet
Save your SQL queries to embed, download, and access them later. Queries will appear here once saved.